Ranking the Top 10 MLB Spring Breakout Rosters Ahead of 1st-Ever Prospect Showcase

In case anyone missed the announcement back in December, the Futures Game is no longer the only event meant to showcase the best of MLB's up-and-coming players.

Next week will mark the arrival of the first Spring Breakout, and the rosters are in.

As for what Spring Breakout is supposed is, it's a collection of 16 games that will be played in Arizona and Florida between March 14 and March 17. And here's the twist: each of MLB's 30 teams will be represented only by their best prospects.

Though there's technically nothing at stake, the sheer exposure that this event will bring to the next wave of MLB stars is enough. In all, 71 players from MLB.com's top 100 prospects will be taking part, as well as 109 players who were either ranked or list as honorable mentions in the most recent rankings from B/R's Joel Reuter.

The natural thing to do, then, is rank the best Spring Breakout rosters. A summary of players' rankings and their 2024 ZiPS projections were helpful in this regard, but it ultimately came down to gut feeling.

After first running through the need-to-know guys on the other 20, let's rank the top 10 Spring Breakout rosters.

Atlanta

Notable Prospects: RHP Spencer Schwellenbach

Atlanta's farm system is loaded with good arms, and Schwellenbach has one of the better ones. He was a two-way player in college and took to pitching full-time well in 2023, posting a 2.49 ERA over 16 starts.

Chicago White Sox

Top 100 Prospects: SS Colson Montgomery (17), C Edgar Quero (99)

The White Sox's system isn't especially strong overall, but Montgomery alone does a lot to elevate it. As a 6'3", 225-pound shortstop who had a .456 on-base percentage across three levels of the minors in 2023, he has the look of a special offensive player.

Cincinnati Reds

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Rhett Lowder (49), SS Edwin Arroyo (88)

Other Notable Prospects: 3B Cam Collier

One message here is that the Reds have even more talented infielders standing by, but it's Lowder who could potentially make the biggest impact in Cincinnati this year. All he did in his last season at Wake Forest in 2023 is strike out six times as many batters as he walked.

Cleveland Guardians

Top 100 Prospects: OF Chase DeLauter (79)

Though the Guardians drafted DeLauter in 2022, foot injuries resulted in the start of his pro career getting delayed by a year to the following June. He sure made the most of it, though, batting .355 and slugging .528 in 57 games in the low minors.

Detroit Tigers

Top 100 Prospects: OF Max Clark (23), 2B/3B Jace Jung (87)

Other Notable Prospects: SS/2B Kevin McGonigle, RHP Ty Madden

Jung and Madden figure to help the Tigers sooner, but Detroit fans should already be looking forward to Clark roaming Comerica Park. He's a plus runner with a plus arm, and he was also seen as a plus hitter when the Tigers drafted him third overall last season.

Houston Astros

Notable Prospects: OF Jacob Melton, OF Luis Baez

There's not a whole lot to see in Houston's system these days, though Melton and Baez have pretty much all the tools between the two of them. Melton has above average power and speed, while Baez has even more ample power potential.

Kansas City Royals

Notable Prospects: C Blake Mitchell, 3B Cayden Wallace, LHP Frank Mozzicato

It's not common that high school catchers go in the top 10, yet that's where the Royals took Mitchell with the No. 8 pick in last year's draft. For their parts, Wallace should at least be a good defensive third baseman and Mozzicato has a dandy of a curveball.

Los Angeles Angels

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Caden Dana (100)

Other Notable Prospects: OF Nelson Rada

Dana has come pretty far since going to the Angels in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, including by way of a 3.56 ERA across two minor league levels last season. Rada doesn't have much power, but he can hit and he can run.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Top 100 Prospects: C/1B Dalton Rushing (71)

Other Notable Prospects: OF Josue De Paula

These are relatively lean times for the Dodgers' system, and Rushing can't like looking up and seeing Freddie Freeman and Will Smith in his way. And yet, the last thing that any guy with a .435 OBP in the minors should be doing is giving up hope.

