Minor League Baseball Top Prospects Weekly Ten-Pack, Week 23 — Ranking Catch-Up
Minor League Baseball is winding down for the year, and midseason prospect lists have been released. Using the updated MLB Pipeline Top 100, players who were ranked and haven’t yet been covered in this space this year will be covered in this week’s ten-pack.
Let’s dig into this week’s highlighted players:
Hitters
Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees
Stats: Minors — 221 PA, .307/.367/.490, 9 HR, 15 SB, 18/45 BB/K; Majors — 4 PA, 3 K
“The Martian,” as Dominguez was nicknamed before he ever played a professional game, was signed by the New York Yankees in July 2019 and made a tremendous impression during fall instructs that year, quickly leading to huge comparisons all the way up to Mike Trout. The pandemic led to a delay to Dominguez’s debut until 2021.
Dominguez worked up to Single-A in 2021, hitting .252/.353/.379 over 241 plate appearances, hitting five home runs and stealing nine bases with a 11.2% walk rate and a 30.3% strikeout rate, which led to him dropping down rankings below the top-50.
In 2022, Dominguez earned his way up to Double-A, hitting .273/.376/.461 over 530 plate appearances with 16 home runs and 37 stolen bases, posting a 13.6% walk rate and a 24.2% strikeout rate. He then struggled hard in 20 games in the Arizona Fall League, with a .159/.250/.217 line.
The 2023 season saw Dominguez start out struggling in Double-A but rebound so well that he ended the season in the majors, before an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery ended his brief debut.
Dominguez hit .265/.377/.425 with 15 home runs and 40 steals in 544 minor league plate appearances and then hit .258/.303/.677 with four home runs in eight MLB games.
This season has been one of recovery, first from TJS, then an oblique injury. He’s now hoping for a callup in September, though it’s going to be tough with the Yankees as Dominguez’s defense is mediocre at best, meaning his best fit is DH, and as long as Giancarlo Stanton is healthy, the Yankees will need to either sacrifice Stanton’s power or absorb Dominguez’s subpar defense in the outfield to bring him up.
The offensive ability is elite once he has a spot in the lineup, and that could certainly be next season with two of the three starting Yankees outfielders heading into free agency this offseason.
Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners
Stats: 306 PA, .249/.392/.363, 4 HR, 12 SB, 49/52 BB/K
Ohio native Emerson was the 22nd overall selection in the draft last summer. He immediately made a big impression in his pro debut, with 113 plate appearances across two levels, hitting .374/.496/.550 with two home runs and eight stolen bases, tallying a 17/20 BB/K ratio.
Emerson played on the same team as other middle infield prospects in the Mariners deep middle infield talent pool, so he split time between second and short last year. This season he has primarily played shortstop, though he has a couple of games at second base and a dozen games at third this year.
Emerson missed roughly six weeks due to a fracture in his foot and oblique injuries along the way this year, so he’s struggled to truly get on track this year. He was promoted in early August to High-A Everett, but he’s struggled, though in large part that was due to a .215 BABIP.
Emerson very likely will open the year back in High-A next year, but his exceptional eye at the plate and contact abilities could allow him to move quickly to the upper minors early in 2025. He’ll open the 2025 season at 19.
Kevin McGonigle, 2B/SS, Detroit Tigers
Stats: 328 PA, .309/.401/.452, 5 HR, 22 SB, 46/28 BB/K
Even though he was one of the older 18-year-old draftees in 2023 (McGonigle turned 19 in August after being drafted), the Tigers were willing to spend their competitive balance selection, 37th overall, to draft McGonigle and paid him more than a half million over slot value to convince him to forego a commitment to Auburn.
McGonigle quickly showed that he learned plenty from watching his idol Chase Utley at the plate, as he made consistent contact to all fields and avoided striking out as well, hitting .315/.452/.411 over 93 plate appearances at complex ball and Single-A. He added five extra-base hits and eight stolen bases, while posting an 18/10 BB/K ratio.
This season, he opened the year back in Single-A, but he simply kept hitting, earning a promotion to High-A, where he’s struggled with contact but continued to have elite plate discipline (11/4 BB/K in 14 games).
McGonigle has one of the best hitting eyes in the minor leagues right now and has been pushed into the top-30 on most prospect lists already, but a broken hamate bone ended his season.
McGonigle profiles as a hit-over-everything profile. He’s smart on the bases and could be a 20-steal guy in the majors due to above-average speed and smarts on the basepaths, and his ability to drive the ball around the field should allow for a high number of doubles and triples, though he may never be a guy that hits 25 home runs. Defensively, he’s made significant strides this year at shortstop, though how he returns after the broken hand in his throwing hand could determine his fate as his average-ish throwing arm was one of the big reasons to question his future at short.
