2 overall in this years draft. Herrera blocks well and should continue to develop into at least an average defensive catcher with a chance for some more depending on his receiving. Hassell stole 34 bags on 40 attempts last year and is on pace to match that total in 2022. Top prospect Brown focusing on slider mechanics after spring debut. After swiping just three bags in 32 High-A games last year, Tovar has already racked up 17 stolen bases through his first 65 Double-A games. Priesters best pitch his his plus plus curveball in the upper 70s with 12-6 break. If Davis is not hampered by his back injury, he could blossom into an all-around All Star in the Cubs outfield. With Ruizs speed and signs of improvement, he has a shot to stick in center or could be an above average defender in left. A savvy base runner, Vargas will add some value on the base paths and a career high in stolen bases at the most challenging level hes played at leaves reason to believe that steals can be a small part of his game even in the big leagues. Jones should be a menace on the base paths as well as he is not only fast but very quick, and the aforementioned instincts are evident as a baserunner as well. Johnson should be an above average defender at second. After 2020s layoff, Jung emerged with a tweaked set up and a swing geared for more lift. Though the command is a work in progress, Jobes athleticism on the mound and ability to stay around the strike zone in his first year points towards above average command in the future. An insanely twitchy athlete who was also a highly regarded prospect on the mound, Winn generates impressive bat speed and rotational power. 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. Gassers changeup is the pitch that he goes to a bit more against righties. Walker has the upside of one of the most consistent power-hitters in baseball and the more games he plays, the more possible it seems that he can reach somewhere near his ceiling. Alcantara is a fairly aggressive hitter, with a 32% chase rate this season, but much like his contact rates, the newly-turned 20-year-olds approach progressed nicely as the season went on. Height/Weight: 62, 215|Bat/Throw: L/L|2nd Round (70), 2020 (STL)|ETA: 2022. The rare high floor/ceiling combination for a big bodied power hitter, Casas boasts 30+ home run potential with an innate feel to hit and plus makeup. A tick harder and tighter, Millers curve has gone from a strike stealing pitch to a legitimate put away offering. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher did not need to use his changeup much in college thanks to his dominant slider and high velocity fastball, but Meyer has made a concerted effort to improve the quality of his third pitch. If he further develops his breaking balls and command, Stone has the ceiling of a number two starter on a first-division team. While his range is still closer to average theres no doubts in his ability to play the hot corner. Rodriguez is a complete hitter with the body control, bat to ball skills and approach to give him a plus hit tool while tapping into every bit of his above average raw power in games. Ruiz has an wide, athletic stance, really getting into his legs while starting with his hands already coiled. The 21-year-olds game was polished enough for the Orioles to see him as an asset to their playoff push, earning a September call up for the American League Wild Card hopefuls. 2 starter, however it will be important to see if he can maintain his velocity deep into starts once we see the Cardinals take the training wheels off. Johnson is a really fun hitter to watch. Though the pitch can be inconsistent, it boasts 17 inches of horizontal movement which can be devastating for right-handed hitters given how difficult it can be to pick up the ball out of his hand from his slingshot release. Struggles at the plate and defensive questions had Ruiz losing prospect relevancy entering the season, but a high-900s OPS and the Minor League lead in stolen bases can change things quickly. Volpe can do it all, impacting the game in countless ways along with elite makeup. Holliday is an advanced hitter for his age with a smooth swing from the left side and comfort driving the ball to all fields. A patient hitter, McLain is a tough out who picks his spots well to try to do damage. Height/Weight: 58, 195|Bat/Throw: R/R|IFA: $10K (2017) BOS|ETA: 2023. The D-backs could very well have their face of the franchise in Corbin Carroll. Waldichuks heater sits in the mid 90s and is a high-spin pitch averaging over 2,300 RPMs. The pitch sits in the mid 80s with sweep. His lack of base, caused him to struggle with off speed stuff, but Williams crushed fastballs to an OPS over 1.000. He works quickly and repeats his delivery well, getting the most out of his smaller frame with his mechanics. 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. A big body with three easily plus pitches and good command make it easy to see why Rodriguez is the most impressive arm in the minors. An advanced feel to swing the bat and elite defensive potential have PCA making up for lost time this season. As a result, Miller has seen a jump in the whiff rates of his fastball, setting the tone for his three impressive secondaries. After a let-down season in 2021, Naylor made some tweaks to his swing and has enjoyed the best offensive season of his career this year. The offering is a nightmare for lefties because of its late horizontal bite and when Gasser is really feeling the pitch, he can backdoor or even run it in on right-handed hitters. Though the higher ground ball rate is something to monitor with Campusano, his improved contact rates against all pitch types, chase rates and overall swing decisions provide reason for optimism. The hit-tool translated in Jungs first season, posting a .316 batting average between rookie ball and Low-A, but the third baseman mustered just one homer