Opening Day is just two days away, and that means it’s time to unleash the Big Dog on the Brick Wall, the Top 1,000 2026 Dynasty Baseball Rankings! The Top 500 2026 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings and Top 164 2026 First Year Player Draft Rankings dropped last week. These Rankings have been on the Patreon since early February (and really much earlier than that with Sneak Peek’s and Positional Rankings). And then of course baseball will officially be back with the regular season, bringing tons of Dynasty Baseball Rundowns, Updated Rankings, Mailbag Podcasts, Targets and so much more. But first, here is the Top 1,000 Rankings for 2026 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues:
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1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 31.9 – Shoulder surgery? No problem. Ohtani came back and put up career highs in homers (55), Barrel% (23.5%) and xwOBA (.439). Internal brace surgery? No problem. Ohtani returned to the mound and put up career highs in BB% (4.3%), xERA (2.45), velocity (98.4 MPH) and nearly K% (33.0%). You can cut this man open. You can slice and dice him. And like Ben Stiller from Dodgeball, he is just going to keep coming at you angrier and stronger. Nobody makes Othani bleed his own blood. Okay, maybe not like Ben Stiller from Dodgeball at all, because the small market good guys actually won in the end in Dodgeball, unlike real life, where the behemoth Dodgers crushed the spirits of the “good guys”, the Toronto Blue Jays, in one of the most epic Game 7 World Series comebacks of all time. This is real life, and most of the time, the bad guys win. I refused to let the injuries shake my faith in Othani one bit last off-season, still placing him 1st overall and writing, “It’s his 2nd major elbow surgery in 5 years, but I’m not betting against a super human talent like Ohtani, and the same goes for the shoulder surgery. I just can’t bring myself to bet against the true GOAT.” Father Time will now be the last boss for him to defeat, and while we all know Father Time is undefeated, I just might think Ohtani can take him ;). I don’t know the age Ohtani has to be to move me off him from this top spot, but I do know 31/32 isn’t going to be it. He once again is my #1 player in dynasty. – 2026 Projection: 130/50/115/.286/.391/.630/23 // 12/3.07/1.05/191 in 150 IP
Shadow1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 31.9 – This is first time I’ve had Shadow Ohtani shadowing the real Ohtani. I feel like the world is folding in on itself. This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly lineup leagues or as a hitter only. He’s just too good. I don’t care that he’s 31 years old. He’s going to give Father Time the first loss of his career. – 2026 Projection: 130/50/115/.286/.391/.630/23
2) Juan Soto – NYM, OF, 27.6 – Where the hell did 38 steals come from? That was tied for the 4th most in baseball. More than Elly De La Cruz stole. More than Trea Turner stole. Just as many as Bobby Witt stole. And it wasn’t just that he decided to run more. He was also extremely successful, getting caught only 4 times. He was caught 4 times in just 11 attempts in 2024. He got caught 5 times in 17 attempts in 2023. He got caught 7 times in 16 attempts in 2021. And the craziest part is, he actually got slower this year. Like, a lot slower with a 25.8 ft/sec sprint (26.8 in 2024). And oh yea, he also hit a career high 43 homers with his usual truly elite offensive performance (.441 xwOBA was 2nd to only Aaron Judge). It would be so damn silly if he just went back to stealing 10 bags next year. We can’t expect 38 again, or maybe even 30, but I’m not sure how 20+ isn’t the expectation, and adding stolen bases to his profile easily makes him the #2 dynasty asset behind Ohtani. – 2026 Projection: 118/38/109/.282/.412/.535/21
3) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 26.10 – Witt hit only 23 homers in 157 games, and while I want to completely hand wave it away as just a down power season, I don’t think we can completely dismiss it. Kauffman Stadium was one of the very worst ballparks for homers, so I love to see them bringing the fences in, and it’s certainly a bump for all KC hitters, but even looking at his expected homer totals in other ballparks, they all look like they hovered/averaged out to the mid 20’s area. He hit 11 homers at home vs. 12 homers on the road (52 career homers at home vs. 53 on the road). His 12.5% Barrel% is good, but it’s not like off the charts good. His 34.9% Pull% is below average and pretty damn low for a power hitter. He hit 32 and 30 homers the two previous years, so I’m not saying at all that this is now his true talent level, but I feel like the hope was for Witt to explode into like a 30-40+ home run perennial type bat, and the numbers just aren’t saying that is who he is. The only other quibble is that the plate approach is still below average with a 7.1% BB% and 30.7% Chase%. The hope was that he would have improved on that by now too. I only bring up the negatives because they are more interesting to me. We all know Witt is an elite dynasty asset, and I have him ranked 3rd overall for a reason. He smokes the ball with a 93.3 MPH EV and a 48.5% Hard Hit%, both of which are career highs. He lifts it with a 15.2 degree launch, he makes tons of contact with a 18.2% K%, and he’s one of the fastest men in baseball with a 30.2 ft/sec sprint. I love him. He’s an untouchable if I own him. And I can’t deny that a part of me thinks he’s about to go 50/50 with the new stadium dimensions, hah, but the cold hard numbers really don’t lead to that conclusion. Either way, the guy is a beast, and no matter what ballpark he plays in, an insane career year could always be in the cards. – 2026 Projection: 113/33/104/.303/.364/.521/36
4) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 28.4 – This wasn’t like the last time. The last time Acuna came back from a torn ACL he looked rough with only 15 homers and a .764 OPS in 119 games. This time he went right back to being elite with 21 homers, a .935 OPS, and a .407 xwOBA that was 8th best in baseball in 95 games. But just because I love to scare you a little, I can’t help but notice some similarities to Mike Trout’s career arc. Acuna has played in more than 119 games in a season just twice in his career. Just like Trout’s decline, Acuna’s whiff% is starting to creep up there as well with a 30.3% whiff% that was a career worst. And just like Trout, it sure seems like there could be stolen base decline, only stealing 9 bags with a barely above average 27.9 ft/sec sprint. If the back nine of Acuna’s career is injury filled with big power and declining steals and BA, don’t kill the messenger. But it’s too early to actually put that on him. And as you see with my extremely high ranking of him, I’m not running scared at that possibility. He proved he is healthy and back to being an elite hitter coming off the knee surgery. He should steal more bags with a full healthy off-season. That demands him being back into the elite of the elite dynasty tier. – 2026 Projection: 115/34/98/.279/.393/.520/25
5) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 25.7 – If you thought the 5’10” Carroll was already topped out power wise. If you still had that scary moment in your head from 2023 where he held his shoulder in agonizing pain after a swing. If you thought we’ve already seen peak Carroll. Think again, because he just leveled up in 2025 to a whole new stratosphere. His power exploded with a 92.1 MPH EV, 14.5% Barrel%, 115.8 MPH Max EV, a 16.7 degree launch, 49.9% Hard Hit%, and a 22.9% Air Pull%. All of those were career highs by far, and they led to a career high 31 homers with a career high .383 xwOBA. He was already an elite dynasty asset, and now he’s leveled up to an elite real life hitter too. He combined the newfound power with his already elite speed (29.8 ft/sec sprint), leading to the first 30/30 season of his career. Carroll is so good that Arizona refuses to take any hitter taller than 5’10” in the draft now hah (Kayson Cunningham in 2025 and the Slade Caldwell in 2024). – 2026 Projection: 112/29/91/.266/.350/.519/36 Update: Underwent surgery for a broken hamate but Opening Day hasn’t been ruled out. Hamates have been known to sap power for a few months, but long term, I don’t think this changes his dynasty value very much
6) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS, 24.3 – Elly’s evaluation is kinda all over the place. I try my best to present coherent thoughts/analysis/arguments when writing these blurbs, but Elly’s 2025 is making that as hard as possible. You can say one of the major positives of his season was the major improvement to his K% (25.9% vs. 31.3% in 2024), but his still risky whiff% wasn’t nearly as improved (31.7% vs. 33.4%), and his BA tanked in the 2nd half with a .221 BA and 28.9% K% in his final 52 games. So it’s hard to just say there is now no hit tool risk with him. His 22 homers and 37 steals are awesome, but both numbers were worse than what he did in 2024 (25/67). The 7.6 degree launch and 9.8% Air Pull% both regressed from 2024 too. He finished 23rd overall on the Razzball Player Rater, which is great, but again, his 2nd half slide really puts a damper on that (.854 OPS pre break vs. .666 post break). It’s really easy to start getting lost in the weeds here, so I feel the best thing to do is pull out as far as possible to not lose the forest through the trees. And the forest is telling us this is an insanely talented young kid who might not be perfectly refined quite yet, and might not be completely without risk, but is still on that path to put up some truly special seasons. He was just 23 years old last year. I’m not letting the poor 2nd half and things to nitpick throw me. This is an elite dynasty asset whose best years are ahead of him. – 2026 Projection: 107/27/89/.262/.338/.473/40
7) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 33.11 – Judge is the best hitter in baseball and it’s really not even close. His .476 xwOBA led all of baseball by a mile (Soto’s .441 was 2nd), and his .463 wOBA led all of baseball by 2 miles (Nick Kurtz’ .419 was 2nd). He doesn’t run a ton, but he runs enough to more than chip in there too (12 steals). The only question when it comes to dynasty is his age. He’s going to be 34 years old for most of 2026. I said that Ohtani is about to hand Father Time his first loss, and Father Time could be fighting a battle on 2 fronts with Aaron Judge coming for him too. It sure doesn’t look like Judge is falling off that cliff anytime soon. Maybe a smarter dynasty owner than me would pull the trigger on a trade when his value is still through the roof, but I know that I wouldn’t be able to do it if my team was still competing. Age be damned, he deserves a super high ranking. – 2026 Projection: 131/54/120/.313/.432/.666/10
8) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 27.3 – Statcast expected stats are a tremendously valuable tool. I started using it in my analysis the second it hit the scene in 2015, and it has led to so many huge hits for me every single year since then (most notably Rice this season). But it’s not perfect. It has flaws. And the #1 one flaw seems to be that it underrates lifting and pulling. Tatis once again underperformed his expected stats with a .381 xwOBA vs. .353 wOBA. He had a .387 xwOBA vs. .359 wOBA in 2024 and a .364 xwOBA vs. .332 wOBA in 2023. He has a career .382 xwOBA vs. a career .368 wOBA. The discrepancy is very clearly due to the 9.4 degree launch and 12% Air Pull%. Not to come at Statcast, because I love Statcast, but why they wouldn’t change the formula a bit is beyond me. So while expected stats paint a rosier picture than reality, reality is still extremely rosy. Tatis went .268/25/32 and finished 27th overall on the Razzball Player Rater. He crushes the ball with a 93.3 MPH EV, he’s fast with a 28.6 ft/sec sprint, and he actually had the best K/BB of his career with a 18.7/12.9 K%/BB%, both of which were career bests. His 24.4% Chase% and 27% whiff% were both career bests as well. Unless he starts lifting and pulling a lot more, which is certainly possible, we can’t really expect those big mid 30’s, .900+ OPS seasons, but he’s still excellent as is. – 2026 Projection: 103/29/84/.277/.365/.490/29
9) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 25.3 – The 2nd half bandit struck again. Julio put up a .731 OPS in the 1st half vs. a .900 OPS in the 2nd half. It’s wild how consistent he is. In 2024, he had a .690 1st half OPS vs. .818 2nd half OPS. In 2023 he had a .721 1st half OPS vs. .941 2nd half OPS. In 2022 he had a .814 1st half OPS vs. .937 2nd half OPS. Can nobody figure out how to get him to hit as well in the 1st half as he does in the 2nd half? Is it too much like messing with voodoo. Like if you try to change a good thing to make it better, you are actually going to make it worse. Instead of his 1st half’s matching his 2nd half’s, it will be the other way around. I guess it’s better off this way if you play in playoff leagues anyway. And no matter how he gets there, it always ends up in a great fantasy season with 32 homers, 30 steals and a career best 21.4% K%. He still chases a ton with a 35.9% Chase%, which is probably a big part of the volatility, but when you swing a 76.4 MPH bat, you can make that work. He hasn’t really improved at all or refined his game from his rookie year, and while you can’t rule out improvement as he’s still really young, I think we gotta value him as is. Sweat out the poor 1st half and then enjoy the monster 2nd half. – 2026 Projection: 104/30/93/.275/.334/.482/31
10) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS, 24.9 – Gunnar hit only 17 homers in 154 games. Monster power hitters really don’t have seasons like that. Like ever. Power can fluctuate year to year for sure, but dipping to only 17 is not normal. And it’s not like it was the result of some extended cold stretch. He never hit more than 4 in a month and he hit only 1 in September. The barely above average 8.5% Barrel% is also not saying this was some massively unlucky aberration. And we already know he’s not a big lift and pull guy with a 9.5 degree launch and 15.3% Air Pull%. I’m not saying this is now who he is at all, but I think it does say the 37 homers he hit in 2024 isn’t who he is either. He’s probably more of a 25+ guy who will hit 30+ when things go right, similar to Tatis and Julio. You can also blame the intercoastal strain that put him on the IL to start the season. It just felt like he started the year behind the 8 ball and could never catch up. We also found out that he played through a shoulder impingement for most of the year, but I’m not sure if that is supposed to make me more confident or scare me that we now have to worry about a shoulder injury. His 12.3% HR/FB% was way off from his career norms (18.8%), so you have to assume some positive regression, and he crushes the ball with a 92.1 MPH EV, a 49.2% Hard Hit%, and a 75.4 MPH swing, so there is just no way a power bounce back isn’t coming. And the big silver lining to his down year was that he stole 30 bags. A power bounce back to 25+ will put him right in line with a Tatis and Julio like projected stat line. – 2026 Projection: 101/28/86/.278/.359/.481/25
11) Nick Kurtz – SAC, 1B, 23.1 – Kurtz stepped right into the majors and immediately performed like one of the best power hitters of all time with 36 homers and a 1.002 OPS in 117 games. He was actually even better in his brief minor league career with a 1.152 OPS in 33 games, and he was even better than that in his college career with a 1.234 OPS in 164 games, so it’s not like what he did in the majors came out of nowhere. It follows the narrative of him simply being one of the best hitters of his generation. The 77.2 MPH swing, 18.4% Barrel%, and 97.7 MPH FB/LD EV are all in the elite of the elite. There is no question that he’s going to be a beastly power hitter for a long time, but there is a question if he’s really going to be an all time great. For one, he played in a minor league stadium that was massively juicing up homer totals (he hit 22 at home vs. 12 on the road). He’ll be playing there again in 2026 and 2027, so I’m not even sure we can use that as a negative, but it’s something to keep in mind for 2028 and beyond. The two biggest red flags are that he struggled vs. lefties (.197 BA with a .685 OPS), and that he showed danger zone level of swing and miss with a 35.5% whiff% and 30.9% K%. He had a 31.2% K% in his final 48 games, and a .221 BA with a 35.1% K% in his final 23 games, so you certainly can’t say it was improving by the end of the year either. If he has a sophomore slump where the BA tanks, it won’t be coming out of nowhere. The signs were there. But in dynasty especially, it would be far too risk averse to get scared off by that. This was just his first full year of pro ball, so I’m expecting contact improvement, and he’s the type of hitter who can hit for high BA’s even with an elevated K%, like he’s been doing his whole career. My bet is that he is one of the best power hitters of his generation, and the floor is high too as he’s going to hit a ton of dingers no matter what. – 2026 Projection: 97/38/111/.267/.361/.528/3
12) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B, 22.9 – Caminero vs. Kurtz is a going to be a super fun debate to have all off-season, and I really don’t think you can go wrong with either. Caminero has the same question that Kurtz has about having the huge season in a minor league park, which is very suspicious, but Caminero actually hit 22 homers at home vs. 23 homers on the road (albeit with a much worse OPS). Tropicana Field is also a good ballpark for righty homers, so I don’t really think it’s that much of a concern that Caminero is going back to the Trop in 2026. And like Kurtz, Caminero also has elite of the elite bat speed (78.6 MPH) and FB/LD EV (97.7 MPH). Caminero’s biggest edge over Kurtz is his contact rates (19.1% K% and 24.7% whiff%), but Kurtz beats him on Chase% (32.2% vs. 22.2%) and BB% (6.3% vs. 12.9%), so that mitigates that edge majorly. And while Caminero doesn’t lift as much (10.7 degree launch vs. 15.3 degree launch), he pulls more (21.5% Air Pull% vs. 15.8% Air Pull%). It is really a back and forth battle for the best young power hitter in the game that could be decided either way. Kurtz’ superior plate approach gives him a ceiling as a generational real life hitter that I don’t think Caminero quite reaches, and Caminero’s superior contact rate gives him a much safer floor. Because I lean upside over floor, I’m giving Kurtz the edge, but it’s truly dead even for me. – 2026 Projection: 92/35/107/.276/.330/.519/8
13) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 21.11 – I nitpicked a few things about Anthony last off-season that I thought could impact his ultimate fantasy value. For one, I questioned how many bases he was going to steal, and I was correct with him stealing only 4 in 71 games in the majors (3 in 58 games in the minors). I also questioned how much he was going to lift and pull, and again, I was correct as he put up a 6.9 degree launch with a 13.8% Air Pull%. He hit 8 homers in 71 games. And finally I questioned the contact rates, and there too I ended up being correct with him putting up a 27.7% K% and 29.8% whiff%. I was right about the things to nitpick, and maybe they still come into play in future years, but the bat was just so insanely elite I don’t think it matters anymore. He had an elite of the elite 75.1 MPH swing with a 94.5 MPH EV and 60.3% Hard Hit%. That puts him in the land of Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Yordan Alvarez. While the homer totals weren’t high, 6 of them came in his final 21 games. The .382 xwOBA is already in the near elite range. A bat like that is launch proof, and even if he doesn’t run a ton, anything he does add there is just gravy. His best comp looking at the elite dynasty assets could be Juan Soto, albeit with worse contact rates. – 2026 Projection: 102/25/81/.272/.379/.486/10 Prime Projection: 120/35/105/.285/.406/.530/15
14) Kyle Tucker – LAD, OF, 29.3 – The Quiet Killer finally had a season that wasn’t all that quiet. The spotlight was put on him with the trade to the Cubbies, and it looked like he was going to have one of those massive contract years in the 1st half with a .291 BA, 17 homers, 20 steals, and a .933 OPS in his first 82 games, but it all came crumbling down after that with a .692 OPS, 5 homers, and 5 steals in his final 54 games. It seems the likely culprit was the hairline fracture he suffered in his right hand in June. They originally missed the fracture in the imaging, so he played through it, but it clearly had a major impact on his production. We can’t hold the slump against him, and clearly the Dodgers didn’t hold it against him either with a 4 year, $240 million contract. He’s one of the most consistent players in our game, a perennial 30/30 candidate, and at 29 years of age, there should be several more elite seasons in him. Signing with the Dodgers is the perfect landing spot for him, not only lineup wise, but also ballpark wise as it is the 4th best park for lefty homers. – 2026 Projection: 94/30/89/.276/.380/.501/25
15) Garrett Crochet – BOS, LHP, 26.10 – There is a clear 3-headed monster in the true top tier of dynasty pitchers, and all 3 have great arguments to be the #1 overall dynasty pitcher in the game, but only one of them can take the crown, and I’m anointing a new King this off-season. Garrett Crochet is my #1 dynasty pitcher in the game. It feels to weird to say because he’s likely the worst pitcher of the 3 on skills alone. Worse being relative as he’s still insanely elite with a 2.59 ERA and 31.3/5.7 K%/BB% in 205.1 IP. He was the #1 overall pitcher on the Razzball Player Rater. His 255 strikeouts led all of baseball. He pitched the 2nd most innings in baseball behind only Logan Webb. He won the 2nd most games behind only Max Fried and tied with Carlos Rodon. And his 25.7% K-BB% was 2nd to Tarik Skubal. Even if he’s very, very, very slightly worse than Skubal and Skenes on skills alone, he has Skenes beat on Win potential (and probably Skubal too), and he has Skubal beat on age (I talk more about age in the Skenes blurb). I could pick any of the 3 out of hat and be fine with that order, but Crochet seems to be in that perfect Goldilocks zone of young, elite, and on a good team. Skubal and Skenes can’t fully check all 3 of those boxes like Crochet can. – 2026 Projection: 17/2.88/1.05/246 in 195 IP
16) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 23.10 – Playing for Pitt kills Skenes’ in wins. Pitt scored 583 Runs which was last in baseball, and the only other team even close to them was Colorado at 597 (absolutely wild that it’s even possible for Colorado to be that bad playing in Coors). The guy put up a 1.97 ERA with a 29.5/5.7 K%/BB% in 187.2 IP and won only 10 games. Pitt made offensive additions this off-season, Konnor Griffin is coming, and Pitt has nowhere to go but up, but it’s still a major thorn in his fantasy value. On almost any other team, he would be the undisputed top dog, and in Quality Start leagues, he would be my top dog, but in Wins leagues, it has to be taken into account. Crochet and Skenes are close enough in age, and Crochet is elite enough himself, where I do give the edge to Crochet. But I just can’t seem to bring myself to say that I would trade a 23 year old Skenes for a 29 year old Skubal in dynasty, even though Skubal is the better win now fantasy pitcher. Skenes nestles inbetween Crochet and Skubal at #2. – 2026 Projection: 13/2.55/0.99/238 in 195 IP
17) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 29.5 – Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball. He’s #1 for me in redraft. He’s better than Crochet and Skenes. His 27.8 K-BB% led all of baseball amongst qualified starters. His 32.2% K% led all of baseball. His 0.89 WHIP led all of baseball. His 4.4% BB% trailed only Zack Littell. His 2.21 ERA trailed only Paul Skenes. He trailed Garrett Crochet by only 1 spot on the player rater, and that was in a year where Crochet won 5 more games than him, and we know wins are fickle. He’s in his last year of team control for Detroit, so wherever he ends up landing, it’s almost certain to be a good team. Wins shouldn’t be a problem. There is a great argument that at a not old 29, and considering age shouldn’t be factored in as much for pitchers due to the injury volatility, that he should be the #1 dynasty pitcher in the game. I wouldn’t argue with anyone that puts him first. I was honestly tearing the hair out of my head trying to figure out the right order. – 2026 Projection: 15/2.51/0.94/242 in 195 IP
18) Zach Neto – LAA, SS, 25.2 – I feel like nobody wants to admit that Neto is a near elite dynasty asset. Actually, I feel like nobody really wanted to bet on this kid like I have since before he was drafted. I ranked him 3rd overall in his FYPD class, far above consensus, and then I’ve kept being the high man on him since. And I guess I’ll keep being the high man on him after his power explosion in 2025. He came back from shoulder surgery, and the medical community has obviously perfected this surgery of late, because everyone seems to come back with a super charged shoulder (check out my 18 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2026 where I go into this more). His EV jumped 2.5 MPH to 91.5 MPH, his Hard Hit jumped 7.8 points to 46.6%, and his Barrel% jumped 7.6 points to 14%. It led to a career high 26 homers in just 128 games. He also never lifted and pulled more with a 17.5 degree launch and 24% Air Pull%. This is an easy 30 homer bat. He also stole 26 bags, and while he got caught 9 times, he was improving as the season went along with 13 steals in 15 attempts in his final 62 games. He’s going to keep on running, making him a reasonable bet for a perennial 30/30 bat. The 26.9/6.0 K%/BB% isn’t great, but neither the 30.1% Chase% or 29.1% whiff% is in the true danger zone, and he’s displayed a good feel to hit throughout this entire career. I’m not too worried about the hit tool tanking him. I know you don’t want to admit it, but this is what a near elite dynasty asset looks like. – 2026 Projection: 91/30/86/.255/.323/.478/30
19) Wyatt Langford – TEX, OF, 24.5 – Langford actually did have the blow up we were all expecting in 2025, it just didn’t fully show up in the surface stats. And even his surface stats were pretty good when it was all said and done. His 14% Barrel%, 91.4 MPH EV, and 48.4% Hard Hit% were all up majorly from 2024, and all of them are now in truly special power territory. That is exactly what we wanted to see. Combined with his already strong lift and pull (17.5 degree launch and 24.2% Air Pull%), he’s setting up to be an easy 30+ homer bat for years to come. Along with the power, he kept on running, ending up with a 22/22 season in 134 games. That is what he did when he was on the unlucky side (.353 xwOBA vs. .337 wOBA). The contact rates took a step back, but a 26.3% whiff% is absolutely zero to be concerned about. Not only did he avoid the sophomore slump, but he took a step forward in his surface stats, and 2 steps forward in his underlying numbers. It was a tremendously successful season, and if people are starting to cool on him, even slightly, I would be all over it. I’m not budging on him. – 2026 Projection: 88/28/91/.263/.349/.470/22
20) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 22.1 – Chourio didn’t take the steps forward we wanted to see. He basically had a repeat of his rookie year. He went .275/21/22 in 2024 and then went .270/21/21 in 2025. The .319 xwOBA is just barely above average. He lifted and pulled a bit more, but he still doesn’t lift and pull a ton. He hits the ball hard, but a 42.3% Hard Hit% is not off the charts. He runs, but he’s not a particularly great base stealer (caught 7 times). And the worst part of the year is that his Chase% spiked to 36.9%, which is entering the danger zone if not already there. I’ve seen the seeds of doubt start to creep into people’s minds. If Chourio felt inevitable after 2024, I would say he doesn’t feel quite as inevitable after 2025. But once you add the context that those were his 20 year old and 21 year old seasons, I don’t know how you can’t still be all in on this kid. If 20/20 is the floor, 25/25, or 30/30 still feels inevitable in his peak seasons. Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr never improved their high chase rates either, and they are doing just fine. Granted Julio hit the ball a lot hard and Witt lifted it a lot more, so they aren’t perfect comps. There is no guarantee massive improvement is coming. We’ve seen plenty of young kids like Chourio have success right off the bat, and then just never really improve. I hate to say it, but Michael Harris seems to be a pretty close comp to Chourio age, production and skillset wise. If he doesn’t show the steps forward we want to see in 2026, I think we are going to see the beginning of that dynasty value slip, but I’m betting on that improvement coming. – 2026 Projection: 94/25/85/.282/.332/.479/25
