We have had a number of top prospects already make their Major League debuts thus far in 2025, with Luke Keaschall and Chandler Simpson being added to the list this past weekend.
Keaschall is the 57th ranked prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline and the third ranked prospect in the Minnesota Twins' farm system. Simpson isn't ranked on MLB's Top 100 prospect list, but comes in ranked as the seventh best player in the Tampa Bay Rays system, and also comes in with one of the more polarizing profiles in Minor League Baseball.
Luke Keaschall's four-hit weekend for Minnesota Twins
Luke Keaschall got his start in Minnesota's system in the latter half of 2023. He was the Twins' second-round draft pick, and was selected 49th overall out of Arizona State University. The calling card for Keaschall coming out of the college ranks was his advanced hit tool and skills outside of the batter's box that made him a well-rounded player.
Upon his introduction to professional baseball in 2023, Keaschall advanced as high as High-A Cedar Rapids following quick stops at the FCL (Florida Complex League) and Low-A Fort Myers. In 140 plate appearances across the three levels, Keaschall managed to hit .288/.414/.477 with three home runs and eleven steals. 2024 was his true "prospect breakout", as he mashed at both High-A and Double-A Wichita. In his 464 plate appearances last year, he hit 15 home runs and stole 23 bases on his way to a .903 OPS — a mark that ranked third among all qualified Twins minor league hitters last year.
Keaschall is a jack of all trades defensively, having logged time at every infield position beside shortstop in his professional career while also having spent some time in center field. He is not elite at any position, but plays well enough at each spot to be able to provide some defensive value. That versatility certainly helped him move through the minors, and will help him stick around at the big league level.
The 22-year-old right-handed bat got the call that he would be making his major league debut this past weekend in Atlanta against the Braves. With Royce Lewis having been on the IL since March and Matt Wallner joining him this past Wednesday due to a strained hamstring, the road was paved for Keaschall to join the big league club.
He started in all three games for the Twins, two at DH and one at second base. Keaschall managed to hit safely in every game, going 4-12 which included a multi-hit game in his debut. He went 2-4 in that debut with a double and stolen base, showcasing the full package that makes him one of the top prospects in their system. He hit another double in Saturday's game, and finished the weekend with a .333/.385/.500 slash line in 13 plate appearances.
Luke Keaschall picks up a hit and drives in a run in his first MLB at-bat!
— MLB (@MLB) April 18, 2025
(MLB x @Chevrolet) pic.twitter.com/nwlhWCMcqw
Chandler Simpson flashes his amazing speed in Rays debut
Chandler Simpson has certainly caught the attention of baseball fans over the last two months after showcasing his elite speed at big league spring training. Along with Keaschall, Simpson was also a second-round draft pick, but a year earlier in 2022. Simpson was drafted by the Rays out ofGeorgia Tech as the 70th overall pick.
The name of the game is simple for Simpson: speed kills. Amateur and pro scouts throughout his college and pro career have joked that Simpson possesses "90-grade" speed on the 20-80 scouting scale. Simpson has definitely lived up to that hype, as he stole 104 bases in 2024 at High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery, and stole 94 bases a year prior at High-A and Low-A Charleston. And no, those are not typos.
His speed makes such an impact in the game because he consistently puts the ball in play and gets on base at a high rate. He whiffs at a very low rate and also doesn't chase a lot, which leads to plenty of walks and hits.
The hit tool has been graded as high as a 70 on plenty of outlets. He's rarely going to find a power swing, but that doesn't matter much to Simpson as it's simply not a part of his game. He can stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples anyway. The speed shows up in the field as well, and has helped him seamlessly transition to the outfield after being drafted as a second baseman.
With outfielders Jonny DeLuca, Josh Lowe, and recently Richie Palacios hitting the IL, a spot opened up for Simpson to take over center field duties for the Rays during their weekend series against the Yankees in Tampa. He got the start in both Saturday and Sunday's games, getting eight total plate appearances. While his numbers for the weekend don't jump off the page, Simpson did exactly what is expected of him.
He went 2-8 on the weekend with just one strikeout, putting the ball in play in his seven other at-bats. His first hit was a double that came in the ninth inning of the Rays' epic four-run comeback against the Yankees on Saturday.
His second hit was a controversial infield single that was initially ruled an error and later changed to a hit that took a potential no-hitter away from Max Fried. The speed was most likely a factor in the defense booting the ball and the official scorer ruling it a hit later in the game. As a matter of fact, Simpson posted the fastest home to first time among any player in MLB this season on that play, getting up the line in 3.90 seconds.
Of course, he also earned his first big league steal in the same game. He looked great in center field as well, tracking down multiple fly balls across the outfield for easy outs. It looks like Simpson will remain on the big league roster for the foreseeable future, and has a shot at sticking around if he can be a spark plug in what has been a disappointing Rays lineup thus far in 2025.