10 MLB Prospects off to Red-Hot Starts in the Minors
Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. are off to three of baseball's hottest starts at the MLB level, but what about the up-and-comers who have exploded out of the gates in the minors?
Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros has been one of the most productive hitters at any minor league level over the first month of the new season, and with his stellar start coming at Triple-A he is making a strong case for a call-up.
Other prospects are just starting their pro careers in the lower levels of the minors, but a scorching start could eventually propel them up organizational and leaguewide prospect lists.
Ahead we've highlighted 10 of the hottest starts in the minor leagues right now, focusing specifically on players who are of prospect age and still maintain prospect eligibility. Five hitters and five pitchers were selected from across all levels of the minor leagues.
C Moises Ballesteros, Chicago Cubs
B/R Prospect Rank: No. 55 MLB prospect, No. 3 CHC prospect
Stats (AAA): 113 PA, .396/.451/.604, 12 XBH (4 HR), 16 RBI, 3 SB
Moises Ballesteros has hit every step of the way in the minors, including a 2024 season where he batted .289/.354/.471 with 24 doubles, 19 home runs and 78 RBI in 124 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
Still only 21 years old, he is knocking on the MLB door with a scorching start at the plate for Triple-A Iowa, though with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya handling catching duties there is no clear path to playing time.
The Cubs won't promote him just to stick him on the bench, but he could force his way into the picture as a part-time catcher and part-time designated hitter in the near future.
LHP Hunter Barco, Pittsburgh Pirates
B/R Prospect Rank: No. 10 PIT prospect
Stats (AA): 5 GS, 0.00 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 4 BB, 30 K, 20.2 IP
One of the better high school pitching prospects in the 2019 draft class, Hunter Barco ended up slipping to the 24th round due to a strong commitment to the University of Florida.
Between the pandemic in 2020 and Tommy John surgery in 2022, he only ended up pitching 152.2 total innings during his three years on campus, but the Pirates still saw enough to select him No. 44 overall in 2022.
After posting a 3.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 66 innings between High-A and Double-A a year ago, the 24-year-old has firmly established himself as part of the top-tier of Pirates pitching prospects that also includes Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington and Braxton Ashcraft.
OF A.J. Ewing, New York Mets
B/R Prospect Rank: NR
Stats (A/A+): 96 PA, .359/.469/.539, 8 XBH (1 HR), 21 RBI, 16 SB
"Ewing’s overall power and impact is a question given his size, but he certainly impressed as a lefty bat with pop and opened eyes with his energetic style of play," wrote Baseball America in their pre-draft profile on A.J. Ewing.
The Ohio prep standout ended up going to the Mets on an above-slot deal in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, two picks after the Red Sox selected Georgia Tech infielder Kristian Campbell.
With an undersized 5'11", 160-pound frame he may never provide much in the way of over-the-fence production, but his hit tool, base-running instincts and steady glove give him an increasingly high floor.
RHP Michael Forret, Baltimore Orioles
B/R Prospect Rank: No. 7 BAL prospect
Stats (A+): 5 GS, 1.66 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 7 BB, 29 K, 21.2 IP
There were 229 pitchers selected in the 2023 draft before Michael Forret finally heard his name called as the No. 421 overall selection in the 14th round by the Orioles.
With a few exceptions—most notably Paul Skenes at No. 1 overall—Forret has outperformed the vast majority of those pitchers since beginning his pro career while emerging as arguably the top arm in the Baltimore system.
The 21-year-old had a 3.88 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 99.2 innings in his first full professional season last year, and he has allowed just eight hits through 21.2 innings to begin the 2025 campaign at High-A Aberdeen.
OF Asbel Gonzalez, Kansas City Royals
B/R Prospect Rank: NR
Stats (A): 107 PA, .395/.509/.419, 1 XBH (0 HR), 7 RBI, 30 SB
The Royals signed Asbel Gonzalez out of Venezuela for just $157,500 during the 2023 international signing period, and he put himself on the prospect radar with a strong stateside debut last season.
The 19-year-old hit .280/.397/.376 with 23 steals in 45 games while spending the bulk of the year in rookie ball, and he has been turned loose at Single-A Columbia where he is leading all minor league players with 30 steals in 23 games.
