Top MLB prospects are making significant impacts, with Kevin McGonigle signing an eight-year, $150 million deal and Konnor Griffin a nine-year, $140 million deal. Rookies like JJ Wetherholt and Chase DeLauter are also showing impressive performances early in the season.
Key points
Kevin McGonigle signed an eight-year, $150 million deal
Konnor Griffin signed a nine-year, $140 million deal
Rookies are showing impressive performances early in the season
April 20 checkpoint is important for saving service time
Six top prospects are off to hot starts in the minor leagues
Mentioned in this story
Kevin McGonigleKonnor GriffinJJ WetherholtChase DeLauterCarter JensenDetroit Tigers
The conveyor belt of top prospects to the major leagues has shown little signs of slowing – and plenty of young dudes are getting rich along the way.
Meanwhile, rookies such as JJ Wetherholt, Chase DeLauter and Carter Jensen are influencing the game in multiple facets, showing a comfort level that belies the fact they played their first regular season games just three weeks ago.
So, who’s next?
USA TODAY Sports examines six top prospects off to hot starts in the minor leagues and - with the key April 20 checkpoint for clubs to save a year of service time looming – who might be next up on their way to the big leagues:
Across Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson Day is observed as players take the field wearing the same number in recognition of his legacy.
These images show moments from around the league as teams mark the occasion during regular‑season play.
Above, Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
Q&A
Who are the top MLB prospects making an impact in 2023?
Key prospects include Kevin McGonigle, Konnor Griffin, JJ Wetherholt, Chase DeLauter, and Carter Jensen, all of whom have shown strong performances early in the season.
What contracts have MLB prospects recently signed?
Kevin McGonigle signed an eight-year, $150 million deal, while Konnor Griffin signed a nine-year, $140 million deal.
How are rookies influencing the MLB this season?
Rookies like JJ Wetherholt and Chase DeLauter are influencing the game significantly, demonstrating high levels of performance despite being new to the league.
What is the significance of the April 20 checkpoint for MLB prospects?
The April 20 checkpoint is crucial for MLB clubs as it allows them to save a year of service time for their top prospects, impacting their future contracts and team strategies.
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Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his three-run home run as he rounds the bases against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
A view of third base in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to the start of the game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Texas Rangers first baseman Ezequiel Duran and relief pitcher Luke Jackson celebrate making the last out against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. All MLB players will be wearing the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day to commemorate Robinson making his major league debut in 1947.
St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church (27) slides safely past Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) for a stolen base during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day.
Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gathers on the mound with teammates during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks warms up before playing against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
1 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
Across Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson Day is observed as players take the field wearing the same number in recognition of his legacy.
These images show moments from around the league as teams mark the occasion during regular‑season play.
Above, Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
1 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
Across Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson Day is observed as players take the field wearing the same number in recognition of his legacy.
These images show moments from around the league as teams mark the occasion during regular‑season play.
Above, Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
2 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his three-run home run as he rounds the bases against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
3 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
A view of third base in honor of Jackie Robinson Day prior to the start of the game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 15, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
4 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
Texas Rangers first baseman Ezequiel Duran and relief pitcher Luke Jackson celebrate making the last out against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. All MLB players will be wearing the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day to commemorate Robinson making his major league debut in 1947.
5 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church (27) slides safely past Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) for a stolen base during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Players and coaches are wearing number 42 in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day.
6 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gathers on the mound with teammates during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
7 / 7
Scenes from Jackie Robinson Day across the MLB
Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks warms up before playing against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 15, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.
Charlie Condon, Rockies
This dude figured things out in a hurry. Condon, the Golden Spikes Award winner and third overall pick after hitting 37 homers at Georgia in 2024, was set back by an unsightly strikeout rate and a wrist fracture in spring 2025.
Now, the 6-foot-5 right-handed slugger is banging down the door to Coors Field.
Condon has four homers in 11 games at Class AAA Albuquerque, including a two-homer game and three-hit game. He’s also drawn eight walks to just 11 strikeouts, his K rate a fathomable 20.7% thus far.
