Building a Top 30 from every MLB Top 30 Prospects list
August around MLB Pipeline is all about reranks. With a new Top 100 Prospects list and updated Top 30s for each team, there's plenty to dissect and mull over.
For instance: What if you could build a Top 30 Prospects list using all 30 farm systems?
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The premise is simple: Pick 30 prospects, using one player from each team and one player at each ranking. By selecting No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday, you wouldn't be allowed to use any other Orioles prospects or teams' top prospects.
Now, being in the middle of the season, prospect rankings can be a moving target. Players graduate and are occasionally released, so we are using each team's Top 30 Prospects list at the time of the rerank on Aug. 12.
One of the fun parts about this exercise is that there are many great ways to build your list -- and 265 nonillion different combinations. By chance, this list was quite diverse, with every position represented and players from five different Drafts and five different international signing periods.
1. Dylan Crews, OF (WSH No. 1, MLB No. 3)
The second overall pick in the 2023 Draft is the top prospect playing in the Minors, although his 60-grade hit, power and speed tools may lead to a callup before long. Crews is a five-tool talent who can hit well to all fields and has the potential to stick in center field.
2. Carson Williams, SS (TB No. 2, MLB No. 6)
Williams is an elite athlete and surefire shortstop -- he won the 2022 Minor League Gold Glove Award -- with the arm strength befitting of a former pitcher. He has plenty of strength at the plate, too, and a swing path that will lead to rare power for his position at the next level.
3. Samuel Basallo, C/1B (BAL No. 3, MLB No. 11)
Basallo has one of the highest offensive ceilings in the Minors thanks to tremendous bat speed and strength. If he doesn't out-grow catcher, where he does have a plus arm, he has No. 1 overall prospect potential, although his bat will play just fine at first base.
4. Harry Ford, C (SEA No. 4, MLB No. 53)
Ford is quite an athlete behind the plate, which has helped him make great strides on defense. That athleticism translates into plus speed on the bases, and he has an advanced approach and impressive bat speed to round out an exciting profile.
5. Jace Jung, 3B/2B (DET No. 5, MLB No. 64)
Jung finally joined his brother, Rangers All-Star third baseman Josh, in the Majors, where he's hoping to tap into similar power with a lofted swing. His defense has improved over time, but the big selling point is his pull power, which resulted in 28 homers in his first full season after going 12th overall in 2022.
6. Kevin Alc¨˘ntara, OF (CHC No. 6, MLB No. 73)
Alc¨˘ntara was the No. 14 international prospect in 2018 and has tapped into his average-or-better tools since coming to the Cubs in the Anthony Rizzo trade. He has a compact swing in a lanky, 6-foot-6 frame that should allow him to tap into considerable power as he adds strength.
7. Alfredo Duno, C (CIN No. 7)
Duno's prodigious power and arm strength helped him ascend to the No. 4 international prospect ranking in the 2023 class. Injuries limited him to DH last season, but he's agile for his size, which could allow him to stick behind the plate and reach his lofty ceiling.
8. Blade Tidwell, RHP (NYM No. 8)
Tidwell has an impressive five-pitch mix, led by a riding four-seamer and sweeping slider, that has led to a lot of strikeouts. His walk issues and delivery could lead to a move to the bullpen, where his stuff would play up more, but the 2022 second-rounder has mid-rotation upside if he improves his control.
9. Eduardo Quintero, OF (LAD No. 9)
Quintero was one of the best performers in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and reached Single-A at just 18 years old. He has excellent bat control paired with 20-20 potential and the athleticism to stick in center field.
10. PJ Morlando, OF (MIA No. 10)
Morlando burst onto the scene last year when he won the High School Home Run Derby and the MVP Award at the High School All-American Game, and he became a first-round pick in 2024. His big-time left-handed power currently shows up more in batting practice than in games, so his pro debut merits close watching.
11. Welbyn Francisca, SS/2B (CLE No. 11)
The Guardians certainly have a type in undersized, switch-hitting middle infielders, and Francisca could be their next big find. The No. 28 international prospect in 2023 out of the Dominican Republic has great bat control and patience for his age.
12. Jacob Gonzalez, SS/2B (CWS No. 12)
Gonzalez became a 2023 first-rounder after three productive seasons in the SEC but has yet to hit his stride in the Minors. The 22-year-old has continued to tinker with his stance to tap into natural power and recapture that potential, and his instincts and long strides could help him stick at short.
13. Brando Mayea, OF (NYY No. 13)
With above-average-or-better tools across the board, highlighted by 70-grade speed, Mayea earned a $4.35 million bonus as the No. 9 international prospect in 2023. Time will tell if his power develops, but his wheels and center field defense give him a high floor for a teenage prospect.
14. Sterlin Thompson, 1B/OF (COL No. 14)
Thompson has played five different positions since the Rockies drafted him 31st overall in 2022, but his success will mostly depend on his bat. The former Florida Gator has a slight build and all-field approach and is more of a pure hitter than your standard slugging corner defender.
