All-MiLB Prospect Team 2024

Just think of some of the big numbers put up in the Minors this year — 40 homers, 104 stolen bases, 202 strikeouts — and they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

Terrific performances came in a variety of shapes and sizes during the 2024 Minor League season. To celebrate the best of the best, MLB Pipeline has once again formed its Prospect Team of the Year.

Players were considered for selection based on their Minor League performances only. Eligible prospects must have spent at least half of the 2024 season in the Minors and needed to appear in their organization’s Top 30 Prospects rankings at some point during the campaign.

The Red Sox (three) had the most representatives between this year’s First and Second Teams, while the Cubs, Guardians, Mariners and Rays claimed two apiece.

C: Adrian Del Castillo, Diamondbacks (No. 14)
AAA: .312/.399/.603, 105 G, 26 HR, 75 RBI, 90 R, 55 BB, 80 K, 0 SB, 144 wRC+

The 67th overall pick in the 2021 Draft enjoyed his best professional season yet as the Minor League full-season leader in slugging percentage (.603) and OPS (1.002). He also finished among the Minors’ Top 10 in extra-base hits (65, fourth) and total bases (249, seventh), despite spending much of August and September on the Major League roster for the first time. Playing home games in Reno certainly helped matters, but Del Castillo’s improved ability to find the barrel consistently led numbers not seen elsewhere in other hitter-friendly environments.

1B: Deyvison De Los Santos, Marlins (No. 4)
AA/AAA: .294/.343/.571, 137 G, 40 HR, 120 RBI, 89 R, 34 BB, 144 K, 1 SB, 132 wRC+

After failing to stick with the Guardians as a Rule 5 pick and subsequently getting traded from the D-backs for A.J. Puk in July, De Los Santos led the Minors in homers and RBIs while also finishing second in hits (158) and extra-base knocks (67) and fifth in slugging. He features some of the best raw power in the Minors, and he can tap into even more of it if he figures out how to curb his groundball and strikeout tendencies.

2B: Kristian Campbell, Red Sox (No. 5/MLB No. 74)
A+/AA/AAA: .330/.439/.558, 115 G, 20 HR, 77 RBI, 94 R, 74 BB, 103 K, 24 SB, 180 wRC+

MLB Pipeline’s Hitting Prospect of the Year and Breakout Prospect of the Year, Campbell also won the Double-A Eastern League’s MVP Award in his first full pro season. The Red Sox helped him improve his strength and bat speed and also make a swing adjustment so he could drive balls in the air more regularly, and he wound up topping the Minors in wRC+ while ranking second in on-base percentage and OPS (.997), fourth in batting and fifth in runs.

3B: Coby Mayo, Orioles (No. 1/MLB No. 8)
A+/AAA: .293/.372/.592, 93 G, 25 HR, 73 RBI, 65 R, 42 BB, 102 K, 4 SB, 145 wRC+

Despite missing a month because of a broken rib, Mayo once again showed why he’s considered one of the premier power-hitting prospects in the game, finishing second among all Minor League hitters with at least 400 plate appearances in SLG and ISO (.299) and placing fourth in OPS (.964) en route to making his big league debut at age 22.

SS: Shay Whitcomb, Astros (No. 14)
AAA: .293/.378/.530, 108 G, 25 HR, 91 RBI, 73 R, 53 BB, 95 K, 26 SB, 123 wRC+

The 160th and final player selected in the shortened 2020 Draft, Whitcomb has posted gaudy numbers throughout his pro career and tied for the Minor League lead with 35 homers in 2023. He had his best season yet this year, boosting his Triple-A OPS 138 points compared to a year ago and becoming one of just three Minor Leaguers with at least 25 homers and 25 steals.

OF: Roman Anthony, Red Sox (No. 2/MLB No. 12)
AA/AAA: .291/.396/.498, 119 G, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 93 R, 79 BB, 127 K, 21 SB, 149 wRC+

Anthony continued to establish his bona fides as one of the best all-around hitting prospects in the Minors by leading the Double-A Eastern League in slugging (.489) and OPS (.856) as a 20-year-old. And if that wasn’t enough, he slashed .344/.463/.519 with 16 extra-base hits in 35 games after making the jump to Triple-A International League, where he was the youngest player who saw that much action.

OF: Lazaro Montes, Mariners (No. 3/MLB No. 45)
A/A+: .288/.397/.484, 116 G, 21 HR, 105 RBI, 82 R, 78 BB, 128 K, 5 SB, 138 wRC+

Thought to be one of the most powerful hitters in the 2022 international signing class, Montes has lived up to advanced billing and hit everywhere he’s been. That included making his way from Single-A, where he posted a .309/.411/.527 line, to High-A as a teenager. He finished tied for third among all Minor Leaguers with his 105 RBIs and even cut his strikeout rate a bit in 2024 while still drawing a ton of walks

OF: Jhostynxon Garcia, Red Sox (No. 12)
A/A+/AA: .286/.356/.536, 107 G, 23 HR, 66 RBI, 78 R, 33 BB, 99 K, 17 SB, 151 wRC+

Like Campbell, Garcia began the season unranked on our Red Sox Top 30 and finished it as one of the most productive hitters in the Minors. He hit balls harder than ever and did a better job of launching them in the air in 2024, setting career highs in almost every category and pacing Boston farmhands with 23 homers — more than double the 11 he totaled in his first three years as a pro.

DH: Bryce Eldridge, Giants (No. 1/MLB No. 50)
A/A+/AA/AAA: .289/.372/.513, 116 G, 23 HR, 91 RBI, 76 R, 59 BB, 132 K, 6 SB, 137 wRC+

Like Jackson Holliday did a year ago, Eldridge pulled off the rare feat of climbing from Single-A to Triple-A in his first full year out of high school. Named the top prospect in the High-A Northwest League, he led all Minor League teenagers in homers and slugging while placing second in OPS (.885) and fifth in wRC+.

LHP: Quinn Mathews, Cardinals (No. 3/MLB No. 80)
A/A+/AA/AAA: 8-5, 2.76 ERA, 143 1/3 IP, 202 K, 49 BB, .179 BAA, 0.98 WHIP

Honored as the Pitching Prospect of the Year and MiLB Debut of the Year, Mathews was just the second Minor League pitcher since 2011 to eclipse the 200-K mark in a single season (Brandon Pfaadt being the other in 2022). Mathews’ 35.4 percent strikeout rate, .179 average-against and 0.98 WHIP placed second, fourth and seventh among full-season qualifiers as well. Mathews’ improved fastball velocity to the mid 90s, along with a plus changeup and two decent breaking pitches, should get him a look in the Majors sometime in 2025.

RHP: Travis Sykora, Nationals (No. 3/MLB No. 91)
A: 5-3, 2.33 ERA, 85 IP, 129 K, 27 BB, .168 BAA, 0.91 WHIP

Taken in the third round last year out of a Texas high school, Sykora took quickly to pro ball thanks to a high-90s fastball, plus splitter and solid slider. His 39.2 percent strikeout rate was tops among the 545 Minor Leaguers with at least 80 innings pitched, while his 1.87 FIP placed second. No other pitcher aged 20 or younger in that group struck out more than 36 percent of their batters faced. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has carved out a big piece in Washington’s rebuild and could be a future face of the farm system.

RP: Craig Yoho, Brewers (No. 20)
A+/AA/AAA: 4-2, 10 SV, 0.94 ERA, 57 2/3 IP, 101 K, 23 BB, .151 BAA, 0.94 WHIP

Yoho signed for just $10,000 as an eighth-round pick out of Indiana in 2023. One year later, he has one of the Minors’ most devastating changeups and the stats to prove it. Of the 1,300 Minor Leaguers to toss at least 50 frames this summer, Yoho led the way with his 0.94 ERA, 42.4 percent strikeout rate and 1.43 FIP, while his 32.8 K-BB% ranked second. He was even solid at the Minors’ top level with a 1.26 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings after a late-season promotion to Triple-A Nashville. Getting Yoho’s cambio together with Devin Williams’ airbender in the Milwaukee bullpen would be quite the proposition for 2025.

C: Dalton Rushing, Dodgers (No. 1/MLB No. 36)
AA/AAA: .271/.384/.512, 114 G, 26 HR, 85 RBI, 69 R, 64 BB, 103 K, 2 SB, 142 wRC+

Named the top prospect in the Double-A Texas League, Rushing tied for second among Minor League catchers with his 26 homers while improving behind the plate.

1B: Tre’ Morgan, Rays (No. 10)
A/A+/AA: .324/.408/.483, 100 G, 10 HR, 68 RBI, 72 R, 48 BB, 48 K, 20 SB, 158 wRC+

Drafted out of LSU as a glove-first first baseman, Morgan broke out with the bat in his first full season, finishing eighth among full-season qualifiers with his .324 average and fourth with his 158 wRC+.

