After a hiatus, the Roger Dorn Baseball League Top 100 Prospect List is back for the first time since 2021 with a loaded class ready to hit Active Rosters across the League.
Lake Merced Goutfish right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 2023 2nd Round Selection by GM Ryan Atkinson, tops the 2024 Pre-Season Top 100 List following his record-setting contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yamamoto joins Kris Bryant (Fish, 2016), Trea Turner (Stacks, 2017), Cody Bellinger (Fringe, 2018), Ronald Acuña (2019, Goutfish), Yordan Alvarez (2021, Goutfish) and Julio Rodriguez (2022, Fish) as previous prospects ranked atop the RDBL Top 100 since the league started the annual series.
The Alamo Short Stacks and Asti Grape Stompers paced the RDBL with 12 representatives on the Top 100 while the Las Vegas Aristocrats and Maltese Falcons were close behind with 11.
About the RDBL Top 100 Process: The Rankings are a reflection of current value in the RDBL Scoring format, balancing the ceiling, floor and ETA of prospects across baseball. Outside resources including Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, Prospect Toolshed and others are consulted to aid in the final rankings.
1. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2024
Absolute dominance was the storyline of Yamamoto’s 2023 season in Japan following a stellar World Baseball Classic that heightened his profile. A soft starting pitcher market in Free Agency led to Yamamoto receiving the largest pitching contract in MLB History, securing $326M from the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 12-year pact. While he's certainly ready to step to the top of the Goutfish rotation to start 2024, GM Ryan Atkinson is loaded with rotation options that could delay Yamamoto's RDBL debut until late 2024 with a potential Playoff activation to secure more than three years of service time.
2. SS, 2B Jackson Holliday, Las Vegas Aristocrats
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2025
Awarded Baseball America’s 2023 Player of the Year in the Minor Leagues, Holliday has ascended into RDBL’s top hitting prospect. Originally a selection of the Idaho Taters, Holliday was one of the highest profile prospects to be traded in League History as the Las Vegas Aristocrats were able to pry him away in a blockbuster deal with outgoing GM Mike Friedrich. He’s on track to make his big league debut in 2024 with a potential Playoff or 2025 Opening Day activation to follow.
3. RHP Eury Perez, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
The baseball world expected Pérez to debut at some point in 2023, but not nearly as soon as he did. But with injuries to starters Trevor Rogers and Johnny Cueto, plus a revolving door of non-roster arms to fill out the rotation, Miami decided to promote MLB Pipeline's top pitching prospect straight from Double-A Pensacola on May 12th. Pérez lived up to the hype. His 2.36 ERA through 11 starts (minimum 50 innings) was the lowest for a pitcher 20 years or younger in the Live Ball Era. Miami temporarily shut him down before the All-Star break in order to monitor his workload, then brought him back on Aug. 7. Pitching through a shoulder injury in September, Perez saw a dip in his numbers but nothing damaging enough to take the shine off one of the league’s most highly valued assets.
4. RHP Paul Skenes, Burlingame Blue Ducks
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 7th Overall | ETA: 2025
The Ducks placed a heavy emphasis on scouting the college ranks over the last two seasons and it has paid off in spades. Skenes was selected 1st overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, reaching Double-A in short starts. While he’s expected to start 2024 in the Minors, a quick move to the big leagues is certainly in the picture for an arm that profiles as a true top of the rotation starter and one of the key building blocks for the Ducks Franchise.
5. OF Dylan Crews, Burlingame Blue Ducks
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2025
Crews kicked off the Ducks college-heavy approach in 2022, establishing himself as one of the most decorated amateur bats in the last 25 years. A complete hitter with power and speed to boot, Crews could make a push for an Opening Day job in Washington, but a 2025 activation looks like a safer bet with a potential Triple-A start in 2024, joining Skenes as key building blocks for the Ducks.
6. RHP Grayson Rodriguez, Lunatic Fringe
Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024 (‘23 Playoff Activation)
Rodriguez, entering the year as baseball’s highest-ranked pitching prospect, pitched like it in the second half. In his last 12 regular-season starts from July 22 on, he went 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA. He was even better late in the year, posting a 1.80 ERA over his last six starts while earning a post-season start. Rodriguez should have the handcuffs off on 2024 as he’s already set as an Opening Day activation after being added to the Active Roster for the 2023 RDBL Playoffs by GM Tony Guglielmi. He has the stuff and upside to emerge as the best starter in this prospect class.
7. OF Jordan Walker, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Lunatic Fringe | ETA: 2024
Overall, Jordan hit a respectable .287/.342/.445 slash line for the season with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs. However, as any club would hope with a 21-year-old big leaguer, Walker showed his promise after his second call-up to the team in June, where he hit a .277/.346/.455 slash line with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. With strong on-base skills and emerging in-game power, Walker should push for 400+ point seasons for each of the next three seasons making him a pillar for the Grapes and GM Terry Shelley.
