Ten Of The Most Loaded Rosters In The Minor Leagues

Double-A Binghamton (Mets)
Top 100 Prospects: Francisco Alvarez, C (13); Brett Baty, 3B (40); Ronny Mauricio, SS (92)
Notables: Jose Butto, RHP; Brian Metoyer, RHP

Baty and Mauricio each ended their 2021 seasons in Binghamton, while Alvarez clubbed 22 home runs between stops at the Class A levels. Alvarez and Baty each represented the Mets in Denver at the Futures Game as well. Alvarez and Baty make Binghamton one of just two teams in the minors (Omaha is the other) with two Top 50 prospects on its Opening Day roster. All three players could play big parts in the Mets’ future as the team—buttressed by stars like Francisco Lindor, Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso and Starling Marte—attempts to climb back to the postseason. Righthander Jose Butto gives the rotation an intriguing piece with rotation upside, and reliever Brian Metoyer’s curveball is one of the highest-spinners in the minors. 

High-A Eugene (Giants)

Top 100 Prospects: Marco Luciano, SS (17); Luis Matos, OF (73); Kyle Harrison, LHP (95)
Notables: OF Hunter Bishop, LHP Nick Swiney, OF Jairo Pomares, 3B Casey Schmitt, RHP Cole Waites, RHP Randy Rodriguez, C Patrick Bailey

After last season’s team in San Jose was loaded for bear, it only seemed natural that the team’s core of prospects would move up to Eugene. Luciano made it there for a cameo toward season’s end, and he’ll be joined in 2022 by Matos and Harrison. The former is a well-rounded outfield prospect who needs to be a little less aggressive at the plate but has the potential to be an above-average or better big leaguer. The latter is a southpaw who blitzed the California League with a three-pitch mix fronted by a mid-90s fastball and a wicked slider. He could stand to tighten his command and control, but the ingredients are there for a very special arm. 

Double-A Akron (Guardians)
Top 100 Prospects: Daniel Espino, RHP (53), Brayan Rocchio, SS (66); George Valera, OF (68)
Notables: Bo Naylor, C; Xzavion Curry, RHP; Tanner Burns, RHP; Jose Tena, INF; Logan Allen, LHP


Akron is one of five teams in the minors to boast three Top 100 Prospects. Their trio includes Valera and Rocchio—a pair of prospects who have performed beyond their years—and Espino, a righthander whose arsenal caused scouts in Arizona to swoon from behind the chain-link fences. Espino’s raw stuff is so good, in fact, that he could very easily challenge for the title of the game’s top pitching prospect by season’s end. That group will be buttressed by a host of interesting prospects. Tena was particularly intriguing in the Arizona Fall League and was part of a raft of players added to the team’s 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft that never happened. Curry’s 0.89 WHIP in 2021 placed sixth in the full-season minors. 

Triple-A St. Paul (Twins)
Top 100 Prospects: Royce Lewis, SS (82), Jordan Balazovic, RHP (85); Jose Miranda, INF (90)
Notables: Ronny Henriquez, RHP; Jovani Moran, LHP; Drew Strotman, RHP

For Lewis, simply getting back on the field in games that count is a milestone. After running roughshod over the Arizona Fall League, he missed 2020 due to the pandemic, then lost all of last year to injury. He’s still just 22 years old, but there were plenty of questions to answer about his future before the last two years. Miranda spent last season breaking onto the map. The 23-year-old crushed at both stops of the upper minors and should make his big league debut at some point this season. This team is also loaded with intriguing arms, including Top 100 talent Balazovic and trade pieces Drew Strotman and Ronny Henriquez. 

Double-A Altoona (Pirates)

Top 100 Prospects: Nick Gonzales, 2B (50); Liover Pegeuero (78); Quinn Priester, RHP (88)

Notables: Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP; Kyle Nicolas, RHP; Tahnaj Thomas, RHP; Matt Fraizer, OF

After spending a season together at Greensboro in 2021, the trio of Priester, Peguero and Gonzales will move up to Double-A in lockstep. Priester started slowly but got better as the season went along, showing off an intriguing mix fronted by a power fastball and nasty set of breaking pitches. Gonzales brings the prototypical professional hitter’s profile, and Peguero drips with potential but still needs time to put it all together. Frazier was one of last season’s biggest Pittsburgh breakouts, and Nicolas brings an interesting arsenal from the Marlins system. 

