Under-the-radar no more: Each club’s most pleasant prospect surprise

Every Minor League season features its share of pleasant developments.

Dodgers outfielder Mike Sirota is topping the Minors in slugging (.745) and OPS (1.214) in his pro debut. Royals outfielder Asbel Gonzalez is challenging for the Minor League lead in steals (35 in 37 games) in his first extended taste of full-season ball. Cardinals catcher Rainiel Rodriguez homered six times in his first 12 games stateside and is tearing up the Florida Complex League just like he did the Dominican Summer League a year ago.

We explore those stories and more as we highlight encouraging progress made by a prospect in each farm system below…

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Blue Jays: Yohendrick Pinango, OF (No. 24)
Toronto acquired Pinango from the Cubs at last year’s Trade Deadline in the Nate Pearson deal, but the left-handed hitter floundered after the move, hitting just .179 with a .518 OPS in 33 games with Double-A New Hampshire. He’s looked like a revelation back with the Fisher Cats this spring, leading Double-A in all three slash line categories (.347/.456/.597) while adding seven homers through his first 36 contests. His killer bat speed should give him at least average power, and a Triple-A test shouldn’t be far off.

Orioles: Nestor German, RHP (No. 11)
German was the pick in last week’s story on a best prospect find for each team and the 2023 11th-round pick continues to impress. After six solid starts for High-A Aberdeen, German tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his Double-A debut on May 16. That gives him a combined 2.93 ERA and 12.6 K/9 rate thanks to a solid four-pitch mix that points to a future as a big league starter.

Rays: Cooper Kinney, 2B/3B (No. 23)
The 2021 No. 34 overall pick has always been a bat-first infielder, but he’s taken his power to a new level in 2025. His eight homers are already only two behind his career high (reached in both 2023 and 2024), and his .536 slugging percentage through 33 games represents a new best. Kinney has cooled off in May after an extremely hot April, but even then, it’s still noteworthy that he continues to be an everyday option for Double-A Montgomery after shoulder issues have limited him for much of his early career.

Red Sox: Brandon Clarke, LHP (No. 29)
The Red Sox knew Clarke could reach the upper 90s with his fastball when they drafted him in the fifth round out of the State JC of Florida (Manatee-Sarasota) last July, but he also had missed most of 2022 and 2023 and didn’t have much track record of throwing strikes. He has proven more advanced than expected in his pro debut while sitting at 96-97 mph with his heater and unveiling an upper-80s slider and improved control. He has posted a 2.29 ERA with just five hits allowed and 33 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings between two Class A stops.

Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP (No. 17)
Lagrange led the Rookie-level Florida Complex League with 63 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings during his U.S. debut in 2023, but he missed more of last year with back inflammation and couldn’t throw strikes in the Arizona Fall League. He’s doing a better job of harnessing his power arsenal (upper-90s fastball, mid-80s sweeper, upper-80s cutter) while compiling a 3.45 ERA, .202 average-against, 50/7 K/BB ratio and High-A South Atlantic League-leading 41 percent strikeout rate.

Guardians: Josh Hartle, LHP (No. 22)
Hartle entered the 2024 college season as a likely first-round pick and exited it as a Pirates third-rounder following a disappointing performance at Wake Forest. Sent to the Guardians as part of a trade for Spencer Horwitz in December, he has regained some velocity on his low-90s fastball and feel for his secondary pitches. He has logged a 2.55 ERA with a 36/11 K/BB ratio in 35 1/3 innings at High-A.

Royals: Asbel Gonzalez, OF (No. 23)
After turning 19 in January, Gonzalez joined Single-A Columbia with a reputation as a plus runner and exceptional defender in center field. As mentioned above, he’s put those wheels to good use already with 35 steals, second-most in the Minors. But he’s able to steal so many bags because he’s on base at a .443 clip by taking his walks, putting balls in play and taking advantage of those wheels to post a high BABIP. He’s become an up-the-middle talent worth following.

Tigers: Dylan Smith, RHP (not ranked)
The 2021 third-rounder was a starter for the first three seasons of his career but never managed more than 88 1/3 innings in a campaign due to injuries, most recently a strained subscapularis in 2024. He transitioned into the Double-A Erie bullpen this season with great success (1.80 ERA, 27 strikeouts in 20 innings) before a move to Triple-A this week. With a fastball that can touch the upper 90s and a diving slider, Smith could put himself in a spot to help the MLB relief corps in ‘25.

Twins: Gabriel Gonzalez, OF (No. 17)
The Twins were hoping they were getting a prospect on the rise when they acquired Gonzalez from the Mariners in return for Jorge Polanco ahead of the 2024 season. But in his first season with the organization, he posted just a .707 OPS. A return to High-A Cedar Rapids has seemingly been a smart developmental move for the outfielder as he hit .319/.378/.529 with 18 extra-base hits through his first 34 games to earn his first bump up to Double-A.