21) Pete Crow-Armstrong – CHC, OF, 24.0 – Can we just enjoy the season Pete Crow had before we start bashing him for this 2nd half and Chase. I feel like the angry 1950’s dad at the dinner table yelling at his kids while the family is crumbling around him. You’re going to sit there and be quiet, enjoy this food, and thank your mother for her hard work. Don’t make me bust out the whooping stick. Pete Crow was almost definitely my biggest hit of 2025 (I’ve been the high guy since he was drafted), ranking him 64th overall, and writing in part, “Pete Crow Armstrong’s power has been underrated from the time he was drafted. And in 2024, especially the 2nd half of 2024, we started to see the first buds of a breakout that could absolutely explode in 2025. For starters, he put up a 88.9/94.0 MPH AVG/FB EV on the season, which shows that power potential I saw 4 years ago wasn’t a mirage. And when it comes with a 17.2 degree launch, an elite 30.0 ft/sec sprint speed, and elite CF defense, you have the makings of an extremely exciting fantasy player. Put some respect on this man’s name. His name is Pete Crow Armstrong, not Pete Crow Armweak.” … and then the true explosion came in 2025 with him upping his Hard Hit% 4.8 points to 41.6%, upping his Max EV 6 MPH to 113.2 MPH, upping his Barrel% 5.6 points to 13%, and upping his bat speed 2.1 MPH to 72.7 MPH. It resulted in 31 homers, and he combines the power explosion with elite speed (29.5 ft/sec sprint with 35 steals) and elite CF defense. This was the insanely fun fantasy player I foresaw, but of course things can never be easy, and Pete Crow had go out and end the season with a massive slump. He put up a .525 OPS in his final 50 games. He definitely got unlucky with a not too bad 25.9% K% and a .222 BABIP, but it for sure more than hints at the risk still present in this profile. And that risk is the way too high 41.7% Chase%. High chase adds a lot of volatility, and that isn’t just high chase, that is full danger zone high chase. If you want to be scared off, that is fair, and I completely get it, but if you’ve read my work at all over the years, you know I’m not running scared. His glove is going to keep him on the field, and even with a low BA, that power/speed combo is going to make a major impact. I’m also betting on the plate approach improving as he matures. Pete Crow has already paid off majorly if you’ve taken my advice over his career, and I’ll be happy to keep buying if people are scared off by the 2nd half. – 2026 Projection: 86/28/88/.252/.308/.469/33
22) Konnor Griffin – PIT, SS/OF, 19.11 – I felt the Griffin explosion in my gut last off-season. The Baseball Gods were speaking to me, and I listened, predicting he would explode into elite prospect status in my Predicting the Top 50 2026 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings last off-season, ranking him 4th overall and writing, “Griffin will have the explosion that everyone who passed on him in first year player drafts feared he would have. The hit tool concerns will be overblown as he maintains an under 25% K% at Single-A, and the power/speed combo will shine with 16 homers and 48 steals in 102 games. He’ll basically be the 2026 version of the 2025 version of Sebastian Walcott. Off the charts tools and a better than expected hit tool.” … and then he went out and surpassed even those expectations, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 65 steals, and a 21.7/8.9 K%/BB% in 122 games. He finished the season at Double-A where he actually put up his best wRC+ of any level with a 175 wRC+ in 21 games. Remember when everyone was making excuses for the 19 year old Walcott at Double-A all year for his mediocre slash? Well, Griffin came in and just busted that whole thing up, showing a 19 year old can most certainly dominate the level. Not only did I foresee the rise in the off-season, but I got blow back after ranking him 1st overall on the Prospect Rankings in early June before he even got the call to High-A. I then made a final plea in my August Dynasty Rankings before he got the call to Double-A, shooting him up to 29th overall and writing, “This is my final plea to you. DO NOT TRADE GRIFFIN UNDER ANY SCENARIO. I don’t even think Roman Anthony can touch his upside. Just don’t trade him, please.” And then after what he did at Double-A, there is no more room for debate. He’s lightning fast, he crushes the ball with a 91.2 MPH EV and 49% Hard Hit%, and the hit tool was better than expected. This is not only the #1 prospect in baseball, but he’s already a nearly elite dynasty asset for me. – 2026 Projection: 58/18/65/.247/.318/.433/31 Prime Projection: 118/32/111/.279/.351/.523/44
23) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 33.7 – Mr. Consistency churned out another ho hum elite dynasty season with 30 homers and 44 steals. Those stolen bases were actually a career high. He’s played in less than 152 games just once since 2016 (not including the Covid shortened year). He’s going to be 33 years old, which after 30 years old, 33 years old is the next biggest marker for when dynasty value drops. You are now officially in your mid 30’s. I don’t foresee the cliff coming next year, but if we are going to find a comp for a reasonable career arc, Jose Altuve is a pretty good comp. Both are small guys without big bat speed and without big hard hit. Altuve put up a 164 wRC+ in his age 32 year old season and then a 154 wRC+ in his age 33 year old season, but the decline hit after that with a 127 wRC+ at age 34 and a 113 wRC+ at age 35. Ramirez hits the ball harder than Altuve and he runs more than Altuve, so his decline could be even smoother than Altuve’s, and Altuve has still been really good in those decline years, but I think it’s fair to start factoring in some decline at 34 years old. That gives him one more undisputed year of eliteness (yes, I know that isn’t a word), and probably more than a few after that of really damn good. – 2026 Projection: 106/32/90/.281/.355/.505/35
24) Cal Raleigh – SEA, C, 29.4 – Raleigh’s insane 2025 was very obviously a career year. I don’t think anybody is now expecting him to be a perennial 60 homer bat, or even 50 homer bat. The 28 year old career year is textbook, well almost textbook, as he does have one thing that says we shouldn’t discount a real leveling up here. And that is that he’s a catcher. Catcher’s are known for delayed offensive breakouts because of how much time they spend on their defense. And Raleigh did show real improvement in his underlying numbers too. The 26.7% K% and 13.8% BB% were both career bests, so it looks like there was some maturation of the plate skills. His 49.6% Hard Hit% is a career best, and while it’s not up majorly from 2024, it is up majorly from where it was in 2022-2023. His lift and pull was also up with career bests in launch (25.2 degrees) and Air Pull% (38.4%). Only Isaac Paredes had an Air Pull% even close to that (Paredes beat him out by 0.1 at 38.5, but the next highest was Tork at 31.8%). And the cherry on top is that he ran a ton for a catcher with 14 steals in 18 attempts. He was just having fun out there. So while it’s almost certain that 2025 will be the best year of his career, it does look like he’s leveled up from a 30+ homer bat to a 40+ homer bat. Catchers take a beating behind the plate, so who knows how long he will be able to hold that level, but I’m betting on a few more monster power seasons at least. – 2026 Projection: 90/42/110/.244/.346/.541/10
25) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 27.0 – Vlad sparks a really interesting floor vs. upside debate when it comes to very early round picks. I understand the strategy of taking high floor guys with your early picks, and then going for the upside shots later on. It makes sense. And Guerrero has as high of a floor as anybody with elite contact rates (13.8% K%) and elite Hard Hit (50.7%). It resulted in a very strong season with a .292 BA and 23 homers in 156 games, which was good for 53rd overall. That is also clearly on the low end of his ability as he smashed 8 homers in 18 games in the postseason. He’s a true talent 30 homer bat with a very high BA, which is awesome, but unless he starts lifting and pulling more, that just isn’t the level of production that other elite dynasty assets can give you. I really want all category contributors with my very top picks, and because Vlad isn’t going to help much in steals, he’s already capped there. So if you aren’t going to contribute in all categories, you need to be an absolute beast in others, and taking out his 2019 season where played in 2 miniature ballparks, he’s never hit more than 32 homers. He’s averaged about 27-28 homers over the last 4 years. His xwOBA says he’s been unlucky, but as I laid out in the Tatis blurb, xwOBA most certainly underrates lifting and pulling, and Vlad doesn’t lift and pull with a 7.8 degree launch and 14% Air Pull%. He’s underperformed his xwOBA in his career. If he starts lifting and pulling more, he can definitely have that explosion, and if you are in leagues that devalue steals (points/6+ category leagues), then for sure he would be ranked higher in those leagues, but in 5×5, I think this is a pretty fair ranking. He’s just more BA dependent than optimal. – 2026 Projection: 96/31/105/.303/.390/.507/5
26) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 28.9 – Alvarez is the easiest buy low call in the history of buy low calls. In fact, it’s so easy of a buy low call, that he’s probably not a buy low at all, because nobody in their right mind will sell low. He hurt his hand in early May, which was originally misdiagnosed, but eventually it was diagnosed as a fracture, and it forced him to miss 3 months. He was off to a slow start before the injury, but it was purely due to poor luck as the underlying numbers were in his usual elite range, and then when he returned from the injury, he hit 3 homers with a 1.031 OPS in 19 games before hurting his ankle and ending his season. He finished the year with a .797 OPS, but it came with an elite .402 xwOBA, 94.7 MPH EV, and 16.6/14.1 K%/BB%. I mean, who is going to sell low on that? Maybe you can argue he’s injury prone and there is injury risk in the future due to his bad knees, but even that seems far too risk averse in his age 28 year old season. Maybe I can see that argument to sell a few years from now. So buy low if you can, but I doubt you can. – 2026 Projection: 91/33/96/.291/.380/.560/3
27) James Wood – WSH, OF, 23.6 – This year for Halloween I dressed up as James Wood’s 2nd half. Haunted houses, witches, zombies … they have nothing on how scary James Wood’s second half was (and yes, I originally wrote this blurb around Halloween time and have now morphed it to make sense months later ha). He put up a 40.3% K% with a .215/.293/.379 triple-slash in his final 67 games. I want to say it was just a cold streak and to trust his career .259 BA in 1,025 career PA, but I can’t help but get Oniel Cruz stuck in my head when thinking about Wood. The profiles are very similar as extremely tall men (6’7”), who have elite bat speed (76 MPH swing), and elite Hard Hit (16.3% Barrel%/94.3 MPH EV/56.3% Hard Hit%). But as we saw with Cruz this year, and as we saw with Wood’s 2nd half, the risk is that the hit tool tanks them. That is just the game when you are willing to take on some extra risk for that extra upside. They all aren’t going to be Aaron Judge. And it’s going to add some volatility year to year, and even within seasons. But you really can’t be scared off by it completely. Everyone has slumps and everyone has bad years, and when these types have slumps/bad years, it’s the BA is going to look ugly. It’s why he’s still a Top 30 dynasty asset for me even with that extra risk. He put up a .348 xwOBA in 2024 and then a .368 xwOBA in 2025. He improved his lift and pull, and while the lift and pull still isn’t great with a 6.3 degree launch and 11.3% Air Pull%, it doesn’t have to be that great when you smash the ball as hard as he does. And he improved vs. lefties, putting up a .823 OPS vs. them, which is a big deal. He’s not as good of a base stealer as optimal with 15 steals in 22 attempts, so that along with the hit tool risk is why he can’t be considered close to like a Top 10 dynasty asset, but I’m still all in on this kid. And while this isn’t Cruz’ blurb, you should stay patient with him too. Just a little bit of luck with a little bit of improvement will result in a lot of fantasy goodness. – 2026 Projection: 84/33/96/.252/.345/.482/15
28) Francisco Lindor – NYM, SS, 32.4 – Trying to predict which players are going to defeat Father Time, or at least give them a great fight, is a nearly impossible task. We can prefer certain archetypes over others, like being wary of speed first types, but really, we can’t perfectly predict whose bodies will hold up and whose will start to decline. I say that because I’ve been sitting here thinking long and hard about how much I want to bet on Lindor deep into his 30’s, and I’m not sure there is something to really hold onto that makes me want to bet big on it. He’s not a big bat speed guy (below average 71 MPH swing), he’s not a burner (slightly below average 27.4 ft/sec sprint), and he’s not a Barrel machine with a 8.8% Barrel%. The contact rates, approach and hard hit are all good, but they aren’t in the elite area where there is a huge amount of leeway for decline. It seems to me he fits more into the potentially gentle decline category, rather than the guy who keeps on being truly elite deep into his 30’s. But as I started this blurb, it feels foolish to think I can actually predict how a player will decline. Too much goes into it. And of course, that is just looking ahead. Lindor is only going to be 32 years old next year and there is no reason he shouldn’t have his 4th straight basically 30/30 season in 2026. But I think at 32 we have to start thinking about what the decline will look like, and I’m not sure I want to bet on him still being elite in his mid 30’s. He should still be good though. – 2026 Projection: 101/28/85/.269/.342/.466/30 Update: Underwent hamate bone surgery which puts Opening Day in jeopardy, but it’s not ruled out yet, and this doesn’t impact his dynasty value too much. It’s possible it can take him a few months to fully get the power back though
29) Pete Alonso – BAL, 1B, 31.5 – Alonso is one of the true rocks of our game. He’s never played in less than 152 games (he’s played in all 162 the last 2 years) and he’s never hit less than 34 homers (38 homers in 2025). Underlying numbers wise, he actually had a career year in 2025 with a career high .399 xwOBA and career high by far 93.5 MPH EV. His only weakness was that he was a BA risk, and even that is now gone with a .272 BA and .288 xBA. The 75.3 MPH swing is near elite. He landed a 5 year, $155 million deal with Baltimore, and really no matter where he landed, he will once again be one of the best power hitters in the game. Simple as that. – 2026 Projection: 92/40/120/.263/.348/.519/3
30) Jazz Chisholm – NYY, 2B/3B, 28.2 – It’s all about Games Played for Jazz. I mean, it’s all about Games Played for everybody I guess, but Jazz is one of the more injury prone hitters in the game. You know I lean towards taking on more risk than average, so I’ve been high on Jazz for the last two seasons, and that has paid off in a major way with him following up his 24/40 season in 2024 with his first 30/30 season (31/31) in 2025. Here is how I closed out his Top 1,000 Blurb last off-season, “Staying healthy one season is good, but he needs to go back to back healthy seasons for me to take “injury risk” off his resume, or at least have it downplayed. If not for injury risk, Jazz has an argument for Top 15 status, so this ranking (27th overall) does factor in a bit of risk.” … and the good news is that he mostly stayed healthy in 2025, playing in the 2nd most games of his career at 130, but 130 is not quite a full season. He missed a little over a month with an oblique injury and he got banged up here and there throughout the season with various injuries. Despite going 30/30, he still finished 52nd overall on the Razzball Player Rater. A low BA is another risk that contributed to that with a .242 BA, a 27.9% K% and a 32.2% whiff%. I feel like I’ve straddled the line perfectly the last few years between his upside and his risk, and I’m going to continue to straddle that line. I can’t quite call him an elite dynasty asset despite the elite power/speed combo, but he remains in the tier right under that. – 2026 Projection: 78/28/82/.246/.330/.468/33
31) Ketel Marte – ARI, 2B, 32.6 – Marte wasn’t quite as good in 2025 as he was in 2024 (36 homers with a .932 OPS in 136 games vs. 28 homers with a .893 OPS in 126 games), and he wasn’t able to fully sustain the elite Hard Hit explosion (94 MPH EV with a 53.8% Hard Hit% vs. 90.8 MPH EV and 47% Hard Hit%), but he still solidified himself as one of the best hitters in the game. He made up for the reduced hard hit by lifting and pulling more than he ever has (14.8 degree launch with a 23.5% Air Pull%), and it actually resulted in an even better Barrel% (13.5%) and xwOBA (.400) than 2024. Combine those quality of contact metrics with an elite 14.9/11.5 K%/BB% and near elite bat speed (74.6 MPH), and you get one of the safest studs in the game at a position that has been causing dynasty manager fits for the last few years (2B). The only thing he doesn’t do is run with 4 steals, and he’s getting up there in age at 32. Marte is the safer choice over Jazz as the top 2B in dynasty, but Jazz has the upside and youth edge. – 2026 Projection: 95/31/82/.281/.371/.520/7
32) Kyle Schwarber – PHI, OF, 33.1 – You know the Baseball Gods smile down on you when you have a career year in your contract year. Soto was the chosen son last off-season, and this off-season, the torch has been passed to Schwarber. I don’t know what Kyle Tucker did mid-season to have the Baseball Gods smite him, but it must have been bad. Schwarber demolished a career high 56 homers with the career highs in EV (94.3 MPH), Barrel% (20.8% Barrel%), Launch (20.1 degrees), Air Pull% (31.1%) and Hard Hit% (59.6%) to back it up. His .414 xwOBA was 5th best in baseball behind Judge, Soto, Ohtani, and George Springer. Judge, Soto, and Ohtani are in a tier or their own above everyone else. The only other two hitters over the last few years with the ability to get in their tier has been Yordan and Acuna. That is just a reminder to treat Acuna and Yordan with the utmost respect this off-season. But back to Schwarber, we know his game well. He’s a low BA, high OBP slugger whose only risk is that the BA dips into the low .200’s, or even below the Mendoza line as he’s done twice in his career. He re-signed with Philly for 5 years, $150 million, so Philly is surely betting on him hitting tons of homers deep into his 30’s, as am I. – 2026 Projection: 104/46/111/.238/.361/.520/7
33) Yoshinobu Yamamoto – LAD, RHP, 27.7 – How the hell am I supposed to remain objective after the legendary playoff and World Series performance from Yamamoto? I am a mere mortal, and while I was pulling hard for Toronto, Yamamoto’s heroics couldn’t help but pull me in. I originally had Yamamoto as the 7th overall pitcher in the End of Season Rankings, but he’s now moving up to my 4th overall pitcher. After the Big 3, is there anyone else you would want to give the ball to in a big game than Yamamoto right now? It seems crazy to even think of saying any other pitcher but Yamamoto for this 4th spot. And it’s not like it’s just emotions. He had a strong case for it anyway with a 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 29.4/8.6 K%/BB% in 173.2 IP (1.45 ERA with a 22.9/4.2 K%/BB% in 37.1 IP in the playoffs). The 95.4 MPH 4-seamer is elite with a +17 Run Value, the splitter is devastating with a .193 xwOBA and 42.1% whiff%, and the curve is plus with a 36.7% whiff%. The cutter, sinker, and slider are all good pitches too. The annoying, party pooper, Debbie Downer side of me is saying maybe the long season, the career high 211 IP, the pitching in back to back games, and now pitching in the WBC will create a hangover effect in 2026, or even worse, gasp, an injury, but trying to predict which pitchers are going to get hurt year to year is mostly a crapshoot. I’ve long since stopped trying to predict it. I can’t give the ball to anyone else but Yamamoto right now with the 4th pitcher spot in Dynasty. – 2026 Projection: 14/2.91/1.02/204 in 175 IP
34) Logan Gilbert – SEA, RHP, 28.11 – We all know the Big 3 are the top dogs in both dynasty and redraft, however you want to order them (Crochet, Skenes, Skubal for me in dynasty and Skubal, Crochet, Skenes for me in redraft), but there is a hellacious tier right under them that is nipping at their heels. I originally had Gilbert leading that 2nd tier, but Yamamoto’s World Series heroics just couldn’t be denied. Maybe I’m a sucker. Maybe I’m a prisoner of the moment. But there is no shame in being the 5th dynasty pitcher in the game. Gilbert has a very elite 32.3/5.8 K%/BB% and 32.9% whiff% in 131 IP. The 95.4 MPH fastball is elite with a +10 Run Value, the control is elite, and he has 3 bat missing secondaries in his slider (34.5% whiff%), splitter (50.4% whiff%), and curve (38.6% whiff%). The only that is holding him back from actually entering the truly elite tier, is that he’s got a homer problem. He throws the ball over the plate and challenges guys to hit it, and in Seattle, they can’t, but on the road, they can. He put up a 2.24 ERA with 8 homers at home vs. a 4.74 ERA with 12 homers on the road. Seattle knows how to develop pitchers to thrive in their ballpark, but it can hurt them on the road. That homer flaw is what keeps him in Tier 2. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.29/1.04/226 in 185 IP
35) Hunter Brown – HOU, RHP, 27.7 – Brown’s 28.3/7.8 K%/BB% and 27.8% whiff% are excellent, but they aren’t in that truly elite of the elite tier to really make it all that tempting to elevate him to the 3 headed dragon tier (Crochet/Skenes/Skubal). I would say he had a huge 2025 breakout, but the truth is the breakout started in May/June of 2024 (he put up a 2.46 ERA with a 26.1/7.3 K%/BB% in his final 142.2 IP that year), and he just carried it over fully into 2025 with a 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 28.3/7.8 K%/BB% in 185.1 IP. The 96.6 MPH fastball is elite with a 28.8% whiff% and +17 Run Value. He has a wipeout secondary in the curve with a 39.2% whiff%. The changeup is solid with a +2 Run Value. And the sinker induces weak contact like crazy with a 78.6 EV against. He also mixes in a cutter and slider. There is no doubt he is a true ace, I’m just not ready to say he’s a true talent mid 2’s ERA guy. I trust the 3.11 xERA a tad more. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.08/1.06/207 in 185 IP
36) Bryan Woo – SEA, RHP, 26.2 – I’ve been naming Bryan Woo a major Target since before the 2023 season and every year since then, and man is it awesome to see him fully blossom into a true ace. God, I love dynasty. Did I trade him away in one of my leagues after that 2023 season in a deal that included Henry Davis? Yes, yes I did. God, I hate dynasty … He throws one of the very best fastballs in baseball with a 95.7 MPH 4-seamer that put up a 28.8% whiff%, .270 xwOBA, and a 21 Run Value that was tied for 3rd best in baseball. He also throws the 15th most valuable sinker in the game with a negative 3 degree launch, while mixing in a slider (36.1% whiff%), sweeper (46.1% whiff%) and changeup (.282 xwOBA). It all led to a 2.94 ERA with a 27.1/4.9 K%/BB% in 186.2 IP. The 26.2% whiff% overall isn’t super impressive and he’ll give up plenty of homers (26 dingers) because of how much he throws the ball over the plate, but it’s crystal clear that he’s a true ace. He belongs in this Tier 2 of aces. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.23/1.01/191 in 180 IP
37) Kevin McGonigle – DET, SS/2B, 21.8 – You know I’m not shy to take a victory lap when I hit on a player that everyone else (or almost everyone else) was low on, so I also have to take my lashes when I miss on a player that everyone else but me was super high on. Truth of the matter is, when you rank with a mind of your own, which I pride myself on and preach to others (and preach to you as dynasty owners too), you are going to end up looking like a genius on your unique hits, and a moron on your unique misses, when in reality, you are probably not a genius or a moron. You are just trying to block out the noise and give a raw, unfiltered opinion. My favorite rankings, and the ones I find most valuable, are the ones that aren’t mostly the same as the consensus/general perception, and are also backed up by solid reasoning and analysis, whether you agree or disagree with the ranking. So with that as the backdrop, Kevin McGonigle is who I consider my biggest miss in 2025. I had him ranked 54th overall, which I mean, is a pretty good ranking in general, and I called him a souped up Steven Kwan, which is really still an accurate “comp,” but the vast majority of other spots had him in the Top 25 range at least, or higher. I’m generally lower on hit tool first guys for fantasy (I was also lower on Angel Genoa and Starlyn Caba, both of whom took steps back in 2025), but when a hit tool first guy hits his ceiling, it looks exactly like what McGonigle just did. He slashed .305/.408/.583 with 19 homers, 10 steals, and a 11.6/14.9 K%/BB% in 99 games at High-A and Double-A. He’s not a big guy at 5’10”, but he can lift and pull, and he hits it very hard with legit plus raw power potential. He’s less a souped up Steven Kwan, and more in the mold of Mookie Betts and Jose Ramirez, if you want to dream on his tippy top ceiling. He wasn’t good on the bases this year (10 for 17), and he’s not a true burner, but he was much better last year (22 for 24), so I would would expect a bounce back in 2026 there. You won’t hear me doubting him ever again. Konnor Griffin is my top dog, but McGonigle is my #2 prospect in baseball, and he might have a real shot to break camp with the team. – 2026 Projection: 63/15/54/.268/.337/.434/13 Prime Projection: 111/24/91/.290/.370/.485/20
38) Rafael Devers – SFG, 3B/1B, 29.5 – Devers is going to be a beast no matter the ballpark. When you hit the ball as hard as he does (93.5 MPH EV, 16% Barrel%, 56.1% Hard Hit%), you can play on Jupiter (Jupiter has the strongest gravity in our soler system at 2.5 times Earth), and you will still hit plenty of dingers. He cracked 11 homers in 48 games at Oracle Park in San Francisco. He hit 20 homers in 90 games after getting traded. His power isn’t going anywhere. But even for a beast, it’s still a ballpark downgrade. He had a .977 OPS at Fenway vs. a .825 OPS at Oracle. His strikeout rate spiked after the trade with a 22.8% K% and .272 BA with Boston vs. a 29.4% K% and .236 BA with SF. He said he wasn’t going to change his approach after the trade, but he started to lift and pull a lot more, which came at the cost of more swing and miss. I don’t know if he was feeling pressure after the trade, or if it was a conscious choice based on his new ballpark, or if it was the result of him relenting and finally giving 1B a try, or a combination of all of them, but there was a clear approach change after the trade. A full off-season to get mentally prepared for his new team, new ballpark and new position should only help him, and he has the type of special bat that I’m simply not betting against. If this change prompts him to lift and pull more, and if he can actually combine that with usually strong K rates, it could result in a monster season, especially since he also put up career bests in BB% (15.4%) and Chase% (25.5%). I would advise against discounting him too much, or at all. If he gets lukewarm love this off-season, I would jump on that value dip. – 2026 Projection: 92/33/104/.267/.355/.501/3
39) CJ Abrams – WSH, SS, 25.6 – James Wood had the scariest 2nd half in baseball. MacKenzie Gore had the most disappointing 2nd half in baseball for pitchers. And then there is Abrams, who also followed up a great 1st half with a sad 2nd half. What the hell happened in Washington in July? Did someone put a curse on them or something? So much promise in the 1st half, only to watch it poof and disappear. Abrams was having the power breakout I foresaw with 12 homers and his Hard Hit numbers way up in his first 70 games, but it completely disappeared in the 2nd half. He finished the year in the same place he was in 2024 with a 39.2% Hard Hit% and 19 homers (20 homers with a 40.7% Hard Hit% in 2024). The good news is that a 20/30 guy with above average contact rates (19.7% K%), above average bat speed (72.4 MPH swing), and plenty of lift (13.3 degree launch) and pull (22.2% Air Pull%) is a really good fantasy player with a very high floor. And entering his 25 year old season, I still have to believe more raw power is coming, giving him some very real upside in his prime man muscle seasons. His ascent to elite dynasty asset might have just been delayed by one year. – 2026 Projection: 88/22/71/.262/.321/.448/33
