Prospect Watch: National League minor-league players worth paying attention to in 2025

Minor League Baseball is back in business, and that can mean only one thing: so is Prospect Watch.

For those new to these parts, Prospect Watch is our biweekly feature that highlights at least one minor-league player from each organization -- usually with a nod toward some overarching theme or idea. This season, we're running Prospect Watch every other Friday. Once a month we'll focus on the American League, once on the National League. 

In our first edition of the year, we covered 15 AL prospects we were looking forward to seeing this season. Naturally, this go around we're doing the same exercise for the NL clubs.

Let's get to it. 

Arizona Diamondbacks: OF Ryan Waldschmidt

Waldschmidt was a personal favorite in last year's draft: an SEC-vetted bat with power, on-base skills, and sneaky athleticism (at least so far as baserunning goes). He slipped to the Diamondbacks at No. 31 on account of swing and positional concerns (he doesn't have the arm for right or the range for center). So far, Waldschmidt has rewarded Arizona's faith in his game by hectoring High-A pitching. Expect him to reach Double-A before season's end, with a chance to earn himself a spot on the fast track from there.

Atlanta Braves: RHP Hurston Waldrep

This feels like a crucial season for Waldrep, Atlanta's first-round draft pick in 2023. He made his big-league debut last season, in the process showing off why he's remained a frustrating quantity. There's no denying the quality of his arsenal, led by a mid-90s fastball and trapdoor splitter and now featuring a new curveball. At the same time, Waldrep has continued to battle his command -- to the extent that the Braves may have no choice but to slide him to the bullpen. The progress (or lack thereof) he makes this year could ultimately determine his future role.

Chicago Cubs: OF Kevin Alcántara

While it's all worked out OK for the organization, the Cubs don't actually have a ton to show for the 2021 deadline sell-off that saw them trade veterans like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Báez. There's Pete Crow-Armstrong, yes, and then there's Alcántara. Now in his age-22 season, he'll spend the summer attempting to earn a permanent spot on the big-league roster. Alcántara has good strength (last season in Triple-A alone he cleared 110 mph on three occasions), but he's been strikeout prone throughout his career. This is his final option year, so it's time to turn his potential into something more.

Cincinnati Reds: RHP Chase Burns

Burns, the second pick in last summer's draft, is currently assigned to High-A (where he struck out six of the first 14 batters he faced). He's not going to stay there long, not with a powerful arsenal led by his fastball and two quality breaking pitches. Rather, Burns has a chance to make a quick ascent to the majors -- possibly even by the end of the year, depending on how the big-league club performs. In other words, enjoy him at the minor-league level while you can.

Colorado Rockies: RHP Brody Brecht

Brecht was one of the most polarizing arms in last summer's draft. He has a high-powered arsenal, anchored by his fastball-slider combination. Unfortunately, he's struggled with command -- to the extent that he walked nearly seven batters per nine innings during his time at Iowa. In his first two professional outings, Brecht was a two true outcomes pitcher, with 16 of the 27 batters he faced either going down on strikes or going to first base on a walk. The odds would seem against the Rockies (and, really, any team) getting this right. But stay tuned just in case.

Los Angeles Dodgers: OF Zyhir Hope

Part of the return the Dodgers netted from the Cubs in the Michael Busch trade, Hope entered the spring ranked as my No. 3 prospect in the Los Angeles system. He's likely to exit the season in even better standing -- within the organization and overall. Hope combines exceptional ball-tracking data and on-field results with good athleticism. He only turned 20 in January, yet he seems likely to spend at least a chunk of the year in Double-A. It sure looks like he's a star on the rise.

Miami Marlins: 3B Deyvison De Los Santos

De Los Santos is very good at one aspect of the game: clobbering the ball. Last season alone, he recorded three batted balls that cleared 114 mph. The rest of his profile isn't as impressive -- he reliably posts some ugly strikeout-to-walk numbers and he's not a great defender. There are only a few teams that could justify giving De Los Santos an extended look in the majors. The Marlins happen to be one of them. Here's hoping he does get that audition, and that he makes the most of it by launching some majestic big flys.

