From FG: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/brady-house ... ashington/
Brady House is a high-ceiling slugger knocking on the door of the big leagues. Drafted 11th overall by the Washington Nationals in 2021 out of Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia, the 22-year-old third baseman is slashing .299/.352/.521 with a 128 wRC+ over 256 plate appearances with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. Befitting his sturdy 6-foot-4 frame and plus power from the right side, House has hammered 14 doubles and 12 home runs.
His approach might best be described as old school. Asked about his M.O. at the plate, the promising youngster told me his primary goal is simply to hit the ball hard and get on base. And he definitely hits the ball hard. His max exit velocity this season is 112.4 mph, which ranks in the 90th percentile at the Triple-A level. As for his ability to leave the yard, House doesn’t hunt for homers so much as he buys into the process.
“I hit the most home runs when I go up there not trying to hit a home run,” he said. “If I go up there just trying to get a base hit, it just ends up accidentally happening.”
It’s not by accident that House hits home runs in all directions. He called using the entire field an important part of his approach, and the data back up the words. His spray chart shows three homers ripped to right, four blasted to center, and five launched to left. His overall pull rate is actually a career-high 49.4%, but that’s not necessarily by design. While an adjustment is part of the equation, how he’s being attacked is playing a bigger role in his pulling more pitches.
“I’m trying to be more on time with the fastball, catching the ball out in front of the plate rather than letting it get in on me,” House said. “That way I have some room to work with. I mean, I’m just trying to hit it wherever it’s pitched. I feel like I’ve been getting pitched in a lot this year.”
What House said about having “room to work with” piqued my interest. Most often, hitters say letting the ball travel allows them more opportunity to recognize pitches and react accordingly.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that,” House replied. “But in the past, I’ve kind of let the fastball get deep, so even though I’m hitting it hard, I’m getting caught up in my hands being back instead of getting extended. For me, it’s more about being on time. I’d rather be on time for a fastball and early for an offspeed. Of course, adjustments are made every game, so I guess it just depends on how I’m feeling.”
The slugger sounded satisfied when addressing the percentage of offerings he’s propelling into the air, although at 47.9%, his groundball rate isn’t exactly ideal for someone with his tool box. As for focusing on batted-ball metrics to unlock more of his power potential, that isn’t how his mind works.
“I can tell if it’s hit hard, if that makes sense,” House said. “I’m not really into the numbers. Things like launch angle… that’s a little over my head. I do like video, but outside of that, I like to keep things simple.”
Eric Longenhagen’s assessment of House, which is influenced by Statcast metrics, is largely bullish. At the same time, our lead prospect analyst isn’t without concerns.
“The data is in agreement on both the whiffs — soundly below-average contact, slightly below-average plate discipline — and the power,” Longenhagen told me. “House’s hard-hit rate has been comfortably plus, especially for his age. He has plus power and destroys mistakes, [but] I’m a bit bearish relative to his xSLG and xwOBA because I think big league pitchers will do a better job attacking his weaknesses.”
Longenhagen sees the shortstop-turned-third-baseman’s glove as a strength. In his view, House is “one hell of a defender,” gifted with plus range, footwork, and arm strength.
Jumping back to the bat, cutting down on his strikeout rate (currently 25.8%) is among House’s goals. He feels a recent mechanical tweak is a step in the right direction.
“I’ve lowered my hands,” House said. “Unknowingly, they had gone up. That was in spring training. I mean, I guess I knew I had them up higher, but I didn’t think it was a problem until I realized it was a problem. I was struggling a little bit last month.” From May 18-24, House went 4-for-23 (.174) with no home runs and nine strikeouts; since then, he is 20-for-51 (.392) with four homers and 11 strikeouts. “Lowering them,” he said, “has helped me be a little more direct to the ball.”
And then there are his 7.4% walk rate and 32.5% chase rate. Asked what he most needs to work on, House more or less echoed Eric’s concerns. A predisposition to overaggressiveness is a hurdle he’ll have to overcome if he hopes to flourish at baseball’s highest level.
“I don’t think I’m bad at it, but it would be my plate discipline,” House said. “I’m a hitter that swings a lot. I like to swing, and sometimes that can hurt me if I’m not controlling the zone. It’s hard for me to go up there and want to take pitches, because I’d rather hit the ball than take. It’s a tough habit to break, but I’m working on it.”
Nationals fans are clamoring for House to be called up to the big leagues, and there is a good chance they’ll get their wish sooner rather than later. Once it happens, there will be a lot for him to prove — that comes with the territory when you’re a highly touted former first-round pick. Can House be a building block in Washington? The foundation is there, but rough edges remain.
Down on the Farm - 2025
Moderator: Braves
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 2/MLB No. 46)
Caissie opened Triple-A Iowa's doubleheader by homering for a third consecutive game, reaching base four times and driving in three runs. The 22-year-old added a double in the nightcap and has hit safely in 11 of 12 games in June, slashing .371/.476/.743 with three roundtrippers and nine RBIs. Caissie's hot streak has improved his season average 19 points to .262 and his OPS to .876.
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 2/MLB No. 46)
Caissie opened Triple-A Iowa's doubleheader by homering for a third consecutive game, reaching base four times and driving in three runs. The 22-year-old added a double in the nightcap and has hit safely in 11 of 12 games in June, slashing .371/.476/.743 with three roundtrippers and nine RBIs. Caissie's hot streak has improved his season average 19 points to .262 and his OPS to .876.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... r-in-2025/
Cam Smith, OF, Astros
Smith ranks seventh among rookies in plate appearances, despite inconsistent playing time. He reached base at a .388 clip in May, though much of that was BABIP-driven. The underlying tools are strong. Elite bat speed and an 8.5% barrel rate stand out, especially for someone who entered the year with just five games played above A-ball. Like with Kristian Campbell, the next step for Smith is to cut down on strikeouts and grounders to unlock the full potential of the profile.
Cam Smith, OF, Astros
Smith ranks seventh among rookies in plate appearances, despite inconsistent playing time. He reached base at a .388 clip in May, though much of that was BABIP-driven. The underlying tools are strong. Elite bat speed and an 8.5% barrel rate stand out, especially for someone who entered the year with just five games played above A-ball. Like with Kristian Campbell, the next step for Smith is to cut down on strikeouts and grounders to unlock the full potential of the profile.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA's Statcast Standouts: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... s-june-16/
Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
McLean’s arsenal covers an incredibly wide range of movement—east/west and north/south—and is headlined by an incredible sweeper, which is a monster of a pitch touching 20 inches of sweep at 86 mph. It’s such a strong pitch for him that he uses it as his primary against righties, generating whiffs on 44% of swings and 20% of pitches. He uses it against lefties about 24% of the time, and it isn’t as effective but still plays.
McLean’s fastball is about as average as it gets, with about average ride given his slot and slightly above-average velocity. It’s not a great pitch, but it’s enough to allow the rest of his arsenal to play up. Against righties, he mixes in a plus sinker with tremendous seam-shifted wake movement that gets a ton of whiffs. It comes out at the same velocity as the four-seamer but has about 5.5 inches more drop. More importantly, it comes out of his hand with the exact same spin axis and release point, making it very difficult for hitters to pick up. He uses it sparingly against lefties, who may have an easier time identifying it.
