Top Prospect for All 30 MLB Franchises

They will be household names one day.

Top Prospect for All 30 MLB Franchises

The Show. It's where every young baseball player wants to go. The road to the majors goes through the minors, where Major League Baseball has the most complex farm system of any professional sports league.

MLB teams stock their farms via the MLB draft or by signing international players. But not all baseball talent is created equal.

These are the best major league prospects for all 30 MLB franchises.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Corbin Carroll, Center Fielder

Born: Aug. 21, 2000 (Seattle, Washington)

Drafted: No. 16 overall, 2019 (Lakeside High School)

Signing bonus: $3.7 million

Bottom line: Corbin Carroll became one of the highest-drafted high school players out of the state of Washington in the last 20 years when the Diamondbacks selected him No. 16 overall in 2019.

He won MVP honors at the Perfect Game All-American Classic to solidify his status as a top MLB prospect, and a $3.7 million signing bonus lured him away from UCLA.

Carroll dominated in the Arizona Fall League and in Class A Short Season and was reportedly sharp at the Diamondbacks' alternate training site in 2020. His speed, hitting and defense could make him an MLB starter by 2022.

Atlanta Braves: Cristian Pache, Left Fielder

Born: Nov. 19, 1998 (Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $1.4 million

Bottom line: The Atlanta Braves broke the bank for Cristian Pache, signing him as an international free agent with a $1.4 million bonus in 2015 when he was still a few months shy of his 17th birthday.

Pache's bat caught up to his defensive skills in the last few years, and he played in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game.

Pache got his first MLB call-up in 2020 and was with the Braves in the postseason, where he scored the game-winning run in Game 1 of the NL wild-card series and registered his first MLB RBI and home run in the 2020 NL championship series.

Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman, Catcher

Born: Feb. 6, 1998 (Portland, Oregon)

Drafted: No. 1 overall, 2019 (Oregon State University)

Signing bonus: $8.1 million

Bottom line: Catcher Adley Rutschman stayed close to home to play college baseball, leading Oregon State to the 2018 College World Series title while earning CWS Most Outstanding Player honors as well.

As a junior in 2019, Rutschman swept national player of the year awards. The Orioles selected him No. 1 overall in the 2019 MLB draft, and he signed for a then-MLB record $8.1 million bonus.

He dominated in the minor leagues in 2019 and was the Orioles' top prospect at their alternate training site in 2020. He's also rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com.

Boston Red Sox: Triston Casas, First Base

Born: Jan. 15, 2000 (Pembroke Pines, Florida)

Drafted: No. 26 overall, 2018 (American Heritage High School)

Signing bonus: $2.5 million

Bottom line: Triston Casas graduated from high school one year earlier than projected to make himself eligible for the 2018 MLB draft, and the Boston Red Sox rewarded him with a $2.5 million signing bonus after picking him No. 26 overall.

Casas missed almost all of the 2018 season with a thumb injury but bounced back in 2019, when Baseball America named him minor league player of the year for the Red Sox and also the team's No. 1 prospect.

Casas stood out in Boston's fall instructional league in 2020 after not getting to play any games during the season.

Chicago White Sox: Andrew Vaughn, First Base

Born: April 3, 1998 (Santa Rosa, California)

Drafted: No. 3 overall, 2019 (Cal)

Signing bonus: $7.2 million

Bottom line: Andrew Vaughn starred at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa, California, then went right down the road to play college baseball at Cal.

Vaughn was a two-time All-American for the Golden Bears and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and won the Golden Spikes Award as the nation's best player in 2018.

The White Sox picked Vaughn No. 3 overall in 2019, the highest pick in Cal history, and signed him to a whopping, $7.2 million bonus. Vaughn moved up quickly in the minors, going from Rookie League to Class A to Class A-Advanced by the end of 2019.

Chicago Cubs: Brailyn Marquez, Left-Handed Pitcher

Born: Jan. 30, 1999 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $600,000

Bottom line: Brailyn Marquez made his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs at the end of the 2020 season, and the club thinks he might be the best left-handed pitcher they've signed in the last decade.

