I appreciate Fegen's honest approach in these rankings
Braden Montgomery's K% rate is on the border of concerning, reaching 28.7% across 34 AA games. The ability and tools are there to profile as a corner regular, but he will have to make more contact than he currently does.
While still promising, Schultz and Smith both have concerns to address in 2026. Schultz has dealt with injuries and it is fair to question how well he would hold up under a starter's workload? Also his 2025 was objectively not good for a top 50 prospect entering the season.
Smith has the stuff, but walks plagued him in 2025. Finding a reliable third pitch that he can locate will be vital. As he advances to AAA and eventually the majors, command and control will be imperative, as a 6.66 BB/9 walk rate will not cut it.