We have recently seen some top phenoms promoted due to injuries and inconsistency at the big-league level. Henry Bolte started four straight games for the Athletics in the outfield while batting 5-for-13. Former No. 1 overall selection Travis Bazzana has made his way to Cleveland and looks like a fixture at the keystone for years to come. Power prospect Spencer Jones made his MLB debut with the Yankees following absences to Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez. The Mariners called up top prospect Colt Emerson following an injury to Brendan Donovan after signing a lucrative extension before even taking an at-bat in the bigs. Ryan O'Hearn getting hurt has forced the Pirates to add outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, and "The Password" has been hitting a blistering .406 with five homers the last two weeks. A.J. Ewing looks like an OBP machine for the Mets as he currently has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) through his first 25 plate appearances. There have also been rumors in Queens that either Jonah Tong or Jack Wenninger could take the spot of the injured Clay Holmes, who suffered a fracture fibula on Friday.
As the prospect motion continues, let's take a look at other players making waves in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
UPGRADE
Emil Morales, SS/3B, LAD – The stock of Morales continues to grow as Low-A pitching has proven no match for the 19-year-old neophyte having slashed .321/.385/.566 with six home runs and 35 RBI over 36 contests. He's currently playing
We have recently seen some top phenoms promoted due to injuries and inconsistency at the big-league level. Henry Bolte started four straight games for the Athletics in the outfield while batting 5-for-13. Former No. 1 overall selection Travis Bazzana has made his way to Cleveland and looks like a fixture at the keystone for years to come. Power prospect Spencer Jones made his MLB debut with the Yankees following absences to Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Dominguez. The Mariners called up top prospect Colt Emerson following an injury to Brendan Donovan after signing a lucrative extension before even taking an at-bat in the bigs. Ryan O'Hearn getting hurt has forced the Pirates to add outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, and "The Password" has been hitting a blistering .406 with five homers the last two weeks. A.J. Ewing looks like an OBP machine for the Mets as he currently has more walks (seven) than strikeouts (five) through his first 25 plate appearances. There have also been rumors in Queens that either Jonah Tong or Jack Wenninger could take the spot of the injured Clay Holmes, who suffered a fracture fibula on Friday.
As the prospect motion continues, let's take a look at other players making waves in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.
UPGRADE
Emil Morales, SS/3B, LAD – The stock of Morales continues to grow as Low-A pitching has proven no match for the 19-year-old neophyte having slashed .321/.385/.566 with six home runs and 35 RBI over 36 contests. He's currently playing at shortstop, but will almost assuredly end up at the hot corner. Morales boasts the pop and bat speed to become a big-league anchor, with the caveat that strikeouts could always be a concern having already fanned 47 times. He's still currently amongst the more exciting prospects at the lower levels.
Roldy Brito, SS, COL – Brito popped up on the radar after torching both the Arizona Complex League and Low-A during 2025 by combining to produce a .371/.444/.516 line with four homers and 35 steals from 84 outings. He returned to Low-A to start the campaign and has already flashed more power having gone deep five times while going .342/.387/.555. A bump to High-A could be coming for the 19-year-old switch-hitter, who should be getting even more notoriety.
Kane Kepley, OF, CHC – A second-round pick from last year, Kepley has been white-hot at High-A batting .560 with 11 RBI and eight steals the last seven days. He's also drawn far more walks (36) than strikeouts (20) overall alongside a .494 OBP in 31 games. Kepley may never hit for much power, though he's disciplined at the plate and shows solid ball-to-bat skills and blazing speed to be a standout leadoff hitter in the Majors.
Seaver King, SS, WSH – King has a baseball name and looks to have finally turned a corner in the minors. The 2024 10th overall selection registered a mediocre effort last season, but has impressed at Double-A slashing .336/.427/.562 with five home runs, 27 RBI and five steals. King's plate discipline and his ability to make contact have been far better and he's already close to topping his 2025 homer count. He's also hitting the ball harder, making better swing decisions, and possesses the athleticism to operate at multiple positions.
CHECK STATUS
Wei-En Lin, P, ATH – Lin gets knocked for not having any true "plus" pitches, yet that may change. The 20-year-old is polished and sharp with his command and control with as many as five offerings that can be located for strikes. Already at Double-A, the 6-foot-2 southpaw boasts a 1.85 ERA and 43:9 K:BB from only 34 innings while opposing batters have only gone .179 against. Lin was recently placed on the Injured List with an undisclosed injury. Assuming this isn't serious, he may be rewriting his narrative despite not throwing hard.
Kemp Alderman, OF, MIA – Alderman posted a .303 average and 16 homers in 60 Triple-A games the last two seasons, yet there are two issues holding him back. The first is that he's struck out 75 times while only earning 18 walks, and swing-and-miss doesn't usually improve between Triple-A and the Majors. The Marlins currently list a logjam of corner outfielders carrying similar profiles, including Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie. If Alderman keeps hitting, the club will ultimately have no choice but to promote him - though the path to everyday at-bats would be far from guaranteed.
Ty Johnson, P, TB – Johnson will turn 25 in September and has yet to reach the bigs. He's already exceeded expectations after being drafted in the 15th round during 2023 having largely dominated the competition with a 280:67 K:BB in just over 200 innings. Johnson recently returned from a back injury and has yet to allow a run through 7.1 frames at Triple-A. He basically offers a two-pitch arsenal and the notoriously cautious Rays won't rush him despite his age, where he could end up in the bullpen. That being said, Johnson's numbers are difficult to ignore.
Parks Harber, 3B, SF – Harber went .323 across three levels in 2025, though at 23 was a bit older than most of the competition at Single-A. He was dealt at the deadline as part of the package for Camilo Doval, then showed out in the Arizona Fall League. Harber started the current campaign on the IL with a hamstring strain, but came back earlier than expected and is hitting .321 with five home runs through 19 contests. He has plenty of power while fanning a lot while his raw power sometimes doesn't translate to in-game results. Now at 24, Harber is at a crucial juncture during his pro career.
DOWNGRADE
Bishop Letson, P, MIL – Letson oozes upside and potential, yet hasn't been able to consistently stay on the mound during his time with the Brewers organization after a 2024 elbow injury and 2025 shoulder issue. He's actually been healthy so far, though the results haven't followed having struggled to a 6.66 ERA and 24:17 K:BB in 25.2 innings. The walks are in issue, but Letson has also been far more hittable than past years pointing to mechanics and/or command concerns. He's still only 21, so the 6-foot-4 righty has time to get back on track.
Leandro Lopez, P, TEX – Lopez posted a 2.40 ERA between High-A and Double-A in 2025, eventually earning himself a spot on the Rangers' 40-man roster. This season hasn't been nearly as kind to him over seven Double-A outings with a 7.12 ERA. And while Lopez has racked up 35 Ks, he's also issued 21 free passes while opposing batters are hitting .308 against alongside four homers after only conceding seven all of last year. Instead of a promotion to Triple-A with an eye towards an eventual MLB premiere, he'll remain at Double-A and try to work things out.
