Top 125 Black MiLB Prospects 2025-2026 - Tier Two

From Uganda to the state of Georgia, Black Baseball Culture is quietly moving in a positive direction. I hope this list emphasizes that fact more than anything else.

Introduction

The Red Black Green Baseball Blog’s Top Prospects list for 2025 will feature 125 Black active prospects in MiLB/MLB from throughout the African diaspora separated into five different tiers based on a variety of criteria. Unlike a previous “Top Black Prospects” list published by Red Black Green Baseball that solely featured position players, starting pitchers and relievers will be included. The second tier of this list is focused on a group of talented position players in the upper minors who will get cups of coffee to establish themselves as major leagues over the next handful of seasons.

Many of these individuals are going to make a notable impact during the late 2020s and early 2030s that is going to take a lot of people by surprise, even though the foundation was set for these Black prospects to flourish by active Black players in MLB such as African-American Mookie Betts, Afro-Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor, and Canadian-Jamaican Josh Naylor. The African diaspora’s relationship with baseball is growing stronger despite the entrenched narrative that is focused on hand-wringing over the lack of active African-American players in MLB. From Uganda to the state of Georgia, Black Baseball Culture is quietly moving in a positive direction. I hope this list emphasizes that fact more than anything else. Thank you all for reading and supporting The Red Black Green Baseball Blog.

In case you missed Tier One, here is the link: Top 125 Black MiLB Prospects 2025 - Tier One

14. SS Kaelen Culpepper, MIN

HIT: 45/50 RAW POWER: 55/55 GAME POWER: 45/50 SPEED: 55/55

BASERUNNING: 55/55 FIELDING: 50/50 THROWING ARM: 50/50

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first-round of the 2024 MLB Draft, African-American Kaelen Culpepper’s athleticism, versatility, and power has carried over seamlessly from his days at Kansas State. He logged an .844 OPS during his second professional season split between Minnesota’s High-A and Double-A affiliates while playing shortstop on a full-time basis with cameos at second and third base. He’s a slightly oversized shortstop who generates above-average bat speed from the right-handed batter’s box with little effort. He sets his feet up in an even position while in a squatted stance and utilizes a slight leg lift. He has a history of low strikeout totals and possesses slightly above-average on-base skills. Despite having above-average raw power, Culpepper only generates average power in games because his flat swing path prevents him from fully utilizing his bat speed unless the ball is being hit to his pull side in left field. His power and sound base stealing instincts should make him a potential threat for multiple 20 SB/20 HR seasons.

Culpepper has a legitimate chance to stabilize the shortstop position for Minnesota, although the biggest question in his profile is whether he can stick at shortstop on a long-term basis. His range is slightly below-average but he makes up for it with solid hands, a good exchange, and a throwing arm with the necessary strength and utility for the shortstop position. The second major question is does he have enough prowess with the bat to justify being a bat-first shortstop if he does wind up being somewhat rough around the edges with the glove. The third major question is whether he can accrue more extra-base hits with simple tweaks to his approach in the batter’s box and/or swing.

15. SP Jurrangelo Cijntje, STL

FOUR-SEAM FASTBALL: 45/55TWO-SEAM FASTBALL: 45/55 SLIDER: 55/60

CHANGEUP: 40/55 CONTROL: 40/45 COMMAND: 45/50

Born in the Netherlands and raised in Curaçao, Curaçaoan switch starting pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (pronounced jurr-AHNgelo SAHNjay) is one of the most unique prospects to ever move through the realms of Minor League Baseball. He moved to Miami, Florida when he was sixteen in pursuit of a professional baseball career and was later drafted by the Seattle Mariners after a successful two-year stint at Mississippi State University, one of the SEC’s premier baseball programs. He was traded from Seattle to the St. Louis Cardinals during the offseason between the 2025 and 2026 seasons in a three-team deal that included the Tampa Bay Rays. He is a undersized starting pitcher with a thick lower half and broad shoulders. His delivery is more consistent from the right-handed side and his stuff is far more viable from the right side than from his left. His command is far better from his right side than his left as well.

