IBC

Grant Taylor tossed two scoreless innings and picked up the save against the Giants on Saturday.

Taylor picked up his first save last Sunday and the White Sox haven’t officially handed him the closer’s job quite yet. Maybe his outing on Saturday will change that as Taylor threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts to preserve a 1-0 victory for the White Sox. Taylor is worth an add for any team that needs saves right now because he certainly has the talent to run with the job.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/grant-taylor/271790

16. Eli Serrano III, LF

Drafted: 4th Round, 2024 from NC State (NYM)
Age 22.2 Height 6′ 5″ Weight 201 Bat / Thr L / L FV 40+

Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Hit Raw Power Game Power Run Fielding Throw
35/55 40/50 40/45 50/50 30/40 40

Serrano’s parents were athletes at Stetson and his dad was the Giants’ second rounder in 1998. This was a draft-eligible sophomore who, at 6-foot-5, struck out in just 12.8% of his plate appearances in his draft spring and posted a 95% in-zone contact rate. He’s responded well to a fairly aggressive High-A assignment to start 2025 and has a 131 wRC+ as of list publication. Serrano’s current swing lacks impact, but he’s barely 22 and is a wispy 6-foot-5 guy who has room for a lot of strength. The way he bends at the waist to alter the plane of his swing is odd but exciting, and it helps him cover a ton of the zone. He’s vulnerable to back foot breaking stuff but is otherwise a fairly complete hitter whose path to impact is via strength gains.

Serrano’s defensive fit isn’t clear. He played first base as a freshman and center field as a sophomore. His look in center, or any outfield position for that matter, is one of discomfort; he turns routine fly balls into an adventure. It’s worth trying to force things in the outfield for a while longer because Serrano is so inexperienced out there, but a return to first base might be his eventual outcome. If Serrano gets strong enough, it won’t matter where he plays.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/new-york-me ... prospects/

Cam Schlittler has emerged as the top pitching prospect in the New York Yankees organization. His ability to overpower hitters is a big reason why. In four starts since being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 3, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound right-hander has logged a 1.69 ERA and a 40.2% strikeout rate over 21-and-a-third innings. Counting his 53 frames at Double-A Somerset, Schlittler has a 2.18 ERA and a 33.0% strikeout rate on the season.

The 2022 seventh-rounder out of Northeastern University is averaging 96.5 mph with his heater, but more than velocity plays into the offering’s effectiveness. As Eric Longenhagen wrote back in January, Schlittler’s “size and arm angle create downhill plane on his mid-90s fastball akin to a runaway truck ramp, while the backspinning nature of the pitch also creates riding life.”

I asked the 24-year-old Walpole, Massachusetts native about the characteristics our lead prospect analyst described in his report.

“Arm slot-wise it’s nothing crazy,” Schlittler said in our spring training conversation. “I’m more of a high-three-quarters kind of guy, but what I didn’t realize until looking at video a couple months ago is that I have really quick arm speed. My mechanics are kind of slow, and then my arm path is really fast, so the ball kind of shoots out a little bit. With my height, release point— I get good extension — and how fast my arm is moving, the ball gets on guys quicker than they might expect.”

Schlittler feels that mechanical changes he began making in 2023, and continued into last season, not only allow him to get down the mound better, but also give his fastball more explosiveness. Calling the movement profile “ride-cut” — cut-ride is the more commonly-used term — he said that his high-octane heater “can kind of stay up, and kind of keep going up.”

The horizontal is to his liking.

“Ride is great — definitely with my slot — but I think a lot of people undervalue ride-cut,” the towering righty told me. “Some people see cut and want to get rid of it, whereas I think the combination of the two is part of why my fastball is so effective. And I’ve been able to add some vert, too. I adjusted my grip slightly — I moved it over slightly to the right, just a slight offset with the seam-orientation — and that added a little vert. But I love the cut-ride. They love the cut-ride. That’s all that really matters.”

Schlittler threw six shutout innings against the Worcester Red Sox in his last start, allowing just two hits and one walk, with nine strikeouts. The Baseball America Top 100 prospect K’d Kristian Campbell three times.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-note ... -rotation/

12. Kyle Karros, 3B, Rockies

Team: Double-A Hartford (Rockies)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: .348/.423/.783 (8-for-23), 6 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BB, 5 SO

The Scoop: When he’s been healthy, Karros has been a steady force in the middle of the Hartford lineup. The UCLA alum and son of former big leaguer Eric Karros was identified by scouts during spring training as an up-arrow prospect, and those predictions are looking like bull’s-eyes. Karros missed a month on the injured list but has shown throughout June that the time away didn’t leave any rust. Karros’ excellent week put a capper on an outstanding month that saw him hit .329/.413/.519 with a pair of home runs with equal success against lefties and righties. (JN)

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... t-6-30-25/

Kyle Karros, 3B, Colorado Rockies, 22, AA

Karros has hit and hit some more this year. This weekend saw Karros produce three multi-hit games, which included two home runs and three doubles. He is now up to 17 doubles, a triple, and four home runs on the year with a .335/.437/.521 slash line.