White Sox: Christian Oppor, LHP (No. 18)
Extremely raw when the White Sox selected him in 2023’s fifth round out of Gulf Coast State (Fla.) JC, Oppor has impressed with his arsenal and improved polish while putting together a 3.46 ERA, .180 average-against and 37 strikeouts in 26 innings between two Class A levels. He’s working at 93-95 mph and touching 98 with his fastball while also missing bats with a sweeping 78-82 mph slider and tumbling upper-70s changeup.

Angels: George Klassen, RHP (No. 3)
Klassen is unfortunately on the concussion injured list after taking a line drive to the head on May 11. And in many ways, the right-hander was a surprise development last year when he jumped on the scene with the Phillies before being sent to the Angels near the Trade Deadline, finishing with a 3.10 ERA, 13.1 K/9 rate and .195 BAA. What’s been fun to see this year as he was starting to settle in at Double-A is how often he’s found the strike zone. Klassen walked 8.5 per nine in college, 4.5/9 in 2024 and is down to 2.2 this year while still missing plenty of bats.

Astros: Bryce Mayer, RHP (No. 27)
Mayer opened eyes in his brief pro debut after the Astros drafted him in the 16th round last July, and he has continued to do so this spring with an explosive mid-90s fastball with carry and a pair of quality breaking pitches (upper-70s curveball, sweeping 82-85 mph slider). The Missouri product has recorded a 3.82 ERA with a 43/11 K/BB ratio in 30 2/3 innings at two Class A stops.

A’s: Daniel Susac, C (No. 11)
Since being taken in the first round of the 2022 Draft, Susac had put up relatively pedestrian numbers at the plate, and while he did homer 12 times last year for Double-A Midland, he finished with a .734 OPS as his approach regressed overall. This year, he’s still chasing too much (41 percent), but he’s drawing more walks and getting to his power more, with a .926 OPS and 124 wRC+ over his first 27 games.

Mariners: Brock Rodden, 2B (No. 27)
A fifth-round senior sign in 2023 who joined the Mariners for an under-slot $200,000, Rodden had a solid first full season in 2024, splitting the year between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas. He slashed just .208/.261/.342 in 64 games up a level and was sent back to Arkansas this year. The M’s might have to move him again soon as the undersized switch-hitter is batting .329/.384/.539 over his first 19 games after missing the first couple weeks of the season.

Rangers: Caden Scarborough, RHP (No. 27)
Though Scarborough was more of a basketball player as a Florida high schooler, the Rangers liked his athleticism, projectability and delivery metrics enough to take him in 2023’s sixth round and sign him for an over-slot $515,000. After a lat strain delayed his pro debut until last July and he worked just 10 1/3 innings in 2024, he has been healthy and showed more polish than expected so far this year. Armed with a 92-97 mph fastball with carry and a low-80s slider, he has posted a deceptively high 4.85 ERA that belies his .221 average-against and 34/9 K/BB ratio in 26 Single-A frames.

Braves: Ian Mejia, RHP (No. 23)
An 11th-round pick who signed for $100K in 2022, Mejia keeps trending in the right direction. He went from a 4.69 ERA and .260 BAA in 2023 to 3.80 and .239 last year. Starting the year at Double-A, the 25-year-old right-hander has been lights-out, leading the Southern League with an 0.98 ERA and sitting fourth with a .190 BAA through his first seven appearances.

Marlins: Joe Mack, C (No. 9)
The 31st overall pick in the 2021 Draft, Mack finally started putting things together at the plate last year by hunting fastballs early in counts, though he was less consistent at Double-A. He has had fewer ups and downs in 2025, developing into one of the game’s best all-around catching prospects while slashing .297/.397/.477 with five homers in 35 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

Mets: A.J. Ewing, OF/2B (No. 27)
Jacob Reimer — a huge producer after last year’s hamstring injury — would be a good shout here too, but the nod goes to Ewing, who entered Wednesday with a .374/.468/.573 line, 16 extra-base hits and 28 steals in 34 games between Single-A and High-A. He was doing a much better job of making contact in the zone during his return to St. Lucie, and his above-average speed gives him another weapon. He’s a key part of a loaded Brooklyn lineup.

Nationals: Cole Henry, RHP (not ranked)
Washington had high hopes for the former LSU star when it made him a second-round pick in 2020 but injuries throughout his career (including thoracic outlet syndrome) have limited his time on the mound. Until now. He’s been up in the bigs as one of the few bright spots in the Nats bullpen with a 2.76 ERA and 17 strikeouts through 16 1/3 innings (the same amount he threw in the Minors in 2024). Henry has relied primarily on his 93-95 mph four-seamer and 79-82 mph curveball in his early MLB days.

Phillies: Otto Kemp, UTIL (No. 24)
As a non-drafted free agent, Kemp has already far surpassed expectations, but now he’s knocking on the big league door. After a 2024 season in which he reached Triple-A and finished with an OPS of .881, Kemp was one of the most productive hitters in the Arizona Fall League (1.194 OPS, 6 HR, 22 RBI in 15 games). He’s kept it going back with Lehigh Valley this year, at .329/.435/.624 through 44 games while seeing time at third, first, second and left field.