They think this because Marquez, 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, has an absolute lightning bolt for a left arm. Since signing him as a 16-year-old in 2015, the Cubs have seen Marquez increase the velocity on his fastball.

He consistently throws in the high 90s and touched 102 miles per hour in 2019, his last full season.

Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo, Left-Handed Pitcher

Born: Feb. 5, 1998 (La Verne, California)

Drafted: No. 7 overall, 2019 (TCU)

Signing bonus: $5.4 million

Bottom line: Don't be surprised to see Nick Lodolo in the starting rotation for the Cincinnati Reds before too long.

The first pitcher taken in the 2019 MLB draft, Lodolo has shown an amazing amount of control in the minor leagues to go with great size, at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, along with a growing repertoire of pitches.

Lodolo is known as a consistent strike-thrower. He's not overpowering on the mound yet, but he's picking up velocity as he fills out his frame.

Cleveland Indians: Nolan Jones, Third Base

Born: May 7, 1998 (Langhorne, Pennsylvania)

Drafted: No. 55 overall, 2016 (Holy Ghost Prep School)

Signing bonus: $2.25 million

Bottom line: Nolan Jones was headed for college baseball stardom at the University of Virginia before the Cleveland Indians lured him away with a $2.25 million signing bonus — a large amount of money for a second-round pick.

What Jones does really well is hit for power. He led the minors with 96 walks in 2019, had a .466 slugging percentage and hit 34 home runs spread across stints in Class A, Double-A and Fall League.

Colorado Rockies: Zac Veen, Outfielder

Born: Dec. 12, 2001 (Port Orange, Florida)

Drafted: No. 9 overall, 2020 (Spruce Creek High School)

Signing bonus: $5 million

Bottom line: Even on a list of top prospects, Colorado Rockies minor league outfielder Zac Veen stands out because of his youth.

Veen turned 19 years old in December 2020 and came out of nowhere to be the second high school player taken in the 2020 MLB draft. Veen's upside is as a power hitter. He's shown "raw power" already in the instructional league, and at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, his pop will only increase as he gets older.

That being said, it might be a while before Veen makes it to the majors. He's projected by MLB.com as a 2024 call-up, although he's yet to play an official minor league game.

Detroit Tigers: Spencer Torkelson,Third Base/First Base

Born: Aug. 26, 1999 (Petaluma, California)

Drafted: No. 1 overall, 2020 (Arizona State University)

Signing bonus: $8.4 million

Bottom line: The Detroit Tigers set the MLB record for a signing bonus when they signed Spencer Torkelson to an $8.4 million bonus after selecting him No. 1 overall in the 2020 MLB draft.

Torkelson shattered Barry Bonds' freshman home run record at Arizona State and was only three shy of ASU's career record of 56 home runs when his junior season was canceled after just 17 games.

Torkelson is the No. 3 overall prospect in the minor leagues, according to MLB.com, and he's projected to make it to the majors by 2022, although his ability to hit for average and power could speed up that timeline.

Houston Astros: Forrest Whitley, Right-Handed Pitcher

Born: Sept. 15, 1997 (San Antonio, Texas)

Drafted: No. 17 overall, 2016 (Alamo Heights High School)

Signing bonus: $3.1 million

Bottom line: Few prospects are facing as much career uncertainty as Houston Astros pitcher Forrest Whitley.

The 6-foot-7, 238-pound right-hander tore through the minor leagues in his first two seasons after being drafted No. 17 overall in 2016 and seemed prime for a call-up to the majors in 2018. That's when Whitley stumbled and was suspended 50 games without pay for violating MLB's drug policy.

Whitley still started 2019 with the Astros' Triple-A team, but he missed all of 2020 when minor league games were canceled and will miss all of 2021 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., Shortstop

Born: June 14, 2000 (Colleyville, Texas)

Drafted: No. 2 overall, 2019 (Colleyville Heritage High School)

Signing bonus: $7.79 million

Bottom line: Bobby Witt Jr.'s plans to go play for the University of Oklahoma went out the window after the Colleyville High School shortstop was named the 2019 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Witt was selected No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Royals and made the no-brainer decision to scoop up a $7.79 million signing bonus and go pro.