He is one of the best gloves at the hot corner of any prospect, and he has strong contact skills. His 6’5”/220 frame gives off the vibe that he should have big power, and even though he is not showing it in the home run department, Karros does have improving exit velocities that sit around MLB average.

The contact is impressive, and Karros has some of the more impressive launch angles among Minor League hitters, creating barrels consistently. I think Karros is one of the more underrated prospects in the Minors and one that could wind up being a very good Major Leaguer.

https://www.thedynastydugout.com/p/mino ... es-week-13

Eduardo Beltre, OF, Twins:

This season has been a struggle for Beltre. His batting average has been above .200 for just two days of the Florida Complex League season, and he's had to work hard to get his OPS above .600.

But as the season winds down, Beltre is starting to heat up. He went 2-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base and two runs scored on Monday. It's his second home run of the month and his fourth multi-hit game. He's hitting .229/.316/.458 in June, which has raised his overall slash line to .179/.302/.349. Beltre hit .326/.453/.618 last season in the Dominican Summer League.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?pli=1 ... hFrHqmqJNq [BA]

Eduardo Beltre, OF, Minnesota Twins, 18, CPX

Few entered the complex with more hype, and part of that is on me. Beltre looked incredible this spring in several looks, following a very impressive DSL, where the underlying data was impressive.

Few also stumbled out of the gate harder, especially considering Beltre homered in his first game at the complex. In his first 15 games, Beltre struck out in 30 percent of plate appearances and was slashing a smooth .085/.241/.213. To say he has turned it around would be an understatement.

Since late May, in his last 18 games, Beltre has 15 hits, including six doubles and two home runs, one of which was hit yesterday. He has struck out just 12 times, good for a 16.9 percent mark, and has even stolen eight bases.

Beltre is on the shorter side, listed as 5’11”, but considering he is still young, the frame is already strong with room to grow. With his hands high and his front foot slightly open, Beltre uses a leg kick to get back square and coil his body. He drops his back shoulder and creates natural loft in his swing with good bat speed.

https://www.thedynastydugout.com/p/comp ... 7ce229e6a6

Grant Taylor ripped off a couple of 96 mph cutters during his two-inning save on Saturday, which is such an exciting concept that it can easily distract from the grunt work for which he's using them.

"We're using it more as a way to get back into counts and offset some things, but not try to put away guys too much with the cutter; versus righties it's going to be more contact than swing-and-miss," Katz said. "He's had a ton of success with it, but hitters up here will start to run it if he tries to live off the cutter. When they're gearing up to a fastball and it cuts back into their bat path, especially when he's up in the zone. That's kind of what happened with [Marcus] Semien in Texas."

Despite the wide, starter-like arsenal that Taylor has been so fond of developing, there's been a clear shift toward leaning on his oft-triple-digit fastball since moving to the major league bullpen, with an emphasis on locating it upstairs for whiffs (he's thrown it 58 percent of the time through his 10 big league innings). If the fastball is now the headliner and the cutter is a strike-grabber, Katz and the Sox are banking on Taylor's curveball becoming the putaway breaking ball that works to hitters of either hand.

Taylor throwing a kick change is a cool concept. In practice, it's currently shelved.

"The curveball is one of the best in baseball for movement, velocity, all of the above," Katz said. "We haven't really talked about the changeup right now because there is such a plethora of good options."

Not to be any more patronizing than usual, but it sounds as if the best way to discern Taylor's future usage is to look at the opposing lineup. The Sox don't generate enough save opportunities for "closer" to be Taylor's role, even if this coaching staff believed in such rigid slotting for their bullpen.

But unless there's a left-on-left matchup that takes precedence, Taylor will likely be facing the heart of the opposing batting order at the latest point in the game they're set to come up. If it seems like he's entering the game for the bottom of the order, it's probably because he's lined up for two innings of work. If someone else is facing the heart of the opposing order late with a lead, it probably means Taylor isn't available. We wondered how long it would take for him to assume the role of the top leverage arm in the bullpen, and the answer appears to be 10 innings.

