Top 50 MLB Prospects: Where They’re Starting 2019

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Fans of MiLB teams across the country can see some great up-and-coming talent. Here’s a taste with where the Top 50 MLB prospects will start in 2019.

For a solid week in the beginning of spring, MLB is the king of the sport, having all the eyes of the sport to themselves. However, a new season of Minor League Baseball is now a few weeks young, and some of MLB’s top prospects from the league’s 30 teams have already made jumps within their organizations and made their mark.

From sea to shining sea, those who have not yet reached the big time, play the world’s most beautiful game in front of smaller crowds, in some occasionally wacky uniforms. They have some of the best names (see the Sod Poodles and Yard Goats), but they also have some of the best up-and-coming talents in the game.

Yes, out of the nearly 160 affiliated teams across 42 states in the U.S., are some of the best players that could shape the league’s future. Where do these young men find themselves as we begin the first full month of Minor League Baseball in 2019?

Let’s take a look.

Top MLB Prospects: 1-10

1.    Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B, Toronto Blue Jays): Toronto Blue Jays
2.    Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS, San Diego Padres): San Diego Padres
3.    Eloy Jimenez (OF, Chicago White Sox): Chicago White Sox
4.    Victor Robles (OF, Washington Nationals): Washington Nationals
5.    Royce Lewis (SS, Minnesota Twins): A-Advanced Fort Myers Miracle
6.    Nick Senzel (3B/2B/OF, Cincinnati Reds): Injured 7-Day, AAA Louisville Bats
7.    Forrest Whitley (RHP, Houston Astros): AAA Round Rock Express
8.    Kyle Tucker (OF, Houston Astros): AAA Round Rock Express
9.    Alex Kirilloff (OF, Minnesota Twins): Injured, AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos
10. Brendan Rodgers (INF, Colorado Rockies): AAA Albuquerque Isotopes

We start things off with the cream of the crop and the top 10 MLB prospects in the game. Leading things off is Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the son of the Hall of Fame of the same name, who appears to have certainly taken after his father’s talent, as he tore up AAA last season and found himself called up to the Major Leagues at the end of April. Looking at the rest, a pair of Houston Astros emerge in Whitley and Tucker as well as Lewis and Kirilloff of the Twins, showing the future of two franchises on different ends of the MLB hierarchy over the past few seasons.

(Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Top MLB Prospects: 11-20

11. Bo Bichette (SS, Toronto Blue Jays): Injured 7-day, AAA Buffalo Bisons
12. Jesus Luzardo (LHP, Oakland Athletics): Rookie League AZL Athletics Green
13. Wander Franco (SS, Tampa Bay Rays): A Bowling Green Hot Rods
14. Jo Adell (OF, Los Angeles Angels): Injured 7-Day
15. MacKenzie Gore (LHP, San Diego Padres): A-Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm
16. Taylor Trammell (OF, Cincinnati Reds): AA Chattanooga Lookouts
17. Casey Mize (RHP, Detroit Tigers): AA Erie SeaWolves
18. Michael Kopech (RHP, Chicago White Sox): None (Tommy John Surgery)
19. Mitch Keller (RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates): AAA Indianapolis Indians
20. Keston Hiura (2B, Milwaukee Brewers): AAA San Antonio Missions

While the top 10 is traditionally reserved for the more seasoned prospects who are up at the high levels of Minor League Baseball, the point is already reached here where the affiliations are much more varied, with every level from rookie league to AAA represented here. On top of that, many of these prospects were drafted in very recent years, including the #1 pick from the most recent round of selections in Casey Mize, who threw a no-hitter in his Double-A debut as he continues his quick ascent up the Detroit Tigers system. A balanced group with five pitchers and five hitters, look for many of these MLB prospects to make their way to the Majors in joining their top 10 counterparts over the next couple of years.