40) Cole Ragans – KCR, LHP, 27.4 – You should be all over any discount on Ragans with the quickness. He missed 3.5 months of the season with a rotator cuff strain (shoulder), limiting him to just 61.2 IP, and he put up a 4.67 ERA in those innings, so I’m hoping people get scared off, but I’m sure as hell not getting scared off. He returned from the injury in September and the stuff was all the way back, so other than the obligatory I guess there is some injury risk, I’m not really that concerned about it. And while he had a high ERA, it came with a 2.63 xERA and 38.1/7.8 K%/BB%, so I mean, what more needs to be said. The 34.8% whiff% is silly elite. He leads with the elite 95.3 MPH 4-seamer (28.6% whiff%) and elite changeup (50.4% whiff%), but the slider is a really good pitch too (43.4% whiff%) and the curve is solid. He also mixes in a cutter. I almost think this ranking of him is still underrating him. If he joins the true elite Tier 1, 3 headed monster during the 2026 season, I wouldn’t be surprised, but there is enough volatility (injury and average-ish control) to keep him out. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.27/1.16/220 in 180 IP
41) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 33.6 – There are reasons to start fading Harper in dynasty, or at least consider selling if you want to cash him in before we really see the next level value dip. The most obvious one is that he’s 33 years old. He’s also been pretty banged up in his career and of late, averaging only 129 games over his last 5 seasons (132 in 2025). And he really doesn’t have one truly standout, elite category we can bank on in 5×5 BA. He hit .261 with 27 homers, 12 steals, 72 Runs, and 75 RBI. Those numbers are really not all that out of line with what he’s been doing of late, maybe with some bad luck on the BA. If he has another good but not truly standout season, the dynasty value drop will be extreme going into 2027. Right now the value is still pretty stable. I’m still 100% betting on him being a beast deep into his 30’s as his .379 xwOBA was still in the Top 9% of baseball, but if there is some decline, and if he keeps on missing 30 games a year, he might start to look like just a really good fantasy player rather than a great one. I’m just saying he wouldn’t be untouchable for me if the right deal came along and I wanted to kick start a rebuild, but of course I would still need a haul to move him. – 2026 Projection: 85/30/85/.277/.370/.510/12
Shadow41) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP, 31.9 – This is where I would rank Ohtani as a pitcher only. Only Ohtani can come back from major elbow surgery and put up career bests in BB% (4.3%), xERA (2.45), velocity (98.4 MPH) and nearly K% (33.0%) in 47 IP. So many of these other Tommy John/internal brace returnees were fighting for their lives just to survive, but not Ohtani, who coolly notched an elite 2.87 ERA. He’s a true ace that probably deserves to be in Tier 1 with Crochet/Skenes/Skubal, but we know LA is going to baby him. He’s never thrown more than 166 IP in a season, and I don’t see why the Dodgers wouldn’t want to limit him to the 150 range, especially when they want to save bullets for the playoffs. The low IP projection keeps him in Tier 2. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.07/1.05/191 in 150 IP
42) Josh Naylor – SEA, 1B, 28.9 – We’re all gonna underrate Naylor again, aren’t we. I warned you last year that we were underrating him, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “He finished 30th overall on the Razzball Player Rater and is currently going 92nd overall in NFBC drafts, so that tells me that everyone is expecting regression, but I think there is a real chance he could put up a few really big seasons in these prime man muscle late 20’s years.” … and then in 2025 he went and finished 31st overall on the Razzball Player Rater. Why are we making this so hard on ourselves? Just take him 30th overall. We need to stop overthinking this. Granted, he took a different path to that outcome in 2025 than he did in 2024. Like many expected, he wasn’t able to come close to the 31 homers again (he hit 20), but he made up for it by hitting for a much higher average (.295 BA), and most notably, becoming Ricky Henderson on the bases with 30 steals in 32 attempts. He also ripped up the playoffs with 3 homers, 2 steals, and a .340 BA in 12 games. The double ballpark downgrade (first Arizona and then Seattle) didn’t faze him at all, and him re-signing with Seattle should not scare us at all considering the damage he did there already, including his dominant post-season. He’s a complete hitter with elite contact (13.7% K%), above average Hard Hit (41.9%), the ability to lift in the air (19.6% Air Pull%), and now base stealing ability too, despite being slow as dirt with a bottom 3% sprint speed. Even if we can’t count on close to 30 steals again, I don’t see why he would just stop running. He had another season where he stole 10 in 121 games, so this wasn’t quite completely out of nowhere. No matter how he gets to Top 30 overall (power, BA, steals), I’m not going to keep doubting that he is going to get there again. I am valuing this man correctly. – 2026 Projection: 80/23/92/.280/.340/.460/18
43) Riley Greene – DET, OF, 25.5 – Greene went from a 2.8 degree launch with 5 homers in 93 games in 2022, to a 6.6 degree launch with 11 homers in 99 games in 2023, to a 12.2 degree launch with 24 homers in 137 games in 2024, and now to a full blown game power explosion with a 15 degree launch and 36 homers in 2025. The 18.6% Air Pull% and 17.1% Barrel% were also career bests. The 111 RBI is elite. That is exactly what we asked for as fantasy players. We want dingers, and he gave it to us, but that is the only part of his game he’s been able to improve. He’s actually regressed almost everywhere else. He put up a career worst 30.7/7.0 K%/BB%, a career worst .620 OPS vs lefties, a career worst negative 8 defensive value and a de facto career worst 2 steals. It’s like he made a deal with the Devil for a power breakout and forgot to iron out the rest of the details. We’ll take that trade off for fantasy, and at a still young 25 years old, the hope is that he can improve his contact rates, but I don’t think we can truly count on it. Either way, I bet on this being a special bat last off-season ranking him 36th overall, and he had the breakout we wanted, finishing 41st overall on the Player Rater. I’m going to keep betting on that special bat (75.4 MPH swing). – 2026 Projection: 86/31/102/.260/.328/.487/4
44) Jackson Merrill – SDP, OF, 22.11 – Selling low on Merrill after the classic sophomore slump would be so silly. It’s just not how I play the game. You need to take the bird eye’s view in dynasty. Players have good and bad years. They have career years. They have disasters. If you overreact to the ebb and flow of a player’s career, you are constantly going to be buying high and selling low. You need to keep that steady hand in most cases, and Merrill is so clearly that case. It really wasn’t even that bad of a season. He fully locked in his ability to lift and pull with an excellent 15.2 degree launch and a solid 15.1% Air Pull%. He had a 13% Barrel% with a 89.7/94.9 MPH AVG/FB EV. I’m not worried about his ability to hit homers, and he made that clear to close out the season with 8 homers in his final 22 games including the playoffs. He stole only one bag in 115 games, but it seems like him being banged up all year was the major culprit for that. He had a hamstring injury in April, a concussion in June and an ankle sprain in August. It seems pretty clear he just never got in a place where he wanted to risk it, but with a 28.5 ft/sec sprint and 16 steals in 2024, I have a hard time believing he is done running. It does say that base stealing might not be his main focus, but we already knew that. The most concerning part of his season is the regression of his plate skills with a 27.1% whiff% and 37.8% Chase%, and that there is less of an excuse for. But that is where the patience for the ebbs and flows of a player’s career comes in, especially for a young one. He’s had a great feel to hit his entire career, and I’m betting on that track record of skills instead of panicking over just this one season. The .279 xBA vs. 264 BA also says he got unlucky. He’s the type that can survive with high chase too. I implore you to stay strong on Merrill. – 2026 Projection: 82/26/93/.281/.330/.480/15
45) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 21.7 – Basallo is going to follow the Junior Caminero track to a T. I can feel it. Caminero came up and was horrific in his first little taste in 2023 (which I told you not even to look at those numbers) and then was mediocre in his more extended taste in 2024 (which I advised, “if there is any buy window based on the small, mediocre MLB sample, I would be all over it.”), before having a monster explosion this season. Basallo is going through that exact same adjustment period, looking mediocre in his pro debut with a .559 OPS in 31 games, but just like Caminero, please completely ignore those numbers. His 75.5 MPH swing is near elite, and while not as elite as Caminero, it’s still damn good. He demolishes the baseball like Caminero with a 94.2 MPH EV, 57.4% Hard Hit%, and 23 homers in 76 games at Triple-A, and also like Caminero, it’s always come with solid strikeout rates while being extremely young for the level. Even with some chase and whiff in their game, these are the type of bats where it really doesn’t matter. And Basallo lifts and pulls more than Caminero. It’s inevitable that Basallo is going to start raking his face off in the majors in the very near future. Whether it comes at catcher or 1B or DH or a combination of all of them, I don’t know, but it doesn’t really matter. He’s going to be one of the top young power hitters in the game real soon. – 2026 Projection: 67/25/81/.249/.317/.446/3 Prime Projection: 92/34/111/.266/.339/.522/4
46) Jesus Made – MIL, SS, 18.11 – Made was having a solid season at Single-A, especially when you took into account he was only 18 years old, but he wasn’t really blowing the doors off with a .267/.373/.388 triple-slash. For a moment there, I was like, maybe this isn’t quite the straight rocket ship we were promised … but then he got called up to High-A and he hit the after burners, slashing .343/.415/.500 with 2 homers, 5 steals, and a 17.9/10.6 K%/BB% in 27 games. I talk about this more in the Colt Emerson blurb, but there is no better sign than when a prospect gets called up to a higher level, and not only maintains their production, but actually takes it up a notch. That is the #1 sign of the rocket ship. Milwaukee obviously recognized this too, promoting him again to Double-A at the end of the season, and while he struggled in 5 regular season games (33.3% K% with a 86 wRC+), he made his mark in the playoffs, going the opposite way off the humongous billboard advertisement for Renova Roofing. “Mother Nature ruins everything. Renova Roofing can help.” They really got their money’s worth that night. How much do you think that goes for? Should I just put a huge Brick Wall up on that thing next year or something? hah … When it was all said and done, Made delivered on his unanimous off-season hype. The hit tool, approach, hard hit and speed (47 steals) were all there. He needs to lift and pull more to full tap into his raw power (only 6 homers in 115 games), but his profile can work without a ton of lift and pull, and it wasn’t in the danger zone or anything with a 43.7% GB% and 40.5% Pull%. There is zero doubt this is the elite prospect we were promised. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 101/25/81/.278/.360/.481/28
47) Leodalis De Vries – SAC, SS, 19.6 – San Diego made a colossal error trading this kid away for a relief pitcher, no matter how good that relief pitcher is. They better put Mason Miller back in the rotation just on the principle of not completely embarrassing themselves more than they already have. At least then it’s semi defensible that you thought you could turn Miller into an ace, and not just a guy who throws 65 innings in an already stacked bullpen. It was mind boggling at the time, and it got even worse when De Vries exploded at Double-A as an 18 year old after the deal, slashing .281/.359/.551 with 5 homers, 2 steals, and a 19.4/7.9 K%/BB% in 21 games. I’ve talked about it a bunch in these writeups, but when a prospect gets to a higher level and not only maintains their production, but takes it up a notch, that is the sign of a truly special talent. It’s absurd that he’s only 18 years old, because when you watch him, he looks like a seasoned vet at the dish already. The kid is just a great all around baseball player with strong plate skills, contact, hard hit, athleticism, and maybe his best skill, the ability to lift and pull like crazy with a 31.7% GB% and 46.9% Pull%. The lefty swing is fast, athletic, and dangerous. He’s definitely an elite dynasty prospect, but the reason I originally had him outside of the Top 5 is that no tool or skill necessarily jumped off the screen. He hit it hard, but he didn’t crush it. He’s not a good base stealer (11 for 19), and he’s not as good with the righty swing (.664 OPS vs. lefties). But after seeing him this spring, it’s clear the nuclear explosion is coming. Expect this dude to be a complete hitter who makes an impact in all categories. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 94/28/96/.274/.357/.496/14 Update: Dude straight up looks Soto-esque this Spring, to the point I think he might bully his way to the majors just like Soto in his age 19 year old season
48) Trea Turner – PHI, SS, 32.9 – Speed first players typically don’t age as well as power first players, but there are exceptions to every rule, and it sure looks like Turner is that exception. His 30.3 ft/sec sprint speed led all of baseball. I will repeat. He is the fastest man in baseball as a 31/32 year old. The next fastest 32 year old was Trevor Story at 104th overall. This is not your average “speed first” player. This is one of the greatest of all time, and it led to 36 steals which was his highest mark since 2018. He also hit .304 with a 16.7% K%. The 15 homers in 141 games is on the low end for what he’s done the last several years, but the 42.1% Hard Hit% looks good, so it was just a matter of not lifting and pulling quite as much. Maybe that hints at what the back nine of his career will look like. Still lots of steals and a high BA, but maybe he regresses more towards who he was earlier in his career before the perennial 20+ homer breakout. You buy him for the BA/steal combo though, and that doesn’t look like it’s dropping off anytime soon. – 2026 Projection: 96/18/73/.293/.343/.451/32
49) Cristopher Sanchez – PHI, LHP, 29.4 – Sanchez broke out in 2023, proved it was for real in 2024, and then took it to an entirely different level in 2025. He adds velocity every year, going from a 92.1 MPH sinker in 2023, to a 94.5 MPH sinker in 2024, and then finally a 95.4 MPH sinker in 2025. It led to a true ace breakout with a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a 26.3/5.5 K%/BB% in 202 IP. The sinker is the most valuable sinker in baseball with a +19 Run Value and the changeup was tied for the 2nd most valuable changeup with a .208 xwOBA and 45.1% whiff%. The slider isn’t as good, but it’s useful with a solid 33.6% whiff%. The 30.4% whiff% overall is elite for a starter, he keeps the ball on the ground with a 3 degree launch, and the control is double plus. He’s an ace. Simple. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.18/1.10/194 in 190 IP
50) Mookie Betts – LAD, SS, 33.6 – We all know why Mookie had a down season. It’s not a mystery. He contracted a very serious stomach virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds right before the season started. That is so clearly the recipe for diminished power, and that is exactly what happened as he put up a career worst 35.8% Hard Hit%. The power outage not only impacted his homer totals (20 in 150 games), but also his batting average (.258), especially because of how much he lifts and pulls. The good news is that the hard hit numbers were already starting to come back up by the end of the season, putting up a 44.3% Hard Hit% in September. The 39.3% Hard Hit% in 17 playoff games was solid too even if he didn’t have the best post-season. He has a career 42.1% Hard Hit%. With a full off-season to regain the strength he lost, it sure seems like he should be in for a major bounce back in 2025, even at 33 years old, because the elite contact rates didn’t go anywhere with a career best 10.3% K%. He stole only 8 bags, and while it’s hard to expect huge steal totals in his mid 30’s, that should bounce back too when he gets on base as much as he usually does. I don’t see how we can consider this the start of a decline when we have a clear reason for the down season. All signs point towards a much better 2026. – 2026 Projection: 104/28/83/.279/.358/.487/14
51) Max Fried – NYY, LHP, 32.2 – Like Freddy Peralta (discussed below), Fried has often fell in that underrated ace tier that I love building my staff with (I got Fried in 2 of my dynasty leagues last year for a very reasonable price), and like Peralta, he probably pitched too well to remain in that underrated tier with a 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 23.6/6.1 K%/BB% in 195.1 IP. He hasn’t put up an ERA above 3.25 since 2020. He’s not an elite K/BB guy, but he has so firmly proven he’s a weak contact machine with a 6.9% Barrel% against in 2025 and a career 5% Barrel% against. He’s as consistent as they come. His price may get a little pricey this off-season though coming off career highs in IP and wins (19), but also like Peralta, he is worth that high price even if he will no longer be a great value. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.09/1.12/178 in 185 IP
52) George Kirby – SEA, RHP, 28.2 – There could be a good buy low opportunity on Kirby this off-season. Obviously his price isn’t going to dip too much, but a down and injured season like this can often make guys much more available than they would have been otherwise. He had the worst year of his career with a 4.21 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 26.1/5.5 K%/BB% in 126 IP, but there are actually signs that he just might have the best year of his career in 2026. For one, shoulder inflammation delayed the start of his season until May and he gave up 11 ER in 8.2 IP his first 2 starts back. That definitely played a role in the down year. But what makes me most excited is that he’s finally missing some bats with his secondaries. He put up an above average whiff% for the first time in his career with a 26.7% whiff%. The 26.1% K% was also a career high. His curve put up a 38.6 whiff% (28.8% in 2024) and his slider put up a 31.2% whiff% (27.1% in 2024). He combined the improved secondaries with his usual elite 96.2 MPH 4-seamer (30.7% whiff%). With a full healthy off-season and with the ability to finally miss some damn bats with the secondaries, it sure seems like an explosion in 2026 is possible. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.48/1.10/197 in 185 IP
53) Matt Olson – ATL, 1B, 32.0 – Olson unsurprisingly bounced back from a down 2024 (117 wRC+) with his usual very good season in 2025 with a 136 wRC+ (career 133 wRC+). His career has been very choppy, alternating standout seasons with merely good seasons, but the only way to play it is to stay steady through the storm. I didn’t overreact to his career year in 2023, and I didn’t overreact to his down year in 2024. He’s simply one of the best power hitters in the game with consistently elite power metrics (93.3 MPH EV and a 53.3% Hard Hit%). The bounce back in 2025 actually didn’t come from homers (29 homers), it came from BA (.272), but he closed out the year by hitting 10 homers in his final 30 games, so it’s just year to year variance. He’s getting up there in age, but he’s a locked in, safe slugger. – 2026 Projection: 91/33/104/.268/.360/.510/1
54) Brent Rooker – SAC, OF, 31.5 – Rooker didn’t hit 39 dingers again, clocking in at “only” 30 homers, but in many ways his 2025 season makes me more comfortable moving forward than even his 2024 season. Most notably, he improved his contact rates again with a 22.2% K% (28.8% in 2024), 30.8% whiff% (34.1% in 2024), and a 26.4% Chase% (31% in 2024). The power is still undeniable with a 13.7% Barrel%, 90.7 MPH EV, 16.4 degree launch and 22% Air Pull%. And he gets another 2 years in that hitter’s haven in Sacramento. He might not be an elite power hitter, but he’s pretty locked in as one of the top power hitters in the game. – 2026 Projection: 87/33/99/.267/.342/.508/8
55) Manny Machado – SDP, 3B, 33.9 – If Machado didn’t play in Petco, he would have probably put up more genuinely huge seasons than he has since signing there in 2019, but he does play in Petco, so we will have to settle for really damn good. He put up another really damn good season in 2025, hitting .275 with 27 homers, 14 steals, and a 123 wRC+ in 159 games. It was good for 38th overall on the Razzball Player Rater. He crushes the ball with a 51.5% Hard Hit%, he gets the bat on the ball with a 19.3% K%, he runs a bit and he can lift and pull. He’s getting up there in age and the ballpark does subdue the upside a tad, so I can’t fly him up too high, but he’s been a consistently excellent, reasonably priced win now bat for years now. – 2026 Projection: 84/30/96/.276/.338/.475/12
56) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 21.1 – I always find it interesting when there is a collective cooling on a prospect that seems to happen at the exact same time … and then I’m the only one left standing there, going, hey, where did everyone go? That is what happened with Jenkins in 2025. He sustained a high ankle sprain in the very beginning of the season, essentially missing the first two months, and all at the same time everyone decided he was irredeemably injury prone and dropped him in the rankings. But I held strong, because no way would I ever sell low on a potentially elite dynasty asset because he sprained his ankle. Then he returned as a 20 year old at Double-A and immediately performed well, but because he didn’t immediately have the power breakout we’ve been waiting for, everyone decided the power would never come and dropped him in the rankings. Again, I held strong, because there was no way I was betting against the power coming for the 6’3”, 210 pound sweet swinging lefty. And then the power came, jacking out 7 homers in his final 44 games. The final 23 of those games came at Triple-A where he put up a respectable 89.1 MPH EV and 43.8% Hard Hit%. I gave him the Kyle Tucker comp from the time he was drafted, and Tucker has a career 44.3% Hard Hit%. Jenkins is going to have enough power when you combine it with his excellent plate approach (18.7/14.5 K%/BB% at Double-A), base stealing ability (17 for 21 in 84 games), and ability to lift and pull (15 degree launch with a 16.7% Air Pull% at Triple-A). This is the type of high floor/high ceiling prospect that we love. At worst, he looks like a solid across the board contributor, and at best, he’s Kyle Tucker 2.0. – 2026 Projection: 29/7/31/.249/.322/.418/8 Prime Projection: 96/26/82/.271/.354/.478/20 Update: Suffered the most frustrating Grade 1 hamstring in the history of hamstring strains. I’m sticking my head in the sand. I refuse to put the Twins curse on him
57) Corey Seager – TEX, SS, 31.11 – The injury bug got Seager again. He played only 102 games due to a hamstring injury that kept him out earlier in the year and then an emergency appendectomy that ended his season in late August. He underwent hernia surgery twice in 2024, both at the beginning and end of the season. How much core surgery can a guy take and still be an elite MLB hitter, because it’s wild that he’s still basically an elite MLB hitter with a .412 xwOBA that is in the top 2% of baseball. He crushes the ball with a 92.9 MPH EV, 53.6% Hard Hit% and 15.3% Barrel%, and the plate skills are excellent with a 19.6/13.0 K%/BB%. You know I’m one to take on extra risk for legit level upside, and this is certainly legit level upside, but I can’t lie, it’s starting to wear on me. He didn’t lift and pull that much this year with a 11.6 degree launch and 11.9% Air Pull%, and while the underlying numbers have been elite these last two years, the surface stats haven’t been quite as elite with a .860 OPS. At basically 32 years old and with all of the injuries, if he falls back to just a very good but not great fantasy player, it wouldn’t be surprising. And that’s assuming he can stay on the field. I’m buying as a win now team, but doing it with some caution. – 2026 Projection: 78/29/84/.280/.362/.499/3
58) Hunter Greene – CIN, RHP, 26.8 – I nailed Greene’s ace breakout in 2024, calling him a major target, and then I doubled down in 2025, predicting that wasn’t even the peak. Who else predicts a random jump in control but me? Greene had a 9% BB% in 2022, a 9.6% BB% in 2023, and a 9.3% BB% in 2024, and I looked at that and said, you know what, I’m smelling improvement coming, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, “His control/command remained below average, but I still think there is another level in here as he stays healthy and gains more experience. I don’t even think this is the peak, assuming he stays healthy, which who knows there honestly (he missed time with elbow inflammation this year). Greene had the ace breakout I knew was coming, and I’m going to continue to buy high.” … and then he went out in 2025 and proved me prescient with that huge jump in control I saw coming, putting up a 6.2% BB%. It wasn’t a “random” prediction of course. It was me betting on his athleticism and work ethic, and it resulted in the cementation of true ace status with a 2.76 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and a 31.4/6.2 K%/BB% in 107.2 IP. The 99.5 MPH 4-seamer put up a +20 Run Value which was tied for 5th best in baseball and the double plus slider put up a 46.9% whiff%. You can ding him for injury risk as he only pitched 107.2 IP and has never pitched more 150.1 IP in a season, but it was a groin injury that knocked him out for over 2 months this year, so I find it hard to really hold that against him too much. He also didn’t improve his third pitch at all, the splitter, with a negative 5 Run Value on the pitch. The negatives are enough to very clearly keep him out of the true top tier, but you know I’m going to keep betting on this kid. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.22/1.06/98 in 80 IP Update: Underwent surgery to remove bone chips and loose bodies that will keep him out until July at the earliest. It’s just another injury for him in a long line of injuries, and it definitely calls into question if he can stay healthy, but I’m not dropping him too far in dynasty. This is just the game with the vast majority of young flamethrowers
59) Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 23.2 – Chase Burns is my #1 pitching prospect in baseball (at least in leagues that use the 50 IP threshold, like most of my leagues do, and not service time, because based on service time he’s not prospect eligible anymore). I was high on him in First Year Player Drafts last off-season, ranking him 4th overall, because I saw the type of true ace upside that was worth sticking your neck out for, and then he went out and proved it. He sliced through the minor leagues with a 1.77 ERA and 36.8/5.4 K%/BB% in 66 IP, and then he almost did the same in the majors with a 3.47 xERA (4.57 ERA) and a 35.6/8.5 K%/BB% in 43.1 IP. The 98.7 MPH 4-seamer is near elite with a 25.2% whiff% and +4 Run Value and the slider is also near elite with a .229 xwOBA and 43.7% whiff%. He only went to the changeup 5.6% of the time, mostly vs. lefties, but it was a solid pitch with a 33.3% whiff% and 75.7 MPH EV against. The control was really good too. He’s an athletic 6’3”, 210 pounds. I don’t see how it can get anymore obvious than this. This is a true ace waiting to happen, even pitching in Cincinnati. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.42/1.15/190 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.03/0.98/245 in 190 IP
