2025 in-season top 100 MLB prospects update: A new No. 1

A lot has changed since the last time we ranked the top MLB prospects.

The MLB draft and breakout seasons have added new names to our list, replacing players who have graduated or regressed in 2025 -- and some of the prospects in our ranking are in different places after a busy trade deadline in the majors.

All of that movement makes this the perfect time for an updated ranking of the top players in the sport -- along with some of the biggest risers of the season --heading into the final weeks of the minor league season.

This is my ranking of these players for the long term, considering their upside, risk and proximity to the big leagues, in consultation with scouts and execs around the league. Here's more on the grading tiers and lingo I use. Players in the big leagues are eligible for this update (MLB rookie eligibility rules apply here -- 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on the active roster) so you will see some recently called up major leaguers.

Now let's get to my final 2025 ranking of the best young prospects in baseball.

60 FV tier

1. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

It has been an improbable rise for the No. 9 pick in the 2024 MLB draft, going from being a high school hitter with big questions about his swing to ranking as the top prospect in the game in roughly 12 months.

I compared Griffin's upside to Fernando Tatis Jr. at draft time and he's following that plan, but with even better early reports on his shortstop defense and patience. Griffin is a plus-plus runner and thrower who can be average to above defensively almost anywhere on the field and has 30-homer upside, especially if he can lift the ball a bit more.

With some performance in Double-A (he was just promoted to the level), he will move into the hallowed 65 FV prospect tier, which doesn't always have a player in it.

2. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers

I was the guy in the media high on McGonigle when he was part of a very deep prep position-player crop in the 2023 draft -- and my belief in him has paid off better than I could've expected so far.

The concerns at draft time were that his power/speed combo and odds to stick at shortstop weren't strong enough to warrant going higher than 37th overall (where Detroit took him). He has been at least a passable shortstop as a pro and has a real shot to stick long-term. His power (by literally any measure) is now above average, if not plus.

McGonigle's feel and on-base skills were never in question, so now he looks like he could be above average at everything in the batter's box and closer to average on the bases and in the field.

3. Jesus Made, SS, Milwaukee Brewers

Made leapt onto the prospect scene last summer into the middle of the top 100 amid one of the best DSL performances we've ever seen. He has continued to deliver with an .801 OPS across both Single-A levels as a 17- and 18-year-old this season.

Made is an above-average contact/patience threat with at least plus power, though his flatter swing plane is keeping his homer totals down at the moment.

4. Samuel Basallo, C, Baltimore Orioles

Basallo has legit 40-homer potential and might be an every-day catcher. He is a good enough framer and blocker, and he has a plus arm, though his exchange and accuracy are lacking a bit.

The reasons I have him just behind Made are because of the rocky development path catchers typically take and the fact that Basallo still tends to chase pitches out of the strike zone, which could undermine both his on-base and power potential against big league pitching.

That said, Basallo has to be ranked high because he's a 21-year-old catcher who just got called up to the majors and could lead the league in homers in a few years.

5. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics

In the most A.J. Preller trade to date, the Padres sent De Vries to the A's at the deadline in a package for reliever Mason Miller.

Though he is playing shortstop now, De Vries is a below-average runner and it's looking more likely that he'll need to slide over to third base.

The negatives end there as De Vries has a plus arm, above-average-to-plus power, great feel to pull and lift to get to that power in games, average-to-above contact/patience and all of that from an 18-year-old switch-hitter who is already playing in High-A.

There is some thought that he looks a little more like a very good player than a potential star, but either way De Vries is a very high probability, strong, every-day infielder with a shot to be an impact player.

6. Max Clark, CF, Detroit Tigers

Clark was the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, and everything has basically gone to plan since Detroit selected him.

He is a plus runner who fits in center field defensively, and he has plus contact skills and plus pitch selection at the plate. He'll probably hit 20 homers in his best seasons but should hover around 15 on an annual basis with lots of doubles and triples.

7. Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners

Emerson was the 22nd pick in that same 2023 draft as Clark, and it quickly became apparent that he was underrated.

He is now in Double-A and looks like he can be an every-day lefty-hitting MLB shortstop with above-average on-base percentages and 20ish homers.

8. Sebastian Walcott, SS, Texas Rangers

The sales pitch is easy here: Walcott is a 6-foot-4 potential long-term shortstop with big power.

That length to his frame creates plus-plus power potential -- but also some swing-and-miss in the zone. His pitch selection is solid, but the main issue right now is that his flat swing plane is keeping him from posting homer totals that match his raw power.

9. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians

Bazzana was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft but doesn't have the conventional superstar upside you might associate with that.

He is a plus runner and fine second-base defender whose best offensive traits are his patience and pull/lift ability. His bat-to-ball and raw power are close to average, but he should post plus on-base percentages and hit 20ish homers annually.

10. Aidan Miller, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Miller was another 2023 draft prep position player from the deep group that produced McGonigle, Clark and Emerson ranked above on this list.

He is on the shortstop/third base defensive spectrum but has improved defensively (and seems quicker on the basepaths, too) to the point that I think he can be an average defensive option at shortstop -- though some teams would likely move him if they have a superior option.

