We hope by now you’ve seen our MiLB Bold Predictions. If you haven’t, take a look after you comb through this one. This one was kind of humorous because we have four predictions where “Player X finishes the season as the top pitching prospect in baseball.”
Let us know who in the comments wasn’t spicy enough and who got too hot!
Kyle Harrison finishes 2022 as the top-ranked pitcher in the minors - Eddy Almaguer
Thanks to a mix of graduations, an analytically forward org and a starter kit that includes an electric fastball, a slider that tunnels well, and a changeup that's shown signs of dominance, the lefty is going to race up the rankings as he dominates the Northwest League and potentially even the Eastern League.
R.J. Dabovich finishes the year as the Giants Closer - Brandon Smith
Great north-south pitch mix with his fastball/curveball combination which flashes double plus at times. His fastball generates elite riding action and is an anomaly when taking into account his approach angle and release height. Fastball is paired nicely with a 12-6 power curveball. Dabovich has overmatched hitters at all levels of the minor leagues which is reflected in his gaudy whiff rates. He has the makings to be a high leverage late-inning relief option for Gabe Kapler.
Jackson Jobe finishes the year as the top-ranked right hand pitching prospect in the minors - Brandon Smith
With Grayson Rodriguez, George Kirby and Cade Cavalli expected to graduate the list at some point in 2022, there is no pitcher as polarizing in the minor leagues as Jackson Jobe. Jobe legitimately possesses three above-average offerings, with the fastball/slider flashing double plus at times. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers ease Jobe into his first year of pro-ball, but there is no question surrounding his stuff and his ability to execute his pitches. He has an advanced feel to command all of his offerings as a teenage pitching prospect and he still has plenty of projection remaining which warrants Jobe as the top right-handed pitching prospect.
Hayden Wesneski establishes himself as a quality rotation option for the Yankees in the second half of the major league season - Brandon Smith
Wesneski has a deep pitch mix which has proven to get hitters out as he pitched across three levels in 2021. His bread and butter are his sinker and slider which both grade as future plus offerings. He throws his sinker hard and does an exceptional job of reducing lift while also generating great lateral movement. His slider metrically profiles as a sweeper and is his go-to two-strike offering. With the Yankees rumored to be in the market to make an upgrade to their starting staff, it appears the organization as a viable in-house candidate in Wesneski.
Eury Perez will be the #1 ranked pitching prospect in the minors - James Weisser
Eury Perez has one of the best changeups in minor league baseball but his fastball which has topped out at 97 in the past will have improved giving him the chance to lead the minors in strikeouts but it's his strike-throwing ability that will be the separator that allows him to be considered the top pitching prospect in the minors
Matt Canterino finishes 2022 as a top 5 pitching prospect in the minors - Tyler Paddor
Canterino has gone too long without an abundance of mainstream recognition. He has a deep arsenal with 4 average or better pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and pushes the limits of gravity as it carries up in the zone. He's got an unorthodox over-head delivery that makes him even harder to hit. If his slider or changeup takes the next step to plus, Canterino's stock will be ascendant.
Alimber Santa ends the season as a top 100 prospect and the best Astros prospect - Rhys White
Santa is in such a good organization for developing pitching and he has the raw ingredients one would covet in a pitching prospect. It starts out as a mid 90's fastball, feel for spin and a changeup that will get swings and misses. He is relatively unknown and may take a bit but he may very well be the breakout arm in the lower levels of the minors and carry that into becoming a top 100 prospect as well as the Astros top prospect. Plus his last name is Santa and that's dope.
Adam Macko finishes 2022 as a top 10 LHP prospect and the Mariners best P prospect - Jackson Thomas
Macko has been on the rise ever since the Mariners selected him in the 7th round of the 2019 draft. Each year he has steadily added velocity topping out at 98 in 2021. His arsenal eats up whiffs with his FB posting a 41.5% whiff rate and CB posting a 62% whiff rate! Both of those pitches grade out as plus and have double plus potential due to their great metrics. Macko could be a fast riser on the prospect circuit if he continues his whiff rampage and shows an improvement in command as well as a refined changeup to complement his arsenal.