Jeferson Quero, C, Milwaukee Brewers
Stats: 1 PA, 1 BB
The Brewers signed Quero out of Venezuela as one of the top signees in the July 2019 international free agent class. His debut was pushed back due to the pandemic, but he hit the ground running in the DSL in 2021, hitting .309/.434/.500 over 23 games with a pair of home runs and four steals while posting a 12/10 BB/K ratio.
At 19, Quero turned the heads of many in the prospecting community, playing across both A-ball levels in 2022, hitting .286/.342/.439 over 404 plate appearances with 10 home runs and 10 steals while tallying a 30/76 BB/K ratio. He then had a decent showing as one of the youngest players at the Arizona Fall League that season, hitting .22/.346/.333 with a 7/13 BB/K ratio.
The Brewers were confident enough to push Quero to Double-A last season where he hit .262/.339/.441 with 16 home runs and a 38/68 BB/K ratio over 381 plate appearances. He also received some of the highest grades of any minor league catcher for his defensive work behind the plate, especially his ability to control the run game.
Many were expecting Quero to push for Major League time by the end of this year, but he dislocated his shoulder and suffered a torn labrum running the bases after his first plate appearance of the year. He opted for surgery and should be back next year at full health.
Dalton Rushing, C/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stats: 432 PA, .279/.392/.521, 22 HR, 55/88 BB/K
After playing sparingly behind future top overall MLB draft pick Henry Davis at Louisville, Rushing broke out in the Cape Cod League before his draft season and simply continued hitting all year for Louisville, hitting .310/.470/.686 with 23 home runs in 64 games. That earned the attention of the Dodgers, who selected the lefty-swinging backstop in the second round in 2022.
Rushing’s pro debut could not have gone much better. He hit .404/.522/.740 over 30 games with 11 doubles and eight home runs and sported an impressive 22/22 BB/K ratio over 134 plate appearances. Many simply thought the Dodgers had identified yet another major prospect behind the dish.
Last season was not Rushing’s finest work at the plate, as he slashed .228/.404/.452 over 381 plate appearances. He did smack 15 home runs and put up a solid 72/93 BB/K over 381 plate appearances, but many in the prospect industry backed off Rushing hard after the middling season before he got to the upper minors.
The Dodgers were comfortable with Rushing’s patience at the plate and work behind it enough to promote him to Double-A to open this year, and he was the model of consistency at the plate, earning a promotion to Triple-A, where he’s hit even better.
The big development for Rushing is that he’s now reached the doorstep of the majors where another Louisville backstop, Will Smith blocks his path. Instead, the Dodgers have had Rushing play primarily the outfield in Triple-A, potentially preparing him for a chance at a full-time gig in 2025.
Pitchers
Jackson Ferris, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stats: 116 2/3 IP, 3.32 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 135/55 K/BB
The Cubs selected the 6'4" lefty Ferris out of IMG Academy in the second round of the 2022 draft. He did not pitch any additional innings that year, but he shone brightly at fall instructs, leading many to follow his progress last season.
Ferris spent the entire season with Single-A Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League, posting a 3.38 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 56 innings. He had some control struggles, walking 13.9% of hitters, but he also struck out 32.5% of hitters, among the highest rates for pitchers with more than 50 innings pitched in the minors last season.
Over the offseason, he was one of two pieces the Dodgers acquired in a deal that sent infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte to the Cubs. It’s a rare deal that has, to this point, benefitted both teams, with Ferris and fellow prospect Zyhir Hope realizing some of their immense raw talent and popping up on prospect lists while Busch and Almonte have spent plenty of time in Wrigley this year.
Ferris’s raw stuff matches his ideal frame on the mound. He works in the mid-90s with a fastball that explodes in the top part of the zone, and he works with a curve and slider that both have strikeout potential as he climbs to the majors. His mid-80s change is effective, but he rarely uses it. The biggest hindrance to potential success for Ferris is a delivery with a number of moving parts that often ends up causing struggles with location. He’ll return to Double-A to open 2025 and could factor in Los Angeles by the end of the year.
Jackson Jobe, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Stats: 75 2/3 IP, 2.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 81/38 K/BB
Coming into the 2021 draft, there was legit thought that Oklahoman fireballer Jobe could be the first ever high school right-handed pitcher drafted first overall. The Pirates chose to go a different direction, leaving Jobe for the Tigers to snag third overall.
The Tigers let him rest after the draft, and Jobe made his pro debut in 2022, pitching across both A-ball levels, with a 3.84 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 77 1/3 innings, posting an 81/30 K/BB rate. Last season, he battled through injuries to hurl 64 innings of 2.81 ERA and 0.98 WHIP ball, earning his way all the way up to Double-A while posting an incredible 84/6 K/BB. He nearly walked as many batters in four starts in the AFL (5) as he did in 64 innings, as he posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.21 WHIP while striking out 19 over 15 2/3 innings.
