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. Francisco Alvarez, C - 60 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 1 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 45 | High |
PHYSICAL Compact, stocky frame with a thick lower half. Plenty of present strength with more to project as he’s not yet fully physically mature. Good flexibility and massive arm strength will give him the chance to stick behind the plate as he continues to develop through the minors.
STRENGTHS Alvarez offers huge potential at the plate with a compact swing that shows plus bat speed and an innate feel for finding barrels. Shows excellent strike zone recognition and is able to catch up to elite velocity well. Huge strength and lofty bat path lead to easy plus in-game power that plays to all fields, along with double-plus raw. Generated max EVs north of 110 as a 19-year-old this season. Gets out of the crouch extremely well behind the plate, with consistent on-target throws. Has made big strides in overall blocking ability in the past 18 months as well.
WEAKNESSES Will expand at the top of the zone on occasion leading to some swing and miss. Can border on patient and passive on some at bats leading to getting behind in counts, and ultimately swinging at bad pitches. Will need to improve lateral movements and framing to potentially stick behind the plate long term.
SUMMARY Alvarez went from just earning positive reviews at the alt site to a consensus top 20 prospect in a little over a year, and it’s easy to see why. Elite potential with the bat led by an above-average hit tool and plus power that consistently shows up in-game. Defensively, Alvarez gives you a shot as a long-term catcher with a plus arm and solid receiving skills, but the overall profile loses little value if he happens to move to a DH role. This is a bat-first profile, but there’s a real chance this is one of the most complete bats in the minor leagues who can live in the middle of an order.
EVALUATOR Ian Smith
2. Brett Baty, 3B - 55 OFP
Age: 22 | Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 5 | Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 45 | 60 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Big, strong kid, maxed out physically. Sweeping swing generates good bat speed and plate coverage. Agile in the infield.
STRENGTHS Has learned to wait for his pitch and will square it up when he gets it. He covers the plate very well with no real weakness. Primarily a gap hitter, we’re still waiting for him to fully tap into that plus raw power during games. Plenty of arm for third, and he’s got a quick first step.
WEAKNESSES Doesn’t field particularly well, but it's passable at third if he hits. He’s still trying to get the power to play more in games; currently has a groundball-heavy batted ball profile. He’ll need to learn how to drive the ball in the air to maximize his in-game pop.
SUMMARY Baty took a step forward in 2021, and he’s one of the next wave of big prospects to come out of Queens. He should anchor down the hot corner for the better part of a decade when he arrives, and he should bring a well-rounded offensive game with him. He’s a future middle-of-the-order type hitter that fills up the gaps. When he was drafted he had some negative attention due to his advanced age for a prep pick, but those concerns are over as he’s sped up his timeline and reached Double-A at 22. Everything is progressing along nicely and he keeps making all of the necessary adjustments.
EVALUATOR Sam Hale
3. Matt Allan, RHP - 55 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 2 | Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Fastball | Curveball | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 50 | Extreme |
| 93-96 mph | 82-85 mph | 84-96 mph |
PHYSICAL Allan has become noticeably leaner and more athletic since his draft year. He looks the part of an innings eating arm with a durable frame, broad shoulders, and a strong lower half. Drop and drive motion here as he pitches exclusively from the stretch. He gets downhill with a big stride and extension. Above-average arm speed, but the recoil and head whack are suboptimal. Had TJS May 2021.
STRENGTHS The frame is plus, exactly what you’re looking for. The fastball has good shape and was 92-96 in games in 2019 but supposedly was around 98 before the elbow popped. The curveball also has good shape and it catches the eye. The changeup is his third pitch but it shows good traits and he will even go to it against righties. He’s also mixed in a slider but more info is needed on the pitch.
WEAKNESSES Had elbow surgery in May of ‘21 and the Mets should take it slow with his recovery and rehab, meaning he won’t get a full season and when he does pitch it will likely be highly restricted. You can nitpick and say he doesn’t throw enough strikes but he barely threw over 100 pitches in his pro debut across those ten innings.
SUMMARY Allan was the top prep arms on several draft boards in the 2019 draft cycle, but signability concerns dropped him out of the first two rounds. He might be prone to homers with the heater because of a generic release point, but he’s potentially got three average or better secondaries and could be a future number two starter if he gets back and shoves.
EVALUATOR Matt Thompson
4. Mark Vientos, 3B - 50 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 7 Pre-Season OFP: 45
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 60 | 40 | 55 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Above-average height with a frame that still has 10 to 15 pounds of projection remaining. Below-average athlete, not a runner, despite an athletic frame. Raw power translates at the plate with a simple right-handed swing with shades of Manny Machado mechanically.
STRENGTHS Plus raw power that shines through in games, max exit velocity >110 MPH at just 21 with a 91.9 mph average EV on the season. Slugged above .580 across two levels of the upper minors and looks to elevate and do damage every time he swings. Average approach with average walk and chase rates. Above-average arm that should allow him to transition to left field if the Mets ask him to.
WEAKNESSES Below average bat to ball hitter with an overly aggressive approach. Fair bit of swing and miss. Has difficulty adjusting to off-speed and pitch heights. Below-average defender and range. Slow to react and hands are below-average in the field. Lacks the foot speed for the outfield, might end up at first base, but even at first, there are questions about the actions.
SUMMARY A bat first infield prospect with questions around where he ends up long term. The bat will play due to plus game power that will translate at the major league level. Has all fields pop, and consistently finds the barrel, with a 21% barrel rate in 2021. Could develop into a middle-of-the-order power hitter. Some slight improvements in chase rate and swing decisions could yield high OPS results. A player that would benefit from the National League DH.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
5. Ronny Mauricio, SS - 50 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 4 Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 50 | High |
PHYSICAL Long and lean with plenty of room to fill out and add muscle. Long limbs allow him to create good leverage at the plate.
STRENGTHS For his size, he is an average defender at shortstop, showing the ability to range from side to side and make the routine play at short, and has a good arm that will allow him to stick on the left-side of the infield in some capacity. Can drive the ball out of any ballpark, showcasing some pretty loud homers and makes solid hard contact. There is still room for him to fill out so even more power may be in store for Ronny Mo.
WEAKNESSES Gets on top of balls often and drives them on the ground, posting upwards of 45% groundball rate in both stops this past season. He is also rather aggressive and swings at pitches he shouldn’t, resulting in suboptimal contact. His aggressiveness also manifests itself in his strikeout rate as he made the jump to Double-A and faced more advanced pitching and punched out at a high rate.
SUMMARY There are definitely some things to be excited about with Ronny Mauricio. He has power and should stick on the left side of the infield in some capacity, plus there is projection left in his frame that you can dream on. The problem is he hits far too many ground balls and swings and misses far too often. He is only 21, so there is still time to work out the hit tool deficiencies and make an adjustment to his bat path that will result in him hitting for the power that his body portends.
EVALUATOR Rhys White
6. Dominic Hamel, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: CPX
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 193
7. Eric Orze, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
8. J.T. Ginn, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 8 Pre-Season OFP: 45
9. Alex Ramirez, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 14 Pre-Season OFP: 40
10. Nick Plummer, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 25 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked