WiNK

One underrated prospect from each MLB organization

by: Dylan Goldberg

I'm Dylan and this is one prospect that is underrated from each MLB organization. These players have the chance to be good and are not guarantees and could end up being busts. But these guys are not the cream of the crop yet for these organizations but could end up towards the top.

50 grade=average

30/45 (ex)=current grade/future grade)

Slashing means average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage

A+= High A

A= Low A

NL East:

Mets: Dominic Hamel

Dominic Hamel is the 12th ranked prospect in the Mets system, according to MLB pipeline and the 13th ranked according to FanGraphs. This season Hamel tossed 119 innings. With a 3.25 ERA and a 1.15 whip Hamel was dominant in A and high A as a 23 year old. Hamel was drafted in 2021 in the 3rd round and he will turn 24 in March. According to FanGraphs, Hamel has 4 pitches. He has a fastball, slider, curveball, and a changeup. According to FanGraphs, Hamel has an above average slider and curveball with an average fastball and a below average changeup. All currently. But FanGraphs also says he has well below average command at a 30, with a future at a 45. FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline disagree on when he will be up in the big leagues, with FanGraphs listing him at 2025 and MLB Pipeline putting him at 2024. Hamel has more stuff and break than velocity. His fastball sits at about 93 mph and it can get up to 96 mph. His off-speed pitches sit from the mid 70s with the curveball and low 80s with the changeup and slider. If he wants to be a very good major league pitcher it wouldn't surprise me if he wants to tick up the slider and fastball velocity slightly. Back to some statistics though, he struck out almost 12 per 9. To put that in perspective the league average in MLB was 8.5. He did have a lot of walks though at over 4 per 9 innings, but another stat to back him up was his FIP which was at 2.45 and the MLB league average was 3.98. To wrap it up Hamel has the chance to be a late rotation or long reliever in the future, with quality stuff and some decent velocity.

Braves: Justyn-Henry Malloy

Justyn-Henry Malloy had a breakout season for the Atlanta Braves in the Minor Leagues. The outfield/ third base prospect is now the 11th ranked prospect in the Braves organization, even though FanGraphs still has him at 30 in the organization. His best tools max out at average. And he has 2 below average tools with his fielding and run, all according to MLB Pipeline. He is in Triple A so we could see him relatively soon although MLB Pipeline has his ETA as 2024. Malloy's best tools are with his hitting which the Braves are hoping powers him to the big leagues. In his first full year in pro ball Malloy slashed .289/.408/.454, which was a .862 OPS. Malloy had 28 doubles and 17 home runs this season so he did start to tap into his power ability. The Braves can hope Malloy can spark a bat at some point but there is never a guarantee.

Phillies: William Bergolla

The 18 year old international free agent prospect was scooped up by the Phillies last winter. The left handed hitting shortstop mashed rookie ball this season, although the sample size was a small 71 plate appearances. In those 71 plate appearances, Bergolla slashed .380/.470/.423, which came out to a .893 OPS. Bergolla did not hit well against left-handers in his 10 appearances against them, he hit a meager .167 and had a .500 OBP, that was because he walked 4 times. Bergolla is super young at 18 years old, in fact he is the second youngest in the Phillies' Top 30, according to MLB Pipeline. Bergolla has a lot of upside but he really needs to develop and he has a lot of time before he gets to the majors, and MLB Pipeline has set his ETA at 2026.

Marlins: Jose Gerardo

Just like Bergolla, Gerardo was signed this past year in international free agency. The 17 year old that is due in 2027 crushed rookie ball this season. The Marlins were never going to move him out of rookie ball because of his super young age. But in rookie ball this past year Gerardo played 50 games and in those games he slashed .284/.417/.551, which equaled out to a .968 OPS. He also hit 11 home runs and 12 doubles. Even with all that good there was some bad, he stuck out 30.3% of the time but he did walk 33 times which was 15.1%. To wrap it up with the stats, Gerardo stole 18 bases. MLB Pipeline says he has a cannon of an arm at a maximum 80 grade. So this is another player with a ton of upside but has many years to prove it.

Nationals: Jarlin Susana

He's another player signed out of the 2022 international free agency. The 6 foot 6 inch 235 pound pitcher is the 8th ranked prospect in the Nationals organization. Across two rookie ball teams and a low A team Susana had a 2.40 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 45 innings. He has 4 pitches, a 70 grade fastball, 45 grade curve, 55 grade slider, and a 45 grade changeup, all according to MLB Pipeline. With his massive frame he sits in the upper 90s with the fastball. With a quality slider and a decent changeup, and the curveball mixed in. And according to MLB Pipeline he should reach the Majors by 2025.

NL Central:

Pirates: Malcolm Nunez

The former Cardinals prospect, Nunez was traded this past season to the Pirates. This season, across AA and AAA, Nunez slashed .262/.367/.466. Nunez has transitioned to first base in the past year and that is because he is not the greatest defender. He does have an above average arm, but a below average fielding according to MLB Pipeline. But he has a ton of power, with 16 doubles and 23 home runs. Nunez would probably be best in a DH role because of his great power.