He works with a four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball. The four-seam fastball’s performance is inconsistent, as sometimes it is effective and sometimes it is hittable. When it is at is best, it has noticeable ride and viability in the upper half of the strike zone. He is able to get ground balls and whiffs with his two-seam fastball, as it a combination of run and sink to be an above-average pitch. His slider is the best pitch in his arsenal, it has heavy sweeping shape with above-average depth that compliments the shape of his two-seamer. He also has an above-average changeup to keep left-handed hitters honest. He works with an East-West style in the lower half of the strike zone, relying on the heavy weight and shapes of his pitches to get quick ground outs in an attempt to be efficient. He has the stuff to get an adequate amount of whiffs against opposing hitters as well. His ability to command his arsenal is average, but his ability to control his arsenal within the strike zone is slightly below-average. Because of his short height and history of high walk rates, there is some reliever risk in Cijntje’s profile but because of his unique skill set will allow him to get chances to be a multi-inning relief weapon who can match up against left-handed and right-handed batters.

16. cOF Braden Montgomery, CWS

HIT: 45/50 RAW POWER: 60/60 GAME POWER: 55/55 SPEED: 50/50

BASERUNNING: 50/50 FIELDING: 55/55 THROWING ARM: 70/70

Braden Montgomery was a candidate to be the first overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft before a severe lower leg injury cut his collegiate career short. He is a rare African-American switch-hitter with an offensive profile centered around an ability to drive the ball to all fields for extra-base hits. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the twelfth overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M University and was later traded to the Chicago White Sox as one of the centerpieces in a blockbuster deal that sent All-Star left-handed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. He is a corner outfielder with the build of an average NFL receiver, standing around 6’2’’ and weighing 220 pounds. He slashed .270/.360/.444 across 121 games with Chicago’s Low-A, High-A, and Double-A affiliates during the 2025 MiLB season. He continued to perform well in the 2025 edition of the Arizona Fall League, going .366/.527/.634 across 55 plate appearances.

He stands in the batter’s box with a slightly squatted and open stance. He generates above-average bat speed consistently and works with an aggressive approach. He offsets his aggressiveness by having an above-average eye for discerning balls and strikes. His left-handed swing is more refined than his right-handed swing, possessing less noise in the pre-swing setup and a smaller, quicker leg kick with more variation. He has a feel for letting the ball travel deep into the strike zone and driving it up the middle or to the opposite field with a lot of success, but struggles to pull the ball in the air with any sort of consistency. Unless he improves at pulling the ball or has James Wood-esque feel for driving the ball the other way, he will hover around 20-25 home runs for most of his career, but he has a chance to be an absolute doubles machine. He is an above-average defender in right field with a plus-plus throwing arm and a high motor that could win him multiple Gold Gloves. He reads fly balls well off the bat for above-average jumps and runs efficient routes for a corner outfielder.

17. CF Enrique Bradfield Jr., BAL

HIT: 60/60 RAW POWER: 35/35 GAME POWER: 35/35 SPEED: 70/70

BASERUNNING: 70/70 FIELDING: 60/60 THROWING ARM: 50/50

Broward County, Florida native Enrique Bradfield Jr. was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round of the 2023 MLB Draft after a decorated career at Vanderbilt University. The Afro-Panamanian-American centerfielder has the talent to join productive group of Black center fielders who wore Baltimore uniforms during the primes of their careers. This fraternity includes Paul Blair, Al Bumbry, Mike Devereaux, Adam Jones, and Cedric Mullins. He stands upright in the batter’s box before getting into a squat as he moves his hands into position during his pre-swing setup from both sides of the plate. Bradfield Jr. uses a unique hand placement and an odd bat path that he has frequently found success with. He possesses an affinity for drawing walks and has a long history of posting impressive on-base percentages. His ability to make contact is well above-average but there is a lot of risk in the switch-hitter’s offensive profile due to his lack of power and the plethora of moving parts on his swing. His approach is centered around his ability to spray line drives to the opposite field. His feel for hitting the ball in the air is more than adequate, but his unorthodox swing and 170-pound frame does not generate much power.

He is an elite base runner and base stealer with the potential to steal more than 75 bags during a single season if he stays healthy and gets on base enough. He looks to create run scoring opportunities on the base paths with plus-plus foot speed and a high baseball IQ. The gap between the pitchers in Triple-A and MLB is wider than ever, which means on-base skills do not translate as smoothly. There is also the fact that MLB infield and outfield defenses are better than they ever have been, which is one of the main reasons why slash-and-dash players have had less viability during the Statcast Era compared to the past eras of MLB. He is a plus-plus runner with a long-term future in center field who makes strong reads and consistently runs efficient routes on fly balls in the outfield. While I think he will be just an above-average to plus defender, there is a chance that Bradfield Jr. winds up being plus-plus to elite with his glove.

