Top 200 Prospects – July Update

1. Elly De La Cruz (SS, Cin, No Change) – Acuna, Tatis Jr., and Elly. You’ll hear those three talk about in the same sentence a lot.

2. Jackson Holliday (SS, Bal, No Change) – He’s the best teenager in the game, and the floor keeps rising.

3. Jackson Chourio (OF, Mil, Up 1) – He’s heating up. Still very young.

4. James Wood (OF, Was, Up 8) – Speed and power, but with his length, you have to expect some strikeouts.

5. Jordan Lawlar (SS, Ari, No Change) – He has all the tools to be a star.

6. Marcelo Mayer (SS, Bos, No Change) – He has that beautiful lefty swing with emerging power. He’ll never be a burner but could be a 20-home-run bat who hits with high on-base skills.

7. Bobby Miller (RHP, LAD, Up 14) – He’s been excellent in his Major League debut showing elite stuff.

8. Evan Carter (OF, Tex, Up 2) – A plus hit tool with speed and power.

9. Colton Cowser (OF, Bal, Up 6) – High on-base player with emerging power and some speed early in his career.

10. Gavin Williams (RHP, Cle, Up 8) – His MLB debut didn’t go well, but that second start looked good.

11. Masyn Winn (SS, Stl, Down 4) – Huge upside with double-plus speed and elite bat speed.

12. Bo Naylor (C, Cle, Up 1) – Perhaps the Guardians have forgotten about him? There’s speed, decent pop, and a feel to hit.

13. Henry Davis (C, Pit, Up 13) – He got the call a few weeks ago and looks terrific.

14. Andrew Painter (RHP, Phi, Up 2) – Because of his injury, it’s hard to knock him down too much.

15. Jasson Dominguez (OF, NYY, Down 1) – He’s a big dude already, but he has elite bat speed and still a plus runner—star potential.

16. Junior Caminero (3B, TB, Up 33) – One of the 2023’s breakout players. He has significant power upside with a feel to hit. I will note that the approach is aggressive, and if it weren’t for a .408 BABIP, the results would look different. There is still work left.

17. Curtis Mead (3B, TB, Up 8) – Plus hit tool with hard contact could give him 20+ future home run pop with a high batting average and OBP.

18. Endy Rodriguez (C, Pit, Up 8) – He’s gotten off to a solid start with more walks than strikeouts. The power is a little down, but otherwise, he looks ready.

19. Kyle Manzardo (1B, TB, Up 9) – He can really hit, and with some more launch, he could develop into a 25+ home run hitter.

20. Marco Luciano (SS, SF, Up 9) – I still can’t believe he’s playing short, but there are 30+ home runs in the bat.

21. Diego Cartaya (C, LAD, Down 2) – He came into camp out of shape and didn’t play well. He’s looked better and hopefully will start to crank things up.

22. Colt Keith (3B, Det, Up 56) – A feel to hit with 20+ home run power. A move to second or first base may be in the cards long-term.

23. Noelvi Marte (3B, Cin, Up 6) – Speed and power for now, but given his size, the speed will fade away, and the power should increase. I also expect him to hit.

24. Emmet Sheehan (RHP, LAD, Up 51) – He hasn’t looked lost in his MLB career.

25. Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF, CHC, Up 5) – I thought his aggressive approach in High-A was an anomaly. Maybe not, as he’s repeating it in Double-A and showing speed and power.

26. Brayan Rocchio (SS, Cle, Up 5) – I still like the player, but it’s quite full in Cleveland.

27. Zac Veen (OF, Col, Up 5) – His season ended early when he had hand surgery in June.

28. Andrew Abbott (LHP, Cin, Up 32) – The control has taken a significant step forward in 2023. He looks just about ready.

29. Kevin Alcantara (OF, CHC, Up 4) – Showing speed with excellent bat speed, but his aggressive approach is being exposed with better pitching.

30. Colson Montgomery (SS, CHW, Up 4) – We are still waiting for him to rehab from his oblique injury.

31. Brandon Pfaadt (RHP, Ari, Down 10) – He’s improving, but the change-up still needs to be there. The upside is a solid number three starter.

32. Brooks Lee (SS, Min, Up 3) – He has a plus hit tool with average power and below-average speed. It’s the definition of a high-floor player.

33. Sal Frelick (OF, Mil, Up 3) – He got off to a nice start but tore the UCL in his thumb. He’s back now with a chance to see the big leagues later this summer.

34. Kyle Harrison (LHP, SF, Up 4) – He’s been rushed, and his 7.1 BB/9 reflects that.

35. Bryan Woo (RHP, Sea, New) – His xERA is two runs better than his 4.37 ERA. Nice mid-rotation starter

36. Mick Abel (RHP, Phi, Up 3) – Tall and lanky with a big fastball. Control and secondary pitches need work.

37. Adael Amador (SS, Col, Up 3) – He’s handling High-A well, walking nearly as much as he’s striking out with a 12% K-Rate. There’s plenty of speed and emerging power.

38. Emmanuel Rodriguez (OF, Min, Up 10) – He’s back playing after starting the season on the IL. There is big power with high OBP skills.

39. Harry Ford (C, Sea, Up 5) – Speed and power with a feel to hit. If he can stay behind the plate, he could be one of the top fantasy catchers in the league.

40. Druw Jones (OF, Ari, Up 4) – He has tons of talent, but I worry about the strikeouts. More importantly, he needs to get back on the field.

41. Termarr Johnson (SS, Pit, Up 1) – The swing-and-miss has been surprising, but the swing looks too good for him to be a 30% strikeout dude. Long-term, I think he’s a plus hitter with 15 to 18 home run pop.

42. Oswald Peraza (SS, NYY, Up 27) – I thought he had graduated on the last pass. There is power and speed and a feel to hit. But where does he play? The outfield??

43. Cam Collier (3B, Cin, Up 3) – He’s a high-floor player that projects as a plus hitter with 20+ home run pop.

44. Spencer Jones (OF, NYY, Up 20) – His game has speed, power, and potential for significant swing-and-miss.

45. Ricky Tiedemann (LHP, Tor, Down 1) – Showing huge strikeout rates in Double-A but is also walking five per nine.

46. Luis Matos (OF, SF, Up 31) – He’s a plus runner with enough pop to hit 8 to 12 home runs, walking as much as he strikes out.

47. Tyler Soderstrom (1B, Oak, Up 1) – He has an aggressive approach that won’t be fun in an OBP league, but there is 25+ home run pop. Will he stay at Catcher?

48. George Valera (OF, Cle, Down 31) – He started the year on the IL but is back now. I still believe.

49. Edwin Arroyo (SS, Cin, Up 1) – You are still betting on the come here. He is athletic with a feel to hit and a plus defender. He needs time.

50. Matthew Liberatore (LHP, Stl, Down 12) – He increased his velocity and appears to be a different pitcher.

51. Tink Hence (RHP, Stl, Up 20) – He missed a month after what was deemed as “chest tightness.” There’s big stuff here.

52. Ronny Mauricio (SS, NYM, Up 50) – He’s very aggressive at the plate but has the speed and power that fantasy owners crave.

53. Gavin Cross (OF, KC, Down 1) – He’s gotten off to a slow start but had a good week, and things might be starting to click.

54. Kevin Parada (C, NYM, No Change) – I expected more based on his college pedigree. I’m not worried…yet.

55. Quinn Priester (RHP, Pit, Up 1) – He’s not a hard thrower, but his fastball does have good spin. He does have a plus curveball and change-up. If it all comes together, the ceiling is a number three starter, maybe more.

56. Dalton Rushing (C, LAD, Up 7) – He has plus power with high on-base skills. There is some swing-and-miss in his game.

57. Ceddanne Rafaela (OF, Bos, No Change) – He has top-of-the-chart speed, but the approach is overly aggressive, which could limit his ceiling.

58. Miguel Bleis (OF, Bos, Up 1) – High-A was a stretch, but he’s showing speed and a feel to hit. He needs to get stronger, but he is still among my favorite young players in the minors.

59. Mason Miller (RHP, Oak, Down 8) – I have no idea where to put him. The stuff is crazy, but I don’t think he stays healthy. But he should be included as he qualifies.

60. Carson Williams (SS, TB, Up 2) – There are exciting tools that will come with swing and miss.

61. Owen White (RHP, Tex, New) – His strikeout rate is down, but the stuff is good enough to get guys out.

62. Jonatan Clase (OF, Sea, Up 21) – His carrying tool is his speed and aggressiveness on the basepaths. He needs to cut down on his strikeouts.

63. Jett Williams (OF, NYM, Up 3) – His carrying tool is the top-of-the-chart speed but needs to get stronger. He’s gotten off to a slow start as he appears somewhat overwhelmed.

64. Robert Hassell (OF, Was, Down 44) – It’s been a poor season for Robert Hassell. The hope is that his problems are health-related, but it’s enough to give fantasy managers pause.

65. Gordan Graceffo (RHP, Stl, Up 2) – He’s getting slowly ramped up after being treated for a shoulder impingement.

66. Jordan Westburg (SS, Bal, Up 8) – He’s having a nice season, and while there is swing and miss in his game, there is also 20+ home run pop and above-average speed.

67. Tyler Black (2B, Mil, Up 43) – He’s always been able to hit and is starting to show more pop as he fills out. He has the ceiling of a full-time regular who can play multiple positions.