Brewers: Eric Brown Jr

The 5 foot 10, 190 pound shortstop is an on base machine. In fact he had a .385 on-base percentage. Brown Jr hit for some power in only 27 games he hit 7 doubles and 3 home runs. And his speed was on display as he swiped 19 bags. The former 1st round pick does not have a tool under an average grade according to MLB Pipeline.

Cardinals: Joshua Baez
Baez is 6 foot 4, 220 pounds. An absolutely massive frame to be just 19 years old. Baez only played in 32 games this year so it was a little bit of a lost year, but he was fantastic in those games slashing .267/.385/.485. The former second round pick has immense power according to MLB Pipeline where they have that graded at a 60, also he has a rocket of an arm at a 70 grade. All in all, Baez is another guy who is not going to be MLB ready for a while and at his young age of 19 he has made it to low A.

Cubs: Porter Hodge

This is one that you wish that you could choose two. Between Matt Mervis and Porter Hodge, Mervis might be the better player but will most likely be seen in the majors at some point next season. So I went with the younger guy in Hodge. Across low A and A+ Hodge had a 2.63 ERA which is very low and a 1.23 WHIP which is a little high factoring in the ERA. It was no small sample size though at 109.1 innings pitched. So overall a season to be proud of if you are the Cubs and Porter Hodge.

Reds: Joe Boyle

Joe Boyle is a big human being. At 6'7 240 pounds Boyle can dominate opposing hitters with a 97-98 MPH fastball. Boyle only has 2 pitches one being the max 80 grade fastball, and an above average slider all according to MLB Pipeline. In 100.2 innings pitched Boyle had a 2.86 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Boyle has high upside as the 22nd ranked prospect in the Reds system and with that 80 grade fastball he has a chance to be dominant.

NL WEST

Dodgers: Yeiner Fernandez

The catcher/second baseman played in 89 games this season. The 20 year old played in low A for the whole season, because of his young age. Last season he showed hitting consistency and showed it again this season, slashing .292/.383/.430. The hit tool is there even if the power is slightly below average, which is graded a 40 by MLB Pipeline. The hit tool is above average at a 55 grade by MLB Pipeline. Fernandez has a chance to make the majors but may only be a bench piece to a roster.

Rockies: Yanquiel Fernandez

Yanquiel Fernandez mashed in 112 games this season, he slashed .284/.340/.507 which is a .847 OPS. His power numbers were really good with 33 doubles and 21 home runs, He also had 109 RBI's, that was just under 1 per game. At 19 years old Fernandez has a lot of room to continue to grow. And if these numbers continue he can be a great MLB player, especially on the offensive side of the baseball.

Padres: Nathan Martorella

The 6'1 1st baseman is definitely an interesting prospect. He is at the bottom of the Padres system at number 29, but he crushed his 1st year in the minors. He slashed .322/.421/.511 this season across rookie ball and low A. But take this with a grain of salt because he only played in 28 games and had 90 at bats. We will see how he does next year, but Martorella can be very hit or miss.

Giants: Mason Black

Mason Black pitched a ton of innings last season across low A and A+, 112 to be exact. In 24 games, Black, had a 3.21 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. In A+ compared to A were very different, even though in A he only pitched 34.1 innings, and in A+ he pitched 77.2 innings his numbers were very different. He was much better in A and his batting average against raised to .240 from .198. And the ERA almost jumped to 4. He does have a few years to figure it out though and his MLB Pipeline pitch grades look solid so there is plenty of room to grow.

Diamondbacks: A.J. Vukovic

6'5, 210 pounds A.J. Vukovic is a big person, with a big swing. He has a lot of strength, and that was shown by a .449 slugging percentage. The average was still there at .276 but the on-base percentage was a little low for the average at .308. He is going to put up power numbers even if the average numbers disintegrate. He might make his major league debut next season, but he is still in double A, but could start the year in triple A.

AL EAST

Yankees: Randy Vasquez

Vasquez has just wrapped up his 4th year in the minors and his 4th year with the Yankees. Vasquez has shown consistent numbers throughout his minor league career. This season was a little bit of a blimp on the radar though at a 3.9 ERA, that is not bad by any means, but it is not the production that you might be accustomed to. In all of his years in the minors before this year he has had below a 3.3 ERA. The WHIP is still in a good spot at 1.27 this season. If Vasquez starts off hot, don't be surprised if he gets a call up next season, even though there are still a few people ahead of him.

Rays: Mason Auer

Auer started the year off in low A and finished the year in A+. He pretty much split the time in both places, but in both places he hit like crazy. Combined he slashed .290/.372/.487 with a .859 OPS. The power numbers were there with 12 triples, 15 home runs, and 21 doubles. So, he's not slacking in terms of power. Not to mention the speed which is off the charts as he stole 48 bags this season. Auer is another one of those guys in the Rays system that has the chance to be very good in the big leagues.

Blue Jays: Alex De Jesus

De Jesus did mostly everything in the minors this season. He hit for power, average and got on-base. De Jesus slashed .263/.370/.433 which equated to a .803 OPS. This is nothing new for De Jesus, who, in A last year, hit for slightly better numbers. It wouldn't be surprising to see him make the jump up to AA next season because he has 74 games of experience in A+.

