These stars are primed for MLB debuts in '24
As we say goodbye to 2023, we look ahead to 2024. In the past year, we witnessed several exciting big league debuts from top rookies such as Tanner Bibee and Matt McLain to highly rated prospects such as Elly De La Cruz, Grayson Rodriguez, Anthony Volpe and Jordan Walker to
As we say goodbye to 2023, we look ahead to 2024.
In the past year, we witnessed several exciting big league debuts from top rookies such as Tanner Bibee and Matt McLain to highly rated prospects such as Elly De La Cruz, Grayson Rodriguez, Anthony Volpe and Jordan Walker to postseason hero Evan Carter. Many more should be on tap this season, and we highlight one to anticipate on each team below:
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Ricky Tiedemann, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 31)
There's a decent chance Tiedemann would have seen The Show last season if shoulder and biceps issues hadn't limited him to 44 innings. He made up for some of the lost time in the Arizona Fall League, winning Pitcher of the Year honors along the way, and could compete for a spot in Toronto as early as this spring. His mid-90s fastball, impressive sweeper and plus-plus changeup could play in any role quickly, should the Jays use him as a starter or in shorter stints to preserve his health.
Orioles:
It's not a season without an exciting Orioles prospect debut, right? In 2022, it was Adley Rutschman, with Gunnar Henderson debuting late that season. Last year, we got to see Grayson Rodriguez take a big league mound for the first time (along with other Top 100 guys getting their first call). We can't wait to see Holliday, who has made a beeline to Baltimore since being the No. 1 pick in the 2022 Draft, make his debut. And it's a question of when, not if, he comes up in '24.
Rays:
Junior Caminero and Curtis Mead saw the Majors late in 2023, and fellow Top 50 talent Williams could follow a similar timeline in 2024. The 20-year-old shortstop spent the bulk of last summer with High-A Bowling Green before getting late cameos at Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham (the latter on an emergency basis). A Gold Glove winner in 2022, Williams has a glove that could play quickly on the Major League dirt, and his power would make him a 20-homer threat too. He just needs to cut down on the strikeouts in the upper levels before he gets serious consideration in St. Petersburg.
Red Sox:
Mayer injured his shoulder early last May and was never quite right afterward before getting shut down in August. Before he got hurt, he looked like the guy the Red Sox hoped they were getting with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, displaying Corey Seager offensive upside and smooth defense at shortstop. The middle infield was a huge problem for Boston in 2023, and Mayer and Trevor Story could change that if they're healthy.
Yankees: Chase Hampton, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 95)
Hampton went from 2022 sixth-round pick out of Texas Tech to 2023 Top 100 Prospect, showing the ability to mix quality pitches and throw them for strikes. The Yankees' best in-house option to plug the current hole in their rotation, he carved up hitters with his 91-95 mph fastball with carry, upper-70s curveball with depth and tight low-80s slider during his pro debut last summer.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians:
The Guardians desperately need power after finishing last in the Majors with 124 homers -- 27 behind the next-worst club, the Nationals -- and Manzardo can provide some. Known more for his pure hitting ability when acquired from the Rays for Aaron Civale in July, he finished third in the Arizona Fall League with six homers in 22 contests and also went deep once in the Fall Stars Game and twice in a play-in game. He looks like Cleveland's obvious starter at first base.
Royals: Tyler Gentry, OF (No. 8)
The 2020 third-rounder's only plus tool is his arm, but coming off a 16-14 season at Triple-A Omaha, he has enough power and speed to be a decent all-around contributor at the top level. His route to Kansas City's right field got a little more complicated with the recent signing of Hunter Renfroe to a two-year deal, but Gentry was recently added to the 40-man himself and should compete for at least a bench spot this spring.
Tigers:
We got a taste of what Keith can do when fully healthy, and the answer is absolutely pound the ball. His .552 slugging percentage over 577 plate appearances was second-best among players 21 or younger at Double-A and Triple-A, and his 27 homers were second-most among Tigers Minor Leaguers (Jace Jung finished with 28). Keith primarily played second base in September for Triple-A Toledo, perhaps signaling where Detroit envisions his home upon arrival in ’24 if and when he can hold off Zach McKinstry, Nick Maton and Andy Ibáñez at the keystone.
