1 prospect from each team pushing for a promotion

It’s moving season in the Minor Leagues.

It’s around this time of the season that sample sizes are big enough and organizations can recognize without much doubt which of their prospects deserve new challenges at higher levels, like the Nationals did last week with Eli Willits’ move to High-A at just 18 years old or the White Sox did in recent days with Caleb Bonemer’s jump to Double-A in just his second full season. There’s always the looming Major League debut as clubs fill needs at the top level and reward deserving young talents with the chance they’ve always dreamed of, as was the case with White Sox outfielder Braden Montgomery and Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt to name just two recent debutants.

With transactions flying around all levels, here is one prospect from each farm system who is pushing for a promotion.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Sean Keys, INF (No. 14)
Sure, Keys just debuted at Triple-A Buffalo on June 5 and has played only 10 games at the Minors’ top level. But the lefty slugger has mashed in that time, going 11-for-31 (.355) with seven extra-base hits and eight walks in that time. Fifty percent of his batted balls have come with exit velocities of 95 mph or above, and his max EV has been 112.8 mph, so – when taken in concert with his powerful performance at Double-A New Hampshire – this is no small-sample mirage. Should there be an opening in the corner infield spots in Toronto, Keys has a higher ceiling as an everyday option than fellow prospect Charles McAdoo, who’s currently up with the big club.

Orioles: Joseph Dzierwa, LHP (No. 12)
The ace of Michigan State’s staff for three years, Dzierwa was the Orioles’ second-round pick last year, the O’s highest-drafted pitcher in the Mike Elias era. He’s already earned one bump, from High-A to Double-A, but the Eastern League doesn’t seem to be posing much of a challenge either (2.70 ERA, .219 BAA, 1.05 WHIP in five outings). The 6-foot-8 lefty is third in all of the Minors with 83 strikeouts and has a combined 2.41 ERA to go along with a .183 BAA and 11.1 K/9 rate. A bump up to Triple-A would have him knocking on the door and in line to help the big league club out this year.

Rays: Theo Gillen, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 40)
The 2024 18th overall pick has taken his game to a new level already by upping his power in his second full season. After going deep five times in 73 games with Single-A Charleston last year, Gillen has already clubbed 10 homers in 52 games with High-A Bowling Green. He hasn’t traded any contact for that pop but has been more aggressive on the pitches in the zone in search of it, leading to a .333/.442/.571 line and 160 wRC+ in the South Atlantic League. At 20 years old, Gillen looks ready for the challenge of Double-A in the second half.

Red Sox: Franklin Arias, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 10)
Arias has boosted his stock more than most Top 100 Prospects this year, continuing to provide quality defense at shortstop while enjoying the best offensive production of his full-season career as a 20-year-old in Double-A. Though the Red Sox signed him for $525,000 out of Venezuela in 2023 more for his glove than his bat, he's slashing .313/.397/.571 and ranks fourth in the Eastern League in OPS (.968) and fifth in homers (13, already a career high) and hitting (.313). He's launching balls in the air more than ever before and Boston's shortstop of the (near) future is ready to be tested in Triple-A.

Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 73)
After ranking third in the Minors in strikeouts (168 in 120 innings) and strikeout rate (33 percent) last year, Lagrange made headlines in Spring Training by fanning Aaron Judge with a 103-mph fastball during live batting practice. Signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he's also armed with a cutter and changeup that sit around 90 mph and a mid-80s slider. The Yankees view him as a long-term starter but have made him a reliever for now in hopes he can help them this season, and he has posted a 2.79 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just 10 baserunners in 9 2/3 Triple-A innings in his new role.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Guardians: Braylon Doughty, RHP (No. 5)
The Guardians have handled Doughty carefully since drafting him in 2024's supplemental first round out of a California high school, and he's performing well with a 3.21 ERA and 60/11 K/BB ratio in High-A at age 20. With a 92-95 mph fastball that reaches 98, a pair of high-spin breakers in a low-80s curveball and a tight upper-80s slider and an effective mid-80s changeup, he's equipped to handle Double-A hitters.

