Projecting every NL East team’s next top-100 prospect debut

The Washington Nationals just promoted one of their top prospects, Brady House, to make his MLB debut. He went hitless in three at-bats, but was able to draw a walk and has an incredibly bright future at the hot corner. The NL East has seen several other high-end prospects debut this season, and could see others in the not-too-distant future as well.

Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez is probably the NL Rookie of the Year favorite, and if he doesn't win it, there's a good chance that Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin or Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mick Abel is.

Not only is the NL East flush with MLB talent, but the division has a ton of prospects to get excited about. These prospects on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list could debut in the majors sometime soon.

Projecting next top-100 prospect debut for every NL East team

Atlanta Braves - Cam Caminiti

Admittedly, this list is getting off to a bit of a sluggish start because Cam Caminiti is probably at least a couple of years away from debuting with the Atlanta Braves. Since he's Atlanta's lone prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list, though, he's going to be the pick.

While it might be a while before Braves fans get to see Caminiti at the MLB level, his potential is through the roof. He's just 18 years old despite being selected in the first round by Atlanta in the 2024 MLB Draft, and he's currently in Single-A Augusta. His most recent start wasn't great, and he left it prematurely with a trainer, but the outing prior saw him deliver five innings of one-run ball, showcasing elite stuff.

Considering how well the Braves have developed pitching over the years, it's hard not to get excited about Caminiti, even if he's years away from contributing at the MLB level.

Miami Marlins - Joe Mack

Joe Mack is the lowest-ranked Miami Marlins player on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list, as he's the No. 97 prospect, but he's also the closest to the majors. His imminent status presents an interesting dilemma for the Marlins, though.

Mack, like Agustin Ramirez, is a catcher. The Marlins could choose to play one of them at first base or one of them at DH, but it's not often that you see two exciting prospects at the same position get called up in such close proximity. Mack has struggled a bit at Triple-A this season, as evidenced by his .614 OPS, but there's reason to believe he'll turn it on once he gets fully acclimated to the level. Once he does, he could get called up to the majors at any moment for a Marlins team in need of any offense.

Mack isn't as exciting a prospect as guys like Thomas White or Robby Snelling, but he can be an impactful major leaguer for the offensively starved Marlins. With White, Snelling, Starlyn Caba, and Noble Meyer all in Double-A or lower, Mack feels like the safe bet.

New York Mets - Nolan McLean

The New York Mets have done as good a job as any team in the majors developing pitching prospects in the last couple of years, and Nolan McLean is a prime example of that. He might've just gotten added to MLB Pipeline's Top 100, but he's a rising prospect who could conceivably debut sooner rather than later.

McLean was once a two-way prospect, but ditched hitting to become a full-time pitcher and has taken off ever since. He posted a 1.37 ERA in five starts at Double-A to begin this season before getting promoted to Triple-A. All he's done at Triple-A is post a 2.56 ERA in seven appearances (five starts) and 38.2 innings of work. Command has been an issue at times, but for the most part, he's been awesome.

The Mets have two other pitching prospects in MLB Pipeline's Top 100, but Brandon Sproat has mostly struggled at the Triple-A level, and Jonah Tong has yet to throw a pitch in Triple-A, making it feel as if McLean has the edge over both of them. As for position players, Jett Williams and Carson Benge are in Double-A and High-A, respectively, making it likely they'd debut in 2026 at the earliest.

Philadelphia Phillies - Justin Crawford

The Philadelphia Phillies have two prospects they can conceivably call up any day now. Both Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter are in Triple-A knocking on the door and could provide the Phillies with a much-needed spark. I have Crawford as their next Top-100 call-up mainly because he fills more of a need for them.

Phillies center fielders rank 23rd in the majors with a 76 WRC+ and 21st with 0.4 fWAR. For a team with World Series aspirations, that isn't good enough. Brandon Marsh hasn't hit much this season and Johan Rojas has never hit at the MLB level. Having them as a center field platoon is solid defensively, but leaves a lot to be desired offensively. There're questions about how Crawford's game will translate to the majors, but he is slashing .344/.411/.439 in 54 games at Triple-A this season.

Painter is the best prospect the Phillies have by far, but the Phillies have a full rotation even with Aaron Nola injured, with fellow top prospect Mick Abel acclimating to the MLB level quite nicely. Plus, the Phillies have no reason to rush Painter while he continues to work his way back from Tommy John Surgery.

Crawford absolutely is not the best prospect the Phillies have to offer. I'd argue he isn't in the top three or four. He is, however, the closest to debuting.

Washingon Nationals - Jarlin Susana

Had this list been made just days ago, Brady House would've been the answer. With House now in the majors, the only other top-100 prospects the Washington Nationals have to offer are Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora. MLB Pipeline has Sykora ranked slightly higher, but with Susana in Double-A while Sykora is stuck in High-A, there's a good chance that the player further along will debut first.

It's easy to forget, with how good MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams and James Wood are, but Susana was also in the trade that sent Juan Soto from the Nationals to the San Diego Padres. He's getting his first taste of Double-A ball this season and has pitched mostly well, posting a 4.15 ERA in six starts and 26 innings of work. While command has been a weakness, the fact that he has 38 strikeouts in his 26 innings this season shows just how dominant his stuff is.

He's going to have to improve his command, but if he does, there's a good chance he'll debut sometime next season, making the Soto trade an even bigger win for Washington.