Live Looks: High-A Spokane Indians at Everett AquaSox

This week marked the final week in the 2024 regular season for Advanced A-ball. As such, it was my last chance to catch a couple of high-profile prospects in Everett. With the Indians in town, that gave me a chance to see the 2024 third-overall pick, Charlie Condon. Also in the mix were Colt Emerson, Cole Carrigg, and Michael Arroyo. The AquaSox got out to an early 3-0 lead by the top of the fifth inning, but Spokane stormed back. A foul-tip non-call plated a run in what turned into a three-run inning for the Indians. From there, they never looked back. Spokane scored again in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings en route to an 8-4 victory over Everett. Notable prospects playing for the Indians included Charlie Condon (Rockies no. 1), Cole Carrigg (Rockies no. 7), Dyan Jorge (Rockies no. 15), and Kyle Karros (Rockies no. 18). LHP Welinton Herrera also made an appearance. He’s unranked but was featured in our underrated National League prospects earlier this month.

For the AquaSox, top prospects in this one included Colt Emerson (Mariners no. 1), Lazaro Montes (Mariners no. 3), Michael Arroyo (Mariners no. 12), and Jared Sundstrom (Mariners no. 30). It was a prospect-heavy matchup with plenty of takeaways to be found.

OF Charlie Condon (Rockies no. 1): 0/4, BB

It’s been far from smooth sailing for this year’s third-overall pick. None of that changed in the season’s final week, or in the game I attended on Wednesday. Condon failed to make any real hard contact on the night. Even the contact he made was stock full of pop-ups and weak foul balls. At one point, he entered the game with the bases loaded and one out. It was a key, clutch situation that saw Condon ground into an inning ending double play. Condon was visually frustrated most of the night, and it’s clear that he’s beginning to press a bit too much at the plate. An offseason will do him well. After the double-play groundout, Condon slammed his helmet to the dirt just past first base. Following a pop out to the catcher in another at-bat, Condon stood at the plate for an extra moment in clear frustration.

Much of Condon’s struggles at the plate looked to stem from a lack of confidence. On numerous occasions early, Condon would check his swing on hittable pitches. It seemed as if he was having a hard time with pitch recognition. More often, he’s simply swinging for elevation too much. Condon’s swing path could be straighter to the baseball. Instead, on his groundouts, Condon would swing upward and ahead of the pitch. It’s a poor swing plane that simply isn’t working right now. An offseason adjustment and some time off would suit the Rockies’ top prospect well. The talent is still clear for next season and beyond.

SS Colt Emerson (Mariners no. 1): 1/4, BB

Emerson has had a slow start since moving up to High-A earlier this season. Despite those struggles, he looks the part. Emerson has posted an excellent 83.8% zone contact rate with the AquaSox. His 19.4% whiff rate is among the best in the league and he rarely chases at just 17.4%. All of those things point to much better things to come from Emerson. In his lone hit on the night, Emerson got around quickly on a hittable pitch, lining a grounder into the outfield for a hit. His swing path is excellent and great bat speed really shines. Emerson passes the eye test on the diamond as well. His movement at shortstop is fluid with great footwork and a strong arm. The arm is accurate as well. He very well might grow into a third base profile, but he has the makings of an All-Star shortstop if he sticks there.

OF Cole Carrigg (Rockies no. 7): 1/4, HR, BB, 2 RBI

Carrigg had one of the best swings of the night. In the top of the eighth, Carrigg connected on a breaking ball, lifting it deep to right-center for a home run. His swing looks long at times, but his bat speed more than makes up for that. He put together a quality plate appearance every time he went to the plate in this one. Defensively, there weren’t many opportunities for Carrigg’s elite arm to factor in. He looked good in the field when given the chance to make a play and has the makings of a good big league center fielder. Despite the home run, Carrigg’s hit tool remains ahead of his power at this stage and should be good enough to carry the offensive profile. He also stole two bags on the night to help keep the runs coming for the Indians. That speed and defense provide an excellent floor for Carrigg as he continues to develop.

