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. You can look for these reports every Thursday and Friday during the first three weeks of each month.
Statistics are entering Sunday, May 5th
AL East
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Top prospect Jackson Holliday was FINALLY called up on April 10th, 2024, ending the speculation on his arrival. Things did not go well for the 20-year-old as he’s struggled to a 5-for-34 start with one RBI and a 50% strikeout rate. Holliday was demoted to Triple-A on April 26th. Don’t give up on Holliday. He is a superstar in the making and will be just fine in the long run.
- Hot-hitting Heston Kjerstad was promoted on April 23rd. We’ll dive into Kjerstad in a moment, but the 25-year-old is getting his second shot in the Majors. In his previous stint, Kjerstad hit .233 with two homers and a 33.3% strikeout rate in 21 games to close out 2023. Kjerstad was the #2 overall pick in 2020 but lost significant development time after a severe case of myocarditis.
- Right-hander Cameron Weston made the jump from High-A to Double-A after an incredible start. The 2022 8th rounder was 1-0 with a 0.54 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in four starts before his promotion. Weston had a 27% strikeout rate last season in a brief sample and Weston has a history of strong swing-and-miss dating back to his collegiate days at Michigan.
Notable Performances
- Remember that Heston Kjerstad guy? Well, he and his Norfolk Tides teammates have turned the International League into their personal batting practice. The team has scored over six runs per game, is slugging just under .500, and has 59 home runs. Kjerstad was the monster in the middle, hitting ten homers with 30 RBIs in just 86 at-bats. His hot start left the Orioles no choice but to promote Kjerstad, even without a clear path to playing time.
- Coby Mayo had a monster April, mashing eight homers with 22 RBIs and a .327 batting average. Strikeouts continue to be an issue for Mayo, but if he keeps producing, the Orioles will promote him next.
- Not to be outdone by the bats, left-hander Cade Povich has completely dominated Triple-A hitters in his six starts. Povich has a 1.11 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a 45:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Hitters are batting an anemic .139 against him, and Povich looks poised to receive his first promotion as the back end of the Orioles’ rotation has continued to struggle.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Two Red Sox outfielders have joined the MLB ranks. Centerfield extraordinaire Ceddanne Rafaela made the club out of Spring Training and has dazzled defensively. With the bat, Rafaela is slashing a paltry .162/.210/.284 with one homer and two steals.
- The other player is Wilyer Abreu, who also made the Opening Day roster. After a slow start, Abreu is batting .353 with one homer and four steals over the past 14 days. Abreu has worked into an everyday role following an early injury to Tyler O’Neill.
Notable Performances
- Miguel Bleis (A) is back from a shoulder injury that cost him most of 2023. It’s been a mixed bag so far for Bleis. He’s hitting .210 with no homers but has nine steals and eleven walks in 81 at-bats. Bleis is still just 20 years old, and has a bevy of offensive tools.
- Right-hander Richard Fitts has been solid in his first five starts. Fitts has a 3.91 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, with a 15.6% K-BB rate. The Red Sox acquired Fitts in a rare trade with the Yankees this offseason, and Fitts could be the first starter up as the Sox rotation continues to be ravaged by injury.
- 19-year-old backstop Johanfran Garcia is a name to watch, and has started quickly at Low-A Salem. In his first 14 games, Garcia is batting .385 with seven extra-base hits, five runs, and five RBI. Garcia grades highly in both power and hit-tool, and is showing a solid approach for a teenager playing in his first full season. Garcia was placed on the 7-day IL with a right knee sprain, but no timetable has been given for his return.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Entering the season, Austin Wells was named the team’s backup catcher. Unfortunately for Wells, his bat has kept him from receiving consistent at-bats. While the 24-year-old backstop has an 18.3% walk rate, his .179 batting average has been less than desirable. Aside from an outlier stint at High-A, Wells’ offensive skills have been a high OBP with middling power.
Notable Performances
- Southpaw Trystan Vrieling is garnering attention early in 2024. After missing all of 2023 with a fractured elbow, Vrieling is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in his first five pro starts, all for Double-A Somerset. Vrieling was a 3rd round pick in 2022 from Gonzaga. He features a three-pitch mix with a low-90s fastball and two above-average off-speed pitches.
