The Rule 5 Draft safety deadline got here and went Tuesday.
As anticipated, all six eligible High 100 prospects had been added to their respective golf equipment’ 40-man rosters earlier than the 6 p.m. ET closing bell. In complete, 54 gamers ranked amongst their organizations’ High 30 prospects had been shielded from the Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday.
However there have been additionally loads who had been unranked and received the identical standing as their father or mother golf equipment feared dropping them to a different staff via the Rule 5 course of. The group should not be so simply disregarded both. Steven Kwan was unranked earlier than being first added to the Guardians’ 40-man in November 2021, and he’s turn out to be a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover since then. Brewers right-hander Chad Patrick had the same standing this time final yr and completed seventh in NL Rookie of the 12 months voting as he earned alternatives within the Milwaukee rotation.
Listed here are 10 unranked however noteworthy prospects who earned 40-man standing this yr:
Brandan Bidois, RHP, Pirates: The Australia native generated headlines by throwing 18 consecutive hitless innings throughout 11 appearances from July 29 to Sept. 14 between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. The 24-year-old righty made stops in any respect 4 full-season ranges in 2025, ending with a 0.74 ERA, an 0.80 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 61 innings. His major weapons are a 94-97 mph four-seamer (with 19.2 inches of induced vertical break at Triple-A) and an 84-87 mph slider that was almost untouchable towards fellow righties.
Riley Cornelio, RHP, Nationals: The 2022 seventh-rounder was named the Nats’ Minor League Pitcher of the 12 months after posting a 3.28 ERA with 135 strikeouts over 134 1/3 innings throughout the Minors’ high three ranges. His 93-96 mph sinker might not pop with a subpar motion profile, however his mid-80s slider had a whiff price of fifty p.c at Triple-A with tight gloveside motion. Washington discovered success with using Brad Lord’s momentum as each a starter and reliever in 2025 and will intention for a similar monitor with Cornelio in his age-26 marketing campaign subsequent summer season.
Alex Hoppe, RHP, Mariners: A member of the Pink Sox group when the day began, Hoppe was dealt to Seattle for 2025 14th-rounder Luke Heyman on Tuesday after which promptly added to the M’s 40-man as Rule 5 safety. The 6-foot-1 right-hander exceeded 100 mph 5 instances over 37 appearances with Triple-A Worcester final season and averaged 98.1 mph along with his four-seamer on the Minors’ high stage, making him one of many hardest throwers protected Tuesday. He additionally works with a 92-94 mph cutter and an upper-80s slider — the latter having extra drop, together with the lessened velo — for various appears beside the warmth in addition to an efficient 88-91 mph changeup for lefties.
Ronan Kopp, LHP, Dodgers: Standing 6-foot-7, Kopp has mechanics much like Garrett Crochet’s with a excessive leg kick out of his tall body. The excellent news is that he places up monster strikeout numbers: 91 complete punchouts and a 36 p.c Okay price over 57 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. The dangerous information is he additionally struggles immensely with walks, issuing free passes at a 16.6 p.c clip. Kopp works with a four-seamer that may contact 99 mph and comes with good experience and minimal horizontal motion out of a excessive launch level, and he performs off that with a tough low-90s slider. Regardless of being a basic two-pitch reliever, he ran even splits in 2025, and that can assist his case to earn a spot within the World Collection champs’ bullpen, although he has to search out the zone extra often first.
Anthony Nunez, RHP, Orioles: Nunez has an fascinating backstory as a former Padres infielder who went again to highschool at Division II College of Tampa and signed with the Mets as a nondrafted free agent in 2024. Within the midst of a breakout season, he was despatched to the Orioles on the Commerce Deadline within the Cedric Mullins deal and completed with a 2.06 ERA, an 0.81 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 56⅔ innings throughout Excessive-A, Double-A and Triple-A. A low-90s cutter, 85-87 mph sweeper and mid-80s changeup all challenge as probably above average-to-plus pitches out of the bullpen.
