One prospect from every MLB team that will make a difference in 2023

Shortstop Anthony Volpe is the top prospect in the Yankees system and the player the Bombers envision being their first long-term shortstop since Derek Jeter. The 21-year-old thrived in Double-A last season, slashing .251/.348/.472 with 53 extra-base hits and 44 stolen bases in 110 games, before being promoted to Triple-A for the final three weeks of the year. He’s been locked in a fierce spring training competition with Oswald Peraza to be New York’s starting shortstop on opening day, but to be fair, Peraza already has a logistical edge due to the fact that he’s currently on the 40-man roster and Volpe is not. Regardless of if he wins the job from the outset of ’23 or not, Volpe will be in the Major Leagues early in the upcoming campaign and will end up having a lot to say about how the Yankees finish. 

First baseman Triston Casas reached the big leagues last September and while he hit only .197 in 76 at-bats, he was able to flash some of his left-handed power by blasting five home runs. Across two minor league levels in 2022 the 23-year-old slashed .281/.389/.500 with 12 homers and 23 doubles in only 76 games and Boston is extremely intrigued with his offensive potential. Casas did not lose his rookie status last fall and is still ranked as Boston’s 2nd best prospect by MLB.com. The Red Sox intend to use him in a first base platoon with Bobby Dalbec at the outset of the upcoming campaign, and as the left-handed part of that he’ll receive the bulk of the playing time. 

Addison Barger has played nearly 300 games in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system, but after delivering the hands-down best season of his career in 2022 his time riding buses could soon come to an end. In 124 games the 23-year-old slashed .308/.378/.555 with 26 homers, 91 RBI, and 33 doubles. Defensively he’s split his time almost evenly between shortstop and third base, and his cannon of an arm helps make him a plus defender at both positions on the left side of the infield. Those positions in the Major Leagues are occupied by Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman, making it difficult for Barger to break through. But should one of the two go down with an injury it would be stunning if Toronto didn’t call him up, and if that were to happen don’t be surprised if he makes it tough for them to send him back. 

Righty Grayson Rodriguez was Baltimore’s first-round pick in the 2018 draft, and in four minor league seasons he’s consistently proven the Orioles’ scouting department right. In 69 professional outings the Houston, TX native has pitched to a 2.47 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .173 batting average and striking out an eye-popping 419 hitters in 292 innings. The 23-year-old really has nothing left to prove at the minor league level, and in fact there’s every chance Baltimore takes him north with them to start the 2023 season. Whether he’s making his debut during the first week of the campaign or not, Rodriguez will unquestionably be up early, and he has the potential to help take this exciting young O’s squad to the next level. 

The Rays top prospect is right-handed starting pitcher Taj Bradley, whom they selected as a 17-year-old in the 5th round of the 2018 draft. The LA-born hurler has always been one of the youngest players at every level he’s pitched in, and understandably got off to a slugging professional career. But in both ’21 and ’22 he’s dominated for four different Tampa Bay affiliates, to the point that he’s now knocking on the door of the big leagues. Last season Bradley put up a 2.57 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP, while striking out well over a batter/inning and allowing opponents to hit just .213 against him. The 22-year-old was among the last cuts at Rays camp, and while he had to be disappointed to not break camp with the big club, believe me, he’ll be in Tampa sooner rather than later. 

Oscar Colas is an interesting outfield prospect in that he has taken a far different path than most on his way to reaching the cusp of the big leagues. The 22-year-old has played professionally in Cuba and Japan, and the reason the White Sox were even able to sign him was due to a technical issue in his Japanese contract that deemed it invalid. Chicago started him out in Single-A, but he quickly progressed through their system and played for three different White Sox affiliates in 2022. In 117 games the left-handed swinger slashed an impressive .314/.371/.524 with 23 homers, 79 RBI, and 24 doubles. Colas could potentially win Chicago’s opening day right field job, but even if he doesn’t, he’ll almost certainly get extended Major League time this season to show what he can do. 

Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson was picked in the 2nd round by the Mets in the 2018 draft, and somewhat surprisingly for such a high upside prospect, has already been traded twice. He first went from New York to Toronto in the Marcus Stroman trade, and later was sent from the ‘Jays to the Twins in exchange for Jose Berrios. His time to make a difference at the big-league level is rapidly approaching though, and Minnesota is excited about his future. In the minor leagues a year ago he delivered a 2.77 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP in 107.1 innings, and even earned a late-season call-up and made one early October start for the Twins. Minnesota’s opening-day starting five is pretty set with Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Tyler Mahle, but Woods-Richardson is their top minor league option, and he’ll be the first man up if a need arises. 

Outfielder Tyler Gentry is a little older than most prospects at 24, but circumstances outsides of his control have delayed his development. Gentry was selected out of college by the Royals during the 2020 draft but couldn’t make his professional debut until the following season thanks to COVID wiping out the ’20 minor league campaign. He then suffered a knee injury in 2021 that ended his season early. Last season, however, he began to show why Kansas City drafted him so high, slashing .326/.422/.522 with 21 homers, 86 RBI, 22 doubles, and 10 steals. Kansas City is prepared to start the season with Kyle Isbel, Nate Eaton, and Edward Olivares out on the grass, but none of them would be a good enough reason to block Gentry should he get off to another fast start in Triple-A. 

Right-hander Gavin Williams was the Guardians first-round pick in 2021 coming out of East Carolina, and the 23-year-old is on track to reach the big-leagues early this season. In 25 starts across two Cleveland minor league levels in ’22 Williams was simply dominant, pitching to a 1.96 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .173 batting average and punching out 149 hitters in 115 innings. His repertoire includes an upper 90’s fastball with a tight slider and a developing change-up and given that he’ll almost certainly face some sort of an innings limit in ’23, the Guardians may well decide those bullets are better served in the Major Leagues. 

Not long-ago lefty Joey Wentz was one of the horde of talented young pitching prospects in the Braves system. Atlanta ultimately used his trade value to acquire right-handed reliever Shane Greene from the Tigers a couple of years ago, and after a slow start in his new organization, Wentz is starting to get Detroit excited about his potential. In 14 minor league outings in ’22 he worked to a strong 3.04 ERA before being called up and making seven Major League starts down the stretch. In those games he impressed, turning in a 3.03 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP across 32.2 innings, proving that he was not overmatched by the higher competition. Wentz appears ticketed to begin the upcoming campaign in Triple-A, but like Woods Richardson in Minnesota, he’s 6th on his team’s starting pitching depth chart and will be the first man up should a need arise. And it always does. 

The top-ranked prospect in the Angels system is Logan O’Hoppe, who is slated to be the team’s starting catcher in 2023. O’Hoppe was having a great year in the Phillies organization in 2022 before being traded at the deadline for outfielder Brandon Marsh, in a move that could end up being overly one-sided. In 104 total minor league games the 23-year-old slashed .283/.416/.544 with 41 extra-base hits and 78 RBI before being promoted to Los Angeles for a five-game cameo at the end of the season. The Halos still have Max Stassi to provide catching insurance, but they’re determined to give their young backstop a chance to take the reins full-time and are eager to see how he does. 

The A’s are in full rebuilding mode and plan to use the 2023 season to take a good look at several of their highly regarded young prospects, and that list certainly begins with left-handed swinging Tyler Soderstrom. The 21-year-old was the team’s first-round pick in 2020 and just turned in a tremendous minor league season across three levels in 2022. In 134 games Soderstrom slashed .267/.324/.501 with 29 homers, 105 RBI, 21 doubles, and five triples. His ultimate defensive position is a little undecided as he essentially split last year evenly between catcher and first base, though with another one of their top prospects, Shea Langeliers also a backstop, it stands to reason the Athletics will have Soderstrom focus on the less physically demanding first base. 