18. INF/OF Kristian Campbell, BOS

HIT: 45/50 RAW POWER: 60/60 GAME POWER: 50/50 SPEED: 55/50

BASERUNNING: 45/45 FIELDING: 35/45 THROWING ARM: 35/40

23-year-old Kristian Campbell is at the forefront of an ignored surge of African-American baseball talent being produced in the state of Georgia. While he had a rough first attempt to establish himself as a major leaguer, there is still more than enough time for the Cobb County native to carve out a niche for himself. The super-utility phenom struggled to find a defensive home on a Boston Red Sox 25-man roster crowded with versatile position players who can rake and failed to make a case for himself with his bat. Regardless, he still has one of the most unique ceilings of any active position player in MiLB and will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself over the next handful of seasons. If the Red Sox aren’t going to give him another long look in MLB, it won’t be long before he winds up in another uniform.

His slim 6’3’’ frame still has room for positive projection and he is already hovering around 200 to 210 pounds with plenty of present strength and mobility. Campbell stands in the right-handed batter’s box with a slightly closed, upright stance. He has quick hands and a strong core that he uses to generate above-average bat speed, but does not accrue as many extra-base hits as he could because of his poor anticipation, questionable pitch selection, and suboptimal bat path. He sprays line drives to all fields at an extremely high rate but needs to refine his pitch selection and improve his ability to do damage against fastballs. He is also a candidate for minor and/or major swing adjustments. He has a sound approach at the plate that often leads to double-digit walk rates and elite on-base percentages, but has stretches of being passive when he should be swinging at hittable offerings. He has enough range and versatility to play 1B, 2B, 3B, along with all three outfield positions, but fails to turn chances into outs because of his below-average throwing arm and poor internal clock.

19. CF Justin Crawford, PHI

HIT: 50/50 RAW POWER: 55/55 GAME POWER: 35/40 SPEED: 70/70

BASERUNNING: 60/60 FIELDING: 55/55 THROWING ARM:50/50

The son of retired 4x All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford and younger cousin of the current Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford, Justin Crawford was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft directly out of high school and forewent his commitment to LSU’s baseball program to begin his professional career. The 21-year-old has the stereotypical slash and dash profile you’d expect of a centerfielder, but has the potential to accrue extra-base hits at a high rate through multiple avenues. He is looking to stabilize center field for Philadelphia and has the talent to be a long-term fixture in burgundy pinstripes. At 6’2’’ and weighing around 220 pounds, he has a similar build and level of athleticism to that of his father.

Crawford stands in the left-handed batter’s box with his hands held high in a compact, squatted stance. He works with an aggressive approach that focuses on spraying line drives to every sector of the diamond. He lets the ball travel deep in the zone often before going up the middle or the the opposite field. He has strong plate coverage, possesses a legitimate feel as a bad-ball hitter, and is a good bunter. Crawford generates premium bat speed with his fluid hands and strong core that rotates well, but fails to generate many extra-base hits because of his current hitting style. He chases a lot of pitches out of the zone but whiffs at a low rate, so it will be important to see whether he can sustain this approach against MLB-caliber pitchers. He may need to reconfigure his hitting style during his first couple cups of coffee at the major league level.

Crawford has dormant power that could be unlocked once he reaches MLB, and if so he has a chance to be a 25 SB/25 HR threat for multiple seasons. He has the requisite straight line speed and a feel for making good reads as a full-time centerfielder, but has a below-average throwing arm that might move him to left field on a part-time basis. His defensive style of play could hold him back from reaching his ceiling as a center fielder, as he plays very shallow most of the time. He has the tools to be an above-average to plus defender in left field like his father if he cannot hold it down in center field. He steals bases at an elite rate but does not take as many attempts as other top notch base stealers such as Kendall George, Enrique Bradfield Jr., or Chandler Simpson.