60) Eury Perez – MIA, RHP, 22.11 – For all the talk of Eury’s Tommy John rust, you could actually argue his 2025 was better than his 2023 season, or if that is too much of a stretch, you can argue that is wasn’t far off. His 3.27 xERA in 2025 was better than his 3.61 xERA in 2023. His 1.05 WHIP in 2025 was better than his 1.13 WHIP in 2023. He had a 27.3/8.3 K%/BB% in 2025 vs. a 28.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 2023. I mean, almost identical (but not quite). He had a 118 Stuff+ in 2025 vs. a 111 Stuff+ in 2023. His fastball was better in 2025 with a +10 Run Value, 21.3% whiff%, and .327 xwOBA vs. a negative 4 Run Value, 18.7% whiff% and .382 xwOBA. His secondaries weren’t as good, and he didn’t go to them as much, but they were still pretty damn good with a 39.9% whiff% on the slider, 61.1% whiff% on the changeup, and a 46.4% whiff% on the sweeper. Point being, if you were all in on Eury after his dominant 2023, you should still be all in on him now, and I’m definitely still all in. He still has the potential to join that elite of the elite tier, and if his price dropped, I would be all over it. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.37/1.10/183 in 160 IP
61) Joe Ryan – MIN, RHP, 29.3 – Ryan has a career 3.79 ERA in 641 IP. That is a large enough sample to say we probably shouldn’t expect those true ace level ERA’s that are in the low 3’s or even the 2’s. He’s also never thrown more than 171 IP in a season, so it’s hard to really expect those 180+ or even 200+ levels we optimally want our aces to hit. Granted, he had career bests in both ERA (3.42) and IP (171) in 2025, but it was starting to unravel a bit at the end with a 6.47 ERA and 10 homers in his last 32 IP. Like a lot of fastball heavy guys who throw the ball over the plate a lot, he has a homer issue that inflates the ERA. Speaking of that 93.6 MPH fastball, it’s an elite pitch with a 51.2% usage, +18 Run Value, .287 xwOBA and a 26.9% whiff%. He didn’t throw any other pitch more than 13.1% of the time with the sweeper as his standout secondary (.239 xwOBA with a 34% whiff%). At this point, we know what we are getting, and that is a mid 3’s ERA with an elite WHIP and a near elite K/BB (28.2/5.7 K%/BB%). Really damn good, but not quite good enough for me to go higher than this. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.51/1.05/189 in 170 IP
62) Freddy Peralta – NYM, RHP, 29.10 – Here’s how I closed out Peralta’s Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, ” I don’t like fully paying up for the hyped to death aces, but I also don’t want to have to build an entire staff solely from the bargain bin. So Peralta always seems to fall into that goldilocks zone of ace level upside without having to quite pay ace level prices. No matter the league, I always seem to end up with Peralta on a bunch of teams.” … and once again, he came through with a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 28.2/9.1 K%/BB% in 176.2 IP. He might have actually been a little too good this year to keep falling into that underrated “ace” tier, as the 3.47 xERA says he was definitely on the lucky side this year. If his price gets pushed too high because of the surface stats, which I’m guessing it will, I might have to break my streak of grabbing Peralta as one of my staff aces, but of course, he deserves that high ranking even with regression coming in 2026. The trade to the Mets doesn’t change his value at all. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.42/1.11/202 in 175 IP
63) Logan Webb – SFG, RHP, 29.5 – Webb’s 820 IP since 2022 leads all of baseball by a wide margin. Framber Valdez is 2nd at 767.2. And looking at the leaderboard of that list, most of those guys generally continue to stay healthy. We know no pitcher is safe, but the best predictor of staying healthy is past health. Leaning safety/floor over upside generally isn’t my thing, but Webb is sooooooooo much safer than the average pitcher it has to be a major factor. And not only that, his upside got taken up a notch in 2025 with a career best 9.74 K/9. The K% jumped 5.7 points to 26.2%, the whiff% jumped 3.9 points to 24.7%, and he kept it up all season with a 27.3% K% in his final 71.1 IP. The guy hasn’t put up an ERA above 3.47 since 2020. The only real issue is that the WHIP’s have been high the past two seasons (1.24 in 2025), but they were much lower the 3 seasons before that, so I think that is on the low end of his ability rather than his true talent level. Even without the true tippy top upside, Webb has to be considered a highly valuable dynasty asset. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.36/1.19/200 in 200 IP
64) Kyle Bradish – BAL, RHP, 29.6 – Sometimes guys never make it back from Tommy John. Sometimes they make it back in a diminished state. Sometimes they make it back fully healthy. And then there is Bradish, who somehow came back better than he’s ever been before. Bradish returned in late August and was immediately one of the best pitchers in baseball with a 2.53 ERA and 37.3/7.9 K%/BB% in 32 IP. He was in the midst of a true ace breakout before going down with the injury in 2024 with a 2.75 ERA and 32.5/9.2 K%/BB%, so there is some track record to look back on that says this isn’t simply a small sample fluke. And like I said, he was much better than he was in 2024 with his whiff% rising 7.9 points to an elite 34.8%. The slider was insanely elite with a .115 xwOBA and 44.4% whiff%, and the 94.8 MPH sinker was double plus with a +5 Run Value and 25% whiff%. The 4-seamer and curve aren’t as good, but they are both useful pitches with the curve notching a 45.5% whiff% and the 4-seamer putting up a respectable 23.8% whiff%, despite both getting hit hard. It’s a really, really good profile, but it honestly doesn’t feel like he should actually be this elite. I’ve said that for the last 3 years of his career though, and this was his 3rd year in a row of putting up an ERA below 2.83 and a WHIP below 1.07, so how long can I keep doubting this man. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.38/1.09/181 in 155 IP
65) Maikel Garcia – KCR, 3B, 26.1 – I don’t question the Baseball Gods. When they send me visions of Ketel Marte when I think about Maikel Garcia, I listen, and although it took one more year than I expected, that Ketel Marte like improvement came in 2025. He raised his launch 3.3 degrees to a respectable 9.7 degrees, and he increased his Air Pull% 5.4 percentage points to a respectable 16.2%, and it resulted in the game power breakout I foresaw with 16 homers in 160 games (7 homers in 157 games in 2024). His BABIP also normalized, which was obviously coming, bringing his BA up to his true talent level of .286. But not only that, he actually improved his elite contact with a career best 12.6% K% and improved his approach with a career best 9.3% BB%. And he continued to crush the ball with a 91.3 MPH EV. The only thing he didn’t do as well as 2024 was steal, but he still managed a strong 23 steals. And if his power is headed where I think it could be headed, that is more than enough. I don’t see why Garcia wouldn’t be emboldened by the success he had in 2025, and try to continue to build on that this off-season. Ketel Marte had that similar slow but steady rise in launch, barrels, and air pull, and I still see that same path for Garcia. Even if he doesn’t keep improving, this was a definite leveling up/breakout, and I think there could be more down the line especially with the new ballpark dimensions. I’m buying high. – 2026 Projection: 89/18/76/.278/.340/.446/26
66) Jarren Duran – BOS, OF, 29.7 – Duran wasn’t able to maintain his monster 2024 breakout, but there are actually more than a few signs in the underlying numbers that are screaming we should buy any dip in value. His quality of contact metrics improved everywhere you look. He raised his EV 1 MPH to 91.8 MPH. He raised his launch 2.5 degree to 12 degrees. He raised his Hard Hit% 2.9 points to 46.8%. He raised his Air Pull% 4.9 points to 15.2%. And he raised his bat speed 1.2 MPH to 74.8 MPH. It only resulted in 16 homers in 157 games, but that is so clearly the very bottom end of his true talent. He didn’t run as much this year either (24 steals vs. 34 steals), but with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint, that also feels on the low end of his true ability. Another 20/30 season seems well within his reach in his still prime 29 year old season. The plate skills have never been his strength, but the 24.3/8.6 K%/BB% remains solid. I’m buying any discount I can get here. – 2026 Projection: 92/20/84/.266/.335/.461/29
67) JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B/SS, 23.7 – Wetherholt was exactly who we thought he was. It’s exactly who he’s been since his freshman year of college. It’s exactly who he’s been since his pro debut in 2024. And now it’s exactly who he’s been through the upper minors, slashing .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers, 23 steals, and a 14.7/14.5 K%/BB% in 109 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He crushes the ball with a 91.4 MPH EV and 49% Hard Hit%, he’s got speed, and the plate skills are near elite. He’s not a huge lift and pull guy, but he doesn’t have to be for this type of profile. The 12 degree launch and 13.6% Air Pull% aren’t too bad, and he can easily improve on those over time. The 24.3 whiff% at Triple-A wasn’t quite as good as the K%, so he might not truly be an elite contact guy, but the hit tool is clearly plus at least. He was projected to be a .280/20/20 type coming out of the draft, and that is now cemented with his excellent first full year of pro ball. He’s also expected to break camp with the big league club as their starting 2B or 3B. Proximity, safety, upside … he’s got it all. – 2026 Projection: 76/16/68/.262/.331/.425/19 Prime Projection: 103/21/82/.284/.369/.473/24
68) Jackson Holliday – BAL, 2B, 22.4 – The not knowing is the hardest part. Doing just enough to keep us on the hook, but not enough to actually make an impact. We want our prospects to either explode into elite dynasty assets immediately, or be so horrific that we have no internal struggle about moving on. But dynasty wouldn’t be so fun if it was so easy all of the time. Someone once said that Hell is a Utopia where every desire is instantly fulfilled. It’s the not knowing that makes life fun and interesting. So thank you, Jackson Holliday, for having the type of season that leaves us scratching our head if this guy is eventually going to be the elite dynasty asset that was promised to us, or just a solid across the board player who doesn’t make a huge impact. He improved massively from his rookie year, but he put up a 62 wRC+ with a 33.2% K% in his his rookie year, so that’s not saying much. Finishing 198th on the Razzball Player Rater was not exactly the big improvement we were hoping for, but he showed enough to keep us on the hook. The plate skills showed huge improvement, going from a 34.1% whiff% and 27.2% Chase% to a 24.5% whiff% and 22.3% Chase%. He still only hit .242 with a .251 xBA, so he’s not exactly Ichiro Suzuki out there, but much better than 2024’s .189 BA. And nothing else really improved. The Hard Hit numbers actually took a step back with a decent 40.8% Hard Hit%, he didn’t lift and pull more with a 8.9 degree launch and 10.7% Air Pull%, and he wasn’t good on the bases with 17 steals in 28 attempts. He was actually worse in the 2nd half than he was the 1st half, so we can’t say he was improving as the year went along. And he was bad vs. lefties with a .572 OPS. All of these numbers have to be taken with the context that this was a 21 year old kid though. If he went .242/17/17 at 21 years old, it seems pretty reasonable to say that will rise to at least 20+/20+ with a good BA when he’s in his prime. Is it guaranteed to happen? No. But there is a good enough chance it happens that you have to keep valuing him as an extremely valuable dynasty asset. He’s not making it easy on you, but you’re welcome. – 2026 Projection: 72/18/63/.264/.329/.427/17 Prime Projection: 95/25/80/.282/.358/.470/21 Update: Underwent hamate surgery which looks like it will start his year on the IL, but this doesn’t change his long term value at all
69) Max Clark – DET, OF, 21.4 – I’m not saying Clark is underrated, but doesn’t it feel like he gets so much less hype than he should? He was the 3rd overall pick in a stacked draft and has done nothing but rake in pro ball, but I don’t know, it just seems he doesn’t get people overly excited I guess. But you should be overly excited, because this year he proved it in the upper minors as a 20 year old, slashing .251/.360/.439 with 7 homers, 7 steals, and a 16.7/14.3 K%/BB% in 43 games. That was good for a 135 wRC+. He’s not Kevin McGonigle level of hit tool good, but that is still in the double plus range. He continues to grow into more raw power, and he started to get to a lot more of it by lifting and pulling a lot more when he got to Double-A. The power is good, not great right now, but the power is only going to get bigger and bigger as he ages. And while I wish he ran wild crazy, he was 19 for 21 on the bases, so he’s an excellent base stealer with at least plus speed. He has a great combination of floor and upside right now, with 15/25 and a solid BA/OBP being the floor, and 25/40 with a great BA being the upside. He’s an elite dynasty prospect. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 96/20/78/.278/.359/.451/30
70) Shea Langeliers – SAC, C, 28.4 – Langeliers gets the small nod over Rice because we still have to sweat out how long Rice will actually retain catcher eligibility. In dynasty, having that stability that you know you are locked in at the catcher position for several years is valuable, if for nothing else than peace of mind. And Shea has a case for it even taking defense out of the equation. He had a breakout season on the back of much improved contact rates, bringing his K% down 7.5 points to 19.7% and his whiff down 4.1 points to 25.1%. It led to a .277 BA vs. a .224 BA in 2024. It didn’t impact his power at all either, jacking out 31 homers in 123 games (he missed some time with an oblique) with tons of lift/pull (16.3 degree launch with a 21.9% Air Pull%) and good Hard Hit (90.8 MPH EV with a 44.8% Hard Hit%). He put up a 1.018 OPS post break in 57 games, so the breakout was actually ramping up as the season went along, and it wasn’t just the result of his minor league home park with 19 homers on the road vs. 12 at home. It’s a little scary putting Langeliers 3rd when the .328 xwOBA is much worse than his competition, but we know Statcast underrates lifting and pulling, and the xwOBA was much better in the 2nd half (.351). If anyone’s profile here mimics Cal Raleigh’s career path, it’s Langeliers, and Raleigh just had an all time season at 28 years old. Maybe Langeliers can follow in his footsteps. – 2026 Projection: 74/33/84/.256/.319/.498/6
71) Ben Rice – NYY, 1B/C, 27.1 – Last off-season, when it looked like Rice had nowhere to play, when it looked the Yanks didn’t fully believe in him, when he was coming off a season where he hit .171 … one man stood in the face of all that adversity and said, eff it, I’m still targeting him whether you like it or not, writing in his Target blurb, “Listen, I don’t have the slightest clue how he ends up with a full time job either. Even with Goldy only on a one year deal, the Yanks could so easily acquire another vet next off-season. And he’s already 26 years old. But sometimes I just want to bet on the bat, and let things shake themselves out, and that is how I feel with Rice. He’s obliterated every stop of the minors, and while he was always on the older side, you can only dominate the competition put in front of you. Then in his very first taste of the bigs, the man put up a 15.6% Barrel% in 50 games. All he does is rake. Is it not great that the surface were so bad with a .269 wOBA, yea, it’s not great, but that is where the value comes in. I don’t know how. And I don’t know when. But I do know who. And that who is Ben Rice.” … and then Rice went out in 2025 and rewarded my faith in him in more ways than I even expected. Not only did the big offensive breakout come with 26 homers and a 133 wRC+ in 138 games, but he also caught 36 games, giving him catcher eligibility for 2026. That is a major bonus I wasn’t even planning on. The funny thing is, the surface stats still didn’t come close to matching the underlying numbers with a .358 wOBA vs. .410 xwOBA, but when the underlying numbers say you are the 7th best hitter in the baseball, you can underperform them and be just fine. He improved everywhere you look from his rookie year with a 93.3 MPH EV, 56.1% Hard Hit%, 21.5% whiff%, and an 18.9% K%. He’s a lift and pull machine, so it’s not even like he has the type of profile that should underperform Statcast this much. He’s underperformed it considerably for two straight years, so I wouldn’t expect anything different in 2026, but there is definitely a chance he was just unlucky two years in a row. I wouldn’t rule out another level of offensive performance in 2026. And defensively, it sure seems like he will once again rack up full time at bats at catcher, 1B, and DH, giving him a good shot to retain catcher eligibility for at least a few more seasons. I was buying hard when the price was cheap last off-season, and I’m still buying high this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 84/30/81/.265/.348/.511/4
72) Byron Buxton – MIN, OF, 32.4 – Byron Buxton is the reverse Mike Trout. The Baseball Gods work in mysterious ways, and with a little patience, they reward those who have been faithful to them. Trout was blessed with an immaculate front nine of his career, only to be riddled with injuries in the back nine, while Buxton was riddled with injuries in the front nine, and now the back nine looks to be his time to shine. He never gave up. He never shook his fist at the heavens. He just put his head down and put the work in, maintaining his absolutely elite talent through everything. He was 31 years old, been through the ringer, and he was still the tied for 2nd fastest man in baseball with a 30.2 ft/sec sprint. The fastest man was the 32 year old Trea Turner. What the hell is going in on baseball? Shouldn’t the young legs be faster? He also still swings an elite 75 MPH bat. Age be damned, the talent that made him one of the most hyped prospects in our generation is 100% there, and he used that talent to explode in 2025, slashing .264/.327/.551 with 35 homers, 24 steals, and a 27.3/7.6 K%/BB% in 126 games. Those GP were the 2nd most of his career, and that built off the 3rd most games played in his career in 2024 (102). He’s learning how to stay more and more healthy. The 53.8% Hard Hit% was a career high and he’s been a lift and pull machine his entire career. He was a perfect 24 for 24 on the bases! In his career he has 117 steals and has only been caught 12 times! That is the 2nd best success rate of all time, behind only … you will never guess it … Josh Lowe! Kyle Tucker is 3rd and Oneil Cruz is 4th. His injury luck is starting to even itself out just a bit, and I’m smelling it evening out even more as he gets deeper into his 30’s. I think we are on the precipice of a super weird reverse career arc and I’m in for it. I’m taking on the extra injury risk. Buxton is a target if people are still scared of him. – 2026 Projection: 91/32/82/.260/.326/.521/20
73) Trey Yesavage – TOR, RHP, 22.8 – It’s a 3 man race between Burns, Yesavage, and McLean for the #1 pitching prospect in baseball. None of them should really be considered prospects anymore with all of them throwing over 40 IP (including the playoffs), so it’s an unfair fight, but they all proved their high end skills will transfer to the majors, and that gives them a leg up over everyone else. I thought I was about to be the high guy on Yesavage like I was in the End of Season Dynasty Rankings, but that was before the playoffs, and well, Yesevage absolutely dazzled the baseball world. He put up a 3.58 ERA with a 35.8/10.1 K%/BB% in 27.2 IP (3.21 ERA with a 25.8/11.3 K%/BB% in 14 IP in the regular season). It came with a stupid 40% whiff%, which is genuinely insane. It sat 35.4% in the regular season, and it was 37.7% at Triple-A. These are really nearly unheard of, off the charts numbers. Starters just don’t have whiff rates that high even if you are in the elite tier. Those are closer to all time whiff rates. He generates those whiff rates mainly with the elite splitter (58.4% whiff%), but the slider is really good too with a 39.8% whiff%. So why is he my #2 pitching prospect and not #1 pitching prospect? It’s because of the fastball and below average walk rates. I don’t think the 4-seamer is bad, but it’s not that bulletproof, elite 4-seamer we often see from the very best pitchers in the league. It doesn’t have that elite velocity (94.3 MPH), it got hit really hard with a .367 xwOBA and 94.2 MPH EV against including the playoffs, and it doesn’t miss an elite amount of bats with a decent 19.8% whiff%. The pitch was better at Triple-A and it has 19.5 vert with a unique release profile, so I think it has the potential to be a good pitch, but it’s not like Burns’ 98.7 MPH 4-seamer. Burns also has average to potentially plus walk rates, while Yesavage’s are firmly below average. I wouldn’t blame you for going Yesavage over Burns (Yesavage has the ballpark advantage), and it’s close for me, but I just can’t shake wanting that super elite fastball (and also that elite slider) from Burns. Yesevage is #2. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.48/1.19/174 in 145 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.13/1.10/250 in 185 IP Update: A shoulder impingement delayed the start of his ramp up, putting him on the IL to start the season, but he’s expected to pitch soon and this doesn’t change his dynasty value. It seemed Toronto wanted to limit his innings this year anyway
74) Jacob Misiorowski – MIL, RHP, 24.0 – Misiorowski never needed to have plus control to breakout. He didn’t even need to get to average control. Shit, even below average control was unnecessary. He just needed to get to not “cover your eyes horrific” control, and he did indeed improve from “cover your eyes horrific control” to just bad control in 2025. That was all he needed. He put up a 2.13 ERA with a 31.6/12.3 K%/BB% in 63.1 IP at Triple-A, and then he got the call to the majors and put up a 3.32 xERA (4.36 ERA) with a 32.0/11.0 K%/BB% in 66 IP (1.50 ERA with a 34.8/6.5 K%/BB% in 12 playoff IP). The 99.3 MPH 4-seamer is elite with a 55.2% usage, .298 xwOBA, and 42.5% whiff%. But I have to say, that is really the only elite thing he has, or even close to it. The slider wasn’t good with a .340 xwOBA and 20% whiff%, and it wasn’t that good at Triple-A either. The curve is better, but not much better with a .297 xwOBA and 30.7% whiff%. And the changeup is actually really good, but he barely goes to it with a 5.9% usage. So he has an elite fastball, and everything else is below average. It’s making me slightly hesitant to really go too insane on his ranking, but only slightly. His career is only getting started, and further improvement to his control and secondaries should be coming down the line. The fastball is also so elite that it really does overshadow any other weaknesses. I’m certainly buying. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.52/1.21/197 in 160 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.36/1.14/230 in 180 IP
75) Nolan McLean – NYM, RHP, 24.8 – I talked about it in the Yesavage blurb, but it’s a 3 man race for the top “fake” pitching prospect in baseball between Burns, Yesavage and McLean. I say “fake,” because these guys have already demonstrated dominance in the majors, which means, there is nothing prospective about them. They are known entities. But using the under 50 IP threshold that most dynasty leagues use (based on my experience), they are still considered prospects. And the reason I have McLean 3rd in that group can honestly be boiled down to mostly one thing, which is that he doesn’t miss as many bats as Burns and Yesavage. I am a sucker for whiffs, and McLean’s whiff% was 28% at Triple-A and 28.4% in the majors, while Burns went 33.7% at Triple-A and 31.9% in the majors, and Yesavage went 37.7% at Triple-A and 35.4% in the majors (even higher at 40% in the playoffs). I also didn’t love that the famed sweeper, his best and most used pitch in the minors, got utterly shelled in the majors with a .448 xwOBA and 20.3% whiff%. That isn’t just bad, that is crazy horrific. I’m obviously nitpicking here, but I find it more interesting to give my reasons for why he’s 3rd overall and not 1st overall. I clearly still love him as he dominated the majors overall with a 2.06 ERA, 3.56 xERA and 30.3/8.5 K%/BB% in 48 IP. Sure the sweeper wasn’t good, but his 5 other pitches were awesome, putting up plus Run Values ranging from 1 to 4. The sinker was the best pitch with a negative 12 degree launch, which is nuts. The curve put up a 50% whiff%. The 4-seamer missed bats and the change and cutter were solid against lefties. If you wanted to put him 1st overall, I wouldn’t argue with you (I actually probably would argue with you a little as I love Burns so much), but you get the point. McLean is awesome. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.45/1.17/183 in 170 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.22/1.10/212 in 190 IP
76) Chris Sale – ATL, LHP, 37.0 – The decline has to come at some point, but it’s not even close to being here, and the upside is so insanely elite that I don’t even care about his age. He put up a 2.58 ERA with a 32.4/6.3 K%/BB% in 125.2 IP, and while a fractured rib knocked out a large portion of his season, he returned for 6 starts to close out the year and was just as dominant. The fastball sits 94.8 MPH whish is basically exactly where it’s sat his entire career and the slider was the most valuable slider in baseball with a +23 Run Value. I’m riding this thing into the ground as a win now team. I’m not selling. – 2026 Projection: 14/2.88/1.09/198 in 155 IP
77) Jacob deGrom – TEX, RHP, 37.10 – Like so many other Tommy John returnees, deGrom actually did come back diminished, but that just meant he went from one of the greatest to ever do it, to merely just a true ace. He put up a 2.97 ERA with a 27.7/5.5 K%/BB% in 172.2 IP. It was the most innings he pitched by far since 2019, which is really the most important thing, and he’s been very conscious of pulling back just a bit in order to stay healthy, which is obviously the right thing to do. Even him pulling back means throwing 97.5 MPH though, ha. The slider, changeup, and lesser used curve were bat missing machines, leading to a still elite 30.2% whiff% overall. Prime deGrom put up a 45.1/3.4 K%/BB%, so he’s not prime deGrom, but that level of prime deGrom never pitched more than 92 IP in a season. The deGrom that puts up around 30/5 K/BB percentages stays healthy, and hopefully that is the one we will see for at least the next few years. He’s an elite win now piece. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.13/0.99/170 in 155 IP
78) Randy Arozarena – SEA, OF, 31.1 – I got scared off of Arozarena with his move to Seattle, and it just goes to show that ballpark isn’t everything. We did the same thing with Josh Naylor after his move to Arizona. Of course we have to take ballpark downgrades into account, but it’s easy to weigh it way more than we should. And it came back to bite me big time with Arozarena putting up a career high 27 homers with a career high 50.6% Hard Hit%. That is one way to overcome a bad ballpark. Just smash the ball harder than you’ve ever done. He hit 17 of those homers at home, so it really was a case where the ballpark didn’t matter. He also had the best base stealing season of his career, going 31 for 37 on the bases. The power/speed combo is legit and it’s actually never been better. The BA is still a negative with a .238 BA, 26.9% K%, and 29.1% whiff%, and his age is starting to creep up there, but it doesn’t feel like his value has bounced back enough. Even in redraft he’s only going 89th overall. He looks like a very reasonably priced win now vet. – 2026 Projection: 88/23/79/.240/.338/.430/26
