2023 PROSPECT RANKINGS 4.0

1.  (↑) Jackson Holliday   SS    BALT   19.7     AA+    2025    (MLB#13/#9/#1 | Roto #12/#15/#1)

2022 #1 overall pick Jackson Holliday stormed out of the gate in Rookie Ball, only to find himself struggling in low A (.238 Avg, 42ABs. 0 HRS, 10Ks, 1 SB). But, he was just 18 and it was just 42 ABs. Fast forward to 2023 and Jackson had figured out low A (.392 Avg, 1.190 OPS), earning a promotion to A+ where he continued to dominate (.295 Avg, .912 OPS, 5 HRs, 12 SBs over 193 ABs), though he struggled late in A+ ball (.243 Avg, 0 HRs, 43 ABs) before a promotion to AA (where he continued the hit parade: .375 Avg/.924 OPS (42 ABs). We really want to be bearish here (and weren't really impressed at the futures game), but he's obviously really really good already (with a 168 career wRC+, 6th best since 2018, min. 300 PAs) and only going to get better -- and the numbers he's putting up at this age at this level are incredible (for any age).  So, despite our desire to play a minor contrarian and diverge a bit from MLB Pipeline and Roto here with, it is what it is. Holliday has earned #1. 

2.  (↑) Mason Miller     SP   OAK   24.11    MLB    2023  (MLB NR/#97/#76 | Roto #77/#120)

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Roy &#@!% Kent.  Well no, but Mason @#&%$ Miller!!!  But at #2???? Are we crazy?  Maybe... probably.  But before a UCL sprain temporarily shut Mason down, he and his 101mph FB rocked the baseball world (MiLB: 8.2 IP, 19 K's!!!; MLB: 3.38 ERA, 21.1 IP, 22 K's). That high octane heater averaged an incredible 98.3 during his first 4 MLB starts, and adding those to his other two + pitches (slider, change) makes Mason absolutely ⚡⚡⚡⚡ electric!  Fangraphs thinks so too with a 50 FV.  While Mason isn't #1 anywhere else (because most ranks are far too static and Mason wasn't on many radars before this year, having only thrown 14 IP in 2022), but folks, Mason Miller is lights out and cannot be ignored!! --though he won't be here for long as he'll graduate our 25 IP mark with the next appearance.  But let's be real for a moment, with EDLC (and many others now graduated) which fantasy prospect is the most valuable at this moment to your team? Maybe it will be CES or Henry Davis.  But, if not for his injury, we have to say its Mason Miller. 

3. (↑) Christian Encarnacion-Strand  1B  CIN  23.5  MLB  2023 (MLB NR/#91/#86 | Roto #233/#63/#9)

With all their trades, the Reds revamped what had been a weak minor league system into one of the best. Obtaining Strand from MIN was one of those moves. In 2022, in 484 ABs across A+/AA, CES hit a whopping 32 HRs while batting .304 (.955 OPS) for a wRC+ of 152 (27th). And, in 2023 CES didn't hit the brakes (batting .365/1.136 OPS, w/ 10 HRs over 96 ABs, but just two BBs). This guy is the real deal and MLB Pipeline and Roto were slow to realize it (MLB didn't even have CES in its top 100 until May). But we (and the Reds) don't need MLB Pipeline to tell us how good CES is, as Strand debuted 7/17 and will have a chance to prove his mettle on the big stage.

4. (↑) Henry Davis   C/RF  PIT  23.10  MLB 2023 (MLB #19/#57/#48/#29 | Roto #21/#82/#92/#120/#20)

Unlike MLB Pipeline (and Roto, which was even worse), we never wavered on you Henry D!  While Henry sports a high ceiling, we felt that what sets Henry Davis apart is such a high floor. If you were to build a prototypical catcher [robot or human] Henry Davis is the model. Davis just looks like a catcher, and has the hit tool unlike any other, save maybe his clone, Adley R (though we think he'll be better). But, after a quick run through A+ (wRC+ 177, 1.035 OPS, 5 HRs, 5 SBs), Davis hit a wall in AA Altoona in 2022: .207 Avg, 4 HRs over 116 ABs. Look, we weren't thrilled with those numbers but we were convinced Henry D would bounce back in 2023. And guess what? he did. The 2023 version of Henry Davis was back to being Henry Davis (.284 Avg, .974 OPS, 11 HRs, 9 Sbs, 183 ABs, 162 wRC+ good for 36th best among players w/ 100+ PA's), which in turn gave way to a promotion to the show on June 24th where Henry is there to stay! The only one caveat is PIT is dead set on Henry D playing the field and not catching, fine, except we'd sure like to keep that C designation!

5. (New) Jacob Misiorowski   SP    MIL   21.3    AA    2024  (MLB #90/#86/#46)

                       Boasting a 2.98 ERA / 1.09 WHIP  (across 54.1 A-/A+/AA IP) with 79K's and just a .159

                       BAA (which had been an even more remarkable .135, along with a 2.53 ERA

                        before giving up 4 ERs in 4 IP in his 7/22 AA debut), the lanky 6'7" Jacob M has

                        arrived. And, after watching Misiorowski pump 100mph FB after 100 mph FB while

                        striking out the side in the 2023 Futures Game (though, ironically, on non-fastballs, like

                        it wasn't even fair). Players weren't saying "Misiorowski", they were saying 

                        "Miserablerowski!" And, after the game, we had the great pleasure of talking to Jacob as                    and came away as impressed with him as a person as we were with his gift as a frontline SP1. Look for great things from the young fireballer, and go get him while he's undervalued, as he won't be for long.

6. (↑) Coby Mayo    3B    BAL     21.7    AAA   2024  (MLB NR/#76 | Roto #54/#60/#67/#32)

At 6'5" 215+, Coby just looks like a 3B of the future.  But, in 2022, the production didn't meet the projection as Coby hit fairly average in A+ (.251, .820 OPS, 14 HRs, 255 ABs, 62 K's) before a promotion to AA where the average stayed but the power numbers dropped and the K's rose (.250 Avg, .729 OPS, 5 HRs, 128 ABs, 50 K's). The wRC+ in 2022 (110) was even worse, placing Coby at just #546 among MiLB players.  But, at just 21 (AA average is 23.8), Coby could afford to repeat and ace the AA test, which, in 2023, he did: .307 Avg / 1.027 OPS with 17 HRs, 4 SBs in 347 PA's with a 14.7% walk rate (and a .296 ISO) powering Coby to not only a good wRC+, but at 177, the best in MiLB (min 150 PA's, 200 PA's 300 PA's!). Coby hasn't just taken a step forward, he's put himself in the big league promotion discussion. But, as loaded as Baltimore is, hold the Mayo, and let Coby tackle AAA!

7. (↑) Junior Caminero  3B/SS  TBR   20.0   AA   2024 (MLB NR/#60/#16 | Roto #123/#81/#54/#40/#6)

                                                     Joining the Jackson duo (Holliday & Chourio) as the young phenoms

                                                    of the year is our new #1: Junior Caminero.  As good as Caminero 

                                                    was in 2022 when he hit .299, .864 OPS, 6 HRs, 2 SBs in just 26 Low

                                                    A games, he's been even better across two levels in 2023 (A+: .356

                                                    Avg/1.094 OPS, 9 2bs, 3 3bs, 11 HRs // AA: .288 Avg / .787 OPS, 5    

                                                    HRs, 155 PAs) equating to the 36th best wRC+ (149) in MiLB (min.

                                                   250 PAs). To have just turned 20 and be hitting better than average in                                                     AA is pretty good. And, as an added plus, Junior looked big at the                                                         hot corner in the futures game (and definitely not just 157 lbs as MLB                                                     Pipeline/Fangraphs

                                                   list him) [oh, that

                                                   reminds us, Francisco
Alvarez was never 5'10"]. But back to Junior, sure,

Holliday is a stud and at a premium position (SS),

but, we liked what Junior did at A+ (190 wRC+)

over Holliday (162 wRC+) (including 2x as many HRs

[11 to 5] in 100 less PA's), plus, we like Junior's track

record thus far in AA, and, to us, Junior stood out

more in the Futures Game (despite all the Holliday

gushing). Caminero just gives off what feels like

a major league vibe.  Think Vlad here! We are....

