If you are looking for an arm with some upside late in your drafts check out Brandon Birdsell. Height/Weight: 63, 195|Bat/Throw: L/R| 1st Round (27) 2021|ETA: 2025, An under slot first round pick, the Padres followed their trend of scooping up pop up prospects with the selection of Merrill. Starting upright, Holliday utilizes a slow leg kick to get into his lower half, but repeats it well and has looked comfortable with his timing. Low ground ball rates and above average exit velocities have helped Norby launch 28 homers this season, but for a guy with limited physical imposition, it is really impressive how he is able to leave the yard foul pole to foul pole. Perezs ability to repeat his mechanics for such a young, tall, and long pitcher should have the Marlins dreaming of a second Sandy Alcantara. Steer was a consistent, reliable bat through his collegiate career thanks to a his natural feel to hit. Age: 19|Height/Weight: 68, 200|Bat/Throw: R/R|IFA: $200K, 2020 (MIA)|ETA: 2023. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound slugger was going to his pull side for power earlier in his professional career, but adjusted his load which has allowed him to keep his weight back and use the whole field. Colas could be a middle of the order force for the White Sox soon. The tendency to get a bit long and pull happy, will be something to monitor as he ascends to the upper minors, however his body control and solid chase rates give him a good chance to develop into an average hitter. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. The 22-year-old picked up just a dozen bags in his first 100 games of the season, but should be more of a base stealer as he gets more comfortable on the base paths at the upper levels. Though hes just an average hitter, Westburgs ability to drive the ball to all fields and advanced plate discipline reinforce the belief that he will be able to hit enough at the highest level. Already reaching exit velocities of 110 MPH while smacking 51 extra-base hits in his first season, Williams has plenty more pop in the tank. It has the potential to be a 70-grade offering if Jobe can find more consistency and tighten it. With tools across the board and impressive bloodlines, theres plenty to dream on with Green. Burleson has an extremely quiet set up, starting pre-stacked on his backside with just a toe tap for timing. In 57 games, Cross slashed .328/.411/.660 with 14 doubles, 8 triples, 17 home runs, and 70 runs scored, making the All-ACC first team in 2022. Busch should be able to keep the strikeouts relatively in check with a lot of homers and walks. Palatable chase rates and solid contact rates give Campusano a great chance to be an average hitter or slightly better and he has flashed his above average power on several occasions this year, maxing out at 112 mph off of the bat. 3 starter than the fringe No. Caissie moves well for his size, but his limited experience in the outfield heading into 2022 was evident in his reads and routes. Though his power is above average at best, Rafaelas adjustments have helped him tap into it in games making his jump in HR/FB rate sustainable. Collier looks advanced at the plate and to me resembles Jordan Walker coming out of the 2020 draft class. Even in his brief MLB stint this year, Aranda has seen action at second base, first base and third base as well as some games in left in the minors. His arsenal is led by his plus fastball in the mid 90s with lots of ride. 1. Capable of producing exit velocities as high as 119 MPH, including 65 batted balls over 105 MPH since the start of the 2021 season (694 at-bats). These pitches allow him to utilize the leverage in his swing and at worst, he will be able to annihilate said pitches in the big leagues once he gets there. Busch features a short, compact swing that produces big exit velos and massive backspin to all parts of the park. The fastball gets in on hitters really quickly, exploding out of his tough release point. Built like an NBA small forward with impressive athleticism, there are few prospects in baseball with as much projection as Alcantara. A good athlete, Wood played basketball as well before moving down to Florida to focus on baseball (smart move). The list below is for 2022 fantasy baseball redraft leagues. Brewers land trio of top int'l prospects. Improving his strike throwing consistency was as simple as finding a more consistent landing spot for Espino given his explosive lower half. His at-bat quality is advanced for his age, keeping his chase rates at bay and is aware of the strengths he possesses in the box. A favorite to be selected first overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Mayer surprisingly fell to the Red Sox with the fourth selection. A big guy at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Tiedemann can struggle at times to sync up his mechanics, but still maintained a walk rate below 10% and should at least grow into average command. Miller was seen as high-risk, high-reward pitching prospect out of Louisville with electric stuff, but a limited track record as a starter. Arroyo is a natural up the middle, with clean actions, impressive footwork and a rocket for an arm. His change-up is an average offering that Birdsell mixes in lightly in starts. Perez essentially has the floor of a middle-of-the-rotation starter. Great plate