Mercedes is that classic right fielder profile with power and speed and a strong arm. An above-average runner, Cowser covers plenty of ground in center field with long strides and solid closing speed. More patient than he was in previous years, Vientos is still tad too aggressive at the plate, specifically struggling with breaking balls which likely played a large part in the Mets reluctance to promote him. A Syracuse University grad, Aram hosts the "The Call Up" podcast centered around MLB prospects. On the base paths, PCA has already made his speed known, swiping 13 bags in his 38 Low-A games prior to his promotion. Rounding out Rodriguezs arsenal is an 89-91 mph cutter that he will mix in to get weak contact and provide a fourth speed for the hitter to worry about. Height/Weight: 64, 205|Bat/Throw: L/R|1st Round (22), 2021 (CWS)|ETA: 2023. He already flashed above average power to his pull side this season with a max exit velocity of 112 mph and has plenty more power in the tank. Jackson Holliday, the No. Hences second plus pitch is his his slurvy breaking ball in the low 80s. Good stuff and already solid command, Hence has big upside. Ruiz has an wide, athletic stance, really getting into his legs while starting with his hands already coiled. After operating more in the upper 80s with his slider last season, Brown tweaked the slider to sit in the low 90s with sharper bite. Low ground ball rates and above average exit velocities have helped Norby launch 28 homers this season, but for a guy with limited physical imposition, it is really impressive how he is able to leave the yard foul pole to foul pole. Once in the Royals farm system Cross continued to hit, slashing .312/.437/.633 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, and 4 stolen bases in 29 combined with rookie ball and A- Columbia. He will need to improve with recognizing spin, but he was just an 18-year-old in full season ball this year. He identifies spin well and punishes mistakes while lifting the ball as much as anyone in the minors which helps his offensive profile. Neto is a quick riser in the Angels organization and after playing 30 of his 37 games at AA would not surprise me if he starts the season for the AAA Salt Lake Bees. Casas has the classic look of a slugging first baseman capable of producing runs in bunches. Height/Weight: 61, 205|Bat/Throw: S/R|CBA Round (35) 2020 (COL)|ETA: 2024. Pfaadt impressively lands the pitch for a strike 72% of the time using it as his go-to out pitch against righties, but also has enough confidence with the pitch to back door and back leg lefties. Guardians cautious with Valera's wrist timetable While theres definitely some whiff in Walkers game at this point, he only struck out 21.6% of the time this season because of his ability to punish fastballs while rarely missing mistakes of any pitch type. Even with the bit of length, Pages makes plenty of contact and has a chance to be an average hitter with his plus game power as the calling card. The high velocity, riding fastball pairs with Rodriguezs screwball of a changeup at 83-85 mph to make hitters extremely uncomfortable. Height/Weight: 62, 195|Bat/Throw: L/R|1st Round (21), 2017 (BAL)|ETA: 2022. With our update of the Top 100 Prospects listnow with 2022 draft picks includedwe have a new No. The combination of long levers with a great feel to hit can lead to a lethal power/hit combination which Carter seems to be well on his way to developing. Even with quieting his pre-swing moves down, Lewis still produced big time exit velocities in his limited action including a max EV of 114 MPH and near elite 107.9 MPH 90th percentile EV. Westburg is quick to the ball which allows him to catch up to velocity and avoid cheating. The centerpiece in the Luis Castillo swap with the Mariners, Marte possesses immense offensive upside and continues to look more polished at the plate. He is currently a plus runner who utilizes long strides to cover tons of ground in the outfield along with a plus arm. Age: 19|Height/Weight: 510, 200|Bat/Throw: R/R|1st Round (12), 2021 (SEA)|ETA: 2024. For the top tier of prospects, I present their tools as 45/60 meaning . He has flashed the ability to drive the ball the other way with authority, but the front foot swings casting out and around the baseball have been more frequent. Mead has Always featured an extremely advanced swing for his age with proper sequencing that allows his lower half to work extremely well. The Yankees feel like they have their shortstop of the future and they have every reason to think so. Big body with long levers and tremendous strength throughout his frame, Casas deploys a small hovering leg kick that is very slow and controlled and allows him to maintain incredible balance throughout every swing. Height/Weight: 65, 220|Bat/Throw: R/R|4th Round (121), 2020 (MIL)|ETA: 2023. Defensively, Crow-Armstrong has a chance to be aGold Gloverin center field. Built-in