The bridge cutter is a key pitch against both righties and lefties, helping to somewhat mask the sweeper. The changeup has great shape, but he isn’t getting great results on it, even against lefties. He rounds out the arsenal with a massive two-plane curveball which he mixes in against both righties and lefties.
It’s a fascinating arsenal, with the potential for the changeup to take a leap as he gains experience. This is McLean’s first year focusing solely on pitching, so it may behoove the Mets to give him plenty of runway to develop at Triple-A.
Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Caissie has one of the more internally consistent exit velocity/launch angle metrics. It pretty much spells out a 70 raw/game power profile. His contact and swing decision metrics also point to a player with limited bat-to-ball who will be a three true outcomes type of player. This is Caissie’s second year at Triple-A, so let’s take a look at what’s changed:
He’s hitting the ball much harder (about three mph), while also getting it in the air more. That’s come at the expense of just a couple of points of zone contact, with basically identical swing decisions. That’s a fantastic trade-off. Caissie has clearly reached a new level, and is pushing to crack a crowded Cubs lineup soon.
Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
McLean’s arsenal covers an incredibly wide range of movement—east/west and north/south—and is headlined by an incredible sweeper, which is a monster of a pitch touching 20 inches of sweep at 86 mph. It’s such a strong pitch for him that he uses it as his primary against righties, generating whiffs on 44% of swings and 20% of pitches. He uses it against lefties about 24% of the time, and it isn’t as effective but still plays.
McLean’s fastball is about as average as it gets, with about average ride given his slot and slightly above-average velocity. It’s not a great pitch, but it’s enough to allow the rest of his arsenal to play up. Against righties, he mixes in a plus sinker with tremendous seam-shifted wake movement that gets a ton of whiffs. It comes out at the same velocity as the four-seamer but has about 5.5 inches more drop. More importantly, it comes out of his hand with the exact same spin axis and release point, making it very difficult for hitters to pick up. He uses it sparingly against lefties, who may have an easier time identifying it.
The bridge cutter is a key pitch against both righties and lefties, helping to somewhat mask the sweeper. The changeup has great shape, but he isn’t getting great results on it, even against lefties. He rounds out the arsenal with a massive two-plane curveball which he mixes in against both righties and lefties.
It’s a fascinating arsenal, with the potential for the changeup to take a leap as he gains experience. This is McLean’s first year focusing solely on pitching, so it may behoove the Mets to give him plenty of runway to develop at Triple-A.
Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Caissie has one of the more internally consistent exit velocity/launch angle metrics. It pretty much spells out a 70 raw/game power profile. His contact and swing decision metrics also point to a player with limited bat-to-ball who will be a three true outcomes type of player. This is Caissie’s second year at Triple-A, so let’s take a look at what’s changed:
He’s hitting the ball much harder (about three mph), while also getting it in the air more. That’s come at the expense of just a couple of points of zone contact, with basically identical swing decisions. That’s a fantastic trade-off. Caissie has clearly reached a new level, and is pushing to crack a crowded Cubs lineup soon.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA's Hot Sheet: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-6-16-25/
18. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .350/.458/.850 (7-for-20), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 SO, 3 BB, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Caissie combines rare power with a mature approach, and he’s now starting to connect more consistently thanks to a sharpened, more aggressive mindset at the plate. He crushes fastballs and drives the ball with authority to all fields, consistently producing loud, airborne contact. Though breaking stuff can still trip him up, he’s shown signs of adjusting. With sneaky speed, a strong arm and steady defense in the corners, Caissie is emerging as a potential middle-of-the-order threat with well-rounded upside, especially at the pace he’s progressing. (JC)
18. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .350/.458/.850 (7-for-20), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 SO, 3 BB, 1-for-2 SB
The Scoop: Caissie combines rare power with a mature approach, and he’s now starting to connect more consistently thanks to a sharpened, more aggressive mindset at the plate. He crushes fastballs and drives the ball with authority to all fields, consistently producing loud, airborne contact. Though breaking stuff can still trip him up, he’s shown signs of adjusting. With sneaky speed, a strong arm and steady defense in the corners, Caissie is emerging as a potential middle-of-the-order threat with well-rounded upside, especially at the pace he’s progressing. (JC)
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
from MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Andrew Painter, RHP, Lehigh Valley (PHI No. 1/MLB No. 5)
Pitching on four days' rest for the first time in four years, Painter shrugged off a rough outing and posted zeros over five innings, scattering one hit and two walks while striking out six. It was an encouraging performance for the 22-year-old and only his second zero-run effort in seven starts at Triple-A.
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 2/MLB No. 46)
Caissie's 11th homer of the season was a no-doubt moonshot, traveling 449 feet off the batter's eye in center field, according to Statcast. It was Caissie's fourth homer in his past seven games at Triple-A. He homered in three consecutive games to begin the week and is now slashing .263/.367/.512 overall.
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Gwinnett (ATL No. 2)
The 23-year-old wiggled out of a bases-loaded first-inning jam and was in control from there, retiring 10 of 13 at one point and throwing 66 of 92 pitches for strikes for Triple-A Gwinnett. Waldrep struck out six while matching a season high of six innings and allowing just one run for the first time since his season debut on April 1.
Andrew Painter, RHP, Lehigh Valley (PHI No. 1/MLB No. 5)
Pitching on four days' rest for the first time in four years, Painter shrugged off a rough outing and posted zeros over five innings, scattering one hit and two walks while striking out six. It was an encouraging performance for the 22-year-old and only his second zero-run effort in seven starts at Triple-A.
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 2/MLB No. 46)
Caissie's 11th homer of the season was a no-doubt moonshot, traveling 449 feet off the batter's eye in center field, according to Statcast. It was Caissie's fourth homer in his past seven games at Triple-A. He homered in three consecutive games to begin the week and is now slashing .263/.367/.512 overall.
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Gwinnett (ATL No. 2)
The 23-year-old wiggled out of a bases-loaded first-inning jam and was in control from there, retiring 10 of 13 at one point and throwing 66 of 92 pitches for strikes for Triple-A Gwinnett. Waldrep struck out six while matching a season high of six innings and allowing just one run for the first time since his season debut on April 1.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/what-to-e ... e-coverage
At a time when the Nationals lineup could certainly use some help, they are making a House call.
Washington is promoting No. 91 overall prospect Brady House, MLB.com's Jessica Camerato reported Sunday night. Riding an eight-game losing streak, the Nats are set to begin a four-game series at home against the Rockies on Monday.
Ranked as the third-best prospect in the organization, House hit .304/.353/.519 with 13 homers over 65 games for Triple-A Rochester before the biggest transaction of his career. He went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, the second-longest active streak at the top level of the Minors. House slashed .375/.420/.625 with four homers and four doubles over that stretch.
Listed at 6-foot-4, the 2021 11th overall pick certainly packs a punch from the right side of the plate. He leads players aged 22 or younger at Triple-A with his 13 homers on the season and ranks second in slugging percentage. His 108.8 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity puts him in the range of Willson Contreras (109.0) and Corey Seager (108.7) in the Majors in 2025; only James Wood (111.
has a higher mark among Nationals Major Leaguers. It’s all-fields pop too with six of his homers going to left/left-center, three to center and four to right/right-center.
Washington could certainly use some right-handed power.
