One of the greatest gifts that comes with the return of Minor League Baseball is the emergence of prospects with whom you’re unfamiliar. After all, the thrill of uncovering new and promising talent is what makes following prospects exciting.
As the calendar counts down the final days of April, let’s look at nine such players who have stood out so far and are worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.
Asbel Gonzalez, OF, Royals
Over the opening weeks of the season, Gonzalez has been an excellent table setter for Low-A Columbia. He’s racked up hits and run wild on the bases so far, hitting .407/.514/.441 over 59 at bats with 16 runs and 22 stolen bases. He currently has nine walks to four strikeouts and shows excellent underlying skill metrics. Though Gonzalez lacks game power, exit velocity data shows some projection. He’s a heavy groundball hitter (49.1% in 2025) and looks to line drives to all fields.
Gonzalez’s contact and swing decisions grade out highly on team models. Combined with his speed and base running acumen, his profile puts him into a similar bucket as recent successful speedsters as the Rays’ Chandler Simpson and the Cardinals’ Victor Scott. Defensively, Gonzalez earned a 60 grade on his glove in his offseason report and has the speed and ability to handle center field long term.
Nick Montgomery, C, Braves
Signed for just under $1 million by the Braves in the fifth round of last year’s draft, Montgomery has an interesting set of skills. While his production has yet to fully materialize in 2025, Montgomery’s selling point out of high school was an ability to find the barrel and punish pitches off the bat at premium angles, leading him to flash potential for above-average-or-better power at peak.
Over his first 14 games, Montgomery has shown a three true outcomes-type profile, racking up walks, strikeouts and hitting for some power. Defensively, he drew strong reviews for his ability to stick behind the plate to go along with the potential to develop into a power hitter with good on-base ability. He will struggle against spin, but has the bat speed to easily handle premium velocity. So far, Montgomery has been fairly unlucky on balls in play, but his ability to drive the ball to his pull side will eventually lead to results.
Eli Jones, RHP, Twins
Over the last few seasons, the Twins have done an excellent job identifying pitching talent in the draft. That’s particularly so in the mid rounds, where they’ve landed the likes of Zebby Matthews, Andrew Morris and C.J. Culpepper. Could Jones, a 2024 seventh-round pick, be next in line?
So far over three starts, the righthander out of South Carolina has looked strong. He’s allowed five earned runs over his first 14.1 innings with 14 strikeouts to four walks and zero home runs allowed. Jones has a deep arsenal of pitches and flashed six different shapes while in college. He’s primarily a sinker and slider guy, mixing in a changeup heavily against lefthanded hitters. His ability to drive ground balls at a high rate is his greatest asset, as he boasts a 61.5% rate so far this season. While Jones won’t light up any radar gun readings, he has strong pitchability skills and shows the ability to generate outs in a variety of ways.
Jadher Areinamo, 2B/SS, Brewers
Signed out of Venezuela in January 2021, Areinamo has slipped under the radar in the Brewers’ talented system. He ranked as the team’s No. 24 prospect and captured the Midwest League batting title in 2024. He’s received strong reviews for his defense and was voted the best defensive second baseman in the Midwest League last year. Areinamo also saw time at shortstop and third base in each of the last three seasons.
Returning to High-A Cedar Rapids seems unusual, but the Brewers have upper-minors depth in the infield, meaning another go-round at the level is his best shot at playing time. So far this season, Areinamo continues to hit, slashing .274/.324/.500 over his first 16 games. He shows strong bat-to-ball abilities with some aggressive tendencies. If his exit velocity data is up this year, it could be a sign of a step forward for Areinamo’s overall profile.
Tyson Hardin, RHP, Brewers
The Brewers might have figured something out over the last few seasons. After striking gold with K.C. Hunt in 2023 as a undrafted free agent, the team plucked another Mississippi State reliever last summer in Hardin, who signed for $147,500 in the 12th round. Over three starts and 14.2 innings this year, Hardin has not let up a run while allowing just 10 baserunners in total (eight hits and two walks) while striking out 16. It’s been a dominant showing so far for Hardin with High-A Wisconsin.
