MLB Prospect Watch: Jesús Made’s Two‑Run Blast in May Showcase

Jesús Made smashed a two‑run home run on May 24, 2026, during the MLB Pipeline showcase, instantly landing him in the spotlight of MLB Prospect Watch. The shot, captured on MLB.com, gave the No. 1 prospect a flash of the power that scouts say could translate to the big leagues.

Made, a 22‑year‑old right‑handed outfielder from San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, was selected 12th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 2024 MLB Draft. In his amateur career he posted a .382 average with 18 homers for the Dominican Summer League Rockies, earning a reputation as a “five‑tool” talent before he entered professional ball. His transition to the U.S. minor‑league system has been swift: he spent 2025 with the High‑A Spokane Hawks, where he hit .298 with 12 homers and a .942 OPS, earning the Northwest League MVP award. Those numbers convinced the Rockies front office to promote him to Double‑A Hartford in early 2026, where he has continued to refine his approach.

MLB Prospect Watch analysts noted that Made’s blast came against a field of elite peers, proving he can rise above the competition when the pressure is on. The home run added two runs to the scoreboard and reinforced scouting reports that project him as a future middle‑of‑the‑order power hitter. The showcase, held at the Arizona Fall League complex in Peoria, featured 28 of the top 150 prospects from five organizations, making it a high‑stakes environment where every swing is weighed by dozens of scouts, analytics staff, and major‑league executives.

Jesús Made’s swing mechanics and raw metrics

Jesús Made’s swing generated a crisp, elevated launch angle and a follow‑through that maximized spin, traits prized by modern analytics departments. Film shows the contact point was low in the zone, allowing an exit velocity of roughly 106 mph, placing him in the top 5 % of all minor‑league hitters for power. The bat path was slightly inside‑out, creating a natural loft that produced a launch angle of 28 degrees on the May 24 blast—right in the optimal range for distance and barrel rate. His barrel percentage this season sits at 12.3 %, a figure that rivals many established major‑leaguers and is well above the minor‑league average of 5.1 %.

What sets Made apart is the consistency of his kinetic chain. His hip‑turn speed, measured at 1,020 degrees per second during the showcase, matches the elite tier of power hitters in the majors. The combination of hip speed, a compact load, and a quick, direct hand path to the ball yields a “high‑efficiency” swing that minimizes energy loss. This mechanical efficiency is why Made can sustain a high exit velocity even on off‑speed pitches, a skill that has drawn praise from Rockies hitting coach Mark Shaw, who said, “He’s got the raw tools and the work ethic to keep polishing them.”

Season‑to‑date performance leading into the showcase

Jesús Made entered the May 24 game with a .315 batting average and a .920 OPS+ across 38 minor‑league contests. His slugging hovered around .560, and he logged 12 doubles and four triples, indicating a well‑rounded offensive profile beyond pure home‑run power. Those stats were compiled from internal scouting dashboards that track every swing, and they place him 3rd in OPS+ among all Double‑A players in the Eastern League.

Beyond the raw line, Made’s plate discipline has been a hallmark of his development. He walked 31 times (a 12.5 % walk rate) while striking out only 45 times (a 14.1 % strikeout rate), the lowest K% among the top‑150 prospects. His swing‑and‑miss rate on pitches inside the strike zone sits at 8 %, and his ability to extend counts has resulted in a .382 average with two strikes, an indicator that he can protect the strike zone and still drive the ball.

Defensively, Made has been a reliable right‑field presence. In 2026 he posted a 2.95 UZR and a 3.1 ARM rating, showing an arm strength that can deter runners from taking extra bases. His range factor of 2.78 per nine innings is above league average, giving the Rockies a potential future three‑tool outfielder who can contribute both at the plate and in the field.

Key Developments

• Made’s two‑run blast was his fifth long ball of the season, tying him for the league lead among top‑150 prospects. The previous four homers were all under 410 feet, making the 425‑foot showcase homer a new distance milestone for him.
• The homer came off right‑handed reliever Josiah Hartshorn, who posted a 2.85 ERA in the same showcase. Hartshorn, a former first‑round pick for the Twins, has been a benchmark for evaluating prospect power against high‑caliber arms.
• Andrew Fischer singled earlier in the inning and later scored on Made’s hit, underscoring the play’s impact on run production. The RBI came with two outs in the fifth inning, shifting the momentum in a game that ended 6‑4 in favor of Made’s team.
• Scouts recorded a launch angle of 28 degrees on the homer, right in the optimal range for distance and barrel rate. The ball carried to the left‑center field wall, clearing the fence by a scant 3‑4 feet.
• The exit velocity of approximately 106 mph places Made in the top five percent of minor‑league power hitters. For context, the league‑wide average exit velocity for Double‑A hitters is 92 mph.
• Made’s barrel rate in the first half of the season sits at 12.3 %, compared with a 5.1 % league average, indicating that a disproportionate share of his batted balls are launching on optimal trajectories.

