Do The Brewers Have the Best Teenage Prospect Group in Baseball? Part 2: The Evil Empire & Their Neighbors

After tackling the American League teenage prospects in the first part of the series, I’m turning my focus to the National League (although not the NL Central: I’m saving that for part 3, along with closing thoughts).

Today, we have the NL East and the NL West. And yes, the team you probably feared would be good is really good.

First, though, a reminder of the ground rules. Because I am writing this over a period of time, “teenager” will be anyone who hadn’t turned 20 by the time the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day. Also, except where noted, the FanGraphs and MLB prospect rankings are the post-draft updates from last year. It’s not ideal, but they are two of the bigger not-behind-paywall rankings, so I stuck with them, although I occasionally mention the publicly available Baseball America team chats.

On with part two.

Jump to a Specific Team

Braves | Marlins | Mets | Phillies | Nationals | Diamondbacks | Rockies | Dodgers | Padres | Giants | Conclusion

NL East

Atlanta Braves: It’s the Braves, so Pitching

Ranked Prospects: Cam Caminiti, P (MLB 1, FG 7); Jose Perdomo, SS (MLB 8, FG 6); Luis Guanipa OF, (MLB 11, FG 9); Douglas Glod, OF (MLB 16); Didier Fuentes, P (MLB 20); Nick Montgomery, C (MLB 22, FG 28); Ethan Bagwell, P (MLB 24); Jeremy Reyes, P (MLB 28); Junior Garcia, OF (FG 17); Mario Baez, SS (FG 31)

There's not much track record with many of their top guys here. Caminiti, Montgomery, and Bagwell were all 2024 prep picks. Perdomo, their top IFA signing from 2024, played all of 8 games in the DSL because of injury. Guanipa, their top 2023 IFA signing, was solid enough in 20 FCL games to move up to low-A, where he struggled. How badly? Filippo Di Turi's disappointing A-ball stint almost doubled his Low-A wRC+. Baseball America’s chat had a rather scathing take on him as well. Glod, one of their top IFA signings from 2022, repeated the FCL and saw his strikeout rate get worse, rising to 36%. Garcia, another 2023 IFA signing, had a good FCL season before also struggling significantly with K’s in A-ball. Baez, one of the Braves’ youngest 2023 IFA signings, is probably ticketed back to Florida after struggling to get anything going in the FCL. Thankfully for the Braves, the pitchers here fared better. Didier Fuentes was arguably the most successful current teenager pitching in Low A last season. Reyes struggled with walks at times but reached Low A as an 18-year-old.

Others of Note: Since it’s the Braves, we’ll start with pitchers. Two others made their low-A debut as 18-year-olds. Luis Arestigueta posted solid stats across the FCL and Low A, and Baseball America’s Braves chat labeled him promising but with some refinement needed. Rayven Antonio is a ground ball specialist who saw his walks jump a bit after a promotion to Low A. Most of the top FCL guys ended up getting promoted. Whilmer Guerra, a 2023 IFA signee, had a good ERA but poor peripherals. The DSL pitching wasn’t great. Rudit Pina and Yander Pinero look the most interesting statistically, striking out 10+/9, but they also both walked 6+/9. On the hitter's side, all Braves teens who got promoted to Low A struggled significantly. Infielder John Gil was the best with a 72 wRC+, but he did have a good Complex League season, stole 40 bases on the year, and, according to Baseball America, garnered praise from within the organization. Catcher Luis Parababire had a forgettable Low A cameo but hit well in the FCL. First baseman Carlos Monteverde made the most of his limited FCL time after a midseason promotion during his second year in the DSL. After being OK in the DSL last season, John Estevez was OK in the FCL. Juan Mateo was probably the best of a weak DSL group, rarely striking out and playing a lot of shortstop, but only ended up with a .679 OPS. The Braves also signed three other preps (OFs Eric Hartman and Owen Carey and pitcher Bayman Goode) to deals ranging from $350,000-$150,000)

Overview: Many considered Caminiti the top prep arm in the 2024 draft. Fuentes and Bagwell give them three interesting arms (and I imagine Arestigueta might end up cracking the top 30s when they are updated). I just don’t like the hitting here. Perdomo got a huge bonus, but I don’t trust the DSL guys until after they’ve played more than a handful of games in affiliated ball.