OF Lazaro Montes (Mariners no. 3): 0/5, SO

It was a difficult night at the plate for Montes. Beyond just the results, he simply didn’t put together many solid plate appearances. He worked the count in his first at-bat, eventually grounding out. His next two at-bats were balls in play for an out, swinging at the first pitch. He followed those two up with a three-pitch strikeout swinging. Montes was the final out of the game in his fifth plate appearance of the night, grounding out on — you guessed it — the very first pitch he saw. That makes five plate appearances for Montes and a grand total of 12 pitches seen. Six of those came in his first at-bat of the game. The outstanding raw power is evident at times, but the current focus on Montes has to be better pitch recognition and plate discipline. His whiff rate has ballooned to 35.3% with the AquaSox and he’s struggling to make contact. Until those things change, Montes may potentially offer a 30-grade hit tool that’ll make it difficult to get to his immense raw power.

2b Michael Arroyo (Mariners no. 12): 0/4, K

Michael Arroyo was uber-aggressive at the plate as well, much like Montes. He swung at the first pitch he saw to open the game with a quick groundout. Arroyo was able to get on base by hit-by-pitch in his next appearance but was picked off on the basepaths between second and third. His next plate appearance was a groundout on the second pitch. Arroyo’s final two at-bats of the evening featured a flyout on the first pitch, followed by a four-pitch strikeout. The season stat line for Arroyo has been great so far and he makes a lot of contact at the plate. Unfortunately, on nights like this one, that doesn’t always result in good contact. There’s a solid hit tool with Arroyo, but it’s unlikely he’ll add much power, and both fundamentally and defensively it can be rough. Arroyo committed one error and accompanied that with a handful of errant throws. He did make one excellent diving stop at one point, but the arm is difficult to trust at this point in his development.

3B Kyle Karros (Rockies no. 18): 2/4, RBI, BB

Cole Carrigg had the most standout performance of the game, but Kyle Karros wasn’t terribly far behind. He manned the hot corner and notched two hits. He got on base three times with sound swing mechanics. Karros put together quite a few gritty plate appearances. He has a great approach at the plate and regularly works a count well. He saw an average of seven pitches per plate appearance in this one. In the field, Karros also made an excellent diving stop with a strong throw to first to beat the runner. Long-term, it doesn’t appear that Karros offers the power profile needed to stick at third base. His hit tool should be at least average, and he has a strong enough arm to move to a corner outfield spot where his lack of power may be more suitable.

One Underrated Prospect from Every National League Organization

There are just a handful of weeks remaining in the 2024 minor league season. Every team has added draft picks and potentially even trade deadline acquisitions to their system. Every organization has the “usual suspects” in the farm system that fans of the team have come to know. They follow these players because they’re covered in detail by the media and fans alike. Beyond those top prospects, however, is often where next year’s top prospects tend to start out. Take 2023 for example, when Royals prospects Austin Charles and Javier Vaz were relatively unknown prospects. A year later, each is a consensus top prospect in that system.

The fun in minor league baseball isn’t just following the top names that everyone else tells you to keep tabs on. More fun comes from finding those diamonds in the rough players. Not every prospect is going to be an ace or MVP, but there are plenty of Whit Merrifield-esque prospects out there who can come from nowhere to really shine in the Major Leagues. The Royals fan in me will stop throwing in references to Kansas City now, but here’s a look at one underrated prospect from every organization in the National League.

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies - LHP Mavis Graves

Graves was a sixth-round selection by Philadelphia back in 2022. He was a projectable lefty at the time but struggled to a 7.68 ERA in his Complex League sample last season. Those fortunes turned around (and then some) in 2024, and Graves looks like one of the best young pitching prospects in the organization. Much of that comes behind elite strikeout numbers. Graves has 18 appearances under his belt this season — 16 starts — with a 31.8% strikeout rate. He’s limited the walks well enough, en route to a 22.0% K-BB%. The arsenal is outstanding, featuring a five-pitch mix. Graves throws a four-seamer, cutter, slider, changeup, and sinker. He’s still just 20 years old but spins the ball extremely well, sitting in the low 90s for velocity. That velocity should trend upward some, and once it does, his elite whiff rate will only get that much better. He offers frontline starter upside, with a more likely mid-rotation projection.

