Drew • 61 WAR

1997: J.D. Drew, OF, No. 2
2004: Stephen Drew, SS, No. 15

Both Drews starred at Florida State and had lengthy MLB careers, making them the most productive first-round brothers. While J.D. infamously did not sign with the Phillies in 1997, he was the fifth overall pick the following year. His .384 OBP is one of the highest marks of the past 25 years, and he contributed steady power and defense as a corner outfielder. Stephen was a standout defender who had a few good years with the bat. Their brother Tim also was a first-rounder, drafted 28th overall in 1997 as a high school righthander.

Upton • 49 WAR

2002: B.J. Upton, SS, No. 2
2005: Justin Upton, SS, No. 1

Both Uptons signed out of high school in Chesapeake, Va. B.J. was a graceful center fielder who stole 300 bases with good power. Four-time all-star Justin was a slugging corner outfielder who hit 325 home runs. They were teammates for three seasons with the Padres and Braves.

Benes • 33 WAR

1988: Andy Benes, RHP, No. 1
1993: Alan Benes, RHP, No. 16

Former Evansville standout Andy was the preeminent 1-1 college ace before David Price, Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole came along. He won 155 games in 14 seasons, made an all-star team and finished top five for a Cy Young Award twice. Younger brother Alan had an injury-marred, eight-year MLB career. The Benes brothers were teammates for three seasons with the Cardinals.

Young • 15 WAR

1991: Dmitri Young, 3B, No. 4
2003: Delmon Young, OF, No. 1

Dmitri made a couple of all-star teams in 13 MLB seasons. Delmon shined brighter as a prospect—No. 1 overall in 2006—but was done as a regular by his mid 20s and out of MLB before turning 30. Note that Dmitri and Delmon’s nephew, Quentin, is also one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft.

Weeks • 13 WAR

2003: Rickie Weeks, 2B, No. 2
2008: Jemile Weeks, 2B, No. 12

Rickie set the Division I standard with a .473 career average at Southern. With the Brewers, he contributed power, speed and walks to three playoff teams. Hard hands held him back defensively at second base. Jemile was a stronger defender but didn’t hit enough to hold a regular job.

Other Prominent First-Round Brother tandems

2019: Josh Jung, 3B, No. 8
2022: Jace Jung, 2B, No. 12

1998: Jeff Weaver, RHP, No. 14
2004: Jered Weaver, RHP, No. 12

2012: Josh Naylor, 1B, No. 12
2015: Bo Naylor, C, No. 29

The post Could The Holliday Brothers Soon Join These First-Round Duos? appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

Colleyville Heritage High, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, played 42 games in 2019, winning 39 of them, as Witt led the Panthers to the Texas class 5A state title.

The Royals wanted to watch over the player they believed was the most talented in a top-heavy draft class that also included Adley Rutschman and 2024 first-time all-stars Gunnar Henderson, Riley Greene and CJ Abrams.

Kansas City saw all five of Witt’s tools, and the sixth for those who believe heavily in makeup.

Then-Royals GM Dayton Moore did, and the only thing that could stop him from selecting Witt with the No. 2 overall pick would be if Baltimore selected him at 1-1.

The Orioles chose Rutschman, the Oregon State star catcher. The Royals phoned Witt immediately to tell him he was their pick.

“We knew we wanted Bobby Witt Jr. a year before the draft,” said Moore, now the Rangers’ senior adviser of baseball operations. “We loved Adley Rutschman as well, and we didn’t know what the Orioles were going to do.

“But Bobby Witt Jr., I can honestly tell you, was No. 1 on our list, and that’s who we were really hoping to be able to select.”

Five years later, Witt might have the best overall skill set in MLB.

Witt controls the barrel well enough to win a batting title, possesses 30-homer power, threw 95 mph as a high school closer, makes plays at shortstop that his teammates can’t believe and is in the argument for fastest player in the game.

Among active players, only Shohei Ohtani can match Witt in terms of total plus tools. But only Ohtani’s hit, power and speed were on display this year, his pitching on hold while he recovers from offseason elbow surgery.

Mookie Betts also has a case, too. He won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in the same season five times, all as a right fielder. Witt has that kind of potential, the separator being his ability to captain the infield as a shortstop.

