6. Jordan Wicks LHP
Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 220 | B-T: L-L
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium.
Track Record: Wicks led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts as a junior and set Kansas State records for strikeouts in a single season (118) and a career (230). The Cubs drafted him 21st overall in 2021, making him the highest Wildcats player ever drafted. Wicks quickly reached Double-A in his first full season and cruised through upper levels of the minors in 2023. He received his first major league callup in late August and went 4-1, 4.41 in seven starts down the stretch with the Cubs in the playoff race.
Scouting Report: Wicks is a sturdy, 6-foot-3, 220-pound lefthander who relies on command and changing speeds. His deep, six-pitch mix is topped by four-seam and two-seam fastballs that each sit 91-94 mph. Both are average pitches he commands to get ahead in counts and stay off of barrels. The jewel of Wicks’ arsenal is a plus 80-83 mph changeup with late tumble and drop that gets awkward swings and misses. He sells his changeup with his arm speed and is comfortable throwing it in any count to both lefties and righties. Wicks’ sweeping, 82-84 mph slider is an average pitch he throws to lefties, and he added a new 88-90 mph cutter in 2023 to give him another weapon for righties. His below-average, upper-70s curveball is a change-of-pace offering. Wicks’ stuff isn’t loud, but he is a smart, tough competitor who mixes his pitches effectively to keep hitters off-balance. His stuff plays up with his deceptive, crossfire delivery, which he is strong and athletic enough to maintain for average control.
The Future: Wicks projects to be a solid No. 4 starter who thrives on drawing weak contact. He is ready to fill that role now and should break camp in the Opening Day rotation.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Changeup: 60. Cut: 40 | Control: 55.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
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Atlanta Braves (40)
Added: Penn Murfee, RHP
Analysis: Murfee, who was initially claimed off waivers by the Mets in late October, moves onto his third team in less than a month after previously spending his career with the Mariners. The Braves designated RHP Yonny Chirinos in a corresponding move. Murfee underwent Tommy John surgery this summer and will miss at least some of the 2024 season. He was an intriguing relief option at one time in Seattle’s system, ranking as their No. 30 prospect in 2022, and attacks hitters with funk and deception. He throws his upper-70s sweeper more than his four-seamer, which averaged just 87.8 mph prior to season-ending injury.
Chicago White Sox (35)
Added: Cristian Mena, RHP
Analysis: No surprises here. ... Mena had a Jekyll and Hyde type of season, enjoying solid months in April, June and August but difficult months in May, July and September. He saw an early bump to his life on his fastball due to the benefits of the pre-tacked Southern League ball. Mena mixes a four-seam fastball at 92-93 mph with a mid-80s slider that is his best pitch, generating an in-zone whiff rate of 27.5%. He mixes in a changeup and curveball as well to solid results.
Toronto Blue Jays (39)
Added: Adam Macko, LHP
Analysis: ... Toronto adds Macko to its 40-man roster nearly a year to the day after acquiring him from the Mariners in a trade for Teoscar Hernandez. Macko made 20 starts for High-A Vancouver this season striking out 106 batters to 40 walks over 86 innings. He mixes a four-seam fastball at 93-94 mph with ride and run alongside three secondaries: a slider at 82-83 mph, an upper-70s curveball and a changeup.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... very-team/
Added: Penn Murfee, RHP
Analysis: Murfee, who was initially claimed off waivers by the Mets in late October, moves onto his third team in less than a month after previously spending his career with the Mariners. The Braves designated RHP Yonny Chirinos in a corresponding move. Murfee underwent Tommy John surgery this summer and will miss at least some of the 2024 season. He was an intriguing relief option at one time in Seattle’s system, ranking as their No. 30 prospect in 2022, and attacks hitters with funk and deception. He throws his upper-70s sweeper more than his four-seamer, which averaged just 87.8 mph prior to season-ending injury.
Chicago White Sox (35)
Added: Cristian Mena, RHP
Analysis: No surprises here. ... Mena had a Jekyll and Hyde type of season, enjoying solid months in April, June and August but difficult months in May, July and September. He saw an early bump to his life on his fastball due to the benefits of the pre-tacked Southern League ball. Mena mixes a four-seam fastball at 92-93 mph with a mid-80s slider that is his best pitch, generating an in-zone whiff rate of 27.5%. He mixes in a changeup and curveball as well to solid results.
Toronto Blue Jays (39)
Added: Adam Macko, LHP
Analysis: ... Toronto adds Macko to its 40-man roster nearly a year to the day after acquiring him from the Mariners in a trade for Teoscar Hernandez. Macko made 20 starts for High-A Vancouver this season striking out 106 batters to 40 walks over 86 innings. He mixes a four-seam fastball at 93-94 mph with ride and run alongside three secondaries: a slider at 82-83 mph, an upper-70s curveball and a changeup.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... very-team/
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3B: Damiano Palmegiani, Surprise (TOR No. 18)
Palmegiani has a power-over-hit profile and it’s well-earned after hitting 47 homers over the last two seasons as he’s climbed the Blue Jays’ organizational ladder. He certainly added to his reputation this fall, finishing as the runner-up in the Home Run Derby and leading all third basemen with six homers and a .575 SLG for the title-winning Saguaros. He finished in the Top 10 among all hitters in total bases, extra-base hits, SLG and OPS.
https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-all-arizo ... e-coverage
Palmegiani has a power-over-hit profile and it’s well-earned after hitting 47 homers over the last two seasons as he’s climbed the Blue Jays’ organizational ladder. He certainly added to his reputation this fall, finishing as the runner-up in the Home Run Derby and leading all third basemen with six homers and a .575 SLG for the title-winning Saguaros. He finished in the Top 10 among all hitters in total bases, extra-base hits, SLG and OPS.
https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-all-arizo ... e-coverage
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6. Nasim Nunez, SS/2B
Ht: 5'9" | Wt: 168 | B-T: S-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
Track Record: Following an excellent career at Collins Hill High in suburban Atlanta, Nuñez was considered the best high school defender in his class. The Marlins drafted him 46th overall in 2019 and signed him for an over-slot $2.2 million. He has gradually progressed through the professional ranks and in 2023 had a quality first full season at Double-A Pensacola. The athletic Nuñez slashed .225/.341/.286 and set a new career high with five home runs while also swiping 52 bases. He also represented the Marlins in the Futures Game.
Scouting Report: Nuñez is small in stature at 5-foot-9 but has plus bat-to-ball skills and an outstanding feel for the strike zone. He has a simple setup with low, loose hands and a compact, direct swing. Nuñez has looser, whippier hands from the left side, which is also where most of his power comes from. He is undoubtedly a hit-over-power profile with strong feel for the barrel and all-fields approach. Nuñez has strong on-base skills with a career .359 OBP in the Marlins’ pitcher-friendly home parks. He walked nearly 15% of the time at Double-A in 2023 and is a tough at-bat for opposing pitchers. Nuñez’s calling card is his outstanding defense. He is a double-plus defender at shortstop with a plus arm and is a slam dunk to stick at the position. He is comfortable throwing from any arm slot and is comfortable coming in on the baseball and moving laterally. He is a double-plus runner who knows how and when to steal bases, with a career success rate of nearly 84%.
The Future: Nuñez projects as the Marlins’ everyday shortstop as soon as 2025. He will hit for little power, but his defense, speed and overall approach will allow him to impact the game in myriad ways. Nuñez has a chance to be a Gold Glove defender.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Speed: 70 | Fielding: 70 | Arm: 70.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
Nasim Nunez, SS, Marlins
Nunez is not ready to hit MLB pitching. There is no assurance that he ever will. Nunez does possess excellent defensive skills with the ability to provide above-average to plus defense across the infield. He’s a quick-twitch athlete and a double-plus runner capable of wreaking havoc on the bases. Nunez stole 122 bases over the past two seasons. While he lacks impact in the bat, he shows above-average to plus contact and plate skills. Over 585 plate appearances in Double-A this season, Nunez ran an in-zone contact rate of 85.5% while rarely expanding the zone as shown by his 21% chase rate. While Nunez is never going to provide double digit home run totals, his combination of infield defense, speed and plate skills could fit on a major league roster next season if a team is looking to add a quality up-the-middle defender.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
Ht: 5'9" | Wt: 168 | B-T: S-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
Track Record: Following an excellent career at Collins Hill High in suburban Atlanta, Nuñez was considered the best high school defender in his class. The Marlins drafted him 46th overall in 2019 and signed him for an over-slot $2.2 million. He has gradually progressed through the professional ranks and in 2023 had a quality first full season at Double-A Pensacola. The athletic Nuñez slashed .225/.341/.286 and set a new career high with five home runs while also swiping 52 bases. He also represented the Marlins in the Futures Game.
Scouting Report: Nuñez is small in stature at 5-foot-9 but has plus bat-to-ball skills and an outstanding feel for the strike zone. He has a simple setup with low, loose hands and a compact, direct swing. Nuñez has looser, whippier hands from the left side, which is also where most of his power comes from. He is undoubtedly a hit-over-power profile with strong feel for the barrel and all-fields approach. Nuñez has strong on-base skills with a career .359 OBP in the Marlins’ pitcher-friendly home parks. He walked nearly 15% of the time at Double-A in 2023 and is a tough at-bat for opposing pitchers. Nuñez’s calling card is his outstanding defense. He is a double-plus defender at shortstop with a plus arm and is a slam dunk to stick at the position. He is comfortable throwing from any arm slot and is comfortable coming in on the baseball and moving laterally. He is a double-plus runner who knows how and when to steal bases, with a career success rate of nearly 84%.
