I love looking ahead to future Bowman products. A few weeks after the spring Bowman release comes out, I’m already asking myself…OK who’s next?…and trying not to forget to pick up singles of guys I like from that release. Tracking progress, and by connection, watching for the next pop-up prospect is my single favorite thing to do in the baseball sphere — not just speaking as a collector. I’m going to give you one player from each team that I want to see a Bowman card of, and mention any others I find. There’s some personal preference used over actual prospect status in a few cases, but for the most part I’m trying to keep a standard hobby mindset.
So who is included in the parameters of this piece? Anyone without a Bowman Chrome prospect autograph. I love collecting base Chrome and parallels as much as anyone, but it’ll never be the tippy-top of the prospect card possibilities in the way that an autograph would be, even if we’re revisiting a player who has base Chrome in a previous year. I don’t think Topps has even come back and put a Chrome auto of a guy who’s previously had a paper Bowman auto, but stranger things have come to fruition recently, and those paper autos are far less desirable.
Our next release is Bowman Chrome. Only players who can be in that set are included — so no players who aren’t drafted yet. I will also not be including 2024 J15 players in this. I know, I know, that’s the main attraction for Bowman Chrome! My reason is that there’s just not much to go on other than the same scouting reports we’ve all been reading for 6 months, and a little bit of DSL performance — its’ boring to write about. I will call out hobby-significant J15’s at the end of each team, but come September these names will likely comprise over half of the Top 10 names in the BC product anyway, and it’ll be exactly the guys you think it is.
I know hitters are the focus for the vast majority of collectors (and Topps realizes this too), so I will appease that if at all possible. If your team has a pitcher for their guy…there’s probably not much out there.
AL East
Ben Rice seems like an easy choice for the Yankees, right? It took a fall from some of their younger prospects for me to come to it, but yeah – he’s their guy for me. At 25, he is extremely old to be hobby relevant but since he’s now getting his shot in the majors, does it matter? It definitely does, but picture the possibility that by the time BC rolls around, he’s pushed Anthony Rizzo out of a job. Then what? Then he’d be the #1 rookie on the team with the #1 card market getting his first licensed cards and having already produced at the highest level. Even if that dream doesn’t come to fruition, there is a 100% certainty that he will be relevant because he has that power that we in the hobby covet so much. It’s possible that his career arc is on the shorter side because there are both positional and swing-and-miss concerns, but in the current state of the hobby, that’s irrelevant for the masses. It’s likely that he doesn’t end up with Bowman prospect cards – but if he does, it’ll be a bright burn. Also: Chase Hampton, Caleb Durbin, Gabriel Terrero, Abrahan Ramirez, Jose Colmenares (RIP to his 2024 season before it started), Henry Lalane. J15 name: Francisco Vilorio.
Among players who have been around for a few years, I don’t think there’s been a bigger breakout than the Red Sox’ Jhostynxon Garcia. There’s not much of a change to anything he’s doing at the plate from last year, but with a SLG over .600 since his promotion to High-A it’s hard to believe the change in results aren’t at least somewhat sticky. It seems the strength he added to his upper body in the offseason was all he needed. “The Password” isn’t a major threat on the bases and is likely to slow down enough to move out of CF, but he’s a good defender – we shouldn’t care about position hobby-wise. At 21, as long as he’s having success there should be quick-flowing promotions – there’s not a lot of body maturation left to be had so there’s no harm in pushing him. The fear is that his aggressive approach catches up to him, but with this new-found game power it won’t matter as long as he makes a decent amount of contact. I think with the entire package of things going in his favor, including the Red Sox market, he’s a Top 15 potential name. Also: Franklin Arias, Jojo Ingrassia, Natanael Yuten. J15 name: Vladimir Asencio.
