This week's Barometer will begin to shift away from the obvious phenoms and towards some lesser known neophytes. Before we start that analysis, here are a few tidbits regarding a few highly touted prospects more than holding their own:
- Seth Hernandez, the sixth overall selection from last year, has been dominant at Low-A in the Pirates organization with a 0.53 ERA and outrageous 32:5 K:BB in only 17 innings.
- Rainiel Rodriguez, still only a teenager, is slashing .324/.459/.559 through 18 games at High-A. The Cardinals' catching prospect has also seen playing time at first base and could soon be at Double-A.
- Speaking of youngsters far outperforming their age, Jesus Made in the Brewers' system has produced a .295/.398/.489 line with two home runs, 15 RBI and 11 stolen bases across 21 contests at Double-A. Cooper Pratt is at Triple-A and signed a lucrative contract extension before ever seeing the big leagues, but it's a good problem for Milwaukee to have - along with Luis Pena raking at High-A.
Check out where future major league baseball starts slot into RotoWire's MLB Top Prospects & Rankings for 2026!
UPGRADE
Braden Montgomery, OF, CWS – Montgomery was part of the return in the Garrett Crochet deal and carries some injury history, but has been surging to begin 2026 going .316/.423/.618 with four homers and 19 RBI over 21 outings. He's a switch-hitter with plus-power who isn't afraid to take a walk, though there's some swing and miss in his profile. Montgomery handles the
This week's Barometer will begin to shift away from the obvious phenoms and towards some lesser known neophytes. Before we start that analysis, here are a few tidbits regarding a few highly touted prospects more than holding their own:
- Seth Hernandez, the sixth overall selection from last year, has been dominant at Low-A in the Pirates organization with a 0.53 ERA and outrageous 32:5 K:BB in only 17 innings.
- Rainiel Rodriguez, still only a teenager, is slashing .324/.459/.559 through 18 games at High-A. The Cardinals' catching prospect has also seen playing time at first base and could soon be at Double-A.
- Speaking of youngsters far outperforming their age, Jesus Made in the Brewers' system has produced a .295/.398/.489 line with two home runs, 15 RBI and 11 stolen bases across 21 contests at Double-A. Cooper Pratt is at Triple-A and signed a lucrative contract extension before ever seeing the big leagues, but it's a good problem for Milwaukee to have - along with Luis Pena raking at High-A.
Check out where future major league baseball starts slot into RotoWire's MLB Top Prospects & Rankings for 2026!
UPGRADE
Braden Montgomery, OF, CWS – Montgomery was part of the return in the Garrett Crochet deal and carries some injury history, but has been surging to begin 2026 going .316/.423/.618 with four homers and 19 RBI over 21 outings. He's a switch-hitter with plus-power who isn't afraid to take a walk, though there's some swing and miss in his profile. Montgomery handles the bat far better than most other exclusively "power" prospects. At 23, he could be fast-tracked to the Majors especially with the White Sox' outfield looking a little suspect.
Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, ARI – It's only a matter of time before Waldschmidt gets to the bigs. He may be hitting in the friendly confines of the Pacific Coast League, yet he's still slashing .317/.416/.529 with three home runs, 19 RBI and four steals from 27 matchups. Considering Waldschmidt also hit .309 in 66 games at Double-A to finish 2025, there seems to be little left for him to prove in the minors. The Diamondbacks have been racked by injuries everywhere except their outfield, though Alek Thomas is batting .213 while Lourdes Gurriel is at .125 where Waldschmidt should shortly find a spot if he continues on this upswing.
Kendry Chourio, P, KC – Speaking of upside, no minor-league hurler may have more than Chourio. The 18-year-old is already extremely polished with at least three pitches and outrageous control. After posting a 63:5 K:BB through 51.1 innings across three levels last season, Chourio has been virtually untouchable over three starts at Low-A having registered 1.42 ERA and 15:2 K:BB from 12.2 frames while opposing batters have only gone .152 against. A lot can happen to a pitching prospect between being a teenager at Low-A and ultimately seeing the bigs, but Chourio could skyrocket through the organization and make the Majors before his 21st birthday.
Nate George, OF, BAL – George is only 19 and has done well at every level since entering the minors out of high school. He saw action at three different levels last year, ending up at High-A. George returned there for the current campaign while continuing to swing a hot bat while showing patience at the dish batting .311 with a .410 OBP across 15 appearance that also includes 10 steals after 50 last season. The one knock on him is underwhelming power, though he isn't completely devoid of a home run stroke as he went deep five times in 2025 and could end up reaching double-digits when he fills out and matures. If George develops any sort of impactful pop, he could end up as a highly valuable asset for the Orioles with a potential MLB debut as early as 2027.
CHECK STATUS
Karson Milbrandt, P, MIA – The Marlins boast upper-echelon pitching prospects like Thomas White and Robby Snelling, yet Milbrandt is right behind them and should be getting more publicity. The 22-year-old righty offers the size and pitch repertoire to be a frontline rotation anchor, assuming he can keep his walks under control with at least 48 from each of the last three full campaigns despite not reaching 100 innings. Milbrandt is off to a similar start at Double-A with a 1.96 ERA and 23 strikeouts from 18.1 frames to go with nine free passes. While he's managed to limit the overall damage, the additional walks could be a red flag at the higher levels.
Nolan Perry, P, TOR – Now may be the time to buy low on Perry before he ends up on everyone's radar. The 6'2" righty missed all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, but has been lights-out through four starts at Low-A holding an outstanding 29:5 K:BB in only 16.2 innings while fanning 12 over one outing and scattering six hits en route to a 1.62 ERA. The Jays will be cautious with Perry as he continues his comeback while the sample size is small, yet there's much to like about him early on.
Ryan Wideman, OF, SD – No hitter has been hotter than Wideman the last week. A third-round selection from last year's, he's batting .478 with two homers, eight RBI and eight steals during the last seven days at Low-A. Wideman carries superior speed and above-average power while there are concerns about his ability to hit for average higher up, but it's difficult to argue with his results so far. High-A - and particularly, Double-A - should provide to be a better indication of his future trajectory, though the tools are already evident.
DOWNGRADE
Gage Jump, P, ATH – It'll be interesting to see if 2025 first-rounder Jamie Arnold reaches the big leagues before Jump. While Arnold boasts more upside and is currently cruising at Double-A, Jump has struggled in the unforgiving Pacific Coast League over five starts with a 6.87 ERA. On a positive note, the deceptive southpaw has racked up 27 Ks in only 18.1 innings, yet opposing batters are going .278 while he's already uncharacteristically walked 10. Arnold is a year younger, but the Athletics could decide to spare him from the PCL and send him right to the Majors later this year. In other words, Arnold's presence in the organization may dampen Jump's upcoming impact.
Jacob Reimer, 3B, NYM – 2026 has been a disaster for the Mets. Help could be on the way in the form of Jack Wenninger and A.J. Ewing, though Reimer has started slow at Double-A hitting .177 during 17 games where he's also fanned 25 times. The struggles are particularly odd given he spent 61 outings at Double-A last year and seemed to have little difficulty by slashing .279/.374/.479 with nine homers and 38 RBI. Reimer is somewhat blocked at the hot corner, yet his start is disappointing regardless. He'll look to regain his mojo, though it appears unlikely he'll see the bigs before 2027.
