Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.
Has worked for three MLB teams.
Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’
Now that the 2025 MLB draft is complete, it’s the perfect time for our next team-by-team MLB prospect rankings big board update. The top 10 prospects for all 30 teams are updated below — with 2025 draft picks included.
What has changed since our last in-season list update?
Here are the rankings for your favorite team, along with what to know for this month and who we expect to reach the majors next. Players in the big leagues are eligible for this update as MLB rookie eligibility rules apply here — 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on the active roster. All 30 of these lists will be updated throughout the season.
Where they stand entering trade season: They added Irish, Aloy, Bodine, and de Brun in the first round of the draft, along with lots of added depth beyond that. The O’s seem primed to be adding prospects at the deadline after their disappointing first half.
Where they stand entering trade season: Witherspoon was Boston’s top pick in the draft, and Marcus Phillips and Anthony Eyanson were the next two and ranked in the No. 11-18 area. Marcelo Mayer graduated and Roman Anthony is close to graduating, so the farm rank will slip more in the offseason, especially if the Sox use prospects to add at the deadline.
Where they stand entering trade season: There’s some pitching depth in the system beyond this top 10 and there’s enough to deal from here to make some real additions to the big league team later this month — but more like rentals and role players than stars.
Where they stand entering trade season: The Rays’ system is extremely deep, with the No. 14 pick in the draft barely making their top 10, and they landed five of my top 75 players on my board even after trading the 37th pick just before draft day. I could see Tampa Bay being making some light subtractions from the system at the deadline to upgrade the big league team.
Where they stand entering trade season: The Jays had a pitching-heavy top of the farm system entering the 2025 draft and landed a number of position players. Parker slots into the MLB top 100 and Jake Cook, Tim Piasentin and Blaine Bullard are all just outside of this team list. Jared Spencer, who also just missed this list as a 2025 11th-round pick, is a potential rebound candidate as he had top 50-pick buzz before shoulder surgery.
AL Central
Where they stand entering trade season:Edgar Quero and Chase Meidroth have graduated this season. Carlson was the White Sox’s first-round pick and Jaden Fauske — their second pick — ranks 11th. The Sox figure to be adding more prospects at the deadline.
Where they stand entering trade season: The next 2025 draftee (Dean Curley) after LaViolette slots in about a half-dozen spots outside of the top 10 of this deep system.
It seems as if the Guardians might be adding young players at the deadline and they won’t be graduating any other prime prospects, so the outlook into the offseason is up for the system.
Where they stand entering trade season:Jackson Jobe, Jace Jung, Brant Hurter, Trey Sweeney, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Dillon Dingler all graduated this season, and Detroit’s top three 2025 draft picks all snuck into the top 10. I’d guess the prospects in play for potential deadline upgrades start with Lee and go lower down the list, unless the return is a star with years of control.
Where they stand entering trade season:Noah Cameron graduated and the top three 2025 draft picks just made the top 10. Right now, the Royals look closer to adding prospects at the deadline rather than looking for big league upgrades.
Where they stand entering trade season: Houston and Young snuck on the list after being taken Sunday night, and compensation first-rounder Riley Quick just missed, along with infielders Tanner Schobel and Kyle DeBarge.
AL West
Where they stand entering trade season: Arnold and Taylor were the A’s top two draft picks and Perkins has had a strong last month or so, giving him the edge in a deep group in the mix for the last spot. It would appear the A’s are also primed to add prospects to the system at the deadline.
Where they stand entering trade season: The last two cuts from the list are the next best 2025 draftees: Jase Mitchell and Ethan Frey. Cam Smith, Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcomb, and Colton Gordon have all graduated from the list this year and trade deadline reinforcements could further hit this system.
Where they stand entering trade season: 2025 second-round pick Chase Shores joins the higher-end prep arm from last year’s draft class (Trey Gregory-Alford) and the as-yet-unsigned ones from this year’s draft class (Johnny Slawinski, Talon Haley, C.J. Gray, Xavier Mitchell, Luke Lacourse) just outside of the top 10.
Where they stand entering trade season: Cole Young graduated recently and Anderson was added as the No. 3 pick. Luke Stevenson and Nick Becker (the M’s next two picks) are among the first few players just off of the list along with Tai Peete and Logan Evans.