Atlanta Braves - RHP Patrick Halligan

A 13th-round pick by the Royals in 2021, it’s taken Halligan some time to get going as a professional. He was a JuCo product at the time and struggled until Kansas City released him in March 2023. Since joining the Braves system, it’s been much different for Halligan. In seven appearances for Double-A Rome in 2023, Halligan posted a 31.4% strikeout rate. That jumped to 34.7% in 33 relief appearances this season. Not only that, but Halligan limits walks well also. His K-BB% finished at 26.3% by the time he was promoted to Triple-A this summer. He throws with a high release point, leaning heavily on movement and deception instead of velocity. Halligan’s four-seamer averages just 92 mph. He pairs it with two potentially above-average pitches, in a slider and a splitter. Halligan has posted a 50.0% Whiff% with the splitter since moving up to Triple-A but will need to find ways to miss more bats with his slider to find lasting success at the upper levels.

New York Mets - RHP Jose Guevara

The Mets signed Guevara in September out of Paraguatan, Venezuela. The 19-year-old has a typical 6-1 frame and has flashed impressive strikeout stuff in just his first professional season. He combined for a perfect game back on June 17 and owns a SO/9 north of ten in the DSL so far. In 44 innings of work, Guevara has 52 strikeouts while surrendering just 12 walks. All that has combined for a solid 1.64 ERA. He’s yet to allow a home run either. He will likely get a chance to test the Complex League in 2025 where we will get more eyes on his stuff and how well it might play in the affiliated ranks.

Washington Nationals - RHP Carlos Romero

Carlos Romero has flown through the system in 2024 and could be in the big leagues to open the 2025 season. Romero debuted in 2024 with High-A Wilmington. He then made 16 appearances with Double-A Harrisburg before making his way to Triple-A Rochester to wrap up the season. Perhaps more impressive than his quick rise through the system has been his success at each level. It culminated in a 2.05 ERA between all three levels with 61 strikeouts in 52.2 IP. Romero is an imposing figure on the mound. His 6-6 frame helps him to generate excellent extension, making his stuff play up despite low velocity. He averages just 92 mph on his four-seam fastball and sinker. He pairs those two offerings with an excellent 60-grade changeup, an above-average slider, and a curveball. The slider has generated a 42.9% whiff rate so far at Triple-A. His changeup averages 86 mph and generates excellent chase rates. It’s a traditional three-quarter release point, but Romero throws with whippy arm action on the release to generate movement in his arsenal.

Miami Marlins - RHP Eliazar Dishmey

Dishmey won’t stand out to many if you simply peruse the stats page on FanGraphs. He reached affiliated ball for the first time this season, making 15 appearances for Low-A Jupiter. In 59.1 innings of work, he’s mustered a 5.31 ERA and allowed six home runs. It’s clear that the 19-year-old has some work to do, but the pure stuff in his arsenal offers an excellent foundation to do so. Dishmey was the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week twice this season — the first Marlin minor leaguer to accomplish that feat since Eury Pérez did so in 2022. He throws a five-pitch mix, featuring a four-seamer, sinker, curveball, slider, and changeup. He averages 94 mph on his heater, with room to add there at just 19 years old. He spins the baseball well, averaging north of 2300 rpm with both fastballs. Mix all that with above-average extension and Dishmey generates above-average whiff rates. There’s a lot to love in the profile, with the potential for two plus fastballs. With an offseason to continue refining the arsenal, Dishmey could level up his breaking ball to really move up the prospect rankings quickly.

National League Central

Milwaukee Brewers - SS/3B Jesus Made

A 17-year-old switch-hitting infielder with a .223 ISO? Sign me up. Made made his professional debut this season after signing with the Brewers last winter. He’s been among the best hitters in the entire DSL in 2024, slashing .331/.458/.554. Made has 21 extra-base hits, 39 walks, and 28 strikeouts. It’s an impressive blend of discipline at the plate, power when making contact, and an ability to limit strikeouts. To top it all off, Made also has 28 steals in 51 games. It’s still just the DSL, but Made is quickly putting himself on the map as a true prospect. He entered August with a 104 mph 90th-percentile Exit Velocity and a 44% hard-hit rate. His swing is fluid and impressive, taking the baseball to all fields with authority. At just 17 years old, he’s a name to watch, not just for Milwaukee, but the entire minor leagues.

