2022 Baseball America Top 100

[Nationals GM (corkzilla)]

2022 Baseball America Top 100 is out. Check it out.

1
Adley Rutschman
Orioles C
Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 70 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 70
Skinny: Rutschman has ably handled high expectations since his days at Oregon State. As a switch-hitting catcher who controls the strike zone, possesses plus power, is a plus defender and shows elite leadership skills, he is the face of the Orioles’ rebuild and projects to be a perennial all-star.

2
Julio Rodriguez
Mariners OF
Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 70 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Few prospects combine the ability to hit for average and power like Rodriguez. A career .331 hitter with booming, all-fields power, he will soon take his place in the middle of the Mariners order and be the driving force behind their attempt to return to the postseason.

3
Bobby Witt Jr.
Royals SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 60
Skinny: The son of longtime major league pitcher Bobby Witt finished one stolen base shy of a 30-30 season as he climbed to Triple-A in 2021 and won BA Minor League player of the year. A premium athlete who has plus tools across the board, Witt has a chance to be a rare five-tool player as long as he improves his approach at the plate.

4
Riley Greene
Tigers OF
Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Greene has rocketed up the minors since the Tigers selected him fifth overall in the 2019 draft. With a sweet, powerful lefthanded swing, he projects to be an offensive force in the middle of the Tigers lineup and an all-star regardless of whether he ends up in center field or a corner.

5
Spencer Torkelson
Tigers 1B
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
Skinny: The top overall pick in the 2020 draft hit 30 home runs and rose three levels to Triple-A in his first full season. His patience at the plate and enormous power have him set to be a middle-of-the-order force in the Tigers lineup for years to come.

6
Grayson Rodriguez
Orioles RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 65 | Control: 60
Skinny: The consensus top pitching prospect in baseball, Rodriguez combines four plus pitches, the ability to locate on both sides of the plate and intimidating physicality on the mound to project as a potential No. 1 starter.

7
Gabriel Moreno
Blue Jays C
Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: A fractured thumb limited Moreno to 37 games last season, but he showed premium hitting ability, growing power and plus defense behind the plate when he was healthy. As long as he stays on the field, he projects to give the Blue Jays yet another young, homegrown all-star.

8
Shane Baz
Rays RHP
Tools: Fastball: 80 | Changeup: 50 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Control: 60
Skinny: Baz blossomed from a hard-throwing but erratic pitcher into a premium strike-thrower without any reduction in stuff in 2021. With an electric arsenal, a newfound ability to pound the strike zone and an unmistakable swagger, Baz should pitch near the front of a high-octane Rays rotation for years to come.

9
CJ Abrams
Padres SS
Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 50 | Run: 80 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Abrams suffered a season-ending fractured left tibia and torn left MCL in a collision at second base after just 42 games last season. His premium contact skills from the left side, game-changing speed and rapidly-improving shortstop defense still give him the foundation to be an impact player as long as he stays healthy.

10
Anthony Volpe
Yankees SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 45
Skinny: After delivering the biggest breakout season of any prospect last year, Volpe is primed to show it wasn’t a fluke with his growing power, elite at-bat quality, underrated athleticism and exceptional work ethic.

11
Keibert Ruiz
Nationals C
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 50
Skinny: After being stuck behind Will Smith with the Dodgers, Ruiz finally gets the chance to be an everyday major league catcher with the Nationals. A switch-hitter with plus contact skills from the left side, growing power and improving defense behind the plate, Ruiz has the potential to be a foundational player in Washington’s rebuild.

12
George Kirby
Mariners RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 80
Skinny: Kirby has evolved from a premium strike-thrower with average stuff to a premium strike-thrower with an upper-90s fastball, a wipeout slider and two more average or better secondary offerings. Along with Grayson Rodriguez and Shane Baz, he is one of the few pitching prospects with the combination of stuff and control to be a potential front-of-the-rotation starter.

13
Francisco Alvarez
Mets C
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Alvarez made a loud full-season debut with 24 home runs and a .941 OPS across both Class A levels as a 19-year-old. His fast swing and immense strength give him a chance to be an offensive force, while his defense is improving enough to keep him behind the plate.

14
Oneil Cruz
Pirates SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 70 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 60
Skinny: The 6-foot-7 Cruz is already the tallest player to ever start a major league game at shortstop. Regardless of whether he stays there, his immense power that produces elite exit velocities at the plate projects to make him an impact player the Pirates can build with.

15
Marcelo Mayer
Red Sox SS
Tools: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60
Skinny: The Red Sox snagged arguably the top player in the 2021 draft when Mayer slipped to them at No. 4 overall. With a smooth, lefthanded stroke and graceful, fluid actions at shortstop, Mayer has the foundation to grow into one of the top all-around players in the game.

16
Brennen Davis
Cubs OF
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Davis’ rapid rise continued as he won Futures Game MVP and ascended to Triple-A in 2021. With the Cubs rebuilding, his superb athleticism and growing power should earn him a spot in the majors in 2022.

17
Marco Luciano
Giants SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Luciano showcased his prodigious power and enticing tools throughout his first full season in 2021. If he can cut down on his strikeouts, he has a chance to be a power-hitting force in the middle of the Giants lineup in the coming years.

18
Noelvi Marte
Mariners SS
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 65 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Marte has blossomed from a skinny teenager into a physical, broad-shouldered specimen as a professional. His impact power, impressive athleticism and feel for managing the strike zone make for a promising foundation if he can improve his consistency on both sides of the ball.

19
Triston Casas
Red Sox 1B
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Casas hit his way to Triple-A and starred for the U.S. Olympic team as a 21-year-old during a memorable 2021 campaign. His advanced strike-zone discipline, growing power and impressive athleticism for his size give him the potential to be an anchor of the Red Sox’s order and the club’s long-term answer at first base.

20
Corbin Carroll
D-backs OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 45
Skinny: Carroll played only seven games before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021. If he comes back healthy, his explosive speed and athleticism, advanced feel to hit and sneaky power for his size should help him make up quickly for lost time and become a cornerstone in the D-backs outfield.

21
Tyler Soderstrom
Athletics C
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 40 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Soderstrom is advanced beyond his years as a hitter with a polished, lefthanded swing, a sharp eye for the strike zone and plus power to all fields. Whether he can stick at catcher remains to be seen, but his bat will play at any position.

22
Zac Veen
Rockies OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Veen did it all in his full-season debut with a .301 batting average, 15 home runs, 36 stolen bases and eight assists while ably playing both outfield corners. As long as he sharpens his plate discipline, he’ll give the Rockies the type of homegrown star they desperately need in the wake of the Nolan Arenado trade and Trevor Story’s likely departure.

23
Diego Cartaya
DodgersC
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 70
Skinny: Cartaya’s full-season debut was limited to 31 games by back and hamstring injuries, but he showed a rare combination of ability and maturity for his age when he was healthy. With exceptional poise in the batter’s box, a compact, powerful swing and plus defense behind the plate, he has a chance to be next in a long line of standout Dodgers homegrown catchers.

24
Jordan Walker
Cardinals 3B
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 70 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Few prospects hit the ball as hard as the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Walker, especially teenage ones. With elite exit velocities and a mature approach that allows him to access his power in games, Walker has as much offensive potential as any prospect in the lower levels of the minors.

25
Jack Leiter
Rangers RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50
Skinny: The son of longtime big league starter Al Leiter lived up to sky-high expectations at Vanderbilt en route to becoming the second overall pick in the 2021 draft. With a deep five-pitch mix topped by a fastball that reaches 98 mph and a swing-and-miss curveball, Leiter gives the Rangers the type of premium pitching prospect the franchise hasn’t had in years.

26
Josh Jung
Rangers 3B
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The Rangers' top position player prospect combines hittability and power with a chance to stick at third base in the long run.

27
Cade Cavalli
Nationals RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Changeup: 55 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Control: 50
Skinny: The powerful righthander dazzled in his first full season as a pro. He used a dynamic four-pitch mix to jump all the way to Triple-A and lead the minor leagues with 175 strikeouts.

28
Reid Detmers
Angels LHP
Tools: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Slider: 60 | Control: 55
Skinny: One of the most advanced arms in the 2020 draft class zoomed all the way to the big leagues in his first pro season. His signature curveball helped him carve up hitters along the way, as did a fastball which saw its velocity jump.

29
Jordan Lawlar
D-backs SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 65
Skinny: BA's top-ranked prospect heading into the 2021 draft has the potential to be a franchise shortstop, but he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the early stages of his pro debut. He should be good to go to open the 2022 season.

30
Robert Hassell III
Padres OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The Padres' first-rounder from 2020 put forth an excellent debut season while advancing to High-A Fort Wayne. He's a pure hitter with above-average or better grades in every category except power.

31
Nick Yorke
Red Sox 2B
Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 50
Skinny: The Red Sox raised eyebrows when they selected Yorke with their first-round pick in 2020, but were rewarded with a stellar season that opened eyes across the sport. He's a potentially double-plus hitter with average power who can stay on the infield.

32
Alek Thomas
D-backs OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 45
Skinny: One of the purest outfield defenders in the minors, Thomas used his age-21 season to show he could be a force at the plate as well. His .953 OPS was second only to Drew Ellis among D-backs full-season minor leaguers.

33
Jose Barrero
Reds SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Barrero's big league debut came ahead of schedule in 2020, but he made it back to Cincinnati in 2021 and showed the tools to be a productive player on both sides of the ball. In particular, he looked stronger, which translated to his offensive production.

34
Nolan Gorman
Cardinals 3B/2B
Tools: Hit: 45 | Power: 70 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 60
Skinny: St. Louis' trade for Nolan Arenado forced Gorman to shift positions from third base to second base. He did so with aplomb, and showed tremendous power potential in the process.

35
Hunter Greene
Reds RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55
Skinny: After a rough start to his pro career, Greene dazzled in the upper levels of the minor leagues in 2021. He's the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in the minor leagues and could be a weapon either in a rotation or the back of a bullpen.

36
Nick Lodolo
Reds LHP
Tools: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60
Skinny: Lodolo used 2021 to further cement his reputation as a command specialist with excellent stuff to boot. The lefthander was spectacular at the upper levels, racking up rates of roughly 14 strikeouts and 2 walks per nine innings.

37
Aaron Ashby
Brewers LHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
Skinny: Ashby made the big leagues in 2021 and is beginning to look like another shrewd addition to the Brewers' collection of pitching. His four-pitch mix is fronted by a dynamic fastball-slider pair as well as a potentially above-average changeup.

38
Bobby Miller
Dodgers RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50.
Skinny: Miller was excellent in his official pro debut, when he reached Double-A while showing a trio of potential knockout pitches out of a starter's role. His fastball reached 100 mph and was backed by a changeup and curveball which each graded as potential plusses.

39
Brett Baty
Mets 3B
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Baty was part of a threesome of terrific prospects at the top of the Mets system. He began to dabble a little bit in the outfield but showed hittability and power while he climbed to Double-A as a 21-year-old.

40
Miguel Vargas
Dodgers 3B
Tools: Hit: 65 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Vargas was one of the minor leagues' fastest rising prospects in 2021. He's always shown promise as a hitter, but showed much improved power (and a career peak in home runs) in 2021.

41
Henry Davis
Pirates C
Notes:
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 70
Skinny: The No. 1 overall draft pick's pro debut was limited by injury, but the Louisville product has an impressive blend of power and arm strength. He fits right in to the embarrassment of riches that is the Pittsburgh system.

42
MJ Melendez
Royals C
Tools: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Speed: 45 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 70
Skinny: Melendez led the minor leagues in home runs in 2021, the cherry on top of a massive rebound from a woeful 2019 campaign. Mechanical adjustments made a big difference and led to a surge up the rankings.

43
Nick Pratto
Royals 1B
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Like MJ Melendez, Pratto's 2021 season represented a sudden 180-degree turn in his career path. Work with the Royals' hitting department unlocked the power he showed as an amateur and led him to bash his way to Triple-A.

44
Josh Lowe
RaysOF
Tools: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Improved hittability was the final touch on Josh Lowe's enviable tool set. He's long been known as one of the more talented players in the Rays' tremendous system, and could begin making an impact in 2022 in the big leagues.

45
Matt Brash
Mariners RHP
Fastball: 70 | Slider: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
Skinny: Brash's acquisition in 2020 didn't make headlines. A year later, his slider sure did. The righthander carved up hitters in High-A and Double-A and got called up to the big leagues (but didn't pitch) to finish the season.

46
Michael Harris II
Braves OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Harris showed tantalizing potential all season at High-A, where he produced enough on both sides of the ball to ascend to the top spot in the Braves' organization. A few tweaks to his approach should unlock even more potential.

47
Austin Martin
Twins OF/SS
Tools: Hit: 65 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Martin was dealt from the Blue Jays to the Twins at midseason and spent 2021 showing an intriguing set of skills. He has a strong knowledge of the zone and on-base skills but not much power. His defensive home is still a question as well.

48
Eury Perez
Marlins RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Control: 60
Skinny: The 6-foot-8 Perez entered the year as the youngest player in the full-season minor leagues but still used a high-octane fastball and outstanding athleticism to slice through Low-A and reach High-A as an 18-year-old. There are plenty of variables in his profile, but Perez's upside is tremendous.

49
Nick Gonzales
Pirates 2B
Tools: Hit: 65 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Gonzales' season was interrupted by a thumb injury, but when he was on the field he showed the profile of a classic professional hitter with a short, quick swing geared to shoot line drives from gap to gap. He has the look of an offensive-minded middle infielder.

50
Matthew Liberatore
Cardinals LHP
Tools: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55
Skinny: Challenged with an aggressive assignment to Triple-A by the Cardinals out of camp, Liberatore made 18 starts for Memphis and held his own with a 4.04 ERA despite being 6 years younger than league average. He continues to demonstrate a polished feel for three secondary pitches and saw his fastball velocity increase as the season went on.

51
Mick Abel
Phillies RHP
Tools: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55
Skinny: Abel made his professional debut with Low-A Clearwater in 2021 and showed promising stuff before shoulder tendinitis ended his season in mid July. He boasts a powerful pitch mix led by his mid-90s four-seam fastball and low-to-mid-80s slider.

52
DL Hall
Orioles LHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
Skinny: A stress reaction in Hall's left elbow limited him to just seven starts in 2021 and robbed Orioles fans of the chance to see him and Grayson Rodriguez pitching together in Double-A Bowie's rotation. Injuries have long sidetracked Hall, but when he's on the mound, he shows some of the best lefthanded stuff in the game.

53
Luis Campusano
Padres C
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Early struggles in the major leagues and off-field issues have tempered some of the enthusiasm around Campusano, but he still boasts a strong combination of above-average hitting ability and power to go with improving defensive skills.

54
Shea Langeliers
Braves C
Tools: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 70
Skinny: Langeliers might not grab headlines in the same fashion as fellow catchers Adley Rutschman or Gabriel Moreno, but he's an exceptional defensive backstop with a cannon for an arm and has shown more power than expected as a pro.

55
Oswald Peraza
Yankees SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Peraza successfully handled three levels of the minors and made his Triple-A debut in a breakout 2021 season. He's the best defensive shortstop in the Yankees system and boasts a well-rounded offensive skill set headlined by growing power.

56
Vidal Brujan
Rays 2B/OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: A Swiss Army knife with double-plus running ability and plus contact skills, Bruján has the ability to fill in at multiple positions and impact the game offensively in a variety of ways.

57
Gunnar Henderson
Orioles SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: The power-hitting infielder rose through three levels of the minors in his first full season and reached Double-A. He showcases plus power, advanced on-base skills and the ability to play multiple spots in the infield.

58
Taj Bradley
Rays RHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Control: 55
Skinny: The 2021 season was a breakout year for the Rays righthander, as Bradley captured the minor league ERA title with a mark of 1.83, while making 22 starts across two levels of the minors. His four-pitch mix is led by a pair of plus pitches in his four-seam fastball and slider.

59
Brady House
Nationals SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 65 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: One of the premier high school infielders in the 2021 draft class, House made his presence known with a strong professional debut in the Florida Complex League. Blessed with a big league body and power to dream on, he has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order, power-hitting third baseman at his peak.

60
Kahlil Watson
Marlins SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Watson is blessed with five above-average or better tools and has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. His elite twitch, bat speed and defensive range make him one of the most exciting young players in the Marlins system.

61
Cole Winn
Rangers RHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
Skinny: After spending the 2020 season at the Rangers alternate training site, Winn resumed play by dominating Double-A competition and reaching Triple-A at age 21. He flashes a strong four-pitch mix led by a mid-90s fastball, two above-average breaking balls and an average changeup, along with advanced poise and consistency for his age.

62
Nate Pearson
Blue Jays RHP
Tools: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45
Skinny: The giant righthander with the triple-digit fastball returned to Toronto late in the 2021 season and posted a 2.84 ERA with 20 strikeouts and seven walks across 11 relief appearances. Pearson's repeated injuries and inconsistent control make him a potential reliever rather than a starter, but he has excellent stuff.

63
Tyler Freeman
Guardians SS
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Freeman boasts one of the minors' highest contact rates over the last few seasons and has hit .319 in his pro career. He flashed the best power production of his career while maintaining a high average at Double-A last season before having season-ending labrum surgery in August.

64
Sixto Sanchez
Marlins RHP
Tools: Fastball: 80 | Changeup: 70 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Control: 60
Skinny: After taking the baseball world by storm during his 2020 major league debut, Sanchez missed all of 2021 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery in July. When healthy, he possesses a high-octane three-pitch mix led by a triple-digit fastball and uncommon control for a power pitcher.

65
Daniel Espino
Guardians RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
Skinny: Espino showcased elite bat-missing stuff in his full-season debut at the Class A levels in 2021. He strikes hitters out in bunches with his powerful four-seam fastball that sits at 97 mph and a high-spin slider in the mid 80s.

66
Brayan Rocchio
Guardians SS
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 50
Skinny: "The Professor" is known for his heady play at shortstop and plus contact skills. He unlocked newfound power in 2021 and slugged .505 after a promotion to Double-A, giving him the potential to be an impact player on both sides of the ball.

67
Bryson Stott
Phillies SS
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Stott hit his way up three levels to Triple-A in 2021 and finished the season with a standout showing in the Arizona Fall League. A patient hitter with advanced plate discipline and growing power, he is primed to contribute for the Phillies in 2022.