Righty Hunter Brown has long been considered one of the highest upside arms in the Houston system, and thanks to the departure of Justin Verlander as a free agent this winter he looks slated to get a chance to pitch in the Astros rotation in 2023. In 106 minor league innings a year ago Brown struck out 134 batters and delivered a 2.55 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP before being promoted to the Majors. With Houston he was even better, working to the tune of a 0.89 ERA in 20.1 innings, and the Astros are excited to see what he can do with the opportunity in front of him. 

The Rangers have been looking forward to third baseman Josh Jung becoming a difference-maker at the Major League level since the day they drafted him 8th overall in 2019, and barring something unforeseen ’23 is going to be the year that comes to fruition. A spring injury prevented 2022 from being his coming out party, but the minor league resume Jung has put together during his Rangers tenure is impressive. In 153 games he’s slashed .311/.381/.538 with 30 homers, 118 RBI and 43 doubles. Texas did bring him to the big leagues late last year and while he hit just .204 in 98 at-bats, he did connect on five long balls. Heading into 2023 he’s in line to be the Rangers opening-day starter at the hot corner, and the club is anxious to see him blossom into an impact bat over the next few weeks and months. 

Taylor Dollard was mostly a relief pitcher in college but after being drafted by Seattle in 2020 he’s made a pretty seamless transition to starting. Last season the 24-year-old was the best minor league pitcher in the Mariners organization, going 16-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 27 starts. He put up a 0.95 WHIP, a .203 batting average against, and struck out 131 hitters 144 innings. Seattle is a team with major postseason aspirations in ’23 and boast a pretty strong starting rotation on paper. But injuries always happen and when an opportunity arises this summer Dollard will be at the top of the list when it comes to deciding who to promote. 

Everyone knows about Mets’ catcher Francisco Alvarez who at one point last summer was the top-ranked prospect in baseball. But young third baseman Brett Baty has an easier path to the big leagues and could end up being one of the most important New York players in 2023. In the minor leagues last season the 23-year-old slashed .315/.410/.533 with 19 homers and 22 doubles in 95 games before injuries forced him to the Majors in August. With the Mets Baty homered in his first at-bat and didn’t seem overly overmatched before a torn ligament in his thumb ended his season and stint in the big leagues after just 11 games. Baty has raked since the outset of spring training making it very difficult for the Mets not to take him north this week. Even if they don’t, however, the third base job will be his sooner rather than later. 

Southpaw Jared Shuster was the Braves first-round pick during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season coming out of Wake Forest, and he’s on track to play a huge role on a very good team in ’23. Across two minor league levels last year the 24-year-old pitched to a 3.29 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP while holding opponents to a .212 batting average and striking out 145 hitters in 139.1 innings. He entered camp hoping to compete for the final spot in Atlanta’s rotation, and the recent demotions of Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder would seem to indicate the competition has played out in his favor. 

The Phillies would have desperately preferred their entry on this list to be their top prospect, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter, but he had to be shut down with a UCL injury during spring training and could, unfortunately, be heading towards Tommy John Surgery. Which leads me to Johan Rojas, a speed-burning outfielder who would bring the Phillies an element they really don’t have. Philadelphia’s starting outfield–at least until Bryce Harper returns from his own injury–is going to be Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and Nick Castellanos, and the two corner guys in particular leave a lot to be desired defensively. Rojas is an elite defensive center fielder with gap-to-gap speed and on the bases, he racked up 62 steals last season. His development is directly tied to hit bat because you can’t steal first base, and his .244/.309/.354 slash line in 2022 was admittedly the worst of his career. That said, if an outfield position opens up in Philadelphia it would not be surprising to see Rojas get the call in an effort to fortify the team’s defense and bring speed to the line-up. 

