ValuCast

The walk rate is the loudest thing in the profile. Eli Willits has drawn 95 walks across AA & A+ & A this season at 18 years old, an 18% clip that translates to 12.7% at the MLB level, and the .406 OBP it produces in the minors is the direct result of that discipline, not a BABIP mirage at .327. The power is the real question at the next level: his .198 ISO across AA & A+ & A translates to .134 in MLB terms, a figure that sits below what the average big-league hitter produces, so the everyday-regular ceiling hinges on whether the raw power develops or he settles in as a high-OBP shortstop whose 62 stolen bags keep him in lineups regardless. If the bat authority doesn't grow, you're looking at a second-division regular who gets on base and runs, which isn't nothing for a shortstop this age.

A 1.1 ERA and a 0.6 WHIP at Double-A aren't numbers that need context — they're the argument. Anderson has struck out 135 batters against 13 walks across 93.3 innings at AA this season, and the command profile translates cleanly: a BB/9 of 2.0 in MLB terms, well below the 3.2 figure where most pitchers land, with a K-BB% that comes out to 21.9% against an average of 13.5%. The whole thing hinges on whether the stuff backs up the control at the highest level, because a left-hander this young who misses this many bats while almost never missing the zone has no obvious developmental ceiling short of a frontline starter. If the stuff softens in the jump, he's still a useful mid-rotation arm, but nothing in this line suggests you should expect softening.

The contact rate is the headline: 15% strikeouts across AAA & A+ & A translates to 18.7% at the MLB level, well below where most big-league hitters land, and that's with a .237 ISO in tow. At 21, Walker Jenkins is posting a .417 OBP across those three levels while walking 43 times against only 50 strikeouts in 324 plate appearances, a combination that scouts get excited about precisely because disciplined hitters with real power don't usually need much fixing. The ISO translates to .171 at the MLB equivalent, above what most regulars produce, so the power isn't a minor-league mirage, but his ceiling as an everyday center fielder depends on how much of that contact quality survives a full diet of big-league velocity. If it doesn't hold, you're looking at a useful bench piece; if it does, the Twins have a true regular.

The K-BB% across AA & A+ sits at 24%, and the translation puts that at 14.9% in an MLB context, a tick above league average, which is roughly what you'd expect from a back-end starter who misses bats without embarrassing himself in the walk column. A 12.4 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 across 72.6 innings is the kind of combination that grades well against his peers, but the ERA sitting at 4.3 with a 1.3 WHIP suggests the stuff plays cleaner in counting terms than in results. If the strikeout rate translates and the control holds, he's a fifth starter who earns regular turns; if the walks tick up at the next level, the bullpen is the honest floor and the back-end ceiling shrinks with them.

The strikeout rate is the whole argument: 13.4 K/9 at AAA, translating to 10.3 against MLB hitters, well clear of the 8.6 MLB-average mark. The problem sits right next to it — 40 walks in 58.3 innings, a 6.2 BB/9 that translates to 5.0 against an MLB average of 3.2, and that gap is what separates a rotation starter from a relief conversion conversation. The K-BB% lands at 19% at AAA because the strikeouts are loud enough to paper over the walks for now, but if that command doesn't sharpen, the 87 punchouts become noise and what's left is a depth arm.

The strikeout stuff is loud, 130 punchouts across 103 innings at AA, an 11.4 K/9 that translates to 9.1 at the MLB level, but the walk rate is the whole argument. At 4.7 BB/9, the 54 free passes he's issued translate to 4.6 at the big-league level against a 3.2 MLB average, and his K-BB% lands right at 12.9% translated, just below the 13.5% MLB mean despite the swing-and-miss. That gap, elite miss paired with below-average control, is what keeps the ceiling at rotation starter and the floor at depth arm, because if the walks don't tighten, the strikeouts are paying rent on a leaky house. If the command comes, he's a rotation piece in one to two years; if it doesn't, the stuff earns him a bullpen audition and not much else.

The K-BB gap at AA tells you almost everything: 15% strikeouts, 14% walks, a spread that translates to an 18.3% K rate and 11.2% BB rate in MLB context, where the average hitter strikes out more and walks less than both of those. At 21, Josue De Paula is hitting .303/.401/.547 across 588 PA at AA with 27 home runs and 31 stolen bases, and the .244 ISO translates to .176 at the MLB level, a figure that sits meaningfully above what a typical big-league hitter produces. The .321 BABIP is elevated but not carrying an .948 OPS when a 15% strikeout rate is this far below the MLB norm. If the contact quality and zone discipline travel, he's an everyday left fielder; if the strikeout rate creeps toward typical and the walk rate softens, what's left is a useful bench bat with speed.

.987 OPS across AA & A+, at 19, catching. That's the whole argument. Rainiel Rodriguez has 27 home runs and a .324/.413/.574 slash across 530 plate appearances this season, with 60 walks against 101 strikeouts, a discipline profile that translates to a 9.4% walk rate and a 22.3% strikeout rate in MLB context, right at league average on the strikeout side and a tick above on walks. The .251 ISO in the minors compresses to a .176 MLB-equivalent, which is still meaningfully above a league-average power profile for a catcher. The ceiling here is a low-end everyday regular, and he gets there if the bat-to-ball skills hold as the competition sharpens; the floor, if the strikeout rate creeps and the BABIP normalizes down from .362, is a bench bat behind the dish, which for a 19-year-old with this much contact and power on the same card is still an acceptable miss.

The translation is the honest problem here. Across AAA & AA this season, Arnold has a 3.5 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 118.3 innings, and those numbers look like a rotation piece; the MLB-equivalent read is considerably quieter. His K/9 translates to 8.3, nearly identical to what a typical MLB starter produces, but his walk rate comes out at 4.1 per nine when the sport-wide baseline sits at 3.2, and the K-BB% lands at 11.6% against a 13.5% baseline. He can miss bats at a roughly league-rate clip, but the walks bleed the margin, and there isn't much cushion in that profile if the command doesn't sharpen. If it does tighten, he's a back-of-the-rotation starter; if it doesn't, what's left is a depth arm.

.322 with a 14% strikeout rate across AAA & AA at age 20 is not a contact-over-power profile — the .233 ISO says he's hitting for both. The translation softens it some: the MLB-equivalent ISO comes out to .171 and the strikeout rate ticks up to 17.7%, but the walk rate actually clears the league-average bar at 9.0%, and contact this clean at this level at this age earns real credence over 493 plate appearances. If the hit tool translates, Arias becomes an everyday shortstop with a real offensive floor; if the strikeout rate balloons in the majors the way it can for right-handed bats who've never faced a full big-league bullpen, you're left with a good bench piece who can play short.

The .388 OBP and 25 home runs at AAA are doing real work here, but everything hinges on whether a 25.9% strikeout rate in MLB translation is manageable for a first baseman with nowhere else to hide defensively. At AAA across 572 plate appearances, Condon's .238 ISO sits at the 90th percentile of the hitter pool, and the walk rate translates to 10.9% at the MLB level, meaningfully above what most lineups average, so the plate discipline underneath the swing-and-miss is genuine. If the contact holds, he's a low-end everyday regular; if big-league pitching exposes the strikeout rate at a position that demands you carry your bat, you're looking at a bench bat who hits for power in the right matchup.

The .258 ISO across AAA & AA is the number that grabs you, and the translation holds it up: it renders as .189 at the MLB level, well clear of what most hitters produce, off 521 plate appearances with 60 walks backing a .380 OBP. Velazquez is a left-handed first baseman with genuine pull-side pop and enough patience to get to it. The .290/.380/.548 slash across AAA & AA looks loud, but the translated strikeout rate lands at 22.1%, almost exactly the MLB mean, so the swing decisions aren't a liability the way they sometimes are for power-first profiles. If the hit tool and strike-zone approach both travel, he's a low-end everyday regular; if the bat-to-ball erodes against big-league stuff, a bench piece with pop is the realistic floor, and at first base that's a narrower margin for error than anywhere else on the diamond.

The strikeout rate is the headline: 14% at AA as a 19-year-old, translating to 17.9% at the MLB level while big-league hitters whiff at 22.0% on average. That's not a contact grinder punching singles — he's also stolen 36 bases across 554 PA while posting a .345 OBP, so the hit-and-run profile has genuine legs. The power translation is the honest friction; his .160 ISO at AA softens to .129 in MLB equivalent, meaningfully short of where the average big-league bat sits, which means the ceiling hinges entirely on whether the raw pop develops as he fills out physically. If it does, you're looking at an everyday shortstop with plus contact and speed; if the power stalls, he's a high-OBP, stolen-base contributor on the bench side of a roster.

The K-BB% across AA & A is 27%, and that's the number that makes Gage Wood worth watching. He's struck out 139 across 95 innings while walking just 30, and when you level-adjust that profile, the K/9 translates to 9.6 at the MLB level, a full strikeout per nine above where the average MLB arm sits. The concern is the walk rate: his MLB-equivalent BB/9 of 3.3 lands almost exactly at the MLB mean, meaning the command that looks clean in the minors flattens almost entirely once you translate it, and if walks creep even a tick in a big-league zone, the strikeouts have to carry the full load. If the stuff plays up, he's a rotation starter; if the walk rate drifts and the strikeouts don't fully translate, what's left is a depth arm.

The current-performance ceiling scenario is an everyday run-producing bat, with on-base value protecting the floor; he gets into damage counts without chasing his way out of them. The current line has no clear weakness; the risk is that the power backs up against better pitching; the sample covers 615 PA in Triple-A, so confidence is high.

The walk rate is the whole argument here. Witherspoon has posted a 4.4 BB/9 at A+ across 89.7 innings, and when that translates to an MLB context it comes out to 4.6 per nine against a league that averages 3.2 — a gap wide enough to cap a profile that otherwise shows a legitimate 9.8 K/9 and a 4.2 ERA in real innings pitched. The 98 strikeouts are there, the 44 walks are also there, and until the command tightens, a K-BB% of 14% at the level translates to just 10.5% in MLB terms, short of the 13.5% MLB average. If he finds the zone, back-end starter is a real destination; if the walks follow him up the system, what's left is a depth arm.

The strikeout rate is the loudest thing on the page, and the walk rate is the thing you have to watch. Across A+ & A in 2026, Seth Hernandez has struck out 118 batters in 74 innings, 14.3 per nine, with a K-BB% of 30 that sits in the 99th percentile of his pool, and a 2.4 ERA with a 1.1 WHIP. Translated to a major-league context, that strikeout rate softens to something around league average, and the walk rate, 3.8 per nine in the minors translating to 4.0, is the honest ceiling tax: if the command doesn't sharpen, the swing-and-miss isn't enough to carry a rotation spot. Back-end starter if it comes together; depth arm if it doesn't.

The plate discipline is carrying this profile as much as anything else. Across 279 AAA plate appearances in 2026, Adams has walked 40 times against 39 strikeouts, and the translation says that holds: an 11.2% walk rate and 18.0% strikeout rate in MLB context, both better than league average in opposite directions. The .25 ISO at AAA translates to .179 at the big-league level, which is meaningful gap power for a first baseman without elite bat-to-ball or a name attached to it yet. Everything here hinges on whether a 1B profile with average contact rates earns everyday reps, because the floor without a left-field defensive home is a bench bat with a great eye.

The walk rate is the whole argument: 16 free passes across 101.3 innings at AA, translating to a 2.1 BB/9 when the MLB average sits at 3.2. That kind of command at 20 years old in Double-A is genuinely rare, and the 27% K-BB% at AA backs up that it isn't just soft contact buying him outs. The strikeout rate translates to 9.1 per nine at the MLB level, a tick above average rather than a weapon, so the profile lives or dies on whether that command survives the jump. If it does, he's a back-end starter with real staying power; if the stuff plays down against better bats and the walks creep up, you're left with a depth arm.

The power is loud enough that you have to take the rest of the profile seriously. Across AA & A+, Caleb Bonemer has hit 37 home runs with a .302 ISO in 591 plate appearances, and the translation puts his raw pop at a .200 MLB-equivalent ISO, well clear of the .150 MLB average. The discipline has structural support too, 83 walks against 161 strikeouts, with a BB% that translates to 11.1% while most big leaguers are sitting around 8.5%, so the .248 average understates what he actually brings to an at-bat. The whole read hinges on that translated 30% K% because if he can't tighten the zone at the next level, the power gets exposed and what's left is a bench bat rather than the low-end everyday third baseman the ceiling suggests he can become.

The WHIP sits at 1.2 across AAA & AA, and that's the number that keeps this profile from being a quiet star. Owen Murphy has a 3.6 ERA over 117.4 innings, which translates to an 87th-percentile mark in his pitcher pool, and his strikeout-minus-walk rate translates to 12.0% at the MLB level — workable, but a back-end starter needs more margin than that. The issue is the walks: 52 of them across AAA & AA, and the translated 4.0 BB/9 is meaningfully above where MLB starters tend to live, while the strikeout rate doesn't compensate the way you'd need it to if the command stays this loose. Tighten the walk rate and you get a back-end starter who earns every start; leave it here and the floor is depth.

The translation tells the real story: 10.3 K/9 at AA shrinks to 8.5 against MLB hitters, right at league average, while 30 walks in 56.7 innings becomes a 4.3 BB/9 that sits a full run above what the majors typically absorb. The strikeout carry is there; the walk rate is the thing. If he tightens the zone, there's a back-end starter here, and the K-BB% of 14% at AA, translating to 11.6% against MLB competition, shows exactly how much margin he's burning against a 13.5% baseline. If the command doesn't improve, he's a depth arm who misses bats but misses the strike too often to stay in a rotation.

The .404 OBP across AAA & AA is what anchors this profile, and at 21 it's not a small-sample oddity — 57 walks in 352 plate appearances is a real discipline foundation. The MLB-equivalent translation puts his walk rate at 12.5%, about four points clear of what most big-league hitters post, while his ISO translates to .152, right at average power rather than a carrying tool. Everything hinges on whether that strikeout rate, 23.1% translated, tightens enough that his bat-to-ball doesn't quietly undermine the walk-rate gains; if it holds, he's a low-end everyday shortstop, and if it creeps up at the next level, you're looking at a bench piece who draws walks and not much else.

A 1.5 ERA across AA & A+ is the kind of number that makes you squint, but the 141 strikeouts and 1.0 WHIP in 99.3 innings say the run prevention isn't a mirage. The translation is the grounding fact: his strikeout rate converts to a 9.7 K/9 in MLB-equivalent terms, a notch above where most starters operate, and his K-BB% moves to 17.5% against a minor-league line that already ranks 99th percentile in that pool. The whole profile hinges on whether a right-hander with a walk rate that already sits near average can hold that command as the opposition thickens, because if that slips, a back-end starter is the honest ceiling rather than the floor. Right now the arrow is pointed up.

The .410 OBP across AA & A+ & A at 19 is the loudest number in this profile, and the 91 walks in 558 plate appearances explain why it's holding. A 16% walk rate that translates to 11.9% at the MLB level sits well above league average, which matters more than the ISO does, because the .235 ISO across those three levels translates to roughly league-average power once the ball gets to a major-league park. The whole profile hinges on whether that strike-zone discipline travels — if it does, he's a low-end regular at first base; if the swing-and-miss ticks up past that translated 24.1% K rate and the walks compress, what's left is a bench bat with a good eye and not enough thump to carry a corner.

The .290/.378/.458 line at AA is legitimate production for a 19-year-old, but the translation is where you feel the ceiling close in. His AA ISO of .168 becomes .135 at the MLB equivalent, and with the MLB average sitting at .150, the power that looks live in Double-A thins to fringe when the level adjusts. What holds up better is the discipline: 49 walks against 91 strikeouts across 428 PA translates to a 9.5% walk rate, and where the MLB average is 8.5%, that's a skill that travels. De Vries is either a solid-contact shortstop who develops enough gap power to hold a lineup spot, or a bench bat who hits for average and walks enough to stay on a roster when the ISO doesn't follow.

The contact-and-patience combo is what makes this profile hum. Across AAA & AA in 2026, Genao is hitting .300/.401/.474 through 419 plate appearances, with 60 walks against just 68 strikeouts — a discipline profile that translates to an 11.5 BB% and a K% sitting below league average at the MLB level. The power is the open question: his .174 ISO in the minors translates to .141 at the MLB equivalent, a tick below average, which means if he doesn't add loft or pull-side juice, he becomes a shortstop who gets on base rather than one who damages you. If the hit tool holds and the walks travel, he grows into a low-end everyday regular; if the power translation stays thin, what's left is a bench bat who can still take a walk.

The ISO is .308 across AAA & AA, and the MLB-equivalent translation puts it at .212, well clear of the .15 league average, which is the whole argument for Sean Keys and also the ceiling of it. A 23-year-old first baseman slugging .602 with a .417 OBP in 435 plate appearances has done everything asked of him, and the 60 walks against 97 strikeouts suggest the bat-to-ball profile isn't just a minor-league mirage. The translation also shows his K% climbing to 24% against a league that sits at 22%, and for a left-handed first baseman with no defensive value to hide behind, that margin gets expensive fast. If the power plays, he's a platoon bat who can hurt righties; if the strikeout rate creeps further, he's a depth piece waiting on the next roster crunch.

The contact-and-patience combo at 18 is doing real work: a 14% strikeout rate against a 13% walk rate across A+ & A, with 46 strikeouts and 43 walks in 337 plate appearances. That discipline translates to a 19.3% K% and 9.5% BB% at the MLB-equivalent level, both better than the MLB mean, which means there's a real floor here even if the power never fully arrives. The .183 ISO across A+ & A is the honest caveat — it translates to .126 at the MLB equivalent, well shy of average, and the ceiling as a bench or platoon bat depends almost entirely on whether that gap closes as he matures. If it doesn't, what remains is a patient, high-contact corner outfielder whose future sits closer to the org depth floor than anything else.

Forty-eight home runs across AA & A+ with a .384 ISO and 102 walks in 556 plate appearances — the raw production is loud enough that the real debate is whether the strikeout rate survives the translation. It doesn't improve: Fischer's 33% clip at the minor-league level moves to 34.7% against MLB pitching, where the average club sits around 22%, and that's the number the whole profile hangs on. The walk rate translates cleanly to 13.8%, well clear of the MLB norm of 8.5%, and the power (.244 ISO equivalent) gives him a floor even if the strikeouts stay ugly. If he trims the whiffs even modestly, he's a regular; if 34.7% is the floor, you're looking at a platoon bat who gets exposed and lives off power peaks.

The .259 ISO at AAA is loud for a 22-year-old, and the translation says it carries: an MLB-equivalent ISO of .190 against a big-league context where .150 is the baseline. The discipline profile is the honest constraint — 42 walks against 93 strikeouts in 455 AAA plate appearances translates to a walk rate and a strikeout rate that both land right at MLB average, which means the bat has to carry him with no margin for a power regression. If the raw over-the-fence ability holds at the big-league level, Héctor Rodríguez is a real bench bat who can be deployed against righties; if the power thins out in translation, the walk rate won't save the profile.

The strikeout rate translates to 9.5 K/9, comfortably above the MLB mean of 8.6, but the walk rate is the whole argument: 4.6 BB/9 in translation against an MLB average of 3.2, and that gap is what compresses a 19% K-BB% across AAA & AA into something that lands exactly at the MLB average rather than above it. Santucci has posted a 4.0 ERA across 119.7 innings this season, but the profile hinges entirely on whether he tightens the zone, because the stuff clearly misses bats and the translation doesn't pretend otherwise. If the command comes, you've got a setup arm; if it doesn't, you've got a depth piece who strikes people out but walks too many to stay in high-leverage situations.

The ERA sits at 3.40 across AA & A+, but the translation underneath it asks a harder question. Caminiti's 125 strikeouts in 114.6 innings look loud at 19, yet 53 walks produce a K-BB% that converts to 10.7% at the MLB level, and a BB/9 that lands at 4.4 when the average big-league starter sits closer to 3.2. The surface results are carrying him right now; if the command doesn't sharpen as he climbs, the ceiling compresses from a setup role into depth territory pretty fast. There's a real arm here, but the profile lives or dies on whether the walk rate bends.

The strikeout stuff is loud — 159 Ks across AAA & AA translate to a 9.2 MLB-equivalent K/9, comfortably above the MLB mean of 8.6, but the walk rate is the whole argument. Sixty-five free passes across those same 127.6 innings push the translated BB/9 to 4.5, more than a full run above what MLB starters average at 3.2, which is why the K-BB% comes out at 12.8% even with all that swing-and-miss. If the command tightens, the ceiling is a legitimate multi-inning or setup role; if it doesn't, what's left is a depth arm that hitters learn to wait on.

The .367 OBP across AA & A+ & A is the number that anchors Nimmala's profile, because a 20-year-old shortstop who walks 53 times in 376 plate appearances is doing something real at the plate. The ISO translates to .159 in MLB-equivalent terms, barely above the league mean, so the raw .481 slugging at these levels flatters him some. What the profile hinges on is whether the 25.6% translated strikeout rate stays manageable enough at Double-A to preserve the walk rate, because if it climbs, the contact floor gets exposed and this becomes a bench bat with a patient eye rather than an everyday shortstop. Either a platoon piece with genuine on-base value or a second-division regular if the contact holds, with arrival likely one to two years out.

The 0.9 WHIP across AA & A+ is the loudest number in this profile, and the walk rate behind it makes it believable: 30 walks in 131 innings translates to a 2.6 BB/9 at the MLB level, comfortably below where most big-league starters sit. The strikeout stuff translates to roughly league-average punch, so the whole case rests on that command holding, and if it softens under better competition the profile narrows fast toward the back of a rotation. Hold the walks and he's a back-end starter; lose them and you're looking at a depth arm.

The walk rate is the loudest thing in this profile, and also the most complicated. At AAA in 2026, Termarr Johnson has drawn 68 walks against 101 strikeouts across 406 plate appearances, and that 17% walk rate translates to 13.1% at the MLB level, where most hitters sit around 8.5%. The power, though, is a different story: his .120 ISO at AAA translates to .114 in the majors, well short of the .150 MLB average, and a .199 average sitting on a .259 BABIP suggests the contact isn't beating defenders when it lands. The 24 stolen bases at AAA matter here, because if the legs can manufacture value that the bat isn't yet providing, the floor stays livable, but everything hinges on whether the contact quality catches up enough to make opposing pitchers respect the plate discipline instead of just pitching around it. Right now the ceiling is a bench or platoon bat, and the floor is the same.

Thirty-eight home runs across AA & A+ at age 21, and the ISO of .299 translates to .198 at the MLB level — power that doesn't shrink much in translation. The contact rates hold up just as well: a 16% strikeout rate in the minors becomes 20% in the majors, actually below what a typical big-league hitter runs. The walk rate is the ceiling limiter, a 6% clip that becomes 5.8% in translation, and the .327 OBP already signals the cost before any level adjustment. If the power carries and the discipline stays flat, he's a bench or platoon bat; if the walks develop, the conversation gets longer.

The strikeout rate translates. Across AA & A+, 103 punchouts in 76.3 innings produces a 12.1 K/9, and the MLB-equivalent reads 9.0, which clears the 8.6 bar the average big-league arm clears. That's the good news, and it's genuinely good. The problem sitting right next to it is 36 walks in that same sample, a 4.2 BB/9 that translates to 4.3 while the typical MLB arm sits at 3.2, and a K-BB% that looks impressive at 21% against this prospect pool but lands right at the 13.5% MLB average once you run it through the translation. If the command sharpens, you have a setup arm. If it doesn't, the strikeouts keep him in a rotation conversation longer than he deserves, and you're settling for multi-inning bulk work.

The translation is what makes this profile interesting: 20 K% and a 12 BB% at AAA become essentially league-average strikeout rates and above-average walk rates at the MLB level, which for a catcher at 22 is a real foundation. The .278/.363/.468 line at AAA across 432 plate appearances carries a .19 ISO, and while the MLB-equivalent power translates to a .151 ISO sitting right beside the 8.5% average walk rate context that makes the discipline look even better, the contact holds up more durably than the power does. If the bat-to-ball stays intact behind the dish, he's a functional everyday catcher; if the contact rate softens against better velocity, the whole thing collapses toward a backup with a useful eye.

The profile that keeps pulling you back is the contact-power-speed combination at a position that rarely offers all three. At AAA in 2026, Culpepper is hitting .271/.367/.478 across 343 plate appearances, with 14 home runs and 17 stolen bases, while striking out just 18% of the time. The translation tightens things up some — ISO drops to .16 at the MLB level, strikeouts tick up to 20.7%, but the walk rate translates to 9.8% against a MLB average that sits at 8.5%, and the contact profile holds enough shape to believe the hit tool carries. The ceiling here is a bench or platoon bat at short, which is genuinely useful, and the floor is organizational depth; what determines which end he lands on is whether the power holds even slightly against big-league arms, because the .16 ISO equivalent doesn't leave much margin.

The WHIP is what pops first: 1.2 at A+, sitting at the 90th percentile of his pitcher pool, with a K-BB% of 19 that ranks 83rd. Kash Mayfield, the 21-year-old lefty, is doing more with command than stuff — his 10.5 K/9 translates to roughly 8.2 at the MLB level, modestly below where the average MLB arm lands, and the walk rate follows him there at 3.8 against a translated league figure of 3.2. The profile is built on limiting damage, and if the command wobbles as he climbs, there's not enough swing-and-miss behind it to hold the line. Ceiling is a multi-inning or setup reliever; floor is a depth arm.

The power is loud enough to stop the conversation: .277 ISO and 28 home runs across AA & A+ at 19, with a slugging percentage that translates to an MLB-equivalent ISO of .18. Payne is also running, with 25 stolen bases in that same 462-plate-appearance stretch, so the offensive ceiling is genuine even if the contact profile is a problem right now. A 29% strikeout rate across AA & A+ would translate to 31.7% against big-league pitching, and at 19 that's a number that needs to bend before he outgrows the levels that are currently flattering it. If the strikeout rate firms up, this is a well-above-average everyday center fielder; if it doesn't, the power and speed land him in a bench role where he's dangerous in the right matchup but never quite whole.

The command-and-control profile here is almost absurdly clean for a 21-year-old at this level. Zazueta has walked 20 batters across 103.7 innings at AA & A+, a 1.7 BB/9 that translates to a 2.4 MLB equivalent, well below the league-average 3.2. The strikeout rate holds up too, with 144 punchouts producing a 30% K-BB% that would sit comfortably clear of the 13.5% MLB-average translation. Everything hinges on whether the stuff plays against better bats, because a back-end starter ceiling isn't a criticism, it's the outcome if the profile holds, and a multi-inning relief role is what's left if it doesn't carry past AAA.

Thirty-eight home runs across AAA & AA at age 21, with a .309 ISO that translates to .215 at the MLB level — the power here is loud enough to survive the conversion. The problem is the strikeout rate, which goes from 31% in the minors to a translated 31.1% at the MLB level, well above what the average big-league hitter runs at 22.0%, and that gap is where this profile either justifies a corner-outfield job or shrinks into a matchup piece. Seventy-nine walks across AAA & AA in 542 plate appearances translate to an 11.8% walk rate, clear of the MLB mean of 8.5%, so the floor doesn't collapse even if the contact stays thin. If the swing-and-miss doesn't tighten, he's a bench bat with real power; if it does, there's a second-division regular in here.

The power is not the question. Thirty-four home runs and a .573 slugging mark at AAA in 461 plate appearances, with an ISO that translates to .222 at the MLB level, puts Báez in rarefied company for a 23-year-old center fielder. The red flag is the strikeout rate: 136 punchouts in those same 461 PA translates to 28.9% in MLB context, notably higher than the 22.0% MLB norm, and the walk rate comes in just below the 8.5% MLB baseline at 7.7%. Everything here hinges on whether the raw power is enough to carry a contact-and-walk profile that won't get better on its own — if it is, he's a platoon bat with real offensive value; if the strikeouts tighten against major-league arms, the floor is a bench role with a highlight reel.

Twenty-four home runs and 20 stolen bases at AA, from a 21-year-old third baseman, is the kind of line that gets people excited before they check the OBP. Jefferson Rojas is hitting .272/.338/.495 in 525 plate appearances at AA, with an .833 OPS that plays better than the walk rate earns it — 46 walks against 88 strikeouts, and a BB% that translates to roughly league-average at the MLB level. The ISO is the real argument: .222 at AA translates to .164 at the big-league level, a tick above the MLB mean, which says the power is sustainable in shape even if it steps back in degree. The ceiling here is a bench or platoon bat, and it stays there unless the walk rate grows, because without more on-base discipline the hit tool alone won't carry everyday reps at the next level.

The strikeout-to-walk profile is the argument: 157 strikeouts against 41 walks across 122 AA innings, a K-BB% that ranks 94th percentile among qualified pitchers and translates to 15.5% at the MLB level, where the average sits around 13.5%. That shape holds up at 11.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in the actual environment, and the ERA sitting at 4.7 with a 1.20 WHIP suggests the contact outcomes are lagging the command profile, not leading it. If the stuff translates into a big-league strike zone the way the peripherals suggest it might, Eagen becomes a reliable multi-inning or setup arm within a year or two; if the contact damage follows him up a level, the floor is depth.

The walk rate is the thing. Ninety walks in 608 AAA plate appearances translates to a 12.3% MLB-equivalent rate, well clear of the 8.5% MLB average, and that discipline is what keeps an otherwise modest contact profile afloat: a .290/.400/.472 line at AAA with 26 steals and 20 home runs reads better than the underlying ISO suggests it should. The translation is honest about the ceiling, a .147 ISO equivalent sitting right at league average, meaning the power doesn't carry the profile the way the SLG flatters, so what Ehrhard becomes at the big-league level hinges entirely on whether that walk rate survives the step up, because if the discipline erodes, the bat isn't loud enough to compensate. A bench or platoon outfielder is the honest ceiling here, with a depth-piece floor if the contact (.290 at AAA against a .345 BABIP) normalizes badly.

The walk rate carries this profile. Across A+ & A in 2026, Brady Ebel has drawn 105 walks in 538 plate appearances, a 19% clip that translates to 13.4% at the MLB level, and his .413 OBP at the raw level is what a carrying tool looks like at 18 years old. The power is nowhere close: his .154 ISO across A+ & A translates to .108 equivalent, well short of the MLB mean, and if the bat speed or loft don't develop, you're looking at a glove-and-patience shortstop who maxes out as a bench piece. Forty stolen bases across A+ & A give the profile another dimension, and the ceiling hinges entirely on whether in-game pop catches up to the plate discipline that's already here.

The strikeout rate is electric and the command is the problem. At A+ in 2026, Boston Bateman is punching out 117 batters across 86.3 innings, a 12.2 K/9 that translates to roughly league-average whiff production at the MLB level, but his 5.0 BB/9 stays exactly that ugly in translation, sitting at 5.0 against a MLB norm of 3.2. The K-BB% of 19 percent at A+ looks strong in the minor-league pool, but the MLB-equivalent comes out to 12.3, just shy of the 13.5 league mean. If the walks don't tighten, the ceiling closes fast, and what's left is a multi-inning reliever who misses bats but can't hold the zone long enough to start.

