The race for the three Wild Card spots is as hot as ever with 10 Franchises actively pursuing upgrades and believing they have a Playoff-caliber roster this season. The consolation prize for finishing in 7th place will be the first overall selection in the 2023 RDBL Reserve Draft.
In the latest MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospect List update, only 23 prospects are current RDBL Free Agents while sixteen prospects selected in Sunday's MLB Draft were already on RDBL Rosters.
Four 1st Rounds picks have already been dealt as the St. Joseph Jokers, Cloverdale Clovers, Spokane Fightin' Fish and Idaho Taters all hold a pair of picks among the first 15 selections.
RHP Cade Horton, Cubs
No one’s stock rose more in the last month of the amateur season than Cade Horton, who changed the shape of his breaking ball and went on a tear in the postseason with a two-pitch combo. He missed 2021 with Tommy John surgery, and is primarily a two-pitch guy with limited experience as a starter – he was a two-way guy, playing short and pitching in relief, until moving into Oklahoma’s rotation partway through this season. He could be just a very late bloomer, or this could be recency bias, favoring what we saw in the last six weeks over everything that came before. Horton was the 7th overall pick in Sunday's MLB Draft with the previous six selections already on RDBL Rosters.
C Kevin Parada, Mets
Parada has been one of the best hitters in college baseball this year, tying for sixth in Division 1 with 26 home runs while walking nearly as often as he struck out on the season (32:30 K:BB). Behind the plate, he’s adequate as a receiver with fringy arm strength, good enough to stay there because he hits so well. With 20-25 homer power and a potential 60 hit tool at a position of permanent scarcity, he offers some of the best pure value in the draft class and was selected 11th overall by the New York Mets on Sunday.
OF Jackson Chourio, Brewers
The 18-year-old Venezuelan has been the talk of the minors with his breakout campaign at Low-A Carolina. Chourio still has a long way to go with many potential pratfalls, but with advanced hitting ability, explosive power, plus-plus speed and highlight-reel defense in center field, he has the tools to be a future superstar.
OF James Wood, Padres
A giant slugger with the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, Wood is more than an oddity as a 6-foot-7 slugger with advanced plate discipline and more bat-to-ball skills than his huge limbs would portend. His combination of plus power and feel to hit in a power forward’s body make Wood one of the most exciting prospects in the minor leagues.
SS Ezequiel Tovar, Rockies
One of the year’s biggest breakout prospects, Tovar has continued playing fabulous defense at shortstop while getting stronger at the plate to hit for both average and power. He remains overly aggressive as a hitter, but he has the tools to be a game-changing talent on both sides of the ball if he can rein in his approach even just a tick.
OF Alex Ramirez, Mets
Ramirez is one of the Mets' youngest and brightest prospects. He brings a mix of power, speed and defense and hit well enough in a return to Low-A to earn a promotion in early July.
SS Colson Montgomery, White Sox
While Montgomery wasnt ranked among the “big four” shortstops in the 2021 high school draft class he’s been very productive over the first half of the season. Montgomery possesses plus bat-to-ball skills and approach, as well as blossoming power—his max exit velocity in 2022 is over 112 mph. A former standout basketball player, Montgomery is supremely athletic and has a bright future ahead of him on the South side.
RHP Brayan Bello, Red Sox
Bello's situation is reminiscent of Padres catcher Luis Campusano who was on a 1FA/$5 contract but is 50/50 if he will be ready as an Opening Day option at the start of 2023. Bello, currently with the Idaho Taters, has made a pair of big league starts but was optioned back to Triple-A this week. GM Mike Friedrich intends to hold onto him through the off-season as an option, but if he starts 2023 in the Minor Leagues, he could be one of the first names off the board in the RDBL Reserve Draft.
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