Saturday, June 21

In the last 10 days, Top 100 Prospects Cade Horton and Moisés Ballesteros have made their big league debuts with the Cubs, Dalton Rushing did the same with the Dodgers and Matt Shaw returned to Chicago after some fine-tuning in Triple-A. Even so, Triple-A is overflowing with more blue-chip talents who are ready for a promotion, including the two best prospects in baseball.

So we present our all-call-them-up-already team:

Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles

The surprisingly struggling Orioles could use a jolt, and Basallo has just the bat to give them one. He's slashing .241/.343/.529 with seven homers in 26 games as the youngest regular (age 20) in Triple-A, and Baltimore is getting substandard production at the two positions he plays, catcher and first base.

C.J. Kayfus, 1B, Guardians

Kayfus always has stood out with his polish at the plate and the Guardians have helped him unlock some power since drafting him in 2023's third round. He ranks fifth in the Minors in batting (.371), sixth in OPS (1.076) and seventh in slugging (.613), and Cleveland could use an upgrade at first base or right field, Kayfus' primary positions.

Cole Young, 2B, Mariners

The youngest regular (age 21) in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, Young continues to control the strike zone and get on base, hitting .250/.364/.423 with 17 extra-base knocks in 44 games. The Mariners lead the American League West despite a revolving door at second base, where Young also provides solid defense.

Brady House, 3B, Nationals

The rebuilding Nationals don't have the same sense of urgency as most of the other teams on this list, but they also have a hole at third base they could fill with their 2021 first-round pick. House still has some rough edges to smooth out with his plate discipline and hot-corner defense, but he's also batting .282/.344/.497 with eight homers in 42 Triple-A games at age 21.

Marcelo Mayer, SS, Red Sox

Though Mayer may offer more offensively and defensively than Trevor Story, the Red Sox appear committed to the latter at shortstop. They're more likely to plug their hole at first base by moving rookie Kristian Campbell there and replacing Campbell at second base with Mayer, who's slashing .264/.335/.459 with eight homers in 40 games while making his Triple-A debut at age 22.

Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox

Baseball's best prospect is another 21-year-old who's excelling in Triple-A, hitting .322/.446/.503 with five homers in 41 games after posting similar numbers at that level at the end of last season. The Red Sox have potential All-Stars or Gold Glovers at all three outfield spots and DH, but Anthony is wasting his time in the Minors.

Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies

The son of four-time All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin has similar hitting ability and speed with less power but the ability to play a fine center field. He's batting .319/.380/.422 with 15 steals in 39 Triple-A games at age 21. He's a better all-around player than Johan Rojas and offers more upside than Brandon Marsh, the Phillies' two best options in center.

Colby Thomas, OF, Athletics

While the Athletics don't have an opening in their outfield or at DH, Thomas has little left to prove in Triple-A beyond refining his swing decisions. He's slashing .298/.366/.550 with 10 homers in 41 games, a year after leading the Minors with 80 extra-base hits and ranking fourth with 31 homers.

Bubba Chandler, SP, Pirates

No. 2 on the Top 100 and the best pitching prospect in the Minors, Chandler shouldn't be there. He's destroying Triple-A hitters with his upper-90s fastball, upper-80s slider and low-90s changeup, posting a 2.17 ERA with an IL-best 37 percent strikeout rate. He's not Paul Skenes, but his combination of stuff and strikes isn't that far off either.

Jacob Misiorowski, SP, Brewers

Speaking of stuff, Misiorowski might have the best in the Minors. His fastball touched 103 mph and his slider sat in the mid-90s during his last start, and he also can miss bats with his mid-80s curveball and upper-80s changeup. He ranks second in the IL in ERA (1.46), innings (49 1/3), strikeouts (59), opponent average (.151) and WHIP (0.89), and he's throwing more strikes than ever.

Which player holds the record for latest callup during a Rookie of the Year season (not including pandemic-delayed 2020)?

A. Yordan Álvarez

B. Bob Horner

C. Willie McCovey

D. Wil Myers

• In our latest first-round projection, Jonathan Mayo predicts that the Nationals will take Stillwater (Okla.) HS shortstop Ethan Holliday at No. 1 and has three college left-handers going in the top five.
• After John Oliver offered on his HBO show "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" to totally rebrand a Minor League team, 47 teams contacted his show. Ben Hill explains why Oliver chose the Erie SeaWolves.
• Our MiLB Free Game of the Day allows fans to watch many of the game's best prospects in live action. This week's schedule includes multiple contests on Wednesday and Thursday.

A May 20, 2019, slugfest in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League featured not one but two rare feats. Yasmany Tomás slammed four home runs and Matt Szczur hit for the cycle to power the Reno Aces to a 25-8 demolition of the Tacoma Rainiers. The only other time both accomplishments occurred in the same game came 87 years earlier, when Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig (four homers) and Tony Lazzeri (cycle) pulled them off for the Yankees on June 3, 1932. Szczur had played 363 games in the big leagues with the Cubs and Padres from 2014-18 but never would return to the Majors. Tomás, who had appeared in 305 games with the 2015-17 Diamondbacks, concluded his big league career with four contests with Arizona two months after his four-homer outburst.

D. Willie McCovey

The future Hall of Famer didn't join the Giants until July 30, 1959, and played in just 52 games, but that was enough to slash .354/.429/.656 with 13 homers and win the National League Rookie of the Year Award unanimously. Myers (June 18, 2013), Horner (June 16, 1978) and Alvarez (June 9, 2019) all won Rookie of the Year accolades despite arriving in the Majors two months into their seasons. The No. 1 overall pick in the June regular phase of the 1978 Draft, Horner is the lone ROY to earn the honor in the same year he was selected.

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Contact Jim.Callis@mlb.com

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