Righty Thad Ward spent four seasons pitching in the Red Sox organization before receiving the biggest opportunity of his professional career this winter. Despite pitching to a stellar 2.28 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP in 13 starts a year ago Boston left the Central Florida alum unprotected in the rule five draft. The rebuilding Nationals took him first overall knowing they’d have to keep him on their big league roster all season in 2023 or risk returning him, and they’re prepared to give him every chance to succeed in D.C. Ward may very well begin the season as the long man in the Nationals bullpen as he gets acclimated to the Major Leagues, but he will get a chance to start at some point, and it will be fun to see if he can take advantage of his big chance. 

When the Marlins traded long time starting shortstop Miguel Rojas to the Dodgers this winter it opened up a hole at position number six that will inevitably soon be held by the player they got back in the deal, Jacob Amaya. In the Dodgers system last season, the 24-year-old slashed .261/.369/.426 with 17 homers, 71 RBI, 20 doubles, and four triples. Amaya is a plus defender at a premium position in addition to a high potential offensive talent. Miami is going to begin this season with Joey Wendle and Jon Berti as their big-league shortstops–though both of them are more adept at handling other positions. At some point this summer the Marlins will assuredly promote Amaya and give him a chance to take the position and run with it, and it will be up to him to take advantage of the opportunity. 

Right-handed swinging Jordan Walker is the top ranked prospect in the Cardinals system and has progressed steadily through the team’s system since being selected in the first round back in 2020. The 20-year-old spent all of last season in Double-A Springfield and excelled, slashing .306/.388/.510 with 19 home runs, 68 RBI, 31 doubles, and 22 steals. Veteran St. Louis players have raved in spring training that his bat is Major League ready right now, but the issue for the Cardinals is going to be finding him a position. Walker’s best defensive spot is third base, where he isn’t going to play in St. Louis with Nolan Arenado locked up long-term. He can play some corner outfield too and of course DH, and St. Louis will have to firm up a logistical plan for where he will play before committing to bring him to the Major Leagues. 

The rebuilding Chicago Cubs have a lot of talented young players in their system, but somebody that isn’t talked about nearly enough in my opinion is Matt Mervis, who could, and should, take over as the team’s everyday first baseman early in 2023. Across three minor league levels last season the Duke product slashed .309/.379/.605 with an impressive 36 homers, 119 RBI, and 40 doubles. Chicago’s opening day first baseman is going to be veteran Eric Hosmer, but the club should certainly not hesitate to replace him with Mervis should he get off to a hot start in Triple-A. 

The Brewers selected outfielder Sal Frelick 15th overall in the 2021 draft coming out of Boston College and entering ’23 he’s easily their most big league ready offensive prospect. Across three minor league levels last season he impressively put up a .331/.403/.480 slash line with 11 homers, 59 RBI, 28 doubles, six triples, and 24 stolen bases. Frelick is a strong defender who has played center field but has a plus arm that would work well in right. Milwaukee’s first-round pick from a year earlier, Garrett Mitchell, is already a starter in the club’s Major League outfield and look for Frelick to join him at some point in 2023. 

In January of 2021 the Pirates were part of a three-team trade with the Padres and Mets that netted them all-star closer David Bednar, but later this season they should start to net further dividends from the transaction. Pittsburgh also acquired switch-hitting Endy Rodriguez from the Mets system, and the 22-year-old is blossoming into one of the better prospects in baseball. Last year he slashed .323/.407/.590 with 25 home runs, 95 RBI, and 39 doubles in 125 games. Rodriguez is a catcher but also played a lot of second base and left field, in addition to a handful of games at first base. The Pirates selected catcher Henry Davis number one overall in 2021 and envision him as their catcher of the future, so they’ll probably start to have Rodriguez focus on a different position soon. But regardless of where he lines up, his offense has a chance to be special and Pittsburgh is thrilled to have him in their organization. 

