It’s transferring season throughout the Minor Leagues.
The 11 full-season circuits are arising on the top of their first halves, and after two-plus months of the season, organizations are searching for new challenges for his or her high abilities. We’ve already seen High 100 prospects Noah Schultz, Thomas White and Cam Collier transfer up a stage this week, and fellow huge names Roman Anthony, Jac Caglianone, Kyle Teel, Jacob Misiorowski and Brady Home have made their Main League debuts this month.
Which prospects might be subsequent to affix them in that climb up the ladder? Right here is one prospect promotion candidate for every of the 30 farm methods:
Blue Jays: Johnny King, LHP (No. 11)
After a tricky yr for arms in 2024, the Blue Jays have seen many extra (importantly wholesome) successes in that division this season, and final yr’s third-rounder King definitely counts as one. The 18-year-old southpaw has opened with a 1.40 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 5 walks over 19 1/3 innings within the Florida Complicated League, because of his 93-95 mph fastball and plus curveball. His 43.6 p.c Okay price is a powerful indication he’s prepared for Single-A ball.
Orioles: Samuel Basallo, C/1B (No. 1/MLB No. 16)
Nonetheless solely 20, Basallo acquired off to a little bit of gradual begin this yr in Triple-A, hitting .229/.317/.486 by way of the top of April and lacking three weeks with a hamstring problem. The ability began displaying up in Might (six homers and a .545 SLG) and he actually acquired locked in when the calendar turned to June. In his first 10 video games this month, he’s slashed .375/.444/.875 with six homers and he’s now second within the Worldwide League in house runs. The Orioles are ninth within the AL in OPS and eleventh in runs scored and Basallo appears to be like prepared to assist.
Rays: Chandler Simpson, OF (No. 7)
Simpson’s return to Triple-A Durham two weeks in the past got here as a shock to some however had its deserves as a consequence of his tough defensive metrics and lack of slugging within the Majors. Since his first recreation again with the Bulls, the 80-grade speedster continues to hit like a participant aching to get again with a .340 common and 6 steals in 12 video games. His 18 hits are tied for sixth-most within the Worldwide League since June 3. Simpson will all the time be a high-contact, high-steal performer, and if the Rays outfield depth takes a success any time quickly, Tampa Bay shouldn’t hesitate to deliver the 24-year-old again.
Crimson Sox: Connelly Early, LHP (No. 10)
The Crimson Sox have helped Early improve his stuff since drafting him within the fifth spherical out of Virginia in 2023, and he now offers with a 92-95 mph fastball that touches 97 and likewise misses bats together with his low-80s slider and changeup. He is dominating in Double-A with a 2.27 ERA, .205 opponent common and 66 strikeouts by way of 43 2/3 innings.
Yankees: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP (No. 6)
Carlos Narvaez has been a revelation for the Crimson Sox since they acquired him from the Yankees on the Winter Conferences, however the pitching prospect New York obtained in return additionally has regarded good. A fourth-rounder from a Puerto Rico highschool in 2021, Rodriguez-Cruz ranks no worse than fourth within the Excessive-A South Atlantic League in ERA (2.70), strikeouts (74 in 60 innings), opponent common (.172) and WHIP (1.03). His fastball parks at 93-96 mph and peaks at 98, whereas each his mid-80s slider and upper-70s curveball are efficient.
Guardians: C.J. Kayfus, 1B/OF (No. 5/MLB No. 96)
Kayfus already earned one promotion by slashing .364/.475/.591 in three weeks in Double-A, and he is prepared for one more after batting .320/389/.585 in six weeks in Triple-A. His pure hitting capability acquired him drafted in 2023’s third spherical out of Miami and he has discovered extra energy in professional ball by looking pitches he can drive early in counts and launching them extra ceaselessly to his pull aspect.