The Future: Nuñez projects as the Marlins’ everyday shortstop as soon as 2025. He will hit for little power, but his defense, speed and overall approach will allow him to impact the game in myriad ways. Nuñez has a chance to be a Gold Glove defender.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Speed: 70 | Fielding: 70 | Arm: 70.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
Nasim Nunez, SS, Marlins
Nunez is not ready to hit MLB pitching. There is no assurance that he ever will. Nunez does possess excellent defensive skills with the ability to provide above-average to plus defense across the infield. He’s a quick-twitch athlete and a double-plus runner capable of wreaking havoc on the bases. Nunez stole 122 bases over the past two seasons. While he lacks impact in the bat, he shows above-average to plus contact and plate skills. Over 585 plate appearances in Double-A this season, Nunez ran an in-zone contact rate of 85.5% while rarely expanding the zone as shown by his 21% chase rate. While Nunez is never going to provide double digit home run totals, his combination of infield defense, speed and plate skills could fit on a major league roster next season if a team is looking to add a quality up-the-middle defender.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
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Blue Jays 3B prospect Damiano Palmegiani finished the Arizona Fall League in the Top 10 among all hitters in total bases, extra-base hits, SLG and OPS.
Palmegiani has hit 47 homers over the last two seasons in the Blue Jays’ minor league organization. During AFL action this year, he led all third basemen with six homers and also posted a .575 slugging percentage. With Matt Chapman a free agent, there is a chance that Palmegiani enters spring training with a shot at making the big league club.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/damiano-palmegiani/68661
Palmegiani has hit 47 homers over the last two seasons in the Blue Jays’ minor league organization. During AFL action this year, he led all third basemen with six homers and also posted a .575 slugging percentage. With Matt Chapman a free agent, there is a chance that Palmegiani enters spring training with a shot at making the big league club.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/damiano-palmegiani/68661
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
4. Edwin Arroyo, SS
Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 175 | B-T: S-S
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium.
Track Record: In the 2021 draft, scouts loved Arroyo’s glove and worried about his bat. One of the youngest players in his class, Arroyo was 17 for his entire pro debut after the Mariners drafted him 48th overall. He was one of the best hitters in the Low-A California League in 2022, impressing the Reds, who landed him in the Luis Castillo deadline deal. As a Red, Arroyo initially struggled to hit. He was hitting .197/.249/.329 two months into 2023, but from June onward, Arroyo became one of High-A Dayton’s best hitters and earned a late-season bump to Double-A Chattanooga.
Scouting Report: In a system loaded with shortstops, Arroyo is the best and most consistent defender. While every other Reds minor league shortstop also plays additional positions, Arroyo plays only shortstop. He has soft hands, a quick exchange, smooth actions and an accurate, plus arm. His range is average. While his arm allows him to make plays from the hole, balls to his right often end up just out of reach. A switch-hitter who is relatively equally adept from both sides of the plate, Arroyo didn’t make any major changes to turn around his season. He kept the same simple, slightly open setup and timing step from both sides of the plate and didn’t rework either of his two swings. He chased a little less often, but mainly he just made more contact and found more holes. His below-average present power should steadily improve as he matures. Arroyo is a plus runner with a solid feel for swiping a base.
The Future: Arroyo is ticketed to be Double-A Chattanooga’s shortstop in 2024. There’s no rush to push him to Cincinnati. His combination of steady defense and well-rounded offensive approach gives him a shot to be a future MLB regular at a key defensive position.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45. Field: 55. Run: 55 | Arm: 60.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 175 | B-T: S-S
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium.
Track Record: In the 2021 draft, scouts loved Arroyo’s glove and worried about his bat. One of the youngest players in his class, Arroyo was 17 for his entire pro debut after the Mariners drafted him 48th overall. He was one of the best hitters in the Low-A California League in 2022, impressing the Reds, who landed him in the Luis Castillo deadline deal. As a Red, Arroyo initially struggled to hit. He was hitting .197/.249/.329 two months into 2023, but from June onward, Arroyo became one of High-A Dayton’s best hitters and earned a late-season bump to Double-A Chattanooga.
Scouting Report: In a system loaded with shortstops, Arroyo is the best and most consistent defender. While every other Reds minor league shortstop also plays additional positions, Arroyo plays only shortstop. He has soft hands, a quick exchange, smooth actions and an accurate, plus arm. His range is average. While his arm allows him to make plays from the hole, balls to his right often end up just out of reach. A switch-hitter who is relatively equally adept from both sides of the plate, Arroyo didn’t make any major changes to turn around his season. He kept the same simple, slightly open setup and timing step from both sides of the plate and didn’t rework either of his two swings. He chased a little less often, but mainly he just made more contact and found more holes. His below-average present power should steadily improve as he matures. Arroyo is a plus runner with a solid feel for swiping a base.
The Future: Arroyo is ticketed to be Double-A Chattanooga’s shortstop in 2024. There’s no rush to push him to Cincinnati. His combination of steady defense and well-rounded offensive approach gives him a shot to be a future MLB regular at a key defensive position.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45. Field: 55. Run: 55 | Arm: 60.
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
8. Jordan Leasure, RHP
Born: 1998-08-15
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 3″ W: 215 lbs.
History: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2021 draft, University of Tampa; signed for $125,000. Acquired from the Dodgers for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.
Previous Rank: NR
Major League ETA: 2024
The Report: Let’s be clear: Leasure is a reliever. He was a reliever in college. He has not started a game in the pros. He also might end up a very, very good reliever. His fastball is elite, 98 with explosive ride. It induces chase, it induces whiffs. It’s good enough to beat upper-minors hitters in the zone. I expect it will do mostly the same in the majors. His slider can get up into the 90s with hard downward bite. It’s only a plus pitch at present as his command isn’t as consistent as you’d like, but the best ones certainly flash 7. Leasure will also pop the occasional 12-6 curve in the zone just to keep it in the back of batters’ minds. His delivery all in all is pretty easy for the kind of top-end velocity he produces, although his command gets a gentleman’s 4. The thing is, even 10 years ago this kind of stuff would have made Leasure a sure-shot major-league closer, perhaps a Top 101 prospect even with the reliever outcome carved into stone. Nowadays? Well, it’s really neat stuff, but the bar for late-inning work is just so much higher. Nevertheless Leasure should be ready for the 7th or 8th ar Guaranteed Rate as soon as Opening Day 2024.
OFP: 55 / 8th-inning guy
Variance: Low. Leasure might end up with 2024 closer stuff if he can polish the slide piece to a 40% whiff rate or so, but as of right now his best pitch is clearly the heater. It’s a good fastball, but major-league hitters will likely find a way to do a bit more damage against it than their International League cohorts. —Jeffrey Paternostro
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: UR
Potential Earnings: $0-5
Fantasy Overview: A ready-made late-inning arm with closer upside if his command or slider takes a step forward.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Liam Hendriks with two full grades less command
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Born: 1998-08-15
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 3″ W: 215 lbs.
History: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round of the 2021 draft, University of Tampa; signed for $125,000. Acquired from the Dodgers for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.
Previous Rank: NR
Major League ETA: 2024
The Report: Let’s be clear: Leasure is a reliever. He was a reliever in college. He has not started a game in the pros. He also might end up a very, very good reliever. His fastball is elite, 98 with explosive ride. It induces chase, it induces whiffs. It’s good enough to beat upper-minors hitters in the zone. I expect it will do mostly the same in the majors. His slider can get up into the 90s with hard downward bite. It’s only a plus pitch at present as his command isn’t as consistent as you’d like, but the best ones certainly flash 7. Leasure will also pop the occasional 12-6 curve in the zone just to keep it in the back of batters’ minds. His delivery all in all is pretty easy for the kind of top-end velocity he produces, although his command gets a gentleman’s 4. The thing is, even 10 years ago this kind of stuff would have made Leasure a sure-shot major-league closer, perhaps a Top 101 prospect even with the reliever outcome carved into stone. Nowadays? Well, it’s really neat stuff, but the bar for late-inning work is just so much higher. Nevertheless Leasure should be ready for the 7th or 8th ar Guaranteed Rate as soon as Opening Day 2024.
OFP: 55 / 8th-inning guy
Variance: Low. Leasure might end up with 2024 closer stuff if he can polish the slide piece to a 40% whiff rate or so, but as of right now his best pitch is clearly the heater. It’s a good fastball, but major-league hitters will likely find a way to do a bit more damage against it than their International League cohorts. —Jeffrey Paternostro
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: UR
Potential Earnings: $0-5
Fantasy Overview: A ready-made late-inning arm with closer upside if his command or slider takes a step forward.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Liam Hendriks with two full grades less command
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
5. Nick Nastrini, RHP
Born: 2000-02-18
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 3″ W: 215 lbs.
History: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, UCLA; signed for $497,500. Acquired from the Dodgers for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.
Previous Rank: #5 (org, LAD), #54 (Top 101)
Major League ETA: 2024
The Report: After an “all gas no breaks” 2022 season that saw Nastrini’s high-octane stuff land him into the Top 101, 2023 saw a few speed bumps put in his path. He had a slightly delayed start to his season, as the Dodgers took it easy with his buildup in spring training. But once Nastrini landed back in Tulsa, he didn’t have the same bat-missing stuff, while the command still wobbled a bit too often. He was a bit sharper after his deadline swap to the White Sox, but the reliever outcome that was a significant risk even during his breakout 2022 seems almost fait accompli now. In short bursts, the Top 101 arm is still present. He can blow guys away with mid-90s heat up in the zone, and his changeup still shows bat-missing power fade.