Miami Marlins: Trades Have Helped Make an Interesting Group

Ranked Prospects: Noble Meyer, P (MLB 2, FG 1); Starlyn Caba, SS (MLB 3, FG 3); Carter Johnson, SS (MLB 7, FG 9); PJ Morlando, OF (MLB 9, FG 10); Echedry Vargas, SS (MLB 17, FG 30s); Andres Valor, OF (MLB 20, FG 28); Keyner Benitez, P (MLB 23, FG 23); Luis Cova, OF (MLB 26, FG 13); Grant Shepardson, P (MLB 27, FG 32); Janero Miller, P/OF (FG 25); Yohanfer Santana, P (DSL 6)

The Marlins went prep early in the 2024 draft, grabbing Morlando in the first round and Johnson in the second. Shepardson was an above-slot signing in the fifth. Meyer was the 10th overall pick in the 2023 draft. Plus, he kept runs off the board well in Low A before struggling after getting promoted to High A. On the minus side, he walked too many in both leagues, topping 6/9 in Low A before bumping that up above seven in High A. Caba, the centerpiece of the Jesus Luzardo deal, walked more than he struck out in both the FCL and Low A, although a distinct lack of power kept his low-A OPS at .493. However, some consider him the premier defensive shortstop prospect in the minors. Vargas, a free-swinger acquired from the Rangers in the Jake Burger deal, hit 14 homers as a 19-year-old in High A, totaling a 125 wRC+. He also walked just 5% of the time, much like Burger. Cova is kind of the opposite. The overall DSL stats don’t jump off the page, but the plate discipline does, with a 15% walk rate and a 10% K rate. Valor has been above average in his DSL and FCL stops, but other than a high stolen base total, he has no stats that jump off the page. Benitez had as good of a season as anyone on this list, dominating the FCL in several outings before turning in excellent work in A-ball after a quick promotion. Miller and Santana were two pitchers whose stuff Fangraphs loved in the DSL despite poor 2023 results. Santana had seven good innings in a repeat of the DSL before needing Tommy John surgery. Miller, who was a two-way player his first season, only played the outfield in 2024 and struggled to make contact.

Others of note: John Cruz tallied nearly 300 low-A plate appearances after two solid years in the Yankees system but struggled to a .471 OPS. Infielder Cherif Neymour’s nearly league-average season was the best it got for other teen prospects in the FCL. Kevin Robledo and Gregori Arias had the best first-year DSL seasons in this group, although Arias’ 30% K rate gives some pause. Joseph Tailor, Jeremy Almonte, and Breyias Dean had good years repeating in the DSL. On the pitching side, Walin Castillo was great in his second FCL stint but struggled to miss bats in A ball. Julio Mendez also saw his strikeout rate drop in the move to full-season ball but still turned in a good Low A season. Juan De La Cruz pitched well in the Complex League, but just like in 2023, he struggled once promoted to A-ball. Hamlet Garcia performed pretty well in the Complex League among those who didn’t end up in A-ball. Manuel Genao, Eric Gutierrez, Carlos Ochoa and Luis Espinoza all performed solid or better in the DSL. $235,000 signing Nate Payne was the Marlins’ other 2024 high school pick.

Overview: This is a really good system among its teen prospects, with a lot of depth among the early tiers. The offensive “Others of Note” might be in the next grouping, even if it was below average. I don't know if it is among the absolute best.

New York Mets: Hope You Like Their DSL Classes

Ranked Prospects: Jeremy Rodriguez, SS (MLB 7, FG 4); Marcos Vargas, INF (MLB 13, FG 13); Jesus Baez, SS (MLB 14, FG 9); Trey Snider, SS (MLB 17); Daiverson Gutierrez, C (MLB 22, FG 19); Edward Lantigua, OF (MLB 26, FG 29); Yovanny Rodriguez, C (MLB 27, FG 14); Wellington Aracena, P (FG 15)

Getting the one pitcher out of the way, FanGraphs thinks the hard-throwing Aracena has a chance to be a top-tier reliever. In 2024, he missed both bats and the plate a lot, striking out more than 12/9 and walking more than one inning between stops in the FCL and A-ball. Rodriguez gets a lot of praise for his plate discipline and was slightly above average in the FCL in his age 17 season. Outside of walk rate, Baez put strong across-the-board numbers in a breakout season between Low A and High A. Vargas was notable for his high walk and low K rates as a Marlins prospect before being traded to the Mets at the 2023 deadline. In Low A in 2024, the walks were there, but not much else went right as his K rate spiked above 20%, and his power disappeared. Snyder, a fifth-rounder who signed for $1.3 million, was the Mets’ only above-slot prep pick in 2024. Gutierrez demolished both the DSL (in a return trip) and the FCL before struggling in a late-season A-ball cameo, while fellow catcher Rodriguez had a pretty average across-the-board DSL campaign. Lantigua was relatively solid across the board as probably the team’s best DSL hitter (at least outside of short stints like Gutierrez’s).

