With more than a month elapsed in the minor league season, there’s naturally been some movement in the prospect world. Players have graduated. Players have been traded. Some prospects have popped up, while others have disappointed.
To reflect those changes, we at Baseball America updated our Top 30 lists for each club to reflect some of the changes, movement and early trends. We covered some of the notable additions to the Top 30s earlier this week. Today, here are some of the sport’s biggest risers since the beginning of the season, including a slew of previously unheralded pitchers making noise and a few hitters who have upped their games in the early going.
Jefferson Rojas, SS, Cubs
Team rank: 5
Rojas is advanced beyond his years as a hitter. He has a fast, compact righthanded swing that is direct to the ball and makes loud contact off the barrel. Rojas has few holes for pitchers to exploit and controls the strike zone with a mature, consistent approach. He projects to be an above-average hitter and has above-average raw power that could get better as he gets stronger. He’s an average runner who makes tight turns on the bases and is an efficient basestealer. Rojas is a steady, smart defender at shortstop with good instincts and quick reactions. He isn’t overly rangy, but he positions himself well and makes all the routine plays. He has an above-average, accurate arm and projects to stick at the position as an average defender. So far this season, Rojas has overcome one of the biggest challenges in the sport—the early-season weather in the Midwest League. There, he’s been one of the best hitters while also being one of the youngest players in the league.
Jaison Chourio, OF, Guardians
Team rank: 3
Chourio stands out for his blend of athleticism, tools and projection. The switch-hitter combines excellent pitch recognition and plate discipline, giving him a mature, advanced approach at the plate. He has good bat-to-ball skills and shows a good feel for the barrel. Chourio entered the year with a reputation as a hit-over-power prospect, but some of his juice is starting to show up. He’s already produced max exit velocities of 111 mph, but he’s hitting the ball on the ground way too often. If he can reverse that trend, he has a chance to really up his offensive game. Chourio is a plus runner with good instincts on the bases and stole 20 bases in 22…