79) Nick Lodolo – CIN, LHP, 28.2 – Just call him Nick “The Eternal Target” Lodolo, because for the 28th straight year, Lodolo is a target this off-season. Can’t say I didn’t see it coming, both in terms of him breaking out in 2025, and in terms of him still somehow remaining an underrated target, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, “The Eternal Buy Low is back at it again. It wouldn’t be a dynasty baseball off-season without Nick Lodolo being a buy low candidate. I imagine that one day I will be in my 80’s, and I will be writing about how Nick Lodolo Jr. is a great buy low candidate. Like father, like son (or maybe like grandfather, like grandson at that point). It’s been a frustrating start to his career because we all know there is so much more in here, but I’m not letting that frustration get to me. Certainly do not sell low on this man, and once again, target him.,” … and now that he broke out in 2025 with a 3.33 ERA and 24.3/4.8 K%/BB% in 156.2 IP, paying off majorly if you’ve been taking my advice over the years … he’s still somehow underrated and a target. Even in the breakout, he left hints that this isn’t the peak, and those “hints” were a 2.90 ERA with a 27.4/4.8 K%/BB% in his last 77.2 IP. The 27.5% whiff% on the season is well above average, and it jumped to 34.7% in those final 77.2 IP. He’s always been a big strikeout guy throughout his career. That 24.3% is so clearly on the very low end of his ability, and as we saw in the 2nd half, he has the ability to combine his newfound elite walk rates with a high strikeout rate. The 93.8 MPH fastball isn’t dominant, but it’s a good pitch with a 23.1% whiff% and .305 xwOBA. The curve is a whiff machine with a 40.3% whiff% and .212 xwOBA. And the changeup and sinker were actually his two best pitches by Statcast Run Value with a +7 on each pitch. Both pitches keep the ball on the ground. Maybe it’s that people are still super scared off by Great American Ball Park, but I’ve been hitting on targets like crazy the past few years by not being scared of it. I’ve hit on Greene (see below), Lodolo and Burns (I guess that remains to be seen), and I’m going to keep going to that well on all 3. Lodolo has only 409.2 IP in his career, so he’s still in the ascending part of his career. 2026 is the year where it truly all comes together for that career year. He’s never been more of a target, and I’m sure going into 2027, he will somehow still be a target. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.28/1.11/185 in 165 IP
80) Jesus Luzardo – PHI, LHP, 28.6 – Luzardo was one of my top pitcher targets last off-season, writing his Target blurb, “ It seems like everyone has completely jumped ship on Luzardo, which is fine by me, because I’m going to scoop up all of those depressed shares at a steal of a price. The man has a career 30.8% whiff% and 8.4% BB%. I promise you, that is in rarified air. Even with last year’s down and injured season, he had a 29.6% whiff% and 8.0% BB%. It’s crazy that everyone just hates him now. He’s a 27 year old with 2 near elite seasons in 2022 and 2023. He throws gas. HIs slider and change are whiff machines. The control is solid. The gap between what I believe his value should be, and what it is, might be the very largest of any pitcher in baseball right now.” … and while it wasn’t the smoothest ride, it definitely paid off majorly if you took my advice. He ended up with a 3.92 ERA, 3.36 xERA, and a 28.5/7.5 K%/BB% in 183.2 IP. His 216 strikeouts was the 4th best in baseball. Everything I loved about him coming into the year was there with the fastball velocity back up to 96.5 MPH and the secondaries missing tons of bats. The 30.8% whiff% is elite for a starter and the control was above average. He had a pitch tipping issue during the season which inflated his ERA, and he has bouts of inconsistency, but I would be happy with him towards the top of my fantasy rotation. The time to buy was last off-season, but I still like him at his fair value. – 2026 Projection: 14/3.51/1.21/210 in 180 IP
81) Dylan Cease – TOR, RHP, 30.3 – It was already obvious that Cease’s 4.55 ERA in 168 IP wasn’t close to his true talent level considering the 3.46 xERA and excellent 29.8/9.8 K%/BB%, and then Toronto handing him a 7 year, $210 million contract just hammered that point home even more. The 33.4% whiff% is in the elite of the elite for a starter, he throws gas with a 97.1 MPH fastball that put up a 25.8% whiff%, and the slider is whiff machine with a 42.8% whiff%. A mostly 2 pitch guy with below average control is going to be streaky, and that isn’t really an ace profile, but a #2/3 starter with high K rates plays up in fantasy. I have a feeling he’s going to be falling into the range I love to start building my staff with in dynasty. I would be completely fine with him being my 2nd best starter going into 2026. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.52/1.20/220 in 180 IP
82) William Contreras – MIL, C, 28.3 – Contreras just doesn’t lift and pull enough (7 degree launch with a 11.1% Air Pull%) to give you that ceiling you want from a fantasy player. It resulted in only 17 homers. When catcher was a toxic wasteland, his stability put him at the very top of the rankings, but now with so many more exciting options, I can’t put him at the very top. He does everything else well though with 150 games played, a 91.1 MPH EV, 48.5% Hard Hit%, and a 18.2/12.7 K%/BB%. That K%, BB% and also 24.2% whiff% were all career bests, so even in a mediocre year, there were signs of improvement. The .260 BA is clearly at the low end of his ability. If you want stability over excitement, I can still see going Contreras #2 or #3 on the catcher rankings, but what can I say, I like to live dangerously 😉 … he’s 5th. – 2026 Projection: 87/20/80/.275/.365/.463/7
83) Drake Baldwin – ATL, C, 25.0 – Let me start the Baldwin blurb with the thing that is worrying me just slightly. He doesn’t lift and pull that much with a 6.5 degree launch and 15.1% Air Pull%. He didn’t lift and pull very much in the minors either, and he’s already 25 years old, so while I wouldn’t rule out improvement, I think we have to assume that this is the profile. We’ve seen similar profiles like Yainer Diaz end up a little less exciting than originally hoped for. Like Diaz, Baldwin is also a near zero in steals, which isn’t a huge deal for catchers, but there are catchers out there that steal a handful or more. Even William Contreras, another close comp, was on the underwhelming side this season, although still really good. I do think it likely caps some of the upside. But getting that out of the way, Baldwin is obviously an awesome young catcher. He rips the ball with an 11% Barrel%, 91.7 MPH EV and 49.6% Hard Hit%. He also makes a ton of contact with a 15.2% K%, and unlike Diaz, the plate approach is good too with a 8.5% BB%, and likely more coming at peak. The profile quite clearly works without a ton of lift and pull (19 homers with a .274 BA in 124 games), so I love Baldwin. I’m not low on him at all. I’m just pointing out the odds of that crazy Cal Raleigh like utter domination career year might not really be in here. Expect more really, really good consistency like Contreras. Even with Seam Murphy still in the picture, I’m not worried about him getting full time run. – 2026 Projection: 71/22/83/.272/.343/.468/1
84) Agustin Ramirez – MIA, C, 24.7 – I didn’t believe Ramirez was actually Miami’s catcher of the future last off-season, I gave that distinction to Joe Mack, and while I still believe that to be true this off-season, Ramirez’ bat was impressive enough in his MLB debut where I don’t really care. He was such a bad defensive catcher it was almost impressive. He put up a negative 28 blocks above average, which isn’t only the worst mark in the league, it’s the worst mark by a landslide (Salvador Perez was 2nd worst at -15). His caught stealing above average was also the very worst in the league at negative 10. Miami seems like they aren’t ready to give up on him at catcher, which I kinda get because why not, what other choice do they have, but it seems like a long shot he can actually improve enough to stick there. The bat on the other hand was damn impressive in the other direction. He smokes the ball with a 11% Barrel%, 90.8 MPH EV, and 47% Hard Hit%, which is made even more impressive by the fact the contact rates are pretty good with a 19.3% K% and 25.5% whiff%. It led to 21 homers in 136 games, and the cherry on top is that he also stole 16 bags in 19 attempts despite below average speed. He ran a good amount in the minors too with a good success rate, so it seems like base stealing is a real skill he possesses. He doesn’t lift a ton with a 8.3 degree launch, although the 18.5% Air Pull%, combined with his hard hit, makes that not that big of a deal. And he only had a .700 OPS and .230 BA, but the .340 xwOBA, .270 xBA, and .253 BABIP all say he got unlucky. Even if he didn’t get as unlucky as the underlying numbers indicate, I’m not worried about his BA. It was an awesome debut and it proved the bat will profile anywhere, even at DH only, but let’s hope he can retain at least a few more years of catcher eligibility. That risk he loses catcher eligibility is why he ranks #7 on the catcher rankings and not higher. – 2026 Projection: 72/23/79/.259/.323/.449/17
85) Colt Emerson – SEA, SS, 20.8 – When a prospect gets promoted to the upper minors and not only maintains their high level of production, but actually improves on their weaknesses, it is just about the best sign they could give us. That is the sign of the rocket ship, and we are all looking for that rocket ship that just can’t stop raking no matter the level. That is exactly what Emerson did in 2025. He started to tap into that big raw power with 11 homers in 90 games at High-A, and while the 49.8% GB% was still high at the level, it came all the way down to 39.6% after he got promoted to Double-A (he was improving it towards the end of his stay at High-A too). He closed out the season slashing .293/.372/.470 with 5 homers, 8 steals, and a 19.7/9.0 K%/BB% in 40 games in the upper minors. The last 6 of those games were at Triple-A where he ripped 2 homers with a 174 wRC+ and 93.6 MPH EV. He’s still not a huge lift and pull guy, but it’s a big improvement from where he was earlier in his career, and he hits the ball hard enough to hit it out to all fields. The game power uptick combines with his already excellent plate skills and athleticism to make him at the very least a near elite dynasty prospect, and maybe we should take out the “near” part. Especially hitting in Seattle, I still wouldn’t expect monster power/speed numbers, but the high BA and high Runs/RBI should make up for it. – 2026 Projection: 39/8/31/.261/.320/.418/9 Prime Projection: 98/24/79/.284/.366/.471/18
86) Brice Turang – MIL, 2B, 26.4 – Turnag had the largest Hard Hit% increase amongst qualified hitters in the history of Statcast, and it’s not even close. He had a 17.7 point increase and the next highest since 2016/17, which is when Statcast came on the scene, was 13.5. This excludes the 2020 season because that was a much smaller sample of games, but even including 2020, 18.1 was the highest increase, still putting Turang near the very best to ever do it. I just thought it was interesting to put it into context that this wasn’t just a “power uptick,” this is one of the biggest power upticks we’ve ever seen. He did it on the back of a remarkable 4.5 MPH increase in bat speed, which you guessed it, is also the largest increase in bat speed since bat speed came on the scene (not that long ago, just since 2024 but they added in 2nd half 2023 bat speed later too). It obviously resulted in a breakout season, hitting .288 with 18 homers, 24 steals, 97 Runs, and 81 RBI. The only real red flag in his profile is the 7% Air Pull%. That is the 5th lowest mark in baseball. It surely caps his homer upside, but Yandy Diaz is actually lower than him at 5.8%, and he just hit 25 homers. Yelich is also in that area at 8.1%, and he hit 29 homers, so if Turang can actually keep up these Hard Hit gains, he’s capable of hitting plenty of homers even without pulling more in the air. And if he does start pulling more in the air, watch out. I’m buying the breakout, but factoring in some hard hit regression, and taking into account the super low air pull, he’s more in the Top 75-100 area for me. – 2026 Projection: 89/17/71/.272/.339/.428/30
87) Jeremy Pena – HOU, SS, 28.6 – Pena had that magical 27 year old breakout where experience meets athleticism at that perfect goldilocks zone. At 27 your brain is fully formed (around 25 is when the brain is fully developed), you have several years of experience under your belt, and you are still in peak athletic shape. And then sprinkle some good luck on top, and you have the season Pena just had, slashing .304/.363/.477 with 17 homers, 20 steals, and a 17.1/6.4 K%/BB% in 125 games. The .345 BABIP says about 20-30 points of that BA was good fortune, but the power gains he made were very real, both raw and game power. The 42.9% Hard Hit% was up 4.1 points and the 21.1% Air Pull% was up 5.9 points. You want to lift and pull in Houston, and it led to him hitting 11 of his 17 homers at home. He also improved his base stealing, getting caught only twice in 22 attempts. Even with neutral luck, he now looks like a 20/20 guy with a good BA, which easily makes him a Top 100 dynasty asset at the least, and that is probably underselling him. – 2026 Projection: 83/20/72/.277/.331/.440/22
88) Vinnie Pasquantino – KCR, 1B, 28.6 – The one thing we can be sure about with Vinnie, is that he’s looking at the same stuff we’re looking at, and he’s going to do everything he can to make that Statcast page look as pretty as possible. We know this because he loves to talk shit about it on Twitter, most recently here and here. Bat speed came on the scene in 2024, so of course Vinny immediately went about improving it, and he did it successfully by raising his bat speed from a dead average 71.7 MPH to a now above average 72.5 MPH. Pulling in the air is all the rage, and he’s been going after that since coming into the majors, improving that combo every year, resulting in a career best 25% Air Pull% in 2025. And he’s made these improvements while mostly maintaining his excellent contact rates (18.2% whiff%) and hard hit rates (44.7% Hard Hit%), culminating in the best season of his career this year, smashing 32 homers with 113 RBI and a .264 BA. We want contact, hard hit, lift, and pull, and Vinnie gives us contact, hard hit, lift and pull. If he didn’t hit in the very worst park for lefty homers, we could be looking at a guy scraping 40 homers for the next several seasons … record scratch … oh damn, KC is now moving the fences in, and the player it might benefit the most is Vinnie. But the ballpark wasn’t his only negative. He’s also bad vs. lefties (.614 OPS), bad on defense (negative 7 OAA), and very slow (bottom 9% sprint), making him a platoon risk in the future. But the ballpark is upgrade is huge for him, and it now gives him the chance for those league winning career years that would have been subdued if they haven’t moved the fences in. He gets a bump. – 2026 Projection: 76/30/107/.261/.330/.477/1
89) Cody Bellinger – NYY, OF, 30.9 – Once Bellinger was traded to the Yanks and the short porch, it was all systems go because he doesn’t have the hard hit to be ballpark proof, and Bellinger did indeed dominate at Yankee Stadium with 18 homers and a .909 OPS vs. 11 homers and a .715 OPS on the road. It wasn’t only the ballpark, he put up a career best 13.7% K% and 18.1% whiff%, and his hard hit bounced back with a 5 point increase to 37.9%. But we don’t have to worry about a ballpark downgrade anymore because he’s back with the Yanks. Easy. – 2026 Projection: 83/25/88/.265/.329/.460/14
90) Austin Riley – ATL, 3B, 29.0 – I thought I smelled a buy low opportunity coming for Riley, but with a 63 NFBC ADP, it seems that people are smartly not falling for the bait. This dude just crushes the ball way too hard and swings way too fast to fade him. He put up a .737 OPS in 102 games, but the 15.2% Barrel%, 92.3 MPH EV, 50.2% Hard Hit% and 75.9 MPH swing is screaming to not even think about selling low. He’s only 29 years old and he has a super strong track record to fall back on too. The reason I thought there could be a buying opportunity is that his season ended in early August with an abdominal injury that required core surgery, and his 2024 season wasn’t great either with a 116 wRC+ in 110 games, but there is too much that is still going for him to be scared off by it. Everyone is correct to hold strong on his value, but if the Riley owner in your league is getting cold feet, jump on it. – 2026 Projection: 83/31/91/.258/.320/.477/2
91) Oneil Cruz – PIT, OF, 27.6 – Cruz might have had the most disappointing 20/38 season of all time. If you told me he was going to go 20/38 before the season started, I would have said he’s going to be a huge hit, but we all know that isn’t how it played out. The BA completely tanked, sitting directly on the Mendoza line at .200, but even more worrisome is that it was getting worse as the season went along, much worse with a .184 BA in his final 104 games. And it was even more brutal vs. lefties with a .102 BA. He was sitting a ton by the end of the season, because he’s not a good defensive player either. We are in a real pickle here, because a guy who can’t hit lefties, has major BA risk, and isn’t great on defense doesn’t sound like a good bet, but at the same time, he can legitimately go 30/40, and that isn’t even a stretch to say. The 17.9% Barrel%, 95.8 MPH EV, 78.8 MPH swing, and 56.6% Hard Hit% are all off the charts. Well, they’re on the charts, but extremely high up on the charts. The 29.2 ft/sec sprint is double plus too. And the underlying numbers say he got unlucky. The .229 xBA and the .330 xwOBA were both much better than the surface stats. He has a career .233 BA. If he hits .240 next year, he has the type of talent that can win leagues, especially with how far I’m expecting him to fall this off-season. If you own him already, there is nothing to do but hold. Selling low would be silly. And while I can’t say I’m targeting him hard, I will 100% grab him if his price falls too low. This is still a Top 100 dynasty asset for me. – 2026 Projection: 76/22/74/.228/.309/.427/33
92) Emmet Sheehan – LAD, RHP, 26.5 – Betting on Tommy John/internal brace returnees is a total roll of the dice. We have no idea which ones are going to come back fully healthy and which ones aren’t, but one thing I noticed in 2025, is that you can tell which ones are fully back extremely quickly. Conventional wisdom would say we should give guys time to shake the rust off, but that wasn’t the case at all in 2025. The guys who came back and looked great from literally their first rehab outing, were the guys who kept on looking great. And the ones who looked rusty out of the gate, more or less remained rusty all season. I still buy into the conventional wisdom somewhat, but I think it’s worth mentioning that in practice it didn’t work that way at all. And it’s a lesson I’m taking with me for 2026. Basically buy hard on a guy who dominates in their first rehab outing, and at the very least don’t buy on a guy who doesn’t look back to 100%. And I have to say, I was all over Sheehan the second he started dominating at Triple-A, calling him a major target over and over again and ranking him extremely high on the in season dynasty rankings from mid-season on. He was bordering on elite pitching prospect status before the injury, and he immediately re-established that level with a 2.18 xFIP and 45.6/2.5 K%/BB% in 19.2 IP at Triple-A in his rehab outings. It’s hard to break into LA’s rotation for a young pitcher, but LA clearly saw what I was seeing and gave them no choice. And when he did get that shot, he looked like a young ace with a 2.82 ERA and 30.6/7.6 K%/BB% in 73.1 IP (I’m trying my best to ignore the horrific post-season because I have no idea what to do with that). The 95.6 MPH fastball was a bat missing weapon with a 26.5% whiff%, the slider was straight elite with a .198 xwOBA and 43.6% whiff%, and the changeup was excellent with a .200 xwOBA and 30.2% whiff%. The control is above average and the 32.9% whiff% is in the elite of the elite for a starter. There is nothing not to like (other than the playoffs, woof). Sheehan is one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.47/1.16/165 in 145 IP Update: Stuff isn’t quite as good this spring, and while I wouldn’t read too much into it, I did give him a small drop from my earlier even loftier ranking. Still love him
93) Will Smith – LAD, C, 31.0 – Smith put up a 153 wRC+ and finished as the 11th best catcher in fantasy. If that isn’t such a classic Will Smith season, I don’t know what is. He is the biggest tease by far at the catcher position. I stopped waiting for the monster fantasy breakout last off-season, writing, “There is certainly potential for everything to fall right and for him to have that big year, but I’m no longer waiting for it. He’s a good fantasy catcher, but not a great one.” … and it’s wild that he did have a huge breakout with a .375 xwOBA and .389 wOBA, and it still resulted in the 11th best catcher. It’s almost impressive. Part of the reason was because he suffered a hairline fracture in his hand which ended his regular season in on Sept. 9th (he returned for the post-season), limiting him to 110 games, but he was already on pace for his lowest game total, and we know LA rests him a ton to prepare for deep playoff runs. With Dalton Rushing trying to break in now too, and Smith getting older, I don’t see why that trend wouldn’t continue. He also simply doesn’t hit enough homers with 19, 20, and 17 homers from the last 3 years. Can I pick out stats that say the huge monster fantasy season is coming? Sure, but how many times can we play that game. Just like last year, I’m done waiting for it. He’s a good fantasy catcher but not a great one. – 2026 Projection: 76/20/76/.268/.364/.470/2
94) Hunter Goodman – COL, C, 26.6 – I didn’t think Goodman was a good enough defensive catcher to actually lock down Colorado’s starting catching job, but major credit to him for improving massively with the mitt, turning into an above average defensive catcher in 2025. He went from a negative 3 in Statcast Catcher Runs in just 23 games behind the plate in 2024, to a positive 2 in 104 games in 2025. I didn’t think he had it in him, because his glove was always considered below average, but what I did think he had in him was the ability to hit bombs, and he did that too. I loved his bat speed last off-season, and that 74.4 MPH swing led to 31 homers with a career best 90.8 MPH EV and 46.9% Hard Hit%. The power is unquestionable, but the reason I have him as my 9th ranked catcher, and not my 3rd ranked catcher, is the hit tool and approach are still a risk. He had a 36.7% Chase%, 32% whiff%, and a 26.3/5.7 K%/BB%. Coors helps BA, but I still don’t trust that .278 BA, and there is risk it can even drop down into the low .200’s. The guys ranked above him just don’t have that risk (although Langeliers has it slightly). He’s right in the same tier with them though. – 2026 Projection: 70/28/81/.249/.305/480/1
95) Michael Busch – CHC, 1B, 28.5 – Busch is a great example to not overrate bat speed. I love bat speed. I was all over it last off-season. And I had a ton of bat speed focused target hits, but doing a quick and dirty analysis of 2025, it wasn’t some be all, end all stat. You don’t need to be a bat speed merchant to be a great breakout pick, and Busch was example #1 of that in 2025. His already below average bat speed actually fell even further, dropping 0.4 MPH to 69.3 MPH, and it didn’t stop him from having a huge season, slashing .261/.343/.523 with 34 homers, 4 steals, and a 23.5/9.5 K%/BB% in 155 games. Not only did the slow and reduced bat speed not impact his power at all, but he actually had a raw power breakout with his EV climbing 2.3 MPH to 92.2 MPH and his Hard Hit% rising 7.4 points to 47.3%. And as we talked about last year, slowing down bat speed can make it easier to make contact, and Busch did indeed improve his contact rates, dropping his K% 5.1 points to 23.5% and his whiff% 3.3 points to 25.1%. The .378 xwOBA also backs up the surface stats. The only negative to his profile is the .642 OPS vs. lefties, and I’ve been guilty of flying really good, but not truly elite platoon power bats too far up my rankings in the past, so I want to have some restraint here. But the overriding point here is that bat speed is just one of many factors when evaluating a hitter. Not only did so many players improve their bat speed considerably, but even the ones who didn’t, like Busch, could still have beastly breakouts. It’s just one factor of many. – 2026 Projection: 81/29/93/.255/.340/.481/3
96) Carter Jensen – KCR, C, 22.9 – The small sample MLB debut at the end of the season always makes the analysis of a prospect so interesting in the off-season. Because often the value of that player gets pretty set in stone by that point of the season with a large minor league sample under their belt, but once that MLB data starts flowing in, even in a small sample, it changes the entire complexion of the analysis, both in a positive and negative direction. It leaves risk of overreacting, there is no doubt about that, but just like I’m super aggressive when I see what recently drafted players do in pro ball that first year in a small sample, I also lean towards being aggressive when I see what a prospect can do in their first taste of the majors. We know that plenty of big time prospects show immediately that they can’t hit MLB pitching, and vice versa, we’ve seen non hyped to death prospects come in and just keep on raking their faces off. Randy Arozarena comes to mind as a prominent example in the recent past. I’m forgiving of the adjustment period when a prospect struggles in many cases, but when they come out on fire, I tend to buy it, at least partially, and I’m buying Jensen. He stepped into the majors and immediately showed everything will transfer with a 20.8% Barrel%, 95.4 MPH EV, .463 xwOBA, a .941 OPS and a 17.4/13.0 K%/BB% in 20 games. The only real aberration from what he was doing at Triple-A was the contact rates, but it’s still a great sign the K% didn’t jump right up to like 40%. We see that all the time. So while I’m not buying those contact rates, I am buying that the hit tool will be good enough to let the nearly elite power shine. He lifts and pulls a ton, and with KC moving in the fences, even better. He’s not great vs. lefties, giving him real platoon risk, and he’s going to have to split the C/DH job with Perez now, and likely Mitchell later, so along with continued hit tool risk, he’s not a flawless prospect. But I see a 30+ homer bat with catcher eligibility. That has mega fantasy value. He was also only 21/22 last year. This dude is a major target. – 2026 Projection: 66/24/73/.240/.319/.468/3 Prime Projection: 77/30/83/.263/.345/.510/6
97) Spencer Torkelson – DET, 1B, 26.6 – I couldn’t have nailed Torkelson’s Target blurb any harder than if I could actually see into the future. Not only did I nail Tork in that blurb, but Colt Keith caught collateral damage in it, and I nailed that too, writing, “Here’s a scary thought for Keith owners. What if Torkelson is just a better hitter than him? And honestly, it’s not so crazy of a thought, and in fact, Torkelson being a better hitter than Keith might actually be the smart bet. Tork’s career .319 xwOBA is better than Keith’s .311. Tork swings a much quicker bat (2.3 MPH faster) and he hits the ball much harder (89 MPH EV vs. 87.8 MPH EV). He chases much less (23.2% vs. 29.9%) and his whiff rates are really pretty close to Keith’s (26.6% vs. 23.2%). Keith hit 13 homers in 148 games, and none of bat speed, EV, FB EV, lift (44.4% GB%), pull (35.5%), or ballpark says some big explosion is coming soon. Man, this blurb has really turned negative on Keith, and I didn’t even mean it that way, but now that he’s a first baseman, he’s battling with a whole different contingent of hitter. I might be cooling on Keith just a bit (I still like him), but the point of this blurb is to maybe not give up on Tork so fast.” … if you remember, people were all out on Tork. Dead in the water. But like Ben Rice, I held against the mass consensus and foresaw a different story playing out due to the cold hard numbers. And all of the numbers I listed in that Target blurb were back in 2025, predictably leading to a huge bounce back season with 31 homers in 155 games. The .240 BA was lower than optimal, and he’s certainly not a high BA hitter, but with a 26.9% whiff%, it feels much safer than a guy with like a 30%+ whiff%. And the power is unquestionable with tons of lift and pull and hard contact. He looks setup up for another 30 dinger season in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 85/30/81/.245/.335/.460/2
98) Sal Stewart – CIN, 1B/3B, 22.4 – As much love as Stewart is getting right now, it’s not nearly enough. I honestly don’t see how he’s not being valued like an elite or near elite dynasty prospect. He’s always displayed near elite plate skills with a plus hit tool his entire professional career from the time he was drafted at 18 years old as the 32nd overall pick. And then in his age 21 year old season he had that monster power breakout to combine with the plate skills. He hit 20 homers with a 93.1 MPH EV, 51.3% Hard Hit%, 14.2 degree launch, and a 15.6/9.3 K%/BB% in 118 games at Triple-A. That is a special hit/power combo, and then he closed the year out by dominating the majors with 5 homers, a 95.4 MPH EV, 17.9 degree launch, 52.5% Hard Hit%, and a 23.9% whiff% in 18 games. It was good for a .399 xwOBA. That is absurd for a 21 year old in his first taste of the majors. It’s fully backed up by what he did in the minors. Him going 217th overall in NFBC is way too low, and that is just for redraft. The two biggest knocks on his game are that he’s slow with a 25.8 ft/sec sprint, but he was a solid base stealer in the minors with 17 steals in 20 attempts this year, and we’ve seen slow guys steal a ton of bags (Soto, Naylor), so I think he should at least chip in with a handful, and maybe much more than that. He’s also not great on defense, and while the Eugenio Suarez signing squeezes everyone, I think it squeezes Bleday the most (and maybe Ke’Bryan Hayes the 2nd most). There is talk of him getting in better shape this off-season, so who knows, maybe both his defense and speed will tick up (it better not impact his power ha). This dude is a beast, especially in Great American Ballpark. – 2026 Projection: 76/25/82/.260/.328/.457/7 Prime Projection: 91/30/94/.277/.351/.502/9