deception, good stuff and consistently improving command have his stock quickly rising. As he gets more experienced on the base paths, Chourio should easily be able to steal 20+ bags per season. Id be lying to you if I said I expected above average exit velocities from Merrill in year one, however his max exit velocity of 110 mph and 90th percentile EV of 104 mph with still plenty of room to fill out has Merrill looking like he could tap into even more juice. Already looking like one of the biggest position player steals of the 2020 MLB Draft, Wiemer has enjoyed a spectacular first two professional seasons, launching 48 homers while stealing 61 bases in 232 games. The pitch sits in the upper 80s, occasionally touching 90 MPH. Manzardo has a patient approach, rarely chasing and leverages his hitters counts well. Pfaadt commands his fastball east/west and north/south, helping the above average pitch play up and set up his assortment of secondaries. While power will never be a part of Frelicks game, he can hit the ball with some authority to his pull side when he gets the right pitch. A great athlete, Cowsers lower half adjustability and impressive feel for the barrel help him put good swings on tough pitches and use the whole field. After showing flashes of his ability at the complex last year, Wood made some small tweaks to get his lower half more involved and has started to tap into his elite raw power. Its easy to see big time upside with Green offensively and given how hard he hits the baseball, there is big power potential. Ahead of his years in the maturity department at the plate, Volpe commands his at bats with comfort and rarely chases. The tall slugger has no problem with plate coverage, crushing pitches middle away. Theres probably even more room for strength with the 19-year-old which is absurd considering the fact that he has already hit a ball 114 mph this year and boasts a 90th percentile exit velocity of 110 mph. As Herrera gains confidence in his ability to drive the ball all over the field, his offensive consistency should continue to improve as it is a much tougher game when you are trying to catch everything out in front of home plate. An above average runner who uses his long strides to cover ground quickly, Wiemer is fast enough to play all three outfield spots, but projects better at a corner where his 80 grade arm will shine. It seemed that the Mets werent even sure of how much upside their 2020 first round pick had given their willingness to part with him for a few months of Javier Bez. Here is a quick overview on the 20-80 scale used extensively throughout the list and standard across the baseball industry. Pool B (Tokyo, Japan) Japan. Chourios load is simple, picking his heel up while focusing on shifting his weight onto his back side. Regardless of where he ends up on the defensive side of things, Soderstoms bat will be his ticket to becoming an above average big league regular. His jumps and instincts are already impressive along with an above average arm. Halls command of the heater is fringe average with a tendency to miss arm-side due to the heavy run he produces when he flies open too early. Height/Weight: 64, 210|Bat/Throw: L/R|2nd Round (45), 2020 (CHC)|ETA: 2024. The combination of power, speed, and a decent feel to hit gives him a potentially special skillset. 23 The San Diego Padres have hit just 79 home runs as a team, second-fewest among NL clubs. Caissie has not totally tapped into his big raw power in games due to his struggles to lower half inconsistencies. Perezs changeup gives him a third plus offering, also working off of his fastball really well to lefties. Opponents hit just .167 against the pitch this season and it is sharp enough to be a weapon against both lefties and righties. Munetaka Murakami - 3B - Yakult Swallows (NPB) The single season home run king of the NPB at just 22 years old, Murakami broke Sadaharu Oh's long standing benchmark of 56 home runs with a 57th blast in the final game of the season last year. The Twins took Lee 8th overall and sent the 22-year-old to rookie complex to make his pro debut. Height/Weight: 64, 190|Bat/Throw: L/R|1st Round (9), 2020|ETA: 2024. With the added power has come a bit more whiff than expected, but Cowser hedges that with a great approach. Though his track record was limited, the Guardians saw too much upside to pass on at pick No. Turang will always be a hit over power guy, but with fringe average power, a well-above average hit tool and a knack for getting on base, the former first rounder has a good chance to be a consistently above average hitter. Peraza shook off a slow start in Triple-A, mashing from June onwards before earning an audition in the Bronx as a September call up. A really physical 6-foot-2, 205 pound right-hander, Espino uses his body really well and has clean mechanics. The 21-year-old has all of the physical goods and the instincts to be a big