MLB Prospects Who Just Missed Our Top 100 Update

Just Baseball’s first top 100 update of the 2025 season went live earlier this week, and as always is the case, it was extremely difficult to whittle the list down to 100 players.

As plenty of top prospects graduate, others create a compelling case to take their spot, whether it be a recently drafted player, a guy who made major changes mechanically or physically heading into the year, or a consistent player who is now doing it at the upper levels.

The list below is a mixture of prospects that fit each of those descriptors. There’s plenty more prospects who aren’t listed below who also received serious consideration, though these are some of the names with the most interesting cases.

Jaxon Wiggins – RHP – Cubs

Affiliate: Tennessee Smokes – Double-A

Highlighted as a breakout candidate ahead of the season, Wiggins appears to be on track to be doing just that. The further removed he has been from his Tommy John surgery that wiped out his junior season, the more impressive the 6-foot-7 right-hander has looked.

Despite a 6.55 ERA as a sophomore and the Cubs knowing that they would have to take over Wiggins rehab, they selected him in the second round, betting on his upside.

Once he returned to the mound in June of last season, it was clear the Cubs may have an arm that is worthy of some patience.

He got better as the year progressed and has parlayed that into a great start to the 2025 season, making seven starts for High-A South Bend, where he pitched to a 1.84 ERA in 29 innings.

While the command has improved, efficiency has still been a bit of an issue, holding him back from going deeper into starts even as the Cubs have let him push beyond the 80 pitch threshold.

Over his last few starts in Double-A, Wiggins has been more economical with his exciting three pitch mix, which could be the last piece before the full-fledged breakout ensues. His fastball is up a half tick, now averaging 97 MPH and the changeup looks like a plus pitch.

The slider hasn’t been there for him as consistently this year, but has the looks of what can be an above average pitch. Barring anything unforeseen, you can expect Wiggins to be on the next top 100 update.

Hunter Barco – LHP – Pirates

Affiliate: Indianapolis Indians – Triple-A

Barco would likely have been a first round prospect had he not undergone Tommy John surgery in his junior season, pushing him to the middle of the second round where the Pirates snagged him at pick No. 44 in 2022. It took a little time for Barco’s velocity bump up, returning late in the 2023 season where he averaged 91 MPH with his fastball, but still picked apart Low-A hitters with his deceptive delivery and quality secondaries.

He saw velocity jump to 93.5 MPH in 2024, turning in strong results at High-A before a lower body injury cut his season short just two starts into his Double-A promotion in July. Barco returned healthy for the start of 2025 and has dominated Double-A and now Triple-A hitters with his unique fastball. There’s some release similarities to Nick Lodolo, with Barco generating good run and ride which seems to push the ball onto hitters quickly.

To be candid, Barco just missed the list because of the timing of his injury. He was set to be one of the last names on the top 100 before a strain in his shoulder kept him out for a couple weeks. It turned out to be quite mild and his velocity was right back when he returned, but I just wasn’t sure of the severity and shoulders can be scary, especially off of Tommy John.

Cam Collier – 3B/1B – Reds

Affiliate: Dayton Dragons – High-A

Another prospect who very easily could have cracked the top 100 had he not been hurt, Collier just made his return from thumb surgery on June 4th. Collier struggled in the first half of 2024 before a swing adjustment put him on a torrid path the rest of the season.

There’s a fair amount of pressure on the bat as Collier’s build is one that could continue to slow him down with age and he is very reliant on his plus arm at third base. That said, he offers plus power potential that he started to tap into much more consistently last season. If he can settle in quickly and shake off the rust, Collier is a candidate to find his way back on the top 100 list, but given his profile, he’s going to need to really hit.

Grant Taylor – RHP – White Sox

Affiliate: Birmingham Barons – Double-A

Taylor snuck into the back of the preseason top 100, however, that was before I knew the White Sox planned to move him to the bullpen. In one sense, I understand the move as Taylor has battled arm injuries and it’s a high-effort delivery. On the other hand, Taylor’s four-pitch mix of such high-octane stuff deserves more runway as a starter.

Even as a reliever, Taylor is a borderline top 100 prospect as his ceiling would be a top 10 leverage arm in the game. His fastball could sit closer to triple digits in one inning spurts with the capability of being stretched out a couple innings when needed, making him a unique weapon. However, for a relief prospect to crack the top 100, it has to be elite whiff numbers over a full season sample.

Jackson Ferris – LHP – Dodgers

Affiliate: Tulsa Drillers

Ferris is a difficult pitcher for me to assess because while the upside is undeniable, he has stagnated some with his pitch mix.

The fastball and slider are two quality offerings, and his improved command of them helped him turn in strong results in the second half of the 2024 season, but the command is still below average, and the two pitches are not dominant enough for him to curb the need for a decent third.

