Farm Futures: Relief Pitching Prospect Rankings

• For each team's incumbents, I included relievers who are consistently getting drafted in 15-team, 50-round draft-and-hold leagues along with injured relievers who still figure into the long-term saves picture and starters who could still end up in the bullpen for a variety of reasons.
• I ranked foreign free agent signees and players who spent over 45 days on active rosters but have pitched less than 50 MLB innings for this exercise, even though I don't rank those players on the top 400 or the team top 20s.
• I'm not trying to provide commentary on who will get saves in 2024. Please read Ryan Rufe's work for excellent near-term closer analysis.
• For each team's top five relief pitching prospects, I included current age and the highest level they reached in 2023.
• Bad teams and poorly run teams will often keep pitchers in a starting role for several years longer than they should, while really good teams like Atlanta and Houston often have loaded big-league bullpens and thus a much more difficult path to saves for prospects.
• Please direct any questions or feedback to me in the article comments, on Twitter, or in the RotoWire MLB Discord room.

DIAMONDBACKS

Incumbents

Paul Sewald: Free agent after the 2024 season

Kevin Ginkel: Free agent after the 2026 season

Drey Jameson: Free agent after the 2028 season; Recovering from September 2023 Tommy John surgery

Top-5 Prospects

1. Justin Martinez, 22, MLB: Way too many walks last year (20.8 BB%), but still very young, unlike Conor Grammes; 100-mph fastball, plus splitter

2. Yilber Diaz, 23, Double-A: Plus-plus fastball touches 100 mph, plus curveball, fully stretched out but probably won't throw enough strikes in that role

3. Landon Sims, 23, Single-A: Plus fastball, plus slider, stuff and command weren't the same after returning from TJS last season

4. Ricardo Yan, 21, High-A: Plus slider, groundball machine (49.5 GB% at Single-A, 59.5 GB% at High-A), projectable frame, could add velocity to low-90s sinker

5. Grayson Hitt, 22, No pro experience: 2023 draftee, recovering from spring 2023 TJS, lefty, mid-90s fastball, low-90s cutter, above-average curveball, fringe-average control

ATLANTA

Incumbents

Raisel Iglesias: Free agent after the 2025 season

Reynaldo Lopez: Club option for 2027

A.J. Minter: Free agent after the 2024 season

Joe Jimenez: Free agent after the 2026 season

Pierce Johnson: Club option for 2026

Huascar Ynoa: Free agent after the 2026 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Cade Kuehler, 21, Single-A: 2023 draftee, 6-foot righty, plus mid-90s fastball with great movement, above-average slider, delivery/command point to future in relief, stuff should tick up in short stints

2. Blake Burkhalter, 23, Single-A: Recovering from March 2023 Tommy John surgery, plus fastball and plus slider/cutter pre-surgery; his age and shaky command pre-surgery could lead Atlanta to fast-track him as a reliever once healthy

3. Hurston Waldrep, 21, Triple-A: Poor control is the reason he fell to Atlanta at No. 24 in the 2023 draft, 13.0 BB% in pro debut, ace upside if he throws enough strikes, fall-back option of elite reliever

4. Jhancarlos Lara, 21, High-A: Broke out in 2023 in lower levels as a starter, upper-90s fastball, upper-80s slider, currently lacks quality third pitch, way too early for him to scrap starting

5. Ray Kerr, 29, MLB: Dealt from San Diego this offseason, sits at 96 mph with his fastball (touches triple digits) from the left side, above-average curveball, impressive 7.9 BB% in majors

ORIOLES

Incumbents

Craig Kimbrel: Club option for 2025

Felix Bautista: Free agent after the 2027 season

Yennier Cano: Free agent after the 2028 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Seth Johnson, 25, Double-A: Returned last season from Tommy John surgery, converted from shortstop to starting pitcher in college before the Rays selected him 40th overall in 2019, Orioles were willing to stash him on the 40-man roster while he recovered from TJS; Plus fastball, plus slider, this will be a big year for him to show he has the command and third pitch to start

2. Juan Nunez, 23, High-A: Has the pitches to start, but lacks the command (14.7 BB% at High-A) and pitchability; mid-90s fastball should tick up in short bursts, plus slider, above-average changeup

3. Chayce McDermott, 25, Triple-A: Orioles have no incentive to move McDermott to relief anytime soon, but it's still TBD if he'll throw enough strikes to start (11.7 BB% at Triple-A); Mid-90s fastball, plus slider

4. Trace Bright, 23, Double-A: Probably more seventh or eighth inning stuff if shifted to relief, but low-90s fastball has good movement, so if it ticked up into the mid-to-upper-90s in short bursts, closing could work; plus curveball, walk rate above 11 percent at every full-season stop

5. Luis De Leon, 20, Single-A: Exciting, projectable 6-foot-3 lefty starter, 73.4 GB% at Single-A, but too many walks (14.2 BB%); mid-90s fastball could keep ticking up, still looking for a plus secondary, but changeup and slider show promise

RED SOX

Incumbents

Kenley Jansen: Free agent after the 2024 season

Liam Hendriks: Mutual option for 2026; Recovering from August 2023 Tommy John surgery

