One potential prospect callup for each team

Unless you were hiding under a baseball rock last week, you noticed Cardinals’ prospect Joshua Báez made his big league debut against the Cubs in Chicago last Saturday. All he did was make history by becoming the first player in Major League history to homer in his first three plate appearances in his debut. He’s certainly not the last prospect who is going to get the chance to show what he can do for the remainder of the season, especially since we’ve passed the threshold where players would lose rookie status based on service time. Báez, and anyone else making their debuts from this point forward, will still be considered rookies in 2027 even if they get called up now, meaning that if they make an Opening Day roster next year and, say, go on to win Rookie of the Year, they still would earn their team a PPI Draft pick in 2028. More from MLB Pipeline: • Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage We won’t predict anyone will match what Báez did in his debut, but we do have a prospect from each organization we’d love to see join him in the big leagues before the year is out, 14 of whom are on our Top 100 Prospects list. Some have the chance to help a team make a postseason push; others could be given the opportunity to have a nice audition for 2027. Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST Blue Jays: Sean Keys, 1B/3B (No. 6) In the midst of a breakout season, Keys got a taste of the Majors with Toronto for 12 games in June and July but went just 6-for-36 (.167) with one homer and 13 strikeouts, causing a return to Triple-A Buffalo. He’s finding his stroke in the International League again this month with a .346/.479/.655 line, four homers and 12/11 K/BB ratio in 15 games, and his 21.6 percent overall whiff rate in August is about four points lower than the marks he posted in June and July. Keys is seeing more time at the cold corner than the hot one, and even though Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (currently out with a concussion) blocks him there, he could still be a good left-handed bat off the bench come September. Orioles: Luis De León, LHP (No. 7) De León’s introduction to Triple-A has been a little up-and-down (two solid, one not so much), but the lefty has missed bats all year long (10.9 K/9, in line with a 11.3 career rate). He still needs to refine his overall command, but he continues to get a ton of swing-and-miss with his slider, changeup and splitter. He’s almost certainly going to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, so why not do it a bit earlier and see how his stuff plays against big league hitters? Rays: Ty Johnson, RHP (No. 10) Tampa Bay moved Johnson into a relief role at Triple-A Durham late last month with a clear eye on seeing if his fastball-slider combo could help in the bigs down the stretch. After an initial hiccup in his first outing, he’s posted five straight scoreless appearances for the Bulls, fanning 11 and allowing just one hit and one walk over six innings in that span. Johnson’s 85-88 mph slider, in particular, has a 51.6 percent whiff rate since he went to the bullpen, and both of his weapons should be useful for Tampa Bay’s push to sew up the American League’s best record. Red Sox: Franklin Arias, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 3) The surging Red Sox have gotten little offensively and defensively out of their shortstops this year, and Trevor Story wasn't playing well before he had sports hernia surgery in May. Meanwhile, Boston has a potential star shortstop who has slashed .310/.394/.565 with 23 homers in 94 games between Double-A and Triple-A at age 20. Signed for $525,000 out of Venezuela in 2023, Arias is also a solid defender. This situation is similar to what the Red Sox faced with Xander Bogaerts in 2013 -- and that season culminated with a World Series championship. Yankees: Elmer Rodríguez, RHP (No. 3) The Yankees don't have a rotation opening and Rodríguez hasn't stood out in four brief stints in New York this year, but the Triple-A International League ERA leader (2.59) could provide some useful bulk innings out of the bullpen. Acquired from the Red Sox in a trade for Carlos Narváez at the 2024 Winter Meetings, he has a good four-pitch mix featuring a mid-90s fastball, a low-80s sweeper, an upper-70s curveball and a fading upper-80s changeup. AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL Guardians: Ralphy Velazquez, 1B/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 32) Battling for the playoffs while getting little offense out of first base or DH, the Guardians could turn to Velazquez, a 2023 first-rounder from a California high school who has developed into the game's top first-base prospect. He's capable of hitting for power and average -- as evidenced by his .286/.376/.528 line with 22 homers in 100 games between Double-A and Triple-A -- and also can fill in as a left