Witt, the son of former major league pitcher Bobby Witt, struggled some in the rookie league in 2019 but shined during the Royals' instructional league in 2020.

Los Angeles Angels: Brandon Marsh, Outfielder

Born: Dec. 18, 1997 (Buford, Georgia)

Drafted: No. 60 overall, 2016 (Buford High School)

Signing bonus: $1 million

Bottom line: Brandon Marsh is one of the more fascinating baseball prospects. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound former football player displayed a knack for stealing bases and driving in runs in his first three full seasons in the minors.

Then, Marsh discovered an ability to hit for power. A change in his batting stance led to an increase in slugging percentage and home runs.

Marsh was a standout for the Angels' Double-A squad in 2019 and could flank three-time American League MVP Mike Trout in left field or right field for years to come.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Keibert Ruiz, Catcher

Born: July 20, 1998 (Valencia, Valenzuela)

Drafted: N/A, 2016 (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $140,000

Bottom line: Don't expect Keibert Ruiz to stay with the Los Angeles Dodgers for much longer. His inclusion on this list speaks more to the lack of prospects in the organization than his MLB potential.

He was overtaken by Will Smith on the Dodgers' organizational depth chart in 2018, when the two were both in Double-A, and Smith is now firmly entrenched as the Dodgers' catcher after helping lead the team to the 2020 World Series championship.

Ruiz can hit as well as Smith and homered in his first MLB at-bat in August 2020. It's the inconsistency of Ruiz behind the plate that's been holding him back.

Miami Marlins: Sixto Sanchez, Right-Handed Pitcher

Born: July 29, 1998 (San Cristobal, Dominican Republic)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $35,000

Bottom line: Sixto Sanchez didn't have the gilded path to professional baseball like some players. The Philadelphia Phillies were scouting a catcher in Cuba when they saw Sanchez throwing batting practice and signed him.

Sanchez was only 16 years old when he first came to play in the minors and was one of the key players the Marlins got in return for trading catcher J.T. Realmuto in 2019.

Sanchez is only 22 years old, and the 6-foot, 235-pounder made his MLB debut in 2020, going 3-2 in 39 innings pitched. He also pitched five scoreless innings against the Cubs in the NL wild-card Series.

Milwaukee Brewers: Garrett Mitchell, Outfielder

Born: Sept. 4, 1998 (Orange, California)

Drafted: No. 20 overall, 2020 (UCLA)

Signing bonus: $3.2 million

Bottom line: Garrett Mitchell was an All-American in 2019 and on the Golden Spikes Award watch list in 2020 before UCLA's season was canceled.

Mitchell showed enough in his first two seasons and an abbreviated third season. The Brewers took him No. 20 overall and feel like they'd found the perfect outfielder for the future with the 6-foot-3, 215-pound athlete.

Mitchell's biggest obstacle to overcome so far has been health. He was used in limited action in 2020 due to a quad injury.

Minnesota Twins: Royce Lewis, Shortstop

Born: June 5, 1991 (Aliso Viejo, California)

Drafted: No. 1 overall, 2017 (Junipero Serra Catholic High School)

Signing bonus: $6.7 million

Bottom line: Royce Lewis swept MVP honors at the Under Armour All-American Game and Perfect Game All-American Classic before his senior season at Junipero Serra High School — the same high school as legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

Lewis was named the 2017 California Gatorade Player of the Year before being selected No. 1 overall in the MLB draft. Lewis steadily worked his way up through the minor leagues for three seasons before the 2020 season was canceled.

A torn ACL suffered in February 2021 will keep him out for a second consecutive season.

New York Yankees: Jasson Dominguez, Outfielder

Born: Feb. 7, 2003 (Valverde, Dominican Republic)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $5 million

Bottom line: The most money MLB allows teams to sign an international prospect for is $5 million — which is exactly how much the New York Yankees paid 16-year-old outfielder Jasson Dominguez in 2019.