The Orioles have a few interesting guys but with apologies to Matthew Etzel, I’ll take the upside of Aron Estrada. He’s a smallish switch-hitting middle infielder who’s made a nice recovery in Low-A from last year’s disappointment at the Complex. Prior to that he made his way to my radar by posting on OPS over 1.000 in the DSL. This year he’s taken to an intentionally aggressive approach – I think it’s more developmental than what he will be at maturity – but you can’t argue with the results that include a very nice 120 wRC+ for the 19 YO. He’ll always be hit over power but there is some pop in his bat as well. He’s too far away and not mature enough as a hitter for me to say exactly how good that primary tool is, but it’s an intriguing package that includes speed. Also: Matthew Etzel, Thomas Sosa, Luis De Leon, Elis Cuevas. J15 names: Stiven Martinez, Emilio Sanchez.
The Rays do a nice job of developing pitching talent and using it in their Rays-y way, but in the hobby that’s not what we want! Even so, the hitting side of their development is fairly dry outside of their guys that have cards so I’ll give you impressive youngster Santiago Suarez. He’s several years away and not developed at all really from a strength and conditioning standpoint. His fastball isn’t great at this juncture. But his command is fantastic, and his curve and change also have plus projection. Staring into the primordial ether, there may be some frontline potential here, which would be awesome for most other teams. At 19, there are far worse pitchers to bet on – just caution that like most teens he will be a slow burn. Also: Angel Mateo (if you want a position player dart throw), Gary Gill Hill, Trevor Harrison, Owen Wild. J15 name: Leonardo Pineda.
Sorry to do this to you Blue Jays fans, but just as the Rays have Suarez as a young talented pitcher, very similarly I’m going with Fernando Perez for you all. At 20 he’s already shown that he can handle an age appropriate workload well – he, Caden Dana, and Suarez are the only players of their age with 150 innings, a 25 K%, and a sub-1.10 WHIP. Over time his command has ticked up, and he easily has plus projection with his curve. His fastball needs more development for him to really be a high-K upside arm, but he has the body projection for it. And that’s what I’m buying – a young pitcher who’s done well and has a path to at least mid-rotation upside. It’s a dart throw. Also: Addison Barger (he should be the guy here based on current play, but he’s been around for so long and has already seen the majors), Victor Arias. J15 name: Junior Arias.
AL Central
Taken 37th overall in the 2023 Draft, Kevin McGonigle has emerged as a Top 100 prospect, so he’s the Tigers’ obvious name, but keep in mind his ceiling. We’re talking about a 5’10” 2B who hasn’t popped an ISO over .130 and isn’t likely to put up elite SB numbers. But man does that hit tool look special thus far. He runs an elite contact rate, and there’s enough impact to say nothing about his .320’s batting average is a fluke. I liked the comp I heard of his ceiling being a more athletic Luis Arraez. Now, keep in mind that’s a ceiling – we should be happy if he ends up as a less athletic Nico Hoerner too. But at just 19, we’ve got to wait a few years to see if he hits those expectations. He’s more valuable for real life than the hobby – still I’d peg him as a borderline Top 10 potential name, but current name value and performance may bring him higher. Also: Josue Briceno (who we should all like quite a bit in the hobby already), Franyerber Montilla, Jaden Hamm (no autos). J15 names: Nestor Miranda, Jesus Pinto.
There’s no reason to doubt the White Sox’ Javier Mogollon has fantastic pop in his bat, especially for such a small dude. The 5’8” infielder smashed 35 XBH in his first 72 pro games between the DSL and Complex – a silly number that has been maintained across both seasons. What hasn’t been maintained is his contact rate. While he had a low K% in the DSL, there has been so, so much swing-and-miss in the Complex that he seems poised to repeat next year at this juncture. He’s struck out in over 40% of his PA’s – there’s just a ton of swing aggression that needs to be culled back into a significantly more mature approach. He does take his walks, so part of it’s already there. He also has good enough speed to be a threat on the bases, which helps boost his profile to a potential Top 20 name. He’s just super-high risk. Also: Brooks Baldwin, Adrian Gil, Abraham Nunez (no autos), Jairo Iriarte. J15 name: Eduardo Herrera.
