Bullpen Banter Top 100

by JDSussman on Mar 31, 2026 8:52 PM EDT Comment 48 comments

Bullpen Banter's top 100 prospects list is finally here! On March 15th, we published write ups for prospects 26 through 50, so if you missed those, don't forget to put them on your essential reading list. We've decided to change our formatting slightly, as you can see in the samples below, don't hesitate to give us feedback in the comments section (either here or on our site).

For each prospect ranked from 1 to 100 we have and brief profile and some comments. To read each profile head over to our rankings section.

Here are some samples:

Prospect Profile: Drew Storen(68)

Position: RHP
Age in 2010: 22
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180
Origin: 1st round, 2009, Stanford
Outlook: Storen projects as the Nationals closer of the future, though when the future begins is up for debate. He's headed to AA to start 2010 but could be up quickly if Matt Capps falters.

Then we have comments from the Bullpen Banter Team,

Josh Bell (52):

Steve Kuperman: I think Josh Bell is especially interesting in that while there might be a lot of variation in the degree to which people like him, it's hard to find somebody who just doesn't like him at all. He's got enough defense to stick around third base for at least a little while, although his outstanding power gives him the potential to play at first base if need be. He hasn't attracted all that much attention over the last few years, despite pretty good numbers, for three reasons: 1) his defense left a lot to be desired 2) he needed to work on his plate discipline 3) he was hampered by injuries. He improved in the first two ways and the third didn't bother him in 2009. He's probably not a star unless his improvement in 2009 was more a sign of things to come rather than the full maturation of his skills, but his power bat means that he's a relatively safe bet to be a contributor. I wouldn't buy too heavily on him, but he's a nice combination of high ceiling and high floor.

James Darnell(66):

Michael Herrick: Darnell has an excellent, well rounded bat possessing plus power, great contact ability, and great plate discipline. His bat is good enough to play basically anywhere on the diamond, but I think he'll settle down and stick at 3B. More than half his errors came on throws, that can be corrected through repetition and work.

Daniel Hudson(55):

Al Skorupa: I'm a little torn on Hudson. He's very polished but I have a hard time getting a read on what kind of ceiling he has. Plus stuff and plus command but no one thing stands out, other than perhaps his slightly deceptive delivery. When I watch him pitched I'm not wowed, but he knows what he's doing and there's no major flaws that should hold him back.

At the very least he looks like a solid mid rotation type. You can't argue with the results this guy got flying through the minors.

Hak-Ju Lee" style="float: right; border: 2px solid black; margin: 2px; display: block;" width="140"/>

Hak-Ju Lee(99):

JD Sussman: I'm a big believer in Lee who tore up Bosie at the age of 18 last season. I'm going to steal Mike's word (below), Lee has a "sophisticated" eye at the plate, especially for someone who is consider raw coming from South Korea. Lee combines great speed and that plate discipline to be an offensive weapon. As you can see, on a nice sunny day with a strong gust of wind, Lee could be used as a kite he is so lean. It appears that his frame could handle a good deal more weight.

Steven Strausburg
Jason Heyward
Carlos Santana
Mike Stanton
Neftali Feliz
Brian Matusz
Desmond Jennings
Buster Posey
Jesus Montero
Justin Smoak
Martin Perez
Pedro Alvarez
Dustin Ackley
Dominc Brown
Jeremey Hellickson
Aroldis Chapman
Michael Taylor
Christian Friedrich
Ryan Westmorland
Chris Carter
Aaron Hicks
Lonnie Chisenhall
Wade Davis
Madison Bumgarner
Casey Kelly
Casey Crosby
Starlin Castro
Jacob Turner
Tyler Matzek
Jenrry Mejia
Matt Moore
Kyle Drabek
Fernando Martinez
Brett Lawrie
Alcides Escobar
Dee Strange-Gordon
Derek Norris
Brett Wallace
Aaron Crow
Jarood Parker
Jhouhyls Chacin
Simon Castro
Grant Green
Tanner Scheppers
Jason Castro
Yonder Alonso
Logan Morrison
Chris Withrow
Matt Dominguez
Jared Mitchell
Wil Myers
Josh Bell
Brett Jackson
Jake Arrieta
Dan Hudson
Arodys Vizcaino
Donavan Tate
Josh Reddick
Michael Montgomery
Alexander Colome
Mike Leake
Mike Moustakas
Zach Stewart
Hank Conger
Todd Frazier
James Darnell
Hector Rondon
Drew Storen
Julio Teheran
Mike Trout
Tyler Flowers
Kyle Gibson
Ryan Kalish
Jordan Lyles
Randall Delgado
Freddie Freeman
Jaff Decker
Ike Davis
Jiovanni Mier
Thomas Neal
Ethan Martin
Michael Saunders
Adrian Cardenas
Chad James
Josh Vitters
Tim Mellville
Shelby Miller
Zack Wheeler
Tim Beckham
Jemile Weeks
Danny Espinosa
Michael Yona
Reid Brignac
Wilmer Flores
Alex White
Jason Knapp
Robbie Ross
Jay Jackson
Hak-Ju Lee
Travis D'Arnuad

