Top power-hitting prospects -- one from each team
This browser does not support the video element.
Slugging percentage, isolated slugging percentage, exit velocity, hard-hit rate, barrel percentage, good old-fashioned dingers.
Power is one of the most qualitative, and thus easiest to measure, tools in the game of baseball. It¡¯s also one of the most tantalizing and mesmerizing as tape-measure shots draw the most oohs and aahs in stadiums across the globe.
The likes of Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Matt Olson dominate the slugging conversation in the Majors these days, but who could elbow their way into the discussion next? Heading into the 2024 season, here are the prospects with the most power from each of the 30 farm systems, including 18 members of the MLB Pipeline preseason Top 100.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, INF (MLB No. 89)
Approach issues (and later improvements) have sent Martinez on and off and on the Top 100 again, but his prodigious power has always made him a candidate for the list. He¡¯s hit at least 28 homers in each of his last three seasons and leads all Minor Leaguers with 86 total blasts over that span, two more than second-place Josh Lester (84). If he can let the power come naturally instead of hunting for pullside shots so much, he could be a more well-rounded infield option for Toronto this summer.
Orioles: Coby Mayo, 3B/1B (MLB No. 30)
There are options here, with Jackson Holliday¡¯s power sure to come more 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 across Double- and Triple-A, 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.
Rays: Junior Caminero, 3B/SS (MLB No. 4)
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 in the category among similarly aged peers. No other player aged 19 or younger went deep more than 24 times in 2023. He 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.
This browser does not support the video element.
Red Sox: Roman Anthony, OF (MLB No. 24)
Anthony showed off his power when he slammed a 450-foot home run at the 2021 High School All-American Game at Coors Field. The 2022 second-rounder from a Florida high school has continued to mash in pro ball, overcoming a slow start in Single-A to slash .301/.422/.565 with 13 homers in 64 games between High-A and Double-A in his first full season at age 19. He's also an advanced hitter and may have enough athleticism and instincts to remain in center field.
Yankees: Jasson Dom¨ªnguez, OF (MLB No. 41)
The most hyped international amateur ever, Dom¨ªnguez signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic and dealt with outsized expectations to reach New York at age 20 last September. He went deep off Justin Verlander in his first big league game and homered three more times in the next seven contests before blowing out his right (throwing) elbow and having Tommy John surgery that will sideline him until mid-2024. He has the potential for solid or better tools across the board and stands out most with his tremendous bat speed and huge strength from both sides of the plate.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Chase DeLauter, OF (MLB No. 31)
The Guardians have sluggers with crazier raw power -- Deyvison De Los Santos and Jhonkensy Noel come to mind -- but DeLauter has more usable pop. The highest-drafted player in James Madison history (16th overall, 2022), the 6-foot-4, 235-pound DeLauter features an impressive combination of size, athleticism, performance and plate discipline. A recurring left foot issue delayed his pro debut until June 2023, but he batted .355/.417/.528 with 27 extra-base hits in 57 games while reaching Double-A and then starred in the Arizona Fall League.
Royals: Trevor Werner, 3B
The 2023 seventh-rounder showed good power after switching to full-time position-player status in 2022, topping out with 14 homers and a .514 slugging percentage in his final season at Texas A&M. But he took things to a whole new level on the pro side with nine homers, 24 extra-base hits and a .703 SLG over 35 games, most of which came with Single-A Columbia. Werner¡¯s pop comes more from strength than momentum in his swing, and he¡¯ll be a close follow for many around Kansas City to see how much he can keep getting to that plus raw over a larger Minor League campaign.
Tigers: Colt Keith, 3B/2B (MLB No. 22)
Healthy for a full season for the first time in his career in 2023, Keith led Tigers Minor Leaguer qualifiers with a .552 slugging percentage and .247 ISO over 577 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. He also ranked second in the organization with 27 homers and third in all of the Minors with 68 total extra-base hits. The 22-year-old has a short left-handed swing that helps him elevate and get the most from his strong frame.
This browser does not support the video element.
Twins: Walker Jenkins, OF (No. 10)
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 already 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 .988 OPS, production that showed up even with a bump up to full-season ball.
