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  "description": "Intro\n\nBowman is back! This year's May release is a fairly standard one, of equal quality to past year at the time of release. Has 2025 overperformed? Yep. Has 2024 underperformed? Yep. But they both follow the same basic template: the rest of the top 2025 draftees, plus the best of the rest that played pro ball in 2025. They've done a great job with that this year save a few exceptions (Jace LaViolette, etc). In this release we have, fairly undisputedly, the top available hitter, the top availa",
  "path": "/2026-bowman-preview/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-11T11:00:48.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.prospectslive.com",
  "tags": [
    "2026 Bowman TLDR",
    "Carlos Virahonda",
    "Enyervert Perez",
    "Wei-En Lin",
    "Breyson Guedez",
    "Gage Jump",
    "Edgar Montero",
    "Braden Nett",
    "Eric Hartman",
    "Owen Carey",
    "Trey Gibson",
    "Esteban Mejia",
    "Victor Figueroa",
    "Wehiwa Aloy",
    "Andrew Tess",
    "Justin Gonzales",
    "Hector Ramos",
    "Nelly Taylor",
    "Enddy Azocar",
    "Kade Snell",
    "Colby Shelton",
    "Mathias LaCombe",
    "Adrian Gil",
    "Pablo Nunez",
    "Dauri Fernandez",
    "Riley Nelson",
    "Gabriel Rodriguez",
    "Ethan Holliday",
    "Roldy Brito",
    "Wilder Dalis",
    "Matt Klein",
    "Jude Warwick",
    "Nick Monistere",
    "Alimber Santa",
    "Jase Mitchell",
    "Kendry Chourio",
    "David Shields",
    "Yojancel Cabrera",
    "Isaiah Jackson",
    "Brendan Tunink",
    "Francisco Espinoza",
    "Patrick Copen",
    "Aiva Arquette",
    "Luis Arana",
    "Luis Cova",
    "Chris Arroyo",
    "Andrew Fischer",
    "Daniel Dickinson",
    "Ethan Dorchies",
    "Pedro Ibarguen",
    "Brailyn Antunez",
    "Handelfry Encarnacion",
    "Dasan Hill",
    "Marek Houston",
    "Anthony Frobose",
    "Dillon Lewis",
    "T.J. Rumfield",
    "Juan Torres",
    "Henry Lalane",
    "Matthew Ferrara",
    "Keaton Anthony",
    "Moisés Chace",
    "Anderson Araujo",
    "Kehden Hettiger",
    "Edward Florentino",
    "Wyatt Sanford",
    "Brent Iredale",
    "Jared Jones",
    "Miguel Mendez",
    "Truitt Madonna",
    "Jorge Quintana",
    "Parks Harber",
    "Jean Carlos Sio",
    "Carlos Gutierrez",
    "Angel Guzman",
    "Keyner Martinez",
    "Argenis Cayama",
    "Ricardo Cova",
    "Deniel Ortiz",
    "Kenly Hunter",
    "Daniel Pierce",
    "Jose Urbina",
    "James Quinn-Irons",
    "Caden Scarborough",
    "David Davalillo",
    "Seong-Jun Kim",
    "Jack Wheeler",
    "Juan Sanchez",
    "Seojun Moon",
    "Blaine Bullard",
    "Gage Stanifer",
    "Edward Duran",
    "Victor Arias",
    "Coy James",
    "Marconi German",
    "Daniel Hernandez",
    "Sam Petersen",
    "Sean Paul Liñan"
  ],
  "textContent": "## Intro\n\nBowman is back! This year's May release is a fairly standard one, of equal quality to past year at the time of release. Has 2025 overperformed? Yep. Has 2024 underperformed? Yep. But they both follow the same basic template: the rest of the top 2025 draftees, plus the best of the rest that played pro ball in 2025. They've done a great job with that this year save a few exceptions (Jace LaViolette, etc). In this release we have, fairly undisputedly, the top available hitter, the top available pitcher, and the top remaining draftee from last year. But they've backed that up with solid depth throughout the checklist on both sides of the ball – it's great to see them with such strong pitchers.\n\nCheck out the 2026 Bowman TLDR article for your quick reference needs.\n\n## Tier Ranks\n\n**Tier 1** - Cream of the crop. Combination of high-end Hit and Power tools that won’t end up as full-time designated hitters. Power/Speed combo players. Elite SP 1 pitchers (very rare). Potential for being perennial All-Stars and award winners.\n\n**Tier 2** - Bats that may lack in a certain area such as top-end power, three true outcomes players, great real life/fantasy players, but not hobby-elite, or tantalizing raw talents. High-end SP 2 pitchers with additional positive factors such as team, arsenal, pedigree, etc.\n\n**Tier 3** - May have some hobby interest due to a single factor such as prospect pedigree, team interest, general hobby hype, an interesting carrying tool, etc.\n\n**Tier None** - The likelihood of widespread short-term hobby interest, and most likely long-term as well, is close to none. Plenty of pitchers, catchers, role players, hit-tool-only bats, Quad-A power bats, defense-first players, etc. to be found here. Hobby lottery tickets where the odds are stacked against you.\n\n*Catchers and Pitchers are often knocked down a tier just due to their position.\n\n## Player Visualization\n\nWe've assigned **Safety,** **Ceiling,** and **\"It\" Factor** to each player to provide a quick glimpse into each player, which is illustrated by way of a bar graph for every player. You want to see a picture of a perfect prospect? That doesn't exist. But here's what \"as good as it gets\" looks like, considering Ceiling is what we care least about of the three factors:\n\nSafety, shown in lavender, is merely the direct inverse of our Risk score. We've made it a neutral color, as it just provides a baseline, rather than something that's a strong factor in considering whether to collect a player. It's is a general measure of how far a player has advanced toward making an impact in the majors. So anyone at the Complex level, by rule, is almost always a 0-2 safety. On the flip side, a player at the AAA level is most likely a 7-10 level of safety.\n\nCeiling, shown in green, is just how significant the player has the potential of being for the hobby. I’ll provide the definition of a 5, and you, the reader, can interpret everything from that: a maximum realistic projection of an MLB regular with 10-15 HR power, .260 average, and one other element of interest (team context, excellent speed, etc).\n\n\"It\" Factor, shown in red, covers everything else. It's aspects of a player that we've previously been massaging into risk and ceiling, such as team context, pedigree, a loud tool we love and believe in, or just being exciting to watch. So for instance, Rockies pitchers get bumped down here, and all Yankees prospects get bumped up.\n\n**Altogether, this forms the hobby context of what we think of a player. The bigger the bar, the better the player through the hobby lens.**\n\n## Arizona Diamondbacks\n\n**Tier None**\n\nCarlos Virahonda (C, 20)\nVirahonda is a Dominican who signed back in January 2023 for $200k. He spent two years in the DSL and never really had much offensive impact, but his defense bumped up significantly in his second year – he threw out an eye-popping 46.8% of would-be base-stealers. That’s especially impressive when you consider the poor control most pitchers have in that league. His receiving and blocking skills are also excellent – he squarely has an above average or better defensive projection. What’s more is that he also broke out with his bat last year in the Complex. A key contribution to this was flipping the script on his aggressiveness. No longer does he swing at over half the pitches he sees – although there is still work to be done on pitch selection. Because he has a swing that gets the ball in the air a lot, he’s taking advantage of some bad defense and bloop liners. There is some pull side juice if he catches something like a hanging breaking ball, but it’s not a strong power profile. The other thing that helped him get to where he is now in Low-A was changing his swing a bit so there’s a lower launch angle. It’s more line drives than before now, while still being good about not putting the ball on the ground, which is good. There is not much chance he’ll beat out any ground balls, as he’s a true plodder. There is a long way to go with Virahonda, including his defense. You can say all the positive things in the world about what he does back there, but catching is hard – it takes both physical and mental maturity. It’s a rarity to see players at that position in the majors full time before age 23. Virahonda will not beat that, nor does he have a path to easing into playing the position via DH or 1B. Still, that defensive tool being able to carry him is quite clear, and it even lowers his risk slightly. If his hit tool continues to make gains like it did when he first came stateside, there will be the kicker of being an average hitter. That’d be something that would give him the ceiling of an everyday MLB regular. But hobby-wise? We don’t care about the defense so much, and hit-first catchers who debut at an older age are beloved by no one. His hobby status is comfortably lower than that of his standing in real life. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\nEnyervert Perez (1B, 20)\nSigned in 2023 for 250k, the Venezuelan Perez has fallen down the defensive spectrum too far to be considered much of a prospect. His offensive skillset, if we’re being kind, could have average projection in hit and power, but as he’s a 1B-only long term, it’s not enough. He has a poor body – he’s listed at 5’11” 180 lbs, but that’s at least 15 lbs light in a not-good way. Perez spent two years in the DSL, mostly because an injury limited him in 2023. Last year he had a nice offensive year at the Complex on the surface and earned a trip to Low-A to finish the year, where some cracks started to show. At the plate he starts by standing upright with his bat horizontally on his shoulder then brings his hands and bat down to more of a 45 degree angle with a significant wrap around his head, then uses a big leg kick. It’s pretty clear that he’s trying to lift the ball high into the air and let all the bat speed he winds into do the rest. The problem is that it’s all wrong. His swing is long, leading to a fair amount of whiff. He doesn’t have much of an idea where his barrel is going, leading way to many mishit grounders and weak fly balls. And pulling the ball where all his power lies? Well, he’s been generally unsuccessful thus far at that too. The statline makes it look like an all-field approach, but it’s really more of an ability to make contact when he’s fooled. There’s value in that, but it’s not ideal that I’m talking about that as a positive part of his profile. Overall his contact rate is not good – it’s been sub-70% at every stop. We could have really stopped there when considering the bottom line of his hobby prospects. He is not showing enough power – even raw power – to make that passible. At this point you’ve probably put together that he doesn’t make good swing decisions. That’s true, but I’m a little less concerned about that because he’s still young. But there’s no sign that he’ll be able to improve in that area. He’s base-only, and comfortably on the very bottom echelon of prospects in this set. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 2 (Base Only)\n\n## Athletics\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nWei-En Lin (LHP, 20)\nA seven figure 2024 IFA, Lin (way-ahn lean) signed in June of that year out of Taiwan. But that’s well in his past, as he’s already shot up to AA less than two years later. There were clear workload issues in the second half of last year, but man is there a lot of potential here if he can level up his physicality. That should eventually happen, as he’s a good athlete with plenty of room remaining to grow into on his 6’2” frame. Lin only started half his outings and after May he never eclipsed 60 pitches in any outing. The good thing is that he was healthy for most of that time, and he’s back to starting this year at AA, and is working in the 65-75 pitch range. He already has the command of a pitchability lefty – it’s really impressive that command is his best trait right now considering his relative age and experience. There is a full four pitch mix, and all of them have average or better projection. But there’s plenty more potential than that in the tank – he is only 20 after all. His vulcan changeup is a newer pitch with great late downward movement – it generates loads of whiff and is likely only going to get better as he throws it more. His curve is a long, loopy offering with exceptional movement that he locates with ease. His final offspeed pitch is a slider that compliments the curve perfectly as it’s faster and sharper. His fastball is really the worst of the mix – at his best he runs it into the mid-90’s (it was lower later in 2025), but it also plays up because of that great control. That pitch is also respected because he really tunnels well with his change, slider, and curve. So, his success is not really critical to his fastball becoming his best pitch, but man, if it does there’s the potential to be an ace. That’s why he’s a great speculative hobby prospect. Lots of development time to remain relevant, lots of rungs to fall down and still make it to the majors in some capacity. But it absolutely will not happen this year – there’s still a lot to prove. If he is at any level of affordability, he’ll be one of my main chases. And with his being more of a supersized version of a sum-of-the-parts prospect than a blow-you-away type, that very well may happen. (Although, the international market may hurt me there.) Don’t sleep on him. Not only should he be a Top 100 prospect by the end of the year, but he could be a monster. I’m making the aggressive push to Tier 2. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nBreyson Guedez (OF, 18)\nOK, so, whether you saw him do it or not, Guedez did hit a 450 ft HR off of Michael King this spring. Any HR of that distance is something to take note of, especially for a guy who’s 18 until the end of September. But a power hitter is not who he is. What one might think him to be based on what he did last year is a contact savant. The A's had some believe in that, as he skipped the Complex League in favor of a Low-A assignment. Signed for $1.5 MM in January 2025 from the Dominican, Guedez was in the Top 10 in the DSL in both batting average and hits, while posting a K% under 10. It’s early in his development to be sure, but he showed that he has not just a knack for making contact, but also finding holes in the defense (.385 BABIP) and driving the ball with some authority (.120 ISO, which is just fine for his age). Now, he does swing at most everything. It’s harder to mold a player like this into one with a true plus hit tool, than it is one who’s too passive at the same age. His propensity to swing resulted in some ugly K numbers in the early going in Low-A Stockton. But last year he did run a contact% over 80 (truly elite for the level) , with that high BABIP, so it’s also possible he just felt like he could do whatever he wanted with any pitch. Obviously, that mentality now needs to change. His BB% has ticked up marginally to around 8% in the opening weeks this year. Which means, he might be showing some maturity at the plate. He deserves a little more of an adjustment period to say anything concrete, except what we already knew – it's not a complete hit tool right now. Unexpected power is already happening. It’s not just the HR he hit in the Spring game – reports were widespread that a 40 future grade was looking quite a bit light based on what folks were seeing in camp. How far his power gets will be the entire key to his hobby ceiling. How his hit tool develops will be the entire key to his potential to make it to the majors, because there’s not a lot of speed or defense projection. Guedez is already quite thick in his middle, and not fleet of foot by any means. He split time between DH and LF last year, and those are his only ideal long-term options, as he is just 5’11”. I’m a buyer though. I believe in the ascent of his power potential – I’m just not willing to bank on it elevating his ceiling…yet. It’s too early to project anything specific, but since he’s being challenged at Low-A, we should get a better idea soon. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nGage Jump (P, 23)\nSo, after you read everything I wrote about Wei-En Lin, you may be wondering why I have Jump a Tier lower. I mean, he already has all the traits we hope Lin will have in a year or two. There’s really two reasons. First, Jump is already 23. It’s not like he’s developed slowly though. He was drafted in 2024 and shot through High-A and AA with great success, even if we can’t call what he did totally dominant. The second reason he’s a touch lower is that he doesn’t have the International market behind him – it’s strictly a Hobby reason. Still, the LSU market has some juice to it, as does being a 2nd Round pick. He’s clearly ascended from even that station – it looks like a great get for the Athletics, and he’s a Top 100 prospect everywhere. Jump doesn’t have the same command of his entire arsenal as Lin, but he doesn’t need to. He has great command of his electric fastball – a pitch with great ride that he locates up in the zone extremely well to induce whiff. Similar to Lin, Jump employs a vulcan changeup, but it’s further down in his repertoire and serves as more of a change of pace. He has two sliders – one is a cutterish mid-80’s offering that he uses early in counts for strikes, and the other is a sweeper that’s still being developed, but has much more swing-and miss potential. His curve rounds out his arsenal – it’s a nasty downward breaker that plays well off his sliders. Jump has one truly negative aspect, but it’s really just anecdotal. He only stands the mound at 6’0”, and there is a good deal of violence in his delivery – players of that type tend to end up as relievers. But I think he’ll buck that trend, and his smaller stature helps with his deception as it’s a quick motion and a lower approach angle. He’s also never really proven a huge workload, although his 112 innings last year is a great step forward. He was promoted to AAA to begin this year, and I can see the A’s giving him some run later this summer. So if you’re looking for proximity, he has it. I think he’s solidly a Top 20 player in the product, and near the top of Tier 3._- Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 4, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nEdgar Montero (SS, 19)\nMontero was a seven figure signing back in 2024 for $1.2 MM. He’s always been a physical beast with loads of power potential and also somehow a chance to stick at SS. He’s listed at 6’2” 190 lbs, which might be a few pounds light. However, he underperformed in 2024 in the DSL, leading to a repeat of the level. He was much, much better last year, but there’s still plenty of reason for caution. Although he had an OBP near .500 and slugged .580, his contact rate was still a touch below average. What he clearly improved on was quality of contact and swing decisions. He cut his SwStr% by a whopping 13% – more a statement about how undisciplined he was in that area in 2024. There’s really nothing special about the way he looks at the plate. He’s a physically mature dude (not maxed out, but not wiry either) who uses an open stance, then uses a simple closure to set up, while keeping his hands perfectly still. Plenty of major leaguers look just like him in their setup. What he doesn’t have yet is their knack for swinging at all the right pitches. He lets himself get deep in counts for really no reason, and as I mentioned, he doesn’t have the contact-ability to escape as much as he could. There was plenty of success in 2025, but unless his approach matures, savvy pitchers will carve him up as he progresses, knowing that they can get him to whiff by attacking with the right pitches in the zone. That maturation can definitely happen. As I’ve said many times – it’s easier to coach aggression into hitters than it is to coach it out. Montero did show improving signs that he’s going to be a pull-side elevator. With all that strength, we could be at the outset of a power ceiling of significance. But he’s not really a sure thing in any aspect of his game. While he has played almost exclusively SS, I think it’s more likely that as he continues to fill out he moves to 3B. That should be fine considering his offensive potential. Just keep in mind that he will play the Complex League at age 19 – not old for the level, but not young either, and his physical maturity might skew things deceptively to the positive in the bottom line. I think the hobby reception should be decent, but I wouldn’t be too aggressive. He’s not yet the player he needs to be at maturity, and there’s still a wide range of outcomes. But sure, it’s easy to see an above average ceiling. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nBraden Nett (RHP, 23)\nThe only truly negative things with Nett are that he’s currently down with a shoulder injury, and that he’s a base-only subject. Other than that, sure, he’s not quite a Tier 3 name, but he’s a UDFA success story who has the upside of a mid-rotation starter. His stuff is excellent, and he continues to perform in the upper levels of the minors. He has two primary weapons – a fastball that he works with in the upper 90’s, and a curve with some fantastic downward break that he throws in the upper 70’s. With such a disparate velocity difference, there needs to be a pitch in-between, right? Well, he has not one, but four. He has a cutter that he throws in the low 90’s that he works as a back-door offering, a slider that’s a sweepy, but faster modulation of his curve with more lateral break, another slider that’s a slower variation on his cutter, and a largely undeveloped splitter. You really can’t sit on anything when you’re facing him because he has such skill in mixing speed. But he doesn’t really have great command. He’s had a double digit BB% every year in the minors, and when he hangs his breaking stuff, it gets hit pretty hard. His SLG allowed has ticked up near .400 in recent stops, and as a prospect that’s not a great sign of a guy who will be able limit damage with regularity. Still, he has an easy, fluid delivery and last year passed 100 innings for the first time. Current injury aside, he likely has the floor of a frustrating back-end innings eater with a K% on the high side. There is the dream of something more, but I’d rather see him prove it with command gains before I project it. With Tier Three upside, proximity, and a great underdog story to root for, I can see him garnering some modest hobby interest. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 3, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\n## Atlanta Braves\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nEric Hartman (OF, 19)\nHartman was a Canadian prep taken with the Braves’ final pick in the 2024 Draft, and they saved enough to pay him a $340k bonus to have him forgo a Michigan commitment. He had one well established tool that has quickly had him ascending to High-A as a teen – speed. It’s a double plus tool that had him stealing 48 bases in 54 attempts last year, as well as just being a menace on the bases in general. It also leaves him with an ability to play CF despite being a bit raw on his route-running and having a below-average arm. The projection of his hit tool is slightly more concerning, but nothing has shown up as a red flag just yet. It’s more like, he’s not the type of hitter you’d expect for a player of his speed. He’s a dead pull hitter who’s trying to hit liners with every swing. There’s no “up-the-middle”, or “flip it the other way and beat out a grounder” mentality here, and he’s not particularly passive in earning his walks either. Sometimes he can look a bit foolish chasing outside the zone with that narrow approach. But all that can change as he matures into the player he needs to be moving forward. He has really good bat speed. But before this year, even though he posted those 110+ MPH EV’s, there wasn't enough backspin and they often ended up as doubles or lineouts. His swing plane was on the flat side. This year, his hands are noticeably lower, and oh man is he ever elevating the ball more. Through early May it’s been a 20% drop in ground balls. On April 21, he went out and hit 3 HR in a game. They were all essentially elevated line drives. Could this be some burgeoning true power? Not quite sure yet. But hey, with the kind of speed he has, it might not matter. I’ll point to his hit tool development as the key to whether he ends up as a bench bat, a speed-centric big league regular, or something even better. Even as a teenager, I think he already has that floor. If he becomes an all-fields hitter who makes all the smart swing decisions and gets on base at a healthy clip, we’re truly looking at a top-of-the-order threat. Braves fans are a pretty smart bunch and have certainly identified the dynamism in Hartman’s game. That should make him quite desirable at release – with his early season results being so loud, he’s very close to a Tier Two name. It’s only the small sample of truly great results that has me with his ceiling lower than you may expect. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nOwen Carey (OF, 19)\nEric Hartman isn’t the only late round 2024 prep for the Braves in this product who’s already in High-A. Carey was a 15th Round pick signed for just $150k – a pure dart throw. He’s from a high school in New Hampshire, so it wasn’t necessarily expected that he would come in right away in 2025 and perform at a high level. But he really did. It was a full 117 game season in Low-A for Carey, where he had 15 more hits than anyone else in the Carolina League. In fact, when you expand that to all 18 year olds, only Jesus Made had more hits than Carey. Now, it’s not like he was a phenom. He only hit .258 with a .330 OBP. But there’s a lot of hitterish traits here including a willingness to drive the ball the other way if need be. He does hunt for power to the pull side, but his swing is a quick stroke meant for line drive contact, so most often that ends in doubles, not HR for now. In the future I think there is a dream of him getting to 15-20 HR if the combination of physical and mental maturity hits just right. There’s also some issues elevating right now and that’s what most led to his lower average last year (considering that he does hit the ball hard to all fields), but his GB% isn’t egregiously high. Lots of time to develop the skill of elevating a bit more. He’s continued to run a contact% near 80 in the early going this year in Rome, a great sign that his game as it now will continue to play as he develops. There’s no fear of him ending up as a singles-only hitter – he’s clearly trying to drive the ball, and he’ll only get better at that with maturity. There’s really not much fear at all based on what he’s been doing. I don’t even mind that he tends not to work counts deep right now – he’s a smart hitter who understands the zone and knows if he executes his swings properly, he’ll get on base. His risk lies only in not being to level up that game plan against more advanced pitching. But that concern is for another day. Carey lacks the same game-breaking speed that Eric Hartman has, and doesn’t attempt a lot of SB, but he has good speed that he uses to take the extra base or go first to third with ease. He also has a better arm that’s a great fit for either corner. When we throw all this together there may not be a single plus tool, but there also may not be a single tool below fringe-average – that’s a sum-of-the-parts above average big leaguer, friends. With his hit tool being closer to an above average potential, and with this being easy to see already, Braves fans have a very solid pair of prospects in this set to speculate on. Hartman plays the game more loudly for sure – that’s important for the hobby – but I think their long-term Venn diagram has quite a bit of overlap. Before this year I would have said Carey is likelier than to ascend quickly since he’s a bit more polished, but loud is loud and Hartman wins that discussion easily right now. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n## Baltimore Orioles\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nTrey Gibson (RHP, 23)\nComing soon to a Pitching Ninja highlight near you – Gibson’s death ball. Sure, there are other names for it, gyro slider being the most common, but it’s a unique pitch to watch specifically from Gibson, because he throws it with more velocity than most, in the high 80’s. It comes out of his hand looking like a cutter, but then changes trajectory and breaks straight down. His death ball specifically features some movement inconsistencies like a knuckleball, for better or worse. That pitch gets an 80 on the uniqueness scale for me. The brass tacks of his profile are impressive too. He stands on the mound at 6’5” 240 lbs, and he uses his frame to get great extension and create additional deception. He was an UDFA in 2023 from Liberty (as he was suspended for his Junior season, likely for violating one of their many eye-rolling school rules), but he’s proven himself well beyond that now. In fact, he was called up to the majors for a spot start in early May and remains in the mix to continue doing that spot-starting as the summer rolls on. Beyond the death ball, the rest of his mix is almost as interesting. Most worthy of mention, he throws a high-80’s cutter that aids in how much hitters need to respect the death ball, because it looks exactly the same coming out of his hand. He also throws a sinker that he uses to run in on righties, and a four seam with velocity that’s gotten up to 97. That’s not quite an elite number, but when you consider what else hitters have to do to combat him, it’ll work even in the majors. He doesn’t have issues with command, but control is a small issue that leads him to being hit around on occasion. That is to say, if he’s not hitting his spots, he can get a little bit hittable, and it’s been a rough go altogether in total with his first 10 AAA appearances. Being an up-and-down backend SP, which will likely be his role this year, is definitely in his realm of long-term outcomes. But so is a high-K mid-rotation starter, and that’s something the hobby is interested in ten times out of ten, if we’re looking through a lower-end collecting lens. The floor gets him into Tier Three, with some further upside for relevance with such a fun mix. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 2, Ceiling: 5 (Auto Only)\n\nEsteban Mejia (P, 19)\nYou’d be hard pressed to get him confused with the Rangers prospect of the same name who was in 2025 Bowman, but they are both in the Carolina league this year so we get the potential for an Esteban Mejia vs Esteban Mejia matchup, which is fun. I would easily place my bet in that matchup on the pitcher, as he is a far more legitimate prospect who has the ability to eat lower-tier prospects like the other Mejia for lunch. He has a long, low three quarters slingshot of a delivery, and coming from his 6’3” frame it can be really tough to see coming from the right-hand batter’s box. But this is no finesse pitcher. He throws straight gas, all the time. His fastball averaged over 98 MPH last year. His slider is also well into the 90’s, and features a nice downward gyro-type break that is tough to hit based on both its velocity and movement. Even his change up sits in the low-90’s although that’s clearly his third offering, and it may behoove him to try to get it a little slower. His command is also not good right now, but that’s to be expected for a player that's as explosive as he is. This is exactly the type of pitcher the hobby loves to speculate on. I’m here for it. The law of organic growth says that his fastball may soon average over 100 MPH – that’d put him in elite company alone, but with his slider also already established, he could be a Top 100 prospect by the end of the season despite the fact that he’s only in the low minors and will be for the entire year. There’s clearly a ton of risk, but with reward in equal measure he’s sure to be a good chase in this product. He’s a solid Tier Three for now, with obvious potential to move up. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\nVictor Figueroa (1B, 22)\nWill the real Victor Figueroa please stand up? Long term, will we have the player who hit 0 HR with 10 XBH in 200 PA from July 1 forward last year? Or the player who hit 12 HR with 30 XBH at the outset of the season? The rest of his profile, too, is a tale of two seasons. This isn’t a matter of a player struggling with a new organization after a trade. He was already struggling when he was acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline last year. Figueroa was an 18th Round Juco sign, and quickly showed he didn’t belong in the Complex league (he hit .605 in 44 PA) and was moved up to Low-A where he initially continued his assault. His trade to the Orioles brought a promotion to High-A, which was a real struggle, as I mentioned. The good thing is that he's started 2026 off with a bang, socking 3 HR in his first 5 games – all of which were to the opposite field. That’s something he loves doing. At 6’5” 240 lbs, Figueroa is a large man who looks like he’s swinging a wiffle ball bat. There is a bit of a hitch in his hands and a rotational weight shift in his setup though, and that adds to his whiff and quality of contact to the pull side. He does have a strong approach though – even when he was struggling last year he posted a BB% north of 15%, a sign that he’s quite keen on which pitches to swing at. I’d love to see him get some barrels to the pull side in the near future so I can get a better idea on whether he has a chance to be some version of a complete hitter. Right now, he’s still a bit of a tough evaluation even though he continued his great performance for a full month this year. There’s a lot of raw power for sure. And there’s slight safety in his approach. But I don’t know if it will all come together to form a player who’s worthy of being a MLB-quality 1B or DH. There’s a high benchmark to clear for this type of player, and there's a risk that he doesn’t clear it. He’s definitely interesting hobby-wise, but I wouldn’t be a buyer until he puts up numbers for a full year. And yes, I realize that’ll be too late for me personally to be a buyer. I’m OK missing out on limited profiles like his. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nWehiwa Aloy (SS, 22)\nAloy took home the 2025 Golden Spikes Award after a fantastic Junior campaign at Arkansas, where he posted a 1.107 OPS thanks in part to blasting 21 homers while playing short in all 65 games. So, after that introduction, I'm sure you're wondering both why he fell to pick 31 and why he's in Tier Three (he was very, very close to Tier 2 for what it's worth). It's a bit like Tim Tebow winning the Heisman Trophy then going 25th overall- you have a prospect with clear talent and elite results to back it, but there are yellow/red flags in the profile that really make you seriously wonder how the profile will translate in the professional ranks. Tebow had a weird throwing motion – Aloy's equivalent is his hit tool. He struck out at a 20.5% rate at Arkansas last year- which really isn't too, too bad. He can punish a fastball as well as anyone, but off speed stuff gives him fits, and he chases too much. Neither the walk rate nor the K rate have been particularly weak as a pro thus far (27.6% K, 8.5% BB thus far in A+ in 2026), they pose just enough of a question that it makes sense why Aloy went where he did in the Draft. The other issue for Aloy, which I'd argue is the bigger issue for his Hobby value, is that he really doesn't have much speed- especially for a shortstop. When you're buying Bowman, you want the full toolbox- even if its at the expense of increased volatility in the profile. Many guys show some speed in the early minors but lose it as they grow into their frame or just prove to be bad at stealing bases, it happens. Aloy is coming in with a near-0 in the SB potential category, which immediately drops the ceiling for Hobby value. His value will be derived purely from power output. While there are many guys who do that, I just don't love relying on that one potential output to create value for a players cards this early on. If the power vanishes for a month, it's not like he can swipe a dozen bags to pad his box scores a bit. I don't like harping on negatives, and I really don't like leading with them in write ups, but given the fact he won the Golden Spikes and fell to 31 in the Draft made me feel like this was important context. Now for the good- which is quite good! Aloy boasts serious power for anyone, especially for a shortstop. He seemingly has what it takes to stick at short long term, even if he probably won't have a mantle full of Gold Gloves to go next to the Golden Spikes, and that's just fine. He has the raw power to push 30+ HR as a shortstop- something only 4 players have ever done more than twice. You're immediately getting into elite company if you can knock 30 while playing primarily at SS – names like Francisco Lindor and Bobby Witt Jr. In the realm of if's, he should be able to hit enough should he get pushed to third base in the future. It's a bit of an Asdrubal Cabrera-ey type profile- he should hit 20+ homers a year pretty easily, post 30+ doubles, and give you 3ish WAR with a 115-120 OPS+ in his prime. That's a really valuable ballplayer, but unless the power can turn into repeated 30 homer seasons, I don't love the Bowman potential specifically given the lack of speed or other dynamic tools. Likely a guy better in real life than for Bowman investments. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nAndrew Tess (C, 19)\nSometimes I think Topps just throws random late Round dart throws into the product to keep us folks that need to write about them on their toes. That certainly seems to be the case with Tess, as he was a 12th Round prep catcher in 2025 from Florida who took $197.5K of bonus pool surplus to sign (that’s $347.5k total, for those counting at home). He did get a promotion to Low-A after the conclusion of the Complex league last year, but it wasn’t entirely on offensive merit. He was woefully passive while also posting a poor contact rate in the Complex, although the bottom line of his stats doesn’t look bad. In watching him at the plate, there is quite a bit of inconsistency. It seems like he doesn’t trust himself – there’s sometimes a hitch when he thinks he’s getting a good pitch to hit and he can load up and sell out for power, and sometimes he cheats his hands forward to increase his odds of contact. He’s guessing quite a bit. That’s the case for many hitters, but the fact that he looks like he’s guessing is a bit concerning. He also does not elevate the ball much, and his swing is not geared for it in its natural form. So now’s the part where I talk about how he’s a positive defender, right? With scant reports, I can only say that does anecdotally seem to be the case, as he threw out 28.5% of runners – a very respectable number for a developing player. But he also split time at catcher with other players, and saw action at 1B as well. I’m not going to throw an exact ceiling on his power or hit tool right now – he’s clearly a developing player. But there’s certainly nothing loud about any part of his game at present, and he’s hurt to begin the 2026 season. He’s an obvious Tier None name, and deservedly one of the bottom 10 players in the product at this juncture. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\n## Boston Red Sox\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nJustin Gonzales (OF, 19)\nYou want polarizing? Look no further than Justin Gonzales, a 6'5\" 210 pound monster who spent his Spring getting national attention on social media for some mammoth homers with \"have to see it to believe it\" exit velocity readings. Gonzales, still just 19 for all of 2026, signed for just $250K in the 2024 IFA period, and yeah, that already looks like a ridiculous steal for the Red Sox. The funny part here is that when I said he's polarizing, you must have almost certainly assumed I'd be following it up by talking about swing and miss issues or holes in his swing because of his gargantuan profile. That is... not the issue, actually. The question with Gonzales is really how much he can tap into his ridiculous power, hit the ball in the air, and maximize the crazy talent in that big frame. The strikeouts really aren't a problem- the K rate was 15.8% in 2025, and that was playing in Single-A as an 18 year old after skipping the Complex level entirely. That's about as good as it gets for anyone, much less someone with prodigious raw power. The issue with Gonzales lies here- the exit velocity data can compete with anyone, but he hit just 4 homers in 410 PA's in 2025 (and while he's popped 3 in 83 PA's in High A as of this writing, that's still not a particularly noteworthy number). He posted a 57% ground ball rate in 2025, which is extremely bad and concerning. The speed exists, at least on the big fella scale, but being that size makes it tough to swipe bags- he went just 11/18 on steal attempts in 2025, and I can't imagine him becoming much of a base stealer in the Bigs. The arm is not a concern, and he should be able to provide serviceable enough defense in a corner outfield spot for the time being, which obviously increases his value over the alternative of being stuck at first base early in his career. So, while I love that the red flag issue isn't strikeouts, the ground ball rate does scare me even if it's less of a death sentence than a whiff problem. The floor is probably a less effective Yandy Diaz type hitting profile, and the ceiling, well, that could be just about anything. The Aaron Judge comp feels lazy due to size and how high of a bar that is, but in terms of EV readings it's not crazy enough to warrant me being sent a wellness check either. The variance is crazy and that's probably something we all love about Bowman, but make no mistake- the downside on Gonzales isn't a talent issue or an effort issue, and most importantly it isn't a strikeout issue. Just optimize the swing so he stops pounding everything into the ground, and there's a future star here. One of the best votes of confidence I can give is feeling like I finished the write up holding a guy in higher standing than I did when I started typing. Gonzales checks that box, and while there is obvious risk, it's the type you feel good betting on. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nHector Ramos (SS, 18)\nRamos is a Bowman Chrome type right now- he spent 2025 in the DSL where he was good as a 17 year old, posting an OPS of .827 with 4 homers and a steal. There isn't anything particularly eye popping in the stat line, and he's just now kicking off his 2026 campaign with the FCL Sox. It's just too early to give much of a recommendation here- not to say Ramos is not worth buying into, but it's such a limited amount of data and actual stats where it turns into the total dart throw at present that we usually see more frequently in Bowman Chrome. He's a switch hitting shortstop, a nice start to any profile, who stands at 6'1\" 175 pounds- here's the mandatory \"he's got room to fill out\" line. He's seen as a guy who could stick at short, for now at least, but once again it's worth noting that we really won't have a full picture on Ramos until the end of this season at the very least. The hit tool draws solid reviews and seems to be about average for now, and the power is probably a notch below (call it 45-50 Hit FV and 40-45 Power FV). He isn't particularly fast, as evidenced by the single stolen base in the DSL last year- for a shortstop in Bowman, you'd certainly like to see some more stolen base ability. But, he's 18 for the entire FCL season and could see time in Single A to round out the campaign should things go well here, however this is just another way of me kind of punting on giving a firm opinion on Ramos. It's worth noting that the Red Sox have one of the biggest collector bases, so I'd say if you pull any base autos of Ramos you should likely sell it quickly when the product is still fresh. True color likely worth holding/grading given the long timeline ahead and the fact you probably wouldn't be cashing out big time by selling now- it's worth a hold and grade and see what you have in 12 months. There's a variety of outcomes, and I did think about placing him in Tier 3, I just couldn't based on the number of guys ahead of him who have a more established track record, even if their ceiling is lower. Wait and see, but don't fire sale the guy (besides base autos) unless you're itching for some quick cash- could be something, could be nothing, but in my opinion it's worth being a bit patient here. Come back in a year. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nNelly Taylor (OF, 23)\nA 2023 11th rounder out of Polk State Junior College in Florida, Taylor is 23 years old and currently manning center field for the AA Sea Dogs. I don't want recency bias to entirely cloud the write up, but I'd be burying the lead if I didn't note that he's hitting .091 with a .304 OPS through 55 at bats to kick off the campaign as of this writing. The 6 foot tall left throwing, left hitting outfielder profiles nicely defensively with a good arm and solid center field range, and he has a good run tool with 29 swipes in High A in 2025 (although he wasn't super efficient there, as he went 29 for 41 on attempts). The rest of his 2025 campaign in A+ Greenville was pretty pedestrian- he posted a perfectly average .704 OPS across 108 contests, with 7 homers and 24 doubles to boost up a sub-par .216 batting average. He struck out 133 times, good for a 28.1% K rate, but it's worth noting that he did also walk 17.1% of the time. As I said to kick off this write up, I don't want an awful start to the 2026 campaign to totally turn people off of buying Taylor, but the K rate is pushing 40% in the early going and he hasn't hit a homer yet in 62 PA's. The speed and ability to play an above average center field do raise the floor on Taylor, giving him a much better shot to crack the Majors in some capacity, but there really isn't much with the bat to project any real success at the MLB level as a hitter. He's already 23, too, so the hobby appeal just really isn't there outside of being in the Red Sox org, which gives him a rabid fanbase and lots of eyeballs in Bowman. I can't recommend putting any money into Taylor that you aren't fine losing, and as of now he just seems like filler in the checklist. Look elsewhere for value, and if you want to spend on Sox, aim for the cheapest Justin Gonzales stuff you can get your hands on instead of Taylor autos. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 3 (Both)\n\nEnddy Azocar (OF, 19)\nAzocar was just a $40k bonus signer in the 2024 IFA period. The bottom line in his DSL year perhaps bade a repeat, but he showed an excellent ability to pick up spin, which led to a high BB% despite a highly aggressive approach. So, the Red Sox brought him stateside last year where he quickly took to the coaching and started taking more pitches. The results after that improvement yielded a quick promotion to Low-A in late May. So, things were trending very positively for a short period there. But once he got to Low-A, everything started slipping to average or worse. The toned-down aggression stuck, but he didn't make the adjustment to better-placed spin, and also couldn’t really get around well on velocity to drive many balls. But this is a guy who’s listed at 6’2” 168 lbs – his frame is definitely not small. So, when he came in this year looking more like 180 lbs, there was hope that perhaps the ability to catch up to velocity and adjust his swing to breaking pitches would improve. There’s not a definite answer yet – there’s just that hope. Most of the damage he does is still on breaking balls. When he has to hit velocity there’s a lot of weak fly balls, or feebly punched balls to the opposite field. His setup is quite simple, and devoid of significant effort – contact over power seems to be his goal, and it remains to be seen if he can adapt it to stay within himself while using his lower half better. He’s an average runner at present, and should remain so as he progresses. He’s played some CF, but it feels like long-term, he’s a better fit for a corner. There’s really nothing loud about his profile whatsoever right now. We can hope that he gains another 10-15 lbs to have his power get to above average. But how that affects his hit remains to be seen, and that aspect of his game is more fringy. He’s higher risk-tier none, but there’s still a remote chance he becomes an MLB regular. I don’t think the Red Sox market is much of a factor in his case. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\n## Chicago Cubs\n\n**Tier None**\n\nKade Snell (OF, 23)\nAh yes, a grad student draftee. Your typical path to hobby success (sarcasm folks). Snell turns 24 in July (so he’s young for his year at least?), and his journey to pro ball has been a long one. He was a redshirt at Auburn, then went to JuCo for two years where he won player of the year in 2023, then to Alabama as a two-way player in 2024 before settling into LF for the Tide last year. As you might expect, for a player of this ilk to be drafted likely means he’s taking an underslot deal, which was the case when the Cubs nabbed him in the 5th Round last year and signed him for $200k. He’s really only a fit for LF in the pros because of a below average arm and fringe-average speed – so why was he targeted by the Cubs? Makeup and maturity, friends – it’s a high baseball IQ, as they say. They need this type of player to help keep the kids in line. His degree is in human environmental sciences. Whether that just means he’s also being groomed for a potential front office or coaching career 3-5 years down the line if his playing career doesn’t work out remains to be seen, but that’s something that’s firmly in the cards. He does have some offensive upside though. He’s generally a high-contact guy with a quick whippy stroke and an all-fields approach. There's some pop to the pull-side, but it’s likely just a 10-15 HR ceiling. His contact rate at present in High-A isn’t particularly high, and that’s led to more K than a player like him should have, but it’s helped him get to more meaningful impact. To me, this is him just making the necessary adjustments a player like him needs to make – whether he can level up those adjustments as he moves deeper into the season remains to be seen. He’s also quickly developed a knack for stealing bases, which is a feather in his cap that he never showed at Alabama. So like I said, some things to like – but nothing truly projectable as anything close to a loud tool. But at 23 – we don’t have to project anything. What he’s putting on the field is what he is, and as long as he makes successful evolutions in his game, we could be looking at…well, a quality MLB bench bat. There’s really nothing resembling hobby upside here. Sorry Cubs fans, I know this is your only 1st Bowman prospect in this release. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 3 (Both)\n\n## Chicago White Sox\n\n**Tier None**\n\nColby Shelton (2B, 23)\nIn 2024 Shelton smacked a very nice 20 HR for the Florida Gators. But it came with poor overall batted ball results and a K% in the mid-20’s. He was eligible for the Draft that year, but he returned for his Junior year, which was completely transformative to the type of player he is. Instead of focusing on trying to hit the ball hard, he switched to a less effortful, contact oriented approach. He no longer has much violence at all in his swing – in fact it's really reliant on his hands being able to find the barrel and strike with an ideal launch angle to find gaps in the outfield. Any power he shows now is just a result of his finding a pitch that’s exactly what he’s expecting, and it’s probably to the opposite field. The results were a 14% drop in his K and a .377 average last year, but as I said, the power loss was very noticeable – his ISO dropped by .068. But there is still potential that he can strike a balance between what he is now and what he showed in his Sophomore year. That’s what has the White Sox intrigued enough to draft him in the 6th round last year. If this seems like a bit of a lukewarm approach to his offensive game, it is. And he is all about his offensive potential, unfortunately. He’s not a great runner, and his average arm strength is enough to fill in at 3B, but he’s really a better fit for 2B. It’s worth noting that he is already 23 years old, although he started this year in High-A so a quick promotion to AA is on the table if he somehow quickly does find that balance. I don’t think it’s all that likely to happen immediately – hitting is hard! You may see that he’s off to quite the hot start this year. Despite initially starting off looking unsustainable, he’s turned the corner to it being quite a bit more believable – discipline, a good contact rate, plenty of power mixed in – it’s all there. That aside, even if he does develop well, I think we’re looking at a 2B profile with a 20 HR potential. Not exactly the makings of a hobby hero, but it’s really so far so good. He’s still at the fringe of Tier None until he does what he’s doing at a higher level. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\nMathias LaCombe (RHP, 23)\nIt’s not often that we get a French prospect. LaCombe was born and raised in the wine country of western France - tchin tchin (cheers in French). As you can imagine, even though he went to a baseball academy there that has produced several D1 athletes, he was a bit raw when he went to an Arizona JuCo for two years, but the White Sox drafted him in 2023 and signed him to an overslot $450k in the 12th Round. He didn’t make it into any games in 2024 due to injury, but last year he threw 35 innings in the Complex before finally making it to Kannapolis, working in 3 inning spurts either starting or piggybacking. The kid gloves were definitely still on for the entire year last year as he built up a workload. Hobby-wise, and only hobby-wise, that’s not great since he’ll be 24 before the season is done, and is also dealing with a minor shoulder issue to start this year. But the great thing is, he is a legitimate prospect. He comes at you with a whippy low three-quarters delivery and a fastball that he works with in the mid-90’s that’s tough to pick up coming from his 6’2” frame. His sweeper is a great movement pitch. Coming from his low arm slot it darts across the entirety of the plate. The downside to that is that he has trouble landing it for strikes. He has similar difficulty with his splitter. Everything came together well for him in total last year, but much of it was reliant on batters chasing. The bones of a player who can induce a lot of ground ball contact with a decent amount of K are here – he just needs significant command improvements. And have multiple years of workload buildup. If everything goes well and he makes it as a SP, it’s likely to be in the season where he turns 26 or 27. That leaves him firmly off the hobby radar, but he’s still an interesting player to watch develop. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Base Only)\n\nAdrian Gil (1B, 20)\nI don’t want to spend too long on this one. Gil signed with the White Sox in the 2023 IFA period for an insubstantial amount, if anything. He did go out and have a pretty great season that year in the DSL, slashing .340/.481/.517. But that is far and away the highlight of his pro career thus far. He’s always been low on the defensive spectrum. He started as a 2B, but has since moved to primarily 1B. He’s 6’0” with a body that’s reminiscent of a catcher – and he has been tried there – with the poor speed that comes with it. You’d think that, looking as strong as he does, there's some pop, right? Nope. His setup is entirely meant for contact, but he hasn’t found a lot of success with it. He doesn’t have the quick twitch necessary to be a player like this with a short swing. There’s a lot of weak contact and a lot of whiff. His contact% last year was under 60. I’ll add that he’s also hurt to begin the year, and stop there. There is almost no chance he makes it to the majors. Anyone pulling him from this product has a right to be disappointed – I don’t think he’ll be playing affiliated ball beyond this year. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 1 (Auto Only)\n\n## Cincinnati Reds\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nPablo Nunez (OF, 19)\nNunez is Venezuelan 2024 IFA who signed for $250k. He’s listed at 5’10” and looks smaller than that, but one might say big things come in small packages with him. No, not power. But everything else? If we’re looking through the rosiest of glasses – it’s projection for four above average or better tools. His arm in CF is the standout of the bunch right now – you’ll be saying “what? from that dude?” when you see his cannon. But that’s always just an ancillary piece hobby-wise. As I said he’s a smaller guy right now. He’s listed at 145 lbs, and I don’t know if that’s at all accurate. He repeated the DSL in 2025 because of that lack of physicality, but man did he ever come around last year. He led that league in OBP with a .542 mark. Cristian Arguelles led the league in hitting and was close to that, but nobody else was. He also only put up 3.8 K% – yeah – that's 6 K in 157 PA. The contact rate was also utterly ridiculous – 93%. But let’s move off of the video game stuff. The Reds are a DSL team where it’s tough to find video, so I was left to see what he did in the Australia Baseball League this offseason, which was also very impressive. The competition there is (at least one step, probably more) up from the DSL, and he was nothing but impressive there as well. It was essentially the same stats on the bottom line, and he was named to the All-Star team. He is definitely a slappy hitter right now, but a highly successful one. He had a sub-20 XBH% in both leagues. However, in looking at his swing I do see some hope that he will end up with gap-to-gap pop – he’s 20+ lbs from physical maturity after all. That yet-to-come physicality should also help his speed. It’s average right now, but enough to play CF. He’s a leadoff-type in the old-school mold, and should be throughout his development. I think he could easily be one of the rare few to gain significant hobby interest without much power – think Luis Lara with a better arm. But, still, until those other tools start to make good on their projection against more advanced competition, he’s a Tier Three name. But man will I ever be interested in picking up some singles. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 7 (Auto Only)\n\n## Cleveland Guardians\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nDauri Fernandez (SS, 19)\nFernandez was a low six-figure signee in 2024 who performed really well in both the DSL in 2024 and Complex League last year. We’ve got to dream a little here. Fernandez is very much an undersized player, although he looks a bit taller than his listed 5’9” – he does not have a compact body type. It’s more his rail-thin frame that we have to imagine added muscle to. Weighing 155 lbs is just not something that works at higher levels, especially for a player with aspirations of playing SS. He’s a smooth fielder out there, and his arm projects to be good enough to play there or 3B – but it needs to level up more to be able to make the most difficult of throws. That’s why most people have him projected at 2B, but I’m not worried about that just yet. A switch hitter, he’s not afraid to swing with considerable ferocity, but also has the skill to manipulate the barrel and flip liners to the opposite field. But pull-side damage is his ideal intent, and he’s able to lift the ball with relative ease. But there’s no real means to that end right now unless he really catches the barrel, because there isn’t much raw power present. Considering his actions at the plate, how he develops physically is of utmost importance. In the meantime, he’s developing his approach at the plate. He ran a high contact rate at the Complex last year with an immature, hyper-aggressive approach and saw great results, but it’s clear already this year that the goal is to take more pitches and see where that takes him. Coaches want that to go well, because he is a great baserunner. It’s not pure plus speed right now, but he gets the most out of what he has and is aggressive. We don’t really know who Fernandez is going to be yet. If he doesn’t develop physically…well…he won’t make it past the high minors. His current skillset is fairly replaceable. It’s all about projectability. And look, I know it’s hard to say shorter players are projectable, but take a look at him yourself. There is a lot of room to grow into with that frame, and to stay positive in all aspects as he does so. I will admit this is a tough evaluation. There are a lot of outcomes, including a somewhat realistic one that sees him as a big league SS of some ilk. Any way you slice it, I don’t think the power ever quite gets to average, so that leaves him in a middling place considering all the risk elsewhere. There’s something I like about his willingness to adapt, so I’m bumping him to the bottom of Tier 3. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nRiley Nelson (1B, 22)\nWell, well, the Guardians spent mid-six figures and a 5th Round pick on a first baseman, not a middle infielder. Must be one of those shots they take on risky power hitters, right? Wrong. Nelson’s offensive profile is much more similar to the cadre of rotating middle infield prospects that they’ve employed through various levels throughout recent years. He’s a Canadian who came to Vanderbilt for his 3rd collegiate year via two different JuCo’s, and he spent most of the year hitting behind RJ Austin near the top of the lineup. That made a lot of sense, as Nelson has the patience at the plate to let Austin run as freely as he wanted, and his contact rate was more than strong enough to make up for any negative counts that put him in. Nelson starts with his back turned from the pitcher and his hands high, but as the pitcher comes home he lets his hands drift down into a more contact-oriented position. With that hand position and lack of a dynamic load onto his backside, it’s a setup that screams that he’s selling out for contact. But he has really good barrel control, even if he doesn’t always do the right thing as far as pulling the ball or going the other way. He’s really just trying to find gaps in the defense – really driving the ball with authority is a more opportunistic endeavor. I think his hit tool could definitely get to above average or better, even if he does somehow find pop with more regularity. But power is never going to be a big part of his game – as a 1B-only prospect without a lot of speed, that hurts his hobby status. The positive outcome here is James Loney – maybe Yandy Diaz if everything pans out perfectly. Neither of them have really had more than a modicum of interest. As he’s also now injured and only assigned to Low-A, I can’t even lower his risk much – he’s easily Tier None for now, with the lower end of Tier Three as a near-term possibility. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nGabriel Rodriguez (2B, 19)\nFor me, Rodriguez is comfortably the second of the two Guardians’ 2024 IFA infielders in this product. That’s a little bit of a flip considering he signed for more than Dauri Fernandez and they’re still in the beginning stage of their development, but we’re still looking at a lot of potential outcomes for both of these guys. Rodriguez is bigger with more strength both present and projected, but his body type is more likely one that will slow down as he matures. He’s already not much of a threat on the bases, and not likely a true SS. His swing is well-balanced – there’s a little bit of trouble elevating right now, but power isn’t really what he’s going for up there. He’s just trying to square up and hit it hard. That’s hindered a little bit by a late bat wrap in his setup, and a little more by the fact that he’s just a teenager. His approach, like many of his age, is also not strong. He looks like his contact-ability should be stronger, but there’s too much chase and whiff right now. He only played two games before going down to a finger injury this year, so there’s nothing to take away from whatever he worked on this offseason. Rodriguez is squarely a Tier None name for me at this juncture. He doesn’t have any tools I would call loud, and I really only see his hit as possibly having projection to be above average. The best case scenario, to me, is that he becomes your prototype hit-centric Guardians infielder who’s a role 45, but I’ll leave room for the possibility that he becomes an everyday utility-type. He’s just a little bit…boring. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n## Colorado Rockies\n\n**Tier 1**\n\nEthan Holliday (SS, 19)\nWriting these previews takes awhile. We work with the data we have as we write, but sometimes things change quickly when we’re dealing with young players over the course of a three week writing marathon. I’ve been keeping tabs on Holiday, waiting for something in his profile to pop on the performance end so I can point to it and say “see?!” in my writeup. The calendar has now flipped to May, and he just had his first great week as a pro. But there isn’t truly consistency to hang out hat on just yet. Sure, there’s a highlight of him banging a grand slam liner off the opposite field foul pole. Sure, there’s a highlight of him smashing a hanging breaking ball far into the right field stands like he should have. There’s even a highlight of him getting just enough elevation on a liner to get it out. But between all that, there’s been a bit of the exposition to the flaws we knew he had. He’s not dominating the level just yet. The power potential is definitely showing – but it’s only been a fraction of what we hoped for when the Rockies made him the #4 overall pick and signed him for $9M – the highest bonus in the Draft class. I bring all this up not as a negative, but as a positive – he still has a .426 SLG through 18 games. That’s easily an improvement from his 18 game debut last year. In fact, everything that matters has markedly improved. He’s just a little – a little – more raw than perhaps we anticipated. I think he very much could be the second coming of his father. Their builds are very close to each other. Before you say “but he’s not a HOFer”...stop. That’s not what I mean. What I mean is 130 HR and 3 All-Star appearances in his first 5 in the majors is a realistic upper-level ceiling. That’s a lot for a 19 year old, and plenty to keep him inside Tier One. His power ceiling is likely even higher than that though. He certainly hits the ball extremely hard (HR example # 3 above), is a disciplined swinger (HR example #2 above), and has an ability to go to all fields (HR example #1 above). It’s just the fringy contact % that stands at issue, and that can probably just be solved by organic mental growth in his game. Physically, we just need to see how he shortens up his swing to get to enough elevation to let all that power play. I think that should start to happen soon, and probably even this year. Now I’ll hit some more obvious points. Holliday is not a 1-dimensional slugger. He’s already showing that by running a BB% well into the teens, even when he was struggling in his debut last year. He’s no defensive dynamo at SS, but there’s hope he can stick there in a Seager-esque type of way. His speed is probably his worst trait, but being fringy in that area should still lead to a handful of swipes considering his entire package. Finally, the Coors effect. If there were ever a prospect to have their HR ceiling affected by it, it’s Ethan Holliday. I won’t begrudge anyone paying whatever prices if you’re a full believer in the power. He’s going to be way out of my price range, and is justifiably the cover athlete for the product. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 10 (Both)\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nRoldy Brito (OF, 19)\nBrito was a $420k IFA signer back in 2024. After muddling through a mediocre DSL season he really broke out last year, both in the Complex and continuing in Low-A after the Complex league ended. In total it was a .371/.444/.516 with 35 SB in 84 games. He is slightly undersized at just under 6 '0”, but make no mistake, he’s a terror both on the plate and on the bases. A switch hitter, he hasn’t quite tapped into much power yet from either side. But he is already a slasher with a knack for finding gaps in the defense with excellent barrel manipulation. He’s very aggressive, with quite a bit of swing-and-miss, but the contact has been frequent enough and the quality is excellent, as you’d think. He hits a lot of grounders by design. That makes sense considering his speed, which is a double-plus asset right now. But in the early going this year, he’s already showing signs of wanting to lift the ball more, which. I. Love. He hits the ball hard enough for this to make his XBH% to rise well into the 30’s, and perhaps flirt with 12-15 HR – and that’s just a projection for this year. If this is who he wants to be, he could end up as a true 5-tool talent. Before you go and say “Max said this is a 5-tool guy” – that’s just a best case scenario. He’s going to have to find a balance in his approach between power and contact-ability (which is only in the low-70’s). But hey, he’s only 19. Much, much stranger things have happened. This year he’s splitting time between CF and 2B. While his defensive home isn’t settled, this is a great athlete that should eventually be a positive force on that side of the ball. The Rockies could find a way to screw this up. But he’s their best low minors prospect not named Ethan Holliday – and I personally wouldn’t really even argue with anyone taking him over Holiday, as there’s more dynamism. He has a ton of hobby potential. If the Colorado market offers any softness in his prices, I’ll be in on him very quickly. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 9 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nWilder Dalis (SS, 19)\nDalis is a decent prospect, but if you want his autographs, they’re not here – those are likely to be in Bowman Chrome. He was just a minor signing in January 2023, so he really had to work to prove himself for two years in the DSL, then play the full Complex season last year before finally earning his promotion to Low-A for the final 31 games. He’s a bit of a tough evaluation, but there are a lot of general things we like to see. He has the ability to play pretty much anywhere on the diamond for one – that will help him climb the ladder more easily as a utility piece as long as his bat is carrying him. So will the fact that he’s a switch hitter with no big defects on either side. He also has above average speed presently, but his body is one that looks like it will slow down as he matures further. There’s really not much development in his upper half yet, but he’s had success using his legs to elevate the ball to all fields with ease. When he catches the barrel, which he often does, they can go far – just not far enough with enough with regularity yet. What’s most impressive about Dalis – and I'm not alone in saying this – is the quality of his AB’s. He is not prone to chase, works counts deep, and puts up an average or slightly above contact rate through it all. He’s currently being both BABIP’d to death and taking too many pitches – mental adjustments need to be made, and I’m sure they will be. Hobby-wise I think there’s a lot that hinges on his physical maturation. That should answer questions like... can he get a higher percentage of his fly balls to leave the yard? With such a good approach, will physicality bring an even better contact rate? I think that, through all of this speculation, there’s a common thread of his hit tool projecting well and a good batted ball profile in total. That has me bumping him up to the bottom of Tier 3. But again – no autographs. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 6 (Base Only)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nMatt Klein (C, 22)\nIf you want to believe in the injury-slowing-player growth theory, there’s something to like in Klein. I believe in it to an extent, as did the Rockies who nabbed him in the 5th Round of last year’s Draft, but there’s not a lot of hobby juice here. Klein is a Louisville product, where he was only able to play 87 games in three years. His offensive performance combined (I’m combining to make the sample more significant) for a SLG of around .500 on the nose. That’s not a great mark for college. He did make a lot of contact though, and his defense is a standout aspect of his game. So the Rockies making the pick did make some sense from a real-life perspective. He has a very simple setup at the plate. He starts with his bat resting on his shoulder, bat just below with an open stance. Then as the pitcher comes home he closes up, lifts the bat just off his shoulder at the same angle, and lets it rip. It gives you the feeling that he’s never trying to do damage at the plate, but he is strong, so there is some pull side pop. But anything resembling power to all fields? Nope. He is quite selective at the plate. When he’s seeing the ball well that helps him to both get on base at a high clip (his BB% has always been well over 10%), and find pitches he can flip into the outfield for hits. But when he’s not seeing it well, and I’ll extend that perhaps to simply against better pitching, he takes too many strikes. That’s what we’re seeing now at Low-A. Yeah man. Collegiate player struggling in Low-A. The best case scenario was always a solid MLB backup catcher with the upside for a little more – that’s generally what you hope for with 5th Round collegiate catchers. But, I think there’s already a bit of a fall from that as he’s entered pro ball.. He’s not a name to consider hobby-wise by any means. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 2 (Base Only)\n\n## Detroit Tigers\n\n**Tier None**\n\nJude Warwick (SS, 20)\nWarwick was a speculative 12th Round pick by the Tigers in 2024, taken from an Illinois prep. He signed for $250k. Warwick’s best tool is speed, which plays on the bases, but even more on the defensive side. At 6’1” he has good size, but his arm hasn’t played well enough to earn more than a share of playing time at SS. He’s a better fit for 2B long-term, but for a 12th Rounder, that’s a fine limitation to have. At the plate he has a swing that’s geared for contact and barrel manipulation, but he has enough size that there should be some pull-side pop at maturity. Really, “at maturity” is a key phrase for Warwick. He needs to add strength to his frame, and he needs to be better at pitch selection. He was fine last year in the Complex where nearly all the pitchers are experimenting with something, but once he got to Low-A everything was exposed. He K% ballooned, his BB% plummeted, and his GB% spiked to a level that rarely works. None of it is a long term concern, as he’s already rebounded from it in the early going this year from a hit tool perspective. But there’s still very little power, and that’s something that should raise a flag hobby-wise. If we’re looking at a realistic positive outcome of Warwick being a 10-12 HR-hitting 2B with a decent average, is that a strong hobby name? Not likely. I guarantee that he’ll be cheap at release. But unless you’re treating his status and development with a penny-stock mentality, he’s probably not for you. As I see it right now, his 50th percentile outcome is a MLB bench bat, which is absolutely fine for where he was drafted. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\n## Houston Astros\n\n**Tier None**\n\nNick Monistere (2B, 22)\nMonistere’s power and contact profile continually improved in his three years at Southern Miss, culminating with a 21 HR season last year. That was enough to have him drafted in the 4th Round by the Astros and signed with an underslot 400k bonus. Power should continue to be his best asset, but there are some significant questions as to if its ceiling is enough to be viable as a true carrying tool – and it needs to be. At the plate he has a deep coil, turning his whole back to the field as he strides out. That’s fine, but players who swing from this position really have to be both patient at the plate, and willing to drive the ball to the opposite field with ease and regularity. The book on him was that he did not tick either of those boxes. Even with all that success at Southern Miss, ran a sub 10 BB% and a BABIP south of .335. However, he’s flipped the script a bit to an approach that’s bordering on passive this year – he still needs to find balance in the approach, and he’s still quite pull-heavy. Monistere also has a bit of a compact 6’0” frame, and that hurts his ability to naturally elevate the ball. But he is strong – triple digit exit velocities are a common occurrence. He has above average speed, but it’s not an asset that played up on the bases until this year – but keep in mind he’s 22 in Low-A, so the 15 swipes in 25 games mean less. His arm is enough to handle the left side of the infield, but he doesn’t have strong enough instincts for 3B or enough range for SS – so 2B is his likeliest home. We’ve preached this time and time again – second base prospects have a high bar to clear, and nothing about his profile is special enough to gain widespread hobby interest. We need to see signs of power with regularity. He’s gotten to some this year in Low-A, but he’s sacrificed some contact-ability to get there, and it’s not over-the-fence pop. What will this 22 year old need to sacrifice further as he moves up to High-A? That contact rate is only around 70 as it is, and his K% is over 25 – there’s not a lot of meat on that bone. I’m not buying that he’ll get to the majors as a starter at this juncture. But if he somehow does get to more power and makes strides on the defensive side? Sure, he could be a power-centric Util-type. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\nAlimber Santa (P, 23)\nEvery now and then Topps sneaks a pure reliever into a release, as is the case with Santa. Especially being a base-only subject, he does not bring with him the gift of hobby relevance. He is a real-life relevant prospect though. He earned a trip to the Futures Game last year, in addition to pitching his way to AAA with some solid ability to suppress hard contact. What stands out on the mound with Santa is his strength. He’s only 5’10”, but he runs his fastball into the high 90’s. All of his pitches are thrown with the same intensity, but there is some major concern with command, in addition with control in general for most of his pitches including that fastball. His slider has short, tight, late break and is his primary offspeed pitch. It’s really shocking when you look at how he throws it and the velocity reading says 83. His change up offers a different movement profile at a similar velocity, but it’s less used. Perhaps what he has most control of in his whole arsenal is his curve. But as it’s quite similar in velocity to his slider but more predictable in movement, it’s not a pitch that plays as well as a part of his repertoire. He doesn’t put up elite K numbers, but he also isn’t prone to getting blown up. It’s the sign of a valuable middle relief piece. He just needs to get a little bit better handle on his command, and we should see him in Houston this year. He doesn’t have a 40-man spot yet, but the Astros also do not have good depth at the position, so there’s no real obstacle to his call-up. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 3, Ceiling: 2 (Base Only)\n\nJase Mitchell (C, 19)\nIt’s not common for Delaware to produce prep draftees. When the Astros nabbed him in the 7th Round last year and signed him for a significantly overslot $800k, he was their first pick in the top ten rounds in over ten years. So, anecdotally, he hasn’t seen a ton of great competition. In addition to being a catcher, it’s no wonder that he’s starting the year at the Complex. At 6’3” 205 lbs he has a very nice frame for power with plenty of room to grow. That, and his arm is really why the Astros took the chance on him. Except for a bit of a violent (but small) leg kick, there’s not much noise in his setup. There’s good bat speed, but it does have some effort, as he tends to get out onto his front foot and overswing. It will likely cost him a significant amount of contact-ability at the pro level, or at least some quality of contact. But that issue is fairly correctable, which is great. There’s not much else to take away right now without seeing him in action. Defensively, he’s very much a work in progress behind the plate. But, it’s also possible that he quickly gets moved off of catcher. He is athletic enough for an OF corner, and definitely has the arm for RF. There’s not an extensive track record here – I’m speculating quite a bit, and he has all the risk in the world. Hobby-wise, we’d love to see him move off of catcher soon so we can see just how high the ceiling of his bat is. The rigors of that position always hurt the offensive side of the ball, especially younger players whose bodies are still developing. He’s no more than a dart throw in this product, and one that is not likely to see returns for over a year or two. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 10, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n## Kansas City Royals\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nKendry Chourio (RHP, 18)\nI wrote a rave review on Caden Scarborough, calling him the best pitcher in the product and a future ace, and I don't think I can convey to you all just how closely I perceive Chourio to be tailing Scarborough for that crown. Scarborough won out because he has a larger body of work in the minors and a huge frame, while Chourio is 18 in Single A (impressive by its own right), and is pretty slight at just 6'0\" 160 pounds. Again, he's 18 and doesn't turn 19 until after the season, so there's time for him to grow a bit more, and you'd certainly imagine he fills out in a good way even if he doesn't get any taller. You know who else was undersized? Pedro Martinez. Not that I'm comparing Chourio to Pedro Martinez, but I do believe that at a certain point pure talent can make worrying over a guys size seem downright dumb. Chourio actually got starts in Single A in 2025 as a 17 year old, where he was respectable, posting a 5.16 ERA in 22.2 frames with a 24:4 K:BB ratio. Sure, it's not great, but again, he was literally 17. He couldn't even buy Zyn! He's gone totally crazy in 2026- he had a so-so first start and has rebounded to post a 1.65 ERA in 4 starts (16.1 IP), fanning 19 and walking 2. The command is nuts by any standard, but even more impressive given his age. As you'd expect for a smaller guy, the heater sits in the mid 90's with solid peripherals, but it's his advanced secondary offerings and command that make him so good right now. That's really scary, because if he can tack on some velocity to the heater and maximize it's IVB in the next couple years (as you'd kind of expect would happen as he develops), you're looking at a complete package. He's got a great loopy curveball to go with a good split change, and he has a slider that grades out as average. Four average or better offerings and elite command as an 18 year old? That's a guy I am absolutely sprinting to buy when Bowman releases. Obviously, pitchers come with increased risk, and you worry about him trying to increase his velocity too quickly and hurting himself, but man this is really getting close to a perfect profile. The only negative is his size, but again, he might just be good enough where that literally does not matter. I'm fascinated to see how 2026 goes, and I'll see you all over on eBay where I'm fully prepared for some bidding wars over the coming weeks. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nDavid Shields (LHP, 19)\nFull confession, I’m going to be higher on Shields than many of you. I’m a sucker for guys who have control as good as his at a young age. I’ve been waiting for him to have Bowman cards since he was excluded from Draft back in 2024. He had reclassified from 2025 to become a 2nd Round selection who signed for slot money at $2.3 MM. He’s never really been a sleeper in my eyes, and his positive development has only increased eyes on him. But he’s still easily a chase for me. I’m writing this on April 19, the day after he spun 5 innings of no hit ball with only 1 BB and 8 K for High-A Quad Cities. That’s more like what we’ve come to expect – his first two starts looked like a bit of an anomaly, or bad weather, or an adjustment curve to High-A. Take your pick. Last year he won the organization’s pitcher of the year award, and also the Carolina League’s pitcher of the year award. There he walked just 15 hitters and struck out 81 in 71 innings in which he gave up just 13 XBH – a sub-.300 SLG allowed. Ryan Sloan and Braylon Doughty were close, but no other teenagers with 60 innings at the entire level hit those marks. Remember, since he has reclassified he pitched nearly that entire year at age 18, while those other two are 8-10 months older. The bottom line is that a 5 BB% for an 18 YO is a ridiculous marker, and something that’s a strong indicator of plus command in the future. On the mound he uses a quick, high leg kick with a low three-quarters, crossfire delivery from the left side then quickly swings his back leg out. The crossfire alone is deceptive, but all that extra motion adds another layer to it. Everything looks loose and effortless. While he is already somewhat physically mature, there is more projection in the tank, and hope that his fastball gains a few ticks. He’ll probably need it as he only works in the low-90’s with the pitch, but even independent of his delivery it has good ride-run traits. He throws two slider variations. One is a high-70’s sweeper that features great depth both vertically and horizontally. The other is used less frequently – it’s more of a cutter that he uses in the upper 80’s with tight, late break. I can see that pitch becoming more of a weapon as he gains FB velocity. His mix is capped by a changeup that projects as above average, and a true swing-and-miss weapon against righties, but for now it’s just used as a change of pace. Overall, it’s a strong pitchability profile with a floor that stands to rise considerably this year as long as he puts up starts like that April 18 one. Is he a future ace? Probably not, but physical development will finish the story on that one. I think he’s already a fairly safe bet to remain as a starter and make an MLB debut at a young age, and everything I see says that it’ll be as a guy that’s frustrating for hitters. He’s a Tier 3 name for me, but one that I’m comfortably taking over other High-A prospects like Jose Urbina and Dasan Hill. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\n## Los Angeles Angels\n\n**Tier None**\n\nYojancel Cabrera (OF, 18)\nCabrera was a member of the Angels’ 2025 IFA class, signing for $400k. The bottom line of what he went out and did in the DSL looks great, but there’s more to it than that, mostly in a negative way. He has great size already – he’s a wide-shouldered 6’2” 185 lbs. He’s already a RF, but as he fills out he’ll look the part even more. In watching game footage, it’s clear to me that his success came more from his present physicality coupled with some nice hand-eye coordination. It’s not a swing or approach that will work long-term. That’s absolutely fine – just don’t buy into any hype based on his DSL season. That is likely an anomaly. As a player who slashed .339/.455/.917, that’s a hard thing to resist. Cabrera has a massive pre-swing hitch. He starts with his hands bunched close to his body then as he strides forces them back for his coil. I don’t have the angle to see how close to an arm bar it is, but it does not really seem to affect the fluidity of his swing – that does look pretty nice. Still, excessive movement in the set-up is always something that needs to get cleaned up, and some hitters have difficulty with it. While he has no issue taking pitches early in counts to get a read on how the pitcher is going to approach him, he also gets antsy and starts hacking away as soon as he has a strike. It’s clear he can read spin – he makes contact a lot. And sometimes in the DSL when you’re as strong as Cabrera, that’s all you need to record a strong BABIP. I’ve written a bunch of words here, but they’re just words of caution – I’m not saying he’s not a worthwhile prospect. He’s just quite a bit more raw than what he’s shown. You can see the positives – strength, reads spin well, fluid swing. He’ll head to the Complex league, where hopefully he cleans up some of the issues and shows us who he’s going to truly be as a prospect. It’s pure speculation, but I think he’ll be a power-over hit guy. There’s nothing concrete to take away here though. If this were Bowman Chrome, he might be in consideration for Tier 3. But this is a very strong checklist, and there are many stronger names on the low-middle end where he should be right now. So he gets a cautionary Tier None. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nIsaiah Jackson (OF, 21)\nWell, we have evidence of Topps not really caring about what team a player is pictured with. Surely the deadline for their creative was after December 9, right? That’s when Jackson was traded to the Red Sox for Vaughn Grissom. Jackson was drafted in the 8th Round last year out of Arizona State, and signed for 300k. There’s really only one part of his game that is a sure thing in pro ball – his defense in CF. That’s worthy of being a pick in the 8th Round regardless, but there is potential elsewhere. He hit a surprising 18 HR in his Junior year, but it’s a bit of a mirage. His swing is more slashy at the plate, and he’s not really a complete enough hitter to drive it to all fields. There is good bat speed and at 6’3” he has good size though, so there will always be the chance that he catches enough barrels to the pull side and gets to double digit HR as a pro. He’s a fantastic athlete overall, and there’s hope that he can continue to better apply that to baseball skill – we just haven’t seen it consistently. Picking up spin has been an issue for him in the past, and that’s not something that is cured by athleticism. He has also not yet developed a knack for stealing bases. I think Jackson is now in a great organization to develop. We can be confident that if he has what it takes to make it to the majors, the Red Sox will get him there. He is already in High-A, as he was in his debut last year. That’s more a testament to his defense and age – I would expect him to be there all year and perhaps even some of next year, unless he makes gains to his offensive game. Being in the wrong uniform as an Angel isn’t really a big obstacle, but he’s also not really a worthwhile chase outside of singles for Red Sox collectors. I can see his cards being quite liquid at release, and pretty cheap. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n## Los Angeles Dodgers\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nBrendan Tunink (OF, 20)\nI hate it, but it’s remarkable what the Dodgers development is. Tunink was a largely unheralded Illinois prep that the Dodgers took in 2024 in the 8th Round. He took 415k to sign away from Notre Dame. As a prep he was a 6’1” physically advanced outfielder with a longer swing path but stood out for his bat speed in showcase circuits. The Dodgers have shortened that path up significantly. He now starts with an open stance, hunched forward with hands just above his hip and then hitches them back with the pitcher’s delivery. It’s unorthodox for sure, but it helps him to not get too high in his setup, because the goal here is to drive the ball with great ferocity to the pull side. And man is there ever some impressive exit velocity and ability to elevate. You can’t help but say “that ball got out of the ballpark?” when you see his HR highlights. Last year in the Complex he ran a 47.6 XBH% – the mark of a definite slugger. This year in Low-A that trend has continued, as he had 7 XBH in his first 8 games. He is definitely a rising talent who has potential to rise higher. The only significant obstacle to that is his contact rate. That’s a mark that last year was only in the mid-60’s, which led to a 30 K% in the Complex. I absolutely think he can get away with a lower rate at maturity, but for it to already be so low is something that much be improved on – even something like 70% would be palatable. He was clearly taken as a raw player who would need significant development, so the fact that there’s one clear flaw in his game? Not unexpected. We can have \"legitimate hope” that “eventually” his hit tool looks like it’ll play in the majors. But until then we can enjoy the highlights of when he does find the barrel, because they’re fabulous. He has a body type that is likely to slow down as he further matures, and is unlikely to steal more than a handful of bases at maturity. But his speed is really fine for an OF corner, and his arm is good enough for RF. The funding for the Dodgers' hobby market seems as endless as the Dodgers team spending. Tunink won’t be cheap, and if he keeps going as he is between now and when the market settles, we may never see a lull in his prices. He’s probably going to be unattainable for me for that reason, but if you’re a Dodgers fan willing to pay Dodgers prices, he’s a worthwhile guy for you. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nFrancisco Espinoza (C, 19)\nEspinoza was a minor IFA in 2024 with no publicly announced bonus, but he’s shot way past that station in his early development. He showed himself to be a selective enough hitter with enough contact-ability at the DSL level in 2024 to earn a promotion to the Complex last year, and man was ever the right call. He hit .350 at that level with a .443 OBP, which was backed up by a contact rate in the mid-80’S. But let’s leave the positives there for now. Espinoza, to be frank, does not look like a professional athlete. It’s not that he carries a lot of bad weight, but his body composition is closer to a kid who doesn’t play sports. He needs to level up his physicality significantly, especially to make it as a catcher. There is some promise back there defensively in a raw sort of way, but he only threw out 10% of runners in the Complex. There’s a clear ability to hit – that discerning eye at the plate is something that gives him intrigue, as does the fact that operations at the plate are very simple after he sets himself with a big leg kick. He even has an all-fields approach at present. But I’m not comfortable projecting his hit tool as better than average yet, because his body composition is nowhere near its final form. The near-zero power he’s showing right now? That’ll probably get better. A hitter with his raw skill rarely remains a zero in that department. Who he’ll be is just a little too cloudy for me to recommend as a dart throw right now. The fact that he’s a catcher, has no speed, and has a long defensive path that will slow his promotions are the negatives for the hobby. Being a Dodger is a big positive. All the risk in the world, but he’s one to keep tabs on for sure. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\nPatrick Copen (RHP, 24)\nCopen was a 2023 7th round draft pick out of Marshall for the Dodgers. He signed for $225,000, which was slightly below slot. Copen is a feel good story, and one that I hope does make it to the majors. He has a lot of people rooting for him. In August of 2024, Copen took a line drive to the face – the ball had an exit velo of 107 mph off the bat. It ended up causing several orbital bone fractures to his right eye and severing the retinal attachment. He permanently lost vision in his right eye from those injuries. Even still he knew he wasn’t going to stop pitching, and the Dodgers to their credit have supported him through his entire journey to get back on the mound. He is able to pitch just fine with his disability, but has trouble with baserunners especially when they are on 2nd. It’s hard to explain why the Pirates haven’t tried to trade for him, the eye patch promo nights alone would be huge. I am of course joking there, it would be great to see him embrace his disability (which he has so far) and be an inspiration to kids the same way Jim Abbot was when he pitched. He is getting up there in age for a prospect but what I like seeing is at each level, after a year, he showed improvement. Copen is a tall, lanky pitcher at 6’6”, and with that length comes velocity. In college he had a fastball in the low 90s, but having spent a few years with the Dodgers, he is now hitting upper 90s and occasionally touching 100. He has a plus fastball, a good cutter, a good slider, and a changeup that needs a lot more work (he only threw it 4 times last year). There is a lot to like with Copen – big guy, reaches 100, high K/9 – but buyers beware because this guy is one post-midnight feeding away from turning into a relief pitcher. Shout out to Gremlins fans. As a pro, Copen’s BB% has never been out of the teens. If you extend it back to his Junior season at Marshall, it’s now a sample of over 300 innings of poor control, with no real sign of improvement. Despite having worked up to the high minors where we hope the workload nears MLB norms, Copen only managed an average of 4.35 innings per start. You really want more than that out of any SP. But as an SP he continues, and successfully so. I mean it's way too early, but he has a 0.96 ERA in 28 innings this year in AA, and has a K/9 of 11.89. So, there's plenty of swing-and-miss stuff here. When hitters do make contact, he’s great at suppressing damage. He gave up only 14 XBH last year in 117 innings – that was good for a miniscule .243 SLG allowed. Copen will more than likely be a set up man and eventually a closer, but if this Mogwai (hey not my fault if you haven't seen the 80s classic Gremlins or it's equally good sequel) doesn't get wet so he doesn't change into a RP, his collectability will be high. He plays for the Dodgers, he is throwing heat, and has an interesting backstory, all things the hobby loves. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 4, Ceiling: 4 (Base Only)\n\n## Miami Marlins\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nAiva Arquette (SS, 22)\nThe 7th overall pick in last year's Draft, Arquette is a fantastic real-life prospect. That comes with a sum of his parts though, rather than well-defined loud tools we care about for the hobby. Considering that pedigree and years of production at Washington then Oregon State, it won’t matter initially and might not matter ever. One of those tools is bound to pop and pique the hobby’s interest for what figures to be a long career. He’s a premium infield defender regardless of where he ends up. While there is a legitimate shot he sticks at SS, having a big 6’5”, 220 lbs body and will necessitate the need to continue to prove himself at the position as he progresses. He also doesn’t have great speed – just enough to let his range play well enough in the field. He is not a major threat on the bases, but a handful of steals can be expected. His offensive skillset rides the line of being an above-average power bat and a solid overall hitter. Finding balance and consistency in that regard will key whether he truly hits the ‘star’ label in his career, or if he’s just a solid major leaguer. In his debut last year he didn’t find much of that balance – he posted a sub-.100 ISO in his 27 games at High-A. Although, that did come with solid plate discipline as you’d expect. This year he’s starting back at HIgh-A, but his season debut was delayed by core muscle surgery in late February. So – let’s give him more time at the level to figure things out before we pass too much judgment. The power will play in some way at some point soon. That’s what we should most have our eyes on as he settles in. If he immediately starts impacting the ball, lookout, he could make good on the prognostication that he’ll be a fast riser. But also watch for what comes with the power. If his contact rate drops significantly, that could be a flag. If it costs nothing, then be on the lookout for buying opportunities because that could be the bud of a blossoming star. He’s very safe – he already has the floor of a MLB bench bat, and should get the quick hook up to AA. His injury likely wipes out any possibility of reaching the majors under any circumstance by the end of the year. I don’t think there’s many secrets held within Arquette – just the question of how he’ll find balance in his offensive game. He’s a solid Tier 2 prospect with the hype and ceiling of someone like Bo Bichette, or Corey Seager – and he’s everywhere in this release. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nLuis Arana (SS, 18)\nArana is a Venezuelan who signed for just 35k last January, but he’s already proved that to be an absolute steal. He split time between 3B and SS last year in the DSL – it’d be great if he was a SS, but with 15 errors in 52 games it’s clear there’s a lot of rawness on that side of the ball. That’s not what makes him exciting. To start with, he has good speed right now and stole 28 bases. To add to that, his 5’10” frame is not compact, so there’s hope that as he matures physically that speed can tick up a notch or two. More intriguing is his contact rate – it was 85%. That’s elite at any level, but for the DSL, it’s amazing. Now, there’s a lot of survival hacks in there that he put into play – his BABIP wasn’t great, especially for a speedy player. We’re not talking about a mature player with a complete hit tool and ideal contact metrics like Kevin McGonigle here. It’s really not a wonder at all why he’s headed to the Complex to begin his 2026 season. But there is some impact at the plate. He’s an all-fields hitter (again, for better or worse) who needs to add some muscle to his frame, but he’s already registering occasional triple digit exit velocity in game. It’s a great sign that there should be at least gap-to-gap pop moving forward. His plate setup is one without any true defects, although it’s certainly unique. He begins with his front foot completely inverted – pointing toward the backstop – then he brings that foot in before striding out. He does keep his hands high and still throughout all of this though, and doesn’t have much issue involving his lower half. As far as elevating? Well, it’s too early in his development to say whether that’s who he wants to be. If it’s his speed that becomes the focus, it’s fine where it is – perhaps a bit light. If it’s power that becomes more his focus, then he’ll probably need to change a bit in his setup so there’s less moving parts in order to pull the ball more. Again – keep in mind that Arana was completely emergent last year. No one knew he was going to be this good, and it’s likely that coaches are just digging into how to best set tracks in his development. There’s a great foundation based in contact-ability, and an approach that is quite balanced though. For now, I see him as a middling hobby option – we don’t know for certain where the floor is on any of his tools except hit. But that’s better than most coming from the DSL, and enough to slide him to that back of Tier 3 for me. But I would not be surprised if a year from now we’re talking about him as the best speed/hit combo talent from the 2025 IFA class. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nLuis Cova (OF, 19)\nThis is going to be a largely positive write-up – just know that Cova only has base cards in this product. Fear not, players like this usually get their autographs in the Bowman Chrome release. So, if you want his ink, just wait a bit. Cova was signed in 2024 for $1.4 MM, the largest of the Marlins crop. With that sort of capital investment and a mediocre performance in the DSL that year, it’s a little surprising he was sent back to repeat in 2025, but that sort of thing is becoming more common for players who need development in several facets. With Cova, it was his physicality and plate discipline. Last year he increased both of those aspects….shall we say significantly? He’s listed at 6’1” 160 lbs, but in my look there’s nothing resembling the bean pole that would be. Rather, he is very athletic-looking, and that serves him in several ways. He has at least above average speed for now – we’ll see how that projects as he fills out more – that paired with an average arm and being a good defender, will have him in CF for the foreseeable future. He’s also an aggressive baserunner – in two years in the DSL he’s swiped 71 bags. The increase in physicality has also really allowed him to do a ton of damage via pull-side elevation. He was among the DSL leaders with his 9 HR. That goal to elevate has never really been an issue for him. That’s a great sign that however high his power ceiling gets, there won’t be an issue getting to it in games. As for his plate discipline, it was a complete flip of the script. In 2024 he was hyper aggressive. Last year he took the first pitch in almost every AB I saw. It’s clearly coaches that instilled that in him, but there was more beyond that. He lowered his SwStr by 4.7%, so despite what looks like passivity on the bottom line, there was improvement as well. With the setup he has currently there will always be swing-and-miss concerns. He starts upright then moves very late as the pitcher comes home, by design – he’s reliant on being in perpetual motion coming into his swing. There is a big hand hitch back that affects his overall quality of contact. I don’t think of that as a negative – I think of it as an obvious flaw to clean up. If he does that, there’s a clear sign of a developing hit tool here. Strikeouts have never been the issue with Cova. He’s a really intriguing prospect for the hobby, and one with significant upside if it comes together – 5 tool potential even. I think grabbing his base cards in this release is a worthwhile endeavor as a dart throw. The context of being a Marlin and a DSL repeater pushes him to the top of Tier None, but don’t sleep. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Base Only)\n\nChris Arroyo (1B, 21)\nFormer two-way player, started his collegiate career at Florida, 1B/OF defensive profile, and in possession of significant power. Sound familiar? Well, that’s where the similarities end with Arroyo and Cags. Arroyo only played a few games with the Gators his Freshman year before transferring to JuCo and then Virginia. Before that, Arroyo was a product of Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, Florida – a program that has had a whopping 14 players enter the pro ranks in the last 10 years. His year at Virginia was…OK? He was already a known commodity because of that HS pedigree, but it allowed him to prove that he could handle big-time pitching talent and access some power. It was by no means a dominant performance, but the Marlins took a shot on the hometown talent in the 5th Round, signing him for slot money. At UVA the swings I saw him taking were fairly uninspiring – he often didn’t try to drive the ball, settling for weak contact looking for a hole. There was also often quite a bit of disconnection between his upper and lower halves. He has a loud set up at the plate with a big leg kick (it’s big toe tap with the same basic actions with two strikes) and a lot of hand movement. Most players use that to really set a rhythm into their swing, but his timing was off far too often. When it’s on though, there is really a lot of easy pull side pop. He is prone to chase, but he’s able to make contact with those pitches in a feeble way. I think a change to a simpler setup has to be in his future so we can see some consistency. But we can’t project that. He’s a bulky, more compact 1B – his body isn’t really bad, but it doesn’t look all that athletic either. He’s also now on the 60-day IL after exiting the second game of the season. There’s a lot of bad here, and nothing I see that really currently projects to be a major leaguer. But he has power. Can he make the changes needed to access it consistently? It’s not a question we need to answer hobby-wise right now– he’s clearly a name we don’t need to consider strongly. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4\n\n## Milwaukee Brewers\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nAndrew Fischer (3B, 21)\nThere was a lot of pre-season hype surrounding Fischer, and I initially did this write up in that wake. But now, as I revisit this a few weeks into the season, he’s come back down to earth a bit. Still – he was tabbed as the #1 3B prospect in baseball by major publications. He performed well on a national stage for Team Italy in the WBC. There is legitimacy to the hype, and boy were folks ever disappointed when he was assigned back to High-A to begin 2026. I wasn’t shocked by this at all though, and he showed why in the first few weeks of the season. It’s not just his defense – there are major underlying contact issues that have shown up on the surface in all the wrong ways. Fischer’s collegiate experience was a tour of the southeast – starting at Duke then transferring to Ole Miss and finishing at Tennessee. The final transfer was a leap of faith – he did it for coaching reasons, and really did not get a chance to play 3B, which likely hurt that side of his development. But it paid off. He improved on an already impressive power output (25 HR) while drastically cutting his K numbers (-5.6%) and drastically increasing his BB numbers (+7.7%). It made him a more complete hitter. The Brewers saw that and nabbed him in the first round last year via an underslot deal. At the time it seemed like a good pick, as they were taking a “get your guy” approach to the power-centric defensively questionable collegians that were available. Deployed immediately to High-A, he did nothing but impress in his 2025 debut. This isn’t a player we should ever expect to run a high contact rate– that’s almost irrelevant to his profile. We’re here for power. Almost all the contact he makes is of high quality considering that power – the .423 BABIP he put up was an anomaly, sure, but that’s only because he only hit one ball over the fence in 87 PA. He had no problem elevating, as his swing ideally dictates – he hit less than 25% of balls on the ground. He also showed quite the measured approach at the plate, posting a double-digit BB%. That should be the norm, but it would be nice if he could cut back on chase even more considering zone whiff will be a part of his game. He has laid to rest exactly zero of the concerns in the early going this year, proving that he deserves to be where he is. Defensively, his arm is great – that’s why the Brewers want him at 3B. And hey, he didn’t commit any errors there last year (don’t look this year). But it’s all about range, and making the plays that every 3B should make – he still makes them look a little tough. That’s the #1 reason he’s in High-A – his poor offensive start is already sorting itself out. Just know that hobby-wise, there’s still not much reason to downgrade him from the status as one of the Top 10 players in the product._- Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nDaniel Dickinson (SS, 22)\nDaniel Dickinson was a 6th-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2025, signed for just under slot value. He is currently playing for High-A Wisconsin, where he is splitting time between 2B and SS. In his Junior year at LSU he played solely at 2B, but in his previous two collegiate seasons at Utah Valley State he also played 3B and SS. He dominated the WAC during his college career, but his offensive numbers have dropped off as he has faced tougher competition. He lost both power and contact-ability when he moved to the SEC. He only hit .205 playing summer ball in Cape Cod. It’s a very small sample since he didn’t make his pro debut last year, but so far in High-A through 9 games he is batting .267 with a SLG of just .300. He has a good eye at the plate – his OBP is always pretty high, which keeps his OPS respectable, especially for an MI. In fact, his BABIP is always above .300. But even though he shows pop every now and then, he lacks consistent power. I have major worries about him maintaining the little power he has shown. The one positive he does have though, is he tends to show up when the lights are shining the brightest. In the College World Series he hit .353 with a double, and in regionals hit a 3 run bomb to tie the game. The power that he has is to the pull side, and he gets to it by crowding the plate. He also had an insane 23 HBP last year at LSU due to that crowding, which was almost double any other player on the team. Given his 6’0”, 180-pound frame is already filled out, scouts do not project him to develop significant in-game power as he ages. He has great range on the defensive side with a strong arm, which is probably why the T-Rats are also playing him at SS. Hobby wise he’s already 22, and is trending towards the path of a defensive minded middle infielder that has a knack for getting on base. It’s great for the club, but not so much for collectors. The other elephant in the room is the logjam ahead of him in the Brewers farm system. The Brewers are already loaded with much higher-ceiling middle infielders like Made, Pratt, and Williams in the higher levels who figure to debut before him and stick around. That leaves him with a higher likelihood of being an organizational filler even if things trend positively. Defensive first middle infielders with a knack for getting on base are always fan favorites, but sadly the hobby doesn’t have the same reverence for them. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 3 (Both)\n\nEthan Dorchies (RHP, 19)\nDorchies was a 10th Round prep selection in the 2024 Draft. That’s it, no overslot bonus – he was an Illinois native who was only committed to Illinois-Chicago. So, if you only look at that, Topps’ inclusion of him in this product is a bit weird. But when you look at what he’s done so far as a pro, it’s far less so. The Brewers pitching development strikes again – but lets not get too excited about the ceiling here just yet. Dorchies started at the Complex last year, but he was so impressive that they moved him to Low-A in mid-June. There he began with a few rough outings, but then ripped off 5 consecutive starts without allowing an earned run – a great sign that he has an innate ability to limit damage, if nothing else. He then hit a bit of a rough patch where the truer colors of his raw command started showing up. I’m calling it raw – it’s not truly poor, as his 6’5” frame still has a lot of filling out to do and his delivery is fairly easy and repeatable. Most of his success is driven by the fact that his mix plays up due to excellent extension. That mix is already five pitches deep. He throws two fastballs – a sinker and a four-seam. They both feature excellent spin traits, even though velocity is nothing special with in the low-90’s – but again, gaining some mass should help him gain a few ticks. He also throws a slower, sweeping, mostly vertically breaking slider and a cutter as a tweener pitch. The slider is his best putaway weapon right now. However, he also throws a splitter. If he can tilt his slider to have a little more lateral break to pair with the split, that could really serve as a deadly tandem – and perhaps nullify the need for his cutter (since splitters generally have more velocity then sweepers). Anyhow, as he hasn’t increased his physicality just yet, the command issues are being blown fully into the light to start this year in High-A as he’s gotten hit around in his first few starts. But that’s OK. He’s still only 19. High-A is a very advanced place coming from this background and level of experience. I don’t think we should even project him to the majors in any role just yet or square up what his ceiling may be. He’s just a vague “Brewers development success”, and we can safely assume that he’s in good hands to continue positively in some way. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nPedro Ibarguen (RF, 19)\nIbarguen signed for just $60k in the 2023 IFA period, so he’s had to fight that lower status and his shorter stature throughout his development. He’s listed at 5’10”, but he has shorter limbs that really play poorly as far as his ability to elevate balls. He takes hacks with a lot of effort and has had pretty good success hitting the ball hard and with enough frequency, but under 30% have been of the fly ball variety. He is very much physically developed – he already weighs 180 lbs, and that added strength is what freed him from the Complex after a 2024 season where he slugged .184. Again I’ll say – he’s not a punch-and-judy hitter despite that atrociously low SLG. These are healthy hacks, even if the bat speed is only average. But let’s turn this on its head. If he’s able to swing with effort like this and hit the ball hard with a good amount of contact, doesn't that mean he’s got a good hit tool? Well…maybe. I think it’s taken the near maxing-out of his body to get to where he is, which is only Low-A. He’s going to have to unlock even more hitterish qualities. He has a passive approach right now, which I like for him. It lets him learn and in time, swing more frequently at pitches he can actually do damage with. Doing damage is the goal with him – he just hasn’t had much success at it yet. He also has good speed, which has helped him in his lack of ability to elevate, and to be a threat on the bases. But even with that speed he’s not a true CF, likely a fit RF. I don't think the hobby will think too much of Ibarguen to start, and he doesn’t deserve it, but just note that there’s still a narrow path evident to being a MLB starter. It’s just buried in present negative-power facts like a 19 XBH% since coming stateside. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nBrailyn Antunez (OF, 18)\nAntunez is a Venezuelan outfielder who signed for 900k in the 2025 IFA period – good for third highest in the Brewers’ class. You may have taken a gander at what he did last year and immediately think ‘bust’. But other than speed, which was a positive even last year, he’s not at all the type of player that his DSL statline indicates. Walk with me. Antunez is thick in the middle and 6’0” tall. He uses his lower body well at the plate and to great effect in his running, and has room yet to grow in his upper half. He holds his hands perfectly still and head-high in his setup – the look of a power hitter before he even swings. However, the results do not show that at all. Antunez posted a .067 ISO to go with a .215 average, making for a woeful .263 BABIP. As his contact rate and batted ball profile are perfectly average for the DSL, it begs the question of \"what’s up?\" I can’t answer with 100% confidence, as footage is limited, but it seems like he’s just not taking ‘mature’ swings. Everything he unfurls looks like a daddy hack. Even when he drives the ball the other way, his timing to the ball is just a little off and the contact quality isn’t great. But there’s been an adjustment this spring as he's come stateside and worked with Brewers’ coaches in Arizona. Everything in his pre-pitch setup is the same, but he’s now holding his body higher – that is to say, he’s not really bending his back at all as he swings. This makes a lot of sense to me as an adjustment to make more consistent contact. There’s only been work on the back fields thus far, but it seems like he’s really able to drive the ball with regularity now. We shall see how it plays in the Complex League, but if he does well I could see him promoted to Low-A after 80-100 AB’s. He does have the foundation of a good approach at the plate – despite that low average he managed an OBP in the mid-.300's – and he’s a premium CF defender. He also stole 21 bases in 55 games, which serves as a third pseudo-tool he has firmly in his pocket. He’s still a valuable prospect to the organization, and one with plenty of upside. We just have no clue how big his offensive impact can be yet. I wouldn’t expect a full breakout this year as he continues to make adjustments, and certainly there’s the possibility he never gets his offensive game going. But I’m a believer-ish. He’ll be cheap, and I’m a Brewers fan, so he’ll be my dart throw. I’m girding my loins. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nHandelfry Encarnacion (CF, 18)\nEncarnacion and Pedro Ibarguen are quite similar in profile (as I write about them back to back). However, Encarnacion has a few things working in his favor of Ibarguen, and a few more that bring him back down. First, he’s a year younger, signing for $400k in 2024. That bonus number is also a positive, as it keeps eye more intent on the organization’s investment. He hits the same notes with a shorter stature (5’11 for Encarnacion) and a high contact rate, but he does not have the same overall approach as Ibarguen. At the plate he starts with his bat on his shoulder then uses a high leg kick and drops his hands down in a hitch as the pitcher comes home. I don’t mind this specific hitch, because it's a fairly natural motion down from his shoulder. He doesn’t swing too often, and he has a good eye, but too frequently he puts the ball into play in a way that’s not helpful. In that way, his high contact rate is actually a detriment. He needs to be more measured on his swing decisions, picking pitches he can do damage with, and realize that taking walks is helpful. Again like Ibarguen, his swing is purposeful in its effort, but Encarnacion’s is one that’s looser, and its intent is more specific. He does have pull sided pop when he’s looking for it, and there’s some faint evidence that he could turn those swings inside out and slash it the other way with authority as well. He’s slightly better at elevating the ball than Ibarguen (and has longer levers to aid in it), but in his limited full-season action it’s become more of an issue. What kicks Encarnacion more squarely to Tier None is his lack of other tools. He is not a threat on the bases, possesses only average speed, and his body type does not seem like one where it will tick up. This is a corner OF and definitely no more. I think Encarnacion deserves a little more attention than Ibarguen. He’s at the same level at a younger age and definitely has more power potential (something like 15 HR). His hit potential is a touch lower (above average), but still very much palatable. I think he’s a little more boom-bust than Ibarguen, but when we’re in this lower end pool, always take the player with better upside. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n## Minnesota Twins\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nDasan Hill (P, 20)\nThe Twins grabbed Hill 69th overall in 2024, and his development has been nice thus far. A Texas prep lefty, he was signed for an overslot $2 MM. Last year he was deployed immediately to Low-A, and the bottom line is that performed exceptionally well there. Hitters were adequately confused by his ability to modulate his curve into more of a slurvy slider, and vice versa. It’s two different pitches for sure, but they come at you with similar velocity (79-82 MPH) and if you guess wrong, it’s going to be a whiff or poor contact. He used those as putaway pitches with regularity. In addition, those pitches had to be respected not just because he throws a change with a little more velocity, but also a fastball with much more velocity – up to 97. This type of look coming from the left side is just something less experienced hitters do not see. The negative side of this is that he posted a 15 BB%. It’s not truly control issues – he knows where each and every pitch is going, and rarely misses by a large margin. But since he lives and dies with his spinny things, sometimes he misses down or off the plate. He did a great job of limiting hard contact though – it was just a .250 SLG allowed in Low-A, which pairs very nicely with a 30.6 K%. He was even promoted to High-A for a few starts at the end of the year, where he begins this year. He’s 6’5” 165 lbs, so there’s plenty of projection remaining. With added strength to his frame it’s easy to think that both his command and fastball velocity should tick up. But until we see that actually play out in games, it’s fair to have some trepidation – there is still relief risk. But I think his stuff plays better as a starter, and the Twins will certainly keep him on that track for the next few years. There’s a very high ceiling. He doesn’t quite have Thomas White’s stuff, but there are some of the same drumbeats here, and even if he’s a lite-version of White, he’s a hobby-significant pitcher. I’ll certainly be chasing a few of his cards. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\nMarek Houston (SS, 22)\nIn the hobby, we don’t care a lot about defense. But Houston was at the top of the heap amongst all collegiate SS in the 2025 Draft on that side of the ball. He should absolutely be able to stick at the position and probably already has the floor of reaching the majors as a defensive replacement. A three-year starter at Wake Forest, there was a lot made of his power breakout in his Junior year. He definitely did increase his physicality, and those translated to in-game gains that had him drafted so highly, 16th overall. However, they have not translated to pro ball yet, and he was very slappy in my look. He doesn’t have a full follow-through on his swing, by design. Even the HR he hit in High-A was just a high fly ball that he hit square enough and drifted just over the fence. I don’t want to put the nail in the coffin of his ever hitting 20 HR as a pro just yet, but it’ll take more physical gains for it to happen, and I question how that would affect his defense. There are little questions about his hit tool. He has a great ability to manipulate the barrel and drive gaps all over the field. It was that increased strength in driving those gaps that led to many of his HR at Wake – to me the increase in power says something more like “he’s definitely a complete hitter”, rather than an expectation of true HR pop. There’s a near-certainty that his hit tool should get to at least above average at maturity. In his debut, he ran the high contact rate (80-plus%) he’s always run, but there were some pitch selection issues that led to a higher K% and lower BB% than you’d like for a player of his ilk. It’s likely a small sample anomaly. He’s quite speedy, but he does not have a strong acumen for stealing bases – we’ll have to wait and see if that ever changes. As he settles into play at Cedar Rapids we’re likely to see a player who’s an ideal fit in the 2-hole of any lineup, and I think that’s his ceiling long-term as well. The market in Minnesota isn’t great, but having the status as a first round pick and player who’s a safe bet to make it to the majors at a premium position is sure to provide a bit of a boost. But I just can’t give him enough of a hobby ceiling to get him out of Tier Three. His 50th percentile outcome is a milquetoast everyday SS who bats lower in the lineup, and that is something that does not have staying power in the hobby. Through our lens, he’s the most boring player of the entire first round. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 4, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n## New York Mets\n\n**Tier None**\n\nAnthony Frobose (SS, 18)\nWhy do the Mets keep getting so little love on Bowman checklists?! Last years Bowman saw just Jonah Tong on the Met checklist, and while he entered the year as a bit of a deep sleeper in the product, he quickly became one of the hottest chases in the entire release. He had a firm track record of success heading into release, however, while Frobose was a 2025 draftee who hasn't yet appeared in a pro game. The two-way Frobose was nabbed by the Mets in the 9th round out of high school in Yorktown Heights in nearby Westchester, so Citi Field is quite the easy trip from home for him. The Mets signed him away from a Rutgers commitment, and while I can't say this with a ton of confidence, it seems they'll initially allow him to pursue pitching and playing shortstop. The pitching side seems to be lagging behind his hitting profile, and he really just has a solid fastball with a pair of unrefined secondaries on the bump. He's probably an infielder long term, and he's registered some solid exit velo's (100 MPH+ EV) despite a wiry frame (6'1\" 170 pounds). He seems to be an excellent athlete, playing football through high school, as well as baseball, but the two way thing feels more like a thing where he was a standout high school athlete and not something where he has a serious shot at developing both as a pro. It's 100% a wait and see type profile, especially with little to no real data available to discuss here. It's difficult to make any sort of projection with a lack of real scouting reports or data floating around yet, and while that isn't necessarily a terrible sign, you'd certainly like to find a bit more readily available info. He's a Met, and the only 1st auto on the checklist, so he'll probably come out of the gates as a $20 base auto type guy, but the fact he won't be playing until the Complex will likely see that price fall in the short term. I can't make a great recommendation here, which kind of gives you a recommendation in and of itself- you can certainly buy Frobose, and as a Met fan I will likely look to grab some cheap color, but it's firmly in the \"buy and stick it in a box until 2028 and hope you are pumped to stumble upon it\" zone. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 10, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\n## New York Yankees\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nDillon Lewis (OF, 22)\nWell, another prospect who is no longer a Yankee. Lewis was moved to the Marlins in Ryan Weathers deal. That was a shotgun of four prospects headed to Miami, but to me it’s pretty clear that Lewis has the highest hobby ceiling of them all by a wide margin. He was taken from Queens University (NC) in the 13th Round of the draft back in 2024. That’s a tiny D1 program who play in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and have not yet produced a major leaguer – but Dillon, so far, is projecting to be the first. In seeing what he looks like at the plate, it's not really surprising that he ended up as a dominant force at Queens in his Junior season. He’s a physical beast at the plate, standing in a 6’3” 205 lbs and looking to do damage with every powerful stroke. It’s really easy bat speed, and ideally he’s drilling pull-side liners and letting his size add natural loft. More promising is his pitch selection. He knows what he’s trying to do, and he knows what to lay off of, such as hard outside early in counts. With such a violent swing with specific intent, there is concern that his contact rate will degrade as he sees more advanced pitching – but it’s been fine so far, as long as he’s doing things like smashing 22 HR over the course of a season. A higher K% will always be a part of his game, as it has thus far. A power profile of this ilk isn’t really enough to escape Tier None by itself. But other aspects of his game do float him up that ladder. He has a strong enough arm that will profile at any OF position, and he has great speed that allows him to play the lion’s share of his time in CF. With a body as big as his, he’s not a guy who’s a 40+ SB threat, but he’s great at picking his spots, and last year stole 26 bases and was only caught twice. If everything clicks we’re talking about a player with something like a .230/.320/.480 slash while providing up to 20 SB and being a valuable defender. Even though we’re looking at an older debut, that’s a Tier Three name, and one worth taking a shot on as a sleeper, assuming he’s treated as such. But if the Yankees' tax persists for some reason, I would be out. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nT.J. Rumfield (1B, 25)\nEarly in Spring Training, when it was reported that Rumfield was the favorite to start the year in the majors, pretty much everyone thought he was just an annoyance to Charlie Condon’s status, and just keeping the position warm until the Rockies determined whatever they needed to determine by sending Condon down to AAA. But surprisingly, so far he’s showing himself to be more than that, and now Yankees fans are screaming the chagrin of his trade from the organization for Angel Chivili in January. (But in that vein, keep in mind that he’s definitely not better than Ben Rice, OK?) Anyhow, with his no longer being a Yankee, but being pictured as a Yankee, I can see his cards being highly liquid at release, as Yanks fans are a very specific breed. Rumfield was drafted out of Virginia Tech all the way back in 2021 in the 12th Round. He’s always run a strong contact rate in the minors (77% or higher every year). But surprisingly, his breakthrough came when he lowered his launch angle – trying less to intentionally hit fly balls, and hit more liners. Little did anyone know that he'd be really good at it. If you look at his Savant for this year, you’ll see that “LA Sweet Spot%” as the reddest of his bar graphs – that’s not a surprising thing. This is not an easy thing for a long-limbed 6’5” player to accomplish. In doing so, it let his natural strength really play well – he smashed 89 XBH in AAA from 2024-25, a feat matched by only three other prospects. He did all this while posting a .372 OBP – there's a lot of maturity and discipline in his game. He doesn’t have big power – it’s average – a fact borne out for multiple years of AAA exit velocity numbers. That’s why the Yankees traded him, in addition to being a guy in need of a 40-man spot with no speed and is limited to 1B. But man is the sum of his parts something interesting, for both the hobby and real life. His ceiling is now readily apparent as 20-25 HR bat. He’s not going to win a batting title, but his hit tool should continue to play as long as he’s finding ideal launch angles as he has been for two years now. There’s really nothing to fear with Rumfield. Yes, it’s a hot start. But when he comes back down to earth, I still think the Rockies have found themselves at least a somewhat valuable piece for the future. He’s coming into this product with the most ideal of scenarios. His ‘It’ factor is really humming right now, as much as a 25 year old rookie's can at least, but his long term-prognosis really seems like it’s just that of an average big-leaguer at best. But that’s something we were not saying in March. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 1, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nJuan Torres (2B, 18)\nI don’t think many people will see Torres hitting .359 in the DSL and think “future batting champ” – but this being the Yankees fanbase, there will be some irrational thought to be sure. He’s a 5’10”, short-limbed infielder who split time between 2B and 3B, but every indication is that the keystone will be his longer-term home. He was signed in January of 2025, but it was just for a minimal $50k bonus. What stands out to me when looking at him at the plate is that he swings at literally everything near the zone, regardless of whether he can strike it well or not. Coupled with being pretty good at making contact, being such a free swinger affords him a low K rate. But that cannot be who he is at maturity – this lack of approach never works. A developmental tentpole for Torres will be being more selective, figuring out what his ‘A’ swing is, and how much ferocity to put into it. The foundation of his swing is there – there’s no negatives in any of his mechanics. But being such a simple operator in a small frame affords very little power. The hit tool is probably there with a bit of maturity, and there is potential for a bit of power because of that foundation, but everything else? Not great hobby-wise. His speed isn’t great – even in the DSL he was only successful on 60% of his attempts. As mentioned he’s already likely lower on the defensive spectrum at 2B. And that low bonus number leaves him anecdotally as a low priority for the organization, until he makes some noise. Right now…there’s not much, and his DSL season went really well! Making noise is going to be hard for him to do unless he becomes much more physical AND develops his approach significantly. He’s not a very good hobby name right now, and thinking he projects to be is pure quixotic wish-casting. Don’t fall for it. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 4 (Base Only)\n\nHenry Lalane (P, 21)\nLalane started catching a lot of attention in the scouting community as far back as 2022 when he leveled up his previous-year performance in the DSL by a wide margin – but there’s been a lot of speed bumps since. A Bronx native, Lalane moved to the Dominican Republic as a youth, where he blossomed into a 6`7” lefty who signed a $350k bonus back in 2021. His stuff looks great if you’re just looking at movement. But his breaker is so disparate from his change and fastball that they do not cohere. His fastball has been up to 98 – but we’ll come back to that. He can modulate his breaking pitch into a curve or slider with more bite, but the maximum velocity with it hits is something like 81. If it’s more like a curve, we’re looking at something in the low 70’s. It’s just really easy for hitters to sit on something like that. His change is his best pitch. That’s one that should remain as a true weapon for swing and miss when paired with his fastball. Lalane has a high three-quarters delivery, so he’s releasing the ball from quite high in the air. So when that change up is located properly down in the zone, it feels like you’re trying to hit a dropping anchor, as opposed to his fastball that has more ride. Back to that fastball. Lalane has mostly been injured the last few years. It’s all been shoulder related, and he did have surgery on it in the 2024-25 offseason. He finished the season healthy in 2025, and is back at it to begin this year. What’s notable about his recovery is that his fastball trended down. As of now, he’s only working in the 91-94 range. That should let his fastball change combo play well, but he’s not going to naturally miss many bats like that. Especially when we consider his command. And that’s what I’ve really buried. At no point in the last three years (so before injury) has he shown any semblance of knowing where the ball is really going – his BB% is over 17 in that time. This screams that he’s a future reliever. He’s also almost 22 and is in Low-A, so while a lot of that is due to injury, we have to look at the hard truth that if he makes it, it'll be as an older prospect. And, immediately after I wrote this…Lalane was placed on the IL again. I know some Yankees fans are excited about seeing Lalane in the product. He is, indeed, fun to watch. But that simply does not equate to anything close to a surefire stud prospect, and he’s one whose absolute ceiling is really a high-K middle reliever or back-end starter. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\n## Philadelphia Phillies\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nMatthew Ferrara (SS, 18)\nToms River, New Jersey has famously produced the elder Leiter brothers (Mark and Al), and more recently the Frazier brothers (Todd, plus Jeff and Charlie who mostly played in the minors). Ferrara is the latest in that pipeline, being drafted in 9th Round in 2025 and signed for 600k – the equivalent of 4th Round money – in favor of honoring his commitment to Pitt. He was assigned to Low-A last year for his first taste of pro ball last year, but it was pretty much what you’d expect for a completely unheralded prospect coming into the Draft. This year, there was a marked change in his setup. He starts more upright instead of crouched, then as he strides gets into the same position he was previously holding himself into. This lets him move in rhythm; it lets his twitchiness fire better. After a slow first week, man has he ever come around fast. It seems like everything he makes contact with now explodes off the bat. His swing is geared for more line drive contact, but he’s also not fully developed yet, and it’s easy to see both his ability to elevate increasing and, since he hits the ball so hard, have more of these line drives leave the yard. He is quite raw though between the success – there is a high K%, very low contact%, and a high chase rate. “Approach” is just a word he uses to tell people to come closer. But we now know he’s capable of these high highs. He was mostly punishing mistakes, but pretty much anything on the inside half now seems like a hot zone. How he adapts as pitchers learn this could be a massive challenge. But we truly don't know yet in this small sample size. He’s certainly ascended beyond where he was as the season started. There’s no guarantee he maintains that even in the short term, but the fact that there was a physical change that seems to have brought it about is promising. There’s definitely all the risk in the world. He’s only an average runner, and is likely a better fit at 2B as he moves up levels. But if he keeps performing closer to the ceiling of what he’s shown so far and develops a semblance of an approach, his offensive game will exceed everything. Phillies fans will surely be on him, and he’s probably worth it. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nKeaton Anthony (1B, 24)\nThere’s a lot going against Anthony in a hobby context and the hope that he’s an MLB starter long-term, but it’s also quite realistic that the Phillies give him some kind of shot in the majors. As far as the potential of never playing an MLB game, he’s a very low risk. He was a UDFA, but he had flags in his profile at draft-time due to off-the-field issues (gambling) – so we shouldn’t give him the full ‘UDFA success story’ treatment. All the same, his collegiate experience at Iowa was affected by the pandemic fairly severely – he only played 1 game before his 20th birthday. Since entering the pro ranks, there’s been nothing but success. He’s hit over .300 at every stop, more recently in the upper levels it’s been in the .320’s. That’s backed up by a near-elite contact rate and a LD% in the 30’s. Under the hood it’s a little less promising. The exit velocity numbers are below average altogether. He does not have a good power ceiling, and has never eclipsed even 10 homers. Any HR he hits are just well-struck liners – he ran a FB% under 24% last year. And it’s not even a complete hit tool. He makes some odd swing decisions, leading to a low BB% and a higher K% than you’d think. He doesn’t truly chase often, but when he does his contact rate drops quite significantly. Finally, he has only ever played 1B in games. He was working some in LF this spring, but that’s just another position where we’d prefer the player have power. Currently out with a broken toe, we don’t know how much noise he’ll make this year. If he continues this performance in AAA, I can see him being called up to be a bench bat for the stretch run if the Phillies need him. If not, he’d be a fairly intriguing Rule V option (theoretically, lockout aside) in the offseason, as he’s not on the 40-man currently. You’re reading this, right? There’s not a lot of hope for any type of hobby ceiling. Even if you’re a Phillies collector, he’s not a lock to debut for your team. But that’s the strongest context I can get to with Anthony – low risk, but a clear Tier None name. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 2, Ceiling: 3 (Base Only)\n\nMoisés Chace (P, 22)\nIf only his elbow held up, we could be talking about a Tier 2 name here. But after he went 5 outings last year with degraded stuff that did not improve, he was shut down, and the following exam showed the need for Tommy John surgery. Having that done in May essentially equates to two lost seasons, as it’s likely that when he comes back later this year he’ll face some significant workload restrictions and it’ll end up being a zero for his development – especially through the hobby’s eyes. We can really only talk about him in the context of who he was in 2024 with any earnesty – and that was a fantastic year for him. He put together a season where he had a 37 K% between two levels and three teams (he was traded from the Orioles in the Gregory Soto deal), finishing in AA. It came with quite a bit of command issues, but even with that there was a 5.5% improvement with his BB% from the previous year. It was a great development year for him, if not a full breakout. There is a bit of effort in his delivery, as his timing isn’t perfect and he has a more compact frame for being 6’1”. That doesn’t stop him from having a truly electric fastball. It’s a mid-90’s offering that gets loads of ride and run when he’s on, and he throws it often to both get strikes and for whiff. He compliments that with both a low 90’s cutter and a low 80’s slider, both of which tunnel well off of his fastball. There are issues locating both of these pitches though, and he has gotten pounded on occasion when he leaves them up. The movement on both is a little bit inconsistent, but we’ll let “at his best” do a lot of the talking, and say they both have above average potential. He also uses a change against lefties with above average potential. It’s a pretty interesting mix, but with his injury it’s tough to know if his arsenal will change, if he has to alter the way he pitches, and even if he fully recovers. I think we’ll know the answer to that last question by the end of the year, at which time he’ll be 23 with limited time at AA. That’s plenty of time to remain significant for the hobby, but the Phillies may have other ideas and convert him to a reliever. He wouldn’t necessarily need further command improvements for that, and it’s less stress on an effortful delivery. His stuff would certainly play there, and he could quickly find his way to a high-leverage role. But, that’s me being a bit of a negative nelly. There’s still the dream of a high-K mid-rotation arm. We’re just in holding pattern for awhile, and until he gets out of it he’s Tier None. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nAnderson Araujo (C, 18)\nAs a 2025 IFA who signed without a reported bonus, the odds of him escaping the DSL after a single year was remote. These are the dart throws among dart throws, and kicking him further down is that he’s a catcher who didn’t get full run at the position – he also played a good deal of 1B. However, he truly feasted on fastballs last year – enough that he’s now slated to play in the FCL this year. A success! Now let’s talk about some foibles. He has the approach to swing out of his shoes at everything in the zone with the goal of pull side elevation – there is not much reservation in his swing at all, and he does use his lower half well within that approach. He was quite successful, smacking 20 XBH in 45 games, including 7 HR. It’s a great mark for a guy as unheralded as he. There’s even a bit of approach in his game. Sure, he’s naturally aggressive, but when he takes well-meaning ridiculous hacks it’s usually at pitches in the zone. However, his ability to adapt to breaking pitches is not good. That’s where almost all of his chase lies, with quite a bit of zone whiff as well. I didn’t see him make meaningful contact with a single breaking pitch – as soon as he sees it coming he goes into survival mode. That’s where he most needs to improve, or else he will not make it out of the low minors. His defense behind the plate seemed fine from what I could tell. It’s encouraging that he managed to throw out a league-average number of runners considering that his body has more development to gain than prospects of a similar age. It would behoove him to stick at catcher. He’s only 5’11” and doesn’t likely have enough athleticism for anywhere else but 1B. But will the Phillies give him that opportunity? I think, as long as he’s showing progress at the plate with breaking pitches, he’s an absolutely worthwhile prospect with a potentially significant power ceiling. The rest remains to be seen. He’s an obvious Tier None name – I don’t think the way I’ve framed this writeup says he’s anything more, but he does have some hobby upside that we could see down the line. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nKehden Hettiger (C, 21)\nHettiger was an 11th Round prep catcher taken in 2023, but his talent and 400k bonus indicates that at the time, he was valued at more like a 5th Round pick. Still, “5th Round prep catcher” isn’t exactly something you want to read about a prospect who you haven’t heard much from 3 years later. Indeed, it has been a quiet development for Hettiger. He’s mostly stuck at catcher with some 1B sprinkled in, which is fine considering he has a fairly lean 6’1” frame. He’s also shot up to AA at age 21, mostly due to his progress on the defensive side. He has an above average arm to go with what seems like the ceiling of an above average blocking and receiving skillset. If he keeps developing organically as he is, it’s likely that he has the floor of becoming a journeyman backup catcher who bounces to several organizations without a trade of significance. Is that oddly specific? I don’t think so – but if you think I’m subtly talking about a specific guy – sure. Him. Anyhow, Hettiger has work to do on the offensive side all around. He knows the strike zone very well and isn’t prone to chase. He’s posted a double digit BB% at every stop in his journey. This is a definite positive for a guy who doesn’t turn 22 for a few weeks after release. He also definitely has some pull-side juice, and when he connects well on fly balls to the opposite field they tend to go far as well. And hey, there are a lot of elevated balls in his profile too! You can see the starter kit of a player who has some decent offensive potential here. The problem is that he often does not engage his lower half well, and never had. Many of his fly balls are cans of corn, and even his line drives have never yielded a high BABIP. His career average is just .208, and that’s not a mark that has improved much as he’s progressed. I said he knows the zone well, but he also misses on a lot of pitches in the zone, despite usually employing a fairly simple, contact oriented swing. He’s just not a player we can hang our hat on developing any tools on the offensive side that we can call fringe-average. I see why Topps included him in the product, and there’s still a faint hope that he ends up as an MLB starter. But he’s very clearly near the bottom of Tier None. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 4, Ceiling: 3 (Both)\n\n## Pittsburgh Pirates\n\n**Tier 1**\n\nEdward Florentino (OF, 19)\nGenerally speaking, if a guy's middle name is \"Adonis\" you point and laugh, thinking \"that's a high bar to hit! Being like Adonis!\". But, in a sort of \"Chuck Norris Joke\" postmortem tribute to Chuck, Adonis only wishes he could impact a baseball game like Edward Adonis Florentino. As is seemingly tradition with many IFA guys who fly to the top of prospect lists, Florentino wasn't at the top of any major rankings and signed with the Pirates for a relatively paltry $395,000 in the 2024 period. He's reported to stand at both 6'3\" and 6'4\" 200 pounds, with all the weight being \"good\". He was good but not ridiculous in the DSL in 2024- he posted an .891 OPS off a .260 batting average, blasted 5 homers and had a 38:36 BB:K ratio with 8 stolen bags. Like I said- obviously a good line and one that boosted his profile a bit, but nobody could have predicted the jump he took in 2025. Florentino kicked off the year at the Florida Complex level for the Pirates and made a joke out of the competition in 29 games, posting a 1.084 OPS with 6 homers and 6 steals. With nothing left to prove there, he was pushed to finish the year at Low-A Bradenton, where the stats _technically_ dipped, but were still very impressive- the 18 year old Florentino posted an OPS of .883 in 54 games, cracking 10 homers and stealing 29 bags. The K rate rose a little bit, but he was still drawing tons of walks and making high quality contact. He had a bit of a late start to the 2026 season with some minor nagging injuries, but as of this writing (4/27) he's gone fully nuclear in Low-A, posting a 1.258 in 7 games with a pair of homers and a trio of doubles to go with a steal and 10 walks. The jury is out in terms of a long term defensive home, but it seems there's more optimism now that he can play a solid corner OF spot and not be relegated to first base, at least for the time being. He already posts crazy exit velo readings and will only get stronger over the next couple years, and I would honestly bet that he's in High-A by the time this article hits the press in a couple weeks. (Editor's note: Yep, he is in High-A.) He's got the potential to be a true monster in the 2 spot of a lineup for years to come. I do want to ensure that we are all on the same page here- being on the Pirates is not a knock for hobby value, as proven by Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin. If you're this good, the market will exist regardless of what organization you're in, and I have zero hesitation calling Florentino the best player in this product, and I don't think anyone could reasonably be considered as a challenger to that throne right now. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 10 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nWyatt Sanford (SS, 20)\nSanford was a 2nd Round pick in 2024, signing for an overslot $2.5 MM that kept him from the campus at Texas A&M. Converse to the the first prep the Pirates took that year, Sanford was slow-rolled, beginning the year at the Complex before earning his promotion to Low-A in early June. In total it was a mixed bag. First, he showed that he can play a solid SS, and whether he sticks there or eventually moves to 2B (he’s slightly undersized for the position), there’s a high defensive ceiling. He also showed that his average-or-better speed will absolutely play on the bases. He used it to great effect as he stole 34 bases total, and had several bunt hits in key moments. He even showed flashes of power, but I think that’s just a show of potential rather than a definite projection. His swing is really built for all-fields slashing. The thing is, he just didn’t execute with much frequency, and there’s no anomalies in his batted ball profile to point to where there’s an easy adjustment to be made either. He only had a 24.5 XBH%. He only ran a .302 BABIP. His GB% was under 50%. Put it all together, and there’s nothing to indicate that there’s any type of offensive breakout coming soon. I think he’s just going to be a slower burn to maturity. However, he was promoted to High-A to begin 2026. That’s a great sign that the Pirates have faith in how far he’s come altogether, more likely so on the defensive side. At maturity, I think we can expect a player who will grow into better contact quality – and with just a slight improvement in contact rate, we’re looking at a player who can control the zone well and be a real threat in the 2 hole. It’s too early to make a call on his power ceiling – as I said, there’s just not enough there right now, but there is a good level of ferocity in his swing. Were he in products in 2024 Draft or even 2025 Bowman, there would be more hobby interest in him. But I’m willing to buy into that hypothetical dip. The bones of the player that was drafted in the 2nd Round are definitely there – his development is still just a bit of a dart throw. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nBrent Iredale (3B, 22)\nA 2025 7th Round pick, Iredale is an Aussie who came stateside to play JuCo ball, then transferred to Arkansas for his Junior season. He served as their everyday 3B, but he hit near the bottom of their lineup because that team featured hitters with a lot more polish. Iredale is still that raw hitter this year, and turns 23 before the season ends. It’s not a great hobby context to come into. His main issue is zone whiff, because his swing has quite a bit of an uppercut. Still, when he catches the barrel, especially up in the zone, the ball really explodes off his bat – there’s great raw power. Possessing longer limbs for his stature, he sets his hand low and lets his bat speed and the natural levers in his 6’1” frame do their thing. He also has a good approach at the plate – there’s every indication that he’ll run a BB% over 10 as he progresses. It’s just this zone whiff thing that’s a huge issue. There are other flaws in his profile such as the likelihood that he moves to 1B in time, and that he’s a zero on the bases. But it will all be fine as long as he’s making enough contact. But “enough contact” is a bit of a moving target. He hasn’t established himself as a huge power bat. It’s definitely above-average (at least raw), but is that good enough to make a 70% contact rate play? With his defensive limitations, I would say probably not. Of recent names, a positive 1-year outlook comparison would be Sean Keys. If he’s hitting those power benchmarks a year from now, he’s probably on the right track. But even Keys wasn't much of a hobby name before this season, so to start, Iredale is squarely in Tier None. I think we need to see it before we commit any of our hobby dollars, because even if we do see it there’s risk. Iredale played at Low-A and started back there this year – this should be a test that’s on the easy side for him, but so far it’s not going well in a small sample. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\nJared Jones (1B, 22)\nJones being in this product is coinciding with the Pirates pitcher of the same name going on rehab assignments in his return an internal brace procedure – should be fun, right? Well, unfortunately one is more fun than the other, and it’s not the hitter. Jones certainly has some fun power. But as far as accessing it in a way that’s palatable for game context? It just hasn’t happened. He was passed on by teams as a prep despite them knowing he had big power, and then he was passed on teams after his draft eligible Sophomore season at LSU despite showing big power on that big stage. He then slipped pretty far last year as well – this was almost a St. Peter situation – but the Bucs grabbed him in the 9th Round and signed him for slot money. He’s quite a poor athlete in terms of speed and mobility – as expected considering his 6’5” 246 lbs frame. 1B is his long-term and present home, but he also may end up as a DH-only bat. As I said, we’re here for the power. But even at LSU his contact rate was poor, and with his mid-20’s K% backing that up, nothing has not translated well at all to pro ball yet. He’s given you two versions of himself thus far at High-A (both very limited samples). First, when played last year he did show power – 4 HR in 15 games – but it came with an atrocious 57 contact%, a 44 K%, and a .160 average. Then this year, he came back to the same level with an adjustment – his hands begin about 4-6 inches lower than in previous in his setup. It’s allowed him to make more contact (still below average) and have more success at the plate, but he’s also no longer elevating at all – it’s a sub 20 FB% in the early going. For a guy who plays a position where power needs to show, in total it’s a pretty bad start to his career. This just shows he deserves to be treated as the 9th Round pick that he was. He’s a dart throw. It seems odd to say that for a guy who hit 64 HR for one of the most prestigious baseball programs in the country, but it’s true. Perhaps we should allow ourselves a little bit more grace as he settles into this new setup to see if he can find power with it while maintaining the batted ball gains? I don’t know though. The drumbeats are bad, and he certainly isn’t a dynamic talent. The LSU fans will be out for Jones, but there won’t be much more interest than that. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\n## SanDiego Padres\n\n**Tier None**\n\nMiguel Mendez (RHP, 23)\nWe at Prospects Live have Mendez as the Padres’ #1 prospect – he’s as low as #4 elsewhere, but he is as legitimate as they come as a real-life prospect. A 2021 IFA, he’s been in the system for quite awhile, and his performance ticked up so much last year that the Padres found it necessary to add him to the 40-man roster to avoid exposure to the Rule V Draft. He’s a lanky 6’2” with explosive stuff on the mound. Though the finish in his delivery is a violent one, there’s not really a ton of effort in total coming from his standard three-quarters delivery. But man can he ever bring the heat. He generally works in the mid-90’s, but has been up to 99 with his fastball that features great carry up in the zone, but he also works with it down in the zone to complement his slider. That slider is something that he modulates – he can make it have more downward break in the mid-80’s, or turn it into more of a cutter-ish offering in the high-80’s. Either way, the fastball / slider is a nice pair - both have plus potential. He also features a change-up that’s a bit firm, but gets the job done against lefties. He was fantastic in High-A last year where he pitched the bulk of his innings. There were a few minor command issues, but he posted a solid K% (28.6) while doing a great job of limiting hard contact (.275 SLG allowed). However, when he got promoted to AA, his command fell off quite a bit – it wasn’t a matter of strike-throwing in total or a lack of willingness to attack the zone though, so there’s hope he can clean it up to the point of getting back to fringy command. The early returns this year were promising to that end, but then was placed on the IL with what was called a minor neck strain. He still has a shot to get to San Diego by the end of the year. But just keep in mind that hobby-wise, there are a few negatives. He will certainly already be 24 (on July 1) when he debuts. He has less than 40 innings in the upper levels, and hasn’t quite shown enough to say he’s more than a back-end arm. His command will need to tick up more squarely to average to escape it, and that path is through a few years of big-league or AAA experience, not development in the next few months. So as a prospect, I don’t think he'll ever feel like a finished product – think Adrian Morejon – and isn’t likely to have the type of spikes we like to see. So, even as one of the organization’s top prospects, I can’t see him garnering much hobby hype. He’s near the top of Tier None, and without an autograph in this release. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\nTruitt Madonna (C, 19)\nMadonna is one of those guys who was almost entirely under-the-radar before the Draft season last year. There’s no long track record of showcase circuits or video from his high school in Washington, but he did play in the MLB Draft League, where lots of scouts saw him to see if they wanted to sign him away from his UCLA commitment. The Padres’ took him as their first post-10th Round Pick last year, signing for a robust $645k – their only post-10th Rounder that required remaining bonus pool funds. At 6’2” 215 lbs he is physically mature and doesn’t look at all like your typical 19 year old. It is indeed power that’s his most interesting trait for the hobby we can hope to see, and it definitely showed in Draft League where he knocked out 2 HR in his 12 games. But he’s definitely an across-the-board project. As an amateur he had a lower set to his hands with a big hitch back, but this year that seems to have changed to an above-the-hands set with more of a drift down to position. It hasn’t been successful just yet, but I think it was a smart move for him long-term, as this is more fluid and lets him flow into his swing. It’s a swing that’s extremely reliant on the strength in his hands and upper body. Even with the good bat speed he currently has, he’ll definitely need to learn how to better use his lower half in order to improve the consistency of quality contact. Don’t bother looking at his offensive numbers right now. He’s very raw – not anything like what he’ll need to grow into. This is a player better looked at in monthly snapshots than watching game-by-game trends. Unfortunately his defense behind the plate is also quite poor right now – but with everything lagging at the same level there’s no reason to move him off the position so soon. He’s going to be a slow mover, but with clear power in tow, youth, and ability to play a valuable position, he’s not a complete zero. It may seem like I have his ceiling a tick low here, but for a player of this station, panning out as a backup catcher is a positive outcome – that’s all we have to go on right now. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\nJorge Quintana (SS, 20)\nQuintana was the Brewers’ #1 IFA back in 2024, signing for $1.7 MM. Unlike his 2024 IFA classmates (it’s not even fair to say their names – they are the anomaly, Quintana is closer to the norm), his development didn’t have a particularly strong beginning. Like a lot of IFA of his ilk who have promise but lacking performance, he was dangled as trade bait for the contending Brewers last year, and taken in the deal that sent Brandon Lockridge to Milwaukee. Hey, that makes him a top 10 prospect in the Padres system! What stands out to me about Quintana is that he really has not learned how to use his levers yet. He swings like an awkward teenager who just went through a growth spurt – it’s just general rawness, and there’s still hope that he grows out of it. Right now there’s a lot of ground balls and whiff, but also some excellent bat speed and want to do damage – raw power was one of the main reasons he got that bonus. I don’t have any issues with his swing or setup – it’s all on the mental side with him of how and when to swing that’s the issue. Of course, these things aren’t learned all that easily, and as he’s not a hyper aggressive swinger already, there’s some flags that perhaps he’s just not going to be able to pick it. Up. But he only just turned 20. And he’s got all the physical attributes you want on defense at SS, so there’s no fear of a flameout before the end of 2027. We should definitely have a longer track record and better gauge on if he’s improving by then. His speed isn’t great, but he is aggressive on the bases, and he has the body type where that attribute can tick up with more development. Quintana is a high-variance, high-ceiling prospect who’s in a lynchpin development year. He’s never done it, but if he performs this year he’ll definitely be a Tier Three name – he is young enough that being a good performer in Low-A is significant. He should be monitored closely this year. If it looks like his plate skills are improving, even if the bottom line doesn’t show it, watch out – he could rise quickly. If he does this ceiling rank could be low. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n## San Francisco Giants\n\n**Tier None**\n\nParks Harber (1B, 24)\nHarber went undrafted as a collegiate senior in 2024 but signed with the Yankees, and a year later was a key piece of the Camilo Doval trade between the Giants and Yankees. He had previously played 3 years at Georgia before transferring to UNC his 4th year. There really is not much to talk about his defense other than he has a fairly average arm, which likely means he will see less time at 3B or OF, and more at 1B – a move that the Giants tipped their hat to when he mostly played there in the AFL. Now let’s get into the fun part, and why we collect – his bat. On paper Harber looks like a no brainer prospect to start collecting. He put up a very fun .323 BA with an ISO of .227, along with a .403 BABIP. Now we start to pick that apart – while he was mostly healthy, he still missed a month due to injury. That trend of getting hurt plagued him in high school as well as college. That super-high BABIP as well as his position are also potential red flags for the hobby. I’ll admit as I studied him all I saw were red flags, but as I began to write this out, and looking at his numbers again Harber is definitely a sneaky deep sleeper even though he does not have any autos in his Bowman debut. The BABIP is sexy, but true power hitters usually have low BABIPs because they are fly ball hitters – BABIP obviously doesn’t include HR. Harber’s BABIP though is out of this world. This means he is generating a ton of bat speed, seeing the ball really well, and hitting a lot of line drives. Seems fine, but his homeruns don’t jump off the page like the rest of his numbers do. This is because he doesn’t generate a lot of lift. He has a ton of exit velo but his launch angles are awful. Now that being said this is something that could be corrected. As soon as, or if, the Giants staff makes this adjustment Harber could be a home run machine. His latest tracked performance numbers in the AFL are just a microcosmic view of his career numbers, but there’s no indication he’s begun to elevate yet. At the hitter’s paradise called the AFL, Harber had 60 ABs with a .383 BA, an unheard of .513 OBP, and an OPS of 1.196. Flipping back to the negative, Harber is 24 and hasn't seen a pitch in AA, plus he is on the IL once again. We’re coming to a head rather quickly here on a high-variance outcome. With a successful swing change he could hit 40+ HRs a year. But that hasn’t happened yet, and until it does he’s among the Troy Johnstons of the world as a positive outcome. If he does have a successful swing change, this ceiling assessment is low – we just can't predict that. This is the kind of player that Billy Beane would dream about, and I guarantee would go after if he was still a GM. I admit I not only want him to reach the majors, but I want him as a Red Sox, purely so I can hear the fans say his name, which was tailor made for the accent. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\nJean Carlos Sio (2B, 23)\nSio signed out of Cuba for 90k when he was 18 back in 2022. He has steadily moved up the Giants’ farm system over the years, but that's about the only positives he had going for him from a hobby perspective. In 4 years he progressed from the DSL to being assigned to AA this year (he’s currently injured though). His swing relies on him uncorking his body at just the right time to make solid contact. And by that I mean, he holds his bat parallel to the ground with his hands high above his head and does not drop them before delivering a long swing that seeks to somehow find the barrel. I don’t understand how, but he’s managed a strong contact rate through it all – but man has there ever always been issues with quality contact. His ISO has never exceeded .120 in any season. His 5’10 frame is not going to get bigger as he is now 23. After he got to High-A last year his K rate increased and his walks decreased by a considerable amount in a 122 AB sample – never a good sign. He can play a lot of positions which makes him valuable to the club, as he drew 5 or more starts at 2B, SS, 3B, LF, and RF last year. He is clearly more comfortable at 2B, as he made twice as many errors at 3B and SS than he did at 2B. I can see him being a utility defensive sub if he continues his march to the big leagues. From a hobby perspective though, there just isn’t much there to hang your hat on. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\nCarlos Gutierrez (OF, 21)\n\nGutierrez is a Mexican IFA who signed in 2023 for a minimal bonus, but his performance has outstripped that by a wide margin. He did sign a year late, as an 18 year old. But at 5’9”, it’s not like he was going to be a quick ascender anyway, so he didn’t really lose any development time. He’s listed at 180lbs – that’s a lot for a shorter player like this – and it’s all muscle. His shoulders especially are extremely well built. That hasn’t really helped him get to power, but it has helped him have impeccable barrel control. He does not look to drive the ball to the pull side – everything is up the middle, unless he has to swat it to pull or stay back and flip it to left. But he is looking for impact with his swing – slap-and-dash is an ancillary feature of his considerable plate skills. He had an OBP over .440, with the kicker of a contact% over 80 last year, which is on the trend line from his previous development. His main problem is that he’s never had a fully healthy year – although this year that remains a possibility. Last year was his most significant amount of PA, where he got into 60 games before his season ended in June. But it’s been enough for him to earn promotions. There has been no stagnation at any level, and the early returns this year in High-A are promising. I’m fairly certain Gutierrez’s hit tool projection is above average. Considering his speed is also enough to be a threat on the bases, it’s enough to garner hobby interest. His HR potential is really only 10-15 – but that’ll play as far as I’m concerned. He is strictly a corner OF – his speed isn’t truly plus and his stature doesn’t help – but I think it’ll be just fine if we’re treating him like a LF. This isn’t a high-ceiling prospect, but I think the skillset could ultimately lead to Gutierrez being a 2-hole, MLB regular type of hitter. I can’t get him out of Tier None, but I would recommend him to anyone looking for a fun, safe player with a little upside lying in if his hit tool ends up even better than I think. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nAngel Guzman (OF, 20)\nEvery now and then Topps sneaks a nice paper-only autograph subject into this release, like Brian Woo. Those days appear to be behind us, as they’ve gone to model heavier on top prospects with their paper subjects. Guzman is the only paper-only autograph subject with a 1st Bowman and, uh, well, read on. Guzman was a minor Dominican IFA back in 2023, signing for just $67k. He spent two years in the DSL, with modest improvement from the first to the second. Last year he came stateside, where he was an average performer at the Complex level. Much of the positive in that comes from getting on base a lot – he’s fairly passive at the plate. I don’t see much prescriptive within that to project his hit tool as more than fringe-average at best. His power potential is fine, as he does certainly swing with authority, uses his lower half well, and doesn’t have issues elevating. But there’s a lot of disconnection between his upper and lower halves in his swing, and that swing is inconsistent. He opens up too early or doesn’t keep his front half firm, and likely other things that I couldn't catch in the very limited video I had to work with. No one is really interested in taking video of this guy. He does not have good contact-ability, and it’s really easy to see why with those inconsistencies. He’s moved more and more to being a 1B prospect after previously playing the OF. His body doesn’t really play well to that, as he’s 5’11” and on the compact side for his frame. He also carries around a bit of bad weight. There’s not much to be interested here, and you won’t have to worry about him popping up in hobby SKU’s. In retail, he’s on the very lowest tier of names even amongst all the non-1st prospects. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 2 (Paper Auto Only)\n\nKeyner Martinez (RHP, 21)\nHobby-wise, I don’t know about this one. He ticks all the wrong boxes – older for the level, relief risk, low innings buildup. But that’s only hobby-wise. He’s a good real -life prospect, but it’s pretty clear he’s going to be one to develop on the slow side. An IFA, Martinez didn’t sign until he was almost 19, signing in July 2023, and didn’t make his pro debut until the next year. That DSL showing was 19 games, all as a reliever. But in 2025 he really broke through last year in the Complex, winning the organization’s pitcher of the year award for the level before finishing the year with 22 innings at Low-A, which was also good. But I want to move beyond that. He’s 6’1” and pitches with a standard three quarters delivery – a fine frame. This winter, it appears that he’s worked on lengthening what was previously a short arm delivery. Previously, I’d be telling you about how worried about relief I was and how high effort it looks – but these changes give me some hope. He looks more fluid now. The results have been…a lot of walks, but we can absolutely give him some grace with that if it’s with a longer-term goal in mind. The first feature of his mix is a fastball that’s into the mid-90’s with plenty of horizontal run. That plays up because his slider moves in the opposite direction. It’s a two-plane wipeout offering that breaks so much he has trouble commanding it. He also has an emergent changeup that features above average armside fade. Again though, commanding it is a bit of an issue. Altogether it’s good stuff with a developing mix. Developing is the key(ner) there though. As a guy who's already 21 in Low-A, we want more than just “coming along”. We want dominance at the level, which he’s just not at present – be it fair or not. This hobby is brutal for older pitchers unless they’re really shoving. He’s clearly a high-risk Tier None name. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\nArgenis Cayama (RHP, 19)\nCayama is a Venezuelan who signed for $150k in 2024 – that’s a solid number for an international pitcher. He’s done nothing but prove that it was a steal since then, but he remains quite a raw product. He’s made it to Low-A as a teen and has had a decent start to the season though – so there is some significant progress. He’s only 6’0”, but he has a broad shouldered frame that should hold up, and has some physical projection remaining. He also has a fairly easy delivery from his three quarters slot, but it’s not without deception. He holds the ball low for a long time before he comes home, so he can be on the difficult side to pick the ball up out of his hand. He throws two different fastballs in the 92-95 MPH range – a sinker and a four seam. The sinker is the better of the two right now, as it does its job of running into righties and inducing weak contact. At its best the four-seam has good ride up in the zone, but it lacks consistency in shape and he uses it too often down in the zone to set up his offspeed. It’s quite hittable down there. His slider is quite interesting. It features a good amount of downward gyro-like break and generates a good deal of his swing and miss. In the game I watched he gave up a HR on the first pitch of the game to Joendry Vargas off of that four seam, only to get him to chase on three consecutive sliders his next AB. Any guess what that second pitch in the first AB would have been? So…he’s still learning to sequence. He also has a changeup that at its best has some nasty saucer-like movement. But again, it’s quite inconsistent in shape. His control is completely fine for his age, and in fact, in his first four appearances this year has only walked one hitter in 17.2 innings. But…he’s also given up 20 hits and lots of hard contact. His command as a whole has a long way to go. The peak of who is though, is what we should be looking at. There’s clearly nasty stuff, remaining projection, and the hop that his command grows to be average or better. Being a MLB mid-rotation starter is squarely on the table. He just has a bit of a road to walk and a door to knock down before he gets to that table. He’s Tier None for now until he develops more consistency, but there is also considerable upside. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 6 (Base Only)\n\n## Seattle Mariners\n\n**Tier None**\n\nRicardo Cova (SS, 21)\nListed at 5’9”, Cova is a really small player who, as you’d might expect, has a short, quick stroke. He’s also listed at 145 lbs, which is laughable – that was 3 years of the weight room and more than a few sandwiches ago. The added strength has allowed him to swing with confidence and ferocity. He uses all fields and manipulates the barrel well enough to say there is some juice when he drives it. However, he’s also aggressive at the plate, and swings and misses much more than you’d think for a player of his stature and swing type. He uses a high leg kick in his setup and he waggles that bat all the way up to the point where he swings – there’s a lot of wasted energy. His contact rates and general quality of contact have routinely run at just about average. Not what we want given the totality of his offensive profile. Defensively, gone are the days of his playing SS. Not all the weight he’s gained has been good, – it’s affected his range more than his speed, and he mostly played LF last year. He still saw some time in the infield but he’s just not a positive defensive asset. At almost 22, he’s been around for awhile. It was two years of DSL, followed by a full year in the Complex, then a split Complex/Low-A and last year at Low-A. This year he’s returning to Low-A – the team is telling us the quiet thing out loud. Cova is an organizational filler at this point. They could have chosen to challenge him at a higher level – his bottom line wasn’t bad. But there’s clearly no carrying tool to propel him much higher, and that leaves him with great risk of washing out of organized ball in the next 18 months. I don’t know where the upside is with Cova. Hopefully he’ll answer that question and prove me wrong. To me, he’s certainly one to avoid for the hobby. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 3, Ceiling: 3 (Both)\n\n## St. Louis Cardinals\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nDeniel Ortiz (3B, 21)\nOrtiz signed for 200k after being selected in the 16th Round of the 2024 Draft. The Cardinals have a good track record of finding diamonds in the rough at the JuCo level, and Ortiz seems like he could be another. Deniel has a big build – he’s a hulking 6’1” 230 lbs. You could say he has a swing that matches that body type – it’s big. But it’s also compact and smooth, with little extra movement in his setup – it allows him to easily generate good exit velo (last year he got to 110). When the Cardinals promoted him to High-A, it appears he promoted his plate discipline too, which has been a criticism in the past. His K% dropped from 27.5% to 22.3% when he went from A to A+. His contact rate also increased slightly from 71.3% to 72.8%. Though it was only a third of his total AB’s, it was still 130, a number significant enough to believe in. The Cardinals certainly did, and promoted him to AA to begin the year. I point all of this out because Deniel has some attractive hobby numbers. If he continues to produce in AA and AAA like he did in the low minors, it could get collectors excited. Because he hits the ball so hard, his BABIP in Low-A was a very nice .386. But the increase to .436 in AA is just absurd – that’s an indicator that he was just fantastic at finding the barrel with ideal launch angle. We even have supporting evidence of a 29.7 LD%. Of course, there are some significant negatives in his profile. He plays 3B and has a strong arm and good range, but because he doesn’t read grounders particularly well it’s possible he gets moved to 1B or even DH. He already spent roughly half his time at 1B last year. That would be a strike against him from the hobby. He’s also currently injured, going down to a wrist injury in the first game of the season. But what I love about this big bodied 3B, with some pop in his swing, is that this guy can steal bases too. In Low-A he swiped 31 bags, only getting thrown out 3 times! High-A wasn't as kind – 14 attempts, getting caught 6 times – this is probably closer to what we should expect. He’s not fast, he just has a knack for being aggressive on the bases. I like this guy. If he can continue to produce in AA like he did in High-A, I think he will easily be a hobby darling. This is easily a 20/20 ceiling in the MLB. But with the way he’s most recently improved, that HR ceiling may even be ticking closer to 30. A clear Tier Three name. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nKenly Hunter (OF, 18)\nHunter is 2025 IFA who signed for 700k and just turned 18. Unless Freddy Zamora or Ismael Munguia get called up, he could be the first Nicaragua-born position player to appear in the majors since Cheslor Cuthbert in 2015. Did I research that just to type interesting-sounding names? Yep. Hunter is about as far as you can get from the majors, as he was only in the DSL last year. But hey, at least it was a good year. He put up a fantastic contact rate while hitting .314 and stealing 25 bases in 37 games, which was enough to earn a promotion to the Complex League this year. After being signed as a SS, he played exclusively CF, because it’s really clear that his carrying tool will be speed. His hit tool could be a major asset as well, but currently he doesn’t hit with much impact at all (just 20% XBH with 0 HR) and when he goes to the opposite field, it’s just because he put the bat on the ball with no real intent for damage. He’s also fairly underdeveloped, which is a good thing to know considering the near-zero power. Still, his swing plane at present is fairly flat, and it seems like he’s just trying to rip liners to center and the pull side. The best exit velocity numbers that I saw were almost triple digits, which gives him projection for some power – but don’t expect it to be idealized launch angle in the near future. The speed though – the speed is what I saw first and foremost. He’s an aggressive runner who didn’t hesitate to take the extra base when he saw a bobble in the outfield. He made going to second after singling with a throw home on a scoring runner look extremely easy. He was only caught stealing twice. So. Buy for the speed, stay for the hit and moderate power projection. That’s the hope anyway. There’s too much risk remaining to get him into Tier Three and his ceiling doesn’t seem like a great one for the hobby. But floor? Sure, it’s as high as it can get for a player in his very early stages of development. He should be cheap, and worthy of a flyer for me. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n## Tampa Bay Rays\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nDaniel Pierce (SS, 19)\nPierce hit his stride as a prep just in time to be a big riser in the 2025 Draft, where the Rays nabbed him with the 14th overall pick and signed him for $4.31 MM, which was $1 MM underslot. He showed a level of polish in all areas of his game and is quite projectable in all areas, but nothing truly loud just yet. He doesn’t compare favorably to Billy Carlson’s defense or Steele Hall’s speed or Ethan Holliday’s power, but he does have at least one element (different for each player) stronger than each of them – it’s the same reason that had Eli Willits drafted #1 overall, although Pierce’s hit tool is less of a sure thing. Let’s start with that. Pierce is a strong, wiry hitter in the box who's got a lot of great natural bat speed and fantastic ability to drive the ball hard to all fields. It would be a really smooth swing, if not for one thing. He hitches his hands back. It doesn’t quite get to an arm bar, but it’s close, and it makes his swing a bit more stiff than it should. If I’m picking that out this easily, then it’s surely something that Rays’ coaches are working with him on. But it was still there in the early going this year when he used all that bat speed to pull his first professional HR to left field with just a little effort. He then continued with two more HR in the same fashion in the next few games – it’s not going to be super hard for him at the Low-A level. I think his power at this juncture in his development will come with opportunistic swings, as he did here. He’s not going to go out and hit 20 HR this year. But that’s certainly in his future realm of possibilities. He possesses at least above average speed, which translates both on the bases and in the field. He’s a sure defender at SS – there’s no reason to think he’ll move off the position anytime soon. I picked out that one flaw in his swing, but it’s also possible that he needn’t correct it. He could just grow into getting away with it as his body matures – I’m picking nits. There’s honestly nothing to dislike about Pierce from a hobby perspective, but there’s also no surefire ceiling. He’s much more than a dart throw but also doesn’t have that tool we care about we know we can count on as he matures. He’s solidly in Tier Two, but not close to Tier One at this juncture._- Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nJose Urbina (P, 20)\nUrbina is a Venezuelan who signed in January 2023 for $210k – a bonus of significance for an IFA pitcher. He stumbled his way through the DSL and Complex with inconsistent results, but he really found something last year and was one of best pitchers in the Carolina League – doing so at age 19. At 6’3” with a loose, easy delivery, broad shoulders, and a fastball that I saw get up to 98, there’s a lot of potential here and likely more projection in the tank. He’s still learning exactly how to mix his pitches, but the stuff is excellent, and so far, he’s shown better control than many of his peers. In addition to that premium fastball velocity, it also explodes with late life. For offspeed, he throws a slower curve as an early-count weapon then later in counts, spins up a bullet-slider with some nice vertical break in the high-80’s. I also saw him tighten up the break in that pitch up to keep it harder as a weapon up in the zone – I’m not 100% sure that’s what it was, but it didn’t look much like a cutter, nor has he reportedly thrown one. He does also feature a change-up that’s further behind in development. We can be pretty liberal about what his mix is exactly at his point, as it’s still in development. Earlier I used the phrase ‘control’ – it’s a broader, less useful word than command, and in his case it hurts him because he’s not willing to throw the ball far enough outside the zone to get whiff when he should. He will learn that he can do that, and with the gains he showed last year there’s hope he can do it rather quickly. While Urbina is years from the majors and we’re not exactly sure what his ceiling is, it seems rather high at present. All he needs is development, and the Rays are great with that. There will be growing pains as he continues to mature both physically and with his pitchability, but I’m a believer that his ceiling is at least a mid-rotation SP, perhaps higher. He’s begun 2026 with two stinkers in High-A – ebbs like this should be expected. If you don’t have the stomach for it that’s fine; that just means more for me. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nJames Quinn-Irons (OF, 22)\nQuinn-Irons was taken in the 5th Round last year, and signed for right around slot money. He flat-out dominated at George Mason in his Junior season. We don’t need to get into the weeds on Atlantic-10 conference stats but it was an OPS of 1.258. More importantly, he showed signs of leveling up his game significantly. At 6’5” with a swing with a lot of ferocity but equal stiffness, his biggest question has always been his hit tool. But last year at GMU he slashed his K% by over 10, and a higher percentage of those balls in play were with higher contact quality. I’m dancing around the word “power” there on purpose. While it’s clear he has some and has shown some, it’s hard to see him accessing it with regularity. He doesn’t truly have an all-fields approach. A righty, he’ll opportunistically flip liners to the opposite field, but he doesn’t really drive it there, and more often rolls over. Pitchers are going to quickly learn to pitch to that type of contact. The changes he made seem legit as far as making contact, but the question still very much remains of how he’s going to apply it to his hit tool in total. Whew – that felt like a bit of ramble. He’s a complicated player! His speed is not complicated though. It’s a tool that plays very well on the bases right now and he’ll likely remain a modest threat there, but as he fills out a little more it’s likely he ends up in a corner OF spot defensively. There is an immense range of outcomes for Quinn-Irons, and not much of a floor yet as he looks to establish himself at Low-A. That’s not a disappointing assignment for a collegiate player coming from where he came from – it just is what it is. Hobby-wise, he’s easily Tier None at this juncture. The high-risk, unclear ceiling collegiate archetype isn’t one that the hobby dives in on with so little pro experience, even if there is power potential. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\n## Teas Rangers\n\n**Tier 1**\n\nCaden Scarborough (RHP, 21)\nCaden Scarborough will be one of the top pitching prospects in the Minors by the end of the year, and he's the best pitcher in 2026 Bowman, even with a checklist loaded with talented arms. The newly minted 21 year old is a big mound presence at 6'5\" 185 pounds (obligatory \"room to fill out and be even more intimidating\") and the 2023 6th rounder out of high school in Florida is poised to follow up a breakout 2025 with hopes of raising his profile further in 2026. The bad? That potential raise in his profile is delayed because Scarborough was diagnosed with a melanoma in February after a trip to what I assume was the dermatologist. Not a doctor, don't play one on TV, but it seems as though it was caught before any long term/serious damage could be done. Trying to be delicate with an obviously serious topic, but it seems like he's going to be fine, just with a bit of a late start to the season. He was throwing bullpens in late March, so I'd imagine he debuts some time in Mid to Late May. Again, I'm sort of guessing here on a sensitive topic, so I don't want to give any sort of timetable. That is just about the only \"bad\" per se in the entirety of Scarborough's body of work thus far, and thankfully the melanoma seems to be behind him which is awesome, of course. Scarborough worked 88 innings in 2025, primarily in Low-A, and he was lights out between both levels. He posted a 2.45 ERA with 114 K's to just 21 BB's in those 88 innings, good for a sterling 0.88 WHIP. He kept the ball on the ground, struck out a ton of guys, and barely walked anyone. It's such an advanced approach for a young arm, and it's truly exciting to think what he will do with some more development and time to grow into his massive frame. As of now, the fastball sits in the low/mid 90's, so there is certainly reason to believe that will continue to tick up on an annual basis as it has to date. His slider is a total wipeout pitch, the change up is solid enough, and the command is very, very good. Perhaps the biggest part of Scarborough's success comes from his delivery- it is very weird, but in a good way and not a \"he can't replicate that or he's going to hurt himself doing that\" way. The ball is super hard to pick up out of his hand with elite deception, and the big fella obviously creates elite extension to make the heater play up. You'd love some more change up development or a passable fourth pitch, but that is pure nit-picking at a near flawless profile. He's got front line stuff, and as long as he stays healthy I think the only real debate is if he can go from a very good future profile to having legit ace potential. He might already, but I can't wait to see him in action in 2026 and see how he does back on the mound. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 9 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nDavid Davalillo (RHP, 24)\nDavid Davalillo has future lockdown closer written all over him. While that's certainly a valuable piece for the Rangers looking to the future, it isn't what you want to hear on a write up about Bowman value. The righty is still in AA and turns 25 in June- he got a very late start as a Pro, as his first professional campaign was in the DSL in 2022 when he was 20 years old. He pitched only 21.1 innings in 2023, but has been healthy and starting full time since the start of 2024 with excellent results. He racks up K's- more than 1 per inning in each of the past two seasons, and posted a 1.88 ERA in 2024 before posting a 2.44 in 2025. He's off to a bit rougher start in AA this year, with a 3.86 ERA across a small sample of 23.1 IP, but the strikeouts have gone completely off the charts. He's K'd 36 in those 23.1 frames. Another thing to like about Davalillo is his big time aversion to walks- he issued 60 free passes over 218.1 IP in 2024 and 2025. The walk rate is up in 2026, but again, small sample. He's done well to induce grounders and limit fly balls, and if he was 22 this is probably a much rosier write up. The other \"issue\" with Davalillo that points to the bullpen being in his future- he works primarily off of a devastating splitter, and I can't understate how good it is (54% whiff rate), and has a fastball that is just OK- it sits in the low-mid 90's without exciting peripherals. He does throw a bunch of pitches- 6, reportedly- but none really stand out as average or better. He's a smart pitcher who knows how to attack hitters, but I worry that the stuff and lack of a good fastball or true stand out third offering will make him vulnerable as a starter in the bigs when he sees a lineup a second and third time. He was the Rangers Organization Pitcher of the Year in 2025- no small feat with the breakout of Caden Scarborough- and I do really like the profile. It just screams closer, and unfortunately for us, that basically knocks him out of Bowman relevance. He'd probably be a firm Tier 2 guy if he was a couple years younger and we could hold out hope for some fastball/secondary development, but he's closer to a finished product at nearly 25, which is a bummer. Big fan of Davalillo, but his Hobby value should be approached with caution. One where I really hope I am wrong. - _Will Jarvis_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nSeong-Jun Kim (RHP, 19)\nIf it were not for Seujun Moon signing in the same 2025 period, Kim would have been the highest bonus Korean IFA since Ji-Hwan Bae 8 years earlier. It’s not really a trend for Korean high-schoolers to go the IFA route yet, but every few years there are a few that take up a good chunk of bonus pool money. Kim took $1.2 MM from the Rangers who committed to developing him as a two-way player. He only got into a total of four DSL games last year (3 as a hitter, 1 as a pitcher), and he’s in extended spring training to begin this year, so there’s nothing to glean from what he’s done as a pro thus far. He’s listed at 6’0”, but on the mound he looks smaller than that. While he has quite the athletic frame, which should help, his delivery has some visible effort in it, and command seemed like a challenge. He has a good mix of pitches, but at present there's nothing special if we’re holding him to elite American HS standards (FB is generally low-90’s, secondaries aren’t fully developed). At the plate there are a lot of moving parts to be eliminated as he matures. He starts with his bat vertical, then brings his leg in with a toe tap and at the same time wraps his bat around his head. Then he strides out from there in what looks to be a fairly normal, albeit a little bit stiff swing with good bat speed. There is some pull side pop at present, but largely it seems like he’ll be an all-fields slasher of some ilk. We’ll have to see how this all plays out at the Complex this year of course. While he is just an average runner at present, he does have good range, and due to his arm strength he is a good fit to be developed at SS. Kim is definitely just a dart throw, and one whose development will likely be slowed depending on how long he’s being deployed as a two-way talent. I skew towards him being better as a hitter, but that’s not a certainty. There is some ceiling here on either side of the ball, but exactly how high is complete guesswork. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 10, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nJack Wheeler (3B, 19)\nShhhh. Can I say shhhh when everyone’s going to read this? The Rangers’ overslot 6th Round $525k signee, Wheeler is a monster of a sleeper. And by sleeper, I mean we didn’t have him in our Top 400 draft prospects at Prospects Live. And by monster, I’m not just talking about his uber-athletic 6’5” frame that yielded collegiate football and basketball offers. I’m talking power. Real baseball game power. It’s similar to the way I wrote about fellow 2025 draftee Taitn Gray back in Bowman Draft. He’s not a switch hitter like Gray (and definitely much more raw considering what Gray has now done), but he does have a really simple, really strong swing that can put the ball over the fence with little effort. The same caveats apply – the big frame equates to likely issues with swing-and miss as a pro, and there are questions about Wheeler’s ability to pick up spin. A former pitcher as well, he has the arm to handle 3B, and that’s where the Rangers will start with him at the Complex League. If that doesn’t work, RF is also an option before he falls down the spectrum to 1B. His body is still filling out and maturing, which will help the power come to fruition even more, but we’ll have to see about everything else. All the variance in the world applies – I mean, one or more of the above is likely the reason he wasn’t immediately deployed to Low-A. This isn't a lengthy writeup where I I have a lot of empirical evidence to make my point. But the clear power potential has him in the back of Tier Three for me. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 10, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\n## Toronto Blue Jays\n\n**Tier 2**\n\nJuan Sanchez (3B, 18)\nI don’t want to be hyperbolic, so I’ll stick with a guy who’s only a year ahead of him in the development pipeline: Sanchez could be the next Edward Florentino. He hits all the same markers in terms of projection, including huge power upside. Sanchez is exactly what the Jays hoped they were getting when they signed him for just under $1 MM. I know we should be treating DSL stats with a grain of salt, but he had more XBH than any 2025 IFA and also hit .341. What’s more impressive to me is that he did this while posting a high-70’s contact rate. That’s the same mark Luis Pena hit in the DSL en route to making it where he is now as a prospect. But it’s really clear that hit won’t even be his best tool. Power is. He already has a lot of present strength, but he has a ways to go yet to say he has a truly maxed-out third baseman’s frame. He uses a very wide stance with his hands set high – at his head height. As the pitcher comes home he makes just a slight stride forward, sets his hands further back, and really loads into his front leg and uses all of that energy to power back into his hip without fear of overswinging. It’s a really smooth stroke with a ton of bat speed. He isn’t a pure all-fields hitter just yet. Obviously it didn’t affect him at all last year, nor should it really this year in Low-A. That bat speed is so good, and his stroke so fluid, that I don’t think pitchers at that level will get him to make weak contact too often. (Note: As of May 6 it is affecting him, but it's still a very small sample.) He also needs to make the strides that everyone of his age needs to against breaking pitches, and he could stand to be a hair less aggressive, but there’s absolutely no reason to knock him for those things. You can knock him for his glovework at 3B (and SS, but that won’t last), but again, he’s 18 and many strides can be made. His above average arm will have him developing at the hot corner for the foreseeable future, but if he needs to move to RF or 1B, that’d be just fine. At 6’3”, he’s a fit for either, but he may slow down too much for the OF at maturity. I spent a lot of time talking slightly negatively about a prospect I love, but that’s only to point out that he does not have a lot of polish just yet. He could absolutely rise quickly and debut in the majors at an early age. But he could also stall out against more advanced pitching. The dream is a 30+ HR bat with a good average, but there’s no real way to project that just yet. We can only point to early pipeline indicators and watch how they advance or regress. Sanchez is the definition of a Tier Two name. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 8 (Both)\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nSeojun Moon (RHP, 18)\n\nThe Blue Jays reserved $1.5 MM of their IFA pool to sign Moon last September, winning the bidding for him over the Mets and Dodgers. He’s a highly projectable 6’5” righty. Right now there’s a bit of effort in his delivery, but his mechanics are sound and that effort should be able to be toned down with added strength to his frame. By my brief look in a high school all-star game he has two fastballs, both of which he ran up 94. The sinker has immense promise with plenty of armside run. There’s a changeup that moves similarly to the sinker with a very nice 7 MPH velocity difference. But that’s all I really saw. He does have some kind of splitter or gyro slider as well, but I couldn’t get a good look at it. None of it is controlled particularly well at present, but the same could be said of many high school arms. And that’s how we should be treating Moon – no better or worse. Think of him as something like a 4rd Round overslot signee. That doesn’t really scream that he should be a hobby darling, but the Asian international market for players of this ilk is extremely strong. He’s the highest-bonus Korean IFA since Ji-Hwan Bae in 2018. That will speak volumes to how the hobby at large will treat him, and bumps up his It factor significantly._- Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 10, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\nBlaine Bullard (OF, 19)\nAfter he wasn’t taken in the first 10 Rounds of last year’s draft, pretty much all the pundits thought Bullard was headed to campus at Texas A&M. Little did anyone know that the Blue Jays had saved enough through drips and drabs in their previous picks to give Bullard $1.70 MM, a record for the 12th Round. We should absolutely not be treating him like a late round pick. His profile had risen significantly leading up to the draft, and he was widely viewed as a Top 150 talent. He was immediately deployed to Low-A Dunedin as well this year, a testament to how far they believe he has advanced even since drafting him. His speed and defense are not in question. The speed is at least plus, and in looking at the body composition of his 6’2” 180lbs it seems that’s more likely to tick up as his body matures. He’s also very good in the field and a lock to be developed as a CF for the next few years. His offensive skillset is a little less of a sure thing. He is a switch hitter, so he does have that versatility in his pocket, but in my look his swing looked much more polished from the left side. He holds his hands high in his setup and really drops the hammer with a sweet swing with good bat speed. It should generate loads of low, line drive contact. His hands being so high is a bit excessive, and something he should likely tone down as he adds strength to his frame, which should add even more contact-ability. There is absolutely no approach right now. He swings at a ton of pitches, but makes contact with enough of them to not look outclassed. Still, for a player with his speed it makes a lot more sense to take pitches, work walks, and then wreak havoc on the bases. There’s a long way to go, but there is some five tool potential here of some sort. He already laser-beamed out 2 HR in his first 7 pro games this year. It’s not prescriptive, but it shows that his bat speed at least is legit. I think he’s a solid sleeper, but I want to see more solid tools we care about before we move him from the bottom of Tier Three. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 8, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nGage Stanifer (RHP, 22)\nStanifer was taken in the 2022 Draft as a 19th Round dart throw from a prep in central Indiana. He took his lumps in the Complex League in 2023 and Low-A in 2024, but really emerged last year across three levels. After serving as a follower in Low-A to begin and being completely dominant, he was promoted to High-A where he posted a whopping 36.5 K% in 76 High-A innings while limiting hitters to a .204 average. He has good size and frame at 6’3” 205 lbs. His delivery is a little bit violent, but his jerky short-arm delivery is repeatable and deceptive. What’s most unique about him is that everything in his arsenal is neutral or gloveside. His slider is a powerful offering in the mid-80’s with straight downward bite and nice depth. He commands respect with that because of his lesser-used change, which has similar velocity but solid gloveside movement. His fast ball is fairly electric. He works with it in the mid-90’s but it plays better than that because of substantial ride and run. Both the slider and fastball generate loads of whiff and have plus potential. But, that’s a fairly shallow arsenal. He also has fairly poor command, with a BB% over 12. There’s still definitely time for those two things to improve, but it’s easy to see relief risk. In the same breath, he’s not real-life baseball risky, because it’s easy to see him as a valuable backend bullpen weapon. Valuable is in italics there, because that may just be a better home for him than as a starter. But since relievers are essentially persona non grata in the hobby, I can only get him to the top of Tier None. If he adds a pitch that plays well, or knocks a few percentage points off that BB%, we’ll talk about whether that value shifts back to being a better fit for the rotation. A good win for Blue Jays development regardless, and there’s likely a long future ahead. His penalty for relief risk is applied to It factor, not Risk – I’m pretty sure he’ll make it to the majors. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 4, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nEdward Duran (C, 21)\nDuran has been around for a while, moving from the Marlins to the Jays back in 2022, where’s he’s slowly ascended to High-A. Slow is to be expected for a catcher, especially one whose game is so centered on remaining at the position. He’s a great defender in the blocking and receiving game, and he has a strong arm and quick release as well. Still, he has allowed over 100 SB in each of the past two seasons, with a low 20’s CS%. So there’s work to be done in the accuracy department. And that’s really where we are with him as a prospect as far as his carrying tool. I have faith that he’ll hit enough to keep moving up the ladder, and perhaps with a touch of power. His swing and setup is complicated. He starts upright, then as the pitcher starts home he uses a big inverted leg kick while crouching down and hitching his hands back. While his contact rate is above average, he has quality of contact issues because all that motion in his setup causes inconsistency in his ability to find the barrel. Of course, all that motion is what helps him get to enough bat speed to really drive the ball, so in his mind at least, it’s necessary. On the whole he doesn’t hit the ball on the ground too much to be effective – it’s been under 50% in full season ball. But it’d be great if that number was more like 40% for a player with his plodding speed. I don’t really know how he’s going to make that happen. He does use all fields well, so it’s not like there’s one simple way of getting him out, but as long as pitchers are hitting their spots he’s also not likely to hurt you. It’s a backup catcher profile, and not much more upside than that. He needs to tick up a little bit with his hit tool to make it to that role. But for this hobby, this is really all irrelevant. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 6, Ceiling: 2 (Base Only)\n\nVictor Arias (OF, 22)\nThe hope for average. That’s the kindest and easiest breakdown I can give you hobby-wise for Arias. He’s a 22 year-old Venezuelan outfielder who has worked his way up to AA, but is currently out with a shoulder injury. When healthy, his best tool is his speed. That allows him to play CF on a regular basis despite only having a fringy arm and not being the purest route-taker. However he does not use that speed to great effect on the bases. Listed at 5’9”, Arias has a muscular frame and really uses all of it to swing with authority. In fact, power is his second best tool. But it doesn't play all that well in games. A lefty hitter, he fires his hip very early – it looks like he’s trying to pull the ball over the right field fence with every swing, and in doing so really needs to make adjustments if the pitch location is somewhere else. In all my looks the damage he was doing was on offspeed pitches on the inside part of the plate. Seems like that’s pretty easy to pitch around, right? As he continues to see more advanced pitching, we will see just how exposed he actually is, as there’s already signs that he’s going to chase well located breaking pitches. To put another notch in the negative, his contact rate is just average. Normally that’s OK for power hitters. But he’s not a true power hitter. His short levers just do not let him elevate enough with regularity – his GB% has been over 50 in each of the four years he’s been stateside. That stands as an impasse in the type of player he seems to want to be, but he’s also never shown himself to be anything else. Still, that speed has afforded him a nice BABIP considering all those ground balls. Throwing it all together we get a player who definitely is not one that deserves more than a small amount of hobby interest. The only hope he really has of gaining relevance is if he bucks that trend of not being able to access his power – one that has now lasted three years. It’s more likely he falls into the 4th/5th OF bucket, but one that’s likely to reach the majors. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 4 (Both)\n\n## Washington Nationals\n\n**Tier 3**\n\nCoy James (SS, 19)\nThe Nationals saved a lot of money in the Draft last year by signing Eli Willits to an underslot deal. James was one of a few beneficiaries – he received a massively overslot $2.5 MM in the 5th Round. He was expected to be taken earlier, and as a player who is more projection than polish at present, going to college at Ole Miss would have been a benefit for him. But Nationals met his number, so he’s off to Fredericksburg to begin 2026. On that Low-A team he’s manning LF with some 2B and 3B sprinkled in, as Willits is the SS. But how are the tools? What does he look like? At present he’s a wiry 6’0” with a lot of room to add good weight – the bad thing is that it was already added weight that aided in his slide in the Draft. He lost a step both in the field and on the bases, and as he tried to hunt for power with that added strength, it hurt his approach. He had previously been a majorly touted prospect, playing for Team USA and plenty of showcase events – there has been no shortage of eyes on him, so his slide to the 5th Round is a bit of a yellow flag regardless of his being overslot or not. There was no indication that lots of scouts were screaming to meet his bonus demand. He stands at the plate with an upright stance, and his swing is fluid with some really good bat speed. You can instantly see why there’s so much intrigue. But then you look at how he impacts the ball, even in batting practice, and there’s just so much inconsistency. I think that there’s hope that as his body continues to transition into that of a man, and he starts to look like a 3B, we’ll start to see what his game power looks like – that should be his carrying tool, which is great for the hobby. But this season? Don’t expect much. He’s definitely just a sleeper for now. He’s going to take awhile. There’s also no promise that as he matures, his athleticism just diminishes further and he becomes a 1-dimensional power bat. But let’s not get too pessimistic. The kid is 19, and he deserves a shot to re-develop his approach and mature as an overall hitter and fielder. Look for that in games first, then start to look for glimpses of power perhaps? - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 7 (Both)\n\nMarconi German (SS, 18)\nI think the Nationals did well in getting German for 400k in the 2025 IFA period. But the fantastic bottom line of the stats he put up in the DSL are not likely to continue. It was a great showing – a .283/.479/.513 is a great first season. But he’s not a player who’s expected to continue throwing up .230 ISO like he did last year, and just how raw he is at the plate was completely hidden. There are plenty of positive traits – he has at least above average speed, and is a surefire bet to stick as a 2B at worst. His swing even resulted in a lot of pull side elevation last year. The problem is that it's not a predictor of his future because that’s the only thing he’s trying to do. He absolutely needs a better all-fields approach moving forward as a skill against more advanced pitching – he rolled over on plenty of balls that he could have driven the other way if only he had that mentality. The foundation of his swing is there – the plane is even a little on the flat side. It’s a simple swing with easy bat speed, which should tick up with more physical maturity. His swing decisions are also fairly sound. I didn’t see him swinging wildly at anything, although there was a fair amount of both passivity and whiff, including movement pitches just outside the zone. We can just chalk that up to being a developing talent though. I believe in his hit tool getting to at least average. He definitely has some pop, but we need to see how much of it he’s able to access against better pitching. His hit tool is likely to end up better than his power – which perhaps runs counter to what he showed in the DSL. I’m really just calling what I see here. Even if it looks like he’s proving me wrong with his play in the Complex, keep in mind the pitching isn't much better there. I won’t be convinced he’s a significant power bat until he does it in Low-A, which may not be until next year. That probably leaves me out of the running as collectors look at the surface level stats and make their acquisitions appropriately. I believe in the talent, but probably not enough to treat him as even a Top 30 name in this product at this juncture. He’s just too much of a wild card based on my eyes considering the anticipated cost, and no truly loud tools are present. The impressive season means something, but for me, it just means he goes to the back of Tier Three instead of Tier None. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 9, Ceiling: 6 (Both)\n\n**Tier None**\n\nDaniel Hernandez (C, 18)\nHernandez is a Venezuelan IFA signed in the 2025 for $1.1 MM, second highest in the Nationals class. He was signed for the high ceiling in his hit and defense tools. The defense behind the plate showed up in the DSL, and he put the ball in play at a very high rate, but the contact quality was quite poor. He’s very early in his development though. He is still growing into his body and looks awkward in his frame. At 6’0” 165lbs, there’s a lot of physical outcomes for that body. He could shoot up and be built like Ben Rice, or go the more typical route for a catcher and end up like Wilson Contreras. His swing is compact and has good speed to it, but it’s a little flat and his hands get away from his body too quickly, limiting any power he might have. Last summer only 7 of his 31 hits went for extra bases – all doubles. His approach was also not a selective one – his OBP was under .300 despite that contact rate being in the mid-80’s. Talk about empty calories. Clearly, he is still young, only just having turned 18. With so much of his game unsettled there is still hope for him. At the time of his signing some scouts touted him as the best catcher in his class. That’s not something that entirely goes away after just one year of pro ball. We can point to that pedigree, the extremely strong contact rate, and present defensive skill as things that buoy his hobby status, but it’s not much. I want to see a bit more to get a better idea. The only question is, will it be in the DSL again, or will he get the aggressive push to the Complex League? We should find out a few weeks after release. Catchers aren't the sexiest to collect for obvious reasons that have existed forever, and he’ll certainly be one for the foreseeable future of his development. If he had autographs in this release, he’d be one of the lowest-ranked players in the product. Without autographs, he’s deservedly an afterthought. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 10, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)\n\nSam Petersen (CF, 23)\nPeterson was an 8th Round pick out of Iowa in 2024 who’s had to fight for a place of significance in the organization, but thus far has been quite successful. He only played 33 games in his Junior year due to stress fractures in both shins – an injury that prevented him from showing true growth in his Draft season, and slid him down the board. He did not debut that year as he continued to recover. He also began 2025 on the injured list with a bad hamstring, but he’s since really gotten to work. During his rehab he really showed a lot of maturity, and was quickly moved to High-A despite his preliminary assignment a level below. There he put up some really good offensive numbers – a .297/.398/.490 slash with 18 SB in just 44 games. But there’s reason to think he doesn’t project to anything near that good as he moves up the ladder. His speed, sure. That’s a weapon that should stick with him and as he puts his lower body injuries further behind him, and perhaps it even ticks up. The tool also lets him play a solid CF, although he’s also seen time in both corners this year already at AA this year. What worries me most is that he’s not a complete hitter. His swing does not have a bat path that stays in the zone for very long. It’s a short swing that’s highly reliant on his upper half and strong hands. It looks like he’s trying to take a quick jab to the ball, not drive through it (unless he really gets an offspeed pitch inside. Then he gets into his easy pullside power). This swing does result in a lot of high quality contact, but the amount of contact is fringy. Without big power, that’s usually not palatable. It hasn’t resulted in a lot of K yet, but the history is that it’s velocity that does him in most often, and well-placed velocity is something pitchers in the upper levels do well. This year is a real key to development. He went out in the AFL and proved he was definitely ready for AA, and the early returns are pretty good. I think with Peterson, the bottom line will tell the whole story. Either what he’s doing will work, or it won’t. There’s not a lot of projection to think about. He’s a Tier None name for now as he settles into a level where he’s actually proving something – but sliding him up to Tier Three wouldn’t be something I’m opposed to in the near future. - _Max Arterburn_\nRisk: 5, Ceiling: 5 (Both)\n\nSean Paul Liñan (RHP, 21)\nOriginally an international free agent out of Colombia signed by the Dodgers in Jan., 2022, Liñan was given only a small bonus of $17,500. He has since been traded to the Nationals, and now to the Yankees. Liñan started in the Dodgers system playing the DSL at age 17. Liñan is a deception pitcher. He won’t blow you away with speed, but has a whole bag of tricks, including a dynamite changeup. Standing at 6’0” with a low arm three quarters arm slot, it’s quite a low release point that can be tricky for batters to pick up. On top of that, his motion is fluid – there’s not a lot of effort in his delivery. Again this a pitcher that won’t blow you away with his velocity on the fastball, which is around 89-93 MPH, but he does have a wide variety of pitches that he uses – cutter, sinker, slider, and a changeup. His slider is nearly the same speed on his fastball, which plays into his deceptive pitching style. Really though it is the changeup that is his go to “out pitch”. It’s an offering with double-plus projection, which functions really more as a reverse slider. It’s his main swing-and-miss weapon and truly makes righties look foolish. In Low-A Liñan had an utterly incredible K-BB% of 35.4%, but in High-A it slipped quite a bit to 16.0%, and that’s almost all due to less whiff and being less willing to pound the zone at the higher level. His BB% stood consistently at a mediocre 9%. This trend repeats with batted ball results. His average against was fantastic in Low-A – just .146. His time at High-A yielded a still great .195 average against, but he did give up quite a few more hard hit balls. We’ll have to wait and see if this continues – will Liñan’s numbers continue to come back down further to Earth at higher levels, or can he make adjustments? There’s both positive and negative in the early-going this year at High-A, so for now it should just be treated with the caution of any small sample. I am hard pressed to put a lot of faith in a finesse pitcher with a mediocre BB% and whose numbers drop when he sees better quality hitting. He needs to prove me wrong. If the Yankees can continue to increase his control so he lowers his BB% rate, then Liñan has a good chance of making it as a back of the rotation finesse pitcher. Even though the hobby prefers the 100 mph heater throwing pitchers, Liñan is now a Yankee, and Yankees always get a premium in the hobby world. - _Kevin Hamlin_\nRisk: 7, Ceiling: 5 (Base Only)",
  "title": "2026 Bowman Preview",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-11T11:00:51.639Z"
}