Happy New Year! For the first Pipeline Inbox of 2025, we had readers submit two players with the idea that I'd say which one I like better and why. We received 131 responses via X, Bluesky and email, so let's see how many we can cram into one Inbox . . .

Walker Jenkins vs. Max Clark -- @willchandler2 on X

Jenkins (MLB No. 2) and Clark (MLB No. 6) always will be mentioned in tandem. They¡¯re both outfielders who played together in USA Baseball development programs and were clearly the top two prep prospects in the 2023 Draft, where Clark went third to the Tigers and Jenkins fifth to the Twins. At age 19 in their first full pro seasons, Jenkins slashed .282/.394/.439 at four levels, peaking in Double-A, while Clark posted a .279/.372/.421 line between two Class A stops.

I'll take Jenkins because he'll provide more impact at the plate. He has more power and controls the strike zone better than Clark, who has superior speed and arm strength and is a no-doubt center fielder. They're two of the five best prospects in baseball.

Matt Shaw vs. Travis Bazzana -- @bjax21 on X

I'd take Guardians second baseman Bazzana (MLB No. 12) over Cubs third baseman Shaw (MLB No. 22), but it's a tribute to Shaw that it's closer than would be expected considering their Draft status. Bazzana was the No. 1 overall pick last July while Shaw went 13th overall two years ago. Shaw wouldn't last nearly that long in a 2023 redraft today.

Bazzana's pure hitting ability propelled him to the top of the 2024 Draft and is a full grade better than Shaw's. They have comparable power, and Bazzana features a tick better speed and arm strength.

Noah Schultz vs. Hagen Smith -- @JohnCarney3 on X

This was our most popular question, as three different readers wanted us to compare White Sox left-handers who were first-round picks, with Schultz going 26th in 2022 and Smith fifth last July. They're the two best southpaw prospects in baseball.

Both operate from low arm slots that make life tough on lefty hitters and both have dominant sliders. Because Schultz (MLB No. 16) is 6-foot-9 and throws from such a wide angle, his low-80s slide piece features exceptional horizontal movement. I'd take him over Smith (MLB No. 30) because he has an edge in terms of his slider, third pitch (changeup vs splitter) and control. Smith misses more bats with his fastball, which is more lively than Schultz's and slightly harder at 94-97 mph with a peak of 100.

Roman Anthony vs. Jace LaViolette -- @StevieDAles97 on X

Intriguing question, pitting an outfielder who's arguably the game's best prospect (Anthony of the Red Sox) against another who could be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 Draft (LaViolette of Texas A&M). Both were part of the 2022 high school class, with Anthony getting late first-round money ($2.5 million) as a supplemental second-rounder. LaViolette enticed teams with his combination of physicality and athleticism, but swing-and-miss issues made teams reluctant to buy him away from the Aggies.

LaViolette earns slightly higher grades for power, speed and arm strength and they both are present center fielders who project to land in right field. But Anthony is no slouch with his plus pop and I'd grade him as a 60 hitter on the 20-80 scouting scale compared to a 45 for LaViolette, who frequently comes up empty swinging against pitches in the strike zone, even fastballs. I'd clearly take Anthony, who led the Double-A Eastern League in slugging (.489) and OPS (.856) as a 20-year-old last season, then slashed .344/.463/.519 with 16 extra-base hits in 35 games following his promotion to Triple-A.

Leodalis De Vries vs. Ethan Holliday -- @bryanf_ on X

Another question in the same vein, comparing a current pro to a 2025 Draft prospect. De Vries was the best player available in the 2024 international class, signing with the Padres for $4.2 million out of the Dominican Republic, while Holliday is the leading candidate to go No. 1 overall to the Nationals in July. His older brother Jackson was the top pick in 2022.

De Vries (MLB No. 28) is a switch-hitter with more contact skills and a bit better speed, while Holliday is more physical and has massive raw power (not that De Vries is a slouch in that regard). Neither player is a slam-dunk shortstop and both of them could wind up at third base with solid arm strength.

This might be the toughest question in this Inbox and I'm going to take the easy way out and go with De Vries because he has proven himself in pro ball already. He batted .237/.361/.441 with 11 homers in 75 games as a 17-year-old in Single-A last year, facing pitchers who were on average four years older than him. If Holliday improves as much in his senior season as Jackson did in his, then I'll switch my answer.

Gary Gill Hill vs. Ty Johnson -- @Joshk198907 on X

We'll wrap up with a pair of sleeper Rays right-handers. Hill was a sixth-round pick out of a New York high school in 2022, while the Cubs drafted Johnson in the 15th round out of Ball State in 2023 and included him in the Isaac Paredes deal a year later.

• Subscribe to the MLB Pipeline Newsletter

Hill (TB No. 7) is the better prospect and could push his way onto our Top 100 list in the near future. Athletic and projectable, he has the potential for three solid or better pitches (92-96 mph fastball, low-80s slider, mid-80 changeup with fade) and control to match. He raised his arm slot and did a better job of repeating it in 2024 while recording a 3.15 ERA and 105/27 K/BB ratio in 108 2/3 innings in Single-A at age 19.

Johnson (TB No. 30) has mostly flown under the radar, but that should start to change after he logged a 0.78 ERA, .133 opponent average and 39/4 K/BB in 23 innings in High-A following the trade. He uses his 6-foot-6 frame to create extension and a flat approach angle that help his 93-98 mph fastball play up. He also flashes a plus slider in the mid-80s, though his changeup needs work if he's going to remain a starter.