Pre-Trade Deadline Top 100 Prospects Update

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

With the most recent list cycle completed and the draft concluded, I’ve updated the Top 100 Prospects list, which you can now find over on The Board. I’ll have a couple of posts detailing the player movement up shortly, starting with the pitchers. Remember that you can see whose FV grade has changed with this update in the “Trend” column. There are several cases where a player’s ordinal ranking shifted a bit but their FV grade (which is the more important thing) did not, and thus they have no trend arrow.

In addition to the handful who made the Top 100, recent draft picks have been added to the team-by-team prospect lists. Graduating rookies have been pulled off the Updated 2024 Report and can be found on the 2024 Graduates tab. The pre-draft/pre-graduation 2024 Report can be found here.

I’ll be moving prospects from one org list to another as they get traded during the next couple of days. As you can see, I’ve already done that for Miami and Tampa Bay, who both made deals yesterday. (Our analysis of the Randy Arozarena trade that sent Brody Hopkins and Aidan Smith to the Rays can be found here.)

The Farm System Rankings will also change in real time as deals get done. You can already compare the pre-draft/pre-graduation Farm Rankings to what they look now. I’ll write an article detailing the movement in that space after the trade deadline.





Eric Longenhagen is from Catasauqua, PA and currently lives in Tempe, AZ. He spent four years working for the Phillies Triple-A affiliate, two with Baseball Info Solutions and two contributing to prospect coverage at ESPN.com. Previous work can also be found at Sports On Earth, CrashburnAlley and Prospect Insider.

42 Comments
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sharks2431
2 years ago

Appreciate the update!

Do you know why the trend arrows aren’t showing for some players? Agustin Ramirez for instance was a 40+ prospect on the Yankees team list. It looks like you bumped him up to a 45+, but there is no arrow indication on the trend cell for him.

sadtromboneMember since 2020
2 years ago
Reply to  sharks2431

I think Nacho Alvarez got bumped to a 50 too and there’s no arrow.

There’s some weird stuff going on, like Cooper Pratt is listed as 76 on the top 100 but his FV is still 40+. I think some stuff might have not been copied over.

DLHughey
2 years ago
Reply to  sadtrombone

The trend arrows have always been a bit arbitrary IMO. Matt Shaw is posting a solid 136 wrc+ and got an arrow down.

sharks2431
2 years ago
Reply to  DLHughey

Yeah but that’s because he fell a FV tier.

DLHughey
2 years ago
Reply to  sharks2431

Given that this is projecting way into the future, going up or down a half grade for anyone barely seems “trend”-worthy.

msomers13
2 years ago
Reply to  DLHughey

Future $ is tied to that FV projection. It’s important imo. Holliday going from a 70 to a 65cis absolutely massive from a prospect valuation standpoint.

sadtromboneMember since 2020
2 years ago
Reply to  DLHughey

I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about clerical errors.

Last edited 2 years ago by sadtrombone
sharks2431
2 years ago
Reply to  sadtrombone

Good call. I see Carson Williams jumped a tier to 60 FV and there’s no arrow for him either. Maybe they’re still working out the kinks.

TKDCMember since 2016
2 years ago
Reply to  sadtrombone

I think Drake Baldwin was also bumped up without an arrow. Maybe guys that are new to the list don’t get arrows?

sadtromboneMember since 2020
2 years ago

I don’t think the new farm system rankings are live yet…hopefully soon?

Sam Schuth
2 years ago

Can’t wait to find out how Marcelo Mayer managed to go from a 50 to a 60 just since the Sox list was published!

mstacey9
2 years ago

Thrilled to see the hype train for Sproat outside of Queens!!

David Klein
2 years ago
Reply to  mstacey9

So excited about him this might be a hot take but I think he has higher upside than Scott has.

WerthlessMember since 2020
2 years ago

Phillies rankings seem to be more of a preseason ranking, IMO. Crawford as number 7 prospect, for example, does not seem to reflect consensus. Maybe Eric just doesn’t like Crawford or Klassen, another guy who is a riser.

formerly matt wMember since 2025
2 years ago
Reply to  Werthless

I think you’re right about the ranking mostly being a preseason ranking–the update only affects top 100 prospects, former top 100 prospects (maybe?), graduates, and new draft picks. The number 7 prospect on an individual team’s list probably hasn’t gotten re-ranked even if Eric would re-rank him if he were doing the lists again today.

Left of Centerfield
2 years ago

I don’t know. Welbyn Francisco was Cleveland’s #8 prospect at the beginning of the year. He’s now been moved from a 45 to 50 grade.

Uncle SpikeMember since 2020
2 years ago

Well yeah, that means he’s a top 100 prospect now which would make sense that he has been reranked.

WerthlessMember since 2020
2 years ago
Reply to  Werthless

Klassen as the headliner for the Carlos Alvarez trade… Yeah, he wasn’t the 27th ranked Phils prospect anymore.

tdmocMember since 2023
2 years ago

Holliday fielding downgraded from 40/60 to 40/45, eh?

bada87bingMember since 2020
2 years ago

I am surprised to see Kevin McGonigle stay a 45. Likewise for Ty Madden, although for opposite reasons.

fangraphsreaderbutwokeMember since 2024
2 years ago

EL don’t know if you read comments but Pirates fans wonder where Carlson Reed fits

shortstoppin_Member since 2020
2 years ago

As of list publication one month ago, Eric had him off the main list seemingly due to velocity issues.

