Chourio made The Leap in 2022, going from being a well-regarded prospect who had a chance to blow up to one who seemingly has. If you dropped him into the 2022 draft class (with high schoolers Bleis age), hes going in the top five picks. He might have to augment his swing to get to all of that power, and the chase component threatens to drag the hit tool down, but guys who hit the ball this often and this hard tend to turn into good big leaguers. There is some analytical fire to back up the smoke the scouts are smelling. If most hitters leg kicks and move forward are outies, Mayos is an inny his front foot often lands closer to his rear foot than where it began. Painter has a prototypical pitchers frame and then some, standing in at a broad-shouldered 6-foot-7 (which Painter has sculpted since his days as a high school prospect), a stature youd more often associate with NBA wing players than pro pitchers. His open batting stance and deep pre-stride crouch are much more extreme than they were last year, and this change might have enabled him to see the ball better (similar to the way opening his stance helped unlock peak D-backs Luis Gonzalez) and improve his bat-to-ball ability enough for all of his modest power to play, especially in the Cal League. He is a fringe receiver and ball-blocker with a 45 arm. Prior to the injury, he had allowed just 48 baserunners in 56 innings and struck out 80 men. In 2021, he had a 3.80 ERA, a .208 opponent batting average and 94 strikeouts in 71 innings. He runs well enough to play an outfield corner and were projecting him there, la Schwarbers trajectory. If he had somehow improved his throwing (which isnt terrible he could play short in an emergency), hed still be behind Oswald Peraza and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in this regard and would end up at second base anyway. He started the season with a schedule that mimicked his college days, pitching every Saturday game in April and the first half of May, before transitioning to a more traditional every-five-days regimen. 1 overall pick in the. Thats a plus metric for a big leaguer and is ridiculous for a 19-year-old who hasnt totally grown into his body. Top D1 Baseball Schools. Soderstrom has widened and opened up his stance since the start of his professional career. Drew Rom. 10StanfordPac-122CA112223031 Romos offensive performance is impressive considering he only turned 21 near the end of the 2022 season, though in another sense its troubling because hes such a physical guy and yet has such poor ball-striking power. His range and actions at third base are both fantastic, and hes an accurate thrower from all sorts of awkward platforms, but there are times when he lollipops deeper (and even some routine) throws over to first base. by Retrosheet. R: Road. When paired with teammate Parker Messick, Hubbart helps give Florida State arguably the best one-two punch in the country. Feb. 28-March 1: vs Virginia Commonwealth. He has one of the more picturesque swings in the minors and is extremely difficult to make whiff inside the strike zone. Peraza had another solid offensive season, this time as a 22-year-old at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, where he slashed .259/.329/.448, hit 19 homers, and stole 33 bases. Among the high school prospects, he not only had perhaps the best chance to remain at shortstop, but he also had one of the better bat-to-ball track records in the class, accumulating a 3-to-1 ball in play-to-whiff ratio on the showcase circuit. Quickly thereafter he was at Triple-A Norfolk and looked like the usual DL Hall, wielding three plus pitches and struggling with walks. Scouts who saw him after Labor Day thought the quality and utility of his breaking balls (while still good) had also backed up a bit. Minnesota sent Lee to High-A almost immediately and he raked there, blowing scouts away. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Frelicks style of hitting should enable doubles (and some triples) pop, but there isnt likely to be any kind of over-the-fence power here, so little that one could argue Frelick belongs south of the 50 FV tier even if he were a lock to stay in center field. Built at age 16 like Maurice Jones-Drew or a late-20s Mike Trout, nobody was totally sure how Domnguezs body and physicality would develop as he entered his 20s, and this (plus the internet hype) is where the Zion comp came from. The Rangers took him 50th overall and he signed for $1.25 million. While some of those skills are still bricks in Carrolls baseball-playing foundation, he has developed much more power than even the most optimistic amateur projections. Mauricio has gotten big and strong while remaining at shortstop, but his approach remains a huge concern. Our ultimate goal here is to identify the programs in the best shape right now, with an eye toward the next five to 10 years. This combined with the undercooked hit tool might lead to some big league growing pains and medium production at first, but over time Casas should become a middle-of-the-order force capable of hitting 35-plus annual homers. Weekend Record reflects a teams weekend results as a collective unit in an effort to incorporate tournament results and not just reflect a teams record in weekend series. 