Nastrini has even managed a bit of refinement with his two breaking balls as well. His 12-6 spike curve shows above-average potential and his mid-80s slider might get to plus. Everything is just a bit too inconsistent. After a couple up-downs his fastball fades into a more average velocity band and sinks lower in the zone. That potential plus change is spiked or flat a bit too often to actually be present plus. The curve doesn’t always get guys to fish, while the slider has below-average command and the traditional short tilt is trackable for hitters if it catches too much of the zone. You can squint and see “four plus pitches,” but what will come into focus eventually is a very similar power pen arm to one of the pitchers he was traded for. That’s still a good outcome for a fourth-round college pick coming off TOS, but Nastrini is not a Top 101 prospect this time around.
OFP: 55 / Good setup reliever/second-division closer
Variance: Medium. Joe Kelly did start for a bit, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Nastrini gets a look in the White Sox rotation next year. There might even be a potential bulk role of 15 batters here that will maximize his contributions, but the likely outcome is just a solid late-inning arm. —Jeffrey Paternostro
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 146
Potential Earnings: $5-10
Fantasy Overview: Nastrini, detailed here, has slightly more upside than your typical late-inning arm projection given his four-pitch arsenal and potential short-term rotation opportunity.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: 2022-2023 Lucas Giolito
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Born: 2000-02-18
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 3″ W: 215 lbs.
History: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, UCLA; signed for $497,500. Acquired from the Dodgers for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.
Previous Rank: #5 (org, LAD), #54 (Top 101)
Major League ETA: 2024
The Report: After an “all gas no breaks” 2022 season that saw Nastrini’s high-octane stuff land him into the Top 101, 2023 saw a few speed bumps put in his path. He had a slightly delayed start to his season, as the Dodgers took it easy with his buildup in spring training. But once Nastrini landed back in Tulsa, he didn’t have the same bat-missing stuff, while the command still wobbled a bit too often. He was a bit sharper after his deadline swap to the White Sox, but the reliever outcome that was a significant risk even during his breakout 2022 seems almost fait accompli now. In short bursts, the Top 101 arm is still present. He can blow guys away with mid-90s heat up in the zone, and his changeup still shows bat-missing power fade.
Nastrini has even managed a bit of refinement with his two breaking balls as well. His 12-6 spike curve shows above-average potential and his mid-80s slider might get to plus. Everything is just a bit too inconsistent. After a couple up-downs his fastball fades into a more average velocity band and sinks lower in the zone. That potential plus change is spiked or flat a bit too often to actually be present plus. The curve doesn’t always get guys to fish, while the slider has below-average command and the traditional short tilt is trackable for hitters if it catches too much of the zone. You can squint and see “four plus pitches,” but what will come into focus eventually is a very similar power pen arm to one of the pitchers he was traded for. That’s still a good outcome for a fourth-round college pick coming off TOS, but Nastrini is not a Top 101 prospect this time around.
OFP: 55 / Good setup reliever/second-division closer
Variance: Medium. Joe Kelly did start for a bit, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Nastrini gets a look in the White Sox rotation next year. There might even be a potential bulk role of 15 batters here that will maximize his contributions, but the likely outcome is just a solid late-inning arm. —Jeffrey Paternostro
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 146
Potential Earnings: $5-10
Fantasy Overview: Nastrini, detailed here, has slightly more upside than your typical late-inning arm projection given his four-pitch arsenal and potential short-term rotation opportunity.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: 2022-2023 Lucas Giolito
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
6.Edwin Arroyo, SS/2B
Born: 2003-08-25
B: Switch T: Right
H: 6′ 0″ W: 175 lbs.
History: Drafted 48th overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2021 draft, Arecibo Baseball Academy (Arecibo, PR); signed for $1,650,000. Acquired from the Mariners for Luis Castillo.
Previous Rank: #4 (org), #61 (Top 101)
Major League ETA: 2025
The Report: Arroyo had a bit of a consolidation campaign in 2023, spending almost the entire year at High-A. His top-line performance was closer to his post-trade 2022 struggles than his pre-trade explosion. The baseline hitting skills are all still present; he’s got reasonably decent bat-to-ball and plate discipline skills for his age. Arroyo even has some sneaky power potential as he swings with loft from both sides and is capable of decently hard contact. He’s a very advanced middle infield defender for someone who will play almost the entire 2024 season at 20 years old, and all told he still projects as a regular shortstop (or second baseman) who makes all-around contributions in nearly all phases. It’s just tough to project an offensive carrying ability, and we’re getting further away from his early-2022 breakout now.
OFP: 55 / Starting shortstop
Variance: Medium. This might just be what Arroyo is.
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 97
Potential Earnings: $10-15
Fantasy Overview: A switch-hitting shortstop that puts the ball in the air, steals bases, and makes enough contact is a fun fantasy package.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Jimmy Rollins in his 30s
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Born: 2003-08-25
B: Switch T: Right
H: 6′ 0″ W: 175 lbs.
History: Drafted 48th overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2021 draft, Arecibo Baseball Academy (Arecibo, PR); signed for $1,650,000. Acquired from the Mariners for Luis Castillo.
Previous Rank: #4 (org), #61 (Top 101)
Major League ETA: 2025
The Report: Arroyo had a bit of a consolidation campaign in 2023, spending almost the entire year at High-A. His top-line performance was closer to his post-trade 2022 struggles than his pre-trade explosion. The baseline hitting skills are all still present; he’s got reasonably decent bat-to-ball and plate discipline skills for his age. Arroyo even has some sneaky power potential as he swings with loft from both sides and is capable of decently hard contact. He’s a very advanced middle infield defender for someone who will play almost the entire 2024 season at 20 years old, and all told he still projects as a regular shortstop (or second baseman) who makes all-around contributions in nearly all phases. It’s just tough to project an offensive carrying ability, and we’re getting further away from his early-2022 breakout now.
OFP: 55 / Starting shortstop
Variance: Medium. This might just be what Arroyo is.
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 97
Potential Earnings: $10-15
Fantasy Overview: A switch-hitting shortstop that puts the ball in the air, steals bases, and makes enough contact is a fun fantasy package.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Jimmy Rollins in his 30s
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
9. Cristian Mena, RHP
Born: 2002-12-21
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 2″ W: 170 lbs.
History: Signed July 2, 2019 out of the Dominican Republic for $250,000.
Previous Rank: #5 (org)
Major League ETA: Late 2024
The Report: Mena burst upon the scene as a 19-year-old in 2022, dominating Low-A and getting by in High-A with what was essentially a two-pitch fastball/curve combo: fastball up, curve down and away. Simple enough. It was working at the lower levels and I had him earmarked as a potential riser, primarily because he was performing well at a young age, but I liked the curve. I still like the curve, a low-80s offering that shows both late, sharp drop and vertical action. But a jump in the prospect rankings was predicated on command improvements and possibly a velo bump, neither of which have materialized. Mena has filled out and is physically strong, but still sits in the lower-90s with the fastball. He is also still troubled by walk issues, and while the strikeout rate held relatively steady in 2022, he allowed far too many runs at both Double-A and Triple-A this season. Mena is building out a starter’s repertoire—he is throwing a changeup and a short slider in addition to the main offerings—but there isn’t a lot of room for error with the heater and if he isn’t able to make location improvements relatively soon it may be time to consider a move to the bullpen, where the stuff ought to play up.
OFP: 50 / Back-end starter or medium-leverage reliever.
Variance: High. He is nominally close to the big leagues, but it was a rough year that didn’t help his starter projection case. —Ben Spanier
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 230
Potential Earnings: $0-5
Fantasy Overview: Mena, detailed here, has a solid foundation of secondary offerings, but desperately needs a velocity or command bump to profile as a starter.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: 2022-2023 Shane Bieber with two full grades less command
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Born: 2002-12-21
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 2″ W: 170 lbs.
History: Signed July 2, 2019 out of the Dominican Republic for $250,000.
Previous Rank: #5 (org)
Major League ETA: Late 2024
The Report: Mena burst upon the scene as a 19-year-old in 2022, dominating Low-A and getting by in High-A with what was essentially a two-pitch fastball/curve combo: fastball up, curve down and away. Simple enough. It was working at the lower levels and I had him earmarked as a potential riser, primarily because he was performing well at a young age, but I liked the curve. I still like the curve, a low-80s offering that shows both late, sharp drop and vertical action. But a jump in the prospect rankings was predicated on command improvements and possibly a velo bump, neither of which have materialized. Mena has filled out and is physically strong, but still sits in the lower-90s with the fastball. He is also still troubled by walk issues, and while the strikeout rate held relatively steady in 2022, he allowed far too many runs at both Double-A and Triple-A this season. Mena is building out a starter’s repertoire—he is throwing a changeup and a short slider in addition to the main offerings—but there isn’t a lot of room for error with the heater and if he isn’t able to make location improvements relatively soon it may be time to consider a move to the bullpen, where the stuff ought to play up.
OFP: 50 / Back-end starter or medium-leverage reliever.