8. (↑) Daniel Espino    RHP   CLE  22.4   AA   2023  (MLB #11/#16/#53 | Roto #29/#35/#42/#76/#185)

Espino can really sling it, reaching 102 mph on his heater while parked in the 97-100 range. That +++ FB anchors a 2.45 ERA with 35 K's in 18.1 IP.  Fangraphs had a 60 future value/grade to Espino putting him on short list shared only by Shane Baz and Grayson Rodriguez -- making his stats and stuff (scouting praise) equally impressive.  The problem for Espino, though, is not his stuff but his body. From knee tendinitis to shoulder problems, Espino was only able to muster those 18.1 innings in 2022. Coming into 2023, you knew Espino would be limited in innings pitched.  But no one thought that number would be zero! But, yet another injury (resulting in right shoulder surgery) has derailed Espino's promising career.  And even Fangraphs took notice, dropping Espino's FV to 50.  So what do you do here? Is this a Sixto Sanchez situation? Oodles of talent but just can't stay on the diamond.

9. (↑) Evan Carter    OF    TEX     20.10   AA    2024  (MLB #56/#41/#11/#7 | Roto #63/#29/#35/#31)

Evan Carter has the SPOW (speed/power) tools that Dynasty Focus appreciates.  And while 2022 wasn't necessarily a "wow" kind of year in A+ (.287 Avg, .864 OPS. 11 HRs, 26 SBs), the overall line of 140 wRC+ (84th best) was pretty good (and which was needed after an underwhelming 2021 campaign in A ball -- .236 Avg, .825 OPS, 2 HRs over 106 ABs).  That 2022 line generated a lot of buzz for 2023, with comps to Corbin Carroll's game, so what would Evan do? How about a .296 Avg, .889 OPS, 10 HRs and 11 SBs across 312 AA PAs (good for a 138 wRC+)... With a career MiLB 139 wRC+, good walk rates and very good speed (though that grade has dipped this year), Evan Carter is an exciting fantasy prospect and moves into our top 10!

10. (↑) Colt Keith           3B      DET   21.11   AAA   2023  (MLB NR/#87/#39 | Roto #202/#77/#73/#7)

You may remember Colt's name from our SPOW ranks, as in 2022 he batted .301, .914 OPS, 9 HRs, 3 3Bs and 4 SBs over 216 PA's for a wRC+ of 150.  Fast forward to 2023 and a promotion to AA and it was even better for Colt: .325 Avg / .976 OPS, 18 2Bs, 14 HRs over 276 PAs for an outstanding wRC+ of 162 Wow! 🚀🚀🚀🚀  With that line, Colt earned a promotion to AAA where he hasn't yet found his power stroke (.159 ISO, 3 HRs) but his hanging in there with a .290 Avg over 82 PAs.

11. (↑) Tyler Black       OF/INF  MIL    23.0      AA    2024  (MLB NR/#96 | Roto #202/#51)

How good is Tyler Black??!! After a slow start to AA (batting average wise: .225), Tyler has hit the daylights out of MiLB pitching over the last 30+ days (with the 9th best OPS over that span) to increase his average to .291 to go with a .980 OPS, 17% BB rate (to a 19.9% K rate), 12 2Bs, 7 3Bs, 14 HRs (previous career high was 4), 45 SBs (pvs career high was 13) resulting in a 158 wRC+ (12th best).  What more can Tyler Black do to get promoted to AAA. Sheesh. One think you can do in Vegas, bet on Black, Tyler Black!

12. (↑) Connor Phillips  RHP CIN    22.2    AAA  2024  (MLB NR/#100 | Roto #397/#139)

Sporting a plus fastball and at least average secondary pitches, Connor has been one of 2023's best hurlers in the minors: 3.17 ERA, 82.1 IP, and a whopping 134 K's for a 14.89 K9 rate (4th best in MiLB, min 50 IP)!  And after a rough start to AAA, Connor has figured that out as well: 2.55 ERA, 23 K's 17.2 IP.  He's the next dominant arm up in Cincy (the new pitching factory!)

13.  (↑)  Jackson Chourio   OF     MIL    19.4   AA   2024  (MLB #38/#10/#8/#5/#3 | Roto #89/#5/#6/#2)

The Brewer's top prospect started out hot in 2022 (.324 BA, 12 HRs and 10 SBs across 250 Low A ABs (good for a .435 wOBA, #29 in MiLB at that time). But the strike outs (28.2%) were a major concern. Still, Jackson earned the call to A+ where he didn't fare as well (.252 Avg, .805 OPS, but hit for more power: 8 HRS in 127 ABs).  That power stroke "stoked" a promotion to AA where 23 ABs just weren't enough time to evaluate (but 11 K's in those first 23 ABs made us think

that promotion came too early).  For 2022 as a whole, Jackson's line

resulted in a wRC+ of 135 (123rd overall) and put Jackson squarely on

everyone's prospect radar (especially because of his age: 18. But, some

of these lists have gone overboard in making Jackson a top 5 candidate

(including MLB Pipeline and Roto).  In 2023, the Brew Crew chose to keep

Jackson at AA (as the youngest player there, at least at the time), where

over his first 322 PAs, he put together a below average: .249 Avg/.714 OPS

21.4% K rate (89 wRC+).  But then something clicked, and maybe he's

figured it out, as over the last 88 PA's, Jackson has been a top 30 batter across all of MiLB with a .350 Avg/.984 OPS, 4 2Bs, 1 3B, 4 HRs, 9/10 SBs to raise his wRC+ to 105. And, as far as being #1 among 19 y.o.'s in AA, well, Junior Caminero took that over until his birthday on July 4th, as will Jackson Holliday when he has enough PA's. Among all AA players with 300+ PAs, Chourio is now #53 on the that list for the year. That's not bad. Look, Chourio has great potential and while he's not jumping off the board in any category (.178 ISO, 6.6 SPD rating, .350 wOBA), those are solid numbers (especially for a 19 y.o.) 

14. (↑)  Tink Hence     SP    STL    20.11   AA    2024  (MLB NR/#91/#77/#64 | Roto #298/#69/#91/#44)

We kept an eye on Tink Hence last year, even before a mid-west scout contacted

us about how good Tink was ("Think Tink" he said).  But, initially we were too

bearish on Tink (as was Fangraphs with just a 40+ FV) -- despite his dominance in

2022 in Low A (52.1 IP, 81 K's, 15 BB's, .88 WHIP and an MiLB leading 1.94 xFIP)

2023 was more of the same -- 46 K's in 41.2 High A IP with a 2.81 ERA,  1.10

WHIP which earned Tink a promotion to AA where the start has been very good:

15 IP, 11 K's 1.80 ERA. With 3 plus grade pitches: change, curve and a FB that

can hit 99 but sits 95-97, Fangraphs has since increased Tink's grade to 50 for

2023).  Meeting Tink at the 2023 Futures Game in Seattle (on 7/8/23) where he

struck out 1 over 1 IP) confirmed not only star status, but cool vibe status!

15. (↓) Colton Cowser     OF   BAL    23.4   MLB  2023   (MLB #40/#31/#14 | Roto #143/#15/#19/#16)

A meteoric riser in the MLB ranks is this guy, Colton Cowser. While Colton excelled in AA in 2022, batting .341 (1.037 OPS) with 10 2Bs and 10 Hrs in 176 ABs (resulting in an wRC+ of 184, which was tops in MilB, min 140 PA's), MLB Pipeline lagged behind Roto in giving Colton appropriate acclaim. But in 2023 when Colton hit .330 Avg, .996 OPS, 10 HRs, 7 SBs, 203 ABs for a 153wRC+ (#63, players w/ 100+ ABs) it was hard to keep him down anymore.  And, literally, as that production in turn earned Colton a promotion to the bigs on 7/5/23.  What an exciting lineup Baltimore (and Cincy) have.  Early on, we were worried about Colton's power numbers, but he has allayed those fears.

16. (New)  Paul Skenes   RHP     PIT   21.2    ----   2025 (MLB ? | Roto #8)

The 1 pick in the 2023 MLB draft is legit and as about a no doubter as you can find. From his incredible, high 90s fastball to his wipeout slider, Skenes was striking out nearly 50% of the batters he faced in the toughest conference in college baseball. Expect Skenes to be fastracked to the bigs!