85CaliforniaPac-128CA9-29567046 The visual evaluation of Hassells feel to hit was consistently strong until the last couple months of 2022. That was not the case on defense, however. RHP Billy Oldham The Golden Eagles allowed just three runs across four games to get their season underway and Oldham was impressive. Espino barely throws his low-90s changeup, but he still has good feel for locating it in an enticing location away from lefty batters, and even that and his rarely-used curveball (combined, he threw those pitches 8% of the time in 2021) could be above average at maturity. Tradition is nice, but its more important to establish a tradition of consistent winning in the last decade, and especially in the last five years. He can shorten up and punish inner-third velocity from the left side like few other hitters in the 2022 draft could, and he rarely expands the zone. In 2023, Dugas is off to a good start, slugging two last week along with a .700 average. Vargas doesnt have the sort of projectable, statuesque frame typical of a hitter in his early 20s, and despite the relevant changes to his swing, he still isnt an especially electric athlete and the cement appears quite dry on his physique, so theres not much reason to project on his raw power going forward. Though hes been playing a lot of shortstop, he isnt a fit there and his hands and actions are below average. Berry turned down seven figures coming out of high school and went to Arizona, where he raked as a freshman DH for a Wildcats team that made a deep postseason run. Rafaela is also capable of playing a couple of spots on the infield, though not as well, and unless his approach is actually a problem and shifts Rafaela into a premium utility role, hes probably just going to play center field all the time. A patient, discerning hitter, Carters breaking ball recognition and feel for the strike zone is excellent. You can read more there on the Top 100 programs, including team-by-team breakdowns and complete fall reports. LHP Hagen Smith Smith is one of the best left-handers in college baseball and he put that on display last Friday. They were joined in the top five by Stanford, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Wake Forest, which entered the top five after Texas A&M had an ugly weekend against Portland. Hes now a bounce back prospect. He is sure-handed and slick, twitchy and acrobatic, wielding plus range, hands, actions and arm strength. KEY: NC Rec: Non-Conference Record. Montgomery may provide a counterexample to the industrys obsession with hitters age in the draft room, as the former 19-year-old high schooler looks like he might be a star. A physical lefty with mid-90s arm strength and a mind-bending slider, Tiedemann has become one of the minors highest-ceiling arms. Perhaps as an adjustment to deal with this issue, Priester now mixes in plenty of fastballs for which he pronates on release, giving the pitch screwball-like spin. The good news is that Alcantara already has enough pop to do damage to the opposite field and hes probably going to grow into much more as his wispy frame continues to fill out. His overall chase rates remain a little worse than average but theyre not terrifying. This is a little odd, but it might be remedied with an unobtrusive mechanical tweak. 63South FloridaAmerican3FL5-3605863 The Pennsylvania native went six innings, allowed just two baserunners, and struck out eight against South Florida. The rip was more explosive than his shoulder could handle, and part of it tore away from the bone. With some marque matchups this weekend, we should learn more about where these teams should stand. 14North CarolinaACC3NC1-1131210 LHP Xavier Rivas Delaware was no match for Rivas, who struck out eight and allowed just one hit. As Jackson worked out on one field and minor leaguers played and took BP on the quads other three diamonds, he stood apart from the rest in virtually every way. He tends to swing through the down-and-in portion of the zone and struggles with anything away from him. Harrisons fastball sits 93-94 mph, topping out around 98, and it plays up thanks to its shape and the deceptively low lefty arm slot Harrison hurls it from. He sports ridiculous all-fields power from the left side of the plate, floats from base to base with huge, graceful strides, can clock home-to-first times close to 4.00 seconds, and still has room for much, much more mass on his frame before it detracts from his mobility enough to push him off shortstop. How impactful a starter may depend on how his changeup, currently a tertiary offering, develops at the big league level. If theres a real long-term concern that has become evident as a result of Yorkes year, its that he