Top 25 Arizona Complex League Prospects For 2025

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story omitted Royals infielder Yandel Ricardo. It has since been updated.

1. Jhonny Level, SS, Giants

After ranking among the best players in the Dominican Summer League a year ago, Level has taken his game up a notch. Though he might not look like a prototypical shortstop, he has enough athleticism in his frame to get the job done. If he moves to second base, he has a chance to be a plus defender.

At the plate, Level is a switch-hitter with solid swings from both sides. He knows when and how to deploy his “A” swings and should produce hittability and power against righties and lefties. He might need to shorten his swing from the left side, and some scouts note that he has trouble with well-placed velocity up in the zone. Level is a fringe-average runner.

2. Tyson Lewis, SS, Reds

All summer, Lewis has been one of the best players in the ACL, and his exit velocity numbers got eyes on him early. The 51st overall pick from last summer’s draft has gotten better and better over the course of the ACL season and shows hints of standout tools on both sides of the ball. Some evaluators suggested that the way Lewis holds his hands—tight to his chest—will create holes for pitchers to exploit once Lewis reaches higher levels.

For now, he’s one of the best hitters in the ACL and also has a puncher’s chance to stick at shortstop. If he moves off the position, his strong throwing arm would allow him to move to third and his athleticism gives him a chance to move to center field.

3. Ethan Dorchies, RHP, Brewers

Milwaukee’s knack for plucking pitchers from obscurity and turning them into major leaguers is unmatched in recent times. They pulled Dorchies from high school in Illinois in the 10th round of last year’s draft and have watched as he obliterated hitters in the ACL. The righthander doesn’t have knockout stuff—his fastball sits in the low-90s—but he earns high marks among the analytics community thanks to the way all his pitches work in concert to slice and dice hitters.

Dorchies rounds out his mix with a pair of solid breaking balls and a spin-killer splitter that serves as his changeup. He moved to Low-A at midseason and has continued to perform.

4. Argenis Cayama, RHP, Giants

Last summer, after he’d rebounded from a bout of pneumonia and regained his strength, Cayama piqued scouts’ interest in the Dominican Republic. A year later, he’s been one of the desert’s biggest revelations. The lithe, projectable righty regularly brings his four-seam and sinking fastballs into the mid 90s and can peak a few ticks hotter. He pairs his sinker with a slider and a changeup and can throw each for strikes or drop out of the zone to get hitters to chase.

Scouts praise Cayama’s clean, athletic delivery but would like to see him gain the kind of strength that would allow him to hold up to the rigors of a full season. The quality of his strikes thrown to his arm side could also stand to improve.

5. JD Dix, SS, Diamondbacks

Dix was the 35th overall pick in last year’s draft, taken out of high school in Wisconsin. Players from that region of the country always carry an amplified amount of risk, but the D-backs look like they’ve struck gold. Dix is the consummate baseball player with a wide range of skills on both sides of the ball. The switch-hitter does an excellent job putting the bat on pitches in the zone and keeping it on his shoulder on those designed to elicit chases. He’ll also show hints of power to the pull side that for now have translated into bushels of doubles.

Dix has the athleticism to play all over the diamond, but multiple scouts pointed to a lack of arm strength that might push him to second base. He has the chops to carve out a long career as utility man who finds plenty of playing time.

6. Chase Harlan, 3B, Dodgers

The Dodgers took a chance on Harlan in the third round of last year’s draft despite a hip injury that required surgery. So far, it looks like the risk was worth the reward. Scouts uniformly praise the Pennsylvania prep product’s marriage of bat-to-ball skills and massive raw power. Harlan’s mechanics have gotten better as the season has gone on, as a severe hand hitch has been smoothed out, and he’s done much better at recognizing spin and laying off those pitches out of the zone.

He has a chance to stick at third base, but if he has to move off the position his plus arm strength and athleticism would fit nicely in an outfield corner.

7. Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers

Morales was one of the finest prospects in the DSL last year and carries the same title after moving stateside. It took him a little while to get going—perhaps he was just waiting for weather to warm up in Arizona—but when he hit his stride he showed the marks of a future offensive force. Part of the reason for the upswing came from a shift in approach that saw him become more aggressive on hittable, early-count fastballs. There likely will always be a fair amount of swing and miss in Morales’ game, and his overall profile is power-over-hit.

Evaluators are split on whether he can stick at shortstop—a great deal of his defensive future rides on the way his body develops as he matures—but he has more than enough arm strength and power to profile at third base.

8. Keyner Martinez, RHP, Giants

Last year and in the early portion of the ACL season, Martinez and his knockout stuff were being deployed in a reliever’s role. He made his first start on May 28 and has been in that role ever since, with fantastic results.

In his first half dozen starts, Martinez produced a 1.85 ERA and 28 strikeouts against six walks in 24.1 innings. He’s come about those numbers thanks to a dynamic combination of a hard sinker in the mid 90s and a potentially plus sweeper that has shown increased power and more consistent shape since last season. He’s introduced a changeup this season, and the pitch has made big strides as he’s become more confident with it.

9. Ching-Hsien Ko, OF, Dodgers

Ko signed with the Dodgers last June and made a brief, nine-game debut in the Dominican Summer League. His first extended official action has come in Arizona, where evaluators have watched Ko go through a metamorphosis.

In the early days of the season, Ko’s swing was one-note, geared toward dominating on pitches on the inner half of the plate. He’s tweaked his cut over the course of the summer to allow him to unleash his barrel on a wider variety of pitches. The result is a more complete hitter.

Defensively, his large frame and strong arm should lead to a future in an outfield corner. He’ll need his offensive gains to stick in full-season ball to profile at those spots.

10. Handelfry Encarnacion, OF, Brewers

Encarnacion joined Milwaukee’s fold in 2024 and opened his career with a nondescript showing in the DSL. This year, things have changed. The 18-year-old has impressed scouts thanks to lightning-quick bat speed and enough strike zone discipline to get to his potentially plus power on a regular basis.

Entering play on July 15, Encarnacion’s 22 extra-base hits were the most in the ACL. Encarnacion plays a solid center field, gets good jumps and takes solid routes to balls. His plus speed gives him a chance to stick up the middle.

11. Yandel Ricardo, SS, Royals

Ricardo was one of the crown jewels of Kansas City’s 2024 international class and was excellent in his pro debut in the DSL. He upped his game a couple of notches after moving stateside and even forced a promotion to Low-A before the conclusion of the ACL season. He earned the bump thanks to a bedrock of skills that should help him become an everyday MLB shortstop. Offensively, he projects as a hit-over-power player who bases his game on line drives into the gaps. Scouts did have concerns over Ricardo’s swing decisions and contact ability, though there’s plenty of time to iron out those kinks.

12. Joswa Lugo, SS, Angels

There is little doubt that Lugo is capable of jaw-dropping power. The raw juice was apparent in spring training and in spurts throughout the ACL season. Now, he needs to prove he can refine his approach and bat-to-ball skills in ways that allow him to get to that power more often. Scouts in the complex league report a player with a hyper-aggressive approach who has trouble picking up spin.

Of further concern is his ultimate defensive home. His body was already physical, but his lower half has thickened somewhat and the chances of him sticking at shortstop are slim. His likely home is at third base or in an outfield corner.

13. Gabriel Rodriguez, SS, Guardians

As usual, the Guardians are flush with intriguing infield prospects. Rodriguez is at the head of that mix in the complex. His sample has been limited by injury to just 20 games, but the results point toward the kind of player Cleveland covets.

Rodriguez is a lithe, athletic defender with range to both sides, an arm that grades as at least average and plenty of remaining projection. His swing is loose and whippy with a decent amount of bat speed, though his profile is clearly hit over power. He projects as a player who makes contact at the bottom of an order and provides a fair amount of value with his glove.