17. (New) Dylan Crews  OF      WAS  21.5   ----- 2024  (MLB? | Roto #4)

Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes will be forever inextricably linked, from their days at LSU to going 1-2 on draft day. And what better way to kick off their fantasy careers then back to back initial ranks! Dylan should start in A+, anything less is, well, less! Should all go well there, it will be AA to start 2024 and then on to AAA (and, maybe, just maybe, a big league cup of coffee). While a 2024 predicted debut for the best hitter in college baseball (and it wasn't even close) may be pretty ambitious, this guy is that good. Just wait, if you can (though we see him already being picked up in Ottoneu formats).

18. (↑)  Noelvi Marte     SS     CIN   21.9    AAA   2024   (MLB#29/#23/#16 | Roto #37/#43/#12)

After a slow start in 2023, Noelvi turned it on (much liked he did in 2022 when he hit .279 Avg, .829 OPS, 19 HRs, 10 SBs for an wRC+ of 131 -- (good for #164 in MiLB).  This year, in AA, Noelvi put together a line of .281/.820 OPS, 8 HRs, 7 Sbs (222 PAs) (116 wRC+), which earned him a promotion to AAA where he's hit an even better .329/.898 OPS over 86 PAs thus far.  We're constantly wondering why we and everyone else continue to rank Noelvi so high when his stat lines don't necessarily warrant it. But like with Chourio, Noelvi is young for his level, and if you watch him in games, both the ABs and play are good.  So, while we constantly value production over projection, Noelvi is more on the projection side.

19. (↑) Jonny DeLuca     OF     LAD   25.0      MLB   2023  (MLB NR/LAD#19 | Roto #122/NR)

Another far too low rank from MLB Pipeine. DeLuca stormed into AAA (and passed his teammate Pages) by hitting the daylights out of AA pitching: .279 Avg / .970 OPS, 8 2Bs, 10 HRs, 9 SBs for a wRC+ of 149. Deluca has good speed and strikes out just 17.5% of the time, and hit well enough at AAA (.315 Avg/.923 OPS, 4 HRs, 3 SBs, over 80 PAs) to earn a promotion to the bigs (where he's just amassed 37 ABs thus far but has hit well in those limited appearances- until an injury shut him down).

20. (↑) Estevan Florial    OF   NYY     25.5       AAA  (MLB NR | Roto NR)

With a career 118 wRC+ it would appear to defy our logic to have Florial so high on our list. But, but how about a 130 wRC+ over the past 2 years in AAA for the Yankees' former #1 prospect?  That 130 wRC+ betters the line of the following playes during that same period/level: Miguel Vargas (129), Jordan Westburg (129), Alek Thomas (127), Triston Casas (127), Francisco Alvarez (124), Jarred Kelenic (123), Oscar Colas (121), Spencer Steer (120), Jarren Duran (117), to name a few. [min. 200 PAs]  With 70 grade speed and 60 raw power, 21 HRs and 18 SBs, we are sky high on the potential of Florial!

21. (↑) Heston Kjerstad   OF    BALT  24.5  AAA  2023  (MLB #53/#36 | Roto #125/#25)

Serious medical issues prevented Heston from beginning pro ball with his draft mates, but since he was cleared to play, the former Razorback has rolled through 4 classes of the minor, all the way to AAA where he's hit .338/.979 OPS, 5 HRs, in 156 PAs for 142 wRC+ (19th best in AAA, min 150 PAs).

22. (↑)  Zack Gelof          3B    OAK   23.9  MLB   2023  (MLB#94/NR/OAK #3 | Roto#45/#61/#142/#86)

A favorite of ours from 2021, Zack didn't hit as much for average in 2022 (.270 Avg) but still hit pretty well (.815 OPS, 18 HRs, 13 SBs) with the power numbers being roughly on pace with 2021 (though the speed numbers were down).  In 2023, after a slow start (.256 Avg, .805 OPS, 1 HR), Zack turned it on to hit .304 / .929 OPS, 12 HRs and an equally impressive 20 SBs (wRC+ 124) to earn a promotion to the bigs. And, as a 2B eligible player (where he had 67+ starts in 2023), he'll be among the top fantasy options there!

23.  (↑) Wikelman Gonzalez   SP  BOS  21.4   AA   2024  (MLB NR/ BOS #11 | Roto#147)

Although Wikelman carried a poor 5.14 ERA in High A, it was deceptively so as the 3.56 FIP showed us a better picture. And, he managed to strike out an incredible 105 in 63 IP (though walks hurt WHIP). Wilkelman has a very active fastball (and an above average curve and change) and makes our top 25 on a 15.00 K/9 rate, 3rd best in MiLB (min. 50 IP). And, add 2 strong AA starts to the growing resume: 0.75 ERA 12 IP 19 K's.

24. (↑) James Wood    OF    WAS   20.10   AA  2024 (MLB #91/#34/#17/#8/#4 | Roto #65/#11/#18/#22)

Though injuries (and a trade) blunted his 2022 campaign, James Wood still put together a .313 Avg with 12 HRs and 20 SBs (.956 OPS) across 293 ABs which was good for a 150 wRC+ (35th in MiLB).  The 6'7" slugger is athletic, gets on base (career .439 wOBA) and doesn't strike out a ton (career 23.3% K rate).  And the 75 K's in 2022 (21.6%) to 50 BBs (14.4%) isn't a bad ratio.  SD gave up a lot to get Soto (but obviously it had to, if the Padres wanted Soto). Thus far in 2023, Wood began by hitting well in a level below where he should have been (A+) posting a .293 Avg / .972 OPS / 7.4 Spd rating but a 27.1% K rate over 181 PA, resulting in a 156 wRC+). Those numbers have dropped quite a bit in AA, where James has hit just .223/.771 OPS with 7 HRs, 5 SBs and a much greater 31.3% K rate. --resulting in a pretty average 108 wRC+. But he's just 20 (almost 21) and should figure it out!

25. (↓) Vaun Brown    OF    SFG    25.1    AA    2023  (MLB NR; SF#6 | Roto NR/#168/#145/#181/#277)

It was a travesty that Vaun wasn't even in MLB's 2022 top 30 San Francisco Giant prospects (until the final ranks from MLB, appearing at #10 then #5 now as SF's #6).  And, it was also a travesty that San Fran decided to place Vaun in A ball (instead of A+) to start 2022.  Vaun took both in stride by batting .346 slugging 14 HRs and stealing 23 bases (to just 3 CS), which earned him a promotion to A+ Eugene where he got to play with (and outplay) blue chip Giants prospects (Luciano, Matos) That on the field play earned Vaun an end of year promotion to AA.  An old draftee (at 23), SF underplaced, undervalued, underVauned Vaun who finished 1st in 2022 in wRAA (47.3), 3rd in MiLB in wRC+ (175), & 5th in wOBA (.464).  So what would Vaun do in 2023?  Well an injury bug delayed Vaun's campaign, and since returning, he's gone from batting .290/.877 OPS, 7 HRs, 15 SBs, 179 PAs (135 wRC+) overall to a .241 Avg/.773 OPS (105 wRC+) over 174 AA PA's. But a Spd grad of 8.9 won't slump and Vaun will get it together and be back knocking on the Bay door. 

26. (↓) Logan O'Hoppe   C  LAA  23.5  MLB 2022 (MLB #89/#64/#53/#42/#31 | Roto #154/#67/#57)

Logan pretty well destroyed AA, and when the fightin' Phils sent him to LAA in a late season trade, the Angels couldn't resist a September call up. Having hit .283 with 26 HRs (.960 OPS), Logan looks to be middle of the lineup type bat. With a K rate of just 16.6% and an wRC+ of 159 (#10 MiLB in 2022), it's time we recognize how good Logan is.  In fact, he's very arguably the best hitting catcher this side of the Pecos.....well, in all of MiLB!  And, in Anaheim, Logan didn't let up, batting .283 with an .886 OPS to cement his job as the starting catcher for the Angels (current injury notwithstanding).

27. (↑) Pete Crow-Armstrong  OF  CHC  21.2  AA  2023 (MLB#28/#23/#15/#7 | Roto#23/#44/#65/#30)

In 2022, Pete C-A hit for high average in A ball (.354), HRs (7) and SBs (13) good for a wRC of 168, and found himself promoted to A+ where he continued to hit (.287 across 265 ABs with 9 HRs and 19 SBs). But, the wRC+ fell outside the top 100 players in High A. The jump to AA in 2023 has been more of the same (.287 Avg /.887 OPS, 13 HRs and 25 SBs, 329 PA's -- good for a 131 wRC+)

28. (↑) Jonathan Aranda     1B/2B   TBR    25.2   AAA   2022  (MLB NR | Roto #82/#67/NR)

How about this 2023 line: .342 Avg/1.045 OPS, .249 ISO, .455 wOBA, 17 HRs. Wow.  But, its really just "ho hum", another great year from one of minor league baseball's best hitters (who holds a 142 wRC+ since 2018)  And despite that minor league success, MLB Pipeline has never liked Aranda (and by like, included him even in TB's top 30). However, that positive MiLB track record hasn't (yet) translated to major league success yet: 2022: 87 PA's, .192 Avg, .264 wOBA / 2023: 15 PAs, .200 Avg, .201 wOBA.  But, you have to think that as good a hitter as Aranda is, that he'll figure it out and make the right adjustments.

