He drew 59 walks this season while only striking out 65 times. It is uncertain whether the former Carp ace will pitch in 2022, though hes targeted a possible return for September. Prospect Rankings Depth Charts MLB Players Association . Lagging behind the other three pitches is Millers changeup which has flashed above average but has the tendency to get firm on him. That said, Chourio has shown plenty of comfort going the other way with authority and as he matures as a hitter, I expect his 51% pull rate to improve. After his brutal 2021 season, Naylor tweaked his set up to get his lower half more involved, using a more open stance with his weight much more stacked on his back side. Rafaela controls his body well and has steady numbers against breaking balls and off speed pitches. He moves really well behind the dish and is an above average blocker as well. Not only does Priester get more whiffs with his sinker than his four seamer, but it is also a weak contact machine. As the start of the 2022 Major League Baseball season opens, the questions facing the Japanese import players are about building. The 2024 MLB Draft projects well, especially in terms of college talents. The Rays tried Aranda out just about everywhere. If he continues to mature as a hitter, we could be looking at one of the best all-around players in baseball in a couple years. Can Seiya Suzuki build success in the major leagues into his already sparkling resume from nine years in Japans Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)? A plus runner, Davis has the goods to stick in center field along with an above-average arm which could handle either corner as well. At one point, he put together a streak of 45 consecutive scoreless innings. The lost 2022 season is upsetting, but at 21 years old and already in Double-A, Espino was ahead of schedule. Steer emerged in 2021 with a more athletic, lower-half driven stance and added a bit more of a leg kick to generate some more impact. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound slugger was going to his pull side for power earlier in his professional career, but adjusted his load which has allowed him to keep his weight back and use the whole field. Herrera blocks well and should continue to develop into at least an average defensive catcher with a chance for some more depending on his receiving. Stats. The Dodgers took the training wheels off of Miller this year and he has responded well to being stretched out. After really struggling through his first couple seasons left-on-left, Henderson has looked much more comfortable against lefties in the upper minors this year. Despite pitching in some of the most hitter-friendly environments in the Minor Leagues as a fly ball pitcher, Pfaadt attacked hitters relentlessly. Height/Weight: 510, 175|Bat/Throw: L/R|IFA: Rays (2016)|ETA: 2022. De La Cruzs long levers and quick hands help him produce elite bat speed, registering exit velocities as high as 115 mph and homers over 500 feet. Theres a great chance that the Angels have their shortstop of the future in Neto and whether the hit tool is closer to above average or plus territory will likely determine his ceiling. The 23-year-old is a gamer who plays at full speed all of the time and can help his team win in many different ways. 1 overall pick candidate, the Nationals were thrilled to nab Green with the fifth pick of this years draft. The 21-year-old often looks to catch pitches out in front of the plate leading to above-average chase rates and an off the charts 55% pull rate. Still just 18 years old, Cabrera is ahead of his peers and could tap into 20 home run pop while generating plenty of contact. Crow-Armstrong already has nine homers on the season and has recorded exit velocities of 107 mph on several occasions this year. Davis has shown good bat-to-ball skills and immense pull-side power that should have Pirates fans excited. Trouts name is generally invoked when someone is talking about Tetsuto Yamada, but if Yamada is Japans Trout, Suzuki is Trout-lite. A switch-hitter with big time raw power, De La Cruz wowed with his impressive pop in both the Complex League and Low-A Daytona last season, but looked quite raw at the plate. Though limited to first base professionally, he moves well at the position and has a plus arm with soft hands. The defense will be something to follow for Amador, not because he isnt capable at shortstop, but rather the presence of Ezequiel Tovar and Amadors elite defensive potential at second base could result in a move to the other side of the diamond at the upper levels. But still, if youre throwing 17 consecutive perfect innings in professional baseball, you have