Royals: Carter Jensen, C (No. 3/MLB No. 83)
Kansas Metropolis has performed it gradual with Jensen since he was taken within the third spherical in 2021, however the 21-year-old backstop is placing some stress on the group of late. Getting into Wednesday, his 23 hits for Double-A Northwest Arkansas had been second-most within the Minors this month, and he’s produced a .411/.460/.554 line over 63 plate appearances, pushing his season line to .302/.369/.424. The Royals will need Jensen to dominate for longer earlier than he sees Omaha, however he’s on the trail to get round his twenty second birthday subsequent month.
Tigers: Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B (No. 2/MLB No. 23)
McGonigle was slowed down by a proper ankle damage virtually proper out of the gate with Excessive-A West Michigan, however he returned to the Whitecaps on Might 21 and has been white-hot with a .413/.510/.700 line in 20 video games since then. He’s been a downright doubles machine with 14 two-baggers in that span; nobody else within the Minors has hit greater than 11. Oh, he has extra doubles than strikeouts (12) too. McGonigle is likely to be in smallish-sample territory, however he’s constantly made ample sufficient onerous contact that it’d be well worth the Tigers getting him a problem with a transfer to Double-A.
Twins: Gabriel Gonzalez, OF (No. 17)
We don’t wish to rush anybody, but it surely appears to be like like Gonzalez might need figured some issues out. He’s already been promoted as soon as, transferring from Excessive-A Cedar Rapids to Double-A Wichita after hitting .319/.378/.529 over 138 at-bats with the Kernels. He hasn’t cooled off up a stage, placing up a .337/.417/.449 line to this point with the Wind Surge. Might a transfer as much as Triple-A St. Paul come quickly?
White Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 35)
A giant a part of the Garrett Crochet commerce with the Crimson Sox on the Winter Conferences, Montgomery was the twelfth general decide final July regardless of breaking his proper ankle on a foul slide late in Texas A&M’s season. He has had no bother adapting to professional ball, hitting a mixed .282/.363/.480 with 9 homers in 60 video games between two Class A ranges. A switch-hitter who matches the right-field profile with effectively above-average uncooked energy and arm energy, he is able to attempt Double-A.
Angels: Samy Natera Jr., LHP (No. 16)
The lefty reliever missed almost all of final yr with an elbow sprain, however he opened some eyes with a dozen Arizona Fall League innings final fall. The ERA has been a bit inflated in Might and June throughout his first style of Double-A, however he’s nonetheless hanging out 12.8 per 9 and conserving Southern League hitters to a .191 batting common. He’s 25 and the Angels like pushing prospects up the ladder, so why not see how his stuff performs no less than in Triple-A with an eye fixed in direction of ending the season in Los Angeles.
Astros: Brice Matthews, SS/3B (No. 1)
The Astros have gotten little manufacturing out of second base this season however could have an answer on a suburban Houston prospect who was their first-round decide in 2023 after starring at Nebraska. He options no less than plus uncooked energy with comparable velocity and is slashing .274/.396/.483 with 9 homers and 19 steals in 55 Triple-A video games.
A’s: Tommy White, 3B (No. 8)
The A’s took Nick Kurtz within the first spherical final yr and he’s within the huge leagues. Now it is likely to be time for his or her second-rounder, White, to take a step in that course. He did miss a while, however his .301/.382/.534 line over 38 video games with Lansing offers him a .916 OPS that will put him fourth within the Midwest League if he had sufficient ABs to qualify. Let’s see what Tommy Tanks can do in Double-A.
Mariners: Michael Arroyo 2B/SS (No. 7/MLB No. 78)
The Mariners have a powerful group of prospects with Excessive-A Everett, almost all of whom might see Double-A sooner or later this season. However Arroyo could be our first candidate as he leads the Northwest League together with his .962 OPS and is tied for the house run lead with 14. He’s been scorching of late, with a 1.347 OPS this month and after a gradual begin in April, he’s slashed .326/.481/.631 since Might 1.