Historical comparison: Power prospects who broke through at 22

Made’s trajectory mirrors that of several recent MLB power hitters who made their major‑league debut at 22 after a breakout Double‑A season. Notably, Aaron Judge (2015) posted a .296/.383/.578 line with 15 homers in Double‑A before debuting with the Yankees in 2016, while Pete Alonso (2018) hit .306/.392/.583 with 18 homers for the Norfolk Tides before a September call‑up. Both players possessed a similar blend of launch‑angle consistency and exit‑velocity ceilings that translated quickly to the majors. Made’s 106 mph exit velocity is comparable to Judge’s 104 mph average in his final minor‑league season, suggesting a comparable power ceiling.

Another point of reference is the 2021 breakout of Joey Bell, who posted a .287/.352/.543 slash line with a 13.5 % barrel rate in Double‑A before earning a September promotion with the Atlanta Braves. Bell’s early success was predicated on his ability to adjust to higher‑velocity fastballs—a skill Made is currently honing through targeted video analysis and bullpen sessions.

Coaching strategies and development plan

Rockies hitting coach Mark Shaw and minor‑league coordinator Chris Baker have outlined a three‑phase development plan for Made that focuses on (1) pitch‑recognition against high‑velocity fastballs, (2) refined approach in two‑strike counts, and (3) sustained power output while maintaining a sub‑15 % strikeout rate.

Phase 1, currently underway, involves daily bullpen sessions with former big‑league pitcher Luis Gómez, who throws a 96‑mph fastball and a devastating 12‑5 slider. Made is working on a “hard‑soft” swing path to keep his hands inside the ball on fastballs while preserving his launch‑angle profile on off‑speed pitches.

Phase 2 will introduce situational hitting drills that simulate two‑strike scenarios, emphasizing contact first and power second. The Rockies have introduced a “zone‑adjustment” metric in their analytics suite, which tracks Made’s swing efficiency inside the strike zone versus over‑the‑zone attempts. Early data shows his barrel rate drops to 9 % with two strikes, a target the coaching staff believes is improvable.

Phase 3 centers on strength‑and‑conditioning. Made has added 8 lb of lean muscle since the start of the season through a program overseen by Rockies strength coach Dave Kelley. The program prioritizes rotational core work to sustain bat speed throughout the season, a factor that correlates with a 0.12 increase in exit velocity for power hitters.

What’s next for Jesús Made after the showcase?

Team executives are likely to consider a promotion to Triple‑A by season’s end, given Made’s consistent power output and advanced plate discipline. Colorado’s front office, led by General Manager Bill Miller, has publicly stated that “when a prospect demonstrates sustained performance against top‑tier competition, we move him up to keep the development curve steep.” A promotion would place Made with the Albuquerque Isotopes, where he would face pitchers with major‑league experience, a critical test before a potential September call‑up.

However, some front‑office brass caution that a small sample size in showcase games may not fully reflect his ability to adjust to major‑league pitching. Rockies scouting director Jeff Cunningham highlighted that “showcase environments are high‑intensity but limited. We need to see how Jesús handles a full season of everyday pitching, especially off‑speed stuff that stays down in the zone.”

The next steps include a focused development plan targeting pitch‑recognition against high‑velocity fastballs and refined approach in two‑strike counts. Made will also receive additional video‑analysis sessions with the club’s data science team, who will overlay spin‑rate and launch‑angle data onto his swing path to identify micro‑adjustments that could push his barrel rate above 15 %.

If he continues on his current trajectory, Made could be on the Rockies’ 40‑man roster by the start of the 2027 season. That timeline aligns with the club’s broader strategy of integrating home‑grown power into a lineup that has traditionally lacked slugging depth. A successful transition would not only boost Colorado’s offensive upside but also validate their recent investment in Latin‑American scouting and player development.