The four full-season affiliates had a mixed bag. Reno started by winning the first two in Tacoma, but lost the last four, and Visalia lost four of six in San Jose, getting outscored 36-20. But Amarillo won four of six in Midland and Hillsboro won four of six in Vancouver. The Sod Poodles (despite a negative run differential) hold a de facto eight game lead in the Texas League South. But Visalia has slipped to four games behind the surprising Inland Empire 66ers. Hillsboro and Reno are both solidly in last place, but Hillsboro at least has company; the Everett AquaSox have joined them 16 games behind 31-11 Eugene.

In the DSL, the Black squad had a dismal 1-4 week, while the Red squad went 3-2. The Red squad is still just three games back, but are now in third place, as the DSL Angels have won 12 in a row to move into second place. Both trail Giants Black.

All in all, that’s a 16-18 week. Affiliates were outscored 165-151 and struck out 291 times while striking out just 267. Cristofer Torin and Jansel Luis both tied atop the hit leaderboard with nine, Juan Alvarez drove in the most runs with eight, and Rene Pinto hit the most home runs, with three dingers.

Adriel Radney, DSL Red (8-for-21, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 3B, HR, .413 RC/PA)

Radney hit for the cycle this past week, but was good the rest of the time as well, with four additional hits, including a triple. The top signing of last year’s signing period also stole two bases.

Starting Pitcher of the Week

Eagen was lights-out for the Hops, as he held the Canadians hitless over six innings for the second time in a month (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) Diamond Images/Getty Images

Daniel Eagen, Hillsboro (6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K)

Eagen continued his dominance of the Canadians (a dominance which missed a start thanks to a passport snafu earlier in the year) with this hitless outing. But the most impressive fact was that he set down 18 in a row, after a leadoff walk. The Canadians simply couldn’t do anything against him.

Relief Pitcher of the Week

Rocco Reid, Hillsboro (2 G, 2.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K)

Reid took over from Eagen and tossed two perfect innings of his own. His arm angle will make him a tough matchup for any left-handed hitters; he could wind up being a Kyle Backhus-type.

A reminder here on how I am rating prospects:

Tier I: These are players that I consider to have All-Star upside, and not just that they might make a game because every team needs to have a representative or because other players drop out. I believe that they could legitimately compile some 5-6 WAR seasons.

Tier II: These are players I see as having the upside of being a regular major league starter for a good team. They wouldn’t be expected to carry a team, but they would still be useful pieces of a lineup.

Tier III: These are players I see as having the upside of being a bench player, platoon player, or AAAA player. Every organization needs a lot of these, but if you are having to start several regularly, you aren’t having a good season.

Tier IV: These are players I see as minor league filler, having either no chance of reaching the big leagues or, if they do reach the big leagues, it’s as an emergency option. Once again, every organization needs and has a lot of these players; most people don’t know them, but I’m rating everyone, not just the top prospects.

Part of the hazard of saying anything about prospects still in the Dominican Summer League is that it’s hard to get much information on them.

I got to see some film and data on Juan Alvarez, and I need to revise putting him in Tier IV.

Alvarez looks bigger than his listed 6’1”, 190. In fact, he looks like a grown man alongside the other players in the DSL, many of whom are not fully grown men. The bat looks like a twig in his hands. His swing has an uppercut to it.

While it’s unwise to project a player who has already filled out as much as Alvarez to gain much more power, it’s also unwise to write off a player who looks the part as much as he does as organizational filler. Alvarez is now a Tier III prospect.

Jose Urbina stays in Tier III, but having seen more of his receiving, I’d say he receives as well as any of the catchers currently in the system in the lower minors. He looks like a professional catcher, both in his legs and when he is playing the position. The reasons why I put him in Tier III in the first place (his age and bat) still exist, however.

Dix should get many more opportunities to play before crowds at Salt River Fields. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) MLB Photos via Getty Images

An important reminder: players are ordered alphabetically within tiers. So don’t say that, for example, I’m rating Juan Brima over Demetrio Crisantes or Tytus Cissell over Cristofer Torin. I see these players as having similar upside, but if I had to choose between those players to build and organization from scratch, I’d be picking Crisantes and Torin.

Color me a believer in Dix’s upside. He’s a switch hitter who has the potential for some good power/speed numbers. But, at 19, he’s already a patient hitter. He’s walked in 15.7% of plate appearances at Visalia. That’s not quite as high a percentage as Slade Caldwell, but he’s also struck out quite a bit less than Caldwell, and he’s posted nearly identical numbers from either side of the plate. With two swings to develop and keep in order, his 135 wRC+ across two levels is excellent, close to astounding. Dix has a lot more work to do on his defense; he shows the physical tools for a middle infielder, but the results have so far been underwhelming. There’s a high bust potential here, but the upside is just as high.