His mid 70s curveball does not look like much more than a strike stealing pitch to flip in and the couple changeups Ferris tends to throw per start are often non-competitive. a 6-foot-4 lefty who is just 21 years old, Ferris could see his fastball tick up from 94 MPH on average, which could take some of the pressure off of the need for a third pitch.

At this point, an uptick seems more likely than the curveball or changeup making a leap, as both seem to have backed up from what already was a nascent stage in 2025. The talent is there, but so is the reliever risk.

Brady House – 3B – Nationals

Affiliate: Rochester Red Wings – Triple-A

Long a fixture on top 100 lists, House slipped off after a disappointing 2024 season at Double-A and Triple-A. In his defense, it was only his age-21 season, but the theme of poor swing decisions really came to a head when he walked at a 3% clip in Triple-A.

The exit velocities have always been there for House, though his game power has been hedged by a flatter swing path. House has been much more productive in his second taste of Triple-A, posting a 124 wRC+ through his first 56 games while hitting the ball as hard as ever.

Unfortunately, a lot of the same concerns are still there though. The chase rate is north of 30%, the ground ball rate is a bit elevated and secondaries are still giving him some trouble. He is definitely tapping into his strengths more but the weaknesses could tip the scale at the highest level.

Kaelen Culpepper – SS – Twins

Affiliate: Cedar Rapids Kernels – High-A

A late first-round selection by the Twins in 2024, Culpepper was viewed as a high-floor bat who may move off of short at the time of the draft. In the early going of his pro career, Culpepper has validated the high offensive floor assertion while providing some optimism that he can stick at shortstop.

Culpepper looks just about ready for Double-A as he is not only hitting for average at High-A (.297), but he is also getting into a little more power than expected, launching eight homers in 40 games. I was a little concerned by a ground ball rate that sat above 60% through the first 30 games of the season, though Culpepper has cut that down of late.

The other thing to monitor is Culpepper’s ability to recognize spin. A chase rate of 20% against fastballs balloons to 41% against breaking balls, which could be more detrimental to his slash line in Double-A If Culpepper can cut down the secondary chase and continue to cut down on the ground balls, he should be in our next update.

AJ Ewing – UTIL – Mets

Affiliate: Brooklyn Cyclones – High-A

A fourth-rounder in 2023, Ewing turned in a decent first pro season, but there was far too much whiff in his game for a speedy utility type. Ewing has looked like a completely different hitter this year, with a contact rate that has jumped from 68% in Low-A to 83% in High-A while hitting the ball harder.

Ewing is a plus runner and has made it a point to wreak havoc on the base paths this season, already stealing 39 bags on 43 tries through 47 games. It helps when you get on base at a .450 clip, but Ewing looks even quicker than he did in his first pro season and that is evident in the outfield as well.

The Mets are giving Ewing reps in all three outfield spots as well as second base, with center field being his primary spot in 2025. If he can improve his reads and routes some and continue to maintain these offensive gains, Ewing’s stock should continue to rise.

Other Prospects Who Received Consideration

Carson Whisenhunt – LHP – Giants: Whisenhunt is throwing as well as he has as a pro in a hitter-friendly PCL. The changeup is elite and he has made hitters respect his breaking balls a bit more this year. His arsenal screams innings-eating, back end starter, but the injury history tells a slightly different story.

Tink Hence – RHP – Cardinals: Injuries continue to be a theme and concern as is the variance in velocity and quality of stuff. Still a lot of reliever risk.

Enrique Bradfield Jr. – OF – Orioles: A surprising amount of whiff has crept into his game this season which is difficult to palate for a slash and dash hitter with bottom-of-the-scale power.

Khal Stephen – RHP – Blue Jays: It’s just a matter of seeing how the stuff plays above Low-A. The stuff looks good, but Stephen was clearly too good for the competition from a pitch-ability standpoint.

Justin Crawford – OF – Phillies: I can’t remember a prospect who has befuddled me more than Crawford. The ground ball rate borders on egregious territory with a high chase rate, yet the kid continues to produce. It ultimately looks like a swing that will get picked apart at the highest level, but you can’t completely ignore the production at each level.

Tre Morgan – 1B/LF – Rays: Morgan is the best two strike hitter in the minor leagues and he picks his spots well to try to do damage. The question remains whether he can do enough damage to carry the offensive burden of first base. While he’s an elite defender there, there’s a reason why the Rays continue to get him reps in left field.

Aidan Smith – OF – Rays: Smith is an exciting talent with the tools to impact the game in a myriad of ways. As is the case with many toolsy prospects, Smith will need to prove he can hit enough for it all to matter. A 32% strikeout rate is simply too high…especially why he is not slugging like he should.