Last edited 2 years ago by shortstoppin_
fangraphsreaderbutwokeMember since 2024
2 years ago
Reply to  shortstoppin_

Huh, he’s a bit up and down but sitting 91-94 and hitting 96 from what I’ve read.

Petey BienelMember since 2019
2 years ago

Mitchell Parker should be a graduate as he’s at 95 innings. Also, I noticed in some systems the draft picks are slotted in and given a ranking (ie, Montgomery #5 for Boston) while for others they aren’t slotted in (ie, Seaver King and the other top 4 Nats picks).

Sleepy
2 years ago

Curious to know where Kurtz would be ranked had he been drafted by anyone other than the A’s…

bada87bingMember since 2020
2 years ago
Reply to  Sleepy

… the same?

sadtromboneMember since 2020
2 years ago
Reply to  Sleepy

This is among the worst grievances any fan has had against a writer. It’s both factually wrong (he assigned the grade before the draft) and the only person who would defend the A’s is someone being held hostage. Blink three times and we’ll be there with a rescue team.

Sleepy
2 years ago
Reply to  sadtrombone

It’s not easy being an Oakland fan, man. Just a non-stop barrage of shit from all angles.

And just a year after seven members of the 2023 Draft immediately got ranked inside the Top 75, while Jacob Wilson went unranked… and then hit over .400 for a calendar year in the minors.

[sigh]

Ivan_GrushenkoMember since 2016
2 years ago
Reply to  Sleepy

I was an Oakland fan and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Shirtless George Brett
2 years ago
Reply to  Sleepy

Yeah, and after that Wilson was ranked as the A’s best non pitching prospect and 38th overall prospect. So I’m not exactly sure what your grievance even is.

Its not like he was given a 30 grade after the draft or something. He was a 45+ when he was drafted. He hit well in the minors so he was bumped up to 50 and rose in the ranks accordingly. That’s how it works.

EDIT: he was also featured in the “100 other prospects to know” write up by Eric. So its not like he was totally ignored before

Last edited 2 years ago by Shirtless George Brett
bubblesMember since 2024
2 years ago

Quinn Mathews has really shot up from his org list ranking. I’m not surprised given his dominance in A and A+ and am glad he is in AA now getting challenged more. I really like Mathews and think he has to be one of the biggest 2023 draft risers. But I am curious how he will do in AA and if he ends up looking like Graceffo did for the Cards. Graceffo dominated lower levels and struggled more at the higher levels, although that shoulder injury seemed to sap him of the extra velo that really helped him.

bubblesMember since 2024
2 years ago

What is an uphill fastball? I noticed about a dozen guys like Gasser, Meyer, and Hence have it. Is it just significant rise even more than a rising fastball?

phanadic
2 years ago
Reply to  bubbles
PersonMember since 2024
2 years ago

Looking forward to the hitter article because I am confused about Shaw downgrading if none of his component grades nor his position changed. The complete list of 50+ hit, 60+ power, 60+ speed guys is Holliday, Crews, and Shaw.

Last edited 2 years ago by Person
shaq_diesel
2 years ago

I really don’t understand how Chandler Simpson isn’t on this list. You want him to bat .450 in the upper minors instead of .350? Steal 200 bags instead of 150? CF that’s gonna 90 wRC+ and go 80/100 SB for the next 5 years in TB sounds like the extreme low end, and that’s worth 12-15 fWAR in that time. There’s no damn way there’s 100 players more likely to be succesful than this guy.

Last edited 2 years ago by shaq_diesel
Ivan_GrushenkoMember since 2016
2 years ago
Reply to  shaq_diesel

So average offense and slightly below average defense without much upside? Sounds like Vince Coleman

shaq_diesel
2 years ago
Reply to  Ivan_Grushenko

You need to look up Coleman again homie. That guy couldn’t hit for shit. Juan Pierre is looking like Simpson’s floor, and Brett Butler/KennyLofton is like his ceiling. He led D1 in OBP in college, and has done the same through the upper levels of the minors.

shaq_diesel
2 years ago

Xavier Isaac being top 10 2 years after everyone ragged on the Rays for drafting him like 28th overall is hilarious. Well done Rays.

Shirtless George Brett
2 years ago
Reply to  shaq_diesel

I mean, he was a high school 1st baseman. People were rightly justified in questioning the decision to draft a HS 1st baseman with the 29th pick. And they still might wind up being right as he has yet to play above A ball.

Torkelson crushed A ball too. There is a saying about counting chickens thats pretty apt here.

bada87bingMember since 2020
2 years ago

I’d be very surprised if Isaac didn’t have a better career than Torkelson at this point.

Shirtless George Brett
2 years ago
Reply to  bada87bing

Thats a hell of a thing to say about a guy who hasnt even reached AA yet. Especially considering Tork is only 24. Its entirely possible that he figures things out and has a long career.

bada87bingMember since 2020
2 years ago

Which player would you prefer? The 60 FV prospect worth -0.4 WAR in 1300 MLB plate appearances or the 60 FV prospect who has yet to make any MLB plate appearances? What I said is not going out on a limb, at all.