I was expecting to write about Matt Wilkinson for the Guardians, but they also have an impressive hitter from their 2023 Draft class with no cards yet in Alex Mooney. The 7th Rounder from Duke has made his excellent wood bat performances from collegiate summer ball look like a predictor, and his poor post-Draft showing look like a fluke this year. In High-A. He’s stung the ball with authority enough to hold a wRC+ around 130 most of the year, and he pairs that with speed and aggression on the basepaths and utility appeal in the infield. With a K% hovering near 20% and this performance, I think it’s fair to project his hit tool as above average. Putting the whole package together, we have a player like many Guardians infielders before him – can he break the mold? Maybe. But he’s certainly interesting for the hobby, at least. Also: Matt Wilkinson, Jacob Bresnahan, Jose Devers, Esteban Gonzalez. J15 name: Robert Arias.
The Twins have a few pitchers, but have you heard of Dameury Pena? He’s got a smallish frame and his body is closer to maturity than not, so it’s fair to doubt much projection. But he’s unequivocally a bat-to-ball savant. He’s struck out just 13 times as a pro in 220 PA’s as of this writing. That’s nice, but the results being a .367 batting average are equally impressive. So while it’s not truly power, it is a fantastic feel for the barrel, and something like that should carry him into at least the upper minors with an upward trajectory within a few years. He does have a positional issue where he’s not strong at 2B so he’s been used in LF some already. It’s not actionable hobby-wise at this juncture, but if you’re wondering why the promotions aren’t coming, that’s your reason. Also: Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Daniel Pena. J15 names: Daiber De Los Santos, Eduardo Beltre.
The Royals are a shallow system whose top guys all have cards, and they have a lot of struggling young players. There’s no easy choice, but when we weigh performance to expectation, Blake Wolters is the pick. The 2023 2nd Round pick has been OK this year as a 19 YO in Low-A all year. As a cold weather prep who didn’t focus solely on baseball until his senior year, he’s very much a developmental project, but having the bones of an upper 90’s fastball and nice slider to go with it is a good start. He’s still learning to command it all, and his third pitch is not well-established at all. He’s given up his fair share of hits and runs, but for as far as we know he has to go, it’s a positive that he hasn’t been blown up in any outings, going at least 3 IP every time on a limited pitch count. I’d put a pin in the name for now, hobby-wise. Also: Diego Guzman, Roni Cabrera, Milo Rushford. J15 name: Yandel Ricardo.
AL West
The Rangers are loaded with high-ceiling youngsters that don’t have cards yet and also maybe the #2 J15 – their content in BC should be fantastic. My pick is Yeremi Cabrera. He has a more complete profile than some of the Rangers’ others, and really came around in his DSL repeat last year and has continued that performance this year in the Complex. He really pops with his power, which is what we care most about (13 HR in 70 games in 2023-24), but he also has a solid plate approach for his age and keeps his K numbers in check. He also has enough speed and a shot to stick in CF. Because of that DSL repeat some hobbyists will pause, but don’t – I see him as a Top 10 potential name for BC. Also: Braylin Morel (been just OK at the Complex, but the tools are there), Echedry Vargas (less impact at Low-A, but again, tools are still there), Esteban Mejia, Keyber Rodriguez, Pablo Guerrero, Winston Santos, Alejandro Rosario, Joseph Montalvo, Kohl Drake. J15 name: Paulino Santana.
Nate Nankil has been great in Low-A as a collegiate bat, but I want to talk about the Athletics’ Will Simpson. He’s been massively impressive in his first full pro season. The 2023 15th Rounder from UWash has shown some power with a OBP around .400 all year – which is maintaining what he did since summer of 2022. Is it possible he just maintains all the way to the majors? That’s what makes him interesting. I don't think that'll be the case – as a 1B-only name he really needs to show even more power than he has, and his K numbers for a 22 YO at High-A aren’t that great. Alongside Henry Bolte and Jacob Wilson, Simpson is a standout in a system without much going for it. Also: Nate Nankil, German Ortiz. J15 names: Edgar Montero, Jose Ramos.