99) Seiya Suzuki – CHC, OF, 31.7 – I was high on Seiya last off-season and started his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “Seiya has a collection of skills that seems on the brink of absolutely exploding. He put up an 11.5% Barrel%, 91.7 MPH EV, 16.2 degree launch, 24.5% whiff%, 20.7% Chase%, 28.3 ft/sec sprint and a 73 MPH swing.” … it’s almost impossible for that collection of skills to not hit tons of homers, and then Seiya did indeed crush tons of homers in 2025 with 32 homers and 105 RBI in 151 games. The 16.6% Barrel% actually blew what he did in 2024 out of the water, and all of those other skills I mentioned either stayed the same or got slightly better. This dude is a true power hitting beast, and I’m not even sure we’ve seen his best yet. Even with the power explosion, he still didn’t have that all encompassing superstar year with a .245 BA and 123 wRC+, but it’s still lurking in here. He also didn’t run as much with only 5 steals, and his career steal totals are only moderate, so hard to expect a ton more there. But Seiya is once again is super reasonably price range in most leagues, and once again he’s a player I really like going into 2026. – 2026 Projection: 81/30/94/.265/.345/.492/9 Update: Sprained his PCL which could open his season on the IL, but it doesn’t look like a long term absence right now, so value holds steady long term
100) Kyle Stowers – MIA, OF, 28.3 – Can you victory lap a target call that was made in February 2023? I don’t think you can, unless you really held strong in the following years, and I didn’t hold strong on Stowers. It is dynasty though, and target calls aren’t only for that very next following season, but there has to be limits, and I believe Stowers passed the statute of limitations for victory lapping. So I’m not victory lapping him, but I will still share what I wrote in his target blurb almost 3 years ago, writing, “Stowers is an extremely exciting young power hitter and gets more exciting the more you dig in. He’s a big man at 6’3”. He crushed the ball in the minors with tons of hard contact and tons of homers. He had an 11.3% Barrel% with an above average 107 wRC+ and an above average .335 xwOBA in his MLB debut. The K rate has been high in his career, but it hasn’t stopped him from hitting for a pretty decent average basically everywhere he’s been. He’s not a hyped guy in dynasty leagues either. The more I write about him, the more I think he could be the single best power hitting target relative to price.” … and 2 seasons after writing that blurb, and after you most probably already moved on from him, he had that monster power breakout I thought was possible, slashing .288/.368/.544 with 25 homers, 5 steals, and a 27.4/10.5 K%/BB% in 117 games. The underlying numbers fully back it up with a 75 MPH swing, 19% Barrel%, 91.1 MPH EV, 14.1 degree launch, 23,7% Air Pull%, 52% Hard Hit%, and a .387 xwOBA. The power is unquestionable, but the hit tool still is questionable with a 32.5% whiff%. That is definitely still in the danger zone where you can’t just hand wave it away. You can’t trust that high BA, but everything else points towards this being a special power bat, and I fully think we need to value him as that. The track record isn’t there, and his season ended in mid August with an oblique injury, right when the inevitable end of season slump was hitting with a .629 OPS in his last 12 games, so I’m not ready to go like Top 50 dynasty asset on him, but I do think he’s worthy of Top 100 love. -2026 Projection: 65/27/78/.252/.331/.510/3 Update: Will start the season on the IL with a hamstring strain that could keep him out a month, but it doesn’t change his dynasty value
101) Brandon Woodruff – MIL, RHP, 33.2 – Velocity ain’t everything. Velocity has been on our minds a lot of late in the dynasty world with a bunch of Low Velo King’s making waves and with pitch movement profiles more and more on the forefront. But rarely do we get to see so clearly an example of someone being just as successful at considerably lower velocity than at mid to upper 90’s velocity. I was alarmed when I saw Woodruff’s velocity drop about 3 MPH coming off shoulder surgery (and even more than that at points during his rehab), but he proved he didn’t even need it. His 93.1 MPH 4-seamer and 92.9 MPH sinker were just as valuable as their former 96+ MPH versions, and arguably more valuable. The 4-seamer put up a 32.5% whiff% with a .226 xwOBA and .253 wOBA. Both the xwOBA and wOBA were career bests, and the whiff was near a career best. The sinker put up a 19.1% whiff% with a .309 xwOBA and .345 wOBA. That whiff% was essentially a career best and the xwOBA was right in line with his career numbers (the wOBA was higher). The lower velocity didn’t impact the effectiveness of his main secondary either, the changeup, putting up a .126 xwOBA, .069 wOBA and 35.4% whiff%. The xwOBA and wOBA were career bests on that pitch too. He also swapped out his slider for a brand new cutter, and the cutter was awesome with a .192 xwOBA. It all resulted in his usual super ace like performance with a 2.19 xERA, 3.20 ERA and 32.3/5.9 K%/BB% in 64.2 IP. It doesn’t matter what his velocity is very clearly, the man is going to be a true ace regardless. The only thing holding me back from ranking him even higher is that his season ended with a lat strain (connected to the shoulder) in mid September, and he’ll be 33 years old and he hasn’t pitched more than 67 IP in a season since 2022. But other than that injury risk, he looks back to being an ace, velocity be damned, and I love that he’s back with Milwaukee. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.25/1.04/183 in 150 IP Update: A slight move down because I’m just factoring in some more risk for that lat injury. He’s being super careful and cautious with a slow ramp up this spring
102) Bo Bichette – NYM, SS, 28.1 – I feel like I was partly right and partly wrong about Bichette last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Bichette is very clearly going to bounce back from a horrendous 2024 where he put up a career worst by a mile .598 OPS. He has a career .798 OPS, he’s never had an OPS below .802 before this season, and he’s going to be 27 years old. There is no way that he isn’t going to bounce back, the only question, is how high will the bounce be, and I don’t think it will be high enough to warrant his still pretty high name value price.” … I was wrong about the bounce not being high enough to be worth the cost, because he was certainly worth the cost, but I still feel my general analysis was right on the money. He did indeed bounce back with a .311 BA and .840 OPS, but he still had only 18 homers with 4 steals in 139 games. His bat speed got even slower with a 1.3 MPH drop to 69.1 MPH and so did his foot speed with a 28 point drop from bottom 49% of the league to bottom 21% of the league. He chases a lot with a 35.2% Chase%, he’s not good on defense, and he doesn’t lift and pull (8.2 degree launch with a 13.2% Air Pull%). This is a super BA dependent profile and it doesn’t seems like it’s one that is going to age well. He rips the ball with a 48.8% Hard Hit% and he hits it often with a career best 14.5% K%, so he should be a really good hitter for the next several years, but it’s just not the type of guy I love going after. The funny thing is, if he didn’t have that down 2024, we would all be talking about how disappointing Bichette is for fantasy. But because he had the horrible year, we are all celebrating the bounce back. It’s a good life lesson. If people take you for granted, just show them how much worse it can get 😉 … I’m not going to call him a sell, but if someone is really willing to give you a haul treating him like a near elite dynasty asset or something like that, I would listen. – 2026 Projection: 84/21/91/.295/.345/.469/6
103) Blake Snell – LAD, LHP, 33.4 – A shoulder injury put Snell on the IL after his first 2 starts of the season, not returning until August, but when he did return, he was (seemingly, see end of blurb) back to 100%. He put up a 2.35 ERA with a 28.3/10.2 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP in the regular season and a 3.18 ERA with a 31.5/10.0 K%/BB% in 34 IP in the playoffs. The 35.6% whiff% remains insanely elite for a starting pitcher. He throws gas with a 95.1 MPH fastball and the secondaries miss bats like crazy. The only knocks on him are that the below average control can make him streaky, and most concerningly, he’s pitched more than 129.1 IP just twice in his career. We now know the shoulder wasn’t quite 100%, and he was still feeling residual soreness into the playoffs. His status for the beginning of the season is a bit up in the air with the possibility of his ramp up being slow played. I lean upside, so I’m not totally scared off of Snell in win now mode, but especially with the Dodgers, and with the news on his shoulder, the risk seems very high. At the least, he’s not going to be racking up innings. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.11/1.19/158 in 130 IP Update: Will start the season on the IL due to the shoulder, but it seems he could be back by May or earlier, so I don’t want to kill him for it
104) Christian Yelich – MIL, OF, 34.4 – Yelich is the anti lift/pull God. He’s the super villain in the lift/pull Superhero movie. He put up a career low 1.9 degree launch with an 8.1% Air Pull% and he still managed to hit 29 homers in 150 games. He hits it hard with a 90.2 MPH EV and 46.4% Hard Hit%, but it’s not like that is so hard that he should be able to defy all logic. I can’t imagine that is repeatable in any way, but Yelich is a special baseball player with an MVP level prime, so legends like this can defy logic. That’s what they do. The contact rates took a step back with a 25.9% K% and 29.2% whiff%, which is something to watch, but doesn’t seem like a reason to start to fading him. The 16 steals was a 4 year low, and considering he’s 34 years old with a known bad back that he has to manage, it’s reasonable to expect those numbers to continue to drop. Personally, I wouldn’t be against cashing my chips in on Yelich this off-season, but I’ve been hesitant on him since the back injury, and he keeps churning out really good seasons for the most part. – 2026 Projection: 86/22/86/.268/.349/.458/16
105) Geraldo Perdomo – ARI, SS, 26.5 – I often find in fantasy that player evaluation so often ends up in a battle of your gut vs. your brain. And Perdomo is 100% one of those guys for. My gut says to stay far away from this career year (.290/20/27). That he’s still a light hitting MI who doesn’t hit the ball hard (31.9% Hard Hit%) and isn’t fast (below average 27.2 ft/sec sprint). That his 3 prior years of very mediocre production say major regression is coming in 2026. But then my pesky brain intrudes and goes, doesn’t he lift and pull a ton (15.5 degree launch with a 19.9% Air Pull%)? Doesn’t he have truly elite plate skills and contact (11.5/13.1 K%/BB%)? Isn’t he a good base stealer despite not being a speedster (61 for 74 in his career)? Wasn’t he always a projectable guy at a skinny 6’2” who would predictably come into more power in his mid 20’s? And won’t his glove keep him on the field? In the battle of brain vs. gut, right now, my brain is winning. We know tons of lift and pull combined with tons of contact is going to out produce Statcast all day, and it will overcome mediocre hard hit too. We know power often comes for guys in these prime man muscle years. So what if he not only doesn’t regress power wise, but he continues to progress. There is a universe out there where Perdomo can actually turn into a real superstar. I’m not predicting that, but I’m just saying don’t completely rule out real upside in here too. A 31.9% Hard Hit% is still super low though, and it’s the thing preventing me from going higher than this. – 2026 Projection: 91/18/73/.276/.358/.442/24
106) Tyler Soderstrom – SAC, 1B/OF, 24.5 – I thought I was so slick naming Soderstrom a huge target back in October of 2024 … surely everyone won’t see exactly what I’m seeing when they tune back in later in the off-season … hah … but as the off-season went along, his target status was just far too obvious. Many others jumped on the bandwagon, and rightfully so as the underlying numbers were screaming a 2025 breakout coming, writing last off-season, “For a pure power hitting prospect, getting out of Oakland is a major upside boost for his value, and with how hard Soderstrom hits the ball, he’s actually a major target for me this off-season. 91.9/97.4 MPH AVG/FB EV. 14.6% Barrel%. .348 xwOBA. 49.6% Hard Hit%. 74.4 MPH swing. And all with a solid 24.9/9.4 K%/BB%. It’s clear as day … unfortunately ;)” … but you know you heard it here first, and then he did indeed go out and have that big 2025 breakout, slashing .276/.346/.474 with 25 homers, 8 steals, and a 22.6/8.6 K%/BB% in 158 games. The cherry on top was that he played a double plus LF, which makes the glove no issue. Everything I loved about him last off-season and listed out showed up again, and not only that, but he lowered his whiff% out of the danger zone from 30.1% to 25.4%. His only weakness is that he doesn’t lift and pull with a 7.9 degree launch and 12.1% Air Pull%, but that 49.8% Hard Hit% is pretty launch proof, and so is his home ballpark, although he actually hit 5 more homers on the road than at home, so it wasn’t even the ballpark that juiced him up. The lack of lift and pull does limit the power upside, and I don’t love it, but the silver lining is that it should keep the BA high. He’s now being valued correctly as a Top 100-ish dynasty asset. – 2026 Projection: 80/26/92/.262/.333/.480/6
107) Thomas White – MIA, LHP, 21.6 – Thomas White is my #1 non debuted pitching prospect in baseball. It’s not a no brainer, and it’s close, but I just don’t think anybody can match his upside. He doesn’t have the safest floor as the control/command is well below average (13.6% BB%), and he definitely does still have a visible rawness when you watch him, but keep in mind this was a 20 year old kid in the upper minors for most of the year. Having some rawness and control/command issues are completely normal for this stage of his development, and just look at what he did when he’s not even close to a fully finished product yet. He put up a 2.31 ERA with a 38.6% K% in 89.2 IP at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He’s a 6’5” lefty with a 3-quarters arm slot delivery, which you know I’m a sucker for, and he has 3 plus to double plus whiff machine pitches in his 95+ MPH fastball, sweeper and changeup. He also throws a good slider. He dominated both righties (.541 OPS against) and lefties (.467 OPS against). I don’t see any reason why more refinement wouldn’t be coming down the line, and likely much more refinement, and even as is he’s going to be a strikeout machine vs. any level of hitter. He might not be the safest guy or the most fully formed, but he’s the guy who I think has the best chance of sitting in that true elite of the elite tier when it’s all said and done. He’s my top non debuted dog. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.78/1.30/110 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.18/1.11/230 in 180 IP
108) Bryce Eldridge – SFG, 1B, 21.5 – If someone is going to Nick Kurtz the majors in 2026, it’s going to be Eldridge. I would say Basallo too, but Basallo is going to Junior Caminero the majors. I think people forget that Kurtz had a .558 OPS with a 36.5% K% in his first 85 PA in the majors. People were getting nervous. But that is all obviously a distant memory now, just as Eldridge’s rough MLB debut (.476 OPS with a 35.1% K%) will soon be a distant memory. And Eldridge’s only came in 37 PA as a 20 year old. Completely throw out that debut. Actually, don’t throw it out, because the underlying data is screaming the debut was a monster success. The .363 xwOBA is all star level, and the hard hit levels were off the charts. He put up a 25% Barrel%, 95.6 MPH EV and 68.8% Hard Hit%. That was no fluke because the numbers were just as beastly at Triple-A with a 95.7 MPH EV and 63.5% Hard Hit%. It’s easy to just go “he has big power,” but I think those type of elite of the elite numbers need to be reiterated. Those are insanely special power numbers from the 6’7” lefty beast. There is clearly hit tool risk, but the whiff rates weren’t even that bad. A 33.7% whiff% at AAA and 35.4% whiff% in the majors is not like insane danger zone considering how young he was and how hard he hits it. The dude smoked 25 homers in 102 games in the upper minors despite those miss rates. and like I showed above, the xwOBA in the majors was awesome despite the whiff rates. Even a small amount of improvement would be monstrous, and he might even be fine with no improvement. The only other quibbles to the profile are that he’s not a lift and pull machine, but he doesn’t have to be with that level of power, and he’s going to the 3rd worst park for lefty homers, but his power is ballpark proof. Eldridge is setting up to be one of the best power hitters in the game for a long time. – 2026 Projection: 68/25/81/.238/.311/.447/1 Prime Projection: 91/37/113/.264/.348/.533/1
109) Edward Florentino – PIT, OF/1B, 19.5 – I don’t see Florentino getting ranked in the near elite prospect range on the mainstream Top 100’s right now. He was towards the back of those rankings at the end of the season, and even with a rise on the off-season rankings, I still see value to be had here. Florentino has a real chance of being the #1 fantasy prospect in baseball by this time next year. He’s a 6’4”, 200 pound beast with an athletic, powerful, and smooth lefty swing that is made to hit dingers. He jacked out 10 homers in 54 games at Single-A and 16 homers in 83 games overall. The underlying numbers back it up too with a 89 MPH EV, 26 degree launch, and 38.7% Hard Hit%. He did that as just an 18 year old, so those hard hit numbers are only going up, and the best part is that he looked like a seasoned vet with excellent plate skills, putting up a 16.3% whiff% and 22.5% Chase%. This has the makings of a truly special power bat. And wildest part of all is that he’s a really good baserunner, going 35 for 41 on the bases. He’s not a burner with poor to mediocre speed grades, so maybe the steals slow down as he climbs the ladder, but Pitt also played him in CF mostly, which tells me there is very real athleticism in here. I doubt he ends up in CF, but you don’t just throw a guy into CF for funsies. It means something that they had him out there. I’m all in. Treat him like the elite prospect he is. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 96/33/107/.268/.354/.509/16
110) Bubba Chandler – PIT, RHP, 23.6 – Triple-A is hard. Like really hard. The Majors is easier. That was a running joke I had in the Dynasty Rundowns all season, but it wasn’t really a joke at all. So many pitchers struggled hard at Triple-A, and then looked much better in the majors. Maybe it was the ABS Challenge system (which is coming to the Majors in 2026), maybe it was the ballparks, maybe they were pissed they weren’t in the majors already, maybe they were working on stuff, or maybe it was a combination of many things, but too many pitchers looked so much better once they got to the majors to write it off, especially their walk rates. And Chandler most certainly got the Majors is easier bump once he got there, putting up a 4.02 ERA with a 25.0/3.2 K%/BB% in 31.1 IP. He had a 5.96 ERA with a 21.2/13.1 K%/BB% in his last 51.1 IP at Triple-A before getting the call. The turnaround is just wild. The 98.9 MPH fastball got hit hard with a 93.9 MPH EV, but it was a whiff machine with a 30.8% whiff%, and that is more important to see right now. The famed changeup also dominated with a .155 xwOBA and 39.6% whiff%. And his worst pitch of the three, the slider, actually had the best Run Value of them all (+5), on the back of weak contact (85.6 MPH EV against), although it didn’t miss many bats with a 22.5% whiff%. It was a very positive MLB debut, and the bloom that was coming off the rose at Triple-A was fully put back on in the majors. He’s an elite pitching prospect, and he still has an argument to be the top pitching prospect in the game, but I just can’t fully shake the mediocre Triple-A numbers fully. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.56/1.27/178 in 170 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.29/1.10/225 in 195 IP
111) Jonathan Aranda – TBR, 1B, 27.10 – Aranda is my top makeup call Target of 2026. He wasn’t a target for me last off-season despite his juicy Statcast page because of a 50.5% GB% and a .557 OPS vs. lefties, but not only did he massively improve both of those weaknesses, his strengths got even stronger too. He lowered his GB% all the way down to 38.3%, which is among the biggest drops I can remember seeing in the recent past, and he put up a .738 OPS vs. lefties with a .274 BA and .378 OBP. He already hit the ball super hard, and now he’s amongst the best in the league at it, bringing his Hard Hit% up 6 MPH to 54.5 MPH (top 4% of the league), and his EV up 1.1 MPH to 93 MPH. The 24.1% Air Pull% is up too and that is in the elite range now. And the plate approach remains solid with a 24.9% whiff% and 28% Chase%. The dude fully broke out with a .380 xwOBA and .883 OPS in 106 games and really nobody seems all that excited about him with a 180 NFBC ADP. That is wildly too low, and my read is that his dynasty value isn’t all that through the roof either. He’s the discount Michael Busch/Tyler Soderstrom. Aranda’s value should have risen right along with those guys, but it really didn’t. Maybe it’s because of the wrist fracture that knocked 2 months of the season, but he even returned for 3 games at the end of the year and knocked out 2 dingers, so he’s healthy. This dude is an absolute beast that is now capable of being one of the most complete hitters in baseball and he’s not nearly getting that level of respect. I shouldn’t have this opportunity to have a makeup call on missing out on him last off-season. It should be too late. But it’s not, and I’m jumping on that opportunity, as should you. He’s a major 2026 Target. – 2026 Projection: 86/25/91/.277/.358/.481/0
112) Luke Keaschall – MIN, 2B, 23.8 – Keaschall is why you want to bet on a kid who does nothing but hit every single year of his career (amateur and pro), even if the tools aren’t electric. He hit his freshman year in the West Coast Conference, he hit in the Cape as an 18 year old, he hit in the PAC 12 when he transferred in, he hit in his pro debut at Single-A, he hit in the upper minors, and then in 2025, he hit in the majors. And he remained underrated through almost all of it. How frustrating is it to do nothing but rake literally every single year of your career, and still be doubted. But the cream rises, and Keaschall’s value has now risen to where it should be. He slashed .302/.382/.445 with 4 homers, 14 steals, and a 14.0/9.2 K%/BB% in 49 games in the majors. The plate skills are double plus with a 18.5% whiff% and 20% Chase%, the speed is double plus with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint, and while he didn’t lift and pull a ton in the majors, he showed that ability in the minors, so I’m expecting him to do that more and more as he gains experience. He doesn’t crush the ball with a 31.2% Hard Hit%, but that is on the very low end of his ability, and with his type of profile, he doesn’t have to crush it to be a successful hitter. I look at the 66.9 MPH swing and see opportunity for improvement, not fear that it’s so slow. He’s not great on defense, but he looks locked into the 2B job. Doubt this man at your own risk, because he’s been doubted every step of the way, and every step of the way he proves em wrong. I ain’t doubting him. – 2026 Projection: 86/15/69/.276/.351/.418/30
113) Carson Benge – NYM, OF, 23.2 – Benge has really good numbers, both surface and underlying, but what really gets me so excited for him is watching him on offense. His swing is athletic, bouncy, powerful, smooth, vicious … it’s just a thing of beauty to watch. Watch him crush this homer out at Triple-A and tell me you don’t love it. Or how about this literal moonshot to center. Or how about this shoulder pain inducing shot off Andrew Painter. Dude looks like he unhinges his shoulder on some of these, and the last guy I said that about was Kristian Campbell … oof. I don’t want to bring this blurb down, but I mean, can’t deny it’s pinging something in me. Now that I mention it, he does seem like the lefty version of 2024 Campbell. Like Campbell, he didn’t lift and pull a ton with a 9 degree launch and 13.9% Air Pull% at Triple-A. Like Campbell, he’s more of a good athlete and solid base stealer than a true burner on the bases. And like Campbell, the hit tool is good, but a 18.4% K% and 20.1% whiff% isn’t off the charts or anything. On the more positive side, he crushed the ball with a 92.1 MPH EV and 53.5% Hard Hit%, which was actually much better than Campbell, and if 2024 Campbell showed up in 2025, this wouldn’t feel like such a negative comp. Campbell couldn’t keep up the breakout while Benge has a much stronger and legit track record to fall back on. And maybe the biggest differentiator, is that Benge is a plus on defense with the ability to play centerfield. It’s that ability that may just have him winning a starting OF job out of camp. I’m expecting a more above average across the board type than a true future elite dynasty asset, but that still makes for an excellent fantasy prospect, especially when you tack on proximity. – 2026 Projection: 72/15/66/.249/.313/.420/17 Prime Projection: 93/23/81/.273/.344/.462/21
114) Aidan Miller – PHI, SS, 21.10 – When it seemed like the entire prospect world decided to cool on Miller at the same time due to the mediocre slash at Double-A, I was staying high and preaching patience, writing in the Mid-Season Dynasty Rankings, “The .234/.346/.367 triple-slash is underwhelming, but when you take into account he’s barely 21 at Double-A with 6 homers, 27 steals, and a 109 wRC+ in 58 games, it’s more impressive. I would stay patient here” … and then the explosion came shortly after that, slashing .357/.489/.601 with 6 homers, 22 steals, and a 17.0/17.6 K%/BB% in his final 38 games, 8 of which came at Triple-A where he put up a 185 wRC+. He has a quick and powerful righty hack that has middle of the order hitter written all over it, and he stole 59 bags on the season, which is insanely exciting for fantasy. Looks the part, pedigree, feel to hit, approach, power, speed, age to level, upper minors production, good glove, path to playing time … that is literally every box. Even this ranking might be too low. – 2026 Projection: Prime Projection: 91/23/82/.261/.343/.452/28
115) Luis Robert – NYM, OF, 28.8 – We all know the second Robert gets out of Chicago and onto a contender he is going to pop again … and now he’s finally out. Coming to New York is going to light that fire under his ass again. Not only is the team switch a route for a bounce back, but the underlying numbers in 2025 is also calling for one with a .289 wOBA vs. a .322 xwOBA, along with a .223 BA vs. a .250 xBA. With neutral luck, the beast is still lurking in here with a 10.2% Barrel%, 89.4 MPH EV, 18.2 degree launch and 29 ft/sec sprint. He still hit 14 homers with 33 steals in 110 games. But the main reason he isn’t ranked higher than this even with an expected bounce back, is because he’s super injury prone. He’s played in more than 110 games just once in his career. He has an injury history that would have to get written out on a scroll to include everything. I also don’t love the 41.5% Hard Hit%, which is a bit on the low side for a true stud, and the 42.2% career Hard Hit% isn’t that standout either. Not bad, but not great. If this trade pushes his value up was too high now, I’m still okay passing, but the trade makes me much more comfortable to go after him at his current reasonable price. – 2026 Projection: 71/19/77/.238/.308/.425/28