“It’s a rare combination of elite athleticism and tools, elite tools with elite skill. It’s all there,” Moore said of Witt. “It’s always been advanced. Plus he’s got elite makeup. It’s just a great, great package and speaks to who he is as a person and how he was raised.

“He is a legit five-tool player with baseball skill and a baseball mind.”

Moore’s assessment is hardly unique. Baseball’s best gushed over Witt in July during All-Star Game festivities in Arlington, Texas, where he had a home-field advantage of sorts. He purchased tickets for 30 family members and estimated that more than 100 friends would be in attendance.

The sold-out crowds of nearly 40,000 for the Home Run Derby and Midsummer Classic recognized the talent in addition to the local ties, giving the 24-year-old some of the loudest ovations of any player—hometown Rangers players included.

Witt humbly sidestepped the notion that he rates among the best of the best despite an abundance of evidence, ranging from traditional statistics to MLB Statcast figures to eyewitness testimony. He said he doesn’t even think he has a best skill.

“I feel like I can still get better in all aspects of the game,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep working and keep getting better.”

As Moore puts it, Witt can beat a team in more ways than any player in the game or in recent memory.

More than young Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who continues to develop. More than the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson, the American League all-star shortstop starter. More than Mike Trout, whose arm strength wasn’t elite. And more than Ichiro Suzuki, who reached double figures in home runs just three times.

A case can be made that Witt grades out at 70 or higher in hitting, power, speed, fielding and arm strength on the 20-80 scouting scale.

“He just puts pressure on you in so many ways,” Moore said. “There are very few players in the game who can beat you in multiple ways.

“Junior can beat you with the glove. He can beat you with the arm, he can beat you with the legs, he can scratch out an infield hit, stay on a breaking ball the other way for a soft single, and he can turn around the fastball and hit it out of the ballpark and into the fountains (at Kauffman Stadium).”

Witt has big league bloodlines. His father is Bobby Witt Sr., who was drafted by the Rangers with the third overall pick in 1986 and pitched for 16 MLB seasons. He was known as a terrific competitor who never wanted to give up the ball. Witt Jr. said his mother, a high school swimmer, also contributed some athletic genes.

Witt conceded that players, coaches and fans are most surprised by how fast he runs. Entering the all-star break, he was tied for the MLB lead for fastest sprint speed of 30.4 feet per second and was ninth with an average home-to-first run time of 4.11 seconds.

“You can’t really appreciate it until you see it,” Henderson said.

Last season, Witt tied De La Cruz for the fastest sprint speed—30.5 feet per second—and finished tied for the AL lead with 25 infield hits.

Witt swiped 49 bases in 2023 to become a 30-homer, 40-steal player. He was the first Royals player in history to record a 30-30 season and the seventh player in MLB history to go 30-30 in his age-23 season or younger.

Witt became the first player in MLB history with at least 50 homers and 70 steals in his first two seasons.

“He does everything well,” Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams said. “He’s fast, super fast. He’s got super power. Seeing that on the field, it’s just fun to watch.”

Abrams was selected four picks after Witt in 2019 by the Padres, and the Orioles later nabbed Henderson in the second round at No. 42 overall. The phenoms watched each other play at showcase events over multiple summers before they launched their professional careers.

Abrams and Witt were teammates on USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2018—along with, among others, Anthony Volpe, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dylan Crews, Riley Greene and Jack Leiter—which captured the COPABE Pan-American championship. Witt was the tournament MVP after batting .576 and hitting for the cycle in the title game against Panama.

Two years after being drafted, Witt was the BA Minor League Player of the Year.

“It seems like all of his stuff in high school was very well-rounded, and it seems like throughout the years it gets even more well-rounded,” Henderson said. “Being able to watch him do that, just how he progresses each and every year, it’s been awesome to watch and I really enjoy competing with him.”

The 30-homer power might also surprise some. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Witt isn’t a hulking figure like Adolis Garcia or Kyle Schwarber, but he’s put together. He tries to generate power by getting his lower half involved in his swing.

Bat speed helps, too, and Witt’s average bat speed rates above league average and is the fastest swing on a wild card contender which also includes all-star catcher Salvador Perez, who should reach 300 career homers next season.

“I’m not the biggest guy out there, so I’m just trying to create more force from the legs up,” Witt said. “It’s always been part of my game. I try to have all of the five tools, and one of them is power. So I just try to work to be able to do that.”