The .421 OBP and 44 stolen bases across AA & A+ are genuinely loud for a 20-year-old, but the profile hinges on one uncomfortable translation: that 22% strikeout rate becomes 25.2% against big-league pitching, and the power that looks like a carrying tool at .233 ISO in the minors translates to .163. Gillen's strike-zone feel is already developed, 74 walks in 529 plate appearances is the evidence, and a left-handed hitter who runs like this and draws walks at that clip doesn't need to sustain every point of a .384 BABIP to be useful. If the contact holds, he's a quality bench bat with genuine on-base value; if the strikeout rate drifts further in the majors, the floor is a depth piece who runs well and frustrates pitchers without ever quite forcing a lineup spot.

The walk rate is the argument: 94 walks across 529 AA plate appearances, translating to a 13.7% MLB-equivalent clip when the league average sits at 8.5%, and the .406 OBP at AA is the honest output of that patience rather than a BABIP gift. The ISO translates to .172 at the MLB level, modest but real enough to keep pitchers from just throwing strikes, and the 29 stolen bases suggest a player who uses the whole field rather than waiting for one outcome. The ceiling here is a bench or platoon bat, and if the discipline doesn't carry over, that's exactly what collapses first, leaving you with a speed-and-walks profile without the walks.

The walk rate is the loudest thing in this profile, and it doesn't fully survive the translation. At AAA in 2026, Williams has drawn 47 walks across 359 plate appearances, a 13% clip that maps to 10.8% in an MLB context, still above a league that walks at 8.5%, but his strikeout rate translates to 23.1% against that same league's 22.0%, and his ISO lands at .131 against a .15 MLB average, meaning the discipline shows up in the numbers but the power isn't carrying its weight once the level adjusts. The whole profile hinges on whether the batting average, currently sitting at .233 AAA with a .282 BABIP, can stabilize enough at the big-league level to keep the OBP functional without the power to compensate when it doesn't. Either a fringy everyday regular if the contact improves, or a bench bat whose walks keep him employed.

The walk rate is the argument. Ferris has posted a 4.7 BB/9 at AAA this season, and when you translate that to an MLB context it sits at 4.4 — more than a full walk per nine above what the league average starter allows. The strikeouts don't rescue him, with a K-BB% that translates to 10.7% where the MLB average is 13.5%. The 5.5 ERA and 1.6 WHIP over 101.3 innings at AAA aren't noise; they're what happens when a lefty gives away free passes at that rate without the swing-and-miss volume to compensate. If the command tightens, there's a multi-inning reliever in there; if it doesn't, this is a depth arm.

The tension in Watson's profile is whether 19 home runs and 22 stolen bases at AAA represent a real offensive skill set or a ceiling that's been fully revealed. His .222 ISO at AAA translates to .169 at the MLB level, and the walk rate is the genuine asset: 14% at AAA becomes 11.2% in translation, well clear of what a typical MLB hitter draws, and it's what keeps the .363 OBP from collapsing when the batting average sits at .246 with a .300 BABIP underneath it. If the strikeout rate in translation, 26.6%, stays that elevated against major-league arms, the power and speed combination gives him a bench-or-platoon profile; if he finds a way to cut it, there's a second-division regular in there.

The K-BB% across AA & A+ sits at 22%, and that's the number that matters most here. Eliazar Dishmey has struck out 140 batters in 104.7 innings while posting a 1.0 WHIP, and the translation puts his K/9 at 9.2 against a pool where 8.6 is ordinary. That gap between the raw swing-and-miss and the command is the whole tension: the translated BB/9 of 4.2 runs a full tick above the MLB mean, and if it stays there, he's a backend reliever making do; if it comes down, the strikeout rate gives him a real path to high-leverage work.

Without a clear source of contact, walks or damage, better pitching has multiple ways to attack him. The current line does not identify a dependable offensive strength. The current outcome is below a regular role, with a bench path dependent on one offensive result separating. The sample covers 505 PA in Double-A, so confidence is moderate.

Everyday contact regular, with a useful reserve floor; he does not give away many plate appearances. The open question is damage against better pitching; the sample covers 551 PA in Double-A, so confidence is moderate.

The stolen bases are the loudest thing in this profile. Thirty-five of them at AAA, paired with a .368 OBP and 51 walks in 406 plate appearances, means the speed has real table to work from. The translation is where the ceiling conversation gets honest: his AAA ISO of .185 compresses to .149 at the MLB level, roughly league average power, and his strikeout rate ticks up to 22.4% in translation. What that adds up to is a profile where the bat plays fine and the legs carry the day, or, if the hit tool softens in the jump, a bench piece who runs well and draws a walk. Either a low-end everyday shortstop or a bench bat with genuine baserunning value.