2022 Top 100 Prospects Revealed

We’re finally ready to unveil the MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospects list. And after a full minor league season in 2021, there are a lot of changes in this ranking compared to last year.

With graduations, performances and the arrival of new talent via the draft or international signings, there was a lot to consider when building this year’s Top 100. For the first time in a while, the list isn’t headed by Rays phenom Wander Franco. And for the first time in history, the top eight players are from the same league.

Franco was our No. 1 prospect on four straight rosters — from the 2019 midseason roster to the 2021 preseason roster — before graduating last season. He hands the baton to another shortstop, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals, who leads a Top 10 made up of eight AL 9th-liners, including a pair from Orioles and Tigers. However, the National League isn’t far behind afterwards, with the AL finishing with a slim 51-49 lead.

All ranked players must be eligible for Rookie of the Year. To have rookie status, a player must not have taken more than 130 at-bats or pitched more than 50 innings in the Major Leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club(s), excluding time on the disabled list or in military service (not counting time in September 2019 or earlier seasons). The rankings continue to follow the guidelines stipulated in the Collective Labor Agreement in terms of who falls under the rules of the fund for international firms. Players who are at least 25 years old and have played in leagues considered professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.

The Top 100 is put together by myself, Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Will Boor with input from industry sources including scouts and team managers. It is based on analysis of the ceiling, tools and potential impact in the Major Leagues of each player.

The Top 10
1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
2. Adley Rutschman, C, Orioles
3. Julio Rodriguez, OF, Mariners
4. Spencer Torkelson, 1B/3B, Tigers
5. Riley Greene, OF, Tigers
6. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Orioles
7. Gabriel Moreno, C, Blue Jays
8. Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees
9. CJ Abrams, SS, Parents
10. Francisco Alvarez, C, Mets
The Complete Top 100 ยป

the new faces
Players on this year’s roster selected in the 2021 draft or signed during the international signing cycle that began in January 2021 are not included because they weren’t officially pro prospects when we made our preseason roster a year ago. There are a ton of new names this time around, 40 in all, after a full year of information and data following the lost 2020 season.

The new faces start very close to the top. Three of our top 11 weren’t in the Top 100 prior to last season, a group led by Blue Jays catcher Gabriel Moreno. Moreno was added during the year and our mid-season ranking was 34th, but he’s now up to 7th. Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has climbed to No. 8 and Mariners shortstop Noelvi Marte is listed at No. 11. Those are three of the 10 new names in our overall Top 50.

The highest rising
Moreno, Volpe and the others are not the only ones who have made great leaps. There is a wide variety of players who were on the preseason roster in 2021 who have risen through the ranks after excellent campaigns. No one saw a bigger rise than Rays right-hander Shane Baz, who was No. 90 on last year’s list and is now No. 12, a jump of 78 places. He is one of six prospects to move up 50 or more spots: Mets third baseman Brett Baty (+67); D-backs outfielder Alek Thomas (+63); Mariners right-hander George Kirby (+60); Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (+60); and Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (+53).

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez moved up into the top 10, rising from No. 48 in 2021, while Cubs outfielder Brennan Davis (from No. 61 to No. 15) and Cubs right-hander Reds, Hunter Greene (No. 71 to No. 22), made it to the top 25.

The fastest falls
Of the prospects who were in the Top 100 a year ago who were still considered prospects, 23 dropped off the list. That group is led by a pair of outfielders: Cristian Pache and Drew Waters, who were No. 12 and No. 35 before the 2021 season. The Guardians’ Nolan Jones (No. 36), the Astros’ Forrest Whitley (No. No. 41) and the Red Sox’s Colombian Jeter Downs (No. 49) were other prospects who were in the top 50 but are now not on the Top 100 list this year.

There were a few prospects who managed to stay in the Top 100 but fell precipitously, led by Padres left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who went from No. 6 (top pitching prospect) to No. 86. The Mariners right-hander , Emerson Hancock, also dropped more than 50 places, dropping from No. 31 to No. 82.82.

The graduates
With a full 2021 campaign, more prospects have graduated from rosters by establishing themselves as Major League players. The group of 31 was led by Wander Franco — rated No. 1 in all of baseball for a long time — who finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, and included his Rays teammate Randy Arozarena, who was No. 34 a year ago and was eventually recognized as the AL Rookie of the Year. Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic, Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and Rays right-hander Nate Pearson were among the top 10 prospects who lost their rookie tag in 2021. Other graduates who received Nova of the Year votes were Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson (No. 13), Braves right-hander Ian Anderson (No. 18), Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (No. 77), right-hander Rays catcher Shane McClanahan (No. 84) and Reds catcher Tyler Stepheson (No. 95).

Position Analysis
Once again, the list of mostly hitters continues this year, with 71 position players. The 29 pitching total (21 righties, eight lefties) is a drop of 10 from a year ago and a huge drop of 47 pitchers in the Top 100 in 2019 and 2020.

The 29 arms are still the most of any position. There are 24 shortstops, the second-most total, followed by the 20 qualified prospects with outfield as their top position. There are 12 catchers, the most ever, six second basemen, six third basemen and three first basemen.

Those who arrived for the Draft
We always add fresh draft picks to the roster during our mid-season reconfiguration and then release a new roster, taking potential pro debuts into account. It is a small sample, but it is better than in 2020, when there was nothing to evaluate. Looking at those debuts plus how prospects were viewed heading into the Draft, from the 2021 pool we added 11 members to the Top 100 list.

Each was picked in the first round, led by Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who was No. 1 on our Top 250 Draft list, and was picked No. 4 overall. We rate him as the No. 14 prospect, closely followed by Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick. D-backs shortstop Jordan Lawlar (No. 6 pick), Pirates catcher Henry Davis (No. 1 pick), and Marlins shortstop Khalil Watson (No. 16 pick) are the others in the top 25 who were drafted in 2021. Overall, there are 74 draft picks in the Top 100.

international flavor
That means that there are 26 foreigners on the list (it is worth remembering that players from Puerto Rico and Canada, frequently included separately in international competitions, are chosen in the amateur draft). As is often the case, the Dominican Republic has the most representatives on the list, with 17. Venezuela has seven in the Top 100 and Cuba has two.

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2022 Top 100 Prospects Revealed