Predicting when prospects will make MLB debuts by month

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We haven¡¯t even reached a week of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, and we¡¯ve already seen five Top 100 prospects debut in The Show: Roki Sasaki, Kristian Campbell, Matt Shaw, Cam Smith and Drake Baldwin.

And that brings up the question -- OK, but who is next?

Even if Opening Day is past us, it¡¯s still not too late for a few more predictions. In this case, we¡¯ll go month by month in 2025 to estimate exactly when members of MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 40 overall prospects will debut in the Majors. (Note: Players who have already seen The Show do not count for this exercise.)

APRIL

Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox (MLB No. 2): Sure, there isn¡¯t exactly room for Anthony in Boston¡¯s outfield right now with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela there now. But as Anthony proved with a two-homer game on Sunday, Triple-A isn¡¯t much of a test for him. He has a .343/.471/.555 line in 37 games for Worcester dating back to last year, and his loud contact back up the numbers. If he¡¯s called up within the first two weeks, he could still be eligible for a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick either as a Rookie of the Year contender in 2025 or AL MVP candidate before he reaches arbitration.

MAY

Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates (MLB No. 14): Paul Skenes debuted with the Bucs on May 11 last year. Chandler could well beat that timeline, considering he enters 2025 with seven Triple-A starts already under his belt. The 22-year-old right-hander touched 99.9 in the Spring Breakout game on March 14, and his slider and changeup could be additional plus pitches that get him into the Pittsburgh rotation quickly.

Chase Dollander, RHP, Rockies (MLB No. 24): The 2023 ninth overall pick was heavily considered for a rotation spot in Colorado out of spring. Instead, he debuted for Triple-A Albuquerque with a solid performance on Sunday. The Pacific Coast League (and Albuquerque specifically) isn¡¯t a place you want your top pitchers playing too long, so it could be a quick hook to Denver for the former Tennessee star.

Dalton Rushing, C/OF, Dodgers (MLB No. 29): Rushing moved between DH, catcher and first base in his first Triple-A series of the season, and he has some outfield experience from last year. But given the Dodgers¡¯ loaded MLB roster, it might take an injury for Rushing to get the call, and we¡¯re not in the business of predicting injuries. Consider this more about when he¡¯ll be ready. He might already be given his .906 OPS and 10 homers in 40 career games with Oklahoma City.

Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox (MLB No. 38): The South Siders should have ample space to fit their top prospects when they¡¯re ready. Montgomery still has to improve from his .214/.329/.381 line over 130 games from 2024, but if he hits the ball as hard as expected, the 23-year-old could get a quick call to Chicago either at short or third base.

JUNE

Marcelo Mayer, SS, Red Sox (MLB No. 11): Mayer didn¡¯t see Triple-A at all last year due to a lumbar strain, but he fit right in with the big club this spring, both offensively and defensively. Alex Bregman¡¯s addition, Trevor Story¡¯s health and Campbell¡¯s debut mean Boston is pretty well loaded on the infield, but expect Mayer to move around in Worcester in case there¡¯s any opening on the dirt.

Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Orioles (MLB No. 12): Basallo won¡¯t unseat Adley Rutschman behind the plate in Baltimore, and Coby Mayo might get a quicker look if the O¡¯s need first-base help. But the 20-year-old left-handed slugger is already hitting balls at 115 mph in Triple-A, and with his plus power and good approach, he could put up big numbers quickly in Norfolk. The O¡¯s can¡¯t keep a bat like that down too long.

Kyle Teel, C, White Sox (MLB No. 31): The prospect centerpiece of the Garrett Crochet trade is already tearing the cover off the ball with Triple-A Charlotte, going 6-for-12 with two homers in his first three games. He reached the Minors¡¯ top level last season with the Red Sox too, and he could still round into the all-around catcher rebuilding clubs crave with a bit more Triple-A seasoning. It could be a fun race between him and No. 64 overall prospect Edgar Quero to see who reaches the South Side first.

Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins (MLB No. 36): This is a hedge. As a five-tool talent, Rodriguez could zoom to the Majors after opening at Triple-A St. Paul. As an oft-injured player, he has played more than 50 games only once in his previous four seasons. It¡¯s possible he joins the Twins much earlier than this or much later, but two-plus months of Triple-A experience feels right for now.

JULY

Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies (MLB No. 7): Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski consistently said this spring he was circling July as the month of Painter¡¯s ascension, so we¡¯ll take him at his word. The 6-foot-7 right-hander is still being built up slowly after missing the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to elbow issues/Tommy John surgery, and his high-quality stuff and control is something the Phils should want saved up for a deep postseason run.

Carson Williams, SS, Rays (MLB No. 8): The 21-year-old could defend at a Major League level today. His high strikeout rate throughout his career has been the much bigger concern, and the Rays may want to be super-sure he¡¯ll make enough contact against MLB arms before giving him the call around the halfway mark.

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics (MLB No. 37): The A¡¯s sent the 2024 fourth overall pick to Triple-A Las Vegas to open his first full season, and with Kurtz¡¯s combination of bat speed, strength and discipline, he could put up some monster numbers over the first half in the PCL despite the aggressive assignment. Fellow first baseman Tyler Soderstrom is a popular breakout pick this year, but that can only hold Kurtz down from helping a needy MLB roster for so long.

AUGUST

Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians (MLB No. 9): In a world without Smith or Kurtz (or Wyatt Langford before them), this would feel like an aggressive prediction for a college bat in his first full season. Instead, it¡¯s very possible Bazzana -- with his plus-plus hit tool and above-average pop -- rockets past Double-A Akron, through Triple-A Columbus and into Cleveland before the All-Star break.

Noah Schultz, LHP, White Sox (MLB No. 15): The 6-foot-10 southpaw returns to Double-A, where he made 16 starts last year -- none of which lasted longer than four innings by design. Expanding the workload will be the key in 2025 because we know the plus fastball, plus-plus slider and above-average changeup can play in the upper Minors.

Jac Caglianone, 1B, Royals (MLB No. 21): The former Florida star¡¯s power showed up big time this spring, and if he maintains his approach improvements in his first full season, he could lead the Minors in homers ¡­ right up until callup time. A lineup of Caglianone, Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez sure is tantalizing.

Chase Burns, RHP, Reds (MLB No. 25): Cincinnati called up 2023 first-rounder Rhett Lowder on Aug. 30 last year after 22 starts in his first full season, and ¡®24 first-rounder Burns (another Wake Forest product) has even sharper stuff with a fastball that can touch triple-digits, a plus-plus slider and an above-average changeup.

Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox (MLB No. 33): Like Burns, Smith is a 2024 first-rounder with tremendous pedigree. Like Schultz, he¡¯ll start at Double-A in a White Sox system ready to bring young talent to the bigs. Smith battled control issues this spring (eight walks in 5 1/3 innings), but he¡¯ll have four-plus months to iron those out.

Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians (MLB No. 35): This is hopeful since the oft-injured DeLauter is out again after undergoing core muscle surgery that could keep him on the IL until at least early May. But the 23-year-old outfielder has the bat speed, strength and above-average defense that could be useful for Cleveland in many ways at some point this summer.

SEPTEMBER

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants (MLB No. 23): Eldridge touched Triple-A in his age-19 season last year, but that was more about getting him extra at-bats. He is slated for Double-A to begin 2025 and could return to Sacramento by midseason. The prediction here is that the Giants bring him up for a cup of coffee in September but preserve his prospect status ahead of a 2026 run at NL Rookie of the Year.