Just Baseball’s Top 100 MLB Prospects: Top 10 Risers

Earlier this month, Aram Leighton published an update to Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list. The latest ranking features a new No. 1 prospect and includes 30 brand-new faces, many of whom were recently selected in the 2024 MLB draft.

This year’s first overall pick, Travis Bazzana (CLE), slots in at No. 22 on our list. JJ Wetherholt (drafted No. 7 overall, STL) ranks No. 24. You can read about all 30 newcomers on our Top 100 list here.

However, the new additions to the list aren’t the only prospects who deserve your attention.

Despite all of the fresh talent to compete with, several prospects managed to rise up our list since the last Top 100 update in June. Our biggest riser* climbed a whopping 57 spots, while one player ascended from No. 27 all the way into our top 10.

Without further delay, these are the highest risers on Just Baseball’s Top 100 MLB Prospects list.

*Only including prospects who were ranked on our previous Top 100 list.

More High Risers on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects List

• Dalton Rushing: No. 29 → No. 17 (+12)
• Enrique Bradfield: No. 72 → No. 59 (+13)
• Chase Dollander: No. 60 → No. 43 (+17)
• Tink Hence: No. 58 → No. 41 (+17)
• Sebastian Walcott: No. 42 → No. 25 (+17)
• Colt Emerson: No. 27 → No. 10 (+17)

Top 100 Prospects: 10 Highest Risers

10. LHP Noah Schultz, CWS: No. 32 → No. 13 (+19)

Height/Weight: 6’9″, 220 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 1st Round (26), 2022 (CWS) | ETA: 2027

Noah Schultz was already the top-ranked left-handed pitcher on our last Top 100 list. Now, he’s our No. 2 pitching prospect in the game, behind only Tigers righty Jackson Jobe.

Schultz earned a promotion to Double-A in May, and he has looked just as dominant against tougher competition. Over 12 starts with the Birmingham Barons, he has a 1.59 ERA in 45.1 IP. He has struck out 52 batters and given up only 31 hits, including just two home runs.

Perhaps the only red flag in Schultz’s performance so far has been all the hit-by-pitches; he has hit 11 batters in 19 starts between High-A and Double-A. However, the hit-by-pitches won’t kill him if he continues to keep his walks in check and induce weak contact.

Schultz has been on a tight innings limit this year, never pitching more than four frames in an outing. Thus, his next challenge will be to prove he can maintain this level of dominance while pitching deeper into games.

If he can do that, he has the talent (and the slider) to rise even further and become a top-10 prospect in baseball – and eventually a top-of-the-rotation arm.

Read more about Noah Schultz on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

9. LHP Thomas White, MIA: No. 70 → No. 47 (+23)

Height/Weight: 6’5, 210 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 1st Round-A (35), 2023 (MIA) | ETA: 2026

Thomas White was terrific over his first eight starts at Single-A this year, and if anything, he has been even better over his last 10 starts after a promotion to High-A.

Across both levels, White has a 2.78 ERA and a 3.20 FIP. Since his promotion, his strikeout rate is up, while his walk rate and batting average against are down.

With three above-average pitches in his repertoire (fastball, changeup, slider), he has also done a good job limiting hard contact. He has given up just four home runs on the season in 81 IP.

Still just 19 years old, White won’t be knocking on the big league door any time soon. However, he looks advanced for his age, and it’s not hard to imagine him developing into a No. 2 starter at the MLB level.

Read more about Thomas White on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

8. 1B Ryan Clifford, NYM: No. 97 → No. 71 (+26)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 210 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 11th Round (343), 2022 (HOU) | ETA: 2026

When the Mets dealt Justin Verlander to the Astros at last year’s trade deadline, outfielder Drew Gilbert seemed like the centerpiece of the return. Just over a year later, Gilbert is still a top-100 prospect (No. 89), but Ryan Clifford has climbed above him on our Top 100 list.