That’s a far cry from the 30.7% strikeout rate he toted around at three levels last year. And while he may still struggle with spin at an advanced level, at some point he needs to experience it at the big league level to continue his arc of growth.
Condon can also play either first or outfield, giving the big club some options. While a gaggle of Rockies hitting prospects have flamed out on Blake Street, a new regime in place seems better-positioned to put the finishing touches on their prized bats.
You want to talk elite strikeout rates, and the notion that a prospect needs a better challenge than AAA pitching can offer?
Clark has struck out just five times in 66 plate appearances, a 7.5% K rate that would rank fifth among qualified big leaguers. Oh, he’s also posted a .962 OPS at Toledo, off to a .356 (21-for-59) start that includes nine extra-base hits and six steals in as many attempts.
Yet can a veteran Detroit team integrate two top-shelf rookies into its lineup?
Well, the McGonigle thing is working out OK. Detroit’s left and center field spots rank in the bottom third in the majors in OPS, and Parker Meadows is now out “multiple months,” manager A.J. Hinch says, after fracturing the radius bone in his left forearm in an outfield collision.
Clark, 21 and four months younger than McGonigle, still has just 274 plate appearances above Class A. Promoting him soon would be aggressive. Yet it’d also further raise the bar of competition on a veteran team aiming to take extra steps this season.
Travis Bazzana, Guardians
Just how many second basemen can a club break in so early in the season?
That’s a question worth asking for the Guardians, who called up 24-year-old Juan Brito last week. Brito’s debut has been a mixed bag – his ninth-inning bobble of a grounder cost the Guardians a game this week – but deserves some runway.
Still, how long can the Guards keep down the No. 1 overall pick in 2024?
If nothing else, they could use Bazzana’s elite on-base skills, .380 for his minor league career and .352 in his first 15 games at Class AAA Columbus. Per usual, these Guardians are a pitching-centric outfit, in the bottom half of the majors in both runs and OBP.
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000
2. Cody Bellinger, Yankees - $42,500,000
3. Bo Bichette, Mets - $42 million
3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies – $42 million
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays - $40,214,286
6. Aaron Judge, Yankees – $40 million
7. Anthony Rendon, Angels - $38,571,429
8. Jacob deGrom, Rangers - $38 million
9. Mike Trout, Angels – $37,116,667
10. Gerrit Cole, Yankees – $36,000,000
11. Jose Altuve, Astros – $33 million
11. Kyle Tucker, Dodgers - $33 million
13. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers - $32,500,000
14. Francisco Lindor, Mets - $32,477,277
15. Tarik Skubal, Tigers – $32 million
16. Carlos Correa, Astros – $31,500,000
16. Corey Seager, Rangers - $31,500,000
18. Sonny Gray, Red Sox – $31 million
19. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks – $30,790,069
20. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees - $29 million
21. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers – $28,536,643
22. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – $28,206,684
23. Dansby Swanson, Cubs – $28 million
24. Carlos Rodon, Yankees – $27,833,333
25. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (*retired) – $27,814,045
26. Bryce Harper, Phillies - $27,538,462
27. Trea Turner, Phillies – $27,272,727
28. Blake Snell, Dodgers - $27,152,056
29. Kris Bryant, Rockies - $27 million
30. Yordan Alvarez, Astros - $26,833,333
1 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000
1 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)
1. Juan Soto, Mets - $61,875,000
2 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
2. Cody Bellinger, Yankees - $42,500,000
3 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
3. Bo Bichette, Mets - $42 million
4 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies – $42 million
5 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays - $40,214,286
6 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
6. Aaron Judge, Yankees – $40 million
7 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
7. Anthony Rendon, Angels - $38,571,429
8 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
8. Jacob deGrom, Rangers - $38 million
9 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
9. Mike Trout, Angels – $37,116,667
10 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
10. Gerrit Cole, Yankees – $36,000,000
11 / 30
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11. Jose Altuve, Astros – $33 million
12 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
11. Kyle Tucker, Dodgers - $33 million
