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. Gabriel Moreno, C - 60 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AAA
Pre-Season Rank: 7 Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 40 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Below-average height and stature, barrel-chested, with good strength. Has some twitch, looks comfortable behind the plate, and moves well. Fractured his thumb in late June and missed all of July and August. Returned late in the season with Triple-A Buffalo and participated in the Arizona Fall League.
STRENGTHS Plus bat-to-ball skills, with an advanced approach at the plate. Shows the ability to cover the zone, adept at covering the outer part of the plate, with the ability to turn on pitches on the inner half. Good raw power, but doesn’t sell out to elevate, best contact is of the line drive variety. Above-average on-base skills, with a discerning eye that avoids chasing off the plate. A good defensive catcher that has improved as a receiver and framer.
WEAKNESSES Despite above-average raw power it only plays fringe-average in game. Lots of groundball contact, will often look to shoot line drives the other way in lieu of finding a ball to drive. Often tries to do too much behind the plate and will miss catchable pitches.
SUMMARY One of the premier catching prospects in the minor leagues, with the defensive prowess to stick there long term. Moreno is the rare catching prospect that can handle the rigors of everyday catching duties while providing value offensively. He’s a tough out that can make contact with a variety of pitch types, heights and locations. If raw power begins to translate into games more Moreno has all-star upside. At this moment he looks more the part of a surefire above-average regular.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
2. Orelvis Martinez, SS/3B - 55 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 5 Pre-Season OFP: 50
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 45 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Thin and high-waisted, yet very strong shoulders and lower half lead to explosive power. Still plenty of physical projection remains and he should get even stronger as he fills out.
STRENGTHS Loose, athletic frame with wiry strength, Orelvis has significant physical projection remaining and has the type of body that can add significant strength. He has lightning fast bat speed and plus power. Lot of moving parts in the swing but he does a great job getting it all synced up. Big leg kick but will shorten up and get into more or a crouch with two strikes. Exit velocity up over 110 MPH. Keen eye at the plate with a plan in the box. Plus arm strength at shortstop with good athleticism at present.
WEAKNESSES Develops a plan at the plate but can also attack early in the count and get himself out on a pitcher’s pitch. Lot of moving parts in the swing can be difficult to maintain at times. Lacks the range of a traditional shortstop and that’s an issue that will magnify as he fills out and slows down. No doubt about his ability to stick at third base though.
SUMMARY The Blue Jays paid a premium for Orelvis giving him $3.5 million to sign as part of the 2018 class. He was young for each level this year and for a stretch he looked like the best hitter in the minors as he hit .320 with 13 homers in July. He’s a future third baseman with all the plus tools necessary to thrive at the position.
EVALUATOR Matt Thompson
3. Gunnar Hoglund, RHP - 55 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: NCAA
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 15
| Fastball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 55 | High |
| 92-96 mph | 85-88 mph | 83-86 mph |
PHYSICAL Above-average height with a thick physical frame and strong lower-half. Had Tommy John surgery in May 2021. Semi windup, high glove raise, shorter arm action, high ¾ slot with whippy arm. Clean mechanics with strong leg block and direct follow through.
STRENGTHS Shows an elite feel for spin with all of his pitches featuring above average raw spin. The slider is his go-to bat missing pitch, setting up the breaking ball with fastballs in the upper quadrants. Still developing changeup lands in the zone at an average rate, generating a high rate of whiffs. True three-pitch mix. Commands the entire arsenal at an above-average rate, hitting the zone nearly 70 percent of the time across the board. Competitive mindset on the mound, known for going deep into games prior to his elbow injury.
WEAKNESSES Only slightly above-average velocity for a right-handed starter, struggles to miss bats with his fastball despite shape due to generic release traits. Meaning it’s easier to pick up the ball out of Hoglund’s hand, this has a tendency to play down fastballs, particularly those with plus analytical traits. Obvious injury concern and worry that his elite feel for spin will return.
