The 2025 Not Top 100 MLB All-Prospect Team

Rule 1: Prospect cannot be on ANY of the following 2025 Top 100 Prospects lists:

• Baseball America
• MLB Pipeline
• FanGraphs
• ESPN
• The Athletic
• Baseball Prospectus

Rule 2: The prospect is a high-probability MLB player who will ideally start in either the majors or Triple-A.

How Did We Do In 2024?

Before we dive into the 2025 team, let’s review how well we did with our 2024 team.

The Good – Agustin Ramirez, Ivan Herrera, Connor Norby and Luis Gil

We selected Agustin Ramirez and Ivan Herrera as our backstop tandem. Ramirez was the best prospect traded at the deadline, and is currently a Top 100 prospect on three of the six lists above. Herrera is now the Cardinals’ starting catcher and posted an incredible 127 wRC+, allowing them to move Willson Contreras to first base.

Connor Norby was finally unblocked when the Orioles traded him to the Marlins. In approximately 200 plate appearances, Norby was a league-average hitter and looks like he’ll be close to an average big-league player, or better, going forward.

Luis Gil was a revelation for the Yankees. He has the makings of a midrotation fixture, though the MRI on his shoulder this spring is somewhat concerning.

The Not Bad – Addison Barger, Cade Povich, Chayce McDermott, Jack Leiter, Darrell Hernaiz, Jonatan Clase, Dylan Beavers

I’m perhaps grading myself on a curve with Addison Barger if you simply look at his brief MLB sample. However, projections have him as a decent hitter (roughly 90 wRC+) and given that he was our projected “super sub,” he’ll fit that profile well. Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott are both MLB-quality arms, and should have important roles in the Orioles’ rotation this season. Jack Leiter flashed some great stuff in Triple-A, but was terrible in a short sample in the majors. I think he figures it out, perhaps out of the bullpen.

Darrell Hernaiz was very productive at Triple-A and looks to be a solid big-league quality player. The 135 plate appearance major league sample was terrible, but I think he’s close to the player he was in Triple-A. Jonatan Clase looks like he’ll be a decent fourth outfielder. Dylan Beavers had another solid season, clocking in with a 116 wRC+ across the upper levels.

The Terrible – Damiano Palmegiani, Haydn McGeary, Luken Baker, Justice Bigbie, Joe Boyle, Dominic Hamel

I was enamoured with Haydn McGeary given his tremendous underlying metrics, but he repeated Double-A for some reason and was terrible. I always wonder if prospects repeating a level has a deleterious psychological impact, which may explain the regression. Hopefully he gets a shot in Triple-A this year.

Luken Baker could perhaps be put in the “Not Bad” section, but the clock is ticking. He did have a 121 wRC+ in Triple-A last year, so there’s a shot he has a similar career arc to Brent Rooker without the same upside.

Damiano Palmegiani had a terrible year. Justice Bigbie hit only four home runs in Triple-A last season, which is shocking given how strong his 2023 metrics were. Joe Boyle couldn’t find the strike zone, but Tampa Bay might fix him. Dominic Hamel did not perform very well.

The 2025 Team

Catcher

Carlos Narvaez, Red Sox

Acquiring Narvaez from the Yankees appears to be a very savvy acquisition by the Red Sox. Baseball America’s scouting report lauds his defense and grades him as an elite framer:

“Narvaez is a strong defender and Boston coveted his skills behind the plate. He graded as an elite framer once Triple-A implemented a full-time challenge system on June 25. During that time, he got called strikes on 85% of pitches in the shadow area of the zone, ranking eighth among Triple-A catchers in that time. He drew strikes on 26% of shadow pitches outside the zone, which was best among Triple-A catchers by a huge margin. He also is well-regarded for his game-calling, handling of a staff and technical skills while showing an average arm.”

Narvaez’ glove is only half the story. He might also be a quality hitter, posting a 108 wRC+ in his age-25 season at Triple-A. Narvaez becomes even more interesting as we dig deeper. His 105.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was 3 mph above his 2023 output, as he traded some contact for more oomph on batted balls. He also showed a more patient approach, which should allow him to tap into his power more. He may be able to hit 15-20 home runs a season, while drawing walks in 10-12% of his plate appearances, with very good defense. That adds up to a catcher that can post a few three-win seasons. The odds of any Top 100 catcher (outside of Basallo) posting multiple three-win seasons is pretty low, so this is a rather bold prediction.

