The divisional reports are a new series put out by the PitcherList dynasty team. These reports provide a list of the top ten prospects on each team in the division and highlight two players from each organization. Each division will be updated once per month by our divisional experts. Below is the first update for the AL Central that involves some early movement in 2024.
AL Central
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Drew Thorpe: After being traded twice this off-season, Thorpe is looking to continue his dominance from 2023. Just two earned runs in his first 24 innings, the White Sox may promote him to the big league club soon. Thorpe started the season with an eight-strikeout, five-inning performance with no earned runs. Now four starts into the season, Thorpe allowed only 16 hits and five walks in his 24 innings. A promotion should be coming shortly.
- Noah Schultz: I moved Schultz to #1 over Thorpe because the upside (also risk) seems higher than Thorpe. 27 strikeouts in 16 innings shows the stuff can already play at higher levels for Schultz. Just 10 hits and five walks allowed, Schultz gives them up in bunches with a 4.50 ERA. Schultz started off the season with a 10-strikeout performance in only four innings of work. Since that outing, he’s accrued seven, six, and four in three separate four-inning outings. The White Sox are going to be patient with Schultz and limit his innings in 2024 but he looks like a frontline starter.
- Edgar Quero: Coming off a “down” season as a 20-year-old in Double-A, Quero has started his age 21 season hot. A .281/.368/.547 slash with four home runs and a steal, Quero has been 21 years old for less than a month. Looking more like the breakout 2022 prospect, Quero is making a case for a top-10 dynasty catching prospect. A 16K:6BB split is something to monitor, but Quero can hit enough to overlook that for now. The power early on is great to see, as he is one home run shy of tying his total from 2023.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Nick Nastrini: Nastrini had a solid MLB debut, going five innings and tallying five strikeouts. Since that outing, it’s been a rough go for Nastrini as he went three innings in his next start, allowing five earned runs. He walked three in those three innings and was demoted to Triple-A following that start. The first start back in Triple-A was much of the same. He gave up seven earned runs on six hits, two home runs, and four walks. He should get another shot in Chicago by mid summer despite the rough outings.
- Jonathan Cannon: Promoted two days after Nastrini, Cannon similarly had a good MLB debut. A five-inning, three-hit game with one earned run and three strikeouts, Cannon and Nastrini looked MLB ready. Cannon has had two rough starts since, going 3.2 innings and allowing six earned runs, and five innings while allowing four earned runs. Both should continue to get looks over the year with the White Sox as they’re most likely not contending.
- Colson Montgomery/Jacob Gonzalez: Both recent first round selections in the MLB Draft have spent a majority of their time at shortstop this season. Montgomery has played all 23 games at short, and Gonzalez has tallied 18 of his 20 up the middle. The White Sox hope to have a decision to make, if both prospects make it to the big league level at the same time.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Jackson Jobe: The most picked pitching prospect as the new potential best in baseball, Jobe has started 2024 hot. A 2.16 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 16.2 innings, Jobe is flashing his plus stuff. The concerning part is he has walked 10 batters in those 16 innings, compared to just six in 64 2023 innings. Sadly, Jobe left his last start with a hamstring injury, but hopefully it’s a short setback.
- Kevin McGonigle: McGonigle reported to Low-A late on April 23rd but has picked up where he left off. A .429/.556/.571 slash line, McGonigle just keeps hitting. 4BB:1K in five games for McGonigle shows the advanced approach for the youngster. The extra-base power is what will determine how elite of a player McGonigle can be in the future. Regardless, he looks like a top of the order hitter with Max Clark.
- Ty Madden: Madden spent all of 2023 in Double-A despite a 3.43 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 118 innings. After 17.2 Double-A innings in 2024, Madden allowed just 11 hits, three walks, and striking out 22. This earned him a promotion to Triple-A, now just one stop from Detroit.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Jackson Jobe: One of the most watched prospects in baseball, Jobe has had some injuries that kept him off the field. Luckily, an arm injury hasn’t been one of them. In 2023 it was a back injury, and now in 2024 he tweaked his hamstring. Most likely less than a month of recovery time, Jobe should be back dominating by June.
- Ty Madden: The Tigers seem to be taking it slow with Madden, as he’s now 24 and was just promoted to Triple-A. After dominating his first 4 Double-A starts of 2024, Madden could be in the Tigers rotation by July.
- Wenceel Pérez: Finally promoted to the major league level, Pérez is off to a scorching start. Pérez is a prospect I’ve been begging for a big league promotion for some time now. Along with Justyn-Henry Malloy, Pérez has shown there isn’t much more they can do in lower levels. Now 24, Pérez has already hit three home runs, two triples and is slashing .298/.365/.596 for the Tigers.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Emmanuel Rodriguez: An intriguing prospect, Rodriguez strikeouts and hit tool were the question of how successful he could become. A 28.8% strikeout rate hasn’t improved much in his short 2024 sample size, but the .294 average is a great start. In 16 games, Rodriguez is walking at a 30.1% rate and tallied four home runs with nine steals. Rodriguez has a .423 BABIP so the average will most likely decrease but he’s a 25HR/25SB player with an elite OBP potential.
