Here's each team's breakout prospect this season
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With the Minor League season winding down -- the Triple-A regular season ends this week while the other leagues are either in the playoffs or have crowned a champion -- we decided it was time to start reviewing how some of the top prospects performed in 2025.
Later this month, a number of awards for those performances will be announced on the MiLB Awards Show on MLB Network. For now, we wanted to drill down a bit and look at each team’s system and pick out a breakout prospect for each organization.
Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Gage Stanifer, RHP (No. 6)
A 19th-round pick in 2022, Stanifer posted ERAs above 6.00 in each of his first two full seasons. He opened this campaign back with Single-A Dunedin as Trey Yesavage’s piggyback partner and has been one of Toronto’s many pitching success stories in 2025. The 21-year-old righty closed out the season at Double-A New Hampshire and finished with a 2.86 ERA with 161 strikeouts (fifth-most in the Minors) in 110 innings. Stanifer shows two plus pitches in his mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider.
Orioles: Nate George, OF (No. 8)
The Orioles took George in Round 16 of the 2024 Draft and signed him to an over-slot $455,000 bonus. The multisport standout from the Illinois high school ranks exceeded expectations, and then some, by playing his way from the Florida Complex League to Single-A Delmarva and then up to High-A Aberdeen. Still only 19, he hit a combined .337/.413/.483 with 50 steals (in 75 attempts) over 80 games to lead the system with 159 wRC+ and go from unranked into the organization’s top 10.
Rays: Jose Urbina, RHP (No. 12)
A $210,000 signing in January 2023, Urbina entered this season as Tampa Bay’s No. 29 prospect, mostly for his as-yet-untapped potential. He turned that promise into results in his age-19 season, posting a 2.05 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings for Single-A Charleston before making a late-season cameo with High-A Bowling Green. The 6-foot-3 right-hander relies heavily on a 95-97 mph fastball that can touch triple digits and a mid-80s slider with good sweep.
Red Sox: Payton Tolle, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 27)
A second-round pick out of Texas Christian in 2024, Payton Tolle reached the big leagues during his pro debut this year and has some scouts believing he's the best left-handed pitching prospect in the game. He uses his 6-foot-6 frame to create elite extension, making his mid-90s fastball unhittable and backing it up with a sweeping mid-80s slider. He posted a 3.04 ERA, .203 average-against and a 133/23 K/BB ratio in 91 2/3 innings at three Minor League stops before joining the Red Sox.
Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 77)
After missing most of last year with back inflammation and battling the strike zone in the Arizona Fall League, Lagrange has bounced back to become the Yankees' best pitching prospect. Signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he overpowers hitters with an upper-90s fastball, sweeping mid-80s slider and upper-80s cutter. He logged a 3.53 ERA with a .191 average-against and 168/62 K/BB ratio in 120 innings between High-A and Double-A.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Alfonsin Rosario, OF (No. 12)
When the Guardians acquired him from the Cubs in exchange for Eli Morgan last November, Rosario was known for loud tools (well-above-average raw power and arm strength, plus speed) but also an extremely aggressive approach at the plate. He cut his strikeout rate from 32 percent in 2024 to 27 percent this season, during which he slashed .251/.345/.461 with 21 homers and 14 steals in 115 games.
Royals: Kendry Chourio, RHP (No. 8)
Few pitchers in recent memory have surged up the ladder and the rankings quite like Chourio has in 2025. Signed for $247,500 out of Venezuela this past January, the 17-year-old righty zoomed stateside after only five Dominican Summer League appearances and even rounded out his season with six starts, the most by a pitcher 17 or younger since Julio Urías made 18 in 2013. The Royals got aggressive with Chourio because of his impressive mix of stuff (mid-90s fastball, above-average curveball, promising changeup) and control (five walks in 51 1/3 innings). He’s well on his way to becoming a Top 100 prospect at a very early stage in his career.
