The calendar flipped from May to June over the weekend, and we’re in our fourth month of the Minor League season. (Remember when Triple-A began, back in March?) We’re getting to the point where sample sizes are no longer small, pitchers and hitters are adjusting to the adjustments already made by players on the other side and prospects are preparing to move to face new challenges in the second half of the season.
Summer is almost here. Minor League Baseball kicks into another gear. A lot is going to happen in in our sphere of prospectdom. Here are the main storylines to keep an eye on in June:
All leagues are a full go: The Dominican Summer League celebrated its Opening Day on Monday, meaning all 14 affiliated circuits are playing regular-season ball. The DSL is typically where we’ll see top international signees make their pro-ball debuts, and while 2024’s No. 1 international prospect Leodalis De Vries has already moved stateside to Single-A Lake Elsinore, Rangers outfielder Paulino Santana (No. 2), Cubs shortstop Fernando Cruz (No. 4) and Reds outfielder Adolfo Sanchez (No. 5) are fellow Top 5 talents who were placed on Opening Day DSL rosters. With everything in full swing, bookmark MLB Pipeline’s Top Prospects stats page to track how top prospects everywhere are doing on a daily basis.
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Promotions on the horizon: We’ll limit this to players moving up within the Minor League ranks (i.e. not to the Majors). There are more than a few Top 100 prospects itching for new challenges, but for now, here are five names to consider.
Mariners outfielder Lazaro Montes (No. 82) has hit .326/.429/.547 with 16 homers over 81 games for Single-A Modesto dating back to last year, and the 19-year-old’s prodigious left-handed power could be tested in the High-A Northwest League soon, especially now that it’s warmer up there.
Cardinals right-hander Tink Hence (No. 48) is up to 22 starts at Double-A Springfield over the last two seasons, and he has really come into his own of late with a 3.00 ERA, 31 strikeouts and only four walks over his last three starts (18 innings). His 68 K’s on the season are tied for the third most in Double-A entering this week, while his 25.2 K-BB% ranks second among 95 qualifiers at the level. Hence won’t be 22 until August, but Triple-A Memphis should beckon before then.
Red Sox catcher Kyle Teel (No. 29) was considered advanced as a first-round pick out of Virginia last year and jumped to Double-A in his first Minor League season. He’s back with Portland now and catching fire of late, hitting .370/.463/.598 over 24 games since the start of May. He might be the first member of Boston’s Big Three (alongside Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony) to make Triple-A Worcester.
The Rays have two infielders who could be on the cusp on new destinations. First baseman Xavier Isaac (No. 45) got a brief, but hot, cup of coffee with High-A Bowling Green last season and has warmed up with the weather in his return, hitting .337/.420/.674 with 16 extra-base hits in 25 games in May. His .626 slugging percentage, 1.026 OPS and 178 wRC+ are tops among High-A batters with at least 240 plate appearances over the last two seasons, and the 20-year-old might need the challenge of Double-A soon.
Speaking of Montgomery, Carson Williams (No. 15) has solidified his standing as one of the best shortstop prospects in the game with a .299/.385/.557 slash line, eight homers and 13 steals through 42 games with the Biscuits. He continues to be a Gold Glove-caliber defender at the six -- part of the reason why Tampa Bay sent him to Triple-A Durham on an emergency basis last year -- and it’s encouraging that his strikeout rate continues to dip as he gains pro experience. Moving him back to the Minors’ top level before the All-Star break could be aggressive, but Williams is a player worth challenging.
Injury returns: Top 10 prospects Junior Caminero (quad), James Wood (hamstring), Walker Jenkins (hamstring), Jordan Lawlar (thumb) and Jackson Jobe (hamstring) are all out from their typical Minor League clubs with various injuries. There is good news on Jenkins and Lawlar, as they have been rehabbing in the Florida and Arizona Complex League, respectively, and should move to Single-A Fort Myers and Triple-A Reno soon. Jobe provided a positive update on “The Call Up” podcast on May 20 promising to return soon, while Wood is still being monitored at Triple-A Rochester. The Rays said Caminero would miss four to six weeks, so if he comes back in June, it’d be at the tail end of the month.
MiLB at Rickwood Field: The Giants and Cardinals will take up a big spotlight across the sport when they take the field on June 20 at Birmingham’s historic Rickwood Field. Two days before that, Southern League clubs Montgomery and Birmingham will a play a contest of their own at the oldest professional ballpark in the United States. The sides will be playing as the Gray Sox and Black Barons, respectively, while playing tribute to Negro Southern League teams of the same name.
With Rays and White Sox prospects on the diamond, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to remember the game’s past and celebrate its future. Three Top 100 prospects dot Montgomery's roster -- Noah Schultz (No. 39), Drew Thorpe (No. 54) and Edgar Quero (No. 94) -- and that could jump to four if Isaac does make the move to Double-A before June 18.