Chicago Cubs - RHP Juan Bello

Bello signed with Chicago out of Cartagena, Colombia back in 2022. He’s pitched at a level each season since, making the Complex League last season and spending all of 2024 with Myrtle Beach. Now 20 years old, Bello has made 21 starts with Low-A Myrtle Beach so far pitching to a 3.42 FIP. His 25.1% strikeout rate isn’t all that impressive alone, but he’s paired it with a low walk rate (7.8%) and a low average against (.229). He leans heavily on a fastball/curveball combination, but also mixes in a changeup sparingly. Bello mixes in some Johnny Cueto-esque hesitation in his delivery at times. He throws from a high-three-quarter release point and has good carry on his fastball. The curveball is Bello’s best pitch, offering great 1-7 movement with whip out of the hand. It’s a great foundational profile that still needs a bit more refinement.

St Louis Cardinals - RHP Luis Gastelum

It took an offseason and a second stint at Low-A, but Gastelum has really leveled up his stuff so far in 2024. He made his debut in 2023 with Palm Beach striking out just 14.0% of batters. He rarely walks batters but needed more strikeout stuff than that. The strikeout stuff arrived in 2024, resulting in a 28.9% K-BB%. Although his velocity still averages 92mph at best, Gastelum throws three above-average pitches with a potentially plus changeup leading the way. He generates great extension, spinning the ball extremely well and generating elite whiff rates. His changeup especially excels there, with a 56.8% Whiff% this season, but his Sinker has reached 20.4% in that regard as well. It’s currently a four-pitch mix, also featuring a four-seam fastball and a slider. Gastelum’s slider has a solid profile, but he misses the zone with it far too much currently to really take advantage. If there’s a knock on Gastelum, it’s age. He’s already 22 years old after getting a late start to his career. The stuff has traits to play in the upper levels, but he’ll need to shoot through the system in 2025 to maintain true prospect status.

Cincinnati Reds - RHP Anyer Laureano

Unfortunately, injury has sidelined Laureano on the back end of 2024, but not before he put together a solid Low-A Debut. He made 29 appearances with Daytona, striking out 81 batters in just 54.0 innings of work. That’s an impressive 35.5% strikeout rate, helping him to overcome a rather high walk rate. The result was a 3.00 ERA, with a 4.01 FIP that better represents his command issues. Laureano has an electric arsenal, led by an upper 90s fastball. His four-seamer averages 96.6 mph, spun at more than 2600 rpm on average. He pairs that with a cutter, slider, and changeup. It all comes together in a 47.9% whiff rate this season. All four pitches feature elite whiff rates and the four-seamer and slider alone have the stuff to make Laureano a high-leverage back-end bullpen prospect.

Pittsburgh Pirates - LHP Inmer Lobo

Inmer Lobo signed with the Red Sox back in 2022 out of Venezuela. He made his way rather quickly to the Pirates organization in November 2022. He was traded by Boston in exchange for infielder Hoy Park and has continued to pitch to impressive results ever since. Lobo, still just 20 years old, made his way to Low-A for the first time this season. Now 15 starts into his season, he’s pitched to a 1.65 ERA. Although his strikeout rate has dipped noticeably, there’s still a lot of potential to like in the profile. Lobo struck out 39.6% of batters in the Complex League to open 2024, but that mark dipped to 24.2% in his sample in A ball. His arsenal features a fastball, changeup, and slider. The fastball averages just 87.1 mph, but there’s hope he can add there as he continues to fill out his frame. Despite the low velocity, the pitch has a near-elite 19.3 inches of induced vertical break (iVB), making it quite a bit more effective than you’d expect. All three of his pitches generate healthy whiff rates, with his slider and changeup both sitting above 30%. It’s projection here more than anything, but there’s a sound foundation should the velocity start to tick upward.