Nationals righty hitters are tied with the Guardians for fewest homers as a group with 15. Nine Major League right-handed batters have 15 or more homers individually. They also rank 28th in batting average (.222) and slugging percentage (.332) and 29th with a .625 OPS. House’s arrival could at least provide some balance to a lineup that has been carried heavily by lefties Wood and CJ Abrams to this point in the season.
That’s if he can get to that prodigious raw power quickly.
House dropped out of the MLB Pipeline Top 100 in the offseason because of a lack of plate discipline in his first taste of Triple-A. He chased on 43 percent of the pitches he saw outside the zone in 54 games with Rochester last year, leading to a .280 on-base percentage. That chase rate has been a more manageable 38 percent in 2025, per Synergy, but even that would be the eighth-highest chase rate in the Majors without adjusting for the better pitching at the top level.
When it comes to swing-and-miss, House has struggled most against sliders (42 percent whiff rate) and changeups (40 percent), and because of the latter, he has closer to even splits against righties and lefties rather than dominating southpaws. But as his power numbers indicate, House is still capable of hitting the ball so hard with his A swing that he can run a reasonably high BABIP to offset some of the strikeout issues that come with his overall approach, and that fueled his rise back into the Top 100.
Defensively, the Georgia native was drafted as a shortstop but slid over full time to third base in 2023. His size and plus arm strength make him a natural fit, and he still retains some of that shortstop athleticism at the hot corner. He could be an instant improvement there over Amed Rosario (-5 Outs Above Average at third base) and José Tena (-4 OAA), and that’s before getting the bat involved.
With House’s stock ascending and the Major League team in free fall, a debut for the recently turned 22-year-old comes at a good time for both parties. Now it’s on House to show he can slug his way into a long-term home in D.C.
At a time when the Nationals lineup could certainly use some help, they are making a House call.
Washington is promoting No. 91 overall prospect Brady House, MLB.com's Jessica Camerato reported Sunday night. Riding an eight-game losing streak, the Nats are set to begin a four-game series at home against the Rockies on Monday.
Ranked as the third-best prospect in the organization, House hit .304/.353/.519 with 13 homers over 65 games for Triple-A Rochester before the biggest transaction of his career. He went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, the second-longest active streak at the top level of the Minors. House slashed .375/.420/.625 with four homers and four doubles over that stretch.
Listed at 6-foot-4, the 2021 11th overall pick certainly packs a punch from the right side of the plate. He leads players aged 22 or younger at Triple-A with his 13 homers on the season and ranks second in slugging percentage. His 108.8 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity puts him in the range of Willson Contreras (109.0) and Corey Seager (108.7) in the Majors in 2025; only James Wood (111.
has a higher mark among Nationals Major Leaguers. It’s all-fields pop too with six of his homers going to left/left-center, three to center and four to right/right-center.Washington could certainly use some right-handed power.
Nationals righty hitters are tied with the Guardians for fewest homers as a group with 15. Nine Major League right-handed batters have 15 or more homers individually. They also rank 28th in batting average (.222) and slugging percentage (.332) and 29th with a .625 OPS. House’s arrival could at least provide some balance to a lineup that has been carried heavily by lefties Wood and CJ Abrams to this point in the season.
That’s if he can get to that prodigious raw power quickly.
House dropped out of the MLB Pipeline Top 100 in the offseason because of a lack of plate discipline in his first taste of Triple-A. He chased on 43 percent of the pitches he saw outside the zone in 54 games with Rochester last year, leading to a .280 on-base percentage. That chase rate has been a more manageable 38 percent in 2025, per Synergy, but even that would be the eighth-highest chase rate in the Majors without adjusting for the better pitching at the top level.
When it comes to swing-and-miss, House has struggled most against sliders (42 percent whiff rate) and changeups (40 percent), and because of the latter, he has closer to even splits against righties and lefties rather than dominating southpaws. But as his power numbers indicate, House is still capable of hitting the ball so hard with his A swing that he can run a reasonably high BABIP to offset some of the strikeout issues that come with his overall approach, and that fueled his rise back into the Top 100.
Defensively, the Georgia native was drafted as a shortstop but slid over full time to third base in 2023. His size and plus arm strength make him a natural fit, and he still retains some of that shortstop athleticism at the hot corner. He could be an instant improvement there over Amed Rosario (-5 Outs Above Average at third base) and José Tena (-4 OAA), and that’s before getting the bat involved.
With House’s stock ascending and the Major League team in free fall, a debut for the recently turned 22-year-old comes at a good time for both parties. Now it’s on House to show he can slug his way into a long-term home in D.C.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA's Hot Sheet: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-6-23-25/
13. Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Team: Triple-A Tacoma (Pacific)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .381/.462/.905 (8-for-21), 8 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, 7 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: This week’s Hot Sheet is a veritable “Sea for All”. Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes and Locklear all made the list after having outstanding weeks. Locklear did his damage at the highest level, clubbing a trio of home runs among his eight hits. The long ball barrage was 60% of the total he carried at the beginning of the week. Locklear made his big league debut in 2024. A few more weeks like this and a return trip might be in the cards.
13. Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Team: Triple-A Tacoma (Pacific)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .381/.462/.905 (8-for-21), 8 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBIs, 4 BB, 7 SO, 1-for-1 SB
The Scoop: This week’s Hot Sheet is a veritable “Sea for All”. Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes and Locklear all made the list after having outstanding weeks. Locklear did his damage at the highest level, clubbing a trio of home runs among his eight hits. The long ball barrage was 60% of the total he carried at the beginning of the week. Locklear made his big league debut in 2024. A few more weeks like this and a return trip might be in the cards.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... n-in-june/
3. Kyle DeBarge was a first-team All-America shortstop last year at Louisiana-Lafayette. This year, he is an intriguing prospect playing second base for High-A Cedar Rapids in the Twins’ system. The 21-year-old has unlocked his baserunning potential as a pro, stealing 37 bases in his first 38 tries, and now the Twins will focus on developing his bat. “We think he’ll have some sneaky pop along the way,” Twins GM Jeremy Zoll said. “He does a nice job controlling the zone, talking his walks. But with his bat speed, there’s definitely some sneaky pop in there.”
7. “He has a low pulse rate—doesn’t get rattled. He just needed to work on his coordination because he’s a big guy.” That’s how high school travel team coach Skip Allen described Marlins righthander Josh Ekness. The 23-year-old has the tools to succeed in the role, namely high velocity on his fastball and slider. Ekness didn’t throw enough strikes as a college starter, but now he is making it work as a Double-A reliever.
3. Kyle DeBarge was a first-team All-America shortstop last year at Louisiana-Lafayette. This year, he is an intriguing prospect playing second base for High-A Cedar Rapids in the Twins’ system. The 21-year-old has unlocked his baserunning potential as a pro, stealing 37 bases in his first 38 tries, and now the Twins will focus on developing his bat. “We think he’ll have some sneaky pop along the way,” Twins GM Jeremy Zoll said. “He does a nice job controlling the zone, talking his walks. But with his bat speed, there’s definitely some sneaky pop in there.”