Variance: High. He is nominally close to the big leagues, but it was a rough year that didn’t help his starter projection case. —Ben Spanier
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 230
Potential Earnings: $0-5
Fantasy Overview: Mena, detailed here, has a solid foundation of secondary offerings, but desperately needs a velocity or command bump to profile as a starter.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: 2022-2023 Shane Bieber with two full grades less command
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
13. Tyler Schweitzer, LHP (High-A Winston-Salem)
Schweitzer is a moderately over-aged, pitchability lefty. The White Sox often seem to have a few of this type of guy floating around, but the Ball State man is a cut above most. Sitting low-90s and touching higher with the heater, Schweitzer mixes in a low-80s slider, an upper-70s curve, and a mid-80s change confidently and frequently. He has somewhat advanced command and can get hitters to whiff on the fastball up despite the pedestrian velo, though how often he does depends a great deal on that night’s feel for his breaking stuff. The slider can be legitimately above-average, and the curve also has its days. It’s fringy prospect or real back-end starter stuff, depending on how you catch him. —Ben Spanier
15. Jonathan Cannon, RHP (Double-A Birmingham)
Cannon was having a perfectly fine campaign between about mid-April and mid-July—a 3.59 ERA over 72 ⅔ innings for Winston-Salem earned him a Futures Game nod, even if he probably wasn’t notching as many strikeouts as he’d like. But things turned south when he went to Birmingham, where his ERA ended on the wrong side of 5.50. It’s not that the stuff took a huge step backwards—he still throws a full suite of pitches including a sinker and cutter, and the four-seamer still gets up to 97—the issue is that while he possesses plenty of proficiency with his arsenal, none of it has been exceptional enough to consistently generate swings and misses. The low-80s breaker is decent, and he creates different looks with his fastballs, but he is simply allowing too much contact right now. It will be interesting to see if Cannon switches up his pitch mix or simplifies his strategy when he gets his second crack at Double-A next season. —Ben Spanier
Jacob Burke, OF (High-A Winston-Salem)
An 11th-rounder out of the University of Miami in 2022, Burke has seen his first two minor league campaigns disrupted by injury but has flashed intriguing traits when he’s been able to stay on the field. The stats are more decent than impressive, considering that he played this past season as a 22-year-old at Low and High-A, but the skills he shows indicate that there could be more there. A good athlete with strength throughout, Burke has really good bat speed that frankly should be producing more power output, and he also plays a nicely instinctive center field. There are negative flags here, namely a tendency to whiff on breaking stuff down and away, and swing mechanics that sometimes prevent him from being direct to the ball. Next season we’ll see if he can marry his Baderian flow with consistent production. —Ben Spanier
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Schweitzer is a moderately over-aged, pitchability lefty. The White Sox often seem to have a few of this type of guy floating around, but the Ball State man is a cut above most. Sitting low-90s and touching higher with the heater, Schweitzer mixes in a low-80s slider, an upper-70s curve, and a mid-80s change confidently and frequently. He has somewhat advanced command and can get hitters to whiff on the fastball up despite the pedestrian velo, though how often he does depends a great deal on that night’s feel for his breaking stuff. The slider can be legitimately above-average, and the curve also has its days. It’s fringy prospect or real back-end starter stuff, depending on how you catch him. —Ben Spanier
15. Jonathan Cannon, RHP (Double-A Birmingham)
Cannon was having a perfectly fine campaign between about mid-April and mid-July—a 3.59 ERA over 72 ⅔ innings for Winston-Salem earned him a Futures Game nod, even if he probably wasn’t notching as many strikeouts as he’d like. But things turned south when he went to Birmingham, where his ERA ended on the wrong side of 5.50. It’s not that the stuff took a huge step backwards—he still throws a full suite of pitches including a sinker and cutter, and the four-seamer still gets up to 97—the issue is that while he possesses plenty of proficiency with his arsenal, none of it has been exceptional enough to consistently generate swings and misses. The low-80s breaker is decent, and he creates different looks with his fastballs, but he is simply allowing too much contact right now. It will be interesting to see if Cannon switches up his pitch mix or simplifies his strategy when he gets his second crack at Double-A next season. —Ben Spanier
Jacob Burke, OF (High-A Winston-Salem)
An 11th-rounder out of the University of Miami in 2022, Burke has seen his first two minor league campaigns disrupted by injury but has flashed intriguing traits when he’s been able to stay on the field. The stats are more decent than impressive, considering that he played this past season as a 22-year-old at Low and High-A, but the skills he shows indicate that there could be more there. A good athlete with strength throughout, Burke has really good bat speed that frankly should be producing more power output, and he also plays a nicely instinctive center field. There are negative flags here, namely a tendency to whiff on breaking stuff down and away, and swing mechanics that sometimes prevent him from being direct to the ball. Next season we’ll see if he can marry his Baderian flow with consistent production. —Ben Spanier
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
Nasim Nunez, SS, Marlins
Nunez is not ready to hit MLB pitching. There is no assurance that he ever will. Nunez does possess excellent defensive skills with the ability to provide above-average to plus defense across the infield. He’s a quick-twitch athlete and a double-plus runner capable of wreaking havoc on the bases. Nunez stole 122 bases over the past two seasons. While he lacks impact in the bat, he shows above-average to plus contact and plate skills. Over 585 plate appearances in Double-A this season, Nunez ran an in-zone contact rate of 85.5% while rarely expanding the zone as shown by his 21% chase rate. While Nunez is never going to provide double digit home run totals, his combination of infield defense, speed and plate skills could fit on a major league roster next season if a team is looking to add a quality up-the-middle defender.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
Nationals have selected SS Nasim Nunez from the Marlins with the fifth pick of the Rule 5 Draft.
The 23-year-old has primarily played shortstop during his time in the minors with the Marlins, jumping over to second base occasionally. His bat has yet to develop, holding a career slash line of .233/.358/.286 over four seasons. He hasn’t played above Double-A ball but his value comes with his glove and speed. Nunez swiped 52 bags in 125 games last season with Double-A Pensacola.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/nasim-nunez/49845
Nunez is not ready to hit MLB pitching. There is no assurance that he ever will. Nunez does possess excellent defensive skills with the ability to provide above-average to plus defense across the infield. He’s a quick-twitch athlete and a double-plus runner capable of wreaking havoc on the bases. Nunez stole 122 bases over the past two seasons. While he lacks impact in the bat, he shows above-average to plus contact and plate skills. Over 585 plate appearances in Double-A this season, Nunez ran an in-zone contact rate of 85.5% while rarely expanding the zone as shown by his 21% chase rate. While Nunez is never going to provide double digit home run totals, his combination of infield defense, speed and plate skills could fit on a major league roster next season if a team is looking to add a quality up-the-middle defender.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
Nationals have selected SS Nasim Nunez from the Marlins with the fifth pick of the Rule 5 Draft.
The 23-year-old has primarily played shortstop during his time in the minors with the Marlins, jumping over to second base occasionally. His bat has yet to develop, holding a career slash line of .233/.358/.286 over four seasons. He hasn’t played above Double-A ball but his value comes with his glove and speed. Nunez swiped 52 bags in 125 games last season with Double-A Pensacola.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/nasim-nunez/49845
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
Rafael Lantigua, INF, Toronto Blue Jays (LIDOM Este): 1-4, 2 R, BB, SB.
Lantigua is on the cusp of a big league call up after his breakout 2023 campaign. The 25-year-old outfielder put together career high offensive numbers in most categories during his time in Triple-A Buffalo. His above-average bat-to-ball skills and patient approach at the plate make him a tough out. Add in Lantigua’s ability to be plugged in at multiple positions, and there’s a good chance he gets some at-bats in Toronto in 2024.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ensy-noel/
Blue Jays re-signed INF Rafael Lantigua to a minor league contract.
Lantigua spent all of last season at Triple-A Buffalo, posting a .305/.435/.469 triple-slash line with 12 homers and 28 stolen bases across 578 plate appearances. The 25-year-old infielder boasts a contact-oriented approach, and doesn’t offer a ton of over-the-fence pop, but could get a shot at some point as a versatile reserve infielder at the highest level.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/rafael-lantigua/68291
Lantigua is on the cusp of a big league call up after his breakout 2023 campaign. The 25-year-old outfielder put together career high offensive numbers in most categories during his time in Triple-A Buffalo. His above-average bat-to-ball skills and patient approach at the plate make him a tough out. Add in Lantigua’s ability to be plugged in at multiple positions, and there’s a good chance he gets some at-bats in Toronto in 2024.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ensy-noel/
Blue Jays re-signed INF Rafael Lantigua to a minor league contract.
Lantigua spent all of last season at Triple-A Buffalo, posting a .305/.435/.469 triple-slash line with 12 homers and 28 stolen bases across 578 plate appearances. The 25-year-old infielder boasts a contact-oriented approach, and doesn’t offer a ton of over-the-fence pop, but could get a shot at some point as a versatile reserve infielder at the highest level.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/rafael-lantigua/68291
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
17. Hunter Goodman, C/1B/OF (Colorado Rockies)
Goodman may not have brought his catcher’s mitt to Coors, but he certainly brought the lumber. After hitting 34 home runs between Hartford and Albuquerque in just over 100 games—and yes those are very good places to hit—he earned a promotion to Denver and showed off some real righty thump. The rest of the profile is a bit of a problem, we’ll grant you. Despite the Rockies being arguably the top organization at developing catcher defense, Goodman is functionally a first baseman and corner outfielder now, so that both (1) tells you a lot about his glove behind the plate and (2) puts a ton more pressure on his bat. He struggled with the slower and spinnier stuff in his first taste of the bigs, but he can do a lot of damage when he gets into one. The pitch has to be in his bat path though, as his swing is a bit grooved and has a big hitch and wrap before it gets going. That means he has to cheat to get 95 out in front, leaving him vulnerable to offspeed. It’s more like hard plus pop than plus-plus too, and that, combined with his defensive limitations and platoon issues, makes Goodman a bit of an odd bench fit. Now if he could even catch once a week, things would get a bit more interesting, so maybe just have him move in with Jerry Weinstein this offseason or something. —Jeffrey Paternostro
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Goodman may not have brought his catcher’s mitt to Coors, but he certainly brought the lumber. After hitting 34 home runs between Hartford and Albuquerque in just over 100 games—and yes those are very good places to hit—he earned a promotion to Denver and showed off some real righty thump. The rest of the profile is a bit of a problem, we’ll grant you. Despite the Rockies being arguably the top organization at developing catcher defense, Goodman is functionally a first baseman and corner outfielder now, so that both (1) tells you a lot about his glove behind the plate and (2) puts a ton more pressure on his bat. He struggled with the slower and spinnier stuff in his first taste of the bigs, but he can do a lot of damage when he gets into one. The pitch has to be in his bat path though, as his swing is a bit grooved and has a big hitch and wrap before it gets going. That means he has to cheat to get 95 out in front, leaving him vulnerable to offspeed. It’s more like hard plus pop than plus-plus too, and that, combined with his defensive limitations and platoon issues, makes Goodman a bit of an odd bench fit. Now if he could even catch once a week, things would get a bit more interesting, so maybe just have him move in with Jerry Weinstein this offseason or something. —Jeffrey Paternostro
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
5. Jacob Melton, OF
Born: 2000-09-07
B: Left T: Left
H: 6′ 3″ W: 208 lbs.
