The issue is that its nearly impossible to predict which player it will be. As of list publication, Rodriguez is one of just two catchers on Pittsburghs 40-man roster, and while its possible hes beaten out by a veteran non-roster invitee like Tyler Heineman or Kevin Plawecki, Rodriguezs defensive chops and versatility give him a shot to break camp with the big club, split time with Austin Hedges, and moonlight at one or two other positions before eventually seizing the primary catcher job. But it also leaves open an opportunity for dynasty managers who can sniff out the potential. In that case, were talking about a rock solid everyday player in the Mark Canha mold, and in fact Vargas career has tracked in a similar fashion, especially as we stand on the precipice of a likely position change. Lots of scouts think he ultimately projects in relief, but hes holding his velocity deep into games and has some other pitchability traits that suggest he could continue to start. He was suddenly a young-for-the-class college bat who might have gone very high in the draft if hed hit like he had the year before and gotten better at second base. Still, there are all kinds of hit tool red flags here, both in the data and in Williams visual scouting report. He ran an 83% Z-contact rate in 2022, which again, is right on the precipice of viability, as chase-prone, low-OBP hitters like Ozzie Albies and Jonathan Schoop have shown. Bradley hammers the zone with his heater (he threw strikes with his fastball at a 71% clip in 2022), and the uphill line and carry on the pitch make it difficult for hitters to get on top of, especially at these velocities. His swing is like a right-handed version of Juan Sotos, capable of getting underneath the baseball in basically every part of the zone, in part because of the flexibility and athleticism in his lower half. After sustaining an arm injury during spring training, Miller spent most of 2022 rehabbing. Fantasy Update: 2021 Re-Draft Top 25/Dynasty Top 200. Bleis has some of the planets sexiest bat speed and produces shocking power for a young hitter his size. Tall, well-built, and athletic, Pfaadt has plenty of starter traits. It isnt pretty, but some of the proof is in the data. : Cubs ($1,000,000) More 15. Lawlars hit tool projection is a bit of a conundrum. Its no surprise, then, that his introduction to pro ball came with a reduced workload, which Graceffo combined with a clear commitment to hitting the gym, resulting in an immediate velocity increase across his repertoire. Luis Guanipa, OF, Ven. Still, Mauricio owns a 40% chase rate and has a career .300 OBP in the minors. Make no mistake, Paradas bat was one of the surer things in the 2022 draft, and hes likely to hit in the middle of a big league order regardless of position, which would make him a superstar catcher, but closer to an average regular if he ends up a LF/DH. The addition of a leg kick in 2021 increased his power output without disrupting his timing at the plate, and now Steer has a well-rounded hit/patience/power toolkit that would profile in a 50 FV capacity at any non-first base position. Athletic, strike-throwing lefties with a great changeup tend to pitch in the big leagues forever. There's good opposite-field power from the left side, and the overall package that could develop into a plus-plus hitter. This level of athleticism might be an indication that Rodriguez will find a way to mature into more raw power despite not having a traditionally projectable frame. Detroit Tigers Available Bonus: $6,431,000 Top Player: SS Cristian Santana Hes similar to DJ LeMahieu and Vinnie Pasquantino from a skill set standpoint and should provide a long-term answer at first base for the Rays within the next couple of years. He showed a tendency to expand the zone and make some sub-optimal contact as an amateur and in his 2022 pro sample, but there are times when Johnson does this and rather than frustrate scouts and analysts, he impresses them with his ability to identify and adjust to breaking balls, his barrel feel, and his hand-eye coordination. The draft covers players born in the United States, Canada, and Puerto. A fantastic defensive shortstop, Tovars poor plate discipline somewhat undermines his excellent bat-to-ball skill. Once a two-way prospect, Winns skills in the batters box quickly won out, and hes been developed