3 Pitching Prospects on the Rise
Gage Jump, Jack Wenninger, Carlos Lagrange
In this article, I cover 3 pitching prospects that have impressed me this season, including one that has the potential to be the #1 Pitching Prospect in baseball.
Gage Jump - ATH
I said it before, and I will say it again: Gage Jump has #1 Pitching Prospect potential!
Gage Jump was selected 73rd overall in the 2024 Draft by Oakland. He missed the 2023 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery but returned strong in his final year in college. This season he is making a name for himself as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball with an electric combination of stuff and command. Jump releases from a 3/4 slot and he utilizes his smaller stature to get low and create a deceptive approach on his offerings. His fastball is one of the most dominant offerings in MiLB thanks to its mid 90s velocity and high rising action. He has an excellent feel for the pitch and it misses bats in the zone at an exceptional rate. He pairs his fastball with a mid-80s changeup that exhibits nearly a foot of vertical separation. Jump wields a trio of breaking balls: a slider, a sweeper, and a curveball. His slider exhibits slight glove-side action at 85 MPH and mixes it in against both LHH and RHH. His sweeper is exclusively used against LHH where its 81-83 MPH velocity and ~12" of sweep works well as a put away offering low and away. His curveball sits in the high 70s with 2-plane action.
Jump’s biggest drawback is his violent delivery, although his strike throwing has greatly improved this season. He has some relief risk, but the arsenal paints the picture of a future front of the rotation arm if he can remain consistent.
Jack Wenninger - NYM
Wenninger has the perfect frame for a starter, standing at 6'4" and 210 lbs. He has seen a substantial increase in his fastball velocity in 2025, with an additional +1.5 MPH compared to last season, which has it sitting 94-96 MPH. This increase, along with a lower arm slot and more ride on his fastball, has pushed it to average status while flashing above average traits. He doesn't have the greatest feel for the offering, but is able to battle back into counts thanks to its strong swing and miss numbers. He added a sinker this season, which sits in the same velocity band as his fastball and deviates slightly from his 3/4 slot. The prized pitch in Wenninger's arsenal is his changeup. It sits at 83-85 MPH and exhibits ~15" of vertical separation from his fastball. It's low spin nature leads to some wasted pitches, but he is mostly consistent in repeating its shape and locating it low in the zone and inside vs LHH. This pitch is so effective vs LHH, that Wenninger has exhibited reverse splits throughout his pro-career. He rounds out his arsenal with a slider with tight gyro movement and slight depth at 83-85 MPH. He is doing a better job at attacking the zone and getting ahead in counts, which is reflected in his improved walk rate.
Wenninger's deeper arsenal and refined command has his prospect stock rising rapidly as he looks like another win for the Mets renowned pitching lab.
Carlos Lagrange - NYY
Carlos Lagrange is a mountain of a man, standing tall at 6'7" with plenty of room to fill out his frame. A lack of command has been the biggest knock on Lagrange throughout his pro-career. His delivery was stiff and inconsistent, which has led to putrid walk rates and a poor ability to consistently throw strikes. He lowered his arm slot this season and is exhibiting better command while getting ahead of batters quickly. His fastball sits in the high 90s with 16" iVB and 14" HB, pushing it to plus-plus status. He seems to have a much better feel of the pitch and is not afraid to toss it high in the zone to generate whiffs. He maintains his velocity well, which is encouraging for his prospects as a starter. He tosses a pair of breaking balls. The first is a slider at 82-84 MPH with minimal depth and slight glove-side action. It is his primary secondary against LHH. Against RHH, he opts for a sweeper which sits in the low 80s with over a foot of horizontal break. Both breaking balls exhibit plus characteristics and are elevated by his approach depending on batter handedness. He rounds out his arsenal with a changeup that is still a work in progress. It has ~10 MPH difference from his fastball, but lacks the depth to be an effective offering at this stage.
Lagrange has a wide range of outcomes given his inconsistencies in the command department, but he possesses such elite arm speed that he should fall back into a higher-leverage relief role rather easily. Maintaining his seemingly improved strike throwing ability is the most important step for Lagrange because if it clicks, the Yankees have a stud.
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Is Parker Messick creeping into consideration for the top 61? On the surface I initially wanted to dismiss him as another Jordan Wicks lefty changeup artist that won't stick in a MLB rotation- but upon closer look Messick's upper minors K/9 is substantially more dominant than anything Wicks ever achieved.
I see Gage Jump has been upgraded from 45+ FV to 55 since the Spring Top 61. Would Jonah Tong and Hunter Barco have FV grade improvements given their dominant results early this season? Assuming their dominance is attributable to some tangible improvement in stuff or command of course...