68
George Valera
Guardians OF
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
Skinny: With a beautiful lefthanded swing that features shades of Robinson Cano, Valera hit .260/.405/.505 across High-A and Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2021. After being added to the 40-man roster, he could see the major leagues at some point in 2022.

69
Edward Cabrera
Marlins RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45
Skinny: The tall righthander debuted in the majors in 2021 and made seven starts for the Marlins over the final six weeks of the season. He has plenty of raw stuff with a plus-plus, upper-90s fastball and a trio of average or better secondaries, but he's still learning how best to sequence them together.

70
Korey Lee
Astros C
Tools: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Running: 40. Fielding: 55. Arm: 70.
Skinny: There was some surprise when the Astros drafted Lee at the back of the first round in 2019. So far Lee has been impressive in pro ball, with an outstanding arm and a simplified swing that could make him the regular behind the plate in Houston by 2023.

71
Joey Bart
Giants C
Tools: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Bart is poised to take over as the Giants everyday catcher in 2022 following Buster Posey's retirement. His premature 2020 big league debut aside, Bart has plenty of promise with plus power, above-average defensive ability and a strong, accurate arm.

72
Jeremy Peña
Astros SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 60
Skinny: When the Astros drafted Peña out of Maine in the third round in 2018, defense was his calling card. The defensive component of his game is still there, but significant strength gains have led to more power and more offensive upside than previously anticipated.

73
Luis Matos
Giants OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The tooled-up Matos continued to impress by hitting .313/.358/.494 with 15 home runs and 21 steals in his full-season debut with Low-A San Jose in 2021. His well-rounded offensive skill set is boosted by above-average speed and defensive ability in the outfield.

74
Max Meyer
Marlins RHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 60
Skinny: The third overall pick in the 2020 draft, Meyer jumped straight to Double-A in 2021, showcasing a plus fastball/slider combination. The quality of his stuff wasn’t always consistent, but at his best, Meyer shows the stuff and pitchability to pitch in the middle of a rotation.

75
Orelvis Martinez
Blue Jays SS/3B
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Martinez slugged 28 home runs across both Class A levels in 2021 to establish himself as one of the top young sluggers in the lower levels of the minors. He is unlikely to stay at shortstop, but his bat will play just fine at third base.

76
Michael Busch
Dodgers 2B
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 40
Skinny: An on-base machine with above-average power, Busch jumped straight to Double-A in his full-season debut in 2021 and more than held his own despite a hand injury. He is in line to make his major league debut in 2022 and should eventually take his place in the middle of the Dodgers lineup.

77
Elly de la Cruz
Reds SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 70
Skinny: De la Cruz had an impressive stateside debut, destroying the Arizona Complex League before getting a promotion to Low-A Daytona, where he showed some of the loudest tools in the Low-A Southeast.

78
Liover Peguero
Pirates SS
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Acquired from the D-backs as part of the Starling Marte trade, Peguero impressed in his Pirates organizational debut in 2021 with his slick shortstop defense and balanced offensive abilities. If Oneil Cruz moves off of shortstop as many expect, Peguero is next in line to take over the position in Pittsburgh.

79
Jackson Jobe
Tigers RHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55
Skinny: With the third overall pick in the 2021 draft, the Tigers picked Jobe, an athletic righthander with an assortment of pitches that could grade out plus or better. He throws hard, but it's his ability to manipulate his secondary stuff that sticks out, particularly with a slider that should lead to big strikeout numbers.

80
Roansy Contreras
Pirates RHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Slider: 55 | Control: 50
Skinny: The Yankees traded Contreras to the Pirates as part of the package for Jameson Taillon, and so far the undersized righthander has looked like a steal. He boasts a four-seam fastball that sits 96-97 mph, two swing-and-miss breaking balls and an improving changeup, and now just has to prove he can hold up over a full season.

81
Cristian Hernandez
Cubs SS
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Hernandez was the crown jewel of the Cubs international signing class last year. He has looked as advertised, showing a potential impact bat with power and has a chance to stick at shortstop.

82
Royce Lewis
Twins SS
Tools: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis has missed the last two years between the cancellation of the minor league season in 2020 and a torn right anterior cruciate ligament in 2021. His tools and upside still stick out, but the lack of playing time and split camp on his pure hitting ability create a lot of risk as well.

83
Brandon Williamson
Mariners LHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 65 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
Skinny: A 6-foot-6 lefty, Williamson has piled up strikeouts by pitching off a lively fastball that has been up to 97 mph, then putting hitters away with a knockout curveball. The raw stuff is impressive, but it plays up more because of his deception and extension in his delivery.

84
Cristian Pache
Braves OF
Tools: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 80 | Arm: 70
Skinny: Pache looked like a rising star entering the 2021 season, but he scuffled offensively. His defense still makes him a Gold Glove candidate at a premium position, but his timing and swing-and-miss issues have added more risk to his profile.

85
Jordan Balazovic
Twins RHP
Tools: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55
Skinny: Balazovic has the makings of a potential mid-rotation starter. There isn’t a knockout pitch in his arsenal, but he’s a strike-thrower with a mix of three pitches that all grade out average or better.

86
Joe Ryan
Twins RHP
Tools: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55.
Skinny: Ryan sliced his way through minor league lineups largely on his fastball, a low-90s pitch that doesn’t stand out for its velocity but befuddles hitters from his low slot and ability to ride up in the zone to miss bats. There’s some question about how much that approach will work against major league hitters, but he has a solid slider and throws plenty of strikes.

87
Jasson Dominguez
Yankees OF
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 50
Skinny: A heralded international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, Dominguez has an exciting mix of tools and athleticism. Few hitters his age can drive the ball with the type of impact that Dominguez can when he makes contact.

88
Quinn Priester
Pirates RHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55
Skinny: A first-round pick in 2019, Priester has been a solid strike-thrower with a mid-90s fastball and quality breaking stuff. His changeup still lags behind, but the components are there to develop into a mid-rotation starter.

89
Geraldo Perdomo
D-backs SS
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 55
Skinny: A bouncy athlete and smooth defender at shortstop, Perdomo reached the big leagues as a 21-year-old in 2021. Perdomo has a good eye for the strike zone with more room to fill out and add strength, but his limited power is still a liability.

90
Jose Miranda
Twins 3B/2B
Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Fielding: 40 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Miranda was one of the breakout hitters of the 2021 season, when he led the minors in hits and slugged 30 home runs. He has a disciplined approach with a knack for finding the sweet spot, making him a potential high on-base threat with power even if he doesn’t bring much to the table defensively.

91
Jarren Duran
Red Sox OF
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 40
Skinny: An outstanding runner, Duran made swing changes that helped him morph from a speedy slap hitter into a player who could elevate the ball to help him better tap into his power. His strikeout rate soared when he got to the big leagues, though, so finding a better balance between contact and power will be critical for Duran.

92
Ronny Mauricio
Mets SS
Tools: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: A sweet-swinging switch-hitter with plus raw power, Mauricio needs to become a more selective hitter. When he’s locked in and swinging at good pitches, he tantalizes with his offensive and physical upside.

93
Blake Walston
D-backs LHP
Tools: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55
Skinny: Walston throws strikes with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and can reach 94-95. He has an innate feel for spin, giving him a true out pitch with his curveball.

94
Heliot Ramos
Giants OF
Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Ramos has a stocky frame for a center fielder and could still end up in a corner. Yet some evaluators think he might be quick enough to stay in the middle of the field, with the potential for five average or better tools.

95
Kyle Harrison
Giants LHP
Tools: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40
Skinny: If Harrison can trim his walks, he has the raw stuff to skyrocket up this list. He throws a lively power fastball that misses bats up in the zone, while his slider racks up plenty of whiffs as well with its late tilt to dive underneath barrels.

96
Ryne Nelson
D-backs RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
Skinny: A two-way player at Oregon until he began focusing only on pitching in 2019, Nelson has been an arrow-up player since then. There isn’t a plus secondary pitch yet, but he has posted big strikeout rates so far pitching off a powerful, high-spin fastball with control trending in the right direction.

97
Curtis Mead
Rays 3B/1B
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 40
Skinny: A Phillies signing out of Australia in 2018, Mead flew through the minors in 2021 and made a strong impression on scouts with his ability to make consistent, hard contact. Defensively, there’s risk he ends up in left field or first base, but his offensive ability might be enough to carry him at either spot.

98
Colton Cowser
Orioles OF
Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cowser is an advanced college hitter who makes frequent contact with a good eye for the strike zone. He’s not a burner, but his slightly above-average speed mixed with his defensive instincts give him a chance to stick in center field.

99
Ryan Pepiot
Dodgers RHP
Tools: Fastball: 70 | Changeup: 80 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Control: 40
Skinny: Pepiot throws 94-98 mph, but it’s his changeup that makes him stand out. The changeup draws 80 grades on the 20-80 scale, embarrassing hitters with wicked life and his ability to command the pitch.

100
Gabriel Arias
Guardians SS/3B
Tools: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 60 | Arm: 70
Skinny: Arias is a true shortstop, reading the ball well off the bat with good range, fluid actions and a plus-plus arm. He has a chance to be a power-hitting shortstop too, with improvements in his strikeout rate an encouraging sign.

[D Backs GM (Tyler)]

Thank you as always for these. As more come out I'll post as well

[White Sox GM (alligatorchris)]

BA is drunk.

[Nationals GM (corkzilla)]

12 still on my team after trading 6.

[White Sox GM (alligatorchris)]

Still a HS list

[Mets GM (barnstormers)]

Hey

I have the 13th, 39th and 92nd rated players.

Ah shit. Never mind. Wrong Mets

[Phillies GM (ryanfitzgerald11)]

Did they send out a list of basically the top 150? The close but not quite group?

[Nationals GM (corkzilla)]

Jan 21, 2022 17:34:16 GMT -5 Phillies GM (ryanfitzgerald11) said:

Did they send out a list of basically the top 150? The close but not quite group?

Haven’t seen it yet

[Guardians GM (Ron)]

Here’s a look at 15 players who finished just outside of the Top 100.

Andy Pages, Dodgers: The High-A Central MVP, Pages finished the 2021 campaign as the High-A leader in home runs, runs and RBIs, a tremendous season from the then-20-year old outfielder, who was experiencing his first taste of full-season ball. Blessed with plus power and on-base ability, further refinement of his approach and bat-to-ball skills could see Pages make a rapid ascent up the Top 100.

Jordan Groshans, Blue Jays: After cracking three previous Top 100 lists and ranking as high as 29th (2020), Groshans slipped off the back end of the list. Despite boasting one of the best hit tools in the minor leagues, questions have begun to mount around his power upside. With early graduations likely coming for several Top 100 prospects, Groshans should slide back onto the list fairly easily. However, to regain his once-lofty prospect status he will need to build on his 2021 season and show his above-average raw power in games with consistency.

Luis Gil, Yankees: Gil had a stellar major league debut in which the righthander made six late-season starts for the Yankees in 2021, pitching to a 3.07 ERA with 38 strikeouts to 19 walks. While the performance was strong on the surface, there are still very real concerns around Gil’s viability as a starter due to his below-average command. That said, his combination of a four-seam fastball that sits 95-97 mph and a wipeout mid-80s slider is as formidable of a one-two punch as any righthander inside the Top 100. Gil is likely to graduate before he can earn his first Top 100 ranking.

Brice Turang, Brewers: An instinctual middle infielder, Turang doesn’t do anything flashy but he shows a high baseline of fundamentals at the shortstop position with league average offensive projection. An aggressive hitter, Turang will likely max out at fringe-average power, but he knows his game and has a good feel for the barrel, working gap to gap. Likely to return to Triple-A Nashville to begin 2022, improvements at the plate could push Turang onto the back half of the Top 100 in the next update.

Mark Vientos, Mets: After hitting .265/.329/.429 across parts of three minor league seasons, Vientos was assigned to Double-A Binghamton and experienced a renaissance of his prospect status. Across 72 Double-A contests and 11 late-season Triple-A games, the 2017 second-rounder hit .281/.352/.581 with 25 home runs. The former shortstop slid over to third base, making 49 starts at the hot corner, while splitting time at designated hitter and left field. With another strong showing at Triple-A Syracuse over the first half of 2022, Vientos just might crack the Top 100 for the first time.

Matt Allan, Mets: After cracking the 2021 list at 98th, Allan had Tommy John surgery in May and missed the entirety of the 2021 season. Likely to return in the second half of 2022, Allan has the stuff to claw his way back onto the Top 100. Armed with a mid-90s fastball, a plus curveball, an average changeup and average or better control, Allan has the makings of a perennial Top 100 prospect.

Jordan Westburg, Orioles: Though Westburg did not have a tremendous amount of fanfare coming out of Mississippi State, the 2020 supplemental first-round pick made his presence known in 2021. Climbing three levels of the minors, Westburg hit .285/.389/.479 with 47 extra-base hits across 506 plate appearances. His overall numbers were heavily inflated by his production at both levels of Class A, and his 30-game Double-A sample was uneven. The infielder should return to Bowie to start 2022, where he’ll look to replicate his Class A production. With some of the best plate discipline of any player that just missed the Top 100 list, Westburg has a strong chance of moving onto the back end in the next update.


Nolan Jones, Guardians: As the old saying goes, “Patience is a virtue.” Unfortunately for Nolan Jones it can also be a detriment. Jones' now-famous passivity began to catch up to him, as his inability to be aggressive on the right pitches became more glaring in the upper minors. The issue is Jones not only takes too many strikes, he also swings through too many. With a more aggressive mentality, Jones could unlock a balance of patience and aggression that would allow him to tap into his power with greater regularity. Jones is a member of the Guardians 40-man roster, and with a full season of Triple-A under his belt he should see opportunities in the major leagues at some point during the first half of 2022.

Asa Lacy, Royals: It was a difficult debut for the 2020 fourth overall pick, as Lacy struggled with command, finishing 2021 with a 17.3% walk rate. There’s no questioning the quality of Lacy’s stuff, particularly his powerful fastball and slider combination. His pitchability and command for his big stuff has become a major concern. It still cannot be understated the upside that Lacy does possess. After a normal offseason under the tutelage of the Royals development team, an improved version of Lacy who is more in line with expectations could emerge early in 2022.

Spencer Strider, Braves: After an injury-plagued career at Clemson, Strider had the biggest 2021 breakout of any player on this list. A fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft, Strider rose through four levels of the minors, eventually making his major league debut out of the Braves bullpen late in the 2021 season. Strider could impact the big league club in a variety of roles in 2022. If the club decides to continue to develop Strider as a starter he could return to Triple-A Gwinnett and likely qualify for our next update.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs: In a different timeline within the metaverse Pete Crow-Armstrong has a healthy 2021 and plays his way into the Top 100. The reports on “PCA” coming out of camp during the spring were overwhelmingly positive, with many anticipating a good year from the 2020 first-rounder. Unfortunately, he tore the labrum in his right shoulder and underwent surgery in mid May. The outfielder was then dealt to the Cubs in the Javier Baez swap at the trade deadline, capping off an unusual first full season of professional baseball. Few doubt that a healthy season could see Crow-Armstrong cement his place as an annual Top 100 prospect until his graduation.

Brayan Bello, Red Sox: Few pitchers on the Top 100 miss as many bats with their secondaries as Bello. Both his plus slider and developing changeup generate whiffs at a plus rate, and his four-seam fastball sits 95-98 mph consistently. A true power pitcher, Bello fits into the tweener profile of a starting pitching prospect that could excel in a high-leverage bullpen role. He’s likely to return to Double-A Portland, where he’ll continue to further refine his command. A late-season major league debut with the Red Sox is very much a possibility, as is Bello pitching his way onto the Top 100.

Sal Frelick, Brewers: There was a late push for Frelick to make the Top 100, as several executives and evaluators stumped for the 2021 first-rounder out of Boston College. The outfielder’s game is centered around elite athleticism, twitch and baseball instincts. One of the hardest outs in college baseball last spring, Frelick’s strong play continued in his professional debut, as he hit .313/.401/.443 across stops at both Class A levels. With plus bat-to-ball skills, double-plus running ability and strong center field defense, Frelick will likely crack the Top 100 in our next update.

Matt McLain, Reds: A two-time first-round pick, McLain was one of the more polished college hitters in the most recent draft. After just a pair of games at the complex level, McLain was assigned to High-A Dayton, where he hit .273/.387/.424 with three home runs and 10 stolen bases across 119 plate appearances. It’s McLain’s all-around offensive game and defensive versatility that will likely earn him a spot on future Top 100s.

Hunter Brown, Astros: Who is the real Hunter Brown? Is it the uneven starter at Double-A and early on in his Triple-A career? Or is it the pitcher we saw dominate over the final six appearances in 2021 that pitched to a 2.36 ERA and struck out 30 batters to nine walks over 26.2 innings of work? There’s plenty of power in Brown’s four-pitch mix, it’s just a matter of refining his command and sequencing.