Caleb Kilian breezes through the upper minors and has among the biggest major league impact of any pitching prospect in the second half of the season - Jake Kerns
Already armed with plus command, Kilian started bumping 98 MPH late last summer and the Cubs helped him reshape his curveball and add a circle-changeup. He has a deep repertoire that found success against Double-A batters in 2021, and he's primed to dominate once more. Killian should be ready for the big leagues during the summer and there's a very distinct possibility he's their most talented arm after Kyle Hendricks and Marcus Stroman right now.
Colby White takes over as the Rays closer by the end of 2022 - Jared Perkins
Sitting 95-98 mph, White has an elite fastball paired with a much-improving slider giving him an arsenal that just makes hitters look silly. White worked his way up to Triple-A from Low-A in 2021, dominating hitters at every single level proving he is ready for his big league debut. With the Rays tendency to utilize their bullpen early and often, opportunities for White to flash his dominance at the major league level could happen early and often.
Beau Brieske becomes the second best pitcher in the Tigers organization - Trevor Hooth
Look, no one is going to pass Jackson Jobe. Brieske is going to get close. His fastball has good shape and he's come to camp hitting upper-90s. Beyond that he has a slider, curveball, and changeup that he's continued to develop. He has a new changeup grip this year and his slider is already a viable out pitch. With improved velocity and what I deem to be plus command, that's an exciting profile. He was a very late round pick so he's already flown high above expectation. The Tigers pitching development has been very good to him. His ascension is warranted and I think is going to continue to soar.
Jared Jones will become a Top 50 prospect by the end of the year - Joe Doyle
The Pirates farm system is loaded with you, projectable prospects, though Jones seems to be lost in the shuffle all too often. He's arguably the best pure athlete Pittsburgh has in its corral of future hurlers. Jones has a fastball up to 98 with a slider, curveball and changeup, all of which flash. Give me the feel for four pitches and athleticism all day when projecting out future impact. Jones was a Top 5 pitching prospect for me in the 2020 draft and I firmly believe this is the summer we see him take the biggest step in his development.
Jared Kelley bounces back from injury, first-year struggles to become White Sox top pitching prospect - Kris Dunn
Many pitchers struggle in their first full year as a pro. That said, nobody could have envisioned how disappointing Jared Kelley's career would start. Selected in the 2nd Round in 2020, some scouts had him ranked as the best prep arm in the class -- ahead of names like Justin Lange, Mick Abel, and Nick Bitsko. After going 0-7 with a 7.61 ERA across two levels in 2021, Kelley's season came to a screeching halt on August 22 when a shoulder impingement ended his season. With a fastball that sits in the high 90s, combined with a changeup that drops 10-12 mph, the talent is there for the big-bodied righty. Pitching with an innings restriction last year, he wasn't able to get into a normal groove or routine that most starters appreciate. This can be seen when looking at the 26 walks over 23.2 innings. However, you also saw glimpses of his potential in his 22.3 K% in A-Ball. That should stabilize and possibly improve with health and another full season of development. Matthew Thompson and Norge Vera are currently listed ahead of him on our Top 30 prospects but don't expect that to be the case at season's end.
Daniel Espino finishes the year as the top pitching prospect in baseball - Alex Jensen
If you've followed me over the last few years, you'll know I've long been enamored with Espino. At just 20 years old (3.3 years below average age) at lake County in the High A Central, Espino was dominant across 10 starts last year, with a 0.939 WHIP, 16.2 K/9, 2.41 xFIP and a big reduction in BB/9 to 2.9. Espino has followed this performance by hitting 102 with a 93 mph slider and a 70% K rate in his first spring appearance. He is a high level athlete with incredible flexibility and lower half power. If the command is even average, he has top of the rotation potential and will quickly emerge as the top arm in the minors.