Busch Stadium | St. Louis Cardinals
Busch Stadium | St. Louis Cardinals
The Minor League Baseball postseason is underway, with only 22 teams remaining across Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels. These playoffs feature a significant number of top prospects still in action as the championship rounds begin for A-level leagues and Double-A clubs start their playoff runs.
According to MLB Pipeline, 20 players from its Top 100 Prospects list are on active Minor League rosters. Four of the top five prospects—Konnor Griffin (Pirates), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers), Leo De Vries (A’s), and Jesús Made (Brewers)—are shortstops, with three of them still in their teenage years. In total, nine of the top ten prospects remain active between Triple-A, the Major Leagues, and these lower levels.
The Springfield Cardinals have two representatives among these Top 100 prospects: left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle (No. 33) and catcher Leonardo Bernal (No. 70). Both are listed on Springfield's roster for their Texas League playoff series against Tulsa.
"Shout out to the Tigers’ organization for having all three of its affiliates at these levels still playing for rings," notes MLB Pipeline.
Beyond the Top 100 list, there are currently 136 prospects from team-specific Top 30 lists participating in postseason play. The article provides a breakdown by league and series matchups, including notable names such as Josue De Paula (Dodgers), George Lombard Jr. (Yankees), Cam Collier (Reds), Hagen Smith (White Sox), Alfredo Duno (Reds), Eduardo Tait (Twins), and others.
In the Texas League matchup between Springfield and Tulsa, Doyle and Bernal will compete alongside teammates Joshua Baez, Ixan Henderson, Chen-Wei Lin, Brycen Mautz, Chase Davis, and Luis Gastelum. Their opponents include Dodgers prospects Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope.
Other championship series highlighted include Erie vs. Altoona in the Eastern League; Midland vs. Amarillo in the Texas League; Biloxi vs. Montgomery in the Southern League; Daytona vs. Lakeland in the Florida State League; Lynchburg vs. Columbia in the Carolina League; San Jose vs. Inland Empire in the California League; Brooklyn vs. Hub City in the South Atlantic League; and Cedar Rapids vs. West Michigan in the Midwest League.
Fans can follow these games through MiLB.TV coverage or tune into featured matchups such as Tuesday’s Free Game of the Day at 6 p.m., which will showcase several top ten prospects competing head-to-head.