Here are the Top 10 SS prospects for 2024
Jonathan Mayo
@JonathanMayoThe captain of the infield. The premium position. Everyone wants a star at shortstop; they help bring championships, after all. Just ask Corey Seager, who topped this list in 2016, and the Texas Rangers (or the Dodgers for that matter).
Based on the ETAs for this year¡¯s Top 10 shortstops, we¡¯re going to start getting a sense of just how much the bulk of this group can contribute to winning at the highest level, with seven of the 10 expected to at least reach the big leagues this year.
This is always a ridiculously stacked group, and as is often the case, the Top 10 will all be found in the top half of the Top 100 list.
The Top 10 (ETA)
1. Jackson Holliday, Orioles (2024)
2. Colson Montgomery, White Sox (2024)
3. Jordan Lawlar, D-backs (2024)
4. Jackson Merrill, Padres (2024)
5. Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox (2024)
6. Brooks Lee, Twins (2024)
7. Carson Williams, Rays (2025)
8. Adael Amador, Rockies (2025)
9. Cole Young, Mariners (2025)
10. Marco Luciano, Giants (2024)
Complete list ?
Top tools
Hit: Holliday (70)
If someone made the claim that he¡¯s the best pure hitter among any prospect in baseball, it would be hard to argue against it. While playing at all four full-season levels of the Orioles¡¯ system last year, Holliday hit .323 with a ridiculous .442 on-base percentage. He walked (101) nearly as many times as he struck out (118), with incredible bat-to-ball skills to go along with his advanced approach.
Power: Holliday, Montgomery, Williams, Luciano (60)
Holliday hit 12 homers, but had 51 extra-base hits, with much more over-the-fence pop to come. Similarly, Montgomery¡¯s power is just starting to show up, and he was slowed by injury in 2023, but the Corey Seager comps are made for a reason. Williams slugged 23 homers in '23 and there¡¯s even more raw pop to get to if he can cut down on his strikeout rate. Luciano might have the most raw power of this group with crazy bat speed, but he can get too aggressive at the plate.
Run: Lawlar (70)
The 2021 first-round pick knows how to use his wheels to wreak havoc on the basepaths. He¡¯s stolen 35-plus bases in each of his two full seasons of pro ball, going 76-for-87 as a Minor Leaguer. We hopefully will get to see how he uses his speed in the big leagues full time this season.
Arm: Williams (65)
Taken at the end of 2021¡¯s first round, Williams is the whole package at short, starting with an arm that fired mid-90s fastballs from the mound when he was in high school in San Diego.
Field: Williams (65)
Williams won a Minor League Gold Glove in his first full season and he keeps getting better. He can make all the throws and has worked to improve his range to make him the best overall defender in this group.
Superlatives
Highest ceiling: Holliday
Who else? He¡¯s a 70-grade hitter with 60-grade power and plus speed to boot. He can do everything well, and he does it with outstanding instincts and a high baseball IQ. He has superstar written all over him.
Highest floor: Holliday
Even if he falls short of that extremely high bar, Holliday¡¯s advanced approach and feel for the barrel at the plate -- not to mentioned the aforementioned makeup -- gives him an extremely high floor as an every day infielder who will hit and get on base.
Rookie of the Year Award candidate: Holliday, Lawlar
Could let Holliday win this trifecta, and there are certainly plenty of people who think he¡¯s going to see enough time in Baltimore this year to be a candidate, including 30 percent of executives surveyed in the recently concluded MLB Pipeline Executive Poll. Lawlar got multiple votes in the NL poll, too, and could be a contender if he can break through that infield in Arizona.
Highest riser: Young
While he was a first-round pick, he was coming from the high school ranks of a cold-weather area outside of Pittsburgh, so expectations were being managed and Young wasn¡¯t in the Top 100 when the 2023 season began. He did join the end of the list in mid-April and has been moving up the ranks ever since, finishing last year at No. 37 overall.
Humblest beginning: Amador
Stretching ¡°humblest¡± here since this is a group of first-round picks and highly regarded international signees. Amador¡¯s $1.5 million bonus is actually the lowest of this impressive 10-pack.
Most to prove: Luciano
This will be the fifth straight year Luciano lands on our Top 100 and he¡¯s always been in the Top 40. He¡¯s shown glimpses of his enormous potential, especially in terms of his power bat, and he¡¯s only 22, but he¡¯s also only played in 100 games in a season once (2021) and has a career Minor League OPS of .834. His big league debut was brief, but it didn¡¯t turn heads, so 2024 could be a big year for him to live up to his potential.
Keep an eye on: Masyn Winn, Cardinals
Winn didn¡¯t miss this list by much, and like many who did, he should get the chance to show what he can do in the big leagues this year. He missed graduating by a handful of at-bats (122) last year. His plus speed and the best arm in the Minor Leagues are reason enough to watch what he¡¯s up to in St. Louis, but he also made strides in 2023 in terms of his offensive impact.