in 44 games. Miller was seen as high-risk, high-reward pitching prospect out of Louisville with electric stuff, but a limited track record as a starter. Ford already looks like a potential steal, turning in a great offensive season in 2022, flashing his above average power along with an extremely advanced approach for his age. Depending on how much weight his frame will carry, we could be looking at a 35 home run threat with a decent feel to hit. Crow-Armstrong already has nine homers on the season and has recorded exit velocities of 107 mph on several occasions this year. Command has been a challenge for Abel in the early going as he has long levers to sync up causing some inconsistencies with his delivery. March 1, 2023. It will remain to be seen if Johnson can get away with his loud moves against more advanced pitching, however his advanced feel to hit and ridiculous bat speed should help him either A. Height/Weight: 64, 190|Bat/Throw: R/R|2nd Round (50) 2020|ETA: 2024. Lawlar has the ceiling of a perennial All-Star capable of impacting the game in a variety of ways. 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. Vientos numbers against lefties give him the floor of a platoon masher. Hitting the ball harder has unsurprisingly resulted in a career-year power wise for Turang. Bradleys 86-88 mph slider gives him a second plus pitch and it gets better each time Ive seen Bradley throw. Even with the high floor, the 22-year-old still has plenty of upside to look forward to, flashing comfortably above average power to his pull side and an ability to drive the ball with authority to all fields. 3 or even No. Graceffo has seen steady velocity gains over the last year and a half without his above average command waining. So much so that the 17-year-old decided to get his GED and play Junior College Baseball at Chipola College which has produced players like Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, Patrick Corbin, Adam Duvall and others. Casas massive build limits him to first base, where he moves well and already excels at picking and has solid footwork around the bag. With the added power has come a bit more whiff than expected, but Cowser hedges that with a great approach. The newly-turned 20-year-old had 37 batted balls over 105 mph and reached exit velocities as high as 113 mph. 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. In just 30 more games this season, Winn more than doubled his home run total from last year while cutting the strikeouts some and upping his walk rate. The hard-throwing right-handers maturation was immediately visible (1.83 ERA across 22 Low-A and High-A starts). He has above average defensive potential in right. Similar to his father in many ways, Druw has shown big power potential to go along with the best speed and defense in the 2022 draft. One of the best power hitting catchers we have seen in the minors in some time, Alvarez has the goods to become one of baseballs best catchers and should arrive in Queens in early 2023. Now starting slightly open with his stance, Campusano uses the toe-tap to close himself off and keep his weight back. I dont expect Norby to be a huge base stealer, but he moves well enough on the base paths to provide some value in that regard. Acquired in the Javier Bez deal from the Mets last season, Crow-Armstrong missed all but six games of his 2021 campaign due to a shoulder injury. His hand load is quiet and he uses a small step to get himself closed while keeping his energy stored in his back hip. Green has as much upside as any player in the 2022 class and the more I watch, the more I believe that there is above-average bat-to-ball skills in there as well. He has good bat speed that allows him to produce above-average raw power and hes starting to show he can get to it in games. Rodriguez throws from a high arm slot with consistent, medium-effort mechanics and tons of arm speed. With that being said, he already flashes average power to his pull side and as he adds strength, he could provide 20 homer pop on an annual basis. He is slated to play in the Arizona Fall League then will set his sights on winning the first base job for the Cubs in 2023. 18 years old at the start of the season, Merrill seems to still be maturing physically which makes him somewhat more difficult to project than other prospects and the limited action in 2022 doesnt help. Stone deploys a four-pitch mix with multiple weapons that induce whiffs within the strike zone. As a college arm, Birdsell could move up the Cubs system quickly and if he wants to remain a starter the change-up will need to improve to become a backend starter. [CDATA[ The uptick in power and comfort in centerfield pushes Cowsers ceiling higher, but Orioles fans should feel really confident in the fact that they have at least an above average regular in Cowser. Ruiz has made the majority of his outfield appearances in center field where his reads and routes are passable along with an average arm. Though the bat leads the way for Campusano, he has the tools to be a solid big league catcher. Not only has Mervis been the biggest breakout prospect in 2022, but hes also flat out been one of the best hitters in the Minor Leagues. Naturally, Tiedemann favors his slider against lefties and changeup against righties, but he will still mix his slider in against righties around 20% of the time with success and the change around 10% of the time with success against lefties. Lewis has shown he can handle shortstop throughout the Minor Leagues. A good athlete, Amador flashes impressive range at shortstop and quick feet. Already reaching exit velocities of 110 MPH while smacking 51 extra-base hits in his first season, Williams has plenty more pop in the tank. Expanding to the rest of his stuff, Espino posted the second best swinging strike rate among qualified pitchers in the minors in 2021 at 20.2%, behind only Spencer Strider of the Braves.