ORLANDO, Fla. — The Rule 5 Draft is not happening till Wednesday, and whereas early buzz on the Winter Conferences could be about issues like the place Kyle Tucker will signal, there are all the time early whispers about names who might go within the Rule 5 Draft.
Groups have not actually began digging into the method of deciding whether or not they’ll take somebody within the Main League section after which who they’ll choose, however because the baseball world descends on Orlando, there are some names who come to the foreground.
A refresher course: Gamers are Rule 5-eligible if they don’t seem to be on the 40-man roster however have been signed at 19 or older and have been in professional ball for 4 seasons or extra or have been signed at 18 or youthful and have been in professional ball for 5 seasons or extra.
Utilizing a mix of ideas from groups, brokers and MLB Pipeline employees, this is an early listing of names to observe that will probably be up to date as we get nearer to the Draft. Rank of their present group’s prime 30 is in parentheses when relevant.
A right-handed reliever who reached Triple-A for the primary time in 2025, Castillo is coming off a strong season, ending with a 2.94 ERA, 11.1 Okay/9 and .184 batting common in opposition to to go together with 9 saves. He has spotty command (4.5 BB/9 in ‘25) however has a fastball that sits round 95 mph and an typically unhittable 86-87 onerous slider.
Cameron Cauley, Rangers, SS/OF/2B (No. 17)
Cauley presents two issues that may typically assist an offensive participant stick within the Rule 5: velocity and defensive versatility. He has a profession stolen-base success fee of practically 87 % and swiped 28 luggage whereas additionally hitting 15 homers final yr at Double-A. The 2021 third-round decide has additionally proven he can play three up-the-middle positions defensively.
Final yr, Liam Hicks was a catcher taken by the Marlins who caught. May or not it’s Cerda’s flip this go-round? Backstops do not typically make it, however Cerda did homer 18 occasions in 93 Double-A video games final yr (albeit aided by taking part in residence video games in Amarillo), however there’s some right-handed juice, good stroll charges and strong protection behind the dish right here.
The son of an enormous leaguer (Matt) and nephew of one other (Jason), Childers was a non-drafted free-agent discover by the Brewers in 2023 who cut up the 2025 season between the highest two ranges of the Miinors, saving 9 video games and placing out 9.5 per 9 (albeit with a 5.6 BB/9 fee). He held hitters to a .176 batting common with a fastball that touched 99 mph and 84-86 mph breaking stuff that may miss bats.
Yujanyer Herrera, RHP, Rockies (No. 17)
In 2024, Herrera topped 100 innings for the primary time, placing out 9.8 per 9 whereas reaching Excessive-A and getting traded from the Brewers to the Rockies within the Nick Mears commerce that July. He missed all of 2025 following Tommy John surgical procedure however is pitching in aid within the Venezuelan Winter League presently, giving groups a glance earlier than deciding to offer him the prospect to leap from A ball to the large leagues.
A 3rd-rounder taken out of Coastal Carolina in 2020, McCambley gave up beginning for the bullpen in 2023, and he’s coming off his greatest season as a professional, ending with a 2.90 ERA, .208 BAA, 1.097 WHIP and 12.0 Okay/9, to go together with a tremendously trimmed down 3.2 BB/9 fee. He depends on his mid-80s slider that produced a 51-percent miss fee in 2025, based on Synergy, whereas additionally throwing an efficient upper-80s cutter and a 93-94 mph fastball that touches 97 mph.
McGarry has proven off premium stuff since his Virginia days, however command has all the time held him again. His fastball sits 94 mph and touches the higher 90s with wonderful extension, and his slider elicited a 52 % miss fee, based on Synergy, in 2025. The Phillies moved him again right into a beginning function this yr so he might maintain engaged on all his stuff, and he took a step ahead command-wise with a career-low stroll fee … that was nonetheless 5.3 per 9.
