Welcome to Prospect Watch, CBS Sports regularly scheduled check-in on the minor leagues. For those new to the Watch, we publish this feature every other week, alternating between the American and National League farm systems.
This go around, we’re focusing on some strong early season performers for NL organizations. We’ll do the same exercise for the AL franchises come May 16.
Let’s get to it.
Lawlar, my preseason No. 9 prospect, finds himself in the minors after missing most of last year because of thumb and hamstring injuries. He’s doing his part to force a promotion, hitting .381/.470/.690 with six home runs and 12 steals (on 13 attempts) in 28 Triple-A games. Lawlar’s ball-tracking data isn’t as sparkling — his average exit velocity is under 90 mph and he’s swinging and missing quite a bit against righties — but you can’t knock his results or his pedigree. Provided he stays healthy (not a given in his career), it’s a matter of when and not if he’ll rejoin the big-league ranks.
Ritchie, the 35th pick in the 2022 draft, entered the season with just 21 career appearances to his name on account of Tommy John surgery. He’s making up for lost time, compiling a 1.93 ERA and a 2.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first five outings in High-A. Ritchie isn’t missing bats at the clip you might expect based on his ERA (his contact rate is around 75%), so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares once he gets pushed to Double-A.
When I ranked Ballesteros as the second best prospect in the Cubs system over the winter, I praised his polished offensive game but warned of the questions surrounding his catching future. Ballesteros’ ultimate defensive home is still to be determined — Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly have contributed plenty to Chicago’s hot start — but his best position is clearly going to be at the dish. He’s batted .402/.459/.619 with 12 extra-base hits and nearly as many walks as strikeouts through his first 24 games. All the while, he’s stung more than 46% of his batted balls for a 95 mph exit velocity or better. I’m not sure how exactly the Cubs will fold Ballesteros into the lineup over the coming months; I just know that he’s already pressing the issue.
Sanchez isn’t someone you’ll find near the top of prospect lists, but I decided to give him the nod over Chase Burns because … well, he’s hit .397/.512/.588 in 20 Florida State League games. He’s done that while splitting time between third base and shortstop, and while being more than a year younger than his average opponent. Sanchez’s exit velocities are better than his meager career home-run total indicates (he’s launched five in 185 games) and he’s shown the ability to discern balls from strikes. Unfortunately, he does swing and miss a lot, running just a 65% contact rate on pitches located in the upper half of the zone. If Sanchez can improve in that respect, the Reds might just have something here.
Carrigg was a fascinating, polarizing prospect coming out of San Diego State. Scouts I talked to at the time raved about his defensive ability all over the diamond, but weren’t as certain about his chances of becoming a good hitter. It’s interesting, then, that 1) the Rockies have mostly played him in center field this season, and 2) he’s responded by hitting .270/.372/.541 in 19 Double-A games. Alas, Carrigg’s peripherals aren’t as encouraging as that statline indicates: he’s struck out in more than 30% of his trips to the plate, and he’s sporting a miserable contact rate (just over 60%). Conventional wisdom states that he’s not going to have to hit much to provide value in the majors, but he might end up challenging that notion if those marks hold for the long haul.
Sirota entered last spring with legitimate first-round upside despite being a small-school player (he went to Northeastern University) with a big swing. He plummeted to the third round after a tough start to the spring, and the Reds traded him to the Dodgers over the offseason (as part of the Gavin Lux deal) before he even appeared in a game with the organization. Sirota is off to a hot start with his new club, batting .333/.421/.621 with 12 extra-base hits in 16 games in the age-appropriate California League. He’s striking out about a quarter of the time, but he’s worth monitoring because of his past and the Dodgers’ outstanding track record on acquisitions.
Alderman slipped to the second round of the 2023 draft over concerns about his hit tool and his defensive value. One thing was clear then and remains now: he’s strong. He’s leading the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate in home runs (four) and he ranks second in slugging percentage (.520) through his first 21 games. More encouragingly, he’s reduced his strikeout rate from 24.4% to 19.3% while maintaining his contact rate — that despite only facing Double-A competition to date. The Marlins don’t have competitive reasons for rushing him to The Show, but he’ll put himself into consideration for either a late debut this year or an early one next year if he keeps this up.