20. SS Felnin Celesten, SEA

HIT: 40/50 RAW POWER: 45/55 GAME POWER: 40/55 SPEED: 55/50

BASERUNNING: 50/50 FIELDING: 40/55 THROWING ARM: 50/60

Afro-Dominican-Haitian shortstop Felnin Celesten is the rare international prospect who possesses a high floor and high ceiling. The Seattle Mariners front office made him the recipient of one of the highest signing bonuses ever given to an amateur prospect from the Dominican Republic during the 2023 signing period. He grew up in the Dominican city of La Romaná with dreams of being an architect and MLB player. His career got off to a fast start, as he was fast tracked to the Arizona Complex League for his professional debut in 2024, where he posted a .999 OPS across 32 games before a hamstring injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. During the 2025 season he went .273/.345/.375 across 104 games with Seattle’s Low-A and High-A affiliates. Celesten is a switch-hitting shortstop who stands around 6’1’’ and weighs about 175 pounds with a ton of positive projection left in his already athletic and toolsy frame. There is a very good chance that Celesten is going to gain muscle without sacrificing much flexibility or speed based on his current build, but things may turn out to be different.

Celesten stands in the batter’s box with a slight squat and his hands perpendicular to his ear. He utilizes a bat wrap and high leg kick before whipping the bat through the zone, using his quick hands, strong core, and developed lower half to generate above-average bat speed. He has an aggressive approach that focuses on spraying line drives and fly balls all over the field. He has good anticipation and timing for driving the ball to center field and to the opposite field, but needs to improve his ability to do damage on pulled batted balls. He produced a bevy of exit velocities over 100 miles per hour during his age-19 season, which is a green flag for his power projection. His ability to draw walks will be average to slightly above-average, although the jury is still out on his ability to get on base because he has not accrued much time in the minors yet. Because of his long arms and aggressive hitting style, his strikeout rate will hover in the high teens to low-20s barring unforeseen progress with his hit tool. He has more than enough range, good actions, and a reliable internal clock as a defensive shortstop. He possesses the necessary arm strength and arm utility to play the position on a full-time basis. He has good lateral range that could be improved with more reps but so far he has excelled at charging in on ground balls, showing a consistently quick and clean transfer from glove to throwing hand. He is an above-average runner who will hover around above-average or slightly slow down but still will remain mobile. He is an average base runner and base stealer who can take the occasional extra base when available.

21. CF Kendall George, LAD

HIT: 50/55 RAW POWER: 25/30 GAME POWER: 25/30 SPEED: 80/80

BASERUNNING: 80/80 FIELDING: 50/60 THROWING ARM: 35/45

Kendall George is an undersized center fielder from Houston, Texas who was drafted in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of MiLB’s more underrated center field prospects, the 21-year-old has displayed stellar table-setting skills while climbing through the lower levels of the minor leagues. He is part of a trio of talented Black outfielders in the Dodgers organization that includes Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope. He works from the left-handed batter’s box with a balanced stance paired with a simple and quiet swing. His approach is focused on spraying the ball to all fields with an emphasis on going the opposite way. He has a cautious eye at the plate that allows him to draw walks at a double-digit rate. He has posted plus to plus-plus on-base percentages up to this point of his MiLB career. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain this aspect of his offensive profile as he moves into the upper minors and potentially MLB.

The big question pertaining to George’s future as a hitter is whether he can maintain his above-average to plus ability to make contact in the upper minors and majors. The other major question is can he develop a better feel for pulling batted balls, as his current approach is hamstringing his ability to produce in the batter’s box to some degree. George has a long term future in center field, as he makes good reads and runs solid routes. His 80-grade speed plays well up the middle, as he has no issue chasing down line drives and fly balls. His below average throwing arm might force him to move to left field, but time will tell if that will be necessary. He is an elite base stealer who is both extremely aggressive and effective, leading all of MiLB with 100 stolen bases in 2025. He is a top tier base runner who consistently displays razor sharp instincts when navigating the base paths. Along with Hope and De Paula, George is a candidate to be traded by the Dodgers brain trust for established major league commodities.