14. Yolfran Castillo, SS, Rangers

Last year, in his pro debut, Castillo was a can’t-miss prospect … almost literally. The switch-hitting infielder almost never swung and missed, finishing the season with just 15 strikeouts in 163 plate appearances. The numbers haven’t been nearly as gaudy in a return to the ACL, but he still stands as one of the best prospects on the circuit. Evaluators nearly universally believe he can stick at shortstop thanks to plus grades for his range, hands and arm strength.

Now, the question is how his body will mature as he moves up the ladder. There is some projection remaining on his frame, and if he adds enough to put some more thump behind his contact then he’ll raise his profile in kind. With a bit more strength, he could be a table-setter at the top of a lineup while also holding down shortstop.

15. Dauri Fernandez, SS, Guardians

Fernandez first caught the eyes of evaluators during spring training and has continued to do so over the course of a scorching summer. He’s an aggressive swinger at the plate whose early-count contact has led to a very low strikeout rate. He also shows excellent hand-eye coordination and the ability to move the barrel throughout the strike zone.

Defensively, Fernandez has shuffled among shortstop, second base and third base in the ACL, but scouts believe he has enough ability to play shortstop on a regular basis if it weren’t for the presence of Gabriel Rodriguez on the same roster. Fernandez’s arm is more than strong enough for the left side of the infield and is graded by some as the best in the league.

He’s a longer term play, but he might one day fit nicely into Cleveland’s infield factory.

16. Juneiker Caceres, OF, Guardians

As one of the youngest players in the DSL last summer, Caceres thrived. This year, it’s been more of the same, albeit in a smaller sample. Caceres, who will complete the ACL season as a 17-year-old, is one of the safer hitters on the complex, showing a balanced enough blend of offensive skills to project 50 grades on the 20-80 scouting scale for both hittability and power. He does a fine job working counts and staying within the strike zone and has shown flashes of thump to the pull side.

His ultimate defensive home is a question mark, but he’s spent most of his time in Arizona manning right field. No matter where he lands, most of his value will be tied to his bat.

17. Roldy Brito, SS, Rockies

After a nondescript pro debut in the DSL, Brito has taken the ACL by storm and peppered his name all over the league’s leaderboard. Evaluators see Brito, one of the league’s younger players, as a solid athlete with strength, feel to hit and a knack for making mostly sound swing decisions, though he can get a bit chase-happy at times. He’s shown hints of power over the summer and could be more in the future as he matures and adds muscle to his frame.

He boasts an above-average arm and double-plus speed, both of which would serve him well if he makes a move to center field, as some evaluators believe will happen.

18. Devin Fitz-Gerald, 2B, Rangers

Fitz-Gerald has always been more advanced than the average prep prospect, and those traits showed early and often in the ACL before he was bumped to Low-A Hickory. The infielder showed off plenty of contact skills as well as raw power scouts believe is currently above-average.

Fitz-Gerald is not likely a shortstop in the long run, though he might be able to hack it at the position on a limited basis. Otherwise, he fits well at second or third base, though his offensive game might lend itself more toward the keystone than the hot corner. He’s a fringe-average runner with the tools and makeup that portend a long career in the big leagues.

19. Shotaro Morii, SS, Athletics

Morii signed with the A’s out of Japan this past January, and they sent him to Arizona for his pro debut. Over the course of the summer, he’s shown hints of a well-rounded skill set. Scouts highest on Morii believe he can be an average hitter with average power, thanks especially to his ability to manipulate the barrel into different parts of the strike zone. His approach is a bit passive, which usually helps boost a player’s numbers in a league like the ACL, where control and command are hard to come by.

His offensive skills will need to translate to the upper levels, because his chances to stick at shortstop are slim thanks to a lack of range that will likely push him to second base. His arm, which grades as above-average, will be more than enough for the position.

20. Jorge Quintana, SS, Brewers

Quintana didn’t jump over the ACL like Jesús Made and Luis Peña, but he has a chance to make an impact in the big leagues just the same. The shortstop’s numbers don’t stand out, but scouts who’ve seen him bounce around the dirt at Maryvale have had plenty of nice things to say. He’s a smooth defender at shortstop with a strong arm that allows him to make accurate throws from different angles.