9 recs | Comment 48 comments | Add comment

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Comments

Its a Robbie Ross sighting....

Might be a year early, but still cool to see

JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook

by laxtonto on Mar 31, 2026 9:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

First thing I did was go to check if that was the way they spelled 'Stephen Strasburg.'

They did, in fact, spell it correctly.

alskor is one of the big dawgz over at Bullpen Banter…nice job to you and your buddies.

Looks a lot like BA’s list, but I have nothing to complain about.

Brett Anderson is the Truth. Brett Anderson is divine presence. Brett Anderson is eternal life. Brett Anderson is within you. Brett Anderson is here. Brett Anderson is Now.

by Frederick0220 on Mar 31, 2026 9:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

would be hard to accomplish

The list was made using the averages of our individual top 100 lists. There were a number of players who rated very highly on a couple lists and barely placed / failed to place on others.

by mrkupe on Mar 31, 2026 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks!

Its kind of funny some of the similarities. As Steve said, our personal lists were all over the place and it was fun to see what they averaged out to. We had originally planned to tweak it and argue about the final compiled list before we published but went with the straight averages (removing Danny Duffy after the fact and putting on Travis D’Arnaud).

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Zach Britton

by soccerman0 on Mar 31, 2026 9:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

Ya, I don’t see how Robbie Ross can be on and Britton isn’t. It seems to me that if things break right for Ross over the next couple years he will be where Britton is now.

by BrosbeforeShaincoes on Mar 31, 2026 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Neither made my top 100 and I'm not a big fan of neither.

Britton was #115 for me.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not a big fan of "either"

dammit.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What is not to like about Britton?

Steady improvement every year he has been in the minors, high GB%, good arsenal, young, and a lefty.

by soccerman0 on Mar 31, 2026 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's a good prospect, as you can see just missed my top 100.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but my problems with him are:

-I just don’t think his stuff is all that good
-His command and control are sorely lacking
-His lack of a third pitch is a huge issue for me
-I think Britton has gotten by mostly on a big slider. I’m skeptical if that can continue at higher levels
-Although, his numbers have impressed, Britton has pitched four pro season and gone up one level at a time and STILL is in A ball. All his improvements could be simple pitchability changes and we wouldn’t be able to tell yet since he’s still facing very raw hitters with equally raw approaches for the most part
-I think people are putting too much emphasis on minor league results out of context with this guy

Again, very good despite that, and if I was re-ranking them now I probably go a little higher (please remember we started this odyssey over a month ago). I still don’t think he’s anywhere near as good as I commonly see him ranked. Pretty good, nothing special. People see big K numbers and lots of groundballs and go all ga-ga. More to the story here in terms of predicting future performance. I expect to see him struggle some this year against more advanced hitters that won’t chase as much. How he handles that adversity will strongly influence my placement of him next year.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Britton has four pitches...

-Slider (his out pitch, plus by all accounts)
-Sinker (where his high ground ball rate comes from, plus)
-4 seam FB (touches 95, works in the 91-92 range)
-Changeup (a work in progress, but it is coming along well)

His command is an issue (55 walks last year, yikes), but my gut tells me that is an issue he will work out. His changeup is the lynch pin behind his projection, and I personally see him as a future #2.

