The MiLB regular season has wrapped up! With the conclusion of yet another exciting year, I will be sharing my “Player of the Year” from each team. When looking at who to rank I decided to choose players that excelled in multiple facets while having the volume to stand out above their peers. I will highlight any teams that have multiple deserving candidates.
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
Samuel Basallo
Samuel Basallo started the season as the youngest player in AAA where he posted a ridiculous .966 OPS fuelled by a jaw-dropping .319 ISO. He was the most prolific slugger in the minors and smacked 23 HR before Baltimore decided that he deserved a spot in the Majors (coincidentally 1 day after the service time prospect threshold would be not be passed). Nonetheless, he is one of the most exciting prospects in baseball and has already flashed his elite power in MLB.
Honourable Mentions: Dylan Beavers, Michael Forret, Trey Gibson
Boston Red Sox
Payton Tolle
Payton Tolle’s emergence as the #1 LHP prospect was thrilling to witness. His fastball was utterly dominant and led him to a stunning 30.2 K-BB% which was supported by an excellent 39.8 Whiff%. He wrapped up the MiLB season with a 3.04 ERA over 91.2 IP before the Red Sox called upon his services to help with their playoff push.
Honourable Mentions: Connelly Early, Jhostynxon Garcia
New York Yankees
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz was acquired from the Red Sox for Carlos Narváez before the 2025 season and did everything he could to flip the early discourse of the trade. ERC led all MiLB pitchers with 176 K as he fired off a staggering 150 IP, over 60 more innings than he previous career high.
Honourable Mentions: Spencer Jones, Ben Hess, Carlos Lagrange
Tampa Bay Rays
Ty Johnson
Ty Johnson breezed through AA this season with a 2.61 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 110.1 Innings. His slider was utterly dominant, returning a stellar 47% Whiff rate with a very high 45% Usage rate. He was also very efficient at throwing strikes and putting away batters quickly.
Honourable Mentions: Theo Gillen, Brody Hopkins
Toronto Blue Jays
Trey Yesavage
Trey Yesavage shattered all expectations this season as he dominated every level of the minors with a gaudy 41.1 K% before the Blue Jays promoted him to Toronto. His splitter was absolutely filthy and his incredibly high release absolutely stumps batters.
Honourable Mentions: Gage Stanifer, RJ Schreck
AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Caleb Bonemer
Caleb Bonemer sprung onto the scene and utilized his raw power and incredible eye to dominate the lower minors at just 19 years old. The 2024 prep selection looks to be one of the best high school draftees of his class and he has the helium to soar up prospect rankings.
Honourable Mentions: Sam Antonacci, Braden Montgomery, Tanner McDougal
Cleveland Guardians
Ralphy Velazquez
Ralphy Velazquez proved he was one of the best pure hitters in MiLB this season with an impressive blend of power, swing decisions, and contact all packaged into an imposing frame at 1B. He has a swing perfectly catered to crushing baseballs and he wrapped up the season on a high note with an .994 OPS in 28 AA games.
Honourable Mentions: Yorman Gómez, Parker Messick, Cooper Ingle
Detroit Tigers
Kevin McGonigle
Kevin McGonigle is the best hitter in MiLB. He flashed it last season with his incredible rookie year and unequivocally proved it this season with a .991 OPS while walking more than he struck out. The power blossomed and he let his hit tool do the rest. He is the #1 Prospect in baseball.
Honourable Mentions: Max Clark, Josue Briceno, Max Anderson, Troy Melton
Kansas City Royals
Carter Jensen
Carter Jensen started the season in AA where he slashed his K% before he was rewarded with a promotion to AAA. Following his leap up a level, he sacrificed some of his bat-to-ball gains to utilize his innate power and wrapped up his final stop in MiLB with a 1.051 OPS across 43 games. With his blend of power and patience while sticking behind the dish, Jensen looks to be a stud for the Royals.
Honourable Mentions: David Shields
Minnesota Twins
Gabriel Gonzalez
Gabriel Gonzalez was one of the best batters in MiLB this season with a .908 OPS while posting a miniscule 14.5 K%. With a .329/.395/.513 slash line, Gonzalez outperformed some of the best prospects in the Twins strong farm system and proved that his bat can be a dynamic force.
Honourable Mentions: Walker Jenkins, Dasan Hill, Kaelen Culpepper
AL West
Athletics
Gage Jump
Gage Jump looked the part of a future stud southpaw with a 3.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 21.0 K-BB% for the Athletics this season. His fastball continually stumped batters and he showcased impressive command from the left side. He is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
Honourable Mentions: Leodalis De Vries, Henry Bolte, Wei-En Lin
Houston Astros
Zach Cole
Zach Cole went with a high-risk, high-reward approach this season and it worked wonders. He posted a .916 OPS with 19 HR while running a scary 35.1 Whiff%. When he made contact, it was often loud and it worked well with the hiiter-friendly enviornment of the PCL.
Honourable Mentions: Bryce Mayer, Joseph Sullivan
Los Angeles Angels
Raudi Rodriguez
Raudi Rodriguez performed well with a .842 OPS while stick around Lo-A for the entirety of 2025. The 2023 19th round pick flashed encouraging power and plus speed which he hopes to carry with him in the higher levels.
Honourable Mentions: George Klasse, Nelson Rada
Seattle Mariners
Colt Emerson
Colt Emerson continued his steady rise to the top of prospect lists with yet another encouraging MiLB season. He posted a .841 OPS and gave us a glimpse at his power potential, fully backed by electric bat speed. He is an extremely well-rounded hitter and wields one of the smoothest gloves at SS.
