The 2024 minor league season has been over for quite some time, and with the Major League postseason wrapping up it’s time to take one final reflection back at the prospects we chose to highlight before the season started. Here’s how each of our highlighted prospects did in their 2024 campaigns.
National League East
Atlanta Braves: Hurston Waldrep RHP (Current Level: MLB)
Coming out of the 2023 MLB Draft, there was thought that Waldrep could maybe get the callup to the big league club. He earned time at the major league level, but in only two starts was clearly not ready for the role of a major league starting pitcher. In the minor leagues this season, Waldrep recorded a 3.47 ERA across four levels in 19 starts. The Braves third overall prospect should look to break back into the major league rotation in 2025.
Miami Marlins: Noble Meyer RHP (Current Level: High-A)
Marlins top right handed pitching prospect Noble Meyer had a great start to the 2024 season, and looks to continue to develop through the Marlins system. He excelled in eight starts at the Low-A level in Jupiter where he recorded a 2.65 ERA with an 11.4 K/9 rate. His production earned him a spot in this season’s Futures game. A young prospect, Meyer will most likely take time to develop through the system slowly, but that’s only at the benefit of Miami.
New York Mets: Luisangel Acuña INF (Current Level: MLB)
Younger brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., Luisangel Acuña had a solid season earning a big league callup toward the end of the season. In 14 games with the Mets, Acuña hit for a slashline of .308/.325/.641 with a .966 OPS. While he didn’t show much power in AAA, he hit three home runs in those 14 major league games. Acuña should look to break the starting opening day lineup in the Mets infield.
Philadelphia Phillies: Andrew Painter RHP (Current Level: AA)
Andrew Painter spent the season injured but since becoming healthy again, has gone back to his dominant ways. He went out to the Arizona Fall League and in 13.0 innings pitched has recorded a 2.08 ERA. Painter looks to rise up the ranks of the farm this season and possibly break the Phillies rotation.
Washington Nationals: Dylan Crews OF (Current Level: MLB)
Crews didn’t necessarily post jaw dropping numbers at the minor league level, but the eye test proved he was ready for a big league callup. He hit .270 across the AA and AAA levels and in the majors recorded a .641 OPS in 31 games. He flashed some power hitting a few home runs and recorded five doubles as well. Now in Washington and the top prospect in baseball, Crews will look to be a long term piece of this Nationals outfield.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs: Matt Shaw SS (Current Level: AAA)
Across two levels, the Cubs top prospect had a great season. Shaw looked great at the AA level, hitting for a slashline of .279/.373/.468 in 86 games. After receiving a callup to the AAA level, Shaw hit .298 in 35 games recording a .929 OPS. With a big league estimated time of arrival to be 2025, Shaw has a very good shot to break the major league roster out of spring training.
Cincinnati Reds: Rhett Lowder RHP (Current Level: MLB)
The seventh overall pick in 2023 saw a quick rise to the majors as he’d record six starts with the Reds to close out the 2024 season. Lowder’s looked really solid in his first major league stint. In those six starts, he recorded a 1.17 ERA in 30.2 innings pitched. He should be a staple piece of the middle of the Reds rotation in 2025, behind arms like Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott.
Milwaukee Brewers: Jackson Chourio OF (Current Level: MLB)
Jackson Chourio may just be the biggest steal of a contract we’ve ever seen. Chourio improved massively through the second half of the season, hitting for a .310 batting average. He was also massive for the Brewers in the postseason, hitting .455 with a 1.500 OPS. At just 20-years old, Chourio is showing potential to be a perennial National League MVP candidate.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Paul Skenes RHP (Current Level: MLB)
There was not a more exciting prospect to watch in baseball this season than Paul Skenes. In 133.0 innings pitched, Skenes recorded a 1.96 ERA with an absurdly good ERA+ of 214. Skenes earned the honor of starting the All Star game for the National League as well, and now sits in position to maybe take the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Unsurprisingly, Skenes has already become one of the most feared arms in the sport.
St. Louis Cardinals: Chase Davis OF (Current Level: MLB)
Through three levels of the minor leagues in 2024, Chase Davis looked great. The Cardinals seventh ranked prospect got himself all the way up to the AA level, after great production in High-A. At the High-A level, Davis hit for a slashline of .301/.388/.451 for an .839 OPS. In AA, Davis wasn’t incredible but was still productive recording a .752 OPS. With a 2026 ETA, Davis will be another Cardinals prospect to watch closely in 2025.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Druw Jones OF (Current Level: Low-A)
Druw Jones had an eventful 2024. The 20-year old earned an appearance in this season’s Futures game, and hit for a season long slashline of .275/.409/.405 with an .814 OPS. The on base percentage is exceptionally promising, as the Diamondbacks would certainly welcome an athlete like him who can get on base at an absurd rate. While his ETA is 2026, if he continues this production he could rise sooner than expected.
Colorado Rockies: Drew Romo C (Current Level: MLB)
The Rockies let go of former All Star Game MVP Elias Diaz partly to possibly open the door further for Drew Romo. The switch hitting catcher earned a callup to the big league level hitting for a slashline of .297/.339/.499 in 85 games at the AAA level. However, upon being called up he didn’t have the best production. He hit .176 in 16 games, and is undoubtedly looking to improve upon that in 2025.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Diego Cartaya C (Current Level: AAA)
Cartaya was once one of the Dodgers top prospects, and had a lot of promise to possibly be a catcher that could be in a tandem with Will Smith. However, his 2024 showed that he maybe isn’t fully developing how he should be. At 23-years old, Cartaya is struggling, and in 2024 hit for a .221 batting average between two levels across 95 games. With a big league ETA of 2025 there’s still hope for Cartaya, but time is not exactly working with him here.
San Diego Padres: Ethan Salas C (Current Level: High-A)
The Padres had controversy with the age of one of their international prospects, but thankfully not their top prospect Ethan Salas. After taking the world by storm as a teenager in 2023, now 18-years old, Salas regressed slightly in 2024. He recorded a .599 OPS with a .206 batting average. It’s apparent that the bat still needs to mature, but that’s something that should improve in the next few seasons.
San Francisco Giants: Bryce Eldridge 1B (Current Level: AAA)
San Francisco’s top prospect made a name for himself in 2024. The 20-year old worked his way up four levels in the 2024 season, starting at Low-A and making it all the way to AAA. In 116 games this season, Eldridge hit .291/.374/.516 with 23 home runs. He looks poised to break the big league club in 2025, and with his power should be a very exciting bat in Oracle Park. Expect many Bryce Eldridge splash-hits in the near future if you are a Giants fan.