Which of these 3 players will be MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year?

Who swung it best? It’s time to reveal the three finalists for the MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year award.

The winner will be announced during MLB Network’s second annual MiLB Awards Show at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 30. Only Minor League stats were considered in choosing award finalists, who were selected by MLB Pipeline's staff.

Kristian Campbell, 2B/3B/OF, Red Sox (BOS No. 5/MLB No. 74)
Age: 22
High-A: .306/.418/.558, 40 G, 8 HR, 13 2B, 25 RBIs, 26 BB, 47 SO, 3 SB
Double-A: .362/.463/.582, 56 G, 8 HR, 17 2B, 3 3Bs, 35 RBIs, 35 BB, 38 SO, 17 SB
Triple-A: .286/.412/.486, 19 G, 4 HR, 2 2B, 17 RBIs, 13 BB, 18 SO, 4 SB
Total: .330/.439/.558, 115 G, 20 HR, 32 2B, 3 3B, 77 RBIs, 74 BB, 103 SO, 24 SB

While Boston’s "Big Three" prospects -- Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel -- garnered more headlines and hype for much of the season, there may not have been a more productive hitter in the Minors this year than Campbell, a fourth-round pick in 2023 out of Georgia Tech. The fast-rising Campbell began the year at High-A Greenville but didn’t stay there long, then hit .362 with power and speed for two months at Double-A before earning a late-season promotion to Triple-A.

Campbell benefited from Boston's bat speed program, and the organization also helped him make some swing changes to drive the ball in the air more and hit fewer ground balls. They worked. Campbell led all Top 100 prospects in total bases, ranked second in runs, third in hits and on-base percentage, fifth in batting and sixth in OPS.

Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B, Marlins (MIA No. 4)
Age: 21
Double-A: .372/.426/.696, 38 G, 14 HR, 37 RBIs, 4 2B, 1 3B, 12 BB, 36 SO, 1 SB
Triple-A: .264/.311/.523, 99 G, 26 HR, 21 2B, 1 3B, 83 RBIs, 22 BB, 108 SO
Total: .294/.343/.571, 137 G, 40 HR, 25 2B, 2 3B, 120 RBIs, 34 BB, 144 SO, 1 SB

Few hitters in the Minors were as dangerous on a night-to-night basis this year as De Los Santos. But his season wasn’t a straight path.

The Guardians made De Los Santos a Rule 5 pick after the D-backs left him unprotected last winter, before returning him to Arizona during Spring Training. De Los Santos then lit the world on fire for six weeks at Double-A, earning a promotion to Triple-A in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He went to the Marlins in a Trade Deadline deal, and he hit 12 more homers in 50 games at Triple-A Jacksonville to finish the year. All told, De Los Santos led the Minors in home runs and RBIs, and finished among the leaders in slugging.

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants (SF No. 1/MLB No. 50)
Age: 19
Single-A: .263/.323/.478, 51 G, 10 HR, 14 2B, 45 RBIs, 17 BB 61 SO, 2 SB
High-A: .335/.442/.619, 48 G, 12 HR, 11 2B, 1 3B, 41 RBIs, 35 BB, 52 SO, 3 SB
Double-A: .270/.325/.460, 9 G, HR, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 8 SO, 1 SB
Triple-A: .226/.314/.226, 8 G, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 11 SO
Total: .289/.372/.513, 116 G, 23 HR, 27 2B, 2 3B, 90 RBIs, 59 BB, 132 SO, 6 SB

Eldridge was the best two-way prospect in the 2023 Draft, and the Giants gave him the opportunity to pitch and hit during his pro debut. This winter, they decided to maximize the bat, and Eldridge made that look like a wise decision by enjoying a tremendous season in which he climbed four levels.

The 6-foot-7 slugger started off at Single-A San Jose before earning a midseason promotion to High-A Eugene. He tore up the Northwest League for the better part of two months before spending the last few weeks in the upper Minors, ultimately reaching Triple-A as a 19-year-old. He became the youngest player in Double-A Richmond’s history to homer when he joined the Flying Squirrels, and was the youngest player at the Minors’ highest level at season’s end.

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Previous winners:
2013: Byron Buxton, MIN
2014: Kris Bryant, CHC
2015: Kyle Schwarber, CHC
2016: Alex Bregman, HOU
2017: Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
2018: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
2019: Luis Robert, CWS
2020: None (COVID)
2021: Anthony Volpe, NYY
2022: Gunnar Henderson, BAL
2023: Jackson Holliday, BAL