Miami Marlins

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Noble Meyer (85)

Other Notable Prospects: LHP Thomas White

Meyer only just turned 19 in January, so he's sure to add even more heft to a frame that already measures at 6'5", 185 pounds. As he does, his plus fastball and plus slider only figure to become even nastier.

New York Mets

Top 100 Prospects: SS Luisangel Acuña (46), SS Jett Williams (48), OF Drew Gilbert (63), OF Ryan Clifford (81)

A squad with this many top-100 types arguably belongs in the top 10. Acuña, Williams and Gilbert all have at least above average hit tools, while Clifford showed off impressive power in hitting 23 homers as a 19-year-old in the low minors last year.

New York Yankees

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Chase Hampton (76)

Other Notable Prospects: OF Spencer Jones, OF Everson Pereira, SS Roderick Arias

Jones made an early splash in spring training before he was reassigned to minor league camp, so it'll be nice to see him back in the spotlight for Spring Breakout. Otherwise, Hampton may not be far from helping the Yankees after whiffing 12.2 batters per nine innings in the minors in 2023.

Oakland Athletics

Top 100 Prospects: SS Jacob Wilson (59)

Other Notable Prospects: C Daniel Susac

Yeah, the A's don't have much in their farm system either. But Miller, the No. 6 pick in last year's draft, is worth dreaming on for his bat alone. He hit .361 in college at Grand Canyon and debuted in the pros with a .333 average.

Philadelphia Phillies

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Mick Abel (37), OF Justin Crawford (47), 3B Aidan Miller (91)

That's Carl's son up there, and he showed in swiping 47 bags last season that he's definitely inherited his old man's speed. And if he can ever get his control up to par, Abel has the stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation starter.

San Francisco Giants

Notable Prospects: OF/1B Bryce Eldridge

Eldridge was drafted as a two-way player in 2023 but is now focusing solely on being an offensive player. It's a bit of a drag, even if he did tease impact potential with a .905 OPS in 31 games in the low minors last year.

Seattle Mariners

Top 100 Prospects: C Harry Ford (30), SS/2B Cole Young (43), SS/2B Colt Emerson (69)

Other Notable Prospects: 1B Tyler Locklear

There's not much in the way of imminent impact here, as only Locklear is a legit candidate to debut in Seattle this season. Yet Young and Emerson can both hit, and Ford is far more athletic than your average catcher.

St. Louis Cardinals

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Tink Hence (31), SS Masyn Winn (36), OF Victor Scott II (84)

The Cardinals will be playing two games in Spring Breakout, and they've loaded their roster accordingly. It'll be a good chance for St. Louis fans to get a glimpse of Hence, who boasts a plus fastball and one of the better changeups of any prospect.

Tampa Bay Rays

Top 100 Prospects: SS Carson Williams (32)

Other Notable Prospects: C Dominic Keegan, 1B Xavier Isaac

As a sure-thing shortstop with above average power, Williams is among the more underrated prospects in baseball right now. And Isaac is a potential impact first baseman, as he had a .916 OPS as a mere 19-year-old last year.

Texas Rangers

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Brock Porter (80), SS Sebastian Walcott (86)

Other Notable Prospects: 2B/3B Justin Foscue, RHP Owen White

Were it not for Dylan Lesko in the San Diego Padres' system, Porter's changeup would perhaps be the best of any prospect. And while his hit tool is suspect, Walcott has all the other tools to be a dynamic shortstop someday.

Toronto Blue Jays

Notable Prospects: SS Arjun Nimmala, LHP Brandon Barriera

Barriera could have mid-rotation upside as a starter, and Nimmala is nothing if not an intriguing long-term project. The No. 20 pick in last year's draft has an approach in need of a lot of work, but he could at least have above average power for a middle infielder.