Clifford earned a promotion to Double-A in May. In 74 games since, he has hit 14 home runs and 16 doubles, good for an .807 OPS and 127 wRC+.

His 29.3% strikeout rate at Double-A is rather alarming, but he is walking 15.6% of the time. He’ll need to keep his chase rate down as he rises through the Mets’ system, but so far, he has shown promising signs of developing a little more patience at the plate.

Clifford will probably always strike out a ton, but he can still become a productive major league bat if he keeps drawing his walks and hitting home runs. The pull-side power he has demonstrated at Double-A this year is particularly encouraging.

Read more about Ryan Clifford on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

7. SS Kevin McGonigle, DET: No. 49 → No. 21 (+28)

Height/Weight: 5’11”, 185 | Bat/Throw: L/R | CB-A (37) – 2023 (DET) | ETA: 2026

Kevin McGonigle has risen 74 spots since our preseason Top 100 list, going from No. 95 to No. 49 to No. 21.

After lighting it up at Single-A, the 19-year-old phenom earned a promotion to the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. His offensive numbers took a dip, yet still, he proved he could hold his own against significantly tougher – and older – competition.

Most importantly, McGonigle continued to demonstrate phenomenal contact skills and plate discipline. He drew 11 walks and only four strikeouts over his first 57 plate appearances at High-A.

Watching him hit, it’s hard to remember he only just turned 20 years old.

McGonigle recently landed on the minor league injured list with a fractured right hand, almost certainly ending his 2024 season. His next steps, when he gets back on the field, will be developing a bit more power and working to improve his defense at shortstop.

Read more about Kevin McGonigle on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

6. RHP Brandon Sproat, NYM: No. 50 → No. 18 (+32)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (56) – NYM (2023) | ETA: 2025

Brandon Sproat wasn’t even ranked on our Top 100 list entering the season. He rose to No. 50 on our last update. Now, he’s in the top 20, and he’s our No. 4 pitching prospect in baseball. His stuff keeps getting better, and, just as crucially, his command is improving as well.

While he still carries some reliever risk, Sproat is looking more and more like an arm who can go through the order multiple times.

In his last outing at Double-A, Sproat tossed five scoreless innings, striking out 13 and walking none. He earned a promotion after that performance. While he has struggled in his first two starts at Triple-A (7.2 IP, 7 ER, 2 HR, 5 BB, 6 K), it’s hard not to get excited about what he can accomplish.

Sproat hits triple digits on his fastball, and all three of his secondary offerings have the potential to be plus pitches. His changeup, in particular, is one of the best offspeed weapons in the minor leagues.

If Sproat continues to miss bats and limit walks against tougher competition, we’re talking about a postseason-caliber starting pitcher – and one who isn’t so far away from the majors.

Read more about Brandon Sproat on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

5. C Edgar Quero, CWS: No. 66 → No. 33 (+33)

Height/Weight: 5’10″, 170 | Bat/Throw: S/R | IFA: $200K – 2021 (LAA) | ETA: 2025

Edgar Quero is only 21 years old, but it’s getting harder and harder to understand why he isn’t catching for the Chicago White Sox already. Over 72 games at Double-A this year, he hit 12 home runs with an .822 OPS and 144 wRC+.

Since his midsummer promotion to Triple-A, he hasn’t skipped a beat. Of particular note, he is walking 13.3% of the time while striking out in only 17.3% of his trips to the plate.

Quero blends plus contact skills with elite plate discipline, and it will be interesting to see if any of the power he has displayed at Double and Triple-A this year translates to the majors.

Simply put, Quero’s offensive profile is wildly impressive for a catcher, and his bat is unusually polished for such a young hitter. Although his glove remains questionable behind the plate, his bat should more than make up for any defensive shortcomings.

And of course, Quero still has plenty of time to improve his defense, whether he makes those improvements at Triple-A or in the majors.