Others of Note: Not a ton on the hitting side. Simon Juan showed some pop in his second Complex League go-around, hitting seven home runs as part of a 112 wRC+. Jacob Zitella and Julio Zayas were about league average in the Complex League, with Zayas having the stronger peripherals. However, they have a lot of really strong performers pitching. Franklin Gomez compiled a strong season at Low A, with an ERA, FIP, and xFIP just above 4. After missing all of 2023 with injury, Daviel Hurtado skipped the DSL, starting instead in the Complex League, posting a poor ERA but very good peripherals. Jose Guevara, Joel Lara, Elwis Mijares, Emilio Obispo, Jermayne Verdu, Fredayan Figuera, Deivy Paulino, and Jamdrick Cornelia all had at least good peripherals, and many had strong ERAs as well in the DSL.

Overview: Rodriguez and Baez are intriguing, and I like the depth of unranked pitching. However, this isn’t one of the stronger groups, and the lack of recent prep draft picks is noticeable.

Philadelphia Phillies: Eh, Not Too Bad

Ranked Prospects: Eduardo Tait, C (MLB 4, FG 6); Griffin Burkholder, OF (MLB 7, FG 14); Devin Saltiban, 2B (MLB 8, FG 20); Aroon Escobar, 2B (MLB 13, FG 12); TJayy Walton, OF (MLB 17); Alirio Ferrebus, C (MLB 29); Jalvin Arias, OF (FG 28)

Tait is a power-hitting, strong-armed catcher (although the non-throwing aspects of defense still need work). He tore through the FCL, but his free-swinging ways (6.4% walk rate) caught up to him in A-ball. He was only 17, though, as he was the youngest of Philadelphia’s 2023 IFA class. The Phillies’ second-round pick in 2024, Burkholder, is the only remaining prep teen signed by Philadelphia from that draft since first-rounder Dante Nori has already turned 20. Both got the same bonus. Of the two 2023 draft picks on the list, Saltiban has performed better than Walton thus far, posting a 123 wRC+ in Low A. His K rate was pushing 25%, but he hit 17 homers and took walks. Walton was roughly league average during an extended look in low-A, but the 31.7% K rate is concerning. After a pair of DSL seasons in which he rarely struck out but was plagued by low BABIPs, Escobar flipped the script, and his .354 BABIP, combined with walking more than twice as often as he struck out, let Escobar post a dominant 172 wRC+ in roughly 100 FCL at-bats. Arias only had 56 DSL plate appearances, but both walked and struck out a ton, putting the ball in play in less than 45% of his at-bats. Ferrabus was dominant in 100 DSL at-bats spread over two seasons and solid in 10 FCL games in 2024.

Others of Note: Not a ton in the way of hitting. Catcher Guillermo Rosario had a passable FCL season before struggling in a handful of A-ball at-bats. Nolan Beltran was solid across the board in the FCL after two solid DSL seasons. Josueth Quinonez was the only standout first-year DSL bat. He didn’t walk much or hit for much power but rarely struck out (8%). Victor Cardoza, Jaeden Calderon, Esterling Rodriguez, and Jorge Julio had second DSL seasons that ranged from stellar to above average. There is a bit more on the pitching side. Angel Liranzo missed almost his entire stateside debut season with injuries, but the Phillies thought enough of him to sneak him into an A-ball game after he recovered. Luis Gonzalez saw his walk rate increase from absurdly low to low in moving stateside, but his K rate also jumped, topping 9/9 after never cracking 7 in two DSL seasons. Brad Pacheco threw only 17 DSL innings, but he was dominant. Gerardo Lopez, Zuher Yousef, Eduardo Robles, Joshua De La Cruz, and Alexander De Los Santos had strong DSL seasons on the mound.

Overview: Two top 10 prospects in the organization in Tait and Burkholder and two others coming off really strong seasons in Saltiban and Escobar form a good base to keep them out of the bottom tier, but overall, this group doesn’t have enough to enter into consideration for the upper tiers either.

Washington Nationals: One Pitcher With Upside

Ranked Prospects: Alex Clemmey, P (MLB 6, FG 10); Luke Dickerson, SS (MLB 7, FG 31); Victor Hurtado, OF (MLB 15, FG 5); Angel Feliz, SS (MLB 16, FG 26); Rafael Ramirez Jr, SS (MLB 20, FG 25); Jorgelys Mota, 3B (FG 30)

Dickerson was a late riser in the draft and got a massive bonus for a second-rounder ($3.8 million). Clemmey and Ramirez were acquired from Cleveland in the Lane Thomas deal. Clemmey was pretty much as advertised between the two teams’ A-ball affiliates: a high-upside lefty with bat-missing stuff but shaky control. He struck out nearly 12/9 but walked more than 6/9. He bizarrely only hit one batter, though, so either he didn’t go inside much, or he primarily missed the zone vertically rather than horizontally. The strikeout problems that started to pop up for Ramirez in the Complex League last season got worse in A ball, up to 34%. Hurtado was the Nationals’ top 2024 IFA signee but struggled to a 76 wRC+. None of the peripherals were awful, at least. Feliz was the lone hitting standout performance-wise from the Nationals’ 2024 IFA group, totaling an impressive 127 wRC+. Mota had turned in good overall stats despite having a 30% + K rate in his first two seasons but not as much in the third. He struggled in the Complex League before a high BABIP made his A-ball numbers at least vaguely respectable.

