Happy Double-A, High-A and Single-A Opening Day! Full-season ball is now in full swing, I’m coming down with my annual extreme case of Draft fever and there are plenty of interesting questions in the Pipeline Inbox …
I’ll give you one for each level, starting with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, who lead all MiLB teams with five Top 100 Prospects: right-hander Cade Horton, outfielder Owen Caissie, catcher Moises Ballesteros, second baseman James Triantos and outfielder Kevin Alcántara. First baseman James Long is one of the better sleeper hitters in the Cubs system and righty Jack Neely annually ranks among the Minor League leaders in strikeout rate thanks to his unhittable slider.
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Shortstop Sebastian Walcott is my pick for the No. 1 prospect in baseball by season’s end and headlines a strong contingent at Double-A Frisco. Right-hander Winston Santos is the most polished starting pitching prospect in the Rangers system and fronts a deep RoughRiders rotation that also includes Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and Josh Stephan. The lineup runs deep as well with outfielder Alejandro Osuna, first baseman Abimelec Ortiz and shortstop Cameron Cauley.
Shortstop Colt Emerson is one of the best pure hitters in the Minors, while Lazaro Montes offers some of the best raw power. They’ll team with fellow Top 100 Prospect Michael Arroyo at High-A Everett, though the biggest name on the AquaSox may be switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, who went 15th overall in last year’s Draft. Outfielder Tai Peete showed of his electric bat speed while going 3-for-3 with a homer and steal in the Mariners’ Spring Breakout game, which could portend him busting out this season.
Speedy shortstop Kellon Lindsey is making his pro debut at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, where the Dodgers’ 2024 first-rounder is just one of several tooled-up position players. Eduardo Quintero, Mike Sirota and Jaron Elkins all are capable center fielders with 20-20 upside, while Joendry Vargas is a potential 25-homer shortstop. Right-hander Hyun-Seok Jang fanned 41 percent of the batters he faced in his pro debut last year while working with a riding fastball that reaches 99 mph and a tight mid-80s slider.
Montgomery has gone 1-for-20 with 15 strikeouts in his first five games this season at Triple-A Charlotte. It’s easy to say “small sample size,” but that comes on the heels of a disappointing .214/.329/.381 line with a 29 percent strikeout rate at that level a year ago. In 186 games in Double-A and Triple-A, he has batted just .211/.329/.379 with 25 homers and 230 strikeouts.
There’s still plenty to like about Montgomery and he’s still a building block for the White Sox. He has 30-homer power and draws his share of walks, and he’s also a legitimate shortstop who moves better than most 6-foot-3, 230-pounders. But it’s probably time to retire the Corey Seager comparisons because he doesn’t have that kind of hitting ability and his swing decisions have regressed significantly as he has looked to tap into more power.
After unveiling our 2025 Draft Top 100 last December, we’ll update and expand it to a Top 150 by the end of this month. Jonathan Mayo and I will divide the country in half like we usually do and the two best newcomers from my territory both hail from the same state.
Alabama right-hander Riley Quick has pitched his way into the middle of the first round and could be the second college arm selected behind Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold. Coming back from Tommy John surgery a year ago, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Quick has averaged 97 mph with heavy sink on his fastball, flashed a well above-average mid-80s slider and shown feel for an upper-80s changeup. He also throws strikes and has the upside of a No. 2 or 3 starter.
Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS shortstop Steele Hall also could go in the first round after reclassifying from the 2026 Draft and showing improved strength and quickness this spring. He’s a twitchy athlete with plus-plus speed and at least solid arm strength and defense. His right-handed swing looks better in batting practice than when he concentrates on trying to lift and pull balls during games, but he projects as an average to solid hitter who can provide 15 homers per season.
High school infielders are unquestionably the strength of this Draft. Ethan Holliday (Stillwater, Okla., HS) is a candidate to go No. 1 overall and Billy Carlson (Corona, Calif., HS) likely will go in the first five selections. Kayson Cunningham (Johnson HS, San Antonio), Gavin Fien (Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.), Xavier Neyens (Mount Vernon, Wash., HS), JoJo Parker (Purvis, Miss., HS) and Eli Willits (Fort Cobb-Broxton, Okla., HS) all could fit in the upper half of the first round.
At least seven more prep infielders could sneak into the first round, including Hall. Also keep an eye on Nick Becker (Don Bosco Prep, NJ), Sean Gamble (IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.), Josh Hammond (Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C.), Ryan Mitchell (Houston HS, Germantown, Tenn.), Daniel Pierce (Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga.) and Quentin Young (Oaks Christian, CA).