Meyer will likely need to tweak his fastball shape to reach his ceiling, whether that be switching to more of a heavy two-seamer or finding a way to throw the pitch with more riding life and vertical break. A great athlete for his size, Walker has held his own at third base, but with his rapid rise through the minors and Nolan Arenado manning third for the Cardinals for the foreseeable future, Walker has seen reps at all three outfield spots. He currently struggles with fastballs located on the inner half of the plate. Here is a list of a few names to watch in the coming years. Lee has flashed above average power to his pull side and will pick his spots to try to do damage. Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from JapanBall. Cartaya has plus power to his pull side and at times will try to yank the ball that way, causing him to spin off of softer stuff, especially from lefties. Baty enjoyed a power breakout in 2022, climbing his way from Double-A to the big leagues before unfortunately going down with a season-ending thumb injury. Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division. Ota has a decent bat and decent speed and is a good right fielder. This is all under the assumption that Lewis returns looking like he did prior to the re-tearing his ACL. Background Music:RAIDEN by SENZORONIN by GRILLABEATS. Combine the impressive defense with fact that he is a athletic switch-hitter who has put up impressive numbers as an 18-year-old in Low-A and you have a relatively safe profile with enough upside to dream on. Despite registering slightly below-average exit velocities, Arroyos swing generates easy lift and carry, helping him to a respectable 12% HR/FB rate. January 17, 2023 . Perhaps the most impressive thing about Perez is his command. Solid reads and instincts along with an above average arm give him a great chance to stick in center, but if he moves to a corner he could profile as a fringe plus defender. Possessing some of the most impressive raw power in the minors, Luciano defies his frame by flashing plus-plus raw pop despite weighing less than 200 pounds. A Syracuse University grad, Aram hosts the "The Call Up" podcast centered around MLB prospects. Defensively, he has a strong arm that serves as a reminder that he pitched as a youngster. Frelick may not have enough power to be a star in todays game, but he has as good of a chance to be a big league regular as any prospect outside of the top 50. The right-hander snaps his slider in the mid 80s with late horizontal bite, while commanding it exceptionally well. A powerful bat who controls the strike zone really well, Busch has the ingredients of a Max Muncy lite. The right-hander has three secondary offerings he will mix in with his above average slider leading the way. Like many other young outfielders, Green could improve upon his reads and routes, but theres no doubt that he can be a great defender up the middle. A significant amount of his homers were hit to left field off of fastballs middle away. The southpaw leans on the pitch much more frequently in left-on-left matchups, holding them to a .487 OPS on the pitch. Hell flash plus pop times thanks to his quick transfer and above-average arm strength, but the accuracy of his arm is currently inconsistent. Still probably two years from Fenway Park, Mayer could have a claim as one of baseballs best overall prospects by the end of next year. Signed away from Mississippi State for twice the slot value at $2.6M, he has top of the scale power potential in a surprisingly athletic XXL frame. I love the fans. Graceffo has four pitches he will mix well to hitters led by his mid 90s fastball which has ticked up from last year. Brown has three potentially plus offerings, starting with his 95-97 MPH fastball topping out at 99. What followed was a tour de force that resulted in the best year of his career. The 2022 MLB season is upon us, and it's time for us to rank the top 100 players in baseball. When Marte sticks to his approach, hes a tough hitter to strikeout, but he can also find himself selling out for pull-side power, occasionally giving away at-bats. He has flashed exit velocities over 110 mph and launched a 458 foot bomb in Triple-A this season, cluing us into the kind of untapped juice he has. It's fair to call Senga NPB's premier pitcher due to his performance and talent levels. He finished with a 6-5 mark, 4.66 ERA, and 1.30 WHIP, walking 32 batters and giving up 16 home runs in 106 innings. Big power and at least average hitting ability will have Colas looking like a corner outfield masher who can stay in the lineup every day thanks to his left-on-left success. The improved command for Brown has him trending towards a solid middle of the rotation option with flashes of more. Tiedemann has the goods to be a strong No. Steers strong baseball instincts allow him to move all over the infield with relative ease. Mervis batted ball data and overall numbers are eerily similar