29. (↓) Matt Mervis    1B     CHC     25.3    AAA    2023  (MLB NR/CHC #5 | Roto NR/#31/#38/#57/#103)

After a stellar 2022 (5th in wRAA [41.6] and 15th in wRC+ [156]), it was a suprise to see CHC place Matt back in the minors to start 2023. Undetterred, Matt batted .286 with 6 HRs for a .962 OPS, which, coupled with the Cubs lack of production at 1B and DH, led to a MLB promotion on 5/5 (where Mervis Time struggled to a .167 Avg / .531 OPS with 1 HR over 90 PAs and a whopping 37.2% K rate). But, we're not worried, he'll figure it out in AAA  (where his numbers on the year are now: .294/.972 OPS, 10 HRs, , 227 PAs, 141 wRC+). But this gets you a deal on a trade!

30. (↑) Spencer Jones    OF   NYY   22.2    A+   2025  (MLB NR/NY#3 | Roto NR/#121/#82/#104/#98)

How about another SPOW representative, but here we go from short to monstrous (in a good way!) Can the 6'7" Jones be Aaron Judge 2.0? The Yankees maybe thought so when they took Spencer with the 25th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Then, in 22 games at Class A, Spencer hit .344 with 3 HRs (in 95 PA's) while showing off really good wheels (10 SBs and a Spd grade of 6.8). However, after starting hot in High A in 2023, Spencer has struggled as of late with his once very good 139 wRC+ falling to 123 on a .275 Avg, .829 OPS, 12 HRs, 22 SBs line in 357 PAs (w/ a high 30.0% K rate). Still, we like what we've seen (including a nice running Future's Game catch in center) and are convinced of Spencer's MLB potential. But, those K's have to come down and Jones is getting a bit old for Class A.

31. (↑)  Jonatan Clase  OF    SEA   21.2   AA   2024  (MLB NR; SEA #11 | Roto #241/#70)

What a year for the dimunitive Mariner's speedster. Starting out at A+ Everett, Jonatan tore the cover off the ball, hitting .333/1.154 OPS with 7 HRs and 17 SBs for a wRC+ of 197 (5th best, 1 pt behind Junior Caminero). Then came the promotion to AA Arkansas and a bit of a wall: .215 Avg/.727 OPS, 9 HRs but an incredible 37 SBs over 290 PA's.  We don't know about you, but we love the speed power combo (SPOW).  Still, the poor contact numbers (28.3%  rate) in AA are worrisome.

​32. (↑) Dalton Rushing    C   LAD  22.5   A+   2025  (MLB NR/#69/#46 | Roto NR/#176/#83/#99/#104)

Dalton is LADs best catching prospect. Yep. Better than Diego Cartya.  Dalton blew class A away, but, had just 128 PA's there. Still, the 8 HRs, .564 wOBA, 224wRC+ and just 16.4% K rate had us impressed and we placed Dalton at #125. So we were looking forward to 2023 and Class A+, where Dalton has continued the power barrage but struggling to hit for top average: .242 Avg, .867 OPS, 17 2B, 9 HR, w/ a good 20.2% BB rate (296 PAs) good for the 25th best overall wRC+ in MiLB (at 151 // min 250PAs).  Those lines caught MLB's attention who had him up to #49, now #46.  We'll go higher, and into our Top 30!  But, Dalton is pushing the age on Class A ball... 

33. (↓) Mark Vientos   3B/2B/DH   NYM   23.7  MLB   2022 (MLB NR | Roto #141/#207/#226/NR)

All Mark did was hit .280 (.877 OPS) with 24 HRs at AAA in 2022 (which was enough to earn him an MLB cup of coffee in 2022).  But while Mark has a propensity to hit long balls, he had an even likelier propensity to strike out, 122 in 378 ABs. After a positive Spring Training in 2023, Mark set out to dominate AAA, and that he did, being one of MiLB's best players (141 wRC+) behind a .307 Avg / 1.000 OPS, 16 HRs and just a 21.6% K rate (264 PAs). Although Mark has now earned a 3rd promotion, he's thus far struggled to hit MLB pitching, but just wait, he will.

34. (NC) Jordan Westburg   SS   BAL   24.5  MLB  2023  (MLB #94/#74/#52/#30 | Roto #288/#112/#17)

It's rare that a prospect can hit so mediocre at AA (.247 Avg, 9 HRs, 3 SBs, 27.4% K rate) but then annihilate AAA. But that's what Jordan did in 2022, at least at first (.319, .974 OPS, 22.5% K rate) before cooling off to a .273 AAA avg, .869 OPS. Still, 2022 was a decent body of work (wRC+126 #233 overall) with the 27 HRs standing out the most. 2023 has been no let down as Jordan has jumped out to an impressive .295 Avg, .939 OPS, 18 HRs, 6 SBs over 301 PAs. That success has led to a promotion to the bigs where, over 77 PA's, Jordan has hit a decent .254/.735 OPS (102 wRC+)

35. (New) Yanquiel Fernandez OF  COL  20.6  AA  2024  (MLB NR/#88 | Roto #42)

If you're looking for the next big slugger (Yordan Alvarez type), Yanquiel Fernandez is your guy. Though just 6'2" (compared to the 6'5" Alvarez), Yanquiel is a threat to go deep in every AB. Advancing three levels in 2023, Yanquiel has hit the ball out 22x in 346 ABs (while holding down a good .289 Avg/.884 OPS). The kid can flat out rake!

36. (↑) Jordan Lawlar    SS   ARI   21.0   AA    2024   (MLB#12/#11/#5 | Roto #5/#3/#5)

The 6th overall pick of 2021 had, at times, looked to be the best of the 2021 draft class, as Jordan rocketed through the DBacks minor league system (Rookie ball to A to A+ to AA Amarillo).  But, at each stop, the production declined (which of course is understandable). Between A/A+ ball, Jordan hit over .300, over .900 OPS, while swatting 12 HRs and swiping 37 bases (over 74 games) for an wRC+ of 155. In AA, though, the production dropped to a .212 Avg, and .652 OPS and a 28.9% K rate (with just 2 SBs over 20 games) (wRC+ of 65).  But a repeat of AA in 2023 would result in positive numbers right? Well, ....

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During his first 137 PA's, Jordan hit for just a .168 Avg/.653 OPS despite 5 HRs and 9 SBs resulting in a well below average wRC+ of 76 with a 30.7% K rate.  Since then, he's been better, and has improved to: .253 Avg, .752 OPS, 13 HRs, 27 SBs (for a 117 wRC+). 

37. (↓) Ricky Tiedemann    LHP    TOR  20.11   AA   2024  (MLB#64/#32/#26 | Roto #78/#19/#30/#45)

Ricky exploded on our boards after pitching to a 1.80 ERA and striking out an incredible 49 batters over 30 IP in low A which (at that time) was good for a MiLB best 2.37 xFIP (and a 42.5% K rate) with batters hitting just .109 (lowest in MiLB).  Not only did the promotion to A+ not slow Tiedemann down, but the 2.39 ERA and 54 K's over 37.2 IP only served to springboard him to AA where he made 4 starts and struck out 14 over 11 IP.  While he has an arsenal of offspeed pitches to get outs, Ricky T hit 99mph this Spring. If he can keep his top 25 metrics (i.e. the 2.87 xFIP and 0.86 WHIP), he'll not only tear up AA and AAA but will be majors bound. (Note: a potential arm injury [reportedly a biceps tstrain] sidelined Ricky in May/June)

38. (↑) Andrew Painter  RHP  PHI 20.3  AAA  2023 (MLB #54/#24/#6/#3/#12 | Roto #134/#16/#28/#50)

Andrew may be a Painter by name but his occupation is electrician because the guy is lights out. Standing 6'7" (6'7" + 1/2 with cleats), that tall frame and downward angle is generating some serious heat with a 100mph FB, 3 plus pitches leading to 155 K's in 103.2 IP in 2022, including 37 K's in 28.1 AA innings (2.54 AA ERA). With an overall ERA of 1.56 (on the year) and a 2.64 xFIP [10th best MiLB], Andrew has fast tracked his arrival.  FanGraphs gives Painter a coveted 60 FV (making him one of only 4).  But, Andrew hasn't pitched spring training (due to a UCL sprain), which resulted in a TJ surgery recommendation an announcement that Painter would miss the rest of 2023 and likely 2024 too. 