Tigers: Max Anderson, 2B/3B (No. 9)
Anderson was drafted as a bat-first second baseman out of Nebraska in the second round of 2023, and while he’d been a solid but not stellar performer in his first full season, he took a massive leap forward at Double-A Erie, where he hit .306/.358/.499 with 14 homers in 90 games. His 146 wRC+ ranks fifth-best among Double-A qualifiers. Upon his promotion to Triple-A Toledo, Anderson has seen equal time at second and third base, now that he has an improved chance at playing into Detroit’s infield plans, and that work will continue in the Arizona Fall League.
Twins: Gabriel Gonzalez, OF (No. 9)
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Gonzalez, who once was a Top 100 prospect with the Mariners. He fell off the radar a bit when he hit .255 with a .707 OPS in his first year with the Twins after coming over in the Jorge Polanco deal. He erased that this season while putting a lower back issue that limited him in ‘24 behind him, raking across three levels and reaching Triple-A. Gonzalez finished with a system-leading 149 wRC+, a .330/.397/.514 slash line and a K rate of just over 14 percent.
White Sox: Tanner McDougal, OF (No. 7)
Signed for an over-slot $850,000 as a fifth-rounder out of a Nevada high school in 2021, McDougal missed 2022 following Tommy John surgery and got rocked for a 6.04 ERA last year. He did a better job of harnessing his mid-90s fastball and high-spin, upper-70s curveball to compile a 3.26 ERA with a 136/49 K/BB ratio in 113 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A this season.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Ryan Johnson, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 96)
It’s been an unusual path for Johnson, the Angels’ pick at No. 74 overall in 2024. He made the big league team’s Opening Day roster as a reliever, but got sent down to High-A after 14 appearances so he could develop as a starter. That went very well as he posted a 1.88 ERA, .196 BAA, 0.89 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 rate. He has more people believing he can start long term and he’s jumped into our Top 100.
Astros: Zach Cole, OF (No. 19)
Since the Astros drafted him in the 10th round in 2022 out of Ball State, Cole has displayed some of the best tools in the system (his raw power, speed, arm and center-field defense all grade as plus or better) but had difficulty staying healthy and making consistent contact. He shook off an oblique injury and strikeout woes early in the season to bat .279/.377/.539 with 19 homers and 18 steals in 97 games between Double-A and Triple-A. That earned him a promotion to Houston, where he went deep on the first big league pitch he saw and has gone 6-for-16 with two homers in his first five contests.
A’s: Gage Jump, LHP (No. 3/MLB No. 56)
A Competitive Balance Round B pick out of LSU, Jump began the year at No. 15 on the A’s list. He made it clear that he was underranked right out of the gate with a 45/5 K/BB ratio and a 2.32 ERA over his first six pro appearances with High-A Lansing to earn a bump to Double-A. He finished the year with a combined 3.28 ERA and .214 BAA over 112 2/3 IP, and while his walk rate went up a bit with Midland, he still had a 131/34 K/BB ratio. He’s catapulted to the middle of our Top 100 and is firmly entrenched on our Top 10 LHP prospects list.
Mariners: Ryan Sloan, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 41)
It’s not that we didn’t think Sloan was talented. He was in the Mariners’ top 10 to start the season as a 2024 second-rounder who got an over-slot $3 million to sign. But you never know how a high school arm is going to react to a first pro season, especially from a cold-weather state like Illinois. Well, Sloan handled things pretty well with a 3.44 ERA and an impressive 5.18 K/BB in the hitter-friendly California League to earn a taste of High-A late in the year. Now in our overall top 50, it should surprise no one if he jumps into the top right-handed prospect conversation in 2026.
