10 Unheralded Young Pitching Prospects With Plus Stuff, Performance In 2024

Tyler Gough, RHP, Mariners 

Age: 21
Stuff+: 119 

The Mariners signed Gough for $275,000 as a ninth-rounder in 2022. He debuted in 2023 with Low-A Modesto and made nine starts, then returned to the level in 2024, where he made 22 starts with a 4.03 ERA, 3.93 FIP and a 23.5% strikeout rate. Gough is a lesser-known name, but has interesting and projectable stuff. 

His 92-93 mph four-seam fastball touches 97 with plus vertical break in the 19-20 inches range with between 10-11 inches of armside run. Gough mixes a low-80s sweeper that averages 15 inches of horizontal break. His slider (129 Stuff+ score) grades out as the best pitch in his arsenal. His changeup grades well, too, and is his best swing-and-miss pitch in 2024. Most importantly, Gough has shown some ability to handle innings, getting into the fifth or later nine times in 2024. 

Moises Chace, RHP, Phillies 

Age: 21
Stuff+: 116 

The Phillies acquired Chace, a young righty with solid performance, at the deadline for Gregory Soto. Chace is fresh off his Double-A debut and owns a 3.43 ERA with 95 strikeouts to 34 walks over 65.2 innings pitched. After the Orioles limited Chace to three to four innings per start, the Phillies have taken the reins off, allowing him to go five innings the last two times out. 

Chace has a plus four-seam fastball, sitting 94-95 mph and touching 97 mph at peak. The four-seamer generates efficient shape, averaging 18 inches of induced vertical break and 11 inches of armside run from a 64-inch release height. This creates a unique -3.83 degree vertical approach angle, one of the flattest fastball planes in professional baseball. Chace pairs that with a low-80s sweepy slider that averages 13 inches of horizontal break. His low-80s changeup grades out well, with good vertical separation and an 11 mph split off the fastball. Acquiring a higher upside piece for a spare part may end up being a shrewd move by the Phillies. 

Yoniel Curet, RHP, Rays

Age: 21
Stuff+: 115

Few pitchers in the minors live off their fastball as much as Curet. The powerful Rays righthander throws the pitch over 65% of the time and still generates good results. Over 21 starts with High-A Bowling Green, Curet owns a 3.28 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate with a .198 opponent batting average. Curet also impressed after his promotion to Double-A Montgomery last week. 

He mixes a plus fastball that sits 94-96 mph touching 98 mph at peak with average vertical break and heavy armside run from over 6.5 feet of extension. Despite the high usage on his fastball, Curet still generates a high number of whiffs with a 13.1% swinging strike rate. His primary secondary is a hard 85-88 mph slider with cutter-like shape that shows bat-missing ability. Curet’s changeup is clearly a third pitch, but has also shown some bat-missing skills. Curet’s high fastball usage and fringe command gives him some relief risk, but he continues to perform at a young age at higher levels. 

Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets 

Age: 23
Stuff+: 114 

A two-way star at Oklahoma State, McLean was drafted in 2022 by the Orioles but didn’t sign and returned to campus. The Mets drafted him in the third round the following year and he has been very good in his professional debut. Over 21 starts, most of which came in Double-A, McLean owns a 3.89 ERA with a 25% strikeout rate to a 8.3% walk rate. After moonlighting as a two-way player earlier in 2024, the Mets made the announcement in mid-July that McLean would exclusively pitch going forward. It’s a wise choice, as McLean has excellent stuff. 

His four-seam fastball grades out at 107 Stuff+ sitting 94-96 mph with average vertical break and nearly a foot of armside run from a 64-inch release height, creating good plane. McLean’s slider is the highest-graded pitch in his arsenal. It’s an excellent bat-misser sitting 85-86 mph with on average 14 inches of horizontal break. McLean has one of the best combinations of power and movement you’ll see on a sweeper. He also mixes in a changeup and cutter, but uses them much less frequently than his fastball-slider combination. Could McLean be another potential future rotation piece lurking in the Mets’ farm? 

Edgar Portes, RHP, Orioles

Age: 21 
Stuff+: 113 

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, Portes has taken some time to marinate in the Orioles system, but has experienced a true breakout in 2024. Over 22 appearances (11 starts), Portes has pitched to a 3.30 ERA, backed by a 3.28 FIP with a 29.9% strikeout rate. His command is still shaky with a 12% walk rate, and he’s been limited to three to four innings mostly. 

Portes pitches off his slider as his primary pitch. It makes sense considering its unique ride-sweeper shape. His 90-93 mph fastball touches 96 with plus vertical break from nearly seven feet of extension. The fastball certainly plays. His fringy changeup is his third pitch, but it’s less important because of his slider quality. Portes has generated a nearly 25% swinging strike rate against the slider despite heavy usage in 2024. His slider is a standout pitch, and his fastball shape and release couple play up further in the coming years with added power. 