[Cubs GM (Scott B)]

Keith Law/Athletic:

Welcome to this year’s ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball. I’ve been compiling and writing such rankings for 15 years now, and those of you who’ve read them before will find the format here similar to those from the recent past. Today kicks off the prospect package with that top 100. My organization rankings, farm reports covering at least 20 prospects in each team’s system, and notes on prospects who might appear in the majors this year or who might be breakout prospects for the 2023 rankings will appear the week of Feb. 7.
We had a semi-normal year in 2021, with most of the minor-league season, just a bit delayed, and the welcome return of the Arizona Fall League, which allowed me to get out and see more players than I had the year before (albeit not as many as I did in 2019 and prior). I’m hoping this spring will bring something closer to the Before Times, although at this point, I’m more concerned about the impact of the lockout than from the pandemic. Fortunately, for the purposes of this list, I was able to speak to my usual sources in player development and scouting to gather information on players, and had access to the data I would expect to have from a typical minor-league season.
I tend to favor upside in prospects more than certainty, but there is value in both. A player who is all ceiling and no floor isn’t as valuable, in the trade market now or in considering his expected value in the long term, as one who has a somewhat lower ceiling but a much higher floor. I want players who might be stars, and after that I want players who might be above-average big leaguers — but I also try to keep in mind that many of these prospects won’t reach their ceilings, and to consider what other scenarios exist for their futures.
I refer to grades throughout the prospect rankings on the 20-80 scouting scale, where 50 is major-league average, 80 is the highest possible score, and 20 is the lowest. I’ll also use similar language, referring to tools that are above (a grade of 55) or below average (45 or less), or referring to plus (60) or even plus-plus (70) or maybe you should try another line of work (35). I try to discuss players’ tools, their frames, their level of athleticism and other physical attributes, as well as their skills, their aptitude, and other mental or intellectual attributes as well. This is comparable to how major-league teams evaluate players, although they will always have the advantage of access to more and better data than those of us on the outside can get. The least I can do for you is try to reflect how the industry thinks about players, and give you the most accurate possible picture of the prospects in these rankings through both the lens of my own evaluations and those of the people within the industry whom I most trust.
To be eligible for these rankings, a player must still be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award in 2022, which means they may not have more than 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days on an active major-league roster heading into this season. Days on the roster in September now count against the rookie threshold, whereas days on the active roster in any September prior to 2020 do not count, a change MLB made to the rookie eligibility rules in 2020. Thus new Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz, who has 46 days on active rosters in the last two years, no longer qualifies. I also exclude players who have come here as free agents from Japan’s NPB or Korea’s KBO, because while they are rookies (and I would vote for them if I have a Rookie of the Year ballot), they are not prospects by my definition.
Note: All ages are seasonal ages, which refers to a player’s age at the midpoint of the year, so July 1, 2022.
________________________________________
1. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 24 (as of 7/1/2022) | 6-foot-2 | 220 pounds
Bats: Both | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 1 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 7
Rutschman answered every possible question he could have answered in a superlative 2021 season, one that, in a world that wasn’t addled by service time considerations, would have ended with him in the major leagues. He hit .271/.392/.508 in Double A, more than earned a promotion to Triple A, and hit better there (.312/.405/.490), walking nearly as often as he struck out on the season. That performance would probably make him a top-20 prospect even as a right fielder, but that he did so as a strong defensive catcher in every aspect of the game is what makes him the No. 1 overall prospect.
Rutschman is an outstanding receiver and game-caller, with a plus arm and a long history of showing advanced feel for the less concrete aspects of the catcher’s job. His grandfather, Ad Rutschman, was a longtime coach at NAIA Linfield College and the only person to win national championships as a coach in both baseball and football; his father, Randy, also has extensive coaching experience, particularly working with catchers.
Adley shows exceptional selectivity at the plate, rarely chasing, with a strikeout rate that put him in the top 15 percent of all Double-A and Triple-A hitters last year. His right-handed swing could get long in college, but in a small sample last year, he had better results hitting right-handed than left-handed. The only thing I see that could hold him back is the wear and tear of the position. A switch-hitting catcher with power, plate discipline and excellent defense across the board? Orioles fans should march on Camden Yards if he’s not the Opening Day starter.
2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 2 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 27
This was as close a call between the top two prospects that I can recall having, probably since my No. 1 and 2 were named Mike and Bryce before the 2011 season — and having Witt second here is no slight to him. Witt destroyed Double-A and Triple-A pitching last year as a 21-year-old with just 37 games of experience outside of high school, all of that coming in the Arizona Rookie League in 2019. He did go to the Royals’ alternate site in 2020, gaining significant experience against older pitching — many of them players who would appear in the majors for Kansas City in 2021 — which may have helped him progress despite the lack of actual games. He also came into power sooner than I expected, with 33 homers on the season, half coming in Double A with the minor-league ball, so this wasn’t some Triple-A mirage.
Witt’s tools package is among the best in the game: He’s at least a 70 runner, has an 80 arm, has plus power, and his hands and feet make him a plus glove at shortstop. There’s some thought he might outgrow the position in time, though that’s hardly a lock. Witt’s father, the former Rangers starter and No. 3 pick in 1985, has a similar frame and did not become overly broad or heavy, even in retirement. It’s possible the Royals would move Witt Jr. to accommodate another shortstop, but I see his future on defense as similar to the career so far of Carlos Correa. The majority of scouts thought Correa would outgrow the position, but he has stayed lean and been an above-average defender throughout his major-league tenure. The one knock here, and it is a small one, is that Witt has some swing and miss in his game, with a tendency to get too long and overrotate just a little — something he may very well improve once he has a few hundred at bats in the majors under his belt. Right now, it’s the only separator between him and Rutschman. They both belong in the majors now and both have MVP-level upside.
3. Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers
Age: 21 | 6-3 | 200 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 5 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 34
Greene spent all of 2021 in the high minors, finishing with 40 games in Triple A, at age 20, with a performance that would have been impressive if he’d done it in A-ball. Greene has wicked bat speed, has already come into plus power with the chance for more, and has become a better runner and defender since entering pro ball. He’s more than playable in center, at least for now, and would probably be plus in either corner if he either outgrows the middle or is bumped for a better defensive centerfielder. One shocking negative in his stat line in 2021 is that he was caught stealing for the first time in his career, dropping his stolen base percentage all the way to 95 percent. (He’s 21 for 22.) He swings hard and can roll over his front foot, causing him to pull off the ball just slightly or swing over some pitches, reason enough that he would probably be better served returning to Triple A for the first month or so of this season rather than jumping right to the majors. There will probably always be some swing and miss to his game, but he makes such consistently hard contact that he looks like he’ll hit for average and power even if he punches out 27-28 percent of the time. I could see .300/.400/.550 seasons here, and if does that in centerfield, he’ll be on the shortlist of candidates for the best player in baseball.
4. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit Tigers
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 220 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 1 in 2020
Previous ranking: No. 18
Thank goodness the third-base experiment with Torkelson is over. He wasn’t good over there, but more importantly, it was a waste of everyone’s time, as his bat is clearly ready for the majors right now and any experiment with him at another position just threatened to slow his progress. He’s a monster at the plate with patience and power, great pitch recognition, and a solid two-strike approach. (The younger audience members might be unfamiliar with this term: It’s when a hitter changes his approach in any count with two strikes to try to reduce his chances of striking out and increase the chances of putting the ball in play, usually at the cost of some power. Most hitters used to do this. I swear.) Torkelson has all-fields power, and now that the hot corner is off the table, he should be more than adequate on defense at first base, with more time to improve now that he’s not trying to learn another position. The one area where he might fall short of expectations is in batting average, which did drop at each promotion he had in 2021. That’s the worst-case scenario. If he ends up a .250ish hitter it might seem like a disappointment, even though he’ll probably pile 75-plus walks and 30-odd homers on top of that, enough to make him a huge impact bat in the middle of a lineup.
5. C.J. Abrams, SS, San Diego Padres
Age: 21 | 6-2 | 185 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 6 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 8
Abrams’ year got off to an incredible start, as he hit .296/.363/.420 in 42 games for Double-A San Antonio, with 13 steals in 15 attempts to go along with it, all at 20 years old. Then everything went wrong. He fractured his left tibia and sprained the MCL in his left knee in a collision at second base the week before the Futures Game, missed the rest of the regular season, then bruised his left shoulder in Instructional league and missed the Arizona Fall League. The calamities probably cost him about 300 at-bats, and the broken leg meant he didn’t get the chance to move up to Triple A and face better competition in the second half. Abrams is an 80 runner with reports from instructs that he was running fine again, and a plus defender at shortstop with great actions and a quick release on throws. He could, if necessary, move to centerfield, where his speed would give him a chance to be plus, as well. He has great bat speed and has been working on adding strength to get more in-game power, although we didn’t see any of that in his brief time playing in 2021. He might have been ready to see the majors by now if he had been healthy in the second half, but he missed the time to work on small adjustments, like recognizing pitch types and locations from older pitchers who have better secondary stuff and command. He still projects as a star, whether at short or in center, especially if his elite speed is intact after that gruesome injury.
6. Gabriel Moreno, C, Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 22 | 5-11 | 160 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked/sleeper
Moreno exploded in Double A to start 2021, hitting a hilarious .373/.441/.651 in 32 games for New Hampshire, before a pitch broke one of his thumbs and kept him out more than two months. He returned for a few games in September in Triple A, then went to the Arizona Fall League and the Venezuelan Winter League, getting another 40 games of reps and raking in both places. Moreno is an incredibly athletic catcher, moving extremely well behind the plate, and has an above-average arm. He’s an above-average defender, handling short hops well and showing great facility to move the glove around, but could easily slide to other positions if the need arose, especially third base. At the plate, Moreno has a short, quick stroke that leads to a lot of contact. He has excellent plate coverage as well, so he doesn’t run many deep counts, at least not yet, and might end up getting most of his on-base percentage from his high batting averages. A premium defender behind the plate who puts the ball in play a ton and has some pop is a potential impact player on both sides of the ball, and his unusual athleticism for the position makes him the type of player you should bet will improve when he needs to.
7. Shane Baz, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 23 | 6-2 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 12 in 2017
Previous ranking: No. 69
The world got a glimpse of what Baz can do in his brief time in the majors last year. In three starts, he faced 49 batters, struck out 18 of them (37 percent) and walked just three. That came on top of an incredible run through the minors (and a stint in the Olympics), where Baz carved up Double-A and Triple-A hitters at similar rates, with 113 strikeouts and 13 walks between those levels. What you saw in the majors is what Baz can do as a starter: He can bump triple digits and will sit in the mid-to-upper 90s, although he sometimes starts out games with lower velocities and builds as the game goes along. His slider is a wipeout pitch, a grade 70 offering at its best, and his curveball has become an above-average or better weapon as well; major-league hitters had trouble with both pitches, and they both have strong spin rates. He barely used his changeup in the big leagues but has a solid/average one for a real four-pitch mix. The surprise in Baz’s development is how good his command and control have become. He fills up the strike zone and has already shown a feel for pitching that perhaps wasn’t evident when he was blowing away high school hitters with velocity. He looks every bit like a No. 1 starter, and he’s got the track record of durability so far to back that up.
8. Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets
Age: 20 | 5-10 | 233 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 19
Alvarez was so good in Low-A St. Lucie to start the year that the Mets bumped him up to High A after just 15 games, even though he was just 19. He then hit .247/.351/.538 as the youngest regular anywhere in High A last year, making him one of the most productive hitters at that level, with a strikeout rate right around the median. Alvarez’s swing is easy and quick — his hand acceleration is great, and he’s very balanced from when he starts moving his hands through contact. And he’s a catcher with a plus arm and at least adequate/fringy receiving already, but enough agility to improve back there with more reps. He has 20-plus homer power already, with 30-plus in his near-term outlook, and he’s going to hit for higher averages once he’s no longer the youngest player at his level. The only knock on Alvarez’s upside is that he has a more mature body than some of the other catching prospects of his age around the game, so he may not have much more power coming to him, but the response is that he has plus game power already, and if this is all there ever is, so what? He could be as mobile as a statue and still be an above-average regular for a catcher with — dare I say it — a Mike Piazza-like upside if his bat keeps improving.
9. Julio Rodríguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
Age: 21 | 6-3 | 180 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 24
Rodríguez is an offensive force, obliterating two levels last year at age 20, with high batting averages, patience and big power — enough that he could have at least gone to Triple A later in the season. The most impressive aspect of his pro career so far is how well he controls the strike zone, including making so much contact, despite long levers and a big swing. That swing is very easy, though, with good hip rotation and huge power to his pull side. He’s also shown the ability to go the other way for softer contact, a tremendous skill for a hitter who hadn’t shown anywhere near that advanced an approach before last season. Rodríguez is a 55 runner, if not a 60; and played some center this year, looking capable out there, although his size is going to lead him to a corner sooner rather than later. Rodríguez’s 2021 season answered a lot of questions about how good a hitter he was, and while there are still some adjustments to come as he faces pitchers who can better locate their offspeed stuff, he looks like a long-term cleanup hitter who’ll challenge for MVP awards with 30-40 homers, high OBPs and, at least, solid defense in right field.
10. Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees
Age: 21 | 5-11 | 180 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 30 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Volpe was the Yanks’ first-round pick in 2019, off the same high school team as this past year’s No. 2 overall pick, Jack Leiter. Volpe was the shortstop on that club, but wasn’t the traditional, tooled-out high school shortstop; he was praised for his baseball IQ, his instincts, his feel for the game, but didn’t have a clearly plus tool at the time, or even that summer in short-season Pulaski. (Full disclosure: I thought the pick was a huge reach and had Volpe wildly under-ranked as recently as last February. I was wrong.) Volpe worked hard during the pandemic to add strength, and it’s evident now that he had a few plus tools all along, including his ability to hit and to play shortstop. He’s making better quality contact and driving the ball at a better angle now too, while his understanding of the strike zone looks like it’s elite. He hit .294/.423/.604 between Low A and High A as a 20-year-old, with 27 homers and 33 steals in 42 attempts, while playing above-average to plus defense at short all year. He’s almost certainly the reason the Yankees haven’t gone after one of the big shortstop free agents this winter, and I think they’re right. He’s going to be a star, and very soon at that.
11. Noelvi Marte, SS, Seattle Mariners
Age: 20 | 6-1 | 181 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked/sleeper
Marte’s U.S. debut went rather well, as he hit .271/.368/.463 as a 19-year-old in Low A, tying for sixth among all Low A hitters with 17 homers, while finishing in the top 15 at the level in both doubles and walks. Marte has a very easy swing with quick hands and already makes consistent, hard contact despite only turning 20 in October. He already has above-average game power and should end up firmly in the plus power range, with 25-plus homers a year in his peak, while he’s a plus runner who’s shown some aptitude for base stealing already. He’s a shortstop right now who could stay there if he doesn’t get too big, but might end up outgrowing the position and moving to third base, for which he already has the arm and hands to be a 55 or 60 defender. If he stays at short, he could be a top-five player in baseball with this combination of approach, power and speed, while even at third base he should end up among the best players at his position in the majors, and he’s probably no more than two years away from making his debut.
12. Hunter Greene, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 22 | 6-5 | 230 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 2 in 2017
Previous ranking: No. 28
Greene will hit 98-101 mph as a starter most nights, and has been up to 104 mph in games, although I don’t think that’s necessary or even advisable for him to try to do too often. Since being the second overall pick in 2017, he’s shown remarkable progress as a pitcher. In high school, he had the same incredible arm strength, but his offspeed stuff wasn’t great and he was also serving as his team’s shortstop, showing some power at the plate but below-average bat speed. He’s added a slider in pro ball, a pitch that’s already average to above-average and should end up plus given his arm speed; while he’s also improved his changeup substantially, allowing him to close his platoon split by more than half since 2018. His fastball doesn’t have great life or spin, so the continued development of those offspeed pitches is key. Greene had Tommy John surgery in 2018, then missed 2019 while rehabbing and 2020 to the pandemic, so he’d gone 33 months between regulation games when he took the mound this past May. He dominated Double A, and his home run troubles in Triple A boiled down to two disaster starts (seven home runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings), outside of which he had little trouble with the longball. His bigger issue remains allowing more good contact than he should given his stuff, but the trend line is positive as he continues to develop his arsenal. Greene was scratched from one August start with irritation in the AC joint of his throwing shoulder, returned to make five more starts, then was shut down as he reached his innings limit for the year, with 106 1/3 innings in his first year back, along with 139 strikeouts — enough to put him in the top 30 in minor league baseball. He’ll see the majors this year, and if nothing else, big league hitters will force him to use his whole repertoire and make more adjustments. His ranking here is a bet on that continued growth, on his incredible athleticism and makeup, and that he’ll end up outperforming other pitchers who’ve had better results in the minors so far.
13. Diego Cartaya, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 20 | 6-3 | 219 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 75
We shouldn’t get too excited over any player’s 31-game sample, but Cartaya was already a serious prospect before this past season, receiving a $2.5 million bonus in 2018, then performing well in the Arizona Rookie League in 2019. He got into 31 games this year in Low A before a bad hamstring strain in late July ended his season, but he hit .298/.409/.614 when he played, with consistently high exit velocities and solid plate discipline all at 19 years old. Cartaya is going to be a monster at the plate with patience and power, and he’s improving as a defender across the board with enough of a baseline to leave no doubt that he’ll stay at the position. He needs more reps as a hitter and catcher, of course, with just 80 pro games under his belt, but he’s already so skilled for his age that he has No. 1 overall prospect upside.
14. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 22 | 6-5 | 220 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 11 in 2018
Previous ranking: No. 55
Rodriguez’s 2021 stat line is just comical: He struck out 161 batters in 103 innings across High A and Double A, good for a 40.4 percent strikeout rate, which was the highest of any pitcher in the full-season minors last year. He walked just 27 batters, was hard to hit, and only gave up 10 homers. He couldn’t have dominated any more given the way that Baltimore used him. Rodriguez gets it done with a big fastball (96-99 mph), and you can see from hitters’ reactions that the ball gets to them faster than they expect, resulting in some ugly swings even on fastballs out of the zone. He works with four pitches, with the slider the most promising; his curveball lacks the power it should have, and at least at these levels, his changeup has come out more like a BP fastball, especially since it has more spin than those pitches typically have and doesn’t get the same kind of action. He’s built like a workhorse starter, and his long stride makes great use of his 6-5 frame, although his arm can be a touch late, catching up because he generates such great arm speed. As I’ve written before, the Orioles have heavily restricted Rodriguez’s usage, so that he’s never thrown more than 100 pitches in a pro game, and in 2021 he never threw more than 89. Will the stuff be different when he’s planning to throw 95-105 pitches every time out, and might face hitters three times? We’re still just speculating. That’s not his fault, though, and his performance last year was unimpeachable.
15. Marco Luciano, SS, San Francisco Giants
Age: 20 | 6-2 | 178 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 31
