MLB Pipeline will reveal its 2024 High 100 Prospects record at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 26, with a one-hour present on MLB Community and MLB.com. Main as much as the discharge of the High 100, we’ll study baseball’s high 10 prospects at every place.
All the time one of many deepest teams of prospects as we unveil the High 100 record, this yr isn’t any completely different, although there’s been a ton of turnover.
Six of final yr’s preseason high 10 graduated to the massive leagues in the course of the 2023 season, beginning with No. 1 right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. There are solely two holdovers from final yr’s High 10 — Phillies prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel — with Painter type of suspended in Tommy John surgical procedure limbo.
This group has been aided by the 2023 Draft, beginning after all with the man who sits atop it, and atop the Draft class, Paul Skenes. However he’s not alone. There are three different high of the Draft picks within the high 10 in Rhett Lowder (No. 7 decide), Chase Dollander (No. 9) and Noble Meyer (No. 10), making this simply the second time — and first since 2012 (Trevor Bauer, Dylan Bundy, Gerrit Cole, Archie Bradley) — that 4 gamers from the earlier yr’s Draft have been on the preseason High 10 RHP Prospects record.
1. Paul Skenes, Pirates (2024)2. Jackson Jobe, Tigers (2025)3. Cade Horton, Cubs (2024)4. Andrew Painter, Phillies (2025)5. Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers (2025)6. Rhett Lowder, Reds (2024)7. Mick Abel, Phillies (2024)8. Chase Dollander, Rockies (2026)9. Dylan Lesko, Padres (2026)10. Noble Meyer, Marlins (2026)Full record »
High 10 prospects by place:1/16: RHP1/17: LHP1/18: C1/19: 1B1/22: 2B1/23: 3B1/24: SS1/25: OF1/26: High 100
Fastball: Skenes (80)At LSU final yr, Skenes averaged 98.6 mph together with his fastball and often hit triple digits. His capability to command the pitch, together with a flat method angle and carry, led to a 30 p.c miss charge on his heater. He maintains it deep into begins and reaches the elite velos with out a lot effort.
Curveball: Misiorowski, Abel, Lesko (55)The scary factor is that Misiorowski’s comparatively newer curve could be his fourth finest pitch, behind his fastball, slider and cutter, however he has such really feel for spin, it’s going to be a helpful possibility for him. Abel has distinct breaking pitches as properly and has stood out together with his capability to spin the ball since highschool. Lesko’s upper-70s breaker will get extra constant the extra he’s on the mound publish Tommy John surgical procedure, and it registers excessive spin charges.
Slider: Skenes, Jobe, Horton, Misiorowski (70)4 70 sliders on this record! Skenes’ elicited an absurd 62 p.c miss charge at LSU final yr, and it was voted as the perfect secondary providing of any pitching prospect within the lately carried out MLB Pipeline Government Ballot. Jobe’s slider completed third in that voting, whereas Horton and Misiorowski additionally received a number of votes for his or her nasty breaking stuff.
Changeup: Lesko (70)Professional hitters have but to see the perfect Lesko has to supply right here, and so they higher be careful. It was arguably the perfect of his Draft class, thrown with separation and two-plane motion. It’s a pitch that may make hitters look foolish, and he ought to proceed to regain full really feel for it with surgical procedure in his rearview.
Management: Painter, Lowder (65)Painter gained’t pitch in 2024 due to TJ surgical procedure final summer time, however in his big 2022 season, he walked simply 2.2 per 9 whereas pitching throughout three ranges. Lowder’s really feel for pitching is an enormous cause why he went No. 7 general in final yr’s Draft and why many see him making a beeline to Cincinnati.
Highest ceiling: SkenesHe wasn’t the No. 1 decide within the Draft for nothing, and the “finest school pitching prospect since Strasburg” discuss is legit. He has frontline starter written throughout him and Pirates followers ought to get an opportunity to see him sooner quite than later.
Highest ground: LowderSkenes may run all of those classes, however let’s give another person worthy an opportunity. Lowder’s excellent stuff to associate with his actually superior really feel for pitching give the Reds a ton of confidence that he’s going to be an enormous league starter, and shortly.
Rookie of the 12 months Award candidate: SkenesIt’s a query of when, not if, the massive right-hander makes his large league debut this yr. Sufficient executives thought he’d be up quickly sufficient to compete for ROY honors that he received a number of votes within the survey. If he logs sufficient innings, don’t be shocked if he will get actual Rookie of the 12 months votes at season’s finish.
Highest riser & humblest starting: MisiorowskiWhile he did get $2.35 million to signal as a second-rounder, it is a group of first-round picks, and the truth that Misiorowski overcame accidents and was taken that top out of junior school is one thing each he and the Brewers deserve credit score for. He wasn’t within the High 100 to begin final yr, starting the season at No. 7 on the Brewers’ High 30 earlier than pitching throughout three ranges and delivering a dominant efficiency within the Futures Recreation
Most to show: LeskoKeep this spot heat for Painter subsequent yr, however Lesko has big expectations coming into 2024. He threw his first 33 skilled innings final yr post-TJ, and the stuff was thrilling even thought he was understandably rusty. The gloves may come off this season, and he actually may take off.
Regulate: Bubba ChandlerChandler was a two-way participant in highschool (and firstly of his professional profession), to not point out a gifted sufficient QB to have performed Division I soccer. From July on final yr, together with a one-start end up in Double-A, the super-athletic righty posted a 2.33 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, .190 BAA and a 9.5 Ok/9 charge.