The stuff matches the results, as well. Hardin sits 94-95 mph, touching 97 at peak from a 5-foot-3 release height due to above-average (6-foot-5) extension. The result is an outlier flat plane to the plate, as his average vertical approach angle is currently -3.9. That makes it one of the flattest fastballs in baseball at the moment. Hardin’s fastball quality is more than just the shape and power, however. He commands the pitch extremely well with a 74% strike rate in the season and generates a high rate of swings against it, currently boasting a 40% whiff rate. The rest of Hardin’s arsenal is also intriguing: a low-90s cutter as his primary secondary, a sweeper in the low-to-mid 80s, a sinker and a changeup.
Owen Carey, OF, Braves
A 15th-round pick out of Londonderry HS (N.H.), Carey is a classic under-the-radar, cold-weather bat. The Braves signed him for $150,000 last July, and he made his professional debut in 2025 with Low-A Augusta. The early results have been strong, as Carey has hit .286/.355/.446 over his first 14 games while showing strong bat-to-ball skills and solid swing decisions at the plate. There’s some power projection and athleticism in his six-foot frame, and he has a knack for hitting the ball to his pull side. He’s split time between all three outfield positions so far, showing the ability to play some center field. As a projectable lefthanded hitting outfielder from a cold-weather prep background, Carey is an intriguing name to follow this summer.
Alfonsin Rosario, OF, Guardians
Drafted by the Cubs in the sixth round of 2023 from P27 Academy, Rosario was acquired by the Guardians for relief pitcher Eli Morgan last November. Rosario flashed above-average power in his professional debut in 2024, hitting 16 home runs and slugging .423 with Low-A Myrtle Beach and its notoriously power-sapping home park.
So far in 2025, Rosario is off to a fast start with his new organization. Over a dozen games with High-A Lake County, he’s hitting .313/.377/.583 with three home runs. Rosario possesses easy plus bat speed with the ability to continually punish baseballs at premium angles. He has a knack for finding barrels, but that’s nothing new. What is new, however, is that Rosario seems to be hunting less and making stronger swing decisions. It’s still early, but his strikeouts have plummeted as he’s adopted a more aggressive approach early in counts. This has led to a drop in both swinging strikes and called strikes, while seeing a jump in contact rate. Rosario has existing tools and an upside profile if he can make these changes stick.
Wei-En Lin, LHP, Athletics
Signed out of Taiwan last June for $1.3 million, Lin made his professional debut earlier this season with Low-A Stockton. A 6-foot-2 lefthander with a five pitch mix, Lin in three appearances this season has allowed one run over 12 innings while striking out 24 batters and walking none. His fastball sits 91-93 mph and touches 95 at peak. He gets around 19 inches of induced vertical break and 13 inches of armside run, resulting in a ton of true movement. The fastball is doing some heavy lifting early this season, as he boasts a 41% whiff rate on a 60% swing rate with a 44% chase rate. Those are dominant numbers to go with above-average extension and solid release traits.
Lin’s primary secondary at present is a mid-70s curveball, but he also shows a low-to-mid 80s slider and a splitter with above-average shape and projection. Lin is a work in progress arsenal-wise, but he shows sharp pitchability traits that project well as a starter.
Nelly Taylor, OF, Red Sox
Earlier this year, we had Red Sox farm director Brian Abraham on the Hot Sheet Show. When asked who he thought could be a breakout name for 2025, he named a few players but specifically pointed to Taylor. So far those words seem prescient, as Taylor is off to a hot start with High-A Greenville. Over 10 games, Taylor is hitting .294/.400/.471 with a home run and three stolen bases while showing solid exit velocity data with the athleticism to grow into a strong all-around contributor. A 2023 11th-round pick out of Polk State, Taylor had a solid professional debut and looks to be on the upswing in 2025. He’s name to follow, as the Red Sox have done an excellent job of developing positional prospects in recent years.
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