History: Drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft, Oregon State University; signed for $1,000,000.
Previous Rank: #7 (org)
Major League ETA: 2025
The Report: Melton earned a seven figure bonus in 2022 off the strength of an enticing power/speed blend, and those tools have both shown up in pro ball. Last year saw the outfielder slug 23 homers and swipe 46 bases in fewer than 100 games between High-A and Double-A. Evaluators everywhere voice some polarizing opinions on both his swing mechanics and decisions, given his unorthodox foot-in-a-bucket setup and flat approach angle in the bottom of the zone. It’s almost like Melton took a hitting coach’s instruction to “stretch the rubber band” as a personal challenge at some point, with a plunging hand load to trigger his elongated leg lift. Regardless, Melton’s lower half is strong and sync’d up. He manages to keep his hands inside well despite a visually long stroke, with some limited feel to manipulate the barrel and enough strength to create successful mishits. Overall, Melton profiles as an impactful strong side platoon bat with significant hit tool risk, although has kept his whiff rates mostly in check through the low minors. During the dog day summer months of 2023, Melton adjusted his stance more upright which allowed for a steeper bat angle, especially low in the zone. This change resulted in more optimized high-end contact—Melton blasted his fair share of triple digit EVs over the right-center power alley—but also stripped away much of the outfielder’s previously demonstrated ability to more consistently spray line drives over the middle of the field. Melton does not make infallible swing decisions to create an on-base floor, which places even more pressure to make the most of what likely ends up as below-average contact ability. He’s yet to meaningfully dip under an .800 OPS as a pro, but upper minors will test any holes in Melton’s mechanics.
The new rules play well with Melton’s above-average acceleration and long levers that reach out to grab the gigantic second base bag. He projects to swipe 20+ bags annually given his aggressive mentality on the bases. Melton also glides gracefully around the outfield grass despite foot speed closer to above average than double-plus, with an understanding of how to go get a ball at the wall and a plus arm to boot. The defense is unlikely to carry his profile entirely, but Melton does project as a net positive at all three outfield spots, and could stick in CF long-term.
OFP: 50 / Average outfielder who you sit against 20 tough lefties
Variance: Medium. Melton‘s floor continues to materialize as he becomes closer to a three true outcomes platoon center fielder, but an upper minors flameout is possible given the contact risks, and he has demonstrated no ability to perform against same-handed pitching. In his best years, he could imitate James Outman. —Ben Zeidman
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 148
Potential Earnings: $10-15
Fantasy Overview: A strong-side platoon bat that generates fantasy value even in shallower formats due to his 20-20 upside.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: James Outman
Born: 2000-09-07
B: Left T: Left
H: 6′ 3″ W: 208 lbs.
History: Drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft, Oregon State University; signed for $1,000,000.
Previous Rank: #7 (org)
Major League ETA: 2025
The Report: Melton earned a seven figure bonus in 2022 off the strength of an enticing power/speed blend, and those tools have both shown up in pro ball. Last year saw the outfielder slug 23 homers and swipe 46 bases in fewer than 100 games between High-A and Double-A. Evaluators everywhere voice some polarizing opinions on both his swing mechanics and decisions, given his unorthodox foot-in-a-bucket setup and flat approach angle in the bottom of the zone. It’s almost like Melton took a hitting coach’s instruction to “stretch the rubber band” as a personal challenge at some point, with a plunging hand load to trigger his elongated leg lift. Regardless, Melton’s lower half is strong and sync’d up. He manages to keep his hands inside well despite a visually long stroke, with some limited feel to manipulate the barrel and enough strength to create successful mishits. Overall, Melton profiles as an impactful strong side platoon bat with significant hit tool risk, although has kept his whiff rates mostly in check through the low minors. During the dog day summer months of 2023, Melton adjusted his stance more upright which allowed for a steeper bat angle, especially low in the zone. This change resulted in more optimized high-end contact—Melton blasted his fair share of triple digit EVs over the right-center power alley—but also stripped away much of the outfielder’s previously demonstrated ability to more consistently spray line drives over the middle of the field. Melton does not make infallible swing decisions to create an on-base floor, which places even more pressure to make the most of what likely ends up as below-average contact ability. He’s yet to meaningfully dip under an .800 OPS as a pro, but upper minors will test any holes in Melton’s mechanics.
The new rules play well with Melton’s above-average acceleration and long levers that reach out to grab the gigantic second base bag. He projects to swipe 20+ bags annually given his aggressive mentality on the bases. Melton also glides gracefully around the outfield grass despite foot speed closer to above average than double-plus, with an understanding of how to go get a ball at the wall and a plus arm to boot. The defense is unlikely to carry his profile entirely, but Melton does project as a net positive at all three outfield spots, and could stick in CF long-term.
OFP: 50 / Average outfielder who you sit against 20 tough lefties
Variance: Medium. Melton‘s floor continues to materialize as he becomes closer to a three true outcomes platoon center fielder, but an upper minors flameout is possible given the contact risks, and he has demonstrated no ability to perform against same-handed pitching. In his best years, he could imitate James Outman. —Ben Zeidman
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 148
Potential Earnings: $10-15
Fantasy Overview: A strong-side platoon bat that generates fantasy value even in shallower formats due to his 20-20 upside.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: James Outman
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
9. Dominic Keegan, C
Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk:50/High.
Track Record: For four years at Vanderbilt, all Keegan did was hit. He toyed with catching in college but generally found himself playing first base whenever the Commodores’ best pitchers were on the mound. The Rays were willing to give Keegan a chance to catch every day after drafting him in the fourth round in 2022, and while he has moved slowly, he has rewarded that faith by steadily improving defensively while showing a polished bat.
Scouting Report: Keegan has worked hard to improve his catching, and it’s paid off. He’s an above-average receiver and has become a fringe-average blocker on balls in the dirt. He works well with pitchers. His big hurdle behind the plate is his throwing. His arm is average, but he takes a long time to make the exchange and get rid of the ball, leading to plenty of below-average pop times on throws to second base. He threw out 30% of basestealers during the regular season at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, but he gave up 35 stolen bases in 40 attempts in 13 games in the Arizona Fall League. Offensively, Keegan has been a consistent performer, but considering his four years of experience at Vanderbilt, he’s been playing at a level or two below his hitting ability while his glove tries to catch up. He’s rarely fooled and draws walks with a contact-heavy approach, though there is plus raw power that could lead to more power down the road.
The Future: Catcher remains a question mark for the Rays both in the short and long terms, though that’s been true for much of the 21st century. Keegan is the next Rays’ minor leaguer who could get a shot. He has shown the desire to put in the work to improve defensively, and his bat is above-average for a catcher, but he still has plenty of work to do to get to St. Petersburg.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 40.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk:50/High.
Track Record: For four years at Vanderbilt, all Keegan did was hit. He toyed with catching in college but generally found himself playing first base whenever the Commodores’ best pitchers were on the mound. The Rays were willing to give Keegan a chance to catch every day after drafting him in the fourth round in 2022, and while he has moved slowly, he has rewarded that faith by steadily improving defensively while showing a polished bat.
Scouting Report: Keegan has worked hard to improve his catching, and it’s paid off. He’s an above-average receiver and has become a fringe-average blocker on balls in the dirt. He works well with pitchers. His big hurdle behind the plate is his throwing. His arm is average, but he takes a long time to make the exchange and get rid of the ball, leading to plenty of below-average pop times on throws to second base. He threw out 30% of basestealers during the regular season at Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, but he gave up 35 stolen bases in 40 attempts in 13 games in the Arizona Fall League. Offensively, Keegan has been a consistent performer, but considering his four years of experience at Vanderbilt, he’s been playing at a level or two below his hitting ability while his glove tries to catch up. He’s rarely fooled and draws walks with a contact-heavy approach, though there is plus raw power that could lead to more power down the road.
