This off-season we set off to write our first book. Changes and challenges arose, so we've pivoted to releasing our top prospect lists & reports through the site and our Patreon. We're excited to finally show you the hard work of our evaluating team the last few months.
Below you'll find the top 10 players in the system with full reports of the top 5. The full rankings and reports on all top 30 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5 level) as we publish them. If you're into fantasy baseball, this tier also gets you the dynasty show, the FYPD list and the MiLB Daily Sheet in season. We plan to add all the reports to player pages on the site shortly after the season begins.
Top 10 Team Rank at First 5 Reports for Free Below
1. Adley Rutschman, C - 70 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 1 Pre-Season OFP: 60
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL A built, tall frame with broad strong shoulders. Great strength through the body from cannon-esque arms to tree-trunk legs. A very good athlete overall, let alone a catcher.
STRENGTHS Uncanny combination of plate discipline, bat to ball skills, and power, from both sides of the plate. Uses the entire field with authority, hits through the gaps and fences. Very fluid athlete behind the plate showing ability to block everything. Rocket of an arm is a certified weapon to shut down the run game. Demonstrates strong quiet-confident leadership skills to lead a pitching staff
WEAKNESSES Can overthrow on throw downs to second base. Below-average runner, but expected as a catcher.
SUMMARY A unicorn of a prospect, especially for a catcher. Capable of being a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. Tools are loud, refined, and explosive; allowing him to be set up for long-sustaining success at the big league level.
EVALUATOR Jackson Thomas
2. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP - 70 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 2 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 60 | 55 | 60 | 60 | Moderate |
| 96-100 mph | 81-85 mph | 82-87 mph | 82-87 mph |
PHYSICAL Tall, strong, and well built with imposing physicality. Very good athlete, moves well on the mound, with a direct, clean motion, with unique release characteristics. Semi-windup, longer arm action, ¾ slot with drop and drive operation that gets deep into his leg block. Elite arm speed, velocity comes easy for Rodriguez.
STRENGTHS The fastball has an elite combination of velocity, spin, shape, and command. Misses bats in his four-seamer at an elite rate (36.6% whiff), while limiting quality contact of any type. Mixes three primary secondaries, all of which he shows an elite feel for. His curveball and changeup are elite bat-missing weapons that are nearly impossible to barrel up. His slider has some cutter hybrid qualities with plus velocity and moderate sweep. An elite combination of stuff, pitchability, and command.
WEAKNESSES Has yet to go deep into games throughout his pro career. Tends to get hit around early in games before settling down. Still inconsistent with command at times. Mostly nitpicks however, Rodriguez is a special talent.
SUMMARY One of the top pitching prospects in recent memory, Rodriguez has a unique combination of velocity, stuff, command, and awareness. There’s true ace upside if he's able to maintain health and feel for his stuff. His fastball, curveball, and changeup all boast plus whiffs rates with the shape and command to back future success. It’s not a matter of if Grayson will join the Baltimore rotation but when. A starter’s body, arsenal, command, and pitchability. With his easy operation and feel for the zone, Grayson was made for the big league starter role.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
3. D.L. Hall, LHP - 60 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 3 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 55 | 60 | 55 | 45 | High |
| 95-98 mph | 77-81 mph | 83-87 mph | 83-87 mph |
PHYSICAL Drips easy, fluid athleticism. Long legged with lanky arms and shorter torso. Works from the first base side of the rubber, effortless balanced delivery, whippy 3/4 arm action, ball explodes from wrist snap. Could add more strength to the upper body. Plus plus athlete. Most recent season ended prematurely due to a stress reaction in his elbow. He started throwing again in December.
STRENGTHS Embodiment of a whiff monster. Posted an average whiff% of 44% in 2021 MILB season. Elite fastball command, can throw it for a strike in any count. Arsenal is analytically appealing with high spin and plus breaking ball movement. Dominates left-handed hitters. Shows out with great vertical approach angles on all of his pitches, creating a flat angle on his fastball and steep on his breaking balls.
