We’re a third of the way through the minor-league season, more or less, and have seen quite a few promotions and graduations from my pre-season top 100, making it a reasonable point to look at the top 50 prospects still in the minor leagues. This is more of a check-in than a full update, since we’re still dealing with less than half a season of performance and data, a lot of players haven’t played at all or barely played due to injury, and scouts are still making the rounds seeing players for the first time this year.
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For this list, I’m only considering players who are currently on a minor-league roster and retain their MLB rookie eligibility. That means Jackson Chourio and Paul Skenes aren’t here, but Jackson Holliday is.
Since we don’t have a huge amount of new information, I haven’t written new scouting reports like you might expect from my offseason rankings; for longer write-ups, I’ll refer you back to the February top 100 and the associated lists. Instead, I’ve highlighted something the player has or hasn’t done so far this year, or any changes I’ve seen or heard about in their respective games.
(Note: Player tool grades are listed on a 20-80 or 2-8 scouting scale. Ages as of July 1, 2024. Stats as of June 1, 2024.)
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1
Jackson Holliday
SS
Baltimore Orioles
Age:
20
Ht:
6-0
Wt:
185
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 1
No, I’m not worried, the Orioles aren’t worried, and you shouldn’t be worried, either. Baltimore didn’t give Holliday that long of a shot at the major-league level — something we’ve seen a few times there in the last 18 months, extending to Heston Kjerstad this year and Joey Ortiz in 2023 — and, by the way, hitting big-league pitching is really hard. Holliday did shine defensively at a new position (second base), which should open a path for his return sooner than later.
Photo:
Getty Images
Baltimore Orioles
SS
2
Jordan Lawlar
SS
Arizona Diamondbacks
Age:
21
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
190
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 4
Lawlar is just starting a rehab stint in the complex league after preseason finger surgery, but he ended up two spots higher due to a graduation (Jackson Chourio) and one player (Ethan Salas) sliding down a few notches. That also means there’s nothing new to report on Lawlar until his return to Triple A. No news is … not bad news, I suppose.
Photo:
Getty Images
Arizona Diamondbacks
SS
3
Junior Caminero
3B,IF
Tampa Bay Rays
Age:
20
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
160
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 5
If Caminero could play shortstop and was healthy, he’d be in the majors right now. He landed on the IL with a quad strain last week; he missed time with a left quad strain earlier this season and is set to miss four-to-six weeks with the new one. Aside from the health issues, he’s doing everything right in Triple A, at least at the plate, and just needs an opportunity. He’s already hit eight balls at 110 mph or harder, one at 117, and has kept his strikeout rate down around 22 percent even though he’s very young (20) for his level.
Photo:
Getty Images
Tampa Bay Rays
3B
IF
4
Marcelo Mayer
SS
Boston Red Sox
Age:
21
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
190
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 8
Mayer is off to a solid start in Double A while playing strong defense at short. He’s still working on some of his offspeed recognition while he’s crushing fastballs, with whiff rates on sliders, curves, and changeups all 42 percent or higher in the early going. I don’t think he’s on the fast track to Boston, given his age and all the injury issues he’s had the last two years, but any concerns after his tepid 2023 season should be over now.
Photo:
Getty Images
Boston Red Sox
SS
5
James Wood
OF
Washington Nationals
Age:
21
Ht:
6-6
Wt:
240
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 19
My main concern with Wood coming into this year was how he managed his huge strike zone, from fastballs up in the zone to sliders down in or out of it. It’s a challenge most hitters his height have to confront at some point, and few have done so successfully in MLB history. The Nats were aggressive with Wood, moving him up to Triple A this spring despite a high strikeout rate in Double A in the second half of 2023, and he’s responded with the biggest improvement of his career, cutting his whiff rate from 34 percent to 27 percent, and on sliders specifically from 44 percent to 23 percent.