National League west

Los Angeles Dodgers - RHP Jose Rodriguez

After signing with the Dodgers as a 19-year-old in 2019, Rodriguez didn’t pitch officially for the organization until 2021. The Oaxaca, Mexico native debuted with mixed results, and those up-and-down trends have continued throughout his minor league career thus far. Now in his fourth professional season, Rodriguez has finally made his way to Advanced-A ball and continues to rack up strikeouts at an elite rate. Much of that stems from an 88th percentile whiff rate (36.5%). In all, he’s struck out 121 batters in just 84.2 IP between A and High-A this season. He throws a fastball, changeup, and slider. The changeup sits in the mid-80s with solid fading action, and the slider is a potentially plus pitch in the 86-88mph range. Rodriguez throws his fastball in the mid-90s and the pitch plays up nicely thanks to some deception in his delivery. He has hip-twist mechanics, turning his back fully to the batter’s box before showing the baseball at the last moment in his delivery. There’s some late-inning reliever upside, but more likely he profiles as a solid bullpen piece that provides middle-innings relief.

Arizona Diamondbacks - OF Angel Ortiz

Outfielder Angel Ortiz signed with Arizona out of the Dominican Republic back in July 2019. Between the canceled 2020 season and an injury last season, Ortiz has only just now reached 86 games played in Low-A. Ortiz landed on the injured list in March 2023 and went on to miss the full season. Now, into 2024, he’s spent all but two games this season with the Visalia Rawhide. In 83 games, he’s slashed .303/.385/.466, limiting his strikeout totals nicely while walking around ten percent. Ortiz swings with a fairly compact operation which helps him take the ball to all fields. At still just 21 years old, time remains for Ortiz to cement himself as a notable prospect within the organization. The ceiling isn’t sky-high, as his 6-0 frame doesn’t leave much projection for more power, but it’s an intriguing profile nonetheless.

San Diego Padres - 1B Romeo Sanabria

An 18th-round first baseman doesn’t seem like a demographic that rarely turns in notable prospects. That may just be the case for Sanabria, who’s shot through the Padres system with authority this summer. After starting the season with 59 games for Low-A Elsinore, Sanabria made a pit stop in Fort Wayne. From there, he has finished his season with Double-A San Antonio. The sample in 22 games has been solid so far. He’s slashed .338/.441/.405 with the Missions. Unfortunately, that success has come with a serious drop in power. After posting a .183 ISO at Low-A, he’s been much lower at .068 since moving to Double-A. As a first base prospect, the Padres will need more power than that. However, Sanabria’s 6-3, 200-pound frame certainly offers the potential for more. He’s 22 years old at Double-A, sporting an excellent 20.6% chase rate alongside an 82.1% zone contact rate. It’s a razor-thin profile heavily dependent on more power, but worth monitoring regardless.

San Francisco Giants - LHP Dylan Carmouche

Carmouche was a 15th-round selection by San Francisco in last year’s Amateur Draft. He showcased strikeout potential in the college ranks, but that didn’t quite show itself in his professional debut this season. Carmouche struck out 24.0% of batters with Low-A San Jose, sporting a sound 2.74 ERA. That showing earned Carmouche a mid-season promotion and he’s posted a 29.0% strikeout rate with High-A Eugene. He throws from a high over-hand release point. The pitch mix features a fastball, curveball, and changeup. All three pitches offer swing-and-miss upside, but the changeup is the true lead offering within Carmouche’s arsenal. It offers excellent fading action and works well off of his 12-6 curveball.

Colorado Rockies - LHP Welinton Herrera

The Rockies scouted Herrera in the Dominican Republic at just 15 years old. He signed with the organization a year later at age 16. Now 20 years old, Herrera made a full-season debut, splitting the year between both levels of A Ball. The immediate returns for Low-A Fresno were absurd. Herrera made 23 appearances for Fresno this season, striking out 62 batters in just 34.0 innings of work. The math on that shakes out to an asinine 44.6% strikeout rate. Part of that success lies in a very low three-quarter arm slot. He pairs that low arm slot with an upper-90s heater that flies past bats up in the strikezone. He also mixes in a mid-80s slider but leans heavily on the fastball. And why not? Between the velocity, arm slot, and vertical break, the pitch is nearly impossible for hitters to do damage on. He’s allowed just three home runs as a professional, dating back to his first season in the Dominican Summer League. The results have dipped some since a mid-season promotion to High-A Spokane, but the fastball provides an excellent foundation for a future back-end bullpen piece.

