Miguel Sime Jr., RHP, Nationals: The Nationals' new front office regime must love what they’ve seen from their 2025 fourth-round pick so far. The big-bodied righthander continued his run of dominance in the Carolina League on Wednesday, striking out nine batters across 3.2 innings. Sime sat 98-99 mph on his fastball, mixing a hard cut-slider in the upper 80s and a low-80s curveball to generate nine swinging strikes and get whiffs against all his pitch types. He allowed two hits and no walks while throwing a career-high 62 pitches. Ranked as the Nationals' No. 24 prospect entering 2026, the 18-year-old is showing more control than expected and is so far answering questions about his ability to start long term.

Caleb Bonemer, SS, White Sox: There might not be a hotter hitter in baseball than Bonemer. The shortstop opened the week with a three-home run game on Tuesday, then followed with another homer on Wednesday night. Wednesday’s blast pulled Bonemer even with Dodgers prospect James Tibbs III for the minor league lead. Bonemer ranks No. 2 in the White Sox system and No. 23 on the Top 100 Prospects list. He offers premium power potential with an average-or-better hit tool and the ability to stick on the dirt.

Ethan Holliday, SS, Rockies: After a frustrating start to the season, the Rockies’ No. 1 prospect is heating up. Following a grand slam on Wednesday night, Holliday has hits in five straight games and has reached base in each of his last seven. He has raised his season line to .230 with an .810 OPS. Holliday still brings a heavy dose of swing-and-miss, but he shows plus in-game power and knows how to work deep into counts.

Xavier Isaac, 1B/OF, Rays: After the scare of his life last July, Isaac returned from surgery to remove a brain tumor. Less than a year later, he’s picking up where he left off, hitting home runs at Double-A Montgomery and continuing to get on base. Isaac hit his sixth home run of the season on Wednesday as part of a 1-for-1 performance where he walked three times and reached base in all four plate appearances. Still just 22, Isaac offers top-of-the-scale power. His impact and on-base ability come with well below-average contact skills, however, leading to significant swing-and-miss.

Druw Jones, OF, D-backs: Jones’ first month at Double-A Amarillo has mostly been a struggle at the plate. The 22-year-old outfielder had just two extra-base hits (both doubles) through 18 games. But Jones' bat woke up Wednesday. The second overall pick in the 2022 draft hit for his first professional cycle against Double-A Midland, and he wore out the opposite field in the process.

Jones tripled to right-center in the third inning. In the fifth, he reached on an infield single when a chopper kicked under the glove of shortstop Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. He followed with a double over the head of the right fielder an inning later, then capped the night with an eighth-inning homer to right-center. All told, Jones went 4-for-5 with three RBIs. The D-backs’ No. 17 prospect is now hitting .229/.345/.343 with 30 strikeouts and 13 walks through 19 games.

Eli Willits, SS, Nationals: It was an old-fashioned pitching duel in Fredericksburg on Wednesday afternoon, as Low-A Fredericksburg and Hickory combined for 19 scoreless innings. The stalemate finally broke when Willits, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning. The 18-year-old shortstop, the No. 1 prospect in the Nationals system, is hitting .258/.394/.416 through the first month of the season. Willits has shown strong on-base ability, promising gap power and solid defensive chops early in 2026.

Ethan Frey, OF, Astros: It’s been a tumultuous start for Frey. After impressing post-draft in 2025, he entered the spring with heightened expectations. Through 18 games at High-A Asheville, Frey was hitting .211/.329/.268 with no home runs entering Wednesday’s matinee. That changed Wednesday, as Frey went 1-for-3 with his first home run of the season and drew three walks. The approach has been there, and he’s shown plus raw power. He’s been snakebitten on balls in play, but the underlying indicators suggest better results should follow in the coming weeks.

Tanner McDougal, RHP, White Sox: McDougal was removed from his start Wednesday for Triple-A Charlotte after just one inning with right forearm tightness, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. McDougal, 23, was 0-1, 3.00 with 27 strikeouts to 13 walks through 24 innings for Charlotte this season. He averaged 97 mph on his fastball in his lone inning of work. McDougal broke out in 2025, surging to No. 6 in the White Sox system entering 2026 and No. 86 on our Top 100 Prospects, then carried that momentum into the early days of the 2026 season. He missed all of 2022 after previously having Tommy John surgery.

Editor’s Picks

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Each day, we’ll pick a prospect that has our attention.

Riley Quick, RHP, Twins: Over three starts with Low-A Fort Myers, Quick was dominant. The 2025 supplemental first-round pick out of Alabama threw eight scoreless innings over three appearances, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out 13. Quick earned a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids earlier this week and extended his scoreless streak in his debut, tossing four innings with five strikeouts, one hit allowed and no walks. It’s been one of the best opening runs in the minors this season. Quick has begun his professional career with 12 consecutive scoreless innings.

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Red Sox LHP Dylan Brown was featured as a helium pick earlier this week. He was excellent Wednesday for Low-A Salem, striking out seven over 5.2 innings while generating 16 whiffs. The 21-year-old fifth-rounder out of Old Dominion now has a 2.32 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. Brown seems ready for a promotion to High-A Greenville.

• Pirates outfielder Edward Florentino hit a 429-foot homer Wednesday for Low-A Bradenton. Even though his season was delayed by an ankle injury, he hasn’t skipped a beat. The 19-year-old outfielder now has three homers and a 1.250 OPS with more walks (11) than strikeouts (seven) through nine games.

• Bryce Eldridge homered twice for Triple-A Sacramento.

• A pair of Red Sox hitters had huge days for High-A Greenville. Yoeilin Cespedes went 4-for-5 with two homers. Justin Gonzales had three hits and is now slashing .302/.362/.488.

• Reds SS Tyson Lewis punched out three times for Low-A Daytona and now has 37 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances.

• Rockies RHP Jackson Cox struck out nine over six innings of one-run ball for High-A Spokane. He ranks eighth in Colorado’s system.

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