MLB Prospect Power Rankings: Top 10 Prospects at Each Position in 2024
The 2022 and 2023 MLB rookie classes were two of the best in recent memory, and the minor-league pipeline is still ripe with potential future stars heading into the 2024 season.
Ahead, we've provided a rundown of the top 10 prospects at each position, with outfielders all lumped into one group and pitchers split into right-handed and left-handed.
The following factors helped determine where each player fell in our rankings:
- Potential: Potential trumps production a lot of the time, especially in the lower levels of the minors and with recent draft picks. Skill set and tools are often better indicators of what kind of player someone will be.
- Talent: For those in the higher levels of the minors who are close to breaking into the big leagues, production and talent level were the determining factors since the players are viewed as more complete products.
- Eligibility: A player must maintain rookie eligibility to be considered for inclusion. That means no more than 130 big league at-bats for position players, 50 innings for pitchers or 45 days on the active roster.
With all of that established, let's start with the catchers.
Catchers
1 of 8
Top 10 C Prospects
1. Ethan Salas, SD
2. Harry Ford, SEA
3. Jeferson Quero, MIL
4. Samuel Basallo, BAL
5. Kyle Teel, BOS
6. Dalton Rushing, LAD
7. Edgar Quero, CWS
8. Austin Wells, NYY
9. Dominic Keegan, TB
10. Blake Mitchell, KC
—Signed for $5.6 million as the top prospect in the 2023 international class, Ethan Salas made his pro debut at Single-A Lake Elsinore on May 30. He reached Double-A on Aug. 22 when he was still only 17 years old and hit a combined .248/.331/.421 with 24 extra-base hits in 66 games over three levels.
—One of the biggest breakout prospects of the 2023 season, Samuel Basallo vaulted onto leaguewide Top 100 lists by hitting .313/.402/.551 with 26 doubles, 20 home runs and 82 RBI in 114 games over three minor-league levels. The 19-year-old also threw out 33 percent of base stealers.
—The Tampa Bay Rays may have finally found a long-term answer at the catcher position in Dominic Keegan. The Vanderbilt product hit .287/.386/.467 with 20 doubles, 13 home runs and 65 RBI in 106 games during his first full professional season and capped things off with a 1.031 OPS and three home runs in 15 games in the Arizona Fall League.
First Basemen
2 of 8
Top 10 1B Prospects
1. Nolan Schanuel, LAA
2. Xavier Isaac, TB
3. Bryce Eldridge, SF
4. Kyle Manzardo, CLE
5. Nathan Martorella, SD
6. Abimelec Ortiz, TEX
7. Spencer Horwitz, TOR
8. Haydn McGeary, CHC
9. Blaze Jordan, BOS
10. Troy Johnston, MIA
—After going No. 11 overall in the 2023 draft, Nolan Schanuel played just 22 games in the minors before making his MLB debut on Aug. 18. The 21-year-old posted a .402 on-base percentage with more walks (20) than strikeouts (19) over 132 plate appearances, and he has a clear path to the everyday first base job in 2024.
—Nathan Martorella hit .255/.361/.437 with 30 doubles, 19 home runs and 88 RBI in 135 games between High-A and Double-A last season. The 22-year-old also tallied 82 walks for a 14.1 percent walk rate and made 22 starts in left field.
—With bottom-of-the-scale athleticism and limited defensive value, Abimelec Ortiz will only go as far as his bat carries him. The 21-year-old hit .294/.371/.619 with 33 home runs and 101 RBI in 109 games between Single-A and High-A. He then posted a 1.060 OPS with three home runs in 12 games in the Arizona Fall League, so he's worth keeping an eye on as he continues to climb the ladder.
Second Basemen
3 of 8
Top 10 2B Prospects
1. Colt Keith, DET
2. Adael Amador, COL
3. Curtis Mead, TB
4. Termarr Johnson, PIT
5. Ronny Mauricio, NYM
6. Nick Yorke, BOS
7. Connor Norby, BAL
8. James Triantos, CHC
9. Juan Brito, CLE
10. Justin Foscue, TEX
—If late-season positioning and AFL usage is any indication, the Detroit Tigers plan to use Colt Keith at second base and Jace Jung at third base in their future infield. Keith, 22, established himself as one of baseball's top offensive prospects in 2023 when he hit .306/.380/.552 with 38 doubles, 27 home runs and 101 RBI in 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
—Injuries limited Curtis Mead to 89 games in 2023, including a 24-game audition in the majors over the final two months of the season. The 23-year-old is one of the best pure hitters among all current prospects, and he offers some versatility with significant time at second base and third base in the minors.
—The Guardians could only cringe while watching former top prospect Nolan Jones turn in a breakout rookie season after he was traded to the Colorado Rockies, but there is still time for the scales to level on that deal. Juan Brito was the prospect they acquired, and he hit .271/.377/.434 with 31 doubles, 14 home runs and 75 RBI in 127 games over three levels in 2023.
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Third Basemen
4 of 8
Top 10 3B Prospects
1. Junior Caminero, TB
2. Noelvi Marté, CIN
3. Coby Mayo, BAL
4. Michael Busch, CHC
5. Brady House, WAS
6. Orelvis Martinez, TOR
7. Tyler Black, MIL
8. Jace Jung, DET
9. Aidan Miller, PHI
10. Cam Collier, CIN
—Junior Caminero went from promising lower-minors prospect to one of baseball's rising stars during the 2023 season when he hit .324/.384/.591 with 31 home runs and 94 RBI in 117 games in the minors before making his MLB debut as a September call-up. Still only 20 years old, he will have every chance to win a starting job somewhere on the Tampa Bay infield.
