Atlanta Braves

David McCabe, 3B/1B

McCabe hit well as an older player in pitcher-friendly Class A leagues in 2023 but missed the first four months of this season after having Tommy John surgery in February. He returned to Double-A Mississippi as a DH on July 30 as the 24-year-old looks forward to proving his bat at the upper levels in 2025. 

Baltimore Orioles

Max Wagner, 3B/2B

The Orioles have had a lot of things work out this season, both in MLB and the minor leagues. Wagner is one exception. While the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and Baltimore second-rounder was not expected to be a major factor this season, his effort has been completely short-circuited by injuries. He had surgery on his hamate bone in the offseason and has missed all but 25 games this season with a back injury. 

Boston Red Sox

Nazzan Zanetello, SS

The Red Sox knew it would take to develop Zanetello after they drafted him in the second round out of high school in 2023 and signed him for $3 million. A lot of work remains to be done after the athletic shortstop hit .163 with a 41% strikeout rate through 69 games at Low-A Salem.

Chicago Cubs

BJ Murray, 3B

Murray hit 16 home runs and drew 82 walks for Double-A Tennessee in 2023 and appeared in the Futures Game. His bat never really got going at Triple-A Iowa this season despite showing his trademark control of the strike zone. Murray hit .204/.320/.348 with 11 homers in 88 games prior to being demoted back to Double-A.

Chicago White Sox

Colson Montgomery, SS

Montgomery has struggled with the automated ball-strike system at Triple-A, with older pitchers working him backwards and potentially dealing with the after effects of back and oblique injuries in 2023. It has all added up to a forgettable debut season at Triple-A this year in which he hit .210/.326/.375 with 14 home runs through 107 games for Charlotte.   

Cincinnati Reds

Connor Phillips, RHP

Phillips thrived with the pre-tacked ball in the Double-A Southern League in the first half of 2023, but his walk rate regressed at Triple-A in the second half. That trend continued this season at Louisville, where his 16.6% walk rate ranked among the highest at Triple-A. Phillips’ path forward could require overpowering hitters in shorter stints.     

Cleveland Guardians

Daniel Espino, RHP

Espino’s season ended before it began when he had shoulder surgery in March to repair his capsule and rotator cuff. It’s the latest setback in the career of a young pitcher who struck out 152 batters in 91.2 innings in 2021. But a series of season-ending injuries means that Espino has not appeared in a game since April 29, 2022. 

Colorado Rockies

Adael Amador, 2B

Amador made his MLB debut in June, but aside from that 10-game trial, it has been a forgettable season for the 21-year-old who entered the year as the Rockies’ No. 1 prospect. Through 86 games for Double-A Hartford, Amador hit .218/.336/.362 with 12 home runs and 31 stolen bases.

Detroit Tigers

Troy Melton, RHP

Melton found success in 2023 as a college pitcher at a pair of Class A levels, posting a 2.74 ERA with a strikeout per inning and just five home runs allowed in 92 innings. His home run rate has regressed hard to the mean at Double-A Erie this season, where he has allowed 19 of them through 100.2 innings. The good news for Melton is that his strikeout and walk rates remain strong.

Houston Astros

Kenedy Corona, OF

Corona has a strong defensive reputation and handled center field regularly for Double-A Corpus Christi. His offensive upside is less certain based on substandard bat-to-ball skills, propensity to chase and high groundball rate. He hit .219/.326/.298 in 78 games for Corpus Christi prior to a late promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land. 

Kansas City Royals

Frank Mozzicato, LHP

Mozzicato’s control has never been pristine, but throwing strikes has been a major issue since he reached High-A Quad Cities in the second half of 2023. His velocity is down this season, and he lacks a putaway pitch, meaning that he has tended to nibble. Mozzicato has a 3.75 ERA through 93.2 innings, with 79 strikeouts and 62 walks.

Los Angeles Angels

Kyren Paris, 2B

Paris made his MLB debut late in the 2023 season but failed to capitalize on that this season. He began 2024 back at Double-A Rocket City, received a 21-game callup to Anaheim in May, which was followed by a demotion to Triple-A Salt Lake in June. Paris hit just .168/.246/.275 in 42 minor league games and has been on the Salt Lake injured list since July 11. He should get another MLB shot next season as a 23-year-old.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Maddux Bruns, LHP

It’s been a newsworthy year for Dodgers pitching prospects. Landon Knack and Justin Wrobleski made their MLB debuts. Nick Frasso had season-ending shoulder surgery in February, while Kyle Hurt and River Ryan had Tommy John surgery during the season. Bruns, meanwhile, got a late start at High-A Great Lakes, then missed June and July with a back injury before returning in August. His stuff misses bats—37 strikeouts in 28.1 innings—but his 15.6% walk rate remains too high and pushes his pitch counts to the extreme too early in starts.

Miami Marlins

Dillon Head, OF

Drafted in the first round in 2023 by the Padres, Head joined the Marlins in the May trade that sent Luis Arraez to San Diego. He played in 26 games this season—just five for the Marlins—before having season-ending hip surgery in June. Head is a speed-and-defense-forward player with a chance to hit.  