Tanner Houck: Free agent after the 2027 season

Garrett Whitlock: Club options for 2027 and 2028

Chris Martin: Free agent after the 2024 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Wikelman Gonzalez, 21, Double-A: Strikeout machine (35.2 K%) as starter, mid-90s fastball could touch triple digits in relief, plus curveball, average changeup; Needs to keep improving his command and control (14.1 BB% at Double-A) in order to start

2. Luis Perales, 20, High-A: Best fastball (mid-to-upper 90s, excellent movement) in the system, needs to improve average upper-80s slider and below-average changeup to start, also needs to improve control (13.2 BB% at High-A); would still need the slider to tick up slightly to work the ninth

3. Justin Slaten, 26, Triple-A: Former Ranger ended up with Boston on Rule 5 draft day this offseason; mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider are his bread and butter, improved control last year and impressed in Arizona Fall League

4. Bryan Mata, 24, Triple-A: Had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and missed four months last year with a shoulder strain, but he finished the year healthy in the AFL; out of minor-league options, team announced he's moving to relief, plus fastball and plus slider, showed very poor control before the AFL

5. Isaiah Campbell, 26, MLB: Acquired from Seattle this offseason for Luis Urias; mid-90s fastball, plus slider, 60.0 GB% at Double-A, fastball might not have enough juice for the ninth

CUBS

Incumbents

Adbert Alzolay: Free agent after the 2026 season

Hector Neris: Club option for 2025

Julian Merryweather: Free agent after the 2026 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Daniel Palencia, 24, MLB: Scrapped starting early last season, averaged 98.4 mph with fastball (touches 101 mph) in majors and throws that pitch two-thirds of the time, top secondary is 89-mph slider, needs to improve his command to be a ninth-inning option

2. Ben Brown, 24, Triple-A: Hasn't shown the command (15.8 BB% at Triple-A) to start at 6-foot-6, arguably has three plus pitches though, upper-90s fastball and mid-80s curveball could be devastating in late relief

3. Michael Arias, 22, High-A: Former shortstop with electric arm speed, mid-90s fastball that misses barrels, slider and changeup show promise but aren't major weapons yet; Still young and has only been a starting pitcher for two years, but 14.4 BB% at High-A highlights work needed with control

4. Porter Hodge, 23, Double-A: Moved to bullpen halfway through last season, mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider are plus pitches, but maybe not quite devastating enough for the ninth inning

5. Luke Little, 23, MLB: 6-foot-8 lefty with 97-mph fastball (touches 100) and low-80s slider that plays up due to gap between fastball; walk rate over 13 percent at Triple-A and the majors

WHITE SOX

Incumbents

John Brebbia: Mutual option for 2025

Michael Kopech: Free agent after the 2025 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Prelander Berroa, 23, MLB: Berroa has been ranked on the top 400 for a while as a reliever-only prospect; 70-grade fastball and 70-grade slider, but below-average command has prevented him from carving out a big-league role

2. Jordan Leasure, 25, Triple-A: Acquired from the Dodgers at last year's deadline in the Lance Lynn trade, 70-grade fastball touches triple digits, two good breaking balls and good enough command, but flyball tendency could be an issue

3. Jake Eder, 25, Double-A: Cashed out by Miami in shrewd Jake Burger trade; 14.1 BB% at Double-A, will need to show much better control in first full year back from Tommy John surgery, tall lefty has plus fastball and plus slider but White Sox will not be quick to admit he's a reliever

4. Peyton Pallette, 22, Single-A: Had Tommy John surgery before the 2022 draft, made 22 starts last year in pro debut; Chance for plus fastball and plus curveball, but poor control at Single-A (12.8 BB%) and could be moved to relief if strike throwing doesn't improve

5. Tanner McDougal, 20, Single-A: Touches 99 mph with fastball as starter, plus slider, 14.3 BB% in 21 Single-A starts, could move quickly as a reliever if control doesn't improve

REDS

Incumbents

Alexis Diaz: Free agent after the 2027 season

Lucas Sims: Free agent after the 2024 season

Emilio Pagan: Player option for 2025

Top-5 Prospects

1. Connor Phillips, 22, MLB: Has a chance for three plus pitches, mid-90s fastball has excellent movement, 16.9 BB% at Triple-A, 13.5 BB% in MLB and control will determine whether he's a late-inning reliever or high-WHIP/high-K starter

2. Zach Maxwell, 23, High-A: Pure reliever in 6-foot-6, 293-pound frame, regularly touches triple digits with elite movement on fastball, 70-grade upper-80s slider, 14.6 BB% at Single-A, 13.4 BB% at High-A, 17.0 BB% in Arizona Fall League

3. Ty Floyd, 22, No pro experience: Selected with No. 38 overall pick in 2023, reliever experience in college, could be a setup man just on strength of mid-90s fastball with elite characteristics, secondaries need a little work for closing to be an option; Reds will develop him as a starter until further notice

4. Lyon Richardson, 24, MLB: Last year was his first year back from Tommy John surgery, 97-mph fastball and plus changeup, but will need to show much better control (21.7 BB% at Triple-A, 18.5 BB% in MLB) this year to have success in any role

5. Adam Serwinowski, 19, Arizona Complex League: Massive 6-foot-6, 293-pound southpaw, plus fastball and plus curveball, lack of average control or quality third pitch currently point to a future in relief, but a lot of development ahead before Reds go that route