Honestly, maybe it took less.

https://soxmachine.com/2025/07/white-so ... ral_thread

2. Chase Meidroth, SS, White Sox (AL)

Age: 23
Preseason: NR
Stats in 250 PA: .265/.352/.315 (95 wRC+), 2 HR, 10 SB

Meidroth does a half-dozen things well, but none of those things are “hit for power” or “run fast.” Still, he looks like a fine sum-of-his-parts middle infielder who makes contact, stays within the strike zone, draws walks and fields shortstop and second base cleanly.

14. Shane Smith, RHP, White Sox (AL)

Age: 25
Preseason: NR
Stats in 74.2 IP: 3.38 ERA (3.78 FIP), 68 SO, 32 BB, 5 HR

The White Sox astutely made Smith the top pick in Rule 5 draft last December after he had pitched effectively at Double-A for the Brewers. He mastered a changeup this season that has expanded his repertoire to make him a strong No. 4 starter and maybe a future No. 3.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... midseason/

Yankees Cam Schlittler looked great in his MLB debut (5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K). He’s 6’6” with a 6.4’ release height, higher than 93% of pitchers in MLB. His fastball sat 98 mph after holding 97 mph at Triple-A. He averaged 95 mph at Double-A this season, 93.6 mph last season, and 90 mph in 2023, with a wildly different shape. He might be one of the more dramatic two-year improvements I’ve ever seen—hat tip to the Yankees’ pitching development. Schlittler’s money pitch is his slider. It averaged 92 mph with 5” vertical break and 9” glove-side movement. It’s different than his sweeper, which he’s backed off considerably after throwing it ~18% earlier in the season. There’s only one other pitch this season that I can find sitting >91 mph with >2” vertical break and >5” glove-side movement — Ben Casparius’ cutter. Schlittler’s shape is coming from a release point that’s ~4” higher than the Dodgers’ righty, making it that much more unique.

Schlittler is one of the bigger “how did we miss him” pitching prospects this season. I wrote about the big righty a week ago in my minor league pitcher recap (link). I’m somewhat stunned that he wasn’t universally added to midseason top 100 updates across the industry (Baseball America was the highest ranker at 89). This is exactly what a top 10-15 pitching prospect in baseball looks like from a specs, trajectory, and performance standpoint. I’m curious to see how his four-seamer plays to left-handed hitters with his aggressive zone rate. That’s the central thing to monitor.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-167966988

Colt Emerson, SS/3B, Everett (SEA No. 1/MLB No. 18)

Emerson has been one of the Minors' best hitters since the beginning of June, which continued with a three-hit night for High-A Everett. The 19-year-old hammered his eighth homer and fell a triple shy of the cycle to lift his slash line for the season to .271/.369/.429 in 72 games. Emerson has been even better since June 1, batting .317 with a .943 OPS in 27 games.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/top-prosp ... e-coverage

17. Devin Fitz-Gerald, 2B, Rangers

Fitz-Gerald has always been more advanced than the average prep prospect, and those traits showed early and often in the ACL before he was bumped to Low-A Hickory. The infielder showed off plenty of contact skills as well as raw power scouts believe is currently above-average.

Fitz-Gerald is not likely a shortstop in the long run, though he might be able to hack it at the position on a limited basis. Otherwise, he fits well at second or third base, though his offensive game might lend itself more toward the keystone than the hot corner. He’s a fringe-average runner with the tools and makeup that portend a long career in the big leagues.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2025/

25. Eduardo Beltre, OF, Twins

There’s zero doubting Beltre’s power. His raw juice rivals nearly anybody in the FCL, and he has the makings of a power-over-hit player at the highest level. Most of his thump is to the pull side, and he opens his hips too early to reliably drive balls the opposite way. He’s not the twitchiest athlete, but his hands are quick enough ,and he has enough bat speed to catch up to premium velocity.

Beltre is a below-average runner but has the arm strength to fit in either corner outfield spot with ease. To reach his ceiling, he’ll need to make a ton more contact—especially on pitches in the heart of the zone—in order to access the power that will be his calling card.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2025/

14. Colt Emerson, IF, Seattle Mariners

Why He’ll Succeed: Emerson has a lot of the traits you’ve already read about in previous prospects. His contact rate this year is identical to Kevin McGonigle’s. He’s 19 at High-A, which is a good age-relative. He makes good swing decisions and sometimes hits the ball decently hard…

Why He Might Fail: …but he hits it on the ground quite a lot, which has led to underwhelming actual game power outputs. Given that he lacks Jenkins’ obvious physical projectability, he might just be what he is: a likely first division infield regular. Which is very good, of course.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... season-50/

52. Jacob Reimer, 3B, New York Mets

Why He’ll Succeed: Reimer missed a large chunk of 2024 due to injury and didn’t look particularly noteworthy while making up reps in the AFL. A setup tweak has unlocked a lot more power for the former fourth-rounder, though, and he earned a promotion to Double-A a few weeks ago after battering balls all over the Coney Island beach. He maintained his previously good contact rate as well, and even looked a bit better at the hot corner. He’s been a real offensive breakout in a Mets system that is finally starting to see more widespread hitting gains among their prospects.