One Underrated Prospect from Every American League Organization

There are just a handful of weeks remaining in the 2024 minor league season. Every team has added draft picks and potentially even trade deadline acquisitions to their system. Every organization has the “usual suspects” in the farm system that fans of the team have come to know. They follow these players because they’re covered in detail by the media and fans alike. Beyond those top prospects, however, is often where next year’s top prospects tend to start out. Take 2023 for example, when Royals prospects Austin Charles and Javier Vaz were relatively unknown prospects. A year later, each is a consensus top prospect in that system.

The fun in minor league baseball isn’t just following the top names that everyone else tells you to keep tabs on. More fun comes from finding those diamonds in the rough players. Not every prospect is going to be an ace or MVP, but there are plenty of Whit Merrifield-esque prospects out there who can come from nowhere to really shine in the Major Leagues. The Royals fan in me will stop throwing in references to Kansas City now, but here’s a look at one underrated prospect from every organization in the American League.

American League East

Boston Red Sox - RHP Jedixson Paez

Paez is a 20-year-old RHP from Tinaquillo, Venezuela. He was named the organization’s 2021 Latin Program Pitcher of the Year and has been dominant this season for High-A Greenville. He throws a sinker, changeup, and a good sweeping slider. Paez locates all three pitches for strikes. He generates healthy whiff rates, especially on his changeup. His 31.5% strikeout rate at High-A this season ranks 87th percentile. Much of that comes from a 78th percentile whiff rate (33.5%) and excellent command. Paez has a walk rate under four percent and has maintained that throughout his professional career thus far. At still just 20 years old, there’s hope that Paez’s low-90s heater can continue to add velocity, giving him an even higher ceiling as a starter. He’s an intriguing name with plenty of upside left to uncover.

New York Yankees - RHP Luis Serna

It’s much easier to see Serna’s 6.07 ERA this season and discount him as a non-prospect. Looking closer, the story isn’t quite the same. He throws a low-90s fastball, a curveball, and a vicious changeup that hitters struggle to square up. He’s put together above-average marks this season for whiff rate, CSW%, and K-BB%. Although hitters tend to get their share of hits off of Serna — he’s allowed opposing hitters to hit .250 against him this season — he commands the zone well and misses a healthy amount of bats. The result is a sub-4.00 FIP that better shows what he’s done on the mound this season. 82 strikeouts and 24 walks in less than 70 innings of work is nothing to shrug at. He’s a young arm with excellent pitchability that could skyrocket up the system in 2025 and beyond.

Toronto Blue jays - of Victor arias

Arias is a 20-year-old outfielder who spent most of this season with Low-A Dunedin. He generates loud exit velocity despite his smaller 5-9 frame. He’s maxed out at 113 mph this season, sitting at 104.5 mph 90th percentile EV. There’s more than enough swing-and-miss in his game, but despite that, he does a solid job limiting strikeout totals. In 76 games for Low-A Dunedin this season, Arias slashed .279/.386/.454 with a .175 ISO. Defensively, he’s split time between left and center, but probably shifts to a corner full time as he continues to fill out his frame. The swing is electric but gets a bit long at times. As long as he continues to generate in-zone contact rates around 80% as he’s done this season, there’s a lot to love in his overall profile.

Tampa Bay Rays - RHP Ty Johnson

Ty Johnson joined the Rays system at this year’s deadline in the Isaac Paredes deal. His velocity has seen a steady increase since being drafted in 2023 by Chicago. Now post-trade, that velocity uptick has continued further. Johnson has worked his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch was already above average at 93-95 mph due to excellent spin rates and extension. The pitch jumps out of the hand with a sharp arm side whip giving way to excellent carry up in the strike zone. He’s a swing-and-miss darling, posting a 37.3% (92nd percentile) whiff rate so far this season at High-A. It’s a much smaller sample, but since joining the Rays system, Johnson has struck out 16 batters in just 9.2 innings of work. He seems like an excellent fit for the organization and the needle continues to point straight up for his future.

Baltimore orioles - RHP Kevin Velasco

As much firepower as the Orioles have had in their farm system of late, it seems easier than anywhere else for names to slide under the radar. Kevin Velasco signed with the organization out of Venezuela in 2023 and has looked electric in 2024. He’s 18 years old and should get a chance to pitch stateside for the first time in 2025. So far this season in the Dominican Summer League, Velasco has struck out 52 batters in 40.0 IP. He’s walked just ten in that span, pitching to an impressive 1.13 ERA. Perhaps even more impressive than the command of the strikezone has been his ability to limit hard contact. Velasco hasn’t allowed a home run all season while peppering the strikezone consistently. 

