We’re hitting the stretch run, with Minor League playoffs going on and top prospects like Josue De Paula still getting called up. And Arizona Fall League rosters are just around the corner!
Folks still had plenty of good questions prospect-wise (we answered one about Murf Gray on this week’s MLB Pipeline Podcast, so give that a listen), so let’s get right to it.
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This question was so intriguing, I almost shelved it to write a full story (still might!). But thanks to our crack MLB Pipeline research department (he knows who he is), we can start by taking a look right now, separating out hitting and pitching excellence from the 2025 Draft class, with three leaders in each.
Hitters:
Brewers: Highlighted by first-rounder Andrew Fischer’s 47 homers (and he paces all ‘25 draftees with 280 total bases), the Brewers’ six hitters lead all Draft groups with their collective .503 slugging. The K rate is a little high (27.5 percent), they also lead all draftees with a 17.8 percent walk rate. Their TB/P (total bases per player) of 172.33 is second-best.
Giants: The eight hitters the Giants took last year lead the way in batting average (.281) and TB/P (177.13). They’re one of two groups to record a K rate under 20 percent (19.1), with six hitters posting an OPS over .800 for the year.
Nationals: The Nats are third in TB/P (160.67) and second in SLG (.470), thanks to a class-leading 155 homers from nine players. No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits (.853 OPS across three levels) has been incredibly impressive, but guys like Ethan Petry (24 homers, .823 OPS) and Jacob Walsh (.885 OPS) have contributed, plus I’m giving them credit for drafting since-traded Boston Smith, even though all of his 31 homers came with the White Sox and Mariners.
Pitchers:
Mariners: Any group led by Kade Anderson has to be included, right? It’s not just him, as the 11 arms in the class lead all 30 teams in both WHIP (1.21) and BB/9 (2.99), while standing fifth in ERA (3.91) and seventh in K/9 (10.73).
Rangers: The Rangers also drafted 11 arms last year, and while they don’t have the marquee guy like the Mariners do, they’re collectively third in ERA (3.76) and WHIP (1.29) while in the top 10 in both K/9 (10.73) and BB/9 (4.10).
D-backs: I guess I’m only highlighting teams that took 11 pitchers in the 2025 Draft. I like the fact that this group finished top five in both K/9 (4th, 11.08) and BB/9 (5th, 3.86) while also being in the top 10 in WHIP (7th, 1.39) and ERA (9th, 4.43).
There are a few names that come to mind, but we should start by noting that no one has ridden a Salas-quality rollercoaster. The Padres catcher had been as high as No. 5 (midseason 2023) and then fell completely off the list before rebounding and landing in his current spot at No. 23 en route to making his big league debut. But we have had some prospects who have fallen down or off the list who could be solid bounce-back candidates. Three nominees:
Aidan Miller, SS, Phillies: Miller began the year as our No. 23 prospect and is now at No. 61 after missing nearly all of the 2026 season with a back injury (the main parallel to Salas). He made his season debut on Sept. 5 and is now back with Double-A Reading, having gone 3-for-9 over his first three games. We’re holding out hope he gets to keep making up for lost reps in the Arizona Fall League. If he can stay healthy and find the production he had at the back end of last year, he’ll shoot back up.
Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Padres: Schoolcraft was on the Top 100 at No. 88 when the season began, but the 2025 first-round pick struggled to find consistency (especially with strikes) for much of his first full year of pro ball, so he fell off. He’s still No. 2 on the Padres list. He did throw very well on Thursday and has finished his season with a flourish. High-ceiling high school arms can take longer, so he could take off in 2027.
Eduardo Tait, C, Twins: I’ll also put a catcher on here to match Salas position-wise because, well, catching is hard. The Twins backstop went from No. 65 on the preseason Top 100 to off the list as he really struggled with his approach and his defense. He did still hit 22 homers in High-A while playing most of the year at age 19. There’s work to do across the board, but there’s time for him to right the ship.
We were just talking internally about the Dodgers' logjam, especially as it pertains to the outfield. They’ll always be players for free agents or adding big leaguers via trade, and they have four outfielders in the Top 100 (and ahead of Tibbs on the Dodgers Top 30) in the just called up Josue De Paula, Mike Sitora, Eduardo Quintero and Charles Davalan. Tibbs has the benefit of being ahead of everyone but De Paula level-wise, and he’s certainly hit well enough to earn a shot to show what he can do (.957 OPS, 144 wRC+ in 2026). He does have the benefit of also playing first, but while Freddie Freeman is aging, turning 37 on Saturday (happy birthday Freddie!), he’s still quite productive and is signed through 2027. Corner outfielder Teoscar Hernández also has one more year on his deal and Kyle Tucker isn’t going anywhere and will be given every opportunity, I would think, to put this rough season behind him.
Could Tibbs get a shot at filling a less-than-full-time role, where he plays both outfield corners and spells Freeman at first occasionally? It’s possible. He’ll be 24 for all of next season, and his left-handed bat would be an asset. I could see him starting out moving around and eventually finding his way into the lineup every day. He’s already been traded twice, and it’s not out of the question that his first opportunity will come via that route again, with the Dodgers sending him somewhere he’ll slot into the middle of the lineup on Opening Day.