Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year's MLB Draft, spun another gem during his sixth minor league appearance of the season on April 30. The 21-year-old right-hander tossed six shutout innings, recording seven strikeouts along the way. He surrendered just one walk and four hits. 2024 has certainly treated Skenes well; the former LSU standout has allowed just one earned run through 23 innings of work, dropping his FIP to 0.91. He has also forced plenty of weak contact (52.5 GB%) and hasn't allowed a homer since he was in college. No team ever wants to rush their prospects to the majors, but there may be no better time than the present for Pittsburgh to promote Skenes. He has proven that he can mow down Triple-A batters, so he should get his shot in the majors sooner rather than later.

St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews is a former fourth-round pick just one month removed from his pro debut. The southpaw has a low-90s fastball and rounds out his repertoire with a curveball, slider, and changeup. Of those secondary options, the changeup is the best, though all three can be effective. Mathews flashed decent control in college and has racked up strikeouts so far this year. He also struggled with walks in his pro debut but has seemed to harness his control since then. Last week, Mathews delivered six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out 13 batters along the way. He's averaging more than two strikeouts per inning this season, and he also hasn't allowed an earned run since his pro debut back on April 5 (two runs, one earned). Keep an eye on Mathews, who could push to make his MLB debut sometime next year.

Arizona Diamondbacks third base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos was snatched by the Guardians in December's Rule 5 draft but returned to Arizona this spring. He has seen his prospect stock drop lately (he was MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Diamondbacks prospect in 2023; he opens 2024 at No. 14) but still continues to flash significant upside in the field and at the plate. The 20-year-old converts excellent bat speed into plenty of power, and he's done a good job keeping his strikeout rate somewhat in check so far this season. In the field, he has a slightly erratic glove and arm at the hot corner, suggesting he's destined for first base or designated hitter long-term. Last week, De Los Santos did what he does best: turn heads with a big showing at the plate. The Dominican Republic native went 13-for-24 over the six-game span, adding three homers, nine RBI, two walks, and three strikeouts. He's been in Double-A ever since September 2022 but could secure a much-deserved promotion if he continues to hit the ball well.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Ryan Ward is a power-first player whose claim to fame is that he hits a lot of home runs. The former eight-round pick went yard 76 times from 2021 through 2023 and is hitting homers at an even higher rate than ever this season. With that said, outside of his power, there are real flaws in Ward's game. His strikeout total is more than seven times his walk total, and his batting average and on-base percentage are both significantly lower than you'd like to see from someone with a home run every 2.2 games. Finally, the 26-year-old is an unstable defender, possessing a subpar arm and likely settling into left field or designated hitter long-term. Nevertheless, Ward went on a tear last week, continuing to slug homers but also cutting down on his strikeout rate. He ultimately went 9-for-19, slugging five homers over four games. He also drove in 11 runs, worked two walks, and struck out four times. Before the Dodgers consider Ward for a promotion to the majors, he'll need to show a little more consistency in terms of getting on base and reducing his strikeout total.

Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Owen Murphy was the club's first-round pick in 2022 and has flashed significant upside ever since making his pro debut. The right-hander gets good spin behind his offerings, making up for a lack of velocity likely caused by his relatively undersized 6-foot-1 frame. His fastball registers in the low 90s. He also throws a slider with good break and a slow, loopy curveball that misses enough bats. Finally, he's working on improving his changeup. Murphy was quite effective in his outing last week, striking out 10 batters and allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings. He has looked brilliant at the High-A level this year, never allowing more than two runs in a single outing. If he continues to pitch well, he could earn a promotion to Double-A by the end of May.