Here's where Top 100 prospects are starting the season
The days of springtime preparation are over. Baseball is back.
The Triple-A level started us off with its Opening Night on Tuesday, with the Majors following on Thursday and the Double-A, High-A and Single-A leagues on Friday. Hundreds of players left their Spring Training locations in Arizona and Florida to full Minor League rosters from Portland, Maine, to Lake Elsinore, Calif., and many, many points in between.
We, here at MLB Pipeline, ranked 100 of those best prospects in baseball earlier this offseason, and now all 100 are set to find new homes.
Twelve members of the Top 100 are opening 2022 in the Majors, including three of the top four overall -- Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (No. 1), Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez (No. 3), Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (No. 4) -- something that has never happened since we started ranking prospects in 2004. Other Top 100 prospects on Opening Day rosters are: Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams (No. 9), Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (No. 21), Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (No. 22), Giants catcher Joey Bart (No. 31), Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (No. 42), Phillies shortstop Bryson Stott (No. 45), Rays outfielder Josh Lowe (No. 50), Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (No. 97) and Mariners right-hander Matt Brash (No. 98).
TOP 30 STARTING SPOTS:
ALE: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
ALC: CLE | CWS | DET | KC | MIN
ALW: HOU | LAA | OAK | SEA | TEX
NLE: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
NLC: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NLW: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
Eight Top 100 players are seeing the Majors for the first time on Opening Day. That’s a significant jump from the past two years, when there were just two each season: Luis Robert and Evan White in 2020 and Andrew Vaughn and Taylor Trammell in '21.
Of the 86 prospects remaining, 25 are expected to head to Triple-A, 28 to Double-A, 15 to High-A and nine to Single-A. Nine more are injured and unlikely to be active on their respective Opening Days, and two are expected to begin in extended spring training.
This is where we expect MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects will open the 2022 season.
The complete list
1) Bobby Witt Jr., SS, KC -- Kansas City (MLB)
2) Adley Rutschman, C, BAL -- Injured (right triceps)
3) Julio Rodríguez, OF, SEA -- Seattle (MLB)
4) Spencer Torkelson, 1B, DET -- Detroit (MLB)
5) Riley Greene, OF, DET -- Injured (fractured right foot)
6) Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, BAL -- Norfolk (Triple-A)
7) Gabriel Moreno, C, TOR -- Buffalo (Triple-A)
8) Anthony Volpe, SS, NYY -- Somerset (Double-A)
9) C.J. Abrams, SS, SD -- San Diego (MLB)
10) Francisco Álvarez, C, NYM -- Binghamton (Double-A)
11) Noelvi Marte, SS, SEA -- Everett (High-A)
12) Shane Baz, RHP, TB -- Injured (right elbow)
13) Marco Luciano, SS, SF -- Eugene (High-A)
14) Marcelo Mayer, SS, BOS -- Salem (Single-A)
15) Brennen Davis, OF, CHC -- Iowa (Triple-A)
16) Triston Casas, 1B, BOS -- Worcester (Triple-A)
17) Jack Leiter, RHP, TEX -- Frisco (Double-A)
18) Alek Thomas, OF, ARI -- Reno (Triple-A)
19) Corbin Carroll, OF, ARI -- Amarillo (Double-A)
20) Nick Gonzales, 2B, PIT -- Altoona (Double-A)
21) Reid Detmers, LHP, LAA -- Los Angeles (MLB)
22) Hunter Greene, RHP, CIN -- Cincinnati (MLB)
23) Jordan Lawlar, SS, ARI -- Visalia (Single-A)
24) Henry Davis, C, PIT -- Greensboro (High-A)
25) Kahlil Watson, SS, MIA -- Jupiter (Single-A)
26) Oneil Cruz, SS, PIT -- Indianapolis (Triple-A)
27) Brett Baty, 3B, NYM -- Binghamton (Double-A)
