Here’s each team’s best pure hitting prospect

The most vital device for place gamers is hitting capacity. If you may’t hit, it is virtually not possible to be an enormous league common. If you may’t hit at a excessive degree, it is tough to be a star.

So as we kick off our sequence of figuring out the prospects with the very best particular person instruments in every group, we’re beginning with the bats. Twenty-two of the 30 gamers beneath made our Top 100 Prospects record, with Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick and Pirates second baseman Termarr Johnson the one ones to earn 70 grades on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Blue Jays: Otto Lopez, 2B/OF/SS
This isn’t solely as a result of Lopez went 6-for-9 throughout his varied journeys to the large leagues final 12 months, however that actually didn’t damage. The 24-year-old utilityman is a profession .305 hitter within the Minor Leagues and continues to publish strikeout charges within the mid-teens, driving residence how a lot of a energy his bat-to-ball abilities are. The Blue Jays gave Lopez seems to be at second, brief, heart and left at Triple-A in 2022 as a result of they wish to improve the avenues to his enjoying time and talent to affect video games together with his hitting capacity.

Orioles: Gunnar Henderson, 3B/SS (No. 1)
It’s not precisely a stunning selection, choosing our No. 1 general prospect and American League Rookie of the Year Award front-runner. The most spectacular factor is how Henderson has advanced as a hitter, studying to see extra pitches, draw extra walks and swing and miss so much much less, which permits him to do much more harm.

Rays: Curtis Mead, 3B/2B (No. 33)
This is a detailed name between Mead and 2022 breakout prospect Kyle Manzardo, however we’ll go along with the Australia native due to the best way his hit device has carried him straight to the Majors’ doorstep. A profession .306 hitter within the Minors, Mead makes use of a easy upright stance to see the ball nicely out of the hand and reacts nicely to pitches across the zone. Improvements in swing selections towards pitches he can drive ought to assist lock in each his near-plus-plus bat and potential above-average pop.

Red Sox: Marcelo Mayer, SS (MLB No. 9)
Mayer was MLB Pipeline’s top-ranked prospect in addition to the very best hitter and finest defender within the 2021 Draft, the place the Red Sox gladly scooped up the California highschool prospect with the No. 4 general decide. Like fellow Eastlake HS (Chula Vista, Calif.) product Adrian Gonzalez, he has a candy left-handed stroke and superior abilities on the plate. He batted .280/.399/.489 with 45 extra-base hits and 17 steals in 91 video games between Single-A and High-A throughout his first full professional season.

Yankees: Anthony Volpe, SS (MLB No. 5)
A 2019 first-rounder as a New Jersey excessive schooler, Volpe has a .262 profession common within the Minors that belies his pure hitting capacity and superior strike-zone judgment. He was MLB Pipeline’s Hitting Prospect of the Year in his first full professional season in 2021 and encored final 12 months by turning into the primary 20-homer/50-steal Minor Leaguer since Andruw Jones in 1995.

Guardians: Will Brennan, OF
Brennan seems to be like a possible Steven Kwan 2.0, going from unheralded school contact hitter to potential huge league common. He had a profession 5 p.c strikeout price at Kansas State, led NCAA Division I in at-bats per whiff (18.6) in 2019 earlier than Cleveland made him an eighth-round decide, and topped the Minors with 166 hits and ranked second with 40 doubles final 12 months earlier than debuting with the Guardians in September. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and a compact left-handed stroke which have translated right into a .296 common within the Minors and a .357 mark throughout his temporary stint in Cleveland, whereas his strong pace additionally makes him an asset on the bases and within the outfield.

Royals: Maikel Garcia, SS
If not for the presence of Bobby Witt Jr., we’d probably be speaking about Garcia because the potential shortstop of the longer term in Kansas City. The infielder, who turns 23 on March 3, has proven a gradual price of contact all through his time within the Royals system, and whereas there isn’t a ton of pop behind it, his plus pace might additionally assist him hit within the .280-.290 area within the bigs. Garcia heads into the spring after sporting a .323/.444/.498 over 250 plate appearances within the Venezuelan Winter League.

Tigers: Jace Jung, 2B (No. 83)
Jung has one of many funkiest pre-swing setups you’ll ever see when he places his bat at an unorthodox backward angle, however he snaps it again to consideration in time. He exhibited a outstanding mixture of strike-zone consciousness (42/59 Ok/BB ratio) and energy (14 homers, .612 slugging) in his ultimate season at Texas Tech, and that was an enormous motive why the Tigers chosen him twelfth general in final July’s Draft. Considering he’s locked in defensively at second base, Jung will use his bat to gasoline his drive towards Motor City.

Twins: Brooks Lee, SS (No. 31)
Lee was considered the very best pure school hitter within the 2022 Draft class for a motive. He hits wherever he’s, leaving Cal Poly with a profession .351/.426/.647 line and extra walks than strikeouts, to not point out a Ok price of simply 11.7 p.c. He hit .405 within the Cape Cod League and, not shockingly, turned in a .303/.389/.451 in his professional debut that included him touching Double-A.