to have some filthy pitches to work with. Though, if he is going to tap into his plus raw power consistently, he will need to iron out the kinks with his lower half. Today: Sasaki throws another 8 perfect innings with 14Ks before being taken out on 102 pitches at 0-0. His heights havent been quite as high as Yamadas but hes been consistently great. In the early going, Walker has struggled a bit with his reads, but his work ethic and athletic ability lend plenty of reason to believe that he can blossom into a solid outfielder. Height/Weight: 61, 210|Bat/Throw: R/R|1st round (11), 2022 (NYM)|ETA: 2024. The 24-year-old could improve with his ability to pick up spin. In April 2019, the Associated Press reported Moinelo was included on a list of players the Cuban Baseball Federation deemed eligible to sign contracts with MLB clubs, so there could be a path for him sometime in the future. Yet another Yankees hitting development story, Dominguez made adjustments heading into the 2022 season and has looked like a completely different hitter. Even at 30 years old, Imamiyas best days may be yet to come. Mayer posted impressive splits this season, slashing .296/.385/.519 against left-handed pitchers. He has excelled at every challenge the Dodgers have thrown his way and the numbers/overall polish reflect the fact that he is big-league ready right now. https://t.co/QHA8L8iHrb, Captain Nuge (@CaptainNuge1) April 17, 2022, Walker Bailey (@WalkerBailey8) April 17, 2022. A significant amount of his homers were hit to left field off of fastballs middle away. It is tough to beat Tovar because of his willingness to stay inside the baseball and go the other way while also possessing enough bat speed to turn on pitches middle inespecially in hitters counts. Carroll has the makings of an easy plus defender in center field. Starting with an athletic stance, Luciano sinks into his back side with a gathering leg kick and keeps his weight back well. Vote up the best Japanese Baseball Players of 2023 and be sure to check out The Best Japanese MLB Players of All Time and The Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. The hit tool and raw power were never a question for Jung, but he struggled to tap into his plus raw pop in his first professional season. This is all under the assumption that Lewis returns looking like he did prior to the re-tearing his ACL. Hes been a starter for virtually all of his career, with the exception of 10 appearances out of the bullpen last season. While he has improved significantly since being drafted, he is a below-average defender there due to his heavy-ish feet and not enough arm to make up for it. Sitting 95-97, topping out at 99 mph. Kyle Glaser and Matt Eddy break down the New York Mets farm system. Seiya Suzuki: A Deep Dive On The Next Big Thing Out Of Japan. Possessing as much upside as anyone you are going to find in the back end of the Top 100 list and somehow still just 23 years old, Lewis has the ingredients to become a perennial All-Star. The 2024 college crop of players for the MLB Draft is headlined by Vance Honeycutt, but the class appears extremely talented AND deep on the college pitching side. Moreno is ready to be an everyday catcher at the highest level with a great chance to hit for average, get on base at a strong clip and provide at least average defense which should steadily improve as he earns more reps. Yamamoto finished tied with Senga for the most strikeouts in the PL at 149 and was second with a 10.59 strikeout rate. The speed has always been there for Turang, but he has looked as comfortable on the base paths as ever. Though he lacks much defensive value, Aranda has produced at every stop and has continued to hit in the early days of his MLB career. Hollidays barrel lives in the zone and even in the limited action we saw from him in his 2022 debut, the 18-year-old swung through few pitches. Though hes just an average hitter, Westburgs ability to drive the ball to all fields and advanced plate discipline reinforce the belief that he will be able to hit enough at the highest level. Rafaela is an incredibly unique prospect for all of the right reasons. 