GUARDIANS

Incumbents

Emmanuel Clase: Club options for 2027 and 2028

Scott Barlow: Free agent after the 2024 season

Trevor Stephan: Club options for 2027 and 2028

Top-5 Prospects

1. Franco Aleman, 23, Double-A: 36.7 K-BB% and didn't allow a run in 24 innings while notching seven saves at Double-A, fastball reportedly touches 100 mph and sits in the upper-90s and his slider is his go-to offspeed pitch

2. Andrew Walters, 23, No pro experience: Received almost $1 million after getting selected with the No. 62 overall pick in last year's draft; pure reliever who dominated in college, mid-90s fastball touches 99 mph with excellent ride, just needs to improve his sweeper slightly to project for late-inning work

3. Daniel Espino, 23, Last pitched at Double-A in April 2022: There's no recent example of a player with this many early-career arm injuries making it as a starter; Due back in the middle of this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in May of 2023, elite stuff when healthy

4. Cade Smith, 24, Triple-A: Big 6-foot-5, 230-pound righty with a heavy mid-90s fastball that plays up due to extension, notched 15 saves across Double-A and Triple-A last season, will need his slider to improve to profile as a ninth-inning option 

5. Tanner Burns, 25, Double-A: Had a 2.73 ERA and 31:11 K:BB in 26.1 innings after moving to the Double-A bullpen last year; velocity has fluctuated, but he has the mindset for high-leverage work if he can focus on his fastball and slider

ROCKIES

Incumbents

Justin Lawrence: Free agent after the 2028 season

Tyler Kinley: Club option for 2026

Top-5 Prospects

1. Angel Chivilli, 21, Double-A: Already on the 40-man roster, notched 17 saves at High-A, better command (never had a walk rate over 7.8 percent) than the average pure reliever his age, mid-90s fastball, borderline plus slider, above-average changeup

2. Victor Vodnik, 24, MLB: Plus fastball averaged 97 mph in the majors, has shown groundball tendencies, but command and secondaries may prevent him from ascending to ninth inning

3. Juan Mejia, 23, Double-A: Misses plenty of bats, but poor control has always been an issue, could end up with two plus pitches (his slider is slightly better than his mid-90s fastball) but won't be a ninth-inning option without improved strike throwing

4. Jackson Cox, 20, Single-A: Will miss 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July of 2023, has a starter's repertoire, but might not have starter's command, mid-90s fastball and plus curveball would fit nicely in the bullpen

5. Jordy Vargas, 20, Single-A: Shaky command and lack of a quality third pitch are the two traits that could push him to relief, where mid-90s fastball could play up and hammer curveball would profile nicely

TIGERS

Incumbents

Alex Lange: Free agent after the 2027 season

Jason Foley: Free agent after the 2027 season

Shelby Miller: Club option for 2025

Will Vest: Free agent after teh 2027 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Tyler Mattison, 24, Double-A: Pure reliever, 70-grade fastball sits in the upper-90s with good movement, above-average curveball plays up due to strength of fastball, 13.2 BB% at Double-A was a tad high, but opposing batters hit .169 against him

2. Ty Madden, 24, Double-A: The Tigers all of a sudden have some rotation depth, and Madden's stuff would play up in the ninth; fastball could touch triple digits in short bursts and pairs nicely with his plus slider

3. Keider Montero, 23, Triple-A: Hasn't moved to relief yet, but his stuff would play much better in that role; mid-90s fastball and above-average slider, too many walks at Double-A and got too much of the plate at Triple-A

4. Dylan Smith, 23, Double-A: Plus slider is best weapon, has struggled to stay healthy as a starter, and moving to the bullpen makes sense if he struggles to stay healthy again, 93-95 mph fastball as a starter, would obviously need to tick up a couple notches in relief

5. Freddy Pacheco, 25, Triple-A: Former Cardinal recovering from June 2023 Tommy John surgery, shows ninth-inning stuff (upper-90s fastball, plus slider) when healthy but hasn't shown good enough command for high-leverage work

ASTROS

Incumbents

Josh Hader: Free agent after the 2028 season

Ryan Pressly: Vesting option for 2025

Bryan Abreu: Free agent after the 2026 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Miguel Ullola, 21, High-A: Doesn't have starter's command, and may not have the command for a high-leverage role (15.0 BB% at High-A), mid-90s fastball with good life could be a plus-plus pitch in short bursts, slider is top secondary

2. Forrest Whitley, 26, Triple-A: Clearly doesn't have the durability, command or the mindset to function as a big-league starter; final minor-league option year, pure stuff could still fit fine in the later innings if he embraces the role

3. Alimber Santa, 20, Single-A: Fastball touches 98 mph as a starter, poor command should push him to relief, lacks a plus secondary offering, but still young enough to improve across the board

4. Jake Bloss, 22, Single-A: Not a great candidate due to average secondaries, but at least he's got a plus fastball; 62.2 GB% in 16.1 innings at Single-A, but 15.9 BB% a potential red flag for his chances to start

5. Michael Knorr, 23, High-A: Mid-90s fastball would need to tick up in shorter bursts and one of his secondaries would need to emerge, but shaky command should push him to some relief role

