Last week, the Houston Astros called up Zach Dezenzo to the majors.
Dezenzo, who was a 12th-round pick, climbed quickly through the Astros system after adjusting his swing. A wrist injury delayed his debut, but he finally made it after hitting .306/.386/.517 with six home runs in 38 games across three levels. In Triple-A alone, he posted an impressive 1.211 OPS and had a 95 mph exit velocity on more than half of his hits. He’ll likely play various corner positions and DH to boost the Astros’ lineup.
Dezenzo’s promotion got us thinking about other lesser-known prospects who might impact playoff races soon . Here are four more players to watch:
1. Brandon Sproat, RHP, Mets
The Mets drafted Sproat twice because they believed in him so much. Recently promoted to Triple-A, he’s been stellar with a 2.05 ERA and striking out batters at a high rate (including an incredible run of 11 consecutive strikeouts). Fans might think this is exciting news for their future rotation.
Brandon Sproat cannot be stopped … or hit!
The @Mets' No. 5 prospect strikes out ELEVEN batters in a row — something that's never been done in MLB history — for @RumblePoniesBB.
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB)
Even though the Mets’ rotation has been strong lately, they could use Sproat out of the bullpen for now to manage his workload while giving him big-league experience.
2. Kristian Campbell, 2B/CF, Red Sox
Campbell has improved dramatically since being drafted in 2023 by increasing his bat speed and power potential. Starting this season with eight home runs in High-A and continuing strong performance in Double-A (.373/.473/.550), he’s shown versatility playing both second base and center field.
110 mph exit velocity for Kristian Campbell's 2nd homerun of the year!
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev)
With his speed and adaptability around the diamond, Campbell has a good chance to join the Red Sox before season’s end.
3. Edgardo Henriquez, RHP, Dodgers
Henriquez started in A-ball but quickly moved up thanks to striking out over 42% of batters faced in his first 40 innings. Known for his blazing fastball (over 103 mph) and sharp slider, he’s expected to debut this fall as part of the Dodgers’ bullpen strategy for playoffs despite some command issues earlier on.
4. Drue Hackenberg, RHP, Braves
Hackenberg is another promising pitcher from Atlanta’s farm system who could make an impact soon. With a knack for strikeouts (45 Ks in just 29 Double-A innings), including an impressive game against Miami’s affiliate where he fanned sixteen batters:
Drue Hackenberg picking up where he left off last Sunday with a pair of strikeouts in the first inning.
That's 18 K's in his last 8.0 innings. 😤
— Mississippi Braves (@mbraves)
Though still working on control issues (walking over four per nine innings), Hackenberg’s improved velocity hints at potential as either a mid-rotation starter or late-season reliever for Atlanta.
What do you think about these rising stars? Could they change their teams’ fortunes this season?
