RoboScout Top MLB Prospects At Every Level On June 9, 2024

Dominican Summer League Hitters

Yankees third baseman Richard Matic is shining after signing for $850,000 five months ago. The 16-year-old has a wRC+ above 250. Ben Badler likes his chances at sticking at the hot corner with his potential plus power.

Can you name another 16-year-old who has a wRC+ over 250 in the DSL with at least 10 plate appearances? The Answer is Pirates outfielder Iverson Allen, a Panamanian outfielder who led his U-15 World Cup team in walks and has been clocked with above-average speed. As Badler wrote, he doesn’t “jump out immediately in a workout but is better in games.” We’re talking about practice??

Again, it’s way too early, but D-backs infielder Erick De La Cruz signed for $455,000 and already has three homers in 13 plate appearances. The Rays’ Leonardo Pineda was a high-profile $1.75 million signing who has a homer, two steals and a 248 wRC+ over 25 plate appearances. The Dominican outfielder has the early lead for head of the class after the first week.

Complex League Hitters (min 25 PA)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Eduardo Quintero	LAD	94	100
2	Brailer Guerrero	TBR	92	99
3	Dameury Pena	MIN	93	98
4	Yoeilin Cespedes	BOS	92	97
5	Jeremy Rodriguez	NYM	100	96
6	Starlyn Caba	PHI	88	93
7	Robert Calaz	COL	93	92
8	Bryan Acuna	MIN	79	91
9	Richard Ramirez	PIT	85	91
10	Julio Zayas	NYM	83	91
11	Larry Martinez	TBR	83	89
12	Lisbel Diaz	SFG	82	88
13	Andruw Musett	BOS	75	87
14	Edgleen Perez	NYY	76	87
15	Alexander Albertus	LAD	75	86
16	Aroon Escobar	PHI	79	86
17	Jhonny Severino	PIT	81	86
18	Pablo Guerrero	TEX	87	85
19	Franyerber Montilla	DET	74	85
20	Franklin Arias	BOS	75	85
21	Walker Jenkins	MIN	70	84
22	Demetrio Crisantes	ARI	70	84
23	Luis Parababire	ATL	74	84
24	Leandro Arias	BAL	72	83
25	Junior Garcia	ATL	82	83

When Aroon Escobar (Phillies) signed in 2021, the cousin of Ronald Acuña Jr. was described as a power-hitting infielder with an above-average arm. He repeated the DSL in 2023 and on the surface did not appear to take a step forward. His wRC+ went down and his ISO clocked in below .100. Stateside in 2024, Escobar has increased his 90th percentile exit velocity by 3 mph and has a walk-to-strikeout ratio of essentially three-to-one. With nine stolen bases in 100 plate appearances, RoboScout sees him as a solid on-base bet with 20 home run power and a dozen steals at peak.

Yoeilin Cespedes (Red Sox) climbs into the top five after hitting two home runs and nabbing a bag. Despite the four home runs–tied for second among hitters in their age-18 season at the Complex–the shortstop has only average 90th percentile exit velocities right now. We put a 55 on his power grade in the last update to the Top 30s as he grows into his power.

For the second week in a row, Trevor Harrison (Rays) is the top arm at the Complex League among pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched. The righthanded has a three-pitch mix but relies on his 94 mph over 75% of the time. He throws it with over a foot of horizontal break. He also has an 82 mph slider and a solid changeup that has over 10 mph of separation, over 10 inches of vertical separation, and has nearly a foot and a half of horizontal fade.

Orioles righty Jesus Palacios is a new entrant into the top five. Palacios has a low-slot release–albeit with low extension–and has generated a 25% swing-and-miss rate and a 64% groundball rate. The 19-year-old righthander’s fastball only sits 91 mph right now–and he has a 14% walk rate–but he is one of only 10 pitchers with a strikeout rate over 40% (minimum 10 innings pitched), and one of only four teenagers. RoboScout is intrigued.

Low-A Hitters (min 50 PA)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Lazaro Montes	SEA	100	100
2	Colt Emerson	SEA	85	92
3	Kevin McGonigle	DET	76	89
4	Jeral Perez	LAD	76	88
5	Jonny Farmelo	SEA	76	88
6	Ralphy Velazquez	CLE	74	85
7	Blake Mitchell	KCR	72	85
8	Jaison Chourio	CLE	72	85
9	Michael Arroyo	SEA	81	83
10	Aidan Smith	SEA	77	82
11	Josue De Paula	LAD	65	81
12	Zyhir Hope	LAD	63	79
13	Jesus Baez	NYM	70	79
14	Angel Genao	CLE	62	78
15	Tai Peete	SEA	66	77
16	Josue Briceno	DET	61	76
17	Yophery Rodriguez	MIL	74	76
18	Aidan Miller	PHI	58	74
19	Jordan Viars	PHI	60	72
20	Alfredo Duno	CIN	71	72
21	Max Clark	DET	56	72
22	Nazzan Zanetello	BOS	53	71
23	Bryce Eldridge	SFG	58	69
24	Devin Saltiban	PHI	57	69
25	Juan Baez	MIL	58	69

This is a good update for Phillies prospects. Jordan Viars cracks the top 25 today. The 2021 third-rounder is currently unranked in our Phillies Top 30, although he has ranked as high as No. 13 in 2022. Viars is repeating Low-A for the third time and never posted a slugging percentage over .350 in the Florida State League. Still, he’s finally healthy and has been a revelation so far in 2024. Viars cut his chase rate by 6% from the previous two years while increasing his barrel rate by the same amount.

Viars is one of only eight hitters in Low-A to have a maximum exit velocity measured at 114 mph or higher. He’s really turned in on the last five weeks, hitting five of his seven home runs in his last 86 plate appearances. There is still quite a bit of swing and miss to his game, but he’s been recently showing that he might be able to get to 25+ home run power in games.

Hawaii native Devin Salitban also cracks the top 25. The Phillies shortstop was a popular breakout name prior to the season and has really turned it on as of late with four home runs, six stolen bases, and a 121 wRC+ over his last 105 plate appearances as a teenager in Low-A. Under the hood, Saltiban does look a little susceptible to good secondaries, as his contact rate against non-fastballs, and then subsequent damage-on-contact, is below-average. As a raw prep prospect, this is not out of the ordinary, but something to watch for.

Pirates catcher Axiel Plaz popped on RoboScout as a 16-year old in the Dominican Summer League in 2022, but had a quiet 2023 when he came stateside. He repeated at the complex for eight games before being promoted to full-season ball. At Low-A Bradenton, he already has three home runs in 45 plate appearances. For the year between the two levels, he already has three balls that have left the bat over 109 mph. The only players in their age-18 season that have a higher 90th percentile exit velocity than the Pirates catcher are Robert Calaz (Rockies), George Wolkow (White Sox), and Camilo Diaz (Astros). Plaz has a better contact rate, in-zone contact rate, and chase rate than all of them. He’s another catcher with a potentially big power bat.

Low-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Matt Wilkinson	CLE	100	100
2	Jonah Tong	NYM	91	96
3	Quinn Mathews	STL	85	96
4	Alejandro Rosario	TEX	81	93
5	Santiago Suarez	TBR	81	93
6	Grant Taylor	CHW	76	90
7	George Klassen	PHI	78	90
8	Didier Fuentes	ATL	75	85
9	Yujanyer Herrera	MIL	83	85
10	Jarlin Susana	WSN	70	84
11	Bishop Letson	MIL	69	81
12	Thomas White	MIA	71	81
13	Eliazar Dishmey	MIA	64	79
14	Luis Serna	NYY	77	78
15	Barrett Kent	LAA	71	78
16	Welinton Herrera	COL	65	78
17	Jose Gonzalez	TEX	70	77
18	Travis Sykora	WSN	71	77
19	Noble Meyer	MIA	65	77
20	Mavis Graves	PHI	80	77
21	Gary Gill Hill	TBR	73	77
22	Jace Kaminska	COL	68	76
23	Manuel Rodriguez	MIL	73	76
24	Kohl Drake	TEX	73	76
25	Michael Forret	BAL	70	75

Grant Taylor (White Sox) added another four innings to his 2024 campaign and continues to climb the charts as he returns from injury. He’s a top-100 fantasy prospect for me.