- Catching prospect Agustin Ramirez leads Double-A with nine homers in his first 86 at-bats. Ramirez was outstanding across three levels last season, slashing .271/.364/.455 with 18 homers and 12 steals. His 14.4% walk rate was impressive for his age, and a 20% strikeout rate was well within reason.
- Brock Selvidge continues to build on his dominant performance in the Spring Breakout. The left-hander has pitched to a 1.73 ERA in five starts this season, holding hitters to a .214 average and striking out batters at a 26% clip. At this rate, Selvidge should get a jump to Triple-A by early June.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- The Rays opened the season with prospects Curtis Mead and Austin Shenton on their Opening Day roster. Mead is hitting .218 with little offensive production (7 runs, 5 RBI), while Shenton is hitting .171 in limited action. Mead is particularly disappointing given his track record in the Minors, but he’s had only 170 career at-bats, so it’s too early to throw in the towel.
- Catcher Alex Jackson in back in the fold for the Rays. Jackson was recalled on May 3rd to replace the struggling Rene Pinto. The 28-year-old is barely a prospect based on at-bats, but he was off to a blazing start at Triple-A Durham. In 22 games, Jackson had a .282 average, seven homers, and a .956 OPS.
Notable Performances
- Shortstop Carson Williams is hitting well at Double-A. In 89 at-bats, Williams has four homers and seven steals with a .337 average. Jose Caballero got off to an outstanding start to 2024 at SS for the Rays, but has cooled recently. In addition, Caballero’s positional versatility could give Williams a shot at shortstop sooner rather than later.
- 2023 first-round pick Brayden Taylor started hot at High-A but has slumped a bit recently. The TCU product is hitting .257 with two homers and eight steals in his professional debut. Perhaps most important is his 20 walks compared to 25 strikeouts in 74 at-bats, producing a .411 on-base percentage. The highly-regarded 21-year-old could be in line for a promotion by mid-season.
- Slugging first baseman Xavier Isaac is off to a slow start to his 2024 season. The 20-year-old consensus Top 50 prospect is hitting just .198 with three homers and a 35.8% strikeout rate. It’s worth noting that Isaac struggled early in 2023 as well before finishing with a .285/.395/.521 slash with 19 homers and 12 steals.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Technically, starting pitcher Yariel Rodriguez received a promotion when he debuted on April 13th. The 27-year-old is not a prospect in all formats, but Rodriguez signed with the Jays this offseason following three years in Japan. He was dominant in his first two starts, posting a 2.35 ERA with 13 strikeouts to two walks. His control got a little wonky in his final two outings before he landed on the IL with a back injury. Rodriguez failed to get more than 12 outs in any start, and will need ample time to build up to a starters workload after his year off.
- I was ecstatic to see Addison Barger finally get the call! He started his 2024 by slashing .314/.435/.586 with three homers and 21 RBIs at Triple-A. Unfortunately, Barger went 1-for-18 in his MLB debut and was demoted back to the Minors on May 3rd.
Notable Performances
- Orelvis Martinez is mashing at Triple-A. His eight homers, 23 RBIs, and 28 runs scored lead all Blue Jays’ minor leaguers. Martinez and Barger were both pushing to be promoted to fill a gaping hole at 3B for the Blue Jays, and it’s possible he could debut soon. In 2018, Martinez received a $3.5M bonus as an international free agent. While he profiles as power-over-hit, Martinez has improved his strikeout rates each of the past two seasons, while also walking at a higher rate. If he’s given full run at third base in the big leagues, he can be highly impactful on the offensive side.
- I wish we had better news on Ricky Tiedemann, but he’s already on the IL. The talented left-hander is experiencing discomfort in his pitching elbow, which marks his third consecutive season with injury woes. Tiedemann threw well in the Arizona Fall League and looked pretty good in Spring Training, but the Jays opted to send him to the Minors.
- News isn’t better for 2022 1st rounder Brandon Barriera. The 20-year-old southpaw underwent an internal brace procedure (Tommy John) on April 29th. The recovery is expected to last 12-14 months, meaning that Barriera won’t return to a mound until mid-2025.