White Sox: Colson Montgomery, SS (MLB No. 38)
Montgomery has confirmed even higher than anticipated because the White Sox made him the No. 22 general decide within the 2021 Draft, making superior swing selections, controlling the strike zone and utilizing the complete subject. The former two-sport star — he had a suggestion to stroll on Indiana’s basketball crew if he hadn’t turned professional — batted .274/.371/.429 with 11 homers in 96 video games whereas advancing to Double-A in his first full professional season.

Angels: Zach Neto, SS (No. 89)
Neto established his hit device bona fides by batting over .400 as a sophomore at Campbell in 2021. He hit on the Cape that summer season then received his second straight Big South Player of the Year award by hitting .407/.514/.769 as a junior. The Angels took him No. 13 general consequently, and after hitting .320 in 30 Double-A video games after signing, it’s trying prefer it will not take Neto lengthy to get to the large leagues.

Astros: Yainer Diaz, C
The most underrated catching prospect within the recreation, Diaz has stood out together with his pure hitting capacity and fluid right-handed swing because the Guardians signed him for $25,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2016. He’s a profession .321 hitter within the Minors who has proven extra energy and improved his protection since becoming a member of the Astros as a part of a deal for Myles Straw in July 2021.

A’s: Jordan Diaz, 1B/3B
Signed again in 2016, it took some time for Diaz to search out his footing, however as soon as he did, he did nothing however rake. He earned a spot on the 40-man roster after hitting .288/.337/.484 in his full-season debut in 2021, then actually took off final 12 months with a .326/.366/.515 line between Double-A and Triple-A that led to his first huge league name up. Now the A’s will work to search out methods to get his bat into the lineup, particularly after he added to his resume by hitting .339 within the Colombian Winter League this offseason.

Mariners: Cole Young, SS
The Mariners’ participant growth division has a hitting mantra, “Dominate the Zone.” It looks as if Young, Seattle’s 2022 first-round decide, will be capable to just do that. The Pittsburgh-area prepster was one of many higher pure highschool hitters within the class, and he confirmed off his all-fields method when he hit .367/.423/.517 throughout his temporary professional debut. Those who could be involved about his affect ought to know he’s placed on about 15 kilos of muscle this offseason.

Rangers: Evan Carter, OF (MLB No. 41)
Carter has gone from stunning second-round select of tiny Elizabeth (Tenn.) HS in 2020 to potential five-tool heart fielder now acknowledged as one among baseball’s prime prospects. He acknowledges pitches and controls the strike zone higher than most 20-year-olds, and his clear left-handed swing has produced a .282/.406/.467 batting line in two professional seasons.

Braves: Ignacio Alvarez, 3B/SS
The Braves could have discovered themselves a Draft steal in Alvarez, who they took within the fifth spherical of final 12 months’s Draft. The Riverside Community College product hit .370 in his Draft 12 months, then confirmed off his super-advanced method on the plate with a 26/15 BB/Ok ratio throughout his professional debut break up between the Florida Complex and Single-A Carolina Leagues. He has actually fast arms on the plate and makes a ton of contact, with extra extra-base thump to return.

Mets: Brett Baty, 3B/OF (No. 21)
Since he was a twelfth general decide in 2019, Baty has all the time hit the ball exceptionally laborious in professional ball, however in 2022, he additionally began to elevate the ball extra on contact, chopping down his groundball price from 55.8 p.c (worst within the Mets system) in 2021 to 43.5 p.c. The outcome was a .315 common in 95 video games between Double-A and Triple-A. Baty’s capacity to sting the ball from the left aspect — he maxed out with a 113 mph exit velocity throughout his temporary keep within the Majors — will proceed to be what drives his possibilities of choosing up hits on the prime degree.

Marlins: Jacob Berry, 3B (MLB No. 61)
The No. 6 general decide within the 2022 Draft, Berry posted a 1.094 OPS with extra extra-base hits and walks than strikeouts final spring at Louisiana State, then batted .264 in Single-A. He’s a switch-hitter with a pleasant stroke and superior method from either side of the plate, although his capacity to make contact stands out greater than his pedestrian exit velocities.

Nationals: Robert Hassell III (No. 35)
Nicknamed “Bobby Barrels,” Hassell has proven a classically lovely left-handed swing all through the professional and newbie ranks, and he was off to a strong begin with a .299/.379/.467 line in 75 video games at High-A Fort Wayne earlier than his commerce from the Padres to the Nationals within the Juan Soto blockbuster. Washington has tried to get him to maintain his bat path longer within the zone, and he was set to proceed that work within the Arizona Fall League earlier than struggling a damaged hamate. If these modifications stick, Hassell’s projections as a plus Major League hitter are much more safe.