Others of note: Not a ton of hitters. First baseman Carlos Tavares took a lot of walks and showed off doubles power in the FCL. Dashyll Tejeda and Manuel Cabrera had strong second seasons in the DSL. Catcher Feldi Tavares, despite a .688 OPS, is an interesting DSL sleeper, posting solid walk and K rates, having the team’s 3rd best ISO, and controlling the running game pretty well. Leuris Portorreal was OK in the FCL, but it is noteworthy, if for no other reason, that outside of Clemmey, he is the only teen pitcher in the system with stateside experience. They had several DSL pitchers put up quality seasons, including Jose Feliz, Darrel Lunar, Jose Sanchez, and Jean Robles. The Nationals have one more prep signing from the 2024 draft, catcher Sir Jamison Jones.

Overview: It is a good thing that I’m a sucker for upside pitching because Clemmey’s presence is probably the best thing about this group. It's not strong and would be even worse without the Lane Thomas trade with Cleveland.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks: Lots and Lots of Projection

Ranked Prospects (FG 2025): Slade Caldwell, OF (MLB 3, FG 11); JD Dix, SS (MLB 8, FG 12); Jansel Luis, INF (MLB 10, FG 4); Cristofer Torin, SS (MLB 11, FG 27);  Adriel Radney, OF (MLB 15, FG 6); Yassel Soler, 3B (MLB 22, FG 18); Ruben Santana, 3B (MLB 24); Ivan Luciano, C (MLB 30, FG 36); Pedro Catuy, OF (FG 23); Pedro Blanco, 1B (FG 30); Tytus Cissell, SS (FG 35); Gian Zapata, OF (FG 31); Jose Alpuria, OF (FG 34); Junior Ciprian, P (FG 37)

The Diamondbacks had three late first-round picks in 2024 and spent two on high schoolers Caldwell, considered one of the higher floor prep outfielders, and Dix, somewhat well known here because he is out of Whitefish Bay. They also took prep bats in the second and fourth rounds in Luciano and Cissell. Luis is a switch hitter who has some power projection. He doesn’t walk much and has seen his K rate rise with each move up the organizational ladder, leading to his league-average season in low-A in 2024, his third season as a pro. Torin posted single-digit K rates in the DSL and ACL, which rose to a manageable 16.4% in low-A in 2024. He was above average offensively, thanks mainly to a high walk rate. Radney, a big bonus 2024 IFA signing, apparently had back issues during a disappointing first pro season, during which he had a 79 wRC+ and generated little power. Soler, who drew praise in the Baseball America chat during which they said he was just outside the top 10, showed some pop in the Arizona League. Still, a chase-filled approach left him with a low walk rate and contributed to him being just a bit above average (105 wRC+) in the offense-crazy ACL. Santana’s K rate bumped above 25%, and his power dipped in a poor A-ball campaign during his third pro season. Catuy is a promising outfielder who missed the season with injuries. Blanco clubbed seven homers but K’d 25% of the time in an above-average first DSL season. Zapata had a stellar start to the season as he began repeating in the DSL, cutting his K rate and raising his walk rate. Then, he got promoted to the ACL, and things did not go well. Another member of the 2022 IFA class, Alpuria, repeated the DSL in 2023, so he is a year behind Luis, Torin, and Santana. He had the best season of his career in the ACL, thanks in part to a high BABIP and getting hit by a lot of pitches. On his way to a 119 wRC+, his walk rate did jump. The only pitcher on the list, Ciprian K’d 12.5/9 but walked 5/9 in his second DSL season.

Others of Note: Among stateside hitters, the only other is Yerald Nin, a higher-dollar signing in the 2022 class who had a not-awful season in the ACL. Shortstop Kyle Sinzza had possibly my favorite statistical line among the Diamondbacks’ 2024 IFA class. Alonso Gallegos and Alfredo Guanchez also had good years. Enyevert Perez had a very successful repeat DSL year, with Eliesbert Alejos and Jose Urbina also posting good second seasons. On the pitching side, Junior Sanchez and Anderson Cardenas survived the ACL carnage well. Jairon Digan was dominant in several DSL outings but saw his walks spike after a stateside promotion. In the DSL, Jeury Espinal was dominant in his debut season peripherals-wise, striking out almost 13/9 and walking less than two per nine. Kelvin Rosario, Jeison Calvo, Walvin Mena, Daury Vasquez, and Naimer Rosario also had good seasons. They also have another prep signing from 2024, 11th-round outfielder Bo Walker ($500,000).

