Ranking The 20 Hottest MLB Prospects

1. Leo De Vries, SS, Padres

• Team: High-A Fort Wayne (Midwest)
• Age: 18
• Why He’s Here: .533/.667/.867 (8-for-15), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 6 BB, 0 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: The kid is all right. Wait, scratch that. The kid is more than all right. He’s spectacular. In fact, he’s exactly the type of player who might one day reign as the best prospect in the sport. De Vries is the youngest player in the Midwest League by nearly a year, and he’s annihilating the competition. He’s already had a cycle and two home runs, and this past week, he went 22 plate appearances without striking out. In fact, he swung and missed just four times all series. At the close of Fort Wayne’s week against Dayton, De Vries was leading the Midwest League in slugging (.593) and OPS. Not bad for anyone, but eye-popping for an 18-year-old. (JN)

2. Payton Tolle, LHP, Red Sox 

• Team: High-A Greenville (South Atlantic)
• Age: 22 
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Tolle made the start for Greenville on Sunday against Asheville and dominated for five innings. He sat 95-97 mph and touched 98 at peak while getting nearly eight feet of extension at points. Tolle was getting whiffs on his changeup and fastball en route to racking up 12 strikeouts. He allowed three hits and no walks as he silenced the Tourists’ bats time and again. Tolle has allowed one earned run in his last 13 innings while striking out 26 batters to just two walks. His velocity is up significantly, and with his fastball quality and improving secondaries, he could be a Top 100 Prospect before long. (GP) 

3. Joe Whitman, LHP, Giants

• Team: Double-A Richmond (Eastern)
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: After muddling through the season’s first month, Whitman opened May with a bang. For six innings against Somerset, the lefthander was perfect. Eighteen up. Eighteen down. He recorded 10 strikeouts along the way, as well as 15 whiffs, which was second-most in all of Double-A that day. Whitman was the highest-ranked southpaw in his draft class two seasons ago, and he’s flashed his potential in fits and starts along the way, including a pair of eight-punchout efforts last summer between the Class A levels. However, those outings pale in comparison to his turn this past week, which was the best of his professional career. (JN)

4. Lazaro Montes, OF, Mariners

• Team: High-A Everett (Northwest) 
• Age: 20
•  Why He’s Here: .471/.571/.941 (8-for-17), 5 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO, 0-for-1 SB

The Scoop: It’s been an excellent opening month for the Mariners slugger, as his seven home runs rank fourth in all of MiLB. This week, Montes reached base in all six games while registering three multi-hit efforts. He homered on Friday and Saturday, combining to go 5-for-8 with five runs, 13 total bases and four RBIs. Montes is hitting .278/.418/.629 on the season and leads the Northwest League in OPS. (GP) 

5. Kyle DeBarge, 2B/SS, Twins

• Team: High-A Cedar Rapids (Midwest)
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: .421/.593/.789 (8-for-19) 8 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 8 BB, 3 SO, 3 SB

The Scoop: When the Twins drafted DeBarge last year in the supplemental first round, much of his profile was reminiscent of Luke Keaschall. The Twins have made him even more of a Keaschall clone by playing him all around the field, as he’s started at second base, shortstop, center field and left field. And he’s hit wherever he’s played. Even while drawing walks in bushels, DeBarge has driven in a run in eight consecutive games. (JJ)

6. Ian Seymour, LHP, Rays

• Team: Triple-A Durham (International)
• Age: 26
• Why He’s Here: 2-0, 0.00, 11 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 1 HR

The Scoop: With a pair of strong outings against Jacksonville this week, Seymour has overtaken Sean Liñan for the overall minor league lead in strikeouts. The lefthander punched out eight hitters over five innings in a Sunday matinee, bookending a series he’d started with six innings of three-hit shutout ball. He now has 46 Ks in 36.1 innings. In the age of velocity, Seymour has done his work without making radar guns break a sweat. None of his pitches in either outing topped 93 mph and just three even reached that threshold. Still, he managed to get 24 whiffs, including 18 in the series finale. (JN)

7. Colby Thomas, OF, Athletics

• Team: Triple-A Las Vegas (Pacific Coast)
• Age: 24
• Why He’s Here: .417/.423/.792 (10-for-24), 7 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 SO

The Scoop: With Nick Kurtz settling in at the major league level in West Sacramento, Thomas is becoming Las Vegas’ new resident power hitter. The 24-year-old had four multi-hit games last week and flexed his 60-grade power by launching a 471-foot homer to dead center field. There is no doubt Thomas has the hit tools—he had one of the fastest bat speeds in the entire A’s system last year—to succeed in the majors. However, he is coming off back-to-back seasons recording at least 140 strikeouts, and he already has 36 strikeouts to 10 walks this year. Cleaning up his plate discipline a bit should help him when the A’s feel like he’s ready for the next level. (JC)

8. Jac Caglianone, 1B/OF, Royals

• Team: Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Texas)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: .450/.542/.750 (9-for-20), 5 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: It had been a while since Caglianone left the yard—not since April 19 to be exact. What better way to reintroduce his immense power than by going deep in back-to-back games? Ok, maybe 15 days between homers isn’t necessarily a long time, but Caglianone’s 70-grade power holds him to a high standard. And every time he sends a ball out of the park, they travel a long, long way.  Caglianone has proven to be an all-around advanced hitter with his .314 batting average in Double-A. It seems like he’s already outgrown the level and is ready for a promotion to Triple-A. He’s also started four games in the outfield, which should help his case to arrive in the majors sooner rather than later, considering that is a weak spot for the Royals. (JC)

9. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates

• Team: Triple-A Indianapolis (International)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1, BB, 9 SO

The Scoop: It’s crazy to say it, but this week’s start by Chandler seemed almost routine. He touched 100 mph while sitting 98 with a seemingly unhittable fastball. Chandler got 12 whiffs out of 36 four-seam fastballs, which is an absurdly large number. The Pirates are still being very careful with Chandler’s workload—his 71 pitches in this week’s start was the most this season—but that’s pretty much the only quibble with what’s been an exceptional first six starts in which he’s gone 2-0, 1.42. (JJ)

10. Tommy White, 3B, Athletics

• Team: High-A Lansing (Midwest)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: .467/.579/.733 (7-for-15) 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB

The Scoop: White’s week ended on a down note, as he was placed on the seven-day injured list after leaving Saturday’s game having crashed into the wall chasing a foul ball. But that was the only rough moment of his week, as he is working on a 17-game hit streak. He has just five strikeouts during his hit streak. Tommy Tanks has been more of Tommy Line Drives, with just three home runs so far this year, but he’s shown a polished approach that is producing hits in bunches. (JJ)

11. George Lombard Jr., SS, Yankees

• Team: High-A Hudson Valley (South Atlantic)
• Age: 19
• Why He’s Here: .400/.500/.600 (8-for-20), 6 R, 4 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 4 SO, 2-for-2 SB 

The Scoop: Lombard Jr.’s ascension in the Yankees system stands out as one of the most remarkable developments among this year’s prospects. There was plenty of praise about him during spring training, and it carried into the regular season. Following a scorching stretch at High-A Hudson Valley, the Yankees have decided to promote him to Double-A Somerset, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In just 24 games, Lombard Jr. posted an eye-catching line of .329/.495/.488, showcasing elite plate discipline with more walks (23) than strikeouts (22). He departs the South Atlantic League ranked among the top four in batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS—a testament to his advanced approach and consistent production at the plate. At just 19 years old, there is still plenty of room for growth for the son of former major leaguer George Lombard. (JC)

12. Cooper Ingle, C, Guardians

• Team: Double-A Akron (Eastern)
• Age: 23
• Why He’s Here: .400/.571/.733 (6-for-15) 2 R, 5 2B, 2 RBIs, 6 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: Ingle got off to a slow start this year, which is surprising considering he’s one of the better pure-hitting catchers in the minors. This past week did a good job bringing his performance back to normal. Ingle did give up five steals in five attempts in a game this week, but overall, he’s continued to make strides defensively this year. He has yet to allow a passed ball, and his seven wild pitches allowed are among the best in the Eastern League for everyday catchers. (JJ)

13. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Blue Jays 

• Team: Low-A Dunedin (Florida State)
• Age: 21 
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0BB, 8 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: The Blue Jays have been deliberate with their top two picks from last July in Yesavage and Khal Stephen. Both have dominated the Florida State League over the opening month and look the part of potential rotation pieces. This week, Yesavage went toe-to-toe with the Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter and outdueled the highly-touted righthander. Yesavage dominated with the fastball, getting upwards of 20 inches of induced vertical break consistently. He generated 13 swinging strikes in the outing and nine ground balls, showing diverse run prevention skills. (GP) 

14. Otto Kemp, 2B/3B, Phillies

• Team: Triple-A Lehigh Valley (International)
• Age: 25
• Why He’s Here: .448/.500/.862 (13-for-29) 8 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBIs, 3 BB, 9 SO, 1 SB

The Scoop: With the reduction of the MLB Draft to 20 rounds and liberalized NCAA transfer rules, the number of NAIA, D-II and D-III players who jump straight from those levels to the minors has been reduced. But Kemp, a star at San Diego’s D-II Point Loma Nazarene, has clawed through the undrafted free agent ranks to knock on the door of the minors. Kemp’s career high in home runs is 16. He already has 10 this year, and he’s been one of the better hitters in the International League. Kemp projects as a multi-position backup, and if he can keep hitting like this, he’ll find a way to Philadelphia. (JJ)

