With the Arizona Complex Season now over and my top bats article up and running on the site, I thought I’d drop a list of hitting prospects to watch from the 2024 Arizona Complex League.
In case you missed it, you can read my top 25 hitting prospects list down below!
In no particular order here’s some prospects that fans, prospectors, or fantasy players should definitely keep tabs on going forward.
*Down Below is my Complex League Watchers list simplified but scroll down for scouting reports, grades, stats and footage of every prospect on this list! Enjoy! *
Name
Team
How Acquired
Tyler Rodriguez
Milwaukee Brewers
2023 J2 Signing
Kelvin Alcantara
Seattle Mariners
2023 J2 Signing
Jonathan Martinez
Cleveland Guardians
2023 J2 Signing
Eduardo Guerrero
Los Angeles Dodgers
2022 J2 Signing
Luis Merejo Jr.
Cleveland Guardians
2023 J2 Signing
Yanki Baptiste
Cleveland Guardians
2022 J2 Signing
Derek Bernard
Colorado Rockies
2022 J2 Signing
Yahil Melendez
Chicago Cubs
7th Round – 2023 Draft
Stiven Flores
Chicago White Sox
2023 J2 Signing
Roynier Hernandez
Colorado Rockies
2022 J2 Signing
Joan Delgado
Chicago Cubs
2022 J2 Signing
Jose Ortiz
San Francisco Giants
13th Round – 2023 Draft
Jorge Hernandez
Kansas City Royals
2023 J2 Signing
Luiyin Alastre
Milwaukee Brewers
2023 J2 Signing
Yeiker Reyes
Colorado Rockies
2023 J2 Signing
Tyler Rodriguez SS | Milwaukee Brewers 18-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 5’10” | 165 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
20
50
55
50
4
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.277
.455
.361
.817
1
9
1
12.5%
15.2%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.084
130
6.5%
46.3%
11.9%
41.8%
55.7%
18.6%
25.7%
Scouting Report: Rodriguez was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2023 and wasn’t on my radar until I watched him play. Rodriguez plays with a lot of energy and while he lacks power, his bat-to-ball skills are what stick out with him. He understands the strike zone well and just puts the ball in play. Defensively, he profiles more as a shortstop, but can play everywhere on the infield and even got some time in left field this year. Overall, with the combination of bat speed and barreling abilities, this is one prospect to keep tabs on for the Brewers going into next year and beyond.
Kelvin Alcantara OF | Seattle Mariners 19-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: L | 6’0″ | 165 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
40
50
45
55
45
4
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.287
.381
.433
.814
4
2
0
23.2%
12.9%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.146
110
14.8%
46.4%
22.3%
31.3%
57.4%
21.7%
20.9%
We go from one 2023 Dominican Republic signing to another in Kelvin Alcantara. He’s the younger brother of Cubs prospect Kevin Alcantara and has a similar profile to his brother. Kelvin shows massive raw power in his bat but has tons of swing and miss. His swing is longer and provides more lift than a typical quick and compact swing, which should develop his power tool quicker in the future. Alcantara comes from great roots with his brother being a top prospect in the Cubs system, but Kelvin can really blossom into a good power threat assuming his contact tool keeps up with the advancement of pitching and he develops a better eye at the plate with better swing decisions.
Jonathan Martinez INF | Cleveland Guardians 18-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: R | 5’9″ | 131 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
55
40
55
50
55
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.246
.413
.333
.747
0
7
2
22.7%
20.0%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.088
109
16.1%
39.0%
17.1%
43.9%
26.8%
22.0%
51.2%
Martinez is from Orlando, Florida and signed for $300,000 in 2023. He was the youngest prospect at Arizona Complex League and while his stats don’t immediately jump off the page, he has some of the best potential on this list. The switch hitting infielder grinded out at-bats and displayed a solid eye at the plate. He hits to all fields well and displays a ton of potential with his hit tool. While he does have some projection to add to his frame, I think Martinez will have more gap-to-gap power than over the fence power. But the mixture of bat-to-ball skills and hit tool are what make him a massive watcher from the Arizona Complex League.
Eduardo Guerrero SS | Los Angeles Dodgers 19-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: R | 6’2″ | 165 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
40
50
55
50
4
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.258
.408
.328
.736
0
6
0
17.2%
17.8%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.070
105
8.5%
54.0%
24.0%
22.0%
36.5%
20.2%
43.3%
Guerrero is the only prospect on this list who spent some time above A-ball after his season at the Arizona Complex League playing one game at Triple-A already. He was one of the most interesting bats I saw out here and showcased EV’s north of 100 mph and displayed some potential with the bat. He was all around one of the better players for the loaded ACL Dodgers roster and looks identical from both sides of the plate with more power showing from the right side of the plate, but displays more consistent contact from the left side. Guerrero is one massive name to watch in the Dodgers system as he has all the tools to become a fast rising prospect through the system.