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner played for Team USA with Witt last year in the World Baseball Classic. Turner is one of the all-stars who recognized Witt’s attitude and work ethic as standing out as much or more than any of his tools.

Witt’s hit tool stood out most to Turner, especially in today’s age of power pitching. Witt ranked third in the AL last season with 177 hits while batting .286. He batted .323 in the first half of this season, behind only the Guardians’ Steven Kwan at .352. Witt opened the second half by going 9-for-11 in the first series after the All-Star Game to jump to .337.

“It’s hard to hit for a high average, especially in today’s game with velocity and great defense,” Turner said. “And he’s (24) years old. I think that’s most impressive.”

Witt has made the most improvement since debuting in 2022 with his defense. The Statcast metric outs above average assessed him a –9 as a rookie. That figure improved to 14 in 2023 and this year was on pace to be roughly double that total.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who skippered the AL all-star team, called Witt’s play at shortstop “terrific” and said he could probably play any position in the field.

Witt’s best play so far this season might have been his running, over-the-shoulder catch on an Andy Pages flare at Dodger Stadium. Witt had the presence of mind to get the ball back to the infield, and the Royals doubled off Teoscar Hernandez at first base.

(Hernandez exacted a modicum of revenge by edging Witt to win the Home Run Derby—and the $1 million prize.)

Witt was playing on his 24th birthday, and the double play helped prevent lefthander Cole Ragans from getting into a jam against a prolific Dodgers lineup. Witt has topped out at 94.1 mph on throws this season, which rates as above-average.

“That guy’s a special player,” Ragans said. “He’s a superstar, but he’s one of the best human beings you’ll meet.”

Earlier this year, Royals GM J.J. Picollo signed Witt to an 11-year, $288.7 million extension. Moore, Picollo’s predecessor, said the deal should put the Royals in a position to contend for the postseason for years to come.

While there are no guarantees, Witt is the kind of player to build a franchise around. He possesses all five tools and the elite baseball IQ and makeup that ties the talent together.

“He’s the best player who I’ve ever scouted, for sure,” Moore said. “I can’t think of a player in our game who can beat you in as many ways as Bobby Witt Jr. can.”

The post Bobby Witt Jr. Might Be MLB’s Most Tooled Up Player appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

In the case of Bobby Witt Jr., foresight also was 20/20.

The Royals’ 24-year-old shortstop does everything well and is one of MLB’s brightest young superstars. Witt’s future potential on the field came into sharp focus three years ago during minor league Best Tools voting at midseason.

The post Was Bobby Witt Jr. The Superstar We Saw Coming? appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

(1:00) Did we expect Dezenzo’s callup and what is the current state of Houston’s system?
(7:30) Preview of our impending farm system rankings
(12:15) The Jacksons are settling into the majors
(14:45) Who could be the next impact prospect to help a contender?
(17:30) JJ’s sleeper pick in the Dodgers system
(20:30) Kevin McGonigle + Kristian Campbell are rising
(23:15) What is the plan for Christian Moore?

We stream the Hot Sheet Show every Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET on YouTube. You can also listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts!

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The post Astros Call Up Zach Dezenzo, Plus Junior Caminero & Christian Moore Convos | Hot Sheet Show Ep. 19 appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP, Braves

The last time a Braves rookie pitcher named Spencer burst onto the scene midseason, it worked out quite well.

While Strider is currently sidelined with a torn UCL, Schwellenbach has stepped up to help fill a huge void in Atlanta’s rotation.

Since his May 29 debut, the 24-year-old has recorded a 4.04 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP, a 3.19 xFIP and a 70:10 K:BB in 64.2 innings.

He’s been even better of late. Since the calendar flipped to July, Schwellenbach has a 2.45 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, a 2.55 xFIP and an incredible 38:1 K:BB in 33 innings.

Here are his league-wide ranks since his first start of July:

For context, his 29.8 K-BB% barely trails Nick Pivetta for the MLB lead during this time. It’s also well ahead of fellow rookie Paul Skenes’ 22.2% mark over that span. While Skenes has the better K-BB% for the season and remains deserving of NL ROY honors, it’s impressive that Schwellenbach keeps getting better with more experience.