This season has been another with injury concerns, really the only thing that has slowed down Jobe over his minor league career, though it’s been different things each time. This year a hamstring strain knocked him out for more than six weeks, likely costing him the chance at a MLB debut this year.
When he’s healthy, the stuff is “ace” quality. His four-seam fastball works in the upper-90s consistently, sitting around 96. He then works in three plus-or-better secondary offerings, with a wicked slider, a change that he has very good feel for, and a cutter that he added in 2023 and has developed into a magnet for weak contact. As said earlier, injury has been the only thing to slow Jobe so far, and with a transition in Detroit going on currently, he should factor into plans at the big league level for 2025.
Cade Horton, LHP, Chicago Cubs
Stats: 34 1/3 IP, 4.46 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 40/13 K/BB
Originally a two-sport athlete coming to Oklahoma, where he planned to play football and baseball, Horton focused on baseball after having Tommy John surgery his freshman year. He spent his draft season as a two-way force for the Sooners, starting at third base and worked his way into the role of Oklahoma’s starter. A big finish at the College World Series vaulted Horton all the way to the seventh overall selection in 2022 by the Cubs despite having just 53 2/3 innings on the mound.
The Cubs had Horton sit out until the 2023 season. He debuted in Single-A and overwhelmed the level, earning a promotion after just four starts. He took a bit to find his footing in High-A but eventually earned a late-season promotion to Double-A Tennessee where he posted a 1.33 ERA over 27 innings. Overall, he tossed 88 1/3 innings with a 2.65 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, tallying 117 strikeouts and 27 walks.
Horton’s dominant raw stuff from the left side had many considering him potentially the top overall pitching prospect. He works with a mid-90s fastball that can touch 98 then working with a double-plus slider and an average curve. The change has improved to an average pitch, giving him the sort of raw stuff that would allow Horton to profile as a #2 starter from the left side. Unfortunately, a lat strain that has recurred multiple times this year cost Horton the majority of the season, likely putting his MLB debut timeline back to midseason 2025.
Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Stats: 92 1/3 IP, 3.31 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 118/56 K/BB
The top community college arm in the 2022 draft, Misiorowski was selected by the Brewers in the second round. The lean, 6'7" righty immediately showed off explosive raw stuff in his pro debut with Single-A Carolina, striking out three over 1 2/3 innings, though he also walked seven batters.
He returned to Carolina to open 2023, with the Brewers being very intentional about his inning management. He was dominant at both A-ball levels, earning a late promotion to Double-A for his final 21 innings of the season. Overall, he had a 3.41 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 71 1/3 innings with a 110/42 K/BB ratio, only allowing two home runs the entire season. He also made a huge impression at the Futures Game, leading to him being considered a top-50 consensus prospect.
The Brewers have eased innings onto Misiorowski this year, pitching him 19 times in Double-A, averaging less than five innings per start. Since he was promoted to Triple-A, he’s been moved to the bullpen and has yet to top two innings pitched in a single outing. However, the walk rate is still a concern.
Misiorowski has a fastball that sits upper-90s and touches 102 while adding in a double-plus slider and a plus curve. The issue is that with his long legs and long arms, he often struggles to sync up his delivery. If he can’t get that accomplished, he could be an absolutely dominant reliever, but there’s definitely a top-end starter there if he can get the control even to average.
Jarlin Susana, RHP, Washington Nationals
Stats: 98 2/3 IP, 4.47 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 147/46 K/BB
The San Diego Padres signed Susana out of the Dominican in January 2022, and the Padres immediately discussed his elite size (6'6" and well over 200 pounds) and his huge fastball. He made his pro debut with the Arizona complex team, but midseason, his reputation of a big-armed young pitcher made Susana a perfect guy as a “flyer” profile in a huge trade. Susana was that flyer for the Nationals in the Juan Sosa deal.
The Nationals moved Susana to their complex team in Florida, and he got a late-season callup to Single-A. Overall, Susana pitched 45 innings with a 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 11.2% walk rate and a 36.9% strikeout rate. Susana returned to Single-A Fredericksburg last season, but he struggled to a 5.14 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 63 innings. While he struck out 62 in that time, he also walked 40.
This season, Susana returned back to Fredericksburg and earned a promotion to High-A. The big thing that caught rankers’ eyes for prospect lists is that Susana has brought his walk rate down significantly after a promotion, not the typical profile.
The fastball is elite, touching 103 and sitting 98–99. He pairs it with a double-plus upper-80s slider. This season has seen Susana take big steps forward with his curve and his change to where both generate weak contact now. When his control is on, the change is a swing-and-miss pitch. Susana has the profile of an elite closer, but if he can improve the command even a touch, this could be a top-rotation guy.
When the Arizona Fall League rosters are all announced, I will cover every player that is going to be in the AFL and has not been covered yet. Otherwise, we’ll continue examining guys uncovered who are ranked well in a particular midseason list next week!