Read more about Edgar Quero on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

4. OF Zyhir Hope, LAD: No. 86 → No. 49 (+37)

Height/Weight: 5’11″, 210 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 11th round (326) , 2023 (CHC) | ETA: 2027

Zyhir Hope is another name we didn’t even have ranked heading into the 2024 season. He climbed to No. 86 on our last Top 100 update. Now he’s one of the top 50 prospects in the game.

Hope spent two and a half months on the minor league IL this season with a shoulder injury. He came back to slash .316/.458/.421 with a 139 wRC+ in a seven-game rehab stint in the Complex League.

Since his return to Single-A, he is slashing .299/.434/.507 with a 155 wRC+ in 18 games.

Sure, we’re talking about a small sample size. Heck, Hope has only played 54 games in his pro career. Yet, it doesn’t take much to see that the 19-year-old has huge upside in his bat.

His strong arm and plus speed boost his floor, but at the end of the day, Hope needs to keep hitting to prove he can make enough contact to capitalize on his raw power. He still has a long way to go, but so far so good. And I mean so good.

Read more about Zyhir Hope on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

3. SS Leodalis De Vries, SDP: No. 56 → No. 15 (+41)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 190 | Bat/Throw: S/R | IFA: $4.2M – 2023 (SDP)  | ETA: 2028

It would be completely reasonable to think Leodalis De Vries is too young to be ranked this high. The shortstop won’t turn 18 until October, and he only has 75 games under his belt in his first pro season.

That said, it’s impossible to ignore what we’re seeing from De Vries right now. He’s showing the potential for plus power (.204 ISO at Single-A) and plus plate discipline (13.9% walk rate), and he’s handling himself well at shortstop.

Questions persist about how long De Vries can stick at short, but right now, he looks more comfortable than most evaluators expected. That said, his bat looks promising enough that he could certainly survive a shift down the defensive spectrum.

Read more about Leodalis De Vries on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

2. SS Jacob Wilson, OAK: No. 84 → No. 32 (+52)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 185 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st round (6) , 2023 (OAK) | ETA: 2024

Unfortunately, Jacob Wilson suffered a hamstring injury one plate appearance into his MLB career. Before that, however, the 22-year-old was tearing the cover off the ball in the minors, with a 1.161 OPS in 46 games.

Plenty of analysts had their doubts about how Wilson could maintain such gaudy numbers in the majors despite his low exit velocities. That said, when a guy is hitting the way Wilson was, he deserves a chance to prove himself at the highest level – especially when he’s also a solid defensive shortstop.

Wilson is currently on a rehab assignment back at Triple-A, where he has gone 2-for-5 with a .900 OPS in two games. He should be on the field with the A’s soon enough, where he will look to build upon all his early-season success.

No one is expecting an OPS over 1.000, but it will be interesting to see how his elite hit tool holds up against big league pitching. If he keeps his strikeouts down and consistently puts the ball in play, we could be talking about the A’s starting shortstop for years to come.

Read more about Jacob Wilson on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list

1. RHP Bubba Chandler, PIT: No. 92 → No. 35 (+57)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 200 | Bat/Throw: S/R | 3rd Round (72), 2021 (PIT) | ETA: 2025

Finally, it’s the highest riser on Just Baseball’s Top 100 list: 21-year-old Bubba Chandler of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Chandler recently earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he has already made two scoreless appearances, tossing a total of 13 IP with 17 strikeouts and just three walks. That should pretty much tell you all you need to know.

Entering the 2024 season, Chandler was still relying heavily on his mid-to-high 90s fastball. As the year has gone on, however, he has looked more confident in his other pitches, and it’s clear he boasts a deep and diverse arsenal.

This is a guy with naturally great stuff who has shown a propensity for making adjustments and improvements. Considering how comfortable he already looks against Triple-A competition, it’s easy to imagine Chandler joining Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Mitch Keller in the Pirates rotation in 2025. He still has room to grow, but why not let him do some of that growing at the big league level?

Read more about Bubba Chandler on Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects list