Happy World Series day! Personally, I picked the Dodgers to win, with Mookie Betts my MVP selection, when I filled out the survey for our experts prediction story. But as always, I’ll be rooting for a Game 7 that goes extra innings.
From a prospect perspective, we have a story on how similarly the Dodgers and Blue Jays built their teams (based on projected World Series rosters) and another one having some fun ranking World Series players based on their past prospect hype. And we can’t help but be excited to see still-a-prospect Trey Yesavage getting the start for Game 1. We answered a question about Yesavage and where he would go in a re-do of the 2024 Draft (spoiler alert: much higher) in this week’s MLB Pipeline Podcast.
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
Bradfield was the Orioles' first-round pick in 2023 out of Vanderbilt and is currently the club's No. 4 prospect. And if he had been healthy in his two full years of pro ball, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd already be patrolling center field in Baltimore.
He stole 74 bases in 2024 in 108 games, the second-highest total in the Minors, while reaching -- and performing well at -- Double-A. Another season at the upper levels wreaking havoc on the basepaths could very well have led to his first callup, but hamstring issues wrecked that plan. Bradfield played in just 76 games as a result, and while he still swiped 36 bags in 40 attempts, it was tough for him to get in a groove. He did hit .279 with 14 steals in 18 August games as he got his legs under him.
Now he's in the Arizona Fall League making up for some of that lost time on the field. And that's important because the one thing that I think could keep him getting that legitimate shot to make the Opening Day roster -- other than there being a spot for him -- is that missed development time. So far, he's hit .278 with a .381 on-base percentage and gone a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts in nine games. (In case you're wondering, Caleb Durbin set the AFL record for steals with 29 a year ago.) And he's been showcasing his Gold Glove-caliber defense.
All of those skills could be assets for an Orioles offense that finished 11th in the American League in runs scored and OBP in 2025. I think if Bradfield keeps showing the injuries are behind him, he gets a very long look in Sarasota next spring. Then it will be up to the staff to decide how to divvy up playing time in what could be a very crowded outfield scene in the spring.
I appreciate the unsolicited plug of my book! For the uninitiated, I very much enjoy telling the origin stories of players who were more under-the-radar as amateurs, how they were scouted and signed. I even like doing them with eventual first-round picks, like I did recently with this Trey Yesavage story. I may or may not always be on the lookout for topics for a Volume 2 and there are a few who come to mind. At the top of the list would be Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal, who had Tommy John surgery at Seattle University as a sophomore in 2016 and missed all of 2017, coming back to miss bats and understandably struggle with command in 2018. Detroit took him in the ninth round of that year's Draft and he's gone on to win one Cy Young Award (so far) and go to a pair of All-Star Games. Cal Raleigh might be more of a development story, but he was only a third-rounder, and Jim Callis did a nice job telling the story of how he was scouted. I'd also love to look at the international scene and dig into how Cleveland got José Ramírez for only $50,000 back in 2009, for example.
The Tigers have a very solid farm system, one we ranked No. 6 in our rankings we did in August, so there is talent to use as trade pieces if Harris and Co. choose to. It's safe to assume that McGonigle, their No. 1 prospect, and Max Clark (No. 2), are off the table. And I have to think that it would have to be something special to deal Briceño (No. 3) or Bryce Rainer (No. 4), or maybe even Thayron Liranzo (No. 5), who fill out the top five. Rainer, especially, would be hard to move since his first full season was washed out early with a dislocated right shoulder. Impossible to see one of those three go? No, but I think the Tigers have something cooking in Detroit and in the system, and they don't want to blow it up.
Beyond the top five, there are some interesting prospects who should be interesting to track. Could Hao-Yu Lee (No. 6), who hit 14 homers and stole 22 bags in Triple-A last year at age 22, be the right-handed bat at second base you crave? Could fellow right-handed hitter Max Anderson (No. 9) be a fit at second or the hot corner? Maybe they just look from within for that demographic.
To answer your other questions. I have 100 percent confidence that McGonigle can and will hit big league pitching at some point in 2026. His extra time in the AFL will help, but my gut feel is that he gets a little time in Triple-A before getting that call. And if it were me, I'd let Briceño play first full-time and let that bat play.