These prospects got back on track in 2023

December 26th, 2023

Some prospects never struggle on their way to the Major Leagues. For example, the first two guys on our Top 100 Prospects list, Orioles shortstop and Brewers outfielder , have yet to taste failure in pro ball.

They're the exceptions, however. Most prospects face adversity at some point before reaching the big leagues. As 2023 comes to a close, we want to celebrate a dozen prospects who struggled mightily in 2022 but rebounded in fine fashion last season to get their careers on track:

Mason Albright, LHP, Rockies (No. 23)
Albright set a since-broken record for a post-10th-rounder in the bonus-pool era when he signed with the Angels for $1,247,500 as a 12th-rounder from a Florida high school in 2021. He got rocked for an 8.67 ERA in 55 innings during his first full season as a pro before shortening his arm action worked wonders for him this year. He logged a 3.28 ERA and 119/34 K/BB ratio in 109 2/3 innings between two Class A levels and went to the Rockies as part of a July trade for C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk.

Ryan Bergert, RHP, Padres (No. 18)
Though Bergert missed the entire 2021 college season at West Virginia following Tommy John surgery, the Padres still drafted him in the sixth round and paid him fourth-round money ($500,000). He got bashed for a 5.84 ERA in High-A in 2022, but his stuff and command improved in 2023 when he compiled a 2.73 ERA (eighth in the Minors), .204 opponent average (ditto) and 126 strikeouts in 105 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Justice Bigbie, OF, Tigers (No. 21)
A 19th-round pick from Western Carolina in 2021, Bigbie ranked third in the Minors in batting and slashed .343/.405/.537 with 19 homers while rising from High-A to Triple-A. That's a far cry from his 2022 line -- .269/.347/.380 with three homers at two Class A stops -- and can be attributed to better swing decisions that produced a higher quality of contact.

Ryan Bliss, 2B/SS, Mariners (No. 14)
Bliss starred at Auburn en route to becoming a 2021 second-round pick by the D-backs, then stumbled through a .214/.298/.343 first full season as a pro. He simplified his setup at the plate and took a more direct path to the ball in 2023 while exploding for a .304/.378/.524 line with 23 homers and 55 steals between Double-A and Triple-A. Traded to the Mariners in the Paul Sewald trade in July, he finished third in the Minors in runs (110) and total bases (283), fourth in hits (164) and seventh in extra-base hits (65).

Jose Corniell, RHP, Rangers (No. 23)
One of the top pitchers in the 2019-20 international class, Corniell signed with the Mariners for $630,000 and went to the Rangers in a December 2020 deal for Rafael Montero. He got nailed for a 5.45 ERA in his 2022 full-season debut in Single-A, then lowered that mark to 2.92 with a .194 opponent average and 119/31 K/BB ratio in 101 2/3 innings between two Class A levels last season. He threw more strikes in 2023, which made his mid-90s fastball and two-plane slider more effective.

Will Klein, RHP, Royals (No. 26)
Klein went from the fifth round of the 2020 Draft out of Eastern Illinois to a strong pro debut in 2021 to a disastrous 2022, when he recorded a 10.51 ERA with 55 hits and 51 walks in 43 2/3 innings. He did a better job of harnessing his upper-90s fastball last season when he had a 4.62 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

Adam Kloffenstein, RHP, Cardinals (No. 17)
The Blue Jays paid Kloffenstein late first-round money ($2.45 million) as a 2018 third-rounder from a Texas high school, only to see him compile 6.22 and 5.54 ERAs in his first two years in full-season ball in 2021 and '22. Adding an upper-80s cutter helped his low-90s sinker play better and he did a better job of locating his pitches last season when he improved to a 3.16 ERA, .228 opponent average and 140 strikeouts in 128 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. The Cardinals acquired him at the Trade Deadline in a deal for Jordan Hicks.

Ivan Melendez, 3B/1B, D-backs (No. 7)
Melendez won the 2022 Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player in the United States after leading NCAA Division I with 32 homers, 214 total bases and an .863 slugging percentage, though that success didn't immediately translate to pro ball after the D-backs drafted him in the second round out of Texas. He put a lackluster .206/.358/.351 pro debut behind him by batting .272/.345/.578 with 30 homers between High-A and Double-A in 2023. The key to his success was getting back to his aggressive approach of driving the ball in the air to his pull side.

Abimelec Ortiz, 1B/OF, Rangers (No. 14)
Signed for $20,000 as a non-drafted free agent out of Florida SouthWestern State JC in 2021, Ortiz produced a meager .226/.308/.380 line in Single-A during his first full pro season. Afterward, he trained with fellow Puerto Rican and former All-Star Carlos Delgado, shortened his left-handed swing and began wearing contact lenses in games. The results were spectacular, as he hit .294/.371/.619 between two Class A stops, led the Minors in slugging while ranking fourth in homers (33) and OPS (.990) and won High-A South Atlantic League MVP honors.

Austin Shenton, 3B/1B, Rays (No. 26)
Acquired from the Mariners in a 2021 trade for Diego Castillo, Shenton battled a hip injury in his first full season in the Rays system and hit just .236/.338/.415 in 52 Double-A games. Healthy again, he bounced back to a .304/.423/.584 line with 29 homers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. He topped the Minors in doubles (45) and ranked second in extra-base hits (74), third in OPS (1.007) and sixth in total bases (276) and slugging.

Justin Slaten, RHP, Red Sox (No. 25)
Slaten's riding mid-90s fastball and two-plane slider both can be well above-average offerings, but the 2019 third-rounder from New Mexico couldn't locate them well in 2022 when he put up a 6.93 ERA with 48 walks in 50 2/3 innings in Double-A. He did a much better job of throwing strikes last season, leading to a 2.87 ERA, .206 opponent average and 86/20 K/BB ratio in 59 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. The Mets took him in the Rule 5 Draft in December and immediately shipped him to the Red Sox for lefty pitching prospect Ryan Ammons.

Luis Vazquez, SS, Cubs (No. 21)
After the Cubs made Vazquez a 14th-round pick out of a Puerto Rican high school in 2017, it took him four years to stick in full-season ball, and he hit just .225/.276/.345 between Double-A and Triple-A in his fifth. He lowered his hands at the plate in 2023, enabling him to keep his right-handed stroke more on-plane, and he hit the ball harder and farther than ever while looking to pull more pitches. Playing at the same two levels, he set career highs in most categories while batting .271/.361/.456 with 20 homers and 10 steals.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com