He recently became the first rookie in the modern era to strike out eight or more batters without allowing a walk in three straight starts.

As noted in our June 2024 Top 100 update, Schwellenbach has little recent experience as a pitcher. He focused on shortstop while at Nebraska, though he also displayed upper-90s velocity as the team’s closer. He needed Tommy John surgery after being drafted in 2021 and didn’t return until last season.

Although Schwellenbach’s lack of a track record could be concerning, it also speaks to his upside. He pitches for a well-regarded organization and throws six pitches at least 9% of the time. His fastball sits at 96 mph, and his slider has a 112 Stuff+. Additionally, Schwellenbach has the second-lowest ball percentage among all starters with at least 60 IP this year. It’s a formula that becomes hard to poke holes in the more one dives in.

Colton Cowser, OF, Orioles

Cowser’s rookie campaign is very encouraging overall. He leads all rookie position players in fWAR and homers while ranking fifth in wRC+ and third in RBI.

However, the “shape of his season” has been inconsistent. One’s impression of Cowser’s season could be impacted by when they decided to roster him in fantasy or dive into his stats. Here’s his wRC+ by month:

• March/April: 178
• May: 68
• June: 90
• July/August: 160

Only nine qualified hitters have a wRC+ of 160 or above this season, which means that for two individual months, Cowser has produced like a top-10 hitter in MLB.

Cowser’s issue isn’t a secret. His season-long strikeout rate is in the bottom 10th percentile, per Baseball Savant. His zone-contact rate is among the bottom 20 hitters in the league. There’s swing-and-miss to his game. What’s interesting is that it doesn’t stem from chasing outside the zone:

After being overly selective in his first taste of the majors last summer, Cowser is doing better at being aggressive inside the strike zone. He’s hitting the ball harder, too, as evidenced by an 88th-percentile hard-hit rate and a maxEV of 113.6 mph.

What hasn’t translated has been the mid-teens walk rates Cowser consistently put up in the minors. There’s been speculation that many of his takes are predetermined— a theory backed up by a chase rate that spikes with two strikes. Add in the aforementioned contact struggles, and it’s easy to see where Cowser’s streakiness comes from.

His defense keeps him in the lineup as a near-everyday player for Baltimore. DRS and UZR have viewed Cowser’s glove work as positive, but he shines in Statcast’s Outs Above Average, coming in at sixth among all outfielders.

How his bat finishes the season could determine his chances in a wide-open American League Rookie of the Year race. Entering Monday, he leads all rookies in fWAR. Cowser’s defense provides a strong floor, but what he does at the plate will determine his ceiling.

Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Angels

Schanuel was drafted on July 9, 2023 and debuted for the Angels on Aug. 18 after just 22 minor league games. Schanuel performed well in his first taste of pro ball, but it’s also fair to say he was fast-tracked, or rushed, to the big leagues.

Complicating matters was that the Angels did this with a first baseman who didn’t appear to have much power potential. His 25.6% hard-hit rate was viewed as a non-starter for a corner infielder without speed.

He has the inverse of Cowser’s situation, where his season-long 105 wRC+ is fine but not great.

However, if we zoom in on his stretch from June 25 through July 30, we’ll see that he hit .337/.452/.485 with identical 15.3% strikeout and walk rates. He still only hit three homers during this stretch, but his 168 wRC+ was among the top-20 hitters in baseball during it.

From the beginning of the season until June 24, Schanuel had a 37.6 Z-Oswing%. From June 25 through July 30, that was 48.2%. This means he’s doing a better job of chasing less outside the zone while still hunting strikes. It makes sense that a young player without much pro experience is getting better, and it has helped dramatically lower his grounder rate:

Cade Smith, RHP, Guardians

The 25-year-old Smith hasn’t only been one of the best rookies in MLB this season. He’s been one of the very best relievers overall:

When trying to better understand a pitcher in a smaller sample, it’s helpful to look at Stuff+, which shows Smith has three above-average pitches.

His most-used offering is his four-seamer, which is thrown primarily at the top of the zone. Smith leans on it roughly two-thirds of the time, which (combined with its dominance) has led to the single highest run value among all pitches in baseball, per Savant.