There’s still more chase than you’d like but if that’s his worst attribute, we’re miles ahead of where he was a year ago. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have to make a similar adjustment again in the majors, and maybe struggle with contact in his first year or so after he gets the call, but I’m way more optimistic about the probability of him making that adjustment and maintaining it going forward than I was at this point last year.
Photo:
Getty Images
Washington Nationals
OF
6
Ethan Salas
C
San Diego Padres
Age:
18
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
180
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 3
Salas turned 18 on Saturday and is already playing well enough in High A that everyone agrees he’s going to be a solid or better MLB regular, but the word from scouts this year is to pump the brakes a little on the hype. He isn’t showing electric bat speed or other elite tools that point to superstardom, and his value may be more connected to his high floor and the potential for a very long major-league career given his youth. That’s not as negative as it sounds, although I could understand anyone disappointed to hear he might not be an MVP candidate in the making given how incredible his debut was last year.
Photo:
Getty Images
San Diego Padres
C
7
Dylan Crews
OF
Washington Nationals
Age:
22
Ht:
6-0
Wt:
205
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 7
Crews may just be waiting for a Wood promotion to get to Triple A himself, as he’s done enough in Double A to merit a move to the next level. He still has some issues with fastballs up in the zone, though, and he’s going to have to lay off of those or at least learn to foul them off before he comes to the majors.
Photo:
USATSI
Washington Nationals
OF
8
Max Clark
OF
Detroit Tigers
Age:
19
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
205
Bats:
L
Throws:
L
Preseason Ranking: 14
Clark has hit very well for a teenager in Low A, even with some reports that he’s swinging more for power than contact in the early going. He’s also not posting run times in line with the 70+ speed he showed in high school, although he’s still plus and going to stick in center field. I suspect he’s just too advanced a hitter for the Florida State League, and the Tigers will need to challenge him with better pitching before the midpoint.
Photo:
USATSI
Detroit Tigers
OF
9
Walker Jenkins
OF
Minnesota Twins
Age:
19
Ht:
6-3
Wt:
210
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 15
Jenkins is now rehabbing in the complex league after getting hurt in his first game of 2024, straining a hamstring while running to make a catch in center field. He’s raking in his brief stint so far, but that’s a level below where he ended last season.
Photo:
AP
Minnesota Twins
OF
10
Colt Emerson
SS,2B
Seattle Mariners
Age:
18
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
195
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 37
Emerson blew pro scouts away at the end of last year, after Seattle took him with the 22nd pick and he hit everything in sight in his brief pro debut. He’s still doing it, hitting .271/.441/.414 so far as an 18-year-old in Low A, and is even playing shortstop in contrast to expectations that he’d move to second or third in pro ball. He's also on the injured list for the second time this year, and he's out until late June with a fracture in his foot. Seattle had a tremendous opportunity in the 2023 draft, with two extra picks at the tail end of the first round, and right now it looks like they had a franchise-altering haul with Emerson, Jonny Farmelo, Aidan Smith, and Logan Evans.
Photo:
Team USA Baseball
Seattle Mariners
SS
2B
11
Jeferson Quero
C
Milwaukee Brewers
Age:
21
Ht:
5-11
Wt:
215
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 12
Quero’s out for the year after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. As long as he can return to catching, I don’t think the injury changes his long-term outlook, with the loss of at-bats more of a concern than the actual injury. We’ll just have to see how it all looks next March.
Photo:
AP
Milwaukee Brewers
C
12
Samuel Basallo
C
Baltimore Orioles
Age:
19
Ht:
6-3
Wt:
190
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 20
Basallo is only 19 and already in Double A, splitting time almost equally between catching, first base, and DH. There’s really no rush to get him even to Triple A given his age and the Orioles’ other players, although I wonder if the aggressive promotion was at least in part to boost his trade value.