OK, I’m not going to put Joey Loperfido here because he’s spent so much time in the majors already, but he’d be the Astros’ guy and still could have prospect cards in BC. Instead, I’ll go with 19 YO 3B Waner Luciano. You really have to look past the low batting averages and low BABIPs he’s put up to be a believer like me. I want to point out one thing he needs to change that will lift his profile entirely – weak fly balls. Luciano very much has an uppercut swing, which tracks with his mishit balls having such a low success rate. Last year his success had him as the Astros Complex League POY with 10 HR – this year it’s been much more of a struggle. But you know what? His plate approach and contact % have remained pretty good despite the struggles – so if he can tweak that swing just a little bit to give him a chance for more success, I think this would be a bat that plays anywhere and could really explode in performance numbers. Also: Joey Loperfido, Pascanel Ferreras, Jeron Williams, Zach Dezenzo, Ethan Pecko. J15 name: Cesar Hernandez (who is a 21 YO Cuban playing on Low-A).
The Angels, oh boy, the Angels. There’s a clear choice in Juan Flores because he’s playing catcher in Low-A at 18 and has been league average offensively. But as an organization, their philosophy to draft what they see as a high floor with little care for ceiling runs completely counter to what we like for the hobby. Funny how the one exception to that statement, Caden Dana, is by far their top drafted prospect now. I don’t mean to knock Flores or their other international prospects with that comment – Flores has a strong defensive foundation that’s incredibly impressive for his age. He also has some pop that could develop into an average tool with maturity. But it’s his hit tool that should determine whether he becomes a real-life star down the line. If it comes in as above-average and we project his defense to plus, he’d be an All-Star. I just don’t know how strong of a hobby name that’d make him. Also: Kevyn Castillo, Cole Fontenelle. J15 name: Joswa Lugo.
The Mariners have Luis Suisbel, who’s got a lot of work – i mean, A LOT of work to do to get his contact numbers in check, including approach issues, but when he does make contact his batted ball data is excellent. His power profile fits just fine at 1B – I’m not so concerned too much about position. It’s just the adjustments. If he makes them, he has that high HR potential we all love for the hobby, but now 21 at Low-A it’s fair to question if the development will ever progress enough. After years of being a strong team in almost every release, the well is finally drying up for the Mariners. Also: Caleb Cali, Jeter Martinez. J15 name: Dawel Joseph.
NL East
There’s a lot to choose from, but Jeremy Rodriguez is the easy name for the Mets – the Diamondbacks probably already regret choosing him as the lotto ticket return for Tommy Pham. He was a significant J15 prospect in 2023, carrying the pedigree of a $1.25 MM bonus. But it’s not just that which makes him a great potential name – he has performance to match. After compiling a .411 OBP with 18 XBH in 51 games in the DSL last year, he’s continued to show out this year at the Complex (buoyed by a scorching hot May) while keeping his contact numbers in check. He also has good speed, a chance to stick at SS, and is still 17 until July. His body isn’t anywhere near maturity so how it all develops is a mystery, but it’s easy to buy the ceiling of his bat. The hobby will be sure to eat him up, especially in the New York market. Rodriguez already appears to be a confirmed name for Bowman Chrome, where he would easily be a Top 10 chase. Also: Jonah Tong, Julio Zayas, Christopher Suero, Wilfredo Lara, Brandon Sproat. J15 names: Yovanny Rodriguez, Edward Lantigua.