league average shortstop now, but also offers the ability to move all over the infield. A slightly open stance with a rhythmic leg kick, Aranda has some of the best bat to ball skills in the minors. Chourio has wasted no time getting acclimated to baseball stateside. The top 20 players for each organization, plus other notables, the 2022 impact, and the risers and fallers. The right-hander has extreme confidence in the offering, using it in any count and locating it well. Still, the switch-hitters right-handed swing is not too far off and the uneven at-bats could likely play a part in one side being ahead of the other this early in his career. Most importantly, Miller set a career-high for innings pitched at any level, tossing 109.2 frames while maintaining his high-end stuff late into the season and late in games. I mean, how many switch-hitting catchers who can also play the infield and outfield have we seen? Romo is already an advanced defender with a plus arm and earns high marks for the way he commands a game. McLain has as simple of a swing and set up as youre going to find. Height/Weight: 63, 200|Bat/Throw: R/R|2nd Round (55), 2018 (TEX)|ETA: 2023. Age: 22|Height/Weight: 63, 210|Bat/Throw: L/R|1st Round (12) 2019 (NYM)|ETA: 2023. Height/Weight: 511, 180|Bat/Throw: R/R|2nd Round (54), 2020 (STL)|ETA: 2023. There was no doubt that PCA would be a solid, high floor prospect thanks to his elite defensive potential and speed as a left handed-hitting center fielder. The added strength/weight has slowed Lee down a tick and his range is limited. Its a delicate balance for Frelick, who does hit the ball on the ground a lot (51% GB rate), but also racks up so many hits by slapping the ball on the ground and using his wheels. As for Jackson, we can only hope his rise through the minor leagues will be as fast as Witt Jr., ushering an exciting wave of young talent. White has an assortment of secondaries he is comfortable going to off of his fastball, but his slider is the best of the bunch. While he may not have the superstar upside of Elly De La Cruz or Noelvi Marte, McLain has a really good chance to be an above-average regular at the shortstop positionor anywhere else the Reds want to stick himas a flat out gamer who can set the tone for your lineup. Generally, these loud moves would be of concern in regards to disrupting timing and consistency, but Johnson is quick and compact with explosive bat speed. Improved feel for his changeup and overall command could have Abel trending closer to a front line starter. Great contact skills and developing power with a projectable/athletic frame give Cowser an exciting combination of a solid floor and intriguing upside. Viewed as one of the best pure prep hitters in years, Johnsons bat has a chance to be special, but as an average running second baseman, theres a lot of pressure on that bat. Solid reads and instincts along with an above average arm give him a great chance to stick in center, but if he moves to a corner he could profile as a fringe plus defender. At its best, the curve should be a plus swing-and-miss pitch to both lefties and righties thanks to its vertical break. Height/Weight: 60, 180|Bat/Throw: L/R|IFA: $1.3M (2017) CLE|ETA: 2023. Injuries and 2020s cancelled season have limited Casas to just 284 Minor League games since being drafted in the first round of 2018s draft. He has improved a bit with his approach this season, cutting his chase rate by 4% and walking at the highest clip of his career (9.3%). Jones relied on his natural ability and advanced approach to rake at the amateur level and has the skill set to be an above average hitter with solid power. The 22-year-old has added some strength over the years and has worked with the Dodgers to translate his high contact rate and impressive bat speed into more game power. He should almost surely stick behind home plate and could be an average defender or slightly better at the highest level. The change sits in the mid 80s with roughly 18 inches of arm side fade. . Like many young hitters, the high fastball has been an area of temptation that he has succumbed to, though I expect the talented hitter to quell his aggressiveness against better pitching in High-A. Height/Weight: 63, 205|Bat/Throw: R/R|IFA: $300K, 2017 (LAD)|ETA: 2022. Ford has the offensive skillset to put up 20/20 seasons while being an OBP machine. An average runner, Vargas has averaged around 10-12 stolen bases per season, but surprisingly swiped 17 bags on 22 tries year. Not only is the newly-turned 20-year-old already producing in the Minors, but he has big upside. That said, his defensive ability, relatively advanced bat and dynamic speed give him a high floor at shortstop. Lewis eliminated his dramatic leg kick, which often threw his timing off as well as his balance in favor of a toe tap to simplify things while letting his natural bat speed and athleticism produce the power. March 1, 2023.