Milwaukee Brewers

Brock Wilken, 3B

The Brewers drafted Wake Forest slugger at No. 18 overall in 2023, intrigued by his ready-made power. While Wilken has been serviceable for Double-A Biloxi this season, the Brewers were expecting more than a .210/.321/.374 batting line with 15 home runs and a strikeout rate near 27% through 94 games.

Minnesota Twins

Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF

The Twins’ top two young hitters, Walker Jenkins and Rodriguez, have been hampered by injuries this season. Jenkins is back and hitting with High-A Cedar Rapids. Rodriguez hasn’t played for Double-A Wichita since June 5 as he has dealt with a right thumb injury. He obliterated the Texas League while healthy—.298/.479/.621 in 37 games—but has now spent a chunk of each of his four pro seasons on the injured list. 

New York Mets

Jett Williams, SS

Williams had surgery on his right wrist in June but had not played since April 21. He returned to action on Aug. 21 and was still finding his groove after missing May, June, July and most of August. Williams is a prime candidate for an offseason assignment to the Arizona Fall League. 

New York Yankees

Everson Pereira, OF

Pereira hit well for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for 40 games but was not able to gain additional MLB experience after making his debut in 2023. He had elbow surgery on June 14 to repair a torn ligament and will miss the rest of the season.

Oakland Athletics

Myles Naylor, SS

The younger brother of Josh and Bo Naylor has had a rougher introduction to full-season ball than they did. Through 107 games at Low-A Stockton, Myles hit .195/.328/.326 with 10 home runs and a healthy 16% walk rate—but also a strikeout rate near 33%.

Philadelphia Phillies

Mick Abel, RHP

Walks are a problem for many young power pitchers throwing to the automated ball-strike systems at Triple-A. Abel is no exception. His 15% walk rate and 5.88 ERA are among the highest at the level, a byproduct of advanced hitters staying in the strike zone more often. Abel just turned 23 years old and has a largely clean bill of health in pro ball, putting him in position to progress in 2025. 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Anthony Solometo, LHP

Solometo reached Double-A Altoona as a 20-year-old in 2023 but has not made a smooth transition to to the level this season. Through 46.2 innings he had a 6.17 ERA for Altoona with 36 strikeouts and 32 walks. He didn’t record an out in the fifth inning until August. Solometo’s velocity is down and he spent time on the development list in June, but he’s young enough to get back on track next season.

St. Louis Cardinals

Tekoah Roby, RHP

The Cardinals added Roby and Thomas Saggese when they dealt Jordan Montgomery to the Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline. Roby made four promising starts for Double-A Springfield after the trade, but his followup effort has been a washout. Roby dealt with a back injury in the spring and missed more than three months while dealing with a shoulder injury. The 22-year-old has a checkered injury history but also has youth on his side.

San Diego Padres

Ethan Salas, C

Salas entered the season as a top 10 overall prospect but hasn’t hit enough to hold the line. Still, he’s an 18-year-old lefthanded-hitting catcher with a high level of defensive skill and maturity. As he gains physicality and reps, Salas will rebound from his current station. Through 103 games for High-A Fort Wayne, he hit .208/.293/.316 with four home runs.

San Francisco Giants

Walker Martin, SS

Regarded as one of the best athletes in the 2023 draft, Martin set a Colorado state record for home runs as a high school senior. The Giants drafted him in the second round and paid him like a first-rounder, yet slow-played him in 2024 by assigning him to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League. In August, Martin moved to Low-A San Jose, where his strikeout rate spiked to 51%.  

Seattle Mariners

Jonny Farmelo, OF

Drafted 29th overall in 2023, Farmelo hit .264/.398/.421 with four home runs and 18 stolen bases through 46 games for Low-A Modesto. But that’s when his season abruptly came to an end. Farmelo tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on June 11 while making a routine play in center field. He should be good to go at some point in 2025. 

Tampa Bay Rays

Dylan Lesko, RHP

The way scouts talked about Lesko leading up to the 2022 draft indicated he had special upside. It hasn’t played out that way in pro ball yet. Lesko had Tommy John surgery in the spring of his draft year, which dropped him to the Padres at No. 15 overall. At the July trade deadline, San Diego traded him to the Rays in the Jason Adam deal. It is shaping up as a lost year for Lesko, who has a 6.80 ERA through 82 innings this season. His 18% walk rate is one of the worst in the minors.

Texas Rangers

Brock Porter, RHP

The Rangers acquired Porter and Kumar Rocker as essentially a package deal in the 2022 draft. Rocker is beginning to gain helium following his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but for Porter it has been a lost season. He opened the season at High-A Hickory but showed diminished stuff and control, finishing the season in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

Toronto Blue Jays

Orelvis Martinez, 2B

Martinez bashed 16 home runs in 63 games for Triple-A Buffalo to earn his first big league callup on June 21. His victory was short-lived. Two days later, MLB announced an 80-game suspension for Martinez after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Clomiphene. He is eligible to return on Sept. 23.

Washington Nationals

Cristhian Vaquero, OF

The switch-hitting Cuban outfielder signed the highest bonus in the 2021 international period and embarked on his first year in a full-season league in 2024. It did not go well. Vaquero’s .583 OPS was one of the lowest marks for a regular in Low-A. He hit .181/.283/.301 with five home runs in 97 games for Fredericksburg.