2023 Top 100 Prospects: Notable Risers And Fallers In May Update

Risers

Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles (from No. 12 to No. 7)

Holiday’s inclusion here violates the rule of noting those players who moved up or down more than 10 spots. But moving into the Top 10 is notable in itself. Holliday needed less than a month to show that he was too advanced for Low-A and he’s so far showing he’s fully capable of handling High-A, even though he was playing high school ball at this time a year ago.

Evan Carter, OF, Rangers (from No. 22 to No. 11)

Entering the year, the biggest question revolving around Carter was whether he’d develop power to go along with his excellent command of the strike zone. So far, the results are positive. His exit velocities are up, and he’s taking advantage of the hitter-friendly environs of the Texas League.

Brett Baty, 3B, Mets (Up 10 from No. 26 to No. 16)

Baty’s demotion at the end of spring training earned a collective groan from Mets fans, but it didn’t keep the hard-hitting third baseman down for long. After Baty hit .400/.500/.886 over the first nine games of the Triple-A season he earned a promotion to the major leagues. Since that time Baty has hit .286/.344/.446 in 17 games with the Mets and earned regular at-bats. It’s easy to see why Baty is moving up—he’s a potential Rookie of the Year candidate in the early part of the season. 

Zach Neto, SS, Angels (from No. 47 to No. 26)

The Angels’ surprise promotion of Neto to the majors less than a year after he was drafted is aggressive, but Neto hasn’t looked overawed by the major leagues. His bat may suffer in the short term, but his defense has remained solid and his bat should eventually flourish.

Taj Bradley, RHP, Rays (from No. 38 to No. 27)

The Rays have gotten excellent work from Bradley when they have brought him up to the majors, although his Triple-A work has been much rockier. He looks to be a fixture in the Rays rotation at some point later this year.

Tanner Bibee, RHP, Guardians (from No. 78 to No. 29)

Bibee took a big jump in stuff last season, and he did it again this season. The Guardians helped the righthander amplify his stuff without sacrificing command of the strike zone and the results have led to a quick jump from Triple-A to the big leagues.

Masataka Yoshida, OF, Red Sox (from No. 51 to No. 40)

After a difficult stretch to open the season, Yoshida has settled in nicely in his new league. He’s in the midst of a 16-game hit streak that has pushed his overall line on the season to .321/.403/.536. He’s shown elite on-base ability and bat-to-ball skills with at least average power. Yoshida’s wRC+ of 155 ranks 15th among major league hitters. A much maligned signing this offseason, Yoshida is proving to be a smart investment by the Red Sox. 

Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Rays (from No. 55 to No. 41)

For Manzardo to be a useful big leaguer, he’s going to have to be a massive offensive force, as he’s an extremely slow first base/DH who can’t really play anywhere else. The good news for Manzardo is he’s hit everywhere he’s gone. Manzardo showed power and patience in his first month at Triple-A Durham. His career slugging percentage remains right around .600 (.599 as of May 9).

Mason Miller, RHP, Athletics (from No. 97 to No. 51)

The A’s didn’t get to see Miller pitch much until the Arizona Fall League last October. There, he showed arguably the best stuff in Arizona. After just one start at Double-A this year, he was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas. He needed only one start there to convince the A’s that they needed him in their big league rotation. He’s been the A’s best starter since arriving in Oakland a couple of weeks ago. His continued development of his slider and cutter will be necessary for him to keep dominating, but his high-90s fastball is a true bat-misser.

Junior Caminero, 3B/OF, Rays (from No. 98 to No. 52)

The Rays are often relatively cautious with how they promote prospects, but Caminero was pushed to High-A after just 117 plate appearances at Low-A last season. He’s more than handled the jump, proving to be one of the best hitters and sluggers in the South Atlantic League. He’s extremely aggressive at the plate, but his bat-to-ball skills and significant power have him bucking for a midseason promotion to Double-A.

Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Cardinals (from No. 72 to No. 55)

After a mediocre pair of years coming out of the pandemic, Liberatore has taken strides forward in 2023. He’s added velocity onto his fastball, he now sits in the mid 90s and touches 97 mph. He’s leaned into his plus curveball and mixed in his slider and changeup to strong results. It’s only a matter of time until Liberatore earns a permanent role in the Cardinals rotation. 

Cole Young, SS, Mariners (from No. 90 to No. 75)

Young has so far lived up to his reputation as one of the best pure hitters in the 2022 draft class. The 19-year-old shortstop is batting .306/.456/.469 with more walks (21) than strikeouts (20) at Low-A Modesto, showing a precocious mix of strike-zone discipline and contact ability. Young doesn’t have any home runs yet, but he’s shown plenty of extra-base power with eight doubles and four triples and is showing the ability to impact the ball. 