22. SP/RP Brandon Clarke, STL

FOUR-SEAM FASTBALL: 60/60 TWO-SEAM FASTBALL: 70/70 CHANGEUP:55/55

SLIDER: 80/80 CONTROL: 30/40 COMMAND: 35/40

Starting pitcher Brandon Clarke is the most talented African-American left-handed pitcher in MiLB since David Price tore through the Tampa Bay Rays farm system during the late 2000s. Currently in St. Louis’s farm system, the Cardinals received Clarke and another prospect from Boston in exchange for starting pitcher Sonny Gray during the current offseason. He is one of the most athletic pitchers in all of professional baseball with the prototypical 6’4’’, 200 pound frame of a full-time starter. He repeats his mechanics well and throws from a low 3/4ths arm slot with an elite amount of extension that creates a unique look for hitters to pick up. Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, he has one of the most vicious arsenals in MiLB. The caveat: there is a very long history of major injuries that could prevent Clarke from recording a single out at the MLB level. On the other hand, there is a tangible possibility of the 22-year-old from Virginia becoming one of the most productive left-handed pitchers of his generation in a variety of different roles. His hellacious combination of pitches give him the potential to be an effective frontline reliever if he can’t stay healthy enough to fulfill the role of a full-time starter.

He sits in 96-99 miles per hour range with his fastballs and can reach as high as 101. Both his four-seam and two-seam fastball have superlative shapes in addition to their velocities. His slider is arguably the most effective breaking ball in professional baseball right now. It is a 88-90 mph slider/cutter hybrid that has very little vertical movement with late horizontal break to Clarke’s glove side. He also throws an above-average curveball with 11-5 shape that compliments the rest of his repertoire. He has dealt with control and command issues since his days as a collegiate swingman, and its the biggest flaw in his profile outside of the injury issues. He has more than enough athleticism to refine his mechanics and/or make huge strides with his ability to command/control his pitches. Clarke has a huge head whack that has yet to be eliminated from his pitching mechanics even though it is one of the primary culprits for his high walk rate.

23. cOF/1B Lazaro Montes, SEA

HIT: 30/40 RAW POWER: 70/80 GAME POWER: 55/65 SPEED: 40/35

BASERUNNING: 45/40 FIELDING: 45/40 THROWING ARM: 50/50

20-year-old Afro-Cuban Lazaro Montes is one of the prospects leading Cuba’s resurgence on the international baseball scene after the largest island in the Caribbean found itself in a nadir for producing talent during the mid-to-late 2010s. Signed by the Mariners during the 2022 signing period for international amateur prospects, the 6’5’’, 210 pound outfielder is built like a NFL tight end. His body lacks negative projection and positive projection unless he seeks ways to trim fat while retaining muscle as he gets into his mid-20s. Having already reached Double-A, he is on a trajectory to make his MLB debut sometime before or near his 22nd birthday. The bilingual Havana, Cuba native projects to be typical middle of the order hitter in a lineup, as power is the most prominent tool in his profile. He has been praised for his makeup, intelligence, and leadership skills during his time in the minors.

Montes stands in the left-handed batter’s box with an open stance and a wide setup. His swing is lengthy and handsy, relying on the sheer amount of bat speed that he can generate with his upper body strength. His lack of lower half involvement and lengthy swing because of his long arms limits his plate coverage, causing him to strikeout at a high rate. He offsets his high strikeout rate by working with an approach that allows him to draw a large amount of walks. He has top-of-the-scale power to all fields, being capable of getting out in front to pull the ball and waiting for offerings to go to the opposite field. He has a pronounced feel for producing batted ball events that are line drives or fly balls when he does successfully make contact. His poor route running and lack of foot speed makes him a defensive liability in the outfield. Montes will most likely transition to first base or DH on a part-time or full-time basis early in his career unless he makes major improvements as a defender. His size and lack of athleticism also makes him a net negative on the base paths. Montes is a “wait and see” prospect, as large-framed sluggers with a lack of adequate bat-to-ball ability usually have brief shelf lives in MLB.

