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. Mick Abel, RHP - 60 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 2 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 50 | High |
| 94-99 mph | 78-81 mph | 82-87 mph | 87-90 mph |
PHYSICAL XL frame with long levers, high waist, and broad shoulders. Very projectable, could easily add 25-30 pounds. Frontline starter building blocks. Good athlete who moves well on the mound. Long arm action, very quick arm, 3/4s slot. Some effort in delivery; has trouble repeating. Live arm.
STRENGTHS Legitimate four-pitch arsenal. Truly dominant fastball that sits mid-90s and touches 99 with above-average ride and run. Secondaries are all thrown hard. Curveball is a hammer with plus depth. Slider shows sharp bite with two-plane movement. Sells change with good arm speed, shows good fade and separation from fastball. Overwhelming stuff.
WEAKNESSES Major strike-throwing issues in debut season led to too many walks and early exits from starts. Overall effectiveness of pitches plays down due to lack of command. Tendency to overthrow, will miss spots by feet at times. Doesn’t maintain velo deep into starts at present. Large gap between present ability and projected grades.
SUMMARY Massive projection arm with No.2 starter upside. Abel has a deep arsenal of average or better pitches that is headlined by a double-plus fastball. There are big command concerns at present, but few pitchers match his upside. Abel has considerable strides to make to reach his potential, but the ceiling here is a legitimate ace with a floor of backend starter or high-octane bullpen arm. More likely 2nd or 3rd starter at maturity.
EVALUATOR Joe Drake
2. Bryson Stott, SS - 50 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 3 Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Above-average height and broad-shouldered build, good strength, and physicality without being overly bulky. Not twitchy but athletic enough to play on the left side of the infield. Likely already at or close to physical max.
STRENGTHS Above-average bat-to-ball skills, and swing decisions. Doesn’t sell out for power, but has enough game power to do damage. Plus on-base ability with high walk rates across several levels. Doesn’t expand the zone, and makes contact at an above-average rate. Ability to adjust to different pitch heights and do damage across the zone.
WEAKNESSES Major questions around his ability to stick at shortstop long term. Arm is just average, making his best position possibly second base. Despite above-average raw power, he doesn’t consistently get to it in game. Struggles against left-handed pitching, shown in clearly tilted splits. Loses approach in left on left matchups.
SUMMARY In many ways, Stott is a classic “bag -o’-5s” with his on-base ability his standout tool. His hit is slightly above-average as is his power and he will flash his plus raw on his best contact. It’s his ability to get on base and make smart plays in the field that provides a fairly high floor. If Stott can improve versus lefthanders and find more of his raw power in game he has the ability to carve out a role as an above-average bat first shortstop. At worst he’s a league-average regular at second base, with the ability to fit the leadoff role due to his excellent on-base skills.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
3. Andrew Painter, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: CPX
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 25
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 55 | 50 | 60 | 55 | High |
| 93-95 mph | 75-78 mph | 81-84 mph | 82-86 mph |
PHYSICAL Oozes projection from an athletic, 6-foot-7 frame with good size from top to bottom. Standout size on the mound. Long levers with present strength in his core. Strong, thick legs complement a solid upper half with broad shoulders and a filled-out chest. Physically advanced for his age with plenty more room in store as he matures.
STRENGTHS The most polished prep arm in the 2021 class. Shows good feel for the zone with a solid four-pitch mix. Command stands out for his age from a low effort three-quarter slot, throws quality strikes with conviction. Stuff plays out too. Fastball grades plus, reaches 97 mph with good run to both sides of the plate. Changeup shows plus shape and fade, simply falls off the table when it’s on for ugly whiffs. Feel for his 12-6 curveball and low-to-mid-80s slider continue to improve. Each off-speed has a distinct shape and movement. Upside and front-of-the-rotation starter material is evident.
