It¡¯s Triple-A¡¯s turn up to bat on Friday.
The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues¡¯ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it¡¯ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will follow up with their own Opening Days on April 4.
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By definition, the Triple-A level is filled with players trying to make that final push to the Major Leagues -- some are trying to see The Show for the first time; others are aiming to get back. There are stories everywhere in the International and Pacific Coast Leagues.
Below are Triple-A prospects to watch from every organization, including 17 of MLB.com¡¯s Top 100 prospects.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, 2B/3B (No. 3)
Martinez got a half-season with Buffalo last year where he hit 17 homers and slugged .523 in 74 games, before being called up and immediately suspended for a positive PED test. So we know his power already plays at the Minors¡¯ top level, and his exit velocities backed up those top-line numbers. What will need closer monitoring is his work defensively. The 23-year-old saw more time at third than second in the spring but got plenty of run at both, and the Jays have made it clear he needs to improve with the glove to work his way back into everyday plans in the bigs.
Orioles: Coby Mayo 3B/1B (No. 2/MLB No. 14)
You could flip a coin here with Mayo or No. 13 overall prospect Samuel Basallo, and both were sent down from big league camp on the same day. Both could very well mash with Norfolk to try and force their way to the big leagues. Mayo¡¯s spent a lot of time in Triple-A already, but the O¡¯s won¡¯t call him up unless they find a way to get him into the lineup every day.
Rays: Carson Williams, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 9)
This won¡¯t technically be Williams¡¯ Durham debut ¨C he played four Triple-A games in 2023 as an emergency callup ¨C but it might as well be. The 21-year-old shortstop is a Major League-ready defender with his range, instincts and plus-plus arm strength, and his power-speed combo could make him a quick standout. But he¡¯ll need to prove he can keep strikeouts in check -- after hovering around a 30 percent K rate for much of his career -- if he¡¯s going to break through to The Show in the first half.
Red Sox: Roman Anthony, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 2)
Anthony may not need much more time in Triple-A after slashing .344/.463/.519 with 16 extra-base hits in 35 games at age 20 last season. He also led the Double-A Eastern League in slugging (.489) and OPS (.856) while hitting a combined .291/.396/498 with 18 homers and 21 steals. The 2022 supplemental second-rounder from a Florida high school has blossomed into baseball's best position player prospect, projecting as a plus hitter with power to match, who profiles best in right field.
Yankees: Everson Pereira, OF (No. 14)
Pereira returns to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after homering 10 times in 40 games their last year before injuring his throwing elbow in mid-May and requiring season-ending internal brace surgery. Signed for $1.5 million out of Venezuela in 2017, he offers plus raw power and solid speed, corner-outfield defense and arm strength, but he chases and swings too much to provide consistent offensive production.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Juan Brito, 1INF/OF (No. 10)
Acquired from the Rockies in exchange for Nolan Jones in 2022, Brito is a switch-hitter who makes consistent contact and controls the strike zone from both sides of the plate. He began to hit for more power last season, drilling a career-high 21 homers while leading the Triple-A International League with 40 doubles, 61 extra-base hits and 244 total bases. He has played all over the diamond and projects as a fringy defender at second base, right field and first base and below average at shortstop and third base.
Royals: Noah Cameron, LHP (No. 5)
Those who were hoping for Jac Caglianone here will have to wait a touch longer since he¡¯s slated to open at Double-A. Cameron took his performance to a new level (literally and figuratively) when he joined Omaha in 2024, posting a 2.32 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. His curveball, changeup and overall control are all above-average, and his pitchability should contribute meaningfully to Kansas City¡¯s starting depth this summer.
Tigers: Jace Jung, 3B/2B (No. 7)
Jung was considered the favorite to win Detroit¡¯s third-base job for Opening Day but was optioned to Toledo on March 17 after a rough spring. Despite that performance, he still brings above-average power (when not hampered by wrist issues as he was for much of ¡®24) and he makes solid swing decisions. He¡¯ll need to display those skills more consistently in March and April and improve defensively at the hot corner to elbow his way back into the Major League conversation.
Twins: Luke Keaschall, 2B/OF/1B (No. 3/MLB No. 60)
Still recovering from Tommy John surgery, Keaschall is ready to swing the bat full-time ¨C he¡¯s picked up 26 Grapefruit League plate appearances ¨C but he¡¯s building up more slowly defensively. He¡¯s getting some reps in the field, but won¡¯t be playing every day or full games out of the gate. He¡¯s worth the price of admission just to watch him hit, though, after a .303/.420/.483 line with 15 homers and 23 steals between High-A and Double-A in his first full season a year ago.
White Sox: Kyle Teel, C (No. 2/MLB No. 32)
The best prospect among the four the White Sox acquired from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade in December, Teel should get the call to Chicago and take over the catching job in the near future. A gifted hitter with a higher offensive ceiling than most backstops, he slashed .288/.386/.433 with 13 homers and 12 steals in 112 games between Double-A and Triple-A in his first full pro season. He also continues to improve defensively as he spends more time behind the plate.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Caden Dana, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 77)
There were many who thought Dana would land in the big league rotation at the start of this season after making three starts with Los Angeles last September. But as much as he dominated Double-A in 2024 (2.52 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, .184 BAA), it should be noted he¡¯s not pitched at this level at all and he¡¯ll be just 21 for all of this season. He¡¯ll spend plenty of time with the big club this year.
Astros: Brice Matthews, SS/3B (No. 2)
A suburban Houston product whom the Astros selected 28th overall in the 2023 Draft, Matthews combines at least plus raw power with similar speed. He reached Triple-A in his first full pro season, hitting a combined .265/.384/.481 with 15 homers and 32 steals in 79 games between four levels, and could be the club's second baseman of the near future after predominantly playing there in winter ball.
A¡¯s: Nick Kurtz, 1B (No. 2/MLB No. 38)
Kurtz has just 110 plate appearances -- 50 during the regular season and 60 in the Arizona Fall League -- since he signed as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 Draft. It¡¯s pretty clear though that it shouldn¡¯t take him very long to be ready (1.283 OPS in 12 Minor League games; 1.058 in 13 AFL contests). Where he¡¯ll play with the A¡¯s remains in question but we won¡¯t complain about seeing him put up massive numbers in Vegas.
Mariners: Cole Young SS/2B (No. 3/MLB No. 49)
There was talk that Young could get a look at second base for the big league club this spring, a job that looks like it¡¯s going to Ryan Bliss. Instead, the 21-year-old infielder will head to Tacoma for the first time and see how his advanced approach plays against pitching at that level. He also could keep getting reps on both sides of second base after a year that saw him improve his glovework at short.
Rangers: Emiliano Teodo, RHP (No. 6)
Signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, Teodo owns one of the hardest sinkers in the game (parking at 97-99 mph, peaking at 102), misses more bats with a tight upper-80s slider and also has a plus changeup with similarly velocity, fade and depth. He posted a 1.98 ERA with a 30.7 percent strikeout rate at Double-A in 2024, when he became the first pitcher to work two perfect innings in a Futures Game.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Hurston Waldrep, RHP (No. 4)
It¡¯s been an unusual ride up the Braves¡¯ ladder for their 2023 first-round pick. Waldrep stopped at four levels, including Triple-A after signing, then split time between Double-A and Triple-A last year while making a pair of rough big league starts last June before spending time on the injured list with elbow inflammation. He has swing-and-miss stuff; now he can take some time to refine it and his command while waiting for the phone to ring again.
Marlins: Agustin Ram¨ªrez, C/1B (No. 4)
The main prospect in the trade that shipped Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees last July, Ram¨ªrez slashed .267/.358/.487 with 25 homers and 22 steals in 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A. A catcher who can post a 20-20 season is intriguing, though his well-above-average raw power is much more likely to play like that in the Majors than his well-below-average speed. His defense is a work in progress.
Mets: Brandon Sproat, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 46)
Sproat touched 99 mph in front of Statcast this spring, displaying the velocity that partly fueled his 2024 breakout that saw him rise three levels in his first full season. The 24-year-old right-hander will search for consistency in Triple-A, where he had a 7.53 ERA in seven starts late last year, but his slider and changeup give him the arsenal to dominate in his return. New York's rotation depth is already being tested with multiple injuries and Sproat has a chance to be a big-time contributor as early as the first half.
Nationals: Brady House, 3B (No. 4)
The 2021 11th overall pick fell out of the Top 100 after a rough introduction to Triple-A Rochester last year. He chased pitches out of the zone at a 43 percent clip, leading to just a .280 on-base percentage and 66 wRC+ across 236 plate appearances. House still has plus power potential, and his third-base defense continues to improve, giving Washington hope he can own the hot corner in D.C. But he¡¯ll need to hone in that approach as a Red Wing first.