Why He Might Fail: Reimer’s brief stay at Binghamton has flashed some warning signs. He’s been more passive at the plate, with a lot more swing and miss, although he’s still doing damage when he makes contact. Despite his improvements at third, I think he’s likely ticketed for a corner outfield spot long term, and that’s if things break moderately well. He might be a 6-foot first baseman, and while he is much better at the pulling and lifting now, his power is only plus, not plus-plus or better, so he will need to keep the bat on the ball at a better than 70% clip going forward.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -next-ten/

Denzel Clarke, OF, Athletics –

I like betting on elite defenders, and Clarke might already be the best defensive outfielder in baseball – according to BaseballSavant.com's Fielding Run Value metric, he's been the third-best center fielder in baseball this season, saving 11 runs in just 360 innings, compared to Pete Crow-Armstrong's 16 runs saved in 847 innings. That's going to keep Clarke on the field, and while his current 40.3% strikeout rate is prohibitive, there are definitely some skills to work with at the plate, starting with his elite speed and 89th percentile max exit velocity. And for as much as he strikes out, Clarke doesn't chase much more than the league average, while his zone contact rate of 77.5% is below average, but not alarmingly so. Plus power and elite speed are a good toolset to build from. Let's see if Clarke can figure out how to put them into action a bit more often.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseb ... D=16083821

YANKEES: RHP Cam Schlittler (NYY No. 10)

Schlittler provided a glimpse of his promise on July 9, stepping into Clarke Schmidt’s rotation spot and striking out seven batters over 5 1/3 innings in a victory over the Mariners. He gave up a couple of homers, but also clocked the highest velocity (100 mph) thrown by a Yankee this season. He’ll have an opportunity to stick around.

TIGERS: RHP Troy Melton (DET No. 10)

The Tigers’ aggressive promotion of Jackson Jobe down the stretch last year, from Triple-A Toledo in September to Detroit’s bullpen in the final week and into the postseason, shows they’re not afraid to give prospects a chance. That should create a lot of intrigue around Melton amidst a run of high-strikeout starts since joining Toledo in June. He has a big arm and wipeout stuff that could be useful in a bullpen that needs more strikeouts.

ROCKIES: 3B Kyle Karros (COL No. 18)

Should the Rockies deal their longest-tenured position player, third baseman Ryan McMahon, they will have to determine if Karros – showing advanced savvy at Double-A Hartford – is ready. Karros has shown the potential for solid at-bats, good defense and effective baserunning. Karros tops the list of prospects who have not debuted, but RHP Chase Dollander and OF Zac Veen have both been sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque and will have a chance to show their wares again.

posting.php?mode=reply&t=14533

Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners:

After a slow start to the season, Emerson has been on fire. He entered last night hitting .313/.427/.535 since June 1, then went 2-for-3 with his 11th homer of the season. Emerson is one of the best pure hitting prospects in the game. How much power he grows into will be the difference between an above-average regular and an all-star.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... of-season/

4. Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners

Age: 20
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 195

Bats: L, Throws: R
Preseason 2025 Rank: 5

Emerson started the year with plenty of hard contact without much to show for it in the box scores, but the 2023 first-rounder – who just turned 20 over this past weekend – has been on a tear lately, with a .303/.411/.529 line and almost as many walks (22) as strikeouts (24) from June 1 through this past Sunday. He’s made some very small adjustments, but with big results, going from a 59 percent groundball rate through the end of May to a 40 percent one since then, so the hard contact is turning into more extra-base hits. He’s going to stick at shortstop, which wasn’t a sure thing at all when he was drafted, with a plus hit tool and potentially above-average power.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/650295 ... mcgonigle/

Rays: Dominic Keegan, C (No. 11)

Tampa Bay has made some moves involving its catching depth lately, moving Danny Jansen to Milwaukee and acquiring Nick Fortes from Miami, and Keegan is trying his best to elbow his way into the conversation. The former Vanderbilt backstop has hit .286/.349/.518 with three homers over 16 games for Triple-A Durham in July, backing up the numbers with a 92 mph average exit velocity. He missed much of April and May with an elbow issue and opposing runners have an 86 percent success rate on stolen bases against him since his return, so it’ll be the bat that pushes him toward Tampa ahead of his Rule 5 eligibility this offseason.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/each-mlb- ... e-coverage

In return for Kittredge, the Orioles are reportedly receiving 17-year-old shortstop prospect Wilfri De La Cruz. The Cubs signed De La Cruz out of the Dominican for a $2.3 million bonus earlier this year. In his first 27 pro games, he’s slashing .262/.442/.417 with more walks (26) than strikeouts (24) in the Dominican Summer League, with no home runs yet. Baseball America ranks De La Cruz the Cubs’ #20 prospect and MLB Pipeline rates him 17th.