Luis Merejo Jr. UTIL | Cleveland Guardians 18-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6’2″ | 185 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
55
50
60
50
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.250
.417
.421
.838
4
8
3
24.0%
17.5%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.171
123
15.0%
37.9%
14.6%
47.6%
51.9%
24.5%
23.6%
Another one of the Guardians younger prospects out here in the Arizona Complex League after signing for $340,000 to nab him as a J2 signing in 2023. At the beginning of the season I wasn’t a fan of Merejo. His swing decisions were poor and he had some bad swing and miss. However, he turned things around and looked solid the second half of the year. There’s some genuine raw power in his bat with EV’s north of 100 mph and the highest I saw topped out at around 102. While he does hit the ball hard, he might benefit from a small swing change to add more launch or loft to make that power more prominent. One thing to note is he was another prospect that played all over the field, but profiles better as an outfielder with his athleticism and plus arm strength. If it wasn’t for Welbyn Francisca, Merejo Jr. could’ve taken the reigns as the best prospect out here for the ACL Guardians.
Yanki Baptiste INF | Cleveland Guardians 19-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: R | 5’11” | 185 lbs
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
40
55
45
50
55
4
*Not enough Plate Appearances to post stats*
Baptiste was a Guardians 2022 J2 Signing whose 2024 campaign was unfortunately was cut short due to a broken foot. He did show some massive projection with his power before his injury however and was an extra base hit machine in the 33-plate appearance sample size this year. His lofty swing not only created a solid sound off the bat, but displayed some raw over the fence power and some majestic flyballs. One of the more underrated aspects of his game was his acceleration on the base paths and he proved to be smart base runner as well. No doubt if Baptiste was healthy, he already would’ve been promoted to A Bal,l but another year of Complex League to prove he’s healthy might be the best possible outcome for him.
Derek Bernard OF/ DH | Colorado Rockies 19-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: R | 5’11” | 190 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
55
50
50
50
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.296
.360
.440
.800
1
9
5
32.0%
8.6%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.145
104
19.6%
54.1%
22.4%
23.5%
34.3%
30.4%
35.3%
Another high power potential prospect with good barreling abilities, Bernard was signed back in 2022 as a J2 Signing and the sound that comes off his bat is something else. He does struggle with swing decisions, but the raw power in his bat looks legit. Bernard uses good bat speed and strong wrists to generate gap-to-gap power to all fields and shows some speed as well. The Rockies had a mass amount of talent in the Complex League and Bernard not only showed he can hit, but was one of the better hitters for the ACL Rockies.
Yahil Melendez SS | Chicago Cubs 19-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: R | 6’3″ | 165 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
55
40
55
50
50
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.268
.394
.425
.819
3
11
6
28.4%
13.8%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.156
114
16.8%
36.5%
28.7%
34.8%
50.4%
31.1%
18.5%
Our first 2023 draft pick on this list comes from the Cubs in 2023 7th-rounder Yahil Melendez. He was one of my favorite prospects this year and barely fell out of my top 20 list. He’s definitely a watcher from the Arizona Complex League with bat-to-ball skills and showcases the ability to use the entire field at the plate. He also shows some speed on the base paths and plays all over the infield. I loved the quick hands and bat speed that he displayed, but his main kryptonite was breaking balls of any kind. However, with his understanding of the strike zone and some hittability, he could easily turn that around in the near future.
Stiven Flores C | Chicago White Sox 18-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 5’11” | 180 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
30
50
50
20
4
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.287
.338
.329
.666
1
6
0
20.4%
7.0%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.042
76
14.9%
45.0%
18.3%
36.7%
37.2%
27.4%
35.4%
Flores was a part of the White Sox 2023 J2 Signing period and they might’ve gotten a steal with him. He showed some potential with his hit tool even though he had limited power in his bat. While I am hyping up his hit tool a bit, he did hit the ball on the ground a bit too much but managed to find holes left and right and put together a solid 2024 campaign out here. Defensively, he looked average with both his arm strength and ability to move behind the plate. However, the hit tool is the main highlight here and is his carrying tool that’ll allow him to rise in this system.
Roynier Hernandez SS | Colorado Rockies 19-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: R | 5’10” | 180 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
55
30
50
50
50
4
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.305
.417
.360
.777
0
11
2
14.8%
16.0%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.055
113
6.7%
59.6%
23.0%
17.4%
29.4%
19.0%
51.5%
Hernandez signed with the Rockies in the J2 Signing Period and displayed an interesting hit tool that caught my attention. He not only was hitting to all fields well, but he found the barrel consistently. This is another prospect on this list who’s a hit over power bat, with little projection in the HR department. However, with his eye at the plate and the overall bat, he could blossom in the near future and his bat would play extremely well in Coors Field.
