With the 2027 Minor League season wrapping up, here’s a look at prospects who have impressed and disappointed for each team this year.
Astoria Fighting Chinooks (#1 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: 3B Scotty Muffler (#12 Astoria, #49 WPBL)
First, let’s acknowledge the ridiculousness of the Fighting Chinooks minor league system. The fact that their twelfth best prospect is still a top 50 prospect in the league shows that this system is built not only with top talent but also quality depth. Muffler has shown how deep they are as he shot up the minor league ranks this year. Starting the season at AA Glenwood Springs, Muffler put up a strong .867 OPS before being promoted to AAA for 17 games and continuing his hot streak with a .917 OPS. With the season over, Muffler is getting a taste of the WPBL and has the chance to earn a starting role moving into 2028.
Stock Falling: RHP Shawn “Na Na” Simpson (#1 Astoria, #3 WPBL)
It’s hard to find many players who have struggled for the Chinooks this season, but if there is one to single out then it is the 19-year-old Simpson. The #4 overall pick in the 2026 draft, this was Simpsons first full year of professional ball, and it served as a wake-up call. He was hit hard at times, giving up 11.7 H/9 and an ERA of 6.71. With a 17% K-rate, Simpson was able to use his signature “Na Na Na” catch phrase plenty, but overall, more was expected of the top draft pick. While expectations for Simpson have definitely been tempered this season, the pitcher is still young and with a strong offseason in Hawaii and a repeat year in A ball, he should still top the prospect lists next spring.
Bandon Barons (#8 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: RHP Mike Porkbelly (#6 Bandon, #85 WPBL)
Porkbelly has been a slow riser in the minors, starting with the Bandon organization in 2021 at only 17 years old. Now 23, he has seen every level of professional baseball including a short stint with the Barons in 2025 where he put up a 7.20 ERA over 10 innings. He wasn’t able to stick and has now spent two seasons in AAA learning from his mistakes and hoping to get another shot at the big leagues. It looks like he has finally hit his stride. Over the past two seasons Porkbelly has pitched over 100 innings and maintained an ERA under 3.00. The righthander has always possessed an elite forkball, but he has been able to improve control on his signature forkball, and now looks poised to make an impact for the Barons. While he probably doesn’t have a future as a starter, he could become a strong bullpen piece in Bandon.
Stock Falling: RF Scott Beach (#5 Bandon, #80 WPBL)
After putting together a strong 2026 season at AA Loveland and opening up the 2027 season for the Ducks even stronger, Beach’s stock was rising around the midpoint of the summer. But the outfielder struggled upon reaching the higher talent level of AAA. He finished the season with an OPS under .600 over 28 games and only hit two home runs after totaling 18 over the past season and a half in AA. For a player with limited fielding talent and who relies mainly on his bat to provide value, his hitting numbers will have to improve if he expects to find a spot on the Barons roster.
Coeur d’Alene Striking Miners (#12 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: LHP Todd “Cricket” Boudreaux (#1 Coeur d’Alene, #30 WPBL)
The first draft pick in Coeur d’Alene history, there has been immense pressure on the lefty to perform ever since his name was called in 2026. In limited action at AA in 2026 it was clear that Boudreaux could feel that pressure as he struggled to throw strikes at times. The Coeur d’Alene organization showed great support for him over the offseason, as they hired a sports psychologist to work with Boudreaux and help him learn to rely on his teammates to shoulder that pressure with him. “Cricket” earned his nickname as a quiet player who internalized everything, but this season he has impressed by being one of the loudest guys in the Leavenworth clubhouse and his comfortability has shown through to his play on the field. In 64 innings Boudreaux was one of the best pitchers in AAA with a 2.24 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Expect Boudreaux to get a look at joining the Miners rotation next spring.
Stock Falling: CF Rico Doom (#4 Coeur d’Alene, N/A WPBL)
A former 2nd round pick and top 50 prospect, Doom has struggled in the minor league system, bouncing back and forth between AA and AAA the past two seasons. Now 23 years old, time is running out for the center fielder. Doom is an elite fielder, showing plus plus talent at 4 different positions, but if his bat can’t show capability of at least being league average then it is hard to justify a roster spot for him. He slashed just .253/.317/.358 this season in AA and doesn’t look like the prospect he was projected as prior to the 2026 draft.