Top MLB Prospects: 21-30

21. Dylan Cease (RHP, Chicago White Sox): AAA Charlotte Knights
22. Joey Bart (C, San Francisco Giants): A-Advanced San Jose Giants
23. Luis Urias (INF, San Diego Padres): AAA El Paso Chihuahuas
24. Mike Soroka (RHP, Atlanta Braves): Atlanta Braves
25. Carter Kieboom (SS, Washington Nationals): Washington Nationals
26. Francisco Mejia (C/OF, San Diego Padres): San Diego Padres
27. Sixto Sanchez (RHP, Miami Marlins): Unassigned
28. Brent Honeywell (RHP, Tampa Bay Rays): 7-day injured list
29. Brendan McKay (LHP/DH, Tampa Bay Rays): AA Montgomery Biscuits
30. Kyle Wright (RHP, Atlanta Braves): AAA Gwinett Stripers

This is certainly an interesting part of the top 50, as here lie not only the first two catchers of the bunch in Joey Bart and Francisco Mejia, but a couple of multi-position youngsters, as the pitcher/hitter project McKay joins Mejia in that regard, with Mejia being listed as an outfielder as well as behind the plate. The West Coast is represented quite well here as well, with Luis Urias accompanying Mejia on the Padres to go along with the Giants’ Bart, as well as the Rays adding another two highly rated MLB prospects in showcasing their own sneaky good farm system.

Top MLB Prospects: 31-40

31. Ian Anderson (RHP, Atlanta Braves): AA Mississippi Braves
32. Chris Paddack (RHP, San Diego Padres): San Diego Padres
33. Alex Verdugo (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers): Los Angeles Dodgers
34. Keibert Ruiz (C, Los Angeles Dodgers): AA Tulsa Drillers
35. Cristian Pache (OF, Atlanta Braves): AA Mississippi Braves
36. Hunter Greene (RHP, Cincinnati Reds): None (Tommy John Surgery)
37. Austin Riley (3B, Atlanta Braves): AAA Gwinnett Stripers
38. Jesus Sanchez (OF, Tampa Bay Rays): AA Montgomery Biscuits
39. Luis Robert (OF, Chicago White Sox): AA Birmingham Barons
40. Triston McKenzie (RHP, Cleveland Indians): AA Akron RubberDucks

Remember what I said in the intro about interesting team names? Well, that certainly applies to the home of Indians’ top prospect Triston McKenzie (and my preferred AA destination in MLB The Show), the Akron RubberDucks. Besides that, this set of prospects has pitching phenoms in the triple-digit flamethrower Greene, long-time Minor League stars in Verdugo and spring training studs in Paddack, who used sheer force of will and futility of opposing hitters to find his way into the Major Leagues as the first of a litany of young pitchers to make his way to the Show. The Braves also hold a trio of MLB prospects here from three different positions, an encouraging sign for what is already seen as one of the most exciting young teams in all of baseball.

Top MLB Prospects: 41-50

More from Call to the Pen

41. A.J. Puk (LHP, Oakland Athletics): Rookie League AZL Athletics Gren
42. Justus Sheffield (LHP, Seattle Mariners): AAA Tacoma Rainers
43. Yordan Alvarez (OF, Houston Astros): AAA Round Rock Express
44. Sean Murphy (C, Oakland Athletics): AAA Las Vegas Aviators
45. Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B, Pittsburgh Pirates): AAA Indianapolis Indians
46. Nick Madrigal (2B, Chicago White Sox): A-Advanced Winston-Salem Dash
47. Luis Patino (RHP, San Diego Padres): A-Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm
48. Adrian Morejon (LHP, San Diego Padres): AA Amarillo Sod Poodles
49. Touki Toussain (RHP, Atlanta Braves): AAA Gwinnett Stripers
50. Pete Alonso (1B, New York Mets): New York Mets

So, with the benefit of a month of baseball having been played, one name certainly stands out among the rest here, huh? Yes, while there are more than a couple notable former top picks and prospects involved in big trades (see Puk, Sheffield, and Madrigal), it is Pete Alonso that stands above them all, with the power-hitting first baseman hitting over .300 with 9 home runs on the young season, electrifying a young Mets team and their fanbase to a better start than some in the MLB community may have expected. We will wait to see if the rest of this list follows suit in the path that those like Guerrero Jr. and Alonso have begun to forge.

Next. Toronto Blue Jays: Examining the Team’s Recent Success. dark

So now that you know who some of the big names are to watch out for in the Minors this season, have fun root, root, rooting for your home team, big or small, filled with big-name talent or not, on their way through 2019.

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