Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

Prospects are often overlooked or diamonds in the rough. On other occasions, overthinking occurs - the proverbial "paralysis by analysis". It appears that the latter occurred with Jac Caglianone, and maybe his past as a pitcher had something to do with that. Others pointed to his long swing with potential holes for upper-tier competition to attack. Still, it appears he was downgraded for whatever reason despite a notable collegiate career at the University of Florida. Caglianone looked more like a prodigious future power hitter with star qualities at Double-A to begin the year by slashing .322/.394/.553 with nine homers and 43 RBI in only 38 games. And while he did strike out 37 times, he also drew 19 walks. An imposing figure in the box at 6-5, 250, Caglianone has already been moved up to Triple-A and certainly looks to be a future cornerstone for the Royals.

Let's take a peek at some other players who deserve publicity in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

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

UPGRADE

Eduardo Tait, C, PHI – J.T. Realmuto won't be around forever, and Tait has shown an impressive bat during his brief time in the minors with 15 extra-base hits across 32 contests at Low-A that includes six home runs and 21 RBI. The 18-year-old registers plenty of hard contact and sprays the ball to all fields. Tait still needs to work the count a bit deeper, but has hit for average at every stop since entering the professional ranks in 2023. The combination of contact and power makes him an intriguing prospect, especially at such a young age and shallow position. We will also give an honorable mention to teammate and second baseman Aroon Escobar, who's slashing .328/.429/.573 with eight homers and 25 RBI.

Cooper Pratt, SS, MIL – One of the youngest players at Double-A at 20, Pratt has more than held his own hitting .252 with a .337 OBP, four home runs and 10 steals. Perhaps most notably, he's only fanned 26 times alongside 16 walks. The numbers may not jump off the page, yet Pratt has displayed polish well beyond his years at the dish and boasts standout glove skills with the ability to eventually fill out his 6-4 frame and tap into some power. He's been aggressively pushed by the Brewers organization, and hasn't been overmatched so far.

Carson Whisenhunt, P, SF – Whisenhunt struggled with control and keeping the ball in the ballpark last season, the latter perhaps an unfortunate development when pitching in the extremely hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. The southpaw is now 24 and returned to Triple-A where the strike throwing has been superb with 52 Ks and only seven walks through 51 innings. Whisenhunt has still surrendered six home runs over nine starts, but overall has been much better at keeping the ball down with a 1.49 GO:AO. The San Francisco rotation has been surprisingly solid to begin the campaign, but an injury to Justin Verlander or one of the remaining starters will put Whisenhunt firmly in the discussion for a big-league spot.

CHECK STATUS

Joe Mack, C, MIA – Mack should be receiving more notoriety, though perhaps the presence of Agustin Ramirez directly ahead of him has overshadowed his progress. The 22-year-old overwhelmed the competition in 13 games at Double-A to start the year, resulting in a quick promotion. Mack has been decent since the bump by producing a .275/.344/.400 line with two homers and 10 RBI in 21 games. He's more likely to stay at catcher than Ramirez, yet the latter offers a more potent bat. There could still be room for both in a future Marlins lineup, perhaps as early as this summer.

Jacob Reimer, 3B, NYM – Nolan McLean's meteoric rise may have received most of the headlines in the Mets farm system this season and Jonah Tong is sporting massive strikeout numbers to aid his own cause, Reimer has also boosted his stock after a lost 2024 where he spent half of the season shelved with a hamstring injury and then struggled during his rather brief return. He's flipped the script so far slashing .341/.433/.652 with seven home runs, 30 RBI and five steals through 35 outings at High-A. The biggest development for Reimer has been the emergence of a power stroke as he only went deep nine times from 134 previous minor league contests before this season. He's always been an above-average contact hitter, so if the power boon is real, the 21-year-old could suddenly find himself in the Mets' upcoming plans.

Connelly Early, P, BOS – Early fanned 138 batters across 103.2 innings between High-A and Double-A last year. The southpaw returned to Double-A, where he's been virtually unhittable by posting a 1.88 ERA over 24 innings with the opposition batting .150 against alongside 38 strikeouts. While Early has added a couple of ticks to his heater, he's still not overpowering and has experienced a bit of difficulty with his control early on. He's also split time between the bullpen and rotation through six appearances, yet his overall stats are stellar and could reach Triple-A soon enough.

Jaxon Wiggins, P, CHC – Wiggins made quick work of the opposition at High-A to start the season with a 1.71 ERA and 31:13 K:BB from 26.1 innings while the opposition only went .143 against. At 6-6, 225, the University of Arkansas product carries a starter's frame and may only be scratching the surface of his potential following Tommy John surgery in college. Wiggins recently earned a promotion to Double-A, where he tossed four innings of one-run ball in his debut. The 23-year-old righty has battled wildness throughout his time on the mound, and there are some red flags in his walk totals. Wiggins may eventually end up in the bullpen, but for now he'll stay in the rotation and work on refining his mechanics.

DOWNGRADE

Carson Williams, SS, TB – Williams is a toolsy shortstop with fantasy comps like Jazz Chisholm and Trevor Story, yet his potential inability to hit for average and make consistent contact certainly appear to be a problem having fanned 64 times at Triple-A to lead the International League.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, he's only batting .171. Williams is solid defensively at shortstop and with five homers and eight steal, so he will continue to get the benefit of the doubt for the time being especially considering his youth (21). However, he's never been above .260 at any level since entering full-season ball and is on pace for a fourth-straight 140-plus K season. The unique speed/power combination keeps Williams in the elite prospect conversation, but there are significant red flags.

George Klassen, P, LAA – Klassen was hospitalized in a scary incident after being hit in the head with a line drive during a game over a week ago. While he was diagnosed with a concussion and was released from hospital, there is no timetable for a return. Klassen came over to the Halos along with Sam Aldegheri in the Carlos Estevez deal. He had been decent, albeit unspectacular, in seven starts prior to the injury by notching a 4.97 ERA and 36:7 K:BB across 29 innings. Klassen's control has been much improved, though it remains to be seen when he'll come back. Here's hoping for a complete and speedy recovery.