Inbox: Who are the top base-stealing prospects?

The organization Top 30 Prospects lists are coming! We'll unveil a full division each weekday, starting next Monday with the National League East.

To hold you over until then, let's answer some prospect questions.

Who are the top 10 stolen base prospects in the minors that will make the MLB roster in the next few years? -- @cjbswissG2G

It's always great to hear from the head coach of the Swiss national baseball team, which has qualified for the European championships for the first time. And it's a fine question as well.

Rather than just look at the fastest players in the Minors or the stolen base leaders from 2022, I'm focusing on guys who have a combination of hitting and on-base ability, speed and aggressiveness on the basepaths. The obvious best choice to me is D-backs outfielder Corbin Carroll, a career .310/.426/.588 hitter in the Minors who got the only top-of-the-scale 80 run grade on the Top 100 and swiped 33 bases in 39 attempts last year.

My top 10 stolen base prospects (with Top 100 rankings in parentheses):

1. Corbin Carroll, OF, D-backs (No. 2)
2. Sal Frelick, OF, Brewers (No. 30)
3. Elly De La Cruz, SS/3B, Reds (No. 10)
4. Zac Veen, OF, Rockies (No. 27)
5. Jordan Lawlar, SS, D-backs (No. 11)
6. Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers (No. 8)
7. Druw Jones, OF, D-backs (No. 15)
8. Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees (No. 5)
9. Luisangel Acuña, SS/2B, Rangers (No. 71)
10. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs (No. 28)

The Top 100 Prospects list and the Top 30s by teams are something many fans, myself included, look forward to every year. We also have a general idea and pay attention to those drafted in the first round. Who are some non-first-rounders drafted recently who aren't on the Top 100 but could enter in the next year or two? -- Nick C., Loveland, Colo.

Looking at the last three Drafts, several left-handed pitchers immediately jump to mind as potential Top 100 additions in the near future: Dax Fulton (Marlins, second round, 2020), Jake Eder (Marlins, fourth, 2020), Robby Snelling (Padres, supplemental first, 2022), Jackson Ferris (Cubs, second, 2022) and Carson Whisenhunt (Giants, second, 2022). All of them were over-slot signings and everyone in that group but Eder was considered a first-round talent.

The best position players who weren't taken in the first round and could join the Top 100 soon are Orioles second baseman Connor Norby (second, 2021) and Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing (second, 2022). Later-round picks who bear watching include Tigers third baseman Colt Keith (fifth, 2020), Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler (third, 2021) and Phillies righty Griff McGarry (fifth, 2021).

Three more deeper sleepers to keep an eye on: Dodgers right-handers Nick Frasso (fourth round, 2020) and Nick Nastrini (fourth, 2021) and Athletics righty Mason Miller (third, 2021). The Blue Jays originally drafted Frasso but sent him to Los Angeles in a trade for Mitch White and infield prospect Alex DeJesus last August.

How quickly will Colson Montgomery be in the major leagues? Will he remain at shortstop or does he project to another position? -- @RobbTatka

Montgomery was one of the best two-sport athletes in the 2021 Draft and had a chance to walk on the basketball team at Indiana if he hadn't signed with the White Sox as the 22nd overall pick. In his first full pro season, he batted .274/.381/.429 with 11 homers in 96 games while advancing from Single-A to Double-A. There's more power coming and he continues to earn Corey Seager comparisons as a 6-foot-4 lefty-hitting shortstop with big offensive upside.

Montgomery, now ranked No. 38 on the Top 100, is an even more advanced hitter than expected, so he could hit his way to Chicago by mid-2024, when he'll be 22 years old. He has enough quickness and the solid arm strength and instincts to play shortstop, not to mention a better chance to stick there than initially given credit for. Whether or not he breaks into the big leagues probably depends on whether Tim Anderson is still with the White Sox.

Where would Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula rank on your board if he was a draft-eligible prepster? -- @snortskis

Born in Brooklyn and a second cousin of former NBA guards Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, De Paula signed for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic in January 2022. He batted .349/.448/.522 in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and projects as a left fielder with the chance to be a plus hitter with power to match.

De Paula won't turn 18 until May and if he were a high school senior, teams would love his offensive upside and his age. He'd be one of the top five prep position players available, not on the first tier with outfielders Max Clark and Walker Jenkins but more in the same range as third baseman Aidan Miller and catcher Blake Mitchell. De Paula could fit as high as No. 15 on our Draft Top 100.