to that of Vinnie Pasquantino and much like the Royals, I really believe the Cubs suddenly found their first baseman of the future in Matt Mervis. Age: 22|Height/Weight: 63, 210|Bat/Throw: L/R|1st Round (12) 2019 (NYM)|ETA: 2023. A patient hitter, Valera punishes mistakes and will wait the pitcher out until he makes one. Rocchio could probably use another season in Triple-A as he tries to find more offensive consistency, however his glove is good enough to hold down the shortstop position at the highest level right now. Williams rode the momentum of his All American collegiate season right into professional baseball where he pitched to a 1.96 ERA in 115 innings between High-A and Double-A with a 33% strikeout rate while walking just 9% of batters. His plus wheels and athleticism allow him to move around the field with ease and his plus arm strength only strengthens his defensive profile. Does a great job of hunting pitches he can do damage with early in counts before relying on his natural feel to hit and ability to spray the ball all over when he has two strikes. Height/Weight: 60, 185|Bat/Throw: L/L|1st Round (19), 2020 (CHC)|ETA: 2024. Defensively, Crow-Armstrong has a chance to be aGold Gloverin center field. He finished with a flourish that saw him take the pitching Triple Crown in the Pacific League with an 11-6 record, 2.16 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Great stuff and premium athleticism give Bradley frontline upside. The 23-year-old is a physical hitter with a thick lower half and does not require much movement to get into his explosive rotational power. Casas massive build limits him to first base, where he moves well and already excels at picking and has solid footwork around the bag. An average runner, Vargas has averaged around 10-12 stolen bases per season, but surprisingly swiped 17 bags on 22 tries year. The youngest player selected in last years draft, Colliers advanced offensive skill-set should allow him to keep up with his fellow teenage first-rounders. Bradleys 86-88 mph slider gives him a second plus pitch and it gets better each time Ive seen Bradley throw. Slashing .281/.389/.500 in his 76 MiLB games this season, Casas provided a barometer of what we can expect from him at the big league level once he is fully developed. New slugger of NPB, Hotaka Yamakawa. Even with the loud moves, Neto puts himself in a good spot to hit and uses the big stride to tap into as much power as possible. Big time physical projection and a pretty good feel for the strike zone, Caissie has immense offensive upside, especially in the power department. A patient hitter, Henderson has maintained a chase rate below 20% all season and should consistently get on base at an impressive clip. The curve has become Browns go-to pitch against lefties, while his improved slider has become a much more reliable pitch for him against right-handed hitters. It seemed that the Mets werent even sure of how much upside their 2020 first round pick had given their willingness to part with him for a few months of Javier Bez. Taishi Ota, OFHokkaido Nippon Ham FightersB-T: R-R. Born: June 9, 1990 (30). 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. A slightly open stance with the weight on his front foot up on his toe, Colas starts his load by turning his front foot inward to get into his back side and create tension before unleashing his explosive swing. Can Seiya Suzuki build success in the major leagues into his already sparkling resume from nine years in Japans Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)? The pitch averages more than 19 inches of induced vertical break. Alvarez has put his big time power on display this season, crushing home runs as far as 452 feet and as hard as 113 mph off of the bat. You can read the transcript here. Home Sports Card Sets Baseball Card Sets 2022 Baseball Cards 2022 Topps Baseball Japan Edition Cards Checklist and Odds. Not only has Mervis been the biggest breakout prospect in 2022, but hes also flat out been one of the best hitters in the Minor Leagues. A new year, a new board and new ranks. Valeras calling card is his sweet left-handed swing geared for lift and power. It is tough to beat Tovar because of his willingness to stay inside the baseball and go the other way while also possessing enough bat speed to turn on pitches middle inespecially in hitters counts. He would project as an above average outfielder in a corner with a pretty good arm. The blend of whippy bat speed while living in the zone for so long helps Manzardo post an impressive 86% zone contact rate while driving the ball with authority. The fastball command for Williams has gotten better as the year has progressed, throwing the pitch for a strike 70% of the time. If Aranda can get a bit better with handling breaking stuff, he will be one of the toughest outs in the Rays lineup. Height/Weight: 60, 170|Bat/Throw: R/R|IFA: $800K 2017 (COL)|ETA: 2023. One of baseballs higher