After Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll graduated from the primary two spots on MLB Pipeline’s 2023 preseason Prime 100 to Rookies of the 12 months, the names have modified atop our new 2024 record however the situation stays the identical.
Orioles infielder at No. 1? Verify. Wondrously tooled outfielder at No. 2? Bingo.
Jackson Holliday and Jackson Chourio headline a 2024 Prime 100 dominated by hitters on the high. Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes (No. 3) is the one pitcher to crack the primary 22 spots as place gamers hogged 39 of the primary 48.
The No. 1 selection within the 2023 Draft, Skenes is one among 18 gamers from that deeper-than-usual class to make the Prime 100. 4 outfielders from that crop additionally have been thought of worthy of a high total choose, and so they all rank prominently: Wyatt Langford (fourth by the Rangers, No. 6), Dylan Crews (second by the Nationals, No. 7), Walker Jenkins (fifth by the Twins, No. 10) and Max Clark (third by the Tigers, No. 13).
Let’s break down the 2024 Prime 100 in a wide range of methods:
Three totally different Orioles have ranked atop our preseason or midseason Prime 100 within the final three years: Adley Rutschman (mid-2021), Henderson (pre-2023) and Holliday (mid-2023, pre-2024). At Nos. 5 and 6, the Rangers’ Evan Carter and Langford are the highest-ranked teammates on a preseason record because the Tigers’ Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene (Nos. 4 and 5) in 2022.
1. Jackson Holliday, SS/2B, Orioles2. Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers3. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates4. Junior Caminero, 3B/SS, Rays5. Evan Carter, OF, Rangers6. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers7. Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals8. Ethan Salas, C, Padres9. Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox10. Walker Jenkins, OF, TwinsComplete Prime 100 »
Our new record options 43 gamers who didn’t make our preseason Prime 100 a 12 months in the past (not together with the 18 2023 draftees who have been in faculty or highschool on the time). Rays third baseman/shortstop Junior Caminero made the most important leap during the last 12 months, going from unranked to No. 4 after slamming 31 homers between Excessive-A and Double-A and making his massive league debut throughout his age-19 season. Different distinguished newcomers embrace Padres catcher Ethan Salas (No. 8), Orioles catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo (No. 17), Tigers third/second baseman Colt Keith (No. 22) and Crimson Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (No. 24).
A number of gamers who did make the 2023 preseason Prime 100 additionally made large jumps. The most important climb belongs to Rays shortstop Carson Williams, who went from No. 72 to No. 20 on the heels of recording 23 homers and 20 steals whereas reaching Triple-A in his age-19 season. 5 different prospects moved up at the least 40 spots: Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter (No. 82 to No. 31), Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 80 to No. 32), Twins outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 88 to No. 42), Padres right-hander Dylan Lesko (No. 100 to No. 56) and Rockies shortstop Adael Amador (No. 68 to No. 28).
A 12 months in the past, the Dodgers’ Diego Cartaya positioned No. 14 and seemed on the verge of turning into the very best catching prospect within the recreation. As an alternative, he slashed .189/.278/.379 in Double-A and fell off the Prime 100, making him the highest-rated prospect from 2023 to vanish from the record. Different guys who slid all the way in which off embrace Rockies outfielder Zac Veen (No. 27 presently final 12 months), Nationals outfielders Robert Hassell III (No. 35) and Elijah Inexperienced (No. 46) and Mets catcher Kevin Parada (No. 36).
Guardians right-hander Daniel Espino could make an argument for having the very best pure stuff of any mound prospect, however he pitched simply 18 1/3 innings in 2022 and missed all of final 12 months following shoulder surgical procedure, which is why he took the largest plunge amongst gamers who remained on the record, No. 16 to No. 100. Accidents additionally have been the impetus in Diamondbacks outfielder Druw Jones dropping from No. 15 to No. 78 and Phillies righty Andrew Painter sliding from No. 6 to No. 27. The one different prospects to maneuver down at the least 20 spots have been Reds shortstop Edwin Arroyo (No. 44 to No. 67) and Rays third/second baseman Curtis Mead (No. 33 to No. 55).
Outfielders (26) edged out right-handed pitchers (23) and shortstops (23) for essentially the most spots on the Prime 100. These positions have been adopted by third basemen (9), catchers (seven), left-handed pitchers (six), first basemen and second basemen (three every).
Eighty of the Prime 100 Prospects entered professional ball through the Draft, together with 49 first-rounders and the final two No. 1 total choices in Holliday and Skenes. Mets outfielder/first baseman Ryan Clifford (No. 97) was the bottom choose, an Eleventh-rounder in 2022, although he dropped due to signability and acquired a $1,131,530 bonus, the equal of late-second-round cash. Twenty signed on the worldwide market, with Salas touchdown the most important bonus at $5.6 million in 2023.
Eighteen members of the Prime 100 have already got been traded since turning professional, most prominently Caminero. The Rays snagged him from the Guardians in trade for Tobias Myers whereas trying to clear house on their 40-man roster in November 2021.
Seventy-seven Prime 100 Prospects have been born in the US, 10 within the Dominican Republic, 5 in Venezuela, two in Canada and one every in Australia, the Bahamas, Cuba, Curaçao, Panama and Puerto Rico.
The Cubs lead all farm programs with seven Prime 100 prospects, highlighted by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (No. 16) and right-hander Cade Horton (No. 26). The Orioles have six Prime 100 guys, whereas the Padres, Pirates and Reds have 5 every.
A fast, if imprecise, method of measuring the energy of star expertise in a corporation is to calculate what we seek advice from as Prospect Factors (100 factors for the No. 1 prospect, 99 for No. 2 and so forth). The Orioles have essentially the most Prospect Factors with 444, with the Cubs (375) and Padres (308) the one different programs to surpass 300.
The Prime 10 organizations by way of Prospect Factors, with their finest prospect in parentheses:
Orioles, 444 (Jackson Holliday, SS/2B, No. 1)Cubs, 375 (Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, No. 16)Padres, 308 (Ethan Salas, C, No. 8)Brewers, 288 (Jackson Chourio, OF, No. 2)Tigers, 284 (Max Clark, OF, No. 13)Rays, 267 (Junior Caminero, 3B/SS, No. 4)Crimson Sox, 249 (Marcelo Mayer, SS, No. 15)Nationals, 234 (Dylan Crews, OF, No. 7)Rangers, 234 (Evan Carter, OF, No. 5)Twins, 233 (Walker Jenkins, OF, No. 10)
