The house run is probably the most environment friendly occasion in sports activities. It’s the utmost end result a single batter can obtain, and all it takes is one swing. One very highly effective, well-timed, well-coordinated swing.
It’s why energy is such an vital device in prospect improvement and analysis. You possibly can put the ball in play a bunch, but when they’re all singles, you’re limiting your worth (except, like Chandler Simpson, you may have different elite instruments). Sluggers who can hit the ball hardest and elevate properly on contact give their groups one of the best probabilities to attain runs, and as everyone knows from Baseball 101, scoring runs wins video games.
And who doesn’t wish to see a bunch of dingers too?
Right here at MLB Pipeline, we’ll have a look at one of the best instruments in every farm system over the approaching weeks as we put together for the 2025 season, and due to the affect on the sport and general leisure worth, there was one device we determined to begin the sequence with — energy.
Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, 2B/3B (No. 10 2B)Martinez’s 86 house runs from 2021 to 2023 had been most within the Minor Leagues over that span, and he went deep 17 occasions in 74 video games for Triple-A Buffalo a 12 months in the past in a marketing campaign shortened by a banned-substance suspension. These dinger totals don’t come accidentally, the right-handed slugger is able to posting extremely excessive exit velocities (like a 115.2 mph max in Triple-A) and his swing is geared to carry and pull. He ought to push for MLB enjoying time within the first half.
Orioles: Coby Mayo, 3B/1B (MLB No. 14)Hat tip to Samuel Basallo and the form of injury he can do on the plate, however Mayo’s energy résumé speaks for itself. Tiny huge league pattern apart, Mayo’s house run output has been spectacular, with 73 dingers in his final three Minor League seasons. He carries a .541 slugging share and .922 OPS into the 2025 season, and he’s able to unleash his right-handed bat on huge league pitching full time.
Rays: Xavier Isaac, 1B (MLB No. 51)Isaac has collected 37 homers over his first two full Minor League seasons, and the time might very properly come when he’s posting a quantity that giant over a single marketing campaign. The 21-year-old has among the greatest bat velocity in a loaded Tampa Bay farm system, and his 115.8 mph homer in final 12 months’s Arizona Fall League would have been the hardest-hit dinger by a Rays Main Leaguer in 2024. Isaac wants to enhance his general contact charge on the increased ranges to get to this pop, nevertheless it’s laborious to miss this degree of uncooked energy at such an early stage of his profession.
Purple Sox: Roman Anthony, OF (MLB No. 2)Anthony mashed a 450-foot homer at Coors Subject in the course of the 2021 Excessive College All-American Recreation as a 17-year-old and since has developed into one of the best place prospect in baseball. A 2022 supplemental second-rounder from a Florida highschool, he stands out most along with his plus-plus uncooked energy and makes superior swing choices that allow him get to most of it. He topped the Double-A Japanese League in slugging (.489) and OPS (.856) as a 20-year-old, then batted .344/.463/.519 with 16 extra-base hits in 35 video games following his promotion to Triple-A.
Yankees: Jasson Domínguez, OF (MLB No. 21)Essentially the most hyped worldwide newbie prospect ever, Domínguez signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, first reached New York at age 20 4 years later — and took Justin Verlander deep in his huge league debut. Rehab from Tommy John surgical procedure and an indirect harm restricted him to 76 video games between the Minors and Majors final 12 months, however he nonetheless homered 13 occasions, and his electrical bat velocity and prodigious power had been as evident as ever from either side of the plate.
Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF (MLB No. 36)DeLauter not solely has the bodily items (measurement, power, bat velocity) to hit for energy, however he enhances his probabilities along with his hitting skill and plate self-discipline. He first confirmed off his pop with wooden bats by main the Cape Cod League with 9 homers in 2021, the 12 months earlier than he grew to become the primary first-round decide ever from James Madison. Repeated foot accidents have slowed him as a professional, however he has slashed .317/.387/.517 in two professional seasons and .313/.417/.522 in two journeys to the Arizona Fall League.
Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B (MLB No. 22)When you’ve been following Spring Coaching, you’ve already seen what Caglianone can do. His 115.4 mph homer on Sunday would have been the third-hardest hit by a Royal within the Statcast period, and that got here after he determined to “dial [my swing] again.” At 6-foot-5, the previous Florida star, who hit 68 homers over his closing two seasons on campus, is constructed like a home. Now that he’ll absolutely give attention to hitting over pitching for 2025, he might in some way take off much more on the plate in his first full professional season.
Tigers: Thayron Liranzo, C/1B (MLB No. 82)Detroit has some candidates for this spot, together with Arizona Fall League Triple Crown winner Josue Briceño and 2024 first-rounder Bryce Rainer. However we’ll flip to Liranzo, a switch-hitting backstop who caught absolute fireplace with a .562 slugging share in 26 Excessive-A video games after his commerce from the Dodgers. The 21-year-old carried that manufacturing into the AFL in addition to he continued to show grounders into stung line drives and fly balls. Liranzo has immense power in his 6-foot-2 body and needs to be a daily risk to hit 25+ homers, a rarity for his place.
Twins: Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF (MLB No. 37)This one is mostly a toss-up between Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins, so we’ll give the previous the shoutout this 12 months after Jenkins received the nod in 2024. The one factor that’s held the outfielder again has been accidents, he’s but to high 100 video games in a season. When he’s on the sector, his bat velocity has helped him get to his uncooked energy (.621 SLG in 37 Double-A video games final 12 months). He’ll want to chop down the Okay’s a bit, however that can occur if he can keep on the sector.
White Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF (MLB No. 55)The White Sox have a number of fascinating sluggers, with the nod right here going to Montgomery over shortstop Colson Montgomery (no relation) and outfielder George Wolkow. Braden launched 35 homers in two years at Stanford and 27 final spring at Texas A&M earlier than the Purple Sox drafted him twelfth general. A significant a part of the prospect package deal Boston gave up within the Garrett Crochet commerce on the Winter Conferences in December, he’s a switch-hitter with energy that performs from foul pole to foul pole.
Angels: Christian Moore, 2B (MLB No. 68)You know the way it really works with the Angels: They get their Draft guys to the Majors rapidly, so don’t be stunned to see Moore’s bat within the huge league lineup this 12 months, if not Opening Day. He’s coming off of a record-setting junior 12 months at Tennessee, the place his 34 homers set a Volunteers single-season file. Then he went out and hit six homers and slugged .584 in 25 video games throughout his professional debut. He has 30-home run potential within the huge leagues, and he’ll get to show it quickly.
Astros: Luis Baez, OFSigned out of the Dominican Republic, Baez obtained the most important bonus ($1.3 million) in Houston’s 2022 worldwide class. He completed 2024 in Double-A at age 20 and his 21 homers final season ranked fourth amongst Minor Leaguers his age or youthful. His bat velocity, power and exit velocities additionally stand out for his age, and he has no downside launching pitches within the air to his pull aspect.
A’s: Nick Kurtz, 1B (MLB No. 38)Even with some harm points, Kurtz put up ridiculous energy numbers at Wake Forest. He hit 61 homers over three years with the Demon Deacons, 22 with a .763 slugging share as a junior regardless of being slowed by a shoulder harm early on. The No. 4 general decide within the 2024 Draft hit 4 lengthy balls in 12 video games throughout his professional debut earlier than a hamstring harm ended his summer season, however he returned to the Arizona Fall League and picked up seven extra-base hits (.608 SLG) in 13 video games.
Mariners: Lazaro Montes, OF (MLB No. 42)Since signing for $1.375 million in the beginning of the 2022 worldwide signing interval, Montes has posted a .526 SLG and a .940 OPS whereas attending to Excessive-A as a teen. There’s some swing-and-miss however he attracts a ton of walks and his Okay’s had been truly down a contact in 2024, when he hit 21 homers and drove in 105 runs. So long as he can hold making sufficient contact, he has about as a lot uncooked pop as anybody on this record.
Rangers: Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B (MLB No. 17)Walcott’s energy is a serious cause why some scouts had been saying he’d grow to be one of the best participant ever from the Bahamas even earlier than he signed for $3.2 million in 2023. He has distinctive bat velocity and produces elite exit velocities for his age, and he led the South Atlantic League with 50 extra-base hits and 192 whole bases final 12 months because the Excessive-A circuit’s youngest common (18 years previous).
Braves: Drake Baldwin, C (MLB No. 63)Utilizing a leg kick to time up pitchers, the left-handed hitter will get to his energy with out sacrificing any of his hit device. He mashed 19 homers in his closing 12 months at Missouri State and has launched 16 lengthy balls in every of his two full seasons of professional ball, all whereas protecting his Minor League profession strikeout charge underneath 20 %. There’s an excellent probability we’ll see extra extra-base juice from him in 2025 and past as he knocks loudly on the large league door.
Marlins: Deyvison de los Santos, 1B/3BTraded by the Diamondbacks for A.J. Puk final July, de los Santos led the Minors with 40 homers and 307 whole bases final 12 months. He can crush balls as laborious as nearly anybody within the Minors, producing exit velocities as excessive as 116 mph final summer season because of his bat velocity, power and ultra-aggressive mindset. There are some questions as to how properly his pop will play within the Majors due to an undisciplined method that resulted in a 46 % chase charge between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024 — matching the worst share within the huge leagues (Ceddanne Rafaela).
Mets: Ronny Mauricio, 2B/SS/OFA torn ACL suffered in winter ball robbed Mauricio of his total 2024 season. However don’t overlook this can be a switch-hitter who rocked a 117.3 mph double in his first MLB at-bat, giving him the very best exit velocity by a Met in 2023. Standing 6-foot-3, Mauricio hit 20+ homers in every of his final three wholesome Minor League seasons, and assuming he can get again to that pop with none further points from the knee, he ought to issue into New York’s slugging depth once more this 12 months.
Nationals: Dylan Crews, OF (MLB No. 4)Positive, the 2023 No. 2 general decide managed solely 16 homers between the Minors and Majors in his first full season, however Crews was additionally pushed so aggressively by the Nats that he by no means really took off at any spot earlier than being moved onto the following. The plus energy potential continues to be very a lot in there, as his 44.7 % hard-hit charge within the bigs proved, and the extra snug he will get towards MLB pitching, the extra he’ll ship balls screaming over the fence. There’s nonetheless the upside of 25+ homers right here, and with Crews’ velocity and protection combined in, that’s a possible multitime All-Star within the capital.
Phillies: Aidan Miller, SS (MLB No. 27)We’ve recognized about Miller’s energy potential since he received MLB’s All-American Recreation Residence Run Derby the summer season earlier than his senior 12 months of highschool. It began to indicate up in his full-season debut in 2024, when he hit his means from Single-A Clearwater to Double-A Studying, homering 11 occasions and banging out 28 doubles. He’s turning into a greater all-around hitter than some anticipated, making mechanical changes and higher swing choices, giving much more confidence he’s simply scratching the floor by way of tapping into his uncooked pop.
Brewers: Eric Bitonti, 3B/1BMilwaukee took the 6-foot-4 left-handed slugger within the third spherical in 2023, understanding he’d be a long-term mission, and he nonetheless is in some methods with contact points. However the energy is plain. Forty-two of his 83 hits in 2024 went for additional bases, together with 16 homers. It’s downright electrical bat velocity from the left aspect, and tightening the swing even a little bit might make Bitonti a 30+-homer risk in time. And get this — he’ll nonetheless solely be 19 for your entire 2025 season.
Cardinals: Rainiel Rodriguez, CPower isn’t an enormous power of the present Cardinals farm system, however an enormous bopper is coming stateside. Rodriguez, who signed for $300,000 a 12 months in the past, ranked fourth within the Dominican Summer time League with 10 homers final season, and his 1.145 OPS was the very best by a DSL catcher since a minimum of 2006. He recorded exit velocities as excessive as 112 mph in early spring exercises, and his lift-and-pull method allows him to make use of that uncooked pop in video games. He’s nonetheless solely 18, so this may simply be the tip of the iceberg no matter whether or not he sticks at catcher or not.
Cubs: Owen Caissie, OF (MLB No. 54)Caissie generates enormous uncooked energy with the bat velocity and loft in his lefty stroke in addition to the power and leverage in his 6-foot-3 body. Acquired from the Padres within the Yu Darvish commerce in December 2020, he has homered 52 occasions in three full professional seasons regardless of yearly being one of many youngest gamers in his league. He went deep 19 occasions at Triple-A final 12 months because the Worldwide League’s second-youngest batting qualifier (age 21).
Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF (MLB No. 43)Griffin might have had one of the best all-around uncooked device set of anybody within the 2024 Draft class, an enormous cause why the Pirates took him No. 9 general. There was a little bit concern with the size of his swing, and thus his hit device, however the plus bat velocity mixed with power and leverage might result in a minimum of plus energy in video games on the subsequent degree. He’s but to make his skilled debut, however along with his energy and velocity he has 30/30 potential within the huge leagues.
Reds: Arnaldo Lantigua, OFHe’s but to formally don a Reds uniform, however to say the group is worked up to have his offensive potential can be an understatement. They received Lantigua from the Dodgers in trade for worldwide bonus pool cash that was used to signal Roki Sasaki. Lantigua spent two summers within the Dominican Summer time League, however issues actually began to click on final 12 months, when he completed with a .301/.430/.575 line and 11 homers, tied for second within the DSL. With high-end exit velocity and the texture for the zone he displayed final summer season, he might very simply have plus pop sooner or later.
D-backs: Adrian Del Castillo, CNaturally, D-backs prospects will put up some monster numbers in hitter-friendly Amarillo and Reno as they attain the higher Minors, however Del Castillo’s 26 homers and .603 SLG at Triple-A final season had been no mere mirages. The left-handed slugger posted a 47.3 % hard-hit charge on the Minors’ high degree, and his barrel charge was above common in his 25-game pattern within the Majors. Del Castillo’s protection stays questionable, however a bat like this could cowl up among the different holes with DHing serving as a fallback choice.
Dodgers: Josue De Paula, OF (MLB No. 40)De Paula spends his offseasons figuring out with Elly De La Cruz and Juan Soto, and few gamers can match his mixture of swing choices and exit velocities. He could also be on the verge of an influence breakout after batting .268/.404/.405 with 10 homers between two Class A stops at age 19 final 12 months. A second cousin of former NBA guards Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, he was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., earlier than shifting to the Dominican Republic and signing for $397,500 in 2022.
Giants: Bryce Eldridge, 1B (MLB No. 24)Along with his lightning-fast left-handed swing and loads of power and leverage in his 6-foot-7 body, Eldridge earns top-of-the-scale grades for his uncooked energy from many evaluators. The sixteenth general decide within the 2023 Draft out of a Virginia highschool, he moved from Single-A to Triple-A at age 19 in his first full professional season whereas topping all Minor League youngsters in homers (23) and slugging (.516).
Padres: Kale Fountain, 3BFountain set the Nebraska state prep file with 31 homers throughout his time at Norris Excessive College, and whereas he solely went within the fifth spherical to the Padres, he signed for second-round cash at $1.7 million. The 6-foot-5 right-handed slugger has large power in that giant body, and there’s ample bat velocity and loft in his swing. Tommy John surgical procedure final fall will gradual the begin to his profession a little bit however isn’t more likely to affect his potential as a middle-of-the-lineup bopper.
Rockies: Charlie Condon, OF/3B (MLB No. 29)We’re giving Condon a mulligan as a result of he tried to play by means of a hand harm throughout his professional debut. As a substitute, let’s give attention to the completely ridiculous 12 months he had at Georgia in 2024 that led to him successful the Golden Spikes Award. He led Division I hitters in batting common (.433), OPS (1.565) and what’s most vital for this class, his 37 homers. He makes use of an upright stance and easy swing to get to his uncooked energy to all fields. We’re assuming that when he is wholesome, he’ll rediscover the method that made him such an excellent general hitter and he’ll get again to tapping into that uncooked pop persistently throughout his first full season of professional ball.