Brewers: Brock Wilken, 3B (No. 17)
The 2023 first-rounder was hit in the face early in his first full season, and even after returning, he struggled with a .199 average and 28.2 percent K rate over 108 Double-A games. (His time in the Arizona Fall League wasn’t much better.) It’s been a big turnaround to this point in ‘25. Back with Biloxi, he sports a .231/.409/.530 line with 11 homers (tops at Double-A) and a 21.6 percent walk rate through 40 contests. Milwaukee seems content to let him dominate the Southern League for a bit longer, but given the third-base issues in the Majors, Wilken could be an MLB option in the second half should these improvements hold.

Cardinals: Rainiel Rodriguez, C (No. 7)
The move stateside can come with its share of bumps, but that hasn’t been the case at all for Rodriguez, who hit 10 homers and tied for the Dominican Summer League lead with 25 extra-base hits in 2024. The 18-year-old backstop continues to show at least plus power with six homers through his first 12 games in the Florida Complex League, most among Rookie-ball hitters. His .944 SLG and 1.475 OPS also rank second at the level in this early juncture. Already considered advanced, Rodriguez is slugging even ahead of schedule.

Cubs: Jaxon Wiggins, RHP (No. 10)
The Cubs have a hitter-heavy farm system and need some pitchers to make strides this year, and Wiggins is doing exactly that. He had a 6.17 ERA in his first two college seasons at Arkansas and missed his third following Tommy John surgery before the Cubs made him a supplemental second-round pick in 2023. After easing back into action last year, he’s missing bats with three pitches (mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and changeup) while recording a 1.78 ERA, .151 average-against and 35 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Pirates: Mitch Jebb, OF/2B (No. 13)
Jebb started off very slowly during his first full season of pro ball in 2024, with a .564 OPS through the end of May. He hit .289 with a .372 OBP from July 1 on, but the question was whether that would carry over to this season with a move up to Double-A Altoona and away from the hitting-friendly environs in High-A Greensboro. So far, he’s answered that query with a resounding yes, hitting .323 with a .417 OBP and 16 steals in 36 games.

Reds: Ty Floyd, RHP (No. 17)
Taken No. 38 overall in the 2023 Draft out of Louisiana State, Floyd is pitching the first competitive innings of his pro career this season after missing all of 2024 following shoulder surgery last May. He’s understandably being built back up slowly with Single-A Daytona, and his last outing was a clunker, but overall the Reds have to be happy with Floyd’s 3.25 ERA, .147 BAA and 10.1 K/9 rate. The fastball still isn’t quite as crisp as in 2023 (averaging more around 92 mph than 94 at LSU that spring), but he’s missing bats with it as well as with some of his secondaries.

D-backs: Kristian Robinson, OF (not ranked)
A former Top 100 prospect, Robinson didn’t play at all for an affiliate in 2021 or 2022 due to legal and visa issues. He spent all last season with Double-A Amarillo and looked like a player making up for lost time with a 35.8 percent K rate. That’s down to 29.0 percent with the Sod Poodles this season while sporting a .289/.420/.547 slash line with seven homers through his first 37 games. Amarillo is a launching pad, but Robinson’s improved contact has helped his prospect stock in his age-24 season.

Dodgers: Mike Sirota, OF (No. 19)
Projected as a first-rounder entering his junior season at Northeastern last spring, Sirota slumped and fell to the Reds in the third round. Traded to the Dodgers in the Gavin Lux deal in January, he has recaptured his timing at the plate in his pro debut this year and is batting .382/.469/.745 with nine homers in 27 games between two Class A levels. The grand-nephew of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford has the upside of a center fielder with solid tools across the board.

Giants: Walker Martin, SS (No. 22)
Signed for an over-slot $2,997,500 as a 2023 second-rounder from a Colorado high school, Martin had trouble staying healthy and making contact in his pro debut last year, striking out at an overall 41 percent clip and in 46 percent of his Single-A plate appearances. He has made progress this spring with a 30 percent K rate at that level while hitting .226/.308/.491 with a California League-best seven homers in 27 games. He’ll need to keep improving his bat-to-ball skills but does have 20/20 potential.

Padres: Rosman Verdugo, INF (No. 24)
Standing 5-foot-11, Verdugo wasn’t known for his power entering 2025. He’d hit 13 homers over his first two full seasons and hadn’t posted a slugging percentage above .381 in either campaign. It’s been a different story with High-A Fort Wayne to this point; Verdugo has already gone deep eight times in 37 games and sports a .514 SLG. That’s come with a significant jump in strikeout rate (38.0 percent), but with 20 of his 34 hits going for extra bases, Verdugo is showing an interestingly different hitting profile in his age-20 campaign.

Rockies: Kyle Karros, 3B (No. 19)
He had a big first full season of pro ball, earning Northwest League MVP honors, but was it just a hitting-friendly Spokane mirage? Evidently not, and Karros actually hit slightly better on the road than at home last year. While he’s been out since the beginning of this month, he’s proven his bat will play even at a much more equitable ballpark in Double-A Hartford. Over his first 22 games, Karros had a .960 OPS — 1.177 in 13 home games.