Crescent City Kodiaks (#7 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: RHP Rusty O’Callahan (#1 Crescent City, #19 WPBL)
Acquired in the Bryan Elbert trade with Lake Tahoe last offseason, O’Callahan made the jump to AAA completely skipping the AA level. The jump in talent rising just one minor league level is hard to adjust to for many prospects but jumping two levels proved to be no challenge for O’Callahan as he put together his best season to date. He put together a 232 ERA+ over 64 innings before getting the call to the big leagues. Through 20 WPBL innings so far O’Callahan has appeared a tad “Rusty”, but that isn’t enough to overcome the great impression he gave for AAA Eureka to start the year. The right-handed pitcher may fall off the prospect rankings after this stint in the big leagues, but the Kodiaks have found them a player capable of playing at a high level once he adjusts to the WPBL talent.
Stock Falling: RHP Tony Corrales (#2 Crescent City, #22 WPBL)
It’s hard to find a pitcher who had a worse season than Corrales had in 2027. You can’t look at Corrales without noticing the injuries. Two separate back injuries, a leg injury, and a scary right elbow injury plagued Corrales season as he struggled to find any rhythm. When he did pitch (only 17.2 innings at AA in 2027), he was terrible. A 17.83 ERA, a 2.77 WHIP, and only 8 strikeouts to 14 walks, it’s impossible to find any bright spot in Corrales body of work. He was a key piece in the Sandy Gonzalez trade this past offseason, but so far the future is not bright. The best hope for Corrales is that he rediscovers his stroke with a strong Hawaiian League showing and rebounds strong in 2028.
Elko Truckers (#11 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: 1B Miguel Machado (#2 Elko, #62 WPBL)
While Miguel Machado did not have a great year by any means, for a 17-year-old playing his first season of professional baseball, there were enough bright spots to have hope for the seasons to come. Machado projects as a pure power hitting first basemen who is going to strike out a lot, but as long as he can hit the ball over the fence then none of that matters. This season at A ball Mesa, Machado showed flashes of that power hitting 6 home runs in 131 at bats. There were struggles as well, finishing the season with only a .198 batting average, but playing against many players who were 4-5 years his elder, expectations were low for Machado. With a few more seasons at A ball plus some training in Hawaii, Machado could become a regular contributor for Elko in a few seasons.
Stock Falling: RHP Ryan Martins (#4 Elko, N/A WPBL)
Ryan Martins has appeared to hit his ceiling this year in AAA. After a very strong 2026 season at AA Middleton, there was hope that the 5th round pick would overplay his draft position and turn into a regular, but he showed sharp regression in 2027 once reaching AAA. Finishing with only 24 strikeouts in 51.1 innings and an ERA over 4, Martins is by no means a bad pitcher, but an injury fill in pitcher at most for the Truckers. In a minor league system near the bottom of the league and an aging WPBL roster, Elko management has to hope to find some late round steals who can turn into WPBL contributors, but they’ll have to look elsewhere as Martins doesn’t have the talent to be their guy.
Gillette Bison (#10 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: SS Kip Stinger (#1 Gillette, #36 WPBL)
Stinger was definitely playing below his level most of the season, as the 21-year-old shortstop played 49 games for Single A Las Cruces, but it’s impossible to ignore the great season he had. Kip put up 4.3 WAR while slashing .388/.464/.675 and hitting 9 home runs. He shows impressive talent both in the field and at the plate and has all the potential in the world to be the next (the first?) great WPBL shortstop. He had a short 7 game stint in AAA to end the season and put-up respectable numbers and should provide a strong platform to build on heading into 2028.
Stock Falling: RHP Brian Whitehurst (#12 Gillette, N/A WPBL)
For the most part, Bison prospects performed exceptionally well this season and the organization should see a lot of risers in the prospect rankings come next season. If there is one “prospect” to single out it is the 26-year-old pitcher Whitehurst. Brian was a second-round pick by the Victoria Geese in 2022 before being traded to Elko as part of the Moises Batista trade in 2023. He followed that up by being traded to Gillette as part of the 2026 Gary Johnson deal. Once rated as highly as the #29 prospect in the WPBL, Whitehurst has floundered throughout the minors and has to think his chances are almost done. Although his numbers have never been terrible, he’s never been able to make it up to the WPBL and it’s about time he went pro in something other than sports.