8. OF Evan Carter, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2024
Carter’s exceptional October has pushed his stock as high as ever with the Texas Rangers trusting the 21-year-old in the third spot in the order on most nights last October. An OBP-machine, Carter’s skillset aligns perfectly with the RDBL scoring format while adding value on the basepaths. His Playoff performance has pushed him squarely in the Alamo Short Stacks plans for 2024 when he’s excepted to be an Opening Day activation.
9. OF Wyatt Langford, Burlingame Blue Ducks
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2025
It’s hard not to rave about Langford’s professional debut after being the 3rd overall selection in the MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. Rising all the way to Double-A in a two month span, Langford has as much upside as any prospect on the list and has the ability to have a loud enough Spring Training to make the Rangers consider an Opening Day role alongside Evan Carter, especially with the DH role currently open. If he's not activated this season, Langford is a strong bet to occupy the top spot in these rankings next season.
10. SS Elly De La Cruz, Cloverdale Clovers
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2024
De La Cruz has some of the loudest tools of any prospect in recent memory, slugging majestic home runs while causing havoc on the bases on a nightly basis. His 2023 Rookie campaign was filled with a bit too much swing and miss, something that is worrisome for Cloverdale Clovers GM Chris Shelley, but potentially a weakness he can overcome given his strong track record in the Minors. If he does, this ranking will look quite low at this time next year.
11. OF Jackson Chourio, Las Vegas Aristocrats
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2025
Chourio and Roki Sasaki were the clearcut best prospects available in the 2023 Reserve Draft with the Las Vegas Aristocrats simply waiting to see who the St. Joseph Jokers selected first. While they couldn’t go wrong, Chourio has added even more shine to his already bright outlook. A middling first half had some, including me, starting to question his overall upside. Chourio seemed to listen to the noise in the industry and turn in an utterly dominant 2nd Half as one of Double-A’s youngest players before inking a historic 8-year, $82M deal with the Brewers. While he’s still a candidate to start 2024 in Triple-A, the $82M guarantee should have him calling Milwaukee home in short order.
12. RHP Gavin Williams, Las Vegas Aristocrats
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2024
In a season filled with many pitching prospect arrows pointing down, Williams pointed straight up in 2023. After beginning last season with High-A Lake County, the Guardians right-hander made 16 starts for the Guardians this season, finishing with a 3.29 ERA, 81 strikeouts, and a 1.26 WHIP in 82.0 big league innings. He’s set to join a young and talented Las Vegas Aristocrats Active Roster in 2024 that appears ready to make noise in the Masters Division.
13. RHP Roki Sasaki, St. Joseph Jokers
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2026
The Jokers knew they would have to exercise patience with Sasaki, who remains one of the world’s best pitching prospects. But for a Franchise looking for impactful players to build around, Sasaki’s hopeful arrival in 2026 from Japan holds him back from being higher on this list. Each pitch thrown in Japan is one that won’t add to the Jokers point total for the next two seasons, with the club crossing their fingers the future star remains healthy. There was some rumblings this off-season that Sasaki is looking to get out of his deal early and be posted in 2025, but that remains a longshot.
14. 3B Junior Caminero, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2025
If not for Jackson Holliday, Junior Caminero might have swept the Hitting Prospect of the Year honors. With just a month of full-season baseball under his belt coming into 2023, Caminero emerged as one of the top prospects in baseball thanks to his prodigious power, which he displayed with a rare 30-homer season by a minor league hitter in his age-19 season or younger while striking out at just a 20% rate. His dominance in Double-A earned him a big league promotion to end 2023, giving him a chance to earn an Opening Day role in Tampa to start next season.
15. RHP Bobby Miller, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2024
Injuries created opportunity for Miller, who rose to the top from a talented group of Dodgers prospects and rookies expected to make a leap at some point in 2023. Miller came out of the gates in historic fashion this year, posting a 0.78 ERA in his first four major-league starts. After the league adjusted to him in June and July, Miller responded and went at least six innings in nine of his final 10 regular-season starts. He tallied a 3.25 ERA in that span while cutting his walks from 1.88 to 1.20 from the 1st to the 2nd Half. He’s ready to help immediately in a crowded Goutfish starting rotation that should see some trade activity this Winter.
16. 1B Triston Casas, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
After getting off to a difficult start, Casas emerged as one of the most impactful hitters in baseball, especially in the second half. The 23-year-old first baseman batted .263 with 24 home runs, 65 RBI, an .856 OPS, 21 doubles and 70 walks, and in the second half he batted .317 with 15 home runs and a 1.034 OPS over his final 54 games. He’s everything the Falcons hoped he would be when they selected him in the 1st Round of the 2021 Reserve Draft and stands ready to step in as a three-year starter for GM Gary Falzon to start 2024.