There’s more than enough here to make a pretty big trade if Seattle wanted to, but I’m guessing Tyler Locklear is the first guy on the list that the Mariners could trade who wouldn’t hurt future plans too much.
Where they stand entering trade season: Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker and Alejandro Osuna have graduated this year, Alejandro Rosario is out for the year because of elbow surgery and Winston Santos has made only two appearances this season. I’m a huge Fien believer, as covered in my draft previews and rankings, and Scarborough and Fitz-Gerald are the arrow-up incumbents in the system. Yolfran Castillo just missed the list but has big tools.
NL East
Where they stand entering trade season: Southisene, McKenzie and Lodise were all added in this year’s draft, and last year’s top pick Caminiti has taken over the top spot. I’m still a long-term believer in Fuentes despite his 13.85 ERA in four big league starts. The Braves posture at the deadline will be fascinating to monitor.
Where they stand entering trade season:Agustin Ramirez and Graham Pauley graduated this year. Kemp Alderman was the last cut and 2025 draft picks Brandon Compton, Max Williams and Drew Faurot fit within the top 20 to 25.
The Marlins have really accumulated a lot of depth throughout the system with a focus on position players, even if there isn’t a clear star hitter in this group. If play development progress continues, there could be the core of a playoff team in a year or two.
Where they stand entering trade season: Because of a depth of quality prospects in the system, Mitch Voit isn’t in the top 15 after being the Mets’ first 2025 draft pick. Jacob Reimer, Jonathan Santucci and Elian Pena are among those who just missed this list that would make the top 10 for many teams.
Where they stand entering trade season: You’d have to believe the Phillies will be adding at the deadline again and any players in this top six could be major parts of a real trade package. Wood can’t be traded before the deadline and the players below him have value that will vary from team to team.
Where they stand entering trade season: It seems the Nationals will use the savings on Willits at the No. 1 pick on high schoolers Landon Harmon, Coy James, Miguel Sime Jr., and possibly Mason Pike, who all rank just outside of this top 10 but come with big upsides if everything clicks. The Nats should add more prospects at the deadline and only House and maybe Cavalli seem likely to graduate before the season ends.
NL Central
Where they stand entering trade season:Cade Horton and Matt Shaw have graduated during the season, and Birdsell just returned to the mound. Conrad was the Cubs’ first-round pick and Hartshorn (sixth round, No. 55 on my board) is narrowly ahead of second-round pick Kane Kepley (No. 57 on my board), who are both just ahead of Kaleb Wing (fourth round). The last couple of spots on the list could change by the end of the season.
Where they stand entering trade season: Shortstops Sammy Stafura and Edwin Arroyo were the last two cuts, and you could justify flipping them with the last two players on the list. The Reds are still in the playoff race and Burns probably will graduate in the next month, so this system will slip a bit from here.
Where they stand entering trade season: Third baseman Andrew Fischer, a 2025 first-rounder, is among the next few players outside of the top 10. This might be the deepest system in all of baseball and is a good example of how this organization can keep competing almost every year, because the pipeline is pretty full right now.
Where they stand entering trade season: Right-hander Angel Cervantes, a 2025 second-rounder, joins last year’s highly drafted prep righty Levi Sterling (pretty similar prospects, both from Southern California) in just missing the list.
The Pirates would seem likely to be adding prospects at the deadline but also could promote Chandler at any point and his graduation would obviously hurt the system ranking in the winter.
Where they stand entering trade season: The Cards are still right in the thick of the wild-card race and there is some real depth to the catching and starting pitching in the system, but it’s unclear if the organization will choose to push chips into the middle at the deadline or in aggressively promoting Doyle to potentially help in the big leagues this summer.
NL West
Where they stand entering trade season: The top of the list has been steady for the last month or so and the last cut this month is last year’s surprise No. 35 pick shortstop J.D. Dix, who is arrow-up in the last month or two. This system has a chance to continue improving if the D-backs decide to add prospects in deadline trades.
Where they stand entering trade season:Chase Dollander and Adael Amador have graduated, and compensation second-round pick Max Belyeu ranks 11th. The Rockies are a disaster at the big league level, so they should be adding some prospects at the deadline.
