PROSPECTS ON THE RISE

Each year, players from the previous year's draft class begin to cement themselves as legitimate prospects who were perhaps undersold heading into the draft.
Last season, players like Tanner Bibee, Bryce Miller, Ricky Tiedemann, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Justyn-Henry Malloy emerged early and just kept getting better. Bibee, Miller and Tiedemann finished the year as Top 100 Prospects.
These improvements in skills are often the product of professional instruction and coaching, strength gains or a combination of the two. This year, we focused on players drafted after the first round in 2022 who stood out early in the season to prime themselves as full-fledged breakout candidates.
ROBBY SNELLING, LHP, PADRES
Low-A Lake Elsinore
Snelling earned rave reviews this spring in the California League. The Padres' supplemental first-rounder out of a Reno high school dominated through nine appearances. The 19-year-old Snelling struck out nearly 30% of batters while limiting them to a .201 average and allowing a 1.01 WHIP. In 41.2 innings he had allowed just six earned runs.
Snelling's pitch mix consists of a four-seam fastball that sits 92-94 mph and touches 95, with 18 inches of induced vertical break. He pairs his fastball with a slurvy low-80s breaking ball and a mid-80s changeup he shows the ability to kill ride on. He has a projectable pitch mix with at least above-average stuff overall. Look for Snelling to rise up prospect rankings in the coming months.
TYLER LOCKLEAR, 1B, MARINERS
High-A Everett
An analytical darling at Virginia Commonwealth heading into last year's draft, Locklear was drafted by the Mariners in the second round and popped seven homers in a 31-game pro debut. Through 48 games this season, he hit .311/.419/.572 with 11 homers. Locklear has taken advantage of a hitter-friendly park in Everett to slug .617 with six homers in home games.
The 22-year-old Locklear's balance of skills shows up in the underlying metrics. His chase and contact rates are average, while his exit velocity data point to above-average to plus raw power. A talented hitter with a balance of skills and power upside, the righthanded Locklear could develop into one of the better sluggers from this draft class.
JACOB MISIOROWSKI, RHP, BREWERS
High-A Wisconsin
While the 21-year-old Misiorowski carries relief risk, his stuff is undeniably some of the best in the minor leagues. The 6-foot-7 righthander sits 97-99 mph on his four-seam fastball with a low-launch vertical approach angle. He mixes in a mid-to-high-80s slider with good sweep for its velocity and a mid-80s curveball with depth. All of Misiorowski's primary pitches boast a Stuff + grade of 120 or higher.
Through 10 appearances spanning 32 innings this season, Misiorowski has struck out 53 batters-or 44% of those faced-while walking 13. While the Brewers had limited him to a max of near 75 pitches in any single outing, he was beginning to ramp up in May and June as he gets established in pro ball.
The Brewers drafted Misiorowski in the second round out of Crowder (Mo.) JC, the same program that yielded Aaron Ashby in 2018. Milwaukee has a strong track record of developing pitchers with big stuff and relief questions into viable starters. Keep an eye on Misiorowski.
ROMAN ANTHONY, OF, RED SOX
Low-A Salem
Drafted in the second round out of South Florida prep power Stoneman Douglas, Anthony has modest surface production this spring, but his underlying metrics are strong. The 19-year-old's chase rates and miss rates were both below 20%, an area considered to be plus, and his exit velocity data was above average by major league standards.
Through 42 games, Anthony hit 228/.376/.317 with 38 walks and 38 strikeouts. His flaw had been a lack of elevation on balls in play. His groundball rate hovered near 50%, while his flyball rate sat near 25%. Adjustments to his bat path and swing plane could yield excellent results.
Anthony is one name to not get too caught up in scouting the stat line.
NATHAN MARTORELLA, 1B, PADRES
High-A Fort Wayne
Martorella is a first base-only slugger in the mold of recent breakouts like Vinnie Pasquantino and Kyle Manzardo. Martorella, the Padres' fifth-rounder out of California, has the same batch of skills that have led to success.
Martorella's combination of a miss rate below 20%, a zone-miss rate below 17%, a chase rate below 15% and an average exit velocity north of 90 mph puts him in rare company. Early in 2023 it led to results as well. The 22-year-old lefthanded hitter batted .270/.383/.480 with a walk rate of 15.4% and strikeout rate of 17.9% through 56 games.
It's an exciting combination of skills from a player who is more athletic than either Pasquantino or Manzardo.
VICTOR SCOTT II, OF, CARDINALS
High-A Peoria
Supremely talented athletes are rare in any draft class. They're even more rare to be had in the fifth round, but that's where the Cardinals drafted Scott out of West Virginia. St. Louis may have struck gold.
Through 54 games, Scott hit .296/.384/.427 with 44 stolen bases in 50 tries. The left-handed hitter has run above-average contact and chase rates, while flashing some power with 17 extra-base hits.
The 22-year-old center fielder saw time with the big league club during spring training, and it's easy to see why when watching Scott's defense and advanced plate skills.
Speed is Scott's standout tool. A 70 runner, he jumped out to an early lead for stolen bases in the minor leagues. He has an exciting center field profile with a good combination of speed, plate skills and power.
RYAN CLIFFORD, OF, ASTROS
High-A Asheville
Arguably the biggest hitter breakout among the 2022 high school class, Clifford has mashed in his first full season. He hit .337/.488/.457 in 25 games with Low-A Fayetteville to earn a promotion to High-A Asheville in mid May.
A longtime known commodity on the prep circuit, Clifford was drafted in the 11th round out of high school in Cary, N.C. He combines advanced plate skills and plus power projection. This season he has limited the whiffs while rarely chasing outside the zone. These numbers tapered off some since the move to High-A, but the underlying skills remain.
Clifford's average exit velocity was north of 92 mph, a standout number for a 19-year-old in full-season ball. Look for Clifford to continue to climb up rankings as his true talent settles in among older High-A competition.
DALTON ROGERS, LHP, RED SOX
High-A Greenville
Drafted out of Southern Mississip...