Here are the Top 10 RHP prospects for 2023
MLB Pipeline will reveal its 2023 Top 100 Prospects record at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 26, with a one-hour present on MLB Network and MLB.com. Leading as much as the discharge of the Top 100, we’ll look at baseball’s prime 10 prospects at every place.
Now, it is a enjoyable debate.
Grayson Rodriguez completed 2022 as our prime pitching prospect. Andrew Painter shot out of the gate to win MLB Pipeline’s Pitching Prospect of the Year Award in his first full season. Eury Pérez flashed potential from his towering 6-foot-8 body in Double-A at simply 19 years outdated.
So who’s the highest right-handed pitching prospect in baseball? In the top, we went with the man in Phillies crimson. But it was shut. Very shut.
It’s a debate we could possibly be having for a while, albeit on the Major League degree quickly. Nine of the ten hurlers named to MLB Pipeline’s 2023 preseason Top 10 RHP Prospects record have estimated instances of arrival of 2023. The just one who doesn’t is No. 9 Mick Abel, who completed 2022 with 5 Double-A begins and will nonetheless lower the road to make a debut this summer time in his personal proper. If these graduations all come to go as anticipated, subsequent yr’s record could have a really completely different look. We have a full season forward to check for that debate too.
The Top 10 (ETA)
1. Andrew Painter, Phillies (2023)
2. Grayson Rodriguez, Orioles (2023)
3. Eury Pérez, Marlins (2023)
4. Daniel Espino, Guardians (2023)
5. Taj Bradley, Rays (2023)
6. Bobby Miller, Dodgers (2023)
7. Gavin Williams, Guardians (2023)
8. Hunter Brown, Astros (2023)
9. Mick Abel, Phillies (2024)
10. Gavin Stone, Dodgers (2023)
Complete record »
Fastball: Espino (80)
The 2019 twenty fourth general decide appeared like he was on his approach to an eye-popping season within the spring of 2022 when he was sitting 98-100 mph — whereas touching 102-103 — in Spring Training, and he stored the warmth coming over 4 begins with Double-A Akron, putting out 35 batters in 18 1/3 innings earlier than harm ended his season prematurely. As if the speed wasn’t sufficient, Espino’s fastball comes with a lot of carry, additional solidifying its 80 grade.
Curveball: Brown (65)
The 24-year-old right-hander climbed to the Majors and made Houston’s postseason roster, partially due to the dominance of his low-80s curve. The 12-to-6 providing has loads of energy and chew to generate whiffs. Without a top quality changeup, Brown used his curveball as his featured secondary towards lefties within the Majors. The outcomes: a .148 opponents’ common towards and 30.4 % whiff charge.
Slider: Espino (70)
Espino doesn’t solely throw his fastball arduous. Last spring, he was zipping the breaking pitch within the low-90s, giving him a extra horizontal pitch, albeit one with heater velo. Before that, the Cleveland righty had proven a capability to control the velocity of the pitch, relying on how a lot depth he wished on it; the wealth of choices left hitters befuddled. So a lot for anybody even attempting to take a seat on the triple-digit fastball.
Changeup: Rodriguez, Pérez, Stone (70)
Lefties beware. These righties have one thing in retailer for you too. All three confirmed off mid-80s changeups that appeared near their fastballs out of their arms, solely to tumble and fade under waving bats. Neither Rodriguez (.157), Pérez (.204) nor Stone (.216) had lefties bat increased than .220 towards them in 2022, on account of these spectacular cambios.
Control: Painter (65)
Hitters are supposed to be extra affected person as you climb the ladder, proper? Consider this: the 19-year-old Painter completed out his first full season at Double-A Reading, the place he was greater than 5 years youthful than the common participant. He walked solely two batters in 28 1/3 innings throughout his time there. His 6.2 % stroll charge throughout three ranges was the bottom amongst teenage pitchers with at the least 70 frames in 2022. The 6-foot-7 righty’s capacity to pitch within the zone improved because the season wore on, and it could possibly be plus-plus by the top of 2023 if he continues on this trajectory.
Highest ceiling: Painter
The 2021 thirteenth general decide gave everybody a style of his ceiling with a 1.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 155 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings throughout these three ranges in his first full season, and he has the stuff to again up the outcomes with a fastball that may contact triple-digits, a plus high-spin slider and two extra pitches in his curve and alter that preserve hitters guessing. That’s simply the beginning. Painter solely turns 20 in April and sure has some improvement forward of him nonetheless. Be scared, National League East.
Highest ground: Rodriguez
The O’s hurler virtually actually would have debuted within the Majors in 2022 if not for a Grade 2 lat pressure that held him out for 3 months. He appeared practically prepared by his return to the Triple-A rotation in September too, earlier than the season ran out on him. The 23-year-old’s deep four-pitch combine and plus management have lengthy made him a possible ace, however even when the stuff takes a slight step again sooner or later, he’s probably nonetheless a mid-rotation choice for Baltimore.
Rookie of the Year Award candidate: Rodriguez
If he can get via this spring wholesome, Rodriguez is a powerful candidate to open the season within the Orioles’ rotation and could be a ROY candidate from his first pitch. His innings may have to be managed some — he’s but to throw greater than 103 in a Minor League season — however he’s a greater prospect than Spencer Strider was at the moment final yr. We noticed what he completed when given a full yr within the bigs.
Highest riser & humblest starting: Stone
The Dodgers chosen the Central Arkansas right-hander within the fifth spherical of the shortened 2020 Draft, which means he was their remaining decide that yr. Stone signed for simply $97,500 (effectively under the $327,200 assigned to his slot because the penultimate decide in the entire course of) and he wasn’t thought of among the many Dodgers’ Top 30 prospects getting into his first full season. He’s fanned 306 batters in 212 2/3 innings over 4 full-season ranges since then and now suits comfortably on the Top 100 general record with three above-average pitches and good management.
Most to show: Espino
We’ve already listed how depraved the Panama native’s stuff may be. Now, can he be wholesome? Espino first missed time with a knee problem in 2022 and a shoulder harm stored him on the shelf all through the summer time. He completed the yr with solely 4 Double-A begins. In our latest Executive Prospect Poll, front-office members thought he’d be the probably Minor Leaguer to grow to be a dominant nearer sometime, partly as a result of the harm issues may transfer him to the bullpen. It’s on him this yr to show he can take common turns within the rotation and grow to be Cleveland’s subsequent homegrown beginning star.
Keep an eye fixed on: Tink Hence, Cardinals
St. Louis has been very cautious in the way it has utilized the 2020 63rd general decide so far — first giving him solely eight complex-level outings in 2021 after which capping him at 60 pitches down the stretch in Low-A final yr. The arsenal is extremely good, nevertheless. Hence was round 94-97 mph along with his fastball with Palm Beach and received a lot of swings-and-misses on his curveball and changeup, to say nothing of his slider with good depth. The child gloves will come off a bit extra in 2023, and if the stuff holds up deeper into begins, Hence might simply discover his manner onto a Top 10 RHP record quickly.