He is never going to hit for power, but his solid hit tool, impact speed and projectable defense in center field should have him steadily climbing the Kansas City top prospect list this year.
IF Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks
B/R Prospect Rank: No. 15 MLB prospect, No. 1 ARI prospect
Stats (AAA): 133 PA, .381/.470/.690, 21 XBH (6 HR), 30 RBI, 12 SB
Jordan Lawlar made his MLB debut as a September call-up in 2023, earning a spot on the D-backs playoff roster during their unexpected run to the World Series.
The 22-year-old then posted an .874 OPS with 23 doubles, 20 home runs, 67 RBI and 36 steals over 105 games in the upper levels of the minors the following season, but injuries derailed his ascent and he played just 23 games in 2024.
With Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Eugenio Suarez locked in as Arizona's starting options on the infield and Tim Tawa playing well while Marte recovers from a hamstring strain, Lawlar does not have an obvious path to playing time or he might already be in the majors.
Outfielder Slade Caldwell also deserves a mention, hitting .303/.521/.546 with 20 hits and 24 walks in 21 games at Single-A in his pro debut after going No. 29 overall in 2024.
LHP Wei-En Lin, Athletics
B/R Prospect Rank: NR
Stats (A): 5 G, 2 GS, 2.70 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 0 BB, 31 K, 20.0 IP
Left-hander Wei-En Lin starred for Taiwan in the 2023 U-18 World Baseball Cup, going 2-0 with just one unearned run allowed and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings, and he was one of the top pitching prospects in the 2024 international class.
The Athletics reeled him in with a $1.35 million bonus last June, and he pitched for Team Taiwan in 2026 World Baseball Classic qualifying before making his pro debut at Single-A Stockton this year.
The 19-year-old has the upside to join Luis Morales, Mason Barnett and Jack Perkins as the top pitching prospects in the Athletics system.
RHP Sean Linan, Los Angeles Dodgers
B/R Prospect Rank: NR
Stats (A): 5 G, 4 GS, 1.40 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 6 BB, 45 K, 25.2 IP
For all that is made of the Dodgers free-spending ways in free agency, they have also done a fantastic job over the years mining talent on the international scene, and that success is not reserved for the nine-figure bonus players at the top of the market.
Right-hander Sean Linan is quickly shaping up to be their latest diamond in the rough success story, and he is doing it not with electric velocity, but with an elite changeup that is already drawing some lofty comparisons.
"It’s kind of like a Devin Williams-style (changeup), like a screwball, almost, the way he releases it. So it’s just a super unique offering, and, because of how high the spin is, it’s almost impossible to tell that it’s anything other than a fastball. And that’s why I assume people swing at it so much," Dodgers director of pitching Rob Hill told Josh Norris of Baseball America.
The 20-year-old struck out 93 batters in 70 innings between rookie ball and Single-A as a teenager last year, and he has whiffed 45 of the 95 batters he has faced so far this season.
RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, New York Yankees
B/R Prospect Rank: NR
Stats (A+): 4 GS, 2.42 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 7 BB, 30 K, 22.1 IP
Red Sox rookie catcher Carlos Narváez has found himself thrust into a starting role early on this season with Connor Wong sidelined, and he has held his own, especially on the defensive side of things.
Narváez came to Boston in a rare trade with the rival Yankees, with international bonus pool money and pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz heading the other way.
While the Red Sox are reaping some early returns, the Yankees might get the last laugh, as Rodriguez-Cruz has quickly developed into one of the team's most promising pitching prospects with a lights-out start at High-A Hudson Valley.
OF Jared Thomas, Colorado Rockies
B/R Prospect Rank: NR
Stats (A+): 112 PA, .341/.464/.517, 7 XBH (4 HR), 19 RBI, 5 SB
University of Texas outfielder Jared Thomas raised his stock as much as any college hitter in the nation last spring, hitting .349/.435/.635 with 15 doubles, 16 home runs, 47 RBI and 18 steals in 60 games as a draft-eligible sophomore.
The Rockies selected him with the third pick in the second round at No. 42 overall, and he went 11-for-33 with two home runs in eight games at Single-A Fresno after signing.
He was bumped up to High-A to begin the 2025 season, and he could be in Double-A before the All-Star break, showcasing a 55-grade hit tool while still tapping into his raw power.