WEAKNESSES Inherent risk with the profile as a prep arm. Still viewed as a bit of a project with ways to go to reach his ceiling. Curveball and slider are a bit behind the changeup, both need improvement as consistent offerings. Everything needs to come together in order to reach his sky-high ceiling.
SUMMARY Painter was one of the most highly touted prep arms in the 2021 class, and it’s easy to see why. His polish and command stand out at his age with plenty of upside and projection left in his frame. The four-pitch mix has distinct spin and movement, with the fastball and changeup standing out amongst the bunch. He has frontline starter material if he continues to improve and develop, though the risk remains high.
EVALUATOR Isaiah Burrows
4. Johan Rojas, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 6 Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 45 | 55 | 50 | 70 | High |
PHYSICAL Very athletic and projectable. Classic projection build with long limbs, high waist, and broad shoulders. Twitchy and explosive.
STRENGTHS Premium athlete; plenty of range for centerfield and shows solid instincts. Should stick there the majority of his career, if not the entirety. Quick bat with good hands and feel for the barrel. Uses great speed to take extra bases on nearly any ball that leaves the infield and wreaks havoc on the bases; always a threat to steal. Likely to grow into plus raw power at maturity. Five-tool player ceiling.
WEAKNESSES Noticeable gap between current defensive abilities and projected grade. Needs experience to refine his game. Rojas is a bit of a free swinger at the plate right now without much of a game plan; his good contact skills get him into trouble when he puts tough pitches in play rather than sitting on something he can drive. An overabundance of ground balls limits his offensive upside at present; will need to lift the ball to maximize power profile.
SUMMARY Rojas is very toolsy and has the potential to grow into a five-tool centerfielder if he maxes out his abilities. He’s a terrific athlete who should have no issues sticking in center for the long haul and has the raw power to be an impact bat if he refines his approach and learns to lift the ball. That said, there’s a sizable gap between his current abilities and his projections, presenting more risk in his profile than you might expect. Likely settles in as a second-division regular with a 4th/5th outfielder floor and an All-Star ceiling.
EVALUATOR Joe Drake
5. Hans Crouse, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: MLB
Pre-Season Rank: 16 (TEX) Pre-Season OFP: 45
| Fastball | Curveball | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 60 | 50 | 40 | Moderate |
| 92-96 mph | 83-87 mph | 84-88 mph |
PHYSICAL Tall, lean frame, with long levers, lots of arms, and legs coming at you on the mound. Works exclusively from the stretch, long arm action, fast arm, high ¾ arm action, with a crossfire finish. Long history of arm troubles.
STRENGTHS Unique characteristics on all three of his pitches, good velocity across the board, and the ability to miss bats with all three. Slider is a slider/cutter hybrid pitch with good velocity that missed bats at a >50% rate in 2021. Generates lots of armside run on fastball and changeup due to arm slot and release. Will mess with timing and delivery to throw hitters off, has a high level of pitchability.
WEAKNESSES Below-average command of entire arsenal, will go through bouts of being unable to locate in the zone. Changeup is almost exclusively a chase pitch. Will miss with his fastball armside frequently. Mechanics and injury history call into question his long-term health.
SUMMARY A deceptive starter with a true three-pitch mix, and a high level of pitchability. Misses bats with all of his pitches and his fastball+slider mix is tough to barrel. He’s an extremely tough at bat versus righthanders, while his recent gains on his changeup feel has yielded improved results versus lefties. Still has some relief risk due to mechanics and heavy two-pitch focus. His trajectory has changed somewhat due to his performance as a starter in 2021, reaching the majors last summer. Looks like he could be a backend starter with upside should his command continue to tick closer toward average.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
6. Matt Vierling, 1B/OF - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: MLB
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
7. Luis Garcia, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 5 Pre-Season OFP: 50
8. Ethan Wilson, OF - 45 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: A
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 32
9. Logan O’Hoppe, C - 45 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: Unranked
10. Griff McGarry, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: A+
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 267