15. Jeral Perez, OF, White Sox

• Team: High-A Winston Salem (South Atlantic)
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: .292/.333/.792 (7-for-24), 5 R, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: White Sox general manager Chris Getz was high on Perez’s advanced zone awareness and bat-to-ball skills when he was acquired from the Dodgers in a three-team deal at last year’s trade deadline. This past week, Perez offered a glimpse of that offensive potential—and then some—by flashing serious power. He launched four home runs over the stretch, including a two-homer performance on Wednesday, signaling that his hit tool might come with plenty of thump. He has nine home runs this year, just three shy of matching his career high. (JC)

16. Braylin Tavera, OF, Orioles

• Team: Low-A Delmarva (Carolina)
• Age: 20
• Why He’s Here: .438/.550/1.125 (7-for-16), 5 R, 1 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Tavera was issued a $1.7 million bonus when he signed in January 2022, which was a club record. He performed solidly in 2022 and 2023 but had an atrocious 2024 in which he hit .173 between the Florida Complex League and Low-A. He got off to another slow start this season, but perhaps a spike in production at the end of April and heading into May can turn things around for the once-promising international prospect. Tavera’s best game of the season came on Tuesday when he went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and two walks. (JC)

18. Mikey Romero, SS, Red Sox 

• Team: Double-A Portland (Eastern) 
• Age: 21 
• Why He’s Here: .310/.355/.724 (9-for-29), 7 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Romero was busy, as he played eight games last week, collecting hits in five of those games, including four multi-hit games. Romero had home runs in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday and has shown good power production this season. The infielder is now hitting .267/.370/.535 with five homers and ranks eighth in the Eastern League in OPS. (GP) 

18. Tyson Hardin, RHP, Brewers

• Team: High-A Wisconsin (Midwest)
• Age: 23 
• Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Hardin is yet another find by the Brewers’ amateur team, as the righthander was picked in the 12th round of last July’s draft. After spending nearly all of his time at Mississippi State as a reliever, Hardin has seamlessly made the transition to starting. Over five starts spanning 25.2 innings, Hardin has allowed two earned runs while striking out 29 batters to four walks. This week, he spun seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits, no walks and striking out nine. He kept the ball on the ground, too, resulting in seven ground balls. Hardin has excellent stuff, sitting 94-95 mph from a 5-foot-3 release height and generating a flat plane of approach. His primary secondary is a low-90s cutter, and he also mixes in a low-to-mid-80s sweeper and changeup. Hardin is one of the biggest pop-up prospects of the season’s opening month. (GP) 

19. JR Ritchie, RHP, Braves

• Team: High-A Rome (South Atlantic)
• Age: 21
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 11.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: The bulk of Ritchie’s professional career has been spent rehabbing Tommy John surgery he had in 2023. Fully removed from the injury and its recovery process, the righthander from the Pacific Northwest is shining. He opened eyes in both Atlanta’s Spring Breakout game and subsequent outings on the backfields, and now is continuing to mow down hitters in the regular season. He shackled Hub City in two starts this past week, including a seven-inning, four-hit gem with six strikeouts and a walk in his Tuesday turn. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in each of his six starts this season. (JN) 

20. Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics 

• Team: High-A Lansing (Midwest)
• Age: 22
• Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: After earning recognition as the helium name on last week’s Hot Sheet, Jump makes his way onto the main list. On Thursday, the lefthander battled through a rain-soaked effort with an hour rain delay splitting his start in half. Jump retired the first seven batters he faced, including a strikeout of Wuilfredo Antunez as droplets fell prior to the delay. The game only went five innings, with Jump going the distance as he retired eight of the final nine batters he faced. Jump has sat 95-96 mph this season with 18-19 inches of induced vertical break from a 5-foot-7 release height. He mixes a slider and curveball as his primary secondaries. (GP) 

HELIUM

Asbel Gonzalez, OF, Royals

Gonzalez is one of this season’s fastest risers. He’s also one of this season’s fastest runners. The 19-year-old burner put together a strong first stateside season—spent mostly in the Arizona Complex League but also including a cameo at Double-A Northwest Arkansas—and finished with 23 stolen bases in 45 games. This year, he’s kicked it into hyperdrive. After the first series of May, Gonzalez already has 31 stolen bases in 26 games. He’s been caught seven times. To put that into perspective, in his 104-steal season, Chandler Simpson had 27 steals in 31 tries. If these trends continue, we could be looking at a second straight MiLB season with the steals leader breaching triple-digits. Of course, to steal bases, a player must get on base. That’s no problem for Gonzalez, whose .404 batting average and .513 on-base percentage were the best in the minor leagues. (JN)