fielder if needed. Royals: Lucas Braun, RHP (No. 16) The 24-year-old righty was the main prospect return from the Braves in this month’s deal for Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter, and he’s been solid with two quality starts, each of which were six-inning efforts, in his first pair of outings with Triple-A Omaha. He works with the triforce of fastballs (cutter, sinker, four-seamer) and can generate whiffs off that with an 83-85 mph slider. There are six pitch types in total, none of which have been thrown more than one-quarter of a time, and with Kansas City in roster evaluation mode the rest of the way, it could be worth seeing how Braun’s mix works in The Show. Tigers: River Ryan, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 66) This could be a race against the calendar. Ryan was recovering from a right hamstring strain when he was the top arm acquired from the Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal blockbuster, and A.J. Hinch noted that he’s been throwing in the upper-90s in bullpens as part of his build up. Ryan averaged 97.7 mph with his four-seamer with Triple-A Oklahoma City this summer before the trade, so that’s in line with his pre-injury velo. His five other pitches, highlighted by a low-90s slider, could all play at least at Major League quality, and that type of high-octane arsenal would be a big addition in Detroit’s AL Wild Card hunt. Twins: Walker Jenkins, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 15) While Jenkins has had some challenges staying healthy – he’s yet to play over 100 games in a season – he always produces when he’s on the field. This year is no different, as the 21-year old missed considerable time with a shoulder joint sprain. But he’s up to .309/.400/.508 in 67 total games this season and has been swinging a particularly hot bat of late with a .974 OPS over his last 30 games. Like the Twins did with Kaelen Culpepper, they could bring up Jenkins for an offensive boost to a playoff push. White Sox: David Sandlin, RHP (No. 11) It's all hands on deck when it comes to pitching for the surprising AL Central leaders, and Sandlin should get another shot despite logging a 6.93 in five outings with Chicago. He has delivered two quality starts in three tries in the Majors and has thrived in Triple-A with a 2.14 ERA, .199 opponent average and 42 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. Acquired from the Red Sox as part of the Jordan Hicks salary dump in February, he's at his best when he can command a mid-90s fastball that he backs up with an upper-80s cutter and a mid-80s sweeper. AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST Angels: Nelson Rada, OF (No. 6) Rada has been at the upper levels for what seems like a long time, but he’s still only 20. Things started to click for him when he got pushed to Triple-A last year, as a teenager, and he’s largely kept that going in 2026. He currently leads the Pacific Coast League in steals with 32 while hitting .281 with an impressive .378 OBP. His impact is light, but he’s a plus runner with plus defense in the outfield. Astros: Alimber Santa, RHP (No. 17) The Astros have reclaimed the AL West lead and could bolster their bullpen with Santa, who posted a 1.17 ERA in 10 big league appearances earlier this summer. Signed for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, he mixes a low-80s sweeper, tight upper-80s slider and mid-90s fastball. He hasn't been as dominant in Triple-A, where he owns a 3.97 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 34 innings. A’s: Kade Morris, RHP (No. 14) Morris has touched the big leagues a couple of times this year, but hasn’t stuck, so he’s already on the 40-man. His Triple-A numbers are a little inflated by pitching home games in Las Vegas, but he’s still a ground-ball machine (51.6 percent ground-ball rate with Vegas this year), thanks to a sinker that gets up to 98 mph. He’s gotten a little bullpen time, but this could be an opportunity to give him a longer relief runway to see if his sinker-slider combination plays up in shorter stints. Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 5) Sure, the Mariners’ rotation is still stacked five deep, but Anderson clearly needs a challenge, and it looks like he'll be getting one as MLB.com's Daniel Kramer got confirmation that Anderson will be called up on Saturday. Anderson leads all Minor League pitchers in what seems like every category, with the chance to finish with an ERA under 1.00. It’s been a bit of a mystery as to why he’s spent the entire year in Double-A, but this kind of arm talent can handle the double jump to the big leagues, even if it’s to help bolster the bullpen short term during a playoff run. Rangers: Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B (No. 1/MLB No. 9) Walcott likely would be in the Majors at age 20 if he hadn't torn an elbow ligament and required internal brace surgery in February. He's