Top 100 Prospects: SS Jordan Lawlar (9), OF Druw Jones (60), SS Tommy Troy (95)

Other Notable Prospects: 3B Ivan Melendez

The Diamondbacks' farm system isn't in an especially good place right now, as Reuter only ranked it as the No. 26 system in MLB back in December.

On the plus side, they're bringing pretty much all their best prospects to play with in Spring Breakout. Out of their 30 top guys as ranked by MLB.com, all 16 of the best are on the roster.

Of that bunch, Lawlar is the closest to breaking out in a meaningful way after debuting in the majors last season and even seeing action in the World Series. He more or less fits the Corbin Carroll mold as a burner who also has solid hit, power and fielding tools.

Jones might be the more recognizable name on account of how his father, Andruw, fell just 13.4 percent of the vote shy of getting elected to the Hall of Fame this year. Druw is a chip off the ol' block in that he's a heck of an athlete with a bright future in center field.

With respect to Troy, Melendez is the guy not to sleep on here. The hefty 6'3", 225-pounder swatted 30 long balls in just 96 games last year, including 12 in only 38 appearances with Double-A Amarillo.

Top 100 Prospects: SS/2B Adael Amador (28), OF Yanquiel Fernandez (56), OF Cole Carrigg (94), OF Sterlin Thompson (97)

Other Notable Prospects: RHP Chase Dollander, OF Jordan Beck

Those four guys are all the top 100 prospects the Rockies have, and they're otherwise bringing all 10 of their best prospects according to MLB.com's rankings.

They mean to put on a show, in other words, and Amador sounds like just the kind of guy who should thrive at Coors Field someday. He's a switch-hitter with a feel for line drives, and it showed as he hit .287 in the minors last year.

For their parts, Fernandez and Beck both hit exactly 25 home runs last season, while Thompson followed a generally hot season with an even hotter performance in the Arizona Fall League. In 21 games, he hit .338 and got on base at a .460 clip.

It's quite something that Carrigg is already a top 100 talent after going to the Rockies in the second round of last year's draft. He's a veritable Swiss Army Knife in the field, and he might have surprised even the Rockies in hitting .350 in his pro debut.

It was Dollander who was the Rockies' first-round pick last year. The hope is that he'll rebound from a rough final act at Tennessee, as he had been considered perhaps the best pitching prospect of the 2023 draft class beforehand.

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Cade Horton (15), OF Owen Caissie (70), SS/2B Matt Shaw (78)

Other Notable Prospects: 2B James Triantos, OF Kevin Alcántara

Wait...where's Pete Crow-Armstrong?

"Not here" is the answer, and that's kind of a shame. It would have been nice to see him in action in Spring Breakout, if for no other reason than he's liable to do something amazing any time he's out in center field.

Chicago's elite system is nonetheless well represented here, and Cubs fans should be especially excited to get a load of Horton. His slider is about as good as it gets among his fellow prospects, and he's coming into 2024 off a dominant romp in the latter half of 2023. His last 16 starts yielded a 2.30 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.

The 6'3", 195-pound Caissie has become an exit velocity maestro, while Shaw had no issues living up to being the No. 13 pick in last year's draft. His first 38 games as a pro saw him hit .357 with eight long ones.

If you want a guy who could become a fast riser in 2024, Alcántara is one to keep an eye on. He started slow last year, but then ripped off a .938 OPS over 73 games to finish out the year.

Top 100 Prospects: RHP Paul Skenes (6), 2B Termarr Johnson (55), LHP Anthony Solometo (64)

Other Notable Prospects: RHP Bubba Chandler

Let's just say that it only takes a good pair of ears to understand why Skenes is destined for the front of the Pirates' rotation:

I mean, have you heard his fastball? It's something, alright:

Though it's certainly a big one, that 80-grade heater isn't the only reason Skenes could arrive in Pittsburgh less than a year after going No. 1 in the draft. The 6'6", 235-pound righty also boasts a plus-plus slider and is plenty capable of throwing strikes.