ROYALS

Incumbents

Will Smith: Free agent after the 2024 season

Nick Anderson: Free agent after the 2025 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. John McMillon, 26, MLB: Forearm strain ended 2023 season, double-digit walk rates at every minor-league stop, but the pure stuff (70-grade fastball, 70-grade slider) is clearly ninth-inning caliber

2. James McArthur, 27, MLB: Throws his plus curveball more than his 94-mph fastball, very few walks (2.2 BB%) and a bunch of groundballs (58.7 GB%) in MLB debut, not typical ninth-inning stuff, but could be Scott Barlow 2.0, went 4-for-4 on save chances with big club

3. Will Klein, 24, Triple-A: Big 6-foot-5 righty with upper-90s fastball (touches 100 mph), plus slider and above-average curveball, pure reliever, already on the 40-man, 14.4 BB% at Triple-A highlights his main flaw

4. Eric Cerantola, 23, Double-A: Electric fastball/curveball combo screams high-leverage but below-average control may hold him back, 9.3 BB% in 14 innings at Double-A was a strong way to close last season

5. Chandler Champlain, 24, Double-A: Strikeout rates as starter don't scream ninth inning, but fastball already touches 98 mph and could touch triple digits if he's airing it out in short stints, two solid breaking balls but would need one to tick up to plus for him to close

ANGELS

Incumbents

Carlos Estevez: Free agent after the 2024 season

Robert Stephenson: Signed a three-year contract this offseason that includes a club option for 2027 that only exists if he misses 130+ days with an elbow injury

Matt Moore: Free agent after the 2024 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Ben Joyce, 23, MLB: Cover boy for this article last year, still hasn't pitched on back-to-back days as a pro, devastating 80-grade fastball and above-average slider, but walked 21 batters in 25.2 innings at Double-A and majors

2. Sam Bachman, 24, MLB: 2021 first rounder has profiled as a reliever since college, finally worked in that role in the majors; Will miss at least the first month recovering from shoulder surgery, unclear when team will officially stop developing him as a starter, but at his best, he'll show a plus fastball and plus slider

3. Kelvin Caceres, 24, MLB: Fully shifted to relief last year, easy late-inning arm if he can throw enough strikes, upper-90s fastball and high-spin curveball, 14.0 BB% across Double-A, Triple-A and majors

4. Camden Minacci, 22, Single-A: Experience closing at Wake Forrest and got over $300K in the sixth round last year, touches 99 mph with his fastball and compliments with a plus slider, TBD on command/control

5. Walbert Urena, 20, Single-A: 70-grade fastball as a starter, could be an 80-grade pitch in short bursts, 13.5 BB% in 98.2 innings at Single-A, but has generated at least 50 percent groundballs at both stops as a pro, changeup is best offspeeed pitch

DODGERS

Incumbents

Evan Phillips: Free agent after the 2026 season

Brusdar Graterol: Free agent after the 2026 season

Dustin May: Free agent after the 2025 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Kyle Hurt, 25, MLB: Quickest way to provide realistic big-league value is as a reliever, given depth ahead of him on SP depth chart, dynamite fastball/changeup combo is proven against MLB hitters, led minors in K% (39.2) last season

2. Nick Frasso, 25, Triple-A: Career-high 93 innings last year, but shoulder surgery will wipe out most of 2024, so he should switch to relieving when he returns; mid-90s fastball plays up due to extension and deceptive delivery, upper-80s slider would be go-to offspeed pitch in short stints

3. River Ryan, 25, Triple-A: Behind his peers as a sequencer and craftsman since he's only been a full-time pitcher for a couple years (13.1 K-BB% ranked 31/65 among Texas League pitchers with 60+ IP); if he can't get up to speed, he's got the goods (upwards of three plus pitches) to devastate in short stints

4. Ricky Vanasco, 25, Triple-A: Never established starter-level command after late-2020 Tommy John surgery, two saves and a 42:10 K:BB in 29 IP across Double-A and Triple-A; sits 96 mph with fastball, could touch higher, will show a plus curveball at his best

5. Maddux Bruns, 21, High-A: Command has improved from 20-grade to 30-grade (15.8 BB% at High-A), but still unlikely to be starter-level; stuff has always been electric, could sit around 100 mph with fastball in short bursts from the left side with two plus breaking balls

MARLINS

Incumbents

Tanner Scott: Free agent after the 2024 season

Andrew Nardi: Free agent after the 2028 season

A.J. Puk: Free agent after the 2026 season

Edward Cabrera: Free agent after the 2028 season, strong candidate to be traded in short term

Top-5 Prospects

1. Max Meyer, 24, Last pitched in MLB in September of 2022: Will be developed as a starter in first year back from Tommy John surgery, but ability to handle a starter's workload has been in question since college; if it remains an issue, he's a plug-and-play top-10 closer thanks to a plus fastball and elite slider

2. Anthony Maldonado, 26, Triple-A: Big-league ready and on the 40-man, nine saves, 39.4 K%, 0.96 WHIP at Triple-A, plus cutter, plus slider, but none of his pitches reach the upper-90s

3. Nigel Belgrave, 21, Single-A: Got $150K in the 15th round last year, pure reliever, plus slider, mid-90s fastball could tick up thanks to projectable 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame

4. Xavier Meachem, 21, Single-A: Pure reliever in stocky 5-foot-11 frame, no plus pitches yet, but slider could get there, fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s

5. Sixto Sanchez, 25, Double-A: More likely to get designated for assignment this spring than to actually close in his career, but this is a really weak system for all prospect types

BREWERS

Incumbents

Devin Williams: Club option for 2025

Joel Payamps: Free agent after the 2026 season

Trevor Megill: Free agent after the 2027 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Abner Uribe, 23, MLB: Classic ninth-inning repertoire (100-mph fastball, 89-mph slider), doesn't need better than fringe-average command, but he's got below-average command currently

2. Jacob Misiorowski, 21, Double-A: Could debut as a reliever in 2024 while still being on a long-term SP track; team will work hard to make him a frontline starter, but he doesn't have starter-level command yet (13.2 BB% at High-A, 15.0 BB% at Double-A)

3. DL Hall, 25, MLB: Orioles were done developing him as an SP, Milwaukee will give him another year-plus on that track, but durability and command have been red flags for years; Dominant stuff from the left side

4. Quinton Low, 21, Single-A: Former two-way prospect (also a slugging 1B), burly 6-foot-4 power righty who touches 100 mph with his fastball and has a wipeout breaking ball, currently lacks the command for high-leverage work, but it's still pretty early in his development

5. Yerlin Rodriguez, 21, Single-A: Has only worked in relief above rookie ball, notched 11 saves at Single-A, upper-90s fastball with above-average slider, groundball pitcher (49.4 GB%), has never had a walk rate below 13 percent

TWINS

Incumbents

Jhoan Duran: Free agent after the 2027 season

Griffin Jax: Free agent after the 2027 season

Brock Stewart: Free agent after the 2027 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Matt Canterino, 26, Last faced full-season hitters at Double-A in June of 2022: Fully recovered from August 2022 Tommy John surgery, has never had a strikeout rate below 33.3%, deceptive delivery with three plus pitches and probably not good enough command or durability to start

2. Marco Raya, 21, Double-A: Slight 6-foot-1 righty, yet to top 65 innings in a season, everything else (three above-average to plus pitches, good control) screams starter, but he'll need to start stacking innings for that to remain a realistic outcome

3. Charlee Soto, 18, No pro experience: Talented yet raw prep righty with electric stuff and extreme risk, got $2.48M in last year's draft, could end up with three plus pitches and would surely touch or sit in the triple digits with his fastball as a reliever, Twins will keep him on a SP track for at least the next couple years

4. Connor Prielipp, 23, High-A: Needed Tommy John surgery in 2021, drafted 48th overall in 2022 and needed internal brace surgery on the same elbow last summer; Easy plus slider and could touch the upper-90s from the left side in short bursts, but will be kept on SP path for now

5. Kody Funderburk, 27, MLB: Twins lacked a realistic fifth player for the list, so Funderburk makes it by default since the lefty notched five saves with a bunch of strikeouts and groundballs at Triple-A; Definitely a big leaguer, but more likely a low-to-mid leverage option

METS

Incumbents

Edwin Diaz: Club option for 2028

Adam Ottavino: Free agent after the 2024 season

Tylor Megill: Free agent after the 2027 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Blade Tidwell, 22, Double-A: Fastball and slider would fit just fine in the eighth or ninth inning if the Mets pull plug on SP development, but that wouldn't happen anytime soon; Showed improved strike throwing as the season went on and third-pitch changeup is trending up

2. Raimon Gomez, 22, High-A: Potential 2023 breakout campaign as an SP derailed by late-April Tommy John surgery, plus fastball and slider would play up even more in short bursts, control was already his biggest weakness and surgery could expedite move to relief

3. Calvin Ziegler, 21, Single-A: Inability to build up workload due to multiple injuries and below-average command point to future in relief where fastball/curveball combo could give hitters fits in the late innings

4. Nolan McLean, 22, Single-A: A college reliever whom the Mets picked in the third round of last year's draft with hopes of developing him as an SP, could end up back in the bullpen if his control doesn't improve; Sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, could get to the upper-90s with pro instruction, plus slider and above-average curveball

5. Brandon Sproat, 23, No pro experience: Received $1.47M in second round last year, could sit in the upper-90s with his fastball in shorter bursts (sat in the mid-90s as college starter), control has been shaky for a while, but two bat-missing secondaries in slider and changeup

YANKEES

Incumbents

Clay Holmes: Free agent after the 2024 season

Scott Effross: Free agent after the 2027 season

Tommy Kahnle: Free agent after the 2024 season

Jonathan Loaisiga: Free agent after the 2024 season

Ian Hamilton: Free agent after the 2028 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Luis Gil, 25, Single-A (Rehab appearances): Returned from Tommy John surgery at the end of 2023, fastball/slider combo can be elite when he's locating; Inability to build up innings combined with Yankees SP depth could force move to relief as early as this summer

2. Jack Neely, 23, Double-A: 6-foot-8 pure righty reliever with two plus pitches (fastball, slider) and excellent control (7.7 BB% across High-A and Double-A) by reliever standards, flyball pitcher, but he just doesn't get hit (.166 AVG against)