Anyways, great list otherwise (in my opinion)….Keep up the good work!

by soccerman0 on Mar 31, 2026 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You contradict yourself

How do you question his command/control and then hypothesize that his numbers are the result of his pitchability improving at each level?

by BrosbeforeShaincoes on Apr 1, 2026 2:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's not a contradiction at all

He’s getting low minors hitters out. You don’t need to master your control or command to do so. For example, he can get them to chase his slider out of the zone. Once you reach AA that stops working. Its not like turning on a switch or something, but AA is appreciably harder and the hitters are much more patient. AA is always regarded as a bit step for this among many reasons and I believe its going to be a particularly big test for Britton.

Pitchability ≠ Command and Control. Lots of pitching prospects with poor stuff are known for both their pitchability AND command & control. Britton doesn’t have poor stuff and doesn’t fit that description at all.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Apr 1, 2026 2:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is Pitchability = Drinkability?

PPPPPPUNTO 4 MVP 2010

by punto4mvp on Apr 1, 2026 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pitch sequence. Changing speeds.

Learning how to get guys out. Maximizing your current stuff, command and control profile.

if you get four years to practice getting A Ball hitters out you get better at getting A ball hitters out. This doesn’t mean you can get AA, AAA or MLB hitters out, though, if you have deficient control of the strikezone or command of your pitches or deficient stuff (not fully the case here, just giving an example - for example see Bleich, Jeremy). There is much less difference between all the A ball levels than in between High-A and AA. That’s the big jump.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Apr 1, 2026 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Britton

Just talked to him for a while today. Got some good info, more on my site later. Anyway:

-I just don’t think his stuff is all that good
Response: Like soccerman said, his slider is a true out pitch. His sinker is one of the best in the minors. 3.50 something GB rate is sick, 2nd highest in all the minors.

-His command and control are sorely lacking
Response: May have command issues, but control isn’t awful at 3.54 BB/9

-His lack of a third pitch is a huge issue for me
Response: He has a 4seem fastball, sinker, slider + a changeup. And reports are that it’s a tick above average now. I talked to him today and he said he’s made a lot of progress with it.

-I think Britton has gotten by mostly on a big slider. I’m skeptical if that can continue at higher levels
Response: How? Yes, his slider is really good. but that’s not what he’s gotten by on. His slider…groundballs and K’s! He gets quick outs and he can do it many different ways. A lefty with a fastball that sits in the low 90’s and can reach 95 is pretty good…

-Although, his numbers have impressed, Britton has pitched four pro season and gone up one level at a time and STILL is in A ball. All his improvements could be simple pitchability changes and we wouldn’t be able to tell yet since he’s still facing very raw hitters with equally raw approaches for the most part
Response: That’s a nice developmental path, that’s what I want to see. It’s not like he’s old for his league or anything.

I think people are putting too much emphasis on minor league results out of context with this guy
Response: How though? What has Robbie ross shown in A that Britton hasnt?

www.oriolesprospects.com

by ravensfan3 on Apr 1, 2026 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

fwiw

I did not offer one of the two comments on Britton, but I’ll give you my thoughts on him here.

I had Britton at No. 80 on my list, although I started to make a case for him around No. 65 or so. To put that in context, the now-retired Danny Duffy was No. 73 on my list and Robbie Ross was No. 89. Each of the three share traits with one but not the other, although all get plenty of groundballs, Ross and Britton more so than Duffy.

Why did I have Duffy over Britton? Better command of a better three pitch mix. Duffy was offering three pitches that projected as at least above-average to go along with above-average command for a lefty. Britton offered three potential above-average pitches of his own, with a fourth (changeup) that was iffy. If his changeup is really improved (and let’s be fair, a young pitcher talking during spring training about how much his changeup has improved is not exactly an uncommon story), that’d be interesting. That being said, his command was a bit inconsistent last year, which isn’t too big a deal at this point but is something to keep in mind. If you view Britton’s 2009 performance as that of a third-year college player, it’s pretty sharp, but he’s gotten a lot of time to adjust to the pros and it has to be said that his command has always been somewhat shaky and didn’t improve last year. 3.54 BB/9 isn’t high by itself, but it IS high when you consider the guy is a fourth year pro, not yet out of A ball and that his walk rate shot up by half a walk per 9 innings from 2008 to 2009.

