Now that we’re nearly two months into the 2025 MLB season, many of the best young players going into the season have graduated from top 100 eligibility and a new wave of prospects has started shining.
And since this is also the time of year when the conversation across the sport shifts into trade speculation, it’s the perfect opportunity to update my minor league prospect ranking — just before some of these players appear in deals over the coming months.
Though we have recently updated the rankings of the (and will continue to do so monthly throughout the season), this is my first update to the . You can read that intro for info on the Future Value (FV) tiers and deeper scouting reports. Players in the big leagues are eligible for this update (MLB rookie eligibility rules apply here — 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on the active roster), but players projected to lose eligibility in the next week or so are not included.
To be clear, these are the players who have graduated (or are about to this season), taking them out of the mix for a spot: (No. 1 on preseason top 100), (No. 6), (No. 7), (No. 24), (No. 26), (No. 31), (No. 44), (No. 73). , and are included below, but they should graduate within the next month.
Now on to the top 50 MLB prospects, along with those who just missed out.
1. Roman Anthony, OF,
Anthony held serve as the default top prospect after Sasaki graduated from the No. 1 spot. The only real area for improvement left in Anthony’s offensive game is turning more of his 30-plus-homer-level raw power into home runs with better or more consistent lift/pull to his swing.
2. Bubba Chandler, RHP,
Chandler was a raw high school pitching prospect in the 2021 draft, given the time he spent as a quarterback, shortstop and switch-hitter before the Pirates took him in the third round. He’s now a polished, big league-ready potential front-line starter. His high-90s, plus-plus heater is possibly the best in the minor leagues, and he also has two above-average breakers, a plus changeup and above-average command.
3. Leodalis De Vries, SS,
De Vries gets the edge among a group of three high-upside teenage shortstops appearing in a row. He has the best on-base and pull/lift skills of the three, while also being a switch-hitter who is at least as good defensively at shortstop as the other two. De Vries has the tools to be above average at everything, with potential for 25-30 homers.
4. Sebastian Walcott, SS,
Walcott has gone from a long shot shortstop to now looking like an average long-term defender at the position, as is sometimes the case with big, athletic infielders (like current Rangers shortstop ). Walcott has the most power of the three teen shortstops, with a shot to one day hit 40 homers, though his soft skills (on-base, pull/lift) are a notch behind De Vries.
5. Jesus Made, SS,
You heard about him first last summer, when I put him at No. 45 in my August top 100 while he was still playing in the Dominican Summer League. When watching Made, I can’t help but see some of the same actions and posture of , but Made is five or six inches taller so he has more physical upside. To wit: Made’s exit velos (he just turned 18 this month) are within a tick or two of Albies’ career bests. It’s too early to know exactly what position he’ll end up playing (shortstop or second base) or what his ultimate offensive profile will be, but he looks like a potential star.
6. Marcelo Mayer, SS, Boston Red Sox
7. , SS,
Mayer and Lawlar have been ranked very close to each other (or literally back-to-back) going all the way back to the 2021 draft, and here they are again. Lawlar is back in the big leagues after a strong start, and Mayer is in Triple-A and seems like an option to debut later this season. Lawlar is a better runner and defender, and Mayer is a left-handed hitter and a better pure hitter.
8. Max Clark, OF,
9. Walker Jenkins, OF,
I’ve also had Clark and Jenkins basically back-to-back since they both went in the top five picks in the 2023 draft. Injuries have limited how much Jenkins has been on the field, but he has been outstanding when he plays: a plus-plus hitter with plus power who can help at all three outfield spots. Clark is a plus-plus runner who is a definite center fielder and has solid-average raw power, but his hit tool and approach are plus.
10. Colt Emerson, SS,
11. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers
Emerson and McGonigle both were selected in the back half of the first round as high school hitters in the 2023 draft. Both are possible shortstops who will probably play more second base in the big leagues, especially if their teams have a plus defender there. They are plus hitters with a good approach and above-average raw power projections, along with some feel to get to it in games.