Rangers: Caden Scarborough, RHP (No. 8)
More of a basketball player as a Florida high schooler, Scarborough nevertheless commanded an over-slot $515,000 bonus as a 2023 sixth-rounder. After a lat strain delayed his pro debut until July 2024 and he pitched just 10 1/3 innings last season, he dazzled with a 92-97 mph fastball with carry, a low-80s slider and more polish than anticipated this year. He recorded a 2.45 ERA, .181 average-against and an 114/21 K/BB ratio in 88 innings at two Class A stops.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: JR Ritchie, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 99)
The further removed from Tommy John surgery Ritchie gets, the better he’s been. He had the elbow work done in May 2023 and shook the rust off in 2024. This year, he showed just how effective he can be as a starter, pitching his way from High-A to Triple-A and compiling a 2.61 ERA, .173 BAA and a 0.99 WHIP over 25 starts. The starter for the NL in the 2025 Futures Game, Ritchie was just added to the Top 100 for his efforts.
Marlins: Jakob Marsee, OF (graduated from Marlins Top 30)
Marsee first broke out while winning MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League in 2023, but he slumped badly after the Padres sent him to the Marlins in the Luis Arraez trade the following May. He regained his plate discipline this year and once again looked like an on-base machine who can make things happen on the basepaths and in center field, hitting .246/.379/.438 with 14 homers and 47 steals in 98 Triple-A games. He has been one of baseball's best rookies since Miami called him up in August, slashing .319/.388/.540 with 10 steals in 44 contests.
Mets: Nolan McLean, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 36)
Ranked No. 5 in the New York system in the spring, McLean was certainly on the radar entering his first professional season as a full-time pitcher but has skyrocketed up the Top 100 with continued domination using his high-spin, east-west repertoire. He finished with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in the Minors, and he now sports a 1.19 ERA in the Majors -- the best all-time mark by a Mets hurler through his first six career starts. McLean’s combination of stuff and MLB results has pushed his stock further up since our midseason update and has him in the conversation for best pitching prospect in all of baseball.
Nationals: Sean Paul Liñan, RHP (No. 15)
A $17,500 signee out of Colombia in 2022, Liñan wasn’t on the Dodgers’ Top 30 to begin the season but thrust himself into that territory with dominant showings at Single-A and High-A (and even two brief appearances at Triple-A). The Nationals acquired the arrow-up righty at the Deadline in a deal for Alex Call, and with his plus-plus changeup (one of the best in the Minors), Liñan factors comfortably into the middle of the Washington prospect list. He’ll head to the Arizona Fall League, and with that cambio, the extra work could slide him up a few spots more.
Phillies: Aroon Escobar, 2B (No. 5)
Escobar served notice that he was worthy of attention after hitting .338 with a .974 OPS during his U.S. debut in the Florida Complex League in 2024. His surface numbers during his move to full-season ball were a little more modest (combined .270 average with a .774 OPS), but he did finish with an impressive 121 wRC+ while drawing walks and limiting strikeouts. He also played across three levels, finishing the year at Double-A at age 20, and then jumping into the organization's top five after flirting with our overall Top 100 earlier in the year.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Luis Peña, INF (No. 2/MLB No. 16)
With apologies to Marco Dinges and Josh Adamczewski, Peña gets the nod here for going from an 18-year-old without stateside experience to a top 20 overall prospect in the entire sport. Peña joined Jesús Made in jumping over the Arizona Complex League to open at Single-A Carolina and hit .308/.375/.469 with six homers and 41 steals in 71 games. He might have hit a speed bump at High-A Wisconsin late in the summer, but his improved exit velocities and continued plus-plus speed would make Peña the top prospect in many other systems.
Cardinals: Rainiel Rodriguez, C (No. 4/MLB No. 93)
Rodriguez was certainly great in 2024 with a .683 slugging percentage and a 1.145 OPS, but in proving he could carry his trademark power to not only stateside ball but also Single-A, he jumped into the Top 100 and set himself up for further leaps in future rankings. Dating back to 2006, Rodriguez (145) is one of only three age-18 catchers with a wRC+ above 140 over 250 plate appearances or more -- Samuel Basallo (151) and Jesus Montero (147) are the others. His 20 homers on the season were tied for seventh-most among all Minor League backstops this season.