Solometo and Chandler could also upgrade Pittsburgh's rotation in the near future, and Chandler in particular if he picks up where he left off last year. He finished with a 1.66 ERA over his last nine starts, with only a .163 average permitted.

Johnson is only two years removed from being the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, and 2023 made him look like the on-base machine that was promised. Albeit with only .244 average, he got on base at a .422 clip as a 19-year-old across two levels of the minors.

Top 100 Prospects: OF Dylan Crews (5), OF James Wood (7), 3B Brady House (54)

Other Notable Prospects: 3B Yohandy Morales

You have to hand it to the Nationals for not playing it safe. Out of the 27 players on their Spring Breakout roster, 22 can be found in their top 30 prospects as ranked by MLB.com.

The showcase will be the latest excuse for Wood to, uh, showcase what he can do. The 6'6", 234-pounder has already done plenty of that during the Nationals' Grapefruit League slate, playing in 10 games and racking up a 1.413 OPS with a trio of homers.

That such a guy somehow isn't his organization's best prospect should be absurd, but it speaks to how much talent resides within Crews.

He was in the running to go No. 1 in last year's draft before "falling" to the Nats at No. 2, and he's yet to give them any cause to regret it. He's a plus hitter, runner and slugger who's done nothing but hit since turning pro, including with a 1.087 OPS this spring.

For his part, House was Washington's No. 11 pick out of high school in 2021. And after experiencing health issues in 2022, he showed up in 2023 and hit .312 during an 88-game journey that ended with Double-A Harrisburg.

Top 100 Prospects: SS Brooks Lee (21), OF Walker Jenkins (25), OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (51), OF Gabriel Gonzalez (62)

Other Notable Prospects: RHP David Festa, RHP Marco Raya

Jenkins might actually be underrated by Reuter's rankings. He's rated at No. 10 overall by MLB.com, for reasons that mostly have to do with his mighty stick.

Said stick is mostly what got him drafted fifth overall by the Twins out of high school last year, and he didn't disappoint upon getting exposed to pro pitching. Notably, he hit .392 with six extra-base hits in 12 games with Single-A Fort Myers.

Though he probably won't hit for as much power, Lee may be at least as good a bet as Jenkins to one day hit for high averages in the majors. He hit .351 in college at Cal Poly and is thus far a .281 hitter as a pro, with a 15.8 strikeout percentage against a 10.2 walk rate.

Gonzalez only recently joined the Twins organization via the Jorge Polanco trade, yet he and Rodriguez fit a similar profile: strong-armed outfielders who should also hit, though Rodriguez is likely to have more power.

As for the two pitchers named above, it's especially hard to miss Festa. He's a 6'6", 185-pounder who whiffed 119 batters in 92.1 innings last year, and he finished strong with a 2.65 ERA in his last 11 outings.

Top 100 Prospects: SS/2B Jackson Holliday (1), 3B/1B Coby Mayo (27), C/1B Samuel Basallo (40), OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (92)

Other Notable Prospects: INF Connor Norby

If anything, it might even be fair to feel disappointed about what the Orioles are bringing to Spring Breakout. Of their top 30 prospects for MLB.com, only 16 are on their roster.

But, hey, at least they had the good sense to include Holliday.

All Matt's son has done since turning pro is hit, hit, hit and hit some more, including with a .941 OPS across four (four!) minor league levels last year and a .983 OPS this spring.

As if the Orioles needed more promising young hitters, Mayo and Basallo both topped a .900 OPS and 20 homers in the minors in 2023. The former notably went off in the high minors at Double-A and Triple-A, finishing with a .974 OPS and 29 long balls.

Bradfield's power is more of the Juan Pierre variety, which is to say close to nonexistent. It's a good thing, then, that he's like Pierre in that he's an 80-grade runner who puts the bat on the ball, as he struck out 16 times against 26 walks in his first 110 professional plate appearances.