12. Chase Burns, RHP,
Burns might not look like a command specialist with his loud delivery and upper-90s fastball, but he’s in the strike zone an awful lot. His 86-90 mph slider is possibly the best breaking ball in the minor leagues, and his fastball sits 96-100 mph.
13. Samuel Basallo, C,
14. , C,
Both Basallo and Rushing are solid (but not great) defenders with power-over-hit profiles. Rushing just got called up, and Basallo is already in Triple-A and still only 20 years old. Rushing has a much better approach — Basallo still chases too much — but Basallo has three grades more raw power, so he gets the edge due to upside and age.
15. Travis Bazzana, 2B,
16. Aidan Miller, SS,
Miller is a shortstop who probably slides over to third base in the big leagues, and Bazzana should stick at second base. Bazzana is a slightly better runner and on-base threat, and Miller has more raw power. I’ll go with Bazzana’s soft skills, but their outlooks at the big league level are similar. (Bazzana because of an oblique strain.)
17. Josue De Paula, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers
I can’t get the comparison I heard at least a year ago out of my head when evaluating De Paula. He won’t offer much speed or defensive value, but he has 30-homer upside and a great approach.
18. Jac Caglianone, 1B,
19. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
20. Jett Williams, SS,
21. Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
22. Bryce Rainer, SS, Detroit Tigers
23. Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
24. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
25. Ethan Salas, C, San Diego Padres
26. , RHP,
27. Carson Williams, SS,
28. Noah Schultz, LHP,
29. Arjun Nimmala, SS,
30. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee
31. Cole Young, SS, Seattle Mariners
32. J.J. Wetherholt, SS,
33. Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox
34. George Lombard Jr., SS,
35. Thomas White, LHP,
Caglianone continues to make progress, but there are some other big arrow-up prospects from the 2024 draft here, with Griffin, Rainer and Kurtz all up a good bit. Griffin’s swing concerns have calmed significantly, and his upside is still very high. Rainer has hit more and shown more power than I expected, and Kurtz’s shoulder issues seem to have been overstated at draft time. I’ve always been high on Williams, and he’s back to being healthy and performing — as is Painter. Misiorowski is throwing strikes in Triple-A … which could be for real? Nimmala, Hope and Lombard are some arrow-up hitters who were distinct possibilities to do so when they appeared on the preseason list.
36. , C,
37. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Minnesota Twins
38. Matt Shaw, 3B, Chicago Cubs
39. , 2B, Minnesota Twins
40. Angel Genao, SS, Cleveland Guardians
41. Coby Mayo, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
42. Jonny Farmelo, CF, Seattle Mariners
43. Alfredo Duno, C, Cincinnati Reds
44. , RHP, Chicago Cubs
45. Bryce Eldridge, 1B,
46. Brady House, 3B,
47. Agustin Ramirez, C, Miami Marlins
48. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
49. , RHP, Cincinnati Reds
50. Jonah Tong, RHP, New York Mets
Tong, Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean are the top three Mets arms and I’ve shuffled them again from the earlier this month, as Tong now narrowly looks like the best of the group for me. McLean has the most upside, if his command can take another step forward. Keaschall, Ballesteros and Ramirez have all hit more than I expected, and Horton’s velo/stuff is fully back and he is getting a big league shot in Chicago.
There are a several notable players who just got squeezed off the list (Jarlin Susana, Hagen Smith, Cooper Pratt and Alex Freeland among them) or are rising fast but couldn’t quite get on this time (including Andrew Salas, Luke Dickerson, Slade Caldwell, Caleb Bonemer, Ryan Sloan, Payton Tolle and Gage Jimp). I’d also keep an eye on Blue Jays LHP Johnny King and Cardinals C Rainiel Rodriguez (both on the team lists) as my summer picks to click.