Phillies: Justin Crawford, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 63)
Crawford hit a combined .313/.360/.444 last year with 42 steals between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading. He played just 40 games with Reading, then played for Team USA in the Premier12, before going 4-for-11 with a pair of steals this spring. His speed will play at any level, and if he keeps showing improvement in driving the ball, he¡¯ll be ready soon.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 99)
Misiorowski was used primarily as a reliever during his first foray into Triple-A late last year but is expected to join Nashville¡¯s rotation to begin 2025. At least initially. His elite package of pitches (upper-90s fastball, plus-plus curve, plus slider) is worth trying in longer spurts but would likely dominate in shorter ones. The 6-foot-7 hurler didn¡¯t exactly show command improvements this spring either, and that specific skill will be worth following in his time as a Sound.
Cardinals: Quinn Mathews, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 45)
What does the 2024 MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year have in store for an encore? A Major League debut would be a good start. Mathews returns to Memphis, where he made four starts last season, after continuing to look like his dominant self this spring. His 93-96 mph fastball, above-average slider and plus changeup should all keep the K¡¯s coming early and often to begin ¡®25. While even Michael McGreevy got squeezed out of the Opening Day rotation this month, Mathews could be too good to leave out for too long.
Cubs: Cade Horton, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 51)
Horton was on course to make his big league debut last year before he strained his shoulder in his fifth Triple-A start, ending his season in late May. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 Draft out of Oklahoma, he's easily the best pitching prospect in the Cubs' system and features a plus-plus mid-80s slider with two-plane depth and a mid-90s fastball that reaches 98 mph when he's healthy.
Pirates: Bubba Chandler, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 15)
Sure, we all were hoping to see Chandler in Pittsburgh from the get-go after his impressive 2024 season that saw him finish with an 11.1 K/9 rate (vs. 3.1 BB/9) and .189 BAA, capped off by a dominant seven-start stretch in Triple-A. His two perfect innings in his Spring Breakout start created more buzz and now we¡¯ll wait and see if he can follow a Paul Skenes-like arc to the big leagues.
Reds: Chase Petty, RHP (No. 6)
The Reds have five Top 100 prospects at present, and it would surprise no one if Petty pitched his way on as well this year ¡ if he isn't called up first. He¡¯s made a very impressive transformation from pure thrower who could touch 100 mph to complete pitcher with a starter¡¯s profile and four-pitch mix. The slider and cutter are particularly effective at missing bats.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Jordan Lawlar (No. 1/MLB No. 11)
Health will be a good place to start after Lawlar played only 23 Minor League games due to thumb and hamstring injuries last year. Geraldo Perdomo¡¯s contract extension complicates his path to playing time at shortstop in Arizona, so expect Lawlar to get looks around the dirt at Triple-A. Keep an eye on his Statcast-tracked exit velocities, as well, to gauge his power input better than the homer total and slugging percentage that can get inflated at hitter-friendly Reno.
Dodgers: Dalton Rushing, C/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 30)
The Dodgers' top pick (second round) in the 2022 Draft out of Louisville, Rushing slashed .271/.384/.512 between Double-A and Triple-A, while ranking second among Minor League catchers with 26 homers. Though he's known most for his all-around offensive game, he's an underrated athlete and defender who has begun playing some left field as Los Angeles tries to figure out how to get his bat into its lineup.
Giants: Carson Whisenhunt, LHP (No. 2)
Whisenhunt features one of the best changeups in baseball, showing the ability to alter the depth and shape of his 78-81 mph tumbler, which registered outstanding chase (49 percent) and swing-and-miss (47 percent) rates in Triple-A a year ago. He finished second in the Pacific Coast League with 135 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings, while also displaying a low-90s sinker and low-80s slider.
Padres: Tirso Ornelas, OF (No. 11)
Ornelas got off to a hot start in Spring Training, only to fade a bit as March wore on. He was optioned to El Paso on Sunday with Brandon Lockridge taking the final outfield spot on San Diego¡¯s roster. Fear not, the 25-year-old Ornelas could earn that Major League debut if he gets his left-handed-hitting power back up to 2024 levels (when he set a career high with 23 homers). His 6/6 K/BB ratio in 57 plate appearances in the Cactus League also speaks well to where his approach sits heading into the regular season.
Rockies: Chase Dollander, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 25)
After dominating two levels of the Minors in his first year of pro ball in 2024 and finishing with a combined 2.59 ERA and 12.9 K/9 rate, there were some evaluators who thought Dollander was the best pitching prospect in the game. He got a fairly long look in Cactus League action, where he kept missing bats, making enough of an impression where it would surprise no one to see the 2023 first-rounder be the first arm up from Albuquerque when the need arises.