floor prospects, Turang may never be a star, but he has a great chance to be an MLB regular and potentially a solid one at that. If Amador adds more strength, he could push 20-25 homers, but theres little question on the hit tool. Regardless, Merrill has exceeded my expectations in every way, hitting the ball with much more authority than anticipated with his well above average ability to hit immediately shining through. Collier has an elite feel to hit with pitch recognition skills that you just dont see often from players of his age and experience. ZiPS Top 100 Prospects - 2022 All told, ZiPS and our rankings agree on two-thirds of players, with a few more that ZiPS didn't even consider. He also allowed 18 of his season-total 28 home runs during those three months. Reliever risk all but gone, Miller is a likely middle-of-the-rotation option with frontline potential. He has looked drastically better this season, taking cleaner routes and getting earlier jumps on balls. Carter has five-tool potential with a great chance to stay in centerfield and the polish to climb to the big leagues quickly. Walkers average speed and elite arm and give him the potential to play an above average right field once he gets comfortable out there. Capable of doing damage to all parts of the ballpark and should have no issue flicking pitches on the outer half off of the green monster in left. Ohno didnt arrive on the scene this season. Every farm system needs a Colton Cowser. With 14 triples since the start of last season, De La Cruz just glides around the bases in what seems like three steps per 90 feet. As always, our boards are built on three pillars: OF Seiya Suzuki is being rumored to be posted to MLB this offseason. Johnson should be an above average defender at second. The southpaws best pitch was his changeup, which generated an opponent batting average of just .036 and a whiff rate of 35.1%. He has 30 home run potential with the ability to walk as much as anyone. Generally, these loud moves would be of concern in regards to disrupting timing and consistency, but Johnson is quick and compact with explosive bat speed. Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. Matos is an aggressive base runner and has stolen bases with a high rate of success in previous seasons. We saw Perezs plus fastball consistently eclipse over 2,500 RPM, boasting a ton of life. If he can refine his approach, Rafaela could easily be an above average hitter with decent power that he taps into effectively. Additionally, you can subscribe to Baseball America's newsletter and receive all of our rankings, analysis, prospect insight & more delivered to your inbox every day. Senga threw at least six innings in each of his final six starts, and didnt allow an earned run over his final 40.1 innings. After only registering seven steals on 10 tries last season, Dominguez racked up 37 stolen bases in 44 tries this year across three levels. Lees swing is almost identical from both sides of the plate, utilizing a simple set up and quiet load while relying on his impressive bat speed and added strength to produce impact. It feels like he's been around much longer, given that he first became a regular with the Giants in 2008, when he was 19. After operating more in the upper 80s with his slider last season, Brown tweaked the slider to sit in the low 90s with sharper bite. Though not a great runner, Mayer moves pretty well at shortstop and has all of the goods to be an above average defender there. It sits 93-95 MPH, topping out at 97. George Arias, Hanshin Tigers, Yomiuri Giants, and "Chatter Up!" He threw a career-high 143 innings, finished with a 3.58 ERA and struck out 135. He has the tendency to get very contact-oriented, hitting more balls into the ground than desired, but his pro sample size is extremely small and he was handling aggressive assignments to High-A then Double-A in the early days of his Twins career. Youth. Ruiz has made the majority of his outfield appearances in center field where his reads and routes are passable along with an average arm. Impressive pull side power and a good athlete. McLain has as simple of a swing and set up as youre going to find. The pitch flashes above average with two-plane break, but Graceffo does not land it for a strike enough yet. Though his hand load is loud, his hands/wrists work so well that he can get the barrel to tough pitches. Great plate discipline and body control help Henderson remain productive against all pitch types and he uses the entire field impressively. His 28 home runs allowed represented the second-highest total of his career. 