Updated Top 100 Prospects list for October 2024

The wheel never stops turning in these parts. The Minor League season may be over and the Majors might be in the midst of the postseason, but the Arizona Fall League begins with its Opening Day on Monday.

As we did previously in May and July, this update is separate from preseason and in-season reranks. Instead of revoting on the Top 100 completely, we’ve set a new Top 15 and then moved only the prospects who required the biggest jumps or falls (i.e., 10 spots or more in either direction). We’ve also removed five players from the Top 100 and added five replacements to complete the century mark.

Here’s how the list shakes out heading into the AFL and the beginning of the offseason:

1. Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals
2. Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
3. Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox
4. Carson Williams, SS, Rays
5. Jackson Jobe, RHP, Tigers
6. Max Clark, OF, Tigers
7. Marcelo Mayer, SS, Red Sox
8. Coby Mayo, 3B/1B, Orioles
9. Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs
10. Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF/SS, Red Sox
11. Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Rockies
12. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians
13. Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Orioles
14. Jasson Domínguez, OF, Yankees
15. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates
Complete Top 100 »

Crews holds onto our top spot as the premier five-tool talent in the sport, despite a lukewarm introduction to the Majors. Given how many top prospects have performed in their first tastes of the bigs, this isn’t as big a demerit as it used to be. The 2023 No. 2 overall pick’s speed, arm and overall defense in the outfield all grade out well on the game’s top stage, and he was showing improvements in whiff and chase rates throughout his first full season between Double-A and Triple-A before his MLB debut on Aug. 26. Those gains should continue with more big league experience, enabling his power to play even more, and if Washington signs a big corner-outfield bat this offseason, Crews could easily slide back into center as a more well-rounded option than Jacob Young.

Fellow 2023 pick Jenkins was slowed early by a hamstring issue but finished the year with more walks (56) than strikeouts (47) while climbing three levels at age 19. He has power and speed as well, and the former in particular could break out more in his second full campaign next summer, when he should also get more center-field looks as he moves away from the injuries.

The biggest names to pop on the Top 15, however, might be two Red Sox prospects — No. 3 Roman Anthony and No. 10 Kristian Campbell.

Anthony arrived at Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 13 and slashed .344/.463/.519 with an even 31/31 K/BB ratio over 35 games as a 20-year-old at the Minors’ top level. He proved selective at the plate and routinely pounded the ball with triple-digit exit velocities with a 90th-percentile EV of 108.4, in the range of Pete Alonso, Jorge Soler and Austin Riley in the bigs. The major thing holding his profile back here is that he projects best in an outfield corner unlike potential up-the-middle talents Crews and Jenkins.

Campbell’s breakout has been well documented. He was named the Hitting Prospect of the Year after slashing .330/.439/.558 with 20 homers and 24 steals in 115 games across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A after improving his launch angle on contact to get the most of his power potential. His pop was only a touch below Anthony’s at Triple-A, but he was just as adept at making in-zone contact and limiting chase. His speed and athleticism have enabled him to play up the middle defensively, surprising even some Sox officials, and there’s some belief he could take over the second-base role in Boston next spring.

With those two ascending, Boston boasts three Top 10 overall prospects. No other organization has three prospects in the Top 30.

Chandler also slides into the Top 15 for the first time after a dominant run at Triple-A Indianapolis (1.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 54 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings). His 95-98 mph fastball, mid-80s slider, upper-80s changeup and low-80s curveball all earned whiff rates north of 30 percent during that time, solidifying the belief that Pittsburgh could have another big arm on the way in 2025.

+64 Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF/SS, Red Sox (74 to 10)
+36 Kumar Rocker, RHP, Rangers (94 to 58)
+26 Cam Smith, 3B, Cubs (99 to 73)
+23 Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates (38 to 15)
+16 Leodalis De Vries, SS, Padres (44 to 28)
+15 Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants (50 to 35)
+14 Angel Genao, INF, Guardians (86 to 72)
+14 Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Rangers (100 to 86)
+12 Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B, Rangers (35 to 23)
+12 Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals (91 to 79)

After Campbell’s aforementioned rise, Rocker checks in as the only other prospect to climb 30+ spots. The former Vanderbilt ace returned from Tommy John surgery in early July and flew through the Minors, leading to a Sept. 12 Major League debut. His 83-85 mph slider is one of the best in the sport, eliciting whiffs on 50 percent of MLB swings, because it tunnels well off his 95-97 mph fastball and drops with impressive vertical action. His long injury history and lack of pro experience kept us from jumping him into the Top 50, but the quality of stuff alone makes him one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

This year’s 14th overall pick, Smith entered pro ball with a reputation as a potential above-average hitter with decent power, and the Florida State product is already beating expectations with a .313/.396/.609 line and seven homers in 32 games across three levels. Sticking to the infield, De Vries and Eldridge had ample hype as teenagers opening in full-season ball and only built on that — De Vries by catching fire late as a 17-year-old at Single-A, Eldridge by climbing four levels and showing promising ability to do damage everywhere. Both are headed to the AFL next week.

95. Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox
96. Agustin Ramirez, C/1B, Marlins
97. AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP, Braves
99. Carson Benge, OF, Mets
100. Jefferson Rojas, SS, Cubs

Make that six Boston prospects in the Top 100. Arias barreled through the Rookie-level Florida Complex League with a .355/.471/.584 line, six homers and 30 steals in 51 games this summer and held his own as an 18-year-old middle infielder at Single-A to close out the summer. Entering the year, his best grades were on the defensive side, but he continued to show strong contact skills and improved his power enough to jump onto the list.

Acquired from the Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm deal, Ramirez is one of the best offensive catchers in the Minor Leagues with his ability to show at least plus power while keeping his swing decisions in check. He finished his age-22 season with 25 homers across Double-A and Triple-A and projects to hit 30+, the type of performance that will play anywhere if he needs to move from behind the plate.

Smith-Shawver may have had a shaky postseason debut in the Wild Card round, but the right-hander earned that opportunity at just 21 years old because he sports a mid-90s fastball as well as a slider and a changeup that both generated impressive whiff rates at Triple-A. If he can avoid giving up homers with improved command, he could be a big rotation option for Atlanta next spring.

Benge — this year’s 19th overall pick — showed above-average ability to hit for contact and power at Oklahoma State, and evaluators believe there’s even more room for growth after he focuses solely on hitting after playing two ways in school. Rojas was better than his .245/.310/.336 line at High-A South Bend indicated. He keeps strikeouts in check, hits fly balls to the pull side, has budding power and shows enough arm for the left side of the infield.

-26 Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians (72 to 98)
-19 Brady House, 3B, Nationals (65 to 84)
-18 Xavier Isaac, 1B, Rays (18 to 36)
-18 Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Brewers (62 to 80)
-14 Cade Horton, RHP, Cubs (28 to 42)
-13 Brayden Taylor, 3B/SS/2B, Rays (47 to 60)
-12 Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox (25 to 37)
-10 Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins (19 to 29)
-10 Ryan Clifford, OF/1B, Mets (77 to 87)

Drafted 23rd overall last year as a catcher, Velazquez has transitioned to being a first baseman in Cleveland’s system — with some left field thrown in — and that raises his offensive bar. There’s good power and patience in his profile, but the left-handed slugger struggled in a late-season assignment to High-A. That gives us more pause on whether he can meet those hitting demands.

Similarly, House has a profile driven by his power, and since moving to the third-base spot permanently last year, he needs that pop more than ever. He slugged just .375 in 54 games at Triple-A, and while his exit velocities were solid for a 21-year-old at that level, he chased outside the zone at a rough rate, limiting that pop from playing in games. He remains a big piece of Washington’s plans but needs to be more selective in a return to Rochester next spring.

Continuing on that theme, Isaac backed up reports that he has some of the best raw power in the game with 15 homers in 71 games at High-A Bowling Green to begin the year, but his 40.6 percent K rate in 31 Double-A contests became a tough pill to swallow. The left-handed slugger can live with punchouts because he hits the ball so hard, but getting into Joey Gallo territory hurts his overall prospect stock. A Fall League trip in the coming weeks could help him bounce back.

Misiorowski moved to the bullpen with Triple-A Nashville, where his upper-90s fastball, mid-80s curve and low-90s slider should be even stronger weapons. He has considerable ceiling as a closer, but even so, it’s tougher to rank him ahead of prospects with better opportunities to be starters.

River Ryan, RHP, Dodgers
Tyler Black, 1B, Brewers
Tyler Locklear, 1B, Mariners
Yanquiel Fernandez, OF, Rockies
Adael Amador, 2B, Rockies

From the Poor Timing Department, we locked in our midseason Top 100 just before Ryan was shut down with right forearm tightness. He underwent Tommy John surgery in late August and likely won’t be back on a Major League mound until 2026 when he’s 27 years old.

Black and Locklear are first basemen with very different profiles. Black could be an above-average hitter with good strike-zone awareness, and his plus speed makes him a constant stolen-base threat. But his exit velocities are subpar, and he lacks defensive value after moving around so much in the Minors. Locklear shows impressive raw pop but managed just a .430 slugging percentage and 103 wRC+ in 70 games at Triple-A.

Sticking at that level, Fernandez is meant to be a prototypical right fielder with good power and significant arm strength. However, chase issues have dulled that pop, and he slugged just .313 in 33 Triple-A games, despite playing his home games in the Albuquerque launching pad. In the same system, Amador batted just .230 with a .376 slugging percentage in 100 games at Double-A Hartford — a rough performance for a middle infielder who boasted a potential plus hit tool at the start of 2024.