Honourable Mentions: Ryan Sloan, Lazaro Montes, Michael Arroyo
Texas Rangers
Caden Scarborough
Caden Scarborough is yet another product of the Rangers pitching factory. He posted a 2.45 ERA and 27.1 K-BB% as he mowed through Lo-A hitters before a dominant end to his season in Hi-A. He was a big riser this season and is firmly slotted into my Top 100 MLB Prospects.
Honourable Mentions: David Davalillo, Abimelec Ortiz
NL East
Atlanta Braves
JR Ritchie
After battling injuries throughout his pro career, JR Ritchie fired off 140 IP this season with a sparkling 2.64 ERA as he swifty rose through the lower minors. Ritchie has a deep arsenal and all the tools to be a backend starter for Braves as soon as 2026.
Honourable Mentions: Didier Fuentes, John Gil
Miami Marlins
Robby Snelling
Robby Snelling wrapped up one of the most impressive MiLB pitching performances this season with a 2.51 ERA and 23.2 K-BB%. He propelled himself into the conversation of the best LHP pitching prospect in baseball on the heels of his great fastball-curveball combo and strong command.
Honourable Mentions: Thomas White, Joe Mack, Kemp Alderman
New York Mets
Jonah Tong
Jonah Tong’s final numbers look laughable. He posted a 1.43 ERA with matching 40.5 K% and Whiff% to boot. He was utterly dominant despite some underlying command concerns and forced his way onto the Mets amidst their playoff push.
Honourable Mentions: Jacob Reimer, Nolan McLean, AJ Ewing, Jack Wenninger
Philadelphia Phillies
Aidan Miller
Aidan Miller started the season on a low note. He looked overmatched in AA and struggled to exhibit much power. He completely flipped the script in the 2nd half where he tore through AA pitchers with his explosive power-speed combo and impressed with strong swing decisions. He finished up the year with 14 HR, 59 SB, and a taste of AAA.
Honourable Mentions: Griff McGarry, Justin Crawford
Washington Nationals
Alex Clemmey
Alex Clemmey’s first full season with the Nationals was an encouraging one as he posted a 3.47 ERA and 26.8 K% across 116.2 innings. It wasn’t all smooth as indicated by his poor BB% and Strike%, but it looks like typical growing pains for a young lefty.
Honourable Mentions: Jarlin Susana
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Jonathan Long
Jonathan Long enjoyed his 2025 AAA season, posting a .883 OPS with impressive underlying metrics. It was an all-around impressive showcase for the Cubs corner OF prospect who might be moved this winter due to Chicago’s depth.
Honourable Mentions: Jaxon Wiggins, Owen Caissie
Cincinnati Reds
Alfredo Duno
Alfredo Duno wrapped his season up with a .948 OPS and 18 HR while flashing phenomenal power metrics. He pressed his foot on the gas in the 2nd half this season, posting a 1.127 OPS, 21.7 BB%, and 12.7 K%. He has one of the best eyes in the minors and continues to look like catcher long-term.
Honourable Mentions: Sal Stewart, Chase Burns
Milwaukee Brewers
Jesús Made
Jesús Made didn’t find his groove until his made his way to Hi-A where he posted a .915 across 27 games before finishing up the season in AA. Overall, he performed very well, which is even more impressive given that he doesn’t turn 19 until May of next year.
Honourable Mentions: Blake Burke, Jacob Misiorowski, Tyson Hardin
Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin
Konnor Griffin could not have drawn up a better pro debut season. He launched 21 HR and stole 65 SB while showing a more advanced hit tool than what was expected out of the draft. He is at worst the #2 Prospect in baseball, and it considered the best by many.
Honourable Mentions: Edward Florentino, Esmerlyn Valdez, Antwone Kelly
St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt joined in on the 2024 Draft Class fun with an excellent season of his own where he posted a .931 OPS while walking almost as much as he struck out. He looked to be in prime position to have a cup of coffee with the Cardinals in September, but he wrapped up his season in AAA. He will surely be a mainstay with St. Louis next season.
Honourable Mentions: Ixan Henderson, Rainiel Rodriguez, Deniel Ortiz
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Ryan Waldschmidt
Ryan Waldschmidt was Mr. Consistent in MiLB, posting nearly wRC+ in both his Hi-A and AA stints this season. Overall, he registered a .892 OPS while exhibiting excellent swing decisions and budding power.
Honourable Mentions: Daniel Eagen
Colorado Rockies
Sean Sullivan
Sean Sullivan was one of the best pitchers in the Eastern League this season, posting a 2.94 ERA across 104.0 IP overall. It is a rather peculiar arm as Sullivan averages a paltry 87 MPH on his fastball, but he elevates his production with pinpoint command and a funky release. Maybe he can thrive in the dungeon that is Coors.
Honourable Mentions: Jared Thomas
Los Angeles Dodgers
Eduardo Quintero
Eduardo Quintero buoyed himself into many Top 100 Prospect lists with his performance this season as he returned an excellent .923 OPS across 113 games. He joins an exciting group of Dodgers OF prospects, and he may have the highest upside of them all!
Honourable Mentions: Emil Morales, Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Kendall George
San Diego Padres
Kash Mayfield
Kash Mayfield wrapped up a strong pro debut with a 2.97 ERA across 60.2 innings, backed by an impressive 23.3 K-BB%. The Padres were understandably cautious with his innings this season, and he looks like potential rotation piece down the line.
Honourable Mentions: Braedon Karpathios
San Francisco Giants
Bo Davidson
Bo Davidson followed up his excellent 2024 season with a similarly impressive 2025 season where he posted a .844 OPS with 18 HR and 19 SB. He remains one of the more underrated producers in MiLB.
Honourable Mentions: Luis De La Torre, Jacob Bresnahan, Josuar Gonzalez
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