Great Falls Black Eagles (#5 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: 1B Wally Banger (#16 Great Falls, N/A WPBL)
While plenty could be written about J.J. Brown and Aaron Jury, two of the top prospects in the league who both had good years, it’s always interesting to see how some of the deeper prospects in the league are doing. It’s hard to look at the Black Eagles system and not notice first baseman Banger. The 2024 6th round pick has spent a few seasons at single A and finally found his groove, batting .306 and hitting 12 home runs this season. The 6’4” native of Walnut Creek, California also possesses elite ability at first base. A few more years progressing through the system and Banger could be a great complimentary piece to Great Falls stars and a steal of a draft pick in the 6th round.
Stock Falling: RHP Beef Barrington (#4 Great Falls, #71 WPBL)
Great Falls management was filled with optimism when they took the Canadian Barrington with the 7th overall pick in the 2024 WPBL Draft, but the results have been mixed since that day. Spending the last 4 seasons at Single A Grand Rapids the right-handed pitcher progressed although at a slow pace. Finally, this season at 21 years old he looked to be gaining some momentum and was promoted to AA Aspen. The hope was short lived though as Barrington regressed heavily, seeing his strikeouts drop to 3.8 K/9 and a WHIP just south of 2.00. Beef is still young with room to grow, but it will be hard to get rid of his reputation as a first round bust unless he is able to flip a switch and reach a new level quickly.
Kennewick Tri-City Atoms (#4 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: C Franklin ‘The Snake’ Solorzano (#2 Kennewick, #25 WPBL)
Only 18 years old, Solorzano shows a maturity and resiliency rare for his age. He made his professional debut in 2026 at only 17 years old and struggled at the plate, finishing with an OPS of only .524. The Snake, a nickname he earned as a boy in Caracas, Venezuela for his sly tongue slithering trash talk to opposing batter while he played catcher, quickly went to work this offseason once he realized what it would take to be a big-league ballplayer. He showed mild improvement over the winter in the Hawaiian league, but this past season repeating at Single A Raton, Solorzano showed why he is a top 25 prospect in the league. Despite his young age the catcher put together a great season at the plate while also being a team leader and helping his team to a Goya Southwestern Desert League Championship. He has the intangibles at catcher to be an asset for any team and could look to make an early WPBL debut in the next couple seasons.
Stock Falling: RHP Adam Ruebel (#5 Kennewick, #41 WPBL)
A 2023 6th round pick, Ruebel has been a quick riser through the Kennewick system, reaching AAA last season at only 21 years of age. He pitched great for Napa Valley in 2026, finishing with 2.0 WAR, but was hit hard by regression this past season. While his numbers are far from terrible (5.68 ERA, 70 ERA+, 0.8 WAR), the more concerning part of Ruebel’s profile is his character. He is seen as a loner in the clubhouse and most players actively avoid him on his days off. He makes a number of mental mistakes that hurt the team, for example one coach spoke on how Ruebel constantly did not remember which days he was supposed to pitch and would show up late completely unprepared. Other players spoke about how he would break commitments easily, and he couldn’t be relied on for anything. While Ruebel started his professional career off well, it’s clear these things are now starting to cause his stats to suffer as well. Without a change of attitude, Ruebel could easily crash and burn within the next few seasons.
Lake Tahoe Mustangs (#9 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: 3B Jorge Molinar (#7 Lake Tahoe, N/A WPBL)
Molinar just completed his first full season at AA Breckenridge at only 21 years old and put together some quality numbers to back it up. He’s hit 20 home runs total over the past two seasons and has shown a well-rounded profile between on base ability, slugging, and fielding. If Molinar keeps up this pace again next season, then expect him to quickly make his way into the Top 100 and higher. With a farm system that has become barren from recent promotions and trades, the Mustangs will gladly take some diamonds in the rough such as Molinar.
Stock Falling: 1B Franklin ‘Gonzo’ Gutierrez (#1 Lake Tahoe, #16 WPBL)
It’s make-or-break time for Gutierrez, who has been a fixture in the Lake Tahoe system for over six years now. He was signed by Kennewick out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 before being traded to Lake Tahoe as a piece in the 2022 Mitch Jones trade. He’s been projected as an elite power hitter with patience, but his progress through the minor leagues has always been a challenge. Gutierrez has now spent 4 full seasons at AAA Folsom, and while his numbers show he is a capable player, he doesn’t command the attention that the #16 (and formally #2) overall prospect should. Playing first base, his bat skills will have to be elite to crack the Mustang starting lineup and so far he looks like that is a potential he will never reach. This next winter league and spring training will be crucial for Gutierrez. If he is able to perform and earn a roster spot then the potential is still there to be a multi time all-star. But another year in AAA is not acceptable for the once prized prospect.