The most fascinating international prospect in perhaps the last 20 years, Dominguez was nicknamed "The Martian" at a young age because of his freakish gifts on a baseball diamond.

Dominguez is 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, and his combination of size, skill and speed has drawn comparisons to none other than Mickey Mantle, Bo Jackson and Mike Trout.

New York Mets: Francisco Alvarez, Catcher

Born: Nov. 19, 2001 (Guatire, Venezuela)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $2.7 million

Bottom line: Francisco Alvarez spent 2019 playing Rookie League ball and showed he was one of the best young catchers in the minors. Mets fans are hoping he's the big league club's future behind the plate.

Alvarez is 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds. He wasn't able to play a game in 2020 but scored a spring training invite in 2021 after showing he was the best hitter at the team's alternate training site in 2020.

Oakland Athletics: Tyler Soderstrom, Catcher

Born: Nov. 24, 2001 (Turlock, California)

Drafted: No. 26 overall, 2020 (Turlock High School)

Signing bonus: $3.3 million

Bottom line: Tyler Soderstrom only played five games at Turlock High School in 2020 before the Oakland Athletics picked the 6-foot-2, 200-pound catcher No. 26 overall and got him to turn his back on UCLA with a $3.3 million signing bonus.

Those five games in high school would be all he would get in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled.

Soderstrom's father, former major league pitcher Steve Soderstrom, starred for Turlock High, then Fresno State, and was the No. 6 overall pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 1993 MLB draft.

Philadelphia Phillies: Spencer Howard, Right-Handed Pitcher

Born: July 28, 1996 (San Luis Obispo, California)

Drafted: No. 45 overall, 2017 (Cal Poly)

Signing bonus: $1.15 million

Bottom line: Spencer Howard wasn't a high-profile draft pick out of Cal Poly, but worked his way up through the minor leagues after being picked in the second round of the 2017 MLB draft.

Howard was dominant in the minor leagues in 2019, striking out 94 batters in just 71 innings — an average of 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

He earned his first MLB call-up in August 2020, and his best pitch is a four-seam fastball that routinely touches the upper 90s. There are some questions about his control, with his walk rate at 3.7 per nine innings.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Ke'Bryan Hayes, Third Base

Born: Jan. 28, 1997 (Tomball, Texas)

Drafted: No. 32, 2015 (Concordia Lutheran High School)

Signing bonus: $1.85 million

Bottom line: The Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have struck gold with their two first-round picks in the 2015 MLB draft — No. 19 overall pick Kevin Newman is already the team's shortstop, and third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes should join him soon on a permanent basis.

Hayes won't be the first MLB third baseman in his family. His father, Charlie Hayes, played 14 seasons in the majors and won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1996.

Ke'Bryan Hayes earned his first MLB call-up in 2020, hitting a home run in his first game.

San Diego Padres: C.J. Abrams, Shortstop

Born: Oct. 3, 2000 (Alpharetta, Georgia)

Drafted: No. 6 overall, 2019 (Blessed Trinity Catholic High School)

Signing bonus: $5.2 million

Bottom line: C.J. Abrams was the 2018 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and headed to the University of Alabama before the San Diego Padres lured him away with a $5.2 million signing bonus.

Abrams was assigned to the Arizona League right off the bat, where he hit safely in his first 20 games before earning a promotion to Class A and the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

In 34 games with the two teams in 2019, Abrams hit .393 with three home runs, 22 RBI and 15 stolen bases.

San Francisco Giants: Marco Luciano, Shortstop

Born: Sept. 10, 2001 (San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $2.6 million

Bottom line: One of the top international prospects in the Class of 2018, Marco Luciano hit .322 in his first full minor league season in 2019 but didn't play any games in 2020 when the minor league season was canceled.

Luciano, still just 19 years old, showed his upside at the Giants' alternate training site in 2020, and at 6-foot-2, there's a seemingly unlimited amount of power he can tap into at the plate.

He's also got a great arm, but there's a question about whether he can make it to the majors as a shortstop, with third base and right field as possible alternatives.

