The usual suspect—Cade Cavalli—has dropped out, as have Robert Hassell and Elijah Green. James Wood remains from 2023 while Brady House returns after a one-year absence.
The Coming Thing, a.k.a. Dylan Crews, completes the triad and comes in at the highest position at #7 for the preseason editon of the Top 100, one of 78 or so set for 2024. The Nats’ #1 pick in the 2023 draft (#2 overall) nevertheless dropped from #4 in the final 2023 list. He finished 2023 in AA Harrisburg, which is where he should start 2024 given that he played only 20 games there, but one can envision a scenario in which he’s sent to Rochester to avoid qualifying for Super Two status “work on his defense.”
Likewise, Wood dropped from #7 to #14, which is still higher than the #17 mark from MLB’s first Top 100 list of 2023. He spent more than half the season there, so it’s a little more of a coin flip whether or he returns – heads if they want him to lower the K rate, tails if they want to keep him in tandem with Crews.
House returned to the Top 100 during the 2023 season after injuries shortened his 2022 season to just 45 games. He’s now ranked #48, down from #40 in the final 2023 list. Given how carefully his workload was managed, it seems unlikely that he’ll start 2023 other than Harrisburg but with the current seatwarm…er, third basemen (or guys playing third base) his path is unblocked.
Earlier this week, MLB Pipeline ranked the Top 10 by position, with House ranked #6 for 3B and Crews ranked #4 and #7 for Wood among the outfielders.
Only 18 days until we can shift from prospect ranking season to pitchers and catchers report. In the meantime, you can ogle what the DC clubbies get to wash this summer.