24. OF Kahlil Watson, CLE

HIT: 35/40 RAW POWER: 55/55 GAME POWER: 55/55 SPEED: 55/55

BASERUNNING: 50/50 FIELDING: 40/45 THROWING ARM: 70/70

Kahlil Watson is a converted center fielder from Virginia with a fairly high ceiling and a ton of risk within his profile because of questions about his hit tool, defense, and makeup. He was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school and was traded to Cleveland during the 2023 MiLB/MLB season. He started his career as a full-time shortstop but transitioned to the outfield as he climbed through the lower minors. Watson has a compact yet muscular frame that lacks any positive or negative projection. He stands in the left-handed batter’s box with an even stance and his feet close together. He starts his hands low, uses a leg kick, and features a ton of noise in his lengthy swing. He generates above-average bat speed with his athletic frame and has a feel for elevating the ball to accrue extra-base hits. Most of the damage he does comes on offerings in the lower half of the strike zone because his swing is grooved. He has an aggressive, free-swinging approach but his ability to make hard contact mitigates some of the risk. Watson is going to strike out at a high rate, so he will need to make contact and generate extra-base hits at a clip that justifies having him in the lineup. He has the necessary straight line speed for acceptable range, but his lack of experience patrolling the outfield grass shows in his routes towards fly balls. If he cannot succeed in center field, he is a candidate to move to right field. He has a plus-plus throwing arm and is fully capable of using it to gun down opposing base runners. He is a high-variance base stealer and base runner who is going to create runs with his feet and also run into his fair share of TOOTBLANs.

25. cOF George Valera, CLE

HIT: 40/40 RAW POWER: 60/60 GAME POWER: 55/55 SPEED: 45/45

BASERUNNING: 45/45 FIELDING: 50/50 THROWING ARM: 55/55

Afro-Dominican-American outfielder George Valera has persevered through injuries and performed when on the field, but the jury is still out on whether he will be a full-time major leaguer. Born and raised in The Bronx, the left-handed corner outfielder was on a trajectory to be one of the most talented position players to come from the East Coast during the 2010s but was forced to move to the Dominican Republic with his family at thirteen years old. He signed with Cleveland during the 2017 signing period for international amateur prospects and instantly established himself as a top prospect. Unlike most of the prospects in the Guardians farm system, Valera’s offensive profile is centered around the three true outcomes. He stands in the left-handed batter’s box with a very open stance and his hands resting near his shoulder. His swing is geared for launching the ball in the air, as it has a very steep bat path. This leads to a lot of whiffs in the top half of the strike zone, although Valera has the ability to flatten out his bat and drive offerings that are up in the zone to some degree. He has plus raw power and a pronounced feel for driving the ball to all fields for extra-base hits via hard-contact.

He accrues walks at an above-average rate but is going to strikeout anywhere from 20%-30% of the time. He offsets this by being able to rack up extra-base hits very quickly because of an aggressive approach that emphasizes pulling the ball in the air, so it will be interesting to see at what rate George can maintain his identity as a hitter against MLB-caliber pitching. He has struggled against left-handed pitching throughout his minor league career, so barring an unforeseen breakthrough, I believe the majority of his plate appearances in MLB will come against right-handed pitchers. He’s an average defender with smooth actions and an above-average throwing arm as a corner outfielder who could make cameos in center field once a week. His base running skills are average and he will steal around 10-15 bases during his prime years. Valera has a strong baseball IQ, leadership skills, and is bilingual, which makes him a candidate for becoming a scout, coach, or front office member after the conclusion of his playing days.

26. 1B/cOF Tre’ Morgan, TBR

HIT: 50/55 RAW POWER: 35/35 GAME POWER: 40/40 SPEED: 50/50

BASERUNNING: 55/55 FIELDING: 70/70 THROWING ARM: 50/50

First baseman Tre’ Morgan was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 MLB Draft’s third round after a standout career at Louisiana State University. Morgan stands in the left-handed batter’s box with a slight squat and normal leg kick. He is the most athletic and best defensive first baseman in MiLB, but his inability to generate extra-base hits really hamstrings his overall profile at a position where above-average offensive production is necessary. Despite having such a robust hit tool and a long history of getting on base, 22-year-old Louisiana native’s profile has a ton of risk because his offensive value relies on his ability to table set and create runs with his base running acumen. His swing is simple and quiet, geared for making flat, line drive contact at a high rate. His approach works around pulling the ball and driving it to the opposite field. He consistently displays good coverage of the strike zone and has a pronounced feel for hitting offerings wherever they’re pitched. He shows above-average vision often, as he swings at offerings in the zone at a high rate and swings at very few pitches outside of the strike zone. He spoils pitches that other hitters would whiff at and extends at-bats frequently. Morgan has a long history of posting walk rates well-above average that gives him an ability to get on base that compliments his high activity level on the base paths.