solely as a position player. His rate of hard, impact contact is near the top of the scouting scale when you adjust for age and is already comfortably plus relative to the big league rates in some areas (like barrel rate). Brando Mayea, OF, Cuba: Yankees ($4,350,000) More 10. It comes out of his hand from a high arm slot that looks like the kind optimized for data-friendly ride, but the pitchs downhill angle makes it less of a weapon at the letters and actually makes it very vulnerable within the strike zone. The huge swing doesnt detract from Netos feel for contact, which he made plenty of during an aggressive post-draft assignment to Double-A. His 2022 throwing was not quite as good as previous notes indicate, with lots of one-hoppers to the bag or throws sailing on him, though Naylors pop times remain close to average. Some aspects of Mauricios defense need to be cleaned up. : Brewers ($1,400,000) More 36. Chronic shoulder issues have derailed the careers of countless pitching prospects, and the new information caused Espino to be repositioned from the 60 FV tier (he was close to 12th overall on early drafts of the list) to here, where both his ceiling and heightened bust risk are factored in. Dynasty managers are trying to score big when they draft unproven teenagers. Abel has a strong natural proclivity for spinning his breaking stuff, and his low-to-mid-80s slurve is already an above-average pitch and could be a 70-grade shove machine at maturity. Just shy of age 21 in 2022, he was a draft-eligible sophomore and somehow improved on an incredible freshman season (.318/.379/.550) by nearly tripling his home run total, walking as often as he Kd and slashing .361/.453/.709 as a soph. Julien finally got underway in pro ball in 2021 and since then, hes had two good seasons en route to a 40-man roster spot. There are guidelines for signing prospects. He slashed .287/.388/.476 at High-A in 2022 and hit 43 extra-base hits during the year, but Carters game is much more about soft skills than premium tools. Hendersons hard-hit rate (52%), average exit velocity (92 mph), max exit velo for his age (116 mph), barrel rate in the minors, and anything else that measures power and contact quality are all a 60 or 70 on the scouting scale, and so is his plate discipline. Waldichuks command is better than his small 2022 big league sample and he should stabilize as a mid-rotation piece. He lacks the raw power of a typical big league first baseman, but Manzardos feel for sweet spot contact should enable him to clear the lofty offensive standard at that position. Fantastic write-up as always Eric, thank you! Jun-Seok Shim, RHP, S. Korea: Pirates+ More 11. : Brewers ($1,300,000) More 34. Hes a well-rounded star and franchise cornerstone. Baseball America's bonus board is the best resource available to know the big international prospects signing in 2023 . After slashing .251/.326/.494 at Aberdeen, the 20-year-old was promoted to Bowie for the stretch run. -- $500,000Jeremy Ciriaco, SS, D.R. The injury adds more volatility to a profile that already had some and might cause Jones to open 2023 in extended spring training, but its encouraging that Jordan Lawlar returned to normal after enduring a similar injury. After strikeouts were an issue for him in 2021, he narrowed his approach (which is now surgically precise) and began to attack pitches he could damage, avoiding ones on the outer edge of the zone until he has no choice but to put them in play. Jones swing isnt quite dialed in. An intense, cerebral presence on the mound, Liberatore made his big league debut in 2022, spending the back half of the season shuttling between the Cardinals rotation and Triple-A. He boasted one of the lowest walk rates (5.1%) among minor leaguers who notched at least 130 innings in 2022 and looks poised for a starter role in the near future. Roughly 30 percent of current MLB players were originally signed as international free agents, including superstars like Ronald Acua Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,Fernando Tatis Jr., and Juan Soto. In his first full season, Mayer slashed .280/.399/.489, hit 30 doubles and 13 homers, and was 17-for-17 on stolen base attempts as he continued the track record of premium offensive performance that hes displayed since he was a high school underclassman. Theres enough hit/power combination for Neto to be a first-division regular there. Power on par with Salvy seems in play here, too. Its tough to be a 2-WAR DH every year (Bryce Harpers 2022 100-game line was good for 2 WAR), but Busch has the hit/power combination to do it. And Carroll can really motor: hes a no-doubt 80 runner and routinely posts sub-4.00 second times to first base. We think there will be enough power for Barger to produce like an average regular in a multi-positional role. Barger then went to the Arizona Fall League, where his left-handed bat speed stood out among lots of other good hitting prospects. The fluctuations in velocity, Nelsons mechanical look, and his end-of-year scapula injury in 2022 wrap his profile in long-term relief risk, but thats pretty standard among big stuff pitchers toward the back of the top 100. A spindly, undersized athlete with a plus slider and mid-90s fastball, Jameson is on the starter/reliever line as Arizonas big league staff becomes more crowded with viable major leaguers. He has lost some range as his compact, ovular frame has filled out and matured, and shockingly his hands and arm accuracy (even from second base) were both concerningly bad in Venezuela. Youll also notice that there is a Future Value outcome distribution graph for each prospect on the list. Given that injury has always been the primary concern for Cavalli, the way his season ended is a letdown after a couple years of exciting progress. The Yankees only had $4,232,700 in bonus money to dish out. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. Cappe has an ideal baseball frame, as well as the athleticism, hands, and arm strength to play shortstop, and while his swing is a little noisy and imbalanced, he tracks pitches well and finds a way to put the bat on them even if it isnt always pretty. Of course, Nolan Arenados presence through 2027 dictates a move regardless of how Walker looks over there. In keeping with the fast track hes been on ever since he was drafted, he was promoted straight to the majors after that, skipping over Triple-A entirely, and held his own with the big-league squad, reaching base safely in each of his five games there to close out the season. Pro pitchers attacked him with lots of back-foot breaking balls in Colliers brief ACL and instructs run, and while he spotted lots of them and hammered a few that didnt finish, he struggled to touch any that were even close to well-executed. Its fair to consider there to be subjective and persistent relief risk here related to Flores delivery and the length of his arm action. He left Arizona with top-five pick buzz and ultimately went first overall to Baltimore. He looked great at the start of the Fall League before pitchers figured out they could get him to chase whatever and started junk-balling him to death. Endy had an incredible 2022 statline .323/.407/.590 most of which was generated at hitter-friendly Greensboro. This years crop of prospects has a relatively shallow high-impact group at the very top of the list. Here's a look at other prospects who signed for $300,000 or more: Blue JaysRailin Tejada, OF, Dominican Republic -- $600,000Jean Joseph, C, Dominican Republic -- $450,000Raudy Gomez, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $300,000, OriolesCesar Prieto, INF, Cuba -- $650,000Edwin Amparo, INF, Dominican Republic -- $647,500Thomas Sosa, OF, Dominican Republic -- $400,000, RaysJose Contreras, OF, Cuba -- $1,000,050Felix Cotes, INF, Dominican Republic -- $730,000Jose Sanabria, OF, Venezuela -- $480,000Nicandro Aybar, INF, Dominican Republic -- $450,000Rodrigo Romero, INF, Venezuela -- $300,000, Red SoxJancel Santana, SS, Dominican Republic -- $600,000Natanael Yuten, CF, Dominican Republic -- $400,000, YankeesYank Jean-Baptiste, SS, Dominican Republic -- $750,000, GuardiansRafael Ramirez, SS, Dominican Republic -- $800,000Yank Jean-Baptiste, SS, Dominican Republic -- $750,000Yorfran John, SS, Venezuela -- $425,000Alberto Mendes, SS, Venezuela -- $320,000, RoyalsErick Torres, OF, Dominican Republic -- $497,500Ivan Sosa, INF, Dominican Republic -- $497,500, TigersSamuel Gil, SS, Venezuela -- $1,250,000Josue Breceno, C, Venezuela -- $800,000Heison Sanchez, INF, Dominican Republic -- $800,000Franyerber Montilla, SS, Venezuela -- $500,000, TwinsJose Rodriguez, OF, Dominican Republic -- $650,000Harold Grant, INF, Spain -- $400,000Ricardo Pena, C, Venezuela -- $300,000, AngelsNixon Encarnacion, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $500,000Luis Rodriguez, SS, Venezuela -- $500,000Dario Laverde, C, Venezuela -- $350,000, AstrosLuis Baez, OF, Dominican Republic -- $1,300,000Alberto Hernandez, SS, Cuba -- $950,000Samuel Capellan, SS, Dominican Republic -- $500,000Carlos Espinosa, RHP, Cuba -- $480,000Rafael Ramirez, SS, Dominican Republic -- $360,000Axell De Paula, OF, Dominican Republic -- $300,000, AthleticsCarlos Pacheco, OF, Venezuela -- $1,200,000Cesar Gonzalez, C, Venezuela -- $800,000Kevin, Dume, 1B, Dominican Republic -- $600,000Byran Andrade, SS, Venezuela -- $525,000, RangersDaniel Bruzal, C, Venezuela -- $397,500Jesus Lopez, C, Venezuela -- $347,500, BravesDouglas Glod, OF, Venezuela -- $1,300,000Alexander Martinez, C, Venezuela -- $400,000, MarlinsAntony Peguero, OF, Dominican Republic -- $575,000Jhon Cabral, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $400,000Santiago Suarez, RHP, Venezuela -- $385,000, MetsWilly Faas, OF, Dominican Republic -- $1,500,000Dangelo Sarmiento, SS, Venezuela -- $700,000, PhilliesAroon Escobar, INF, Venezuela -- $450,000Romel Mendez, OF, Venezuela -- $450,000Neify Rosario, OF, Dominican Republic -- $400,000Leny Carela, SS, Dominican Republic -- $400,000Nolan Beltran, SS, Colombia -- $350,000Manolfi Jimeneze, OF, Dominican Republic -- $300,000, BrewersLuis Lara, OF, Venezuela -- $1,100,000Gery Holguin, SS, Dominican Republic -- $450,000Fabricio Valera, OF, Venezuela -- $400,000, CubsJefferson Rojas, SS, Dominican Republic -- $1,000,000Josefrailin Alcantara, OF, Dominican Republic -- $500,000, CardinalsYordalin Pena, CF, Dominican RepublicArfeni Batista, SS, Dominican RepublicLeonel Sequera, RHP, Venezuela, PiratesPitterson Rosa, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $700,000Huang-Leng Chang, RHP, Taiwan -- $500,000Eduardo Oviedo, OF, Dominican Republic -- $450,000Axiel Plaz, C, Venezuela -- $350,000Carlos Tirado, 1B, Mexico -- $350,000Roinny Aguiar, SS, Venezuela -- $315,000, D-backsAbdias De La Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic -- $1,100,000Yerald Nin, SS, Dominican Republic -- $900,000Ruben Santana, 3B, Dominican Republic -- $750,000Andy Encarnacion, OF, Dominican Republic -- $605,000Jansel Luis, SS, Dominican Republic -- $525,000Abel Fuerte, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $450,000Omar Moya, C, Venezuela -- $350,000, DodgersLuciano Romero, RHP, VenezuelaJeral Perez, SS, Dominican RepublicRaynerd Ortego, SS, VenezuelaJavier Pena, C, Dominican RepublicMairo Martinus, SS, CuracaoJosue De Paula, OF, Dominican Republic, GiantsDennys Riera, SS, Venezuela -- $700,000Alessandro Duran, C, Venezuela -- $397,500Erick Arosemena, OF, Panama -- $369,700, PadresMaikol Munoz, INF, Venezuela -- $900,000Oliver Cedeno, INF, Venezuela -- $500,000Braian Salazar, LHP, Venezuela -- $500,000Estuar Suero, OF, Dominican Republic -- $325,000, RockiesCesar Vargas, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $750,000Kevin Hidalgo, SS, Dominican Republic -- $500,000Ervin Torres, LHP, Venezuela -- $400,000, Keep an eye on these 12 Cuban free agents. He receives on one knee with the bases empty but mixes his technique with runners on. Like Harper, Collier got his GED a year before he was originally set to graduate, went to a prominent junior college to play against older guys during his draft spring, and then (going beyond Harper) used the later timing of the draft to also play on Cape Cod against an even better collection of talent between the end of the JUCO season and the draft. He struggles to set up his slider with well-located fastballs, and even when he does its not a given that hell land the slider after its been set up. Hes a complete hitter who will likely produce some 25-30 home run seasons by virtue of his contact quality and frequency, and some .400-plus OBP seasons because of his plate discipline and speed. He plays with the high center of gravity more typical of an outfielder, and has a hard time flipping his hips to make fundamentally typical throws if hes had to range left to field a groundball. When Julien does swing, he does so with bad intentions, taking a high-effort rip capable of putting balls out to all fields. 1st Round. What if Michael Brantley played shortstop? He signed for $5.1 million in 2019 as easily the toolsiest player in his signing class, a plus-plus running center fielder with huge switch-hitting power. Who are the top prospects? This sort of thing runs through McGarrys whole operation, but he already has rare repertoire depth and quality for a reliever, and he might throw harder working just one or two innings at a time. There was a stretch as an amateur when Frelick was viewed as a potential second baseman, an experiment that didnt really go anywhere. Cappe has a prototypical shortstops build and good feel for contact. This website is not directly or indirectly affiliated, associated, or connected in any way to Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or the National Hockey League. He can frame the ball well, shows good receiving skills and moves well laterally. Each Box Contains Eight Autographs, Two Memorabilia Cards & Five Opti-Chrome Cards! : Red Sox ($1,400,000) More 26. The good news is that Alcantara already has enough pop to do damage to the opposite field and hes probably going to grow into much more as his wispy frame continues to fill out. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 05: Yusei Kikuchi #16 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on October 05, 2022 in Baltimore . Late in 2022, the Cardinals started giving Walker reps in the outfield, mostly in right, and he looked fine out there. It has been tough to truly find out even though Jung is now 25 and has set foot in the big leagues. The batting average component was down a little due to his .241 BABIP at Columbus, but otherwise 2022 was another standard Rocchio season with the stick. The Houston Astros officially signed Panamanian right-handed pitcher Antony Aparicio to a minor-league contract Thursday. The Rockies are expected to sign Jorge. He receives on one knee with the bases empty before utilizing a traditional crouch with runners on, and hes an acceptable receiver and ball-blocker with a plus arm that plays down due to a slow exchange. Enrique Jimenez, C, Ven. These are the international bonus pools for the 2021-22 signing period: Clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the Draft (Cardinals, D-backs, Indians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies and Royals) received a pool of $6,262,600, while clubs with a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A (Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers, and Twins) received $5,721,500. Others have referred to it as the international day of joy. Williams injury history is concerning, but hes talented enough to make a big league impact in the middle of Clevelands 2023 rotation. Hes only ever played shortstop in affiliated ball but saw time at third base in LIDOM, where he understandably looked uncomfortable at times. Things change. Youve probably seen big league hitters use a toe tap, or heard broadcasters use that phrase. Samuel Munoz, OF, Dominican Republic Dodgers More 8. His finishing pitch, though, is his slider, a nasty upper-80s sweeper that generated a 50% whiff rate and 38% chase rate in 2022. Yoeilin Cespedes, SS, D.R. His ability to do this consistently is surprising considering that Peraza is a fairly aggressive hitter in general, likely to run OBPs in the .310-.320 range. Its tough to account for what sort of long-term impact Lees injury history will have on his defense, and Carlos Correas presence is also a factor, but in a vacuum he projects as an above-average everyday shortstop. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year -- in practical terms, that means players born between Sept. 1, 2004, and Aug. 31, 2005, will be eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period. He projects to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher as his fastball sits between 94-97 and has emerging secondary pitches, including a slider, changeup and curveball. M.J. Melendezs 2019 and Bo Naylors 2020 are recent examples of otherwise good-hitting catchers who had a terrible offensive season in the mid-minors followed by an immediate and significant rebound the following year. In fact, his fastball locations are still pretty scattered and his delivery remains quite violent. . His pop times are routinely in the 1.85-1.95 range in part because Endy has a strong arm, but also because hes almost always leaving his crouch before he even receives the pitch on steal attempts, which hastens