Joan Delgado OF | Chicago Cubs 19-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 5’11” | 165 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
45
55
50
55
55
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.281
.364
.538
.901
6
16
2
34.8%
10.2%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.256
119
25.6%
37.1%
22.7%
40.2%
46.5%
21.2%
32.2%
Joan Delgado is our second prospect on this watch list for the Cubs and he showed some serious raw power especially with some solid EV’s for his age. His eye at the plate and contact profile are what make him a high upside but extremely risky prospect. Delgado was a guy I saw towards the later half of Complex League but the immediate impact he was making was in the power department with a mixture of strong wrists and a lofty swing that generated multiple hard hit line drives. He does struggle with swing-and-miss, but his intriguing power/speed combo is what made him stick out.
Jose Ortiz OF | San Francisco Giants 19-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 5’11” | 165 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
60
30
55
55
55
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.306
.455
.400
.855
1
10
2
17.9%
12.5%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.094
134
15.8%
41.8%
20.9%
37.3%
49.3%
22.4%
28.4%
Our third and final 2023 draft prospect comes from the Giants as they took him in the 13th round. This is another prospect where the contact profile looks good, but one thing to like about Ortiz is the speed in his game. He isn’t necessarily a flashy player but his ability to get on base mixed with his use of the whole field at the plate make him one of the more underrated prospects during Complex League. One of the problems with Ortiz is he does show high ground balls rates and lacks power. But overall, his hit tool should make him an interesting prospect to watch going forward.
Jorge Hernandez C | Kansas City Royals 18-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: R | 6’0″ | 180 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
45
50
55
20
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.291
.337
.399
.736
3
2
1
20.2%
5.8%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.108
88
18.4%
53.7%
24.4%
22.0%
38.9%
25.4%
35.7%
The Royals had two of the better hitting prospects out here for the Arizona Complex League season in Asbel Gonzalez and Ramon Ramirez, but let’s not overlook Jorge Hernandez. He has a sweet left-handed swing that allows for consistent line drive contact. Hernandez has raw power in the tank, and one of the higher EV’s I’ve seen was a 95+ mph missile back up the middle to the pitcher that was caught. Hernandez’s swing decisions are questionable at times, and breaking balls are his main kryptonite, but he did show some ability to make swing adjustments. Overall, The Royals have a few catching prospects rising through their system and Jorge Hernandez is no different. There’s some upside in his bat and defensively his arm sticks out among his other tools.
Luiyin Alastre SS/2B | Milwaukee Brewers 19-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: R | 5’10” | 160 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
50
40
50
50
60
4
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.260
.341
.344
.685
2
11
2
11.8%
10.5%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.083
80
8.6%
49.4%
17.7%
32.9%
45.3%
21.2%
33.5%
Alastre is another name on this list that does a bit of everything, but outside of his speed he doesn’t really have a carrying tool. He hits the ball where it’s pitched and gets on base at a higher clip. Alastre is the type of prospect that plays all over the infield and could be a potential top of the lineup bat when his swing decisions get better. Like so many others on this list, aside from his speed, his best tool is his hit tool and there’s some sneaky power in his bat as well. But overall, he’ll be a contact/speed type of prospect that’s suitable more at second but has the ability to play multiple positions as stated prior. The Brewers already have a stacked farm system, and Alastre is a name that’ll become more familiar with time as he looked like a very promising prospect overall out here.
Yeiker Reyes OF | Colorado Rockies 18-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: R | 6’0″ | 175 lbs.
Hit
PWR
FLD
Arm
SPD
Role
55
30
55
50
70
5
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
HR
SB
CS
K%
BB%
.266
.392
.328
.720
0
23
10
24.5%
15.5%
ISO
wRC+
SwStr%
GB%
LD%
FB%
Pull%
Cent%
Oppo%
.063
99
13.5%
50.0%
13.1%
36.9%
36.6%
25.4%
38.1%
Reyes was one of the standouts from the Rockies 2023 J2 Signing haul and he’s a fun prospect to watch. The times I saw him, he just seemed like a light hitting ground ball prospect with some speed, but as the season progressed and I saw him more, his hit tool started to look better and better every time. His speed grads out easily as plus-plus with run times around 4.10 and as low as 4.09 seconds to first base. Reyes consistently puts the ball in play but struggles with swing and miss sometimes. Overall, Reyes looks like a solid mix of hit and speed that’ll be a top of the order bat in the future.
