10 MLB Prospects With Big Exit Velocity Gains In 2025

Enddy Azocar, OF, Red Sox 

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 98
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 105.1 
• Gain: 7.1 mph 

Azocar showed almost instant significant improvements to his underlying exit velocity data this year and earned a promotion out of the Florida Complex League after just 14 games. The jump to Low-A has yet to yield much in the way of results, as the 18-year-old outfielder has hit below the Mendoza line over his first 60 games with Salem. But the Carolina League is notoriously tough on young power hitters, so despite falling flat on his face in his first attempt at a full-season level the improvements in power should pay dividends in future seasons. 

Jorge Quintana, SS, Padres

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 97.7
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 104.6
• Gain: 6.9 mph

Acquired from the Brewers at the deadline in the Brandon Lockridge trade, Quintana might look like a steal in a few years. Like many players who debuted in the Dominican Summer League at 17 years old, Quintana saw a power boost upon coming stateside. It’s reasonable to expect a period of significant power growth between ages 18-22, before exit velocities stagnate around 22-23 years old. Quintana saw a nearly 7 mph gain year-over-year and performed fairly well in his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League. Quintana has struggled in his first few weeks at a full-season level, but it’s reasonable to expect a better result when he returns to Low-A to begin 2026. 

Richard Matic, 3B, Yankees

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 97.6 
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 103.8
• Gain: 6.2 mph

A highly-touted 2024 international signing, Matic’s professional debut did not go as planned. He struggled to a .196/.333/.248 line over 46 games in his Dominican Summer League debut that year. He remained in the DSL to begin 2025 and showed significant improvement to his in-game performance. Matic hit .336/.487/.566 over another 46 games. There’s always some healthy skepticism around any DSL repeaters, but Matic has shown significant power and skill gains this season that have translated to in-game production. Written off heading into 2025, perhaps Matic can regain his prospect status with a successful jump stateside in 2026. 

Paulino Santana, OF, Rangers

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 98.4
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 104
• Gain: 5.6 mph

A Dominican Summer League standout in 2024, Santana showed advanced plate skills hitting .292/.465/.364 over 53 games, though he showed very little power and failed to homer in his pro debut. That changed in his stateside debut in 2025. Santana hit five home runs during Arizona Complex League play and showed real game power. He did trade some swing-and-miss for in-game power and that swap has yet to pay off in production gained in a brief 10-game sample in Low-A, but Santana is likely to return to the level to begin 2026.

Brock Rodden, SS, Mariners 

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 99.3
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 104.5 
• Gain: 5.2 mph

Rodden was a fifth-round money saver out of Wichita State in 2023 who long profiled as a utility infielder who made his bones offensively with contact and speed. He has endured an injury-plagued 2025 season—he’s currently on the injured list with a broken right hamate bone and missed two months earlier this season with a strained oblique—but Rodden has been quite productive when on the field, hitting .295/.356/.466 with five home runs. The switch-hitter has traded some of his contact for power and it’s translated to production, especially as a lefthanded hitter against righties. This is a late power breakout for a 25-year-old, and the subsequent injuries could be the byproduct of a more aggressive swing, so we’re intrigued to see what type of hitter Rodden is when he returns to the field in 2026.

Jeremy Rivas, SS, Cardinals 

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 97.8
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 103 
• Gain: 5.2 mph

The Cardinals signed Rivas in 2019 out of Venezuela and he was left unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft in 2024 after a subpar season with Double-A Springfield. His production continued to nosedive upon returning to the level this year. Rivas added a significant amount of power and hit a career-high eight homers over 100 games this season. Unfortunately, it was likely a poor change stylistically, as Rivas has seen an astronomical rise in strikeouts for a minimal gain in power.

Rivas is a prime example of how added strength and exit velocity doesn’t always translate to production if other skills atrophy. With a 5+ mph jump in exit velocities, Rivas has seen a 15% drop in production at the same level year-over-year. Rivas’ standout glove will continue to give him opportunities, but he’s likely to go unprotected and unselected in the Rule 5 draft again this winter.  

Zach Cole, OF, Astros 

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 105.2
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 110
• Gain: 4.8 mph

Cole falls into the same player bucket as Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones. They’re both freak athletes in center field with big exit velocity data but worrying whiff. Cole has yet to harness his power like Jones has, but he boasts similarly impressive exit velocity data and will blow away your eye test if you catch him on the right day.

After hitting .214/.302/.408 over 70 games with Double-A Corpus Christi in 2024, Cole returned to the level in 2025 and has been far more impressive. He has slashed .267/.363/.505 over 82 games for a wRC+ 44% better than the average player in the Texas League. Cole already had plus power, but he’s now showing plus-plus power in games and has produced a 40+ point jump in isolated slugging this season. HIs strikeout rate of 36.3% is still heavily concerning, and will likely be too large a gap to overcome in Triple-A and the majors. But Cole’s power and athleticism are worth monitoring to see if he can get his contact to an acceptable level.  

Parks Harber, 3B, Giants

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 103.5
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 108.3
• Gain: 4.8 mph

The Yankees signed Harber as an undrafted free agent in 2024, then dealt him to the Giants for Camilo Doval at the trade deadline this year. Harber has done nothing but hit in his full-season debut in 2025, slashing .309/.408/.498 with eight home runs to date across 67 games this season. Harber’s power is his carrying tool, but he’s shown impressive plate skills to pair with his in-game power, which has translated to excellent production this season.

It’s a bat-first profile, which puts significant pressure on Harber’s bat to perform if he’s to carve out a major league career as a corner infielder. His nearly 5 mph gain in exit velocity despite a larger sample size hints at strength gains, as his 90th percentile exit velocity with North Carolina using metal bats of 109.6 mph is within shouting distance of his 2025 mark. Typically, hitters see a 3-4 mph drop in 90th percentile exit velocity going from metal to wood bats. That translation doesn’t seem to hold true for Harber, who’s showing similar exit velocity numbers as a professional. 

Luis Peña, SS, Brewers

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 99.9
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 104.7
• Gain: 4.8 mph

Peña is one of the biggest breakout performers of 2025, and he didn’t just boost his surface-level production. The Brewers infielder also substantially increased his power upon jumping stateside. Peña has hit .289/.360/.458 across 86 games spanning both Class A levels in 2025. His 4.8 mph jump in average exit velocity likely had something to do with the jump in-game power early this season.

Peña saw a 42-point jump in isolated slugging between his 2024 DSL season and his Low-A debut. Those power gains have transformed him from a talented hitter with a profile driven by strong plate skills to one of the more advanced teenagers in the minor leagues in 2025. A star in the making, further improvement to Peña’s strength and subsequently his exit velocities will likely continue to lead to top notch production.  

Juneiker Caceres, OF, Guardians

• 2024 90th Percentile EV: 101.2
• 2025 90th Percentile EV: 105.9
• Gain: 4.7 mph

One of the top performers in the Arizona Complex League this summer, Caceres has established himself as one of the top players to come stateside in 2025. In 40 ACL games, Caceres hit .289/.419/.469 with more walks than strikeouts. He has hardly missed a beat since arriving in Low-A, slashing .304/.375/.443 over his first 20 games. Caceres’ isolated slugging has dropped slightly with the jump to the Carolina League, but that’s expected given the change in league environments. Caceres’ strong all-around profile and excellent performance could see him begin 2026 with High-A Lake County. He has an excellent blend of plate skills, power and angles on contact. Players with his combination of abilities typically scale well as they reach higher levels.