Overview: This is not a system built for my analysis. I do stats, and this is all projection. You’ve got a bunch of members of a prep-heavy draft. You’ve got toolsy IFA teens whose results are OK but do not stand out. Tyler Rodriguez and Johan Barrios’s ACL seasons for the Brewers would have fit in neatly alongside the Diamondbacks’ top prospects on that level. Luis and Torin are from the same IFA class as Luis Lara, and they just put up A-ball years worse than what Lara did at that level last season. Having that many early prep picks and the sheer depth of promising IFA guys puts them in contention for the top 5 in the National League, but they won’t be in one of the top spots.

Colorado Rockies: Rocky Mountain ... Well ... Not High

Ranked Prospects (FG 2025): Robert Calaz, OF (MLB 9, FG 10); Ashly Andujar, SS (MLB 26, FG 19); Kelvin Hidalgo, SS (FG 18); Yeiker Reyes, OF (FG 28); Derek Bernard, OF (FG 39); Sandy Ozuna, P (FG, 41); Gregory Sanchez, P (FG 42)

Calaz has posted video game numbers in his two pro seasons, including slugging 10 home runs in the ACL before a brief promotion to low-A to end the year. The main thing that could hold him back is that his K rate is higher than desired for the lower levels. While Calaz was the Rockies’ top signing from the 2023 IFA class, Andujar was theirs from 2024. He makes a lot of contact and should stick at short, but he needs to add strength to make the contact matter more. His overall line was slightly above the DSL average and reminiscent of the Brewers’ Jonathan Rangel. Hidalgo had a 2024 to forget. After slugging 12 homers in his second DSL season, he had one combined in the ACL and a late-season cameo in the California League. His walk rate fell significantly, his K rate rose, and his ISO plummeted below .1. Not great for a power hitter. Reyes had a roughly league-average season in the ACL. He doesn’t hit for much power (no homers in two seasons), but he does take a lot of walks, which is useful for a guy averaging 28 steals a season in short-season ball. Bernard’s absurd .451 BABIP in the ACL masked the effects of a 32% K rate and a sub-10% walk rate, leaving him slightly better than the league average but with big areas of concern. On the mound, Ozuna improved his K/9, halved his walks per nine, and improved his ground ball rate, all while pitching in the ACL. Sanchez struck out better than 11/9 but also walked more than 5 per nine.

Others of Note: This is limited to IFA signings since the Rockies didn’t draft a high schooler in 2024, and their only high school pick in 2023 signed for $100K and, more importantly for this list, has already turned 20. The only other teen pitcher stateside last season was Engel Silvestre, who scuffled to a 7.59 ERA in the ACL with peripherals that weren’t much better. The only other stateside hitter with decent stats was Bairon Ledesma, who finished with a league-average season in the ACL but with a BABIP covering a lack of power output. They did, however, have a good DSL team that scored the second most runs per game in the league and had a respectable ERA, given that it had the youngest pitching staff in the league. On the pitching side, among starters, Reiver Camacho, Jhon Medina, Oscar Pujols, and Alison Zacarias all had nice seasons, as did 19-year-old relievers Odalin Cruz and Keywill Cedeno. On the hitting side, 2nd baseman Carlos Renzullo tallied a team-high 149 wRC+, mainly because he managed to strike out only 6% of the time (and walked at a 14% clip). Alessander De La Cruz, in his second DSL season, nearly matched Renzullo in wRC+ thanks to seven home runs. 3rd baseman Wilder Dalis was also hot on their heels in his second DSL season, putting together a year that hit my 15% or better K rate, 10% or better walk rate, and .100 or better ISO standards for the lower leagues. Jeremy Ciriaco was another strikeout-averse bat in his second DSL season who bested a .800 OPS. 3rd baseman Eriel Dihigo was good across the board in tallying a 125 wRC+ in his DSL debut. Jjam Alvarez’s season seemed like a slightly worse version of Dihigo’s.

Overview: I like the depth of unsung DSL players who performed well, but the actual ranked players section feels weak. This is a below-average group of teen prospects, although given their recent aversion to high school picks, that was pretty much destined to happen.

Los Angeles Dodgers: UGH!