Photo:
AP
Baltimore Orioles
C
13
Jasson Domínguez
OF
New York Yankees
Age:
21
Ht:
5-9
Wt:
190
Bats:
B
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 21
Domínguez is back playing rehab games in Double-A Somerset after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September, and so far he looks like the same electric, high-upside hitter he was when he reached the majors last year, well ahead of schedule. The Yankees aren’t in the same offensive straits right now that they were in last year, though, so they can afford to take it easy on him, and perhaps option him to Triple A once the rehab assignment ends.
Photo:
Getty Images
New York Yankees
OF
14
Jackson Jobe
RHP
Detroit Tigers
Age:
21
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
190
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 29
Jobe continues to show two plus or better pitches with high spin rates and to throw enough strikes to see him as a potential ace, as long as he stays healthy — which he hasn’t, again, although it’s a hamstring strain right now after a lower back injury took him out of the first half of 2023. He shouldn’t be out for much longer and you can at least feel a little relief that his arm has been fine, especially with some effort in the delivery and his consistently high velocities and spin rates.
Photo:
Getty Images
Detroit Tigers
RHP
15
Matt Shaw
IF
Chicago Cubs
Age:
22
Ht:
5-11
Wt:
185
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 26
Shaw’s performance in Double A looks very disappointing, but his batted-ball data remains strong and the consensus seems to be that it’s been more bad luck than a deficiency in skill. The Cubs’ first-rounder from last year could still have an opportunity for big-league impact this year, especially now that he’s shown he can handle third base, once he starts getting more results from his hard contact.
Photo:
AP
Chicago Cubs
IF
16
Josue De Paula
OF
Los Angeles Dodgers
Age:
19
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
185
Bats:
L
Throws:
L
Preseason Ranking: 25
De Paula continues to play well beyond his age at the plate, with an extremely advanced approach for a teenager and plenty of hard contact already. With his physical projection remaining, he looks like a high-OBP, 25+ homer guy in the making. He’s a corner outfielder now and could end up at first base, which is really the only thing holding him out of the global top 10 at the moment.
Photo:
AP
Los Angeles Dodgers
OF
17
Coby Mayo
3B,1B
Baltimore Orioles
Age:
22
Ht:
6-5
Wt:
230
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 27
Mayo’s hurt at the moment, or else he’d probably be looking at accommodations in Baltimore, as he has done everything the Orioles asked of him so far in Triple A, hitting .291/.359/.605 in 42 games, albeit with a 28 percent strikeout rate. The O’s have had him play a little first base as well, opening another path for him with all of the other infielders they have in Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk.
Photo:
AP
Baltimore Orioles
3B
1B
18
Brooks Lee
SS,3B
Minnesota Twins
Age:
23
Ht:
5-11
Wt:
205
Bats:
B
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 31
The Twins have had miserable luck on the injury front this year, with Jenkins, Lee, and Royce Lewis, among others, all missing significant time before we even reached June. Lee has missed the entire year to date due to a herniated disc in his back, rehabbing right now in Florida with the hope that he’ll head to Triple A in the first week of June.
Photo:
USATSI
Minnesota Twins
SS
3B
19
Kyle Teel
C
Boston Red Sox
Age:
22
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
190
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 54
Teel looked tired when I saw him at the end of last summer, and in hindsight, I think that’s exactly what was going on, as he’s a new man this year, hitting .309/.411/.503 with improved defense so far in Double A. I don’t think he’s far off at all, and if Connor Wong reverts to his pre-2024 form, Teel might be ready to replace him.
Photo:
AP
Boston Red Sox
C
20
Carson Williams
SS
Tampa Bay Rays
Age:
21
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
180
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 38
Williams is pretty much the same guy he was last year — he plays great defense, he runs double-plus, he hits the ball hard, and he whiffs too much on pitches in the zone. If he didn’t have the great defensive profile, he wouldn’t be in the top 50, but that’s a pretty strong floor if he makes even a little more contact going forward.