Ross is much more similar to Duffy than to Britton, three above-average pitches, throws strikes, good idea of how to pitch. Duffy was two levels higher though, so there’s really no excuse for having Ross higher than a nearly-identical-but-more-accomplished prospect.

Britton’s a very interesting one. I increasingly buy into his stuff, but there’s definitely a lot of risk. He could have a terrific year . . .or a very ugly one. But here’s hoping!

by mrkupe on Apr 2, 2026 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

www.oriolesprospects.com

by ravensfan3 on Apr 1, 2026 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Solid list Overall

You guys have a nice site. My major qualm is with Fernando Martinez at 33. I just don’t see the upside to justify that high of a ranking, and I think having him ranked above Alcides Escobar is indefensible.

by BrosbeforeShaincoes on Mar 31, 2026 10:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's probably my fault.

I had Escobar at #87. I don’t believe in his bat. I think he’s one of the more overrated prospects in the game. From my comments on Escobar:

Al Skorupa: I have serious reservations about his bat. He’s going to be a player who will rely heavily on AVG to support his value. His secondary skills are lacking. I don’t mind that kind of offensive skillset in a great defensive player, but I can’t rank him as highly as I’ve seen him most places. I’ve seen him as a top 10 prospect and that leaves me asking the question: “how different is Escobar from Jose Iglesias?”

Its really going to be hard for Escobar to be an impact player with his bat. If his bat or glove are less than we’ve projected I’m not sure he profiles that much differently from a utility infielder.

http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79:2010-top-100-35-alcides-escobar&catid=1:2010writeups&Itemid=5

I do like FMart, too. Great hit tool, great feel for hitting, lots of power. Ball sounds great off hit bat and he finally had a big year that impressed me. #57 for me personally.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Given that he finally has results, you do have to still factor ARL

FMart is what, 21? People would normally be drooling if they saw a 21 year old putting up numbers in AAA like he did last year. I think there’s a lot of prospect fatigue with FMart where people are just tired of hearing about him.

by Ophidian on Apr 1, 2026 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for checking out the site, guys.

We really appreciate it and hope we can keep up the good articles to keep you coming back.

Thanks again.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 10:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

enjoy the write ups

Just a couple things I noticed was there seems to be a glitch in the # order starting at Wil Myers, can’t seem to view his write up. Also this was said during the Colome one “he’s still an extremely risky power southpaw arm”, I’m sure you know what’s wrong there.

by hybrid on Mar 31, 2026 10:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah, that would be my bad

Colome is in fact right-handed.

Unfortunately, the rest is still true.

by mrkupe on Mar 31, 2026 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's armless, right?

Damn. Knew it was a mistake to vote an armless prospect that high! If he was a position player, maybe…

Thanks for pointing that out though, in all seriousness. Wasn’t me, but I cringe for when it will be!

I think Steve meant “northpaw,” but he was assuming the Dominican is in the Southern hemisphere… so everything is reversed. Their winter is our summer and what not. Its an easy mistake to make.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for all of the postive feedback!

Come check out Bullpen Banter
Follow Bullpen Banter on Twitter
Follow me on Twitter

Remember: baseball guys... baseball...

by JDSussman on Mar 31, 2026 11:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's right - please check us out on Twitter

@BullpenBanter

JD is @JDSussman
Fine me @alskor

Thanks again. Lots of new stuff coming soon, too…

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Mar 31, 2026 11:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like your site

the link in your sig doesn’t seem to work, but the link up top in the fanpost did.

