Top 100 Prospects Who Could Still Debut in 2024
This time of year is not only exciting for the tight playoff races but also the potential for bright young stars to make their MLB debut!
The scene is baseball ramps up to its hottest point this time of year. Teams are fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the postseason, while others are already dreaming of the season ending.
No matter which side of the scale your favorite team leans towards, this time of year can bring exciting promotions for young prospects.
Some clubs wait to call up their young talent for a boost to the roster ahead of a big postseason series. An example is the Tampa Bay Rays calling up Just Baseball’s number one overall prospect Junior Caminero in September of last season.
Other teams who have played themselves out of the playoff picture will use this time to let their prospects get a taste of the big leagues without having the stress of winning or going home.
On this iteration of Just Baseball’s Top 100, there are several players on the list who could find themselves making their big league debut prior to the season’s end.
Some will be added because they will make their respective team’s playoff chances as good as they can possibly be and others will be simply to give them a chance to prove themselves in the show.
Potential Call-Ups to Assist the Playoff Push
Brandon Sproat / RHP / NYM / Top 100 Rank: 18
2024 Stats (High-A – Triple-A): 92.1 IP / 2.53 ERA / 3.42 FIP / 22.3% K-BB%
Sproat was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft. The once reliever turned starter for the University of Florida, has skyrocketed up virtually every publication’s top prospects list. He ranks as Just Baseball’s 18th overall prospect and the third-best RHP prospect.
Sproat has pitched at three levels in 2024, beginning the season with a six-game stint in High-A before being promoted. Through 11 starts and 61.1 innings at Double-A, the 23-year-old posted a 2.45 ERA while striking hitters out at a 33.2% clip.
He did this all while showing off above-average command, earning a 6.5% BB rate.
Sproat was promoted to Triple-A on August 3rd and has debuted for the Syracuse Mets. In his first-career Triple-A start, he went 4.2 innings while striking out four batters. He allowed six earned runs on seven hits and three walks.
Although his first start post-promotion didn’t go as planned, Sproat’s arsenal is undeniably electric. At Double-A he faced 232 total batters and allowed just 39 hits. If he can settle in and perform for a stretch in Triple-A he could find himself pitching for the big league club.
The Mets currently sit two games back of a Wild Card spot in the National League and with their starting rotation ranking 18th in ERA among the league, they could turn to their young, blossoming righty for a boost.
There is also a chance the Mets could use Sproat in the bullpen at the big league level, as President of Baseball Operations David Stearns once employed a similar strategy with Corbin Burnes back in 2018, and it helped his Brewers get one game away from the World Series.
Owen Caissie / OF / CHC / Top 100 Rank: 28
2024 Stats (Triple-A): 95 G / 410 PA / 110 wRC+ / 12 HR / 6 SB
After a dominant 2023 at Double-A, Caissie was promoted ahead of this season and has spent all of 2024 at Triple-A. Last year the lefty slashed .289/.398/.519 while pumping 22 homers and 31 doubles in 120 games.
Through 95 games in Triple-A in 2024, Caissie has posted a 110 wRC+ and his overall production has ticked down as he’s adjusted to the higher level of pitching.
Something that he’s improved on is his K-rate. What was a 31.1% strikeout rate in 2023 is now 28%. Oddly, Caissie hasn’t chased out of the zone as much as one might expect when you see his strikeout rates. His O-Swing% ranks among the league average.
Caissie’s ability to lay off pitches out of the zone has allowed him to post a double-digit BB% at every level he’s played at in his professional career.
Caissie’s strikeout problems sprout from in-zone misses which is likely due to how hard he swings the bat. Just Baseball gave Caissie a 70-grade future game power grade on the most recent update to the Top 100.
His batted ball data and plate discipline metrics give him very enticing MLB player comparisons—namely, Austin Riley, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jo Adell. Adell is the most likely outcome for Caissie in the 2024 season if he is to be promoted.
The Cubs currently sit three games under .500 and five games out of a spot in the playoffs.
As a team, they rank 21st in total homers in 2024. Their lineup is in dire need of some extra pop and Caissie could provide that.
Fitting him into the lineup could be difficult as Caissie has primarily played in the corner outfield and Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ have been the second and third-best hitters on the Cubs this season.
Shuffling around the defense could allow for Caissie’s bat to replace Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s. PCA has played outstanding defense in center field but he’s posted a 65 wRC+ in 253 plate appearances this season.
