10 MLB Pitching Prospects With Standout Data In June

Jonah Tong, RHP, Mets

The Mets’ No. 3 prospect continued his dream season through the month of June. Across 13 starts this season spanning 67 innings, Tong has pitched to a 1.75 ERA with 107 strikeouts to 30 walks. The introduction of a new changeup grip has improved the quality of his offspeed, helping him drive lots of whiffs.

In the month of June, Tong made four starts, allowing two earned runs across 23 innings while striking out 35 batters to six walks. Tong’s ability to get whiffs and ground balls has allowed him to thrive this season with Double-A Binghamton. 

Tong has also added velocity to go along with his improved changeup. He generates a heavy ride on his four-seam fastball, making it a difficult pitch to barrel up. His slider is a work in progress, while his curveball is an early-count strike-stealer.  

Cam Schlittler, RHP, Yankees

The newest Top 100 Prospect, Schlittler has improved his arsenal in 2025, and it’s resulted in great numbers over the first half of the season. The 6-foot-6 righthander has been a developmental success story for the Yankees, as he’s grown from projectable college starter without strong results to a pitcher with a variety of avenues to generate outs. 

In the month of June, Schlittler made five starts, allowing four earned runs across 26.1 innings while striking out 39 batters and allowing eight walks. He earned the promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 7 and has made four starts with the RailRiders to date. 

Schlittler’s four-seam fastball sits 96-97 mph—touching 99 mph at peak—with up to 19 inches of induced vertical break. His low-90s cutter has heavy gloveside sweep and has been a key developmental piece in his pitch mix. He also throws a mid-to-high-80s sweeper and a mid-80s curveball with high spin rates and lots of drop.     

Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals

Promoted to Double-A at the end of the month, Sykora used June to make up for lost time after missing April while recovering from an offseason hip surgery. In 10 starts this season across the Florida Complex League, Low-A and High-A, Sykora has amassed 70 strikeouts to 11 walks in 40.2 innings.  

In June, Sykora made four starts, going 3-0 while allowing four earned runs across 21.2 innings of work. He struck out 32 batters to six walks and didn’t allow a home run during the month. Opposing hitters batted just .139 against him, and he scattered just 10 total hits. 

Sykora mixes a mid-to-high-90s four-seam fastball that generates lots of whiffs despite only pedestrian vertical break on the pitch. His mid-80s slider and splitter give him two secondaries moving in opposite directions, with the splitter projecting to be the better of the two pitches.

Back from injury, Sykora has emerged as one of the best pitching prospects in the game. 

Khal Stephen, RHP, Blue Jays

This spring has been a great one for Blue Jays pitching prospects, as Trey Yesavage, Gage Stanifer and Stephen have all enjoyed phenomenal first halves this season. Stephen has made 14 appearances spanning 70.1 innings, pitching to a 7-0 record, 1.92 ERA, 2.58 FIP and 78 strikeouts to 14 walks. His combination of four average-or-better pitches with average-or-better command gives him a well-rounded profile. 

In June, Stephen went 3-0, allowing two earned runs across 23 innings. He tallied 25 strikeouts to four walks while allowing 15 hits while showing the ability to drive whiffs against his four-seam fastball, slider and changeup.

Stephen’s heater sits 93-95 mph and touches 97-98 at peak with between 19-21 inches of induced vertical break on average. His ability to ride the fastball at an elite rate has allowed him to continually generate whiffs despite only average velocity. In addition to the fastball, he also features a cutter, slider and changeup.   

Melvin Hernandez, RHP, Brewers

While it’s often the Carolina Mudcats’ lineup that captures headlines thanks to premier names like Jesús Made and Luis Peña, Hernandez has enjoyed an excellent season in his own right on the mound. Signed by the Brewers out of Nicaragua in January 2023, Hernandez made his full-season debut late in 2024 and returned to Low-A to begin 2025. He’s made 14 appearances this season, pitching to a 6-4 record with a 2.17 ERA and 3.31 FIP over 70.2 innings. 

In the month of June, Hernandez made five appearances spanning 27.2 innings, and he allowed only two earned runs on 12 hits while striking out 20 batters to three walks. Hernandez is not the type of pitcher to generate high whiff rates or strikeouts, but he shows advanced command and the ability to avoid hard contact consistently. On the season, he boasts a 53.7% groundball rate.

While Hernandez doesn’t have power stuff, he does show some projection in his pitch mix. His sinker is his primary pitch, and it’s used to drive ground balls. He shows the ability to kill lift on his changeup while generating heavy armside run. His breaking ball has slurvy shape with more depth than a typical slider, making it more in line with a curveball. 

Braden Nett, RHP, Padres

An undrafted free agent signed in 2022 out of St. Charles (Mo.) JC, Nett has proven to be an excellent find in his three years since turning pro. After breaking out in 2024 with 20 appearances between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio, Nett returned to Double-A to begin this season and has pitched well. He currently owns a 5-3 record with a 3.23 ERA, 3.48 FIP and 73 strikeouts to 25 walks across 61.1 innings pitched. 

In June, Nett made four starts, going 3-0 while allowing just three earned runs across 22.2 innings. He tallied 28 strikeouts to four walks and avoided hard contact to the tune of just one home run allowed. Opposing hitters batted .212 against him, which is no small feat in the hitter-friendly Texas League.

Nett mixes a deep arsenal of pitches: a four-seam fastball, cutter, sweeper, splitter and curveball. His four-seam fastball sits 95-97 mph and has reached as high as 99 in games. His primary secondary is a low-90s cutter, but he’ll mix in a sweeper equally throughout starts.

With a good pitch mix and strong June showing, Nett might be one of the more underappreciated pitching prospects currently in the minors.  

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP, Yankees

While there’s been some hand-wringing in the Bronx about trading catcher Carlos Narvaez to the Red Sox, in due time, the Yankees’ return in Rodriguez-Cruz may well prove to be valuable. The 21-year-old righthander has quietly put together an excellent season. In 72 innings across 13 appearances this season, he is 5-3 with a 2.50 ERA and 2.67 FIP while striking out 85 batters. 

In the month of June, Rodriguez-Cruz was on fire, going 2-1 across four appearances and allowing only two earned runs in 24 innings. He struck out 26 batters while walking eight and allowing 13 hits and one home run for the month. Opposing hitters batted just .160 against him.

From a stuff perspective, Rodriguez-Cruz has a deep array of pitches led by a mid-90s four-seam fastball that he mixes with a cutter, splitter, curveball and sweeper. His entire arsenal features above-average power, and he shows the ability to ride, cut, sweep and run the ball consistently

In the coming years, Rodriguez-Cruz projects to make the Narvaez trade appear far more even in retrospect. 

Trey Gibson, RHP, Orioles

Gibson spent three seasons at Liberty and signed with the Orioles in 2023 as an undrafted free agent. He’s since found his stride as a professional and now ranks inside the Orioles’ top 10 Prospects. Recently promoted to Double-A Chesapeake, Gibson has made 13 appearances this season and owns a 2-3 record with a 4.34 ERA, 3.56 FIP and 92 strikeouts to 25 walks across 58 innings.

June was a watershed month for Gibson, as he went 1-1 over five starts between High-A and Double-A, allowing eight earned runs on the month on 16 hits. He struck out 38 batters over 25.1 innings while walking 11 and holding the opposition to a .178 average. 

Gibson mixes a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a mid-80s sweeper, a two-plane curveball, a cutter and changeup. He combines shapes with good power and consistently uses his mix to keep hitters off balance.    

Jack Perkins, RHP, Athletics

June 2025 will be a month Perkins will always remember, as the A’s righty made his major league debut against the Guardians at home against on June 22. Perkins has been a part of the brewing core of young Athletics pitchers currently on the farm, and many make the case that Perkins might have the best stuff of any prospect in the system currently.

On the season, he’s made nine starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, pitching to a 2.86 ERA and 3.40 FIP while striking out 38.4% of batters faced. The degree of difficulty of Perkins’ success should be noted, as he’s pitched well in the high-scoring environment of the Pacific Coast League. 

Prior to his promotion, Perkins enjoyed an excellent month of June, as he made three starts for Las Vegas, allowing one earned run across 16.1 innings. He racked up 29 strikeouts while issuing just nine walks and not surrendering a homer run. Opposing hitters batted .094 against him this month, and he showed the ability to consistently stymie hitters at the highest level of the minors. 

Perkins’ mix is led by a four-seam fastball with heavy armside run that sits 96-97 mph. His primary secondary is a mid-to-high-80s sweeper generating up to 18 inches of gloveside break. He’ll also show a low-90s cutter and a firm high-80s-to-low-90s changeup. 

Chase Burns, RHP, Reds

This may well be the last time we get to feature Burns in our monthly wrap-ups, as the 22-year-old righthander made his major league debut with the Reds on June 24. He went five innings against the Yankees in Cincinnati, striking out eight and allowing three runs on six hits and no walks. Prior to that, Burns had been dominant in the minor leagues to begin his professional career, pitching to 1.77 ERA and 2.15 FIP with a 7-3 record across 13 starts. 

In the month of June, Burns made three minor league starts, allowing three earned runs across 19.1 innings. He showed his strikeout prowess by punching out 20 batters to four walks while allowing 10 hits.

There’s been much talk around Burns’ electric pitch mix, which features power and movement few in the game can match. His high-90s fastball will touch triple digits regularly and features heavy ride and cut. His upper-80s/low-90s slider is his primary secondary weapon, but he’ll mix in a changeup and curveball, as well.