Royals: Blake Mitchell, C (No. 1/MLB No. 52)
Normally, we wouldn’t advocate for a player with a .218 average and 34.5 percent K rate to get promoted, but Mitchell is a special case. For starters, he has a .988 OPS and 150 wRC+ while hitting five homers over his last 18 games for High-A Quad Cities dating back to May 26. He also leads the Minor Leagues with 64 walks on the season, and his 25.7 percent BB rate is tops among full-season qualifiers. Mitchell is maybe the Three True Outcome King this season, but after 485 career plate appearances at High-A, he needs to be challenged by Double-A arms that will attack him more in the zone.

Tigers: Brett Callahan, OF (No. 28)
The 24-year-old outfielder was already off to a solid start in his first season at Double-A Erie before kicking things up a notch this month with five homers and a .717 slugging percentage through his first 11 games of June. Callahan’s 12 homers on the season are already a career high, and the power jump has coincided with him toning down the aggression that defined his early career. The 2023 13th-rounder, who is a plus runner and above-average defender in the outfield, is Rule 5-eligible for the first time this upcoming offseason and should get a Triple-A test to see if he’s 40-man-worthy (or even worthy of an MLB shot before the year’s up).

Twins: Marek Houston, SS (No. 7)
The Twins just promoted cacher Khadim Diaw to Double-A Wichita and they should send Houston, their first-rounder last year, with him. The defense at short will play at any level and his hit-over-power approach is looking like it needs a new challenge. He’s been blistering hot in June, with a .425/.538/.600 line over his first 10 games this month, bring him to a .324/.397/.457 overall line with 20 steals (in 21 attempts). There’s precedent: the Twins moved 2024 first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper from Cedar Rapids to Wichita right at this time of the season a year ago.

White Sox: Ryan Burrowes, INF/OF (No. 29)
The White Sox don't have any Top 30 Prospects bucking for an obvious promotion because they've moved so many up already. Burrowes is back in High-A after ending last season there, and now he's batting .252/.367/.371 and ranks among the South Atlantic League leaders in steals (23, fourth) and doubles (14, sixth). Signed for $75,000 out of Panama in 2022, he combines average raw power with plus speed and has started at least seven games at five different positions already this year: second base, third base, center field, left field and shortstop.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels: Tyler Bremner, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 48)
This one is a little trickier because Bremner missed a month with an illness and resulting fatigue. Otherwise, the typically aggressive Angels likely would have moved the No. 2 overall pick of last year’s Draft by now. The Santa Barbara product is still slowly ramping himself back up and hasn’t gotten past the third inning since his return to action. But it’s pretty clear the right-hander’s stuff can dominate High-A Northwest League hitters as he’s posted a 2.19 ERA over 24 2/3 IP so far to go along with a 13.5 K/9 rate while walking fewer than three per nine. Once he’s back to full strength, a trip to Double-A Rocket City will come.

Astros: Bryce Mayer, RHP (No. 5)
A 16th-round pick in 2024 after having Tommy John surgery and limited success at Missouri, Mayer consistently has missed bats in pro ball with a low-90s fastball with explosive carry from a low release height, not to mention a low-80s slider and upper-70s curveball. He has struck out 36 percent of the batters he has faced in Double-A (53 in 33 2/3 innings) while compiling a 4.28 ERA and .210 opponent average.

A’s: Zane Taylor, RHP (No. 18)
Urging the A’s to promote guys is typically an easy ask, and this one seems like a no-brainer given Taylor’s age and success. As one of the better college seniors in last year’s Draft class, Taylor just turned 24 and he currently leads the High-A Midwest League with his 2.98 ERA and is in the top 10 in WHIP, BAA and K/BB. It might not be overwhelming stuff, but he has feel for five pitches and the ability to throw all of them for strikes. A push to Double-A Midland would help the A’s get a true sense of what his future might be.

Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 6)
Honestly, if this were a less pitching-rich organization at the big league level, Anderson might already be in Seattle. The No. 3 pick from last year’s Draft has put up absolutely absurd numbers during his pro debut with Double-A Arkansas, including a 1.13 ERA, which matches his 1.13 BB/9 rate, a .157 BAA and 0.66 WHIP. He has a ridiculous 11.7 K/BB rate that would look impressive if that was just his K rate (which is actually 13.3). There’s nothing left to prove at this level and it’s just a question of if the M’s want him to get some innings in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League or just double-jump him to Seattle. The when of it all is tougher when you see the Mariners boasting one of the best staffs in all of baseball.