Smith also has a splitter that Stuff+ views as the second-best in MLB, only behind Fernando Cruz’s. Add a sweeper with the same whiff rate as his fastball and split-finger, and Smith’s arsenal is ideal from a modern-day analytical perspective.

Among relievers, only Jeff Hoffman of the Phillies had accrued more fWAR than Smith entering Monday. Smith is joined in the top 10 by fellow Guardians Emmanuel Clase (t-4th) and Hunter Gaddis (t-8th). Cleveland’s bullpen has, therefore, been the most valuable in baseball this season and is a huge reason why the club has the best record in MLB.

The post Four MLB Rookies Enjoying Underrated Seasons appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

There were no Juan Sotos, Justin Verlanders or Manny Machados traded as we’ve seen in past years. Instead, role players, bullpen help and back-of-rotation starters dominated the trade frenzy.

It’s hard to say that anyone dramatically upped their chances of winning a World Series in 2024 (or 2028) at this trade deadline. Here’s our look of which teams we thought made out and which ones puzzled us.

Great Jobs

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays had a good trade deadline on the heels of a disaster season. That feels like their version of a fine dessert at the end of a meal that gives you food poisoning. It’s a nice moment, but it doesn’t erase the memory of what else happened before. Toronto has one more year before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette hit free agency. So far, they have won zero playoff games with this group. Still, getting Jake Bloss and Joey Loperfido (as well as Will Wagner) for pending free agent Yusei Kikuchi is an excellent return. Landing rising Pirates prospect Charles McAdoo was a nice piece of business as well.

The post Five MLB Trade Deadline Hauls We Loved (And 5 That Puzzled Us) appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

Per multiple reports, the return for Soto will be a pair of Baltimore’s Top 30-ranked minor league arms: RHP Seth Johnson and RHP Moises Chace.

In BA’s most recent midseason prospect update, Johnson and Chace ranked 12th and 24th, respectively. You can find the entire Orioles Top 30 list here.

ORIOLES RECEIVE

Gregory Soto, LHP
Age: 29

The veteran lefty has spent the last two seasons in Philly after a four-year stint in Detroit to start his career. His career totals aren’t exactly sparkling thanks to some questionable command (4.23 ERA, 4.07 FIP and 4.85 BB/9), but he’s tough on lefties with a good sinker/slider combo. Soto can bring the heat, but his 98-mph four-seamer isn’t particularly effective, resulting in a low 13% usage rate. He will give the Orioles another bullpen option with good stuff as they look to close out the division race.

PHILLIES RECEIVE

Seth Johnson, RHP
Age: 25

Johnson was taken by the Rays out of Campbell, where he was converted position player who had tantalizing arm strength and plenty of upside. He moved to Baltimore as part of a three-team deal in 2022 and then had Tommy John surgery and missed most of the 2023 season. Johnson works with a five-pitch mix headed by a four-seamer that has reached up to 97 mph. It’s backed by a cutter, curveball, changeup and slider. He’s also sprinkled in the very occasional two-seamer. The righthander had walked a few too many hitters at Double-A Bowie this season but was having an overall solid campaign.

Moises Chace, RHP
Age: 21

Chace was one of the early risers in the Orioles’ system. He earned plaudits when he was an amateur thanks to a combination of solid stuff and feel to pitch. His bread and butter offerings are a 93-95 mph fastball and a low-80s changeup. He has a sweeper slider, too, but the offering needs further refinement to be anything other than a pitch hitters can easily eliminate as it slices out of the zone. Chace has the upside of a starter but the floor of a reliever thanks to his excellent fastball-changeup combo.

The post Orioles Add Reliever In Trade For Phillies’ Gregory Soto appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

There were zero Top 100 Prospects dealt at the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline. Baseball America has been updating its Top 100 at the midseason for a decade. Over those previous 10 years, there had never been a trade deadline where no Top 100 Prospects changed hands.

Besides the COVID-shortened 2020 season where only one Top 100 Prospect was traded, at least two Top 100 Prospects have been traded at every deadline since 2015. We’ve seen as many as 11 Top 100 prospects dealt (2016).

But teams have become more reticent to include their best prospects in recent years. In 2023, only three Top 100 Prospects were traded, and none from the Top 70. In 2022, the Juan Soto and Luis Castillo trades meant that eight Top 100 Prospects were swapped, but only three changed hands in 2021.