Seattle Mariners: Jarred Kelenic, Outfielder

Born: July 16, 1999 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Drafted: No. 6 overall, 2018 (Waukesha West High School)

Signing bonus: $4.5 million

Bottom line: Jarred Kelenic was drafted No. 6 overall by the New York Mets in 2018 but shipped to the Seattle Mariners later that year in a mega-trade that involved Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz and $20 million.

Kelenic dominated in the minor leagues for two seasons and looked primed for an MLB call-up in 2020 but refused to sign an extension and was kept at the team's alternate training site and was told he would also start 2021 in the minors.

MLB.com has Kelenic rated as the No. 4 overall prospect in all of baseball, and there's no reason he shouldn't have already received a call-up.

St. Louis Cardinals: Dylan Carlson, Outfielder

Born: Oct. 23, 1998 (Elk Grove, California)

Drafted: No. 33 overall, 2016 (Elk Grove High School)

Signing bonus: $1.35 million

Bottom line: Dylan Carlson looks like he could be in the St. Louis Cardinals outfield for years to come.

He dominated in Rookie League ball and Class A before a breakout season in 2019, when he was named Texas League Player of the Year while playing for the Cards' Double-A team in Springfield, Missouri, despite being one of the youngest players.

Carlson earned his first MLB call-up in 2020, where he hit .286 in 11 regular-season games and was on the roster for the NL wild-card series.

Tampa Bay Rays: Wander Franco, Shortstop

Born: March 1, 2001 (Bani, Dominican Republic)

Drafted: N/A (international free agent)

Signing bonus: $3.8 million

Bottom line: The most coveted, highly regarded prospect in baseball is shortstop Wander Franco, who was signed by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017 and made his professional debut in 2018.

Franco was the Appalachian Rookie League MVP as a 17-year-old, then tore up Class A with two different clubs in 2019 and a .327 batting average.

There's nothing Franco can't do on a baseball field. He is an elite fielder and switch-hitter who can hit for power or average.

Texas Rangers: Josh Jung, Third Base

Born: Feb. 12, 1998 (San Antonio, Texas)

Drafted: No. 8 overall, 2019 (Texas Tech University)

Signing bonus: $4.4 million

Bottom line: Josh Jung was an almost-unknown prospect coming out of high school, but became a star in three seasons at Texas Tech.

With the Red Raiders, Jung was a three-time All-American and the 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year before his home state Texas Rangers took him with the No. 8 overall pick.

What Jung does better than almost any prospect is hit the ball, but he'll have to wait a little longer to continue his march to the majors after it was announced foot surgery would keep him out for 6-8 weeks to start the 2021 season.

Toronto Blue Jays: Nate Pearson, Right-Handed Pitcher

Born: Aug. 20, 1996 (Odessa, Florida)

Drafted: No. 28 overall, 2017 (College of Central Florida)

Signing bonus: $2.45 million

Bottom line: Nate Pearson pitched one season for Florida International, then transferred to a junior college for one season to get around MLB's archaic rules on draft-eligible players.

Pearson, who is 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, looks like a future Cy Young Award winner if we've ever seen one. His fastball hit an ungodly 104 miles per hour at a minor league showcase in 2018, and he also has an almost-unhittable slider, changeup and curveball.

He got a big-league call-up in 2020, where he held MLB hitters to a .209 batting average in limited appearances.

Washington Nationals: Cade Cavalli, Right-Handed Pitcher

Born: Aug. 14, 1998 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Drafted: No. 22 overall, 2020 (University of Oklahoma)

Signing bonus: $6.6 million

Bottom line: Cade Cavalli got a small window of opportunity to show what he could do in 2020 at the University of Oklahoma. He had 37 strikeouts in 23 innings pitched in just four starts after being named the Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Cavalli still cashed in despite the season getting canceled, scoring a $6.6 million signing bonus after being selected No. 22 overall by the Washington Nationals.

Cavalli is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and can overpower batters with a high-90s fastball, a changeup in the high 80s, and a curveball in the mid-80s that can make batters look "silly."