Cubs' Kyle Tucker blows the rest of the NL Central's right fielders out of the water

2. Sal Frelick

Have I said enough how scary the Brewers are on the basepaths? Frelick is another guy who ranks around the 95th percentile in top-end speed and could easily blow past 30 stolen bases if the Brewers decide to get more aggressive with him.

Frelick is in the Pete Crow-Armstrong mold, just minus the slugging upside and probably just a tinge below the Cub in defense metrics and baserunning. The former top 30 prospect was essentially a slap hitter in 2024, with a sub .650 OPS. The non-hitting tools elevated him to a 2.1 WAR season, but it's difficult to see Frelick adding even more value on defense or the basepaths when he already won the Gold Glove in 2024. Frelick will have to take strides in either his on-base skills or his slugging to take the next step in his game.

3. Jordan Walker, Cardinals

The Cardinals hulking former top prospect is still just 22 years old. He was banished to the minor leagues for a good chunk of 2024 after his OPS crashed nearly 100 points from his debut season in 2023. Walker was pretty unanimously a top-five prospect in baseball headed into the 2023 because of his elite exit velocity and slug potential. He flashed those tools in 2023, but his strikeout rates accelerated heavily early in 2024. Walker is also limited because of his horrific defensive stats- he ranked in just the 3rd percentile in 2023. He has the tools- namely above-average speed and a cannon of an arm- to get better, and he probably will be better permanently out of the infield.

Walker has apparently been retooling his swing this offseason, and will get a really long leash with the Cardinals appearing to be fringe contenders. His slugging could propel him past Frelick quickly if he returns to the potential he showed in 2023.