Where they stand entering trade season:Roki Sasaki, Dalton Rushing and Justin Wrobleski graduated this season, but the system is still deep. Top 2025 draft picks Zach Root and Charles Davalan both come in around 15th in the system. The Dodgers have plenty of prospects they could deal to continue upgrading their big league roster at the deadline.
Where they stand entering trade season: 2025 draft pick Ty Harvey and Bradgley Rodriguez were two of the late cuts. With two full draft classes since the Padres cleared out their system depth in deals for major leaguers, there are now some interesting players here who could be part of a playoff team one day.
De Vries is definitely off limits for potential deadline deals and I think Salas’ value is down to where it wouldn’t be smart to trade him, so anyone below Schoolcraft (who can’t be traded until the winter) would seem to be on the table for the right player.
Where they stand entering trade season: Gonzalez has been solid in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, and Level has been making his stateside debut in Arizona. I’d imagine the prospects who could be moved at the deadline start at Whitman, or even lower on the list.
Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Just over a month ago, the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the industry. At the time of the trade, the Red Sox were just a game over .500. They went 3-7 in their first 10 games without Devers and looked to be fading out of contention.
As the team fell in the standings, rumors began to circulate that the slugging designated hitter wouldn’t be the only star traded out of Boston. But a 10-game win streak before the All-Star break has vaulted the Red Sox into the thick of the playoff race and provided some clarity about their trade deadline plans.
“Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team,” assistant GM Paul Toboni told ESPN over the weekend. “We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.”
Boston doesn’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so even without the win streak, a complete teardown was unlikely. Still, trading some of its outfield depth was a possibility. The Red Sox rank in the top 10 in OPS in right field, center field and left field thanks to Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.
With that group helping the Red Sox hold an American League wild-card spot, the front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni said. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
With their outfield situation likely to be addressed in the offseason, the Red Sox have winning on their minds. A young core, highlighted by the arrival of Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, has had some time to adjust to the majors, leaving the team’s veterans excited about the coming months.
“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Bregman watched closely while he was out of the lineup because of a quad injury he sustained at the end of May. He has seen what winning baseball looks like during his time in Houston. It has taken the young Red Sox some time to get there.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman said. “We’ve played good for a while now.
“People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
As the calendar inches toward August, that’s the sentiment throughout the clubhouse, where the veterans who have been through the uncertainty of trade season are relieved to spend the next two weeks without trade chatter.
“The run we went on before the All-Star break, it was good. We needed something like that to get us back in the mix, restore some confidence,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “Right now, staying in the present is important, but I don’t think we have guys in this room too worried they’re going to get dealt or anything anymore.”
Two players who were brought in over the offseason might be the most relieved.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who has a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves, could have been one of Boston’s most sought-after deadline trade candidates had the front office elected to deal him.
When asked about possibly being moved, the 37-year-old, who is playing for his seventh major league club, smiled as he responded through his interpreter: “The team is in good shape.”
Fellow Boston pitcher Walker Buehler added: “It’s probably good timing to hopefully push the front office to go out and buy and help us make a run. We did our part at the end of the first half there. I want to stay here and be part of it. Don’t want to be on the wrong side of a trade.”
Though they might have done enough to convince the front office to stick with the current veterans, the Red Sox have some of their toughest work ahead of them. According to ESPN Research, they have the hardest remaining schedule for the rest of the month and sixth hardest for the rest of the season, but manager Alex Cora isn’t interested in looking at the stretch run — or what Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021 would mean.
Instead, he believes that if the players can keep attacking each day, the rest will take care of itself.
“I promised myself I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cora said. “It doesn’t do the group any good to start talking about that. We have to win games. It’s not to put pressure on the front office or ownership. It’s what we need to do for us to play in October.”
Opposing teams are asking for “outrageous returns” for pitching, according to league sources, but if the asking prices become more reasonable closer to the deadline, expect the Red Sox to be involved. Until then, they are focused on riding their July momentum while navigating a tough schedule.
“Time to keep it locked in,” Giolito said. “We’ll be welcoming whatever help comes.”
Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
Just over a month ago, the Boston Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the industry. At the time of the trade, the Red Sox were just a game over .500. They went 3-7 in their first 10 games without Devers and looked to be fading out of contention.
