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25 MLB Prospects With Big 90th Percentile Exit Velocity Gains In 2025


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Enddy Azocar (Tracy Proffitt/Four Seam Images)

Each year here at Baseball America, we examine which prospects have made skill gains year over year. We look at improvements in plate skills (contact and approach), fastball velocity, pitch movement and, perhaps most importantly, exit velocity.

While skill improvements will make a significant difference in production—just ask the Cardinals’ Joshua Baez—there’s not much more important for a hitter to improve than power, as hitting the ball harder creates better results.

While exit velocity gains in the major leagues are typically minimal, there are prospects at all levels of the minor leagues who make considerable power jumps each season. Being able to identify these improvements and explain them with data is paramount. With this in mind, today we’ll be highlighting 25 players who saw substantial gains in 90th percentile exit velocity in 2025.

It’s important to note the majority of these players competed in the complex leagues and lower levels this season. That’s not surprising considering these levels are typically where we see the greatest period of growth for young hitters. Looking back at last year’s version of this story, we also see that targeting these velocity-gainers can be useful in identifying players in the process of making developmental leaps, as names like Roman Anthony, Joe Mack, Colby Thomas, Alan Roden and more populated the 2024 list.

Below, Baseball America subscribers can find the complete 2025 list followed by takeaways for some of the more intriguing names. To qualify, players needed to have a minimum of 80 batted-ball events in each of the last two seasons.

Top 25 EV Gainers For 2025

playerorgage2024
90% EV2025
90% EVYOY GainEnddy AzocarBOS18.398105.47.4Eliesbert AlejosAZ19.191.999.27.3Jorge QuintanaSD18.297.7104.16.4Richard MaticNYY17.997.6103.86.2Brandon ButterworthBAL22.896.4102.86.4Deward TovarTEX19.2100.8106.96.1John CruzMIA19.896.5102.56Cristofer LebronSTL18.396.6102.35.7Jurdrick ProfarCWS18.296101.95.9Engel PaulinoMIL18.697.3102.95.6Frederi MonteroMIL18.598.1103.55.4Andrés NolayaBAL20.399.1104.55.4Phillip SikesBOS26.2101106.35.3Paulino SantanaTEX18.698.4103.75.3Brock RoddenSEA25.199.3104.55.2Jeremy RivasSTL22.397.8102.95.1Hector SalasHOU21.397102.15.1Zach ColeHOU24.9105.2109.94.7Drew GilbertSF24.8100.7105.64.9Brady HouseWSH22.1104.3108.84.5Luis PeñaMIL18.699.9104.24.3Mikey RomeroBOS21.5102.4106.74.3Luis De La CruzCLE18.898.5103.34.8Carlos ConcepcionSF19.5101105.64.6Moises BolivarLAD1899.5104.34.8

EV Gainer Takeaways

  • The first thing that jumps out looking at the data is the organizations that saw the most EV gainers. The Red Sox and Brewers each boast three, followed by the Rangers, Astros and Cardinals with two apiece. The Giants also have two, but Drew Gilbert was a trade deadline acquisition, so itâ€s hard to count him as a Giant and not a Met. In the same vein, Jorge Quintana was acquired by the Padres at the deadline from the Brewers. This means the Brewers technically had four prospects on this list. As much credit as they get for pitching development, Milwaukee also has something brewing on the hitting side.Â
  • Enddy Azocarâ€s gains this season were noted throughout the year, and his production followed. While Azocar struggled with the move to Salem—a notoriously difficult run environment—he still managed to raise his isolated slugging threefold between his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2024 and his 71-game sample in Low-A this year. A 7+ mph EV gain in one season for any hitter is impressive, and Azocarâ€s small sample in the Florida Complex League hints at the validity of those gains when facing age-appropriate competition.Â
  • Success did not follow Diamondbacks shortstop Eliesbert Alejos this season, as he hit .241/.315/.302 in his stateside debut. He was a DSL repeater in 2024, so an improved stat line in his second season was expected. While Alejos†gains were notable, his power went from 20-grade raw to 40-grade raw for his age and level. That simply isnâ€t enough to improve your BABIP substantially.Â
  • Speaking of players who upped their power into above-average territory, Padres trade deadline acquisition Jorge Quintana made a serious EV jump, and it was noticeable in his stateside debut. Quintana hit .264/.349/.403 with three home runs over 50 Arizona Complex League games. Heâ€s still hitting a lot of ground balls, so improved bat path and angles could lead to more airborne contact in the coming seasons. Quintana is a name to keep an eye on in 2026 despite only so-so results in 2025.Â
  • Signed for $800,000 out of the Dominican Republic in January 2024, the Yankees’ Richard Matic disappointed in his professional debut and repeated the DSL this season. Matic saw a substantial gain in exit velocity in 2025 and, as a result, his production, as he hit .336/.487/.566. Itâ€s tough to fully buy into this breakout, however, as the 18-year-old was repeating the lowest level of the minor league ladder. That said, Maticâ€s season certainly helped to revitalize his prospect status and makes him a player to watch heading into 2026.Â
  • Rangers outfielder Deward Tovar spent all of 2023 and 2024 in the Dominican Summer League before making the jump stateside in 2025. He saw a tremendous improvement in power and production this year, as he gained over 6 mph in 90th percentile EV and hit .312/.412/.496 across 40 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A. He posted a significant jump in game power, as his slugging from the DSL in 2024 and ACL in 2025 went up over 100 points. Tovar is the perfect example of what improved power can produce.
  • We saw a little of Zach Cole in the major leagues at the end of the season. The Astros’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year has always shown plus power, but in 2025, his contact quality went to another level. His 109.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is among the best in baseball, and he shows true 80-grade raw power. Despite heavy swing-and miss in his profile, the added power helped Cole to make more out of the contact he does make. Â
  • The Brewers’ Luis Peña was one of the top breakout prospects in 2025. While heâ€s long had plate skills, the added power in his second professional season saw him skyrocket up prospect lists to be considered one of the best bat-first players currently in the minor leagues. Adding over 4 mph of exit velocity helped the 18-year-old shortstop to make that leap.