17. 3B Royce Lewis, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2021 Trade from Cloverdale Clovers | ETA: 2024
It’s been a rollercoaster of a career already for Lewis, who was the number one overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Twins. A pair of torn ACLs and other nagging injuries haven’t derailed the now 24-year-old from entering 2024 as one of RDBL’s strongest activations. Lewis has mashed in 70 big league games with a .307/.364/.549 line along with a pair of home runs in his Playoff debut last season. Health will be the only thing preventing annual 400+ point upside.
18. SS Matt McLain, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2024 Trade from St. Joseph Jokers | ETA: 2024
McLain was one of baseball’s breakouts in 2023, slashing .290/.357/.507 while taking over the starting shortstop spot for the Cincinnati Reds. He torched Triple-A to start the season, hitting .340/.467/.688 and looks the part of a Top-10 producer at the position over the next three seasons for the Goutfish.
19. C Francisco Alvarez, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Lake Merced Goutfish | ETA: 2024
Alvarez provided the elite power that made him a Top-5 prospect in baseball entering last season, mashing 25 home runs, second most among catchers in all of baseball. His hit tool didn’t accompany him to the big leagues though in his first full season, hitting just .208 overall and just .171 after the All-Star Break. Still just 21, Alvarez will only need a slight tick up in average and on-base percentage to be a Top-10 producer at the position and still has the upside to finish inside the Top Five within his three years of control for the Grapes who are expected to activate him for 2024 Opening Day.
20. SS Jordan Lawlar, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
Lawlar is coming off back-to-back seasons of 15+ HR and 35+ SB in 105 games or less while also posting a walk rate north of 11% in both seasons. Lawlar also dropped his strikeout rate from 25.1% to 20.6% and his SwStr rate from 23.4% to 12.2%. Overall, Lawlar has slashed .291/.390/.503 in 207 minor league games with a 650 PA pace of 25 home runs and 52 stolen bases and will enter 2024 with a chance to earn an Opening Day spot, though a crowded depth chart in Arizona could push him back one additional season for GM Terry Shelley.
21. SS/3B Noelvi Marte, Lunatic Fringe
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Lake Merced Goutfish | ETA: 2024
A long-time prospect, yet still just 22-years-old, Noevli Marte made his big league debut in 2023 and took full advantage, planting himself firmly into the Reds plans for next season. Marte slashed .316/.366/.456 over 35 games, finishing on a dominant stretch where he hit .387 in September. A crowded infield could further strengthen his positional eligibility with a potential move to the outfield, making Marte an elite activation option for the Fringe in 2024.
22. 1B/OF Nolan Jones, Mission Viejo Maulers
Acquired: 2023 Trade with Burlingame Blue Ducks | ETA: 2024 (‘23 Playoff Activation)
Some eyebrows were raised when the Maulers acquired Nolan Jones and a 3rd Round Pick for prized catcher Daulton Varsho before the 2023 Draft. The move paid off handsomely as Jones was exceptional in 2023, posting an overall line of .297/.389/.542 with 46 extra base hits. Jones' performance pushed GM Chris Ferraro to activate him for the 2023 Playoffs where he went nuclear, posting the fourth most points in RDBL Playoff History. If he maintains production close to what he showed in 2023, this ranking will be far too low.
23. OF James Wood, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2023 Trade with Mission Viejo Maulers | ETA: 2025
After selecting Wood with the 3rd Overall pick in the 2023 Reserve Draft, GM Chris Ferraro was forced to include the young outfielder in a blockbuster deal with the Falcons as they pursued the Playoffs. The 6'6 Wood developed a bit of a strikeout issue last season which finished north of 30%, but it came with 26 home runs, 28 doubles, eight triples and a .874 OPS across two Minor League stops. He's ticketed for Triple-A to start 2024 and likely to be on a similar timeline as RDBL's 5th ranked prospect Dylan Crews in the Nationals organization.
24. RHP Triston McKenzie, Lunatic Fringe
Acquired: 2017 Reserve Draft, 3rd Round | ETA: 2024
McKenzie entered 2023 as one of the most decorated pitching prospects under a Minor League contract in League History. The right-hander already had a 571.0 point season under his belt, earning the Pitching Prospect of the Year Award in 2022. Activated by Fringe GM Tony Guglielmi before 2023, McKenzie was pulled back on Draft Day due to an elbow injury that limited him to just four starts in 2023. He came back in September with his health in check and looks poised to regain his spot among the top pitching prospects in the RDBL in 2024, entering the year with the most points of any player still under a Minor League contract (971.0).
25. 2B Edouard Julien, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2024
Julien might be a surprise for some this early on the list, but the slugging second baseman looks poised to immediately step in as a Top-10 producer at the position in 2024. Julien's Rookie debut went exceptionally well in Minnesota, ranking 5th in OPS (.840) among second basemen with at least 250 at-bats, ahead of the likes of Marcus Semien and Gleybar Torres. Despite just 109 games overall, Julien ranked fifth in walks (64) at his position, aligning his skillset perfectly with the RDBL and raising his floor.