De La Cruz’s Pipeline profile describes his “disciplined approach” at the plate and ability to make line-drive contact, along with “promising bat speed and loft” that could lead to more power in the future. He’s also expected to stick at shortstop due to his “twitchy athleticism, smooth actions, soft hands and solid arm strength.”

https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/31/24 ... ioles-cubs

The Orioles are acquiring Cubs infielder Wilfri De La Cruz in exchange for reliever Andrew Kittredge, according to Francys Romero. De La Cruz, 17, landed the biggest bonus ($2.3 million) of any player in Chicago’s 2024-25 international signing class and ranked No. 20 in their system. He hit .262/.442/.417 across 27 games in the Dominican Summer League. He’s a wiry switch-hitter with broad shoulders and power upside, although he’ll need to manage his swing-and-miss because of his longer levers. Evaluators expect him to land somewhere on the left side of the infield. You can read a full report on De La Cruz in Ben Badler’s international review here.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... dge-trade/

Dominican shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz signed for $2.3 million, the biggest bonus for the Cubs this year and the No. 8 bonus overall for a Latin American player signed in 2025. De La Cruz is a 17-year-old switch-hitter who is a wiry 6-foot-3, 175 pounds with broad shoulders and significant space left to fill out. His offensive upside is what stands out the most.

Scouts highest on De La Cruz liked his strike-zone judgment and power potential. He’s a long-levered hitter whose swing can get big from the right side, so some scouts thought his power would come with swing-and-miss, but it’s a more advanced swing lefthanded with a chance to grow into plus power.

De La Cruz is an above-average runner with a plus arm and should be able to play somewhere on the left side of the infield. His bat is ahead of his defense, with range and glove work that could eventually shift him over to third base as he gets closer to the majors.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... gs-review/

Will Watson, RHP, New York Mets (High-A Brooklyn): 5 ⅓ IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 5 K, 4 BB.

A day after the Mets traded a pair of his pitching borough mates in Nate Dohm and Frank Ellissalt, Watson started a game in which he exhibited both the traits that could earn him a big-league rotation spot one day (strong mid-90s heat and high-end secondaries) and also the traits that might hold him back (control and command inconsistencies). I 10-packed him last week.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ta-kaelen/

Jesus Rodriguez was traded from the Yankees to the Giants on Thursday along with Parks Harber and Trystan Vrieling in exchange for Camilo Doval, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Rodriguez is essentially a big-league ready catching option, albeit one with limited power and a slight frame. The 5-foot-10 Rodriguez is slashing .317/.409/.430 with five home runs, 16 steals, a 12.7 percent walk rate and a 15.2 percent strikeout rate in 78 games at Triple-A. His speed and hit tool could make him useful in deeper leagues, especially if he finds his way into a large role, although that doesn't seem likely barring a Patrick Bailey injury. Rodriguez is also capable of playing third base and has started 19 games there this year at Triple-A.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseb ... francisco/

6. Samuel Aldegheri, LHP, Angels

Team: Double-A Rocket City (Southern)
Age: 23
Why He’s Here: 0-1, 2.08, 13 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: Aldegheri has seen big league time in each of the past two seasons, but he’s looked more at home while getting more seasoning in Double-A. All of his minor league work this year has come in the Southern League, where he’s struggled with command and control. This past week offered a glimpse of him turning things in the right direction. In two starts against Birmingham, the lefthander issued just one walk in 13 innings and put together just the second and third outings of his season with one or fewer free passes. His Sunday start was also his second of the year that saw him complete seven innings. (JN)

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... et-8-4-25/

What a ride it’s been for Colson Montgomery.

Montgomery (MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 White Sox prospect, No. 83 overall) homered yet again and drove in four runs in Sunday’s 8-5 loss against the Angels at Angel Stadium. After going homerless in his first 14 MLB games, Montgomery has taken the league by storm since the All-Star break, homering seven times in his past 11 games dating back to July 22.