As the team fell in the standings, rumors began to circulate that the slugging designated hitter wouldn’t be the only star traded out of Boston. But a 10-game win streak before the All-Star break has vaulted the Red Sox into the thick of the playoff race and provided some clarity about their trade deadline plans.
“Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team,” assistant GM Paul Toboni told ESPN over the weekend. “We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.”
Boston doesn’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so even without the win streak, a complete teardown was unlikely. Still, trading some of its outfield depth was a possibility. The Red Sox rank in the top 10 in OPS in right field, center field and left field thanks to Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu.
With that group helping the Red Sox hold an American League wild-card spot, the front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni said. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
With their outfield situation likely to be addressed in the offseason, the Red Sox have winning on their minds. A young core, highlighted by the arrival of Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, has had some time to adjust to the majors, leaving the team’s veterans excited about the coming months.
“These guys have been here for a few months now,” Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re starting to learn who we are as a group. The adjustments are being made quicker at this time of the year. It didn’t start out that way, but guys are wanting to learn and get better. You can see that in our growth this year.”
Bregman watched closely while he was out of the lineup because of a quad injury he sustained at the end of May. He has seen what winning baseball looks like during his time in Houston. It has taken the young Red Sox some time to get there.
“We’re a very dangerous team now, especially when we’re prepared and executing,” Bregman said. “We’ve played good for a while now.
“People will say this is a hot streak, but I believe this is who we are.”
As the calendar inches toward August, that’s the sentiment throughout the clubhouse, where the veterans who have been through the uncertainty of trade season are relieved to spend the next two weeks without trade chatter.
“The run we went on before the All-Star break, it was good. We needed something like that to get us back in the mix, restore some confidence,” starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “Right now, staying in the present is important, but I don’t think we have guys in this room too worried they’re going to get dealt or anything anymore.”
Two players who were brought in over the offseason might be the most relieved.
All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who has a 1.18 ERA and 17 saves, could have been one of Boston’s most sought-after deadline trade candidates had the front office elected to deal him.
When asked about possibly being moved, the 37-year-old, who is playing for his seventh major league club, smiled as he responded through his interpreter: “The team is in good shape.”
Fellow Boston pitcher Walker Buehler added: “It’s probably good timing to hopefully push the front office to go out and buy and help us make a run. We did our part at the end of the first half there. I want to stay here and be part of it. Don’t want to be on the wrong side of a trade.”
Though they might have done enough to convince the front office to stick with the current veterans, the Red Sox have some of their toughest work ahead of them. According to ESPN Research, they have the hardest remaining schedule for the rest of the month and sixth hardest for the rest of the season, but manager Alex Cora isn’t interested in looking at the stretch run — or what Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021 would mean.
Instead, he believes that if the players can keep attacking each day, the rest will take care of itself.
“I promised myself I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cora said. “It doesn’t do the group any good to start talking about that. We have to win games. It’s not to put pressure on the front office or ownership. It’s what we need to do for us to play in October.”
Opposing teams are asking for “outrageous returns” for pitching, according to league sources, but if the asking prices become more reasonable closer to the deadline, expect the Red Sox to be involved. Until then, they are focused on riding their July momentum while navigating a tough schedule.
“Time to keep it locked in,” Giolito said. “We’ll be welcoming whatever help comes.”
Whether your favorite club is looking to add or deal away — or stands somewhere in between — here’s the freshest intel we’re hearing, reaction to completed deals and what to know for every team as trade season unfolds.
1. Eugenio Suarez: The Arizona Diamondbacks star is No. 1 in our updated MLB trade deadline candidate rankings and could be the most impactful player to move this month. On pace to hit more than 50 home runs, the 2025 All-Star is on the wish list of every contender in need of third-base help.
2. Sandy Alcantara: The 2022 Cy Young winner is an intriguing option in a deadline with a dearth of impact starting pitching available. His ERA is over 7.00 for the Miami Marlins this season, but some contenders believe he could regain form in a new home.
3. Jhoan Duran: This deadline is suddenly teeming with high-end relievers who will at the very least be in the rumor mill during the coming days. If the Minnesota Twins opt to move their closer — and his devastating splinker — Duran might be the best of the bunch.