Shortstop Elly De La Cruz is one of the best prospects in all of baseball and has the potential to blossom into a true five-tool superstar. Splitting last season between two Cincinnati affiliates the 21-year-old dazzled, slashing .304/.359/.586 with 28 homers, 86 RBI, 31 doubles, 9 triples, and 47 stolen bases. De La Cruz boasts an infectious personality that combined with his on-field dominance makes it impossible to take your eyes off of him. The Reds are not expected to be involved int he NL Central race this season and the most exciting thing fans have to look forward to is when they will promote their top prospect. To be totally honest, De La Cruz has little to nothing left to prove in the minor leagues, and it was a little disappointing the Reds chose to demote him midway through spring training. Rest assured, though, he’ll be up early and get every chance to make a huge impact at the Major League level. 

Young Miguel Vargas is slated to take over as the Dodgers’ starting second baseman in 2023, but the truth is the youngster can adequately handle almost every position on the infield. In 113 minor league games in 2022 he really opened the organization’s eyes, slashing .304/.404/.511 with 53 extra-base hits, 82 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Los Angeles was forced to do an infield reshuffle with Justin Turner now in Boston and Gavin Lux lost for the season, and Vargas is positioned well to take advantage of a great opportunity on a very good team. 

The Diamondbacks had Ryne Nelson breakthrough at the big-league level last summer and Drey Jameson is right behind him, but their best young pitcher may very well be one that nobody is talking about yet. Righty Brandon Pfaadt was drafted by the club in 2020 and has given them two strong minor league seasons and has swiftly moved through the team’s system. In 2022 he made 29 starts and won 11 games with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP, while most impressively striking out 218 hitters in 167 innings. Pfaadt reached Triple-A late last year and with a good start early this season he’ll emphatically be on the radar for a promotion to Phoenix. 

Not that long ago southpaw Jay Groome was a candidate to go number one overall in his draft class, and the Barnegat, NJ native has endured a wild ride to get to this point despite not yet pitching in the Major Leagues. Groome was ultimately drafted by the Red Sox with whom he went through a myriad of injuries, most notably to his lat, forearm, and ultimately needed Tommy John. Last season could prove to be the turning point for him, though, as he finally reached Triple-A for the first time, and also was traded from the Red Sox to the Padres where he can get a fresh start. In 29 outings in ’22 the 24-year-old pitched well, working to a 3.44 ERA with a .239 batting average against, while punching out 134 hitters in 97.1 innings. Command issues caused his WHIP to be a little inflated at 1.27, but if he can get his BB/9 ratio under four that will come down in a hurry. Groome boasts a mid 90’s heater with a good curveball and an improving slider. San Diego is one of the most exciting teams in the league and has a strong staff led by Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove, but at the minor league level Groome has positioned himself well to be the first man up if a need arises.

Left-hander Kyle Harrison is the top prospect in the Giants organization and after a fantastic 2022 campaign has put himself firmly in the conversation for a big-league promotion. Splitting last season between Single-A and Double-A, the 21-year-old pitched to a 2.71 ERA in 25 starts, while striking out an eye-popping 186 hitters in 113 innings. Opponents managed just a .196 batting average against him, and San Francisco envisions him leading their rotation at some point in the near future. Harrison will begin 2023 in Triple-A, but behind Logan Webb in the Major League rotation the rest of San Francisco’s starting five are all over 31 years old and inevitably will end up missing time. If/when someone goes down look for Harrison to get the opportunity, and don’t be surprised if he never goes back. 

Young Ezequiel Tovar is the top-ranked prospect in the Rockies’ system, and after first reaching the big leagues late last September he’s slated to be the club’s starting shortstop from day one in 2023. In 71 minor league contests a year ago the native Venezuelan was excellent, slashing .319/.387/.540 with 14 home runs, 49 RBI, 15 doubles, and 17 stolen bases. He’s a strong defender at one of the most important positions on the field, and Colorado is hopeful he can become their first long-term answer at the position since Troy Tulowitzki.