Ranking World Series players as prospects

October 27th, 2023

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As usual, many of the best players in the upcoming World Series were highly regarded prospects en route to the big leagues. Twenty-one D-backs and Rangers made MLB.com's Top 100 list as they climbed through the Minors, one more than the total of 20 Astros and Phillies a year ago.

Corey Seager is the lone World Series participant who ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, headlining our pre-2016 list after a strong September callup. Evan Longoria came in No. 2 behind Jay Bruce on MLB.com's pre-2008 Top 100, while Corbin Carroll was No. 2 behind Gunnar Henderson entering 2023.

Below are the 21 former Top 100 Prospects, lined up in order of their prospect hype at the time they arrived in the Majors. The Top 100 rankings noted come from the list closest to their initial callup:

1. Corey Seager, SS, Rangers -- No. 2 (mid-2015)
1st-round pick (No. 18 overall, HS/North Carolina), 2012, Dodgers

2. Evan Longoria, 3B, D-backs -- No. 2 (pre-2008)
1st-round pick (No. 3 overall, Long Beach State), 2006, Devil Rays

3. Corbin Carroll, OF, D-backs -- No. 3 (mid-2022)
1st-round pick (No. 16 overall, HS/Washington), 2019, D-backs

4. Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Rangers -- No. 6 (pre-2011)
International free agent (Cuba), 2010, Reds

5. Gabriel Moreno, C, D-backs -- No. 7 (mid-2022)
International free agent (Venezuela), 2016, Blue Jays

6. Evan Carter, OF, Rangers -- No. 8 (mid-2023)
2nd-round pick (HS/Tennessee), 2020, Rangers

7. Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs -- No. 10 (mid-2023)
1st-round pick (No. 6 overall, HS/Texas), 2021, D-backs

8. Alek Thomas, OF, D-backs -- No. 18 (pre-2022)
2nd-round pick (HS/Illinois), 2018, D-backs

9. Andrew Heaney, LHP, Rangers -- No. 22 (mid-2014)
1st-round pick (No. 9 overall, Oklahoma State), 2012, Marlins

10. Jon Gray, RHP, Rangers -- No. 35 (mid-2015)
1st-round pick (No. 3 overall, Oklahoma), 2013, Rockies

11. Max Scherzer, RHP, Rangers -- No. 35 (pre-2008)
1st-round pick (No. 11 overall, Missouri), 2006, D-backs

12. Josh Jung, 3B, Rangers -- No. 39 (mid-2022)
1st-round pick (No. 8 overall, Texas Tech), 2019, Rangers

13. Martín Pérez, LHP, Rangers -- No. 50 (mid-2012)
International free agent (Venezuela), 2007, Rangers

14. Austin Hedges, C, Rangers -- No. 51 (pre-2015)
2nd-round pick (HS/California), 2011, Padres

15. Brandon Pfaadt, RHP, D-backs -- No. 59 (pre-2023)
5th-round pick (Bellarmine), 2020, D-backs

16. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, Rangers -- No. 70 (pre-2012)
11th-round pick (HS/Texas), 2008, Dodgers

17. Ketel Marte, 2B, D-backs -- No. 71 (mid-2015)
International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2011, Mariners

18. Geraldo Perdomo, SS, D-backs -- No 79 (pre-2021)
International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2016, D-backs

19. Dane Dunning, RHP, Rangers -- No. 98 (mid-2020)
1st-round pick (No. 29 overall, Florida), 2016, Nationals

20. Leody Taveras, OF, Rangers -- No. 43 mid-2018, dropped off Top 100 before mid-2020 debut
International free agent (Dominican Republic), 2015, Rangers

21. Pavin Smith, OF, D-backs -- No. 91 pre-2018, dropped off Top 100 before late 2020 debut
1st-round pick (No. 7 overall, Virginia), 2017, D-backs

We gave Zac Gallen and Marcus Semien some Top 100 consideration but they never made our rankings before graduating to the Majors. Adolis García didn't qualify because he didn't count against the Cardinals' international bonus pool when they signed him, but he never performed well enough in the Minors to make the Top 100 anyway.