Despite his age, Narvaez has all the makings of a very good major league contributor. He’s not an exciting prospect, but Red Sox should be excited to have him as their backup to Connor Wong. It wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up as the primary catcher before the season is over.

Designated Hitter

Niko Kavadas, Angels

Kavadas may just be the New Greek God of Walks. He has an extremely patient approach, above-average raw power and optimized launch angles that could help him hit 20-25 home runs a season with a healthy amount of walks. There’s a lot of swing and miss in his game, but the power-and-patience profile might be just enough to make him a productive big league hitter.

First Base

Blaine Crim, Rangers

I’m a big believer in Crim and I wrote about him extensively at the end of last season. Crim has hit at every level from his first season in college through Triple-A, with consistent underlying Statcast metrics that back it all up. He’s more than earned his shot at the plate, which will hopefully come soon if his defense is serviceable enough for the majors. Let Blaine Reign.

Second Base

Chase Meidroth, White Sox

In Triple-A last year, Meidroth walked 105 times and struck out only 71 times, powering him to an amazing .437 OBP. He’s a superlative contact hitter, paired with extreme patience, which makes me really believe in the on-base skills. While his top-end power isn’t exciting, his excellent swing decisions helped him post an average exit velocity close to the major league average. The metrics and performance all point to a batter who could post a triple slash line around .280/.360/.360 which would be right around league-average.

Most projection systems have Meidroth projected to be an above-average hitter as a rookie. The Bat X is the most pessimistic, but still has him with a 96 wRC+ that is near MLB average. ZiPS projects him as a roughly 2.5 wins above baseline player over the next three seasons. RoboScout has Meidroth as the No. 35 prospect for fantasy baseball, which is very close to ZiPS’ ranking of No. 38. While the jury is still out if his extreme patience can translate to the majors, I think his combination of zone contact and chase contact gives him a very high floor.

There’s an argument to be made that Meidroth should be a fringe Top 100 prospect given his high floor and defensive utility. While he may not start the season as the leadoff hitter for the White Sox, he’s the ideal archetype for the position: an on-base machine with a patient approach that lets the other batters get a read on the starting pitcher. There isn’t much to be excited for in 2025 if you’re a White Sox fan, but you can be moderately excited for Meidroth’s MLB future.

Shortstop

Max Muncy, Athletics

Muncy is quite a good prospect, posting near MLB-average exit velocities and launch angles, though he does swing and miss a fair bit. He doesn’t have the optimized launch angles of the elder Max Muncy, which limits his upside somewhat. The underlying metrics support his .866 OPS/117 wRC+ line at Triple-A, which is very respectable for a player that can play up the middle, and the A’s are also giving him reps at third base. Some players lose exit velocity when they make the jump from Triple-A to MLB, which Muncy cannot afford. I think he has a good shot at becoming an average major league player, which is a fantastic outcome for a player that is not on any of the aforementioned top 100 lists.

Third Base

Mike Boeve, Brewers

Boeve’s back-to-back seasons of a 140 and 161 wRC+, including a 143 wRC+ at Double-A this past season, should open some eyes. His contact skills are comfortably plus, with a zone contact rate north of 90%, combined with an above-average ability to avoid chase. He improved his contact rates dramatically year over year, and his contact rates mostly held up in Double-A compared to High-A.

Boeve’s raw power is roughly fringe-average given his max and 90th percentile exit velocities, with roughly average launch angles. When combined with a good hit tool and a solid eye, we get a high-probability major league hitter. Over time, I’ve become more attentive to these kinds of profiles–the guy without a standout tool, that just does everything at basically MLB average or better level.

Boeve is not likely to ever anchor a lineup, but quality hitters like him are what deep lineups are made of. Milwaukee has a good one brewing here.

Middle Infield (Sub)

Luisangel Acuña, Mets

Acuña ranks No. 8 in our Preseason Top 30 Mets Prospects and is in similar range with other publications as well. I think that undersells his value. Baseball America’s scouting report of Acuña describes a “plus defender, with a plus arm on the middle infield”. Baseball Savant’s fielding metrics confirmed his defensive chops, to the extent that a 90-inning sample can.

While I don’t (yet) compile ordinal ranks of various systems, I would probably have Ronny Mauricio and Acuña 1-2 in the Mets system (I am probably the “high guy” on Ronny Mo). Many will look at Acuña’s Triple-A slash line of .258/.299/.355 and 69 wRC+ last year and immediately dismiss him out of hand. So what makes Acuña such a compelling prospect if he couldn’t even handle Triple-A pitching?

It all starts with his speed and defense. He boasted a 95th percentile sprint speed along with the aforementioned plus defense. While the Mets won’t need him to play short, he should be a fantastic defender at the keystone. Players with plus-plus speed and plus defense start out with a really high floor, and we usually dream on their ability to hit.

Acuña’s max exit velocity of 109.8 mph in the big leagues was right in line with his Triple-A max exit velocity of 109.6, suggesting roughly major league average raw power. In Triple-A, his 90th percentile EV was about 1 mph below the major league average, as was his average exit velocity, but all that ticked up in the majors, sitting above-average to plus, paired with launch angles that will make them play down a little.

Where Acuña really shines is as a contact hitter, running plus contact and chase rates in Triple-A, which translated to roughly average in his small MLB sample. The power and contact profile strongly suggest he’ll end up an average or slightly better hitter, with room for growth given he’s still very young.

I think he can perform something along the lines of 2023-2024 Andres Gimenez, who was worth more than six wins over the past couple of seasons. The Mets have an absolutely loaded lineup, so it’s hard to project Acuña to get a ton of plate appearances, but I think he’ll prove his worth as the season goes along.

Corner Infield (Sub)

Jonathon Long, Cubs

Long’s Arizona Fall League data stood out to me. He has the makings of a very good hitter, pairing at least plus exit velocities with the ability to lift the ball, along with solid contact rates. Some players struggle with the jump from High-A to Double-A, but for Long it was the reverse. He improved his contact rates and posted a whopping 189 wRC+ in Double-A. In two seasons since being drafted, he’s posted incredible batting lines of 164 wRC+ (.973 OPS) in 2023 and 149 wRC+ (.851 OPS) in 2024, with walk rates around 14%. It’s a very well-rounded profile that’s probably closer to major league ready than the various rankings would suggest. Can’t wait to see what he looks like in Triple-A.

Left Field

Alan Roden, Blue Jays

Roden was the Blue Jays Minor League player of the year, putting up the rare .300+/.400+/.500+ line at Triple-A, with metrics that are fully backed by his Triple-A Statcast data. Geoff Pontes tagged him as a breakout hitting prospect for 2025, and I couldn’t agree more. He had an exceptional 93% zone contact rate at Triple-A (roughly 10 points above the MLB average), while maintaining plus power metrics with his max exit velocity and 90th percentile exit velocities. He has the makings of a 25-homer bat with good on-base skills, and might look something like a .260/.340/.440 hitter in the majors once he gets acclimated.

Center Field

Spencer Jones, Yankees

Jones struck out a staggering 36.8% of the time in Double-A, which has pushed him off all of the above lists. The obvious concern is projecting his current contact concerns to the major leagues. If it’s already close to unplayable in Double-A, the prospects of it getting better as he moves up the ladder are slim.

Here’s why I’m still in on him: Defense. Jones is a great runner underway and a phenomenal athlete for his size. He also hits the ball as hard as anyone in baseball, which gives him a floor that might look a lot like Jose Siri. Siri has struck out in roughly 37% of his plate appearances, and despite his career .210 batting average, his power and defense have helped him accrue six wins (per FanGraphs) over the last three seasons.

I think it’s more likely than not that Jones develops enough to be a viable major leaguer. He still has one of the highest ceilings in all of baseball. There are a lot of similarities in his profile to Xavier Isaac (albeit older) from a hitting standpoint, with the bonus of being a far superior athlete. He’s the likeliest to bust of any of the players on this list, but I wouldn’t write him off just yet.

Right Field

Alejandro Osuna, Rangers

Of any player on this list, Osuna’s true value exceeds his perceived value the most. He’s massively underrated across the board. His Arizona Fall League metrics were intriguing, where he posted a bevy of metrics that were all major league average or better.

The 6-footer is shorter of stature, but he hits the ball hard with good launch angles. He makes a lot of contact against all pitch types and improved his contact metrics from High-A to Double-A. If he produces at Triple-A, I think he’ll be a consensus Top 100 guy by the end of the season, as a potential league-average bat, with above average defensive value.

Starting Pitchers

SP1 – Zak Kent, RHP, Guardians

I spoke with Kent a few months ago, and I went into detail on him in an upcoming piece. I love his cut-fastball, a pitch shape that I think will become more popular at some point, as well as his deathball slider with negative vert. He has the makings of a true five-pitch mix, and is finally fully healthy heading into 2025.

