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Anthony Molina, RHP, Rockies: Molina, the Rockies’ 2023 Rule 5 pick from the Rays, made his MLB debut on Opening Day, but it wasn’t an outing to remember. Called on in the third inning after starter Kyle Freeland had already allowed seven runs, Molina gave up back-to-back RBI singles before walking Corbin Carroll. Molina then gave up two more singles, a double, a sacrifice fly and a fifth single before being pulled. He allowed six hits and six earned runs while recording one out for a 162.00 ERA.

Blaze Alexander, IF, D-backs: Alexander wasn’t expected to battle for a roster spot coming into spring training, but he forced himself onto the Opening Day roster by hitting .400/.431/.655 this spring. Alexander ended up not only making the roster, but found himself starting as DH on Opening Day. He responded by getting two hits including an RBI single in the D-backs’ 14-run second inning. With the game well out of hand, Alexander also got to slide to shortstop later in the game, giving him a chance to show off his plus arm. His 91 mph throw on an out in the ninth inning was the hardest throw recorded by any MLB infielder on Opening Day.

Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers: Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford had a solid MLB debut. Batting fifth and playing DH, he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. He then beat out a ground ball to Dansby Swanson for an infield single for his first MLB hit. And the Cubs showed their respect for him by intentionally walking him in the eighth. Langford did have a chance to be the hero in the 10th inning, but he grounded into a force out at home, one batter before Jonah Heim won the game for the World Champs with an RBI single.

Oliver Dunn, IF, Brewers: In 2022, the New York Yankees left infielder Oliver Dunn unprotected in the MiLB phase of the Rule 5 draft and he was picked by the Phillies. Less than 15 months later, Dunn is a major leaguer. After being traded from the Phillies to the Brewers in advance of the 2023 Rule 5 draft, Dunn was added to the 40-man roster. Milwaukee optioned him to Triple-A late in spring training, but when Garrett Mitchell went on the injured list with a broken hand, Dunn was recalled to make the roster and is expected to play second and third base. He told Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel beat writer Todd Rosiak that he “would have walked if I needed to” to get from Nashville to Milwaukee. Dunn hit .282/.404/.487 for the Brewers this spring after hitting .342/.455/.616 in the Arizona Fall League.

Colt Keith, 2B, Tigers: Making his MLB debut, Tigers second baseman Colt Keith singled in the fourth inning for his first hit in the major leagues. His first at-bat of the game saw him line out firmly to left fielder Andrew Benintendi. The fact that Keith is in the lineup against a lefty like Garrett Crochet is yet another indication of how confident the Tigers are in his bat.

Want to get ahead? Each day we’ll surface one prospect from recent Baseball America coverage who could be on the rise.

Caba Impresses On The Backfields

Starlyn Caba, SS, Phillies: As covered in part one of the Florida backfield notes, the West Coast pods of Florida are littered with highly-rated shortstop prospects. Defensively, none may hold a candle to Caba. He consistently impressed in the field across a trio of looks. Caba showed plus range, smooth succinct actions and a strong, accurate arm. There’s one play that stands out in particular: a dribbler in the infield grass just to the third base side of second. Caba ranged to his left came in on the ball fielded it cleanly and nabbed the runner at first with a dart of a jump throw.

At the plate Caba is a switch-hitter with advanced bat-to-ball skills and a discerning eye. There’s not much power at present and Caba isn’t overly physical. He’s still extremely young, as he turned 18 in December. There’s typically power development to come between 18 to 21, and it will likely be more than fringe-average power. Overall, Caba is a talented player on both sides of the ball. He has a realistic shot at being a plus defender at short in the major leagues. 

Caba is one of 12 prospects that Geoff Pontes dug into while scouring the backfields over the last week. Baseball America subscribers can find the full list below.