15. Adriel Radney, OF (AZ No. 15)
Radney is quite raw, having only played in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, but his power potential in center field made him the No. 10 international prospect in 2024. The Dominican Republic native has solid speed in a 6-foot-3 frame and a quiet approach at the plate.
16. Michael Burrows, RHP (PIT No. 16)
Tommy John surgery in 2023 slowed his development, but Burrows has three above-average pitches and solid command that could afford him a chance to start despite already being optioned twice. The 24-year-old could be a weapon out of the bullpen if durability remains an issue.
17. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP (BOS No. 17)
That the 2021 fourth-rounder can hit 98 in his lanky frame portends bigger things as he fills out his frame. He has mid-rotation upside if he can improve his control, as his long limbs and extension help play up his three promising offspeeds.
18. Brandon Barriera, LHP (TOR No. 18)
Toronto signed Barriera to an above-slot deal after drafting him 23rd overall in 2022 to steer him away from his Vanderbilt commitment, but a hybrid Tommy John and internal brace procedure ended his 2024 season after one Single-A start. He has three above-average pitches when healthy, although arm troubles also plagued him in 2023.
19. Blake Burkhalter, RHP (ATL No. 19)
Burkhalter underwent Tommy John surgery just eight months after the Braves selected him 71st overall in the 2022 Draft. A college reliever with electric stuff, the former Auburn Tiger has been given the chance to start in 2024 and show that his improved command is for real, although he could move quickly if moved back into relief.
20. Asbel Gonzalez, OF (KC No. 20)
With plus speed and defense, Gonzalez is already one of the top finds in Kansas City's 2023 international class. He has a projectable 6-foot-2 frame, although his swing is currently more geared for ground balls and line drives than power.
21. Jack Choate, LHP (SF No. 21)
Choate led NCAA D-II in strikeouts per nine innings in 2022 and continues to rack up K's in the Minors. His stuff is just average, but it plays up with a tricky low-slot delivery and long levers that are quite repeatable in his athletic 6-foot-6 frame.
22. Christian McGowan, RHP (PHI No. 22)
Tommy John surgery in 2022 and back issues in '24 have held McGowan back, but his sinker that touches the upper 90s and slider pair well. His power stuff could play up in the 'pen, although the Phillies haven't written off the 24-year-old's chance to start.
23. Alonzo Tredwell, RHP (HOU No. 23)
The Astros signed Tredwell to an above-slot deal as a 2023 second-rounder despite the former UCLA Bruin missing significant time over the previous four seasons due to Tommy John surgery and a back injury. At 6-foot-8, his delivery gives his fastball extra deception, and he has a history of pounding the zone.
24. Royber Salinas, RHP (OAK No. 24)
Salinas reached Triple-A this season at 23, but the Venezuela native underwent right shoulder surgery in May that ended his campaign. His athleticism and command had been improving lately, enough that he could be a starter long-term, although his calling card remains a powerful four-pitch mixed headlined by a fastball up to 98.
25. Jorge Quintana, SS (MIL No. 25)
The Venezuela native earned the Brewers' largest bonus in their loaded 2024 international class ($1.7 million) that is also highlighted by shortstop Jesus Made. Quintana, the No. 12 prospect in this J2 crop, is an athletic defender at 6-foot-2 and is polished on both sides of the plate with room to grow into power.
26. Won-Bin Cho, OF (STL No. 26)
With a swing and approach that are currently geared more for contact than power, Cho still produces high-level max exit velocities. He makes good use of his average speed, which could play in center, although the former pitcher has the arm strength to be a strong defender in right.
27. Dameury Pena, 2B (MIN No. 27)
The undersized Pena has an uncanny knack for putting the barrel on the ball, and that bat control allows him to rarely strike out. While his defensive home is a bit up in the air, the 18-year-old has plenty of time to iron that out, and a plus hit tool is the best foundation for a hitting prospect.
28. Dioris De La Rosa, RHP (LAA No. 28)
De La Rosa has earned the largest bonus given to an Angels pitching prospect during the 2024 international period, and the early returns are positive. His fastball touches 96 mph, and it's easy to see him getting there more consistently as he grows into his 6-foot-4 frame.
29. Kannon Kemp, RHP (SD No. 29)
Kemp earned the second-largest bonus of the Padres' 2023 Draft class as an eighth-rounder ($625,000), although he's yet to pitch outside of instructs due to shoulder issues. His slider and changeup are still nascent, but there's plenty of projection left in his 6-foot-6 frame.
30. Brock Porter, RHP (TEX No. 30)
Porter's talent is tantalizing -- he was the top-ranked pitching prospect in the 2022 Draft and earned a $3.6 million bonus thanks to a plus fastball and changeup. Unfortunately, he's lost his velocity and control in 2024 and is trying to rebuild in Rookie ball, but there's sky-high potential if he finds his old self.