Jacob Misiorowski / RHP / MIL / Top 100 Rank: 66
2024 Stats (Double-A – Triple-A): 84.1 IP / 3.52 ERA / 4.11 FIP / 15.6% K-BB%
Similarly to Sproat, Misiorowski was recently promoted to Triple-A. After posting a 3.50 ERA and a strikeout rate north of 30% through 19 starts in Double-A, the Brewers decided to promote one of the most electric arms in minor league baseball.
At a staggering 6-foot-7, the lanky righty boasts a disgusting four-pitch mix. His arsenal is headlined by his high-octane fastball which has already touched 102 MPH.
There’s no question that he has overpowering stuff. However, his projection as a starter has been crippled by a lack of feel for the strike zone. He’s walked over five hitters per nine this season. His lanky frame is incredibly difficult to control and he’s still learning how to effectively use his build.
The struggle to command the zone doesn’t mean that he can’t provide value for the Brewers late in the season and more importantly, in a playoff series. His plus cutter and curveball paired up with the pure fuel of his fastball will play just fine in the bullpen in October.
It appears that the Brewers organization has already begun the process of getting Misiorowski ready to be a reliever.
You can never have too many options in the bullpen in the playoffs and adding this big arm to Milwaukee’s bullpen, which ranks second in ERA and WHIP this season, would be the cherry on top.
Other Potential Call-ups
Jackson Jobe / RHP / DET / Top 100 Rank: 4
Jobe is the highest-ranked pitcher on the Top 100 list and for good reason. The former third-overall selection has dominated every level that he’s played in throughout his career.
His blend of overpowering stuff as well as his excellent command has led to K-BB% that would rank among the elite pitchers in Major League Baseball.
He began 2024 at Double-A, but had to spend some time on the IL and at High-A for a short stint of three starts rehabbing before returning to Double-A. Through 53.2 innings of work, Jobe has struck out 58 batters and walked 28. His 12.9% walk rate to this point in the season at Double-A is by far the highest mark he’s posted at any stop throughout his career.
His inability to stay healthy has raised slight concerns but the projection for Jobe is simply too high to be overly consumed by that worry.
Since he’s been injured, this might not be the time to have Jobe skip over Triple-A for a run in the show. However, the Tigers’ playoff hopes appear to be in the rearview mirror for this season, and having Jobe debut in a low-stress environment might not be out of the cards.
Colson Montgomery / SS / CHW / Top 100 Rank: 46
2024 Stats (Triple-A): 96 G / 422 PA / 86 wRC+ / 13 HR / 7 SB
Montgomery has taken a step back in his first run of time at Triple-A. Since joining the Charlotte Knights, the lefty-hitting shortstop has posted his worst career slash line since a 14-game sample in Double-A back in 2022.
Despite his struggles, the 6-foot-3 225 lbs framed slugger has a loud bat and plus power potential at the major league level. He’s hit 13 bombs to this point in 2024, while also gapping 15 doubles.
He’s struggled to adjust to Triple-A pitching, as his strikeout rate of 28.4% is the highest mark of his career at any level where he’s seen an extended run of time.
Just because he’s struggled adjusting to the more advanced pitching doesn’t mean a late-season call-up is completely improbable. The 22-year-old posted a 129 wRC+ at Double-A last season. Sometimes players can struggle to hit in a new ballpark so a change of scenery could spark some life back into Montgomery’s bat.
Jace Jung / 2B/3B / DET / Top 100 Rank: 86
2024 Stats (Triple-A): 90 G / 410 PA / 119 wRC+ / 14 HR / 2 SB
Another former first-round draft pick from the Detroit Tigers finds his way onto this list. Jung has spent nearly all of 2024 at Triple-A, outside of a four-game rehab assignment in Single-A in early July.
Jung’s ability to make loud contact has earned him an impressive 111.4 MPH max exit velocity, ranking in the 83rd percentile among Triple-A hitters with at least 100 batted ball events.
Despite his struggle to make consistent contact in the zone, he’s been elite at avoiding chase. His 16.1% BB rate has helped him post a .379 OBP, a solid mark for a power-hitting infielder.
The soon-to-be 24-year-old seems like one of the most likely September call-up candidates. He’s proven his ability to hit at Triple-A for just under 100 games to this point and it would make sense for the Tigers’ front office to want to get him exposure at baseball’s highest level prior to 2025.
Next season, Jung will have a real chance to earn a starting job for the big league club during Spring Training. Look out for Jung to get a headstart on his MLB career later this season.
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