3. Carlos Lagrange, 20, Florida Complex League: Fastball/slider combo is special, but massive 6-foot-7 frame and below-average command hint at power reliever role; would rank higher if he weren't so far away from the majors

4. Clayton Beeter, 25, Triple-A: Mostly works off fastball (touches 97 mph as SP) and plus slider, walks have always been an issue, but he was very hard to hit down the stretch last year; Not giving up on him as SP yet, but Yankees may move him to the bullpen at some point this year

5. Jordarlin Mendoza, 20, Florida Complex League: Pure reliever with late-inning stuff (plus fastball, plus slider), but will need to refine command as he climbs the ladder

ATHLETICS

Incumbents

Lucas Erceg: Free agent after the 2029 season

Dany Jimenez: Free agent after the 2027 season

Luis Medina: Free agent after the 2029 season

Trevor Gott: Free agent after the 2024 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Mason Miller, 25, MLB: Best relief prospect in the game except there's no guarantee the A's will keep him in relief in 2025; ratios and K's will be elite but probably won't get to 28+ saves on this dreadful team

2. Joe Boyle, 24, MLB: His 8.3 BB% in three MLB starts was one of the more surprising prospect stats of 2023 (18.0 BB% at Double-A, 16.7 BB% at Triple-A); Clear high-leverage stuff (two 70-grade pitches), but no reason for Oakland to move him to the bullpen until he washes out as an SP

3. Royber Salinas, 22, Double-A: Starter's mix (four quality pitches, including monster slider) but reliever's control/pitchability; Oakland will likely exhaust efforts to develop him into a high-WHIP/high-K SP

4. Freddy Tarnok, 25, MLB: Coming off mostly lost season (most notably a shoulder injury and hip surgery), but still has the fastball/curveball combo to get late-inning outs

5. Ryan Cusick, 24, Triple-A: Rough pro career to date as a SP, but still has the ingredients (fastball and breaking ball have flashed plus as an SP in the past) to be an effective late-inning RP if he can stay healthy

PHILLIES

Incumbents

Jose Alvarado: Club option for 2026

Jeff Hoffman: Free agent after the 2024 season

Matt Strahm: Free agent after the 2024 season

Gregory Soto: Free agent after the 2025 season

Seranthony Dominguez: Club option for 2025

Top-5 Prospects

1. Orion Kerkering, 22, MLB: Stuff+ darling with plus fastball and smutty 70-grade slider; It sure looks like Philly is lining things up for him to take over the ninth sometime this year or next

2. Griff McGarry, 24, Triple-A: Career 15.4 BB% at Double-A and 31.9 BB% at Triple-A; Might not have the command for the ninth, but definitely has the requisite fastball/slider combo 

3. Christian McGowan, 23, Triple-A: Nasty upper-90s sinker allows him to consistently generate groundballs over half the time, came back from Tommy John surgery last summer, a bit more consistency with control and above-average slider would pave way for late-inning work

4. Alex McFarlane, 22, Single-A: Groundball machine (56.8 GB% at Single-A) thanks to plus sinker and plus slider; Will miss 2024 recovering from TJS, already lacked the command to start, so move to relief in 2025 makes sense

5. George Klassen, 22, No pro experience: Got just under $300K in the sixth round last year as a pure velocity lottery ticket, had TJS early in college, touches 102 mph with fastball and can show a plus breaking ball, needs to make major strides as a strike thrower

PIRATES

Incumbents

David Bednar: Free agent after the 2026 season

Aroldis Chapman: Free agent after the 2024 season

Roansy Contreras: Free agent after the 2028 season

Luis Ortiz: Free agent after the 2029 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Mike Burrows, 24, Triple-A: Recovering from April 2023 Tommy John surgery, has been on an SP path but hasn't logged 100 innings yet as a pro; Plus fastball, plus curveball, showed signs of a quality changeup before latest injury, better control than most likely relievers

2. Kyle Nicolas, 25, MLB: Powerful 6-foot-4 righty, command and consistency were lacking as an SP, shifted to relief last summer, upper-90s fastball and hard slider would fit in the eighth or ninth inning if he can throw more strikes (14.1 BB% across Triple-A and MLB)

3. Colin Selby, 26, MLB: Pure reliever, needs to improve his control by at least a full grade (16.5 BB% at Triple-A, 13.2 BB% in MLB), but if he does, upper-90s fastball and plus slider are ready for high-leverage situations

4. Brandan Bidois, 22, Single-A: Pure reliever, six saves and 41.6 K% at Single-A, touches 99 mph with good movement on fastball, cutter is best secondary, just needs to cut down the walks (14.9 BB%)

5. Carlson Reed, 21, Florida Complex League: Has the three-pitch mix to start and is more projectable (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) than most pitchers his age, but poor command should push him to the bullpen, where fastball could tick up to triple digits

PADRES

Incumbents

Robert Suarez: Free agent after the 2027 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Yuki Matsui, 28, No experience in affiliated ball: The talk of the first day of spring training after striking out the side in his first appearance, nasty splitter, 236 saves in NPB, looks like it should be his job right away this year