We have a familiar name for the Phillies top hope for an autograph – Starlyn Caba. Included as a base Chrome in 2023 BC as Jesus, Caba’s profile has only increased since then. The SS prospect was a defense/speed/hit tool guy last year when he signed for a massive $3 MM in January, and showed out as advertised. This year he’s progressed with those tools to the point where it’s even easier now to see all three could be plus assets in the future, and also shown there could perhaps be some power coming as well. I don’t think it’ll ever be more than 10-15 HR, but the rest of his game will lift his profile so much that I don’t think we’ll care much. His ceiling is that of a franchise cornerstone SS, and for a Phillies franchise that hasn’t seen a high ceiling player in a few years – it’s a thirsty dream for collectors. Also: George Klassen, Andrick Nava, Eduardo Tait, Aroon Escobar, Mavis Graves, Leandro Pineda, Spencer Aldegheri. J15 name: Jalvin Arias.
The Marlins’ hitting development has been quite poor recently, so it’s fitting that their top potential guy is Thomas White. It’s an obvious, low-hanging fruit name who was easily the top lefty prep pitcher in the 2023 Draft. But Topps hasn’t put him in any products yet, so here we are. Assigned to Low-A to begin the year and already promoted to High-A, he’s shown flashes of top-of-the-rotation potential. He has a K/9 over 12 and has not given up a HR all year (and just 4 XBH) as of this writing. His fastball averages ~96 MPH that’s coupled with an improving change and a curve that will likely be a plus pitch and has been a nightmare for low-minors hitters. We’ll ignore the BB numbers for now because at this stage of development where he’s on a strict pitch count, they’re fine. I would venture to say that the hobby will view this 19-YO as the top pitching prospect without a Bowman card for any team. Also: Andres Valor. J15 name: Luis Cova.
If I’m being honest the only interesting high-ceiling potential Braves player is their top 2024 J15 Jose Perdomo (who would be a Top 3 name in Bowman Chrome), but E.J. Exposito is their best emergent name this year. Absolutely, he is old for his level, and old-ish overall for a hobby prospect, but for a former 16th Round pick who hit .208 last year – what he’s doing in 2024 is great. Promoted to High-A to begin the year, he’s showing emergent power and much better contact numbers to pair with his above average speed. At 23 we just wait to see if all this across-the-board improvement can be continued at higher levels. What he’s doing is not really actionable for the hobby even if he does appear in BC – unless by the time of release he has continued production in AA. He’s worth keeping an eye on as a late-blooming MI prospect at least. Also: Mario Baez, Didier Fuentes, Ethan Workinger. J15 name: Jose Perdomo.
The Nationals have some nice prospects in their system, but it’s shallow, most have cards, and from an amateur acquisition standpoint there has been very little success in recent years. So it’s not a surprise that my pick for them was acquired via trade. DJ Herz has now debuted with the big club, but he’s long been a strikeout machine in the minors – in 319 innings he was at nearly 13 K/9. It’s his plus changeup that’s the real appeal, which pairs well with his low-90’s fastball that plays up because of good extension. He also still has massive relief risk, because his command has rarely been called even below average. But his ceiling is that June 15 game where he K’d 13 Marlins allowing just 1 hit and 0 BB. That’d be quite nice for the hobby! BC will be Topps’ last shot to get Bowman cards of Herz to us. Also: Carlos Tavares. J15 name: Victor Hurtado.
NL Central
As much as I love Juan Baez, in the hobby we always take the ceiling play over the floor play, and that would be Yophery Rodriguez. So he’s the guy for my Brewers. Just 18 years old for all of this season and already at Low-A, he’s shown that being aggressively assigned there wasn’t the stab-in-the-dark assessment that some clubs seem to employ. Sure, the K% in Carolina is a little high, but for his age I will take that when it comes with a .360 OBP and 18 XBH in his first 48 games. It’s also only a 10.2 SwStr% – an excellent mark for low minors hitters. Yophery has both 5-tool potential and the ability to be another quick riser for the Brewers. I’m eager to see how it all plays out in the next 18 months. Can he touch AA by the end of it? Can he total 30 HR as a teenager by the end of it? I’d expect him to be a major chase if he's in BC. Also: Juan Baez, Gregory Barrios, Yorman Galindez, Josh Knoth. J15 names: Jorge Quintana, Jesus Made, Jose Anderson, Luis Pena.