3 starter. Gassers solid stuff, natural deception and developing command have him looking like a potential No. Palatable chase rates and solid contact rates give Campusano a great chance to be an average hitter or slightly better and he has flashed his above average power on several occasions this year, maxing out at 112 mph off of the bat. After three seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Kikuchi signed a three-year, $36 million contract with Toronto in the off-season. A 6-foot-8 19-year-old who has a good feel for four pitches sounds like a player you would create in MLB the Show. Morenos receiving has earned mixed reviews in the past, but he has shown enough to leave optimism in that regard. Standing at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds with already impressive present pop, many evaluators are eager to see what kind of power Caissie will be able to generate as he continues to fill out and mature physically and at the plate. The slider Meyers fastball, as his inward twist with his leg lift helps him hide the ball a bit longer before uncorking his quick arm from a similar release point across the two offerings. While he is still working to command it, Espinos changeup is an exciting third offering with plus potential. Let's rank the top 50 players in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League going into the 2022 season. He has no problem catching up with velocity and is already an above average hitter. Some evaluators may want to see Mervis do what he did this season for a bit longer before considering him a top 100 prospect, however they probably wont even get the chance. Looking like he should be working on his finishing around the rim rather than carving hitters up, the 6-foot-8 Eury Perez impressed the Marlins brass so much in 2021 and 2022 Spring Training that he was assigned to Double-A to start the season at just 18 years old. At this point, Matos bat-to-ball skills are almost a double-edged sword; on one hand, he is able to spoil tough pitches in two-strike counts, playing a big part in his minuscule 12% K-rate, but on the flip side, Matos will produce weak contact swinging at a ball off the plate early in the count that most other hitters would whiff and recalibrate. Big, athletic right-hander with an over the top delivery that features some deception due to the natural funkiness. An inconsistent lower half is common among younger players and is going to be even more pronounced when you are 6-foot-4, 175 pounds. Munetaka Murakami firmly etched his name in the NPB history books by becoming the first Japanese player since Hideki Matsui in 2002 to have a 50+ HR season. Ota has played in at least 100 games every year since 2017 and finished with double-digit home runs in his last four seasons. Collier has hit the ground running at the complex already showcasing his exciting power potential with a 450-foot bomb. With that being said, his patience and power offer a higher floor than most prospects and we will likely see him in LA next season. After leaving the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to sign with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 and earning American League Rookie of the Year in his first season, Ohtani was hampered by injuries in years two and three. The Mariners chose not to pitch Kikuchi after September 23, showing that they didnt think he would help in their unsuccessful playoff push that went down to the last day of the season. A star-studded MLB free-agent market is about to add another big name to its ranks. Holliday projects as a plus hitter. Ford has a great feel for the barrel and is able to get to a lot of difficult pitches thanks to his lightning-quick hands. Kodai Senga, RHP. Yoshida, who played in 120 games (his third straight year playing every game), added a batting title to his burgeoning resume in 2020, batting .350 in 408 at-bats to win the Pacific League crown for the first time. Above average command of three above average pitches gives Burrows a high floor with still a good amount of upside. Viewed as a candidate to climb relatively quickly, Jobes stay in Low-A was longer than planned due to somewhat inconsistent fastball command and lower than expected chase rates on his slider. He will likely begin 2023 in Double-A with a chance to debut in 2024. His best pitch is his plus slider in the upper 80s. The question seemed to be, how much upside does he have?. Lawlar is an elite athlete with quick-twitch actions on the defensive side of the ball. In 129 games, he batted .266/.375/.578 with a wRC+ of 186 while leading the Pacific League with 90 RBI. He's coming off a fantastic season that saw him post a 2.46 ERA and 4.03 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 164 innings. Nice cards good corners low price no combine shipping . Trouts name is generally invoked when someone is talking about Tetsuto Yamada, but if Yamada is Japans Trout, Suzuki is Trout-lite. One of the more overlooked prospects in the 2018 international free agent class, De La Cruz signed for just $65K and is looking like he could end up being one of the biggest IFA steals in years. Elite speed and defensive potential in centerfield with an offensive skillset to dream on, Chourio has a lot of similarities to Michael Harris II, including how young he could possibly debut. 