Minor League Barometer: Risers & Fallers

The Phillies farm system has been maligned the last decade. Despite plenty of success in terms of attracting high-priced free agents, they haven't fielded a lot of solid homegrown talent. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm are the only hitters in the current starting lineup who were drafted by the organization, and both have experienced their share of ups and downs. Orion Kerkering is the only pitcher actually drafted by Philly, though Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez do technically count as organizational success stories. The narrative could be changing the next couple of years as the Phillies now boast several upper-echelon phenoms who could soon pay dividends. Andrew Painter appears to be on the cusp of the big leagues after missing two years following Tommy John surgery. Justin Crawford looks every bit of a future leadoff hitter batting a blistering .343 with 26 steals in 68 contests at Triple-A. Aidan Miller is one of the better middle infield prospects at Double-A while there is excitement about neophytes like Aroon Escobar and Eduardo Tait at the lower levels. Philly are currently first in the NL East on the backs of their prized acquisitions, but the upward trend of their farm system could keep them near the top even when those former free agents age out.

Let's take a look at some other prospects making headlines in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

See where future major league baseball stars slot into RotoWire's MLB Top Prospects & Rankings for 2025!

UPGRADE

Jack Wenninger, P, NYM – Mets' pitching prospects like Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong have received more press of late, but Wenninger is in the midst of a breakout season. The 23-year-old righty is at his best when keeping the ball down while racking up strikeouts with a filthy splitter.  Wenninger fanned 140 batters last season and got better as the year progressed. His ascension has continued by posting a 2.76 ERA and 100:20 K:BB across 81.2 innings while opposing batters are hitting .220 against. McLean, Tong and Wenninger all look like 2026 options for the parent club, though this trio (along with Brandon Sproat) could be up for September if injuries keep piling up.

Mitch Bratt, P, TEX – Bratt was battered in seven outings to end last season at Double-A, so he returned to that level. This time around, the southpaw is dominating with a 2.55 ERA and 91:12 K:BB from 74 innings. Bratt uses his smarts and athleticism alongside a three-pitch arsenal (fastball/slider/changeup) to keep hitters off balance. He's also been a strike thrower throughout his brief professional career. Bratt may not boast the raw stuff of some other highly-touted pitching prospects, yet the production is hard to argue with.

Edward Florentino, OF, PIT – At only 18, Florentino is a neophyte to watch in the Pirates system. He torched the Florida Complex League during 29 games earlier this year, resulting in a bump up to full-season ball. In 14 games at Low-A, Florentino is slashing .286/.357/.592 with three homers and six stolen bases. He's already 6-4, 200 with stellar bat speed from the left side and faster than anticipated by being opportunistic on the basepaths. There's still a lot of projection left in terms of making consistent contact as Florentino continues to fill out and mature, but there's a lot to like about his profile.

CHECK STATUS

Miguel Ullola, P, HOU – Ullola offers a devastating fastball, though has never consistently thrown strikes out of the rotation. One has to wonder whether the Astros will eventually deploy the 23-year-old righty as a high-leverage reliever, perhaps as early as the playoff push. Ullola has racked up 74 Ks through 59.2 innings at Triple-A, but has also issued 42 walks. His ability to miss bats has overshadowed the additional baserunners at this level while his ERA is a reasonable 3.62, especially when considering he's in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Houston has survived with Brandon Walter, Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon at the back end of the rotation, so Ullola could have greater value as a reliever down the stretch.

Johnny King, P, TOR – King was selected in the third round out of high school last season, and the Florida Complex League proved no match for his raw talent as he recorded an absurd 41:7 K:BB in only 24 innings en route to a 1.13 ERA. The teenager has still yet to allow a homer over nine career outings while sporting an outrageous 3.13 GO:AO. King was promoted to Low-A, where he stumbled a tad from his first two starts as he walked six batters across five innings - yet only surrendered three hits while fanning 10. He's someone to monitor based on the strikeout numbers, though he's still years away from making a big-league impact.

Nelson Rada, OF, LAA – After a subpar 2024 at Double-A, Rada has bounced back while repeating the level. And it's worth noting he's still only 19. In 76 contests, Rada is hitting .282 with a .383 OBP and 29 steals. He's only managed five home runs over 364 professional games, and is unlikely to develop much power despite his relative youth. Rada should be able to hit for average from the left side while swiping 30-plus bags and being a solid defensive centerfield, which will provide value as the Angels continue to aggressively push him up the ranks.

Luke Adams, 3B, MIL – Adams is a handful in the batter's box as he continually works the count and gets on base. In fact, he's registered a .400 OBP at every stop since entering the minors, including his current clip of .422 at Double-A. Adams has also shown impeccable skills on the bases despite a bigger frame with a combined 68 stolen bases the last three seasons. He's only batting .241, which is actually his best mark in full-season play. Adams has clubbed more homers during 2025 (11), but sent deep a total a 22 through 200 games the last two seasons. He currently finds himself on the Injured List with a shoulder contusion. Adams is intriguing based upon his on-base skills, yet he'll need to show the ability to make more consistent contact and hit for more power as he covers one of the corner infield spots at the higher levels.

DOWNGRADE

Jaison Chourio, OF, CLE – It's been a rough last year for Chourio as the 20-year-old switch-hitting outfielder has battled an assortment of injuries. His 2024 ended prematurely with a broken wrist in August, then suffered a shoulder strain in May that sidelined him for an additional three weeks.  Chourio returned to the lineup at High-A last month, but subsequently appeared to reinjure the same shoulder that shelved him until Sunday. He's significantly struggled when available, perhaps affected by the latest issue. Chourio only went .091 in June, though notched as many walks as strikeouts (17). While this may be just a minor blip on the radar, this couldn't have been the campaign he expected.

Luke Hayden, P, CIN – This season has been a bit of a slog for Hayden, who was picked last year during the eighth round out of Indiana State and is mainly a two-pitch hurler (fastball/slider). While both can be swing-and-miss offerings, he hasn't been able to command them so far having issues 42 free passes from 59.1 innings. Hayden does have 49 strikeouts over that stretch, but the ratio is still miles away from being acceptable. He'll remain a starter for now, yet is destined to be a bullpen candidate if he can't get his wildness in check.