2. Jairo Iriarte, 22, Double-A: Fastball could be a 70- or 80-grade pitch in one-inning stints, slider is top secondary; Club should keep developing him as a SP this year until he gives them a reason to move him to the bullpen, but he's been stuck at around 90 innings the past two years

3. Woo-suk Go, 25, No experience in affiliated ball: 139 saves in KBO, got a fifth of the guaranteed money Matsui got, a few too many walks last year (11.6 BB%)

4. Braden Nett, 21, Single-A: Held his own as one of the younger pitchers in the Arizona Fall League (21 K's in 17.1 innings), nasty upper-90s fastball, above-average slider, but has never logged a walk rate below 13.3%

5. Jeremiah Estrada, 25, MLB: Teams don't generally DFA quality high-leverage arms in their mid-20s (Cubs DFA'd Estrada and he was subsequently claimed by the Padres in November); but he's on a less crowded depth chart now and is big-league ready

GIANTS

Incumbents

Camilo Doval: Free agent after the 2027 season

Jordan Hicks: Free agent after the 2027 season

Taylor Rogers: Free agent after the 2025 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Reggie Crawford, 23, High-A: If he can just stay healthy, Crawford could be an elite reliever (potentially 80-grade fastball in short bursts with plus slider); Already dealing with lat strain in camp, but officially scrapped hitting, so could move fast as a reliever or slowly if the team keeps him in the rotation

2. Landen Roupp, 25, Double-A: Can't stay healthy as an SP (averaged less than 50 IP per season in three pro seasons), but hasn't officially been moved to relief; One of the best curveballs in the minors, ideally 93-mph sinker would be more in the 95-96 mph range in one-inning appearances

3. Carson Seymour, 25, Double-A: Big 6-foot-6 righty whose groundball rates have always been around 50% or higher thanks to plus sinker and plus slider, throws enough strikes to start but below-average changeup and age make relieving seem highly likely

4. William Kempner, 22, Double-A: Pure reliever with the sinker/slider combo to close, but command needs to jump a full grade for him to get high-leverage opportunities

5. Mason Black, 24, Triple-A: Has never pitched in relief professionally, but with mostly a two-pitch mix (sinker touches 97 mph, mid-80s slider), a move to the bullpen would make sense in a year or two

MARINERS

Incumbents

Andres Munoz: Club options for 2026-28

Matt Brash: Free agent after the 2028 season

Gregory Santos: Free agent after the 2028 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Carlos Vargas, 24, MLB: Ninth-inning stuff (99-mph fastball, 92-mph slider), but walked 15.4% of batters last year; On third team now (dealt from Arizona to Seattle in Eugenio Suarez trade), but too young to give up on yet

2. Teddy McGraw, 22, No pro experience: Had second Tommy John surgery in January of 2023 and M's gave him $600K in last year's draft anyway; Primarily works off plus sinker/slider combo with shaky control, so all signs point to a move to relief at some point

3. Troy Taylor, 22, High-A: A shortstop in high school and pure reliever since turning pro; Mid-90s sinker and mid-80s sweeper could each be plus offerings, had 66.7 GB% and 5.1 BB% in 10.1 IP at High-A

4. Ty Adcock, 27, MLB: Strikeout numbers aren't amazing, but he just doesn't get hit much or allow free passes (WHIP below 0.81 at High-A, Double-A and majors); Throws 87-mph slider as much or more than 97-mph fastball

5. Jimmy Joyce, 25, Double-A: 53.5 GB% at Double-A was lowest mark as a pro, thanks to above-average low-90s sinker and power mid-80s curveball; Hasn't moved to relief yet, but probably will soon and stuff could play up more out of the bullpen

CARDINALS

Incumbents

Ryan Helsley: Free agent after the 2025 season

Giovanny Gallegos: Club option for 2025

Andrew Kittredge: Free agent after the 2024 season

Zack Thompson: Free agent after the 2028 season

JoJo Romero: Free agent after the 2026 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Tink Hence, 21, Double-A: Hard-throwing undersized (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) righty coming off down year (13.0 K-BB% at Double-A) as SP; probably not a coincidence that his stuff backed up when trying to show he could handle a starter's workload

2. Nick Robertson, 25, MLB: Pure reliever was traded twice in 2023; Big 6-foot-6, 265-pound righty with mid-90s fastball, above-average changeup, solid third-pitch slider and better command than most reliever prospects

3. Zack Showalter, 20, Single-A: Durability, command, secondaries all need to trend up for him to start, but he is projectable (6-foot-2, 195 pounds); Low-90s fastball with good movement could be a plus or better offering out of the bullpen 

4. Edwin Nunez, 22, High-A: Pure reliever with upper-90s fastball and very shaky command, 10 saves last year with 1.35 WHIP

5. Matt Svanson, 24, Double-A: 11 saves and a bunch of groundballs (66 GB% at Double-A) thanks to sinker/slider combo, walk rates have been below 10 percent at every stop since 2021

RAYS

Incumbents

Pete Fairbanks: Club option for 2026

Jason Adam: Free agent after the 2026 season

Colin Poche: Free agent after the 2025 season

Drew Rasmussen: Free agent after the 2026 season

Tyler Alexander: Free agent after the 2025 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Yoniel Curet, 21, High-A: Stuff is so good he was added to the 40-man despite 17.4 BB% at High-A; Has been mostly used as a SP but could sit around 100 mph with fastball and 90 mph with slider in relief, which is where he'll end up without massive improvements to his control