26. SS Anthony Volpe, Cloverdale Clovers
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
The Clovers resisted the urge to activate Volpe who earned the starting job in New York thanks to a big Spring. GM Chris Shelley is certainly glad they did as Volpe endured his share of struggles but came out with 159 games played while posting a 20/20 season. There were stints of strong performance to build on with the speed he displayed giving Volpe a strong floor for 2024.
27. OF Jasson Dominguez, Mission Viejo Maulers
Acquired: 2021 Trade from Alamo Short Stacks | ETA: 2025
The club got extremely close to an in-season activation for Dominguez following his splashy New York debut, a move that would have been a disaster as he went down with an elbow injury that will sideline him for most of 2024. Despite the delay in joining the Active Roster, Dominguez showed plenty to have the Maulers excited about the future. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 1 and proceeded to hit four home runs during his eight-game stretch, posting a .980 OPS during that span. The enormous ceiling remains, but the current profile suggest some rollercoaster early seasons for Dominguez before he reaches his full potential.
28. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 10th Round | ETA: 2025
A stellar year at Triple-A led to Crow-Armstrong jumping into the Top-15 of Minor League prospects while earning him a late season promotion to Chicago for his big league debut. The long-term vision for Crow-Armstrong as the team’s everyday centerfielder remains, though the timetable is uncertain on when that occurs. He flashed his stellar defensive skills during his three weeks with the big league club last month. But the short term question is whether he will be a part of the team’s immediate plans for next year. That he was used primarily as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement (while going 0-for-14 with seven strikeouts at the plate) in September is somewhat telling, but the starting job next April will depend largely on if Cody Bellinger is still on the team. In the context of a full season, an 0-for-14 stretch is aggravating but not alarming or even indicative. Crow-Armstrong has a .301 batting average and .891 OPS in 885 minor league at-bats, but that stretch could give the club pause to put all of their eggs in PCA to start the season, pushing a potential activation to 2025 for GM Terry Shelley.
29. RHP Brandon Pfaadt, Honolulu Hammerheads
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 11th Round | ETA: 2024
No pitcher has seen his value rise more in the MLB Playoffs than Pfaadt who owns a 3.27 ERA over five impressive outings this October. His command as been the biggest improvement, posting 29 strikeouts to just five walks, leading to a much more efficient WHIP than the 1.41 figure he posted in the Regular Season. The talent has been apparent, with five 20+ point starts in 2023, but they were matched with six starts of -10 or worse. If Pfaadt can continue to produce at the clip he has in the Playoffs and show more consistency, GM Ross Horiuchi will have a close eye on the eight pitchers ranked ahead of him on this list and certainly let the league know about it.
30. RHP Andrew Painter, Cloverdale Clovers
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Alamo Short Stacks | ETA: 2025
Painter ended 2022 as one of the best two or three pitching prospects in baseball. He overpowered hitters with his fastball at the lowest levels, but by the end of the year, he was carving Double-A and looked like a fully-formed, four-pitch monster. He entered the spring of 2023 with a legitimate shot to break camp in the Phillies rotation, like a pitching version of Fernando Tatis Jr. a few years ago. Instead, Painter’s elbow barked at him and he was shut down with a partial UCL tear after his first Grapefruit League outing. Painter and the Phillies opted for a plasma-rich platelet injection rather than an immediate Tommy John, which gave Painter a chance, with rest, to pitch at the end of a 2023 season in which the Phillies correctly anticipated that they’d be contenders. But Painter’s elbow didn’t heal completely from the PRP and rest, and he needed Tommy John toward the end of July, putting his 2024 season in doubt. It’s incredibly rare to value a prospect who will have missed two years this highly, but Painter has rare ceiling and the success rate of Tommy John surgeries is high enough to anticipate that he’ll return to his old self.
If he looks like his late-2022 self upon his return from TJ (which hopefully will be during instructs or in the 2024 Fall League), then Painter will rocket toward the top couple of spots of the RDBL Top 100 at this time next year.
31. RHP Taj Bradley, Burlingame Blue Ducks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Cloverdale Clovers | ETA: 2024
It was a rollercoaster of a season for Bradley in his Rookie campaign for the Tampa Bay Rays with plenty to improve on (5.59 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), but plenty to build on as well (129 strikeouts in 104 2/3 IP). Bradley certainly has the stuff to compete at the big league level and reach his potential as a #2 or #3 starter. He'll enter 2024 with a clear cut path to a rotation job for a Rays group that was decimated by injury along with a strong innings count to build on that should have him firmly in the Ducks 2024 plans.