Rangers: Mitch Bratt, LHP (No. 20)
Bratt has common stuff throughout the board however continues to succeed because of his really feel for pitching and his competitiveness. A Canadian drafted within the fifth spherical out of a Georgia highschool in 2021, he leads the Double-A Texas League in Okay/BB ratio (7.3) and stroll price (3.9 p.c) whereas rating second in ERA (2.18), third in WHIP (1.04) and fourth in strikeouts (66 in 57 2/3 innings).
Braves: Ian Mejia, RHP (No. 23)
After a strong season in Double-A in 2024, it was just a little stunning to see Mejia again on the stage to start out this yr. With a 2.29 ERA (second within the Southern League) and .197 BAA (tied for fourth) over 63 innings, maybe it’s time for the 25-year-old to get his first style of Triple-A.
Marlins: Josh Ekness, RHP (No. 26)
The Marlins made Ekness a full-time reliever after choosing him within the twelfth spherical out of Houston in 2023 and the outcomes have been spectacular. Working with an upper-90s fastball and a vigorous mid-80s slider, he sports activities a 2.38 ERA, .165 opponent common and 35/7 Okay/BB ratio in 22 2/3 Double-A innings.
Mets: Jonah Tong, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 95)
This one’s fairly easy. Tong has made all 12 of his begins this season with Double-A Binghamton, and he leads full-season Minor Leaguers with 96 strikeouts whereas rating second in Okay% (40.7), average-against (.141), FIP (2.06) and third in Okay-BB% (28.4). Japanese League batters have confirmed no match for the rise on his fastball, his plus curveball or his bettering changeup. The Mets have already got some huge names within the Triple-A Syracuse rotation in Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean and Blade Tidwell, however Tong has earned his likelihood to pitch beside them.
Nationals: Travis Sykora, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 57)
On paper, this feels aggressive. After present process offseason hip surgical procedure, Sykora solely debuted with Excessive-A Wilmington on Might 25 and has made 4 begins with the Blue Rocks. Then once more, he’s struck out 32 of his 63 batters confronted, whereas permitting solely two earned runs on seven hits and two walks in 18 innings. That’s a 1.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 50.8 p.c Okay price. With the hip points behind him, Sykora has discovered one other gear of velocity together with his fastball and dominated together with his slider and splitter. He’s the kind of arm you constantly problem.
Phillies: Aroon Escobar, 2B/3B (No. 13)
Shin splints restricted him to only 24 video games within the Florida Complicated League a yr in the past, besides, we had the sense that we would rapidly be mild on his rating following his .976 OPS within the FCL. He’s stored on raking throughout his full-season debut, sitting in second within the Florida State League in each OPS (.880) and common (.309) whereas topping it with 10 homers. He’ll make a pleasant leap up the Phillies listing once we re-rank post-Draft.
Brewers: Brock Wilken, 3B (No. 18)
Wilken’s first journey to Double-A in 2024 was mired by an early hit-by-pitch, and he by no means fairly recovered. Again with Biloxi for 2025, he leads Double-A batters with 18 homers (whereas nobody else has greater than 12) and 34 extra-base hits. He additionally ranks fourth with a .550 slugging proportion and third with a .944 OPS over 64 video games. The Brewers have had bother discovering consistency at third base, and it is likely to be price seeing how Wilken handles Triple-A Nashville earlier than contemplating him for that spot down the stretch.
Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 18)
Final yr’s seventh general decide entered professional ball with tons of hype round his hit software, and he’s backing that up currently with a .475/.588/.700 line over his final 11 video games for Double-A Springfield. That pushes his season common as much as .322, fourth-best in all of Double-A, and his OBP to .443, tops amongst qualifiers on the stage. We’ve seen different 2024 first-rounders already attain the Majors, and with the way in which Wetherholt is dealing with Texas League arms, he’s price transferring to Triple-A Memphis no less than quickly.
Cubs: Jefferson Rojas, 2B/SS (No. 5/MLB No. 73)
The Cubs aren’t afraid to push superior younger hitters and Rojas is begging to be pushed some extra whereas batting .287/.390/.461 with 4 homers in 45 video games as a 20-year-old in Excessive-A. Signed for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he has higher bat-to-ball abilities and pitch recognition than most gamers his age, and he might develop into 20-homer energy.