Chris Campos, RHP, Dodgers

Age: 24
Stuff+: 113

Campos is the second former two-way player on the list. He spent the majority of his St. Mary’s career at shortstop, but the Dodgers converted him to pitching full-time after selecting him in the seventh round in 2022. The results back the decision. Campos threw just 34.2 innings collegiately and quickly surpassed that number as a professional. He’s experiencing a breakout season in 2024. Campos owns a 3.17 ERA over 21 outings (14 starts) with a 25.3% strikeout rate to just a 6.6% walk rate. He reached Double-A in late June and continued to perform well with Tulsa. 

Campos’ 92-94 mph fastball touches 96 mph and averages 19 inches of IVB and 10 inches of horizontal break. He has excellent plane, generating a -4.1 VAA due to his 65-inch release height and 6.5 feet of extension. Campos’ 85-87 mph cut-slider is his primary secondary and generates around a 25% swinging strike rate. He mixes in a changeup as well to solid results this season. Campos might be the next breakout name to develop into a big league starter from the Dodgers’ player development machine. 

Adam Serwinowski, LHP, Reds

Age: 20
Stuff+: 113

The Reds took it slow with Serwinowski after drafting him out of high school in the 15th round of the 2022 draft. He didn’t make his full-season debut until 2024, and the results have justified their methodical approach. Over 22 starts this season, Serwinowski has pitched to a 3.52 ERA, 3.51 FIP while striking out 29.2% of batters he’s faced while keeping the ball in the park. 

Serwinowski’s 93-95 mph four-seamer touches 97 and averages 18 inches of induced vertical break and cut. His 82-83 mph slider is his primary secondary. It has depth, sweep and generates an 18.4% swinging strike rate. He’s still developing a third pitch. Serwinowski will flash a curveball, but an offspeed is needed. He’s still years away, though, and is showing a serious one-two punch in his fastball and slider. 

Santiago Suarez, RHP, Rays

Age: 19
Stuff+: 113 

This list is littered with Rays. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising given their taste for pitchers with good stuff. Suarez signed with the Marlins out of Venezuela in 2022. They traded him to the Rays that November in the Xavier Edwards deal. It’s looking like another shrewd move by the Rays, as Suarez is developing into one of the best young pitchers in their system. Over 19 starts with Low-A Charleston in 2024, Suarez owns a 4.24 ERA but his 3.57 FIP and 2.93 xFIP put that number into perspective. 

Suarez shows power and bat-missing ability with at least above-average command, striking out 25.9% of batters faced while walking just 4.3%. Even more impressive, Suarez has gone five or more innings in 14 of his 19 starts. Stuff wise, Suarez is a standout mixing a four-seam fastball at 94-95 mph with on average 18 inches of ride with 6-feet-8 of extension and four secondaries. His primary secondary is a high-80s cutter, but he also shows a low-80s curveball, slider and a splitter. It’s an interesting mix with good results to match. Suarez is a name to follow over the next two seasons as he ascends to the major leagues. 

Brody Hopkins, RHP, Rays

Age: 22
Stuff+: 112 

The Rays made another savvy move (it’s a theme!) when they acquired Hopkins as a part of the Randy Arozarena swap. A two-way player in college at College of Charleston and then Winthrop, Hopkins is a standout athlete that has taken well to a pitcher-only role. At the time of his acquisition, opposing scouts and analysts had much higher grades on Hopkins than the public. So far, Hopkins is showing those were wise evaluations. Hopkins has dominated in three starts with High-A Bowling Green, striking out 19 batters to just three walks over 15.1 innings. 

The righty mixes four pitches with above-average stuff grades in a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider and a cutter. Hopkins’ slider is the standout if his arsenal sitting 87 mph with two-plane break. His fastball variations have distinct shape from each other, both sitting 94-96 mph and touching 99 mph at peak. He generates average extension but his lower slot allows him to release both of his fastball variants from a 57-58 inch release height. Hopkins has all the ingredients to develop into another Rays trade and development success story. 

Jhancarlos Lara, RHP, Braves

Age: 21
Stuff+: 111

Lara’s stuff has never been a question. He pairs two pitches with well above-average stuff grades. Promoted to Double-A last week Lara’s debut was rocky, but he dominated over 15 appearances (14 starts) with High-A Rome. He pitched to a 3.92 ERA with a 3.74 FIP while striking out 26.2% or batters. His command is still very shaky but has shown signs of improvement. 

Lara mixes a four-seam fastball that sits 97-98 mph touching 101 mph with 6-feet-7 of extension, playing up his fastball plane despite a higher release height. His primary secondary is a low-90s cutter with power that generates whiffs at a rate north of 38%. Lara’s changeup is still developing and improving that pitch in the coming years could cement his place as a starter. Lara has some warts, but exciting stuff and potential.