4 starter with enough upside to be a high-end No. While just an average runner, Merrill moves his feet well at shortstop and has the goods to potentially stick there. He find the barrel as much as any hitter in the minors and should quickly climb to the big leagues. The bidding war for his services could be historic when hes ready to break into the big leagues. Former Yakult Swallows Stars Tony Barnette, Aaron "Chatter Up!" Batys stock has continued to rise as he has hedged his weaknesses and tapped into his strengths as he has progressed through his career. The one blemish for Suzuki is his basestealing. Even as he stands now, he looks like a well-rounded above average backstop at the highest level. He chokes up and widens out with two strikes and simply looks to put the ball in play rather than do damage and often still winds up doing damage because of elite raw power. Can Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani build on his historic 2021 season with the Los Angeles Angels, in which he was voted to the American League All-Star team and earned the leagues Most Valuable Player Award unanimously? On a weekly sports program in August former Olympic rhythmic gymnast Airi Hatakeyama mentioned that Suzuki, her husband, was a fan of Mike Trout and watched videos of the Angels star. An overslot 11th round pick in 2018, the Pirates shelled out $500K to sign Burrows away from UCONN, betting on his upside. Things clicked for Vargas in the power department during the 2021 season, launching 23 homers along with 52 extra base hits in 120 games between High-A and Double-A. MLB hasn't had a catcher that short who qualified for the batting title in any season since Yogi Berra last did it in the 1950s. The change has the ability to miss bats, however, it specializes in inducing soft contact. Age: 22 | Height/Weight: 64, 220 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (62), 2020 (CHC) | ETA: 2022. This is generally typical of players who are quick to the ball and do not have to accommodate a ton of pre-swing movement; those types of hitters just have more time to decide. The 70 grade speed has translated into big stolen base numbers for Winn, swiping 43 bags on 48 tries this season. The southpaws stuff has ticked up a bit over the last couple seasons and his command continues to improve, giving him a much better outlook as a potential rotation piece. The elite defense, improved ability to get on base and integration of speed into game value has made Tovar a high floor prospect whose ceiling is difficult to peg for all the right reasons. Boasting the ability to leave the yard foul pole to foul pole, Wood has a chance to develop into elite power paired with bat-to-ball skills that most wouldnt expect with his profile. Since debuting in 2021, Whites fastball has operated in the mid 90s, topping out at 97 mph with riding life. Ohnos season got off to a slow start with an 0-3 record and 4.04 ERA after six starts. The good news is, the bat is exciting. Astonishingly, the 20-year-old finished second in NPB with 6.8 WAR, despite a very underwhelming ISO (Isolated Power) of just .081. Theres a plus hit tool plus power blend to dream on here with his size and feel to hit that is a bit reminiscent of Corey Seager. He could probably benefit from getting the ball in the air a bit more (47% GB rate), though Hendersons ability to hit the ball hard to all fields and above average speed should have him routinely above average in the BABIP department. He also led the league in walk percentage, so it isn't all butterflies and cupcakes here. Unfortunately, things have not gone to plan for either Lewis or the Twins. You just need to sign up for a Topps Japan account. After drawing free passes at a 9.8% clip in Low-A in 2021, Dominguez has walked 13.4% of the time this season between Low-A, High-A and Double-A. It seemed like 2022 was finally the season where Lewis was starting to put it all together. The 6-foot-2, 180 pound Williams has long levers and generates easy bat speed even though his swing can be very upper half centric. Experimenting with timing mechanisms has likely contributed to the highest ground ball rate of Campusanos professional career, however he is still consistently hitting the ball hard and has cut his strikeout rate by three percent. An elite athlete, Carroll controls his body exceptionally well, staying in his back hip and using the whole field well. April 6, 2022. Hall has trouble consistently locating it to his glove side, something he will need to shore up in order to reach his ceiling. Imanaga is a short, physical 26-year-old who rebounded from a rough 2018 in a big way last season. Hassells an extremely athletic hitter who can spray the ball foul line to foul line with a good approach. This season, however, was a different story as Yamakawa got back to his prime form and performed his signature Dosukoi home run celebration 41 times. His reads are already at