RELATED

• Ranking Every Prospect Traded At The 2024 Deadline
• How Many Top 100 Prospects Will Be Traded At The Deadline?
• The 12 Best Players Contenders Could Target
• Tiering All 499 MLB Prospects Traded At The Deadline Since 2015
• Who Made Our ‘All-Prospect’ MLB Trade Deadline Team From The Last Decade?

There were a few former Top 100 Prospects who did get new teams. Padres pitchers Robby Snelling (preseason No. 27), Dylan Lesko (preseason No. 38) and Adam Mazur as well as Dodgers catcher Thayron Liranzo had dropped out of the 100 after struggling this year. Former Orioles second base prospect Connor Norby, now with the Marlins, ranked No. 93 on the 2023 preseason Top 100. 

There were also plenty of prospects traded. We’re still sifting through the deals that rolled in around 6 p.m. ET, but we expect north of 70 prospects to change organizations this year.

But the lack of impact big leaguers being traded at this year’s deadline meant the impact prospects also stayed put. With Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal remaining with the White Sox and Tigers, the best prospects in the game are all playing for their original teams tonight.

The post Zero Top 100 MLB Prospects Dealt At 2024 Trade Deadline appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Kansas City will acquire veteran righthander Lucas Erceg for a package of prospects confirmed by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand to include RHP, Mason Barnett, RHP Will Klein and OF Jared Dickey. Barnett (No. 11) and Klein (No. 16) both ranked squarely in Kansas City’s Top 30.

ROYALS RECEIVE

Lucas Erceg, RHP
Age: 29

Drafted out of NAIA Menlo in the second round of the 2016 draft as a position player, Erceg converted to pitching in 2021 and has developed into a legitimate high-leverage reliever over the past two seasons. He has three saves this season and a dozen holds this season for the Athletics and has swing-and-miss stuff. Erceg sits 98-99 mph on both his four-seam and sinker shapes and mixes a hard slider and changeup. Erceg has five years of team control remaining and enters arbitration in 2026. He should immediately slot into the back of the Royals bullpen that’s short of high-leverage options.

ATHLETICS RECEIVE

Mason Barnett, RHP
Age: 23

Drafted in the seventh round out of Auburn in 2022, Barnett has been a steady performer for the Royals in recent seasons. He has made 19 starts for Double-A Northwest Arkansas and has pitched well despite some rough luck on balls in play (.336 BABIP) and a low stand rate. While his 4.91 ERA is ugly his ERA estimators look good with a 3.74 FIP and 3.76 xFIP. Barnett has a short, burley build more typical of a reliever, but has shown the ability to get deeper into starts, having gone five or more innings in seven of his last eight starts. Barnett mixes a four-seam fastball sitting 94-95 mph with ride and cut, with a hard sweeper slider at 85-87 mph with over 10 inches of sweep on average, an upper-70s two-plane curveball and a changeup. 

Will Klein, RHP
Age: 24

A fifth-round pick out of Eastern Illinois back in 2020, Klein made his major league debut for the Royals this season. He’s been a relief-only prospect his entire professional career and provides a close to the majors reliever for the Athletics. He mixes a high-90s fastball sitting 96-98 mph with average ride, a power curveball at 85-87 mph and an upper-80s slider. Klein has been a solid performer with Triple-A Omaha this season despite well below-average command. 

Jared Dickey, OF
Age: 22

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft out of Tennessee, Dickey has spent all of 2024 with High-A Quad Cities. In his first full professional season Dickey has hit .269/.360/.424 with nine home runs and eight stolen bases, while seeing a majority of his time in right field. Dickey shows average plate skills, with good contact and swing decisions but his raw power is below-average. He’s a sum-of-his-parts type with no outstanding tool. 

The post Lucas Erceg Trade: Analyzing Every Prospect In The Royals-A’s Deal appeared first on College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported a deal was close.

DODGERS RECEIVE

Tommy Edman, 2B/OF
Age: 29

Edman has yet to play in 2024 as he recovers from a wrist injury. He has been DHing on an injury rehab assignment at Double-A Springfield, but has yet to play a game in the field. If he can get back to health, he is a near-perfect fit for the Dodgers as a multi-position infielder/outfielder who can play second base, shortstop or any outfield position. Los Angeles could use his versatility as it tries to plug a variety of holes created by injuries. Edman has generally been a slightly below-average player offensively, but his defensive ability and versatility has made him a useful regular. He’s on a two-year, $16.5 million contract and will be a free agent after the 2025 season.

Michael Kopech, RHP
Age: 28

Kopech was once a premium pitching prospect. He came to the White Sox in the Chris Sale trade (along with Yoan Moncada). He had an impressive year in the White Sox bullpen in 2021 and was an excellent starter in 2022. But the wheels came off in 2023 and he led the league in walks. Kopech was moved back to the bullpen this year, but it hasn’t led to a resurgence. He’s a buy-low project for the Dodgers, as his stuff hasn’t diminished. He sits at 99 mph with his fastball, but he’s not showing a lot of confidence in either his cutter or slider, and his below-average control continues to hinder him.

Oliver Gonzalez, RHP
Age: 17

The Cardinals signed Gonzalez out of Panama this past January for $400,000. The projectable righthander showed advanced pitchability for someone his age and has already added several ticks of velocity to his fastball, which has peaked at 93 mph this season in the Dominican Summer League. He backs his fastball with a mid-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup. His frame, feel to pitch and present stuff combine to give Gonzalez the look of a starter, albeit one who is a long way from reaching his ceiling.

CARDINALS RECEIVE

Erick Fedde, RHP
Age: 31

Fedde is the latest pitcher who has used a stint in Asia to blossom into a better, more consistent starter. After a modest career in the Nationals’ rotation, Fedde went to Korea in 2023 to become the ace of the NC Dino’s staff. In his return, he’s been one of the better and more consistent pitchers in the American League. Fedde is 7-4, 3.11 this year with a 3.76 FIP in 21 starts. He’s worked five or more innings in 18 of his 21 starts this year and has yet to have a start where he didn’t record at least 12 outs. Considering his production, his two-year, $15-million contract has proved to be a bargain, and is one of the few bright spots in what’s been a miserable season for the White Sox.

Tommy Pham, OF
Age: 36

Pham is returning to his first pro baseball home. A 16th-round pick of the Cardinals in 2006, he’s the last (and almost only) productive prep bat from that draft class. He’s now an average runner who can play all three outfield spots, but he’s stretched in center field and is better in the corners at this point in his career. Pham was hitting .266/.330/.380 for the White Sox on a modest one-year deal. This is the fourth time he’s been traded at the deadline.

WHITE SOX RECEIVE

Miguel Vargas, OF
Age: 24

At one point, Vargas was one of the best prospects in a loaded Dodgers system. He peaked at No. 29 on BA’s Top 100 and No. 3 in the organization. So far, he has not lived up to that billing when he’s gotten chances in the big leagues. Vargas is hitting just .239/.313/.423 in 71 MLB at-bats this year. The Cuban native has done much better at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he’s posted a 1.005 OPS in 41 games. As a prospect, Vargas was lauded for strong strike-zone discipline, feel for the barrel and an ability to use the whole field. He’d done well to get his body in better shape, which in turn helped him both in the field and on the bases. The move to Chicago should give him a much clearer path to playing time than he found in Los Angeles.

Alexander Albertus, 2B/3B
Age: 19

Albertus, who was signed out of Aruba in 2022, is one of the prospects in the lower levels of the Dodgers’ system with the highest floor. His swing gets to the zone quickly and he keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time, which should give him plenty of hittability and the potential for average power as he matures. Though he’s played mostly third base so far, he’s gotten some exposure at second base and there are evaluators who believe he might wind up at first base as well. Albertus doesn’t have a plus tool on the card, but his hit tool and power both settle in as 50s on the 20-to-80 scouting scale.

Jeral Perez, 2B
Age: 19

Perez announced his presence loudly in 2023, when he led the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in home runs. He started hot again this year with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he was one of the best hitters in the minor leagues in the early portion of the season. He’s a well-rounded player without a standout tool. Perez might push 50 grades on the 20-to-80 scouting scale for both hitting and power, though some scouts believe both of those tools might only get to fringe-average thanks to a lengthier swing and a vulnerability against spin. On defense, Perez shows limited range at second base and has gotten some reps at third base as well. His ceiling is as a bat-first utility infielder.

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