Ranked Prospects: Josue De Paula, OF (MLB 2; FG 1); Joendry Vargas, SS (MLB 7, FG 7); Emil Morales, SS (MLB 8, FG 8); Eduardo Quintero, OF (MLB 9, FG 4); Kellon Lindsey, SS (MLB 10, FG 11); Zyhir Hope, OF (MLB 11, FG 6); Ching Hsien Ko, OF (MLB 14); Chase Harlan, 3B (MLB 20, FG 44); Samuel Sanchez, P (MLB 27); Oswaldo Osorio, SS (FG 16); Jesus Tillero, P (FG 27); Brady Smith, P (FG 28); Oliver Gonzalez, P (FG 38)

De Paula is the gem of this group. One of the younger members of the 2022 signing class, he has simply hit everywhere he has gone, culminating in his 136 wRC+ in high A. It sounds like he might not be a great defender or a fast runner, but the hitting thus far will make up for it. It might seem weird that someone could post a .899 OPS and fall in the rankings, but that is what happened to Vargas, a tall shortstop who was the Dodgers’ big-money 2023 IFA signing. His stats took a step back in moving stateside to the ACL in 2024, including his K rate jumping to 22%. Still, though, even in the ACL, that was a decidedly above-average season at a very young age. Morales was the Dodgers’ top 2024 IFA signing. He showed big-time power with 14 home runs and posted a “this seems like a mistake” OPS of 1.168. Still, many evaluators seemed to have him behind Made and perhaps some other DSL players. I’m guessing it is because he struck out more than 22% of the time. Quintero had a slightly better ACL season than Vargas and ended the year at low-A, where his BABIP tanked over a little more than 100 plate appearances.

Hope, acquired from the Cubs in the Michael Busch trade, broke out in a big way in a partial season in A ball and might be the second-best prospect on this list. He’s got speed, power (9 homers), and some lingering contact issues (22% K rate). He had a 144 wRC+ in the California League. Lindsey (1st round, 23rd overall, roughly $3.3 million) and Harlan (third round, $1.75 million) were the Dodgers’ first two picks in the 2024 draft and round out the top group. MLB Pipeline is the outlier on Ko with Fangraphs (last year, at least) and Baseball America not ranking him (he was said not to be in the top 30 in the chat). He got in only a handful of DSL games. Osorio has seen his strikeout rate rise and walk rate and ISO fall in every move up the ladder, culminating in a 70 wRC+ in A ball last season. Sanchez was the most successful of the three pitchers last year, posting very good strikeout and walk rates in the ACL before a solid late-season A-ball cameo. Gonzalez, who came over from the Cardinals in a trade, had a promising debut DSL season. Tillero struggled in his move stateside to the ACL, but then many pitchers struggle in the ACL. Smith is a 2023 draft pick who missed 2024 with injury.

Others of Note: This section isn’t as long as I feared it would be. Eduardo Guerrero followed two OK DSL seasons with a slightly better-than-average ACL season before struggling in 90 low-A plate appearances. Easton Shelton is a big outfield prospect who put together a passable age-18 ACL season except for an ugly 35% K rate. Moving to the DSL, hitting-wise, the Dodgers’ 2024 IFA class right now is looking like pretty much Morales and Ko. I know I mention this a lot, but statistics-wise, I look at lower-level prospects who have a K rate of less than 15%, a walk rate above 10%, and an ISO of .1 or better. The Brewers had two 17-year-olds who hit all three (Made and Ortuno). Fourteen out of the 16 total 17-year-olds with at least 100 DSL plate appearances for the Brewers hit two of the three.

Only Morales hit two for LA. No one hit the mark for strikeouts, and only Morales did for ISO. Even the guys who put up good seasons, like Yojackson Laya, Harold Gonzalez, Eduardo Rojas, and Reyli Mariano, did it almost exclusively because of high walk rates. It’s almost like the Dodgers implemented the old take-a-strike strategy from Little League (although, in my case, it was often “take two strikes”).  Among returners, Javier Herrera and Jose Gonzalez, who both will turn 20 before the start of next season, turned in standout seasons. The last hitter in this category is Brendan Tunink, a prep outfielder the Dodgers took in the 8th round of the most recent draft. On the mound, the top performer in this group was Sterling Patick, who struggled a bit in the ACL before seeing his stats improve after a promotion to A-ball. Otherwise, the stateside names were reliever Marco Corcho, who was good in the ACL before struggling with walks in A-ball, and Justin Chambers, who had a rough 3 ⅔ innings as he worked his way back from injury. Chambers, of course, was a Brewers 2023 draft pick. On the DSL mound, the Dodgers were neither very young (averaged about a year older than the Brewers' squads) nor very good. The standout among those still in their teens was Javier Bartolozzi, who turned in his second straight good DSL campaign with a better than 4:1 strikeout to walk rate. If I had to pick another one, Bartolozzi’s fellow 19-year-old Williams Salazar at least struck out a lot and had a good ERA, even if his walk rate was concerning.

Overview: For a team that is a legitimate contender for the top spot in these rankings, is it weird that they probably would have looked better had I done this last year? They are like the Rays or the Padres in having a top-heavy group. The 2024 IFA class seemed to run two deep as their DSL teams got older and less successful. A few second-tier prospects from the great 2023 DSL squads have also since been dealt. This is a great group, but I expected it to be better, or at least deeper, before diving into it. 

San Diego Padres: What if a System Had Only Teenage Prospects?

Ranked Prospects: Ethan Salas, C (MLB 1, FG 1); Leodalis DeVries, SS (MLB 2, FG 2); Kash Mayfield, P (MLB 3, FG 3); Boston Bateman, P (MLB 4, FG 15); Humberto Cruz, P (MLB 5, FG 9); Kale Fountain, 3B (MLB 10, FG 18); Cobb Hightower, SS (MLB 15, FG 17); Rosman Verdugo, 3B (MLB 17)

I doubt it often happens where the top five prospects on a team’s list are all teenagers, but thanks to the Padres holding onto Salas/De Vries, having a prep-heavy draft, and either trading off or graduating their other top prospects, that is where we are. Salas and De Vries, of course, aren’t just top 100 prospects, but top half of the top 100 prospects. Salas hit a roadblock this season in moving from the hitter-friendly California League to the Midwest League, posting just a .599 OPS. He is still, however, the guy who skipped both the DSL and the Complex League and immediately succeeded in A-ball. I’m going to give him another season before I get too concerned. De Vries followed a similar path, going straight to A ball. He clubbed 11 homers and posted a 116 wRC+ there as a 17-year-old. Cruz, who signed out of Mexico after the Padres dealt for more 2024 international bonus pool money, has generated great scouting reports and skipped the DSL. However, given that he only pitched two innings in the ACL, he hasn’t gotten a chance to show if the hype is warranted. Verdugo was a touted 2022 IFA signing who skipped the DSL and posted good numbers (116 wRC+) with an awful strikeout rate (35%) in the ACL. After a year scuffling at low-A, Verdugo returned there in 2024 and clubbed nine homers and was above average offensively, although he still struck out 27% of the time. That only got worse after a promotion to high A. The others on this list were all picks in the 2024 draft, with Mayfield (1st round, 25th overall, $3.4 million), Bateman (2nd round, $2.5 million), and Fountain (5th round, $1.7 million) topping a $1 million bonus and Hightower (3rd round, $852,300) coming close.

Others of note: Not much here offensively. Nothing really stateside. Darian Castillo was the most impressive of the hitters making their DSL debut (136 wRC+ with a contact/on-base driven stat line), but he only got 108 at-bats. Of the returners, Yimy Tovar probably had my favorite stat line (low K, high walk, some extra base pop). Alexander Garcia and Santiago Contreras had impactful second seasons, but K rates ranged from concerning to frightening. Things are a little better pitching-wise. Zack Qin only threw 18 innings between the ACL and A ball, but they were high quality (4.6 K/BB rate, 1.50 ERA). Braian Salazar walked too many, but struck out 12+/9 in the ACL and 15+ in A ball. Jesus Lopez was probably the best of the other ACL teen arms, striking out 10+/9, although walks also held him back. In the DSL, Manuel Davila and Luis Maracara had great age 16 seasons, each posting sub-4.00 FIP and a K/BB better than 3:1.

Overview: You would think that a team with two top-50 teen prospects and the top 5 in its system would be a lock for No. 1, but I think the top 5 has more to do with the rate at which the Padres dealt off or graduated prospects than anything else. That isn’t to say this isn’t a very good group. It would be tough not to be with the top two and the high school picks made in the last draft. There just isn’t much depth here, especially on the hitting side. They’ll have to stack up against a couple of much deeper groups in the top tier.

San Francisco Giants: That was a great DSL Squad

Ranked Players (FG 2025): Rayner Arias, OF (MLB 5, 9); Jhonny Level, SS (MLB 13, 8); Jacob Bresnahan, P (MLB 17, FG 26); Yoendry Sanchez, C (MLB 21, FG 37); Jose Ortiz, OF (MLB 24); Oliver Tejada, OF (MLB 26); Anthony Marquez, SS (FG 14); Jose Bello, P (FG 22); Lisbel Diaz, OF (FG 23); Angel Guzman, OF (FG 24)

