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High-A Pitching Prospects Off To A Hot Start

Fantasy BaseballDynasty Fantasy BaseballMLB Prospects
Richard Haake
Author: Richard Haake
7 min.read
Hitting Prospects in Low-A

This week, we are diving into the High-A pitching prospects who are off to a hot start in High-A. These prospects could be industry top 100 prospects or even deep league prospects who you could be getting in on the ground floor on. When it comes to pitching prospects, the cost to acquire after they are getting massive buzz can be enormous. These dives into each level of the Minor Leagues can help you get ahead of the curve. Let’s dive into some of the High-A pitching prospects standing out right now.

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High-A Pitching Prospects

South Atlantic League

Zach Thornton, LHP NYM

(3 GS, 16 IP, 22 K, 0.00 ERA, 12.38 K/9)

Off to a hot start to the season has been Zach Thornton, who could be another Mets pitching prospect to pop this season. Thornton was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Grand Canyon University. He stands 6’3” and 170 pounds and throws from the left side. The 23-year-old had a solid debut for the Mets in 2024, appearing in 20 games between Low-A and High-A and starting 12 with 54 strikeouts over 68 innings pitched, and finished the season with a 4.10 ERA.

The fastball and curveball are the standout pitches for Thornton, as the fastball peaks at 95 mph with solid riding life up in the zone, and the cutter comes in at 88 mph with tight break. The change-up comes in at 85 mph with solid fade. Starting the season back in High-A Brooklyn, Thornton has been fantastic on the mound, starting three games with 22 strikeouts over 16 innings pitched, good for a solid 12.38 K/9, while walking 1.13 batters per nine, and currently has a 0.00 ERA. Batters are currently hitting just 0.98 against the lefty, but Thornton has been a bit lucky on the mound, as the .172 BABIP would point out.

If Thornton can continue to show gains this season, we should see him get the bump up to Binghampton in short order.

David Davalillo, RHP TEX

(3 GS, 11.1 IP, 19 K, 0.79 ERA, 15.09 K/9)

One of the most underrated pitching prospects currently in the Rangers organization has been David Davalillo. Standing 6’1” and 175 pounds, Davilillo was signed by the Rangers in 2022 out of Venezuela and features a four-pitch mix. The fastball sits at 93 mph and tops out at 96 mph with riding life up in the zone. Davalillo’s main out pitch is an 83 mph splitter that misses bats out of the zone. Rounding out the pitch mix is an 82 mph sweeper and a  76 mph curveball that has above-average spin rates.

Davalillo had a solid 2024 season playing in Low-A and High-A, appearing in 22 games while starting 21. In 110.1 innings pitched, Davalillo struck out 113 batters, good for a 9.22 K/9 while finishing the year with a solid 1.88 ERA. The solid production has carried over into the 2025 season and has improved his strikeout rate in the process. Across three starts in High-A, Davalillo has struck out 19 batters over 11.1 innings pitched, good for a 15.09 K/9 and keeping batters to a 0.75 average against while having a 0.79 ERA. What stands out is low walk rates throughout Davalillo’s Minor League career, and currently, he has a solid 2.38 BB/9.

This should be a solid stash in deeper dynasty formats if available on the waiver wire. If the production keeps up, a promotion to Double-A could be around the corner.

Midwest League

Manuel Rodriguez, RHP MIL

(4 GS, 21 IP, 22 K, 1.71 ERA, 9.43 K/9)

Milwaukee has done a solid job developing pitching prospects, and this season is no exception, as pitchers like Tyson Hardin and Manuel Rodriguez are making waves down in High-A. Rodriguez is 19 years old, signed out of Mexico by the Brewers back in 2022, and stands at 6’2” and 175 pounds. Rodriguez features a four pitch mix, the fastball tops out at 92 mph and sits at 88 mph, the 78 mph slider has solid two-plane break and has proven to be a solid strikeout pitch for Rodriguez early on. The 82 mph cutter has a tight break to it, and the 85 mph change-up has solid fade and tumble.