Freude, schoener Goetterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische dein Heiligtum.

by t ball on Apr 1, 2026 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Fixed (I think)

Follow Bullpen Banter on Twitter
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Remember: baseball guys... baseball...

by JDSussman on Apr 1, 2026 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmm

Come check out Bullpen Banter!
Follow Bullpen Banter on Twitter
Follow me on Twitter

Remember: baseball guys... baseball...

by JDSussman on Apr 1, 2026 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Loved the discussion on Hank Conger

I think it clearly illustrates the balance inherent in his ranking on most lists. IMO he’s clearly a guy where the discussion is a lot more interesting than the actual number ranking.

I love him if he sticks at catcher, but I’m with alskor that the bat just isn’t good enough if he has to move to 1B. I also downgrade him given that he’s in absolutely the wrong organization to try and break into the majors as a below-average defensive catcher. I suspect the Angels handling of his transition to the majors has great potential to stagnate his development.

by Ophidian on Apr 1, 2026 9:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Request

I really like your guys work, however I would appreciate it if you don’t recommend your own stuff. While I think that your work has value it seems like ballot stuffing in an effort to get your work in the recommended zone over somebody else. Let your work stand for itself and I think you will find that you get enough posts rec’d without doing it yourself.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Apr 1, 2026 11:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

and I'd appreciate if you didn't rec Dewey's posts (/kidding).

This is the first of our posts that has been rec’d. We put up new content every single day. We don’t put a post over here every single day or even close. Our posts arent frivolous or spam and are drawing plenty of legit discussion.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Apr 1, 2026 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

When did I rec Dewey's post?

I may have rec’d one of his posts and I am not even sure if that is accurate. Also, their is a big difference between me rec’ing someone like Dewey’s posts and you guys rec’ing your OWN POSTS. I never claimed your posts are frivolous or spam. In fact I stated that “I think that your work has value”.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Apr 1, 2026 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok, I checked with the guys and apparently I was the only one who rec'd it.

Unrec’d it now just for you. We had 4 recs and we’re still rec’d up top. It was legit. JD can’t rec his own thing, mrkupe and gatling didn’t do it.

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Apr 1, 2026 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong

Mr. Kupe also rec’d it.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Apr 1, 2026 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who cares?

Great work regardless guys.

"The A's have to be setting some record this year for simultaneously maximizing team quality and player anonymity. I guess that’s sort of their thing though." - Luke in MN

by hero66 on Apr 1, 2026 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really?

Why are you so torn up about people wanting to rec this post? It makes you look ridiculous for complaining

by jfr1399 on Apr 2, 2026 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not torn up about people rec'ing this post

I stated that I think it has value. I just don’t think people should rec their own post in an attempt to drive traffic to their site. That being said I think that Bullpen Banter is a great site and all four writer put forth a good effort in creating interesting material.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Apr 2, 2026 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong

You’re torn up about it, and you’re point about rec’ing their own post is weak sauce. I never comment on this site and I try to avoid arguments whenever possible but you’re just asking for it with this completely unjust criticism. Please don’t respond to this with another “they put up good material, but” response. People rec’d it b/c it is interesting… that’s it.

by jfr1399 on Apr 3, 2026 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rec'ing your own stuff is pretty bush

by BrosbeforeShaincoes on Apr 3, 2026 2:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I rec'd it

www.oriolesprospects.com

by ravensfan3 on Apr 1, 2026 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm guessing you made this list

before the Westmoreland news? I wouldn’t have him on a top prospect list right now until we see how he recovers from the brain surgery

The 2008 Rogelio Moret League Fantasy Baseball Champions!

by The Congo Hammer on Apr 1, 2026 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh yeah

Mitchell, too.

We did a roundtable piece on how that would affect our rankings already, though: http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126:spring-training-round-table&catid=17:prospectpieces&Itemid=11

Bullpen Banter
www.bullpenbanter.com
twitter: @alskor

by alskor on Apr 1, 2026 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

good stuff, thanks for all the write ups

I really appreciate the multiple, differing, well informed opinions on each prospect. That was insightful and not generic.

Feliz says his greatest thrill was striking out Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz, one of his heroes. Yet, when he called to tell his parents, his mother had a request: Strike out New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, too.
"So when I did that," Feliz says, "I told my mom, 'There you go. There's your present. Don't ask me to strike anyone else out, OK?'

by blalock84 on Apr 1, 2026 10:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs