Best Minor League Fastballs Per Stuff+ In 2025

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Brody Hopkins (Danny Parker/Four Seam Images)

Over the last several seasons, the concept of measuring pitch quality has become a key component in pitcher evaluation. Understanding which characteristics lead to success for different pitch types is valuable in knowing what will translate to major league success. To this end, Stuff+ has been popularized in recent seasons as the primary measure of good pitch traits.

Taking into consideration factors like velocity, vertical movement, horizontal movement, extension and release height, Stuff+ grades begin at an average of 100 and move up or down the scale to communicate whether a pitch has above- or below-average “stuff.” The grading is specific to each pitch type, allowing us to compare four-seam fastballs to other four-seam fastballs, and so forth.Â

With the use of advanced data from throughout the minor leagues, Baseball America has formulated a proprietary Stuff+ model used to inform our pitch grades in recent seasons. Today, weâ€ll be using that model to analyze fastball quality in the minor leagues with a look at the top four-seam and two-seam shapes in 2025. To qualify, pitchers needed a minimum of 900 pitches thrown overall and 300 four-seam or two-seam fastballs. Scores are based on an internal variation of Stuff+ engineered by Dylan White.Â

Four-Seam Fastball Stuff+ Leaders (Min. 300 pitches)

playerorghandGradeJacob MisiorowskiMILR122Brody HopkinsTBRR122Griff McGarryPHIR121Aidan FoellerLADR120Bubba ChandlerPITR119Ben HessNYYR119Jaxon WigginsCHCR118Juan ReynosoMIAR118Frank ElissaltSTLR118John HolobetzBOSR118Chris CamposLADR117Levi WellsBALR117Payton TolleBOSL117Welinton HerreraCOLL117Jose OlivaresMINR117Zach MaxwellCINR116Noah DeanBOSL116Janzen KeiselTBRR116Ryan CosteiuLAAR116Peter HeubeckLADR116

• Itâ€s no surprise Jacob Misiorowski tops the list, as his combination of upper-90s velocity, nearly seven and a half feet of extension, flat plane and a good combination of ride and run make for an elite pitch. While still inconsistent with location, Misiorowskiâ€s stuff had no issue translating to the majors in 2025.

• During the 2025 season, few pitching prospects outperformed the Rays’ Brody Hopkins. Pitching to a 2.72 ERA across 116 innings, he rode the quality of his stuff—particularly his fastball—to excellent results. A combination of upper-90s velocity and an outlier release height give Hopkins one of the flattest fastball planes in baseball at -3.9 degrees.Â

• For years, Griff McGarry has displayed some of the best stuff in the minors, but his inability to command the fastball has led to rollercoaster results. McGarry has outlier extension, release and bi-directional movement traits that are unique. If he can ever figure out how to command the pitch regularly, he could develop into an impact reliever.Â

• The inclusion of names like Bubba Chandler, Payton Tolle and Jaxon Wiggins shouldnâ€t shock anyone. All three have plus to plus-plus extension, above-average vertical break and mid-to-high-90s velocity. Each of their four-seamers are potential 70-grade offerings.

• Recently discussed as a sleeper prospect, the Dodgers’ Aidan Foeller shows up again here ranking among the top five in four-seam Stuff+. The 23-year-old sits 93-95 mph, which in 2025 is just average, but the rest of his fastball traits are anything but. He generates an average of 19-20 inches of induced vertical break from a 5-foot-8 release height and nearly seven feet of extension.

• An undersized righthander, Juan Reynoso is an intriguing relief-only prospect with notable stuff. He rates highly among four-seam Stuff+ leaders due to his combination of velocity, ride-cut and plus extension. Itâ€s rare to see a ride-cut fastball from a five-foot-five release, and our Stuff+ model recognizes it as such.

• The Red Sox acquired John Holobetz in May from the Brewers, and he proceeded to have a tremendous season, making his way up to Double-A Portland and pitching to a 3.03 ERA over 124.2 innings. Holobetz has average velocity (93-95 mph) with above-average bi-directional movement and above-average extension. This creates an outlier fastball plane, leading to solid whiff numbers this season. Holobetz is an underrated arm in a system currently deep on pitching talent.Â

• The Cardinals acquired Frank Elissalt from the Mets in the deadline deal for Ryan Helsley. Sitting 94-95 mph with higher-than-expected induced vertical break based on his release height and a plus amount of armside run, he looks like he might be a sleeper prospect.

Two-Seam Fastball Stuff+ Leaders(Min. 300 pitches)Â

Sinkers and two-seamers tend to deviate from four-seam fastballs in both shape and utility. Sinker usage is ideally catered around the ability to generate weak groundball contact, meaning swing-and-miss characteristics on this pitch type mean less to a pitcher’s profile overall.

PLayerorghandgradeChris RoycroftSTLR122Bryan MataBOSR118Chris CortezLAAR117Beck WayKCRR116Eddy YeanPITR116Brandon SproatNYMR115Alex McFarlanePHIR115Cameron WestonBALR114Carson SeymourSFGR114Abdiel MendozaMILR114Nolan McLeanNYMR114Elmer Rodriguez-CruzNYYR113Grant RogersTORR112Noah SchultzCHWL112Manuel MercedesSFGR112Victor MederosLAAR111Kade MorrisOAKR111John WestARIR111Carlos DuranOAKR111Jefferson JeanOAKR110

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• Chris Roycroft saw a decent amount of work with the Cardinals this season, and his sinker was a primary reason why. It gets true negative vertical break with heavy armside run and unique release characteristics.Â

• The Angels’ Chris Cortez threw as many sinkers as any pitcher in the minors this season. The pitch sits 97-98 mph with moderate sink and heavy armside run. Like many sinkers, itâ€s not a bat-missing pitch, but it did help Cortez drive a 61.8% groundball rate in 2025.Â

• Over the course of the season, the sinker became Brandon Sproatâ€s primary fastball shape, something that led to improved results and higher groundball rates north of 50%. The pitch also helped keep hitters off of a four-seam fastball that started to see diminishing results as Sproat moved up the minor league ladder.Â

• Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz was one of the top breakout pitchers of 2025, and his sinker was a large part of his success. Itâ€s an average bat-misser for a sinker, and the 22-year-old righthander shows plus command of the pitch. It sits 94-96 mph with moderate sink and 16 inches of average armside run from a 5-foot-7 release height. Rodriguez-Cruz ran a 54.5% groundball rate across the two highest levels of the minors this season.Â

• The Blue Jays had a season littered with breakouts and improvements year over year. Add Grant Rogers to the list of standouts as an interesting name who has a deep mix of secondaries. His primary fastball is a true sinker with vertical movement in the 1-4 IVB range and heavy armside run. Rogers lacks power across his arsenal, but he throws strikes and changes looks consistently throughout at-bats.Â

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