Phillies: Hao Yu Lee, 2B
The Phillies thought they’d a reasonably superior hitter proper out of the gate after signing Lee in June 2021 for $570,000 as he whetted their urge for food by hitting .364 in a nine-game debut within the FCL in 2022. He has a clear swing and a complicated method, one which helped him attain High-A ball in 2022, and he hit .284 with a .386 OBP as an adolescent, limiting strikeouts and drawing numerous walks.

Brewers: Sal Frelick, OF (No. 30)
The recreation is meant to get more durable the upper you climb. It didn’t seem that manner for the 2021 fifteenth general decide in his first full season. Frelick climbed three ranges from High-A to Triple-A, growing his common and chopping his strikeout price at each cease to the purpose the place he batted .365 whereas punching out solely 7.4 p.c of the time over 46 video games with Nashville. Frelick’s plate self-discipline and brief left-handed swing assist him work counts and defend the plate, and his plus-plus pace may also help him decide up further knocks on grounders.

Cardinals: Alec Burleson, OF (No. 91)
The St. Louis outfielder received the International League batting title with a .331 common over 109 video games for Triple-A Memphis final season. He did so by displaying an unimaginable steadiness of energy (20 homers) and fixed contact (14.3 p.c Ok price, sixth-lowest amongst IL qualifiers). Burleson isn’t afraid of spraying line drives to all fields, particularly with two strikes, and that method has him firmly part of a loaded Cardinals outfield combine headed into ’23.

Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF (MLB No. 28)
Not solely is Crow-Armstrong the very best defensive participant within the Minors, he is additionally a gifted hitter with a fast left-handed stroke and has made changes to ship extra energy because the Mets made him the nineteenth general choice within the 2020 Draft. Traded to the Cubs for Javier Báez and Trevor Williams in 2021, he batted .312/.376/.520 with 46 extra-base hits and 32 steals in 101 video games between Single-A and High-A in his first prolonged stint in professional ball final season.

Pirates: Termarr Johnson, 2B (No. 26)
One of solely two prospects with a 70-hit grade on our Top 100, Johnson was the most effective pure highschool hitters scouts had seen in years, which is why the Pirates took him No. 4 general in final 12 months’s Draft. One evaluator went so far as to say Johnson has Wade Boggs’ plate self-discipline with Vladimir Guerrero Sr.’s contact abilities.

Reds: Cam Collier, 3B (No. 69)
It’s clear that Lou’s child likes to be challenged. He completed highschool early, reclassified for the 2022 Draft and went to Chipola Junior College, the place hit hit .333/.419/.537 as a 17-year outdated. That helped him land within the first spherical to the Reds, and he swung the bat nicely throughout a quick professional debut. He has a candy left-handed swing that’s unfastened and has wonderful bat pace. He makes a ton of contact and makes use of the entire subject nicely.

D-backs: Corbin Carroll, OF (No. 2)
Imagine if a spring-loaded motion determine took at-bats in a baseball recreation, and that’s what it seems to be like to observe Carroll on the plate. Standing at simply 5-foot-10, the left-handed slugger may not be the largest presence within the field, however he generates nice torque and bat pace to ship balls flying in all instructions. With a 130 wRC+ over 115 plate appearances for Arizona final 12 months, Carroll is already comfortably an above-average hitter within the bigs with sufficient ceiling to be even higher.

Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, 3B/OF/1B (MLB No. 37)
Lazaro Vargas was the DH on Cuba’s 1992 and 1996 Olympic champions, and his son’s hitting capacity has been evident since he drove within the gold-medal profitable run off Team USA’s Hunter Greene on the 2014 15-and-under World Cup. Signed for $300,000 in 2017, Vargas has elite bat-to-ball abilities, a mature method and energy that appears to maintain growing yearly. He’s a profession .313 hitter within the Minors who doubled off Alex Cobb in his first huge league at-bat final August.e’s

Giants: Marco Luciano, SS (MLB No. 22)
Though he is identified most for his electrical bat pace and large energy potential, Luciano additionally has pure hitting capacity and an inherent ability for making changes. Signed for $2.6 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, he is a profession .271/.363/.491 hitter in professional ball regardless of being persistently two or three years youthful than the common participant in his leagues.

Padres: Jackson Merrill, SS (No. 19)
It isn’t laborious to search out Merrill admirers within the trade between what he confirmed Padres officers in his first full season and lots of others throughout his superior task within the Arizona Fall League. Merrill’s pull and opposite-field charges have been practically equal at Single-A Lake Elsinore final 12 months, as he proved he’s prepared to take pitches the place they’re thrown and dump them within the outfield. Impressive early plate self-discipline ought to solely assist his possibilities of being a plus hitter by the point he reaches San Diego.

Rockies: Adael Amador, SS (No. 68)
He doesn’t flip 20 till April, however Amador has already proven off the most effective approaches within the Rockies group. Since making his professional debut within the ACL in 2021, the infielder has hit a mixed .294/.409/.445 and has walked much more (114) than he’s struck out (96). That’s only a 12.7 p.c Ok price, and he’s proven good really feel for the barrel whereas making excellent swing selections as a switch-hitter.