—The prospect centerpiece of the Luis Castillo trade, Noelvi Marté hit .316/.366/.456 with 10 extra-base hits and six steals in 35 games after making his MLB debut on Aug. 19. It's unclear at this point exactly how he fits into a crowded infield situation in Cincinnati, but he has nothing left to prove in the minors.
—Third base has been a revolving door for the Milwaukee Brewers since veteran Aramis Ramírez occupied the position for a few seasons a decade ago, but that may finally change with Tyler Black. The 23-year-old hit .284/.417/.513 with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 18 home runs, 73 RBI, 55 steals and 88 walks in 123 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023.
Shortstops
5 of 8
Top 10 SS Prospects
1. Jackson Holliday, BAL
2. Jordan Lawlar, ARI
3. Marcelo Mayer, BOS
4. Jackson Merrill, SD
5. Colson Montgomery, CWS
6. Brooks Lee, MIN
7. Carson Williams, TB
8. Masyn Winn, STL
9. Cole Young, SEA
10. Marco Luciano, SF
—Still only 20 years old, Jackson Holliday has a realistic shot at breaking camp as the Baltimore Orioles' starting shortstop. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft hit .323/.442/.499 with 51 extra-base hits and 101 walks in 125 games over four minor-league levels en route to closing out the 2023 season with Triple-A Norfolk.
—Jordan Lawlar, Masyn Winn and Marco Luciano all saw MLB action in 2023, and both Winn and Luciano could open the 2024 campaign as their team's starting shortstops. Lawlar has a less clear path to playing time on the left side of the Arizona infield.
—Aside from the 10 prospects listed above, there were 10 other shortstops that cracked B/R's first Top 100 prospect list of 2024. In order, that list includes Luisangel Acuña (NYM), Jett Williams (NYM), Brayan Rocchio (CLE), Jacob Wilson (OAK), Colt Emerson (SEA), Matt Shaw (CHC), Sebastian Walcott (TEX), Edwin Arroyo (CIN), Joey Ortiz (BAL) and Tommy Troy (ARI).
Outfielders
6 of 8
Top 10 OF Prospects
1. Jackson Chourio, MIL
2. Evan Carter, TEX
3. Dylan Crews, WAS
4. James Wood, WAS
5. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC
6. Wyatt Langford, TEX
7. Jasson Dominguez, NYY
8. Colton Cowser, BAL
9. Roman Anthony, BOS
10. Max Clark, DET
—After signing an eight-year, $82 million extension in December that established a new high mark for the largest contract ever given to a player without MLB experience, Jackson Chourio now has a clear runway to be Milwaukee's starting center fielder on Opening Day.
—For all the hype surrounding LSU teammates Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews at the top of the 2023 draft class, it was Wyatt Langford who had the more impressive pro debut as the No. 4 overall pick. The University of Florida outfielder hit .360/.480/.677 with 29 extra-base hits in 44 games after signing and closed out the year at Triple-A.
—Also earning a spot on the B/R Top 100 list among outfielders was Walker Jenkins (MIN), Heston Kjerstad (BAL), Justin Crawford (PHI), Emmanuel Rodriguez (MIN), Yanquiel Fernandez (COL), Druw Jones (ARI), Gabriel Gonzalez (SEA), Drew Gilbert (NYM), Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS), Owen Caissie (CHC), Chase DeLauter (CLE), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Victor Scott II (STL), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (BAL), Cole Carrigg (COL) and Samuel Zavala (SD).
Right-Handed Pitchers
7 of 8
Top 10 RHP Prospects
1. Paul Skenes, PIT
2. Cade Horton, CHC
3. Andrew Painter, PHI
4. Tink Hence, STL
5. Mick Abel, PHI
6. Jacob Misiorowski, MIL
7. AJ Smith-Shawver, ATL
8. Dylan Lesko, SD
9. Rhett Lowder, CIN
10. Jackson Jobe, DET
—With an 80-grade fastball, 70-grade slider and a towering 6'6", 235-pound frame, Paul Skenes checks all the boxes to be a generational talent for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft went 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 209 strikeouts in 122.2 innings during his junior season at LSU.
—All five NL Central teams have a pitcher on this list, and all five of them have legitimate frontline potential. This could be a glimpse into the next wave of aces in a division that has been up for grabs the past few seasons.
—After posting an 84-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 64 innings during the regular season, Jackson Jobe posted a 2.87 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 15.2 innings in the Arizona Fall League. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft has been brought along slowly, but he could take a huge step forward with a bigger workload in 2024.
Left-Handed Pitchers
8 of 8
Top 10 LHP Prospects
1. Kyle Harrison, SF
2. Ricky Tiedemann, TOR
3. Robby Snelling, SD
4. Noah Schultz, CWS
5. Anthony Solometo, PIT
6. Jordan Wicks, CHC
7. Carson Whisenhunt, SF
8. Robert Gasser, MIL
9. Thomas White, MIA
10. Brandon Barriera, TOR
—Despite walking 48 batters in 65.2 innings at Triple-A Sacramento, Kyle Harrison found some early success in his first MLB action, posting a 4.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 34.2 innings over seven starts. The 22-year-old has frontline stuff and can develop into an ace with improved command.
—Robby Snelling had one of the best seasons of any 2022 draft pick, especially on the pitching side of things, finishing 11-3 with a 1.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 103.2 innings over three levels. A high-level football recruit in high school, he has taken off since turning his full attention to the mound.
—Another 2022 draft pick who turned heads in 2023 was 6'8" southpaw Noah Schultz, who finally made his pro debut in June and logged a 1.33 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 27 innings over 10 starts.
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