Which AL Prospects Earn Their Team a Draft Pick

The Prospect Promotion Incentive was created in 2022 as a way to combat tanking and service time manipulation by teams. If a top 100 prospect was on the big league roster within 2 weeks of Opening Day and won Rookie of the Year or finished in the top three in the major awards, teams would be assessed an extra first-round pick. In total, six teams have been able to take advantage of this program, receiving on average the 29th overall pick. This season alone, there are 14 eligible players and six in the American League. ​

The Cream of the Crop

Kevin McGonigle – INF (Detroit Tigers)

The Tigers have built one of the best farm systems in all of baseball over the last couple of seasons, and their cornerstone prospect, Kevin McGonigle, is ready to make his debut. This Spring, McGonigle was as advertised, hitting .250 and walking more than he struck out. McGonigle was able to break camp and an Opening Day roster that saw three All-Star infielders last season. ​ McGonigle will likely play the hot corner, where he profiles as an average defender. However, Tigers fans are looking forward to his offensive upside. McGonigle is projected to be a perennial batting champ contender who also has above-average power. Additionally, he can make an impact on the bases with plus speed, as well.

Samuel Basallo – C (Baltimore Orioles)

The Orioles are no strangers to top catching prospects, and Samuel Basallo is the most recent. Basallo left his mark in Florida before moving north this March, hitting .333 and adding eight extra-base hits. While Basallo will see plenty of time to start the season, he will likely be at DH. This is in large part due to former top catching prospect Adley Rutschman’s gold glove caliber defense. Regardless, there is no way Baltimore would leave his bat out of the lineup. ​ Basallo is the offensive archetype many clubs look for in catching prospects. In recent years, clubs have become infatuated with the left-handed hitting catcher, and Basallo adds plus-plus power to that makeup. He recently hit three home runs this spring and even hit four to start his career. Similar to McGonigle, defense is not his strongest tool, but Basallo can make up for it a bit with one of the best arms in all of the minors behind the dish. Basallo would be the second player to grant the Orioles an extra draft pick if he were able to win Rookie of the Year, like Gunnar Henderson did in 2023. ​

Carter Jensen – C (Kansas City Royals)

Carter Jensen is the next catching prospect with big shoes to fill. Like Basallo, he is a top 20 prospect and a left-handed-hitting catcher. Unlike Basallo, Jensen struggled this spring, hitting just .214 with a 33% strikeout rate, though he started his career hitting .333 with three home runs in a limited stint. The Royals’ farmhand will likely split time at catcher and DH, as Salvador Perez is aging and Jensen needs more reps behind the plate. ​ Another similarity is that Basallo and Jensen would both be the second players from their teams to benefit from the Prospect Promotion Incentive. The Royals, for example, received an extra pick in the 2025 draft after Bobby Witt Jr. finished runner-up in the MVP award after the 2024 season. ​