Orioles: Darell Hernaiz

Darell Hernaiz was a former 5th round pick who has made his way to the 16th ranked prospect in the Orioles organization. He hit for much more power than ever in his professional career, and he continued to hit for average and on-base percentage. He played 105 games between A, A+, and AA. He crushed A and A+, but his 13 games in AA were not so great. He slashed .113/.186/.189 in 53 at bats. Hernaiz will have a big year ahead of him, but he is still super young for the AA level at only 21 years old.

Red Sox: Nathan Hickey

Another 5th round pick, this time with the Red Sox. Hickey is a 6 foot catcher that slugged and got on base a ton. Hickey slashed .263/.415/.522 which turns out to be .937 OPS. This was in 75 games this season. As a catcher the power numbers were there with 18 doubles and 16 home runs. According to MLB Pipeline he has an average hit tool and an above average power tool, which is very big for a catcher. The Red Sox over-slotted Hickey in the 5th round. You could see a position move for Hickey because of his lack of ability behind the plate.

AL CENTRAL

White Sox: Cristian Mena

In a very weak White Sox system it is hard to pick a great prospect that is not at the very top. Mena had a pretty mediocre season. With a 3.8 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Mena had a much better season than last year as he posted a 7.82 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP. According to MLB Pipeline he posted the highest strikeout rate in the Arizona Complex League. Also according to MLB Pipeline his best pitch is his Curveball which is a 60 grade. And all 50 grades the rest of the way. Mena is only 19 and has a ton of room to grow. I wonder if the White Sox pushed him by putting him in AA, but if they really believe he is that good then they might start him in AA next season.

Twins: Yasser Mercedes

In 41 games last season Mercedes hit extremely well. The 18 year old slashed .355/.420/.555 which is a .975 OPS. He struck out less than 1 time per game. With 50 grades across the board except for his 55 run. He is the 18th ranked prospect in the Twins system and he definitely deserves that spot for the season he had at 17 years old.

Guardians: Jaison Chourio

Chourio killed rookie ball this year as a 17 year old. The 2022 international free agent signee slashed .280/.446/.402 which means he had a .848 OPS. His brother, Jackson is a superstar prospect for the Brewers and Jaison wants to be no different, instead for the Guardians. MLB Pipeline has his grades at 55 across the board with a 45 power grade sprinkled in. Chourio adds some variety as well because of his switch hitting in the outfield.

Royals: Diego Hernandez

Hernandez was in A+ and AA this season and he hit very well, even though his MLB Pipeline hit and power tools are below average. He also stole 40 bags this season and he has a 70 grade run on MLB Pipeline. His defense is well above average at 60 grades for his fielding and arm. He hit well above what his grades say. In 115 games he slashed .284/.347/.407 and hit 21 doubles.

Tigers: Dylan Smith

The 22 year old spent most of his first professional season in A+. And he had a sub 4 ERA, a 3.77 to be exact. But the best part about his season was his WHIP, which sat at a very good 1.15. Smith is a former third round pick and operates with a 4 pitch mix. A fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. The fastball and changeup are average pitches, with the curveball and slider being slightly above average, both at 55 grades.

AL WEST

Astros: Luis Baez

Baez is the 22nd ranked prospect in the Astros organization. Baez was signed last season out of the Dominican Republic, and at 18 years old he turned out a pretty good rookie ball season. With an ETA of 2026 the Astros are not looking to rush him to the big leagues anytime soon. With 50 grades across the board for the hitting we may never see it truly develop, but he turned out a very good offensive season for the Astros rookie ball team. In 58 games, he slashed .305/.351/.552 which means he had a .903 OPS and on top of that he hit 19 doubles.

A's: Brett Harris

Harris is a 24 year old third-baseman that made it to AA this season. He slashed .290/.374/.475 which was a .849 OPS as well he hit 22 doubles and 17 home runs. He is an above average defender according to MLB Pipelines grade of 55. But they also say that his power is below average at 40 and his hit tool is average at 50.

Angles: Ben Joyce

The 22 year old out of Tennessee throws so hard. Joyce is a RHP and a reliever that has a 80 grade fastball. He has hit 103 in college and his slider and changeup are both average pitches as well. Joyce will most likely have to make it to the majors quickly or his arm might tire out. But there is an alternative, he throws a little bit slower. Which is an option that doesn't seem enticing because he is doing so well now, but it may be better in the future. This season he only pitched 13 innings because he already pitched a college season, but he had a 2.08 ERA.

Rangers: Thomas Saggese

Saggese is a former 5th round pick that has made his way up to a top 20 prospect in the Rangers system. Saggese hit for a lot of power this season with a .506 slugging percentage. But he also hit .312 with a .361 on base percentage and had a .867 OPS. He also hit 25 doubles and 15 home runs which is why he had that high slugging percentage.

Mariners: Tyler Locklear

Locklear is the 9th ranked prospect in the Mariners system and played 31 games in his first professional season. He slashed .285/.366/.504 and hit 7 home runs and 6 doubles. The power is above average and the arm is average but it looks like the rest is below average according to MLB Pipeline. That could be a concern but only time will tell.