Photo:
AP
Tampa Bay Rays
SS
21
Kevin Alcántara
OF
Chicago Cubs
Age:
21
Ht:
6-6
Wt:
190
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 28
Alcántara started the year 0 for 26 with 11 K’s, but since he got off that particular schneid, he’s hit .315/.351/.492 with a 21 percent K rate. He’s got as much projection left as any hitter in full-season ball, with 30-homer upside in center field, although he’ll have to improve some of his swing decisions, especially against righties.
Photo:
USATSI
Chicago Cubs
OF
22
Druw Jones
OF
Arizona Diamondbacks
Age:
20
Ht:
6-4
Wt:
180
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 41
Jones started the year with 21 strikeouts in his first 35 PA, culminating in a Platinum Sombrero on April 16 (five Ks in five PA). He’s been on fire ever since, hitting for average and contact and getting on base, although the home-run power hasn’t shown up yet. He’s still a 70 defender in center and while we’re still in modest sample-size territory here, I’m optimistic that the Druw Jones from high school is back.
Photo:
Getty Images
Arizona Diamondbacks
OF
23
Noah Schultz
LHP
Chicago White Sox
Age:
20
Ht:
6-9
Wt:
220
Bats:
L
Throws:
L
Preseason Ranking: 79
Schultz dominated High A to start the year, striking out 38 percent of batters he faced in seven abbreviated starts before a bump up to Double A. The one knock here is that he hasn’t gotten more than 12 outs in any outing — he’s made nine appearances in total, and in seven of those, he went exactly four innings. He did end last year on the shelf with a sore shoulder, so I understand and appreciate the caution, but at some point, you’ve got to throw more than 67 pitches to be a top-end starter. He's got the stuff, and so far the results, striking out half of the 24 batters he's faced already since his promotion to Birmingham.
Photo:
AP
Chicago White Sox
LHP
24
Andrew Painter
RHP
Philadelphia Phillies
Age:
21
Ht:
6-7
Wt:
215
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 34
Painter should be back making rehab outings this summer after the Phillies tried to avoid Tommy John surgery last year, pushing the eventual surgery back to the point where he would have to effectively miss all of 2024. The aspect of his game I’ll most want to see when he returns is the power and shape to his curveball, which was a wipeout pitch before the elbow injury, but which for some pitchers isn’t the same weapon post-TJ (Lucas Giolito and Jay Groome come to mind).
Photo:
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
RHP
25
Roman Anthony
OF
Boston Red Sox
Age:
20
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
190
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 22
Anthony is young for Double A, but he has had some trouble at the level with a 29 percent strikeout rate, coming from some unsurprising sources — he’s struggling with same-side breaking stuff, even in the zone, and is chasing a lot of changeups and fastballs from righties. These are small samples, but I do think it’s fair to say that this is going to be a long stay at the level as Anthony works on pitch and location recognition in general.
Photo:
AP
Boston Red Sox
OF
26
Sebastian Walcott
3B
Texas Rangers
Age:
18
Ht:
6-4
Wt:
190
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 40
Walcott is the poster child for how the elimination of short-season leagues continues to be a penny-wise and pound-foolish decision for MLB. He’s 18, younger than many top prospects in this year’s draft, but already in full-season ball because he hit too well in the complex league last year to return there. He’s struggling, as you would expect,with the High-A Hickory Crawdads — he has a .195/.326/.315 line and a 28 percent strikeout rate because he doesn’t belong there. He remains high on this list because of the enormous power upside and the fact that he is showing some plate discipline even amid the strikeouts.
Photo:
Getty Images
Texas Rangers
3B
27
Jett Williams
SS
New York Mets
Age:
20
Ht:
5-6
Wt:
175
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 30
Williams played just 11 games for Double-A Binghamton before going on the injured list with a nagging wrist sprain that still hasn’t healed enough for him to play some rehab games. There’s no apparent timetable for his return, unfortunately, and wrist injuries can linger for months even after the player is ready to hit again, so I’d keep my expectations for him on the conservative side when he does come back.
