Our Top 10 Prospects by Position Series continues with Third Base, yet another position that is loaded with talent. The group is headlined by Cloverdale Clovers young star Elly De La Cruz who sits atop a list filled with prospects ready to help Roger Dorn Baseball League Front Offices in 2024.
Our coverage of the Top 10 Prospects by Position will continue with Shortstops, Outfielders and Pitchers over the coming days before concluding with the RDBL Top 100 for the first time since 2021.
1. 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 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 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.
4. 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.
5. 1B/3B Coby Mayo, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 9th Round | ETA: 2024
The Falcons look to be set in the infield with Triston Casas, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Coby Mayo, all potentially ready for 2024 Activations. Primarily a third baseman, a logjam in Baltimore figures to push Mayo to first base where he has spent some time through the Minors. His carrying tool is his bat which will play at any position. The 21-year-old led the Orioles organization with 29 home runs with a .974 OPS between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, all while cutting his strikeout rate and increasing his walk rate. He's likely to start 2024 at Triple-A, but will be quickly knocking on the door of the big leagues.
6. 2B/3B Curtis Mead, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 7th Round | ETA: 2024
Mead got his feet wet in the big leagues, earning 24 games of action with a .675 OPS after acing two stops in the Minor Leagues with .287/.377/.502 line. Profiling at both second and third base, Mead brings a strong approach to the plate with emerging power that should allow him to reach his potential as a 350-400 point contributor that could push him into a 2024 activation for the Grapes.
7. 3B Brett Baty, Las Vegas Aristocrats
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Meinert Hops | ETA: 2024
Baty might have had an argument for the top spot on this list a season ago, looking like a cornerstone player for the New York Mets heading into 2024 with fans clamoring for him to beat out Eduardo Escobar for the Opening Day job. A year later, Baty's future is uncertain after a rough .212/.275/.323 line in 389 big league at-bats last season. With lefties extremely troubling (.176/.211/.264), a platoon might be the 'Crats best case scenario to start 2024 provided Baty opens the season in New York. All hope is hardly lost as Baty has slashed .290/.390/.507 across 1,154 Minor League at-bats.
8. 2B/3B/SS Jordan Westburg, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 5th Round | ETA: 2024
Westburg forced his way to the big leagues in 2023, posting a .939 OPS in 67 Triple-A games with 35 overall extra base hits. Facing a crowded depth chart for the first place Orioles, Westburg found his way into 208 big league at-bats across shortstop, second and third base, improving his OPS in each month. Earning a pair of Playoff starts, Westburg looks to be firmly in the O's plans for next season making him a strong candidate for an Opening Day activation.
9. 2B/3B Michael Busch, Mt. Diablo Devils
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Honolulu Hammerheads | ETA: 2024
In his three full minor league seasons, Busch has been a consistent offensive performer, especially in the power department where he's flexed his plus raw power often. After hitting 32 homers in 142 games in 2022, Busch cranked 27 more in 2023 in just 98 games with a .323/.431/.618 slash line. Both the .618 SLG and .295 ISO were career-best marks for Busch. In addition, Busch also improved his walk rate from 11.5% to 13.9% while trimming his strikeout rate from 26.1% to 18.8%. Despite earning the PCL MVP Award, the Dodgers left Busch off their Playoff Roster and don't seem overly ready to hand him a big league job despite the Minor League production. He's a candidate to be moved this Winter which could be a big boost to his value.
10. 3B Munetaka Murakami, Lake Merced Goutfish
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 7th Round | ETA: 2026
On the heels of the World Baseball Classic, the Lake Merced Goutfish dove into the International Pool during the 2023 Reserve Draft, striking gold with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto while landing another gem in Munetaka Murakami. Set to be posted after the 2025 season, Murakami continued his assault on Japan League pitchers in 2023. While he saw a dip from his historic .318/.458/.711 2022 season when he hit 56 home runs, Murakami posted a .875 OPS with 31 home runs and enters his Age-24 season in next year.