Bryce Miller, RHP, Mariners (from No. 91 to No. 79)

Miller’s magnificent fastball earned him a quick promotion to the majors, where he’s delivered back-to-back dominant starts to begin his big league career. While Miller’s stuff was never in doubt, his continued control improvements have elevated him to another level. Miller has 33 strikeouts and just four walks in 31.2 innings between Triple-A and the majors this year. As he continues to answer questions about his control and durability, Miller keeps asserting that he can remain a starter. 

Dalton Rushing, C, Dodgers (from No. 96 to No. 80)

Rushing immediately impressed in the Low-A California League upon making his pro debut last summer, and he’s continued thriving in the early months in the Midwest League. He’s solidifying his rep as one of the best offensive catching prospects in the minors.

Moving On

Heston Kjerstad, OF/1B, Orioles

Kjerstad is making up quickly after spending his first year of pro ball on the injured list with effects from the coronavirus. His power has returned in 2023, and he’s adding some position versatility with significant time at first base to go with his work in the outfield.

Ronny Mauricio, SS, Mets

Mauricio has long had plenty of tools but his propensity to swing-and-miss has led to doubts about whether he’d turn them into skills. In the early portion of the season, he’s gotten his strikeout rate under control without sacrificing power, which could help him make his big league debut at some point this spring or summer.

Colt Keith, 3B, Tigers

A shoulder injury cut Keith’s 2022 season short, but he demonstrated in the Arizona Fall League that he was fully recovered. Keith’s one of the better power hitters in the Double-A Eastern League this season. After playing second and third base in past years, the Tigers have let Keith focus on third base full-time this season. If he’s going to stay in the dirt, that’s his best position, as his plus arm helps make up for fringy range.

Fallers

Druw Jones, OF, D-backs (from No. 20 to No. 32)

Jones’ swing has never been textbook, but early this season he seems a little lost at the plate. He’s generally always figured it out and has shown an ability to adjust and adapt, but his lack of impact in April was notable. He had one extra-base hit in 10 games before going on the injured list with a quad injury.

Everson Pereira, OF, Yankees (from No. 71 to 85)

Pereira certainly has tools, but he needs to tone down the swing-and-miss in his game to help them play in games. In a return to Double-A after his first test was cut short by injury, Pereira is striking out at a clip of just more than 30%. The figure is almost identical to the one he produced at the same level a season ago. Pereira has missed plenty of time over the course of his career and is still just 22 years old, but he’s going to have to make more contact to reach his ceiling.

Elijah Green, OF, Nationals (from No. 53 to 86)

Green’s 45% strikeout rate so far this season is not just an unsustainable percentage, it’s one that even if he improved it by 10%, it still would remain a troubling number. Green isn’t chasing out of the zone as much as he is missing pitches to hit in the zone. He’s struck out at least once in 21 of his first 22 games, and already has nine three-strikeout games.

Ceddanne Rafaela, 2B/OF, Red Sox (from No. 64 to No. 76)

Whether it’s at shortstop or in center field, there’s little doubt that Rafaela will have defensive value once he reaches the big leagues. Now, the question is: Can he rein in his approach to take advantage of his raw tools at the plate? If he does, his stock will rebound.

Noelvi Marte, SS, Reds (from No. 57 to No. 84)

Early in 2022, there were questions about how big Marte had gotten and whether he’d stick at shortstop. In the Arizona Fall League, he began the transition to third base. Now, there are questions about whether he can hit. He got off to a very slow start in the Southern League, before a monster first week of May. Scout feedback for this list brought back serious concerns about what kind of hitter he can be in the long run.

Daniel Espino, RHP, Guardians (from No. 34 to No. 87)

Through the early portion of 2022, Espino looked like one of the best prospects in the minor leagues. He hasn’t pitched since April 29 of that year, however, and just had shoulder surgery that will keep him out between 12-14 months.

Miguel Bleis, OF, Red Sox (from No. 79 to No. 97)

Bleis has plenty of explosive tools, but evaluators early saw a swing with enough flaws that might prevent him from getting the most out of those gifts. The bat speed, foot speed and raw power are there, but he needs to fix his swing mechanics and improve his swing decisions to reach his ceiling.

