We are able to solely match 100 prospects on a Prime 100 listing. In fact, we speak about much more as a part of the method, and there are at all times a number of names that bought got rid of early drafts or fell simply brief within the help division.
Listed here are 10 prospects who simply missed making the Prime 100 this time round, offered in alphabetical order by final title:
Moises Ballesteros, C/1B, CubsRanked eighth on our Prime 10 catching listing – making him the primary backstop off the Prime 100 – Ballesteros climbed three ranges in his age-19 season from Single-A to Double-A and slashed .285/.374/.449 with 14 homers over 117 video games alongside the way in which. He was one in every of solely two Minor League catchers with no less than 14 homers and a strikeout charge under 16 p.c in 2023, and the opposite (Jonathan Morales) was eight years his senior. He nonetheless wants ample growth defensively, and he struggled in opposition to sameside left-handers, hitting solely .208 with a .286 slugging share in opposition to them. Some evaluators have drawn Alejandro Kirk comparisons to the 5-foot-7 backstop, and time stays on his aspect as he’ll nonetheless solely be 20 for all the 2024 marketing campaign.
Diego Cartaya, C, DodgersCartaya ranked 14th on our preseason Prime 100 a yr in the past and has since fallen off utterly. In between, he slashed simply .189/.278/.379 over 93 video games at Double-A Tulsa. He did slug 19 homers over that point – third-most amongst Double-A catchers – and he was one in every of solely two backstops aged 21 or youthful to get greater than 400 plate appearances on the Minors’ second-highest stage. His struggles stemmed from chasing that energy to his pullside and points with offspeed stuff. Nonetheless, the Venezuela native made strides defensively and continues to indicate plus arm power. Cartaya will nonetheless solely be 22 for a lot of the 2024 season with some developmental runway forward, and he may push his approach again towards reaching his appreciable ceiling with a return to the Texas League.
Leodalis De Vries, SS, PadresOne yr in the past, San Diego signed MLB Pipeline’s prime worldwide prospect Ethan Salas and pushed him to Double-A San Antonio as a 17-year-old. Final month, San Diego signed MLB Pipeline’s prime worldwide prospect in De Vries and … nicely, we’ll see. The switch-hitter appears to be like superior from each side of the dish with good plate self-discipline and pitch recognition, and he has the facility to venture for 20-plus homers. He has plus velocity too, and that device bundle shall be priceless even when he should transfer away from shortstop in time. As with Salas, we’re ready a tad longer to see the profile translate to the Minors earlier than getting aggressive with De Vries’ rating, however he too may skip the Dominican Summer time League, begin stateside after which take flight.
Jackson Ferris, LHP, DodgersLos Angeles could have moved a Prime 100 prospect in Michael Busch to the Cubs this offseason, but it surely picked up a Prime-100-adjacent arm in Ferris. The 2022 second-rounder posted a 3.38 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 56 innings at Single-A Myrtle Seashore in 2023 throughout his first run of the Minors, and he flashes 4 above-average pitches, headlined by a 92-95 mph fastball with good carry and a downer 75-78 mph curveball. The 6-foot-4 southpaw can get misplaced in his mechanics, resulting in command points, and that held him off the Prime 100 in the interim. However the Dodgers have a very good current observe document of pitching growth, and it wouldn’t shock to see Ferris take his profile to a brand new stage in his second professional marketing campaign.
Lazaro Montes, OF, MarinersAs Mariners beat author Daniel Kramer famous final month, the 19-year-old Montes is conscious of the Yordan Alvarez comparisons and embraces them. Each are hulking left-handed sluggers with strong approaches and highly effective profiles that rely virtually solely on their bats. A $2.5 million signing in January 2022, Montes pushed himself additional onto the radar by reaching Single-A in his first stateside season and led all Minor Leaguers aged 18 or youthful (min. 300 PA) together with his .440 OBP, .560 slugging share, 1.001 OPS, .257 ISO and 17.9 p.c stroll charge. Montes is proscribed to the nook outfield spots and might want to maintain driving the ball with authority, however the whole lot is pointed in the best route in that regard.
Edgar Quero, C, White SoxMuch like Cartaya, Quero noticed his outcomes dip in his first journey to Double-A in 2023. Nonetheless, Quero omitted Excessive-A very within the Angels’ system and was the one 20-year-old catcher to get greater than 400 plate appearances on the second-highest stage of the Minors. The switch-hitter controls the strike zone and makes use of the entire discipline from each side, despite the fact that he was extra highly effective from the best aspect in 2023. He’ll be much more age-appropriate again in Double-A in his age-21 marketing campaign with the White Sox much less more likely to be aggressive, and his method may result in stronger outcomes. Continued defensive enhancements behind the dish would additionally solidify his standing again within the Prime 100.
Thomas Saggese, INF, CardinalsThe 2020 fifth-rounder led all Minor Leaguers in hits (170) and whole bases (294) between his work in Double-A and Triple-A and was the Texas League MVP after main the loop in common (.318), OPS (.936), wRC+ (142), hits (158), extra-base hits (60) and whole bases (274). Acquired from the Rangers within the Jordan Montgomery deal, Saggese is an aggressive hitter who likes to leap on pitches he can drive, however he is perhaps higher served by being extra picky the upper he climbs. He additionally doesn’t have a longtime defensive dwelling with time at second, third and brief. He’ll return to Triple-A to start his age-22 season, and if the outcomes are something near 2023 ranges, it received’t a lot matter the place he performs.
Victor Scott II, OF, CardinalsSpeed has by no means been extra priceless within the recreation, and Scott has that talent in absolute spades. The 2022 fifth-rounder is an 80-grade runner who tied for the Minor League lead with 94 steals in 132 video games. As soon as he reaches first base, everybody within the stadium is aware of he needs to steal second, and there’s little anybody can do about it. These wheels make him a plus-plus middle fielder as nicely. An absence of in-game energy and struggles in opposition to fellow left-handers stored Scott from our Prime 100 for now, however in reality, he may not must be something greater than common with the bat to solidify himself as St. Louis’ middle fielder of the trendy recreation.
Gavin Stone, RHP, DodgersThe 25-year-old right-hander was set to slip off the Prime 100 after a tough first MLB season (9.00 ERA, .338 average-against, 22 Okay’s in 31 IP), however some exterior evaluators argued for his inclusion throughout the suggestions stage. Stone posted excessive chase, whiff and groundball charges within the small pattern on the power of the plus-plus mid-80s changeup that he threw greater than one-third of the time. Main Leaguers feasted extra on his 93-95 mph fastball and low-90s cutter as Stone typically labored an excessive amount of within the coronary heart of the zone. Improved command may maintain hitters extra at bay, assist the changeup play up much more and get Stone again to the ways in which helped him strike out 32.6 p.c of the Minor Leaguers he confronted in his profession.
Samuel Zavala, OF, PadresThere had been solely 9 gamers aged 18 or youthful who bought greater than 300 plate appearances at Single-A in 2023. Zavala led that group with a .420 on-base share, 19.4 p.c stroll charge and 14 homers throughout his 101-game spin with Lake Elsinore. (A late-season push to Excessive-A Fort Wayne didn’t go almost as nicely however was maybe too aggressive for {the teenager}.) Whereas his method is undoubtedly superior, Zavala has a broad-based profile with a mixture of 50s and 55s. That’s actually priceless for a participant heading into his age-19 season, and he provides to that by means of being a strong middle fielder. We simply must see a talent actually pop on the center ranges earlier than discovering him a Prime 100 spot amongst gamers with larger ceilings.