American League Central

Kansas City Royals - RHP Steven Zobac

Steven Zobac is already rising quickly out there, so it may be a bit late to truly include him as an “under-the-radar” type of prospect. Regardless, I’ll include him anyway. Zobac, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has moved quickly through the system this season. Since arriving at Double-A earlier this season, he owns a 35.8% strikeout rate and a 31.3% K-BB%. He’s dominant with the fastball. The pitch sits in the mid-90s, operating mostly in the 93-95mph range. He spins the ball well, commands it on the black consistently, and misses bats at elite levels. His 35.6% whiff rate at the level ranks 90th percentile this season. He rounds out the pitch mix with a slider and changeup. The slider can sometimes be good, but inconsistent shape limits it sometimes. Despite that, the margin for error is rather wide due to how exceptional the fastball has been.

Cleveland Guardians - LHP Matt Wilkinson

The Guardians selected Matt Wilkinson in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He signed for just $110,000 after spending much of his college career at Central Arizona Community College. Wilkinson made just one official appearance in 2023, striking out the side in one inning of work. The 21-year-old debuted in 2024 in A Ball, quickly moving his way up to High-A Lake County. Since the promotion, Wilkinson has made 13 starts. He’s struck out an impressive 33.9% of batters. “Tugboat” as he’s known, throws a low-90s fastball, an excellent sweeping slider, and a good changeup with arm-side fading action. His arm slot is deceptive, coming in as a low three-quarter operation that helps his stuff play up more than one might expect. Even in the low-90s, his fastball offers deception and good life up in the strikezone, helping the pitch to miss bats.

Detroit Tigers - SS Ronald Ramirez

The Tigers signed Ramirez back in January out of the Dominican Republic. The 17-year-old has shined in his first professional season. This year in the Dominican Summer League, he’s played a mixture of shortstop and second base, spending most of his time in the hole. He’s slashed .353/.459/.441 with a 17.1% strikeout rate. It’s a smaller 5-10 frame that could limit the power upside long-term, but the mixture of contact skills and a sound approach at the plate make Ramirez an intriguing young prospect. He’s still just 17 years old. Defensively, it’s more of a work in progress. His footwork can be inconsistent, throwing off his infield timing. Should he move to second base, more power output may be needed to truly carry the profile.

Minnesota Twins - OF Eduardo Beltre

Beltre is another 17-year-old prospect playing in the Dominican Summer League this season. Beltre was a top 50 international prospect in the most recent signing period. He received the 25th-largest signing bonus in the class and has shown up early in a big way for the Twins. He’s still listed at 5-11, 175 by FanGraphs but should continue to grow and develop into a larger frame. Even without that, his power output has been off the charts. He slashed .326/.453/.618 with an outrageous .292 ISO in the Dominican this summer. Beltre strikes out enough to make note (23.8%) but walks more than 15% of the time as well. He’s a prospect worth monitoring and could quickly become one of the best young prospects in the Minnesota farm system. It’s a level swing that generates excellent lift, especially to the pull side.

Chicago White Sox - RHP Yhoiker Fajardo

Fajardo has been a standout 17-year-old arm in the DSL this season. He throws primarily a two-pitch fastball/slider combination. The fastball has touched the mid-90s and the slider sits more in the low-80s with late bite. It’s a raw profile, but Fajardo already touches the mid-90s and should be able to add a tick or two more to that as he fills out his 6-3 frame. The two-pitch mix has generated a ton of strikeouts in the DSL this season. Across 50.2 innings of work, Fajardo struck out 64 batters. He pitched to a 2.50 FIP and walked just eight batters in the process. He commands the strike zone well with an easily repeatable delivery but will have to round out the pitch mix to find more success stateside. He allowed a .256 BAA and will have to improve that in the Complex League once he makes his way there.