28) Diego Cartaya, C, LAD -- Rancho Cucamonga (Single-A)
29) Josh Jung, 3B, TEX -- Round Rock (Triple-A) -- injured list (shoulder)
30) Jordan Walker, 3B, STL -- Springfield (Double-A)
31) Joey Bart, C, SF -- San Francisco (MLB)
32) George Kirby, RHP, SEA -- Arkansas (Double-A)
33) Nolan Gorman, 2B, STL -- Memphis (Triple-A)
34) Edward Cabrera, RHP, MIA -- Jupiter (Single-A)
35) Max Meyer, RHP, MIA -- Jacksonville (Triple-A)
36) Zac Veen, OF, COL -- Spokane (High-A)
37) Robert Hassell, OF, SD -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
38) Orelvis Martinez, SS, TOR -- New Hampshire (Double-A)
39) Cade Cavalli, RHP, WSH -- Rochester (Triple-A)
40) Jackson Jobe, RHP, DET -- Extended spring training/Lakeland (Single-A)
41) Eury Perez, RHP, MIA -- Pensacola (Double-A)
42) Nick Lodolo, LHP, CIN -- Cincinnati (MLB)
43) Matthew Liberatore, LHP, STL -- Memphis (Triple-A)
44) Luis Campusano, C, SD -- El Paso (Triple-A)
45) Bryson Stott, SS, PHI -- Philadelphia (MLB)
46) Royce Lewis, SS, MIN -- St. Paul (Triple-A)
47) George Valera, OF, CLE -- Akron (Double-A)
48) Cole Winn, RHP, TEX -- Round Rock (Triple-A)
49) Brady House, SS, WSH -- Fredericksburg (Single-A)
50) Josh Lowe, OF, TB -- Tampa Bay (MLB)
51) MJ Melendez, C, KC -- Omaha (Triple-A)
52) Austin Martin, OF, MIN -- Wichita (Double-A)
53) Daniel Espino, RHP, CLE -- Akron (Double-A)
54) Quinn Priester, RHP, PIT -- Altoona (Double-A)
55) Nick Yorke, 2B, BOS -- Greenville (High-A)
56) Tyler Soderstrom, C, OAK -- Lansing (High-A)
57) Bobby Miller, RHP, LAD -- Tulsa (Double-A)
58) Sixto Sánchez, RHP, MIA -- Jacksonville (Triple-A) -- injured list (shoulder)
59) Shea Langeliers, C, OAK -- Las Vegas (Triple-A)
60) Oswald Peraza, SS, NYY -- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A)
61) Jasson Dominguez, OF, NYY -- Tampa (Single-A)
62) Nick Pratto, 1B, KC -- Omaha (Triple-A)
63) Luis Matos, OF, SF -- Eugene (High-A)
64) Gunnar Henderson, SS, BAL -- Bowie (Double-A)
65) Michael Harris, OF, ATL -- Mississippi (Double-A)
66) Colton Cowser, OF, BAL -- Aberdeen (High-A)
67) Michael Busch, 2B, LAD -- Tulsa (Double-A)
68) Andy Pages, OF, LAD -- Tulsa (Double-A)
69) JJ Bleday, OF, MIA -- Jacksonville (Triple-A)
70) Sal Frelick, OF, MIL -- Wisconsin (High-A)
71) Roansy Contreras, RHP, PIT -- Indianapolis (Triple-A)
72) Asa Lacy, LHP, KC -- Northwest Arkansas (Double-A)
73) Gabriel Arias, INF, CLE -- Columbus (Triple-A)
74) Taj Bradley, RHP, TB -- Montgomery (Double-A)
75) Kyle Harrison, LHP, SF -- Eugene (High-A)
76) Elly De La Cruz, 3B, CIN -- Dayton (High-A)
77) Vidal Bruján, OF, TB -- Durham (Triple-A)
78) Ronny Mauricio, SS, NYM -- Binghamton (Double-A)
79) Liover Peguero, SS, PIT -- Altoona (Double-A)
80) Jordan Groshans, SS, TOR -- Injured (oblique strain)
81) Mick Abel, RHP, PHI -- Jersey Shore (High-A)
82) Emerson Hancock, RHP, SEA -- Injured (Lat)
83) Ezequiel Duran, INF, TEX -- Frisco (Double-A)
84) Brayan Rocchio, INF, CLE -- Akron (Double-A)
85) Jarren Duran, OF, BOS -- Worcester (Triple-A)
86) MacKenzie Gore, LHP, SD -- El Paso (Triple-A)
87) Matt McLain, SS, CIN -- Chattanooga (Double-A)
88) Tyler Freeman, INF, CLE -- Columbus (Triple-A) -- injured list (shoulder)
89) Justin Foscue, 2B, TEX -- Frisco (Double-A) -- injured list (back)
90) D.L. Hall, LHP, BAL -- Extended spring training
91) Greg Jones, SS, TB -- Montgomery (Double-A)
92) Cristian Hernandez, SS, CHC -- Extended spring training
93) Harry Ford, C, SEA -- Modesto (Single-A)
94) Miguel Vargas, 3B, LAD -- Oklahoma City (Triple-A)
95) Jose Miranda, 3B, MIN -- St. Paul (Triple-A)
96) Austin Wells, C, NYY -- Hudson Valley (High-A)
97) Joe Ryan, RHP, MIN -- Minnesota (MLB)
98) Matt Brash, RHP, SEA -- Seattle (MLB)
99) Blake Walston, LHP, ARI -- Hillsboro (High-A)
100) Joey Wiemer, OF, MIL -- Biloxi (Double-A)