Several of baseball’s top prospects made their marks under the playoff lights Sunday. Leo De Vries (Athletics) powered Double-A Midland in the Texas League Championship Series opener with not one but two home runs, and Kevin McGonigle (Tigers) carried his hot bat into the Eastern League Finals. At the Minors' highest level, JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) went yard while Mets talents Carson Benge, Jett Williams and Jonathan Pintaro stood out in their final game of the season.
Leo De Vries, SS, Midland (ATH No. 1/MLB No. 3)
Big-time players shine in big-time moments, and De Vries did just that for Double-A Midland in Game 1 of the Texas League Finals. The 18-year-old switch-hitter went deep twice -- both from the right side, scoring three runs and driving in three to key the RockHounds' win. Coming off his second straight .800-plus OPS season, De Vries has carried that success into late September, going 7-for-12 with three homers and a 1.976 OPS in the postseason. The playoff stage only seems to be elevating the 18-year-old's game. Gameday
Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B, Erie (DET No. 1/MLB No. 2)
It’s no surprise McGonigle came into the Eastern League Finals on a hot note. The 37th pick of the 2023 Draft finished a double shy of the cycle and scored three runs for Double-A Erie in the opener. That followed a regular season in which the 20-year-old tallied 52 extra-base hits in just 88 games while posting a .991 OPS. Through four games in the postseason, he’s stayed red-hot with a 1.348 OPS, picking up right where the standout campaign that made him a finalist for MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year left off. Gameday
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JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, Memphis (STL No. 1/MLB No. 6)
The Cardinals’ top prospect made Triple-A look easy. Wetherholt drilled his 10th homer at the level and 17th of the season, part of a three-run day that marked his 15th multihit effort for Memphis. After his promotion, the 23-year-old collected 58 hits -- 25 for extra bases -- in 47 games with a sharp 28-to-33 walk-to-strikeout ratio. That’s after slashing .300/.425/.466 for Double-A Springfield, rounding out a first full pro season that was productive from start to finish and made him a finalist for MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year honors. Gameday
Carson Benge, OF, Syracuse (NYM No. 1/MLB No. 20)
Benge rediscovered his stroke after a quiet start to September. The Mets’ 2024 first-rounder went 5-for-11 across his past three games, punctuated by a sixth-inning homer in his season finale for Triple-A Syracuse. The right-handed shot was his 15th homer overall -- 14 of which have come against righties -- and improved his OPS to a strong .891 in those matchups. Add in two walks and four RBIs in that stretch, and Benge saved some of his best for last. Gameday
Jett Williams, SS/2B/OF, Syracuse (NYM No. 2/MLB No. 29)
The Mets' 2022 first-round pick has had a strong end to September. The 20-year-old collected his fifth homer of the month for Triple-A Syracuse, the most he hit in any single month this season. Between the top two levels of the Minors, Williams produced an .828 OPS, churning out 58 extra-base hits while swiping 34 bases. A versatile defender and consistent table-setter, Williams has shown the Mets exactly what they hoped to see from him. Gameday
Jonathan Pintaro, RHP, Syracuse (NYM No. 17)
Signed as an undrafted free agent last June, Pintaro has quickly become one of the Mets’ most intriguing risers out of the pitching ranks. The 27-year-old righty allowed just two hits while fanning six across five scoreless innings, retiring 11 straight at one point for Triple-A Syracuse. It marked the second straight year he climbed three levels in one season. Featuring a five-pitch mix, Pintaro punched out 103 batters over 82 frames in 2025. Gameday