The trade deadline has passed and we've already seen some promising prospect promotions as the Yankees finally brought up phenom George Lombard to handle shortstop. The sample size is small, but he's so far met the moment by making some dazzling defensive plays while also hitting two homers in his first five games.
The Tigers found themselves in the news for a variety of reasons. Not only did the club deal ace Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers for Zyhir Hope and River Ryan, though they've also called up their best prospect Max Clark to the bigs and he's gone on to bat 11-for-37 (.294) with a home run and seven RBI through nine outings.
Like Lombard, Kaelen Culpepper went deep during his MLB debut. He should be Minnesota's starting shortstop for the remainder of the year, and hopefully beyond. Angel Genao has been on fire since moving up to the Majors batting .368 through his first five contests with the Guardians.
Will the Mariners finally call up Kade Anderson? What other neophytes will earn promotions and make an impact down the stretch? Let's take a look at some others making headlines in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
See where future major league baseball starts slot into RotoWire's MLB Top Prospects & Rankings for 2026!
UPGRADE
Alexander Frias, OF, STL – Frias isn't close to getting to MLB, though was the key part of the return (along with Josiah Ragsdale) for Dustin May and JoJo Romero from the Brewers. He's surged
The trade deadline has passed and we've already seen some promising prospect promotions as the Yankees finally brought up phenom George Lombard to handle shortstop. The sample size is small, but he's so far met the moment by making some dazzling defensive plays while also hitting two homers in his first five games.
The Tigers found themselves in the news for a variety of reasons. Not only did the club deal ace Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers for Zyhir Hope and River Ryan, though they've also called up their best prospect Max Clark to the bigs and he's gone on to bat 11-for-37 (.294) with a home run and seven RBI through nine outings.
Like Lombard, Kaelen Culpepper went deep during his MLB debut. He should be Minnesota's starting shortstop for the remainder of the year, and hopefully beyond. Angel Genao has been on fire since moving up to the Majors batting .368 through his first five contests with the Guardians.
Will the Mariners finally call up Kade Anderson? What other neophytes will earn promotions and make an impact down the stretch? Let's take a look at some others making headlines in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
See where future major league baseball starts slot into RotoWire's MLB Top Prospects & Rankings for 2026!
UPGRADE
Alexander Frias, OF, STL – Frias isn't close to getting to MLB, though was the key part of the return (along with Josiah Ragsdale) for Dustin May and JoJo Romero from the Brewers. He's surged up the prospect ranks in the midst of a breakout campaign. Frias tormented opposing pitching in the Arizona Complex League by slashing .441/.418/.678 over 32 games before going to Low-A, where he's hitting a respectable .242. The-18-year-old offers significant power potential from the left side with the ability to take a walk. Frias is only scratching the surface of his upside and could be one of the top offensive outfielders heading into 2027.
Mitch Voit, 2B, NYM – Voit has been on fire since being promoted to Double-A as he's produced an absurd .550/.633/.850 line alongside a homer, nine RBI and six steals through 11 contests. Those numbers will naturally level off, yet he was more than adequate at High-A having provided 11 home runs and 36 steals from 76 appearances. The former pitcher who was selected 38th overall last year boasts stellar bat speed, solid plate discipline, plus-speed and at least average power. Voit can cover a couple positions, which will only increase his versatility and usage going forward.
Anthony Eyanson, P, BAL – Evanson represents the headliner in the Adley Rutschman deal and has picked up where he left off during his system debut as he fanned nine while scattering four hits and only walking one en route to earning the win. He now carries an impressive 69:24 K:BB in only 53 Double-A innings with a great chance to compete for a rotation spot next season and potentially get a cup of coffee with the Orioles in September.
Josue Briceno, C, DET – Briceno looks fully healthy after an early wrist injury kept him out. Since returning from the IL, he's clubbed eight homers across 17 games that resulted in a quick bump to Triple-A. One of the better hitting phenoms at his position could also get work at first and DH. With Dillon Dingler enjoying a breakout performance, Briceno may need that versatility for ML at-bats when the time comes.
CHECK STATUS
Jackson Kent, P, WSH – Kent has been called up to make his big-league premiere. The 6-foot-3 southpaw was a 2024 fourth-rounder, but struggled with the long ball the following year while still racking up 132 Ks. Kent has continued to display his strikeout stuff by punching out 105 through 94.1 innings. He's also been slightly less hittable, though tends to surrender the occasional long ball and recorded a 4.38 ERA at Triple-A prior to the promotion. Kent doesn't project as a frontline rotation anchor, yet does have No. 3 hurler upside with a quirky delivery and stellar changeup.
Jacob Melton, OF, TB – Melton is currently on the IL with a hamstring issue that isn't considered serious. He finds himself on the cusp of the bigs at 25, but the Rays are first in the AL East. The MLB options ahead of Melton aren't star-caliber, though the normally-conservative organization are unlikely to tinker during a successful campaign. As a result, the toolsy outfielder may yet again have to bide his time in the minors even upon returning.
DOWNGRADE
Seth Hernandez, P, PIT – One of the top pitching prospects could be shut down the rest of the way as Hernandez was diagnosed with a left oblique strain 10 days ago and a projected recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks. He may have been kept out anyway to preserve his arm for the future, so this could be a blessing in disguise for both him and the Pirates. With Pittsburgh 5.5 games back of the last Wild Card slot and a few teams in between, there was almost no chance Hernandez was seeing the Majors this season. In other words, this is a short-term downgrade for him and could still reach the big leagues as early as 2026.
Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B, TEX – Walcott is on the IL following being struck in the head by a pickoff throw. Expect the Rangers to be extra-cautious with their prized phenom given the potential for a head injury. It's worth noting Walcott has only made 15 appearances this year and missed a large chunk following internal brace surgery on his right elbow. He was slashing .308/.357/.577 with three homers, nine RBI and three steals at Double-A, though that came over 13 contests. This is really the first time Walcott has been out for an extended period, but 2027 seems realistic for when he may be added to the Texas lineup.
Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, MIN – Rodriguez has been productive when healthy, though that's been rare during his pro career. Just when it seemed like he was finally on the cusp of a return, he aggravated his surgically repaired right thumb. Despite entering the minors in 2021, the 23-year-old has never logged 100 outings during any single season while not even getting to 70 from any of the last three. Rodriguez holds a lifetime .425 OBP in the minors, yet there are legitimate concerns about whether he'll ever be able to consistently stay on the field. He'll turn 24 over the upcoming offseason, so it might be now or never for him.