32. LHP Kyle Harrison, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Lunatic Fringe | ETA: 2024
Harrison walked three or more batters in 11 of his 20 starts at Triple-A, where automated balls and strikes may have increased walk rates relative to when humans are calling the game. He walked at least one batter but no more than two batters in all seven of his big-league starts, which lends credence to the theory that he may have less of a control issue when the human element is involved. Harrison always missed bats at an elite clip in the minors, with strikeout rates north of 35 percent at every stop. However his propensity to walk batters has held him back at times. The gap between his walk rate at Triple-A (16.3 percent) and the big leagues (7.5 percent) is essentially the difference between a pitcher destined for relief and a pitcher who comfortably projects as a starter. The 6-foot-2 southpaw was the third-youngest pitcher to make five-plus starts in the majors (only Eury Perez and AJ Smith-Shawver were younger), so it's fair to expect further skill development in the coming years for Harrison, who won't turn 23 until August. He is a flyball pitcher (26.8 GB% in the big leagues), but he has a good home park for that approach, as Oracle Park has the third-lowest home run park factor, per Baseball Savant's 3-year rolling average. He should make the rotation out of spring training, but a hamstring injury limited him to 102.1 innings, so the Giants may cap him at around 150 innings in the regular season. With other rotation options in-house, the Grapes could exercise patience and hold off on an Opening Day activation if Harrison has a shaky Spring.
33. SS Colson Montgomery, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Mt. Diablo Devils | ETA: 2025
The White Sox drafted him 22nd overall in 2021 and signed him for a slot-value $3.027 million. Montgomery was on the fast track through the White Sox system before hitting a speed bump in 2023. He missed most of spring training and much of the first half of the season to a mid-back sprain, but after his return he looked just as good as ever. He hit a combined .287/.455/.484 with eight home runs, 56 walks and 56 strikeouts in 64 games across three levels, finishing the regular season with 37 games at Double-A Birmingham. His most impressive attribute is his outstanding plate discipline, as highlighted by a 15% walk rate at Double-A. Montgomery made up for lost time with a solid showing in the Arizona Fall League. His 20 RBIs tied for fourth in the AFL, while his .936 OPS placed 10th. He's ticketed for Triple-A to start 2024 with a potential call-up this summer on the horizon.
34. OF Colton Cowser, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
Cowser was the fifth pick in the 2021 draft and has looked the part throughout his minor-league career, delivering high batting averages with enough power and speed to dream on a star outcome, but his debut last summer was a total flop. He gets a pass for all the usual reasons, but for a player whose best trait is his hit tool, the strikeouts have been awfully high and the zone-contact rate awfully low. He will get some leash given the MiLB track record, but 2024 will be quite telling on his ceiling.
35. SS Jackson Merrill, Lunatic Fringe
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2025
In 114 games this season, Merrill slashed .277/.326/.444 with 25 doubles, 15 home runs, and 15 steals. While he doesn't have a big-time power/speed blend, Merrill should be average to above-average in the power/speed department with the ability to flirt with 20/20 early in his career. That should come with a higher AVG as well as Merrill has consistently displayed strong contact skills around or above 80% and doesn't strike out that often either, finishing 2023 with a 12.1% mark. His overall ceiling might have dropped a bit in the last year, but Merrill looks like a steady contributor who should reach the big leagues in 2024.
36. 1B Kyle Manzardo, Burlingame Blue Ducks
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
After being selected by the Rays in the second round of the 2021 draft, Manzardo hit and hit some more, with his breakout coming during the 2022 season which made him a 1st Rounder in the RDBL in 2023. After dealing with things off the field for most of last year as well as a dislocated shoulder, 2023 felt like a lost season in some ways, but Manzardo rebounded in a major way in the Arizona Fall League, getting back to the root of who he is as a player. The contact and plate discipline skills are easily plus or better, and the blossoming power may end up being above-average or plus when all is said or done. The hit tool gives Manzarod a unique skillset at first base, and the blossoming power gives some intriguing potential with the potential to be an Opening Day activation this season for GM Ryan Walsh.
37. LHP Ricky Tiedemann, Cloverdale Clovers
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 11th Round | ETA: 2025
Arm soreness and the strictly manicured workload that followed greatly limited Tiedemann’s 2023 regular season output. He spent most of the year at Double-A New Hampshire (with some rehab outings sprinkled in) before a Fall League stint that boosted his season-long innings total to 62. He’s yet to truly test his mettle as a professional starter, with the 78.2 innings he threw in 2022 representing his high-water mark thus far. While he’s still on track for an impact starter role, there’s an industry-wide desire to see Tiedemann prove he can hold his excellent stuff for 120 or so frames. If he can, this ranking will be far too low as he has the potential to be a front-line starter for the Clovers.