2. Colby White, 25, Double-A: Shaky across 22 innings in return from April 2022 Tommy John surgery; Looked like future closer pre-surgery, so hopefully the stuff and command is fully back now that he's further removed

3. Garrett Edwards, 22, No pro experience: Was excelling as a reliever for LSU before needing Tommy John surgery before the draft, Rays still gave him $500K; Mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider, unclear if he'll get a chance to start

4. Keyshawn Askew, 24, Double-A: Sinker/slider southpaw who was recently moved to the bullpen, has never had a GB% below 51 percent in full-season ball, five saves last year but too many walks (14.4 BB%) at Double-A

5. Jose Urbina, 18, Florida Complex League: Very projectable and already sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, curveball could get to plus; He'll be developed as a SP, but if third pitch and command don't improve in the next couple years, he could be a late-inning weapon

RANGERS

Incumbents

Jose Leclerc: Free agent after the 2024 season

David Robertson: Mutual option for 2025

Josh Sborz: Free agent after the 2026 season

Kirby Yates: Free agent after the 2024 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Kumar Rocker, 24, High-A: Recovering from May 2023 Tommy John surgery, if his fastball/slider combo returns to form, it'd make sense to fast-track him to the big-league bullpen; Rangers invested a lot in Rocker, which could lead to him getting saves over similarly talented arms

2. Emiliano Teodo, 23, High-A: No longer a sleeper after his insane fastball/curveball combo was on full display in the Arizona Fall League; Still needs to improve command, but if he can just get to the majors without needing an arm surgery, it should be worth the wait

3. Jack Leiter, 23, Triple-A: Doesn't have the command to start, and may not have a good enough secondary pitch to close, but fastball could be 70- or 80-grade pitch in one-inning stints

4. Skylar Hales, 22, Single-A: Pure reliever in strapping 6-foot-4 frame, got $565K in last year's draft; Fastball can touch triple digits and slider should miss bats and generate weak contact

5. Marc Church, 22, Triple-A: Pure reliever who looked like he was on track to be a closer or setup man before showing command issues in the upper levels last year; still young enough and fastball/slider combo is good enough to track — this is the most loaded system for future closers, as Antoine Kelly, Carson Coleman, Zak Kent, Izack Tiger and Alejandro Rosario would have cracked the top five in many other organizations

BLUE JAYS

Incumbents

Jordan Romano: Free agent after the 2025 season

Erik Swanson: Free agent after the 2025 season

Chad Green: Free agent after the 2025 season

Nate Pearson: Free agent after the 2026 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Hagen Danner, 25, MLB: Struggles to stay healthy, even as a pure reliever (86.2 pro innings in three seasons), but upper-90s fastball, plus slider and solid command check all the boxes for high-leverage work if he can hold up

2. Connor Cooke, 24, Triple-A: Pure reliever with 41.1 K% at Double-A last year, mid-90s fastball with excellent movement, high-spin sweeper is go-to secondary; Walk rate spiked in small sample at Triple-A, but everything else checks out

3. T.J. Brock, 24, Double-A: Upper-90s fastball but upper-80s slider (touches 90 mph) is best pitch, 13 saves last year, but ran into homer trouble at Double-A — probably a little unlucky (6.68 ERA, 2.64 xFIP)

4. Brandon Barriera, 19, Single-A: No reason he can't start if he can just stay healthy, but has been plagued by shoulder, elbow and biceps injuries since getting $3.6 million in the 2022 draft; Fastball/slider combo would be lethal from left side in short stints

5. Yosver Zulueta, 26, Triple-A: Big-time stuff with upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider; old and already on the 40-man, so this will be a big year for him to show he has the control (15.7 BB% at Triple-A) for high-leverage work

NATIONALS

Incumbents

Kyle Finnegan: Free agent after the 2025 season

Hunter Harvey: Free agent after the 2025 season

Tanner Rainey: Free agent after the 2025 season

Top-5 Prospects

1. Zach Brzykcy, 24, Last pitched at Triple-A in September of 2022: Needed Tommy John surgery in April of 2023; Easy plus fastball has good movement and sits in the upper-90s, above-average curveball is top secondary, already on 40-man and should join big-league bullpen this summer

2. Jarlin Susana, 19, Single-A: Has touched 103 mph in the past with a plus slider but may not have the refinement needed to start; Big 6-foot-6, 235-pounder who will need to stay on top of his conditioning, even if he moves to the bullpen

3. Travis Sykora, 19, No pro experience: 6-foot-6 prep righty got $2.6M in last year's draft; Fastball is going to be at least a 70-grade pitch, the rest of his tools need work

4. Cole Henry, 24, Double-A: Starter's pitch mix, but reliever's durability; Made it back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last year, may be kept on SP track this year, but given age and spot on 40-man roster, moving him to the bullpen makes sense

5. Jackson Rutledge, 24, MLB: Washington's lack of quality SP depth will lead to Rutledge getting a long leash as a SP, but the 6-foot-8 righty has the fastball/slider combo for late-inning work if results aren't there as an SP (5.82 FIP at Triple-A, 5.86 FIP in MLB)