Quintana is more of a project at the plate, where the switch-hitter has a solid approach but a little too much length keeps him from being on time as often as he needs. His power might only be fringe-average, and his ultimate ceiling seems like a player whose value is tied to his glove and being a pest at the bottom of the order.

21. Stharlin Torres, RHP, Reds

The Reds’ club in Arizona has plenty of interesting arm talent, but Torres is at the top of the heap. The 19-year-old was stellar last year in the DSL, where he produced a sparkling 1.76 ERA. In the ACL, it’s been more of the same. His ERA through 10 appearances—six starts—was just 1.88.

Torres comes by those numbers thanks to his stellar feel for a three-pitch mix of fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball sits in the low 90s and brushes 94, though scouts believe he has a good shot to add a few more ticks as he matures. Torres’ changeup is his superior offspeed pitch, thanks to late diving action and a feel to land it for strikes and bury it for chases. The slider is a slurvy pitch with inconsistent break.

Torres has the ceiling of a back-end starter.

22. Humberto Cruz, RHP, Padres

Cruz is in the argument for the smoothest delivery in the complex league. The righthander’s actions are clean and repeatable and allow him to throw strikes at a high clip. His fastball sits in the low 90s and can scrape 95, and he pairs the pitch with a changeup and slider that each have the chance to be 55-grade offerings on the 20-80 scouting scale.

The biggest blemish on Cruz’s card revolves around durability. His season was delayed by an injury and he has not completed four innings in any of his starts, including those after a promotion to Low-A Lake Elsinore. If he can be more durable, he has the look of a back-end starter with the ceiling for a little more.

23. Marlon Quintero, C, Angels

Quintero was a low-dollar signing in the Angels’ 2024 international class. He caught the team’s attention thanks to strong defensive skills and an offensive game geared toward line drives. Scouts and analysts alike are fans of Quintero’s defense, and it’s hard to argue with a catcher who has cut down more than 50% of attempted base stealers. That’s a gaudy figure anywhere, but it’s especially true in a league where pitchers don’t do much to control the running game.

Evaluators are less enthused with Quintero’s offensive potential, though, thanks to an overly aggressive approach that doesn’t make the most of his solid bat-to-ball skills. He has the ceiling of a defense-first backup catcher, the kind of player who can carve out a long career at the highest level.

24. Trey Gregory-Alford, RHP, Angels

Gregory-Alford was Los Angeles’ 11th-round pick last summer out of high school in Colorado but didn’t pitch in an official game after being selected. This year, he’s opened scouts’ eyes thanks to a high-octane fastball that holds up deep into outings. He’s regularly reached 100 mph with the fastball and gets to that velocity with minimal effort. He pairs the pitch with a slider that grades as a future plus offering.

After a rough opening month in the desert, Gregory-Alford has been excellent in June and July. He doesn’t have much in the way of a third pitch, which makes him profile best as a flame-throwing reliever.

25. Luis De La Torre, LHP, Giants

The Phoenix-born, Dominican-signed lefthander is yet another talented pitcher the Giants have percolating on the complex. De La Torre spent two years in the DSL before moving stateside this summer and finding success in Scottsdale.

The southpaw’s fastball sits in the mid 90s and touches as high as 98. He backs it with a two-plane slider whose shape can get a little inconsistent and a changeup that is a clear third pitch. The fastball is one of the better heaters in the desert thanks to its life and the extension De La Torre creates in his delivery. De La Torre, who has the look of a dynamite reliever, has moved to Low-A San Jose.

HELIUM PICK

Marlon Nieves, RHP, Dodgers

Nieves is one of a handful of arrow-up prospects on the Los Angeles’ ACL club. The 20-year-old righthander’s sinker lives in the mid 90 and can peak at 99 with tremendous bottom at its best. He pairs the pitch with a sweeper he can shorten up to appear like a cutter.

When it’s right, scouts see flashes of a double-plus weapon. He also shows a changeup with diving life, though it’s a clear third pitch at this point. Nieves has plenty of raw weapons. Now, he needs to show more pitchability. If he does, he could be a back-end starter or long reliever.