38. 3B Coby Mayo, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 9th Round | ETA: 2025
Mayo will spend the entire season next year as a 22-year-old with 267 plate appearances under his belt in AAA already. The fourth round overslot pick from the COVID-shortened 2020 draft started 2023 with AA Bowie and dominated the pitching at that level over 347 PAs with a 178 wRC+. Repeating the level after getting 145 PAs with Bowie to end the 2022 season, Mayo doubled his ISO (.296), dropped his strikeout rate by nearly 10% (24.8), and increased his walk rate by 6.4% (14.7). When he finally moved up to AAA his walk and strikeout rates only got even better (15.7% and 23.2% respectively) as he put up a 127 wRC+. Even better, after an early adjustment period he finished the season by hitting .308 with a 1.036 OPS and 162 wRC+ over his final 185 plate appearances with a 19.5% walk rate and 21.1% strikeout rate. That is elite stuff at 21 years old. He also continued to improve his defense at third base giving him a very good chance to play the position in the majors, but he will also be getting reps in the outfield over the offseason, where his 70 grade arm can play and give him a quicker path to a full-time role for a crowded Orioles depth chart.
39. SS Masyn Winn, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2024
Winn slashed .288/.359/.474 for AAA Memphis in 105 games, all while playing as an outstanding shortstop defensively that has him penciled in as the starter in St. Louis to start 2024. Despite stealing only 17 bases at both levels combined, he ranked in the 92nd percentile in sprint speed. He stole 43 bases in 2022, so he has 20-30 SB potential which will raise his overall floor. While he may just be an average offensive player, his baserunning and defensive prowess at the most important position on the infield will elevate his overall value.
40. SS Marcelo Mayer, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2025
It was a tale of two seasons for Mayer in 2023 as his early season returns had him sky-rocketing up prospect lists as he earned a promotion to Double-A. A shoulder injury happened during a slide on May 7, affecting him as the numbers dropped. Before the injury, Mayer was slashing .337/.414/.582 with a 21.6 percent strikeout and 74 percent contact rate. Post injury, Mayer slashed just .190/.253/.366 with a 26 percent strikeout rate and a 71 percent contact rate. Shoulder surgery ended his season. A return to Double-A is planned to start 2024 with Mayer on track for a 2025 activation should he return to his pre-injury production at the plate.
41. IF Adael Amador, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Lake Merced Goutfish | ETA: 2025
Amador possesses one of the best hit tools in the minors with zone contact rates above 90% and walked more than he struck out in 2023, a positive sign in the RDBL scoring format. While the power/speed blend doesn't stand out, Amador could easily flirt with 20/20 in Coors Field while providing a good AVG and OBP. He's a solid bet to move over to second base due to the presence of Ezequiel Tovar, but should be a quick mover in 2024 with a chance for an Opening Day 2025 activation.
42. OF Chase DeLauter, Meinert Hops
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 3rd Round | ETA: 2025
DeLauter spent most of 2023 at High-A Lake County, reaching Double-A Akron for six games and then extending his season in the Arizona Fall League where he was one of the league's brightest stars. He hit .299/.385/.529 in 23 AFL games, leading the league with 27 RBIs and ranking among the leaders with five home runs. Once DeLauter got underway in 2023, his season couldn’t have gone much better. He peaked at Double-A Akron and should return there to open 2024. The early returns have been great, and more than anything else, DeLauter needs more at-bats to further his development. The Guardians’ lineup has a desperate need for power after finishing last in MLB in home runs and 29th in slugging in 2023. DeLauter could add a needed impact bat to Cleveland’s lineup, potentially by the end of 2024.
43. C Ethan Salas, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2026
If I told you that a 16-year-old catcher would be getting reps in Major League Spring Training, would you have believed me? What if I told you that same catcher reached Double-A shortly after turning 17 years old? Well, Ethan Salas did those things in 2023 after signing for $5.8 million that same January. Salas shows maturity well beyond his age, considering he should still be in high school. The contact skills and plate discipline were impressive for his first professional season. Checking in with a 77.5 percent overall contact rate and a zone-contact rate north of 85 percent is highly impressive and even better when you factor in a chase rate of 20 percent. The power is already quite advanced for his age, hitting nine home runs in 66 games, but the exit velocities stood out for a 17-year-old. Salas checked in with an 87 mph average exit velocity and a 90th percentile above 102 mph, which would both be elite if we compared him to people his age. The frame also has a ton to dream on, and you can expect the power to tick up even more.
With elite makeup both behind the dish and at the plate for his age, the Padres have a lot to dream on. There is still plenty of development to be had there, and even though Salas reached Double-A, he probably needs at least another one to two full seasons of Minor League ball, and even if he debuted in late 2025, Salas would only be 19 years old. You can dream of the upside of one of the top catchers in baseball with Salas and not only becoming the Padres top prospect but also one of the top prospects in all of baseball but it comes with a likely 2026 activation for GM Terry Shelley which is the only thing holding him back from being higher on the list.