The Giants signed Luciano for $2.6 million in 2018, in the Before Times, for his physical projection and explosive bat speed. He’s already started to show some of that on the field, hitting 18 homers in 70 games in Low A last year, with a .278/.373/.556 overall line at the level — outstanding for a 19-year-old who was among the youngest players in his league. The Giants bumped him up to High A in August, and he struggled, punching out more than a third of the time without any power to show for it — a sign of his inexperience and difficulty laying off pitches he can’t drive. He has extremely quick hands and swings hard most of the time, and the ball flies off his bat with power from his pull side all the way over to right-center. Luciano is not a shortstop; yes, he played shortstop exclusively last year, but at 19 he is already a big kid, and he’s going to get bigger. The question around his position is not whether he can stay at short, but whether he can stay on the dirt. He has very sure hands and he’s athletic enough to do it, but he’s going to be the size of a strong safety before he’s 24, and he might end up in right field. His bat will still profile there, but he’ll lose some value with each move down the defensive spectrum. There’s huge upside here — maybe a third baseman who hits 35 homers a year with some walks — but also some risk in the hit tool and size, which could push him to an outfield corner when he reaches his peak.
16. Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 21 | 5-10 | 165 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 16 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 23
Carroll’s 2021 season ended after just seven games, when he suffered a significant injury to his non-throwing shoulder on a home-run swing and had to undergo surgery to repair it. He started off on fire, going 10 for 23 with two homers, but now he’s entering his age-21 season with just 215 pro plate appearances, none above High A. Carroll spent much of the rest of 2021 sitting in the front row at Chase Field with scouts, asking questions to try to make something of the lost year, while also rehabbing intensively every day over at Salt River. Carroll is a five-tool talent who could have been a candidate for the first overall pick if he were taller, but there’s plenty of power and bat speed in his 5-10 frame, and he should be a plus defender in center with plus-plus speed. The one real question about him, beyond specious complaints about his height from scouts who’ve listened to too much Skee-Lo, was how he’d fare against better pitching than the private-school competition he faced in high school. The limited sample we have so far is encouraging, and every scout who’s seen him seems to come away believing he’ll end up with a 60 hit tool. He has .300/.400 AVG/OBP potential, and a full season this year would probably put him in the overall top 5.
17. Nolan Gorman, 2B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 210 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 19 in 2018
Previous ranking: No. 57
Gorman has always had power, but so much of the rest of his game was in question that the Cardinals were able to get his grade-80 power with the 19th overall pick back in 2018. He struck out 152 times in his first full pro season in 2019, including a 32 percent strikeout rate in High A, with somewhat less game power than expected. He made a huge leap in 2021, however, cutting his K rate to 22 percent, even though he spent the majority of the season in Triple A as a 21-year-old who entered the year with no experience above A-ball. It is easy power, too, thanks to a combination of aggressive hip rotation from a wide stance and a strong lower half. Gorman has worked on his defense to become passable at third or second, with room for further improvement, although he’s probably never going to be more than an average (net zero runs) defender at either spot. His bat will carry him — there’s still 35-40 home run power in there, and given the rapid improvement in his approach in 2021, there’s a greater chance than ever that he’ll get to it.
18. Marcelo Mayer, SS, Boston Red Sox
Age: 19 | 6-3 | 188 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 4 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Mayer was the best high school prospect in the 2021 draft class, and the Red Sox were ecstatic to get him with the No. 4 pick, landing a high-upside hitter at one of the most important positions on the field. Mayer repeats his swing well, with good balance throughout, and his strong wrists and forearms point to more future power than his wiry frame might imply. Some small swing changes to help him transfer his weight through contact could unlock that power in short order, even before he fills out. He has excellent hands and strong lateral range at shortstop, with no doubt he stays there and the potential to end up plus. He showed solid command of the strike zone in the Florida Complex League this summer and had the advantage of facing better competition as a high schooler in California than most hitters elsewhere in the country, so there’s cause to believe he’ll be a solid on-base guy, as well. There’s a lot to work with here on top of a very strong foundation of defensive and offensive skills, giving Mayer a solid floor as a soft regular and the upside of a No. 2 hitter who saves 5 to 10 runs a year with his glove.
19. Reid Detmers, LHP, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 22 | 6-2 | 210 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 10 in 2020
Previous ranking: No. 65
Detmers’ major-league debut was a bit rocky, but bear in mind that he was just over a year out of the draft, missed most of 2020 due to the pandemic, and was working this year with bigger velocity that may require some more time for him to learn to use effectively. Detmers was a command lefty in college, earning 60 (plus) grades from scouts, but had a lower projection than other college starters because he was at 88-92 mph and didn’t have a clear knockout pitch. His velocity picked up in 2021, to the point where he averaged 93 mph on his four-seamer in the big leagues, and his slider improved as a result of the new arm strength. There’s natural deception in Detmers’ delivery, as his slider and curve come out with movement diametrically opposed to his fastball (and his rarely-used changeup, a distant fourth pitch for him), but he struggled in the majors with location. Maybe it was the different baseball, or learning to harness the new velocity, but Detmers had a track record in college of doing … not this, fastballs middle-up and sliders close to the heart of the zone. His ceiling now is tied to whether any of his pitches emerges as a clear swing-and-miss offering, but if he returns to plus command of a repertoire that should have three grade-55 pitches, that’s a solid No. 2 starter on any staff.
20. Henry Davis, C, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 22 | 6-2 | 210 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 1 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Davis was the No. 1 pick in 2021, giving the Pirates the draft’s best college prospect while also allowing them to sign two other first-round talents with later picks in Anthony Solometo and Bubba Chandler. Davis is an offensive catcher with outstanding bat-to-ball and pitch recognition skills, along with plus game power. Behind the plate, his best tool is his cannon arm, but he faces the challenge of working on receiving and blocking as he also has to learn how to call a game and lead a staff. (This is yet another argument for college coaches to let experienced catchers call their own games.) He has an excellent work ethic and is a sponge for new information, which bodes well for his transition to catching regularly in pro ball this year. His bat should allow him to reach the majors as quickly as his glove develops, and this kind of offensive profile — contact, OBP with power — would make him a potential All-Star for that position.
21. Josh Lowe, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 24 | 6-4 | 205 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 13 in 2016
Previous ranking: No. 59
Lowe had his best year as a pro in 2021, moving up to Triple A and setting career bests in homers, walks, doubles, slugging, OBP, batting average and stolen base success rate (he was 27 for 27, which will be hard to top). The Rays’ first-rounder back in 2016, Lowe has made steady progress up the system and had his one injury come during the lost 2020 season. The 2021 season was the first season where he had everything working, showing off his plus power and plus run tools, as well as his ability to get on base. Lowe was a third baseman and pitcher in high school but the Rays converted him to centerfield in his first full pro season, and he’s become an above-average defender there, with the arm to profile in right as well. He has 20 homer/20 steal potential, along with the patience to post OBPs above .350, which would make him at least an above-average regular wherever he plays, with 5-WAR upside if that 20/20 becomes more like 30/20.
22. Brayan Rocchio, SS, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 21 | 5-10 | 170 pounds
Bats: Both | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 99
Rocchio is a switch-hitting shortstop with surprising pop for his size, above-average defense at short and a great feel for the game on both sides of the ball. I apologize if I’ve inadvertently reminded Guardians fans of anyone in particular. Rocchio does a little of everything, and his 2021 season, where he went .277/.346/.460 between High A and Double A as a 20-year-old, is even more impressive given that he didn’t get to play anywhere in 2020, not even the Guardians’ alternate site. Rocchio has a short swing with quick wrists, but he generates more power than you might guess for a wiry 5-10 middle infielder, with real strength in his wrists, with 15 homers in 108 games last year. Rocchio’s a 55 runner but doesn’t always show it, and he’s a below-average base stealer, perhaps the only real flaw in his game. It’s an exciting package, and he’s a player who’ll probably be underestimated right up until he hits his way onto an All-Star team.
23. Zac Veen, OF, Colorado Rockies
Age: 20 | 6-4 | 190 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 9 in 2020
Previous ranking: No. 43
The Rockies’ first-round pick in 2020, Veen began his pro career in May, going right to Low-A Fresno as a 19-year-old, and hit .301/.399/.501, finishing in the Low-A West league’s top 10 in homers, steals, doubles, average, OBP and slugging. Colorado moved Veen to the corner outfield this year, having him play both spots. Right field is by far the more likely outcome, and there’s potential for him to play center on a temporary basis in the future. Veen has already gotten stronger, adding about 15 pounds already since the 2021 season ended, and offers 30/30 upside once he reaches the majors. He has a beautiful left-handed swing, and fared well enough against lefties last year, with a .434 OBP against them and strikeout rate of 28 percent, giving cause to believe he won’t have much of a platoon split down the road. It’s an exciting package of skills on both sides of the ball, even with some swing and miss in his present game, and he won’t even turn 21 until after this upcoming season.
24. Robert Hassell, OF, San Diego Padres
Age: 20 | 6-2 | 195 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 8 in 2020
Previous ranking: No. 60
The Padres took Hassell with the eighth pick in 2020, betting on a strong hit tool and above-average speed, and his full-season debut more than fulfilled expectations. Hassell hit .323/.415/.482 as a 19-year-old in Low A, finishing second in the artist formerly known as the California League in OBP (behind a 27-year-old who did not belong at that level). Hassell has a short swing with very fast hand acceleration, so he can let the ball travel and commit later than most hitters. He’ll come into average power, but will probably always be a hitter for average/OBP first, with power a secondary part of his game. He’s an above-average runner who was a solid 55 defender in center this year and was 34 of 40 stealing bases (85 percent), finishing in the top five in the I’m-still-calling-it-the-California-League in steals as well. He’s such a good hitter for contact already, with just a 17 percent strikeout rate last year, that he might be on his way to a 65 or 70 hit tool at his peak. I’m sure Padres fans have some idea what an elite hit tool looks like, and while there’s always variance around any projection like that on that particular tool, Hassell might just be the heir to that crown, challenging for batting average and OBP titles in his mid-20s.
25. Austin Martin, IF, Minnesota Twins
Age: 23 | 6-0 | 185 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 5 in 2020
Previous ranking: No. 14
Martin’s pro debut had several unexpected twists, from a shift in his swing and approach that favored soft contact to a hand injury suffered on a slide to a trade from Toronto to Minnesota at the deadline. It would be easy to blame the power loss on the hand issue, but Martin’s swing had been heading this way already. He’s had a tendency to shrink himself by crouching and striding toward the plate, which improved his plate coverage but robbed him of his ability to drive the ball. When he’s more upright, he has gap-to-gap power, more 40-plus doubles and 15-plus homers than big home run power, with an elite batting eye that helped him to a .414 OBP last year in Double A, although some of that was his 24 times hit by pitches as well. In the field, he’s athletic enough to play almost anywhere, certainly to be a plus defender at third base, but he’s had throwing issues since the start of his junior year and at this point is probably going to end up in centerfield or at second base. He’s a plus runner with bat speed and quick-twitch to him that should make the Twins’ player development people giddy, and now he gets a full offseason to work on getting back to driving the ball. He’s lost some of his luster, but not his ability. There’s still a .300 AVG/.400 OBP guy in here, with the ability to play somewhere up the middle and add value on defense, too.
26. Jack Leiter, RHP, Texas Rangers
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 205 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 2 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
The top pitcher in the 2021 draft class, Leiter went second overall to the Rangers, coming off a spring with some incredible highs (a no-hitter that was part of a 20-inning streak where he gave up zero hits) and lows (a three-week stretch where he gave up five homers in two starts, then had to miss an outing). The son of longtime big leaguer Al Leiter and former high school teammate of Anthony Volpe, Leiter is a command right-hander with a fastball that misses bats even at average velocity, although he can top out at 95-96 mph. At Vanderbilt, he got a ton of swings and misses on his slider, although his curveball looks like it’ll be the better pitch. He has plus control and should end up with at least above-average command, thanks to a delivery he repeats with ease. Leiter is maybe 6-1 and doesn’t offer a lot of projection, so the odds of him adding much velocity are not very high (but it’s still possible). He looks more like a solid No. 2 starter at his peak, one who gets it done without a clear plus pitch because he throws everything for strikes and can miss enough bats with his fastball.
27. MJ Melendez, C, Kansas City Royals
Age: 23 | 6-1 | 190 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 52 in 2017
Previous ranking: Unranked
The Royals saw their plate discipline numbers do a 180 across the system last year, and Melendez was one of the main beneficiaries of their new emphasis on hitting plans for their hitters. Melendez has always had plus-plus power and a ridiculous arm, but was a hacker through the 2019 season when he hit .163/.260/.311 with a 39 percent strikeout rate in High A, a disastrous season that in hindsight only underscores how incredible his transformation has been. In 2021, he hit .288/.386/.625 between Double A and Triple A, and cut his strikeout rate to 22 percent. He struck out 50 fewer times in 112 more plate appearances. It’s a funny thing, but when you always hit the ball hard, and then you start making a lot more contact, you get really good results, like hitting 41 homers to lead all of minor league baseball. The Royals did help Melendez with his mechanics as well; he’s always been a busy hitter, with a high leg kick and huge hip rotation, but he’s calmed the latter part down enough so he’s no longer overrotating and his timing on his leg kick is better. Coming into some of his strength has helped him develop a stronger base and stay more upright through contact as well. Couple the mechanical adjustments with a whole new plan at the plate and you get a premium offensive catcher with that cannon arm. He can still be too energetic behind the plate but has improved his receiving in the last two years; now it’s going to be his bat that carries him.
28. Brennen Davis, OF, Chicago Cubs
Age: 22 | 6-4 | 210 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 62 in 2018
Previous ranking: No. 51
Davis is an outstanding athlete who starred in baseball and basketball in high school, and this year some of that projection he had as an amateur showed up in games, as he hit 19 homers in total across three levels, finishing in Triple A as a 21-year-old. Davis has gotten quite a bit stronger since the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, and now he’s driving the ball to all fields, with a balanced swing that generates that power from his upper and lower halves. He still runs well, although he’s lost some speed as he’s filled out, and there’s a greater chance that he’ll end up in right field than there was a year ago, although he could probably be an average defender in center for a team without an elite glove out there. The power/OBP skill is what really sells Davis, who looks like he’ll be a very different player than anyone who saw him as a skinny 18-year-old might have guessed, with 30-homer upside and a chance to stay in the middle of the field.
29. George Valera, OF, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 21 | 5-11 | 185 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Previous ranking: No. 76
Valera signed for $1.3 million way back in 2017, but due to multiple injuries and the lost 2020 season, he still has just 599 pro plate appearances, or just over one year’s worth. When he’s played, however, he’s shown exceptional patience and easy all-fields power, with 100 walks and 28 homers already in that brief career, all before he turned 21 this past November. Valera only played 86 games last year due to an oblique strain and had a weird season at the plate, barely facing any left-handed pitchers — they accounted for about 18 percent of his plate appearances — which skews his overall line, especially since he struck out in more than a third of those plate appearances against southpaws. He plays with a lot of panache — I believe “swaggy” might be the more contemporary term, fellow kids — and bat-flips his home runs like a boss. He has bat speed, big strength and an advanced eye at the plate, along with solid-average defense for right field, and there’s just an electricity to the way he plays. He’s not a finished product, due in no small part to his limited playing time, but he might be a 30-homer/80-walk guy at his peak.
30. Jordan Walker, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 20 | 6-5 | 220 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 21 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
Walker was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 2020, selected by the late area scout Charles Peterson (who died two months later of COVID-19), and at the time seemed like a high-risk/high-reward pick who had a chance for four plus tools but might really struggle to hit. St. Louis challenged Walker with an assignment to Low A to start 2021, and he put up a .374/.475/.687 line in a month in Palm Beach — not a great place to hit — before a promotion to High A, where he hit .292/.344/.487 the rest of the way as the only 19-year-old to play regularly in the High-A Central league. He’s already shown the ability to make adjustments at the plate in-season, although pitchers at the higher level were able to get him to chase more often, even when he was doing more damage when he did make contact. He’s a plus runner who projects to at least 60 power, but he’s already big for third base (listed at 6-5, 220, which is what he weighed when he was drafted) and has a long way to go to stay there, with right field a far more likely long-term position. His debut was one of the most impressive — and surprising — of anyone from the 2020 draft class, but there’s still a wide range of possible outcomes around his hit tool. He has 30/30 upside with 55 defense in right field and mid-.300s OBPs, which would make him at least an above-average regular who has some All-Star seasons.
31. Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 19 | 6-2 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 6 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Lawlar had the best package of tools in the 2021 draft class, and if he hits like the Diamondbacks expect, he’ll be a five-tool player who’s among the best players in his league when he reaches his peak. Arizona took Lawlar with the sixth pick out of a Dallas-area private school, drawn to his athleticism, his plus speed and plus arm, and potential for plus power in time. He has quick wrists and shows good bat speed, although he didn’t face much quality pitching with his high school team, and didn’t get to play as much over the preceding summer due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, Lawlar hurt his non-throwing shoulder in his second pro game in the Arizona Complex League, requiring surgery to fix a tear in the posterior labrum and ending his season, although it did mean he could spend some quality time with Corbin Carroll at Chase Field. It’s a lost opportunity for some at-bats but shouldn’t affect him in the long term. It comes down to the hit tool: If Lawlar hits, he’ll be in the running for the top overall prospect next year.
32. Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers
Age: 24 | 6-2 | 214 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 8 in 2019
Previous ranking: Just missed
Jung mashed his way through Triple A last year, hitting .326/.398/.592 at the top two levels of the minors, even though it was his first full pro season since the Rangers made him the eighth overall pick in 2019. Jung hurt his foot in spring training and had a late start, but answered the one remaining question about his bat by hitting 19 homers and 22 doubles between two stops last year in just 78 games. The Rangers left Jung at third base after trying him at some other spots in 2020 at their alternate site, and he’s a solid-average defender there, although his bat is going to carry the day. He hits the ball hard, consistently, and makes contact at an above-average rate. A .300/.360/.520 season is well within reach once he’s established himself in the majors.
33. Edward Cabrera, RHP, Miami Marlins
Age: 24 | 6-5 | 217 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 20
Cabrera reached the majors last year, but we didn’t see the best of him, as he had some clear trouble adjusting to the different baseball even back when he first moved to Triple A. He missed the first month of the minor-league season while recovering from an inflamed nerve in his biceps, then dominated the lower minors, striking out 37 percent of batters between High A and Double A with a 5 percent walk rate. He moved up to Triple-A Jacksonville and continued to miss bats, with a 37 percent strikeout rate again, but he walked three or more batters in every start but one at that level, and his strike percentage dropped again in the majors. It was surprising given Cabrera’s history and the sheer quality of his stuff — he can work at 94-100 mph, and his changeup can be a plus-plus pitch — but he threw a lot of in-between pitches that Statcast coded as changeups but looked and had the characteristics of bad four-seamers. And when he left those middle-middle — surprise, surprise — he got hit-hit. Cabrera has the size (6-5, 220 or so) and delivery to start, and the two weapons, along with a slider that he can bury away from right-handers, to be a starter. I’m not ready to let 55 innings, all with the big-league baseball, tarnish his outlook.
34. Alek Thomas, OF, Arizona
Age: 22 | 5-11 | 175 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 63 in 2018
Previous ranking: No. 61
A three-time top 100 prospect, Thomas went from a hit-over-power kind of prospect before 2021 to a hit-and-power kind of prospect during the season — not a 30-homer guy in time, probably, but someone who could hit .300 with 20 bombs regularly in his peak years. Thomas has natural feel to hit, even with a slightly awkward setup, consistently putting the bat on the ball at above-average rates everywhere he’s played. He was 19 the last time he played in real games before the pandemic, and came into more strength in the interim. He hit as many homers in a half-season in Double A than he did in all of 2019, then had a blast in the thin air of Reno, with eight more homers in 34 games. Thomas is intelligently aggressive at the plate, looking for a pitch he can drive with the ability to put the ball in play if he doesn’t get it. He’s a plus runner who has never had success on the bases, running at about a 60 percent success rate throughout his career, and should be a 60 defender in center. He doesn’t have the same pure upside as system-mates Carroll and Lawlar, but he projects to be an above-average regular with a high floor and should be in the majors before the midpoint of this season.