SUMMARY One of the top arms in the 2021 draft, Hoglund was trending toward the top 5-10 in the draft before going down. Had he remained healthy, there’s an outside shot that a strong late-season performance could have pushed him to the top pick. Few arms in the minors have his feel for spin coupled with above-average command. His unique combination of pitchability and stuff gives him true mid rotation projection with an ace ceiling. The strength of his pitch mix and ability to command his stuff give him a higher floor than most.
EVALUATOR Geoff Pontes
4. Jordan Groshans, SS - 55 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AA
Pre-Season Rank: 4 Pre-Season OFP: 55
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 50 | Moderate |
PHYSICAL Large and lean muscular frame, the prototypical shortstop body. High-waisted, room to add some upper body strength. Swing starts with high hands and there's little wasted motion with them. Hands are quick to the ball with a whippy barrel.
STRENGTHS As a 21-year-old in Double-A, Groshans quickly demonstrated an ability to recognize pitches, and while his fastball contact lagged behind breaking and offspeed stuff, he did start to consistently drive fastballs in the zone later on in the year. Contact and chase rates were above average for the level, and growth should be expected as he starts to face younger pitching moving forward. Defensively, his range to both his left and right was consistently strong, the actions/footwork were clean, and his arm and athleticism allows him to have playmaking ability anywhere he fields the ball.
WEAKNESSES For a big framed shortstop, the power is somewhat underwhelming even once you adjust for competition. Groshans does have a good approach and elevates the ball, but his raw power is no more than fringe average at present. He does have some mishit power to his pullside, and there is projection left that should allow the power to progress closer to average in game. But the plus power that some evaluators may have expected him to grow into from his prep days isn’t coming any time soon.
SUMMARY While Groshans isn’t a big power bat, an advanced approach and growth in hitting fastballs have given him a strong offensive floor that should start in any lineup. Combined with strong defense at shortstop, Groshans profiles as a consistently above average producer on both sides of the ball that could make an All-Star game or two during his team control years.
EVALUATOR Will Hoefer
5. Ricky Tiedemann, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: JUCO
2021 MLB Draft Rank: 91
| Fastball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 50 | High |
| 92-94 mph | 82-84 mph | 84-86 mph |
PHYSICAL Tall, gangly lefty with a solid frame, big shoulders. Very good athlete, frame has room to add weight. Young for his class, still only 19 despite spending a year at a JUCO.
STRENGTHS Unique arm slot. Reportedly touched 98 in instructs. Velocity started to tick up after Jays drafted him in the third round. Sat 88-93 in college, but sits a few ticks higher now at 93-94 as he’s added mass. Changeup has good shape, will throw it against righties and lefties. Slider is a high spin pitch with above-average velocity. His change is a plus pitch and his hard slider has a chance to get there as well. Really fast arm.
WEAKNESSES Difficulties repeating due to arm slot which leads to bouts of poor control/command. Fastball/changeup-led arsenal doesn’t profile well in relief, continued development of his slider or another breaking ball is important for him to make an impact at the big league level.
SUMMARY Bonus pool demands priced him out of the abbreviated 2020 draft. Once they canceled the season he again moved to Golden West College and then was drafted. Tiedemann is a high-upside arm with the stuff to start. Finding a more consistent arm path is the key for him to throw strikes and stick as a starter.
EVALUATOR Matt Thompson
6. Kevin Smith, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 25 Highest Level: MLB
Pre-Season Rank: 22 Pre-Season OFP: 40
7. CJ Van Eyk, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: A+
Pre-Season Rank: 9 Pre-Season OFP: 50
8. Leo Jimenez, 2B - 45 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 15 Pre-Season OFP: 40
9. Miguel Hiraldo, 2B - 45 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A
Pre-Season Rank: 8 Pre-Season OFP: 50
10. Manuel Beltre, SS - 45 OFP
Age: 18 Highest Level: DSL
Pre-Season Rank: 27 Pre-Season OFP: 40