Arias was a big-money IFA signing in 2023 and posted absurd numbers in the DSL that year before a wrist injury ended his season. Then, a second wrist injury cost him a chunk of the 2024 season. He was OK in the ACL when he did play, but not great, with a 25% K rate. If he can stay healthy, which year was more indicative of the player he will be going forward? A 2024 IFA signee, Level was great in the DSL, clubbing 10 homers while posting quality strikeout and walk rates. Sanchez, a touted 2024 IFA signee, hit well when he played, but he only tallied 45 plate appearances and, given his high walk rate and elevated strikeout rate, didn’t put that many balls in play. Much like the Brewers’ Josh Adamczewski, Ortiz was a more lightly touted day 3 prep signing in the 2023 draft. Ortiz wasn’t as good as Adamczewski, but he was close enough to make for a good Complex League season. Tejada was another of the Giants’ top performers from their DSL squads, putting up lines almost good enough to match Level. Marquez, another 2024 IFA signee, had one solid across-the-board DSL season that added to a 121 wRC+. Lisbel Diaz might have been the best stateside performer in this group, hitting well enough in 22 Complex League games to get promoted, then holding his own in the California League to post a 103 wRC+. The one drawback is that he rarely walks. Guzman took a lot of walks and clubbed seven homers in his second DSL season on the way to making him perhaps the best offensive performer on the most successful of the two-team organizations in the league. On the mound, Bresnahan is a 2023 13th-round pick the Giants got from Cleveland in the Alex Cobb trade. He was great in the tough pitching environment of the ACL, with a 2.54 ERA and nearly a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk rate. He was less impressive after the trade, posting a 10.98 ERA in the hitter-friendly California League (I feel bad for some of the West Coast teams’ pitching prospects. They get put through a ringer early). Bello’s second DSL campaign was much like Bresnahan’s work in the ACL except even more dominant.

Others of Note: As with most of the teams Fangraphs has already covered for this year, there aren’t many stateside players in this category. Dario Reynoso hits the ball hard when he hits it, but considering he K’d at a 37% clip in the ACL, that didn’t happen often enough last season. Jose Rengel struggled with a high walk rate but was also the Giants’ youngest pitcher in the ACL. While the Giants employed a lot of pitchers who weren’t even teens last year in the DSL, they did have some successes who fell into this category, including Frainer Mejias, Lender Bracho, Argenis Cayama, Jesus Lopez, Alexander Fuentes and Randry De Leon (Cayama drew a mention on the Baseball America chat). On the hitting side, Santiago Camacho is the standout. There is probably a reason why a catcher who posted a 183 wRC+ in his first DSL season while only striking out at a 15% clip doesn’t earn a mention anywhere. Still, I wonder if Fangraphs made him up to see if anyone is paying attention. First baseman Jesus Alexander was close behind him, albeit in his second season. 19-year-old Franco Williams had the best debut among the Giant's DSL hitters, while Yosneiker Rivas, Miguel Blanco, and Dennys Riera had solid second DSL seasons. Outfielder Andy Polanco, an 11th-round slot signing, was the only high schooler the Giants signed from the 2024 draft class.

Overview: Level had a really good season, and its DSL program was very successful. This group might have been a contender if Bryce Eldridge was still a teen. As it is, it feels more like the middle of the pack.

So, Who Is The Best in This Group?

You can probably guess who the top two are—more on them in a second.

The bottom tier doesn’t seem as bad here as in the AL (although we haven’t gotten to the NL Central yet). I’d probably toss the Diamondbacks and Braves in the fourth and fifth spots in some order for the former’s depth and the latter’s young pitching. They edge out the Giants and Phillies, with the Mets a touch behind.

The Luzardo trade helped push the Marlins into the No. 3 spot for me. In a way, it seems like a better version of Arizona’s system. There are lots of interesting names with some significant question marks. That is still good enough for a top-3 spot here and a top-5 spot in the NL as a whole (while I haven’t done a full analysis yet, I peeked ahead, and three of the NL Central teams are not making the NL top five).

So that brings us to the Dodgers and the Padres. I expected to use this section to write about how the Padres were far too top-heavy to match up with the Dodgers’ depth. However, this is much closer than expected, and you can make a case for each. Despite Salas’ struggles, I’d still be tempted to say that the Padres have the top two prospects in this conversation. I’m going to cancel out the first-rounders. So, on the top seven, the question becomes, is the difference between Vargas, Quintero, Morales, and Harlan and Bateman, Cruz, Fountain, and Hightower larger than the difference between Salas and DeVries and De Paula and Hope? I’d say that the top sevens are fairly equal.

That means that, as much as I hate to say it, this round goes to the team throwing around cash like they are printing it. While the Dodgers’ depth is far less than expected, the Padres’ is even worse. However, the fact that each team goes seven deep at the top with two top 100 types makes it tough to beat them.

So what do you think? Are the two NL West teams as much of a clear-cut 1-2 among these 10 as it seems?

Up Next: We finally get to the Brewers and the rest of the NL Central. We’ve got a few high-dollar IFA signings that haven’t thus far produced and one that has. We’ve got some intriguing 2024 prep picks (although most definitely not from the Cardinals). We've got a contender for the top 5 in the National League. And all of that isn’t even counting the Brewers.

Interested in learning more about the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!