10:33 am ET, He turned down a multi-year deal last winter, MLB rumors: Twins looking to trade; Mets sign Pham, Report: Red Sox sign free agent OF Duvall to $7M deal, Ranking 20 players who could have been free agents, MLB rumors: Aroldis Chapman drawing interest, Cleveland Guardians top MLB prospects for 2023, Top 20 players who could have been free agents, Thomas, three-time All-Star for Pirates, dies at 93, Padres sign top international prospect Salas, Report: Montas to miss first month with shoulder injury. A plus runner, Tovar has improved in translating his speed into stolen bases. Turang will always be a hit over power guy, but with fringe average power, a well-above average hit tool and a knack for getting on base, the former first rounder has a good chance to be a consistently above average hitter. He currently struggles to keep balls in front of him when blocking, which is likely due to the fact that he lacks the quickness to be able to constantly get in good blocking positions. Early in his collegiate career, Gasser operated in the upper 80s, using deception to get guys out from a low three-quarters release point. It will never be a bat-missing machine like the changeup, but it is a valuable pitch nonetheless. He has a good arm and can make all of the throws as well as smooth actions, however he is likely to be closer to an average defender at the position. As I speak to Minor Leaguers of who has stood out to them over the last couple seasons, Arandas name comes up as much as anyones. From 2018 to 2019, Hotaka Yamakawa blasted 90 bombs and slugged .565 as one of the biggest power threats in Japan. The Cuban was lights out all year, sporting a spectacular 1.03 ERA and 1.43 FIP through 52.2 innings of work. Ruiz has an wide, athletic stance, really getting into his legs while starting with his hands already coiled. These pitches allow him to utilize the leverage in his swing and at worst, he will be able to annihilate said pitches in the big leagues once he gets there. McLain relies on his athleticism and good arm to play solid defense at shortstop, even though he is not the most natural looking at the position. Among qualified NPB hitters, only Masataka Yoshida and Sano had a strikeout rate in the single-digits while also slugging .490 or better. Amador is one of the more polished under-20 prospects in all of the minor leagues. Hassell stole 34 bags on 40 attempts last year and is on pace to match that total in 2022. Harrisons plus fastball is his best pitch. (You can unsubscribe anytime). The changeup is a pitch that I think will continue to play up as Waldichuk learns to command it. To this point, it is really hard to deny the results from Meyer. Norby is a well rounded player who gets the most out of his above average tools. With above-average speed and a good chance to stick in center, how much power Hassell develops at the plate will ultimately decide whether he is a solid regular or perennial All-Star. Nonetheless, he will make the Opening-Day start and is expected to lead what could be a very deep Padres rotation. Waldichuk was dealt to the As as part of the Frankie Montas return at the 2022 Trade Deadline. Despite often being the youngest player on the field, Alvarez looks the part as a catcher and earns high marks for his desire to improve as a defender. Height/Weight: 60, 170|Bat/Throw: R/R|IFA: $100K 2015 (KC)|ETA: 2022. Just inhuman stuff. While he has a bit more juice from the right side, Arroyos contact rates are better from the left side. The exit velocities are slightly above average at best, but Volpe lifts the ball as much as any hitter in the minors while generating a ton of carry. His above average arm has become increasingly accurate, throwing out a career-best 36% of attempted base stealers in Triple-A this season. Nippon Professional Baseball, the world's second most prominent league, launched its season on June 19, three months after its original Opening Day plans were delayed due to the spread of the . Walker starts slightly open with his stance and does not close himself off totally, sometimes even stepping in the bucket a bit. Since debuting in 2021, Whites fastball has operated in the mid 90s, topping out at 97 mph with riding life. The swing itself is somewhat reminiscent of Freddie Freeman due to the ability of using a short swing with a big frame. A catcher with a ton of upside on both sides of the ball, Herrera has steadily produced in the upper minors, but has more in the tank. Valera has exciting powerespecially to his pull sidebut the 21-year-old will at times look to pull a bit too much. But as Yamakawa dealt with various injuries and lost protection in the lineup with the departures of players like Hideto Asamura and Shogo Akiyama, his production also took a hit, reducing him to just 24 homers each in 2020 and 2021. After a decent showing in his first pro season, albeit with limited power, Winn made some adjustments to get his lower half more involved and more consistent. The 21-year-olds split changeup is lagging behind as a third offering, but he has improved his feel for it this season landing it for a strike 15% more frequently than last year. 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