discipline and body control help Henderson remain productive against all pitch types and he uses the entire field impressively. Colas hit .362/.417/.533 against lefties this season. Son of former All-Star Matt Holliday, Jackson stands out to many as the best well-rounded prospect of the 2022 draft. A prized international free agent, Cartaya signed for $2.5 million as a 16-year-old in 2018. Theres much more potential for Herrera offensively and still plenty of time to get there. Top Prospects by Position Catchers First Basemen Second Basemen Shortstops Third Basemen Outfielders Halls repertoire is as impressive as anyones and he is clearly the second-best pitching prospect in the Orioles farm system. With its sharp, late break, and his ability to spot it at the bottom of the zone, Miller has used the slider as a ground ball machine in the launchpad that is the Pacific Coast League. His arm is easily plus, however his near bottom of the scale speed would make a transition to the outfield difficult. Elite speed and defensive potential in centerfield with an offensive skillset to dream on, Chourio has a lot of similarities to Michael Harris II, including how young he could possibly debut. 2021 The D-backs could very well have their face of the franchise in Corbin Carroll. Halls command of the heater is fringe average with a tendency to miss arm-side due to the heavy run he produces when he flies open too early. Cartaya picked up where he left off in 2022 with another great offensive season while impressing with his polish behind the plate. Jung has a chance to post a batting average in the high 200s, along with 25+ homers and average or better defense at third. Birdsell played for three different colleges from 2019-2022 with the final two years at Texas Tech. Pfaadts preferred weapon for left-handed hitters is his above average changeup with late arm side fade in the mid 80s. There was no sugar coating how concerning things looked for Dominguez in 2021, however 2022 has served as a perfect example as to why you do not close the door on talented teenagers after a tough seasonespecially when they have the expectations and pressure placed on them like Dominguez did. If Carter cleans up his routes he will easily project as a plus defender in centerfield. Collier fell into the laps of the Reds at pick No. Initially viewed as a high-risk, high-reward power bat, Marte has a higher offensive floor than some may give him credit for. After dominating Double-A, Henderson entered Triple-A as the levels youngest player and continued his torrid production. Hence has as much upside as any pitching prospect at the lower levels. Parada utilizes as unorthodox of a set up as youll see. Wiemers ability to catch up to almost any velocity while holding his own against secondary stuff really improves his outlook in regards to his hit tool. Theres 30+ homer pop to dream on with good on base skills and staying power at short. The Venezuela native has the upside of a fringe All-Star if he continues to develop offensively. Carroll has the offensive profile of a top of the order catalyst who can do it all. To keep up with Just Baseballs prospect content and analysis, check out our prospect podcast The Call Up which features detailed breakdowns on all of these prospects as well as interviews with many of them. 1 prospect in baseball. After tearing up High-A, Manzardo was promoted to Double-A and picked up right where he left off. The Virginia Tech. More bat speed than youd expect given his small frame, leading to sneaky pop to the pull-side. Espino does a great job of repeating his tough release point across all of his pitches, making it difficult for the hitter to differentiate whats coming out of his hand. During his final season with the Red Raiders, Birdsell struck out 106 batters in 85 innings holding a 2.75 ERA in 15 starts. Compiling 2022 MLB top prospects rankings from all of the best sources in the Minor League baseball, scouting, and fantasy industries. Steer would be an above-average defender at second base and his arm is good enough to play a solid third base. On top of the elite velocity, Miller has improved the shape of his fastball to give it more ride. The curve has become Browns go-to pitch against lefties, while his improved slider has become a much more reliable pitch for him against right-handed hitters. Look for Matos to bounce back in 2023. Quiet things down without it coming at expense of his power. Brock knows how to pitch in the big games, winning the state title all three years at St. Marys Prep, Division II crowns in 19 & 21 and capping it off as Division I undefeated champion in 2022 among other individual awards. His 89% zone contact and just 19% strikeout rate reinforce Merrills well above average ability to hit. A big X-Factor for Matos will be his approach, which could be the difference between him being a decent regular and a fringe-All-Star. 1 Bobby Witt Jr. SS/3B Kansas City Royals. The plus pitch dives off the table with 12-6 break and is a great put away pitch to both lefties and righties. How much power he taps into will be a determinant in just how absurdly high his ceiling is, but Hollidays instincts, natural hitting ability, physical projection and bloodlines have Holliday looking like a potential All-Star shortstop for the Orioles. Green should get the bump to A- Fredericksburg to