Each team’s No. 1 prospect in ’25 will be …
Back in August 2021, we predicted who can be every farm system’s No. 1 prospect coming into 2023. Well, the time has come to overview our work.
Generally, we did fairly properly. Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), Francisco Álvarez (Mets), Jordan Walker (Cardinals), Anthony Volpe (Yankees) and Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox) have been our choices then, and now they head into this season within the Top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s general rankings. Similarly, we have been on level about Diego Cartaya (Dodgers), Jackson Jobe (Tigers), Colson Montgomery (White Sox) and Tyler Soderstrom (Athletics). Some picks have been extra sophisticated. Michael Harris II (Braves) has graduated and gained a Rookie of the Year Award. Robert Hassell III (Padres) was traded to the Nationals. Top 2021 picks like Henry Davis (Pirates), Jack Leiter (Rangers) and Kahlil Watson (Marlins) have seen their shares slip.
It isn’t simple, this prospect prediction business.
But we’re giving it one other go. These are the prospects we count on to be ranked first in every of the 30 farm methods come spring 2025:
Blue Jays: Brandon Barriera, LHP
Toronto set forth a blueprint on how one can develop a younger left-handed pitcher final 12 months with Ricky Tiedemann. Given his trajectory, he’ll seemingly graduate by the point 2025 rolls round. Barriera, who was 1 1/2 years youthful than Tiedemann when he was drafted, will seemingly want extra time within the Minors, however the items are in place for him to leap into the Top 100 over the following two seasons. More particularly, the 6-foot-2 southpaw already reveals three above-average pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup, and his strike-throwing skill ought to help his possibilities of hitting the bottom working.
Orioles: Jackson Holliday (No. 12 on Top 100)
The No. 1 choose within the 2022 Draft, Holliday has the pure instruments and polish to maneuver extra rapidly than most highschool bats, and he did submit a .911 OPS in 20 video games in reaching full-season ball throughout his professional debut final summer time. He could be on the cusp of reaching Baltimore firstly of 2025, however he additionally might be the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball on the identical time.
Rays: Carson Williams, SS (No. 72)
Taj Bradley and Curtis Mead will (or ought to) be properly out of the prospect image in two years, whereas 2021 first-round choose Williams might be simply on the verge of commencement if all goes in accordance with plan. Williams has appeared like a stellar defender at a premium place, and his energy already performs properly coming off a 19-homer season at Single-A at age 19. The Rays are making some extent to enhance his chase and swing-and-miss charges, and people are the one lacking substances from making the San Diego native extra of a family identify.
Red Sox: Miguel Bleis, OF (No. 93)
Boston’s greatest worldwide prospect since Rafael Devers, Bleis signed for $1.5 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 and has exuded five-tool potential in heart discipline ever since. He slashed .301/.353/.542 with 23 extra-base hits and 18 steals in 40 video games within the Rookie-level Florida Complex League final summer time.
Yankees: Spencer Jones, OF
One of the perfect two-way prospects within the 2019 Draft, Jones had Tommy John surgical procedure at Vanderbilt in 2020, grew to become a full-time outfielder and hit his approach into the primary spherical final July. He’s very athletic for a 6-foot-7, 225-pounder, makes loads of exhausting contact and slashed .344/.425/.538 with 4 homers and 12 steals in his 25-game professional debut, principally in Single-A.
Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF (No. 82)
The first first-round choose in James Madison historical past, DeLauter provided the perfect mixture of instruments, plate self-discipline and efficiency within the 2022 school class. The pandemic and a damaged left foot meant that he by no means bought to play a full school season, however he slashed .402/.520/.715 in three years with the Dukes and proved himself with wooden bats by main the Cape Cod League in homers (9) and slugging (.589) in the summertime of 2021. He reinjured his foot after signing for $3.75 million, so he’ll make his professional debut this 12 months.
Royals: Gavin Cross, OF (No. 62)
There’s each probability the previous Virginia Tech star might hit and run his approach to Kansas City briefly order. The 2022 first-rounder has five-tool potential, and he’s already confirmed his abilities can translate to the professionals after he slashed .293/.423/.596 with 14 extra-base hits in 26 Single-A video games. The Royals have internally circled 2024 as their 12 months to return to full-blown rivalry, however the guess right here is that even when Cross reaches the Majors that summer time, it’ll be as a late-season addition, preserving his prospect standing for the next spring.
Tigers: Jackson Jobe, RHP (No. 63)
Pitching prospects want time to develop, particularly these coming straight from the high-school ranks. Jobe proved that final season, and the 20-year-old right-hander’s outcomes didn’t pop as essentially anticipated (3.84 ERA, 1.28 WHIP in 77 1/3 innings), however the rigors of a primary full season might assist him in the long term. His 93-96 mph plus-plus slider might make him at the very least a No. 3 starter, and by 2025 — with two extra seasons underneath his belt — that future might be nearer in view.