Junior Perez, OF, Athletics: Acquired from the Padres as a participant to be named later within the 2020 deal for Jorge Mateo, Perez had topped out with 15 homers in a season getting into 2025 earlier than breaking out with 26 in 137 video games between Double-A and Triple-A, most amongst Minor Leaguers within the group. Throw in 27 steals, and he was the A’s solely 20/20 prospect final season. The precise-handed slugger can run into contact points, however he does hit the ball exhausting with a 107 mph Ninetieth-percentile exit velocity and limits his swings exterior the zone. Perez additionally has the velocity to deal with heart area, providing the A’s another choice on the market alongside defensive wizard Denzel Clarke.
Eduardo Valencia, C/1B, Tigers: Valencia’s profession excessive for homers getting into 2025 was six. Like Perez, he surged previous that with 24 in 103 video games between Double-A and Triple-A, main a Tigers group identified for big-name hitting prospects. He was particularly good on the increased stage, the place he sported a .319/.405/.622 line and 168 wRC+ in 50 video games. Valencia is a bottom-of-the-scale runner, and he’s almost certainly to stay at first base over catcher, the place he’d have a better offensive bar as a righty hitter, righty thrower. However there’s no denying the ability and endurance he confirmed in his age-25 season to win a 40-man spot.
Tyler Uberstine, RHP, Pink Sox: Uberstine is one other unimaginable story as a pitcher who was twice reduce from his highschool staff, went within the nineteenth spherical of the 2021 Draft after time at Northwestern and the MLB Draft League and surged onto the 40-man Tuesday. The 26-year-old right-hander posted a 3.58 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. Uberstine solely averaged 93.2 mph along with his four-seamer with Worcester, however the heater had a 37.6 p.c whiff price due to the deceptiveness of his low three-quarters launch. In complete, he labored with six completely different pitch varieties (four-seamer, sinker, curveball, slider, cutter, changeup) on the Minors’ high stage, and the depth of that arsenal may assist his probabilities at contributing to Boston’s rotation depth in 2026 and past.
Brandon Valenzuela, C, Blue Jays: Lengthy thought of a formidable defender behind the plate, Valenzuela regarded stalled out offensively at Double-A within the Padres system till this season, when he notched a .229/.313/.387 line with a career-high 12 homers and a 104 wRC+ in 87 video games with San Antonio. (He received beginning catcher appears whereas High 100 prospect Ethan Salas was sidelined with a again damage.) The Blue Jays acquired the 25-year-old on the Commerce Deadline for infielder Will Wagner and promptly promoted him to Triple-A Buffalo, the place he caught future postseason hero Trey Yesavage. Valenzuela tasks as a glove-first backup catcher and will compete with Tyler Heineman for that function behind Alejandro Kirk.
Ryan Ward, OF/1B, Dodgers: The 2019 eighth-rounder out of Bryant led the Minors with 36 homers, 73 extra-base hits and 315 complete bases over 143 video games with Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis. He’s gone deep at the least 21 instances in every of his final 5 seasons, and his 146 homers since 2021 lead all Minor Leaguers in that span. (Nobody else has hit greater than 130.) He’s moved between first base and the outfield corners, nevertheless it’s his left-handed bat that earned him his first shot on a 40-man.
Different unranked rostered gamers: Kervin Castro, RHP, Yankees; Alex Prepare dinner, RHP, Rays; Trei Cruz, SS/3B/OF, Tigers; Duncan Davitt, RHP, White Sox; Shane Drohan, LHP, Pink Sox; Jose Fernandez, INF, D-backs; Cameron Foster, RHP, Orioles; Ryan Harbin, RHP, Pirates; Antwone Kelly, RHP, Pirates; Will Kempner, RHP, Marlins; John Klein, RHP, Twins; Riley Martin, LHP, Cubs; Robinson Ortiz, LHP, Mariners (traded from Dodgers); Dylan Ray, RHP, D-backs; Tyler Samaniego, LHP, Pirates; Bryan Torres, OF, Cardinals; Reed Trimble, OF, Orioles; Josh White, RHP, Marlins