Milwaukee Brewers: SS Jesus Made

Made is another potential star on the rise. He's embarking on his first season outside of the complex, and it's always interesting to see how these preternaturally talented youngsters take to a new challenge. Should Made succeed, the way Sebastian Walcott and Leo De Vries did last year, he'd cement his place as a top-20 prospect in the game. 

New York Mets: OF Carson Benge

Benge was another one of my favorites in last summer's draft. He ended up lasting until the Mets snatched him up at No. 19. Benge, a two-way player at Oklahoma State, has shown a good eye and feel for contact. There's some untapped power upside here, too, even though almost all of his slugging as a professional has been to the opposite field. The Mets are allowing him to focus exclusively on hitting, and I think that's the right call. It shouldn't come as any surprise if his stock continues to climb.

Philadelphia Phillies: SS Aidan Miller

Dave Dombrowski deserves his reputation for trading top prospects, but it sure seems like he's going to keep Miller around. Why not? Miller, the 27th pick in the 2023 draft, has budding strength and swiped 23 bags last year across three levels. He's beginning the year in Double-A, and it wouldn't be too surprising to see him make the leap before season's end if injury, underperformance, or, perhaps, a trade frees up a spot on the big-league roster. For now, Miller will need to recover after a shaky introduction to his season.

Pittsburgh Pirates: 2B Termarr Johnson

Johnson, the fourth pick in the 2022 draft, hasn't blazed through the minors as quickly as classmate Jackson Holliday -- nor has he lived up to draft night expectations that he would develop a plus-plus hit tool. Nevertheless, he's getting closer to his big-league arrival by beginning this year in Double-A. Johnson has reliably been a productive hitter, even if the shape of that production (it's been walk-heavy) hasn't matched the forecasts. Double-A tends to be the ultimate minor-league proving ground. If Johnson can keep producing there, he just might find himself in The Show either late this year or early next.

San Diego Padres: C Ethan Salas

Salas won't celebrate his 19th birthday until June, yet the Padres aren't letting that -- or a disappointing (from a results perspective) 2024 -- stop them from sending him to Double-A. His combination of extreme youth and polished defense could see him become the first teenager to catch in an MLB contest since Iván Rodríguez in 1991. Just to reinforce the age angle here, consider that Salas has until June 1, 2026 to make that a reality.

San Francisco Giants: OF Dakota Jordan

Jordan was one of the most fascinating upside plays in last summer's draft: a tooled-up outfielder with near-elite raw strength and speed. He slipped to pick No. 116 over usability concerns, foremost that the extreme swing-and-miss in his game won't allow him to properly leverage his power, but also that his speed won't transfer to the outfield or the basepaths. If the Giants can help Jordan maximize his tools, then they may have landed the steal of the draft. Of course, these things are never so simple; if they were, he never would've lasted until the fourth round in the first place.

St. Louis Cardinals: MIF JJ Wetherholt

Wetherholt entered last year's draft cycle ranked as my No. 1 prospect in the class on the strength of his bat-to-ball and zone-management skills. He ended up sliding to the Cardinals at No. 7 after missing half the season with a hamstring injury. The Cardinals have stationed him at Double-A to begin his first full year as a professional, and while the early returns haven't been good, I expect him to right the ship soon enough. At that point, he might just position himself for a late-season debut, depending on whether or not the Cardinals find themselves in the race.

Washington Nationals: LHP Alex Clemmey

The Nationals were able to add Clemmey (listed at 6-foot-6) to their collection of well-built pitching prospects last deadline, as part of the Lane Thomas swap with the Guardians. (Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora are also 6-foot-6.) Clemmey has a plus fastball, but he needs to continue to refine the rest of his game to make good on his promise. The Nationals have done well with Susana and Sykora so far; we'll see if they can complete the hat trick with Clemmey.