68. Cole Wilcox (RHP, TB, New) – He has the size and arsenal to pitch at the top of the rotation.

69. Dustin Harris (OF, Tex, Down 11) – The return to Double-A has exposed more strikeouts. On the plus side, he’s stealing a ton of bases. There’s still a lot there, but he’s not ready for the big step.

70. Alex Ramirez (OF, NYM, Down 2) – The reports I get on Ramirez are impressive, and I want to see if the power/speed profile is real. He’s gotten off to a middling start.

71. Benny Montgomery (OF, Col, Down 2) – He missed time with a quad injury but is back playing. He’s a plus runner, but we are waiting to see how power develops.

72. Ben Brown (RHP, CHC, Down 2) – He’s starting to grow into his body with a chance to be a number three starter.

73. Daniel Espino (RHP, Cle, Down 12) – An elite arm, but the shoulder injury is concerning.

74. Jefferson Quero (C, Mil, Down 2) – A smallish catcher with a feel to hit with pop. The approach is on the aggressive side.

75. Luisangel Acuna (2B, Tex, Up 24) – There are many 50s on his scouting card with plus speed and the potential for future average power.

76. Ethan Salas (C, SD, Up 31) – He got his first hit at 16 in professional ball and doesn’t look lost at all. All the arrows are pointing way up!

77. Drew Gilbert (OF, Hou, Up 11) – He has a high floor as a solid Major League regular but lacks the tools to be an impact player.

78. Andy Pages (OF, LAD, Down 5) – He had season-ending surgery in May to repair a torn labrum. He had just been promoted to Triple-A and looked poised to make his Major League debut later in the year. That will have to wait.

79. Elijah Green (OF, Was, Down 24) – The raw talent is off-the-charts, and he now needs to learn to hit.

80. AJ Smith-Shawver (RHP, Atl, Down 5) – Got a surprise promotion to Atlanta and pitched well. Secondary pitches missed a ton of bats and show promise, but the fastball had average spin and wasn’t fooling many.

81. Justin Foscue (2B, Tex, Down 1) – He has the potential for a plus hit-tool with 15 to 20 home run pop.

82. Cole Young (SS, Sea, Down 1) – He is a nice young shortstop prospect walking as much as he’s striking out in his first full season of professional baseball.

83. Zack Gelof (3B, Oak, Up 15) – He’s yet to show plus power, but I believe it’s lurking there. There are too many strikeouts, but he should walk at an above-average rate.

84. River Ryan (RHP, LAD, New) – Athletic pitcher with a plus fastball-cutter and a workable change-up. He needs to focus on throwing strikes, and with his athleticism, odds are he will.

85. Emmerson Hancock (RHP, Sea, No Change) – He’s struggling with his control this season, but the stuff has returned to form.

86. Connor Norby (2B, Bal, No Change) – Plays hard with good contact skills and average power and speed—a nice middle infielder.

87. Nick Nastrini (RHP, LAD, Down 3) – It’s three-plus pitches with a great delivery. It’s everything you look for in a young starting pitcher. The command is not there, but the delivery points to future success.

88. Coby Mayo (3B, Bal, Up 44) – The swing suggests 25+ home run power potential, but it will likely come with pressure on his batting average.

89. Jace Jung (2B, Det, Down 2) – He has a plus hit tool and should grow into power.

90. Gavin Stone (RHP, LAD, Down 43) – His season has gone downhill since he made his MLB Debut.

91. Jackson Merrill (SS, SD, Up 15) – I thought that coming into the season, he was a high-floor player, but his aggressive approach at the plate has me questioning that. I don’t know about this one.

92. Carson Whisenhunt (LHP, SF, Up 29) – His money pitch is his double-plus change-up. He throws strikes with a 92 to 94 MPH fastball and a decent curve.

93. Nick Frasso (RHP, LAD, New) – He’s 6-foot-5, athletic, with a fastball that can touch the upper 90s.

94. Jared Jones (RHP, Pit, New) – He has a plus arsenal with a fastball that can touch 97, an above-average change-up, and a slider and curveball that show promise. He’s still very raw and needs time to develop.

95. Jacob Misiorowski (RHP, Mil, Up 34) – Tall and thin with two 70-grade pitches in his fastball and slider. He needs to develop a third pitch and work on repeating his delivery.

96. Yanquiel Fernandez (OF, Col, Up 39) – His carrying tool is his 70-grade raw power. He makes average contact but rarely walks. There is little to no speed.

97. Michael Busch (2B, LAD, Down 21) – He got a cup of coffee early this season, but it didn’t stick. There’s power and feel to hit.

98. Roman Anthony (OF, Bos, New) – He’s athletic with better strike zone control than his draft book indicated.

99. Carlos Jorge (2B, Cin, Up 5) – He’s showing a feel to hit with plus speed and a chance for future average power.

100. Jared Serna (2B, NYY, Up 17) – He’s showing an excellent understanding of the strike zone with bat speed and above-average speed.

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