Astros righty Ethan Pecko has a 10.5 walk rate and 23% strikeout minus walk rate this year, but that belies the 21-year-old’s effectiveness over his last six starts. Since May 5, the righthander has a 6.7% walk rate, a much more impressive 32% strikeout minus walk rate, a 0.71 WHIP and a 0.75 ERA over his last 24 innings. His six-pitch mix is headlined by a flat 92 mph four seamer, an 86 mph cutter that generates weak contact, and a high-spin 80 mph slider that gets over a foot of horizontal break. It’s a solid starter’s arsenal.

High-A Hitters (min 50 PA)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Carter Jensen	KCR	100	100
2	Xavier Isaac	TBR	100	100
3	Luke Keaschall	MIN	97	99
4	Sal Stewart	CIN	88	91
5	Samuel Zavala	CHW	85	86
6	Sebastian Walcott	TEX	97	86
7	Alex Freeland	LAD	79	84
8	Ethan Salas	SDP	87	83
9	Jefferson Rojas	CHC	80	83
10	Yohendrick Pinango	CHC	75	81
11	Mike Boeve	MIL	75	81
12	Henry Bolte	OAK	80	80
13	Cam Collier	CIN	82	80
14	Luke Adams	MIL	78	79
15	Brayden Taylor	TBR	79	78
16	Thayron Liranzo	LAD	75	77
17	Jay Allen II	CIN	84	77
18	C.J. Kayfus	CLE	73	77
19	Jesus Rodriguez	NYY	70	76
20	Jared Serna	NYY	72	76
21	Charles McAdoo	PIT	70	75
22	Hector Rodriguez	CIN	70	74
23	Daylen Lile	WSN	70	74
24	Brice Matthews	HOU	67	74
25	Pedro Ramirez	CHC	71	73

Astros shortstop Brice Matthews has raked since returning to High-A on June 1 from injury. He has five home runs and four stolen bases in only 20 plate appearances. With a very patient approach–he has a chase rate of only 10%–Matthews unleashes tremendous bat speed, as evidenced by his 107 mph 90gh percentile exit velocity. The tooled-up shortstop is an exciting blend of power and speed.

Rays No. 5 prospect Brayden Taylor benefitted from the park factors update. He jumps into the top 15 in today’s update. He has shown a good power/speed blend with Bowling Green all year, posting a 164 wRC+ with eight homers and 12 steals. He’s kicked the power up a notch recently, hitting six home runs in the last five weeks. Taylor has always made good swing decisions (17% chase rate this year) and has set a new maximum exit velocity this year of 107 mph, adding 4 mph to last year’s best velocity.

Pirates outfielder Charles McAdoo appears on the High-A list this week with a balmy line of .305/.409/.545 with seven home runs and 10 stolen bases as a 22-year-old at High-A. Although it is true that Greensboro has a 150-homer park factor for righthanded batters, his performance is not fully attributable to a generous home field. In 2024, McAdoo has already hit 12 balls harder than his 2023 maximum exit velocity and has a lofty 108 mph 90th percentile exit velocity–good for 13th among all High-A batters with at least 50 plate appearances. He has the highest contact rate amongst the greater than 108 mph 90th percentile exit velocity cohort.  It shouldn’t be too long before he’s roaming the grass of Double-A Altoona.

High-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Matt Wilkinson	CLE	100	100
2	Noah Schultz	CHW	84	99
3	Luis Perales	BOS	82	96
4	Owen Murphy	ATL	84	96
5	Quinn Mathews	STL	84	95
6	Zebby Matthews	MIN	76	90
7	Jaden Hamm	DET	84	89
8	Chase Dollander	COL	75	89
9	Jonah Tong	NYM	80	85
10	Ryan Lobus	TEX	73	83
11	K.C. Hunt	MIL	79	82
12	Winston Santos	TEX	71	82
13	Moises Chace	BAL	66	81
14	Trevor Martin	TBR	75	80
15	Alessandro Ercolani	PIT	64	79
16	Sean Sullivan	COL	82	78
17	Nolan McLean	NYM	62	78
18	Yujanyer Herrera	MIL	75	77
19	Jake Bloss	HOU	63	76
20	Edgar Portes	BAL	62	76
21	Austin Peterson	CLE	72	76
22	Joseph Montalvo	TEX	67	75
23	Tanner McDougal	CHW	68	75
24	Andry Lara	WSN	75	74
25	Rhett Lowder	CIN	66	73