New Rank	Old Rank	Diff.	Player	Team	Pos
1	1	0	Jackson Chourio	Brewers	OF
2	2	0	Jordan Walker	Cardinals	3B/OF
3	3	0	Elly De La Cruz	Reds	SS
4	4	0	Anthony Volpe	Yankees	SS
5	7	2	Grayson Rodriguez	Orioles	RHP
6	8	2	Eury Perez	Marlins	RHP
7	12	5	Jackson Holliday	Orioles	SS
8	5	-3	Francisco Alvarez	Mets	C
9	6	-3	Andrew Painter	Phillies	RHP
10	10	0	James Wood	Nationals	OF
11	22	11	Evan Carter	Rangers	OF
12	11	-1	Jordan Lawlar	D-Backs	SS
13	9	-4	Marcelo Mayer	Red Sox	SS
14	16	2	Gavin Williams	Guardians	RHP
15	26	11	Brett Baty	Mets	3B
16	15	-1	Diego Cartaya	Dodgers	C
17	17	0	Bobby Miller	Dodgers	RHP
18	21	3	Pete Crow-Armstrong	Cubs	OF
19	18	-1	Jackson Merrill	Padres	SS
20	19	-1	Endy Rodriguez	Pirates	C
21	13	-8	Kodai Senga	Mets	RHP
22	23	1	Brandon Pfaadt	D-Backs	RHP
23	24	1	Ricky Tiedemann	Blue Jays	LHP
24	28	4	Tyler Soderstrom	A’s	C/1B
25	47	22	Zach Neto	Angels	SS
26	38	12	Taj Bradley	Rays	RHP
27	29	2	Curtis Mead	Rays	2B/3B
28	78	50	Tanner Bibee	Guardians	RHP
29	27	-2	Sal Frelick	Brewers	OF
30	36	6	Logan O’Hoppe	Angels	C
31	20	-11	Druw Jones	D-Backs	OF
32	25	-7	Shane Baz	Rays	RHP
33	33	0	Mick Abel	Phillies	RHP
34	35	1	Colton Cowser	Orioles	OF
35	30	-5	Marco Luciano	Giants	SS
36	31	-5	Kyle Harrison	Giants	LHP
37	32	-5	Colson Montgomery	White Sox	SS
38	37	-1	Royce Lewis	Twins	SS/OF
39	51	12	Masataka Yoshida	Red Sox	OF
40	55	15	Kyle Manzardo	Rays	1B
41	39	-2	Brooks Lee	Twins	SS
42	40	-2	Emmanuel Rodriguez	Twins	OF
43	41	-2	Tink Hence	Cardinals	RHP
44	42	-2	Masyn Winn	Cardinals	SS
45	43	-2	Termarr Johnson	Pirates	2B
46	44	-2	Kevin Parada	Mets	C
47	45	-2	Zac Veen	Rockies	OF
48	46	-2	Carson Williams	Rays	SS
49	48	-1	Michael Busch	Dodgers	2B
50	97	47	Mason Miller	A’s	RHP
51	98	47	Junior Caminero	Rays	SS/3B
52	49	-3	Ryan Pepiot	Dodgers	RHP
53	50	-3	Gavin Stone	Dodgers	RHP
54	72	18	Matthew Liberatore	Cardinals	LHP
55	52	-3	Robert Hassell	Nationals	OF
56	54	-2	Owen White	Rangers	RHP
57	56	-1	Oswald Peraza	Yankees	SS
58	58	0	Harry Ford	Mariners	C
59	59	0	Edwin Arroyo	Reds	SS
60	60	0	Jasson Dominguez	Yankees	OF
61	61	0	Bo Naylor	Guardians	C
62	62	0	Dylan Lesko	Padres	RHP
63	63	0	Cam Collier	Reds	3B
64	65	1	George Valera	Guardians	OF
65	66	1	Henry Davis	Pirates	C
66	67	1	Luis Ortiz	Pirates	RHP
67	68	1	D.L. Hall	Orioles	LHP
68	69	1	Jordan Westburg	Orioles	SS/3B
69	74	5	Adael Amador	Rockies	SS
70	75	5	Yainer Diaz	Astros	C
71	77	6	Logan Allen	Guardians	LHP
72	70	-2	Brayan Rocchio	Guardians	SS
73	73	0	Drew Romo	Rockies	C
74	90	16	Cole Young	Mariners	SS
75	64	-11	Ceddanne Rafaela	Red Sox	OF/SS
76	81	5	Max Meyer	Marlins	RHP
77	82	5	Kevin Alcantara	Cubs	OF
78	91	13	Bryce Miller	Mariners	RHP
79	96	17	Dalton Rushing	Dodgers	C
80	83	3	Alex Ramirez	Mets	OF
81	84	3	Connor Norby	Orioles	2B
82	92	10	Ethan Salas	Padres	C
83	57	-26	Noelvi Marte	Reds	SS
84	71	-13	Everson Pereira	Yankees	OF
85	53	-32	Elijah Green	Nationals	OF
86	34	-52	Daniel Espino	Guardians	RHP
87	85	-2	Austin Wells	Yankees	C
88	86	-2	Joey Ortiz	Orioles	SS/2B
89	87	-2	Jonathan Aranda	Rays	2B
90	88	-2	Gavin Cross	Royals	OF
91	89	-2	Jett Williams	Mets	SS
92	93	1	Edouard Julien	Twins	2B
93	94	1	Joey Wiemer	Brewers	OF
94	95	1	Brice Turang	Brewers	2B/SS
95	99	4	Cade Horton	Cubs	RHP
96	79	-17	Miguel Bleis	Red Sox	OF
97	100	3	Edgar Quero	Angels	C
98	NR	NA	Heston Kjerstad	Orioles	OF
99	NR	NA	Ronny Mauricio	Mets	SS
100	NR	NA	Colt Keith	Tigers	3B