Jesus Made One of the top 2 in the organization. He and Pena will top the rankings for now.Luis Pena As above, who is #1 vs #2, as it is reported Made has more power projection so ceiling is higher, but Pena has maybe a higher floor. I mean we have two young top talents.Cooper Pratt 20 year holding his own in pitching friendly Southern League, and playing good defense. Maybe not the ceiling we were looking for if power doesn't come around, but he should be fine MLB SS.Logan Henderson Title of best pitching prospect in the organization until he gets his call.Jeferson Quero Lost some luster, and some like Joseph argue Dinges is the better prospect, but Quero is coming back from injury and doing fine and at AAA.Marco Dinges Helium prospect this year, and the dang injury bug took some of the air out the balloon, and I could have argued for him to be #3 if he hit AA this year.Robert Gasser Oh where to put him. On the one hand I'm hoping he comes back healthy and will take the mantle of best pitching prospect once Henderson graduates. On the other hand he is coming back from surgery and may still "only" be a mid rotation piece at best. Gets murky from here down.Luis Lara Sensation season after a very difficult first month. I have him going up arrow as his defense is elite and he is a contact hitter. Any power makes him a top 5 prospect, but for now I can only dream those doubles become HRs, so I keep in this range.Braylon Payne Boy in April/May I thought he was top 5, then I thought he was a bust, now I have him around 8-10. Polarizing prospect still a year later, but his young (could have been a draft pick this year) and had a great week last week, so I keep him in the top 10 because he is one of the few true 5 tool prospects after Made/Pena.Luke Adams Still so young and was really hitting his stride in AA. He has been successful every stop so I give him the benefit of the doubt, but a shoulder injury puts a small dent for now.Andrew Fischer Should hit, and hasn't had any minor league struggles since he only got drafted, so I have him above Wilken for now. It will be interesting how Adams/Wilken/Fischer fare and progress as corner IF prospects.Brock Wilken Random injuries have really messed his progress up. I can't call him "injury prone" but he has had 2 injuries that have wrecked his seasons. He has the power bat, and it is legit. He was making better contact and striking out at an acceptable rate. But a lost 2nd half of a seasons keeps him out of the top 10, and behind the younger and new Adams and Fischer.Josh Adamczewski Kid just hits. Could be 2B, could have a home somewhere else. Back injury is scary, so stays outside of the top 10 as result. But great hit first profile and hopefully will be back in A ball and could see high A if healthy and hitting well. If not he drops a few rungs later this season.Brady Ebel He and Bitonti look like similar profiles, but Ebel could be a 3B. On just potential I have him above Bitonti since Bitonti still is struggling on contact.Eric Bitonti Best pure raw power and second best power hitter after Wilken (who makes more contact than Bitonti). Still youngish for a 2023 draftee, but will need to have a good or great second half and needs to get to high A and maybe AA next year.Coleman Crow I am impressed with Crow. He just was lights out in AA. Will hit some roadblocks and struggles in AAA which would be expected for a guy who hadn't pitched competitively in almost 2 years. But looking like a heckuva return for Houser/Taylor.Mike Boeve Solid. But coming back from a shoulder injury and doesn't seem to have the same zip. Probably DH/1B, but should be a professional hitter. Again a lack of breakout this season has him in this middle rank, but I would hope he will force his way to AAA this year or opening day next.Blake Burke Such a solid hitter. But 1b only profile and his odd lack of power so far for a college bat is holding him back in my eyes. If he can keep hitting and make it to AA and hit there he could move up. But a lot of guys are in paralell (Adams/Fischer/Wilken, Ebel/Bitonti, and Burke/Boeve)Tyson Hardin I hadn't ranked him yet, but will now. Could be a fast mover. I think KC Hunt's fantastic year and then struggles this year, make me a little gun shy on Hardin's ascent. I hope he proves me wrong and is a top 10 prospect next year.Bryce Meccage OK. The depth is crazy. When a top pick from last year, HS pitcher who can pitch 97 is somehow not in the top 5, and not even in the top 10 and I have to find a place for him at 20?? That is so wild. And that's his issue - not wild exactly, but control and command. But if there is an organization who can help that this is it. So Meccage, Wichrowski along with several of the '24 and '25 HS pitchers, if the stuff and command come together it will be incredible.
The depth is great. Makes a 20 player list so difficult as I left off Yoho (looking more like a 7th/8th inning guy this year and less like Devin Williams v2.0), and Antunez/Fenelon, or any of the '24 HS pitchers (Dubanewicz, Dorchies, Renz, Tobias). And I had left off players who seem to have lost prospect status this year (EMJ, Black) and those with years lost to injury (Knoth and now Letson). And M. Hernandez, M. Rodriguez need to fill out and gain velo to be higher end prospects for me.
And it is crazy for me how many players are in groups, where if one player succeeds that all we need (ie Adams, Wilken and Fischer if one is our future 3B great, we don't NEED all three to succeed), and that is hedging your investments and the way to build success. The groups/pairs include Made/Pena, Bitonti/Ebel, Crow/Hardin, Boeve/Burke, Dubanewicz/Dorchies/Tobias/Renz, Knoth/Letson.