Most exciting prospect on every NL East team from MLB's 2025 rankings

Major League Baseball has seen a lot of talented prospects debut over the last few seasons. This youth movement has helped provide excitement to the game for current and future generations.

MLB.com recently released its Top 30 prospect lists for all teams, and there is a lot of potential for baseball's future. Four of baseball's top farm systems lie with American League teams except for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Los Angeles always seems to have a strong prospect stash that helps keep them at the top of the league. However, the National League East has become one of baseball's toughest divisions, and a lot of that came from its great prospect pools.

While all five NL East teams are outside of the top 10 farm system rankings, they have all benefitted from talented prospects to keep them afloat. Let's examine the number one prospect for each team below.

The best prospect on each NL East team in 2025

Braves: Drake Baldwin, C (MLB No. 63)

Baldwin has blossomed into an incredible prospect for the Braves, as he had a monster season in 2024. He was the fifth-ranked prospect a year ago and worked hard to change that. The Wisconsin native is now knocking on the door of the MLB.

The Braves' third-round pick in the 2022 draft impressed last season with a .276/.370/.423 in 551 plate appearances, including 16 HR, 19 2B, 88 RBI, 72 BB, 95 K, and a 119 wRC+. Baldwin also hit well in the Futures game, continued that success in the AFL, and even appeared for Team USA in the Premier12 tournament.

The lefty power bat wasn't expected to make Atlanta's Opening Day roster but a recent injury to Sean Murphy may have changed things. Murphy was hit with a 95 mph fastball and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured left rib.

Baldwin has the confidence to be a starting catcher and Chris Sale had glowing remarks about the backstop after his recent spring start.

Baldwin is a nice target behind the plate with a strong arm. He is incredibly disciplined at the plate with a career 13.9% walk rate and features plenty of power. The Braves are asuredly thrilled to have a player like this waiting in the wings. Baldwin will make his MLB debut at some point this season.

Mets: Brandon Sproat, RHP (MLB No. 46)

The Florida Gators product was a second-round pick by the Mets in 2023 after an impressive collegiate career. He has since flown through New York's system and is knocking on the door of the big leagues. Sproat impressed in 2024 with a 3.40 ERA, 42 walks, and 131 strikeouts across three minor league levels.

Sporat is known for a high-velocity fastball that touches triple-digits and trends to sit between 96-98 mph. His heater isn't known for having ride, but he works in a sinker that may help offset that downside. He also features a changeup, slider, cutter, and, occasionally, a curveball.

The talented right-hander was reassigned to minor league camp, so he won't crack the Opening Day roster. However, he is great pitching depth for the Mets and he will likely debut at some point this season if he continues to impress.

Phillies: Andrew Painter, RHP (MLB No. 8)

Painter has been regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball for a while, but he's missed two seasons due to recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, he returned in the Arizona Fall League in 2024 and appeared in six games.

He looked like he hadn't missed a beat with a 2.30 ERA over 15.2 innings, including four walks and 18 strikeouts. Painter showed his potential with a plus-fastball that reached 100 mph, a curveball, a changeup, and a slider.

Painter will need to refine his command and work back up to pitching a full season in 2025. He's only 22 years old, so there's no need for the Phillies to rush him to the big leagues. Once he makes his way to Philly, he will make a great rotation even more formidable.

Nationals: Dylan Crews, OF (MLB No. 4)

Crews is one of the best outfield prospects in the game and it's easy to see how he's in MLB's top five best prospect rankings. He impressed in his first full season last year with a .270 average while adding 13 homers, 25 stolen bases, 68 RBI, and a 115wRC+.

The LSU product made his MLB debut in 2024 and showed flashes of success in the 31 games he played. He really impressed defensively with his great speed and range, featuring a 4 DRS and a 3 OAA. He won a MiLB Gold Glove for his impressive defensive work last season as well.

His chase rate will need to improve if he plans on approaching his vast potential, but that will come with time. Crews has a surprising amount of power and if he can pair that with his great defense and baserunning skills, he will become one of the best and most well-rounded outfielders in the game.

Marlins: Thomas White, LHP (MLB No. 41)

White was considered one the best pitchers available in the 2023 draft but somehow landed with the Marlins as a competitive balance pick at 35th overall. He impressed with a 2.81 ERA in his first full season in 2024 at the Low-A and High-A levels.

His fastball velocity increased last year and he improved the spin on his curveball which sits in the high-70s/low-80s. White also utilizes a nice changeup to keep righties off of his fastball.

He is very young at just 20 years old, so it's possible he doesn't ascend all the way to the majors this season. However, this is Miami we are talking about. They don't have a very good roster after doing next-to-nothing this offseason, meaning he could get a shot, especially if the team deals incumbent ace Sandy Alcantara.

Regardless, he needs to work on improving command and eventually, many experts believe he could be a No. 1 starter in Miami's rotation. White has been compared to Royals pitcher Cole Ragans and that feels like a fair comparison.

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