- Marco Raya: One of my favorite pitching prospects over the last two years, Raya has continued to impress in 2024. In 11.1 Double-A innings, Raya has allowed 11 hits and three walks. Tacking on 14 strikeouts, Raya has a 2.38 ERA. Next up for Raya is to be stretched out and show he can stick as a starter, throwing more than three innings.
- Charlee Soto: Along with Raya, Soto is one of my most liked pitching prospects. Also like Raya, Soto has gotten off to a great start. A 2.08 ERA, with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. His best outing was a four-inning no hitter with seven strikeouts. The stuff is more advanced for the Low-A level, but Soto is still working on commanding his pitches.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Walker Jenkins/Emmanuel Rodriguez: Two of the top hitting prospects for the Twins have gone down with injuries. Walker Jenkins went down in his first game of 2024 with a hamstring injury and hasn’t returned. Emmanuel Rodriguez is returning to the lineup May 1st for Double-A but missed a few games due to a wrist injury.
- Austin Martin: The former fifth overall pick in 2020, Martin made his MLB debut early in 2024. In 22 games, Martin only hit .226 but added in one home run, two steals, and a solid 12K:6BB split. Martin could be up and down for most of 2024 as a utility man where needed until he proves he needs an everyday role.
- Simeon Woods Richardson: A prospect that has been around for a while, SWR is only 23 years old. He made his MLB debut in 2022 but has only thrown 9.2 MLB innings between 2022 and 2023. With 14.2 MLB innings in 2024, SWR holds a 2.45 ERA with 13 strikeouts. As long as he continues to pitch well, he’ll stick in the rotation.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Kyle Manzardo: Simply put, Kyle Manzardo is ready for the big leagues. He’s put up a .323/.400/.667 slash line, with eight home runs in just 26 games. Manzardo has done all he can to put himself back on near the top of hitting prospects yet to debut. Given that he’s a Cleveland Guardian, the MLB debut could be longer away than expected but not for lack of readiness.
- Ralphy Velazquez: Drafted 23rd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Velazquez is a popular sleeper pick for breakout prospect. In 19 Low-A games, the 18-year-old has hit four home runs and holds a 20K:11BB split. He’s added one steal and is slashing .273/.363/.481. Velazquez is a bat first prospect that is displaying it early on.
- Jaison Chourio: The younger brother of Jackson Chourio, Jaison is quite the different prospect. A high walk and low strikeout player, Jaison has the potential to be better than Jackson. Jaison possesses advanced plate discipline that Jackson doesn’t have, and size. At 6’1, Jaison has plenty of time to develop some power in his frame. A 20BB:11K split, Jaison continues to show a patient approach. Tapping into some power, Jaison has two home runs in just 19 games compared to just two in 48 games last year.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Chase DeLauter: One of the biggest off-season rises due to a great AFL, DeLauter seems to have hurt the same foot he previously injured. Not much has been released about the injury yet but there is cause for concern given the history.
- Joey Cantillo: Cantillo is missing time with a hamstring injury and is about halfway through the expected recovery time. An 8-10 week injury he sustained at the end of March, Cantillo could be back on the mound in early June. Once back, he may not need many starts before a debut.
- Daniel Espino: A top prospect arm, Espino had shoulder surgery in early March and is expected to miss all of 2024. Still early on in his recovery, Espino is not a name to forget. When he’s on the mound, he’s lights out but shoulder injuries for hard throwing pitchers are as tough as it gets.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Blake Mitchell: The eighth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft has started 2024 slashing .257/.421/.473, with three home runs and seven stolen bases. Mitchell looks the part of a top-10 talent. The bat has clearly played better this season in all aspects with Low-A Columbia. Mitchell is still striking out at a high rate, with 34K:20BB in 20 games. The patient approach is there to walk but he’ll need to make more contact.
- Frank Mozzicato: The seventh overall pick in 2021, Mozzicato has struggled with command to start his career. The command is still a bit shaky but the high upside is there. In 14 innings, he’s allowed just three hits, while walking six and tallying 17 strikeouts. Still 20 years old and yet to allow an earned run, Mozzicato could be on the verge of a breakout season.
- Ben Kurdna: The 43rd overall pick in 2021 after Mozzicato, Kurdna has seen some of the same struggles. 2024 has been similar to Mozzicato as well. Both are pitching for High-A Quad Cities and finding more success. Kurdna is newly 21 years old and could see Double-A action as soon as late May. In 25.2 innings, Kurda has 32 strikeouts with a 2.45 ERA. Both Kurdna and Mozzicato look to be turning a corner.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Will Klein: A high strikeout reliever, Klein got the call for one game and was lights out. 1IP, no hits, and two strikeouts for his MLB Debut. He was rewarded by being sent back to Triple-A, but Klein could be a high-leverage option later in the season.
- Mason Barnett: No new yet, but Barnett is a candidate to watch for a Triple-A promotion shortly. He dominated in 2023 and is doing much of the same in 2024. In 23.2 innings, Barnett has struck out 32 batters. The most MLB ready pitching prospect in the organization with good upside, Barnett could be in Kansas City by late July.
- Hunter Owen: Like Barnett, no news yet but Owen is dominating Low-A Quad Cities and could see Double-A soon. A 1.96 ERA in 23 innings with 23 strikeouts, Owen looks advanced for Low-A. The 106th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, Owen stands 6’6, 260 pounds and shouldn’t have an issue with workload. Look for a Double-A promotion by mid-June.