Unfortunately, he was hit on the inside of the ankle by a pitch on Saturday and removed from the game after he was clearly unable to run effectively. Hopefully it is just swelling and bruising and he will miss minimal time.

Tier II: Juan Brima, Demetrio Crisantes, Jansel Luis

Brima is the unknown player of this group. He’s a 17 year old switch hitter in his first season in the DSL. He’s posted above-average offensive statistics without a high BABIP, he’s patient at the plate, and the numbers indicate a decent fielder. At 6’ and 180, he might have the potential to grow into more power. He lacks massive upside, but he’s projectable.

Crisantes exploded into the upper reaches of prospect lists after a great year last year, and (when looking under the hood) was perhaps performing better this year. He had a 112 wRC+, which was a 31 point drop, but his BABIP was 140 points lower. Despite moving up a level, he was walking more than ever and striking out less than ever. Then he suffered a torn labrum on a swing and was lost for the season. Rather than potentially finding his way to AA this year, he’s likely going to start next year in Hillsboro yet again.

Jansel Luis is still 20 and still looks the part of a power/speed threat in the middle infield, but he’s not been playing like it. Not that the numbers are bad; there are encouraging signs, in fact. He’s cut his strikeouts, but on the other hand hasn’t increased his walks. He is hitting for more average than he has since the DSL, but hitting for less power than ever. The one area of clear improvement is in the stolen bases. Last year, he stole 20 in 30 attempts; this year, he’s stolen 21 in 26 attempts. He also has a great deal of positional flexibility. He wasn’t moved off of shortstop because of lack of ability, he was moved because Torin is better there, but he could play short, or third or second. He’s played second most this year because of the injury to Crisantes. Luis is a switch hitter who is better from the left side (like most switch hitters) and might find more consistency if he only had one swing to maintain. But he still has the ceiling of a regular starter at the major league level and with his positional flexibility, his floor is probably utility infield filler.

Tier III: Brady Counsell, Jorge Lara, Yerald Nin, Kyle Sinzza

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – JULY 20: Arizona Diamondbacks tenth-round pick Brady Counsell poses with Diamondbacks amateur scouting director Ian Rebhan after signing his contract at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on July 20, 2025 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Arizona Diamondbacks/Getty Images) Getty Images

Counsell is placed here because he played second base more than anywhere in college, but his path forward in the organization is likely as a utility player. He’s big (6’3”, 220) and might well size out of the infield, except as an emergency option. He lacks a ton of speed and despite playing with aluminum bats, hit home runs in just over 3% of his college plate appearances. On the other hand, that was up to 4.5% of plate appearances in his last two seasons, but still he has the size of a power-hitting third baseman or corner outfielder and lacks the power to go with it.

Lara is as small as Counsell is big. He’s an Jorge Barrosa-sized player who is finally putting together a solid season, but it’s in his third crack at the DSL. The defensive numbers are good, the on-base numbers are good, but his size is going to count against him. He’d be Tier IV, but the combination of defense and on-base skills might be enough for him to be a solid bench player.

Nin boasts speed as his greatest tool. He has 69 steals in his career, including 26 so far this year. Were it not for the speed, it wouldn’t be expected for him to advance past High-A, but that’s enough to get him more chances than players with comparable numbers.

Sinzza had a great (albeit BABIP-aided) year at the plate, posting a 136 wRC+ split between the DSL and the complex. He’s yet another guy on the small side, and likely won’t have the power, but he makes a lot of contact and if he hones his approach at the plate, he could be a high on-base role player type.

Tier IV: Juan Corniel, Jean Walters, Andy Weber

Corniel and Walters are close to identical players in some respects. Both are switch-hitting middle infielders who have been regularly playing second base, but are rostered because of their defense. Corniel might be the best infield glove in the system. Walters isn’t as good, but he’s still excellent. Unfortunately, neither are likely to make it because their bats simply aren’t playable.

If Weber ever makes it, it will be as a utility infielder. He’s made 39 starts at second base, but also 30 starts at shortstop and 13 starts at third base this season. He walks a decent amount and doesn’t strike out at ton, but he’s posted an identical 89 wRC+ at both Amarillo and Reno this year. He’s a well-rounded AAA player: solid enough with the glove to play three positions and with the bat to provide average value overall, but none of his tools is good enough to carry the others to the big leagues.

All three of these players would have around a 50/50 shot at a cup of coffee if teams could still roster 40 players in September. Corniel and Walters would be ideal defensive replacements under that system, and Weber would be an emergency bench bat. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works.

ATLANTA, GA – JULY 12: LuJames Groover #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on prior to the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park on Saturday, July 12, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) MLB Photos via Getty Images

Tier II: LuJames Groover, Jordan Lawlar, Yassel Soler

Groover has a very real case to be a Tier I prospect, but his lack of a truly outstanding tool holds him back. Not that he isn’t a really good prospect; he’s probably the most well-rounded hitter in the system. He’s been an above-average bat at every level, and done so with a combination of patience, contact, and power that is rarely seen at any level. The number of players with his combination of batting average, isolated power, walk rate, and strikeout rate (or better, with a minimum of 300 plate appearances) in the major leagues is zero. The number of players with a 10% walk rate or better, a 17% strikeout rate or better, a .100 ISO or better, and a .280 batting average or better is three: Ketel Marte, Valdimir Guerrero Jr., and Geraldo Perdomo. In fact, a comp for Groover’s ceiling might well be Vladdy Jr. but not with as much power. Both are excellent, well-rounded hitters and both are athletic but lack a true defensive home. He’s highly unlikely to reach that ceiling, but he’s in some rarified air.

Lawlar would have been a Tier I prospect before the last couple of years. He mashes at AAA, he has a defensive ceiling higher than any other third base prospect. But he strikes out more than one would like, and that has been an issue in his brief major league stints. He’s also been repeatedly injured, and while some have been freak accidents, there have been too many hamstring injuries for him to be regarded as a reliable player at this point. We’ve seen players fix this problem, however (Ketel Marte, for example) so there’s still plenty of hope for Lawlar to grow into an everyday starter, most likely at third base but possibly at second base or even in the outfield. In fact, if he gets the bat figured out, he might be a candidate to take over from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left field.

Yassel Soler has one of the highest potential power tools in the system, with the ability to absolutely crush the baseball. He still hits it on the ground too often, but he’s working on that. In terms of that, he has some similarities to Deyvison De Los Santos, but he lacks the contact ability DDLS displayed in the California League. He’ll be 19 all season, though, and has learned to be more selective at the plate. His biggest issue, though, is his defense: he’s committed 13 errors at third base this year, and it’s a combination of fielding errors and throwing errors. He’ll have to improve defensively to stick at third, but if it all comes together, he’s a 30 home run third baseman.

Tier III: Victor Santana, Angel Suarez

Both of these players are in their first seasons in the DSL, so there isn’t a ton that can be said about them, yet.

Santana is 17 and has posted a 120 wRC+ while walking more than he strikes out. He’s also shown a little bit of pop.

Angel Suarez turned 17 on Saturday, and while he has just 85 plate appearances, he’s walked in almost 30% of them. He’s also stolen 12 bases.

Tier IV: Eliesbert Alejos, Daonil Montero, Anderdson Rojas, Kevin Sim, Jesus Valdez

Alejos is just 19, but he struggled mightily at the complex this year, with a wRC+ of 65 and five errors at third base (as well as three more at shortstop). He has a bit of speed, but not enough to carry him far.

Montero is just 17, so it might be unwise to write him off, but 10 errors in 145 innings at third and a wRC+ of 27 does not justify any real consideration.

Rojas is the most well-rounded player in this group. A great performance in the DSL in 2022 proved a mirage; he has never come close to equaling that. But he does draw a lot of walks and hit a lot of singles, as well as being able to play practically anywhere on the diamond. There’s a lot of value in having players like Rojas in the system, but his ceiling is probably Andy Weber.

Kevin Sim is rostered for one reason only, and that is his power potential. Given that his ISO this year is .043 (even Rojas has an ISO of .077) it would seem unlikely that he will be rostered much longer. He showed a bit of promise in 2023 after he was drafted, but it’s all been downhill since. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes at third base, but he’s not average there either, so he would need to take a major step forward with the bat to have a shot to reach AA, let alone the big leagues.

Jesus Valdez is essentially an older version of Anderdson Rojas. He’s seen time at every infield position this year, and pitched once as well. He’s locked into his role as a minor league utility player, and it is one he excels at, but it would be unwise to see him advancing beyond Reno, and his time there is mostly as an injury replacement.

Holland Hall’s Wallace Clark pitches during a Class 3A baseball state tournament championship game between Holland Hall and Adair in Shawnee, Okla., Saturday, May 15, 2021. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Tier I: Kayson Cunningham

Is it too early to declare that Cunningham could be a future star shortstop? Of course not. He has all of the necessary tools; he’ll just have to hone those tools and stay healthy. Easier said than done. His ceiling isn’t regarded as being as high as Jordan Lawlar’s was, which makes sense, as Lawlar was drafted a dozen spots higher. Arm strength has been a question for Cunningham; his quick release helps him to overcome the lower velocity on his throws, but will that continue at the next level?