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Indiana’s Louis Moore Wins Lawsuit vs. NCAA, Gains Eligibility for Rest of CFB Season

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Indiana safety Louis Moore may continue to play for the remainder of the 2025 season after Texas judge Dale Tillery, who presides over the 134th Civil District Court in Dallas County, signed off on an injunction Wednesday prohibiting the NCAA from counting the Hoosier’s playing days at Navarro Junior College toward his eligibility.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich, Jared Kelly of Peegs.com and Michael Niziolek of The Herald-Times were among those who reported on the development.

Per Dinich, Moore filed a lawsuit in August that challenged the NCAA’s five-year eligibility rule, which in essence gives athletes a five-year window to complete four athletic seasons. Moore played two seasons at Navarro Junior College (2020 and 2021) before transferring to Indiana in 2022. He played for the Hoosiers in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Ole Miss for the 2024 season.

On paper, that final season exhausted his eligibility over a five-year span. However, there was an opening for Moore to have one more year. ESPN’s Eli Lederman provided more information on December 23, citing a case involving current Vanderbilt quarterback (and ex-JUCO star) Diego Pavia.

“The NCAA Division I Board of Directors on Monday approved a blanket waiver granting an additional year of eligibility to former junior college transfers in similar positions to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, opening the door for a wave of college athletes across all sports to spend one more year in college athletics.

“According to an NCAA memo, the waiver extends an extra year of eligibility in 2025-26 to athletes who previously ‘competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years’ and otherwise would have exhausted their NCAA eligibility following the 2024-25 season.”

Five days later, Moore transferred back to Indiana. However, his eligibility waiver to play in 2025 was denied last summer.

Of utmost importance, though, was Moore’s action on August 9 to set the stage for him playing this year. Ben Gillard of Hoosier Huddle provided a thorough and detailed breakdown of the Moore case that explains it from all corners.

“On August 9th, Indiana Hoosiers safety Louis Moore added his name to the ever-growing list of FBS players who are suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility under the newly created “Diego Pavia Rule,” which grants a blanket waiver of eligibility to JUCO transfers. Moore, who spent 2020 and 2021 at Navarro Community College, had his eligibility waiver for a sixth year denied earlier this summer. As a result, he has sued the NCAA in the 134th District Court of Texas, seeking an injunction granting him an extra year of eligibility.”

On Aug. 13, Judge Tillery granted Moore a Temporary Restraining Order against the NCAA, with a full hearing scheduled for Aug. 27. On that date, Judge Tillery granted a 14-day extension of the TRO until Sept. 10, allowing Moore to play in the Hoosiers’ first two games of the season (both wins).

That court date was then pushed to Sept. 24, allowing Moore to play in an additional two games.

At long last, a conclusion was reached in favor of Moore. Gillard provided more information.

“After an almost five-hour long hearing which ended without a decision, Judge Dale Tillery signed an order on Wednesday night granting Louis Moore an injunction which will allow him to remain eligible for the remainder of the 2025 season. Specifically, the injunction states that the NCAA is ‘enjoined from enforcing the Five-Year Rule as it applies to Moore’s time at a junior college’ until after the conclusion of the trial, scheduled for January 29, 2026 (10 days after the conclusion of the FBS season).”

Naturally, this is fantastic news for Moore (who gets to play this one final year in its entirety) and the No. 11 Hoosiers, who have started 4-0 and just crushed previously ninth-ranked Illinois, 63-10. Moore has been at the forefront of Indiana’s great season, leading the team in tackles (23), solo tackles (15) and interceptions (two).

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