35. Tyler Soderstrom, C, Oakland Athletics
Age: 20 | 6-2 | 200 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 26 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
Soderstrom was the 26th pick in 2020, so his pro debut came this year when he went to Low A to start the minor-league season. He played just 57 games for Stockton, but hit .306/.390/.568 with 12 homers and just a 24 percent strikeout rate. He would have ranked second in the league in slugging and fifth in OBP if he’d played in enough games, even though he was among the 10 youngest hitters in the California League’s remnants. Everyone seems to agree that Soderstrom is going to hit. He has a powerful swing and a very balanced approach, with just a small toe-tap and step that still generates a ton of force, although he can spin off his front foot on occasion, leaving him too open and vulnerable to stuff spinning away from him. His defense behind the plate is well behind his bat, enough so that it’s probably a better move for the A’s to just move him to third base now and let him hit his way to the majors, as the Royals and Nationals did with Wil Myers and Bryce Harper as prospects. Soderstrom’s season ended on July 23th after he took a pitch to the collarbone and then developed a back problem while rehabbing, which also robbed him of some reps behind the plate and also doesn’t bode well for his ability to stay at the position anyway. His bat is going to be major-league ready by the end of 2023, but his glove won’t, and since his potential for a .300/.360/.500 line will profile just fine at third base, the A’s should make this decision sooner rather than later.
36. Matthew Liberatore, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22 | 6-4 |200 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 16 in 2018
Previous ranking: 50
Liberatore continues to progress in all aspects of the game, from physical maturation to developing his offspeed pitches to improving his feel for pitching, further fulfilling his status as a former first-round pick. He works at 92-95 with good downhill plane and has a four-pitch mix, all of them major-league average or better. The curveball is clearly plus — helping him hold lefties to a .244/.307/.339 line — while the changeup is improved but less consistent. Right-handers hit 17 homers off him last year, so establishing the changeup more as a viable weapon against them will be the key for him to become a mid-rotation starter or better. He’s made so much progress already since signing in 2018, despite still having just 235 innings in pro ball, that I’m betting he gets there.
37. Nick Yorke, 2B, Boston Red Sox
Age: 20 | 6-0 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 17 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
The most maligned pick of the 2020 draft by far went out and proved all of the criticism — yes, including mine — wrong with a .325/.412/.516 line across Low A and High A, especially impressive for a 19-year-old who’d barely played since 2019. Yorke has a fantastic and simple right-handed swing that helps him use the middle of the field and gives him superlative coverage of the strike zone; he’s showed above-average power already, probably lacking the projection for much more but with 15-20 homers a reasonable expectation for his major-league power output. He’s limited to second base by a below-average arm and average speed, although he’s a better runner underway than out of the box. It’s an extremely impressive bat across the board, from the swing to the understanding of the zone to the ability to drive the ball to the gaps, and with no reason to think he won’t stay at second base, he projects as at least an above-average regular there, with batting average champion upside.
38. Cristian Pache, OF, Atlanta Braves
Age: 23 | 6-2 | 215 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 3
Pache began 2021 in the big leagues, didn’t hit, went on the injured list, came back, didn’t hit some more, went on the injured list, was optioned to Triple A, and never returned to the majors, even when Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL. Pache has only had 72 plate appearances in the majors so far, far too few to change his long-term outlook, but there’s no sugar-coating just how not-ready for big-league pitching he is. Good fastballs got him and so did offspeed stuff, after which there isn’t much left to hit. Pache came into 2021 with less than a month’s worth of games above Double A, and the lack of reps against real pitching in 2020 may have hurt him more than most players, given how immature his approach and pitch recognition are. Pache remains an elite defender in center, and he has power if he can hit enough to get to it, so the bar for him to clear to be a regular is not that high — a .300 OBP and 20-25 homers would make him an above-average regular given his defensive value. I firmly believe he’ll get there, but it may take another 400 plate appearances in Triple A before he’s ready to contribute in the majors.
39. Vidal Bruján, 2B, Tamp Bay Rays
Age: 24 | 5-10 | 180 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: 35
Bruján returns to the top 100 for a fourth straight year, although it’ll probably be his final one, as he’s more than ready to help the Rays (or any team) in the majors in 2022. He’s an outstanding athlete who has great bat speed and a long history of high contact rates — he’s never punched out 70 times in any season, and his strikeout rate in Triple A of 15.4 percent was the highest of his career. His swing is direct and short, but with enough loft in the finish for average power. Bruján is a plus defender at second, and has played some shortstop, but the big news in 2021 was that the Rays tried Bruján a little bit in center, and he looked good enough to play there more in the future. He’s at least a 70 runner and that speed is kind of wasted at second, while centerfield takes better advantage of it. He could be in the lineup right now for at least two positions for just about any club, and a threat to steal 50 bases in his peak years while playing plus defense at second or in center.
40. Ronny Mauricio, SS, New York Mets
Age: 21 | 6-3 | 166 pounds
Bats: Both | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: No. 32
Mauricio signed with the Mets for $2.1 million back in 2017, and had a fairly quiet full-season debut in Low A in 2019, hitting .268/.307/.357 with just four home runs. He came back from the pandemic stronger, and it showed in his production, as he hit 20 homers in 453 plate appearances last year, mostly in High A. And I think that’s just the beginning for his power potential. A true switch-hitter, Mauricio has loose, quick wrists, and generates surprising power from his wiry frame because of his bat speed and the strength he already has in his forearms. I don’t think he’s going to stay at shortstop; for one thing, his defense there is too erratic, and for another, he’s got a lot of room to add muscle and has already grown quite a bit in height and weight since he signed. He reminds me a lot of a young Alfonso Soriano, who never got that big but hit 30-plus homers seven times in the majors and 412 in his career, and who did move off shortstop even when he was still an above-average runner. The Mets would probably be thrilled with that outcome.
41. Brett Baty, 3B, New York Mets
Age: 22 | 6-3 | 210 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 12 in 2019
Previous ranking: Just missed
Baty was a controversial first-round pick from a data perspective because he was 19 1/2 on draft day, exceptionally old for a high-school hitter. He could flat-out hit, though, and had huge power from his 6-3 frame, so the Mets took him with the 12th pick. Baty mashed last year in High A at 21, and continued to hit in Double A and the Arizona Fall League (where everyone hit, though — you actually hit .285 there last year), with less power than expected but strong walk and contact rates. He hit the ball on the ground too often last year, but that’s one of the easiest flaws for player development staffs to fix. And Baty hits the ball hard enough that once the Mets get him lifting the ball a little more often, he’s going to end up with 25-plus homers; Vlad Guerrero Jr. used to hit the ball on the ground too often, too. Baty has worked hard to maintain his conditioning, slimming down a little since high school, when it looked like he’d end up too big to play anywhere but first. At this point, it’s no worse than even money that he’ll stay at third for the near future, unless he just gets pushed off by a plus defender down the line. He has the core ingredients for an impact bat who hits for average, gets on base, and has doubles and home run power, and any concerns about his age are over.
42. Cole Winn, RHP, Texas
Age: 22| 6-2 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 15 in 2018
Previous ranking: Unranked
Winn was the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2018, didn’t pitch that summer due to his workload in the spring, then threw 65 innings in Low A in 2019, which constituted his entire pro career prior to 2021. Texas still promoted him two levels to Double-A Frisco this past year, making his across-the-board improvement even more impressive – he cut his walk rate by a third, boosted his strikeout rate by 50 percent, and then earned two late-season starts in Triple A. Winn is a four-pitch guy who works 93-95 with a plus changeup that he’ll work to both sides of the plate, while both breaking pitches have improved since we last saw him in 2019, with the curveball ahead of the slider. He was more of a command guy (rather than a big stuff guy) in high school, and now he’s regained that touch and feel while working with a better repertoire. It all looks like a No. 2 starter upside, someone who’s consistently better than league-average for a long time, especially since Winn has such a good feel for pitching for his age.
43. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Age: 23 | 6-5 | 215 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 153 in 2016
Previous ranking: 63
Balazovic hurt his back in spring training, which kept him off the mound until June, but returned throwing harder than he had been before this spring and had a solid year in Double A that also showed he still has development ahead of him. The Canadian right-hander, taken by the Twins in the fifth round in 2016, is now sitting just under 95 mph, bumping 97, with an above-average slider and changeup. He’s developed that changeup more by moving to a more split-like grip, resulting in greater tumble on the pitch and giving him a better weapon against left-handed batters; it might also work against righties who try to sit on his fastball. He’s a good athlete who repeats his delivery well, getting some deception from the way he hides the ball, and has shown the ability to work to both sides of the plate already. He’s 6-5 and built like a workhorse starter, with the pitches to be a mid-rotation guy or better, just needing about another half-grade of command to get there.
44. Orelvis Martinez, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 20 | 6-1 | 188 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: 98
Signed for $3.5 million in 2018, Martinez finally got to make his full-season debut in 2021, hitting .279/.369/.572 in 72 games for Low-A Dunedin, leading the Low-A Southeast League in slugging by 60 points even though Dunedin is a tough park for power hitters. Including a late-season promotion to High-A Vancouver, he hit 28 homers in 98 games, with an acceptable 25 percent strikeout rate, all as a 19-year-old playing the left side of the infield. He’s a fringe runner with a plus arm, already getting too big for shortstop but very likely to end up a solid defender at third base. His value is in his bat, though, as he has excellent bat speed and is short to the ball with plus power already, projecting to 30-plus bombs in the majors. His ultimate value will come down to where he plays and whether he can keep his contact rate up as he faces better pitching, with the potential to be an impact cleanup hitter when he hits his peak years.
45. George Kirby, RHP, Seattle Mariners
Age: 24 | 6-4 | 215 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 20 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Kirby was the Mariners’ first-round pick in 2019 out of Elon College and had an impressive yet brief pro debut that summer in the short-season Northwest League, throwing 23 innings without walking a batter. He returned from the lost pandemic year with more velocity, working at 96-100 mph as a starter without any loss of command or control. He has a four-pitch mix, with the changeup his best secondary offering, but he doesn’t have great ability to spin the ball and the breaking pitches are both closer to average. Kirby only threw 65 innings in 2021, in part because he missed a month with a tired right shoulder, so there’s at least a small question of whether he can hold this plus-plus velocity for an entire season. He’s a likely mid-rotation starter, with a chance for more if the stuff ticks up and holds up for a normal workload.
46. Brady House, SS, Washington Nationals
Age: 19 | 6-4 | 215 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 11 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Nobody hit the ball harder than House did in the 2021 draft class, not from the high school ranks or the college ranks, and that’s why the Nats — who love to draft for superlatives, an approach that has served them well over the last 12 years — took him with the 11th overall pick. House is 6-4, 215 pounds already, which all but guarantees a move to third base, although he’ll play shortstop in the near future; he has the cannon to play pretty much anywhere and he’s loose and athletic enough to stay on the dirt for now. It’s the incredible power that makes him an elite prospect though, not just big-fly power like Joey Gallo (not that there’s anything wrong with Joey Gallo), but consistently hard contact on everything, and to all fields as well, from his pull side all the way over to right-center. There were some concerns in the spring about how well he would hit better pitching, whether the exit velocities papered over more fundamental concerns about his bat. He played just 18 games in the Florida Man League, hitting .322/.394/.576 with a strikeout rate just under 20 percent, which is a tiny sample but at least showed him making a lot of contact with the wood bat. This year in Low A should answer that question more fully, but if he shows continued success with putting the ball in play at that level, he’ll be a top-25 prospect, a potential Aaron Judge bat over at third base.
47. Kahlil Watson, SS, Miami Marlins
Age: 19 | 5-8 | 178 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 16 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Watson was a clear top-10 talent in the 2021 draft, but fell all the way to the 16th pick, where the Marlins were more than happy to select him. Watson is a true shortstop with plus running speed and bat speed, and he’s strong for an undersized guy, projecting to at least average power. He’s aggressive in the box, but doesn’t chase out of the zone as much as that might imply. He played just nine games in the Florida Complex League, but hit .394/.524/.606 with more walks than strikeouts before he was shut down with a week or so left in the season. Maybe he slipped because he’s 5-8, but the Marlins might have gotten one of the biggest steals of the draft class, with a potential star if he stays at short in the long term.
48. Cade Cavalli, RHP, Washington Nationals
Age: 23 | 6-4 |230 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 22 in 2020
Previous ranking: Just missed
Cavalli was the Nats’ first-rounder in 2020, and showed that kind of premium stuff throughout his pro debut in 2021. He’s 94-98 as a starter, although he can see the velocity taper towards the end of his outings, with a plus slider in the upper 80s and a mid-80s changeup he uses against lefties that’s at least solid-average. Cavalli overpowered hitters at two levels before a promotion to Triple A presented him with his first real adversity, as he doesn’t have the command yet to attack hitters who can catch up to his velocity and lay off his stuff out of the zone. There were signs of trouble in Double A, where he walked 14 percent of batters, but he could get away with it by blowing guys away — fastballs up, sliders down and away to righties, changeups down to lefties who were geared up for the fastball — without locating. He also reached Triple A at the end of a long year, and had to adjust to the different baseball at that level — have I mentioned how profoundly stupid it is that we don’t use the same baseball at all levels, from the complexes to the major leagues? It’s bad enough that most amateurs hit with composite bats in the spring, but MLB has complete control of the minors now. One sport. One ball. It’s not that hard. Anyway, Cavalli’s Triple-A performance did have some mitigating factors, and he’s about as well-built for 200 innings as any prospect on this list. I’m still bullish that he’ll end up a mid-rotation starter who can carry a big workload, but the next step for him is learning to locate his stuff better. He’s a solid athlete and his delivery is very repeatable, so there’s cause to think he’ll get there.
49. Harry Ford, C, Seattle Mariners
Age: 19 | 5-10 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 12 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Ford is an incredibly athletic kid who offers tantalizing upside on both sides of the ball, but also spurs wide divisions among scouts over whether he can even stay behind the plate. He’s a plus runner with elite bat speed, and has plus raw power with the projection to get to 70 or more. His bat can be in and out of the zone too quickly, however, which may limit his game power as he faces better pitching. Behind the plate, he’s a good enough athlete to work his way into becoming an average receiver and thrower, but despite that athleticism, he doesn’t move easily or flexibly enough to make that the most likely outcome given how far he has to go. His speed should let him move to any of several other positions, like third base, center field, or even right field at worst. There’s some risk in the bat as well, but the hit/power/speed upside would make him an above-average regular or more at any position.
50. Bobby Miller, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 23 | 6-5 | 220 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 29 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
The Dodgers took Miller out of the University of Louisville with the last pick of the first round in 2020 (before any supplemental picks), so the 6-5 right-hander didn’t make his debut until this year. The pick already looks like a steal, as Miller rolled out with four pitches, 94-98 on his four-seamer with good riding life, a plus slider at 84-89, and above-average weapons in his curve and changeup. He missed time with an oblique strain, but threw 56 regular-season innings with 70 punchouts and just 13 walks, then struggled a bit in three AFL outings. He has a stiff front leg when he lands and has had minor injury concerns, so there’s some small reliever risk here, but he has the weapons, the control, the history of getting lefties out, the size, just about every other box you’d want a potential front-line starter to check.
51. Daniel Espino, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 21 | 6-2 | 205 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 24 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Espino was the 24th pick in 2019, part of a run of hard-throwing high school pitchers the Guardians took in 2018-19. He made his full-season debut in 2021, where he posted the highest strikeout rate (40.5 percent) of any pitcher who threw at least 75 innings at any level. Espino came into 2021 in better shape to get through a full season, and progressed over the course of the year as well, learning to use his fastball more effectively and seeing development on his offspeed stuff. He’s pitching more vertically now, going up with the four-seamer (which can touch 100) and staying behind the ball more, resulting in hitters missing the pitch more than they did even in high school. His slider projects to be plus, and has supplanted his curveball as his primary breaking pitch, while his average changeup has been good enough to help him dominate lefties as he was right-handed batters. Espino’s main issue now is command and control — he walked just over 10 percent of batters this year, but he’s also generally inefficient and has to work to generate some more weak contact rather than trying to finish every at bat with a strikeout. I doubt he’ll ever get to above-average command, but even average command with this stuff would make him a No. 2 starter.
52. Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 22 | 6-3 |195 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 5 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
The fifth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Cowser became the highest drafted player in Sam Houston State history, and their first player taken in the first round since Glenn Wilson in 1980. Cowser had one of the best hit tools in the college class last year, maybe the best one, and then hit .347/.476/.429 for Low-A Delmarva in 25 games after he signed, with more walks than strikeouts. He has great bat speed and excellent hand-eye coordination, all of which should lead to high contact rates even as he moves up the ladder, but to get to power, he’ll have to make some mechanical adjustments, like creating some separation between his hip rotation and his hand movement, and keeping his weight back for longer. He has room on his frame to add some more strength, and he could end up a 20-25 homer guy with some tweaks. His floor as a corner outfielder who hits for a high average with some doubles power would still make him an everyday guy.
53. Michael Busch, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 24 | 6-1 | 210 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 31 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 74
Busch is quite the anomaly: The Dodgers drafted him as a first baseman, converted him to second base and it worked. Busch has a beautiful left-handed swing that puts good loft on the ball, showing plus power against right-handed pitching, and he has long shown an advanced feel for the strike zone. He spent all of 2021 in Double A despite having just 10 games of pro experience before this year, and hit .267/.386/.484 in 107 games, with 20 homers and 70 walks. He struggled to do damage against lefties, with a .198/.355/.354 split against them, but wasn’t exactly overmatched against them, drawing walks and making contact, just without the impact. That’s a smaller hill to climb than one where a left-handed batter is striking out excessively on left-handers’ breaking stuff. With Busch playing solid enough defense at second, his bat makes him a clear regular, with a chance to be an All-Star if he improves his results on balls in play against southpaws.
54. Nick Pratto, 1B, Kansas City Royals
Age: 23 | 6-1 | 215 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 14 in 2017
Previous ranking: Unranked
Pratto came off a 2019 season where he hit .191/.278/.310 with nine homers and a 35 percent strikeout rate as a first baseman in High A, and the only thing keeping him from ex-prospect status was his youth. Two years and a swing overhaul later, Pratto is now very much a current prospect, hitting 36 homers in 2021 with a .383 OBP and an acceptable 29 percent strikeout rate, more than enough to have him profile as a potential everyday player right now. The Royals helped Pratto revamp his swing, eliminating some of the loop length that slowed his time to the ball and allowed him to drive the ball to the whole field instead of just his pull side. He has also vastly improved his awareness of the strike zone, part of the Royals’ system-wide overhaul of how they teach hitters to approach at-bats, although he can be too selective with pitches in the zone, and he’s always going to have some swing and miss in his game. He’s an above-average defender at first who should post high walk rates, helping him even if his batting averages aren’t great, and getting him to 25-30 homers a year.
55. Luis Matos, OF, San Francisco Giants
Age: 20 | 5-11 | 160 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked/sleeper
Matos has an unorthodox approach, nearly barring his lead arm, but despite that obstacle, he has exceptional plate coverage and rarely punches out, with his 12.4 percent rate last year in Low A the worst of his brief career so far. Matos has tools, from fast wrists to above-average power to above-average running speed, with a chance to stay in center, and the bat speed to be able to continue to hit against better velocity. He does have that arm bar, but he’s otherwise extremely balanced through contact, with a strong lower half and good timing on his hip rotation to let his legs generate power. There’s risk here with the bat and that he might slow down enough to move to a corner, but there’s also upside here given his exceptional contact rates — among the 25 minor leaguers with the lowest strikeout rates (min. 400 PA), he was the youngest – and potential to get 15-20 homer power in the majors.
56. Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox
Age: 22 | 6-4 | 252 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 26 in 2018
Previous ranking: 87
Casas made some small changes to his setup last year, but the bigger shift was how he worked the count, especially getting into his legs more when he was ahead in the count so he could drive the ball more consistently. He still has a strong two-strike approach to put the ball in play, with great contact rates for a corner power bat — he actually cut his strikeout rate from 2019 to 2021 despite two promotions and the interruption of a trip to the Olympics. After some experiments at third, Casas only played first last year, and that’s going to be his best position. There should be another gear of power here, and he might end up a .280/.370/.520 sort of bat at first base, with 25-30 homers a year.
57. Quinn Priester, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 21 | 6-3 | 210 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 18 in 2019
Previous ranking: No. 73
Priester was the classic high school projection guy when the Pirates took him in the first round in 2019 — he had solid-average velocity, the makings of a good curveball and changeup, a repeatable delivery, and a good frame to add weight and gain velocity. He’s been trending upward, hitting 97 mph in starts, now showing better velocity and improved secondaries for several innings and then tapering off as he builds up — where you’d expect a high school pitcher to be in his first full pro season. He’s a four-pitch guy now, with both the curve and his new-ish slider flashing plus, while his control improved over the course of his 2021 season. He’s still a projection guy, with No. 2 starter upside, and so far he’s where he should be on that path.
58. Taj Bradley, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 21 | 6-2 | 190 pounds
Bats: R | Throws: R
Drafted: No. 150 in 2018
Previous ranking: Unranked
Bradley was the Rays’ fifth-round pick in 2018 as a classic high school projection arm, and over the course of 2020 and 2021, his projection has turned into reality, as he’s seen all his stuff tick up and his body start to mature. Bradley dominated Low A and High A last year at age 20, with a 31 percent strikeout rate and 8 percent walk rate, working with a mid-90s fastball and a power slider at 84-89 that helped him destroy right-handed batters. His changeup has improved as well to the point where it’s solid-average, so he’s able to get left- and right-handed batters out enough to profile as a starter. His delivery works, keeping him online to the plate, with deception from a high 3/4 slot and a short arm action he repeats well. His command and control have both jumped since 2019, with the latter probably average now and the command around grade 45, and given his athleticism and his rapid development to date, he has the potential to get to above-average command with three above-average pitches, which would make him — wait for it — an above-average starter in the majors.
59. Mackenzie Gore, LHP, San Diego Padres
Age: 23 | 6-2 | 197 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 3 in 2017
Previous ranking: No. 2
Gore had a miserable 2021, losing his delivery early in the spring, spending several weeks in Peoria at the Padres’ complex to try to rework and simplify it, and having only intermittent success after his return. He was also still 93-98. His changeup is easy plus, maybe a 70. His slider is plus. His curveball has backed up some, but when he hits it it’s above-average. He’s still incredibly athletic. His arm stroke is shorter now, and he’s had days when he’s repeated it well and thrown strikes, but he’s also had days where he slips back into old habits. There’s still a No. 1 starter ceiling here; only the probability has dropped, but it ain’t zero, folks. I’m not walking away from this kind of upside and athleticism, even with a lost season on his resume.
60. Sam Bachman, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 235 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 9 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Bachman had the best pure stuff of any starting pitching prospect in the 2021 draft, running his fastball up to 102 mph, along with a plus slider in the low 90s, which resulted in him striking out 41 percent of opposing hitters for the University of Miami (Ohio). He missed two starts in the spring with a tired shoulder, which scared some teams off, but returned with the same stuff, helped by a coaching staff that brought him back very gradually from the time off. There’s some effort in his delivery — you don’t throw 102 mph without effort unless you’re Hunter Greene — but his arm action is fairly compact; he just doesn’t generate as much power from his lower half, with minimal hip rotation to generate more torque. He’ll need to use his changeup more often in pro ball to get lefties out, and has to stay healthy, of course, but he has No. 1 starter upside with those two plus-plus pitches.
61. Michael Harris, OF, Atlanta Braves
Age: 21 | 6-0 | 195 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 98 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Harris was Atlanta’s third-round pick in 2019 out of a Georgia high school, and was so impressive in his pro debut in the Gulf Coast League that Atlanta had him finish the summer in Low A. He started 2021 like a house on fire in High A, struggled in mid-summer, then started to make some adjustments at the plate, notably seeing more pitches to finish strongly. If this top 100 were something I did weekly (please, no), he probably would have surged on the list, dropped off in July and then re-entered around Labor Day. Harris is tooled out, a 70 runner who played 70 defense in center and showed plus power against fastballs. He struggled with pitch recognition, especially against offspeed stuff, and his production dipped as a result in midseason. There’s some reason to think he made a real adjustment later in the year, however, with a 10 percent walk rate in the second half as well. He doesn’t have to be Eddie Yost to have value; he’s going to save a bunch of runs in center, and the 25 homer/20 steal upside I discussed in my comment on him last February is still very much in play.
62. Miguel Vargas, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 22 | 6-3 | 205 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Vargas defected from Cuba back in 2015, then signed with the Dodgers and debuted in 2018, and all he’s done since then is hit — his professional line stands at .316/.384/.480, with just a 15.6 percent career strikeout rate, all of which has been consistent right up through Double A. He’s a very strong right-handed hitter who’s still coming into some power, with strength already in his hands and wrists to drive balls the other way. He’s gone from having no chance to stay at third base to having a very small chance to stay there; he’s not very athletic or twitchy, with an above-average arm but probably lacking the quickness on his feet to play third base at an average level. He may end up at first base, although the Dodgers have tried him at second as well, and the potential hit to his value is what keeps him out of the upper tier of prospects. His offensive upside as a .300+ hitter for average with 25-30 homers and 50-60 walks a year would make him a solid regular even if he does have to go to first.
63. Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Arizona
Age: 22 | 6-2 | 203 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: 91
Perdomo wasn’t ready for the majors when he got an emergency call-up to start the 2021 season, and struggled badly when he went to Double A a few weeks later, so the Diamondbacks sent him to Salt River for a few weeks to rework on his swing and improve his conditioning. He returned to hit .321/.407/.530 in 35 games in Double A the rest of the way, and finished the season with a far more successful cup of coffee in Arizona, making much harder contact in his return. He’s a switch-hitter with good bat speed both ways, but it’s cleaner and more direct from the left side, where he hit all six of his homers last year (even with good loft in his right-handed finish). He’s a plus defender and at least a 60 runner with plenty of arm strength for the left side of the infield, and he’s shown good control of the strike zone throughout his brief career. Even if he never comes into double-digit homers, he’s a solid regular, but these small swing adjustments and his physical maturation point to at least 12-15 homers down the road.
64. Eury Perez, RHP, Miami Marlins
Age: 19 | 6-8 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Perez might have been the biggest riser among pitching prospects in the game last year, as he went from not even earning a mention on my Marlins list last year — because I’d never heard his name — to a top-100 prospect this year. Perez turned 18 just three weeks before the minor-league season started, and then carved up both levels of full-season A ball, punching out 108 batters in 78 innings against 26 walks, with a 1.96 ERA to boot. The 6-8 right-hander works at 93-96 mph, topping out at 98 mph, with room to add velocity as his body fills out, with a slider and changeup that both flash plus. He’s control over command right now, around the zone but without locating as effectively as he’ll need to as he moves up the ladder. It’s already an uncomfortable at-bat for hitters given his height and his slightly low 3/4 slot, and he could easily pack another 30 pounds on that frame, by which point he might be hitting 100 every start. Without projection, he’s still a future mid-rotation starter; with projection, and considering his youth and inexperience, he could be an ace.
65. Oneil Cruz, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 23 | 6-7 | 220 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Cruz became just the second player 6-7 or taller to play shortstop in an MLB game when he took the field for the Pirates in October, joining Joel Guzman, who played nine innings at short for Tampa Bay in 2007. If you think that’s probably not a great sign for Cruz, you’re right — the odds are heavily against anyone even at 6-5 staying at shortstop for the long term. But he can really hit, and hits the ball hard, like a 6-7 guy should — he hit five balls into play in the majors and one was at 118.2 mph, which is in the top percentile for all balls hit into play in the majors last year. Cruz hit .310/.375/.594 in 68 games, mostly in Double A, around a right forearm strain, with 17 homers and 19 steals in 22 attempts, while playing exclusively at shortstop. He has four plus tools in his hit, power and run tools, plus a cannon for an arm. And if he’s not a shortstop, there’s a position somewhere where he’ll be plus — maybe it’s third base, at worst it’s an outfield corner. Maybe he’s a unicorn and becomes a superstar at short. The base rate says players his size don’t stay at short, though, so it’s probably a good thing that he projects to be an impact hitter at any position.
66. Bryson Stott, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 24 | 6-3 |200 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 14 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Stott was the Phillies’ first-rounder in 2019 out of UNLV and signed quickly enough to play 48 games that summer, but 2021 was his full-season debut, and it went so well he finished the year in Triple A. Stott hit .299/.390/.486 with solid defense at shortstop, hitting for a higher average with less power than I would have projected, especially since he played the bulk of his season in homer-friendly Reading. He’s cleaned up his since he was drafted, syncing up his hands and his hips and shortening his path from when he loads his hands to contact, which might cost him a little power but almost certainly explains his results last year. He held his contact rate steady as he moved up the ladder and had better results on balls in play, even as he faced better pitching. He’s a 55 defender at short who has good range in both directions and enough arm to throw from the hole. I’ve heard some concerns that pitchers in Triple A or the majors might be able to pitch away from his bat path more effectively, but he could lose some of his offensive production and still be an everyday guy. He looks like he might be more of a .280-290, 15+ homer, strong OBP guy, and that at shortstop is a very valuable player.
67. Luis Campusano, C, San Diego Padres
Age: 23 | 5-11 | 232 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 39 in 2017
Previous ranking: 42
Campusano got a cup of coffee in the majors to start the 2021 season, going 3 for 34, and then went to Triple-A El Paso and hit like he’s always hit, although the ballpark and the Triple-A ball surely helped him as well. He’s still the Padres’ catcher of the future, with excellent bat control and a history of making hard contact, running his exit velocity up to 109 in his brief major-league stint. He has a compact swing and still has great bat control, although his strikeout rate in Triple A was his highest so far in pro ball. Behind the plate, he’s continuing to improve, at least average behind the plate with decent framing skills, and he has a plus arm that hasn’t translated into controlling the running game yet. He has above-average everyday upside, if not more, but the 2021 season was more of a plateau than a step forward for him. There’s no one blocking him in San Diego, so he’s likely to spend most of this year in the majors.
68. Jose Tena, SS, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 21 | 5-10 |160 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Tena was just 20 years old in 2021 but finished above the median for all High-A hitters in average, OBP, and slugging despite his youth, all while playing solid-average defense at shortstop. Tena has plus bat speed and an aggressive approach, attacking early in the count, with good plate coverage that allows him to put a lot of pitches in play, even just beyond the zone, a good tool that he needs to develop into more of a skill by becoming more selective. He’s strong for an undersized guy, hitting 16 homers in 107 games last year and projecting to at least that many when he gets to the majors, and an above-average runner who has the arm for shortstop or third base, although he could always move to second and become an above-average defender there if he’s bumped by a premium defender at shortstop. Tena has shown he can make adjustments in-season, though, starting slow in the Arizona Fall League and improving his pitch recognition as the fall went along. His bat speed and wrist strength will allow him to hit enough to be a regular or better anywhere on the infield, but becoming more patient would give him a chance to be a star.
69. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 20 | 6-2 | 150 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
De La Cruz is the highest-beta prospect on this list — he has a chance to be a superstar, and he has a non-trivial chance to have no major-league value at all. He has incredible tools, with 70 speed, a 70 arm, absurd bat speed, and plus power already even though he’s barely begun to fill out his 6-4 or 6-5 frame. (He’s listed everywhere at 6-2, which was his height when he signed, but unlike me, he grew after he turned 16.) His wrists are loose and quick, and the ball flies off his bat in a way you wouldn’t expect from a kid who’s still lanky and wiry. His approach at the plate leaves a lot to be desired, however; there’s a lot of chase and not much pitch recognition, in part because at lower levels he knows he can put his bat on the ball even if he guesses wrong. You could see hints of this in his 50 games in Low-A Dayton, where he was one of the youngest players at the level, with 10 walks against 65 strikeouts. He has the quickness and actions for shortstop, but not the consistency, and of course he’s going to get a lot bigger from here and may need to move to another position. There are a lot more Reggie Abercrombies and Charlton Jimersons in MLB history than there are Sammy Sosas and Alfonso Sorianos, but the upside for De La Cruz is in that 6+ WAR territory, especially if he manages to stay on the dirt.
70. Heliot Ramos, OF, San Francisco Giants
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 188 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 19 in 2017
Previous ranking: 58
Ramos was young for Double A last year at 21, and didn’t hit well for Richmond, but the Giants bumped him up to Triple A and got similar results from him. The 19th overall pick in 2017, Ramos has filled out physically and looks like he should be able to overpower the ball and make hard contact even with some swing and miss. He shows plus raw power in BP and occasionally in games, while pitchers at the higher levels saw some vulnerability to soft stuff and he didn’t make a counter-adjustment. He’s a solid-average runner who has mostly played center so far, but his body is going to push him to right field, where his plus arm will help him become an above-average defender. He may be a 150-strikeouts-a-year kind of hitter, but who hits .280 with 20-25 homers and a fringy OBP, making him a solid regular who would have to improve his pitch recognition to become more.
71. Mark Vientos, 3B, New York Mets
Age: 22 | 6-4 | 185 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 59 in 2017
Previous ranking: Unranked
Vientos returns to the top 100 after a two-year absence after a breakout year in Double A, hitting .281/.346/.580 for Binghamton before hitting three homers in 11 games to finish the year in Triple A. He did strike out more than you’d like, 29 percent of the time, but his pitch recognition and strike zone awareness are better than his strikeout and walk rates imply, as the Mets have worked on getting him to be more selective in the zone and focus on pitches where he can do the most damage. His exit velocities have consistently been among the best in the Mets’ system, and he projects to be a 30-35 homer guy in the next few years. Even though he’s transformed his body since he was an amateur, he may not stay at third base, and first base would put a big dent in his prospect value, so the Mets have started trying him a little bit in left field; the early returns weren’t great, but if he can be a 45 defender there, his bat will carry him. If he manages to hold on at third, he could be a four-win player.
72. Matt McLain, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 22 | 5-11 | 180 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 17 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
McLain was a top-10 talent in the 2021 draft, and a first-rounder (who didn’t sign) back in 2018, but slid to the 17th pick, possibly because his spring was interrupted by a broken thumb. He had a breakout year for UCLA before the draft, then carried it right on into pro ball, where he hit .273/.387/.424 in a month with Low-A Dayton, setting him up well to try to reach Double A by the end of this year. McLain is a shortstop for now, although he’s probably no more than a 50 defender there and a contending club would probably push him to second in favor of a plus defender; the Reds even drafted one after McLain, taking Jose Torres, a gifted shortstop with a below-average hit tool, in the third round. McLain’s real standout tool is his bat, as he has great feel for the barrel, controls the zone, and shows gap power, a bit like Jonathan India (who was No. 88 on last year’s top 100) but with less future power than the reigning Rookie of the Year and more speed. He’s also likely to move quickly through the minors with his advanced hit tool, especially if the Reds decide to just move him to second base now because Jose Barrero is ahead of him. He lacks the ceiling of some of the other players ahead of him on the list, but projects as a longtime regular who might make the occasional All-Star team in his peak batting average seasons.
73. Gunnar Henderson, SS/3B, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 21 | 6-2 | 210 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 42 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Henderson was the Orioles’ second-round pick in 2019, getting an over-slot bonus in the second round, but played just 29 games that summer and lost the 2020 season to the pandemic, so last year was his full-season debut. He crushed Low A for a month and a half before a promotion to High-A Aberdeen, where he showed power and patience but had more issues with contact, especially on offspeed stuff close to the strike zone. His swing can be grooved and uphill, which gives him more power but worse ability to adjust to different pitch speeds and locations. Henderson played about two-thirds of his games at shortstop in 2021 and the rest over at third base, since he spent a good part of the season playing with Jordan Westburg, who played the same two positions. At shortstop, Henderson looked perfectly capable, but at third base he was easily plus, maybe a 70 defender. He may not hit for much average with his current swing, but with 25-plus homers, some on-base skills, and elite defense at third base.
74. Ryne Nelson, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 24 | 6-3 | 184 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 56 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Nelson was a two-way guy for two years at Oregon, then worked in relief and as a starter in his junior year, walking 41 men in 65 innings for the Ducks. Arizona still took him in the second round, betting on his athleticism and that his arm speed might pick up once he was used correctly. They were right; he touched 99 this year, worked 93-96, with potential plus pitches in both his slider and his splitter. He kept getting better as the season progressed; after a rough start in Double A where he walked 15 men in his first four outings, he walked nine men total in his last 10 starts, striking out 78 in 58 innings. Nelson works with a no-windup delivery, uncommon but not necessarily a problem for a starter, getting on top of the ball well and giving power to everything he throws. The Diamondbacks’ trio of top pitching prospects (Nelson, Drey Jameson, Brandon Pfaadt) could go in any order, but Nelson is the safe bet who offers the strongest combination of current stuff and command.
75. Ivan Herrera, C, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22 | 5-11 | 220 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: 68
Herrera had just 18 games at High A in 2019 but moved up to Double A in 2021, where he showed strong secondary skills but didn’t hit well on balls in play, with just a .261 BABIP on the year that’s not in line with his underlying skills. Herrera has an advanced approach for such a young hitter, with good plate coverage and an evident plan to get to something he can drive. He’s made himself into a capable defender behind the plate with an above-average arm, and has earned raves from the Cardinals’ staff for his work ethic. He has power, with 17 homers in 99 games last year, and if he brings that harder contact more consistently, he should be in the majors by the end of the year, perhaps to take over from Yadier Molina for 2023.
76. Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 21 | 6-1 | 212 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked/sleeper
Pages hadn’t played above the Pioneer League before 2021, but moved to High A as a 20-year-old and hit .265/.394/.539, finishing eighth in all of minor league baseball with 31 homers and 14th with 77 walks. Pages has 70 raw power and an advanced feel to hit for his age and experience level, along with average speed and an 80 arm that will serve him well in right field. His swing is balanced and very rotational, so between his hands and legs he can generate consistent hard contact; he’s already cut his strikeout rate from 28 percent in short-season to 24 percent last year, and it doesn’t have to go down any further to make him an above-average everyday player in right.
77. Liover Peguero, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 21 | 6-0 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Peguero is a very athletic shortstop who’s already a plus defender there, and has a solid approach at the plate for a 20-year-old, needing to add strength now to get to more consistent hard contact. Acquired from Arizona in the trade that sent Starling Marte to the desert (and brought back oft-injured right-hander Brennan Malone), Peguero made his full-season debut in 2021, jumping all the way to High A, where he hit .270/.332/.444, with 14 homers and 28 steals in 34 attempts. He did miss some time with a knee contusion in May, but it didn’t affect his running or his defense after he returned. Peguero has good bat speed, but there’s some swing and miss in the zone here that his overall stat line doesn’t necessarily reveal, and he’ll have to narrow his pitch selection as he faces better arms this year in Double A. He has a high floor as a utility infielder because of his defense and potential for 20 homers, with 20/20 upside as a true shortstop as long as he continues to gain strength and tightens his approach on pitches in the zone.
78. Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees
Age: 19 | 5-10 | 190 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: 66