back to DHing now and raking in Double-A: .311/.363/.554 with three homers in 18 games. Touted as the best Bahamian player ever when he signed for $3.2 million in 2023, he features well above-average power and arm strength. This isn't one of the stronger possibilities on this list, but that wouldn't make it any less fun to see if he could spark the Rangers. NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST Braves: Patrick Clohisy, OF (No. 16) Sometimes you want to reward a guy for turning himself into a prospect and for the year he’s had, and in this case, he could really have value for a playoff-bound team. Clohisy was an 11th-round senior sign in 2024 who put his name on the map for stealing 79 bats in his first full season. He’s swiped 54 more this year, but has become a more complete player, with a .300/.377/.481 line with 42 extra-base hits in 100 games across Double- and Triple-A. His speed and above-average outfield defense alone could come in handy down the stretch for the Braves. Marlins: Cam Cannarella, OF (No. 6/MLB No. 85) The Marlins got a spark from speedy center fielder Jakob Marsee last summer, and with Marsee slumping and the big league club on the fringes of contention, they could see if history could repeat itself with Cannarella. He offered one of the best combinations of contact, quickness and center-field defense in the 2025 Draft, but the former Clemson star lasted 43 picks because there were worries about his impact and signability. Despite missing five weeks early this season with a non-displaced fracture of his right wrist, he has slashed .338/.436/.537 with 13 homers and 16 steals in 75 games while climbing from High-A to Triple-A. Mets: Jonah Tong, RHP (No. 5) Tong’s focus on finding something more gloveside to play alongside his plus fastball and changeup has been well-documented in 2026, as has been his inconsistency at Triple-A Syracuse. There have been some promising signs like a 3.18 ERA and 33 strikeouts in his last six starts (28 ⅓ innings), though there have been some rough control numbers at times in there, too. The Mets used Tong in relief for three appearances earlier in 2026, and heading into his second offseason on the 40-man roster, the 23-year-old could get a look back in the bullpen or in the rotation as a determinant in where he should be in New York’s future plans. Nationals: Seaver King, SS/2B (No. 4/MLB No. 71) Washington turned a lot of heads in the industry when it announced that CJ Abrams would start playing second base (something he’s still yet to do in 2026, entering Wednesday), and those same heads immediately turned toward King. After missing much of July with a left oblique strain, the 23-year-old shortstop has been on fire of late with five homers in his last nine games for Triple-A Rochester. He also owns a 1.110 OPS over 15 games since his return to the Red Wings lineup on July 30. The Nats’ shortstop depth is incredible with Eli Willits still pushing a few levels down, but King has earned the first crack at the position if/when Abrams does slide over to the keystone. Phillies: Gage Wood, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 33) The Phillies have been controlling Wood’s workload carefully, starting him in Single-A for a spell before double-jumping him to Double-A Reading, keeping his stints fairly short along the way. He’s gotten hit a little bit, though pitching in the Fightin Phils’ hitting-friendly park hasn’t helped. He misses a ton of bats (13.0 K/9 in Double-A) without walking anyone (2.4 BB/9 with Reading), with a 34-percent overall miss rate at the level. He’s focused on improving his slider, and he has; with that and his elite fastball, he can get big league hitters out. NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL Brewers: Tyson Hardin, RHP (No. 8) It looked like Hardin’s chances of seeing the Majors in 2026 took a big hit when he allowed 15 earned runs over 5 1/3 innings across a pair of starts on July 29 and Aug. 4 with Triple-A Nashville, but he’s steadied the ship decently well since then. It’s still the combination of stuff and control that intrigues most with the 24-year-old right-hander. He starts with three fastballs in his four-seamer, sinker and cutter and plays off them with a sweeper, changeup and curveball for a deep mix. His 6.9 percent walk rate is 10th-best among 81 Triple-A pitchers with at least 70 IP in 2026. Brandon Sproat is likely the next call if Milwaukee needs starting help, but Hardin is a better next option than his numbers alone would indicate. Cardinals: Leo Bernal, C/1B (No. 7) Yes, St. Louis has too many catchers as it is in Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés and Jimmy Crooks, and ideally, you’d want Bernal getting everyday reps to prioritize his development across the board. That said, the 22-year-old switch-hitting backstop has already set a career high with 15 homers at Triple-A Memphis, and he’s been