He’s got a pretty high floor as well, being regarded as a really good bet to eventually be an everyday player somewhere on the diamond. If the bat comes along and the arm strength winds up insufficient, he’ll have enough bat to play third base.

Tier II: Tytus Cissell, Wallace Clark, Cristofer Torin

Cissell is a switch-hitter with plus speed and the potential for average-to-plus power. His numbers in the complex look pretty dismal, particularly his 36.9% strikeout rate, but it’s important to look closer. He slashed a putrid .033/.121/.067 from the right side—albeit in just 33 plate appearances—with 17 strikeouts. That could just be poor luck; the team has seen his approach and will be able to judge it better, but a move away from switch hitting might be in order. He’s an incredible athlete who is incredibly raw; his ceiling is turning into a big league starter, but his floor is someone who never makes it out of A ball.

Clark is an underrated athlete. It might be easy to dismiss the stats, as he hasn’t exactly lit up the college baseball world offensively, but he’s been consistently solid. He’s always drawn his walks; his season low was 31, and he also struck out just 31 times that season. In his first season, he had a .394 OBP on a team that made it all the way to the College World Series final. That’s all the more impressive because he was a star football player in high school, leading Holland Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to its first ever state championship in 2020, and then turning around and leading them to their first baseball state championship in 2021. Coaches praise his work ethic, and if there are doubters about his ability to stick at shortstop, there aren’t many of them. His ceiling is limited by his bat; he’ll probably never be more than a 10-15 home run player. But he has a very good chance to become a major league bench player, and a shot at being a regular starter.

Torin is similar to Clark in some aspects: both are excellent defensive players who excel at taking their walks. But he has the advantage of being quite a bit younger, with more room to grow into more power. He’s been a slightly above-average bat at both Visalia and Hillsboro exclusively because of his walks; relative to the level, his power is showing up more at Hillsboro, but his slugging percentage is still just .339. He just turned 20. But the biggest step forward he’s taken this year is on the defensive side of things. After struggling mightily last year and looking like he’d never find it defensively, he’s seized control of shortstop at Hillsboro over Jansel Luis and Anderdson Rojas. His ceiling is probably being a Kevin Newman or Luis Guillorme type of player, with a chance to be a regular starter for a team in transition.

Tier III: Jose Fernandez, Alonso Gallegos, Rodrigo Gonzalez, Connor Kaiser, Adrian Rodriguez, Eybert Sanchez

Until this year, Fernandez was a below-average bat with inconsistent defense. The defense is still a problem, but he’s found his bat. And in his case, it isn’t the Hodgetown effect; he’s actually been slightly better on the road. His struggles are against same-handed pitching. If he figures out the defense (and with his size, he should be excellent if he gains consistency) he could be an excellent platoon piece. His ability to play anywhere on the infield (and likely anywhere on the outfield) will also be an asset, but he figures to never be more than a platoon bat.

Gallegos is in his second straight year tearing up the DSL (he’s followed a 119 wRC+ last year with a 120 this year). He’s also not been charged with many errors defensively, so he could possibly belong one or even two tiers higher, but without seeing him play, I wouldn’t hazard a guess. The bad part of his game? His hits are almost all singles. That plays in the DSL, but it won’t likely play at higher levels.

Gonzalez is a young player who is drawing walks and seemingly playing good defense in the DSL. He signed for just $225K out of Venezuela and hasn’t hit so far, but patience at the plate and solid defense gives you an upside.

Kaiser is probably a surprise here, but he still has rookie status and so is still a “prospect” of sorts. He’s been a below-average bat at almost every stop, but has been valuable enough with the glove to make the majors. He just picked up his first big league hit yesterday. He’s a AAAA player who can play solid defense at multiple positions; every team needs someone like that. He might well appear in games over ten or more seasons and not reach 1000 plate appearances, but he’s a big leaguer, and people rated above him will probably never be able to say that.

Rodriguez could wind up the poster boy for why including Puerto Ricans in the draft is not good for the Puerto Ricans. He was the eighth round selection in 2022, spent three years in the complex, got promoted to Visalia this year, and hasn’t shown any promise with the bat, except for drawing his walks. But he strikes out a ton as well. There’s still the chance that he figures it out, and someone with the defensive chops to play shortstop will always have a chance to progress simply for their glove, so he’s in Tier III, but he’s closer to being released than being promoted.

Sanchez has seen a ton of the field in his first season. He’s 17. He’s walking far more than he’s striking out. He isn’t committing many errors. He’s stuck in Tier III because he’s only hitting singles and I haven’t gotten to see enough of his play to pass any further judgment.

Players with the defensive ability to play shortstop typically have enough glove to project as possible bench players in the future, while players without the glove get moved to other positions.

Next week, we move on to the outfield.