13 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
13. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers - $32,500,000
14 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
14. Francisco Lindor, Mets - $32,477,277
15 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
15. Tarik Skubal, Tigers – $32 million
16 / 30
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16. Carlos Correa, Astros – $31,500,000
17 / 30
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16. Corey Seager, Rangers - $31,500,000
18 / 30
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18. Sonny Gray, Red Sox – $31 million
19 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
19. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks – $30,790,069
20 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
20. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees - $29 million
21 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
21. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers – $28,536,643
22 / 30
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22. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers – $28,206,684
23 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
23. Dansby Swanson, Cubs – $28 million
24 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
24. Carlos Rodon, Yankees – $27,833,333
25 / 30
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25. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (*retired) – $27,814,045
26 / 30
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26. Bryce Harper, Phillies - $27,538,462
27 / 30
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27. Trea Turner, Phillies – $27,272,727
28 / 30
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28. Blake Snell, Dodgers - $27,152,056
29 / 30
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29. Kris Bryant, Rockies - $27 million
30 / 30
See the top 30 highest paid players in MLB baseball
30. Yordan Alvarez, Astros - $26,833,333
Kaelen Culpepper, Twins
Yeah, the last thing we want to do is mess up whatever glorious mojo that’s developing at Target Field. The Twins are killing the ball, ranking second in the AL in OPS, surprise leaders of the Central and even lapping the field in ABS challenges.
There’s also a talented group lurking at Class AAA St. Paul, led by outfielders Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. Yet it’s Culpepper, a shortstop, who’s broke quickly from the gate, with three homers and 16 hits in his first 15 games.
Culpepper was picked 21st overall in 2024 and has a .361 OBP in 154 minor league games since. That’s one area the club could upgrade over in Minneapolis, where shortstop Brooks Lee has a .283 OBP - .280 in 205 career games – and is performing at slightly less than replacement level.
Lee debuted in 2024 and is just 25, so it’s far too soon to pull the plug on their ’22 first-round pick. Yet when their early offensive surge hits a regression, it may be worth seeing what Culpepper can bring to the infield.
George Lombard Jr., Yankees
Welcome to Qualifier City, where we lead this item with the many, many reasons Lombard won’t be on his way to the Bronx.
He’s just 20 years old. He’s beginning his first full season above A ball. Incumbent shortstop Anthony Volpe just embarked on a rehab assignment – facing Zack Wheeler in his first game at Class AA, no less – and should make his season debut sometime next week.
Fair enough. Yet Lombard appears to be embarking on a mission down at Somerset, homering in his first at-bat of the year and banging out 15 hits in his first 32 at-bats. He dazzled defensively in spring training and is respected organizationally for his son-of-a-big-leaguer baseball IQ.
Apropos of perhaps nothing: Volpe’s rehab assignment nudged Lombard to third base, where the Yankees may soon tire of the Ryan McMahon experience – he’s 5 for 39 with a sickly .128/.277/.128 line.
Bryce Eldridge, Giants
Alright, we’re cheating on this one. Eldridge made a 10-game, 28-at-bat debut last year, whiffing in 13 of those ABs. Yep, he’s already been a big leaguer and nope, the Giants may not be inclined to offer him long-term dollars until they can see less swing-and-miss.
Yet the trend lines of the Giants’ offensive futility and Eldridge’s Class AAA dominance are bound to intersect very soon.
The Giants have scored two or fewer runs in nine of their 17 games, rank last in the majors in runs, 26th in OPS and 30th with just nine home runs. Eldridge? He’s making a mockery of Class AAA pitching, with a .360/.492/.520 line through 13 games.
Oh, the punchouts are a problem – 19 in 63 plate appearances, a 30% rate – but the Giants are not walking and not hitting and in need of offensive sentience. A ride down I-80 from Yolo County to the Bay Bridge may be in Eldridge’s near future.
