Winners and losers of MLB’s latest top-100 prospect rankings: Pirates keep stacking gold

MLB Pipeline's latest top-100 prospect rankings are live, with several notable graduations. Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle, the previous No. 1 and No. 2 prospects, respectively, are officially big-leaguers now. Nolan McLean, Sal Stewart, Andrew Painter and JJ Wetherholt join them as high-profile former prospects.

And thus, the list changes over, new faces arrive and there's a new No. 1 atop the Minors: Milwaukee's 19-year-old shortstop Jesús Made. That's where we can start with winners and losers.

Winner: Jesús Made and the Brewers' farm system

Made was right behind Griffin and McGonigle to begin the year, so his rise to No. 1 comes as no surprise. He began the season as one of only two teenagers in Double-A, the other being Athletics shortstop Leo De Vries — MLB Pipeline's new No. 2 prospect.

The swift rise through Milwaukee's farm system, after a stint with the team in spring training, has predictably gone well for Made. He's a legitimate five-tool star, with a polished hit tool, burgeoning power and unbelievable speed. Made is currently hitting .255 with three homers and 12 total extra-base hits, including three triples. He has 16 stolen bases in 35 games, with a sturdy .739 OPS that should only improve.

Milwaukee also has the deepest farm system in MLB, with Made and 19-year-old infielder Luis Peña (No. 19) headlining a total of six top-100 prospects. And that doesn't include recent graduate Brandon Sproat, a cornerstone of the Freddy Peralta trade. Cooper Pratt, a 21-year-old shortstop and MLB Pipeline's No. 66 prospect, was furnished with an eight-year, $50.8 million extension in the offseason.

This is what makes the Brewers so special: their ability to develop talent and build from within on a budget. Jacob Misiorowski is another fairly recent graduatem and he's already a frontrunner in the NL Cy Young race. Pratt and infielder Jett Williams, the other piece of the Peralta trade, are both candidates for MLB promotions this season.

Loser: Washington Nationals

Washington keeps four prospects in the top 100, including fourth-ranked Eli Willits, their most recent first-round pick who's on a rocketship's ascent toward the Majors. There is plenty to like about the Nationals' farm system.

That said, Washington is the only team to lose two prospects from the list without graduating to the big leagues. Harry Ford, their 23-year-old catcher (previously No. 54), and 19-year-old infielder Gavin Fien (previously No. 85) are both outside the top 100 now.

Ford arrived in Washington this past offseason as part of the José A. Ferrer trade. He made a brief cameo for the Mariners in 2025, going 1-for-6. He also played for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic in the spring. Ford currently has a .573 OPS for Triple-A Rochester. Veteran catchers Keibert Ruiz nor Drew Millas are not producing for the Nats right now, so there'd be a path open to Ford if he were playing even modestly well.

Fien, another offseason addition as part of the MacKenzie Gore trade, started the season 2-for-17 in Single A before hip inflammation sent him to the IL. Neither is a lost cause, but Washington probably expected more from its blockbuster hauls.

Winner: Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh lost Griffin and righty Bubba Chandler to graduation, while southpaw Hunter Barco has exited the top 100 due to his early-season struggles in the Majors. And yet, with only two prospects left on MLB Pipeline's master list, the Buccos are still unequivocal winners.

The Pirates finally spent money this past offseason and appear to have a contending roster on their hands. Factor in their exceptional recent track record of prospect development in the Steel City, and this feels like a team built sustainably for the future, even if Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn are only stopping by for a cup of coffee, so to speak.

Seth Hernandez is among the biggest risers in this latest update, jumping 16 spots up to No. 3 overall. Pittsburgh's 2025 first-round pick dominated Single-A this season, with a 0.96 ERA and 50 strikeouts across six starts (28.0 innings) before earning a quick promotion to High-A. With Paul Skenes, Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and soon Jared Jones anchoring the MLB rotation — all in their early 20s still — the Pirates already have their next homegrown ace on the way.

So long as Pittsburgh can maintain a respectable lineup (which will be easier once Griffin fully breaks out), there's no reason the Pirates can't compete in the NL Central for a very long time.

Loser: San Diego Padres

It's not all bad news for the Padres, with 19-year-old catcher Ethan Salas jumping up 42 spots, from No. 94 to No. 52, making him the second-biggest riser on MLB Pipeline's updated list.

That said, San Diego only has two prospects in the top 100 now, with 19-year-old southpaw Kruz Schoolcraft among their biggest fallers (from No. 70 to No. 93) after a brutal start in Single-A. Given the overall lack of depth in the Padres' system — and how far both Salas and Schoolcraft are from MLB — general manager AJ Preller finds himself in a sticky situation.

You won't find a single Padres fan complaining about the Mason Miller trade these days, but it's worth noting that De Vries, now ranked No. 2 overall for the A's, was the centerpiece of Sacramento's return in that deal. He's outperforming top-ranked Made at the same level and same age, with a .760 OPS, five home runs and six stolen bases in Double-A so far.

The Padres gave up a potential superstar infielder, with a 55-grade or higher on all five tools, for a closer. Almost no matter how dominant Miller is in the regular season, if San Diego can't scale the mountain come October, that trade will be viewed through a skeptics' lens. Especially as this A's lineup takes off, with De Vries due for a ceremonious promotion next season, if not sooner.

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