impressive with a .321/.384/.598 line in 29 games since the start of July. With pop times that can hover right around 1.8 seconds, he also has an arm that would play in the Majors immediately upon arrival, and Bernal’s solid mix of contact, swing decisions and exit velos would ease the transition too if given the chance. Cubs: Owen Ayers, C/1B (No. 2/MLB No. 93) The Cubs have a quality catching tandem with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, and they may not have a lot of at-bats to give a newcomer. But Ayers' right-handed power and ability to catch while also handling first base and perhaps the outfield corners could make him useful down the stretch. He has gone from 19th-rounder out of Marshall in 2024 to a Top 100 Prospect two years later, and he's batting .301/.416/.573 with 24 homers and 11 steals in 101 games while advancing from High-A to Triple-A. Pirates: Khristian Curtis, RHP (No. 15) It’s not been a great year in the Minors for Curtis, with command (4.9 BB/9) a big culprit. But the stuff, with a fastball that touches 99 and all of his non-heater options (curve, slider, cutter, changeup) missing bats at a 40-percent clip, is still plenty good. He tossed five shutout innings in relief for his big league debut last month and he deserves the chance to show what he can do for longer, even if it’s as a multi-inning guy out of the pen. Reds: Carlos Jorge, OF (No. 16) The Reds left Jorge unprotected in last year's Rule 5 Draft, but he wasn't selected. He’s responded by having a terrific year, hitting his way from Double- to Triple-A with a combined .313/.376/.431 slash line to go along with 31 steals. He continues to show he’s one of the better defensive outfielders in the system now, too, one who will almost certainly get added to the 40-man roster this time around when the 2026 season concludes. NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST D-backs: Demetrio Crisantes, 2B (No. 1/MLB No. 75) Arizona’s second-base position has been in the news lately with Ketel Marte’s placement on the restricted list and trip back to Arizona for an MRI on his left knee. It just so happens that the organization claims the top second-base prospect in the game in Crisantes. This might be an aggressive recommendation since the 21-year-old hasn’t quite found consistent success at Triple-A Reno with a .265/.298/.367 line in 23 games there so far. But the right-handed slugger has made a good amount of contact despite some early aggression with the Aces, and if he can tighten up those swing decisions, he could push for a spot in the desert in his 40-man decision year. Dodgers: Josue De Paula, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 6) The Dodgers don't have playing time to offer any youngster and they're not going to bench Teoscar Hernández or Kyle Tucker no matter how much they're struggling. But indulge us and let us dream that they'll call up De Paula, baseball's best outfield prospect and the Double-A Texas League leader in all three slash stats (.314/.411/.557) as well as in OPS (.968), runs (94), hits (134), doubles (31), RBI (91) and total bases (238) at age 21. Los Angeles rues trading away Yordan Alvarez a decade ago, but they might have found a more athletic version when they signed De Paula for $397,500 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. Giants: Bo Davidson, OF (No. 8) At this point the Giants are auditioning players for 2027, and Davidson merits a look in what has been one of the worst outfields in the big leagues. Signed as a nondrafted free agent for $50,000 out of Caldwell (N.C.) CC in 2023, he offers one of the best power/speed combinations in the system and has produced throughout his four-year pro career. He's batting .282/.340/.521 with 19 homers and 18 steals in 101 games between Double-A and Triple-A. Padres: Ethan Salas, C (No. 1/MLB No. 23) Never say never with the Padres. Sure, Salas is only 20 years old, and sure, the Padres are getting decent showings at the catching spot from Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin (albeit in very different ways). But talent is talent, and you can never have too much of it when you’re chasing your org’s first World Series title. Salas’ defense would transition seamlessly to the bigs, and his contact rates at Triple-A have been incredible, aiding the belief that he could be a useful left-handed bat off the bench for Craig Stammen & Co. even at such a young age. Rockies: Charlie Condon, 1B/OF (No. 3/MLB No. 58) This is a little more what the Rockies were hoping they were getting when they took Condon No. 3 overall in the 2024 Draft. Injuries hurt his development and progress, but he’s currently fourth in the Triple-A PCL with his 22 homers, seventh in OPS (.904) and eighth in SLG (.518) and the power hasn’t only shown up in Albuquerque, either. It sure would be fun to see what his right-handed swing looks like in Coors Field for the rest of the season.