Twins: Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF (No. 88)
If it hadn’t been for a torn meniscus in his proper knee that ended his season final June, there’s probability Rodriguez would already be a lot increased on the Top 100. He made a splash in his 47 video games of full-season ball, with an OPS over 1.000, a extra superior strategy (extra walks than strikeouts) and a capability to start out tapping into his appreciable uncooked energy.
White Sox: Noah Schultz, LHP
As a 6-foot-9 left-hander with a low arm angle, Schultz attracts bodily comparisons to Randy Johnson. The twenty sixth general choose within the 2022 Draft cannot match the Hall of Famer’s sheer energy, however Schultz is far more superior on the identical stage of their careers, can run his fastball as much as 97 mph and has the makings of a wipeout slider. He’s set to make his professional debut this spring.
Angels: Edgar Quero, C
Quero’s 12 months within the Single-A California League actually put him on the map and has Angels followers excited to see what comes subsequent. The switch-hitter posted a .965 OPS en path to Cal League MVP honors, exhibiting an excellent strategy on the plate and creating abilities behind it.
A’s: Luis Morales, RHP
Morales got here in at No. 5 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects checklist for this signing interval, and the Cuban right-hander bought $3 million from the A’s to signal. He has the makings of a reliable four-pitch combine, led by a fastball that sits 94-97 mph. At 20-years-old, he might get to Oakland sooner than the standard teenaged worldwide signee.
Astros: Drew Gilbert, OF
Gilbert posted the perfect numbers (.362/.455/.673, 36 extra-base hits versus 32 strikeouts) on a Tennessee group that ranked No. 1 in school baseball for many of the 2022 season, propelling himself into the primary spherical of the Draft. He has a take-no-prisoners strategy on the plate, on the bases and within the discipline — to not point out 4 stable to plus instruments to go along with maybe common energy. He performed 10 professional video games final summer time, slashing .313/.405/.531 with two homers and 6 steals, earlier than dislocating his left elbow after working right into a center-field wall.
Mariners: Harry Ford, C (No. 49)
The Mariners’ first-round choose in 2021 shook off a tough begin to his first full season and posted a .942 OPS from June 1 on in 2022. He’s tremendous athletic and might be a real five-tool backstop, with the upside to become the highest catching prospect within the recreation over the following couple of years.
Rangers: Brock Porter, RHP (No. 94)
Porter, MLB Pipeline’s top-rated pitching prospect, slid to the 109th choose of the 2022 Draft and shattered the fourth-round bonus document ($3.7 million). Gatorade’s nationwide highschool participant of the 12 months, he had the perfect fastball and the most effective changeups in final 12 months’s prep class. He’ll make his professional debut this season.
Braves: Ambioris Tavarez, SS
Maybe the protected play would have been to go along with one of many highschool arms the Braves took early within the 2022 Draft, like Owen Murphy or JR Ritchie. But let’s roll the cube a bit bit and go along with Tavarez, who signed for $1.5 million in January 2021 and hasn’t been in a position to showcase his appreciable instruments a lot — first as a result of the Braves didn’t have a Dominican Summer League group in 2021, after which due to harm in 2022. He might actually begin taking off this 12 months.
Marlins: Yiddi Cappe, SS
Signed for $3.5 million in January 2021, two years after he left Cuba, Cappe has superior really feel for the barrel, at the very least 20-homer upside if he can add extra muscle and plus arm power. He slashed .290/.328/.438 with 9 homers and 13 steals in 67 video games at age 19 throughout his U.S. debut, cut up between Rookie ball and Single-A.
Mets: Kevin Parada, C (No. 36)
New York hopes Francisco Álvarez can change into its long-term catcher as early as this summer time, they usually have one other potential possibility within the pipeline in final 12 months’s No. 11 general choose. With his skill to hit for each common and energy from a premium place, Parada might be a fast mover towards Queens, however like Álvarez, he’ll want time to show he will be an enough defensive catcher earlier than he reaches The Show, which means he’s a protected guess to high the Mets’ Top 30 in two years.
Nationals: Elijah Green, OF (No. 46)
Let’s have some enjoyable right here and say that James Wood’s mixture of swing selections, plus energy and spectacular velocity get him to the massive leagues by the tip of 2024. That leaves the highest spot for Green — one other tooled-up heart fielder with plus-plus wheels and prodigious pop. Green has questions offensively relating to his swing-and-miss charges, and the Nationals are prepared to be affected person to get him the at-bats wanted to enhance. If it manages to click on offensively, he has No. 1 general prospect upside.