Hayden Mullins, LHP, Purple Sox (No. 16)
A yr in the past, the White Sox nabbed Shane Smith with the No. 1 decide within the Rule 5, and he spent the yr of their rotation. Mullins could be the most effective candidate to get the prospect to start out amongst these eligible. A 13.8 % stroll fee at Double-A may deter some, however he additionally struck out 30 % of his batters confronted for the yr, getting swing-and-miss on his 91-94 mph fastball and low-80s two-plane slider.
Samy Natera Jr., LHP, Angels (No. 20)
It is a fastball-heavy method right here, with the southpaw throwing his using heater 78.6 % of the time total. However that and his slider led to a 13.4 Okay/9 fee in 2025, although it got here together with a 6.6 BB/9 fee. Of explicit curiosity for groups could be his .160 BAA and .559 OPS-against vs. left-handed hitters final yr.
RJ Petit, RHP, Tigers (No. 30)
The 6-foot-8 Petit is coming off a yr that ended with a 2.44 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 79 Okay’s in 66 1/3 innings. He depends closely on his 83-85 mph slider with late break, getting swings-and-misses from right-handers and lefties alike. He brings a mid-90s fastball and upper-80s changeup to the mound as nicely.
Drafted within the fifth spherical of the 2022 Draft out of BYU by the D-backs, Pintar was despatched to the Marlins within the AJ Puk deal close to the 2024 Commerce Deadline. A center infielder in school, he began taking part in the outfield in 2023 after which moved there full-time the next yr, incomes Arizona Fall League Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors that fall. His method suffered some in 2025, and he missed a while in Triple-A however stole 20-plus bases for the second straight season and might present excellent protection in all three outfield spots.
Rodríguez could be price a glance primarily based on his changeup alone. He sells his 86-88 mph cambio nicely with a singular supply, large extension and related arm velocity and tunnel to his 95-97 mph sinker. That changeup had a 67.3 % whiff fee at Triple-A final yr, and his brief slider missed a ton of bats as nicely (to go together with a excessive stroll fee).
Alimber Santa, RHP, Astros (No. 13)
A 2025 Futures Sport participant who moved from beginning to relieving in mid-2024, Santa completed the season with a miniscule 1.26 ERA and completed the yr at Triple-A at age 22. He is walked 6.0 per 9 in his profession however has struck out 11.3, and groups might have an curiosity in a full repertoire that encompasses a mid-90s heater, really feel for a changeup and a pair of breaking pitches.
Brock Selvidge, LHP, Yankees (No. 10)
Biceps irritation ended Selvidge’s 2024 season in July, and he didn’t make it again till late Could, reaching Double-A in early June after three rehab outings on the decrease ranges. He leans very closely on his low-80s slider — an enormous league group might see it as a pitch popping out of a bullpen to neutralize left-handed hitters –- to go together with a low-90s fastball and an upper-80s cutter.
This might be a take-and-stash state of affairs. The 6-foot-9 right-hander had Tommy John surgical procedure this summer time, so you can let him rehab all yr earlier than having to determine whether or not he is price conserving. His two-plane low-80s slider is his go-to, and he {couples} it with a sinker, a changeup and a cutter, throwing sufficient strikes to offer him a shot at beginning when he is wholesome.
A primary-rounder in 2022, Susac loved the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2025, with profession highs in a bunch of offensive classes from residence runs (18) to OPS (.832). His proximity to the large leagues and respectable catch-and-throw abilities might give him the prospect to be the uncommon backstop who sticks within the huge leagues.
Initially signed by the Orioles as a non-drafted free agent within the pandemic-shortened 2020 Draft yr, Watson reached Triple-A with Baltimore earlier than being dealt to the Giants in August 2024. The 6-foot-5 right-hander spent the 2025 season with Triple-A Sacramento, saving 9 video games and placing out 11.4 per 9 (vs. simply 2.8 BB/9 however an inflated 10.3 hits/9), using a fastball that may contact 97 mph and breaking stuff that elicited a 40 % miss fee within the PCL.