Morgan is an average base stealer and above-average baserunner who can create run scoring opportunities with his feet. He is the rare full-time first baseman who would thrive leading off or batting second, as his lack of raw power prevents him from being a middle of the order bat. He is the rare candidate at first base who is equipped with the tools to accrue 100 stolen career bases. He has a high motor on the base paths and goes after extra bases on balls in play with a high success rate. His high motor carries over on defense, as he has tremendous range and a quick, strong throwing arm that can quickly change the complexion of a game. He has an elite internal clock, makes tough plays with traffic on the bases, and shows a ton of creativity when the opportunity to convert a tough chance into an out presents itself.

27. OF Kristian Robinson, AZ

HIT: 35/35 RAW POWER: 60/60 GAME POWER: 45/50 SPEED: 55/55

BASERUNNING: 55/55 FIELDING: 55/55 THROWING ARM: 60/60

Bahamian outfielder Kristian Robinson was once on a trajectory to make his MLB debut during the first half of this decade but the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health issues have delayed his rapid ascent. He is still one of the toolsiest position players in all of MiLB, but there are massive questions about the viability of his hit tool against major league pitching. The 25-year-old outfielder is built like former NFL tight end Vernon Davis with a similar level of mobility and athleticism. His ability to make contact inside and out of the strike zone is near the bottom of the scale because of his long levers and lengthy swing. Despite possessing a healthy amount of raw power, he fails to make it translate in games because he does not have a good feel for elevating the ball to his pull side or up the middle.

He has a long history of offsetting his high strikeout rates by drawing walks, so it will be interesting to see to what degree his on-base skills will carry over in MLB. Robinson is an above-average base runner and base stealer with a chance to be plus. He has sharp instincts, high baseball IQ, and an active motor that shows on the base paths and the outfield grass. Even with his size, he is a threat to steal 30 bases in a full MLB season if he finds a way to get on base at a high enough clip. He is in above-average defender in right field who makes good reads, runs efficient routes, and has the defensive chops to man center field on a part time basis. The 6’5’’ outfielder also brings a plus throwing arm to the table in terms of strength and accuracy.

28. 1B Ernesto Martínez Jr., NYY

HIT: 40/45 RAW POWER: 70/70 GAME POWER: 50/55 SPEED: 45/45

BASERUNNING: 55/55 FIELDING: 55/55 THROWING ARM: 55/55

Haitian-Cuban first baseman Ernesto Martínez Jr. is a cold corner prospect who combines plus-plus raw power with above-average base running acumen and slick fielding skills. The son of a Cuban National Series veteran, Martínez Jr. was born and raised in Holguín, Cuba before moving to France at the age of 16 to train at a French baseball academy. The 6’6’’ first baseman has dealt with a myriad of injuries going back to his days as an amateur, but has a monstrous ceiling because of his combination of tools. He bats and throws left-handed, setting up in the batter’s box with a slightly squatted stance and his hands held perpendicular to his ear. He utilizes a massive bat wrap during his pre-swing setup but generates enough bat speed to get his hands around on-time. He does well against offerings in the lower half of the strike zone but struggles against well-placed four-seam fastballs because of his long limbs and long swing. He has a habit of being passive in the batter’s box by declining to swing at hittable offerings in the strike zone.

He makes a surprising amount of contact for a position player his size, as his 11.6% whiff rate recorded in Triple-A during 2025 was far closer to average than most would guess. Raw power is the most prominent tool in Martínez Jr.’s profile, as he has recorded batted ball events as high as 120 miles per hour. He produces hard hit batted ball events to his pull side often, which is a green flag. He is an above-average defender at first base with good hands and great feet. He displays a ton of creativity around the bag when finishing plays and has enough range to make a second baseman’s job a little bit easier. He is an above-average baserunner with a history of accruing stolen bases despite being 6’6’’ and an slightly below-average runner. Age, injury history, and a few prominent offensive flaws are probably going to be the reasons Martínez Jr. does not succeed in MLB if he gets a few cups of coffee over the next handful of seasons. He is currently with the New York Yankees organization on a minor league deal that includes an invite to MLB Spring Training. If he cannot find breathing room on the Yankees roster, it would not surprise me to see another MLB team give Martínez Jr. the opportunity he is seeking.