Made would fit in this piece if all you knew about him was that he had hit .329/.420/.529 with seven extra-base hits in 17 A-ball games. That he’s hitting so well as a 17-year-old (he’ll turn 18 next week) in the Carolina League, where the average player is older than 20, is an incredibly promising sign for his future. And oh, by the way, did I mention he’s a left-side infielder? Get used to seeing and hearing his name. He’s going to be a fixture on prospect lists until he debuts.
I had Tong down as one of my expected minor-league breakouts, noting that he has an unconventional game that features an extreme release point and riding fastball. Those traits have enabled him to start this season with a 3.63 ERA and a 40.5% strikeout rate in 17 Double-A innings. Tong is walking more batters than is typical for him (11 to date), but if he can harness his pitches more frequently heading forward, he has a chance to debut late this season.
Escobar, 20, has taken well to life outside of the complex leagues. He’s hit .360/.461/.627 with five home runs and five more doubles in 19 Florida State League Games. Escobar has displayed real strength, with close to 60% of his batted balls clearing 95 mph. Although his average launch angle is in the single digits, some of his hardest hit balls have been at a trajectory that bodes well for his home-run output. Escobar has seen most of his action at the keystone, but the Phillies have continued to crosstrain him at third base. He’s a pretty interesting player, all told, and he looks like someone who has a chance to feature near the top of the Phillies’ prospect list.
Griffin was one of the most intriguing players in last year’s draft: a toolsy right-handed athlete with a projectable frame. He slipped to the Pirates at No. 9 because of swing-and-miss concerns, and while he hasn’t yet alleviated those fears (he’s punched out 28 times in 20 games), he has shown the plus power potential that made Pittsburgh willing to take the risk. To wit, Griffin is hitting .265/.333/.518 with three batted balls that cleared 110 mph, including a 114 mph single in early April. That would give him one of the 20 highest maximum exit velocities in the majors this season — to think, he only turned 19 a week ago. There’s a real possibility he develops into a star-caliber performer if he can find a way to keep his strikeouts in check long term.
De Vries continues to assert himself as a potential star in the making. He’s a switch-hitting shortstop who, at age 18, is hitting .306/.378/.625 with four home runs and eight additional extra-base hits in his first 19 High-A games. Bear in mind, the average player in the Midwest League is more than four years his senior. Not only does that make De Vries’ performance to date all the more impressive, but it makes it easier to forgive his untidy 1.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio. If you’re not already all-in on him, remedy that soon.
Davidson is a former undrafted free agent who boasts promising raw strength and center-field-quality athleticism. He’s opened this season hitting .339/.403/.554 with three home runs and five doubles in his first 15 games. Davidson’s contact rate is up this year, even as he’s pulling the ball more frequently than he did in 2024. His upside makes him someone to keep tabs on, and at least for right now, his arrow appears to be trending in the right direction.
The Cardinals nabbed Kross in the sixth round last summer by way of Cincinnati, where he had homered 19 times and posted a 1.076 OPS despite a concerning strikeout-to-walk ratio. It’s too early to know if he’ll go down as a steal, but he’s hitting .288/.377/.671 with six home runs (and eight other extra-base hits) in his first 19 games in the FSL. More than half his batted balls have featured an exit velocity north of 95 mph, and he’s connected on nearly three-quarters of his swing despite a swing-happy approach. Stay tuned.
The Nationals plucked Lomavita with the 39th pick in last summer’s draft despite concerns about how his offensive game would port to pro ball. His topline results have validated that decision so far, as he’s hit .302/.397/.365 to open his first full professional season. I think there’s plenty of reason to remain bearish on his overall chances of making this work. Lomavita seldom walks and he hasn’t yet shown much thump in games (he’s notched two extra-base hits to date). Usually, you would expect that profile to be accompanied by top-notch bat-to-ball skills. That’s not the case here, as he’s toting around a 30% swing-and-miss rate. Of course, the offensive bar for catchers is ever low, so it wouldn’t take much for Lomavita to clear it. For now, though, I’ve seen no reason for non-believers to change their minds.
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