least big league average and the combination of his speed and efficient routes make it seem like he can get to any baseball. He has good hands and an average arm. Back to back seasons in the upper minors with gaudy strike out numbers and improving walk rates had Waldichuk continuing his ascent as a highly regarded pitching prospect after being a more under-the-radar guy as a fifth round pick in 2019. The centerpiece in the Luis Castillo swap with the Mariners, Marte possesses immense offensive upside and continues to look more polished at the plate. As I speak to Minor Leaguers of who has stood out to them over the last couple seasons, Arandas name comes up as much as anyones. Age: 21/2022 Stats (A/A+/AA): 350 AB/.274/.381/.429/11 HR/1 SB/58 R/57 RBI. Starts crouched and slightly open. Theres some effort in the delivery, but Leiters plus athleticism and ridiculous strong lower half helps. In 2019, he led qualifiers in innings, strikeout rate, and fastball velocity (95 mph) while posting the league's fifth best ERA. Despite missing 90% of the regular season, Jung impressed enough upon returning to Triple-A action to earn a big league call-up. Pair the above average hit tool with plus raw power and you have a really exciting offensive profile for any position let alone a catcher. It is safe to assume that Moreno could at least be an average defender with potential to be above-average with the glove. It's easy to get caught up in what Yamakawa doesn't provide. He already has a polished approach that led to a 15% walk rate in the upper minors this season. It was huge for Davis to return to the field before the end of the 2022 season to shake off the rust from missing the majority of the season. Tom Mussa. Plus power, athleticism and a patient approach gives Naylor exciting offensive upside. The Guardians are as good as any team in baseball at identifying and developing pitching and they seem to have snagged Williams just as his stock was about to go through the roof. We're including Yamakawa because he does one thing exceptionally well: slug. section: | slug: nippon-professional-baseball-10-players-to-watch-in-japan-including-some-potential-future-mlb-aces | sport: baseball | route: article_single.us | The move is simple and the 20-year-old repeats it with ease, which helps him be on time frequently. Insanity. In Meyers 178 professional innings, opponents have hit just .111/.169/.215 against Meyers slider even with him throwing it nearly 40% of the time. 3 ceiling. "You're spot on with your focus on the two of them as . Here is a list of a few names to watch in the coming years. Mead has already flashed plus exit velocities, with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107 mph, one of the better marks in the organization. Perezs changeup gives him a third plus offering, also working off of his fastball really well to lefties. Athleticism and mobility is a big part of Hassells game from the batters box to center field and the base paths. His receiving is better than I thought it would be, and his arm looks average. Vargas kept things rolling into Triple-A this season where he hit 17 homers and 53 XBH in 113 games. Even with command issues, Harrison gets enough whiffs to be a high strikeout middle of the rotation arm who may struggle with consistency. As ridiculous as it sounds, sometimes it seems like Tovar was born to play shortstop. Wiemers ability to catch up to almost any velocity while holding his own against secondary stuff really improves his outlook in regards to his hit tool. While it may not feature the same movement as many of the sliders in modern-day baseball, Stones ability to throw it for quality strikes when behind in the count allows the offering to play up. That doesnt, however, mean those are the only players to watch out of Japan. While theres definitely some whiff in Walkers game at this point, he only struck out 21.6% of the time this season because of his ability to punish fastballs while rarely missing mistakes of any pitch type. He made 20 starts at shortstop this season, only making two errors. It flashed solid depth and shape at the bottom of the zone, making it a nice change-of-pace pitch to be used sparingly. Pfaadt impressively lands the pitch for a strike 72% of the time using it as his go-to out pitch against righties, but also has enough confidence with the pitch to back door and back leg lefties. The Trout comparison works on another, unintended level. The simplicity of his swing and easy power has helped Henderson consistently tap into his exciting raw pop in games with potentially even more in the tank. The struggles against velocity are a concern with Pages and he will need to find a way to be more efficient to the baseball. There is a host of other players, from rising stars to veterans, who could be a little bit further down the pipeline. Casas has already hit home runs as far as 472 feet and has the ability to mishit baseballs that still leave the yard.