Prospect Parade: Surging Sluggers in AAA
JJ Wetherholt, Sal Stewart, Carter Jensen
Welcome to “Prospect Parade”, a series which aims to highlight any intriguing MiLB Prospect and Players.
This article will cover a trio of the best slugging prospects in AAA.
JJ Wetherholt - SS - STL
JJ Wetherholt (TJStats #6 Prospect) has not missed a beat since his promotion to AAA last month. He has launched 9 HR in 33 GP while tacking on 7 SB and walking nearly as much as striking out. On the season he owns a sparkling 157 wRC+ and matching 14.5 BB% and K%, making him one of the most productive bats in the minors.
The key to Wetherholt’s success is his incredible eye and tendency to both pull and lift the ball. He doesn’t have the raw power as his peers, but his ability to consistently barrel the ball helps him tap into his power more frequently. The biggest question about Wetherholt’s future is where he will be positioned in the infield. He has the arm to play SS, but his range may force him into either 2B or 3B. Nonetheless, Wetherholt has supplanted himself as a consensus Top 10 prospect in baseball and he is knocking on the door to St. Louis.
Sal Stewart - 3B - CIN
Sal Stewart (TJStats #41 Prospect) has been one of the most prolific sluggers in MiLB for the better part of the last 2 seasons, and is currently rocking a 153 wRC+ in 2025 while adding in 20 HR and a strong 15.8 K%. A glimpse at his Statcast metrics in AAA easily explain his excellent results and indicate that he can be an impact bat for the Reds sooner rather than later.
Stewart absolutely crushes baseballs. He sits at or above the 90th percentile in every feasible power metric and supplements his innate power with an aggressive (yet not burdening) approach and a solid hit tool. One aspect of Stewart’s game which may hinder his offensive ceiling is his tendency to chase, particularly with 2 strikes. He has maintained a strong 12.2 BB% in AAA, but I would expect that to decline once he faces MLB pitchers. Despite that hole in his game, Stewart remains one of the most MLB-ready hitting prospects still in the minors.
Carter Jensen - C - KC
Carter Jensen (TJStats #45 Prospect) has thoroughly enjoyed his time in AAA, slashing a .292/.404/.646 en route to an immaculate 165 wRC+, fuelled by 13 HR and an elite 15.7 BB%. He has been selling out for power since his promotion as both his K% and Whiff% have ballooned +6%. While this is a concerning trend, he makes up for it with jaw-dropping power including a ridiculous 62.4 HardHit%. Jensen rounds out his intriguing offensive profile with a keen eye and an impressive 20.0 O-Swing%.
This power upside packed into a catcher is extremely compelling, and become more tantalizing given his improvements to his defense this season. He is a strong framer and has posted plus pop times to support his average arm. Jensen has all the making of the next big-slugging catcher and given his dominance in AAA, he may get a taste of the Majors before the 2025 season ends.
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