MLB Pipeline has put together its lists of the 10 best prospects at every position to date Thursday night reveal From MLB Network’s Top 100 Predictions for 2023 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m.
While we wait for the Top 100, this is the #1 prospect in every position.
Catcher: Francisco Alvarez, Mets
There is probably no other baseball prospect with more power than Alvarez, who hit 24 homers as an A-ball teen in 2021, then another 27 at 20 in the upper echelons of the minor league last year before making his MLB debut with Mets team. On Sept. 30. The Venezuelan defenseman enters 2023 still just 21-years-old with a major league-ready bat, and if he continues to improve his work behind the plate, he could potentially be a multi-time star. full list”
First base: Triston Casas, Red Sox
Casas never tops twenty homers in a Minor League season, but he creates massive raw pop all over the field with a combination of bat speed, power and leverage in his massive 6-foot-4 frame. Notably, five of his 15 home runs left the arena after he made his MLB debut in 2022. He should hit both average and power, and even on days he doesn’t, he can still impact the game defensively. All of which is why Boston is clearing space to make Casas their Opening Day first baseman going into next season. full list”
Second base: Termar Johnson, Pirates
The fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Johnson has the makings of a perennial All-Star. Scouts considered him the best high school hitter in years, with one saying he combined the discipline of Wade Boggs with the skills of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. in the field. Listed at 5-foot-7, 175 pounds, Johnson isn’t physically imposing, but he plans to produce the extra strength. And although his average arm and speed dictate the transition from shortstop to second base, he has the potential of a solid fullback in his new position. full list”
Third base: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
Henderson is only 21 years old, but he made his debut with the Orioles in 2022 and has shown his major league aptitude, slapping . 259/. 348/. 440 over 132 games. It only scratches the surface with its powerful flicks from the left side of the board, and it delivers above average speed as well. Henderson’s athleticism and extra arm can make him a solid shortstop despite his size, but he has Gold Glove potential as a third baseman, having played mostly for Baltimore last year. full list”
Shortstop: Anthony Volpe, Yankees
Early concerns about Volpe’s ability to hit the game at the top level subsided when he broke out in June at Double-A last year. Despite his slow start, he became the first shortstop with twenty homers and 50 steals since Andrew Jones in 1995. Volpe has a right-handed, loft-bound hit that produces high strikeout velocities and all-field ability. Although he has some arm concerns, he is a consistent defensive presence at shortstop as well. full list”
Pitch: Corbin Carroll, linebacker D
Carroll offers the best combination of hitting ability and speed among all the prospects. He showed his wheels after being called up by Arizona last August, posting the highest average sprinting speed (30.7 ft/s) of any senior in 2022. He is awarded the Golden Gloves at center field. The amount of power he produces will determine how big of a superstar he becomes – and he notably slammed four guards in his first 32 games in the Majors. full list”
Right-handed pitcher: Andrew Painter, Phillies
The 2021 No. 13 overall pick gave everyone a taste of the roof with a 1.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings across three pitches in his first full season, and he’s got the stuff to back up the scores with a fastball. He can touchdown triple digits, plus a slider. High spin and two more pitches in his curve and the changeup that keeps hitters guessing. The 6-foot-7 right-hander’s ability to throw in the area has improved as the season continues, and his control could be a plus by the end of 2023 if he continues down this trajectory. full list”
Left-handed pitcher: Kyle Harrison, Giants
Harrison stands out as a frontline starter thanks to his three-pitch repertoire that includes a well-above-average fastball, a sweeping slider and an improved changeup in the mid-80s with fades and sinkers. He’s still learning to field his stuff, though he can miss at bats in the strike zone with all three of his wides, which means he doesn’t need to pinpoint their exact location. full list”
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