116) Lawrence Butler – SAC, OF, 25.9 – Butler didn’t go full Nolan Jones on us, you never go full Nolan Jones, but he definitely scared us Nolan Jones style. That hit tool risk popped up it’s ugly head with his BA dropping from .262 to .234, his K% rising from 23.9% to 28.4%, and his whiff% rising from 26.9% to the very clear danger zone of 32.9%. He also fell apart vs. lefties, going from a .838 OPS in 2024 to a .570 OPS in 2025. The bat speed dropped a bit, the hard hit dropped a bit, the lift/pull dropped a bit and the foot speed dropped a bit. Everything was worse. He then underwent knee surgery in the off-season, which glass half full, could explain some of the down season, but glass half empty, it’s not great he needed knee surgery. He’s so damn talented though that even with getting worse everywhere, he still went 20/20 with 21 homers and 22 steals. Remember that he’s locked up through 2031 with a lucrative $65.5 million contract, meaning his leash and the Athletics patience is going to be extremely long, as it should be with a talent like this. His value definitely drops, but by no means is it time to panic. I’m certainly not planning on selling low on him, but I’m not sure I’m exactly targeting him. He’s a hold for me. – 2026 Projection: 77/23/74/.246/.320/.448/19
117) Sebastian Walcott – TEX, SS, 20.1 – Sorry Sebastian, but the also 19-year-old Konnor showed up to the Double-A party late in the season and made your solid but unspectacular season look even more unspectacular. And then the 18-year-old Leodalis rolled up and just straight made it look easy. We were giving Walcott a ton of leeway before those two showed us how it was really done, and while that does put Walcott’s season in better perspective, it shouldn’t come close to completely taking away what he did. He put up a 111 wRC+ with 13 homers, 32 steals and a 19.6/12.7 K%/BB% in 124 games. Considering the hit tool risk was a legitimate concern, seeing that K/BB as a 19 year old at Double-A is insanely encouraging. And being 11% above league average at his age is still impressive. Sure the .255/.355/.386 triple slash doesn’t jump off the screen, and sure Konnor and Leo blew him out of the water, but we are still looking at a potential fantasy stud. We know the talent by now. He’s an elite athlete at 6’4” with a potentially elite power/speed combo. He’s not a finished product, and it would definitely be nice to see him destroy a level, which he’s never done yet, but it’s not stopping me from still calling him a truly elite prospect. Texas has already hinted that while they have promoted him aggressively, they aren’t planning on just handing him an MLB job next year. I can see him spending the entire season, or vast majority of it, in the minors unless he leaves them no choice with complete destruction. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 93/27/84/.268/.345/.478/24 Update: This elbow injury was the Baseball God’s way of saying slow the hell down. This is a blessing in disguise. Somebody had to stop the Rangers lunacy of promoting this kid way too fast, and the Gods took into their own hands. This was too good a talent to be ruined by rushing him. As we’ve learned and as I’ve written about, I’m not even sure you need elbows for hitting. I’m not concerned about this injury at all long term for his ability to hit. He hasn’t even turned 20 yet and he’s already played an entire season at Double-A. I don’t think this is a monster step back as a developmental year either. This could be a nice mental break for him to take a second to catch his breath. Then he will come back next year as a 21 year old, or even by the end of that season into the AFL. I’ve seen some major panic on Walcott because of this news, and I would take advantage of it if you can. This is dynasty, and I’m not even sure this should impact his dynasty value all that much. Is he getting moved down, yea, because by missing almost the entire year, there will be nothing he can do to gain value and actually get the hype going, but in the grand scheme of things, now is a great time to pounce on him.
118) Cam Schlittler – NYY, RHP, 25.2 – I wasn’t on Schlittler last off-season, which was a mistake, but I like to think I made up for it in a major way during the season. Before he was getting any major hype, before he was getting any Top 100 love, before he got the call to the majors, I rang the major buy bell on him in June, writing in the Rundowns, “The stuff is nuts, he’s 6’6”, 225 pounds, and he’s been a strikeout machine in the upper minors. He’s so easily a Top 100 pitching prospect, and he should probably be valued right in that tier with Jump, Tong, and Yesavage.” … He was already starting to fly up my rankings in May too. Not too long after that he got the call to the majors in July, and the rest is history. He very clearly proved he belonged in that already hyped, pitching prospect tier, and quite frankly, he may have proved to be the best of that bunch with a 2.96 ERA and 27.6/10.2 K%/BB% in 73 IP. He was lights out in 14.1 playoff innings too. He did it on the back of an elite 98 MPH fastball that he threw 54.7% of the time, notching a 27.8% whiff% and a +9 Run Value. His beast status is so clearly locked in, but it’s not a flawless profile. None of his other pitches really stood out. His cutter was his best secondary, but it only put up a 27.3% whiff% with a +1 Run Value. The curve put up a lowly 21.8% whiff% and he barely went to the sweeper. To not have a true dominant, whiff, put away secondary is a tad concerning to me, especially when he also has below average control. The ERA estimators also had him as more of a high 3’s true talent level this year. Don’t get me wrong, I still think he’s a beast, just like I did back when there was a good chance you could have picked him up for free in your league, which I know a lot of my subscribers did, but with his massive ascent, I would be a bit too scared to pay up for him like he’s already a young true ace. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.59/1.24/187 in 170 IP
119) Spencer Schwellenbach – ATL, RHP, 25.10 – Schwellenbach was going full true ace breakout before fracturing his elbow in early July, putting up a 31.7/3.2 K%/BB% in his last 49.1 IP before the injury. And it’s not like he was bad before that dominant stretch with a 3.09 ERA and 24.9/4.1 K%/BB% in 110.2 IP on the season. Not only was he fully backing up his 2024 breakout, but he was taking off into another stratosphere before the injury bug got him again. The 97.1 MPH fastball is elite with a 27.1% whiff% and +10 Run Value. The splitter is dominant with a 42% whiff% and .232 xwOBA. The breakers aren’t quite as good, but both the slider and curve are solid with a 34.4 and 31.1% whiff%, respectively. And he also throws a good cutter (+3 Run Value) and a good sinker that has a negative 7 degree launch. That is a legit 6 pitch mix (he throws all of them over 10% of the time), with elite control/command, a dominant fastball, and a dominant secondary. He’s a true ace … if healthy, and health was always an issue in his career. It’s the only thing I was worried about last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “He’s an easy #2 with true ace potential … as long as he stays healthy. He missed the entire 2022 season with Tommy John surgery, and he really hasn’t pitched very much in his career. It’s a major question if he can truly put up a true MLB starter workload year after year. I tend to be less risk averse with pitchers, because all of them are risky, but I am factoring in some experience/injury risk here, keeping him in that 2nd tier of young aces.” … and that is basically exactly how his season played out. It seems like he should be good to go for 2026, but once again, we have to factor in some injury risk. Without injury risk, he’s a Top 50 dynasty asset, but with it, I can’t go higher than this. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.45/1.10/80 in 75 IP Update: Underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his pitching elbow and there is no timetable on his return. It seems he will at minimum miss the first 2 months, but it could be much more. This just adds fuel to the fire of his extreme injury risk. There is a chance he just can’t stay healthy. He drops 50 spots
120) Mason Miller – SDP, Closer, 27.7 – I really wanted San Diego to turn Miller back into a starter, and I thought they might because trading Leo De Vries for any reliever is nuts, but it didn’t seem Miller was that into it, so we will have to settle for him as a closer. And we should be happy for what we have because it was conceivable he could have been a setup man. So let’s be happy the closer’s job is his and his alone. He is the #1 dynasty closer in the game with a 2.63 ERA and 44.4/12.0 K%/BB% in 61.2 IP. That 44.4% K% led all of baseball by a mile with Cole Ragans at #2 with a 38.1% K%. Don’t treat Cole Ragans as a true ace at your own risk. The 101.2 MPH fastball also leads the league in velocity. The only blemish is the high walk rate, but he can clearly still be the best reliever in baseball with that walk rate, and it sat at 8.4% in 2024, giving hope that it’s not his true talent level. He’s my top dog in dynasty. – 2026 Projection: 3/2.56/0.95/106/33 saves in 65 IP
121) Andres Munoz – SEA, Closer, 27.2 – Every year there only seems to be more and more uncertainty with more and more closer roles, and forget about year to year, so if you want that set it and forget it comfort of having an elite stud, you are going to have to pay up for it, and Munoz is very clearly one of those elite, locked in studs. He put up a 1.73 ERA with a 32.7/11.0 K%/BB% in 62.1 IP. His 38 saves was 3rd best in baseball behind Carlos Estevez and Robert Suarez. The stuff is elite with a 98.4 MPH fastball and a slider that put up a 51% whiff%. He has a case to be the #1 closer in dynasty, but I’m still giving it to Miller. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.47/1.01/82/35 saves in 61 IP
122) Edwin Diaz – LAD, Closer, 32.0 – It doesn’t matter what coast he’s on, Diaz is a no doubt elite closer and might be the best reliever in baseball. He put up a 1.63 ERA with a 38.0/8.1 K%/BB% in 66.1 IP. The 41.5% whiff% is absurd and trails only Fernando Cruz, Mason Miller, and Brendon Little. If you are looking for undervalued, high upside relievers, you might want to take a peek at Cruz and Little. But back to Diaz, the 97.2 MPH 4-seamer and slider are both elite bat missing weapons. He has no major control issues with about average walk rates. He’s as elite as they come. – 2026 Projection: 5/2.44/0.93/101/33 saves in 65 IP
123) Cade Smith – CLE, Closer, 26.11 – Clase’s baseball career is almost certainly over, which is the least of his problems, because he’s fighting for his freedom now with several federal charges against him including fraud, bribery and money laundering. Throwing him in jail for spiking a few pitches seems a bit much to me, but I’m a big softie. I also feel bad for how dumb he is. The dude made six grand per spiked pitch while risking millions of dollars of future income, his career, reputation, and freedom. My man, the risk/reward doesn’t make sense. Please tell me his defense is that they blackmailed him, or threatened his family, or something to make it make sense. Maybe I’m underplaying it, and I know sports gambling is a triggering topic these days (I have two friends who suffered through legitimate gambling addiction, so I get it too), so let’s just move on and get to the man of the hour, Cade Smith. Clase’s loss is Smith’s gain as he’s now the locked in closer, and he’s a damn elite one with a 2.93 ERA and 34.7/6.3 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP. He did the same in 2024, so it’s pretty clear he’s the real deal. The 96.4 MPH 4-seamer is elite with a 32.2% whiff% and the splitter is plus with a 38.5% whiff%. He’s in the tippy top tier of closers now. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.82/0.99/91/36 saves in 65 IP
124) Jhoan Duran – PHI, Closer, 28.3 – You can quibble that the 27.9% K% and 30.8% whiff% aren’t quite as high as the true tippy top elite relievers, and you can quibble that the 1.10 WHIP is on the high side for an elite reliever, but it feels like nitpicking with how insane his stuff and production are. Duran throws 100.6 MPH with a 97.8 MPH “splitter”‘ that really acts and produces more like a sinker. His knuckle curve and sweeper are elite bat missing weapons when he goes to them, but he barely goes to them because his two fastballs are so ridiculous. He also makes up for the slightly lower K rates with plus walk rates. He put up a 2.06 ERA with a 27.9/6.6 K%/BB% in 70 IP. He’s never had an xERA in his career over 2.76. It’s clear he’s elite, but I mean, heavily using the sinker (which they call a splitter) really does keep him out of the true very top tier of elites. I can’t lie to you. But he’s still elite. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.55/1.08/80/33 saves in 65 IP
125) David Bednar – NYY, Closer, 31.6 – Hometown boy David Bednar, born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, risen to fame as the dominant closer on his favorite childhood team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, was told to pack up his shit, because he was getting shipped off to the Big City, New York. Ain’t no loyalty in baseball. Was he going to wilt under the big lights? Could he handle the pressure that many have succumbed to? You damn right he could, as he came riding in on horseback and done stole the closer job out from under Devin Williams with a 2.19 ERA and 36.1/9.3 K%/BB% in 24.2 IP with his new team. When the pressure was even higher in the playoffs, he was even better with a 1.50 ERA and 40.9/4.5 K%/BB% in 6 IP. He proved his down 2024 was just an aberration, likely due to injury and pitch tipping. The stuff is filthy with 97 MPH heat and two nasty bat missing secondaries in his curve and splitter. He doesn’t get quite treated like it, but he’s a truly elite closer. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.88/1.09/81/34 saves in 62 IP
126) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 20.10 – 2026 is the season De Paula has to have the legitimate game power breakout. It’s his age 21 year old season, where so many Junior year college bats are able to make that adjustment and put up the big homer totals. If it doesn’t come for De Paula this year, I will start to get worried the odds of it ever coming will be low. I’m actually slightly disappointed it didn’t come this year with 12 homers, a 33% FB% and 40.7% Pull% in 102 games at mostly High-A. He got a 4 game cup of coffee at Double-A to close out the year, and while it’s obviously a super small sample, I’m not in love with the 83.3% GB%. So he just pounded the ball into the ground the first time he tasted advanced competition. Don’t take this blurb as me not liking De Paula, because I think I’m his biggest fan, “discovering” him when he was a legit unknown, not a word of hype DSL breakout and calling him a major buy before people caught on, so take it more as a proud father who is a bit disappointed. And I do still love him. He’s a 6’3” beast who genuinely crushes the ball with strong plate skills and base stealing ability. He put up a 142 wRC+ with a 20.2/19.0 K%/BB% and 32 steals in 98 games at High-A as a 19/20 year old. I’m most certainly in, but the reason he isn’t in the elite of the elite tier is the still lacking game power, poor defense, and the fact he hasn’t proven it against advanced competition yet. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 88/24/84/.266/.348/.460/16
127) Bryce Rainer – DET, SS, 20.9 – Don’t you dare start valuing Rainer any less than you would have if he didn’t end up hurting his shoulder diving back to first base, requiring surgery in June 2024. People were scared off of Zach Neto because of the shoulder surgery last off-season, and look how that turned out. Shit, people were turned off by Shohei effing Ohtani because of his off-season shoulder surgery too. Daulton Varsho straight up looked like he returned from surgery with a bionic shoulder. Corbin Carroll underwent shoulder surgery at a similar point in his career to Rainer, and look how he’s turned out. I can’t say with 100% certainty there won’t be complications, but I can say that shoulder surgeries have worked out more than enough to not even dock him a little bit. He already proved this is a potentially elite bat before the injury, slashing .288/.383/.448 with 5 homers, 9 steals, and a 22.1/13.4 K%/BB% in 35 games at Single-A. The most exciting part was the 92.1 MPH EV and 52.8% Hard Hit%. He most certainly looks the at 6’3” with a powerful lefty swing. The 28.6% whiff% was on the high side, and he didn’t lift and pull a ton, so he’s not a totally finished product, but the foundation has been laid for him to be a truly elite, hyped to death prospect by this time next year. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 91/28/94/.273/.352/.481/18
128) Josh Hader – HOU, Closer, 32.0 – The only question with Hader is how the shoulder is doing after he ended the season on the IL with a shoulder strain, but all news seem to indicate he is 100%, so I’m apt to not dock him too much for it, or at all. He’s one of the greatest closers of our generation and he had another elite season with a 2.05 ERA and 36.9/7.8 K%/BB% in 52.2 IP. The velocity was down a bit compared to the last few years at 95.5 MPH, but that is only about a half tick down, so it seems silly to hyper focus on that as a sign of decline, although I thought it was worth mentioning considering the shoulder injury. I would treat him as the elite closer that he is, but he falls under Diaz and Munoz because of that shoulder injury. – 2026 Projection: 3/2.64/0.94/80/28 saves in 55 IP Update: Biceps inflammation has him likely headed to the IL to start the season, but as now, he only looks delayed. Still, it adds a healthy dose of injury risk. I’m not dropping him too far, but I am dropping to the bottom of this closer tier
129) Spencer Strider – ATL, RHP, 27.5 – Will Strider be able to regain his dominant fastball his 2nd year back from internal brace? That is really the only question you have to ask yourself. Easy. Simple. But obviously, it’s easier said than done. Prime Strider had a 97/98 MPH fastball that notched upper 20 percent whiff rates. Post injury Strider had a 95.5 MPH fastball that put up a 15.3% whiff%. The diminished fastball led to a 4.45 ERA with a 24.3/9.5 K%/BB% in 125.1 IP. He was putting up mid to upper 30 K rates before the injury. Atlanta and Strider are both obviously well aware of the issue. He’s going to give it everything he’s got this off-season to get it back, saying in this Athletic article (and passed along to us by Jeff Zimmerman in his always must read Mining the News articles at Fangraphs), “Got to get fitter. I need to neurologically reset my upper right side. That is something that I am focused on doing. I’ve thrown for 13 months straight, so I need to kind of let my body reset, find some symmetry and just some more ease and looseness. Analyzing how I’m moving. Looking at some range of motion stuff, and try to just take in where I’m at physically.” Anybody who says “I need to neurologically reset my upper right side” isn’t someone I’m particularly keen about betting against. If it’s possible to regain that tippy top heat, Strider can do it. He also talked how the diminished fastball made him focus on his secondaries more, and how he’s never felt better about them. The slider notched a 48.3% whiff% and the curve notched a 53.7% whiff%. He had a 30.3% whiff% overall, which is still elite for a starter. I know I don’t want to bet against him, and even if he can’t fully regain that #1 dynasty pitcher in the game form, I think he can have an big time bounce back in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.66/1.20/172 in 155 IP
130) Alex Bregman – CHC, 3B, 32.0 – Bregman got off to a red hot start to the season, but when it was all said and done, it was usual good but not great fantasy season. He hit .273 with 18 homers and 1 steal in 114 games. At this point it’s been 6 years of the same good but not great fantasy profile in 5×5 BA leagues (add a start in OBP, but it’s not like he’s a beast there either). The one different thing about his 2025 than the recent past is that he put up a career high by far 44.4% whiff%. He put up a 40.5% Hard Hit% in 2024, which was his career high at the time, so he’s definitely working hard on making more hard contact, and it’s working. We know the bread and butter is the contact/lift/pull profile, but with the added hard hit, there might just be a late career power uptick in here, and it makes him slightly more ballpark proof. Which is good news, because he’s getting a definite ballpark downgrade in Chicago. Of course Isaac Paredes comes to mind immediately, but make no mistake, this is not an Isaac Paredes situation at all. Paredes has a career 30.6% Hard Hit%. He desperately needs a good ballpark for his profile. Bregman has a career 38.5% Hard Hit% and like I mentioned, raised it to a career high 44.4% in 2025. Bregman is going to be just fine, and maybe more than just fine if he can actually keep up that hard hit. He’s still a super boring fantasy player, and it is a ballpark downgrade, but I don’t think it changes his value too much. – 2026 Projection: 88/24/84/.265/.346/.451/3
131) Ivan Herrera – STL, C/DH, 25.10 – Herrera was my top catcher target last off-season, and I’m definitely pumped about the awesome season he had, clearly seeing his value rise majorly, but let’s be honest, a monkey could have thrown a rock and hit on a catcher breakout in 2025. He also lost catcher eligibility in most leagues with only 14 games played, but I’m still going to include him in these catcher rankings, because all signs point towards him getting it back at some point in 2026. Both Herrera and the Cardinals are fully committed to him as a catcher and working to improve defensively this off-season. He underwent elbow surgery to remove loose bodies in October, which is a great sign, because there is hope that can improve the biggest weakness of his game, throwing guys out. Even if he can’t maintain eligibility long term, his bat is good enough to go after even with that risk. The reason I loved him so much last off-season was that his .367 xwOBA led all catchers, and while he didn’t lead all catchers in 2026, he took it up a notch to .371. There is no question this dude is a special hitter. He increased his bat speed 1.1 MPH to 74.3 MPH and it led to even more power with a 1.9 MPH increase in EV to 91.2 MPH and a 5.6 point increase in Hard Hit to 47.7 MPH. It led to 19 homers in only 107 games. He combined the power increase with a 18.6/9.5 K%/BB%, and while he doesn’t lift and pull a ton, the 10.1 degree launch and 14.6% Air Pull% is conducive to both homers and BA. He also runs a bit with 8 steals. The bat is good enough to profile anywhere (they dabbled with him in the OF in 2025) and is clearly one the Cards are going to get in the lineup no matter what. – 2026 Projection: 78/23/78/.280/.368/.465/9
132) Jacob Wilson – SAC, SS, 24.0 – You know me and hit tool only guys, so of course I was low on Wilson last off-season, and even after proving me wrong … I can’t help but still be kinda low on him ha … I’m working on it guys, okay. I’m going to therapy for it. We’re unpacking my childhood trauma that has led to my aversion for hit tool only guys. But I can’t lie, I’m not fully there yet ha. I can’t say I love Wilson for 2025. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just be happy? His 84.6 MPH EV was the 5th worst in baseball, and you can’t say it was because of the broken arm because it sat 85.4 MPH before the injury, and 82.9 MPH in his final 31 games after supposedly being back to 100% coming off the IL. His 63.9 MPH swing was 3rd slowest in baseball. He doesn’t lift and pull much with a 8.8 degree launch and 14% Air Pull%, and he doesn’t run much with only 5 steals in 125 games. Yea he makes a ton of contact with a 7.5% K% and hits for a high average with a .311 BA, but the .278 xBA shows the risk counting on BA so much. It’s really hard to count on .300+ every year, especially when you hit the ball so weakly. But maybe I’m the problem. I admit that. He hit 13 homers last year in only 125 games, which is great for his profile, and even in those final 31 games he hit 3. So he just kept hitting them all season. His home park will once again help him, although he only hit 1 more at home than on the road. And he also seems to be a great candidate for bat speed “training” or just swinging harder. Any boost of power/bat speed will make a huge difference for him. I can see my flaws, and I’m fighting them, so I will put him as a Top 100-150 dynasty asset, but I can’t just be on board that he’s now a dynasty beast. I just can’t do it, I’m sorry. – 2026 Projection: 79/14/72/.293/.331/.417/8
133) Francisco Alvarez – NYM, C, 24.4 – Alvarez was once upon a time sitting where Samuel Basallo is sitting today as the #2 dynasty catcher. I don’t know if that tells me I’m too aggressive on Basallo, or if I’m not patient enough on Alvarez, or maybe a combination of both. Young players, especially catchers, go through ups and downs in the developmental process (which is why I’m kinda hoping Basallo catches just enough to retain eligibility but no more than like 30+ game backup duties), and the signs for the mega Alvarez breakout are shining bright red for 2026. That massive power that had me betting on him so hard as a prospect fully arrived with a 93.1/97.3 MPH AVG/FB EV and a 54.3% Hard Hit%. Those numbers are in truly lofty territory. And the crazy thing is he did with so many different hand injuries. A hamate fracture which required surgery in early March delayed the start of his season, and then he also picked up a sprained thumb (which required off-season surgery) and a fractured pinky. If this is what he can do with 8 good fingers and a recent hamate surgery, I’m scared to see what he can do at full health. The hamate surgery seemed to impact his 1st half, but he slashed .281/.361/.578 with 9 homers and a 25.0/9.7 K%/BB% in his final 42 games. The reasons I don’t have him ranked even higher are because the 34.6% whiff% (32% in those final 42 games) is too high and the lift and pull has been going in the wrong direction with a 9.6 degree launch and 9.2% Air Pull%. He also grades out quite bad at blocks and framing on Statcast, so while I’m not worried about him moving off the position, it’s something to keep in mind. All signs point towards him having his true breakout season in 2026, but catcher got so deep while he went through his development ups and downs, that I still can’t put him higher than 12th. – 2026 Projection: 69/25/81/.245/.329/.462/1
134) Dylan Crews – WSH, OF, 24.1 – I don’t believe for one second that Dylan Crews is a true talent .211 hitter. That is his career BA in 116 games, which isn’t a small sample, but I just don’t buy it. The .248 BABIP is screaming bad luck, and so is the .248 xBA. He doesn’t have the type of profile that should lead to low BA’s with a 22.5% K%, an 89.5 MPH EV, and an all fields approach. And if you think that BA is going to come way up in 2026, like I do, then you can’t help but think Crews is going to be a fantasy beast with 13 homers and 29 steals in those 116 career games. He was starting to get hot and find his groove in 2025 with 3 homers and a .987 OPS in 9 games in mid May before hurting his oblique, knocking him out for 3 months, and he couldn’t get in that rhythm again after returning. But the good news is that creates one more buying opportunity for you to get before the breakout happens. He’s definitely not without risk as I don’t love the 30.7% whiff% in 2025 and he doesn’t lift and pull as much as optimal with a 8.5 degree launch and 11,5% Air Pull%, but his speed/base stealing has surpassed all expectations with a 29 ft/sec sprint and tons of steals, mitigating some of that risk. This is a young kid who is just getting his MLB career started and has yet to have that runway to really find his groove against MLB pitching, but I’m betting on that groove coming in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 62/14/56/.248/.320/.431/24 Update: Here is what I wrote in the Rundowns after hearing the news that Crews was being sent down: “And in the shocker news of the day, it was announced Crews is being sent down to Triple-A. I was definitely jaw on the floor, but after seeing his spring, I probably shouldn’t have been too surprised. Even I was getting worried, and I was Crews biggest defender. It’s obviously a blow to his value and not what you want to see, but I’m sticking to my guns. I’m not taking my walk of shame on him yet. I still believe in the fantasy talent. I still believe in the player, and I think he will be back. This is dynasty, and he was a dynasty call for me, and I still like him. Do I have the balls to keep buying low though if I don’t already have him? Probably not. He’s in hold territory for me now.”
