Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The prospect promotions are coming fast as the calendar turns to June. We've already seen Marcelo Mayer join the Red Sox, Robert Hassell bumped up to the Nationals and Jacob Melton added for the Astros during the last week alone. And Jac Caglianone's scalding start has left the Royals no choice but to call him up in time for Tuesday's contest. Christian Moore should soon make it to the Angels, who are never shy in aggressively promoting their phenoms. Hurlers like Bubba Chandler (Pirates), Andrew Painter (Phillies)  and Chase Burns (Reds) could join their respective big-league rotations this summer. An intriguing name to watch - perhaps even at the trade deadline - is Ronny Mauricio. The Mets currently have a glut at second and third base, but the 24-year-old has been scorching in his return from a torn ACL. If the club chooses to fortify their rotation or bullpen for the playoff run, Mauricio could find himself as trade bait to an organization where he could immediately play.

Since not all call-ups are imminent, let's take a look at some neophytes down on the farm in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

Check where future major league baseball stars slot into RotoWire's MLB Top Prospects & Rankings for 2025!

UPGRADE

Kyle DeBarge, 2B, MIN – The 33rd overall pick from 2024, DeBarge is a speedster who's already swiped 30 bags in 44 contests at High-A. He's also displayed exceptional plate discipline with almost as many walks (36) as strikeouts (40). Despite a rather diminutive frame, DeBarge has already produced five homers. If he could reach even double-digits there home to complement his running, he'd be an interesting prospect to watch for the Twins.

Gage Jump, P, ATH – A compensatory pick in last year's draft, Jump's control has been perhaps the most impressive part of his superb start to this season. The southpaw from LSU posted a 45:5 K:BB across 31 innings at Low-A, resulting in a quick promotion to Double-A where he's impressed with a 4-0 record through four starts alongside a 0.72 ERA and 29:5 K:BB through 25 frames while opponents are batting .176 against. Jump is only 22 and has already undergone Tommy John surgery. He offers a three-pitch arsenal and appears to be exceeding expectations.

Slade Caldwell, OF, AZ – Sticking with prospects from 2024, Caldwell is a teenager who's been tremendous to start his professional journey slashing .311/.469/.486 with three home runs, 20 RBI and 10 steals at Low-A. He's fanned 58 times, but has also drawn 39 walks while displaying an ability to work the count. Caldwell doesn't carry elite size, though neither does Corbin Carroll - someone he's been compared to. He's still a ways away from making a big-league impact, yet the future looks bright for him in the Desert.

Juaron Watts-Brown, P, TOR – Watts-Brown has recorded huge strikeout figures, though battled wildness in his first full professional campaign during 2024. The 6-3 righty fanned 131 batters over 103 innings, but also walked 60 en route to a 4.72 ERA between Low-A and High-A. Watts-Brown flipped the narrative on its head to start this season with a 62:12 K:BB at High-A, then got bumped up to Double-A where he's notched 13 Ks through 11 innings. He carries a fastball with lots of movement and a slider that operates as his "out" pitch. There's still some risk Watts-Brown ends up in the bullpen, but Toronto will give him every chance to initially succeed as a starter.

CHECK STATUS

Mike Sirota, OF, LAD – Sirota has been a huge riser so far this season hitting a torrid .354/.443/.687 with seven homers and 24 RBI in 24 games at Low-A. The former Northeastern outfielder was clearly too advanced for this level and earned a move to High-A. Sirota has continued to pummel the baseball through nine games going .438 (14-for-32) with two home runs and four more RBI. Even on such a heater, he's not getting to the big leagues this year and especially not if he stays on the Dodgers. Sirota was also just placed on the Injured List with an undisclosed issue, so monitor the severity. It'll be interesting to see if he can stay hot even if the injury is minor, and Double-A should be a much better indicator of his future path.

Jacob Misiorowski, P, MIL – Misiorowski projects massive upside, though his inconsistency in throwing strikes is a red flag he can't seem to shake. He recently posted a sparkling stretch where he walked one batter or fewer and no more than one earned run in five of six contests. And just when it seemed Misiorowski was turning a corner, the 6-7 righty came crashing down Sunday as he walked six while allowing five earned runs over two innings. In fact, he hasn't gone five in three straight outings. The 23-year-old righty has filthy stuff, including a heater that recently hit 103 MPH and a wipeout slider. Misiorowski's overall numbers at Triple-A are stellar with a 2.31 ERA and 73:28 K:BB across 58.1 innings. The potential is there, but the looming concern over his control casts some doubt as to whether he can ultimately stick in the Brewers' rotation.

Mitch Bratt, P, TEX – Bratt's second attempt at Double-A has gone much better than the first. In 33 innings last season, he struggled to a 5.45 ERA. Through 47.2 this year, Bratt has registered a stellar 1.89 ERA from nine starts. His strikeout rate has also ticked up during that stretch with a 55:7 K:BB. Bratt pounds the strike zone with a fastball/curveball/changeup combination, and operates with exceptional command. At only 21, he's extremely polished. Bratt may not boast the dazzling stuff of other hurlers, yet the production speaks for itself and he could hit the Majors as early as 2026

Harry Ford, C, SEA – Ford is enjoying a standout start at Triple-A slashing .325/.437/.484 with six homers, 28 RBI and three steals across 41 contests. with almost as many walks (31) as strikeouts (33). Unfortunately, he's experienced some issues which could prevent him from reaching his true potential - at least with the Mariners. Ford is blocked by Cal Raleigh, who currently leads MLB in home runs. While no one expects him to match Raleigh's power numbers, his subpar defense as a backstop could eventually have him move out from behind the dish to potentially hurt his fantasy value. Ford also stole 35 bases last season, but has been curiously quiet in that category with only three so far. The high batting average and OBP are nice, but if Ford eventually has to play elsewhere with muted power/speed numbers, his outlook will only be mediocre. On the flip side, a trade to a new squad desperate for a hitting catcher could help Ford's cause.

DOWNGRADE

Gary Gill Hill, P, TB – After something of a breakout campaign in 2024, Gill Hill has largely struggled to begin this season with a 5.36 ERA largely due to the opposition going .285 against. The 20-year-old righty's strikeout stats have also plummeted with only 39 from 50.1 innings at High-A. Gill Hill has been able to keep the ball down, yet he's still been bitten by the long ball having surrendered eight home runs over 10 starts after nine across 22 last year. He has plenty of time to right the ship, yet the latest results have certainly been far from ideal.

Cole Carrigg, OF, COL – Carrigg offers decent power and stupendous speed, though struggles to make consistent contact have been rather surprising. The toolsy outfielder batted .280 at High-A last season and never hit below .326 at any other level since entering the minors, albeit in much smaller sample sizes. Carrigg has also been punched out 59 times while going .239 over 47 outings, marking his first "regular" assignment to date. The Rockies are light at most positions, so there's nothing standing in the way of him at the big-league level. But he'll need to prove he can handle pitchers in the upper levels of the minors before heading to Colorado.