Our Top 10 Prospects by Position Series continues with a loaded class of Shortstops led again by Las Vegas Aristocrats phenom Jackson Holliday who looks primed for his big league debut in 2024. Eight of the Top 10 shortstop prospects look poised for Opening Day roles or early 2024 debuts in another major wave of young talent ready to join RDBL Rosters.
Our coverage of the Top 10 Prospects by Position will conclude with Outfielders and Pitchers over the coming days before concluding with the RDBL Top 100 for the first time since 2021.
1. SS/2B Jackson Holliday, Las Vegas Aristocrats
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2025
Awarded Baseball America’s 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. He’s on track to make his big leagues in 2024 with a potential Playoff activation or 2025 Opening Day addition to follow.
2. SS/3B 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 something 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.
3. SS/2B Matt McLain, St. Joseph Jokers
Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 5th Round | 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 St. Joseph Jokers who will look to build around McLain and Gunnar Henderson.
4. 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.
5. SS/3B Noelvi Marte, Luantic 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 advnatage, 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.
6. 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.
7. SS Jackson Merrill, Lunatic Fringe
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
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. With Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado locked into the left side of the infield in San Diego for years to come, Merrill is likely to flip to the other side of second base with an expected debut in early 2024.
8. SS Marcelo Mayer, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Idaho Taters | ETA: 2025
It was a Tale of Three Seasons for Mayer in 2023. The first two months he mashed in the South Atlantic League, posting a near .900 OPS and earning a promotion to Double-A. His next two months in Double-A were a struggle, as pitchers exploited a hole in his swing at the bottom of the zone while working through a shoulder issue that ultimately ended his season. Mayer will head back to Double-A to start 2024 with the Stacks hopeful his drop in production was more health related than a reflection of his skillset and future upside.
9. SS/2B Adael Amador, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Lake Merced Goutfish | ETA: 2025
In just 69 games this season, Amador racked up 15 doubles, 12 home runs, and 15 steals with a .287/.380/.495 slash line and more walks (39) than strikeouts (37). If he didn't miss around half of the minor league season recovering from surgery on his right hamate bone, Amador might be in the top 10 overall discussion heading into 2024. While Amador might not have the flashy power/speed blend that most of the names ahead of him in my rankings have, he's still around average game power and speed, maybe even above average in the power department. That's enough to flirt with 20/20 seasons when half of your games are going to be in Coors Field. Add in a plus or better hit tool and outstanding approach, and you have a well-rounded offensive middle infielder with a fairly high floor as well that should be ready to take on a full-time role in Colorado in 2025.
10. 2B/SS/3B Ronny Mauricio, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2024
Mauricio has a carrying tool in his plus power, but his below-average on-base ability has generally weighed down his overall offensive production. Mauricio has the electric bat speed and twitch to produce majestic drives to his pull side, and his first MLB hit was a 117.3 mph double that was the hardest hit ball by any Mets hitter in 2023. He also led the Mets with one of the highest chase rates in MLB, undone by poor swing decisions against sliders and changeups. The switch-hitting Mauricio is much stronger from the left side, hitting .284/.334/.497 with a 21% strikeout rate against righthanders in the upper minors and majors. He is an above-average runner and efficient basestealer who went 7-for-7 in his MLB debut. Mauricio is a steady defensive shortstop with a plus arm who fanned out to second base, third base and left field at Triple-A to create avenues to Queens. Playing outfield was abandoned in August, but he looked at home at second and third in New York where he figures to play a prominent role in 2024.