his exchange. there is going to be more power here) and impact, up-the-middle defensive ability. Its hard to know how much of that was caused by the back issue, which may have been compromising his movement. March 1, 2023. Hilariously, Mayos swing is perhaps well-suited for the current metagame because so many contemporary fastballs ride to the top of the strike zone, which is where Mayos barrel hunts. The Rangers took him 50th overall and he signed for $1.25 million. : D-backs+ ($1,250,000) More 48. Gian Zapata, OF, D.R. The floor here is XL Freddy Galvis with worse defense, but there will be some peak seasons where more of the power plays and he produces like a star. at Historically, Wesneski has favored his four-seamer overall, though against big league righties, his awesome slider and sinker out-paced the heater in terms of usage, with both secondaries garnering above-average chase rates and aiding his ability to maintain a high groundball rate. He was rated by Perfect Game as the #4 prospect in the state of Florida and #11 prospect in America entering the 2019 draft. Mead is a career .306/.376/.517 hitter in the minors and hit .298/.390/.532 throughout a 2022 season spent mostly at Double-A Montgomery, with about a month of reps at Triple-A Durham tagged on at the end. Its prudent to bake this context into how one thinks about Marte, but there are also some statistical yellow flags evident in his regular season performance as well as some harsh realities to come to grips with regarding his trajectory on defense. His hands are quick and direct to the ball, though he struggles to make contact in front of the plate, often over-swings, and tends to chase. Ramos has performed in the minors even though scouts consider him raw in many respects. Several of the top 2022 and 2023 players in the country played in the Minority Baseball Prospects All-American games on Oct. 5-6.. After a workout the first day at Barry University, MBP held two . March 1, 2023. Both can be in the lineup every night because of Rodriguezs defensive versatility and the universal DH, and a more liberal timeshare behind the plate might help keep them both healthier and more consistently productive on offense. Hamstring issues aside, Merrill is a pretty good bet to stay at shortstop. Because fate was cruel to his playing time in college, his pro data sample is already much bigger than his college one, which has helped reveal that he has premium feel for the strike zone. The offensive package, even with a bat-to-ball blemish (for now), is still befitting of a star-level talent at shortstop or third base, wherever Henderson ends up playing. Lots of high-level decision makers ran to Indiana to see the high school version of Montgomery as part of a late spring jaunt through the Midwest, and he was one of the buzziest prospects just as the 2021 draft approached, with some pre-draft smoke near the top 10. small market teams) get a little bonus pool boost. Ortiz is a plus defender anywhere on the infield dirt. Also, the Braves are finally out of the penalty box. He has had the most impressive BP session at each of the last two Futures Games, launching satellite-threatening baseballs to the very outer reaches of big league stadiums. Hes a plus athlete who would have been a Day Two pick as a position player, and his delivery is smooth and well coordinated, allowing for continued projection of Jobes command and control. -- $407,500Felix Amparo, INF, D.R. Joendry Vargas, SS, D.R. He projects as a 2-WAR player whose versatility could help optimize the way Baltimores other young infielders are deployed. More than 51% of his contact comes off his bat at 95 mph or higher, and 21.1% of that is hit at a launch angle within the sweet spot range for power production. Montgomery may provide a counterexample to the industrys obsession with hitters age in the draft room, as the former 19-year-old high schooler looks like he might be a star. These are the international bonus pools for the 2022-23 signing period: Clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the Draft (Athletics, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers and Twins) received a pool of $6,366,900 while clubs with a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A (D-backs, Guardians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies and Royals) received $5,825,500.