This years crop of prospects has a relatively shallow high-impact group at the very top of the list. Luis Morales, RHP, CubaThe right-hander is one of the most interesting and dynamic prospects in the class. He still has two years before he technically has to be added to the 40-man, and theoretically the Phillies could use all that runway to keep developing him as a starter in the hopes that things click, but going on age 24 that feels like a bit of a pipe dream. Power and arm strength have been Cartayas headline tools since his amateur days, and despite missing lots of time in the 2020-21 window due to the pandemic and injuries, he has still developed on defense and managed his strikeout tendencies, and played enough in 2022 to reinforce industry confidence in his plate discipline across a larger sample of plate appearances. Cartayas size was sometimes a problem on defense early in pro ball. He is expected to sign with the Yankees for a bonus in the $4 million range. -- $600,000, BrewersAntony Gomez, OF, D.R. His open batting stance and deep pre-stride crouch are much more extreme than they were last year, and this change might have enabled him to see the ball better (similar to the way opening his stance helped unlock peak D-backs Luis Gonzalez) and improve his bat-to-ball ability enough for all of his modest power to play, especially in the Cal League. As both the Twins and Reds (Steer was drafted by Minnesota and came to Cincinnati in the Tyler Mahle trade) searched for a viable defensive position for Steer, he backed into valuable defensive versatility that should keep him on the field in all but a few game situations. Hall might have debuted at some point in 2021 had he not dealt with elbow tendinitis and a stress reaction in his elbow, which was uncovered when he had a setback during rehab from the tendinitis and ultimately ended his season. Astros Future reported an agreement between Aparicio and the Astros on Jan. 27, 12 days after the 2022 international signing period opened. Jameson is also a extremely competitive and has the makeup for a late-inning role should he eventually have to make way for some of Arizonas other good young starters. Even though premium velocity is rare in Japan, Sengas fastball doesnt play like a premium pitch due to its shape and angle. Top 50 International Prospects. A draft-eligible sophomore in 2022 and a career .360/.450/.655 hitter, his numbers improved in his sophomore year even though he faced SEC pitching, and he was considered one of the more bankable prospects in the 2023 draft despite lacking a true defensive home. Since bonus pools have become hard-capped, top-of-the-market international players bonuses have fallen well below those of domestic draftees, and its unclear how that might shift with the implementation of an international draft. At a time when everyone has a camera in their pocket and the internet exists, its almost impossible for an early-round prospect to be hidden in a true sense, though the 2020 shutdown contributed to Carters lack of notoriety. : Guardians+ ($1,375,000) More 29. That means the No. 2023 International Prospects. After his velocity varied throughout his senior year at times 92-94 mph, at others parked comfortably in the 95-96 mph range and touching above Jobe mostly sat 93-95 in 2022. If he can throw strikes in Allentown, hell likely crack the Phillies bullpen in 2023, and he has closer ceiling if he can throw strikes consistently. That said, Wood is already defying convention by looking as good as he does out there at his current size. Even though he has no defensive position (Buschs issues at second base go beyond just range, and he isnt a fit there no matter what the rules around shifting are), he is one of the more well-rounded near-ready bats in the minors and could play an integral role for the Dodgers in 2023, though the addition of J.D. Cartaya had a whopping 41% hard-hit rate in 2022, which is already better than that of the average big league starting catcher (hes 21! The tools Merrill has in place already make him feel like a high-probability impact player, and if he develops feel for lift without compromising contact as he enters his 20s, then hes going to be one of the top couple of prospects in the minors before he debuts. In 2021, Olson spent time at both High- and Double-A, and ended the season with a combined strikeout rate of 26%, while walking 11.6%. Hes tracking like a mid-rotation starter. Ramirez has to cut some mechanical corners to swing as hard as he does right now, and that leads to swing-and-miss risk that adds to whats already present because of his propensity to chase, but that might be ironed out as he gets stronger and can take a more traditional swing. Though he does his homer damage almost exclusively to his pull side, Berry slices breaking balls away from him to the opposite field, and most of his non-extra-base hits come that way. On defense, Rodriguezs size is both a feature and a bug. Baltimore has tried him some at second and first base, but because hell show you a 70 arm on his best throws and runs pretty well, right field continues to feel like the best long-term fit even though Mayo hasnt played there yet. Most of his swings and misses over the last few years have been on fastballs running away from him, but in 2022, he displayed a more advanced ability to poke the barrel at balls on the outer edge of the plate, extending his short levers in an effort to slap outside pitches the other way. He has a loose arm, a frame built for eating innings, and a repeatable delivery. He has quick actions and his lateral agility is better than his long speed