Pocatello Old Timers (#6 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: CF Wayne Van Gundy (#6 Pocatello, #90 WPBL)
Through his first 72 professional games Van Gundy has shown terrific contact ability, batting over .300 so far. Only 19 years old, Van Gundy could be Pocatello’s center fielder of the future with a little more grooming, although he is more likely to fall into a corner spot. A late second round pick in 2026, WPBL general managers continue to show that there is considerable value to be found after the first round, and many analysts are beginning to wonder if the value of a first-round pick has been overhyped in recent seasons. If players like Van Gundy continue to progress and play at a competent level once reaching the WPBL, it could shake up the analytics of the entire league.
Stock Falling: CF Buddy ‘Hot Lips’ Bragg (#7 Pocatello, N/A WPBL)
Buddy Bragg has first round bust written all over him. Drafted 10th overall in 2025, there was hope that Bragg would be able to quickly ascend the ranks and eventually take over for an aging Jaden Richardson at center field. Those hopes have faded, as now at 24 years old, Bragg has finally reached AAA only to end the season with only a .213 batting average and 82 OPS+. Scouting reports have dropped his contact and power ceiling heavily, and while he could still be a dependable defensive outfielder, that’s not the type of player you spend a first round pick on.
Victoria Geese (#2 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: RF Barrett Hoopes (#2 Victoria, #8 WPBL)
When the Top 100 WPBL rankings were released last spring, one name stood out to many in the league as a surprise. Barrett Hoopes checked in at #8 in the league despite being a former 5th round pick and putting up pedestrian stats throughout his professional career so far. Through that point Hoopes only had 60 total career plate appearances and held a batting average under .200 in that limited time. The pressure was on for Hoopes to prove that he belonged in the top echelon of WPBL prospects. The 20-year-old Hoopes responded well. While his numbers were not a resounding approval of his ranking, he showed that he is more than the below average batter that he had been in his first two professional seasons. Hoopes put together an OPS of .789, and his 9 home runs show great power potential. The pressure is still on Hoopes to continue to improve, but so far he appears to be on a path to the WPBL, and eventually could be a great compliment to Jim Whammer at the opposite outfield corner.
Stock Falling: RHP Cooter Cavanaugh (#7 Victoria, #46 WPBL)
The #3 overall pick in the 2026 draft has yet to find his stroke, finishing his second season with Single A Gallup with a 4.38 ERA and an exactly league average 100 ERA+. Cooter remains young with time to improve, but what is most worrying about his performance so far is his 41:31 K:BB ratio. While many young pitchers early in their career get hit hard, you hope that they will at least be able to limit mistakes and avoid walks as best as they can. The high walks could be a single season outlier for the young pitcher, but if it carries over into next season then it will become even more worrying. Victoria is a team that always seems to do more with less, but so far they have yet to have a homegrown drafted player make a big impact at the big-league level. In fact, since the inaugural season the Geese are dead last in the league in terms of drafted WAR (4.3 Total). The Geese have high hopes for Cavanaugh to be a top performer for the team in a few seasons, hopefully a repeat year at Gallup in 2028 can turn the tide of his career.
Walla Walla Wallabies (#3 Overall Minor League System)
Stock Rising: 1B Luca Smitherines (#3 Walla Walla, #15 WPBL)
The #6 overall pick in 2026, Smitherines had a breakout season in 2027. After starting the season with a short stint at Single A, he was promoted to AA Burlington and played his final 45 games there, putting up an impressive .355 average, a 1.017 OPS, and 174 OPS+. Since trading away Walla Walla great John Wolverton midseason, the Wallabies are in dire need of a big hitter to drive in runs. Smitherines could be that guy as soon as next season and could be the first of many young faces soon to make their debut in Walla Walla.
Stock Falling: RHP Alexandre Tinoco (#4 Walla Walla, #21 WPBL)
Only 20 years old and playing at AA Burlington, Tinoco faced a lot of adversity this season and struggled to overcome it. Finishing with a 5.29 ERA and over 5 BB/9, Tinoco has plenty to focus on this offseason if he hopes to ever make the Walla Walla rotation. If he does fail to develop, his strong fastball could see him find a place in the bullpen instead, where he could be utilized in low leverage situations. While the Wallabies have had their share of star players, the organization has not had a true ace pitcher since Jesus Farelo left in free agency over five years ago. If the Wallabies ever hope to reach the playoffs, they will need to see some young pitcher to make the jump to the WPBL and have a big impact.
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