seems injury prone and has now had several disruptive maladies in the last couple of years. The fastball looked great and the slider seemed unhittable. He is more than capable of making a subset of plays at third, where his range and lateral agility are both plus, but he really struggles to make plays coming in on the grass. Even if you dismiss that, the measurable power thats already here is incredible and reinforces the visual evaluation of Bleis electric talent. Ortiz had one of the fastest ascents up the minor league ladder in 2022 and now projects as a mid-rotation starter or elite reliever in Pittsburgh, depending on what he can develop beyond his lethal fastball/slider combo. Hes as patient as any hitter in the minors and has walked at a 19% career rate; he has a .437 career OBP in the minors. His bat speed is still great, but everything else has trended down. This is mind blowing when you consider that Rafaela has only been playing the outfield for two years. Its possible the ceiling on Millers curveball is big. 4 starter fairly soon even if the arrow is currently pointing down. RHP Jackson Pace The 6-5 freshman righty made his presence known on Sunday, striking out four batters in a one-hit performance, lasting six innings. He has retained foundational feel for the barrel while coming into all that power, and is one of the higher-ceilinged all-around players in the minors. M.J. Melendezs 2019 and Bo Naylors 2020 are recent examples of otherwise good-hitting catchers who had a terrible offensive season in the mid-minors followed by an immediate and significant rebound the following year. 7 Last Week: 1-3 Overall: 4-3, 0-0 in SEC (0-0 vs. Top 25) Weekend Record: 1-1 Results Feb. 21: Lamar: L 7-4 Feb. 24-26: Portland: L 10-3, L 4-1, W 5-4 Upcoming Feb. 28: Houston Christian Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic (Houston) March 3: vs. (4) Louisville March 4: vs. Rice March 5: vs. (18) Texas Tech It was a tough week for Texas A&M, as it lost Tuesday against Lamar and then lost its first two games against Portland. 50LibertyA-Sun1VA325758155 Still, hes poised to be a franchise cornerstone for the Orioles looming renaissance. Flores will also show you an upper-80s cutter, which has more inconsistent shape but gives him a third viable weapon. 16NC StateACC5NC28242525 He is otherwise incredibly gifted, a 70 runner with at least 70 raw power that plays to all fields. Previous ranking: No. Well, Volpes swing starts with what is best described as a heel tap of his rear leg, as he loads all his weight onto his back side before he strides forward and swings with verve and ferocity. He has some vulnerability to high fastballs and tends to do most of his extra-base damage against middle-middle mistakes, but Steer is capable of making line drive contact in basically all parts of the strike zone, and is especially adept at poking outer-third pitches the opposite way for base hits. Keith was a late-riser on 2020 draft boards and had teams debating whether to select him as a pitcher or a hitter, with some even considering developing him as a two-way talent. Kurtz was unstoppable, hitting four homers and driving in 11, along with a video-game-like 1.267 slugging percentage. So far in pro ball, Wood has been incredible. Short but not small, his lack of length and size is actually an advantage for Johnsons swing, as he can enjoy a bat path geared for power and lift without it being too long. 1 in the D1Baseball Top 25, which began in 2015. Just shy of age 21 in 2022, he was a draft-eligible sophomore and somehow improved on an incredible freshman season (.318/.379/.550) by nearly tripling his home run total, walking as often as he Kd and slashing .361/.453/.709 as a soph. This isnt a common injury and the industry wasnt quite sure what to make of its impact on his trajectory. All of his swings components fire in a short period of time, which can be jarring to watch, but Mayo has been smoking liners and hitting huge pull-side homers with this swing since he was a high school underclassman. He was excellent over the summer with USA Baseballs Collegiate National Team as well, striking out 10 in six innings. JohnsBig East3NY3-46484442 Add to that performance his track record as a clubhouse favorite with natural leadership abilities and his multi-positional utility, and Lewis is primed for an everyday role as soon as his health allows. OF Vance Honeycutt A top freshman from a year ago, Honeycutt is already off to a hot start in 2023. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. In four innings, the senior lefty struck out six and didnt allow a hit. Heres the full conference-by-conference breakdown: ACC (12 of 14 teams landed in the Top 100), Pac-12 (8 of 11), Big Ten (8 of 13), Big 12 (7 of 9), Sun Belt (7 of 14), American (5 of 8), Big West (4 of 9), Conference USA (4 of 8). Hes begun to solve the former problem by occasionally catching on one knee with one leg splayed out, la Carlos Ruiz, which allows him to be lower to the ground and present low pitches moving back toward the zone. The top five is unchanged this week, as Florida, Stanford, Louisville and Vanderbilt again follow LSU. The Tigers scored 27 runs on the weekend. Zavala isnt as physically projectable as some other youngsters on this list, but he might have a better hit plus power profile thanks to the rotation and subsequent bat speed he generates in his athletic, lefty swing. Arroyo hit for a surprising amount of power at Low-A Modesto before he was sent to the Reds as part of the Luis Castillo trade, golfing out 13 homers and slugging .514. Hes likely to move off shortstop eventually, but it probably wont be for a while; the longer he stays there, the more margin for error the hit tool component, which were a tad apprehensive about, will have as he begins his big league career. California is now tied with Texas for most teams in the top 100 with 10 apiece. 40/50. At times Jung looked totally lost late in 2022 when he finally returned from the shoulder surgery. While his peak exit velocities have long been tops among his peers, college and pro, he didnt really start launching homers until after he was drafted, when it appears his swing and approach changed. There are still visual and underlying statistical indications that Naylor is going to end up with a below-average hit tool (his swing is so uphill that hell almost certainly be vulnerable to whiffs in the strike zone), but he has very impressive bat speed and power (especially for a catcher) that is weaponized by his selective approach, which targets the up-and-in quadrant of the zone. As is customary for pitching prospects near the tippity top of prospect lists, Rodriguez got hurt in 2022, suffering a Grade 2 lat strain in early June. Virginia has one more week of non-conference play before its schedule stiffens with ACC competition. UC Santa Barbara; 34. Before he got hurt, there were folks in baseball who considered him a top 30 prospect, so his ceiling is big enough to include him on the top 100 now even though hes coming off injury. The Cowboys will look to keep things rolling this week, starting with a familiar foe in Missouri Statea matchup that produced a wild 29-15 elimination game in last years Stillwater Regional. He returned three months later and labored through a rocky September with Norfolk, during which he struggled with walks. }); Drafted: 2nd Round, 2019 from Morgan Academy HS (AL) (BAL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Lakeside HS (WA) (ARI), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2021 from IMG Academy (SDP), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2019 from Dominican Republic (MIA), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Calvary Christian HS (PHI), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Dominican Republic (CIN), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2021 from Venezuela (MIL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Wesleyan HS (GA) (ARI), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Stillwater HS (OK) (BAL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Severna HS (SDP), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Delbarton HS (NJ) (NYY), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Decatur HS (GA) (STL), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Venezuela (NYM), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Harvard Westlake HS (CA) (NYM), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Jesuit Prep HS (ARI), Drafted: 5th Round, 2020 from Bellarmine (ARI), Drafted: 1st Round, 2018 from Central Heights HS (TX) (BAL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Eastlake HS (CA) (BOS), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Cal Poly (MIN), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2021 from Dominican Republic (BOS), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Mays HS (GA) (PIT), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Dominican Republic (NYM), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Lake Travis HS (TX) (NYM), Drafted: 3rd Round, 2021 from Golden West College (TOR), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Jesuit HS (OR) (PHI), Drafted: 3rd Round, 2020 from De La Salle HS (CA) (SFG), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Australia (PHI), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Venezuela (LAD), Drafted: 1st Round, 2018 from American Heritage HS (FL) (BOS), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Turlock HS (CA) (OAK), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Texas Tech (TEX), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2018 from Carson HS (NC) (TEX), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Louisville (LAD), Drafted: 5th Round, 2019 from Wayne State (HOU), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Southridge HS (IN) (CHW), Drafted: 4th Round, 2020 from Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) (BAL), Drafted: 5th Round, 2018 