Now that he qualifies for the list, Matt Wilkinson (Guardians) continues to defy traditional Stuff+ models and continues to shove, with a 42% strikeout rate and 18% swinging strike rate at High-A Lake County

In the last five weeks, Diamondbacks southpaw Spencer Giesting has thrown over six innings per start and struck out 32% of the batters he’s faced while only walking 3%. Although his four-seam fastball only averages 90 mph, it has nearly 7 feet of extension. It’s also only part piece of his six-pitch arsenal. Giesting’s changeup, slider and high-spin curveball all generate over 50% whiffs. Giesting has been beasting while feasting on High-A hitters.

Trevor Martin (Rays No. 29 prospect) had the big performance of the week, striking out 14 batters as High-A Bowling Green massacred Asheville. The former Oklahoma State closer has used his five-pitch mix as a starter to great success despite mustering pedestrian 92-mph four-seam fastball velocity. Martin has averaged six innings per start since May 5. The potential back-of-the-rotation starter looks ready for Double-A Montgomery.

While he’s older at 23 years old, Brewers nondrafted free agent righty K.C. Hunt has made his mark against High-A hitters. He features a super-flat 93 mph four-seamer, his high-spin 85 mph bullet slider generates plus whiffs, and he has an above-average 79 mph downer curveball. In his four starts for High-A Wisconsin, the Mississippi State alum has a 38% strikeout rate and a Zebby-esque 1.7% walk rate, while also possessing the highest swinging strike rate among any High-A pitcher with 11+ innings. He’s another fascinating Brewer arm.

Double-A Hitters (min 40 PA)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Emmanuel Rodriguez	MIN	100	100
2	Agustin Ramirez	NYY	92	95
3	Luke Keaschall	MIN	91	94
4	Moises Ballesteros	CHC	85	88
5	Cole Young	SEA	84	86
6	Alex Freeland	LAD	79	85
7	Matthew Lugo	BOS	81	85
8	Carson Williams	TBR	81	82
9	Roman Anthony	BOS	76	81
10	Samuel Basallo	BAL	85	81
11	Harry Ford	SEA	79	80
12	Deyvison De Los Santos	ARI	85	78
13	Colby Thomas	OAK	73	77
14	Jett Williams	NYM	69	76
15	Hao-Yu Lee	DET	75	76
16	Dalton Rushing	LAD	65	73
17	Yohendrick Pinango	CHC	64	73
18	Marcelo Mayer	BOS	68	72
19	Jacob Wilson	OAK	69	71
20	Tyler Locklear	SEA	68	71
21	James Triantos	CHC	63	70
22	Edgar Quero	CHW	66	70
23	Zac Veen	COL	70	68
24	Mike Boeve	MIL	57	68
25	Brooks Baldwin	CHW	63	66

We added Luke Keaschall (Twins) to our latest Top 100 update. The infielder has continued showing his excellent contact and approach at Double-A Wichita, with a 120 wRC+ over his first 53 plate appearances. That follows a dominant performance at High-A where he ranked as RoboScout’s No. 3 hitter. He finds himself ranked third now that he qualifies for the Double-A list, too.

Tigers No. 12 prospect Hao-Yu Lee has ranked on the Double-A list for a while. Recently, the second baseman has turned it up a notch. In the last five weeks, he has hit nine home runs with a 173 wRC+ as a 21-year-old in Erie–a very home run suppressive park for righthanded batters and yet is tied for the second-most home runs in the league for someone 21 years old or younger behind Deyvison De Los Santos (Diamondbacks) and Samuel Basallo (Orioles). A polished hitter who makes above-average swing decisions and has good bat speed against all pitch types, Lee is showing 25 home run power and is one of the most underrated hitting prospects in the minor leagues.

Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins) continues to lead the rest of the pack with his patient approach and power/speed blend that resembles the same peak projection as James Wood (Nationals). In his last 75 plate appearances, Rodriguez had a 192 wRC+, the fourth-highest mark at Double-A since May 5 among hitters with at least 40 plate appearances. Rodriguez is a top-10 fantasy prospect for me. Note that he has been placed on the injured list with a nagging thumb injury. He still leads the Double-A list despite Yankees catcher Agustin Ramirez hitting three bombs on Friday.

Adael Amador (Rockies) continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the minors, after starting off as one of the coldest. The infielder had zero home runs and a 60 wRC+ on May 5. Since then, he has hit seven home runs with a 123 wRC+. RoboScout is happy to see Amador bounce back after the early adversity, and apparently the Rockies are too. Colorado called Amador up to the big leagues this weekend after Brendan Rodgers went on the injured list.

Double-A Pitchers (min 13 IP)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Zebby Matthews	MIN	100	100
2	Braxton Ashcraft	PIT	91	88
3	Nolan McLean	NYM	86	88
4	Tink Hence	STL	96	86
5	Chandler Champlain	KCR	96	85
6	Ben Casparius	LAD	81	83
7	Thomas Harrington	PIT	84	82
8	Blade Tidwell	NYM	80	82
9	Rhett Lowder	CIN	88	81
10	Yilber Diaz	ARI	84	81
11	Brandon Young	BAL	89	79
12	Jackson Jobe	DET	76	79
13	Justin Wrobleski	LAD	78	79
14	Zach Penrod	BOS	88	78
15	Mason Barnett	KCR	86	78
16	Carson Palmquist	COL	82	78
17	Spencer Schwellenbach	ATL	84	78
18	Jacob Misiorowski	MIL	76	78
19	Brandon Sproat	NYM	81	78
20	Ian Seymour	TBR	90	77
21	Jake Bloss	HOU	77	77
22	Ty Madden	DET	84	76
23	Caden Dana	LAA	81	76
24	Kyle McGowin	CHC	83	75
25	Sean Sullivan	PIT	77	75

With all of the hoopla surrounding Jared Jones and Paul Skenes, it’s easy to forget the Pirates system also has Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo, Thomas Harrington and especially, per RoboScout, Braxton Ashcraft. The 2018 prep second-rounder is lurking.

In his last six starts, Ashcraft has a sub 1.00 WHIP and a 1.89 ERA. The 6-foot-5 righthander has always had good command–evidenced by his sub 6% walk rate–but in 2024, he’s added 2 mph to his curveball and slider and both are getting over 45% whiffs. His four-seam fastball has also added half a tick since last year and has been clocked as high as 98 mph, while he’s essentially doubled the usage of his 89 mph cutter. Ashcraft is averaging around five innings per start. With his athletic frame, his chances of reaching his midrotation starter ceiling are increasing.

Reds top prospect Rhett Lowder has had an interesting Southern League experience since his promotion to Double-A Chattanooga. He has a 1.69 WHIP and a 8.02 ERA–but a 2.28 xFIP–over 21+ innings. Looking a bit deeper, we see that despite the excellent 25.5% strikeout minus walk rate and above-average 46% groundball rate, he has a 54% left on base (LOB) rate and a preposterous .492 BABIP. Setting aside the contradictory results, Lowder has been utilizing his two mid-90s fastballs, his 85 mph slider, and firm changeup to good effect, supporting his inclusion at No. 28 in our most recent Top 100 update.

Triple-A Hitters (min 50 PA)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	James Wood	WSN	100	100
2	Jose Fermin	STL	88	92
3	Jackson Holliday	BAL	90	90
4	Coby Mayo	BAL	81	86
5	Miguel Vargas	LAD	79	84
6	Kyle Manzardo	CLE	77	84
7	Andy Pages	LAD	74	78
8	Heston Kjerstad	BAL	73	77
9	Tyler Black	MIL	70	76
10	Javier Sanoja	MIA	65	72
11	Heliot Ramos	SFG	62	71
12	Junior Caminero	TBR	69	71
13	Chase Meidroth	BOS	63	71
14	Ryan Ward	LAD	66	71
15	Parker Meadows	DET	65	70
16	Spencer Horwitz	TOR	60	70
17	Jordan Beck	COL	64	70
18	Deyvison De Los Santos	ARI	78	70
19	Adrian Del Castillo	ARI	60	69
20	Jonah Bride	MIA	59	69
21	Jonatan Clase	SEA	66	69
22	Ji Hwan Bae	PIT	64	69
23	Niko Kavadas	BOS	60	68
24	Leo Jimenez	TOR	58	68
25	Orelvis Martinez	TOR	69	68