Pirates: Edward Florentino, OF/1B (No. 23)
When the Pirates signed Florentino for $395,000 in January 2024, the hope was he’d fill out his 6-foot-4 athletic body and turn out to be an affect hitter. The underlying knowledge throughout his debut within the DSL was higher than the usual numbers and now, within the FCL, he’s placing all of it collectively. He’s second within the advanced league in SLG (.674), OPS (1.122) and homers (6) whereas enjoying better-than-expected in heart area. He’s going to power his strategy to the FSL quickly sufficient.
Reds: Tyson Lewis, SS (No. 9)
In 2023, the Reds took highschool shortstop Sammy Stafura, went over slot to signal him and waited a beat to start out him within the Arizona Complicated League in early Might of his first full season final yr earlier than selling him to Single-A Daytona on the finish of that month. Now it’s Lewis’ flip after being a equally signed prep shortstop in 2024. He’s acquired 21 video games within the ACL on his resume, hitting a strong .348/.392/.461 and making it clear he’d wish to proceed on the Stafura trajectory to full-season ball sooner or later this season.
D-backs: JD Dix, 2B/SS (No. 12)
Fellow 2024 picks Ryan Waldschmidt and Daniel Eagen are equally worthy of strikes up a stage, however we’ll deal with thirty fifth general choice Dix right here. Given his cold-state background as a Wisconsin high-schooler, the switch-hitting center infielder opened the yr within the Arizona Complicated League however doesn’t look lengthy for the extent with a .341/.415/.476 line, 11 extra-base hits and a modest 19.0 Okay proportion by way of 32 video games. Getting into Wednesday, he’s driving a 24-game on-base streak as effectively, including consistency into the equation.
Dodgers: Josue De Paula, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 30)
The Dodgers have a slew of gifted outfielders deserving of promotions, and De Paula has essentially the most offensive upside of all of them. Few prospects can match his mixture of swing selections and exit velocities, particularly at his age (20). Signed for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he is hitting .278/.423/.448 with eight homers, 18 steals and 52 walks (second within the Excessive-A Midwest League) in 61 video games.
Giants: Jhonny Degree, SS (No. 4)
Degree is simply 18 years previous so there isn’t any have to rush him out of the Rookie-level Arizona Complicated League, however he is additionally a probably particular participant who wants extra of a problem. He is batting .286/.376/.473 with 4 homers and 9 steals in 30 video games, displaying off a fast, fluid swing with loft from either side of the plate and superior really feel for the barrel and the strike zone. He signed for $997,500 out of Venezuela final yr and appears like a steal.
Padres: Braden Nett, RHP (No. 9)
The 23-year-old is discovering his stride with Double-A San Antonio and has allowed greater than three earned runs solely as soon as in his final six begins, posting a 2.67 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 30 ⅓ innings over that span. His 94-97 mph fastball continues to look strong, whereas he generates whiffs with an 82-85 mph slider, 89-91 mph cutter, upper-70s curveball and upper-80s changeup. It’s a deep combine, and given the Padres’ typical aggression and Nett’s upcoming Rule 5 eligibility within the offseason, it wouldn’t shock if he jumps rapidly to San Diego sooner or later this summer season.
Rockies: Charlie Condon, OF/3B (No. 1/MLB No. 24)
A fractured left wrist delayed the No. 3 decide in final yr’s Draft till early Might, however Condon rapidly began displaying simply why he was a high of the primary spherical expertise, particularly since he’s effectively previous the hand damage he tried to play by way of final summer season. After a half-dozen video games within the ACL, Condon’s been raking with Excessive-A Spokane, with a .364/.500/.477 line by way of 24 video games. The ability hasn’t come simply but, however it is going to, and he must be challenged with a transfer to Double-A Hartford.