Rangers: Paxton Kling, OF (No. 21)
Signed for an over-slot $375,000 as a seventh-rounder from Penn State last July, Kling offers plus raw power and speed but also comes with some swing-and-miss concerns. He's hitting .261/.400/.404 with 16 steals and a 24 percent K rate as a 23-year-old in High-A, and seeing how he fares against pitchers more his own age in Double-A will reveal more about his future.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Eric Hartman, OF (No. 18)
Normally, we might not advocate for a young player who just turned 20 this week and comes from a place like Alberta, Canada, to get moved quickly. But it’s become clearer by the day the Braves might have found a special player in Round 20 of the 2024 Draft. He held his own in full-season ball last year, but has really started putting it all together this year, with a .954 OPS over 59 games. The speed that’s allowed him to swipe 26 bags already isn’t surprising, but him getting to his power (17 homers) has been a revelation, giving him the chance to get to 20-20 before we hit July. Who doesn’t want to see how it works in Double-A Columbus?

Marlins: Brendan Jones, OF (No. 18)
Part of the four-prospect package the Marlins received from the Yankees in exchange for Ryan Weathers in January, Jones stands out most with his well above-average speed but can do a little bit of everything. Fresh off a two-week stint on the injured list, he's batting .230/.340/.448 with 19 extra-base hits and 22 steals in 44 Double-A games at age 24.

Mets: Jonathan Santucci, LHP (No. 8)
This might be tough timing since Santucci walked five over four innings in his most recent start last Friday, but in his previous five outings leading up to that, the 23-year-old southpaw posted a 2.84 ERA with 32 strikeouts and only seven free passes over 31 2/3 innings. Dating back to last year, the Duke product has 106 2/3 innings of Double-A experience and has struck out 30.1 percent of his batters faced in that time, thanks to a plus slider. Santucci could join Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger as notable arms in the Triple-A Syracuse rotation if he rebounds quickly from this latest hiccup.

Nationals: Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B (No. 28)
Washington has been one of the most aggressive organizations in terms of prospect promotions this season with Eli Willits, Ronny Cruz, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Seaver King, Ethan Petry and Miguel Sime Jr. among the big names already on the move. But they were all climbing within the Minor League season. Morales, by contrast, is pushing to make his Major League debut with his best pro season yet. His 15 homers for Triple-A Rochester already tie his career high (set last year in more than twice as many games), and since May 1, he’s hitting .336/.407/.642 with 11 homers and a 166 wRC+ over 33 games. He’s mixing in time at both corner infield spots, though Luis García Jr. and Curtis Mead have first and third on lock respectively right now.

Phillies: Francisco Renteria, OF (No. 3)
This might be a bit more of a wish-list kind of entry, as teams don’t frequently bring guys stateside from the Dominican Summer League mid-season. But we can dream, and if you’re going to do it with anyone, Renteria might be that guy. The Phillies have been raving about Renteria’s combination of tools and aptitude since they signed him for $4 million and might have brought him stateside for Spring Breakout had the logistics worked out. The 17-year-old outfielder has been doing his part to push the issue, with a .364/.462/.591 start over his first dozen DSL games.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Alexander Frias, OF (No. 29)
Milwaukee is never afraid to send a top young talent away from the complex early (or skip them over Arizona entirely), and the 18-year-old outfielder is checking all the right boxes in the ACL so far. Entering Wednesday, Frias is hitting .404/.492/.644 with four homers and 11 steals through 29 games. He leads the league in average and ranks third with a 1.136 OPS. The power has shown out most because, even in a league with limited public data, he’s already registered an exit velocity as high as 117 mph.

Cardinals: Joshua Báez, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 65)
Full disclosure: we had already picked Báez for this spot heading into Tuesday, and then he made his call-up case all the louder by hitting four homers in one game for Triple-A Memphis. It was the culmination of a scorching run for the 22-year-old slugger, who is slugging .726 with 17 homers in 37 games since May 1. No one else in Triple-A has more than 12 dingers in that span. Báez still comes with swing-and-miss and chase concerns, but the overall contact is so loud and geared to pull and lift that he’s able to overcome those. If the contending Cardinals have any openings in the grass soon, Báez deserves the call.

Cubs: Kane Kepley, OF (No. 5)
Kepley has been everything the Cubs expected when they selected him in the second round out of North Carolina last July: a high-energy player with plus hitting ability, speed and center-field defense. A classic table-setter, he leads the High-A Midwest League in runs (69, tops in the Minors), ranks second in walks (61) and steals (33 in 35 tries) and is slashing .257/.442/.391. It's time to see what he can do in Double-A.

Pirates: Murf Gray, 3B (No. 17)
The Pirates started Gray out in Single-A Bradenton, a touch conservative for a college draftee from last year, because he hadn’t played since his college season ended and they wanted him to work on his chase rate. After posting a 1.042 OPs over 38 games, they moved him up to High-A Greensboro and he hasn’t stopped raking (1.091 OPS). He has a combined 17 homers, 55 RBIs and an impressive 170 wRC+ with no signs of slowing down. He’s not just mashing because Greensboro is a fun place to hit and he’s kept his chase in check, so hopefully he can move to Double-A Altoona before long.

Reds: Steele Hall, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 62)
The Reds have a tendency to have their young high school hitter draftees begin their first full season of pro ball in the Arizona Complex League and then have them show they’re ready to move up with their performance. Hall, the No. 9 overall pick in last year’s Draft, is making his case, slashing .307/.421/.583 over 33 games during his debut. He already has 20 extra-base hits and 12 steals, with his seven homers putting him high up on the ACL leaderboard. Tyson Lewis, the club’s 2024 second-rounder, got his promotion in July of 2025, so check the transaction wire carefully over the next month.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Daniel Eagen, RHP (No. 7)
Double-A Amarillo is one of the Minors’ true launching pads, so any stats for pitchers who call it home should be taken with a grain of salt. That is certainly true of Eagen and his 5.68 ERA through 12 starts this season. But after a bumpy start in his return to the Texas League, the 23-year-old right-hander has settled in nicely with two earned runs or fewer in each of his last six starts; he owns a 3.12 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 26 frames in that span. Eagen, who specializes in breaking stuff, has 70 1/3 innings of Double-A experience dating back to last season, and with these recent results, he’s looking ready for another massive test at the hitter-friendly environs of Triple-A Reno and the Pacific Coast League.

Dodgers: Charles Davalan, OF (No. 7/MLB No. 94)
While the Dodgers' overload of blue-chip outfield prospects makes promoting them difficult, Davalan has proven he can handle High-A pitching by batting .271/.404/.452 with more walks (38) than strikeouts (31) in 57 games. A 2025 supplemental first-round pick out of Arkansas, he has an advanced hitter's approach with some sneaky pop and solid to plus speed. He's also showing enough range to become at least an average defender in center field after playing mostly on the corners in college.

Giants: Trevor Cohen, OF (No. 8)
One of the best contact hitters in the 2025 college class, Cohen struck out just 5 percent of the time at Rutgers last spring and carries a 13 percent K rate while leading the High-A Northwest League in runs (54), hits (73), doubles (22), extra-base hits (27) and steals (22). A third-round pick, he has solid speed and is getting more reps in center field and acquitting himself well after playing mostly right field in college.

Padres: Ryan Wideman, OF (No. 7)
The 2025 third-rounder was the Conference USA Player of the Year at Western Kentucky, but a giant leg kick led to some mechanical concerns that got exposed in his first turn in the California League last summer. He’s toned that down since, and the results speak for themselves with a .323/.394/.520 line and 18.9 percent K rate in 61 games back with Single-A Lake Elsinore. His 42 steals are also most in the Minors as his plus-plus speed is too much for Single-A batteries.

Rockies: Roldy Brito, OF/2B (No. 3/MLB No. 78)
This feels like a matter of when, not if, for the Rockies and the 19-year-old Brito. After all, Brito earned a promotion last year from the ACL to Single-A Fresno at the end of July, and the Rockies aren’t afraid to push their young players up a level, even if it’s at the end of the year, so they can get their feet wet and set the stage for the following season. Brito still needs to learn to make better swing decisions (36 percent chase rate this season), and he’s scuffled a bit in June, but his overall .311/.354/.470 line is impressive given his age.