39. (↓) Kyle Manzardo  1B  CLE  23.0  AAA  2024 (MLB NR/#73/#65/#50/#40 | Roto #100/#7/#13/#27)

MLB Pipeline was a little slow to recognize one of the Rays next superstars (but Roto wasn't). With an advanced plate approach, Kyle dominated High A (.329 Avg, 1.072 OPS, 17 HRs) to earn a promotion to AA where he continued to hit (.323 Avg, .978 OPS, 5 HRs in 99 ABs).  But the two most impressive 2022 stats for Kyle were the K to BB rate (65 K's to an almost even 59 BB's) and MiLB's 4th best wRC+ (172). But, Kyle has struggled in AAA in 2023 so far tabling the promotion talk -- .238 Avg, .784 OPS,  19 2Bs, 11 HRs, 313 PAs, 93 wRC+). For now, TB wil be cautious.

40.  (New) Wyatt Langford      OF     TEX    21.8   FCL    2025  (MLB ? | Roto #3)

We were suprised that Wyatt was passed by DET at #3 (as the Tigers chose to go with a HS OF over the MLB ready University of Florida star. Well, that won't deter Wyatt who has already crushed FCL pitching and will soon have a shot at Class A. 8/2 update: Roto is reporting a promotion to High A

41.  (New) Chase Dollander    RHP    COL   21.9   -----   2025  (MLB? | Roto NR)

We love the fit with Colorado as Chase slots in as the Rockies best pitching prospect (by a lot) and, maybe, their #1 overall prospect. With a high 90s fastaball and wipeout slider (plus a good change and curve), Chase possesses the arsenal to step in as the Rockies SP1 (now!)

42. (↑) Everson Pereira   OF   NYY   22.1  AAA   2024  (MLB NR/NY#4 | Roto #142/#174/#36/#44/#15)

A short, compact, hard swing should play at every level for the now #4 rated NYY prospect (should be #3 behind Spencer Jones and Florial). And that was the case in 2022 as Everson hit hitting .274, 9 HRs, 19 across 288 ABs at A+ Hudson Valley which earned him a promotion to AA where he hit even better.  Still, NYY chose to keep Everson at Somerset to start 2023 and he responded with a .291 Avg / .907 OPS, 10 2Bs, 10 HRs, 7 SBs for an wRC+ of 153 (to help improve on a career 124 wRC+). Promoted to AAA Scranton (on July 4), Everson has hit a promising .323/.938 OPS, 4 HRs over 67 PAs.

43. (↑) AJ Smith-Shawver  RHP  ATL   20.7   AAA  2023  (MLB NR/#62 | Roto #171/#39)

Back in May, we said AJ Smith-Shawver should be Atlanta's number one prospect (when he wasn't in MLB's top 100 and sat at just #4 in ATL's Top 30. Well that's all changed now, as MLB Pipeline has AJ S-S up to #65 -- a rank he's earned in 2023 rocketing up from A+ to AA to AAA to the bigs. Although AJ S-S has struggled as of late in AAA (with his ERA bloating as high as 5.87, but now 4.44), AJ S-S pitched to  an impressive 4.32 ERA (15 K's in 16.2 IP) in his 4 games/3 starts with ATL. Utilizing an above average FB that can hit 97 (but sits at 94), AJ sets up a plus slider and change and maintains his velo deep into the game.  Now, he'll get another chance (7/30).

44. (↑) Chase Petty     RHP   CIN    20.3   A+  2025 (MLB NR/CIN#5 | Roto #388/#307/#353/#266)

Although capable of throwing 100, Chase's best pitch is his slider (which is good, because it's the hardest pitch to hit in baseball).  Although Chase pitched to a decent 3.48 ERA in 2022, it wasn't dominant, nor were the 96 K's in 98.1 IP.  In 2023, Chase got off to a late start (May 10th) and has just thrown 41.1 innings (good ones though: w/ 44 K's to just 10 BB's, 1.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) We'd expect Chase to continue to settle in dominate hitters at A+ (followed by a promotion to AA).

45. (↓) Carson Williams   SS   TBR   20.1   A+   2025 (MLB#81/#72/#59/#23 | Roto#145/#118/#195/#74)

At just 19, Carson batted .252 and hit 19 HRs at Single A Charleston while stealing 28 bases. But, struck out a whopping 168 times (in 452 ABs) (33% K rate).  Still, TB promoted Carson to A+ ball to start 2023 and Carson has hit pretty well: .258/.858 OPS (though off a .287 Avg/.934 OPS earlier mark), 15 HRs, 12 SBs, 31.3% K rate for a 132 wRC+ (down from 147 about a month ago). MLB has definitely taken notice though as they have him up to #23.  But is it too high? We think so.

46. (↑) Joey Loperfido   1B/OF  HOU   24.2   AA   2024  (MLB NR/HOU#16 | Roto NR/NR/NR/#135)

How can such a big guy (6'3" 220) be so good at stealing bases? We don't know but 32 bags was pretty good in 2022, especially when it comes with a .438 wOBA (in A+) ball and a wRC+ of 166 at that level.  So what could Joey do in 2023?  How about a .284 Avg, .911 OPS, 17 HRs and 20 SBs over 281 AA ABs? Yeah, that's pretty good (and we didn't eve mention the high 12.8% BB rate and relative low 22.9% k rate) which has equated to a 139 AA wRC+ (though down from 147) putting Joey into the top 50 wRC+ (min. 300 PAs). Might be time for a promotion to AAA.

47. (New) Jacob Hurtubise  OF  CIN  25.7  AAA  (MLB NR | Roto NR)

Hurtawho? You Hurt right. Hurtubise is fast (75 SBs in 233 minor league games and a 8.8 Spd grade), but up to 2023, Jacob was missing the power as part of his game.  Well missing no more as 6 HRs in 241 PA's and a .478 SLG percentage will cure.  Advancing from AA to AAA this year, Jacob hit .304/.929 OPS across those 2 levels for an astounding 154 wRC+ (good for 29th best in MiLB, min 200 PAs).  Put him on your fantasy radar! And, best of all, he's probably available on the wire since he's not even in the MLB Cincy Top 30! (Though Yahoo hasn't added him yet as of 7/24/23)

48. (↑) Michael Busch  2B  LAD  25.8  AAA   2023  (MLB#42/#54/#44/#34 | Roto #64/#162/#180/#260)

The overall 2022 line of a 118 wRC+ (#378 MiLB) didn't really stand out (with a low speed grades and slightly elevated K rate: 26.1%) (nor did a then career 124 wRC+), but in 2023, Michael has put it together: .308 Avg / 1.006 OPS, 15 HRs, 17 2Bs and almost as many walks (48) as K's (59) resulting in 142 wRC+ and a brief couple of cups of coffee with the Dodgers. If Michael keeps hitting AAA pitching, he'll get another chance soon enough.

49. (↑) Brock Porter   SP    TEX    20.1   A   2026   (MLB#94/#80/#60 | Roto #207/#214/#178/#235)

Texas is stockpiling some top arms and Brock Porter is no exception.  MLB Pipeline's highest rated pitcher in the 2022 draft (and Baseball America's #7 overall) somehow fell to the 4th round and was scooped up by TEX who lured him away from Clemson.  Brock has been clocked as high at 98 on his FB and pairs that with a good curve and a great changeup and the early results in Low A have been great: 53.0 IP, 68 K's, 2.55 ERA, 1.21 WHIP.

50. (↑) Blade Tidwell  LHP  NYM   22.1   A+  2025  (MLB NR/NY #5 | Roto NR/NR/#339/#149)

The hard throwing righty (who boasts a plus FB and slider) has a chance to be the next homegrown Mets ace, turning around what was an awful start in Class A+ (6.56 ERA, 23.1 IP, 35 K's, 18 BB's/20 Hits, 1.63 WHIP) into a positive line: 3.09 ERA, 81.2 IP, 112 K's, 46 BB's/55 Hits, 1.24 WHIP).