Photo:
AP
New York Mets
SS
28
Emmanuel Rodriguez
OF
Minnesota Twins
Age:
21
Ht:
5-10
Wt:
210
Bats:
L
Throws:
L
Preseason Ranking: 47
Rodriguez is just a fascinating hitter: He strikes out more than you’d like, but he simply does not chase. He’s around 11 percent at swinging at anything out of the zone, and for pitches out of the "shadow" of the zone he’s down at 6 percent. My dude just takes a lot of called strikes, and I think you have to respect that when the rest of the line is so good — and he’s showing more in-game power this year than ever before, already halfway to his 2023 home run total in just 36 games so far this year before a hand injury that has had him out for the last few games in Double A.
Photo:
AP
Minnesota Twins
OF
29
Justin Crawford
OF
Philadelphia Phillies
Age:
20
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
175
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 43
Crawford still needs swing work, which I detailed in a post a few weeks ago, but he’s got unbelievable bat speed, 80 run and can play the heck out of center field. There’s power in here when he gets a consistent path to the ball. He’s reduced his groundball rate from last year but it’s still way too high, and it’s all about his mechanics.
Photo:
AP
Philadelphia Phillies
OF
30
Aidan Miller
IF
Philadelphia Phillies
Age:
20
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
205
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 89
Miller slipped to the Phillies at the 27th pick last year after he missed nearly his entire senior spring with a broken hamate bone, and it looks like Philadelphia got an absolute steal, as Miller is hitting for contact and power, getting on base, and at least playing well enough at short that he should be a 55 defender whenever he moves over to third.
Photo:
Getty Images
Philadelphia Phillies
IF
31
Cole Young
SS
Seattle Mariners
Age:
20
Ht:
6-0
Wt:
180
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 46
Young is … well, young for his level, just 20 in Double A, but has been among the 10 toughest hitters to strike out in the Texas League so far (considering only qualifying players). It was an aggressive promotion since he’d only played 48 games in High A the year before, but he’s at least kept the contact rate up even as his other surface numbers have gone down. He is making decent contact and putting the ball in the air enough to see him boosting his slugging percentage as the season goes on.
Photo:
Modesto Nuts
Seattle Mariners
SS
32
Cade Horton
RHP
Chicago Cubs
Age:
22
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
210
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 49
Horton came out of his last start on Wednesday due to back soreness, so here’s hoping this ranking doesn’t seem out of date by the time the story runs. He dominated Double A and has been solid in Triple A, although his fastball continues to play well below its velocity, with far more success coming on his slider and changeup. He’s a starter, of some sort, but what sort probably depends on what he and the Cubs do with his fastball going forward.
Photo:
AP
Chicago Cubs
RHP
33
Colson Montgomery
SS
Chicago White Sox
Age:
22
Ht:
6-3
Wt:
205
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 42
Triple A has been a challenge for Montgomery, who is hitting .226/.333/.390 with a 29 percent strikeout rate and has been getting killed by velocity. When he swings at anything 94+, he whiffs 36 percent of the time. I saw a slower bat from him in the AFL last year, and heard from scouts who saw him in August that they also questioned the bat speed, but he was coming off a serious back injury and I assumed some of it was rust. This is definitely something to monitor as the sample size grows.
Photo:
USATSI
Chicago White Sox
SS
34
Luisangel Acuña
SS
New York Mets
Age:
22
Ht:
5-8
Wt:
180
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 45
Acuña hasn’t hit well since the Mets acquired him last July at the deadline, scuffling for Double-A Binghamton last fall and now hitting .250/.303/.355 for Triple-A Syracuse. He’s not making hard enough contact overall, and he’s swinging way too often, including a chase rate over 35 percent.