Top 100 Prospects: SS Marcelo Mayer (10), OF Roman Anthony (20), C Kyle Teel (57), CF/SS Ceddanne Rafaela (65), 2B Nick Yorke (98)

Other Notable Prospects: OF Miguel Bleis, RHP Wikelman Gonzalez

It's a top-heavy system the Red Sox have, and it's well represented in their Spring Breakout roster. All five of their top 100 prospects are there.

Boston basically had Mayer fall into its lap with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft, and he at least has a good excuse for the modest .739 OPS he posted in the minors last year. He played much of the season with a bum shoulder, before which he had been off to a hot start with a .323 average through 23 games with High-A Greenville.

It was otherwise Anthony's time to shine in 2023, and he did so in getting on base at a .403 clip. The 19-year-old should also develop more power as he fills out a frame that already registers at 6'2", 200 pounds.

Albeit in very different ways, Teel and Rafaela have defensive prowess in common. The former also has it in him to be a well above average offensive catcher. He hit .407 at Virginia last year before going to the Red Sox at No. 14 in the draft, and then hit .363 as a pro.

Otherwise, keep an eye on Gonzalez as a candidate to break free from Boston's recent struggles with developing pitching. He struck out 13.6 batters per nine innings in 2023 and ended the year with a 2.42 ERA in 10 starts for Double-A Portland.

Top 100 Prospects: OF Jackson Chourio (2), C Jeferson Quero (34), RHP Jacob Misiorowski (38), 3B Tyler Black (73), LHP Robert Gasser (89)

Other Notable Prospects: 3B Brock Wilken, RHP Carlos Rodriguez

There are 25 players on the Brewers' Spring Breakout roster, and 21 of them are among the club's top 30 prospects for MLB.com.

That would be a solid hit rate even if Chourio wasn't involved. Already $82 million richer after signing an extension in December, he's on track to open as Milwaukee's everyday center fielder after showing off his power and speed as he cranked 19 homers and stole 44 bases in the high minors last year. And as a 19-year-old, no less.

Black is a dynamic offensive threat who posted a .417 OBP with 18 homers and 55 stolen bases last year. Quero's calling card is more so his defense, to a point where the 35 caught-stealing percentage he posted last year only scratches the surface of his skillset.

As for the pitchers, Misiorowski is a 6'7", 190-pound drink of water who boasts both a plus-plus fastball and a plus-plus slider. And as such, it's no great surprise that he whiffed 110 of the 314 batters he faced in 2023.

The upside play here is Wilken. Nobody will accuse him of being athletic, but he hit 36 home runs in 113 games last year between college and the pros, which he joined after going to Milwaukee with the No. 18 pick.

Top 100 Prospects: C Ethan Salas (8), SS Jackson Merrill (11), LHP Robby Snelling (29), RHP Dylan Lesko (45), RHP Drew Thorpe (82), RHP Jairo Iriarte (93), OF Samuel Zavala (96)

Other Notable Prospects: OF Jakob Marsee

Though not all is well at the major league level these days, consider this a reminder that all is quite well on the farm for the Padres.

As a 17-year-old who plays the toughest position on the diamond, that Salas looms as large as he does is bonkers. Literally, in the sense that he's already 6'2", 185 pounds, but also figuratively in that he's a defensive wiz with a lot more power potential than most catchers.

Merrill is your standard plus-bat shortstop and Snelling is coming off a season in which he posted a 1.82 ERA on a journey across three minor league levels. And as a sort of sideshow for Spring Breakout, it would be fun to see a changeup-off between Lesko and Thorpe.

Both get plus-plus grades in that department, though Thorpe has done more to show his works against professional hitters. Before coming to the Padres in the Juan Soto trade, he led all minor league pitchers with 182 strikeouts in 2023.

The one with the helium, meanwhile, is Marsee. He's not a top-100 talent yet, but he may be soon if he stays hot after winning Arizona Fall League MVP honors by way of a 1.215 OPS, five homers and 16 stolen bases.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.