American League West

Seattle Mariners - LHP Carlos Jimenez

It’s been quite the road for Jimenez since signing as a 16-year-old back in 2021. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, followed by two more with the Mariners in the Arizona Complex League. In 2024, he finally made the leap from the Complex to Modesto and continued to shine. Jimenez has a smaller frame, but his quick bat speed helps to generate good power and loud exit velocity. His first taste of full-season ball has seen him slash .308/.394/.484 with three home runs and 11 stolen bases. He won’t likely ever be a true home run hitter, but rarely chases out of the zone (19.7% chase rate at Low-A). His good eye and approach at the plate help to carry a solid floor. He’s still a bit too passive at the plate, digging himself into disadvantageous counts that don’t offer him much help alongside his worse-than-average whiff rates. Jimenez has the speed to stick in center field but could end up playing a corner by the time he’s further along in the system.

Texas Rangers - RHP Skylar Hales

Hales is a big 6-4 flamethrower. He throws pure gas out of the bullpen. The fastball lives in the upper 90s, touching 100 a handful of times this season. He pairs that with a good slider that falls off with more of a gyro-slider profile. The fastball explodes out of the hand from Hales, offering an excellent vertical approach that makes it nearly impossible for batters to square up. Hales was a fourth-rounder for the Rangers in 2023 and made his way to Double-A for the first time this season. He got in 19 innings of work for the Rough Riders, striking out 29.5% of batters while limiting walks. If there’s any knock on Hales, it’s his disappointing whiff rates. For an arm throwing so much gas, you’d expect them to be higher. However, he’s mustered just a 26.1% whiff rate. There’s certainly the potential for those to improve and he could be a quick-moving arm to supplement the Texas bullpen as early as 2025.

Houston Astros - RHP Wilmy Sanchez

Sanchez is an interesting young arm. He’s pitched at both A-ball levels this season as a 20-year-old. A midseason promotion took him to High-A where he’s made five appearances so far. He’s posted a strikeout rate of 36.6% with an excellent 14.1% swinging strike rate. Sanchez throws a fastball, changeup, and a solid slider/cutter. The fastball lives in the 91-93 mph range but has touched 95 at times. He does a good job missing bats with the pitch thanks to good spin and life, but likely won’t add too much more velocity due to his relatively small frame. The changeup is a real weapon, sitting in the upper-80s with great arm-side fading action. It plays very well with the fastball, coming out of the hand and looking very similar before falling off the table. The slider/cutter rounds out the pitch mix, sitting in the upper 80s. He misses bats at an excellent rate and finds the zone enough to offer a fairly high reliever ceiling long-term.

Oakland Athletics - OF Nate Nankil

A seventh-rounder out of Cal State Fullerton last summer, Nankil has started to move his way through the system for the Athletics in 2024. He debuted at Low-A before eventually making the move up a level to High-A Lansing. The trade deadline acquisition of Jared Dickey helped round out what’s become an impressive High-A outfield featuring Dickey, Nankil, and Ryan Lasko. Nankil has slashed .353/.413/.412 for the Lugnuts. It’s a contact profile more than a power one, but Nankil rarely chases out of the zone. He has a great eye at the plate, and flirts with above-average in-zone contact rates just short of 80%. Better-than-average whiff rates help to limit strikeouts, giving Nankil an intriguing profile long-term. He showed much more power potential at Low-A, posting a .174 ISO but that power hasn’t followed him since his midseason promotion. It’s a smooth stroke that sprays the ball all over the field, even if it won’t result in off the charts power potential.

Los Angeles Angels - RHP Jose Fermin

The Angels signed Fermin in 2023 as a 21-year-old. He made his professional debut in 2024. He debuted with 18 games with Inland Empire, striking out 26.8% of batters. A mid-season promotion gave way to more success. With High-A Tri-City, that strikeout rate has ballooned to 36.8%. He’s a big, hard-throwing righty with a 6-3, 248 frame. The fastball touches 97 with some deception. The stuff on his fastball is so good that it’s simply undermatched in High-A right now. If you need more evidence of that fact, look no further than his 44.5% whiff rate at the level (99th percentile). Beyond the fastball, however, things get a bit less impressive. Fermin has a solid but inconsistent breaking ball with curveball traits. His command and lack of a well-rounded arsenal are both limiting factors that impact his success on the bump. If he can figure out that command, the fastball offers a solid foundation to build upon for a potential relief option long-term.