Miller has above-average-to-plus raw power right now but still has some work to do to fully tap into it in games, though he has been productive with 21 homers and 70 stolen bases in 196 games the past two seasons.

11. Walker Jenkins, CF, Minnesota Twins

Jenkins has played only 163 regular-season professional games since going No. 5 in the 2023 draft because of various injuries. His .301/.405/.471 line with 16 homers and 34 stolen bases in those games while playing almost exclusively center field shows his power/speed combo and advanced feel to hit.

He is above average at basically everything on a baseball field, but durability has been an issue and that cost him a few spots on this list.

12. Josue De Paula, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers

I can't shake the comp a scout gave me on De Paula a few years ago: Yordan Alvarez.

De Paula is a better runner and defender -- he's fine in left field -- than the Astros slugger, but I don't think he'll be quite as elite at the plate. That said, De Paula should post plus on-base percentages buoyed by big walk rates and should grow into 25-30 homer seasons as he taps into his power.

13. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

The first pitcher on this list didn't crack the top dozen spots because of both the risks of pitching prospects in general and also a bit of a dip in who is still eligible as Chase Burns and Jacob Misiorowski recently graduated.

Chandler's past nine starts in Triple-A have been just OK -- 42 innings, 50 hits, 5 home runs, 24 walks, 47 strikeouts, 4.93 ERA. So, while he seemed ready for a big league look before this stretch, it's now harder for the Pirates to make the move -- but Pittsburgh did decide to call up Chandler for his debut coming later this week.

He still has front-line potential though, with a repertoire headlined by a plus fastball that sits 96-100 and hits 102 mph.

55 FV tier

Lawlar is a sure shortstop in Triple-A and has grown into plus raw power, but has had some health, contact and consistency issues over the past few years. Wetherholt and Williams are also Triple-A shortstops but might move off the position depending on what their big league teams need.

The top three players on my 2025 MLB draft board went in the top four picks and fall into this tier: Anderson, Holliday and Willits.

White, McLean and Tong are all arrow-up prospects this season, joining Painter on the verge of the big leagues as potential front-line starters. I go back and forth on Tong vs. McLean: Tong has more command and a better changeup while McLean has multiple standout breaking pitches.

50 FV tier

The 55 FV tier tends to be shallower at this time of year because there has been so much movement and the top end of the list is hollowed out by graduations; over the winter another dozen or so prospects will slide up a tier.

Keaschall and Montgomery (whose season has been a roller coaster, but he is now red-hot) should graduate soon and the majority of these players will be in the big leagues at some point next season.

Arias is a standout defender and contact hitter who needs to tap into more power but is just 19 years old. Tait was the headliner of the Jhoan Duran trade and could hit 25-30 homers as an every-day catcher.

On the pitching side, Hernandez was the No. 5 pick in July and could move up a tier with a hot start next season, while Tolle and Yesavage are arrow-up college arms from the 2024 draft who should be in the big leagues next season.

Rodriguez and Gonzalez are two of the risers from the previous list; Rodriguez has a real shot to stick behind the plate and hit 25 homers, while Gonzalez was the top signee from the January international class and has had a hot debut in the DSL. He could stick at shortstop, hit 20 homers and post plus on-base percentages but obviously has a long way to go. I won't project the same rise for Gonzalez as Jesus Made and Luis Pena, but those were the two standout names from the DSL at this time last year.

Parker and Arquette (and Carlson just below) were the top position players in the 2025 draft outside of that top tier of Holliday and Willits. Caldwell and Gillen are arrow-up prep position players from the 2024 first-round group. Arnold was a borderline shocking drop to the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft, largely tied to how hard his fastball was hit in college, but I think he still has mid-rotation upside.

Snelling, Stephen and Henderson have all been arrow-up this year mostly due to command and execution rather than a jump in raw stuff, though Snelling's raw stuff has been a bit better. Schlittler and Morales are in the big leagues while Tiedemann is almost back from elbow surgery and Sykora is about to undergo surgery. Schultz and Salas have had tough seasons, but the tools are still there.

The White Sox and Braves make up the top of this section of the list. Fuentes had a tough big league debut, while Caminiti's slider/arm speed taking one more step forward could vault him up this list. Smith, like Schultz, has had trouble throwing strikes this year, but the potential is still there. Bonemer had a loud pro debut while Carlson's early returns will be watched closely as his age and offensive outlook put him just behind Parker and Arquette for some teams.

Jones has been red-hot of late but still has an uncertain outlook due to his long track record of contact issues and not hitting 20 homers in a season until his age-24 season. Speaking of red-hot, Marsee's improved center-field defense, solid Triple-A showing and shocking MLB look allowed him to sneak onto the list before graduating.

Prielipp was on the shelf with elbow issues for years (30 total innings pitched in 2023-24), but now looks like a potential impact arm, likely in shorter stints. Sproat and Gibson could impact their teams early next season. Montes could hit 30 homers if it all clicks in the big leagues. Morales could be a 6-3 every-day shortstop who hits 25 homers annually.

10 players in contention who weren't in the preseason top 200

Luke Dickerson, SS, Washington Nationals