Those seven home runs are tied for the MLB lead since the second half began and the most among all rookies, even ahead of the six homers by A’s star rookie Nick Kurtz. Montgomery continued his damage in the third inning with an RBI single, giving him 21 RBIs since the All-Star break, the most in the Majors.

“He’s been outstanding,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “He continues to take really good swings early in the count when he can do damage and later in the count, he’s still putting good swings on pitches. Colson is in a really good spot defensively, as well.”

Not coincidentally, this stretch began the day that Montgomery started using a torpedo bat against the Rays on July 22, when he crushed the first homer of his career. The White Sox rookie recently said that he’ll switch bats when he or the coaching staff feels a change is needed, but it’s impossible to not connect the dots.

“It was just a talk with all of our guys, with all of our hitting guys,” Montgomery said of the switch earlier this week. “We have a whole bunch of research where I was hitting the ball off the bat, and they just told me to try it.”

It truly has been a rollercoaster of a ride for Montgomery this season. After posting a .149/.223/.255 slash line over his first 23 games for Triple-A Charlotte to begin the season, Chicago sent Montgomery to Arizona in late April for a reset and to work on his offensive approach at the White Sox Camelback Ranch Complex.

After spending roughly two weeks in Arizona and playing in complex games, Montgomery returned to Charlotte on May 13. The reset paid major dividends. Upon returning from Arizona, Montgomery had a .270/.353/.574 slash line and eight home runs across 139 plate appearances before the White Sox called him up on July 4.

Montgomery, the No. 22 overall pick by the White Sox in the 2021 Draft, held his own his first few weeks in the Majors, posting a .688 OPS in 14 games. Since July 22, though, we’ve seen why Montgomery has been a highly-touted prospect, and that potential stardom has been on full display during this 11-game stretch where he’s gone yard seven times.

The last Sox rookie to hit that many home runs in a stretch like this was Luis Robert Jr., when he hit seven home runs in a 13-games stretch from Aug. 15-31, 2020.

“With his experience in the Minor Leagues, some of the struggles -- he obviously went to Arizona to work some stuff out -- and the adversity has been to his benefit since he’s come up,” Venable said. “You know you’re going to have challenges up here and adversity. I think his experience puts him in a good spot to deal with that stuff.”

Unsurprisingly, Montgomery’s torrid stretch has coincided with Chicago performing as one of the best teams in baseball. Unfortunately, the White Sox could not hold on to a 5-0 lead that they carried into the sixth inning on Sunday. After the Angels scored three runs in the sixth inning, they tied it in the seventh on a two-run double from Zach Neto.

Two innings later, Taylor Ward crushed a walk-off three-run homer, pulling off an unlikely comeback and preventing the White Sox from sweeping the three-game set in Anaheim.

“It was kind of a tale of two games. The first five innings, the offense did a great job and took quality at-bats. Big three-run home run from Colson. [Sean] Burke was great,” Venable said. “After that, I thought we kind of stalled out offensively and they had the momentum and we didn’t seem to be able to get any outs.”

Despite the sour ending in Anaheim, the White Sox still took the series and have won four of their five series since the All-Star break. Chicago’s 10-5 record is the third-best second-half record in baseball behind the 11-4 Brewers and Marlins.

“It was a good series. I hope we get out of here feeling good about the fact that we played a good series against a good team,” Venable said.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/colson-mo ... e-coverage

Kyle Karros has quietly emerged as one of the most promising prospects in the Colorado Rockies system. Since being drafted in the fifth round two years ago out of UCLA, the 23-year-old third baseman has slashed .303/.393/.455 with a 134 wRC+ over 1,000 plate appearances. His numbers this season are in that same ballpark. Over 305 plate appearances, the bulk of them with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats — he was promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on July 18 — Karros is slashing .297/.398/.463 with a 142 wRC+.

As our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen wrote back in January, the son of former Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Eric Karros “needs to develop power.” The progeny’s right-handed stroke produced 15 home runs a year ago, and this season he has left the yard six times. Given his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame, there is a pretty good chance that he will tap into his power with more experience. Longenhagen recently updated Karros to a 40 FV prospect while ranking him 14th in the Rockies system.

On the eve of his becoming an Isotope, Karros discussed his approach to hitting, as well as his baseball relationship with his father.

———

David Laurila: How would you define yourself as a hitter?

Kyle Karros: “I’ve really bought into being a complete hitter first, and allowing power to just come naturally. I’ve kind of always put an emphasis on not chasing homers. Doubles are my game. I also feel like you grow into home runs. You learn what counts you can take advantage of. You get more efficient with your swing. But right now — this year, especially — I’ve bought into really controlling the zone. I think what allows me to do that is having a right-center type of approach. That allows me to let the ball travel a little deeper. If I’m on a fastball to right-center, that puts me on offspeed where I’m able to pull and elevate.”