from Redan HS (GA) (TBR), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Louisville (PIT), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2016 from Venezuela (NYY), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Venezuela (COL), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2021 from Washington State (TBR), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2019 from Dominican Republic (COL), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2020 from Kingwood HS (TX) (STL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2018 from St. Joan of Arc HS (CAN) (CLE), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from North Carolina (LAD), Drafted: 3rd Round, 2019 from Oregon (MIN), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Cuba (LAD), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Curacao (BOS), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2019 from Dominican Republic (NYY), Drafted: 23rd Round, 2018 from St. John the Baptist HS (NY) (PHI), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2021 from Central Pointe Christian (FL) (SEA), Drafted: 6th Round, 2018 from C. Leon King HS (FL) (TOR), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Venezuela (CLE), Drafted: 1st Round, 2017 from JSerra HS (CA) (MIN), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Torrey Pines HS (TBR), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2020 from Florida International (CLE), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Dominican Republic (LAD), Drafted: 5th Round, 2020 from Central Arkansas (LAD), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Cuba (CHW), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Campbell (LAA), Drafted: 4th Round, 2020 from Vanderbilt (MIA), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Oklahoma (WSN), Drafted: 1st Round, 2017 from Valdosta HS (GA) (BAL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2018 from Santiago HS (CA) (MIL), Drafted: 4th Round, 2019 from New Mexico State (BAL), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2020 from Elizabethton HS (TN) (TEX), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Boston College (MIL), Drafted: 5th Round, 2021 from Villanova (STL), Drafted: 5th Round, 2021 from Cal State Fullerton (CLE), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Chipola JC (CIN), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2019 from Dominican Republic (NYM), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Dominican Republic (NYY), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2020 from Watson Chapel HS (AR) (STL), Drafted: 18th Round, 2019 from Auburn (MIN), Drafted: 5th Round, 2020 from Biloxi HS (MS) (DET), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Dominican Republic (PIT), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Ball State (ARI), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2016 from Dominican Republic (CLE), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2021 from Cuba (LAA), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from East Carolina (CLE), Drafted: 4th Round, 2021 from Texas A&M (SEA), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2021 from Venezuela (SDP), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from The Woodlands HS (TX) (COL), Drafted: 5th Round, 2019 from St. Marys (NYY), Drafted: 13th Round, 2018 from North Hall HS (GA) (MIL), Drafted: 6th Round, 2019 from Sam Houston (NYY), Drafted: 2nd Round, 2019 from Oregon (ARI), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2017 from Dominican Republic (NYM), Drafted: 4th Round, 2020 from Cincinnati (MIL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from IMG Academy (FL) (WSN), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Georgai Premier Academy (GA) (CLE), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Dominican Republic (SEA), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Spruce Creek HS (COL), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Winder-Barrow HS (WSN), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Dominican Republic (SFG), Drafted: 3rd Round, 2021 from Gardner-Webb (OAK), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2021 from Cuba (MIA), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2021 from Dominican Republic (CHC), Drafted: 5th Round, 2021 from Virginia (PHI), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Archbishop Mitty HS (CA) (BOS), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Georgia Tech (NYM), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2018 from Venezuela (TEX), Signed: July 2nd Period, 2019 from Dominican Republic (CLE), Drafted: 1st Round, 2018 from Mountain Ridge HS (AZ) (TBR), Drafted: 1st Round, 2019 from Cary-Grove HS (IL) (PIT), Drafted: 1st Round, 2022 from Buford HS (GA) (SDP), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Heritage Hall HS (DET), Drafted: 1st Round, 2021 from Vanderbilt (TEX), Drafted: 1st Round, 2020 from Independence HS (TN) (SDP).