WEAKNESSES Is prone to stretches where he loses command of offspeed pitches and has to rely on his fastball, making the job of hitters easier. Right-handed batters have given him trouble with big hits and strike throwing. Lack of meat on his arms and body raise questions on how he would handle a season long load of work.
SUMMARY Overall, Hall is a tantalizing package of a prospect. Absolutely wicked LHP arsenal, whiff monster, competitor, and pure athlete. Has the stuff and tools to be a high-end SP2. Hall was added to the 40-man roster this winter.
EVALUATOR Jackson Thomas
4. Colton Cowser, OF - 55 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: A
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 12
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 50 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Tall, lean, and athletic, smooth motions and mechanisms throughout his game. Body still projects 10-15 pounds of good weight in the coming years. Moves well in the field and on the bases. Should maintain a high level of fitness with routine maintenance.
STRENGTHS Excellent contact hitter with an elite feel for the zone. Shows the ability to make contact with all pitch types and locations. Strong all fields approach, who's adept at using the opposite field. Above average raw power with his max exit velocities sitting in the >108 region. Surefire power projection in the frame and data, a few tweaks could unlock above-average slugging. Experienced center fielder that has a shot to stick there, but the versatility to play either corner well.
WEAKNESSES Lacks the home run power you’d expect from a top college bat. Doesn’t look to drive the ball. This is an area the Orioles plan to address but it still remains to be seen if it will yield results. Some questions regarding his ability to stick in center long term.
SUMMARY High quality of contact hitter with a discerning eye who projects to add more power in the coming years. There are few holes in Cowser’s game as he’s already quite polished at the plate. Rarely chases, takes his walks, and shows the ability to control the barrel. A hitter’s hitter that will delight baseball purists. On the other hand, improvements to his in-game power production could catapult him to stardom. The ceiling is multi-time all-star outfielder but it’s more likely he’s a steady above-average regular.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
5. Gunnar Henderson, SS - 55 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 6 Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 60 | 55 | 60 | 50 | High |
PHYSICAL Athletic build with average height, broad shoulders and a muscular physique. Still some projection remaining but probably 10 pounds at max. Has some twitch at the plate. Moves fluidly in the box and is quick and clean with his actions in the field.
STRENGTHS Strong approach, rarely expands the zone and looks for pitches to drive. Owns the inner half of the plate, looks to turn on anything inside. Does an excellent job of tapping into pull-side juice. Plus raw power with max exit velocity hitting >113. Already has major league power coupled with average contact rates. Plus on-base ability, can grind out at bats, truly a tough out. Good all-around hitter with middle of the order upside. Good defender, has handled shortstop well, but could fit at either second or third. Plus arm, good on-line carry and accuracy.
WEAKNESSES Still some swing and miss concerns. Struggled at times to make contact, exemplified by his >29 K% at all three levels he reached in 2021. Longer swing at times, will sell out for pull-side power leading to lots of groundballs into the shift. Likely to move to third base long term.
SUMMARY Entering his age 21 season in 2022, the precocious Henderson has already had his first taste of Double-A. He has the baseline traits the Orioles have targeted in recent drafts: Approach/on-base skills coupled with power. Henderson has some of the biggest juice among infield prospects in the minor leagues, and is a patient and tactful hitter. There are swing and miss concerns, but he possesses the approach and foundational bat-to-ball talent to overcome it. Good defender that hasn’t looked stretched at shortstop. Due to size and body projection he might end up at third. Possesses the skills to flourish at that position long term. Above-average regular with star upside.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
6. Coby Mayo, 3B - 55 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 13 Pre-Season OFP: 45
7. Jordan Westburg, SS - 55 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 13 Pre-Season OFP: 45
8. Heston Kjerstad, OF - 55 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: NCAA
Pre-Season Rank: 5 Pre-Season OFP: 50
9. Kyle Stowers, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 22 Pre-Season OFP: 40
10. Drew Rom, LHP - 50 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 19 Pre-Season OFP: 40