51. (New) Kyle Hurt      SP    LAD   25.2   AA  2024  (MLB NR/LAD#26 | Roto #144)

The MLB leader in K/9 is this guy, Kyle Hurt. How does he do it? He pounds the strike zone with an avove average Fastball paired with an above average changeup. We've watched Kyle on a number of occasions this year and come away impressed each time. He's a big guy (6'3", 240) who commands the mound and says I'm coming after you! And, though May 25th, Kyle sported an incredible 1.33 ERA, but since then, there have been some hiccups as the ERA has risen to 3.96 as Kyle has given up runs in each of his last 10 starts (none of which has lasted more than 5 IP). But he continues to mow down batters at a historic rate, now up to 105 in 61.1 IP. Although we'd love to see Kyle as a starter, a MLB debut may come as a reliever.

52. (↓) Marcelo Mayer     SS    BOS   20.7   AA   2024  (MLB#7/#9/#3 | Roto #24/#33/#42/#55)

The consensus #1 rookie prospect for 2022 dynasty drafts had good start to A ball, hitting .291, 7 HRs and 12 SBs over 189 ABs.  Although Meyer had just 1 HR over his first 84 ABs, he picked up a little pop as the year went on and ended with 13 in 350 ABs (17 SBs) with a wRC+ of 143 (good for #70 in MiLB). In 2023, the Sox had Marcelo repeating A+ ball, where he has had no problem (.290 Avg/.890 OPS, 7 HRs, 5 SBs -- good for a wRC+ of 139) Then came the promotion to AA, which has not gone to plan (.205 Avg/.655 OPS, 6 HRs, 4 SBs, 20.9% K rate over 167 PAs for an wRC+ of 76))

53. (↑) Ceddanne Rafaela   OF/SS  BOS  22.10   AAA  2023  (MLB#86/#79 | Roto #149/#102/#148/#93)

Ceddanne is another guy that hit (and stole) his way into the rankings in 2022: .299 Avg, .880 OPS, 21 HRs, 86 RBIs, 28 SBs (wRC+134 tied with Triston Casas at #133).  The 5'8" 150lb Ceddanne displayed surprising power in 2022 to pair with great speed but whose numbers dipped a bit from A+ to AA (.278 Avg, .824 OPS). Although Ceddane started cold in 2023 (.261 Avg/.651 OPS, 1 HR, 20 SBs in 143 PAs, for a very poor  81 wRC+), he hit his stride to finish his AA campaign at .294/.774 OPS, 6 HRs, 30 SBs, 266 PA's for a 108 wRC+ and earn a promotion to AAA where he's hit for more power in 93 ABs, .312 Avg / .978 OPS, 6 HRs, 2 SBs for a .411 wOBA/137 wRC+.

54. (↓) Endy Rodriguez   C/OF    PIT   23.2   MLB   2023  (MLB#97/#45/#35 | Roto #172/#57/#45/#83)

Endy slugged his way through two levels in 2022 (A+/AA) earning a promotion to AAA to finish the year (where his audition was spectacular: .455 Avg, 1.208 OPS). 

With an overall wRC+ of 166 (including a league leading 199 at AA),

Endy had arguably the 7th best MiLB season in 2022 (all players,

all factors considered).  With good speed for a catcher and a K rate

under 20% (at 19.0%), Endy has all the tools you're looking for in a

"dual threat" Daulton Varsho style catcher.  But, despite the Spring

push to promote Endy, 2023 began pretty poorly as Endy limped

out to a line of .254 Avg/.726 OPS, 5 HRs, 4 SBs before getting hot and improving to .268 / .771 OPS over 315 PAs for a 93 wRC+ (still, obviously not very good). But, Pittsburg had its reasons for promoting Endy (including doing no worse than what they had behind the plate i.e. Austin Hedges), plus, the Pirates are set on having Henry D play right (and not catch). 

55. (↓) Nick Frasso   RHP   LAD  24.9  AA  2023 (MLB NR; LAD#8 | Roto NR/#181/#267/#224)

Coming over in a trade from TOR last year for Mitch White (read: stolen -- 76 K's in 54 IP in 2022with a 0.93 WHIP and 2.89xFIP), MLB had Nick penned as LADs 18th best prospect (we had him as our #117 overall). Then came 2023 and Nick Frasso had been LAD's best minor league pitcher for the first half of the season -- though he fell on hard times over the past month+ with his sparkling 1.01 ERA (26.2 IP) ballooning to 4.01 (42.2 IP) but still with 58 K's.  Frasso is not highly regarded by Fangraphs (40+ FV), but he should be. Frasso has used a good FB (that can reach 98, but mostly operates around 95-97) to set up a good change and decent slider. Together, the arsenal has been unhittable at times in AA batters.  

56. (↓) Ben Brown   RHP   CHC  23.10  AAA  2023 (MLB NR /#70 | Roto #191/#232)

8 weeks ago, the tall, lanky Ben Brown was barely on MLB Pipeline's radar (sitting about halfway down the Cubs top 30), before MLB Pipeline moved Ben up to #3 among Cubs prospects and #70 overall. After a  breakout year in 2022 (104 IP, 149 K's, 3.38 ERA, between A+ and AA), Ben followed that up with an astounding start to 2023, buzzing through AA (20 IP, 30 K's, 0.45 ERA, 0.95 WHIP), which led to a promotion to AAA where has struggled (5.10 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, but a very good 86 K's in 60 IP [13.05 K/9]). Ben's FB can reach 98 but is more in the 94-96 range), which he pairs with a + slider and + curve, to earn a Fangraphs 50 FV.  We've watched about a half dozen of Ben's starts in AAA and, despite the recent struggles, are convinced that the Cubs have a future frontline starter here.  If you can be patient, you will too!

57. (↑) Sal Frelick    OF   MIL   23.3  AAA  2024 (MLB#46/#30/#24/#17 | Roto#116/#68/#39/#31/#41)

We watched Sal a lot in 2022 because we watched Nashville a lot. There Frelick hit .365 (.943 OPS) with 4 HRs and 9 SBs (good for the 16th best wRC+ in AAA at 155).  Overall, across three levels in 2022, Frelick compiled a 137 wRC+ (good for 107th best in MiLB [the 155 wRC+ in AAA placed him 1st among under age 28 prospects with 200+ ABs]). Then came a starring role in the WBC and Sal's star status was rising.  However, the return to AAA was not as kind as Frelick got off to a poor start: .232 Avg, .628 OPS (56 ABs)  After returning from what many believed was a season ending injury , things didn't improve at first .231/.623 OPS, 1 HR, 6 SBs over 130 ABs, until Sal found a groove of late to improve that slash line to .251/.697 OPS, 2 HRs, 8 SBs (but just a 79 wRC+). Sal has a good hit set, doesn't strike out much (11.2%) but lacks big power.  He should be a threat to hit .300 in the bigs and steal 20 bases.  But, he's going to need to put 2023 behind.  Update: In a suprising move, MIL promoted Sal on July 22nd and of course he goes 5/9 (.556 Avg/1.472 OPS). Smh.

58. (↑)  Masyn Winn      SS    STL    21.4   AAA   2023 (MLB #90/#51/#50/#43 | Roto #75/#70/#11)

Masyn is a pitcher/SS who focused on playing the field in 2021 and that decision paid dividends in 2022. Although the promotion to AA came with a major dip in production (down to a wRC+ of 117 (#398) after posting as high as 167 wRC+ in A+ (21st best in MiLB at the time).  Masyn's 8.8 spd rating is legit (43 SBs, 8 3Bs)!  And, those of you that watched the 2022 futures game saw Masyn throw a 99 mph heater from short to 1st!  As one of the youngest players in AAA in 2023, Masyn struggled at first, but but has hit real well as of late (.374 Avg /1.139 OPS, 6 HRs, 101 PAs), increasing a previous underwhelming 86 wRC+ to a more reasonable 102 (with a .285 Avg/.814 and just 16% K Rate). Masyn is uber talented on defense and will certainly contribute on offense (especially steals).  But, a career 104 wRC isn't awe inspiring. Look for Masyn to get a shot at short this year in STL.

