With over 200 teams spanning three countries and two continents, Minor League Baseball is bigger and better than ever. Assuming ~25 players on each team, that’s over 5000 players playing the greatest game in the world at the professional level! These athletes work hard daily to achieve one goal: to become a Major Leaguer. While each player is worthy of recognition for their ongoing commitment to greatness, only a select few can be Prospects Of The Month!
The Minor League season kicked off in late March with Triple-A, while the lower levels started a few weeks later. There have been plenty of early standouts and incredible performances, especially from some unfamiliar names. Here are the April Prospects of the Month!
Stats as of 4/28/2025
C: Josh Kross, STL
Class A: .288 AVG/.368 OBP/.682 SLG/6 HR/1 SB/18.4% K/5.3% BB
The Cardinals haven’t done much right at the MLB level over the past few seasons, but producing excellent Minor League catchers is becoming their niche. We’ve already seen Iván Herrera break out at the MLB level this season, and now Class A catcher Josh Kross is a fast-rising name. Kross started his collegiate career at Eastern Michigan before transferring to Cincinnati. He hit at every level, posting a .862 OPS with 34 homers in college. The Cardinals grabbed Kross with a sixth-round pick last summer, and he’s breaking out this Spring. Playing exclusively at Class A Palm Beach, Kross is batting .288 with six homers, six extra-base hits, and a 1.050 OPS in 17 games. His early batted-ball data looks good, including a barrel rate of over 20%, a hard-hit rate of over 60%, and an in-zone contact rate of over 90%
1B: Nick Kurtz, ATH
Triple A: .321 AVG/.385 OBP/.655 SLG/7 HR/0 SB/26.8% K/10.3% BB
This will be Nick Kurtz’s first and only appearance on the Prospects of the Month after he was promoted last week to join the big club in West California. Before his promotion, Kurtz destroyed AAA pitching, posting a 1.040 OPS with seven homers and 24 RBIs in just 20 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. His 142 wRC+ was among the best in the Minors and truly encapsulates his offensive impact. The underlying metrics for Kurtz were impressive, with an average EV over 94 mph and a 107.8 mph 90th percentile. If one thing could impact Kurtz moving forward, it is a 27% K-rate, although much of his strikeout woes are ABS and approach-related, as opposed to having poor contact skills.
2B: Jordan Lawlar, ARI
Triple A: .356 AVG/.451 OBP/.644 SLG/5 HR/12 SB/23.6% K/13.0% BB
We’ve all heard it before, but Jordan Lawlar is knocking on the door to the Major Leagues. The Diamondbacks’ top prospect for three years running is red-hot early this season, slashing .356/.451/.644 with five homers and 12 steals in 26 games for Triple-A Reno. Perhaps the most important thing is that Lawlar is healthy for the first time since 2023 and is showing his tools. Beyond the surface stats, Lawlar has improved his strikeout and walk rates and made notable gains with his contact. The problem is that Lawlar is blocked at every possible position unless he transitions to the outfield, so his outstanding skills will remain at Triple-A for the foreseeable future.
3B: Otto Kemp, PHI
Triple A: .313 AVG/.415 OBP/.657 SLG/7 HR/4 SB/23.7% K/9.3% BB
Kemp is easily the oldest player on the list, having turned 25 this past September. But the lifelong Minor Leaguer has produced some of the best numbers thus far this season. Through 26 games, Kemp has a .313 average with seven homers and four steals and is responsible for an 182 wRC+ at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Although he’s hitting the ball hard consistently (93.5 avg EV/ 107.6mph 90th), Kemp has questionable contact skills and plate discipline. His best contact rate throughout his career is 70.8%, with an in-zone rate hovering near 80%, and Kemp is chasing over 30% of the time. There is no obvious path to playing time with the Phillies, but he is on the short list of potential call-ups.
SS: Marcelo Mayer, BOS
Triple A: .280 AVG/.324 OBP/.548 SLG/7 HR/1 SB/19.6% K/ 6.9% BB
Mayer has battled numerous injuries throughout his four-year professional career that have limited his experience and performance. Now that he’s fully healthy, he’s one of the most complete hitters in the Minors. Playing exclusively at Triple-A, Mayer is batting .280 with seven homers and 34 RBIs in just 23 games. Mayer is making contact at a near-90% clip, and the bat is finally catching up to his glove, which has been his carrying tool thus far. Of course, now that Mayer is healthy, the Red Sox do not need a shortstop, as Trevor Story has also been healthy. It’s possible the Sox make a trade that keeps fellow prospect Kristian Campbell in the outfield and lets Mayer play second base, but even that seems like a long shot with Roman Anthony on the cusp of his debut. Ultimately, Mayer is their best long-term option at the shortstop position and has been dynamic early in 2025.
OF: Konnor Griffin, PIT
Class A: .270 AVG/.345 OBP/.514 SLG/4 HR/11 SB/29.4% K/7.1% BB
18-year-old Konnor Griffin is a household name in prospect circles after being selected as the ninth overall pick in the 2024 Draft. The Pirates opted not to have the talented prepster debut last season, so his impressive start is even more exciting. Griffin is batting .270 with nine extra-base hits (including four homers) and 11 steals. Speed is the most developed of his tools, and he’s shown elite clock times early in his career. The Pirates have Griffin playing primarily at SS, but he’s also played four games in CF, which is his likely long-term assignment. Expect Griffin to close 2025 as a consensus Top 50 prospect who could find himself on the fast track to the Majors.
UTIL: Alex Freeland (SS), LAD
Triple A: .309 AVG/.382 OBP/.473 SLG/2 HR/6 SB/29.0% K/ 11.5% BB
Freeland has starred at Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .309 with 12 doubles and six steals. After a slow start to 2025, the 23-year-old had a stretch of six straight multi-hit games in mid-April, which jumped his average from .174 to .367, and he hasn’t looked back. Freeland hits the ball extremely hard with a 95.2 mph average EV and 106mph 90th percentile, although his barrel rate is just 9%. The most obvious downside for Freeland is that he plays in a roster-rich organization and is blocked everywhere, leading many to wonder if he’s the next Michael Busch.
SP: Sean Linan, LAD
Class A: 20.2 IP/0.87 ERA/54.1% K/5.4% BB
It’s still relatively early in April, but Sean Linan is unquestionably the talk of the Minor Leagues. The 20-year-old Columbian-born hurler is destroying hitters for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. In 20 2/3 innings, Linan has FORTY strikeouts and three double-digit strikeout games in his first four starts. Linan’s swinging strike rate sits at 24%, with an outrageous 49% strikeout rate. His ERA (0.87) and WHIP (0.58) are otherworldly, and it won’t be long before he’s promoted to High-A. Linan is no flash-in-the-pan either, having posted a 31.3% K-rate across two levels last season. He’s a name to monitor as the year goes on.