MLB trade deadline buzz
July 22 updates
Why the 2022 Cy Young winner isn’t the most in-demand Marlins starter: Edward Cabrera has become more coveted than Sandy Alcantara, who teams believe might take an offseason to fix. Alcantara’s strikeout-to-walk ratio is scary low — just 1.9 — and his ERA is 7.14. Cabrera, on the other hand, is striking out more than a batter per inning and his ERA sits at 3.61. The 27-year-old right-hander will come at a heavy cost for opposing teams. — Jesse Rogers
How Kansas City is approaching the trade deadline: The Royals have signaled a willingness to trade, but with an eye toward competing again next year — meaning they aren’t willing to part with the core of their pitching staff. Other teams say Kansas City is (unsurprisingly) looking to upgrade its future offense in whatever it does.
Right-handed starter Seth Lugo will be the most-watched Royal before the deadline, since he holds a $15 million player option for 2026 “that you’d assume he’s going to turn down,” said one rival staffer. That’ll make it more difficult for other teams to place a trade value on him: The Royals could want to market him as more than a mere rental, while other teams figure he’ll go into free agency in the fall when he turns down his option. — Buster Olney
But the Dodgers’ focus ahead of the deadline is still clearly the bullpen, specifically a high-leverage, right-handed reliever. Dodgers relievers lead the major leagues in innings pitched by a wide margin. Blake Treinen will be back soon, and Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are expected to join him later in the season. But the Dodgers need at least one other trusted arm late in games.
It’s a stunning development, considering they returned the core of a bullpen that played a big role in last year’s championship run, then added Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in free agency. But Scott and Yates have had their struggles, and there are enough injury concerns with several others that it’s a need. — Alden Gonzalez
Which D-backs starter is most coveted? The Diamondbacks are getting as many calls — if not more — about Zac Gallen as they are for Merrill Kelly even though the latter starting pitcher is having the better season. Teams interested in adding to their rotations still have more faith in the 29-year-old Gallen than the 36-year-old Kelly. — Rogers
Who are the White Sox looking to deal? Chicago’s Adrian Houser seems likely to move, as a second-tier starter who has performed well this season. The 32-year-old right-hander was released by the Rangers in May but has been very effective since joining the White Sox rotation, giving up only two homers in 57⅔ innings and generating an ERA+ of 226. Nobody is taking those numbers at face value, but evaluators do view him as a market option. The White Sox also have some relievers worth considering.
But it seems unlikely that Luis Robert Jr. — once projected as a centerpiece of this deadline — will be dealt, unless a team makes a big bet on a player who has either underperformed or been hurt this year. The White Sox could continue to wait on Robert’s talent to manifest and his trade value to be restored by picking up his $20 million option for next year, which is hardly out of the question for a team with little future payroll obligation. — Olney
Why Rockies infielder could be popular deadline option: Colorado’s Ryan McMahon is the consolation prize for teams that miss out on Eugenio Suarez — if he’s traded at all. The Cubs could have interest and would pair him with Matt Shaw as a lefty/righty combo at third base. — Rogers
Does San Diego have enough to offer to make a big deal? The Padres have multiple needs ahead of the trade deadline — a left fielder, a catcher, a back-end starter. How adequately they can address them remains to be seen. The upper levels of their farm system have thinned out in recent years, and their budget might be tight.
The Padres dipped under MLB’s luxury-tax threshold this year, resetting the penalties. But FanGraphs projects their competitive balance tax payroll to finish at $263 million this year, easily clearing the 2025 threshold and just barely putting them into the second tier, triggering a 12% surcharge.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller might have to get creative in order to address his needs. One way he can do that is by buying and selling simultaneously. The Padres have several high-profile players who can hit the market this offseason — Dylan Cease, Michael King, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez — and a few others who can hit the open market after 2026. Don’t be surprised to see Preller leverage at least one of those players, and their salaries, to help fill multiple needs. — Gonzalez
Which Orioles could be on the move? Not surprisingly, Baltimore is perceived as a dealer and is expected by other teams to move center fielder Cedric Mullins, first baseman/designate hitter Ryan O’Hearn and some relievers. — Olney