Photo:
AP
New York Mets
SS
35
Brayden Taylor
3B
Tampa Bay Rays
Age:
22
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
180
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 56
I was hoping for a little better from Taylor in High A this year, but hey, hitting is hard, and he’s mashing against righties while at least making contact against lefties. The Rays have moved their 2023 first-rounder back to shortstop for about half of his games, which is intriguing if he can pull it off.
Photo:
USATSI
Tampa Bay Rays
3B
36
Felnin Celesten
SS
Seattle Mariners
Age:
18
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
175
Bats:
B
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: NR
At long last, Celesten made his pro debut in the ACL in May, and he’s been destroying the league so far, enough so that I doubt he’s there much longer as an 18-year-old. If only there was some intermediate level to which the Mariners could send him, one that played less than a full season, but alas, it’s complex or Low A. I’ll take a switch-hitting shortstop with a good eye and emerging power, please and thank you.
Photo:
AP
Seattle Mariners
SS
37
Rhett Lowder
RHP
Cincinnati Reds
Age:
22
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
200
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 60
Lowder ripped through High A but has hit some trouble in Double A, with a bizarre .500 BABIP at the level through 15 innings. It’s a combination of bad luck and some bad location, as Lowder’s living too much in the heart of the zone with his fastball, which means it’s harder for him to get to his plus slider and changeup for whiffs. I’m still bullish, but that’s a clear adjustment he’ll have to make at the new level.
Photo:
Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds
RHP
38
Cam Collier
3B
Cincinnati Reds
Age:
19
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
210
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 50
Collier is just 19 and playing in High A, where he’s already hit more homers than he did last year in Low A. Scouts have been impressed by his approach and all-fields power, even around a miserable 3-for-53 stretch in mid-May. He’s going to have to work on his conditioning, though, as he might grow himself off third base and end up at first.
Photo:
Daytona Tortugas
Cincinnati Reds
3B
39
Brady House
3B
Washington Nationals
Age:
21
Ht:
6-4
Wt:
215
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 53
House raced past High A last summer to get to Double A, where he’s been fully challenged for the first time, still showing big power and high exit velocities but expanding the zone too early and too often against pretty much all pitch types so far.
Photo:
USATSI
Washington Nationals
3B
40
Harry Ford
C
Seattle Mariners
Age:
21
Ht:
6-0
Wt:
200
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 61
Ford continues to be an on-base machine, now in Double A at 21, catching about 60 percent of the time for Arkansas. As a hitter, he makes pitchers throw him strikes and doesn’t miss much in the zone, although he’s still more geared toward contact than power, with just a couple of pull-side homers this year and nothing the other way.
Photo:
AP
Seattle Mariners
C
41
Hurston Waldrep
RHP
Atlanta Braves
Age:
22
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
210
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 80
Waldrep got bombed in his first outing of the year, but since then he’s been cruising with a 1.74 ERA and, most importantly, a reasonable walk rate just over 8 percent. Atlanta has him throwing his slider much more often so he’s not so reliant on his grade-70 split-change, and he’s having success with it, especially against lefties.
Photo:
USATSI
Atlanta Braves
RHP
42
Tink Hence
RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
Age:
21
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
185
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 73
Hence got hit around in Double A after the All-Star break last year, but in his return to the level he’s been dominant across the board. He looks stronger and seems to be finishing his secondaries better while living more around the perimeter of the strike zone. His changeup might be the stuff of nightmares, with a whiff rate on the pitch over 70 percent so far due to his arm speed and the very late tumble to the pitch.
Photo:
AP
St. Louis Cardinals
RHP
43
Orelvis Martinez
IF
Toronto Blue Jays
Age:
22
Ht:
5-11
Wt:
200
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 57
Martinez has been among the International League leaders in home runs all year while keeping his strikeout rate around 25 percent, playing second base as his primary position for the first time in his career. That’s probably a good indicator of his eventual MLB profile — borderline contact rates with big power, making him an above-average regular at second or third.