The control has been impressive for Rodriguez as he walked 0.95 batters per nine innings back in 2024 across 94.2 innings pitched. This season, the Brewers promoted the 19-year-old to High-A, where he has made four starts so far, striking out 22 batters over 21 innings pitched, good for a 9.43 K/9 and currently has a 1.71 ERA. Walks have been up this season for Rodriguez, but still low at 2.14 BB/9 while keeping batters to a solid .228 average against. Despite not having elite velocity, Rodriguez has done a solid job working off his secondary pitches and could be a solid pick-up early on in deeper dynasty leagues.

Tyson Hardin, RHP MIL

(3 GS, 14.2 IP, 16 K, 0.00 ERA, 9.82 K/9)

Milwaukee continues to draft well, as their 12th-round pick in 2024 has yet to allow a run in High-A. Tyson Hardin stands 6’2” and 185 pounds and has a four-seam fastball, sinker, cutter, change-up, and curveball. The four-seam fastball comes in at 95 mph with over 7” of IVB, while the cutter has proven to be a solid offering sitting 88 mph. Hardin’s sinker comes in at 94 mph, while the change-up sails in at 86 mph. Finally, the curveball, which is not used as much, comes in at 80 mph with 2432 revolutions per minute. Hardin made his professional debut in low-A in 2024, pitching just three innings before the Brewers shut him down.

This season, Hardin was promoted to High-A to start the season, and the 23-year-old has been dominant early on. Across three starts, Hardin has 16 strikeouts over 14.2 innings pitched, good for a 9.82 K/9 with a solid 0.00 ERA. Limiting the walks has been huge for Hardin, who struggled quite a bit while in college at Mississippi State, but his season he has a 1.23 BB/9 thus far while keeping batters to a .167 batting average against. The build is there for Hardin to be a mid-rotation starter, and if the pitch mix continues to efficiently get batters out, he could move quickly. Being primarily a reliever in College, there isn’t as much mileage on Hardin’s arm, making this a prospect to watch as the Brewers move him along.

Northwest League

Grant Rogers, RHP TOR

(4 GS, 20 IP, 22 K, 0.45 ERA, 9.90 K/9)

Toronto has some interesting arms coming up through the Minor Leagues, and Grant Rogers stands out early. Standing 6’7” and 230 pounds, Rogers is an imposing presence on the mound but finds his success with his four-seam fastball, slider, cutter, and change-up. Drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Rogers got his first taste of professional ball in 2024, ultimately playing in Low-A and High-A. Across 21 appearances with 20 starts, Rogers struck out 106 batters over 111.2 innings pitched, good for an 8.54 K/9 and a solid 2.26 BB/9 while finishing the season with a 3.87 ERA.

This season, the Jays sent the 24-year-old Rogers back to High-A, where he has made four starts thus far. Across 20 innings pitched, Rogers has 22 strikeouts, good for a 9.90 K/9 while walking seven, and currently is sporting a 0.45 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting just .216 against Rogers so far this season, with a 50% ground ball rate early on. The numbers should come back down to earth as he gets closer to summer, but there is the makings of a solid backend starter here with Rogers long term. Due to his age, you should expect Rogers to get a bump to Double-A after a few more starts if the results remain the same as what we have seen to this point.

Carlos Espinosa, RHP LAA

(3 GS, 13 IP, 18 K, 2.77 ERA, 12.46 K/9)

Angels fans need to dive into Carlos Espinosa as the upside could be huge for the 23-year-old right-hander. Standing 6’3” and 222 pounds, Espinosa was originally signed by the Astros out of Cuba back in 2021 but was traded to the Angels in 2024. Espinosa has an electric fastball sitting regularly at 95 mph and can tick up in short bursts, paired with a slider, curveball, and sinker all graded out at above-average offerings. In Espinosa’s first season with the Halos, he appeared in 42 games, all in relief, striking out 76 batters across 60 innings pitched, good for an 11.40 K/9, and finished the season with a 3.90 ERA.

This season, the Angels sent Espinosa back to High-A but deployed him as a starting pitcher, and the results thus far have been solid. Across three starts, Espinosa has 18 strikeouts over 13 innings pitched with a 12.46 K/9 and currently has a 2.77 ERA. Espinosa has kept opposing batters to a .212 batting average against and has done a solid job limiting the walks from his career norm at 4.50 in 2024 down to 3.46 this season. If he can maintain this performance, we could see Espinosa pushed due to his age quickly this season.

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