White Sox: Colson Montgomery, SS (MLB No. 9)
Obligatory Corey Seager comp: As a big-bodied, lefty-hitting shortstop with uncommon power for his position, Montgomery has been likened to the two-time World Series MVP since his Indiana high school days. A better hitter and defender than initially realized when the White Sox drafted him 22nd overall in 2021, he missed time with oblique and back injuries last year but still batted .287/.455/.484 with 25 extra-base hits in 64 games between three levels.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Joswa Lugo, SS
Lugo is a 6-foot-3 shortstop who was ranked No. 37 on our Top 50 international prospects list at the start of the 2024 signing period and the Angels signed him for $2.3 million. The younger brother of big leaguer Dawel, he¡¯s obviously yet to play a professional game, but he projects to have tremendous pop from the right side of the plate, already showing gap power with consistent hard contact.
Astros: Luis Baez, OF
The highest-priced member of the Astros' 2022 international class, Baez signed for $1.3 million out of the Dominican Republic. He has more strength and bat speed than most teenagers and already has an affinity for launching balls in the air to his pull side, attributes that have translated into 20 homers in 116 pro games at the lower levels.
A¡¯s: Henry Bolte, OF
The A¡¯s signed Bolte in the second round of the 2022 Draft with an over-slot bonus of $2 million, signing his intriguing power-speed combination away from the University of Texas. He has a ton of raw power; it will be a question of him refining his approach (33.4 percent strikeout rate during his full-season debut) to get to it consistently as he moves up the ladder. Even with the swing-and-miss, he did bang out 36 extra-base hits, 14 of those homers, with Stockton in 2023.
Mariners: Lazaro Montes, OF
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 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.
Rangers: Wyatt Langford, OF (MLB No. 6)
Langford has as much game power as anyone on this list, and it helped him lead the Southeastern Conference with 26 homers in 2022 and NCAA Division I with 28 doubles and 52 extra-base hits last spring. The No. 4 overall selection out of Florida last July, he's also an advanced hitter and solid athlete who slashed .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers in 44 games while reaching Triple-A in his pro debut.
This browser does not support the video element.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: David McCabe, 3B/1B
Even though he has an open stance and a leg kick, McCabe tends to be on time at the plate, helping to limit his strikeouts. He also draws walks and sees a ton of pitches, helping him to get into counts where his raw power will play from both sides of the plate. He is better left-handed, with 16 of his 17 homers coming from that side in 2023, resulting in a SLG more than 120 points higher than his right-handed line.
Marlins: Kemp Alderman, OF
Alderman's raw power and exit velocities ranked among the very best in the 2023 Draft class, prompting the Marlins to select him in the second round out of Mississippi. He has massive strength and leverage in his 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame, and he displayed it by crushing the longest homer (443 feet at 111 mph) of MLB Network's Draft Combine broadcast last June. After ranking seventh in the SEC with a 1.149 OPS, he batted .205/.286/.316 in Single-A during his pro debut.
Mets: Ronny Mauricio, 2B/SS/OF (No. 6 2B)
The switch-hitter stepped up against Logan Gilbert in his first Major League at-bat on Sept. 1 and slammed a double to right field. The exit velocity registered at 117.3 mph, the highest EV by any Met during the 2023 MLB season. Given his size at 6-foot-3, Mauricio has long packed a punch in the box with three straight 20-plus-homer seasons in the Minors, and he could get to 30 dingers without issue should he improve his approach once he returns from a torn ACL in his right knee.
Nationals: James Wood, OF (MLB No. 14)
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 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 Wilmington. Wood¡¯s size at 6-foot-6 creates room for all that pop, and while his strikeouts were concerning in 2023, he still has superstar potential because of his loudest tool.
This browser does not support the video element.
Phillies: Aidan Miller, 3B/SS (MLB No. 61)
We¡¯ve said this before, but it bears repeating: Miller might turn out to be the steal of the 2023 Draft. Miller certainly would have gone higher had he not broken his left hamate early in his senior year of high school, but he showed off his power bona fides on the showcase circuit the summer prior, winning MLB¡¯s All-American Game Home Run Derby (not to mention the game MVP as well). It¡¯s easily plus raw pop and while it didn¡¯t show up during his 20-game pro debut, his solid overall approach (.303 AVG, .425 OBP) is a sign that he¡¯ll be able to tap into that power once he really gets going.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Jackson Chourio, OF (MLB No. 2)
Fernando Tatis Jr., Giancarlo Stanton and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. all reached Double-A in their age-19 seasons. None of them hit more homers at that age and level than Chourio did with his 22 over 122 games. The right-handed slugger has gone deep 42 times over his last two campaigns, and his quick swing continues to astound with the way it drives balls over fences all around the ballpark. Even if he needs some period of adjustment against MLB pitching, the power could play quickly in The Show upon Chourio¡¯s 2024 arrival.