The Future: Catcher remains a question mark for the Rays both in the short and long terms, though that’s been true for much of the 21st century. Keegan is the next Rays’ minor leaguer who could get a shot. He has shown the desire to put in the work to improve defensively, and his bat is above-average for a catcher, but he still has plenty of work to do to get to St. Petersburg.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 40.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
9. Gavin Cross, OF
Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-L
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
Track Record: Looking for a natural hitter who could man the outfield, the Royals drafted Cross ninth overall in 2022 and signed the Virginia Tech product for slot value of $5,200,400. He ranked as the Royals’ No. 1 prospect after his first pro season, in which he hit .293/.423/.596 in 26 games at Low-A Columbia before struggling mightily in 94 games at High-A Quad Cities in 2023. Cross hit just .206 as his strikeout rate spiked to near 28%. His season ended after just two games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas due to an illness. Cross reappeared in instructional league, followed by eight games in the Arizona Fall League, where he was slowed by a hamstring issue.
Scouting Report: Cross is known for his command of the strike zone and above-average power to all fields. The most notable difference from Low-A to High-A was diminished plate discipline as he tried to do too much and was swinging for the fences. Cross’ swing and approach looked much better in instructional league, where he worked on keeping his weight more between his hips and not getting too overloaded into his rear hip. That helped his swing work more forward. Cross reads balls well in the outfield and should be able to stay in center field, but he may fit better in right field, where his above-average arm will play. Cross is aggressive on the bases, with his instincts making up for his fringe-average speed. He was successful on 23 of 26 stolen base attempts in 2023. The son of a coach, Cross is a quick learner and makes adjustments well.
The Future: Cross will return to Double-A in 2024, with a chance to prove that the swing changes he made in instructional league will get him back on track. He projects as an everyday outfielder, and his ability to handle lefthanded pitchers will keep him out of a platoon role.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 40| Power: 55| Run: 45| Fielding: 50| Arm: 55.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
3. Gavin Cross, OF
Born: 2001-02-13
B: Left T: Left
H: 6′ 1″ W: 210 lbs.
History: Drafted ninth overall in the 2022 draft, Virginia Tech; signed for $5,200,400.
Previous Rank: #1 (org), #70 (Top 101)
Major League ETA: Late 2025/2026
The Report: Cross mashed at Virginia Tech his sophomore and junior seasons, and was one of the top college bats available in the 2022 draft. The Royals took him ninth overall—perfectly reasonable at the time—and he shined in the pros during my post-draft video work. While perhaps not the loudest offensive tools among the college crop, Cross had a good shot at an above-average hit and power combo and to stick in center field. Even if you had some concerns—as I did—that the hit tool might play more to average once he saw upper-minors spin, surely he’d dominate High-A in 2023 as an advanced college bat. Instead he struggled last season, posting a sub-.700 OPS for Quad Cities and both his contact rate and power played below-average. Cross looked less explosive at the plate, still trying to lift the ball, but now coming at the end of a more labored and lengthier swing. He ended up missing the last six weeks of the season with what was reported as “illness,” but didn’t fare much better in the AFL. Cross still ranks this high because only last year he looked like a potential good regular, but his 2023 struggles have made that outcome look less likely this time around.
OFP: 50 / Average outfielder
Variance: High. You can squeeze out a few drops of optimism from Cross’s 2023 season. His high-end game power is still there—he just didn’t get to it as often. He still walked at a decent clip. But he has to show he can make consistent hard contact against pro pitching in 2024.
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 297
Potential Earnings: $5-10
Fantasy Overview: Outside of a series against Wisconsin in mid May, Cross was downright atrocious in 2023. Midwest League considerations aside, he struggled to make contact all year. If he can recapture his pre-2023 form, though, Cross could develop into a .260/25+ bat.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Poor man’s Jay Bruce
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-L
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
Track Record: Looking for a natural hitter who could man the outfield, the Royals drafted Cross ninth overall in 2022 and signed the Virginia Tech product for slot value of $5,200,400. He ranked as the Royals’ No. 1 prospect after his first pro season, in which he hit .293/.423/.596 in 26 games at Low-A Columbia before struggling mightily in 94 games at High-A Quad Cities in 2023. Cross hit just .206 as his strikeout rate spiked to near 28%. His season ended after just two games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas due to an illness. Cross reappeared in instructional league, followed by eight games in the Arizona Fall League, where he was slowed by a hamstring issue.
Scouting Report: Cross is known for his command of the strike zone and above-average power to all fields. The most notable difference from Low-A to High-A was diminished plate discipline as he tried to do too much and was swinging for the fences. Cross’ swing and approach looked much better in instructional league, where he worked on keeping his weight more between his hips and not getting too overloaded into his rear hip. That helped his swing work more forward. Cross reads balls well in the outfield and should be able to stay in center field, but he may fit better in right field, where his above-average arm will play. Cross is aggressive on the bases, with his instincts making up for his fringe-average speed. He was successful on 23 of 26 stolen base attempts in 2023. The son of a coach, Cross is a quick learner and makes adjustments well.
The Future: Cross will return to Double-A in 2024, with a chance to prove that the swing changes he made in instructional league will get him back on track. He projects as an everyday outfielder, and his ability to handle lefthanded pitchers will keep him out of a platoon role.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 40| Power: 55| Run: 45| Fielding: 50| Arm: 55.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
3. Gavin Cross, OF
Born: 2001-02-13
B: Left T: Left
H: 6′ 1″ W: 210 lbs.
History: Drafted ninth overall in the 2022 draft, Virginia Tech; signed for $5,200,400.
Previous Rank: #1 (org), #70 (Top 101)
Major League ETA: Late 2025/2026
The Report: Cross mashed at Virginia Tech his sophomore and junior seasons, and was one of the top college bats available in the 2022 draft. The Royals took him ninth overall—perfectly reasonable at the time—and he shined in the pros during my post-draft video work. While perhaps not the loudest offensive tools among the college crop, Cross had a good shot at an above-average hit and power combo and to stick in center field. Even if you had some concerns—as I did—that the hit tool might play more to average once he saw upper-minors spin, surely he’d dominate High-A in 2023 as an advanced college bat. Instead he struggled last season, posting a sub-.700 OPS for Quad Cities and both his contact rate and power played below-average. Cross looked less explosive at the plate, still trying to lift the ball, but now coming at the end of a more labored and lengthier swing. He ended up missing the last six weeks of the season with what was reported as “illness,” but didn’t fare much better in the AFL. Cross still ranks this high because only last year he looked like a potential good regular, but his 2023 struggles have made that outcome look less likely this time around.
OFP: 50 / Average outfielder
Variance: High. You can squeeze out a few drops of optimism from Cross’s 2023 season. His high-end game power is still there—he just didn’t get to it as often. He still walked at a decent clip. But he has to show he can make consistent hard contact against pro pitching in 2024.
Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:
Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 297
Potential Earnings: $5-10
Fantasy Overview: Outside of a series against Wisconsin in mid May, Cross was downright atrocious in 2023. Midwest League considerations aside, he struggled to make contact all year. If he can recapture his pre-2023 form, though, Cross could develop into a .260/25+ bat.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Poor man’s Jay Bruce
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... prospects/
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
Ryan Fernandez, RHP, Red Sox
Few available Rule 5 pitchers can match Fernandez’s stuff. The righthander pairs a four-seam fastball at 94-96 mph touching 97 mph at peak with a cutter at 89-91 mph, a gyro slider in the upper-80s and a power curveball. Fernandez became more reliant on his cutter and fastball combination as 2023 progressed and the cutter became his primary pitch. Despite an inflated ERA, he struck out 25.2% of batters faced over 26 appearances in Triple-A. Fernandez has a checkered medical history that might scare some teams, but his outlier combination of velocity and feel for spin could be successful in a major league pen next season.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
Cardinals selected RHP Ryan Fernandez from the Red Sox with the sixth pick in the Rule 5 draft.
Fernandez had a 4.14 ERA in 54 1/3 innings as a minor league reliever last season, though he went from 1.77 in Double-A to 6.16 in Triple-A. The Cardinals will have him compete for a bullpen spot, but he’d seem to be one of the longer shots to stick of the 10 players selected in the major league portion of today’s draft.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/ryan-fernandez/68801
Few available Rule 5 pitchers can match Fernandez’s stuff. The righthander pairs a four-seam fastball at 94-96 mph touching 97 mph at peak with a cutter at 89-91 mph, a gyro slider in the upper-80s and a power curveball. Fernandez became more reliant on his cutter and fastball combination as 2023 progressed and the cutter became his primary pitch. Despite an inflated ERA, he struck out 25.2% of batters faced over 26 appearances in Triple-A. Fernandez has a checkered medical history that might scare some teams, but his outlier combination of velocity and feel for spin could be successful in a major league pen next season.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
Cardinals selected RHP Ryan Fernandez from the Red Sox with the sixth pick in the Rule 5 draft.
Fernandez had a 4.14 ERA in 54 1/3 innings as a minor league reliever last season, though he went from 1.77 in Double-A to 6.16 in Triple-A. The Cardinals will have him compete for a bullpen spot, but he’d seem to be one of the longer shots to stick of the 10 players selected in the major league portion of today’s draft.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/ryan-fernandez/68801
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
Shane Drohan, LHP, Red Sox
Few pitchers performed as well as Drohan over the opening months of the season. He allowed just five earned runs while striking out 36 batters compared to nine walks over his first 34 innings with Double-A Portland. The lefty flashed more power on his four-seam fastball and an improved breaking ball in a reintroduced cutter. The wheels came off when he was promoted to Triple-A Worcester. Drohan produced a 6.47 ERA and 5.78 xFIP over 89 innings in 19 starts with the WooSox. Despite his late-season struggles, Drohan has improved each season as a professional and possesses an above-average changeup. In fact, his changeup ranked 19th best across the entire minor leagues in 2023 for accumulated run value. Could being a lefthander with a true major league quality changeup be enough to earn Drohan selection?
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
White Sox selected LHP Shane Drohan from the Red Sox with the fourth pick in the Rule 5 draft.
It was a surprise that the Red Sox didn’t put Drohan on the 40-man, even though he struggled to a 6.47 ERA in his first attempt at Triple-A last season. The White Sox are rebuilding, so they’ll give him a look as a potential fifth starter. He’d most likely be a liability initially, but there’s definitely some chance of him becoming a solid starter in the long run.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/shane-dro ... ff309200f4
Alex, Shane Drohan seems like a Solid mid rotation Lefty who should be up in 2024 and could be a nice piece going forward but he seems underrated. Thoughts?
Alex Speier
5 days ago
At the start of the year, Drohan looked like he might have a chance to be more of a back-end starter (4/5) based on his increased velocity and altered pitch mix (cutter). But his stuff really backed off during the year, and his 2023 season tracked in a fashion that was very close to what Chris Murphy did in 2022. If Drohan becomes what Murphy was in the big leagues this year -- good multi-innings reliever -- that would be a very successful pick, but the general industry view of his future is a reliever.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ects-chat/
Few pitchers performed as well as Drohan over the opening months of the season. He allowed just five earned runs while striking out 36 batters compared to nine walks over his first 34 innings with Double-A Portland. The lefty flashed more power on his four-seam fastball and an improved breaking ball in a reintroduced cutter. The wheels came off when he was promoted to Triple-A Worcester. Drohan produced a 6.47 ERA and 5.78 xFIP over 89 innings in 19 starts with the WooSox. Despite his late-season struggles, Drohan has improved each season as a professional and possesses an above-average changeup. In fact, his changeup ranked 19th best across the entire minor leagues in 2023 for accumulated run value. Could being a lefthander with a true major league quality changeup be enough to earn Drohan selection?
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-2023/
White Sox selected LHP Shane Drohan from the Red Sox with the fourth pick in the Rule 5 draft.
It was a surprise that the Red Sox didn’t put Drohan on the 40-man, even though he struggled to a 6.47 ERA in his first attempt at Triple-A last season. The White Sox are rebuilding, so they’ll give him a look as a potential fifth starter. He’d most likely be a liability initially, but there’s definitely some chance of him becoming a solid starter in the long run.
https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/shane-dro ... ff309200f4
Alex, Shane Drohan seems like a Solid mid rotation Lefty who should be up in 2024 and could be a nice piece going forward but he seems underrated. Thoughts?
Alex Speier
5 days ago
At the start of the year, Drohan looked like he might have a chance to be more of a back-end starter (4/5) based on his increased velocity and altered pitch mix (cutter). But his stuff really backed off during the year, and his 2023 season tracked in a fashion that was very close to what Chris Murphy did in 2022. If Drohan becomes what Murphy was in the big leagues this year -- good multi-innings reliever -- that would be a very successful pick, but the general industry view of his future is a reliever.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ects-chat/
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
3. Nick Nastrini, RHP
Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High.
Track Record: The 2023 trade deadline deal that brought Nastrini and Double-A reliever Jordan Leasure from the Dodgers for veteran pitchers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly may turn out to be Chicago’s best trade of the year. Drafted in the fourth round in 2021, Nastrini pitched at Double-A for the Dodgers in 2023 and reached Triple-A Charlotte after the trade. That was an impressive feat for a pitcher who was dropped from the UCLA rotation late in 2021 with a case of the yips. The Dodgers got Nastrini back on track in pro ball, where he has flashed an outstanding fastball with a trio of average to above-average pitches. In his career he has compensated for elevated walk rates—11% for his career—with top-flight strikeout rates, including a mark near 28% in 2023.
Scouting Report: Nastrini has a four-pitch arsenal that he can throw for strikes and get swings-and-misses. His riding fastball sits 93-97 mph with tail and run, and he often uses it at the top of the zone. His heater is paired with an above-average 78-80 mph curveball down in the zone. The pitch has 12-to-6 break and some bite. Nastrini’s 87 mph slider has tilt and depth, sometimes playing more like a cutter, and it gets chases from righthanded hitters. He pairs it with a mid-80s changeup that is effective against lefthanders. Nastrini has a polished, repeatable delivery but at times gets too upright and needs to stay consistent.
The Future: With the potential to be a No. 3 or 4 starter, Nastrini will likely reach Chicago at some point in 2024. He might have already made his MLB debut late in 2023 had he remained with the contending Dodgers, who suffered a rash of rotation injuries, but regardless he won’t have to wait much longer.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High.
Track Record: The 2023 trade deadline deal that brought Nastrini and Double-A reliever Jordan Leasure from the Dodgers for veteran pitchers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly may turn out to be Chicago’s best trade of the year. Drafted in the fourth round in 2021, Nastrini pitched at Double-A for the Dodgers in 2023 and reached Triple-A Charlotte after the trade. That was an impressive feat for a pitcher who was dropped from the UCLA rotation late in 2021 with a case of the yips. The Dodgers got Nastrini back on track in pro ball, where he has flashed an outstanding fastball with a trio of average to above-average pitches. In his career he has compensated for elevated walk rates—11% for his career—with top-flight strikeout rates, including a mark near 28% in 2023.
Scouting Report: Nastrini has a four-pitch arsenal that he can throw for strikes and get swings-and-misses. His riding fastball sits 93-97 mph with tail and run, and he often uses it at the top of the zone. His heater is paired with an above-average 78-80 mph curveball down in the zone. The pitch has 12-to-6 break and some bite. Nastrini’s 87 mph slider has tilt and depth, sometimes playing more like a cutter, and it gets chases from righthanded hitters. He pairs it with a mid-80s changeup that is effective against lefthanders. Nastrini has a polished, repeatable delivery but at times gets too upright and needs to stay consistent.
The Future: With the potential to be a No. 3 or 4 starter, Nastrini will likely reach Chicago at some point in 2024. He might have already made his MLB debut late in 2023 had he remained with the contending Dodgers, who suffered a rash of rotation injuries, but regardless he won’t have to wait much longer.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
Does Jordan Leasure have closer level upside? Thanks!
Bill Mitchell
6 hours ago
It would not surprise me to eventually see Leasure in a closer role. He has elite swing-and-miss stuff now , and the word is that he's working on a third pitch to use against lefthanded batters. He'll be in the White Sox bullpen at some point in 2024, so keep an eye on his pitch arsenal and see how well he handles big league hitters. You'll learn more about him when you get your copy of the Prospect Handbook because he's ranked not too far outside the top ten.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ects-chat/
Bill Mitchell
6 hours ago
It would not surprise me to eventually see Leasure in a closer role. He has elite swing-and-miss stuff now , and the word is that he's working on a third pitch to use against lefthanded batters. He'll be in the White Sox bullpen at some point in 2024, so keep an eye on his pitch arsenal and see how well he handles big league hitters. You'll learn more about him when you get your copy of the Prospect Handbook because he's ranked not too far outside the top ten.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ects-chat/
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
8. Cristian Mena, RHP
Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
Track Record: Mena signed with the White Sox in 2019 for $250,000, but because of the pandemic did not make his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League until 2021. He has since moved rapidly through the system, spending most of his age-20 season at Double-A Birmingham in 2023 before moving up to Triple-A Charlotte for four starts. He has struck out more than a batter per inning at every assignment in his career, and his 136 strikeouts ranked fourth in the Southern League in 2023. Mena continued missing bats at Triple-A, indicating his bat-missing stuff was not solely a product of the pre-tacked ball used in the SL in the first half.
Scouting Report: Mena thrives with a combination of fastball, curveball and slider, with his heater sitting at 92 mph and touching 95 with riding life. He has feel for the pitch and gets swings-and-misses up in the zone. A plus 12-to-6 curveball with gloveside life has been his bread-and-butter pitch—and probably an overused one early in his career—but now complements it with a slider added to his repertoire in 2022. Mena’s 80-85 mph curveball has 11-to-5 shape and more depth than his slider. He used his slider more than his curveball in 2023, with the pitch averaging 84 mph and touching 87 with more horizontal movement. He’s gone back and forth between his slider being a sweeper and a smaller gyro shape. He needs to be more consistent with the pitch. Mena’s average changeup is too hard at 88-90 mph, but he has good feel for it. Mena consistently shows confidence and good mound presence.
The Future: Mena will return to Triple-A Charlotte in 2024 and could make his major league debut while still just 21 years old. With a complete package of pitches and his desire for continual improvement, he should meet the projection of a No. 4 starter before long.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
Track Record: Mena signed with the White Sox in 2019 for $250,000, but because of the pandemic did not make his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League until 2021. He has since moved rapidly through the system, spending most of his age-20 season at Double-A Birmingham in 2023 before moving up to Triple-A Charlotte for four starts. He has struck out more than a batter per inning at every assignment in his career, and his 136 strikeouts ranked fourth in the Southern League in 2023. Mena continued missing bats at Triple-A, indicating his bat-missing stuff was not solely a product of the pre-tacked ball used in the SL in the first half.
Scouting Report: Mena thrives with a combination of fastball, curveball and slider, with his heater sitting at 92 mph and touching 95 with riding life. He has feel for the pitch and gets swings-and-misses up in the zone. A plus 12-to-6 curveball with gloveside life has been his bread-and-butter pitch—and probably an overused one early in his career—but now complements it with a slider added to his repertoire in 2022. Mena’s 80-85 mph curveball has 11-to-5 shape and more depth than his slider. He used his slider more than his curveball in 2023, with the pitch averaging 84 mph and touching 87 with more horizontal movement. He’s gone back and forth between his slider being a sweeper and a smaller gyro shape. He needs to be more consistent with the pitch. Mena’s average changeup is too hard at 88-90 mph, but he has good feel for it. Mena consistently shows confidence and good mound presence.