Dominguez’s professional debut did not, in fact, cause the heavens to quake or birds to fly backwards, but he more than held his own for an 18-year-old who had zero game at bats prior to 2021. The Yankees were aggressive with him, sending him to Low A Tampa after just a week in the Florida Complex League, and he punched out over 30 percent of the time in the higher level, but made a lot of hard contact and took some walks. He struggled with better-quality stuff, which is unsurprising for a player of his age and inexperience; even after this past year, he still has just 228 pro plate appearances, not even a half season’s worth. The huge tools that earned him a $5 million bonus from the Yankees are intact — he’s a plus runner with an easy-plus arm, shows good range in centerfield, and has plus raw power — but his skills are about what you’d expect from his age and lack of repetitions. He may have been overhyped when he signed, but now would be the wrong time to jump off the Martian Express.
79. Joey Bart, C, San Francisco Giants
Age: 25 | 6-2 | 238 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 2 in 2018
Previous ranking: 41
Bart had a disappointing year in Triple A, missing time with a quad strain, playing lethargic defense, and striking out nearly 30 percent of the time. The No. 2 overall pick in 2018, Bart is capable of playing plus defense with a plus arm, and may have been going through the motions in Triple A after spending part of 2020 in the big leagues. He has pull power and some pitch recognition, with swing and miss issues that make him more likely to be a .230/.300/.450 guy than a high-average hitter. Assuming his defensive issues were a temporary matter of being at a level where he didn’t want to be, with the majors beckoning this year, he still projects to be an everyday catcher for a long time, perhaps without the star potential the Giants wanted when they drafted him.
80. Shea Langeliers, C, Atlanta Braves
Age: 24 | 6-0 | 205 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 9 in 2019
Previous ranking: Just missed
Langeliers hasn’t risen to the status of the many elite catching prospects in baseball, but it’s not a mark against his defense — he can throw with the best of them, he’s a solid-average receiver and he has plus power, just lacking the hit tool upside of the likes of Gabriel Moreno and Francisco Alvarez. At the plate, he’s more of a mistake hitter right now, but during the pandemic he gained the strength to punish those mistakes, with 22 homers in 92 Double-A games before a late promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett. Langeliers threw out 42 percent of opposing base stealers last year, after throwing out 41 percent in his debut season in 2019, but he’s somewhat stiff behind the dish, so while his hands are good he may never be more than an average or slightly better than average glove man. He’s close to major-league ready and could probably be a backup for Atlanta right now, with everyday upside as long as he keeps crushing mistakes.
81. D.L. Hall, LHP, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 23 | 6-2 | 195 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 21 in 2017
Previous ranking: 49
Hall was off to the best start of his career in 2021 when his elbow barked with a stress reaction — not a ligament tear, which means he didn’t need Tommy John surgery but still missed the remainder of the season after throwing just 31 2/3 innings. His stuff was as good as ever, with all three pitches at least flashing plus, his fastball still up to 96-97, his curveball still hard and sharp, helping him punch out 46 percent of the left-handed batters he faced. He’s very athletic, with the ability to repeat his delivery and field his position well; on nights when he keeps himself under control, he can be unhittable. It’s top of the rotation stuff if he stays healthy, and he’s expected to be ready to go for spring training, when we’ll see if he can pick up where he left off last June.
82. Kyle Harrison, LHP, San Francisco Giants
Age: 20 | 6-2 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 85 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
Harrison tied for eighth among all minor-league pitchers with 157 strikeouts in 2021, and was the only guy in the top 10 who threw less than 100 innings. He punched out 35.7 percent of opposing hitters, good for fifth among minor-league starters. Harrison has premium stuff, sitting mid-90s, touching 98, with good ride on the pitch thanks to a low 3/4 slot that also makes him very tough on left-handed batters. He throws a slurvy slider now but could probably throw a harder slider and a distinct curveball, while his changeup is solid-average but rather dusty from lack of use. He actually had a reverse platoon split last year thanks to a .547 BABIP — not a typo — against lefties, which, and I cannot emphasize this enough, will not continue. He’s still developing as a pitcher, rather than someone who can dominate with his fastball, but his command and control showed improvement as the season went on. He’ll have to cut the walks, and figure out some stuff with his secondaries, but he might have No. 1 starter upside and at worst his ceiling is that of a well above-average starting pitcher.
83. Roansy Contreras, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 22 | 6-0 | 175 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Contreras came out last year throwing bullets, working at 95-98, up from 92-95 when we last saw him in 2019, but his elbow complained in late June and the Pirates shut him down for two months. He returned in September, made his major-league debut, and pitched in the AFL, all with the same stuff he’d shown before the layoff, which isn’t a guarantee that he’ll be healthy for 2022 but is the best possible outcome. Contreras is a four-pitch guy now, having added a slider in the mid-80s to go with his improved and now very high-spin curveball. He also has a power changeup with screwball-like action in the upper 80s which has been effective against right-handed hitters as well as left. Contreras is a smaller guy, so when his elbow started to bother him, reliever concerns resurfaced as well, although there’s no mechanical reason to think he can’t at least be a five-and-dive starter, with the repertoire and control to do it at some point in 2022.
84. Drey Jameson, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 24 | 6-0 | 165 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 24 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Jameson made a ton of adjustments in 2021, his first full season in pro ball (after a year when he didn’t go to the team’s alternate site), from mechanical changes to adding a pitch to learning how best to deploy all of his weapons. Jameson can now sit 96-98 with his four-seamer but has introduced a two-seamer at 90-92 to get some quicker outs, along with a plus slider and above-average changeup. He’s very athletic, which he has to be given his hurry-up delivery. He’s online to the plate and gets on top of the ball well, but he comes off the rubber quickly and only someone this athletic could repeat his delivery. He’s more a control guy than command and probably always will be given how he pitches, but he’s probably going to miss a ton of bats and get weak contact when he doesn’t. He’s the big upside guy among the Dbacks’ Big 3 pitching prospects, less of a sure thing than Ryne Nelson or Brandon Pfaadt, but the guy most likely to end up a No. 2 starter.
85. Brice Turang, SS, Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 22 | 6-0 | 173 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 21 in 2018
Previous ranking: No. 96
Turang was the Brewers’ first-round pick in 2018, a highly regarded high school shortstop with good actions and sure hands but some questions around what his offensive game might eventually look like. In pro ball, he’s shown an excellent approach at the plate but has yet to do much damage when working himself into good counts. Turang hit just six homers last year, but has more power than that, with 15-18 homer upside, needing to add a little strength but mostly to learn to put the ball in the air more often — he can hit the ball hard enough, but his groundball rate spiked to over 50 percent when he reached Triple A and faced the major-league baseball. In the field, he’s excellent on routine plays, a solid 55/60 overall, although I’ve had scouts suggest he might be a better defender in center than at short. He’s already reached Triple A and will play at 22 this whole year, with a core skill set that gives him a high floor as at least a great super-utility player, with above-average regular upside as a shortstop who gets on base with moderate power.
86. Brayan Bello, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Age: 23 | 6-1 | 170 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Bello can run his fastball up to 100 mph, and pitches at 95-97 with some feel, although he still has a fair amount of development to go before he’s going to be a big-league starter. He’s a four-pitch guy who needs those offspeed weapons because hitters can get on his fastball even with its velocity, which emphasizes the need for him to further work on his changeup (although he had no real platoon split last year) or perhaps try a splitter. His slider can get up to 90 mph and should be a plus pitch in time. His arm is fast, but there’s some effort and he has a smaller frame, similar to that of the late Yordano Ventura in physique and arm speed. There’s definite reliever risk, but if he moves to the bullpen he’ll probably be 97-100 with a slider up to 90-92, and he has mid-rotation starter upside if he can improve both his fastball command and the quality of his secondaries.
87. Brandon Pfaadt, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 23 | 6-4 | 220 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 149 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
Pfaadt was the Diamondbacks’ fifth-round pick in 2020 out of then-D2 Bellarmine University, which has produced just one big leaguer in its history, right-hander Todd Wellemeyer, and signed for just $100,000, but has turned out to be their best prospect from that class. Pfaadt is a big, physical right-hander, 6-4 and 225-plus, who fills up the strike zone with three pitches, touching 97-98 but sitting 93-94 with good sink and some natural cut. He doesn’t have a clear plus pitch, but repeats his efficient delivery well for average command already, dominating two levels of A ball before running into some home run trouble in Double A (12 in 33 innings, although nine of those came in two starts). He may not have the pure upside of some of Arizona’s other arms, but he has a fastball that plays, a great delivery, and a strong build for 30-plus starts a year.
88. Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 22 | 5-9 | 175 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 15 in 2021
Previous ranking: Ineligible
Frelick started his spring at Boston College on fire, with talk that he might end up a top-six pick come draft day, but the power didn’t last through conference play, which in turn is probably how he ended up available to the Brewers at No. 15 pick. Frelick is a high-contact centerfielder with more strength than you might guess from his 5-9 frame, perhaps never getting to 10 homers a year but with plenty of power to make hard contact against big-league pitching. He walked more than he struck out in his three years at BC, and then drew 21 walks against 25 strikeouts in pro ball, finishing the summer in High A. His swing is compact and quick, he’s a plus runner, and he plays plus defense in center with some experience at second base from summer wood bat leagues. Garrett Mitchell might have more upside, but he has far more risk, making Frelick the Brewers’ more likely centerfielder and leadoff man of the future.
89. Kevin Smith, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 25 | 6-1 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 129 in 2017
Previous ranking: Unranked
Smith hit .209/.263/.402 in Double A in 2019 with below-average defense at shortstop, on top of a poor performance in High A the year before, and anyone who’d bet on him reaching the big leagues in the next season probably would have gotten incredible odds on it. He started to rework things at the plate in the middle of that season, continuing it at the alt site in 2020, and it paid off in 2021, as Smith hit .285/.370/.561 in Triple A with a career-best walk rate and big cut in his strikeout rate. He’d made some adjustments in 2019 to try to get to more high fastballs, but it cost him coverage to the rest of the zone, while in 2021 he was back to his previous swing while also working to be more selective early in counts, looking for pitches where he can do damage. He’s also staying quieter at the plate, keeping his head steadier and loading his back hip earlier to get to more power without sacrificing contact. It’s worked, and as a middle infielder who’s an above-average defender at multiple spots and has power, he has a chance to have a long, productive career.
90. Asa Lacy, LHP, Kansas City Royals
Age: 23 | 6-4 | 215 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 4 in 2020
Previous ranking: 30
Lacy’s pro debut was a disaster: he walked 41 men in 52 innings, 17.3 percent of batters faced, before the Royals shut him down in late July to deal with a muscle injury in his shoulder; it didn’t require surgery but may explain the sudden loss of the strike zone. His stuff looked as good as ever, as he was up to 99, sitting mid to upper 90s, with a 55 to 60 slider and changeup that would show plus, with that last pitch good enough to give him a reverse platoon split. He looked better in the Arizona Fall League, with similar stuff and just one outing in four where he had control issues, but there’s still reasonable doubt whether he’ll return to the kind of control he showed as an amateur, when the Royals made him the No. 3 overall pick in 2020 (and he was good enough to merit discussion at No. 1). If he does, he’ll be a top-50 prospect again, maybe even top 20, with ace stuff from the left side and a big, durable build.
91. Mick Abel, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 20 | 6-5 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 15 in 2020
Previous ranking: Just missed
Abel was the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2020, the first time in a decade they’d taken a high school pitcher in the first round (since Jesse Biddle), and he was clearly the best prep arm in that class, with a big fastball and curveball along with size and a strong delivery. He made his pro debut last year in Low-A Clearwater and saw improvement in his stuff with some trouble with command and control. He’s a four-pitch guy now, working 92-95 regularly as a starter, although he’s been up to 97-98 in shorter stints, with the changeup becoming a real weapon for him last year, even ahead of the curve and slider. All of his offspeed pitches show you enough now to project them as future plus pitches, with the changeup already there or very close to it. He has good carry on the fastball and occasionally gets a little cut to it, so it also plays up against left-handed batters. He walked 14 percent of batters he faced last year, but that was skewed by his last few starts, where he walked 13 men in 14 innings. His season ended after that due to a sore shoulder, although he’s healthy and expected to be ready to go for minor-league spring training. There’s top of the rotation upside here as long as he stays healthy and returns to the kind of command and control he showed as a high school underclassman.
92. Dustin Harris, 1B, Texas Rangers
Age: 22 | 6-2 | 185 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 344 in 2019
Previous ranking: Unranked
Harris was Oakland’s 11th-round pick in 2019 out of St. Petersburg College, then went to Texas along with outfielder Marcus Smith in a trade for Mike Minor in August of 2020. So I think it’s fair to say nobody quite anticipated the year he had in 2021, where he hit .301/.389/.483 in Low A, moved up to High-A Hickory at the start of August, and hit .372/.425/.648 at the higher level. Harris has a simple, strong, direct swing that produces a lot of hard contact (obviously), having made several subtle adjustments to his approach that unlocked his power — he had two homers through July 5, then hit 18 more the rest of the way. He’s played first and third, neither of them very well, and may try some left field next year, but this kind of bat should play anywhere on the field.
93. Nick Gonzales, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 23 | 5-10 | 195 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 7 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
Gonzales had a huge year despite missing a month with a hand injury, although he was old for High A and benefited from playing in a strong hitters’ park in Greensboro. The No. 7 overall pick in 2020, Gonzales has plus power both to his pull side and the other way, hitting more homers to right-center than anywhere else this year. He’s more a mistake hitter with power than a hit-first guy, struggling in my looks with fastballs up and in and some breaking stuff in the zone as well. Gonzales has played some short in his career but the Pirates have played him almost exclusively at second base, where he’s a 45 defender, but he has enough instincts in the field that he could be an emergency shortstop for a game here or there. He looks like a low-OBP, 20-25 homer guy at second base, and given the low level of offense at that position right now, that would make him an everyday guy, with upside if he tightens up his ability to make contact inside the zone.
94. Curtis Mead, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 21 | 6-2 | 171 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
The Rays picked up Mead in a minor trade from the Phillies for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez in a trade in November 2019, when Mead had only played in the GCL. He debuted in full-season ball this year, and hit .321/.378/.533 between Low A and High A, along with a four-game stint in Triple A in September, leading all minor-league hitters with 38 doubles. He has a quiet approach at the plate, staying upright most of the way through contact, with just a small toe-tap and very quick, late hand acceleration. He hits the ball hard to all fields, with his power more the line-drive sort than big home run power for now. He’s also improved his defense at third substantially since 2019, when it was unclear what his position might be, although he’s played some first and second and should get some reps in the outfield corners as well. He might end up with a 60 or better hit tool, hitting .300ish with 40 doubles in a full major-league season, and that would make him a regular at third or even in right.
95. Oswald Peraza, SS, New York Yankees
Age: 22 | 6-0 | 165 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Anthony Volpe wasn’t the only Yankees shortstop prospect to have a breakout year, as Peraza hit .297/.356/.477 with 38 steals in 48 attempts at three levels, finishing in Triple A. Peraza is a plus defender at short, perhaps the best defensive shortstop in the strong Yankees’ system, and would have the arm and hands to move to third base if the Yankees made Volpe their shortstop of the future. At the plate, Peraza has strong hands and wrists and at least 55 game power now, projecting to plus, but it’s more power than hit right now despite what the stat line might indicate. He needs to improve his plate discipline to be able to succeed in Triple A or the majors, as he swings at too many pitches he either can’t hit or just can’t hit well, and isn’t likely to become an above-average OBP guy in the future. He’s going to be a 20-plus homer guy, with plus defense at short and value on the bases, which would make him a regular on many teams, even if he doesn’t end up doing so for the Yankees.
96. Jose Miranda, 3B, Minnesota Twins
Age: 24 | 6-2 | 210 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 73 in 2016
Previous ranking: Unranked
Miranda showed signs of his 2021 breakout in instructs the year before, and in 16 games in the Puerto Rican Winter League that offseason, but what he ended up doing was beyond anyone’s expectations: He hit .344/.401/.572 between Double A and Triple A, despite no history of success anywhere above Low A before this past year. Miranda has a clean, simple swing that has always produced a ton of contact, but hadn’t had much to show for it as the contact quality wasn’t there. Last year, thanks to strength gains he’d made in the intervening year and a half, he hit the ball harder, consistently, with 32 doubles and 30 homers, tying him for seventh among all minor leaguers in extra-base hits last year. The Twins have tried him at several positions, including second, first, and left, but so far he’s looked best at third base, where he’s still only fringe-average and may not get better given how much he’s filled out. Even if he’s giving five runs back on defense, he’ll still be a solid regular with this bat, and perhaps a move to left or first allows him to play average defense somewhere.
97. Drew Romo, C, Colorado Rockies
Age: 20 | 6-1 | 205 pounds
Bats: Both | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 35 in 2020
Previous ranking: Unranked
Romo was a surprise pick when Colorado took him in the sandwich round in 2020, in large part because scouts thought his commitment to college was too strong, and a surprise assignment to full-season ball at 19, in large part because scouts questioned his bat way back in high school. Romo then hit .314/.345/.439 for Low-A Fresno, with just a 14.7 percent strikeout rate and, most shocking of all, 23 steals in 30 attempts. He also nailed 35 percent of opposing runners, caught and framed well, and showed advanced game-management skills for a teenager. His bat will probably always lag his defense, but he has a short swing good barrel awareness that results in high contact rates. The offensive bar for a catcher who’s an asset behind the plate isn’t very high; MLB catchers hit a composite .229/.305/.391 in 2021, the worst line of any position. Romo already has the floor of a quality backup who plays a long time in the majors, but it looks more like he’ll be a regular whom coaches and pitchers love because he contributes in all of the other ways that matter.
98. Eddys Leonard, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 21 | 6-0 | 160 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Leonard had just one game above short-season coming into 2021, but hit so well at both levels of A-ball, with a .297/.390/.539 line, that the Dodgers had to put him on the 40-man in November. Leonard has a fantastic swing, hammering fastballs even up in the zone and producing hard line-drive contact, enough to rank him in the top 25 of all minor-leaguers in extra-base hits with 29 doubles and 22 homers last year in just 107 games. He’s mostly played shortstop and second base, although the Dodgers tried him out in center for 11 games last year; he could stay at short and maybe end up a 55 defender there, but he’s an above-average runner and centerfield might be a better option given the Dodgers’ other talent in the infield. The bat is going to play anywhere, though, and if he shows he can crush better offspeed stuff the way he crushed tough fastballs last year, he’ll be in the top 25 next winter.
99. Jordan Groshans, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 22 | 6-3 | 205 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 12 in 2018
Previous ranking: Unranked
Groshans had another injury-interrupted season where he performed well when he was able to play, hitting .291/.367/.450 despite jumping two levels to Double A — and that after playing only 23 games in Low A back in 2019. He’s already shown some advanced skills at the plate, from his swing decisions to his ability to drive the ball the other way, with the potential for 20+ homers once he adds a little more strength. Groshans played more shortstop than third base this year, but he’s not a shortstop, and while he might end up a solid-average defender at third, he’s going to have to work on his flexibility and avoid getting too tightly wound as he continues to bulk up. He has a plus arm that will help him at third or, in the worst case scenario, if he has to move to right field. He’s a well-rounded player who does a little of everything but hits with the feel of a player who’s older and has more than the 619 pro plate appearances he has, so he should be a solid-average regular even if he never takes a big leap in power or has to move off the dirt.
100. Alex Ramirez, OF, New York Mets
Age: 19 | 6-3 | 170 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Previous ranking: Unranked
Ramirez signed for $2.05 million in July of 2019, and made his pro debut in 2021 as one of only two 18-year-olds in the Low-A Southeast League. He was slightly overmatched at the plate, but showed incredible defensive skills in centerfield with great reads and plus speed, and flashed what should be grade 60 or even 70 power when he fills out. He’s 6-3 and still close to the 168 pounds he was when he first signed, although he’s likely to put on 25-30 pounds of muscle as he fills out. It’ll come down to control of the strike zone, as with so many young hitters; if he shows he can do it enough to get to the power, he’ll be a plus-plus defender in centerfield who hits 25-30 homers a year.

