With minimal prospect action to report yesterday, we’re instead taking a deeper dive into some of the players who have dotted the BAPR throughout the second half of the season. Here are 10 key takeaways from our MiLB Player of the Year series released earlier this week. Please note we will resume sending the BAPR daily once Arizona Fall League action begins on Monday, Oct. 7.

All season long, Baseball America correspondents deliver insight, updates and new developments in player development via monthly organization reports.

Because it’s impossible for one person to know all things, reading all 30 org reports always enhances our understanding of prospects. Here are the top 10 things Matt Eddy learned from September’s batch of reports, which focused on each organization’s Minor League Player of the Year.

You can find the complete collection of monthly organization reports here.

Top 10 September Takeaways

1. While recovering from a shoulder injury early in the season, Padres 17-year-old shortstop Leodalis De Vries put his down time to good use. He locked in on his throwing program, honing his pitch recognition and adding strength and speed.

2. Blue Jays outfielder Alan Roden adjusted his hand position at Triple-A Buffalo and found his groove. After a rough 18-game introduction, the 24-year-old hit .366/.447/.591 in his final 53 International League games.

3. A reconditioned body and new leg base in his stance helped key a power surge in the upper minors for 21-year-old White Sox catcher Edgar Quero. He finished the year on Chicago’s big league taxi squad.

4. Following a rough pro debut in 2023, Royals first-round catcher Blake Mitchell adopted a more athletic, efficient stance that precipitated a productive season for Low-A Columbia. 

5. For 20-year-old Angels righthander Caden Dana, expanding his repertoire and narrowing his diet contributed to a breakout season for Double-A Rocket City that culminated in a callup to Anaheim.

6. Young Marlins catcher Joe Mack adjusted his hand setup and leg kick, while zeroing in on off-field improvements that helped him produce at the plate at Double-A Pensacola.

7. Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw hit just .207 through his first 40 games at Double-A Tennessee. That’s when a call to his former Maryland hitting coach instilled a sense of selectivity that helped turn his season around.

8. Late-season callup Dylan Crews joined rookie outfielders James Wood and Jacob Young in Washington. He likes the young talent the Nationals have assembled. “I think in the next year or two, we’ll be pretty good,” Crews said.

9. Six-foot-seven Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge has effortless power that enabled the 19-year-old to play at all four full-season levels in his full-season debut. “For such a tall man, he has a really short stroke to the ball,” Giants farm director Kyle Haines said.

10. Twins righthander Zebby Matthews did not issue a walk in his first 38 innings this season for High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita. His 1.9% walk rate led all minor league pitchers with at least 90 innings, evoking a young Shane Bieber with his pinpoint control.

Cooper: Teams Cutting MLB Scouts Are Losing Their Hidden Edge

So far, we’ve seen a larger number of layoffs and reorganizations across MLB front offices than usual. That has cost a number of scouts their jobs. J.J. Cooper feels MLB teams are making a mistake and the best ones — namely the Rays — have found a way to blend emerging tools with deft pro scouting.

Preorder Your 2025 Prospect Handbook!

Prospect Handbook season is upon us. Our staff is already in the process of building out this year’s book, beginning with Top 10s available to subscribers in a few weeks. Lock in your print copy today and we’ll send you a free digital version in January.

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