7. “He has a low pulse rate—doesn’t get rattled. He just needed to work on his coordination because he’s a big guy.” That’s how high school travel team coach Skip Allen described Marlins righthander Josh Ekness. The 23-year-old has the tools to succeed in the role, namely high velocity on his fastball and slider. Ekness didn’t throw enough strikes as a college starter, but now he is making it work as a Double-A reliever.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA's Hot Sheet: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... et-7-7-25/
5. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .438/.526/1.250 (7-for-16), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Entering June, Caissie was hitting .238/.342/.457 after an up-and-down opening two months to the season. Since June 1, Caissie is hitting .337/.450/.717 with nine home runs and a 195 wRC+. In the opening days of July, Caissie hardly slowed down, as he cranked four home runs over the course of the week with multi-homer games on Thursday and Saturday. He also closed the week with four consecutive multi-hit games, including three-hit efforts on Friday and Sunday. Caissie looks locked in and ready for his first taste of the major leagues. With a crowded Cubs outfield, however, Caissie might be an interesting name come the trade deadline.
15. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
Team: Triple-A Syracuse (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 3.60, 1 GS, 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 10 SO
The Scoop: The jump from Double-A to Triple-A is a tricky one these days with the Triple-A strike zone (the smallest in pro ball). But don’t tell that to McLean, as he’s just kept on rolling since his early-May promotion. McLean’s 10 strikeouts set a career high as a profession. His varied pitch mix was quite apparent, as McLean finished off hitters with his sinker, four-seamer, curveball and his sweeper.
5. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .438/.526/1.250 (7-for-16), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Entering June, Caissie was hitting .238/.342/.457 after an up-and-down opening two months to the season. Since June 1, Caissie is hitting .337/.450/.717 with nine home runs and a 195 wRC+. In the opening days of July, Caissie hardly slowed down, as he cranked four home runs over the course of the week with multi-homer games on Thursday and Saturday. He also closed the week with four consecutive multi-hit games, including three-hit efforts on Friday and Sunday. Caissie looks locked in and ready for his first taste of the major leagues. With a crowded Cubs outfield, however, Caissie might be an interesting name come the trade deadline.
15. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
Team: Triple-A Syracuse (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 1-0, 3.60, 1 GS, 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HBP, 1 BB, 10 SO
The Scoop: The jump from Double-A to Triple-A is a tricky one these days with the Triple-A strike zone (the smallest in pro ball). But don’t tell that to McLean, as he’s just kept on rolling since his early-May promotion. McLean’s 10 strikeouts set a career high as a profession. His varied pitch mix was quite apparent, as McLean finished off hitters with his sinker, four-seamer, curveball and his sweeper.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 43)
Already in the midst of a strong season, Caissie has taken things to another level since the calendar flipped to July. The 23-year-old slugged a pair of solo jacks, his third multihomer performance in five games for Triple-A Iowa. Caissie, who ended June with a home run, has gone deep seven times in his past seven contests. The 2020 second-rounder is slashing .353/.459/.765 with 20 extra-base hits, 11 homers and 21 RBIs in 28 games since June 1.
Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, St. Paul (MIN No. 2/MLB No. 46)
Rodriguez returned to the lineup for Triple-A St. Paul for the first time since May 30 and came out swinging. The 22-year-old racked up three hits, including a three-run homer, reached base four times and scored four runs while also making a running catch in center field. A nagging thumb injury limited Rodriguez to 47 games in 2024, but the Dominican Republic native was a lineup fixture for the Saints until a hip strain forced him to the IL in June.
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 43)
Already in the midst of a strong season, Caissie has taken things to another level since the calendar flipped to July. The 23-year-old slugged a pair of solo jacks, his third multihomer performance in five games for Triple-A Iowa. Caissie, who ended June with a home run, has gone deep seven times in his past seven contests. The 2020 second-rounder is slashing .353/.459/.765 with 20 extra-base hits, 11 homers and 21 RBIs in 28 games since June 1.
Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, St. Paul (MIN No. 2/MLB No. 46)
Rodriguez returned to the lineup for Triple-A St. Paul for the first time since May 30 and came out swinging. The 22-year-old racked up three hits, including a three-run homer, reached base four times and scored four runs while also making a running catch in center field. A nagging thumb injury limited Rodriguez to 47 games in 2024, but the Dominican Republic native was a lineup fixture for the Saints until a hip strain forced him to the IL in June.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BP's MLU: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... y-nolan-2/
Pitcher of the Day:
Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets (Triple-A Syracuse): 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 10 K, 3 BB.
McLean has been repping his hometown of Garner, NC, quite well lately–-that’s east of Apex and southeast of Cary, if you work in tech and are trying to get your Raleigh suburbs straight–-tossing two straight outings with 10 strikeouts to follow up a solid 3.08 June ERA in his first full month at Triple-A. Thursday night’s pitch mix included a fastball sitting 95, his usual nasty sweeper, and more than a dash of cutter, sinker, and curve.
And from MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Nolan McLean, RHP, Syracuse (NYM No. 4/MLB No. 76)
Just six days after notching a career-high 10 strikeouts over five innings for the Triple-A Mets, McLean toed the rubber for his 16th appearance of the season and bested his previous performances. New York's 2023 third-rounder matched his professional best in strikeouts from the previous outing while scattering three hits over six scoreless innings. The outing was McLean’s sixth start of the season in which he didn't allow a run and lowered his ERA to 2.17 across two levels.
Pitcher of the Day:
Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets (Triple-A Syracuse): 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 10 K, 3 BB.
McLean has been repping his hometown of Garner, NC, quite well lately–-that’s east of Apex and southeast of Cary, if you work in tech and are trying to get your Raleigh suburbs straight–-tossing two straight outings with 10 strikeouts to follow up a solid 3.08 June ERA in his first full month at Triple-A. Thursday night’s pitch mix included a fastball sitting 95, his usual nasty sweeper, and more than a dash of cutter, sinker, and curve.
And from MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Nolan McLean, RHP, Syracuse (NYM No. 4/MLB No. 76)
Just six days after notching a career-high 10 strikeouts over five innings for the Triple-A Mets, McLean toed the rubber for his 16th appearance of the season and bested his previous performances. New York's 2023 third-rounder matched his professional best in strikeouts from the previous outing while scattering three hits over six scoreless innings. The outing was McLean’s sixth start of the season in which he didn't allow a run and lowered his ERA to 2.17 across two levels.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -triple-a/
The Mets rotation has been ravaged by injuries this season, yet the team has managed to keep pace with the Phillies through the first half. A potential long-term solution could be emerging in Nolan McLean.
On Wednesday, McLean strengthened his case for a big league callup with six scoreless innings, striking out 10. He threw 97 pitches (62 for strikes) while generating five groundouts and 17 whiffs. He sat 94–96 mph with both his four-seam fastball and sinker, and mixed in four distinct secondaries, led by a mid-to-high-80s sweeper. McLean generated multiple swinging strikes with five different pitch types.
He’s looking like an exciting viable short-term rotation option—and potentially a long-term fixture in the middle of the Mets’ staff.
The Mets rotation has been ravaged by injuries this season, yet the team has managed to keep pace with the Phillies through the first half. A potential long-term solution could be emerging in Nolan McLean.
On Wednesday, McLean strengthened his case for a big league callup with six scoreless innings, striking out 10. He threw 97 pitches (62 for strikes) while generating five groundouts and 17 whiffs. He sat 94–96 mph with both his four-seam fastball and sinker, and mixed in four distinct secondaries, led by a mid-to-high-80s sweeper. McLean generated multiple swinging strikes with five different pitch types.
He’s looking like an exciting viable short-term rotation option—and potentially a long-term fixture in the middle of the Mets’ staff.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 43)
Caissie's personal Home Run Derby tour rolled on as the 23-year-old hammered his seventh long ball in eight games this month and his 19th of the season. The native of Ontario, Canada, has been one of the hottest hitters in the Minors since the calendar flipped to June, but he's taken things to another level in July. Caissie has three multihomer games and is slashing .394/.487/1.091 with nine extra-base hits and nine RBIs this month.
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 43)
Caissie's personal Home Run Derby tour rolled on as the 23-year-old hammered his seventh long ball in eight games this month and his 19th of the season. The native of Ontario, Canada, has been one of the hottest hitters in the Minors since the calendar flipped to June, but he's taken things to another level in July. Caissie has three multihomer games and is slashing .394/.487/1.091 with nine extra-base hits and nine RBIs this month.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA's Hot Sheet: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-7-14-25/
8. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
Team: Triple-A Syracuse (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO
The Scoop: McLean is laying waste to the International League with a combination of legitimate stuff and impressive savvy. He got whiffs with five of his six pitches in his start this week, and he reached double digits in strikeouts. Until last week, McLean had never struck out 10 batters in a pro game. Now he’s done it twice in two starts.
8. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
Team: Triple-A Syracuse (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO
The Scoop: McLean is laying waste to the International League with a combination of legitimate stuff and impressive savvy. He got whiffs with five of his six pitches in his start this week, and he reached double digits in strikeouts. Until last week, McLean had never struck out 10 batters in a pro game. Now he’s done it twice in two starts.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
More from BA: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2025/
12. Edward Lantigua, OF, Mets
Lantigua stood out during last year’s Dominican Summer League all-star game, and he’s carried that intriguing profile into his first stateside test. The righthanded hitter has projection remaining, and he’ll need to capitalize on those strength gains in order to produce the power required to profile at a corner outfield spot, where he’s likely to land.
Beyond his capability to add some power, scouts also like Lantigua’s feel to hit, ability to move the barrel around the zone and the shorter stroke that should allow his hittability to translate as he moves through the minors.
12. Edward Lantigua, OF, Mets
Lantigua stood out during last year’s Dominican Summer League all-star game, and he’s carried that intriguing profile into his first stateside test. The righthanded hitter has projection remaining, and he’ll need to capitalize on those strength gains in order to produce the power required to profile at a corner outfield spot, where he’s likely to land.
Beyond his capability to add some power, scouts also like Lantigua’s feel to hit, ability to move the barrel around the zone and the shorter stroke that should allow his hittability to translate as he moves through the minors.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BP's Mid-Season Top 50: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... season-50/
16. Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Why He’ll Succeed: Formerly a wunderkind who looked poised to debut in the majors as a teenager, Painter has come most of the way back after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 regular seasons with a torn UCL. He’s sitting 97 and touching 100 again, he’s throwing good breakers, and he’s throwing strikes. We expect him to be up quite soon; the Phillies conservatively managed his first half to have him for a playoff run.
Why He Might Fail: While the broad strokes are the same here, there are some differences. If you dial back to 2022, Painter was throwing a sweeper with a ton of horizontal action, and that’s been traded out for a more vertical curve. We’re not totally sure if that’s an improvement yet. The raw stuff is back regardless, but only his sparsely used changeup is getting a ton of in-zone whiff, and that’s led to some underperformance, most notably an ERA near 5.00.
22. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Minnesota Twins
Why He’ll Succeed: Let’s pretend contact and health aren’t things to worry about here: Rodriguez has plus-plus power, plus-plus swing decisions, and can go get the ball like a mad man in center. Doesn’t that sound like one of the very best prospects in baseball to you?
Why He Might Fail: He can’t stay on the field—he’s already missed time this year with thumb, side, and hip injuries—and he can’t stop swinging through pitches in the strike zone. His 77% in-zone contact rate is even worse than Carson Williams’. Passivity is a problem.
34. Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets
Why He’ll Succeed: McLean’s most-used pitch is perhaps the nastiest sweeper in the entire minors, averaging over 15 inches of horizontal movement with slight negative vert and monster spin. It’s a devastating pitch and will likely remain his bread and butter his entire career. But he’s also up to a six pitch guy, throwing distinct four-seams and sinkers in the mid-90s, as well as distinct curve, slider, and splitter shapes. For a guy who has only been a full-time pitcher for a year to have this varied repertoire and be excelling in the high-minors (2.17 ERA split between Double-A and Triple-A) is pretty unusual.
Why He Might Fail: While McLean’s release characteristics on his four-seam fastball are strong, the movement profile is the kind of dead-zone stinkiness that you don’t want to throw often, and he’s been throwing that very runny sinker just as much to compensate for it. In general he’s gotten less whiffs than you’d expect given the quality and breadth of his stuff.
49. Owen Caissie, OF, Chicago Cubs
Why He’ll Succeed: For the same reasons we’ve thought he’d succeed for about four prospect list cycles now. Caissie hits the ball very hard when he makes contact and continues to make enough contact that it all works out fine on the slash line. He makes plus swing decisions as well, so while he’s going to walk the usual tightrope of a Three-True-Outcomes-laden corner outfielder. And yes, he’s repeating Triple-A, but he’s only 22 years old and has already hit as many home runs this year as he did all of last season.
Why He Might Fail: Caissie has been vulnerable to breaking stuff both seasons in Iowa, and is about one additional grade of contact dip from being more of a Quad-A masher. He has hit more home runs this season, but he’s done it with a worse pulled fly ball rate.
16. Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Why He’ll Succeed: Formerly a wunderkind who looked poised to debut in the majors as a teenager, Painter has come most of the way back after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 regular seasons with a torn UCL. He’s sitting 97 and touching 100 again, he’s throwing good breakers, and he’s throwing strikes. We expect him to be up quite soon; the Phillies conservatively managed his first half to have him for a playoff run.
Why He Might Fail: While the broad strokes are the same here, there are some differences. If you dial back to 2022, Painter was throwing a sweeper with a ton of horizontal action, and that’s been traded out for a more vertical curve. We’re not totally sure if that’s an improvement yet. The raw stuff is back regardless, but only his sparsely used changeup is getting a ton of in-zone whiff, and that’s led to some underperformance, most notably an ERA near 5.00.
22. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Minnesota Twins
Why He’ll Succeed: Let’s pretend contact and health aren’t things to worry about here: Rodriguez has plus-plus power, plus-plus swing decisions, and can go get the ball like a mad man in center. Doesn’t that sound like one of the very best prospects in baseball to you?
Why He Might Fail: He can’t stay on the field—he’s already missed time this year with thumb, side, and hip injuries—and he can’t stop swinging through pitches in the strike zone. His 77% in-zone contact rate is even worse than Carson Williams’. Passivity is a problem.
34. Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets
Why He’ll Succeed: McLean’s most-used pitch is perhaps the nastiest sweeper in the entire minors, averaging over 15 inches of horizontal movement with slight negative vert and monster spin. It’s a devastating pitch and will likely remain his bread and butter his entire career. But he’s also up to a six pitch guy, throwing distinct four-seams and sinkers in the mid-90s, as well as distinct curve, slider, and splitter shapes. For a guy who has only been a full-time pitcher for a year to have this varied repertoire and be excelling in the high-minors (2.17 ERA split between Double-A and Triple-A) is pretty unusual.