59. (↑) Joe Boyle        SP     HOU   23.11      AA    2024   (MLB NR/CIN#28  | Roto NR)

We really like the 6'7" Joe Boyle and his 3.46 career ERA over 189.2 IP and 297 K's. Although 2023 hasn't been as kind (4.67 ERA/ 4.54 FIP/1.67 WHIP), the light at the end of the tunnel is the 13.37 K/9 rate, placing Boyle in the top 15 in MiLB (not to mention top level gas). Update: JB was traded from CIN to OAK at the deadline on 8/1. There's "reliever" talk here, but this guy can be a frontline starter!

60. (↓) Andy Pages  OF  LAD  22.7  AAA  2024 (MLB#48/#66/#53 | Roto#118/#221/#195/#234/#252)

2022 AA wasn't as kind to Pages (pronounced "Pahays"), as shown by the .236 Avg (.265 in A+ in 2021) but he still hit 26 HRs in 487 ABs (31 in 438 ABs in 2021).  The 2022 overall wRC+ of 102 (#787) revealed an even worse campaign (comparatively). Andy has a great arm and very good pop but with slower than average speed and a 24.5% K rate.  So with a career 136 wRC+, Andy looked to put 2022 behind and get his groove back in 2023. Repeating AA this year, Andy did just that with a 144 wRC+ line: .284 Avg / .925 OPS and 25 BBs in 145 PA's to go with fewer K's (22.5% K rate) and a .211 ISO (despite just 3 HRs).  That, in turn, was also good enough for LAD to promote Andy to AAA before an injury shut Andy down for the rest of the year. We're hot and cold on Andy (as Andy has been hot and cold), but hopefully you held as we think Andy's stock trends up.

61. (↑) Adael Amador      SS       COL    20.3     A+   2025  (MLB#61/#68/#22 | Roto #146/#128/#91)

Despite a very thin frame (6'0" 160lbs), Adael hit like Joey Gallo in A ball in 2022, posting a .292 Avg, .860 OPS, 26 SBs and a surprising 15 round trippers. Adael also has a great command of the plate (incredible for a 19 year old) as he drew 87 walks to just 67 K's.  Although the 128 wRC+ didn't place Adael very high (#213 MiLB) the .402 wOBA was a strong indicator. Well, that success led to a promotion to A+ in 2023, where Adael has soared to a .302 Avg / .905 OPS, 9 HRs, 12 SBs acros 259 PAs (good for a 141 wRC+ and one of the biggest movers in MLB Pipeline's most recent Top 100).

62. (↑) Luken Baker  1B   STL  26.4   2023  (MLB NR/STL #28 | Roto NR )

After a disastrous 2022 (.228 / .682 OPS, .301 wOBA, 78 wRC+) Luken has been as good in 2023 as he was bad last year (.330 Avg, 1.116 OPS, .467 wOBA, 169 wRC+). The 6'4", 280 lb Luken has always had above average power, but the 25 HRs in 327 AAA PA's this year (.348 ISO with just a 20.5% K rate) have been impressive, securing Luken a spot in our top 100.

63. (↑) Justyn-Henry Malloy OF/3B   DET  23.5  AAA 2023  (MLB NR/DET #7 | Roto #168/#122)

Justyn got off to a blazing start in AAA this year, and though he's cooled as of late, he got on everyone's radar with a .284 Avg, .884 OPS and 13 2Bs, 16 HRs (125 wRC+) over 400 PAs.  With a career 130 wRC+ and .393 wOBA, this year was no fluke. Justyn gets on base and hits for power and may have a chance for a call-up this summer.

64.  (↑) Brooks Lee      SS/3B    MN   22.3   AA   2024  (MLB #32/#31/#25/#18 | Roto #59/#73/#80/#52)

From a pure hitting standpoint, the one guy that most reminds us of Curtis Mead is Brooks Lee. After being selected #8 in the 2022 draft, the super advanced hitting Brooks skipped low A and had no problem with A+ in 2022 (.289 Avg, .849 OPS, 4 HRs, 97 ABs) before a quick promotion to AA where he started again in 2023. But, this year, Brooks struggled out to a .272 Avg, .800 OPS and just 7 HRs in 329 PAs (110 wRC+); until recently, that was, as over the last 95 PA's, Brooks has hit .373/ 1.117 OPS, 6 HRs to raise his wRC+ to 123.

65. (↑) Colson Montgomery  SS  CHW  21.5  A+  2025 (MLB#57/#38/#29/#20 | Roto #71/#44/#68/#38) 

We liked Colson coming out of the 2021 draft.  But year 1 in ROK ball was pretty uneventful (.287 Avg, .758 OPS, 94 ABs, 0 HRs, 0 SBs).  Colson turned it up a bit in year in low A where he hit .324 (.900 OPS) with 4 HRs over 170 ABs. That production led to a promotion to A+ that Colson managed with a .258 Avg, .804 OPS and 5 HRs over 132 ABS. That line though, was not deserving of a promotion to AA, but CHW did it anyway, only to see Colson hit .146 over 48 ABs (with 15 K's to 2 BB's). Overall on the year, Colson's wRC+ came in at 125 (good for #252 among MiLBers). Although Colson got a late start to 2023, he's been on fire since: .348 Avg / 1.093 OPS, 3 HRs, 24.4% BB rate, .217 ISO (82 PAs) and will be back in AA soon.

66. (New) Carlos Jorge            2B    CIN     19.10  A     2026 (MLB NR/CIN#11 | Roto #58)

Fangraphs grades Jorge with 55 speed (despite a 9.4 speed grade, 29 SBs this year and 54 the two years prior). Hmm. At just 5'10" 160, Carlos will surprise you with little pop too (9 HRs/.192 ISO). We like the SPOW guys and Carlos is one of them (not to mention the 10th best wOBA among players over the past 5 years, min 400 PAs). So far, it's us and Rotowire that are this sky high on Carlos Jorge.

67. (New)  Hayden Birdsong   RHP   SF      21.11  A+   2025   (MLB NR/SF#26 | Roto #246)

It's hard to ignore what the 6'4" 6th rounder has done on the year (2.75 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 107 K's in 68.2 IP) with a K rate that places him 5th among MiLB hurlers with at least 60 IP. Pretty impressive.  Hayden should already be in AA by now but SF is becoming notoriously slow on Class A promotions.

68. (New)  Michael Arias         RHP   CHC   21.8    A+   2025   (MLB NR | Roto #182)

Not far behind Birdsong, the 13th best K rate through 9 (13.26) belongs to this baby Cub. But don't call Arias cute, since that 100 mph FB will come right at you, as batters in Class A have discovered.  Though 15 starts (A-/A+) Michael has compiled a strong 2.84 ERA, with 84 K's in 57.0 IP.

69. (↓) Curtis Mead      2B/3B   TBR   22.7  AAA  2023  (MLB #35/#27/#32 | Roto #32/#23/#14/#8/#10)

The one constant for Mead was that he always hit, no matter where -- Australia, the US, A, AA, AAA...And in 2022, that meant a .298 Avg, .922 OPS and a 142 wRC+ (#75 MiLB).  But then came the first part of 2023: .261 Avg, .777 OPS, 3 HRs, 111 AAA ABs. Now that said, Curtis was a train wreck in April, but took May and most of June off before rejoining Durham.  And, since then, he's been hitting the cover off: batting .375 (9th best in MiLB min, 80 ABs) with a 1.029 OPS bringing what was a .221 Avg up to .287 / .811 OPS. But the power hasn't been there this year (.170 ISO) and it seems that Mead has taken a step back (despite the recent hot streak). 

70. (↓) Cole Young    SS    SEA    20.0    A   2025  (MLB NR/#70/#56 | Roto #161/#136/#159/#49)

There's a lot to like in the 20 year old SEA 1st rounder (and Noelvi Marte replacement). Cole had no problem in Low A Modesto (in 2022) but the 2023 repeat didn't go as well (.267 Avg / .825 OPS but 54 BB's to 52 K's with 17 SBs). Still, we predicted a promotion to A+ and not long after (hours not days), Cole was promoted to Everett where he's gotten off to a great start: .333/1.088 OPS, 3 HRs, 3 SBs.  How about a deep stat here? Cole has the best wRC+ (134) among batters w/ at least 400 PAs

71. (New) Blake Dunn  OF   CIN  24.10    AA  2024 (MLB NR/CIN #30 | Roto NR)

Blake Dunn has been good, real good.  And its not just his having yet another great year, but the culmination of two great years from the former 15th rounder.  In 2022, across 127 Low A PAs, Blake hit .290 / .963 OPS with 4 HRs and 18 SBs, good for a 179 wRC+. in 2023, to follow that up, the bearded wonder dominated High A to the tune of .276 / .871 OPS, 8 HRs, 19 SBs (202 PAs) for a 151 wRC+. Not too bad, but Blake was a little old for A+ ball, so CIN promoted him to AA Chatanooga where, guess what? he also mashed: .381 Avg/ 1.020 OPS, 6 HRs, 23 Steals (201 PAs). Maybe "mash" isn't the right way to describe it and maybe its more like "wow, SPOW" as the 157 career wRC+, 8.2 Spd grade and .181 ISO have us excited about Blake in Lookout lineup (and hopefully soon in Louisville). And yes, we'll be the first to have Blake in any top 100!