on the bases. After a breakout 2021 season, Harrison managed to improve in virtually every column of his stat sheet in 2022. De La Cruz is a boom-or-bust prospect who could really bust or go supernova. -- $400,000Andres Valor, OF, Ven. 2021 J2/International Team by Team Breakdown - Prospects Live Hes performed as a young-for-the-level hitter at each stop despite a raw approach at the plate and uncertainty around his defense, with his third base fit in question due to middling arm strength. Merrills breaking ball recognition is fantastic and hes adept at making adjustments in the middle of at-bats once hes seen the shape of his opponents pitches. Tiedemann has shifted toward the first base side of the rubber and has closed off his stride direction slightly, which creates additional deception in his already-funky low-slot lefty delivery. Martes body and athleticism regressed in 2022, and he looked pretty rough in the Arizona Fall League. With the Dragons in 2022, Rece earned the Reds Minor League Player of the Month Award for May. Hes as likely to make an incredible play as he is to botch a routine one. Possibly even a Hall of Famer. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. Arizonas relatively new Amarillo affiliate is especially extreme relative to the rest of the Texas League. He projects as a 2-WAR player whose versatility could help optimize the way Baltimores other young infielders are deployed. Anthony Baptist, OF, D.R. Its bat-missing capabilities are limited to the bottom arm-side portion of the zone, where this two-seam-ish fastball tends to finish. He rounds out his four-pitch mix with a mid-70s curveball that he threw just 6% of the time at Triple-A, but which accounted for 19% of his 0-0 offerings in his seven big-league starts, outranked in usage only by his fastball. His slider often has curt, unspectacular-looking movement, but Bradleys command of it and the way he sets it up with well-located fastballs make it a dominant pitch. Hernandez has a great skill and athleticism foundation, and he already has incredible power for a shortstop his age, capable of hitting oppo lasers. Scouts like Priester, pitch data does not. 2023 Top 100 Prospects | FanGraphs Baseball 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. More striking than his velocity itself is the ease with which Espino generates it. Millers upshot mid-90s fastball should, on its own, make him some kind of impact arm. Its possible hell find a way to play a mold-breaking style of third base defense over time, but an elbow sprain (which happened amid a throwing program to try to improve his arm strength) ended his 2022 and required a PRP injection, which is often a precursor to Tommy John for pitchers. Young stars like Fernando Tatis Jr, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Ronald Acuna, Yordan Alvarez, Wander Franco, Julio Rodriguez, and many more started as relatively obscure teenagers. 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. Dyan Jorge, SS, Cuba Rockies ($2,800,000) More 16. Hes adept at dropping it into the top of the strike zone, around the hands of left-handed hitters who think its a fastball above the zone until it cuts down onto the corner. Roderick Arias, SS, Dominican Republic Yankees ($4,000,000) More 2. Mar 21, 2022 at 5:14 pm ET 6 min read Not every prospect list is suitable for every need. He can be beaten with high velocity more regularly than anything else, but if pitchers miss and catch too much of the meat of the zone, that mistake is going to get hit hard somewhere. 1 pitcher available this signing period. He has a shot to break camp with the big club and play a huge role on the next Orioles contender. Heres what scouts like: He runs well for a catcher, and he already shows elite bat speed. At age 18, Domnguez spent most of his first pro season at Low-A, where he was only ok. Rust and the automated ball/strike system likely had an impact on his peripherals (31% K%, 10% BB%) in year one, but the Yankees felt they needed to send him back to the level to start 2022. After that it seemed like Ramirez was asked to try to demonstrate better plate discipline. We can safely put to bed any notion that Pages (pronounced p-hz) might stay in center field, and as such, his projection has narrowed as he shifts to being an average everyday corner outfield prospect by virtue of his ability to get to power, which he does via his combination of raw strength and the extreme lift in his swing. This isnt an iron clad offensive profile (theres some vulnerability to up-and-away fastballs as a LHH and slightly more chase than average), but Rocchio is a damn fine hitter who looked like his usual self in what was his first season on the Cleveland 40-man. There are 15 prospects from Venezuela, four from Cuba, two from Colombia, two from Panama and one each from the Bahamas and Mexico. Yerlin Luis, OF, D.R. Parada has impeccable hitters timing, and batting stance aside, his swing is rhythmic and balanced. 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. He slashed .274/.381/.429 at mostly Low- and High-A in 2022 before wrapping up at Birmingham. While he can ambush high pitches, especially up-and-in, and show you close to average peak pop, Turang had not slugged over .400 in any pro season until he saw Triple-A in 2022. 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. The Yankees have been busy in the international market the last few years being able to sign both the top International prospect in the 2019 and 2022 classes, Jasson Dominguez and Roderick Arias respectively. Yoffry Solano, SS, Dominican Republic Marlins ($750,000) More 45.