This browser does not support the video element.
Cardinals: Joshua Baez, OF
Swing-and-miss issues are why Baez hasn¡¯t popped quite in the way St. Louis hoped when it took the Maine native in the second round in 2022, but his power continues to tantalize. Among players with at least 200 Florida State League plate appearances measured by Statcast in 2023, Baez ranked fifth with a 106.6 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity, and his 114.4 mph max EV was second-best in the entire Single-A circuit. It¡¯s near top-of-the-scale raw power. Baez just needs to make enough contact to let it play.
Cubs: Owen Caissie, OF (MLB No. 47)
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 Yu Darvish trade, 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.
Pirates: Tony Blanco Jr., 1B/OF
Blanco Senior made it up to the big leagues with the Nationals and played pro ball for a long time. Blanco Junior is just getting started, signing in Jan. 2022 for $900,000. He¡¯s a 6-foot-6 beast with absurd raw power, a right-handed hitter who has already recorded some of the best exit velocities in the system, registering in-game EVs of 114 mph in 2023, which is in the 100th percentile. He¡¯s yet to play outside of the DSL and there are approach issues, so be patient.
Reds: Noelvi Marte, 3B/SS
Ever since the Mariners signed him in July 2018, we¡¯ve heard about Marte¡¯s bat speed and raw power. Reds fans started to see what the fuss was about in the big leagues last year and he finished the year red-hot, slugging .544 from Sept. 1 through the end of the year. He¡¯s never struck out a lot and he draws walks and he¡¯s made a lot of progress in making adjustments and better swing decisions so he doesn¡¯t get himself out. He¡¯s only 22 for this entire year and he¡¯s just scratching the surface of his offensive potential.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Ivan Melendez, 3B
Two years ago, Melendez won the Golden Spikes Award after hitting 32 homers at the University of Texas and leading the nation with an .863 slugging percentage. As a follow-up, he led all D-backs Minor Leaguers with 30 homers between High-A and Double-A. In fact, he was one of only two Minor Leaguers from any organization to go deep 30 or more times while playing fewer than 100 games (Luken Baker being the other). Melendez did expand the zone and punch out too much in the process, but there¡¯s no denying his pop.
Dodgers: Andy Pages, OF
A Cuban who turned pro for $300,000 in October 2017, Pages has mashed 89 homers in 401 games and led his leagues in extra-base hits during each of his three full seasons in the United States. He combines bat speed, strength and leverage in an uphill right-handed swing and was showing an improved approach in 2023 before tearing the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder during his Triple-A debut on May 16, requiring season-ending surgery. His plus-plus arm strength is another huge asset.
Giants: Marco Luciano, SS (MLB No. 39)
Luciano's electric bat speed made him one of the most coveted players on the 2018 international market, earning him a $2.6 million bonus out of the Dominican Republic. He generates impressive exit velocities and plus-plus raw power to all fields, and he required just 280 games in the Minors before reaching San Francisco as a 21-year-old last July. He didn't go deep in 14 big league contests but did homer 15 times in 74 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
Padres: Ethan Salas, C (MLB No. 8)
Of all the talk about how advanced Salas is defensively, his power potential is right up there as one of his best future tools. Armed with bat speed and strength, Salas impressed Padres officials with his preseason power display at Petco Park in 2023 and then went on to homer nine times in 66 games across Single-A, High-A and Double-A. He has the pop for 25-plus homers in the bigs, and that, along with the rest of his game, would make him a foundational backstop.
This browser does not support the video element.
Rockies: Yanquiel Fernandez, OF (MLB No. 72)
Tip of the cap to Hunter Goodman, who has hit 70 homers over the last two years (and one more in his big league debut), but Fernandez¡¯s raw pop has really shown up as well, with 21 homers during his full-season debut in 2022, when he skipped over the Arizona Complex League, and then 25 more last year when he reached Double-A. Yes, the K rate once he got to Hartford is a little concerning, but he¡¯s just 21 all season and people who like him see some Yordan Alvarez in him.