Laurila: Is letting the ball travel more new to this year?

Karros: “Yeah, I think so. I mean, I have trouble taking coaching advice when I haven’t really felt it for myself. This year, I’ve really felt it. Some of it is having the experience from last year, from my first full [professional] season. I’m able to really feel my approach, and really buy into it, rather than just having my dad offering me hitting stuff, or [Rockies hitting coach] Nic Wilson offering me hitting stuff. A new approach that is brought to you by a hitting coach isn’t going to have the same power on you. You’re not going to go up there with the same conviction unless you have felt it for yourself and made it your own. That’s when it becomes most powerful.”

Laurila: Has your father been more hands-off or more hands-on over the years?

Karros: “He’s been very hands-on. Last season, we actually got into it pretty good. I was like, ‘At this point, I need you to just be my dad. I don’t need you to be my hitting coach.’ We get into it over hitting, and it just wasn’t worth having that getting in the way of our relationship, a father and a son. So he’s taken a backseat more recently and kind of let me do my thing. I have enough resources here with the Rockies to where I get enough hitting stuff.

“I mean, I will go to him, because he loves talking about baseball. I’ll go to him every once in a while and give him his opportunity to chime in, get his two cents in. But as far as the everyday, like, ‘Hey, what were you looking for in this at-bat?’ — that’s kind of taken a backseat. Now it’s more of him just being my dad, which I’ve loved.”

Laurila: I remember your father having some big home run seasons. Was he nudging you toward more pull-side power?

Karros: “No. He’s actually always been huge on doubles. I mean, if you look at his minor league numbers, there were a lot of them. He’ll tell me the story of when he got to the big leagues. Tommy Lasorda was his manager. Tommy started pressing him to hit more homers, and those came after a couple years in the big leagues. But as far as getting there with an approach that works, it was never about chasing homers. If you start chasing homers in the minor leagues, and you lose your hit tool, you’re going to be nothing in the big leagues.

“I think the [organization] trusts that if my hitting ability is there, with time, age, and experience, the homers will come. I fully believe in that as well. Again, I think you’re going about it backwards if you’re hitting homers before you are complete hitter.”

Laurila: What type of adjustments have you made besides letting the ball travel more? For instance, would I see a different hitter if I looked at film of you when you were drafted?

Karros: “I think you would. The swing oftentimes stays the same — it’s what got you here and kind of the habit you’ve built — but my setup and approach have changed a ton. So, while you might be able to see that as far as what my stance looks like, my bat path is pretty similar. The way I’m firing at a baseball is probably pretty similar.”

Laurila: You’re considered a very good defensive third baseman…

Karros: “That’s been a priority of mine. At UCLA, I made the lineup as a freshman because of my defense. Ever since then, I’ve put a premium on defense, realizing just how important it is. You have to do more than just hit.”

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/a-conversat ... le-karros/

Nothing in baseball evolves more rapidly from year to year than starting pitchers.

Pitchers can alter their arsenals and usage drastically from one season to the next. So it’s important to continually evaluate and catalog these changes. Each year, a group of pitchers who begin the season outside the Top 100 establish themselves as potential midrotation starters, if not better, by showcasing a better blend of stuff, strike-throwing and durability. Often this mix of traits will allow them to find future success as big league starters one day.

Below, here are 10 pitching prospects who have raised their stock the most in 2025.

Troy Melton, RHP, Tigers

After making two starts for the Tigers prior to the trade deadline, Melton has shifted into a relief role for now. The 2022 fourth-rounder out of San Diego State pitched his way onto the Tigers roster with a tremendous 2025 campaign between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

Across 75.1 innings, Melton posted a 2.99 ERA, 2.51 FIP and 2.63 xFIP, while striking out 32.4% of batters and walking just 6.4%. His 26% strikeout-minus-walk rate ranks fifth among qualified minor league starters, as he’s shown the ability to attack the strike zone and generate whiffs while doing it.

Melton has also driven a heavy rate of grounders with his sinker, splitter and slider. He mixes six pitches and all of them graded out as above-average to plus on Fangraphs Stuff+ model during his limited MLB experience. Melton could play a key role for the Tigers down the stretch and could be a very serious candidate for the rotation out of spring in 2026.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... 6d70852ea9

(25) Will Watson, SP, Mets

Watson is seen as a potential starter down the line. That could be a while, given he’s still just in High-A, but he has a full repertoire consisting of three different fastballs, a slider, and a changeup. He has plenty to work on but that’s a really big building block for a young pitcher to have.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... 5-week-19/

18. Devin Fitz-Gerald, 2B, Rangers

Fitz-Gerald has always been more advanced than the average prep prospect, and those traits showed early and often in the ACL before he was bumped to Low-A Hickory. The infielder showed off plenty of contact skills as well as raw power scouts believe is currently above-average.