Twins:
The switch-hitting No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 Draft has lived up to his billing as an advanced college hitter, splitting time between Double- and Triple-A in his first full season. He draws walks, doesn't strike out a lot and will continue to tap into his power, and the Twins will have to figure out how to work his bat into the lineup sooner rather than later.
White Sox:
The departure of former All-Star and batting champion Tim Anderson makes Montgomery the shortstop of the near and long-term future for the White Sox, though he'll probably spend some time in Triple-A Charlotte before arriving in Chicago. The 2021 first-rounder from an Indiana high school has drawn comparisons to Corey Seager since his amateur days and has lived up to them with his huge left-handed power and his athleticism as a big-bodied shortstop.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Seaver King, OF/SS (No. 9 on Draft Top 100)
In our first full mock for the 2024 Draft, King was the choice for the Angels at No. 8. Given that the Angels have had the first draftee to reach the big leagues in the last two years (Zach Neto, their 2022 first-rounder and Nolan Schanuel, their top pick in 2023), it only stands to reason that they take another college bat and watch him race to Los Angeles.
Astros: Spencer Arrighetti, RHP (No. 3)
The Astros always seem to have prospects who fly well under the radar until they make a significant impact as rookies. Their next one could be Arrighetti, a 2021 sixth-round choice from Louisiana-Lafayette who misses a ton of bats with a 92-97 mph fastball with good metrics and a low-80s slider. He should overtake J.P. France for Houston's No. 5 starter job at some point during the season.
A's:
Another super-advanced bat from the Draft class of 2023, Wilson was the No. 6 overall pick out of Grand Canyon University. Jack's son never strikes out (4.4 percent in his college career), and he hit .333/.391/.475 in 26 games during his debut. It's easy to envision him starting the year in Double-A and reaching the big leagues by the All-Star break, at the latest.
Mariners: Ryan Bliss, SS/2B (No. 14)
Bliss is coming off a very impressive 20-50 season in the Minors, and after a stint in the Arizona Fall League, he's ready to show the Mariners what they got when they acquired the 2023 Futures Gamer in the Paul Sewald deal. He offers speed and more power than you'd think given his 5-foot-6 frame while offering solid up-the-middle defense.
Rangers:
The Rangers are coming off a World Series championship and just drafted Langford last July, but don't be surprised if the fourth overall pick out of Florida forces his way into Texas' lineup sooner rather than later. He had more power than any player in the 2023 Draft class and batted .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers and 12 steals in 44 games across four levels while advancing to Triple-A.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Hurston Waldrep, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 100)
From a pure stuff standpoint, Waldrep was as good as just about any arm not named Paul Skenes in the 2023 Draft class, and he used it to pitch his way all the way up to Triple-A during his summer debut. He struck out 12.6 per nine during that debut, and while he still has to refine his command (4.9 BB/9 last summer; 4.2 per nine in his college career), his stuff should be able to get big league hitters out soon.
Marlins: Patrick Monteverde, LHP (No. 15)
While the Marlins don't have any prospects who have yet to make their debuts pounding down the door for a big league job, Monteverde could push his way into the rotation after leading the system in ERA in each of his first two full pro seasons. An eighth-round pick out of Texas Tech as a nearly 24-year-old senior in 2021, he succeeds thanks to a plus low-80s changeup with depth and solid control.
Mets: Luisangel Acuña, SS/2B (No. 1/MLB No. 38)
New York agreed to pay roughly $35 million of Max Scherzer's remaining salary through 2024 to ensure that it would get a prospect the quality of Acuña. Now on the 40-man, the 21-year-old middle infielder is ticketed to open 2024 at Triple-A Syracuse, where you can bet he'll see more second base as he gets closer to Francisco Lindor's shadow. Acuña's aggressiveness on the basepaths and budding power could make for a dynamic double-play duo in Queens by the All-Star break.
Nationals:
Is it normally aggressive to expect a debut from a player less than a year after he's drafted? Sure. Is Crews a normal Draft prospect? Absolutely not. Even if he ran out of steam at Double-A Harrisburg late in 2023, the reigning Golden Spikes Award winner doesn't need much seasoning with his plus-plus hit tool, plus power and plus speed. He could rotate between center and the corners with James Wood at Triple-A Rochester early, if he doesn't make the club out of spring, but his arrival in the capital will be the most hotly anticipated since Juan Soto.