The Blue Jays called up No. 20 prospect Spencer Horwitz to join the big league club in Oakland this week. The bat-first infielder put up a 157 wRC+ at Triple-A Buffalo with a keen eye and plus bat-to-ball skills. Although he only has four home runs, he has managed to put up a better-than-average 90th percentile exit velocity of 104 mph despite his below-average bat speed.

Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows had a disappointing start to his major league season but has turned it on after being demoted to Triple-A Erie with a 129 wRC+, six home runs and 11 stolen bases in 117 plate appearances. I expect him back in Detroit within weeks, if not days.

Juan Brito (Guardians) is just outside the top 25 but he’s been heating up considerably in the last month or so with five home runs, three stolen bases and a 128 wRC+ in his last 134 plate appearances. Because he’s only 22 years old at Triple-A, his production corresponds to a league-average major league hitter with 20 home run power and double-digit steals. Brito is a prototypical Guardians infielder with plus contact and chase rates with average exit velocities and barrel rates.

Triple-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

Rank	Name	Team	Robo	RoboCast
1	Paul Skenes	PIT	100	100
2	Christian Scott	NYM	98	97
3	Chayce McDermott	BAL	79	80
4	Cade Povich	BAL	88	79
5	David Festa	MIN	83	78
6	Carson Spiers	CIN	74	77
7	Tobias Myers	MIL	73	77
8	Chandler Champlain	KCR	82	76
9	Slade Cecconi	ARI	82	75
10	Jack Leiter	TEX	72	75
11	Elieser Hernandez	LAD	73	75
12	Matt Manning	DET	72	74
13	Will Warren	NYY	68	72
14	Louie Varland	MIN	76	72
15	Alek Manoah	TOR	75	71
16	Shaun Anderson	MIA	72	71
17	Mason Black	SFG	68	71
18	Quinn Priester	PIT	82	71
19	Albert Suarez	BAL	74	70
20	Brant Hurter	DET	70	70
21	Osvaldo Bido	OAK	72	70
22	Gerson Garabito	TEX	71	69
23	Cristian Mena	ARI	78	69
24	AJ Smith-Shawver	ATL	69	68
25	Ben Casparius	LAD	62	68

In his first 32 innings at Triple-A, Carlos F. Rodriguez (Brewers No. 13 prospect) had a 1.59 WHIP, 7.16 ERA and an ugly strikeout minus walk rate of 9%. Since then, he has turned his season around with a 19% strikeout minus walk rate and a sub 1.00 WHIP. He averaged six innings over his last five starts and earned a call-up to the big league club this weekend. With a six-pitch repertoire that is basically all average with no wipeout secondaries, the 22-year-old Rodriguez has solid pitchability but until recently has struggled to command his mix, with a reasonably high 38% ball percentage on the season. Especially with his recent success, RoboScout likes his outlook as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Will Warren (Yankees) has disappointed in 2024, putting up a 1.52 WHIP and 7.24 ERA. Luckily, with Luis Gil being a revelation and Carlos Rodon seemingly returning to form, the Yankees haven’t needed him yet whils waiting for Gerrit Cole to return.

Looking into attributions for the poor performance, it seems like his bread-and-butter slider has changed shape from an 85 mph offering with 11 inches of horizontal break to become even more of a sweeper with a hellacious 17 inches of horizontal break, but averaging 3 mph slower at 82 mph. The trade-off has appeared to not be positive as the righthander has struggled with his command all season with only a 60% strike percentage. In his last start, however, he struck out nine while only walking one. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a turnaround. The 24-year-old was earmarked as a fantasy contributor in redraft leagues. So far, he has not looked the part.

Happy bidding!