Fitz-Gerald is not likely a shortstop in the long run, though he might be able to hack it at the position on a limited basis. Otherwise, he fits well at second or third base, though his offensive game might lend itself more toward the keystone than the hot corner. He’s a fringe-average runner with the tools and makeup that portend a long career in the big leagues.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2025/

25. Eduardo Beltre, OF, Twins

There’s zero doubting Beltre’s power. His raw juice rivals nearly anybody in the FCL, and he has the makings of a power-over-hit player at the highest level. Most of his thump is to the pull side, and he opens his hips too early to reliably drive balls the opposite way. He’s not the twitchiest athlete, but his hands are quick enough ,and he has enough bat speed to catch up to premium velocity.

Beltre is a below-average runner but has the arm strength to fit in either corner outfield spot with ease. To reach his ceiling, he’ll need to make a ton more contact—especially on pitches in the heart of the zone—in order to access the power that will be his calling card.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2025/

Brewers: Marco Dinges, C (No. 9)

Dinges exclusively DH’d during his lone season at Florida State, but the Brewers thought enough of him as a potential catcher to take him in the fourth round last year. The bat is still the best part of his profile as he’s able to produce exit velocities above 110 mph while showing vicious bat speed. He may be undersized at 5-foot-11, but his work behind the plate has been better than expected out of the gate too, though Dinges is currently sidelined with a left hamstring strain.

Rockies: Kyle Karros, 3B (No. 8)

After jumping on the prospect map more firmly with a .311/.390/.485 slash line in his first full season in '24, Karros has shown that’s no fluke this year. After shaking off an injury, he’s hit his way to Triple-A and has a combined .301/.398/.476 line while getting high marks for his defense at the hot corner.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/mlb-team- ... e-coverage

Kyle Karros had a memorable night in his big league debut on Friday night, going 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a walk in a losing effort against the Diamondbacks.

Karros got the Rockies on the board with his run-scoring knock off of Zac Gallen in the second inning, pulling the Rockies to within two runs at 3-1. That would be as close as they would get. He also drew a walk in the contest, reaching base safely in two of his three plate appearances. The 23-year-old slugger could have some fantasy appeal in deeper mixed leagues if he’s able to carve out a regular role in the Rockies’ lineup.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/kyle-karros/242949

Kyle Karros, a leading candidate to be the Colorado Rockies’ everyday third baseman next season, has been promoted to the big leagues for his major-league debut. The son of former MLB first baseman Eric Karros, Kyle was the Rockies’ No. 3 prospect coming into the season.

Karros, 23, has risen quickly through the Rockies’ minor-league system since going in the fifth round in the 2023 MLB Draft out of UCLA. Last season, Karros hit .311/.390/.485 in 123 games for High-A Spokane in the pitcher-friendly Northwest League. Despite missing time due to injury this season, he’s made quick work of the upper-levels of the Rockies’ system, hitting .294/.399/.462 in 55 games for Double-A Hartford and .306/.368/.500 in 16 games for Triple-A Albuquerque. In 234 career minor-league games, Karros is a .304 hitter with a .393 OBP. He’s also built a reputation as a strong defensive third baseman.

“Maybe not the power you expect from third baseman, but Karros is a really solid hitter with a very advanced approach and an advanced defender who makes a ton of contact,” according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, who had Karros on his list of players who just missed Law’s preseason top-100 prospect list. “He is exactly the kind of guy the Rockies need.”

In his preseason scouting report, Law noted that Karros made a significant adjustment after turning pro.

“Part of the change is that he started driving the ball the other way more often, going with the pitch rather than trying to pull pitches on the outer half or third,” Law wrote. “He also became more aggressive as a hitter, swinging more often, trading more whiffs for more extra-base hits.”

Karros comes from a baseball family. His father played 14 seasons in the big leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Oakland A’s. His older brother, Jared, is a pitching prospect in the Dodgers’ chain who is currently at the Double-A level.

The addition of Karros to the roster was part of a slew of moves for the Rockies on Friday. They also selected the contract of right-hander Aaron Schunk, placed infielder Orlando Arcia on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation and moved infielder Thairo Estrada to the 60-day IL and right-hander Angel Chivilli to the restricted list.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/654313 ... mlb-debut/