SP2 – Brandon Young, RHP, Orioles

Young was the Orioles’ minor league pitcher of the year and might rival Osuna for the title of biggest gap between actual and perceived value. He has a plus fastball, showing increased velo at 95 mph early this spring, with above-average ride. He complements it with a complete arsenal that should allow him to go deep into games.

SP3 – Marco Raya, RHP, Twins

Finally healthy, Raya might finally achieve his lofty potential. His fastball isn’t too exciting, but in his small sample in Triple-A, he was mostly pitching off his 90 mph cutter, and his breaking balls graded out extremely well with tremendous feel for spin. This might be the year we see the best version of Raya.

SP4 – Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Cardinals

Hjerpe fills the zone from an extremely low-and-wide slot from the left side. It’s a very different look than what batters are used to. Major league hitters are four-dimensional cognitive geniuses masquerading as elite athletes, so showing them something they aren’t used to is an effective strategy. The changeup and sweeper shapes have promise, but it all hinges on whether or not big league hitters can adjust to Hjerpe’s outlier delivery.

SP5 – K.C Hunt, RHP, Brewers

This is an old-school SABR 1.0 pick, where I’m reading into his exceptional 28.4% K%-BB% and 2.03 ERA across a couple of levels that includes a finish at Double-A. Hunt’s stuff doesn’t leap off the page, but every once in a while, one of these performance-over-stuff guys pans out. Hunt is my pick to be that guy.

SP6 – Brandon Birdsell, RHP, Cubs

I love Birdsell’s cut-fastball which sits around 95 mph with good spin rates. He might be able to continue to optimize its shape by adding a little more cut, but it does appear the Cubs are either developing this shape specifically, or are drafting and developing guys with this shape. The slider, curveball and change might all be average to plus from a stuff standpoint, though the changeup command will need to take a leap. Pitchers with good velo and an average fastball, along with three good secondaries are a good bet to be successful major leaguers.

BONUS

Dylan Lesko, Rays

Command is often one of the last things to come back after Tommy John surgery. For Lesko, 2024 was a terrible year command-wise, walking 75 batters in 84 innings, roughly 19% of the batters he faced. When a savvy team like the Rays targets pitchers like Lesko and Joe Boyle, it gets my attention. He was somehow worse after the trade to the Rays, but he’s now in a organization that has turned around other stuff monsters into good major league arms, often by giving those pitchers one target for all their pitches. I don’t have a lot of confidence that Lesko will regain his command, and he’s a bit farther away from the majors than most guys on this list, but the upside here is too tantalizing.

Relievers

Closer – Zach Maxwell, RHP, Reds

I raved about Maxwell multiple times last year. I’m a huge Maxwell stan. Relief pitching prospects are notoriously hard to project, but he’s a good bet to finish the season as the closer for the Reds.

Set Up – Edgardo Henriquez, RHP, Dodgers

Henriquez throws absolute gas, with decent shape that should allow his fastball to be a plus-plus pitch. If you throw 100 mph and can tunnel even moderately well off the fastball, the secondaries will pop. I prefer Maxwell as his fastball has better shape, and their velos are similar.

Fireman – Craig Yoho, RHP, Brewers

Yoho, who I dubbed The Fresh Price of Bend-Air has a changeup that is literally off the charts for its spin axis. It has the potential to be an 80-grade pitch, with an incredible 36 inches of movement difference between the sweeper and the changeup. It’s not a flawless profile, but if he can locate those pitches, and use his sinker sparingly, he’s going to be a dominant fireman, especially if you slot him in against batters that struggle against non-fastballs.

Pick To Click – Brock Moore, RHP, Mariners

I was blown away by Moore’s college data, but I’m always skeptical of said data until I see it fully translate to the pro environment. We got a glimpse of his stuff in a Statcast park, and it was glorious.

That’s at least a plus-plus fastball, with 2-3 inches more ride than his release point would suggest, along with a bullet slider/cutter and a sweeper that touches 20 inches of vertical break, and 2800 rpm spin rates. It’s both a north-south and an east-west profile as a plus-vert fastball guy with a great sweeper. It’s a rare combo and I’m fascinated to see how it plays out.

I might be the biggest Moore believer, but it’s not too early nor too late to hop aboard the Brock Moore Hype Train. He’ll need to harness his stuff and throw strikes, as his org mate Matt Brash was able to do. His current command probably suggests a bullpen role, but the arsenal is enough to carry him as a starter if the Mariners choose to develop him that way.