44. OF Kevin Alcantara, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 12th Round | ETA: 2025
The narrative about Alcántara going back to his days as a Yankees farm hand has been focused on “potential.” Potential speed, potential power, plus tools across the board, an All-Star if everything came together. He’s not there yet, but 2023 showed more flashes of the promise that convinced the Cubs’ to give up a cornerstone of the franchise to bring him into the fold. After looking overmatched early at High-A, Alcántara made adjustments at the plate and became one of the Midwest League’s best hitters by the end of the season, cutting his strikeouts down while maintaining the ability to put a charge into the ball. There’s plus raw power, generated by a quick bat and ever-increasing physical strength, but it has yet to be fully implemented in-game due to Alcántara’s propensity to hit the ball on the ground. The tools are there, but for Alcántara to reach his extremely high potential, he’ll need to show he can consistently perform as he begins to face the stiffer competition of the upper minors.
45. OF Walker Jenkins, San Mateo Oppo Tacos
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 8th Round | ETA: 2026
Jenkins may have raised his stock more post-draft than any other 2023 pick, and he went in the top five and was a slam dunk Top 50 prospect on draft day. He promptly stopped swinging and missing in the pros, and made plus swing decisions given his age and level. Jenkins has the classically pretty, rotational left-handed swing, with plus bat speed and barrel feel. He may have some .300 seasons down the line. The power tool requires a bit more projection at present, but should be at least above-average in time as he fills out his 6-foot-3 frame a little more. Jenkins has a relatively short track record of this kind of bat-to-ball skills—although his showcase season was marred by a hamate injury—but given the only concern in the five-tool profile was how much he would hit, well again, his stock is very much up. While the Oppo Tacos Farm System was gutted by outgoing GM Mike Friedrich, Jenkins is a very nice foundation to build on for GM Erik Nielsen.
46. OF Max Clark, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 9th Round | ETA: 2026
The Stacks have been enamored with Clark since early in 2022, when they made the then High School Junior their 9th Round Pick. Clark has the potential to be a five-tool player for the Tigers who made him the 3rd overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft. That’s a term that’s too often thrown around for players who barely scrape average in one of the five tools, but in Clark’s case, it’s realistic. He could end up with all five tools grading out as plus. Clark has plus-plus speed, a plus-plus arm, the range to be a plus defender in center field and the bat-to-ball skills to be a plus hitter as well. Projecting his power to be plus is a little more speculative, because he’s a hitter whose line-drive swing has generally been more geared to hitting for average. Clark got a brief taste of the Florida State League in 2023. He’s expected to start at Low-A Lakeland in 2024 with a goal of playing his way to High-A West Michigan. His combination of speed, defense and hitting ability gives him a high probability of being a useful big leaguer, and if his power develops, he could become a cornerstone of the Tigers and Stacks lineup.
47. C Bo Naylor, Mt. Diablo Devils
Acquired: 2021 Trade from Honolulu Hammerheads | ETA: 2024
After being named to the Cleveland Guardians’ 2022 AL Wild Card and ALDS rosters and playing a regular season game this year on May 21st, Bo Naylor became Cleveland’s mainstay catcher on June 17th. It took the 23-year-old about two months to find his stride against Major League competition as he sputtered to a .602 through mid-August. However, from August 19th through the end of the regular season, he was one of the premier catchers in MLB. In his final 28 games of the year, Naylor hit .321 with 26 hits, eight doubles, seven home runs, 18 RBI, and a 1.113 OPS. He will enter 2024 as an activation lock for GM Jason Watson, partnering with breakout trade acquisition Yeiner Diaz as a plus duo behind the plate.
48. SS Brooks Lee, Mission Viejo Maulers
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2025
Lee is a prospect who stands out more because he’s a well-rounded player with few weaknesses rather than any one outlier tool. He’s not particularly twitchy, but the game seems to move a little slower for him than most. He’s a polished hitter from both sides of the plate, though his lefthanded swing is a little shorter and more fluid than his righthanded one. Lee will never be a slugger, but his ability to make consistent contact and produce bushels of doubles leads scouts to expect that he’ll develop average power. Lee isn’t particularly rangy, but his internal clock is excellent, and he is reliable, which makes him playable as an average shortstop. He has a knack for getting just enough on the throw to beat the runner. He’s average at third base as well. He’s yet to play second base as a pro, but some scouts think that will be his best position eventually, and that he could be above-average there, because his arm fits better with a shorter throw. He is an average runner. Lee missed time with back and hamstring injuries as an amateur, but he’s been healthy so far as a pro. He should begin 2024 at Triple-A, but his versatility and polish should get him to Minnesota at some point. With Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis established, second base seems like his clearest path with the Twins rumored to be considering a trade of incumbent Jorge Polanco this off-season.
