Ron Rigney shares his top prospects and where they stand in their progression towards the Big Leagues in 2023! This week, he addresses those who didn’t come out of spring training with the club and when he believes their time will come. Follow Ron on Twitter – @RonRigney
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Brandon Pfaadt – SP, ARZ
A former fifth-round pick, the 24-year-old Pfaadt won’t break camp with the big club despite having a strong spring. The 6’4” 220-pound righty finished the spring with a 15/4 K/BB ratio and a 3.75 ERA in 12 IP. His minor league resume is solid, despite taking a few bumps at the AA (which is a bit deceiving because of a .370 BABIP against him) level. In 2022 Pfaadt pitched 167 innings between AA and AAA, so the sample size is large enough to have confidence in. He’s able to sit in the mid 90’s with his fastball and uses his slider and changeup to complement it. He also throws a curveball, but it trails the other two secondary offerings. The Diamondbacks are rolling out Madison Bumgarner, Zach Davies and Ryne Nelson as their 3-5 in the rotation to begin the season. Barring an implosion at AAA, Pfaadt should be up shortly and is worth a stash in all formats.
Brett Baty – 3B, NYM
Baty is a masher that will eventually slot in the middle of the Mets lineup. However, the 60-grade pop we were promised hasn’t shown itself like we had hoped. We did see traces of it in AA as well as in the cup of coffee he had with the big club in 2022. Along with the power, Baty has been a double-digit K% guy at every level. Last year’s call-up was not an indicator of what he will be. Eduardo Escobar is manning the hot corner right now, but it won’t be long before we see Baty as the guy.
Justin Foscue – 2B, TEX
It’s easy to get excited about Foscue, but his path to the Majors isn’t as clear as Baty’s. The Rangers went wild in free agency on their middle infield, plugging the way for Foscue. There’s talk of getting him some time in the OF, in order to get his bat to Arlington. Another guy who can mash, without killing your AVG/OBP. There’s no speed to be had here, but there’s a lot to like.
Grayson Rodriguez – SP, BAL
Rodriguez has been a dude in the O’s farm system for a while now. At 6’5” 230 lbs with a heater that touches triple digits, a changeup called one of the best in the minors AND a slider and curve, what’s not to like here? He’s MLB Pipeline’s number 7 prospect and has superstar potential for days. His time should come very soon. Be patient, but this guy could be a league winner.
