MiLB Players of the Year: American League

AL East

Connelly Early — Boston Red Sox

Connelly Early turned in one of the best pitching seasons in Boston’s system, striking out 132 batters across 100.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A while posting a 2.60 ERA.

His ability to pair swing-and-miss stuff (11.84 K/9) with consistent ground balls (50% GB rate) made him one of the more difficult pitchers to square up in the upper minors.

After starting his college career at West Point before transferring to Virginia, Early has quickly adjusted to every level, including a strong first taste of the big leagues, where he earned a 111 Location+ per FanGraphs in his debut.

What makes his season especially impressive is how he limited damage despite lacking the eye-popping velocity of other arms in his class.

Opponents managed just a 34.3% hard-hit rate against him, showing his command of all four pitches consistently forced weak contact. That polish and sequencing allowed him to dominate older hitters and carry momentum into a late-season call-up.

Boston may not rely on Early for a heavy October workload just yet, but he has quickly established himself as part of the Red Sox’s long-term plans.

With a four-pitch mix he can command to all quadrants, the lefty profiles as a steady mid-rotation starter who should provide innings and consistency for years to come.

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Samuel Basallo — Baltimore Orioles

At just 20 years old, Samuel Basallo forced the Orioles’ hand in 2025 with a dominant season in Triple-A Norfolk.

Over 76 games, he slashed .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs and a 151 wRC+, showing both improved plate discipline (13.7% walk rate) and some of the best raw power in the minors.

His production earned him not only a call-up to Baltimore but also an eight-year, $67 million pre-arbitration extension — a rare show of confidence in a player yet to complete his rookie season.

What stood out most was the way Basallo’s power translated against upper-minors arms. He posted a max exit velocity of 115.9 mph and a 56.7% hard-hit rate, consistently punishing mistakes and proving he could do damage to all fields.

After years of a swing-happy approach in the lower levels, the ability to control the zone while still getting off high-quality swings marked a major step forward.

His big-league debut has come with the expected growing pains, particularly behind the plate, but the flashes of impact power are impossible to ignore.

Basallo’s offensive profile projects as a middle-of-the-order cornerstone, and if the bat continues to develop as expected, he could anchor Baltimore’s lineup for much of the next decade, regardless of whether he ultimately sticks at catcher.

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Spencer Jones — New York Yankees

Spencer Jones delivered on his long-advertised raw power in 2025, launching 35 home runs across Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Over 116 games, he posted a .274/.362/.571 slash line with a 153 wRC+, a career-best showing that reflected not only improved contact quality but also a nine-point drop in his ground-ball rate.

The 24-year-old’s mechanical shift into a High-Level Pattern finally unlocked his ability to consistently elevate the baseball, transforming him from a tools bet into one of the most dangerous sluggers in the minors.

The biggest number to jump off the page was his home run-to-fly ball rate: 34.3% of Jones’ fly balls left the yard in 2025. That level of conversion is rare even among elite power hitters and shows how his raw juice now translates into game action.

Even with strikeout rates still north of 30%, Jones proved that pitchers couldn’t get away with mistakes, and he showcased damage potential to all fields.

Jones remains a volatile prospect, with the swing-and-miss raising legitimate questions about how his game will translate against MLB pitching.

Still, the left-handed slugger has positioned himself to debut as early as 2026, with the upside to grow into a middle-of-the-order bat if he can trim the whiffs even modestly.

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Theo Gillen — Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays’ 2023 first-rounder began to show why he was such a coveted prep prospect in his first full professional season.

Playing 73 games at Low-A, Gillen slashed .267/.433/.387 while drawing walks at a staggering 19.8% clip. That elite plate discipline fueled a 149 wRC+ despite modest power production, and he turned his on-base ability into value on the bases, swiping 36 bags.

Gillen’s approach stood out as one of the most advanced in the minors for a teenager. His patience forced pitchers into the zone, where his 74.6% contact rate gave him enough bat-to-ball ability to do damage on pitches he could handle.

While his game power hasn’t yet emerged, the ability to reach base nearly 45% of the time and put pressure on defenses with his speed underscored why the Rays were so aggressive in drafting him.

Still just 19, Gillen is years away from the big leagues and will spend all of 2026 at age 20.