Photo:
Getty Images
Toronto Blue Jays
IF
44
Chase Dollander
RHP
Colorado Rockies
Age:
22
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
200
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 75
Dollander looks much more like the guy he was as a sophom*ore at Tennessee than the 2023 version with the backed-up slider, which is great news for the Rockies given the risk they took to grab him at the ninth pick last year with so many promising college bats still on the board. He should be in Double A, though, given how advanced he is as a pitcher and the power of that breaking ball to miss bats.
Photo:
USATSI
Colorado Rockies
RHP
45
River Ryan
RHP
Los Angeles Dodgers
Age:
25
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
195
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 33
Ryan hasn’t pitched at all this year due to “shoulder fatigue,” but the expectation since the spring had always been that we wouldn't see him until June and he was added to the ACL Dodgers' roster this week to start building back up. He has top-25 prospect upside if he comes back as he was last year.
Photo:
AP
Los Angeles Dodgers
RHP
46
Bubba Chandler
RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates
Age:
21
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
200
Bats:
B
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 48
Chandler missed a start in May due to forearm tightness but returned on the 29th to throw 75 pitches in four innings, working almost only with his fastball and changeup in the outing without much feel for the few sliders he threw.He still needs to work on fastball command and control, but his stuff is so good, particularly his fastball life and the deception and fade on the changeup, that he has as much upside as any pitcher on this list.
Photo:
AP
Pittsburgh Pirates
RHP
47
Heston Kjerstad
OF
Baltimore Orioles
Age:
25
Ht:
6-3
Wt:
205
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 62
The Orioles don’t seem willing to give Kjerstad, the second pick in the 2020 draft, an extended look in the majors, which is odd given how little production they’re getting from their outfield corners. He’s among the Triple-A leaders in homers and over 30 percent of the balls he’s hit in play at the level have been at 100 mph or greater. He’s ready to help someone, even if his defense turns out to be below average.
Photo:
AP
Baltimore Orioles
OF
48
Arjun Nimmala
SS
Toronto Blue Jays
Age:
18
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
170
Bats:
R
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 59
Nimmala should have started in the complex league, or at the non-existent short-season level, as he was one of the youngest hitters in the 2023 draft and it has shown, with a 34 percent strikeout rate before the Jays returned him to the complex in mid-May. He hasn’t played since the demotion on May 12, although I expect him to see some FCL time soon, and remain bullish on his bat long term — as long as they take it slower with him, since he won’t turn 19 until November.
Photo:
USATSI
Toronto Blue Jays
SS
49
Jonny Farmelo
OF
Seattle Mariners
Age:
19
Ht:
6-2
Wt:
205
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: NR
Colt Emerson may have overshadowed Farmelo’s pro debut, but the Mariners’ second pick from the 2023 draft is off to a tremendous start of his own and adds the value of plus defense in center. I don’t love the swing, but he has shown he can make it work even against real velocity, so I don’t see any reason to mess with him unless he struggles at any point — and so far, he hasn’t.
Photo:
AP
Seattle Mariners
OF
50
Dalton Rushing
C
Los Angeles Dodgers
Age:
23
Ht:
6-1
Wt:
220
Bats:
L
Throws:
R
Preseason Ranking: 86
Rushing is only catching half-time in Double A, splitting time with the still-struggling Diego Cartaya, but otherwise looks like any on-field effects from last year’s concussion are gone, as he’s making a ton of contact and not missing fastballs while getting to above-average power again. The Dodgers have no place to play him though, now or next year, so I imagine he’s going to be involved in every trade conversation they have this summer.
Photo:
AP
Los Angeles Dodgers
C
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Keith Law is a senior baseball writer for The Athletic. He has covered the sport since 2006 and prior to that was a special assistant to the general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays. He's the author of "Smart Baseball" (2017) and "The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves" (2020), both from William Morrow. Follow Keith on Twitter @keithlaw