Because Topps mistakenly included a few of his cards in Bowman, it’s quite safe to assume Zyhir Hope will be in 2024 Bowman Chrome pictured with the Cubs. But he’s a Dodger now, so that’s not fun for team collectors. But for most, and also for breaking purposes, Hope would be the top chase for the team – even better than Fernando Cruz, who may be a Top 5 J15 at release. Before going down to a shoulder injury, Hope had established that he deserved to be among the very top of the prep names in the 2023 Draft, slashing .282/.378/.521 in his first 18 game taste of Low-A. Over half of his hits went for extra bases, showing that his plus raw power was already starting to translate to games. He’s also an excellent runner, so he certainly fits that dynamic athlete mold as well. What we should look to see when he gets back to game action is that his K rate stays in check – the book on Hope says that his hit tool will lag behind, but it hasn’t yet. Also: Leonel Espinoza, Angel Cepeda (no autos). J15 name: Fernando Cruz.
The Reds’ guy is Sammy Stafura, with Edwin Arroyo down for the year. It might have been Stafura anyway at this point. He was left behind at the Complex to begin the year, but he made quick work of that level once they started, and has now been equally impressive at Low-A. The 2023 2nd Round prep SS has shown in the latter stint that he can indeed be a high-contact bat – it’s not just the excellent power potential, great approach, ability to play SS, and plus speed we’re dreaming on. If it all comes together right he’ll truly be a 5-tool talent, but be cautious with his hit tool (and defense at SS, but we don’t care) moving forward through levels. Also: Edwin Arroyo (no autos), Dominic Pitelli, Sheng-En Lin, Luis Reyes. J15 names: Adolfo Sanchez, Naibel Mariano, Jaset Martinez.
Topps has hit on most of the Pirates’ top prospects and while Jhonny Severino has been awesome in the Complex, I’ll call out Charles McAdoo here. A 13th Round pick last year, there was no risk in buying into the extremely strong wood bat numbers he put up in 2021 and 2022 collegiate summer leagues. He’s already proven that was no fluke, as his numbers as a pro have actually exceeded what he did at San Jose State – this year it’s a .300/.400/.500-ish slash in High-A with a K% hovering around 20. He’s also been good enough defensively at 3B to say that he can at least be a fill-in there for years to come, even if his future is as a corner OF. Everything I see backs up what he’s done, so while he may settle into a more middling performance as he’s promoted to more challenging levels for a 22-YO, I think he has an excellent chance to make it to the majors. He’s certainly outperformed that 13th Round status already, and with the ceiling of an MLB regular, he may truly be a steal. Also: Jhonny Severino, Tsung-Che Cheng. J15 name: Bralyn Brazoban.
The Cardinals simply do not have any good hobby names. Zack Showalter is the flashiest pitcher in the system but he’s a reliever. Johnfrank Salazar and Nathan Church have some floor, but hobby-wise aren’t all that interesting. So we’ll go to a pitcher from the most recent draft who’s shown some potential – Quinn Mathews. Signed as a senior from Stanford, Mathews has a single plus pitch – his change. Paired with excellent command, he’s used it to great effect this year in High-A, totaling a K/9 over 12 and limiting hitters to a .sub-.175 average. I really think this is just the case of a very experienced, polished pitcher imposing his will on younger hitters. I want to see him in AA before I believe in any of this upside. Other than that – I do think he has the floor of an MLB SP of some ilk. Also: Johnfrank Salazar, Nathan Church, Sammy Hernandez. J15 name: Yairo Padilla.