The Future: Mena will return to Triple-A Charlotte in 2024 and could make his major league debut while still just 21 years old. With a complete package of pitches and his desire for continual improvement, he should meet the projection of a No. 4 starter before long.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
9. Jonathan Cannon, RHP
Ht: 6'6" | Wt: 213 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
Track Record: Cannon generated first-round buzz early in 2021, when he was draft-eligible as a Georgia sophomore, but his stock dropped after he missed time with an illness. He went undrafted after announcing that he would return to school. The White Sox drafted him in the third round in 2022, signing him for $925,000. After throwing just 7.1 innings in his draft year, Cannon reached Double-A in his first full season, showing a full assortment of six pitches.
Scouting Report: Cannon is a polished pitcher with a high floor. He is a strike-thrower who pounds the zone with a fastball at 93-97 mph. His two-seamer has tail and sink to both sides of the plate, while his four-seamer has ride up in the zone. Cannon complements his fastball with a nasty, bat-breaking cutter right around 90 mph, and he holds his velocity deep into games. Cannon’s best secondary offering is an above-average sweeping slider that averages 84 mph and gets up to 87. His average 80-82 mph curveball with 11-to-5 shape has more down action but also some horizontal movement. Cannon gets ground balls and soft contact from his 85-87 mph changeup with good down action. He’s a control-over-command pitcher now, with the next step forward to consistently repeat his delivery and command his pitches better. He sometimes gets across his body and has a little stiffness on his front side, spinning off and losing his direction.
The Future: Cannon will head back to Double-A looking to refine his command and continue to develop his arsenal. He’s a big-bodied, durable pitcher who should be a prototype No. 4 or 5 starter who burns innings, though it’s not out of the question for Cannon to improve enough to slot into the middle of the rotation.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50. CUT: 55 | Control: 60
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
Ht: 6'6" | Wt: 213 | B-T: R-R
Age: null
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
Track Record: Cannon generated first-round buzz early in 2021, when he was draft-eligible as a Georgia sophomore, but his stock dropped after he missed time with an illness. He went undrafted after announcing that he would return to school. The White Sox drafted him in the third round in 2022, signing him for $925,000. After throwing just 7.1 innings in his draft year, Cannon reached Double-A in his first full season, showing a full assortment of six pitches.
Scouting Report: Cannon is a polished pitcher with a high floor. He is a strike-thrower who pounds the zone with a fastball at 93-97 mph. His two-seamer has tail and sink to both sides of the plate, while his four-seamer has ride up in the zone. Cannon complements his fastball with a nasty, bat-breaking cutter right around 90 mph, and he holds his velocity deep into games. Cannon’s best secondary offering is an above-average sweeping slider that averages 84 mph and gets up to 87. His average 80-82 mph curveball with 11-to-5 shape has more down action but also some horizontal movement. Cannon gets ground balls and soft contact from his 85-87 mph changeup with good down action. He’s a control-over-command pitcher now, with the next step forward to consistently repeat his delivery and command his pitches better. He sometimes gets across his body and has a little stiffness on his front side, spinning off and losing his direction.
The Future: Cannon will head back to Double-A looking to refine his command and continue to develop his arsenal. He’s a big-bodied, durable pitcher who should be a prototype No. 4 or 5 starter who burns innings, though it’s not out of the question for Cannon to improve enough to slot into the middle of the rotation.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50. CUT: 55 | Control: 60
https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... =preseason
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
7. Adam Macko, MIRP
Drafted: 7th Round, 2019 from Vauxhall HS (AB) (SEA)
Age 23.0 Height 6′ 0″ Weight 170 Bat / Thr L / L FV 45
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Fastball Slider Curveball Changeup Command Sits/Tops
55/55 55/55 60/60 55/60 40/45 92-94 / 96
Born in Slovakia and raised in Alberta, Macko was a top Canadian prospect when he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. Since then, he’s been plagued by injury, which has limited his play time significantly. But he stayed healthy all year in 2023 and nearly doubled what had previously been his highest innings total for a season, jumping from just 38.1 innings in 2022 to 86 innings in 2023 (both at High-A).
He is on the shorter side for a pitcher, with very short arms even for his size, and he’s lowered his arm slot since being drafted, enhancing the deception he creates from his uphill lefty delivery, and making it difficult for hitters to adjust to it. His signature secondary is his curveball, which is cartoonishly slow – the kind of loopy offering Bugs Bunny would get three whiffs on before the ball reached the catcher. Even so, it features so much depth that while it’s relatively easy to identify out of his hand, its shape often prevents hitters from connecting with it. He uses his slider more often than the curveball – in fact, his slider usage has at times rivaled his fastball, with both sitting near 40%. The shape of the slider isn’t as impressive as that of the curveball, but it sits in the mid-80s, splitting the difference between his curve and his 92-94 mph fastball. With a low-80s changeup added to his arsenal, he is armed with a four-pitch mix with enough velocity separation to be very effective when Macko’s command is working for him. The command is inconsistent, though, and seeing as how the effectiveness of his mix depends on it, it’s an area in need of major improvement if Macko wants to find his way into a big league starting rotation. Still, we think he’s going to be a valuable weapon on a pitching staff even if he ends up as a long reliever. He’s now on Toronto’s 40-man roster, but it wouldn’t surprise us if he spent his first option year entirely in the minors with an eye on increasing his per-outing and whole-season innings count.
Rafael Lantigua, UTIL
Lantigua plays all over the place and has lovely feel for all-fields contact. He’s a great Triple-A depth option.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/toronto-blu ... prospects/
Drafted: 7th Round, 2019 from Vauxhall HS (AB) (SEA)
Age 23.0 Height 6′ 0″ Weight 170 Bat / Thr L / L FV 45
Tool Grades (Present/Future)
Fastball Slider Curveball Changeup Command Sits/Tops
55/55 55/55 60/60 55/60 40/45 92-94 / 96
Born in Slovakia and raised in Alberta, Macko was a top Canadian prospect when he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. Since then, he’s been plagued by injury, which has limited his play time significantly. But he stayed healthy all year in 2023 and nearly doubled what had previously been his highest innings total for a season, jumping from just 38.1 innings in 2022 to 86 innings in 2023 (both at High-A).
He is on the shorter side for a pitcher, with very short arms even for his size, and he’s lowered his arm slot since being drafted, enhancing the deception he creates from his uphill lefty delivery, and making it difficult for hitters to adjust to it. His signature secondary is his curveball, which is cartoonishly slow – the kind of loopy offering Bugs Bunny would get three whiffs on before the ball reached the catcher. Even so, it features so much depth that while it’s relatively easy to identify out of his hand, its shape often prevents hitters from connecting with it. He uses his slider more often than the curveball – in fact, his slider usage has at times rivaled his fastball, with both sitting near 40%. The shape of the slider isn’t as impressive as that of the curveball, but it sits in the mid-80s, splitting the difference between his curve and his 92-94 mph fastball. With a low-80s changeup added to his arsenal, he is armed with a four-pitch mix with enough velocity separation to be very effective when Macko’s command is working for him. The command is inconsistent, though, and seeing as how the effectiveness of his mix depends on it, it’s an area in need of major improvement if Macko wants to find his way into a big league starting rotation. Still, we think he’s going to be a valuable weapon on a pitching staff even if he ends up as a long reliever. He’s now on Toronto’s 40-man roster, but it wouldn’t surprise us if he spent his first option year entirely in the minors with an eye on increasing his per-outing and whole-season innings count.
Rafael Lantigua, UTIL
Lantigua plays all over the place and has lovely feel for all-fields contact. He’s a great Triple-A depth option.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/toronto-blu ... prospects/
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Padres
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Re: 2024 Padres Prospect News and Notes
OF: Jacob Melton (HOU No. 1)
A+/AA: .245/.334/.467, 99 G, 23 HR, 55 RBI, 83 R, 52 BB, 46 SB
The 2022 second-rounder led the organization in runs scored and was a dynamic hitter atop the Asheville lineup as one of five Minor Leaguers to go 20-40. He showed even more power in Double-A, where he went deep five times in 13 games. Buffa says the team knew Melton would be an impact hitter from his time at Oregon State, but the Astros have been impressed by how humble and great he is to work with.
https://www.mlb.com/news/houston-astros ... e-coverage
24. Hunter Goodman, Rockies
Projected to be a potential 30–home run bat in the majors, Goodman debuted at Coors last year, though in the outfield and at first base. The best-case scenario is that Goodman manages to get full-time at-bats while still qualifying at catcher.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2024/
A+/AA: .245/.334/.467, 99 G, 23 HR, 55 RBI, 83 R, 52 BB, 46 SB
The 2022 second-rounder led the organization in runs scored and was a dynamic hitter atop the Asheville lineup as one of five Minor Leaguers to go 20-40. He showed even more power in Double-A, where he went deep five times in 13 games. Buffa says the team knew Melton would be an impact hitter from his time at Oregon State, but the Astros have been impressed by how humble and great he is to work with.
https://www.mlb.com/news/houston-astros ... e-coverage
24. Hunter Goodman, Rockies
Projected to be a potential 30–home run bat in the majors, Goodman debuted at Coors last year, though in the outfield and at first base. The best-case scenario is that Goodman manages to get full-time at-bats while still qualifying at catcher.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -for-2024/