Why He Might Fail: While McLean’s release characteristics on his four-seam fastball are strong, the movement profile is the kind of dead-zone stinkiness that you don’t want to throw often, and he’s been throwing that very runny sinker just as much to compensate for it. In general he’s gotten less whiffs than you’d expect given the quality and breadth of his stuff.
49. Owen Caissie, OF, Chicago Cubs
Why He’ll Succeed: For the same reasons we’ve thought he’d succeed for about four prospect list cycles now. Caissie hits the ball very hard when he makes contact and continues to make enough contact that it all works out fine on the slash line. He makes plus swing decisions as well, so while he’s going to walk the usual tightrope of a Three-True-Outcomes-laden corner outfielder. And yes, he’s repeating Triple-A, but he’s only 22 years old and has already hit as many home runs this year as he did all of last season.
Why He Might Fail: Caissie has been vulnerable to breaking stuff both seasons in Iowa, and is about one additional grade of contact dip from being more of a Quad-A masher. He has hit more home runs this season, but he’s done it with a worse pulled fly ball rate.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... midseason/
Owen Caissie, OF
Triple-A Iowa
The Cubs have no shortage of candidates in a season in which Moises Ballesteros, Jefferson Rojas, Jonathan Long and others are healthy and performing. But it is Caissie who gets the nod because of his exemplary power production. The 23-year-old ranks second in the International League with 19 home runs and 41 extra-base hits, which is all part of a .278/.386/.575 batting line with 45 walks in 73 games.
Brady House, 3B
Triple-A Rochester
House cleaned up what he needed to clean up in his return to the International League. He performed better against velocity. He did better meeting the ball out front to realize his plus raw power in games. He solidified his defensive play at third base. The 22-year-old House hit .304/.353/.519 with 13 home runs in 65 games to earn his first big league callup in mid June.
Owen Caissie, OF
Triple-A Iowa
The Cubs have no shortage of candidates in a season in which Moises Ballesteros, Jefferson Rojas, Jonathan Long and others are healthy and performing. But it is Caissie who gets the nod because of his exemplary power production. The 23-year-old ranks second in the International League with 19 home runs and 41 extra-base hits, which is all part of a .278/.386/.575 batting line with 45 walks in 73 games.
Brady House, 3B
Triple-A Rochester
House cleaned up what he needed to clean up in his return to the International League. He performed better against velocity. He did better meeting the ball out front to realize his plus raw power in games. He solidified his defensive play at third base. The 22-year-old House hit .304/.353/.519 with 13 home runs in 65 games to earn his first big league callup in mid June.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/mlb-secon ... watch-2025
METS: RHP Nolan McLean (NYM No. 4 / MLB No. 73)
Unlike basically every other top Mets pitching prospect of recent seasons, McLean hasn’t slowed down at all since reaching Triple-A Syracuse. Mets officials still want him to improve against left-handed hitters but that’s more a quibble than anything at this point. McLean’s ability to spin the ball is elite, and his 2.57 ERA at Syracuse suggests he could play a key role in the upcoming pennant race.
NATIONALS: 3B Brady House (WSH No. 3 / MLB No. 79)
House, 22, debuted on June 16 and made 23 starts at third base in the first half. He entered the All-Star break with momentum. House crushed his first Major League home run – and then his second – in a multi-homer performance on Saturday at Milwaukee. In his last seven games, House slashed .357/.379/.643 with five RBIs.
PHILLIES: RHP Andrew Painter (PHI No. 1 / MLB No.
Painter is the organization’s most hyped pitching prospect since Cole Hamels. It’s a lot of pressure on him, but the Phillies think he can handle it. They said before the season started that they expected a July-ish promotion. If the promotion comes after the break or sometime in August, they need him to provide quality innings to possibly give them the chance to use a six-man rotation, keeping other arms fresher for an October run.
CUBS: OF Owen Caissie (CHC No. 1 / MLB No. 40)
Caissie – now Pipeline’s top Cubs prospect after Cade Horton and Matt Shaw graduated from the rankings – will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks. As the Cubs try to add at the Deadline, they will have to weigh whether dealing one of the hottest hitters in professional baseball as part of a trade. Caissie, 23, has a .961 OPS in 73 games overall for Triple-A Iowa but was scorching going into the break. In his nine games leading up to a Futures Game appearance, the lefty slugger hit .400 with eight homers, 10 RBIs and 10 walks with a 1.676 OPS. He is blocked at the MLB level right now in Chicago, but could be up in ‘26.
METS: RHP Nolan McLean (NYM No. 4 / MLB No. 73)
Unlike basically every other top Mets pitching prospect of recent seasons, McLean hasn’t slowed down at all since reaching Triple-A Syracuse. Mets officials still want him to improve against left-handed hitters but that’s more a quibble than anything at this point. McLean’s ability to spin the ball is elite, and his 2.57 ERA at Syracuse suggests he could play a key role in the upcoming pennant race.
NATIONALS: 3B Brady House (WSH No. 3 / MLB No. 79)
House, 22, debuted on June 16 and made 23 starts at third base in the first half. He entered the All-Star break with momentum. House crushed his first Major League home run – and then his second – in a multi-homer performance on Saturday at Milwaukee. In his last seven games, House slashed .357/.379/.643 with five RBIs.
PHILLIES: RHP Andrew Painter (PHI No. 1 / MLB No.
Painter is the organization’s most hyped pitching prospect since Cole Hamels. It’s a lot of pressure on him, but the Phillies think he can handle it. They said before the season started that they expected a July-ish promotion. If the promotion comes after the break or sometime in August, they need him to provide quality innings to possibly give them the chance to use a six-man rotation, keeping other arms fresher for an October run.
CUBS: OF Owen Caissie (CHC No. 1 / MLB No. 40)
Caissie – now Pipeline’s top Cubs prospect after Cade Horton and Matt Shaw graduated from the rankings – will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks. As the Cubs try to add at the Deadline, they will have to weigh whether dealing one of the hottest hitters in professional baseball as part of a trade. Caissie, 23, has a .961 OPS in 73 games overall for Triple-A Iowa but was scorching going into the break. In his nine games leading up to a Futures Game appearance, the lefty slugger hit .400 with eight homers, 10 RBIs and 10 walks with a 1.676 OPS. He is blocked at the MLB level right now in Chicago, but could be up in ‘26.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 39)
One of the Minors' hottest hitters since June, Caissie continued to sizzle with a career-high five hits. The 2020 second-rounder launched his 20th homer, doubled twice, drove two runs and crossed the plate two times to pace the Triple-A Iowa offense. Caissie, who is batting .339 with a 1.176 OPS since June 1, is slashing .282/.383/.581 with 45 extra-base hits in 77 games for the I-Cubs.
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Tacoma (SEA No. 9)
Already in the midst of a career-best season, Locklear has been one of the hottest hitters in the Minors this month. The 24-year-old added to his lofty numbers by driving in a career-high six runs during his second multihomer game of the year while racking up a four-hit night. Locklear, who scored four times, walked and stole a base, is batting .443 with seven long balls and 29 RBIs in 15 games in July.