start the 2023 campaign. An elite athlete on the mound already with two big league pitches, the development of Bradleys changeup is what is stands between Triple-A Durham and the middle of the Rays rotation. The last piece for Jung will just be improving his approach a bit. The uptick in power over the last two seasons has not come at the expense of his impressive contact skills with Vargas actually posting the best BB/K ratio of his career (0.93). Rocchio could probably use another season in Triple-A as he tries to find more offensive consistency, however his glove is good enough to hold down the shortstop position at the highest level right now. Touching 99 mph, Painter earns widespread praise. Yet another electric pitching prospect in a loaded Dodgers system, Miller has a good chance to be the best of the bunch. Height/Weight: 63, 215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st Round (5) 2022 | ETA: 2025. The southpaw will also mix in an average upper 70s curveball to steal strikes on occasion. Wood has a quiet upright set up, with simple pre-swing moves that are easier for him to repeat with his long levers. Generally, these loud moves would be of concern in regards to disrupting timing and consistency, but Johnson is quick and compact with explosive bat speed. A powerful bat who controls the strike zone really well, Busch has the ingredients of a Max Muncy lite. The Cardinals are hoping that Herrera can take over catching duties next season and while there may be some growing pains, he could very well be worth the wait. His natural deception, solid pitch mix and gradually improving command make for a back end of the rotation starter at worst with No. Westburg followed up a strong 2021 season with an even bigger 2022 in Triple-A. Its not due to a lack of quickness, however, the length to his swing makes him have to cheat a little bit in order to get the barrel out. Westburg hits the ball hard and by cutting his ground ball rate by 8% this season, he has seen a major jump in the power department. Though the new moves are louder, Naylor is extremely athletic and controls his body really well. Johnson should be an above average defender at second. Even with quieting his pre-swing moves down, Lewis still produced big time exit velocities in his limited action including a max EV of 114 MPH and near elite 107.9 MPH 90th percentile EV. The right-hander has extreme confidence in the offering, using it in any count and locating it well. With a litany of talented catching prospects in the Pirates system, Rodriguez has also received reps at second base, first base, and left field. McLain has responded well to each assignment and has tapped into more power in Double-A. Vientos crushed fastballs to a 1.010 OPS this season compared to a dreadful .447 OPS against breaking balls. Still a glove-first prospect, Tovar is trending more towards being an all-around shortstop than a defensive specialist. As the Rangers continue to focus on competing in the next couple years, Jung will undoubtedly be a big part of those plans as a high floor, steady bat who could make a couple All Star appearances. Marte could be a small tweak away from exploding offensively, but he has produced pretty good results thus far on natural ability and athleticism. March 1, 2023. Look for a bounce back season from the talented competitor in 2023. Green seems to know his swing and repeats his moves pretty well. Here is a quick overview on the 20-80 scale used extensively throughout the list and standard across the baseball industry. With a big frame and plenty of room to fill out as well as a lower half that could be more involved in his swing, theres a chance that Jones could tap into plus raw power as he matures. Its easy to see big time upside with Green offensively and given how hard he hits the baseball, there is big power potential. The struggles against velocity are a concern with Pages and he will need to find a way to be more efficient to the baseball. The left-handed hitter has shown plenty of comfort shooting balls the other way when he is behind in the count, but also had no problem leaving the yard to left field, launching eight oppo homers this season. Though the 32% strikeout rate was high for Williams, he showed a pretty mature approach and an ability to hit velocity. Reliever risk all but gone, Miller is a likely middle-of-the-rotation option with frontline potential. With plus bat-to-ball skills and potential plus power for the former catcher and first basemen Keegan represents a polished bat for the Rays. So much so that the 17-year-old decided to get his GED and play Junior College Baseball at Chipola College which has produced players like Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, Patrick Corbin, Adam Duvall and others. From the right side, Amadors lower half is a bit less involved resulting in a little less power output. The Cardinals have not stretched Hence out much, averaging less than four innings per start, but he is set to get more work in the Arizona Fall League. Impressive range, smooth actions, an above average arm and impressive instincts have Turang looking like a plus defender at the highest level. Height/Weight: 62, 200|Bat/Throw: R/L|3rd Round (85)- 2020|ETA: 2023. For now, we will dive into the top 10 and find the diamonds in the rough as they start their journey to the show.