NL West
There’s a ton of names to pick from with the Dodgers, so I’ll go with the most advanced of the top hobby guys – Jeral Perez. I picked him out as a pre-season breakout candidate because while his surface stats were excellent last year at the Complex (21 XBH in 53 games), his high-ish K% and low-ish BA was a bit of a turn off. But then in his tiny Low-A sample, I chose to run with the fact that he put up a 80% contact rate while maintaining quality of contact. Just a little something to grasp onto to say that “OK, this kid knows how to make adjustments”. Little did I know that he’d basically just repeat most of his impressive underlying Complex numbers at Low-A this year thus far while experiencing (what I see as) that natural tick up in performance. He’s definitely one to watch. Also: Eduardo Quintero (who’s also fantastic and a Top 10 potential BC name), Zyhir Hope (who’ll be a Cub in BC), Thayron Liranzo, Alexander Albertus, Elias Medina (who hasn’t played this year), Jose Rodriguez (the High-A pitcher). J15 name: Emil Morales.
OK, I said I wouldn’t include 2024 J15’s, but the Padres have Leodalis De Vries, who’s both at Low-A already and the #1-with-a-bullet potential name for Bowman Chrome. It hasn't been a completely smooth ride for the 17 YO in Lake Elsinore due to both injury and performance, but he looks like he belongs there defensively, and while it’s been a bit of a struggle offensively, there are many doing worse. It’s all about across-the-board plus projection with him, and there’s nothing to indicate that doesn’t remain true. He’s the only player of his age in full-season ball – it’s easy to get over-eager – I think patience will be requisite. But the ceiling is immense, and he still has the back half of the season to try to prove it. Also: Graham Pauley (who will likely end up with no Bowman prospect cards), Ismael Javier, Romeo Sanabria, Adam Mazur (no autos).
For the Giants I could go with Angel Guzman (who’s repeating the DSL and doing fantastic), but Hayden Birdsong is my single favorite under-the-radar pitching prospect. The 2022 6th-rounder ticks all the boxes I like to see – High-K upside, multiple pitches with plus projection, low mileage with room for development, and a workhorse frame. His 2023 numbers in Low and High-A were ridiculous – he put up a over 13 K/9 with a .202 BAA. It was tougher when he got to AA last year, but this year he’s shown the adjustment and made it look easy again. It’s a K/9 near 11.5 with an even better BAA, which earned him a call to AAA. Now, I’m not telling you about the BB numbers because they’re not great, but they’re improving! And with an arm like Birdsong with less experience, command is the last thing to click into place. I would be very interested in grabbing some cards of his if they make an appearance in BC. Also: Angel Guzman, Lisbel Diaz (who probably has the best ceiling, but hasn’t had any sort of sample size), Jean Carlos Sio. J15 name: Yohendry Sanchez.
The Diamondbacks’ Jansel Luis may not have a huge ceiling, but after a good deal of middling performance at Low-A that continued into this year, to me has shown that he’s closer to the excellent Complex numbers he put up early last year. Those numbers were a .297/.381/.495 with a XBH in 25 games, good for a.190 ISO - which is nice for an otherwise well-rounded middle infielder. This year, since May 1st, he’s flipped that ISO back to .160. For a teenage middle infielder that has quite a bit of work to do in honing his approach, that’s pretty solid. I think the best case is that he becomes an above-average big-leaguer in the mold of Ketel Marte. But at age 19, we can dream a little bigger. Also: Anderdson Rojas, Yu-Min Lin, Spencer Giesting. J15 names: Adriel Rodney, Belfri Rivera.
Chase Dollander is absolutely a fit for this as a real-life prospect, but Rockies pitchers deservedly get zero hobby love, so the name here is Derek Bernard. To me it’s fine that he was repeating the DSL last year because it was still just his age-17 season, and he showed immense improvement. The exact DSL numbers aren’t important but it was a wRC+ over 150, so his being a potential impact bat is quite apparent. Even in the Complex this year, it’s still apparent, although the swing-and-miss has become much, much more concerning. But with being so far away and so young, in the hobby we weigh the good things he’s done far more heavily than the bad. Also: Chase Dollander, Kyle Karros. J15 name: Ashly Andujar.