Phillies: Justin Crawford, OF
Carl’s child was the Phillies’ first-rounder in 2022 and entered professional ball recognized principally for his plus-plus velocity and his knack for contact. The future heart fielder is unquestionably hit-over-power, however he’s already added some power and may shock some folks along with his extra-base thump in his first full season.
Brewers: Jeferson Quero, C
We had Quero down because the backstop on our 2023 All-Defense Team already, coming off an Arizona Fall League marketing campaign through which he threw out 46 p.c of tried basestealers, so we’re already fairly excessive on him. He can hit fairly properly, too, with a profession .290 common, and he has sufficient energy to be a median slugger within the huge leagues. That’s much more invaluable for a backstop prospect. Milwaukee is loaded with near-ready outfielders and Jackson Chourio’s climb must be full by 2024 on the newest, leaving the door open for Quero to maneuver into the highest spot.
Cardinals: Cooper Hjerpe, LHP
The present state of the St. Louis system is loaded with near-ready names, and when you needed to argue Tink Hence will nonetheless be round prospectdom in 2025, we wouldn’t argue too exhausting (although we predict his stuff is so good he might rise rapidly as he provides innings). That leaves Hjerpe, who might plug in properly to the Cards’ improvement equipment. His three-pitch combine out of a cool crossfire supply might result in some dominant early numbers and a outstanding place within the Top 100 earlier than he arrives in two years.
Cubs: Cristian Hernandez, SS
Some scouts thought of Hernandez the perfect prospect within the 2020-21 worldwide class, and he drew bodily comparisons to Alex Rodriguez and Manny Machado earlier than signing for $3 million out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. He has the potential for stable to plus instruments throughout the board at shortstop and slashed .261/.320/.357 within the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League throughout his U.S. debut at age 18.
Pirates: Termarr Johnson, 2B (No. 26)
Johnson is likely one of the greatest highschool hitters to return out of a Draft in a really very long time, and that’s why he went No. 4 general final 12 months to the Pirates. He makes a ridiculous quantity of loud contact, has good plate self-discipline and much more energy than you’d assume a 5-foot-10 center infielder ought to have. His bat might carry him up the ladder rapidly.
Reds: Edwin Arroyo, SS (No. 44)
The Mariners’ second-round choose in 2021 was having a breakout first full season within the Single-A California League when he was despatched to the Reds within the Luis Castillo deal ultimately 12 months’s Trade Deadline. He tried to do an excessive amount of post-trade and there’s confidence he’ll rediscover his strategy and proceed to point out stunning influence on the plate whereas enjoying excellent protection at quick.
D-backs: Druw Jones, OF (No. 15)
We’ll quickly get our first Minor League have a look at final 12 months’s No. 2 general choose after he suffered a left shoulder harm final 12 months, and if every thing goes as properly in his return as anticipated, put together to be wowed. The 19-year-old outfielder follows in his father Andruw’s footsteps as a Gold Glove-caliber defender in heart, and he has the bat velocity to hit for each common and energy in time. Corbin Carroll ought to graduate rapidly in 2023, however Jones will maintain the Arizona system for a while.
Dodgers: Dalton Rushing, C
Los Angeles’ high choose (second spherical) within the 2022 Draft, Rushing broke into professional ball by slashing .424/.539/.778 with eight homers in 28 Single-A video games. He has the power to hit for energy and common, his stable arm performs properly behind the plate and he ought to change into at the very least an enough receiver with extra expertise.
Giants: Aeverson Arteaga, SS
Considered extra of a defender than an influence hitter when he signed for $1 million out of Venezuela in 2019, Arteaga has performed a slick shortstop whereas stunning along with his bat. He slashed .270/.345/.431 with 14 homers and 11 steals in Single-A at age 19, main the California League in hits (136) and doubles (35) a 12 months after he topped the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in RBI (43).
Padres: Dylan Lesko, RHP (No. 100)
We’re feeling snug that Lesko will nonetheless be prospect-eligible by 2025 as a result of 2021 Tommy John surgical procedure and the following gradual buildup that’s approaching the tail of his rehab. The solely query is that if his stuff will return too. If it does, Lesko has the ceiling of the most effective pitching prospects in baseball due to his 92-95 mph fastball, plus-plus changeup and high-spin curveball. San Diego’s system could be down proper now, nevertheless it does have an ace up its sleeve.
Rockies: Adael Amador, SS (No. 68)
It’s not typically you see a youngster stroll greater than he strikes out in his full-season debut, however that’s precisely what Amador did with Single-A Fresno in 2022. He can swing it from either side of the plate with an excellent really feel for the barrel and improved extra-base thump. Even if he strikes off of shortstop, that bat goes to play.
