The 10 best power-hitting prospects in the Minors
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Who doesn't love a good moonshot? A majestic, towering fly that draws every eye in the stadium as it glides through the sky.
In our Opening Weekend of Minor League baseball, we saw plenty. Jackson Holliday -- MLB's No. 1 prospect -- crushed his first homer of the year in his first at-bat, Junior Caminero (No. 4) slugged a 402 foot jack in his third game and Coby Mayo (No. 29) mashed a 421 foot wallop that, by all accounts, still hasn't landed.
While it took just a few games for that trio to leave the yard, we still have hundreds of big flies yet to come this season. We all know stars like Matt Olson and Shohei Ohtani pack a punch in the Majors, but which prospects bring that kind of thump to the lineup in the Minor Leagues? Here are the Top 10 power hitters for the 2024 MiLB season.
1. Junior Caminero, 3B/SS (TB No. 1/MLB No. 4)
Power grade: 70
Caminero had power potential entering 2023. Then he had power in reality. His 31 homers were tied for seventh-most among all Minor Leaguers, and he was in his own stratosphere among similarly aged peers. No other player aged 19 or younger went deep more than 24 times in 2023. Caminero, currently sidelined with a strained left quad, topped out with a 112.0 mph exit velocity during his brief time in the Majors, and there¡¯s more where that came from based on his Minor League EVs. It¡¯s all-fields pop that gives Caminero a cathedral-high offensive ceiling.
2. James Wood, OF (WSH No. 2/MLB No. 14)
Power grade: 70
Wood has yet to slug below .500 in any Minor League season, and in some ways, he¡¯s just getting to his easy plus-plus power. The left-handed slugger¡¯s 26 homers last year more than doubled his previous career high of 12, and those 26 ranked second-most among Minor Leaguers aged 20 or younger, even though he played part of the year in pitcher-friendly High-A Wilmington. Wood¡¯s 6-foot-6 size creates room for all that pop, and while his 173 strikeouts were concerning in 2023, he still has superstar potential because of his loudest tool.
3. Coby Mayo, 3B/1B (BAL No. 3/MLB No. 29)
Power grade: 65
There are options here with more power to come from Jackson Holliday and Samuel Basallo¡¯s already showing up, but it¡¯s hard to look past what Mayo has done since being drafted in 2020. Last year, the pop really showed up with 29 homers between the top two levels of the Minors, all at the age of 21. His improved approach points to him tapping into that power even more as he knocks on the big league door.
4. Owen Caissie, OF (CHC No. 3/MLB No. 45)
Power grade: 65
Though he's just 21, Caissie already generates exit velocities that rank with the best in the Majors and his raw power earns top-of-the-scale grades from some evaluators. Acquired from the Padres in the 2020 trade for Yu Darvish, he ranked in the top five in all three slash categories (.289/.398/.519) and homers (22) in the Double-A Southern League as its sixth-youngest regular last summer.
5. Xavier Isaac, 1B (TB No. 4/MLB No. 55)
Power grade: 65
The Rays surprised the Draft world when they selected Isaac in the first round in 2022, but his first season in pro ball put that skepticism to rest. The North Carolina native's 19 big flies were the sixth-most by a Minor League teenager in 2023 and his .462 slugging percentage ranked second in the Carolina League. Isaac gave a glimpse into his elite power in this year's Spring Breakout game when he launched two homers and a double.
6. Lazaro Montes, OF (SEA No. 4)
Power grade: 65
Montes was one of the top prospects in the 2021-22 international signing class because of his power potential and the Mariners gave him $2.5 million to join the organization. He slugged .585 out of the gate in the Dominican Summer League, but it came with a 33.2 percent strikeout rate. What was so encouraging about his .560 slugging percentage while mashing his way from the Complex league to full-season ball in 2023 was that his approach improved dramatically and he cut his strikeout rate considerably. It might be 80-grade raw pop here.
7. Samuel Basallo, C (BAL No. 2/MLB No. 17)
Power grade: 60
The only batter with a higher slugging percentage than Isaac in the Carolina League was Basallo. The 19-year-old suited up across three levels in '23, impacting the baseball at every stop. He employs a keen eye at the dish, leading to better counts and prime opportunities to tap into his raw power. Basallo's 20 homers last year were just the tip of the iceberg as he is sure to gain additional power as he develops.
8. Walker Jenkins, OF (MIN No. 1/MLB No. 10)
Power grade: 60
The No. 5 overall pick in the stacked 2023 Draft, Jenkins has the chance to be a plus hitter with plus power. There¡¯s bat speed and leverage, but he can drive the ball out the other way as well. It¡¯s a small sample size for sure, but he started showing what he can do over 105 at-bats during his pro debut, with 12 extra-base hits in 26 games resulting in a .571 slugging percentage and a .988 OPS. The production continued to show up after a bump to full-season ball.
9. Spencer Jones, OF (NYY No. 2/MLB No. 81)
Power grade: 60
At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, the Aaron Judge comparisons are inescapable for Jones, and his performance has fed into the hype. The Vanderbilt product's bat speed, strength and leverage produce well-above-average raw power and exit velocities. Last season, Jones slugged 16 long balls between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. He will start the '24 season back in the Eastern League.
10. Jackson Holliday, SS/2B (BAL No. 1/MLB No. 1)
Power grade: 60
It's safe to say Holliday excels at all facets of the game, and power is no exception. He combines incredibly advanced plate discipline with a short left-handed stroke that delivers consistent hard contact and elite-level exit velocities. Still only 20 for the 2024 season, Holliday continues to add strength, and there¡¯s confidence he¡¯ll drive the ball more -- and over the fence -- with greater consistency.