72. (↑) Dillon Dingler   C     DET    24.10     AA  2024  (MLB NR/DET #14 | Roto NR)

Detroit's future backstop can really Ding it a long way: 14 in 2022 and now 12 so far in 2023 (in just 233 PA's). the K rate is a tad high at 27.0%  but when you have a .245 ISO and 150 wRC+, no one is going to worry!  

73. (New)  Chase Hampton RHP  NYY 21.11  AA 2025 (MLB NR/NYY#19 | Roto #79)

Chase dominated High A (2.68 ERA, 47 IP, 77 K's, 1.00 WHIP) to earn a promotion to AA where he's continued to strike out batters but has given up more hits and home runs per 9, pitching to a 4.54 ERA, 39.2 IP, 48 K's, 1.24 ERA.

74. (New) Richard Fitts  RHP  NYY   23.8  AA 2023  (MLB NR/NYY #8 | Roto #245)

Chase's teammate at Somerset has gotten better results (3.80 ERA, 106.2 IP, 118 K's) utilizing a plus FB and slider combination (with a change mixed in).

75. (↑) Landon Sims     RHP    AZ    22.6   ACL  2025  (MLB NR/AZ#6 | Roto #135/#156/#274)

Mississippi State product Landon Sims is another fireballer that also sports a heckuva slider. But, is he going to get a chance to be a starter in the minors? 8 games, 6 starts and just 9 IP thus far as AZ eases Landon into pro baseball with the ACL.

76. (New) Nolan Schanuel  1B/OF   LAA 21.5    AA  2024 (MLB ? | Roto #125)

You have to love what LAA is doing with its prospects (treating them like professional baseball players and not holding them back: Silseth, Bachman, Neto, Cabbage, and now Nolan Schanuel who the Angels cycled through the ACL, Low A and into AA.  Yeah, its been just 22 ABs, but those ABs have also resulted in 10 hits, 7 BBs and just 4 K's.  At this pace, the 6'4" Nolan could be the first 2023 draftee to debut in the bigs (a big debut by a big guy -- a double big debut?)!

77. (New) Jared Jones   SP   PIT     21.11   AAA  2023  (MLB NR/PIT #10 | Roto #64)

After breezing through AA (2.23 ERA/1.08 WHIP, 44.1 IP, 47 K's), Jared has stumbled a bit in AAA (5.08 ERA, 28.1 IP, 34 K's, 1.27 WHIP), but a pretty good start on July 7th (4.0 IP, 7 K's 1 ER). With 4 average or better pitches, including a FB that can hit 100 (or 99.9 as it did July 28th) and that sits 94-98, Jared has the starter repertoire that should suit him well in Pittsburg. But, everyone, including us, would like to see a few games with donuts in the ER column as Jared has given up runs in 9 straight games while averaging 5 IP across those 9 starts.

78. (↑) Brant Hurter   LHP   DET   24.10    AA    2023  (MLB NR/DET #20 | Roto NR)

Although his fastball isn't going to break any radar guns, Brant does a great job of mixing pitches (slider/change), staying around the plate and getting batters out (without many walks): 3.83 ERA, 82.1 IP, 97 K's, 22 BBs, 1.20 WHIP. Look for a promotion to AAA and then maybe, just maybe, a shot in DET this year.

79. (New) Jacob Burke OF  CHW  22.5  A+   2025  (MLB NR/CHW#28 | Roto #335)

Prepare to be amazed....An 11th round pick out of Miami, Jacob Burke has impressed us with his speed and power mix, not to mention his flat out, 100% to the max play, reminding us a bit of Joey Wiemer (albeit a shorter version at 6'1"). Across 253 A/A+ PAs thus far, Jacob has hit .326/.906 OPS with 4 HRs and 17 SBs and a 7.3 speed grade.

80. (↓)  Nathan Hickey  C    BOS   23.8   AA  2024   (MLB NR/BOS#15 | Roto NR/#307)

Hickey continues to put up solid numbers. In 2022 across A/A+ ball, it was a: .263 Avg, .937 OPS, 16 HRs, 62 RBIs (255 ABs, 63 BBs, 78 K's) for a surprisingly good wRC+ (155), 19th best in MiLB.  And in 2023 it was more of the same. After starting in A+ ball, Nathan advanced to AA, putting up similar numbers for an overall line of .289/.920 OPS, with 15, 2Bs, 15 HRs for  a 147 wRC+. When looking at wRC+, there's often one or two underlying categories that stand out, and for Hickey, in 2022 it was a 19.2% walk rate that drove a wOBA of .424. But in 2023, with "just" a 11.3% walk rate, it's been a .548 SLG% (46th best in MiLB, min 250 PAs) and a .259 ISO (44th best) to anchor a .406 wOBA. 

81. (↑) Termarr Johnson    2B   PIT   18.5   A   2025  (MLB#29/#22 | Roto #34/#21/#36)

The 4th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Termarr wowed scouts with his patience at the plate, great hit tool and surprising power (from a 5'7", though now reported as 5'9" frame).  At 18, he held his own in low A, batting .275 with 1 HR and 4 SBs over 40 ABs, but the repeat year hasn't gone as well (.254 Avg/ .736 OPS, 1 HRs, 1 SBs and a dismal 32 K's in just 71 ABs (35.5% K rate)

82. (↓) Tyler Soderstrom   C/1B   OAK  21.8   MLB    2023  (MLB#47/#39/#33 | Roto #44/#51/#57/#82)

A horrendous start to 2022 had the Tyler fanclub paddling to shore, but the ship righted itself as Tyler navigated through A+, AA and into AAA. On the year, Tyler hit .267 (.825 OPS) with 29 HRs and 105 RBIs but a relatively disappointing 26.1% K rate and perhaps an even more disappointing wRC+ of 116 (#418 MiLB). In 2023 in AAA, despite a hitter friendly park, Tyler posted below average numbers: 87 wRC+, .348 wOBA, .254 Avg, .838 OPS, 20 HRs, 84 K's in 304 PA's (27.6% K rate) (304 PAs). But what does a really bad Oakland team have to lose?  So welcome to the Bay Tyler S.

83. (↓) Harry Ford     C    SEA   20.5    A+    2025  (MLB #85/#65/#39/#25 | Roto #107/#56/#79/#89)

Ford is a highly touted athletic prospect that is Daulton Varsho 2.0 (the C/OF).  In 2022, Ford struggled at the start of low A ball in Modesto (.248 Avg, .784 OPS)​​ before turning a corner and finishing with a .274 Avg, .863 OPS, 11 HRs and 23 SBs.  Ford began 2023 hot in A+ Everett (where he got out to a decent .258/.840 OPS, 4 HRs/6 SBs with a 20.5% BB rate carrying him to a 134 wRC+) . But things have cooled a bit to a line of: .245 Avg/.797 OPS, 10 HRs, 16 SBs (124 wRC+). Although he's not exactly hitting his way to AA Arkansas, he'll make it there soon enough.   

84. (↑) Jackson Merrill     SS    SDP   20.3    AA   2025 (MLB#83/#16/#9 | Roto #140/#88/#20/#19)

2021 1st Rounder Jackson Merrill had a very good 2022, hitting .339 (.906 OPS) with 6 HRs and 11 SBs good for a wRC+ of 135 (#122 overall, tied with the likes of Jackson Chourio and just behind Francisco Alvarez). But 2023 began with some adversity: .223 Avg, .655 OPS in 103 PA's (84 wRC+). Merrill improved as the campaign went on, enough for SD to promote him to AA San Antonio where he's hit .295/.756, 1 HR, 2 SBs  for a 94 wRC.  Jackson is just 20 and MLB Pipeline is betting he improves on his career 115 wRC+.