2B: Michael Arroyo, Mariners (No. 12)
A/A+: .285/.400/.509, 120 G, 23 HR, 89 RBI, 101 R, 73 BB, 136 K, 18 SB, 148 wRC+

After making it to full-season ball in his U.S. debut in 2023, Arroyo returned to Single-A to start the year and moved up a level after 60 games and was third among full-season second baseman with his 148 wRC+ and .910 OPS.

3B: Matt Shaw, Cubs (No. 1/MLB No. 22)
AA/AAA: .284/.379/.488, 121 G, 21 HR, 71 RBI, 78 R, 62 BB, 95 K, 31 SB, 146 wRC+

Shaw won Double-A Southern League MVP honors in his first full pro season, was one of four 20-30 players in the Minors and increased his production once he got to Triple-A (.298/.395/.534).

SS: Angel Genao, Guardians (No. 5/MLB No. 86)
A/A+: .330/.379/.499, 110 G, 10 HR, 71 RBI, 72 R, 38 BB, 77 K, 25 SB, 150 wRC+

Hampered by a meniscus tear in his right knee a year ago, Genao rebounded to rank fifth in the Minors in batting and doubles (38) while also impressing with his glove and high baseball IQ.

OF: Colby Thomas, Athletics (No. 7)
AA/AAA: .277/.342/.563, 132 G, 31 HR, 92 RBI, 79 R, 40 BB, 142 K, 15 SB, 131 wRC+

At age 23, Thomas is knocking on the big league door after finishing the year tied for fourth among all Minor League hitters with his 31 homers and was high on the leaderboard among those with 400 plate appearances both in SLG and ISO (.287).

OF: Chandler Simpson, Rays (No. 4)
A+/AA: .355/.410/.397, 110 G, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 90 R, 44 BB, 43 K, 104 SB, 141 wRC+

Simpson became the first Minor Leaguer to steal at least 100 bags in a season since 2012, and if that wasn’t enough, he also won the full-season batting title with a .355 average, 20 points higher than any other qualifier this season.

OF: Alejandro Osuna, Rangers (No. 16)
A+/AA: .292/.362/.507, 102 G, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 77 R, 36 BB, 109 K, 17 SB, 143 wRC+

The younger brother of former All-Star closer Roberto Osuna and the nephew of ex-big leaguer Antonio Osuna, Alejando was named the Rangers Minor League Player of the Year after topping the system in slugging, OPS (.869) and wRC+.

DH: Moisés Ballesteros, Cubs (No. 4/MLB No. 41)
AA/AAA: .289/.354/.471, 124 G, 19 HR, 78 RBI, 57 R, 45 BB, 93 K, 1 SB, 127 wRC+

One of the best young hitting prospects in the game, Ballesteros thrived in Double-A and Triple-A at age 20 while reaching career highs in batting, slugging and homers.

LHP: Matt Wilkinson, Guardians (No. 29)
A/A+: 8-6, 1.90 ERA, 118 2/3 IP, 174 K, 37 BB, .169 BAA, 0.91 WHIP

The national junior college pitcher of the year at Central Arizona CC in 2023, Wilkinson rode his deceptive low-90s fastball to outstanding numbers in his first full pro season. He led the Minors in strikeout (37.6) and strikeout minus walk (29.6) percentage and ranked second in ERA (1.90), strikeouts (174), opponent average (.169) and WHIP (0.91).

RHP: Caden Dana, Angels (No. 1/MLB No. 70)
AA: 9-7, 2.52 ERA, 135 2/3 IP, 147 K, 39 BB, .184 BAA, 0.94 WHIP

Pitching all year at age 20, Dana used his impressive feel for his stuff to dominate the Southern League, topping the circuit in ERA, BAA, WHIP and strikeouts and earning his first callup to the big leagues.

RP: Luis Peralta, Rockies (No. 30)
A+/AA/AAA: 7-0, 5 SV, 0.94 ERA, 47 2/3 IP, 75 K, 21 BB, .154 BAA, 0.97 WHIP

Acquired by the Rockies from the Pirates in the Jalen Beeks deal close to the Trade Deadline, Peralta shoved every stop of the way as he started the year in High-A and ended it with a very successful run of scoreless outings during his big league debut.