Owen Caissie, OF, Iowa (CHC No. 1/MLB No. 39)
One of the Minors' hottest hitters since June, Caissie continued to sizzle with a career-high five hits. The 2020 second-rounder launched his 20th homer, doubled twice, drove two runs and crossed the plate two times to pace the Triple-A Iowa offense. Caissie, who is batting .339 with a 1.176 OPS since June 1, is slashing .282/.383/.581 with 45 extra-base hits in 77 games for the I-Cubs.
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Tacoma (SEA No. 9)
Already in the midst of a career-best season, Locklear has been one of the hottest hitters in the Minors this month. The 24-year-old added to his lofty numbers by driving in a career-high six runs during his second multihomer game of the year while racking up a four-hit night. Locklear, who scored four times, walked and stole a base, is batting .443 with seven long balls and 29 RBIs in 15 games in July.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BP's MLU: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... nd-loaded/
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Seattle Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma): 4-4, 4 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB, SB.
The brief stint Locklear spent with the big-league club last season was somewhat disappointing, with the former second-round selection posting a weak .156/.224/.311 slashline in 16 games. He returned to the PCL this season and has been making his case for a return trip to Seattle with his strong offensive showing at Tacoma. Neither Luke Raley or Donovan Solano have added much firepower to Seattle’s lineup this season, and the Mariners might just turn to Locklear to provide a spark in the second half.
Owen Caissie, OF, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 5-5, 2 R, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI.
There might be some prospect fatigue sneaking in on Caissie given the fact he’s been in prospect cycle conversations for 4 years and currently repeating Triple-A. However, he’s enjoying his finest season as a professional and is still relatively young, just turning 23 this month. There’s always going to be some swing-and-miss in Caissie’s game but he hits the ball extremely hard and if he can keep the contact rates at a reasonable level he’ll make it work at the big league level.
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Seattle Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma): 4-4, 4 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB, SB.
The brief stint Locklear spent with the big-league club last season was somewhat disappointing, with the former second-round selection posting a weak .156/.224/.311 slashline in 16 games. He returned to the PCL this season and has been making his case for a return trip to Seattle with his strong offensive showing at Tacoma. Neither Luke Raley or Donovan Solano have added much firepower to Seattle’s lineup this season, and the Mariners might just turn to Locklear to provide a spark in the second half.
Owen Caissie, OF, Chicago Cubs (Triple-A Iowa): 5-5, 2 R, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI.
There might be some prospect fatigue sneaking in on Caissie given the fact he’s been in prospect cycle conversations for 4 years and currently repeating Triple-A. However, he’s enjoying his finest season as a professional and is still relatively young, just turning 23 this month. There’s always going to be some swing-and-miss in Caissie’s game but he hits the ball extremely hard and if he can keep the contact rates at a reasonable level he’ll make it work at the big league level.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA's Hot Sheet: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-7-28-25/
11. Tai Peete, OF, Mariners
Team: High-A Everett (Northwest)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .333/.333/.750 (8-for-24), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3-for-5 SB
The Scoop: Peete is catching fire at exactly the right moment. With the trade deadline looming, the Mariners have made it clear they’re in win-now mode, recently swinging a deal to acquire Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks in exchange for top prospects Brandyn Garcia (No. 19) and Ashton Izzi. (No. 13) That move signals a serious push toward October—and Seattle may not be done yet. Reports indicate the Mariners are still actively exploring upgrades, with veteran third baseman Eugenio Suárez among their targets. As the front office looks to bolster the roster, Peete’s surge couldn’t be more timely.
15. Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Team: Triple-A Tacoma (Pacific Coast)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .500/.583/1.300 (10-for-20) 7 R, 1 2B, 5 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 BB, 4 SO, 2 SB, 2 CS
The Scoop: It was a great week and a rough week for Locklear. The trade for Josh Naylor is a clear reminder that even as Locklear hits .316/.401/.543 at Tacoma, the Mariners are not looking for him to fix the team’s woeful production at first base this year. But that’s outside of Locklear’s control. All he can do is hit, and he did exactly that this week. He’s now just one home run and two stolen bases from a 20-20 season.
20. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .391/.417/.652 (9-for-23), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Caissie is considered one of the top prospects potentially available this trade deadline. After an excellent week by the Canadian native, he sat on Sunday, fueling further trade speculation. Whether or not Caissie is a Cub this time next week remains to be seen, but his performance on the field this week was noteworthy. He kicked off the week with a 5-for-5 game against Louisville with two doubles and homer, collecting ten total bases. Caissie is a ready made MLB prospect with a wealth of high minors experience at just 23 years old.
11. Tai Peete, OF, Mariners
Team: High-A Everett (Northwest)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .333/.333/.750 (8-for-24), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 0 BB, 4 SO, 3-for-5 SB
The Scoop: Peete is catching fire at exactly the right moment. With the trade deadline looming, the Mariners have made it clear they’re in win-now mode, recently swinging a deal to acquire Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks in exchange for top prospects Brandyn Garcia (No. 19) and Ashton Izzi. (No. 13) That move signals a serious push toward October—and Seattle may not be done yet. Reports indicate the Mariners are still actively exploring upgrades, with veteran third baseman Eugenio Suárez among their targets. As the front office looks to bolster the roster, Peete’s surge couldn’t be more timely.
15. Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Team: Triple-A Tacoma (Pacific Coast)
Age: 24
Why He’s Here: .500/.583/1.300 (10-for-20) 7 R, 1 2B, 5 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 BB, 4 SO, 2 SB, 2 CS
The Scoop: It was a great week and a rough week for Locklear. The trade for Josh Naylor is a clear reminder that even as Locklear hits .316/.401/.543 at Tacoma, the Mariners are not looking for him to fix the team’s woeful production at first base this year. But that’s outside of Locklear’s control. All he can do is hit, and he did exactly that this week. He’s now just one home run and two stolen bases from a 20-20 season.
20. Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
Team: Triple-A Iowa (International)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: .391/.417/.652 (9-for-23), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0-for-0 SB
The Scoop: Caissie is considered one of the top prospects potentially available this trade deadline. After an excellent week by the Canadian native, he sat on Sunday, fueling further trade speculation. Whether or not Caissie is a Cub this time next week remains to be seen, but his performance on the field this week was noteworthy. He kicked off the week with a 5-for-5 game against Louisville with two doubles and homer, collecting ten total bases. Caissie is a ready made MLB prospect with a wealth of high minors experience at just 23 years old.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BP's MLU: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... n-waiting/
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Atlanta Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
Waldrep’s cold start to the season looks to be in the rear view, as he’s been sharp since the All-Star break, allowing just two earned runs in his 23 ⅔ July innings of work. The turnaround couldn’t have come at a better time for Atlanta, with their entire Opening Day starting staff currently out with injuries. The Braves are desperate for major-league arms and it’s almost assured that Waldrep will get the call very soon.
After some initial consideration for a call-up for last night’s game against the Royals, Waldrep instead wove the best outing of his season against Durham. It would be difficult to author a more aggravating season from Atlanta’s perspective, but Waldrep will likely get a chance to get his reps in at the big league level.
And from MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Gwinnett (ATL No. 4)
Waldrep closed out a terrific month with his best performance of the season. The 23-year-old struck out eight over a season-high seven scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. The outing put an exclamation point on July, during which Waldrep surrendered just two earned runs across four starts (23 innings) to bring his ERA down to 4.42, its lowest point since his first start of 2025.
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Atlanta Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
Waldrep’s cold start to the season looks to be in the rear view, as he’s been sharp since the All-Star break, allowing just two earned runs in his 23 ⅔ July innings of work. The turnaround couldn’t have come at a better time for Atlanta, with their entire Opening Day starting staff currently out with injuries. The Braves are desperate for major-league arms and it’s almost assured that Waldrep will get the call very soon.
After some initial consideration for a call-up for last night’s game against the Royals, Waldrep instead wove the best outing of his season against Durham. It would be difficult to author a more aggravating season from Atlanta’s perspective, but Waldrep will likely get a chance to get his reps in at the big league level.
And from MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Gwinnett (ATL No. 4)
Waldrep closed out a terrific month with his best performance of the season. The 23-year-old struck out eight over a season-high seven scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. The outing put an exclamation point on July, during which Waldrep surrendered just two earned runs across four starts (23 innings) to bring his ERA down to 4.42, its lowest point since his first start of 2025.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
Another from MLB Pipeline: https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/each-mlb- ... e-coverage
Mariners: Tyler Locklear, 1B (No. 9)
This guy needs another big league opportunity. Trade Deadline target, maybe? He certainly helped his profile over the past 30 days, hitting .407/.481/.779, with his 1.260 OPS trailing only Spencer Jones among ranked prospects. He has hit .316/.401/.542 with 19 homers for the year for Triple-A Tacoma and is surprisingly just the one home run and two steals away from a 20/20 season.
Cubs: Owen Caissie, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 36)
Caissie is a prime trade target and his .329/.388/.753 tear with eight homers in his last 17 Triple-A games only reinforces his value as one of the best power prospects in the Minors. Acquired from the Padres in the Yu Darvish trade in December 2020, he ranks second in the International League with 47 extra-base hits, third with 20 homers and sixth with a .562 slugging percentage and a .938 OPS.
Mariners: Tyler Locklear, 1B (No. 9)
This guy needs another big league opportunity. Trade Deadline target, maybe? He certainly helped his profile over the past 30 days, hitting .407/.481/.779, with his 1.260 OPS trailing only Spencer Jones among ranked prospects. He has hit .316/.401/.542 with 19 homers for the year for Triple-A Tacoma and is surprisingly just the one home run and two steals away from a 20/20 season.
Cubs: Owen Caissie, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 36)
Caissie is a prime trade target and his .329/.388/.753 tear with eight homers in his last 17 Triple-A games only reinforces his value as one of the best power prospects in the Minors. Acquired from the Padres in the Yu Darvish trade in December 2020, he ranks second in the International League with 47 extra-base hits, third with 20 homers and sixth with a .562 slugging percentage and a .938 OPS.
Re: Down on the Farm - 2025
From BA: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... a-in-july/
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Locklear reached the major leagues in his second full professional season, doing two stints with the Mariners before returning to Triple-A Tacoma. He’s not played in MLB this season but has enjoyed a strong performance with Tacoma, hitting .316/.401/.543 with 19 home runs over 97 games.
Despite previous MLB time, Locklear is still a prospect and rookie of the year-eligible. He could perhaps be of interest as a potential trade chip in a deal over the next few days before the deadline. He certainly showed well in his platform month if that is the case, hitting .425/.495/.825 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in July.
Locklear pairs plus power with fringy contact and above-average swing decisions. He’s aggressive in the zone, backed by a 72.4% zone-swing rate. His 107.2 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is in line with Bryce Harper and Christian Yelich’s mark in the major leagues this season. While his angles limit some of his home run upside, slight improvements in that area could unleash 30+ home run power one day.
Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
A constant topic of trade rumors, Caissie has blocked out the noise and been one of the best hitters in Triple-A during the summer months.
After hitting .316/.435/.605 with five home runs in June, Caissie hit .333/.395/.768 with eight home runs in July. He missed a few games to participate in the Futures Game in Atlanta and wound up doing all his July damage in just 16 games. Caissie is currently tied for second in the International League with 20 home runs, while ranking fourth in OPS, third in isolated slugging and sixth in wRC+. After 208 games at Triple-A, Caissie is banging on the door of the majors with a battering ram.
Caissie shows a well-rounded power hitter profile with plus game power, a discerning eye at the plate and enough contact to consistently get to his power. He has just fringe-average bat-to-ball metrics with a 30% whiff rate and a 82.7% zone-contact, but he mitigates much of his swing-and-miss with very strong swing decisions. He has a lower chase rate (24.6%) with an average swing rate (45.5%) and an aggressive approach in zone (68.6% z-swing).
Exit velocity data is the real selling point in Caissie’s profile, as well as his ability to hit the ball at good angles. His 90th percentile EV of 107.6 mph is in the neighborhood of Hunter Goodman and Mike Trout. His 18.3% barrel rate is in the 96th percentile, and he shows some ability to pull the ball with a 17.1% pull air rate.
Caissie’s data continues to support his production, as he’s married good approach, enough contact with power and angles.
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Locklear reached the major leagues in his second full professional season, doing two stints with the Mariners before returning to Triple-A Tacoma. He’s not played in MLB this season but has enjoyed a strong performance with Tacoma, hitting .316/.401/.543 with 19 home runs over 97 games.
Despite previous MLB time, Locklear is still a prospect and rookie of the year-eligible. He could perhaps be of interest as a potential trade chip in a deal over the next few days before the deadline. He certainly showed well in his platform month if that is the case, hitting .425/.495/.825 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in July.
Locklear pairs plus power with fringy contact and above-average swing decisions. He’s aggressive in the zone, backed by a 72.4% zone-swing rate. His 107.2 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is in line with Bryce Harper and Christian Yelich’s mark in the major leagues this season. While his angles limit some of his home run upside, slight improvements in that area could unleash 30+ home run power one day.
Owen Caissie, OF, Cubs
A constant topic of trade rumors, Caissie has blocked out the noise and been one of the best hitters in Triple-A during the summer months.
After hitting .316/.435/.605 with five home runs in June, Caissie hit .333/.395/.768 with eight home runs in July. He missed a few games to participate in the Futures Game in Atlanta and wound up doing all his July damage in just 16 games. Caissie is currently tied for second in the International League with 20 home runs, while ranking fourth in OPS, third in isolated slugging and sixth in wRC+. After 208 games at Triple-A, Caissie is banging on the door of the majors with a battering ram.
Caissie shows a well-rounded power hitter profile with plus game power, a discerning eye at the plate and enough contact to consistently get to his power. He has just fringe-average bat-to-ball metrics with a 30% whiff rate and a 82.7% zone-contact, but he mitigates much of his swing-and-miss with very strong swing decisions. He has a lower chase rate (24.6%) with an average swing rate (45.5%) and an aggressive approach in zone (68.6% z-swing).
Exit velocity data is the real selling point in Caissie’s profile, as well as his ability to hit the ball at good angles. His 90th percentile EV of 107.6 mph is in the neighborhood of Hunter Goodman and Mike Trout. His 18.3% barrel rate is in the 96th percentile, and he shows some ability to pull the ball with a 17.1% pull air rate.
Caissie’s data continues to support his production, as he’s married good approach, enough contact with power and angles.