Phillies: Mick Abel, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 45)
Abel spent most of the 2023 season in hitting-friendly Double-A Reading, and his home-road splits paint a different picture than his overall numbers (2.14 ERA, .178 opponents' batting average on the road), though he was tough to hit everywhere (.192 opponents' batting average for the year) and struck out 10.5 per nine for the year. Command is an issue (5.2 BB/9 in 2023), but he's going to help out this playoff-caliber staff in some capacity in '24.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers:
Chourio's eight-year, $82 million contract didn't necessarily guarantee him a spot on Milwaukee's Opening Day roster, but it certainly gave him an inside lane to jump to The Show in the same month he turns 20 years old. The Venezuela native has the plus power and plus-plus speed to provide instant electricity to the Crew lineup, and he should compete with Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell for the right to play center field. It might take Chourio's overall bat some time to adjust, but if it all clicks, he has superstar upside.
Cardinals:
Some runners make you instantly sit up in your seat the second they reach first base. Scott -- an 80-grade flier who tied for the Minors lead with 94 steals in 2023 -- is very much one of those. The 2022 fifth-rounder is potentially the center fielder of the future for St. Louis, and his killer speed fits the modern game's emphasis on the basepaths really well. Scott got 66 games in at Double-A and 23 more in the AFL, so he might just need some seasoning (and evidence that his offensive improvements can hold) at Triple-A before moving on to the Cards.
Cubs:
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 Draft after his lone season at Oklahoma, Horton is a former quarterback and two-way player with better pure stuff than anyone in the Cubs' rotation. He features a mid-90s fastball with carry and a wipeout mid-80s slider with two-plane break, and he dominated hitters to the tune of a .191 opponent average and 117 strikeouts to 27 walks in 88 1/3 innings during his pro debut.
Pirates:
The No. 1 pick in last year's Draft could follow a Stephen Strasburg-like track to the big leagues. Strasburg made his debut in June of his first full season of pro ball, and there's no reason Skenes, who has already touched Double-A, can't get there by then, if not sooner. It wouldn't surprise any of us if he makes the decision hard for the Pirates in Spring Training.
Reds:
After Paul Skenes, Lowder could be the first arm from the Draft class of 2023 to make it to the big leagues. He's yet to throw a professional pitch, but he has an incredibly advanced feel for pitching and plenty of now stuff. I'd send him to Double-A to start the 2024 season and let his performance carry him to Cincinnati, where a need for pitching persists.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Yu-Min Lin, LHP (No. 4)
This would be straight-up fun. Lin lacks size (5-foot-11) and fastball velocity (89-92 mph), but he can make hitters look foolish with a plus changeup and two potentially above-average breaking balls in his curveball and slider. It's a kitchen-sink approach that helped him produce reverse splits and strike out 140 batters in 121 1/3 innings across High-A and Double-A. If Lin can weather Reno and the PCL, the D-backs should give his repertoire a look at some point next summer.
Dodgers:
Though the Dodgers have reinforced their rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, Frasso should make his presence felt in Los Angeles at some point in 2024. Acquired in a deal that sent Mitch White and infield prospect Alex DeJesus to the Blue Jays in August 2022, he can overpower hitters with a 95-100 mph fastball with run and impressive extension, throw them off balance with a mid-80s changeup with fade and sink and miss bats with a mid-80s slider.
Giants: Mason Black, RHP (No. 9)
The best right-handed pitching prospect in a system dominated by southpaws, Black could push his way into the Giants' rotation with a mid-90s fastball with carry and run and a mid-80s slider with sweep and depth. He has blown through four levels with 291 strikeouts in 235 2/3 innings since turning pro as a 2021 third-rounder out of Lehigh.
Padres:
Merrill was an above-average hitter at both High-A and Double-A in his age-20 season while continuing to lean into his strength of putting the ball in play; his 12.1 percent K rate was ninth-lowest among Minor Leaguers with at least 500 plate appearances. Turning that into more consistent in-game power will be a key decider in his value at the plate, but it wouldn't shock to see him push for San Diego as a 21-year-old, causing the Padres to either move him or Xander Bogaerts off short.
Rockies: Jordan Beck, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 83)
It's a tough transition for Rockies offensive prospects, going from hitting-friendly Spokane to pitching-friendly Hartford. Beck didn't produce as much once he got to Hartford, but he draws walks and gets to his power. Look for him to make adjustments in the upper levels and bash his way to Colorado this coming season.