Are the MLB playoffs really only 25 days away? After my rhetorical question, let's get to some of your actual queries ...
The Brewers have an abundance of riches at shortstop, with Made (No. 5), Peña (No. 16) and Pratt (No. 51) all ranking on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Made has the highest ceiling among that trio because he has the tools to have the greatest impact at the plate.
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Made's swing decisions, consistency of contact and exit velocities are outstanding for an 18-year-old and they've translated into a .285/.383/.418 line with 39 extra-base hits and 45 steals in 108 games between two Class A stops. The power is going to come and he has 30-30 upside. He owns the highest floor, too, because it's hard to imagine that at worst he won't hit for a decent average with 20 homers per season.
Pratt is the best defender of the group and one of the best shortstops in the Minors, so he'll lock down that position provided he hits enough -- and he should. In that case, Made winds up at third base, where he could develop into a José Ramírez type of player. Peña has the second-best bat and glove among the shortstops, and he could wind up at second base, third base (if Made fits elsewhere) or center field.
Milwaukee already has Brice Turang at second base and Jackson Chourio in center field, so that complicates matters. It's a nice problem to have.
Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter has the stuff to get meaningful outs in the postseason, but he hasn't pitched well lately in Triple-A and probably won't get the call. He has logged a 5.62 ERA in Triple-A this year, his first season on the mound since blowing out his elbow in 2022, and has been rocked for an 8.19 ERA and a .328/.411/.592 batting line in his last six starts. He can reach the upper 90s with his fastball and can get swings and misses with a hard curveball, cutter/slider and changeup, but he just hasn't been consistent with his control and command.
If a prospect isn't on a big league roster now, he's unlikely to get the opportunity to show what he can do in the playoffs. But I'll give you a few other candidates on legitimate contenders: Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie and catcher/DH Moisés Ballesteros, Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford (though he was involved in a scary outfield collision Thursday night), Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage and Mets outfielder Carson Benge.
Rainiel Rodriguez has done nothing but hit since signing with the Cardinals for $300,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2024. He has slashed .302/.426/.606 with 30 homers in 122 games and bashed his way to High-A at the end of this season at age 18. He manages the strike zone well and crushes balls when he turns his right-handed swing loose.
St. Louis has several better defensive catchers at the upper levels of its system -- Pedro Pagés, Jimmy Crooks, Leonardo Bernal -- while Rodriguez is more of a work in progress behind the plate. There's no reason not to keep developing him as a backstop at this stage but if he continues to rake, the Cardinals may want to expedite his bat to the big leagues. Where he winds up depends on how those other catchers pan out and how much he can improve defensively.
Between the time the Marlins took him 16th overall in the 2021 Draft and the Guardians acquired him in an August 2023 trade for Josh Bell, Kahlil Watson's stock crashed. He batted .233/.330/.402 in Miami's system and got demoted during his first full pro season after making a threatening gesture toward an umpire, enhancing makeup concerns that dogged him as an amateur.
Watson continued to scuffle at the plate in his first full year as a Cleveland farmhand but has broken out after becoming a full-time outfielder in 2025, hitting .247/.342/.463 with 13 homers and 15 steals in 91 games between Double-A and Triple-A. He's playing more under control and exhibiting improved plate discipline, allowing him to make better use of his bat speed and plus raw power. His solid speed and arm strength make him an asset on the bases and in the outfield, and he now looks like a viable big leaguer.
The biggest disappointment among Guardians prospects is outfielder Chase DeLauter's continuing inability to stay healthy. Cleveland needs outfield help and DeLauter has star potential, but he missed April following core muscle surgery and a broken hamate bone in his right hand necessitated a second operation that ended his season in early July.
In terms of on-field performance, the Guardians were hoping for a bounceback year from left-hander Jackson Humphries after a virus cost him strength, velocity and athleticism in 2024. But his fastball has remained in the low 90s, his breaking balls haven't been as sharp as they once were and his control has regressed. He has posted a 5.07 ERA, .204 opponent average and 98/89 K/BB ratio in 94 innings in High-A.