With above-average athleticism, a patient offensive approach, and room for physical growth, he has the foundation of an everyday regular. If the power comes as he matures, Tampa Bay may have a well-rounded corner outfielder capable of anchoring the top of their order.

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Gage Stanifer — Toronto Blue Jays

Few pitchers in the Blue Jays system improved their stock more in 2025 than Gage Stanifer.

The 20-year-old right-hander opened the year in Low-A, carved through lineups with over 13 strikeouts per nine innings between Low-A and High-A, and earned a quick promotion all the way to Double-A before the season’s end.

Over 110 innings across three levels, he allowed just four home runs, showing an impressive ability to keep the ball in the yard despite his aggressive approach.

Stanifer’s breakout came from finally harnessing his swing-and-miss stuff. After bouts of shaky command earlier in his career, he showed more consistency in the zone without losing his ability to miss bats, posting one of the better strikeout rates in Toronto’s system.

The combination of velocity, a breaking ball that played up against advanced hitters, and his knack for avoiding barrels gave him the look of a potential steal from the back half of the 2022 draft.

While the command is still a work in progress, Stanifer’s performance this season put him firmly on the radar as a legitimate pitching prospect.

If he can continue to trim the walks while maintaining his strikeout rates, the Blue Jays could have uncovered a late-round success story with a chance to grow into a rotation piece.

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AL Central

Kevin McGonigle — Detroit Tigers

It’s not often that a 20-year-old cements himself as the consensus top prospect in baseball, but Kevin McGonigle’s 2025 campaign did exactly that.

The Tigers’ infielder tore through three levels, finishing the year in Double-A Erie while posting a .305/.408/.583 line across 98 games with 20 home runs and 14 steals.

What made the performance even more remarkable was his discipline — McGonigle walked more than he struck out at every stop, showing the kind of advanced approach rarely seen at his age.

The left-handed hitter’s consistency stood out at each rung of the ladder. He posted a 215 wRC+ in High-A before seamlessly adjusting to Double-A, where he still managed a 162 wRC+ against older competition.

His ability to control the zone while adding more impact at the plate demonstrated that he’s no longer just a high-floor hitter — he’s blossoming into a legitimate offensive force with both patience and pop.

McGonigle’s polish and offensive profile make him a likely multi-time All-Star, and he’s already drawing comparisons to some of the game’s elite middle infielders.

With a combination of plate skills, emerging power, and steady athleticism, he looks destined to anchor Detroit’s lineup for years to come, accelerating a rebuild that’s beginning to bear fruit.

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Cooper Ingle — Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland has built a reputation for developing contact-oriented bats, and Cooper Ingle fits that mold perfectly. Splitting 2025 between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, Ingle slashed .260/.389/.478 with 10 home runs and a 161 wRC+.

His approach and bat-to-ball skills consistently stood out, and he showed why his hit tool was graded as plus coming out of college. Ingle posted a 90% zone contact rate, paired with a 75.6% out-of-zone contact rate, all while chasing just 18% of the time.

The biggest step forward came in his ability to elevate. After being more ground ball-heavy early in his career, he drove the ball in the air at a career-best clip, cutting his ground ball rate down to 37%.

That translated into more extra-base hits and gave Cleveland confidence that his offensive game could scale to the upper levels. His strong approach kept his strikeouts in check despite pitchers trying to challenge him more often.

While the power may never be more than average, Ingle’s advanced hit tool and approach at the plate give him a chance to carve out everyday playing time.

With Bo Naylor established in Cleveland, Ingle may push for a timeshare as soon as 2026, especially if the Guardians want to lean into his on-base ability and steady bat-to-ball skills at the big-league level.

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Kaelen Culpepper — Minnesota Twins

Kaelen Culpepper took a major step forward in 2025, showing that his offensive profile has more impact than originally expected.

Across 113 games split between High-A and Double-A, the 22-year-old infielder slashed .289/.375/.469 with 10 home runs, 64 RBI, and 25 steals, good for a 138 wRC+.

The most important development came from his ability to cut down an egregious ground ball rate that had limited his offensive ceiling early in his career. With more consistent loft in his swing, he began to drive the baseball with greater authority while still maintaining strong contact skills.

Culpepper’s approach has always been solid, but the added thump gave him the look of a more complete offensive threat. His 17.4% strikeout rate stayed manageable even as he climbed the ladder, and his ability to spray line drives and use his speed made him a tough out at every stop.

The power gains didn’t come at the expense of his athleticism either — he remained a stolen base threat and showed the defensive chops to stick at shortstop long term.

With his blend of improving impact, solid bat-to-ball skills, and defensive versatility, Culpepper has positioned himself as one of the more exciting prospects in the Twins system.

If the offensive adjustments continue to hold, he could push for a spot in Minnesota by 2026, with the upside of becoming an everyday shortstop who contributes on both sides of the ball.

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Carter Jensen — Kansas City Royals

Carter Jensen’s offensive profile came into full focus in 2025, as the 21-year-old catcher showcased some of the best batted-ball quality in the minors while maintaining his trademark patience at the plate.

Between Triple-A Omaha and a late-season debut in Kansas City, Jensen slashed .288/.404/.647 with 20 home runs in the minors and added another in the big leagues. His 167 wRC+ in Omaha ranked among the highest in the International League, and the underlying data was just as loud.

Jensen consistently produced elite contact metrics, posting a 94.0 mph average exit velocity in Triple-A and peaking at 110 mph.

Upon reaching the majors, he actually elevated those numbers, averaging 97.7 mph EV with a 111.3 mph max, while 65.6% of his balls in play were classified as hard-hit. The ability to impact the baseball this consistently, paired with a career walk rate hovering near 15%, makes him one of the most dangerous young bats in the Royals’ system.

Kansas City has long been searching for a middle-of-the-order threat to pair with Bobby Witt Jr., and Jensen looks like he could grow into that role.

The patience, power, and contact quality all suggest an offensive cornerstone, and if he continues to refine his receiving, he could develop into a rare offensive force at catcher.

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Caleb Bonemer — Chicago White Sox

Chicago’s first-round pick out of the Michigan prep ranks wasted no time making an impression in his first professional season.

Bonemer played 107 games between Low-A and High-A, slashing .281/.401/.473 with 12 home runs, 77 runs scored, and 29 steals. His combination of patience and athleticism allowed him to adjust quickly to full-season ball, posting a 15.8% walk rate that helped fuel a 151 wRC+ overall.

What stood out most was how advanced Bonemer’s approach already looked for a teenager. He consistently forced pitchers into the zone and showed the ability to make contact even when challenged, all while keeping strikeouts at a manageable 21%.

The patience, paired with some sneaky power (a .192 ISO), allowed him to drive the ball more often than expected, with his strong OBP carrying much of his offensive value.

Still just 19, Bonemer will play all of 2026 at age 20 and could reach Double-A if he continues this trajectory. His patience is already a separator, and as his body matures, more impact could follow.

With the athleticism to stay on the dirt and the offensive foundation of a patient hitter with emerging thump, Bonemer has a chance to climb quickly into the upper levels of Chicago’s system.

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AL West

Henry Bolte — Oakland Athletics

Oakland’s farm system hasn’t had many consistent offensive performers in recent years, but Henry Bolte gave them one of their brightest storylines in 2025.

Across 114 games between Double-A and Triple-A, Bolte slashed .284/.385/.427 with 13 home runs, 64 RBI, and an impressive 44 stolen bases.

His combination of speed and athleticism stood out at every level, and even as strikeouts remained an issue, his ability to impact the game on the bases carried his profile.

Bolte has long been viewed as a tools-first prospect, and this year those tools began to play more consistently in games. His 121 wRC+ in 2025 reflected a balance of gap power, patience, and the kind of speed that few in the minors can match.

When he reached base, he put immediate pressure on pitchers and catchers, swiping bags with efficiency and making himself a dynamic weapon at the top or bottom of a lineup.

The strikeouts remain the big hurdle — whiff rates above 28% in both Double-A and Triple-A leave questions about how his bat will translate against big-league arms. But with his stolen base ability, defensive versatility, and flashes of power, Bolte has the chance to carve out a role in Oakland as soon as 2026.

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Nelson Rada — Los Angeles Angels

Few teenagers have been pushed as aggressively as Nelson Rada, and he has held his own at every step. In 2025, the 19-year-old center fielder played 135 games between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .292/.398/.360 with 39 steals and a 122 wRC+.

His plus bat-to-ball skills and advanced approach allowed him to survive those assignments, walking nearly 13% of the time while keeping his strikeouts manageable against far older pitching.

Rada’s offensive game isn’t built on impact, but his ability to put the ball in play consistently and use his speed gives him a profile that still produces value.

His 54 stolen bases across the last two seasons highlight how disruptive he can be once on base, and his feel for contact allows him to keep pressure on defenses. Even when his slugging sat at .360, his knack for getting on and staying active gave him a way to influence games.

The ceiling may ultimately be capped by his lack of power, but Rada’s polish and speed-driven profile make him a safe bet to reach the big leagues.

With continued growth in approach and defense, he could carve out a role as a table-setting outfielder, even if his bat doesn’t develop much thump.

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Lazaro Montes — Seattle Mariners

Few prospects in baseball boast louder raw power than Lazaro Montes, and he continued to prove in 2025 that his thump can carry him up the ladder.

Splitting 131 games between High-A and Double-A, the 20-year-old slugger blasted 32 home runs, drove in 89, and posted a 136 wRC+. Even with fringy contact rates, Montes’ ability to lift the ball with authority and punish mistakes kept him one of the most dangerous power bats in the minors.

What has allowed Montes to succeed despite strikeout rates north of 28% is his advanced sense of the strike zone. He walked more than 14% of the time in 2025, forcing pitchers to challenge him and giving himself more opportunities to unleash his strength.

When he makes contact, the results are explosive — few players in the minors can match his combination of exit velocity and game power.

While his future will hinge on how much contact he can consistently produce, Montes’ mix of patience and elite power makes him one of the Mariners’ most exciting young hitters.

If the bat-to-ball skills can tick up even marginally, he has the offensive upside to be a middle-of-the-order anchor in Seattle for years to come.

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Zach Cole — Houston Astros

Zach Cole put together a true breakout campaign in 2025, tapping into the immense raw power that had long been evident but inconsistent in games.

Across Double-A, Triple-A, and the majors, Cole hit 24 home runs and posted a combined .277/.369/.530 line, including a 174 wRC+ in his first 30 big-league plate appearances.

For a player whose swing-and-miss had previously limited his production, the ability to unlock his power without completely sacrificing approach marked a turning point.

In Triple-A Sugar Land, Cole’s offensive explosion was impossible to ignore.

Over 27 games, he slashed .353/.459/.745 with nine home runs, showing that his game power could match his reputation for raw juice.

He still ran strikeout rates over 30%, but his ability to lift the ball with authority against advanced pitching showed clear adjustments to his swing decisions and attack plan. That surge earned him a September call-up, where he didn’t look out of place against big-league arms.

Cole’s future hinges on how much contact he can maintain, but the bat speed and raw power are undeniable. If he can keep the swing-and-miss at a playable level, Houston may have uncovered a late-blooming impact bat who can lengthen the lineup and provide another source of power in the outfield.

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David Davalillo — Texas Rangers

David Davalillo emerged in 2025 as one of the most reliable arms in the Rangers’ system, moving quickly through High-A and Double-A while showing advanced polish for a 22-year-old.

Over 107 innings, the left-hander posted a 2.44 ERA with 106 strikeouts and only 28 walks, good for a 2.86 FIP. His steady performance came from consistently limiting free passes, keeping the ball in the yard, and pounding the zone with a ground-ball heavy arsenal.

Davalillo’s command was his separator throughout the season. He walked just 2.36 hitters per nine innings while keeping his home run rate to 0.50 per nine, forcing opponents to string hits together rather than doing damage in single swings.

That reliability gave Texas confidence to let him face more advanced lineups, and his results held steady with a nearly 50% ground-ball rate anchoring his profile.

The upside may not be frontline, but Davalillo’s polish, efficiency, and ability to generate weak contact give him a chance to climb quickly. If he continues to miss just enough bats while keeping the ball on the ground, he has a clear path to the back of the Rangers’ rotation by 2026.

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