Cubs: Jaxon Wiggins, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 79)
The Cubs hoped Jaxon Wiggins could take a significant step forward in their pitching-thin farm system, and the 2023 supplemental second-rounder from Arkansas did exactly that. Now fully recovered from Tommy John surgery during his Draft year, he misses bats with an upper-90s fastball and an upper-80s slider and changeup. He has posted a 1.95 ERA, .158 average-against and a 91/32 K/BB ratio in 74 innings while climbing from High-A to Triple-A.
Pirates: Edward Florentino, OF (No. 5/MLB No. 97)
Konnor Griffin’s season deserves a hat tip here, but there were some expectations for the first-round pick. Florentino gets this nod because of how far he’s jumped in 2025. He began the year at No. 23 on the Pirates’ Top 30 and had yet to make his U.S. debut. We started getting a heads-up about how hard he was hitting the ball in extended spring training and really took note of his 1.084 OPS in the Florida Complex League. That earned him a bump to full-season ball where he kept producing and he finished the year with a combined .948 OPS, 16 homers and 35 steals (good for 159 wRC+). He’s also worked hard to become a good center fielder and has a big up arrow next to his name heading into 2026.
Reds: Tyson Lewis, SS (No. 4/MLB No. 80)
Highly regarded coming into his first full season of pro ball after the Reds took him in the second round of the 2024 Draft and signed him for just over $3 million, Lewis made a very strong first impression in 2025. He showed he needed a better challenge after posting a .928 OPS in the Arizona Complex League, then held his own with a bump up to Single-A Daytona, helping the Tortugas reach the Florida State League championship. Now firmly on the Top 100, he finished with a 127 wRC+ at age 19.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Carlos Virahonda, C (No. 24)
Virahonda wasn’t on anyone’s radar after hitting .156 with a .510 OPS in 49 games during his second Dominican Summer League season in 2024. Arizona still sent him stateside for the first time as a 19-year-old in ‘25, and he was a different hitter, producing a .347/.464/.455 line and 11.8 percent K rate in 37 games in the Arizona Complex League before getting a promotion to Single-A Visalia. He projects as a high-contact bat from the right side with good mobility and arm strength from behind the plate.
Dodgers: Mike Sirota, OF (No. 5/MLB No. 62)
A likely first-rounder before slumping during his junior season at Northeastern in 2024, Sirota dropped to the Reds in the third round, then went to the Dodgers in the Gavin Lux trade last January before even making his pro debut. The grand-nephew of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford batted .333/.452/.616 with 13 homers in 59 games between two Class A stops and looked like a potential 20/20 center fielder before injuring his right knee on a slide in July.
Giants: Argenis Cayama, RHP (No. 10)
Several young international pitchers have stood out at the lower levels of the Giants system this summer, including Cayama, who signed for $147,500 out of Venezuela in 2024. He led the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in average-against (.191) and WHIP (1.06) while ranking second in ERA (2.25) in his U.S. debut, then moved to Single-A in August at age 18. He has two- and four-seam fastballs that sit at 92-94 mph and touch 97, as well as a tight low-80s slider and a promising mid-80s changeup.
Padres: Miguel Mendez, RHP (No. 5)
Unranked at the start of the season, Mendez was facing roster purgatory ahead of his Rule 5 Draft eligibility this offseason but looks like a must-add now after showing a 95-98 mph fastball and a plus slider over the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels. He wrapped up his 2025 campaign with a 3.22 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 95 innings while dropping his seasonal walk rate from 15.5 percent in 2024 to 11.2.
Rockies: Kyle Karros, 3B (graduated from Rockies Top 30)
Karros had been on the back half of the Rockies’ Top 30 list as an intriguing fifth-round pick out of UCLA in 2023, and his .311/.390/.485 line in 2024 certainly didn’t hurt. Still, he was ranked No. 21 on the list entering the 2025 season, but improved his stock immensely when, after shaking off an early injury, he hit .301/.398/.476 mostly between Double-A and Triple-A (an OPS of .861 in Hartford is impressive). That led to him getting called up to the big leagues in early August and his feel for hitting along with his outstanding defense give him the chance to man the hot corner in Colorado for a long time.