Triple-A Omaha (Royals)
Top 100 Prospects: M.J. Melendez, C (43); Nick Pratto, 1B (44)
Notables: Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B

After tremendous rebound seasons that shot them from the precipice of bust status all the way into the Top 100, catcher M.J. Melendez and first baseman Nick Pratto are back to continue terrorizing Pacific Coast League pitching. Melendez’s 41 homers led the minor leagues in 2021, and Pratto added 36 more longballs for good measure. Top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. broke camp with the Royals, but Melendez and Pratto might get there soon enough to further complement a young core in Kansas City. 

Triple-A Memphis (Cardinals)

Top 100 Prospects: Nolan Gorman, 2B/3B (33); Matthew Liberatore, LHP (51)
Notables: Juan Yepez, 1B

Liberatore and Gorman will begin 2022 in the same spot they ended 2021. The pair ranks No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, behind top St. Louis prospect Jordan Walker (who will begin the year at Double-A). Liberatore is the system’s top pitching prospect and offers a blend of four potentially above-average pitches and above-average control. Gorman, originally a third baseman, is blocked positionally by Nolan Arenado in St. Louis and spent most of his time in 2021 working to acclimate himself to second base as a way to fit him into the mix one day. He’ll play most of the season at 22 and still has plenty of time to develop. 

Double-A Montgomery (Rays)

Top 100 Prospects: Taj Bradley, RHP (52); Curtis Mead, 3B/1B (97)
Notables: Greg Jones, SS; Xavier Edwards, 2B; Ian Seymour, LHP; Austin Shenton, 3B/1B; Kameron Misner, OF

A Rays team with prospects? Stunning. Mead and Bradley were among the biggest pop-up prospects in all the minor leagues last year. The former’s hit tool helped him ascend the system at a rapid pace and win three championship rings along the way thanks to a convenient cameo with Durham. Bradley showed electric stuff all season long and went from interesting arm to Top 100 Prospect in a year’s time. The Biscuits’ infield should be tremendous too, with tooled-out shortstop Greg Jones and contact machine Xavier Edwards bookending the keystone. Shenton is a pure hitter imported from the Mariners and Misner is a monstrous human being with light-tower power from the left side. Seymour was impressive in his 2021 season as well, and boasts one of the best changeups in the minor leagues. 

Double-A Tulsa (Dodgers)
Top 100 Prospects: Bobby Miller, RHP (38); Michael Busch, 2B (76)
Notables: Andy Pages, OF

In Miller, the Dodgers have one of the most electric pitching prospects in the game. He burned up the scene in his pro debut in 2021, then was reportedly even nastier on the backfields this spring. The Dodgers are bursting with pitching at the upper levels, but Miller’s stuff might be good enough that he cracks the big leagues at some point this season. Busch fits the typical pure hitter mold. Even without a position his bat might be enough to find a role in Los Angeles at some point this season. Pages is yet another piece of the Dodgers’ factory of high-end prospects. He’s on the cusp of the Top 100 and should get there early in the season if he performs, especially considering how many current Top 100 prospects are likely to graduate in the season’s first few weeks and months. 

Low-A Myrtle Beach (Cubs)
Top 100 Prospects: None
Notables: Reggie Preciado, SS; Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF; James Triantos, 2B; Owen Caissie

The Pelicans don’t have any current Top 100 Prospects, but they have a few who could be on the list by year’s end. Preciado and Triantos form an extremely gifted middle-diamond duo, and Crow-Armstrong should flag down just about anything that gets over their heads. Caissie, too, turned heads in 2021 and could hit his way up the rankings as the summer moves along. Three of the four players mentioned were acquired in trade (Triantos is the exception) and the very early returns suggest the Cubs did well during the teardown of their big league team.

And because it’s Opening Day, here’s one more to watch. 

High-A Hickory
Top 100 Prospects: None
Notables: Owen White, RHP; Ricky Vanasco, RHP; Tekoah Roby, RHP; Luisangel Acuña, SS; Aaron Zavala, OF

The Rangers’ system has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, and the lower levels of their minor leagues in particular are overflowing with talent. You want big fastballs? White and Vanasco will bump the upper 90s for you. How about nasty breaking balls? TK Roby on line one. Twitchy infielders more your speed? Luisangel Acuña’s got the game to show the world he’s much more than Ronald’s brother. Oh, you’re into outfielders? Zavala and Carter will give you gorgeous swings from the left side all summer long.