[Cubs GM (Scott B)]

KLaw's just missed list:

Every year that I produce a top 100 ranking, I go through an iterative process where I start with more than 100 players, circulate the first cut to industry sources, move some guys around, take some names off the list and add other ones, circulate again, and so on. That process always means there are players who just missed the list — the decision to stop at 100 is rather arbitrary, just a function of us having 10 fingers and base-10 number system — and this year I’ve written up a few more of those players, all of who are very good prospects who shouldn’t be overlooked just because they missed the main list. I do write these comments in a way that I hope describes their abilities while also making it clear why I omitted them from the top 100.
I always say no one ever reads the intro, but here it is anyway: These players are listed in alphabetical order. This isn’t a further ranking, although someone will inevitably claim that it is. I identified one player here who was the last cut from the top 100, but that’s it.
________________________________________
Matt Brash, RHP, Seattle Mariners
Age: 24 | 6-1 | 170 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 113 in 2019
Brash was the big breakout prospect in the Mariners’ system this year after coming to the Seattle system in an August 2020 trade that sent Taylor Williams to the Padres. Brash had just 5 1/3 pro innings before the deal, but blew up this year, punching out 142 guys in 97 innings between High A and Double A. He has electric stuff, mid-90s with spin and a wipeout slider, missing left- and right-handed bats at both levels. The delivery, though, is ugly. Brash has a head-whack, comes back across his body, and lands on a stiff front leg that forces him into a roundhouse-kick move at release, so it’s unsurprising that he’s had some injury issues in the past and has below-average control, walking 48 men last year. He’s more likely to be an impact reliever, but his ability to miss bats gives him a chance to succeed as a starter.
Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers
Age: 23 | 6-3 | 210 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 38 in 2020
The Tigers took Dingler with the first pick in the second round of 2020, and it appeared they’d landed a first-round talent who’d slipped a little bit due to injury concerns. A strong defensive catcher with pop, Dingler had no trouble with A-ball pitching, but really struggled after a midyear promotion to Double A, with 62 punchouts and 9 walks in 208 PA for Erie, a 30 percent strikeout rate that wasn’t mitigated by other production in his .202/.264/.314 line. Dingler had never had contact issues like this before, but it persisted right up through the end of the season. He also missed most of August with a broken fingertip, which hardly would have helped him at the plate, and will have to work to maintain strength around his back and shoulder, both of which were issues for him in college. There’s at least above-average regular upside here, even if he’s a .300 OBP guy, because he can catch, throw, and might get to 20 homers in a full season, but he has to stay healthy for 100+ games, and has to return to Double A and show he can catch up to the better stuff at that level.
Jeter Downs, SS/2B, Boston Red Sox
Age: 23 | 5-11 | 195 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 32 in 2017
Downs jumped two levels to Triple-A Worcester last year, and it didn’t take, as he hit .191/.272/.333 in 99 games for the Paws… Woosox, I guess. He made less contact than before and did less on contact — he’d been a doubles machine in 2019, but last year couldn’t even do that, with his hits going for doubles at half the rate of the previous year. He wasn’t making the same kind of contact, even against the more hitter-friendly major-league ball. Scouts I asked questioned whether he was just discouraged by the tough season and that perhaps it snowballed on him. It’s not a swing issue, and he showed signs of life when he went to the AFL in October, taking good at-bats and hitting several balls hard (granted, the pitching out there was awful). He played mostly shortstop, but there’s broad consensus he can’t play there in the majors, while he’s shown 55 defense at second. For a prospect whose calling card was always his hit tool, however, this kind of performance is especially concerning. If it’s just a fluke, perhaps from the aggressive promotion, then he can still be an above-average regular at second base.
Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox
Age: 25 | 6-2 | 212 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 220 in 2018
I still think Duran’s going to be a good big leaguer, but his production in the majors in 2021 was hard to explain away. Granted, it was just 112 PA, but when your walk and strikeout rates look just like Billy Hamilton’s, you might have a problem. Duran reworked his swing during the shutdown to get to more power, as prior to that he was a low-walk slap hitter with plus speed, and it paid off in Triple A, where he hit 16 homers in 60 games — which is more homers than he had hit previously in the minors, fall league, college, and collegiate summer ball combined. A bad month or so doesn’t ruin a prospect’s outlook, and Duran still has above-average regular upside between his speed (and potential for plus defense, which we didn’t see last year) and power. The high-leverage swing may mean he swings-and-misses enough to cancel out some of that added value, especially if he continues to have problems with good velocity as he did in that cup of coffee in the majors.
Xavier Edwards, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 22 | 5-10 | 175 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 38 in 2018
Edwards has great feel to hit, can play above-average defense at second base, and even added third base to his skill set … but he just hasn’t been able to hit the ball hard enough to profile as more than a fringe regular yet, with exit velocities more in the 86-87 mph range. If you think Nick Madrigal was a top 100 prospect — I did not, for the record, and I stand by that — then Edwards would be one as well, because he hits the ball a bit harder than Madrigal does, and is younger, and a better defender at second. He’s a plus runner who hasn’t had great success on the bases, but the speed does make center field a possibility if he ever changes organizations.
Zack Gelof, 3B, Oakland A’s
Age: 22 | 6-3 | 205 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 60 in 2021
Gelof was a revelation in pro ball, and all he had to do was get away from the rigid hitting approach imposed on all hitters at the University of Virginia, where you must hit at all times like you have two strikes and terrorists will kill your family if you don’t put the ball in play. He had power in high school, and it came back out in pro ball, where he hit 7 homers in 36 pro games after hitting 9 in 63 games in the spring — with a metal bat, against college pitching. He ended up hitting .333/.422/.565 after signing, mostly in Low A, with three games in Triple A at the very end of the season where he went 7 for 12. He hurt his arm early in the spring working with a weighted ball, which impacted his throwing for most of the college season, but he’s healthy now and throwing fine, with the quick first step required to play well at third base. I might have had the confidence to put him on the top 100 if his sample size in pro ball had been larger.
Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 24 | 5-9 | 170 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 163 in 2018
Kwan doesn’t quite look the part of a top prospect, since you won’t find many 5-9 left fielders of any sort in the majors — only Andrew Benintendi and Ben Revere have had at least 2 WAR and played the majority of their games in left at 5-9 or shorter in the last 10 years. Kwan does hit, though, and hit, and hit, going .328/.407/.527 last year between Double A and Triple A at age 23, with more walks than strikeouts. His strikeout rate of 9.1 percent was the fifth-lowest of all minor leaguers with at least 200 PA, and it came with more power than any of the guys who struck out less often. He runs close to average but doesn’t have the arm to play center, and there’s a ceiling on his production given his size and positional limitations. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t hit enough to be at least a fringe regular, though, and his upside is someone who challenges for the league lead in batting average.
Korey Lee, C, Houston Astros
Age: 23 | 6-2 | 210 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 32 in 2019
The Astros’ first-round pick in 2019, Lee was actually my final cut from the top 100 this year, so if you’re asking who was No. 101, it’s him. The reason is his lower ceiling than some of the guys I put over him in the 90s. Lee is a plus defender with a powerful and accurate arm, throwing out 43 percent of runners across three stops last year, and he’s a solid hitter for contact, just without much impact or patience. His pitch recognition seems fine and I have seen him hit velocity, although it’s more singles and doubles than anything that might turn into bigger power. He won’t turn 23 until July, though, and has time to get stronger and prove that I was too light on him here. I do think at worst he’s a soft regular thanks to his defense and contact rates.
Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 23 | 6-3 | 215 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 20 in 2020
Mitchell was the Brewers’ first-round pick in 2020 out of UCLA, a 70 runner and 70 defender in center who hit well in college. He has an unorthodox swing and ran into big trouble in Double A at the end of 2021, hitting .186/.291/.264 in 35 games for Biloxi, which would be less of a concern if the swing were more conventional. He’s also had trouble staying healthy, with a muscle strain in his knee that cost him three weeks, and missed the last week of the Shuckers’ season. He already faced some questions about his durability because he has diabetes, and combined with the below-average power projection and doubts about the hit tool, it was enough to keep him off the top 100. There’s at least an argument that he should be behind the Brewers’ second pick from 2021, infielder Tyler Black.
Benny Montgomery, OF, Colorado Rockies
Age: 19 | 6-4 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 8 in 2021
The Rockies took Montgomery with the No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft, following the same template they used — successfully, so far — with Zac Veen the year before: Take the most athletic, high-upside position player still on the board. He’s a plus runner with plus raw power, but pro scouts who saw him over the summer and in instructs were concerned about the unique swing, which has a large hitch in it, and how well it will hold up against better pitching in full-season ball. Can he hit, and hit enough to get to the power in games? He has defense and position in his favor, as he’s more likely to stay in center field than Veen is, but he has to prove he can make that swing work against better pitchers than what he saw as a high schooler in Pennsylvania. He does have 20/20 upside with good defense in center if he hits, which would put him on the top 100 next year.
Kyren Paris, SS, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 20 | 6-0 | 165 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 55 in 2019
Paris was one of the youngest players in the 2019 draft when the Angels took him in the second round, turning 18 that November, so he was an appropriate age for Low A this year — when he played, as a leg injury kept him off the field for more than two months. He’s a contact-oriented hitter who should be able to post high OBPs in time with some doubles power, but he also had difficulty with high fastballs at both levels last year and has to cut down on the swing-and-miss to keep his average and OBP up. He plays above-average defense at short with quick feet and an above-average arm, and he’s a plus runner who could get to 40 bags if he stays healthy and gets on base enough. He’ll probably return to High A this year as a 20-year-old and work on cutting down on his chase rate, after which it should be clearer how likely he is to get to that above-average everyday shortstop ceiling.
Ryan Pepiot, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 24 | 6-3 | 215 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 102 in 2019
The Dodgers’ system is hilarious; I see at least four other guys who had a credible argument to be on the top 100 or this just-missed list. Pepiot has an 80 changeup, one of the best pitches of its type in baseball right now, along with an above-average fastball, although he didn’t dominate left-handed batters last year as you’d expect for someone with a change or splitter of that caliber. Instead, he uses it as much to neutralize right-handed bats as left, and I think he could pitch in the majors in relief right now. He has a simple delivery and gets on top of the ball well for some plane on the fastball and to help turn over that changeup. What he lacks is the command and control he’ll need to be a starter without an above-average breaking ball (for now, at least); he walked a man every other inning in Triple A, only getting through five innings twice in 11 starts because of his inefficiency. That said, it’s an 80 changeup, and helps the fastball play up as well, and a tighter slider or a bump in control would make him at least a back-end starter right now.
Jordan Westburg, 3B/SS, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 22 | 6-3 | 203 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 30 in 2020
Westburg had a strange year, starting in Low A as a 22-year-old college product — granted, nobody played in 2020, but he was really too advanced for the level, so he destroyed it — and thus not reaching Double A until mid-August, so he didn’t have much time to make adjustments to better pitching. He’s a long-levered kid, listed at 6-3, and when he puts the bat on the ball it’s pretty loud, with the potential for 40 doubles and 20 homers if he hits enough to get to it. He crushes left-handed pitching, but has some trouble with right-handed breaking stuff, often guessing and missing fastballs in what might be curveball or slider counts. He has a real two-strike approach, though, getting wide and eliminating his stride to try to put the ball in play. Baltimore had him split time between shortstop and third base last year, with the former probably a reach but third base a no-doubt floor for him, and his arm will play anywhere.
Owen White, RHP, Texas Rangers
Age: 22 | 6-3 | 199 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 55 in 2018
The Rangers signed White to an over-slot deal in the second round in 2018, only to have him need Tommy John surgery that kept him out through 2019, and then the pandemic happened, and he finally made his pro debut in May of last year … and broke a bone in his hand. When he got healthy, though, he rolled: In his last three starts in Low A, he struck out 33 batters and walked 2 in 18.2 innings. He got stronger during all that time away from the mound, and now sits 93-96 mph with an above-average changeup and slider along with a curveball that’s his least consistent pitch for now. His delivery works and he pitches in attack mode, going after hitters with the fastball so he can set up his other weapons. He has just 35 innings of pro experience, plus another 28 innings in the Arizona Fall League, so we have no idea how his newfound stuff or his command will hold up over a full season.

[D Backs GM (Tyler)]

Thanks for all these!

[Guardians GM (Ron)]

Yeah thanks. Except I have to pay to get it! I could have cancelled my subscription had I known this would be done.

[Cubs GM (Scott B)]

I keep forgetting to cancel my subscription. Glad to help!

[Nationals GM (corkzilla)]

I’m surprised Law doesn’t put each players pronouns beside his name.

[D Backs GM (Tyler)]

Feb 1, 2022 12:46:31 GMT -5 Guardians GM (Ron) said:

Yeah thanks. Except I have to pay to get it! I could have cancelled my subscription had I known this would be done.

We try to get all the prominent lists in here every year. BA, BP Fangraphs, and Athletic will usually be posted.

Somehow we outlasted Sickles. Those were the days lol