49. IF Ronny Mauricio, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2025
After an impressive showing across 116 Triple-A games this year and much clamoring from Mets fans, Ronny Mauricio finally received the call. After spending 26 games with the Mets, the results were mixed, but Mauricio did manage to hit two home runs and steal seven bases. Mauricio is an enigma of a profile as he hyper-aggressively swings at over 50 percent of pitches he sees and chases nearly 40 percent of pitches out of the zone. He counteracts it with high in-zone contact, running a rate above 86 percent in Triple-A.
There has never been any denying his power, as Mauricio’s 109 mph 90th percentile ranks toward the top of all MiLB hitters and firmly puts him in the plus or better range. The higher ground ball rate limits the output on barrels, but if Mauricio lifts the ball more consistently, there is 30 home run pop in the bat. While he may not be the fastest runner, Mauricio has a knack for stealing bases at a high clip, posting 20 and 31 over each of the last two seasons.
Mauricio plays down in the RDBL OBP format with the high swing rates limiting his OBP upside. He was about 10 spots higher on the list prior to tearing his ACL in Winter Ball, an injury that is expected to sideline him for the majority of the 2024 season.
50. SS/3B Brady House, Mt. Diablo Devils
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 3rd Round | ETA: 2025
House was one of four premium high school shortstops at the top of the 2021 draft class, alongside Jordan Lawlar, Marcelo Mayer and Kahlil Watson. The Nationals drafted House 11th overall and signed him for $5 million, which was about 10% over slot. In his pro debut he displayed his double-plus power at the Florida Complex League, but his 2022 followup was compromised with a back injury and he was shut down in early June. The lack of power led to questions about his future projections but those subsided when House hit .312/.365/.497 in 2023 and reached Double-A Harrisburg on July 18. The further he gets from his back injury, the more House looks like the player the Nationals drafted. He should be Washington’s answer at third base but won’t see the major leagues for another full season. He should start the year at Double-A and reach Triple-A by the end of 2024.
RDBL Top Prospects 51-100
51. 2B/3B Jordan Westburg, Alamo Short Stacks
52. 2B/3B Michael Busch, Mt. Diablo Devils
53. RHP Clarke Schmidt, Lunatic Fringe
54. IF/OF Ceddanne Rafaela, Cloverdale Clovers
55. RHP Edward Cabrera, Cloverdale Clovers
56. RHP Max Meyer, Las Vegas Aristocrats
57. 3B Brett Baty, Las Vegas Aristocrats
58. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, Asti Grape Stompers
59. 3B Curtis Mead, Asti Grape Stompers
60. SS Carson Williams, Lunatic Fringe
61. RHP Hurston Waldrep, Las Vegas Aristocrats
62. RHP Jackson Jobe, Las Vegas Aristocrats
63. 3B Muketaka Murakami, Lake Merced Goutfish
64. RHP Dylan Lesko, Asti Grape Stompers
65. OF Heston Kjerstad, Spokane Fightin' Fish
66. 2B Termarr Johnson, Spokane Fightin' Fish
67. LHP MacKenzie Gore, St. Joseph Jokers
68. RHP Josiah Gray, Lunatic Fringe
69. C Harry Ford, Lunatic Fringe
70. OF Sal Frelick, Maltese Falcons
71. RHP Tink Hence, Las Vegas Aristocrats
72. SS Zach Neto, Cloverdale Clovers
73. SS Marco Luciano, Cloverdale Clovers
74. OF Luis Matos, Maltese Falcons
75. 2B Connor Norby, Spokane Fightin' Fish
76. C Austin Wells, Maltese Falcons
77. C Dalton Rushing, Cloverdale Clovers
78. OF Henry Davis, Meinert Hops
79. OF Sammy Zavala, Alamo Short Stacks
80. OF Gabriel Gonzalez, Alamo Short Stacks
81. C Endy Rodriguez, St. Joseph Jokers
82. RHP Rhett Lowder, Burlingame Blue Ducks
83. RHP Chase Burns, Las Vegas Aristocrats
84. LHP Carson Whisenhunt, Asti Grape Stompers
85. RHP Mick Abel, Asti Grape Stompers
86. RHP Gavin Stone, Las Vegas Aristocrats
87. SS Edwin Arroyo, Lake Merced Goutfish
88. C Tyler Soderstrom, Alamo Short Stacks
89. C Shea Langeliers, Las Vegas Aristocrats
90. OF Josue De Paula, Maltese Falcons
91. OF Joey Wiemer, Meinert Hops
92. OF Spencer Jones, San Mateo Oppo Tacos
93. RHP Chase Dollander, Meinert Hops
94. RHP Owen White, Mt. Diablo Devils
95. OF Druw Jones, Maltese Falcons
96. OF Miguel Bleis, Alamo Short Stacks
97. OF Vance Honeycutt, Mission Viejo Maulers
98. 1B/OF Jac Caglianone, Mission Viejo Maulers
99. 3B Orelvis Martinez, Mission Viejo Maulers
100. SS/2B Brayan Rocchio, Lunatic Fringe
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