135) Noelvi Marte – CIN, 3B/OF, 24.6 – I want to name Marte a major target, but seeing his 129th overall NFBC redraft ADP, and knowing his value is probably even stronger in dynasty, I actually don’t think my value of him is all that different from consensus. People like him, and so do I, but there are enough flaws in the profile for me to stop short of saying I would truly pay up much higher than where he’s currently going. When I give my “Targets,” I try to give real sharp targets based on perceived value. If I name a target who is already being valued pretty highly, like Hunter Greene last off-season, it’s because I still don’t think that high value is high enough. They aren’t just “breakout” picks. Not to say giving “breakout” picks isn’t valuable, but if everyone agrees that someone is a good breakout candidate, I can’t call them a true target. And the main thing stopping me short from going full 5 alarm target status on Marte relative to perceived value is that the 36.3% Hard Hit% and 91.4 MPH FB/LD EV are pretty mediocre. It sat 35.5% in August and September, so you can’t say it was getting better either. The other reasons are that the plate skills are rough with a 23.6/4.4 K%/BB%, the contact is below average with a 27.1% whiff%, and he’s in defensive limbo with a move to RF where we still don’t know how good he’s going to be out there. But the reason he’s a major breakout candidate is because he’s an electric talent with a 73.3 MPH swing and 29 ft/sec sprint. He already broke out somewhat in 2025, bouncing back from his PED induced down year, hitting .263 with 14 homers and 10 steals in 90 games. He improved his lift and pull with a 12.7 degree launch and 17.6% Air Pull%, and Cincinnati is one of the best hitter’s parks in the game. 20/20 with a solid BA seems reasonable, and the talent is in here to do much more than that with continued improvement and more hard hit, which should come considering that bat speed. He’s worth his current high price. – 2026 Projection: 75/23/77/.258/.309/.445/19
136) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B, 24.5 – Matt Shaw unveils new batting stances like it’s a fashion show. I can’t wait to see what batting stance he’s going to unveil in the next spring collection. The anticipation is killing me. One week it’s your standard upright little man leg kick (this was my favorite one). The next week it’s your dark and brooding, super closed, hunched over, cartoonish leg kick. The next week it’s an open, bending over backwards, bat on his shoulder stance. And then the next week it’s a loose, bat waggling, toe tap swing. I’m not even joking at all. These are all the batting stances Shaw has used over the last 1-2 years, and I might have even missed some versions. It looks different every time you watch him. It’s almost impressive he can change stances this much on the fly and not completely crumble. I think it’s a good sign that he can make the adjustments necessary in the never ending cat and mouse game that is MLB baseball, and those adjustments paid off majorly in his rookie year. After struggling in the first half with a .556 OPS in 63 games, he turned it around post break, slashing .258/.317/.522 with 11 homers, 6 steals and a 23.9/8.3 K%/BB% in his final 63 games of the season. Even with the lackluster season overall (93 wRC+), he did a lot of things well. He can lift and pull with a 13.4 degree launch and 21.8% Air Pull%, he’s got plus speed with a 29 ft/sec sprint, he gets the bat on the ball with a 22.5% whiff%, he can get on base with a 8.7% BB%, and he played a solid 3B. He really only did one thing poorly, but that one thing is a big one, and it’s hit the ball hard. The 84.9 MPH EV and 29.4% Hard Hit% were super weak. They were better in the 2nd half (86.4 MPH EV and 32.4% Hard Hit%), but they still weren’t great, and they were bad in September again. The good news is that his profile can work without huge hard hit numbers (contact, speed, lift and pull), and looking at his minor league career, those numbers are almost certainly going to come way up as he gets more comfortable. He put up a 44.3% Hard Hit% in 24 games at Triple-A in 2025 and an 89.3 MPH EV at AAA in 2024. I’m betting on Shaw hitting the ball much harder in 2026. The biggest problem now is that the Alex Bregman puts a major damper on his 2026 playing time. Hoerner is a free agent after this year, so long term he should be fine, but short term, it’s not so easy. The plan is to make him a super utility player, getting time all over the infield and even the outfield. DH is a possibility too. Injuries happen. If he hits, there is actually still a path for him to get a ton of at bats, and long term, I’m still betting on him, but short term, it stinks. – 2026 Projection: 58/13/51/.252/.331/.438/18 Prime Projection: 88/23/81/.266/.347/.459/26
137) Jasson Dominguez – NYY, OF, 23.2 – I fully didn’t realize how much the Yanks were out on Dominguez. There is now news he isn’t even going to make the team and that he’s going to start at Triple-A. I personally still really love the player, but I mean, the Yanks don’t, and we have no control over that. I disagree with them, but it doesn’t matter what I think if they are going to kill his development. Here is why I still really love him as a fantasy player though. He was a 22 year old who put up a 49.6% Hard Hit% with a 90.6 MPH EV, and did it with a 74.1 MPH swing. The special bat talent is so clearly there, and the 27.2% whiff% and 26.8/9.6 K%/BB% isn’t bad at all. He also stole 23 bags with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint. That is a really strong foundation to build on. He certainly has things to work on, like his defense, hitting lefties, and pulling the ball in the air, but that is what development is all about. Not everyone is going to be fully formed by 22 years old. And Dominguez is the type of talent with the type of upside that you want to be patient with. I don’t think sending him back to Triple-A is going to help him that much. He needs to make the adjustments vs. MLB pitchers, and now he isn’t even going to get that chance. I don’t want to panic too hard, because Grisham is just on a one year deal and we know injuries happen, but I certainly can’t say I like him nearly as much anymore. Part of me wants to call him an even bigger target, because betting on the talent and letting the rest work itself out is a strong strategy in dynasty, but I’m thrown off my game here. – 2026 Projection: 43/11/39/.263/.340/.428/15 Prime Projection: 88/25/83/.269/.351/.468/31
138) Shane Bieber – TOR, RHP, 30.10 – Bieber was one of my top mid-season trade targets as a makeup call for fading Brandon Woodruff so hard before he made his return (I saw the decreased velocity and panicked). I’m quick to learn from my mistakes, and right when Woodruff came back and dominated, my mind immediately went to Bieber, and thought, he’s about to do the same thing, isn’t he. And while he didn’t dominate quite like Woodruff, he pitched very well with a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 23.3/4.4 K%/BB% in 40.1 IP (3.86 ERA with a 21.7/7.2 K%/BB% in 18.2 IP in the playoffs). The 27.9% whiff% is well above average, so I’m not concerned with the slightly weak strikeout numbers. The velocity was up with a 92.6 MPH 4-seamer, which is the hardest he’s thrown since 2021, and the secondaries missed bats, most notably the slider (36.7%) and the changeup (38.2%). And the control/command was back in prime form. The only problem is that we found out he was experiencing forearm fatigue at the end of the season, and while they are hoping he’s good to go for Opening Day, it is not a lock. It shows there is still injury risk in here, and while it does shake my confidence in him a little, it doesn’t seem bad enough to jump ship. Assuming full health, he he has the floor of a #2/3 fantasy starter, and I wouldn’t rule out a higher end outcome than that either. We just now have to ding him a bit for that added injury risk.– 2026 Projection: 9/3.42/1.13/130 in 130 IP Update: And that forearm fatigue popped up this spring too. He’s headed for the IL to start the season, and while it’s not overly serious yet, the injury risk here is obviously extremely high
139) Framber Valdez – DET, LHP, 32.4 – It was a tale of two halves for Valdez with a great 1st half and a terrible 2nd half, but nothing looked too out of place in the underlying numbers in the 2nd half, and it resulted in another mostly good season with a 3.66 ERA and 23.3/8.5 K%/BB% in 192 IP. The 94.3 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground, the curve is dominant with a 43.7% whiff%, and the changeup is a solid pitch. It’s basically the same guy he’s been since he broke out in 2020. He’s never been a great K/BB guy, but going into his age 33 year old season, that does worry me a bit. If there is any decline, it seems he can quickly fall into a #4 starter type. I would feel more comfortable with him in the middle of my fantasy rotation than at the top. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.42/1.19/178 in 185 IP
140) Nick Pivetta – SDP, RHP, 33.2 – Pivetta backed up the control gains he made in 2024 with a 6.9% BB% in 2025, and this time, the ERA more than reflected it with a 2.87 ERA and 26.4/6.9 K%/BB% in 181.2 IP. The home ballpark upgrade from Boston to San Diego definitely helped with a 2.36 ERA at home, but he was really good on the road too with a 3.55 ERA. The 93.8 MPH fastball dominated with a +21 Run Value that was tied for the 3rd best in baseball, and while it was on the lucky side with a .317 xwOBA vs. .259 wOBA, it’s still a really good pitch. The sweeper is the best secondary with a 37.4% whiff%, and the curve and cutter were both positive value pitches. I definitely think Pivetta is a good pitcher, but I’m concerned he’s a bit overrated now. The 3.96 ERA, 3.69 SIERA, and 24.6% whiff% are all much less impressive than the surface stats. His 4-seamer, curve, and cutter all got lucky on an individual pitch level. I would feel most comfortable with him as a fantasy #3. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.67/1.15/186 in 175 IP
141) Tyler Glasnow – LAD, RHP, 32.7 – We were willing to put up with the extreme injury risk and lack of innings from Glasnow due to the true top of the scale upside, but in 2025, Glasnow showed he might not actually have that top of the scale upside anymore. The walk rate spiked back to his earlier career levels with a 11.7% BB% in 90.1 IP (6.7% in 2024), and that continued right through the playoffs with a 12.5% BB% in 21.1 IP. The 98 Stuff+ is down from 108 in 2024, and that 108 was already a career low, so it’s declining. His once insane whiff and strikeout rates are no longer insane with a 28.2% whiff% and 29% K%. Those are obviously still really good strikeout rates, and he still pitched very well with a 3.19 ERA and 3.31 xERA, but when you can only count on him for about 120 IP (134 IP is a career high and a shoulder injury limited him to 90.1 in 2025), that isn’t the true elite upside that got him ranked so highly on lists in the past. He’s only 32 years old, so I won’t rule out a bounce back in 2026, but 32 isn’t a spring chicken and maybe the injuries are taking a toll. I wouldn’t feel comfortable treating him like a true top of the rotation fantasy starter going into 2026, even though he should still be really good when he’s on the mound. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.39/1.12/156 in 130 IP
142) Michael King – SDP, RHP, 30.10 – King was off to an ace level start with a 2.59 ERA and 28.4/7.6 K%/BB% in 55.2 IP before a shoulder injury put a screeching halt to his season. He missed over 3 months (with a knee injury mixed in there too) and was a shell of himself when he returned with a 6.11 ERA and 14.5/10.8 K%/BB% in his final 17.2 IP over 5 outings. He went from a 101 Stuff+ to a 94 Stuff+. Something was clearly still wrong. That makes it super scary to buy into him going into 2026, as we don’t know how healthy he is actually going to be. Remember that King was recently transitioned into a starting role, so it’s not like he’s got this long history of racking up innings. It’s possible the arm isn’t going to hold up for season after season of 160+ innings. I’m a little nervous paying a super high price for him, but if his value falls far enough, I can see taking the shot. I also like that he landed back in San Diego on a pretty big 3 year, $75 million deal with opt outs. It’s a good sign that San Diego believes in him. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.55/1.22/157 in 150 IP
143) Daulton Varsho – TOR, OF, 29.9 – Varsho is one of my top OF Targets for 2026. I called him a major target the second he returned from shoulder surgery in late April, nicknaming him The Bionic Shoulder, as he returned with a supercharged right shoulder. Guys are returning from shoulder surgeries with better shoulders than they’ve ever had before. Unfair. It led to an explosion in bat speed (up 2.9 MPH to 75.6 MPH), EV (up 3.8 MPH to 89.1 MPH) and Hard Hit% (up 6.3 points to 40.3%), resulting in 23 homers over 89 games, including the playoffs. When you lift and pull as much he does (23.5 degree launch with a 29.5% Air Pull%), you are going to hit homers almost by accident, and when you combine it with the increase in raw power, he’s going hit 30+ homers in his sleep. He also has a plus glove in CF, so he’s not coming off the field. The power is certainly going to come with a low BA with all that lift/pull combined with a 29.8% whiff% (.238 BA), so the real X-factor to just how high his upside will be is stolen bases. He didn’t run in 2025 (2 steals), but with a 28.4 ft/sec sprint, and with two 16 steal seasons under his belt, it seems like he was just trying to protect the new shoulder. With a full off-season to feel more comfortable with it, mid teens steals seems well within possibility, and that mitigates the BA risk somewhat. With a little luck, there is a truly beastly fantasy season in here, and even the floor is high with the homer/defense combo. He’s a major Target. – 2026 Projection: 78/32/85/.235/.308/.472/12
144) Jac Caglianone – KCR, 1B/OF, 23.2 – They all can’t be Kurtz. Caglianone utterly obliterated the upper minors with 20 homers and a 170 wRC+ in 66 games at mostly Triple-A, but unlike Kurtz, it was a different story in the majors with a .157 BA, 7 homers and a 46 wRC+ in 62 games. The dream is for the Kurtz like rise where there is zero adjustment period, just a beeline to elite dynasty asset status, but when it doesn’t work out that way, you need to stay patient, and I’m 100% staying patient with Caglianone. It’s actually a super easy call to stay patient because the .248 xBA, .327 xwOBA, 26.8% whiff%, and 22.4% K% are all screaming as loud as possible to stay the course. He has his flaws, like tons of chase (38.5% Chase%), but a guy with a 77.3 MPH swing at 6’5” and tons of raw power can get away with chasing pitches in their prime. We’ve seen it often. He also doesn’t lift and pull a ton, but again, with his raw power, he can overcome that too. If his current owner is panicking over the terrible surface stats, I would be happy to take him off their hands. – 2026 Projection: 71/25/78/.238/.309/.450/4 Prime Projection: 83/32/97/.255/.331/.490/6
145) Freddie Freeman – LAD, 1B, 36.7 – I advised last off-season that it could be a good time to sell Freeman before the signs of decline starting popping up, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “The decline has to come one day, right? And as we saw with Paul Goldschmidt, when it comes for a player around this age, their dynasty value falls off a cliff very quickly. If I owned Freeman, even in win now mode, I would be mighty tempted to cash my chips in this off-season, even if the offer isn’t like a godfather type offer.” … and even coming off another really strong season with a 139 wRC+, the signs of decline are now even more obvious. He had a .406 xwOBA in 2023, a .365 xwOBA in 2024 and now a .349 xwOBA in 2025. It’s the first time his xwOBA isn’t in the red. The 27.3% whiff% and 20.4% K% are 9 year worsts. You likely won’t be able to get the same price this off-season as you were last off-season, but his strong surface stats and strong name value likely gives you one more chance to cash these chips in before the value really takes another nose dive a la Paul Goldschmidt. I’m all for riding a great product into the ground, like I did with my Mazda Tribute for 20 years (I’m now the proud owner of a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee), so I’m not against holding, but you are definitely running out of time if you want to get even a decent return. As a 36 year old with clear signs of decline, I just can’t call him a Top 100 dynasty asset anymore, even though he should still be a good win now piece in 2026. This ranking feels low, but I think it’s justified. Father time is undefeated. – 2026 Projection: 79/23/87/.285/.367/.470/5
146) Carlos Rodon – NYY, LHP, 33.4 – It was announced that Rodon underwent elbow surgery in the off-season to address a bone spur and that he’s expected to be out until late April or early May. That puts a damper on his dynasty value because as a 33 year old, you are really banking on him as a win now piece, so his impact for 2026 is guaranteed to be impacted just based on innings, and there is also risk of setbacks/rust/diminished performance. He was already diminished from his true peak days, so any further decline is a little scary. He’s coming off his best season since 2022 with a 3.09 ERA and 25.7/9.3 K%/BB% in 195.1 IP, but that K/BB and the ERA estimators (3.92 SIERA, 3.89 xFIP, 3.31 xERA) were already not fully buying it. His 4-seamer also dropped 1.3 MPH to 94.1 MPH, but the pitch had a different movement profile with more horizontal break, and it performed better than it has in a couple years, so maybe it was by design. That elite 30.3% whiff% can’t be ignored and is still calling my name, but considering the injury risk, age, and likely regression from 2025 even at full health, I would tread carefully here. Still a good win now piece, but there definitely needs to be a bit of a discount here for me to end up with him this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.71/1.20/146 in 140 IP
147) Tatsuya Imai – HOU, RHP, 27.11 – Let’s start with the elephant in the room, which is that Imai didn’t sign as big of a contract as expected (3 years, $54-$63 million with 2 opt outs), but it’s not moving me off him as the #1 pick in FYPD’s. For one, I love the landing spot. Houston puts their pitchers in position to succeed and I trust them with Imai’s transition. I also don’t think the deal is that bad at all. He’s very likely to make over 20 million a year if he doesn’t opt out, and those opts outs have really huge upside on them. If he dominates, he can land an absolutely huge deal. Don’t underrate how valuable those opt outs are. I still think this deal shows that Imai is expected to be a very good pitcher, and everything else in his profile says we should expect him to be a very good pitcher too. He dominated the 2nd best baseball league in the world, he’s smack dab in the middle of his prime, he’s coming over right as he’s peaking, he has the stuff/pitch mix to back it all up, and he has both a high floor and a high ceiling. If this were a better First Year Player Draft Class, or if this was like last year’s class, he probably wouldn’t be 1st overall (I would 100% have Roch Cholowsky ranked over him from the 2026 draft class, for instance), but in this year’s class, I don’t even really think it’s that tough of a call. He put up a 1.92 ERA with a 27.8/7.0 K%/BB% in 163.2 IP in the NPB in 2025. For reference, Yamamoto put up a 1.21 ERA with a 26.6/4.4 K%/BB% in 164 IP the year before he came over, and then his first year in the majors he had a 3.00 ERA and 28.5/6.0 K%/BB% in 90 IP, meaning, there is no guarantee Imai’s strikeout rates are going to go down in the majors. They might go up, as Imai mentioned how contact oriented the hitters in Japan are, and he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing guys who actually swing for the fences. He completely owns the mound when he’s out there with a calm, loose, athletic, and easy righty delivery that he uses to fire a mid 90’s fastball, a plus “reverse” slider, and a plus splitter/changeup (he throws both). His stuff misses bats, induces weak contact, and keeps the ball in the park (48.3% GB%). His control and strikeout rates have been improving over the last 5 years, so like I mentioned, he’s coming over at the perfect time when he’s at his peak. We have seen more than enough aces come over from the NPB and either remain an ace in MLB (Yamamoto, Yu Darvish-who also saw his K rates rise in MLB), or at the least be an impact fantasy starter (Imanaga, Senga), that the transition doesn’t seem super risky. There is risk of course with a new baseball, country, etc … but everyone in First Year Player Drafts have risk, and Imai almost definitely has the least risk of anybody. He’s only 5’11”, but Yamamoto is 5’10”, so I don’t really care too much about that either. I don’t see how you could take Doyle or Anderson over him just evaluating the top pitchers on the board, and while you can argue for a high school bat, Imai’s ceiling as a #2 starter seems plenty high enough to not feel too tempted by the bats. He’s my top dog in FYPD’s and I’m not too torn about it. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.57/1.21/165 in 165 IP
148) Devin Williams – NYM, Closer, 31.7 – Williams had a down year in 2025 with a 4.79 ERA in 62 IP, but all signs point towards it just being a down year. The 3.02 xERA and 34.7/9.7 K%/BB% both look much better. The 37.7% whiff% is still stupid elite. The changeup wasn’t quite as crazy elite as years past, which is why that xERA is actually a 6 year worst by a pretty good margin. So it wasn’t all bad luck, but I mean, a ton of it was bad luck. I’ll knock him just out of that top tier of closers I have ranked above for that smidge of extra risk, but it sure seems like he’s going to be elite again in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.95/1.08/31/89 in 61 IP
149) Michael Harris – ATL, OF, 25.1 – I’ve been burned by Harris one too many times. 2 times to be exact. Which in my book, is one too many. I can’t just keep on ranking him like he’s on the verge of this huge breakout. It’s certainly still possible, and the things I loved about him these past few seasons are still there, namely bat speed, foot speed, hard hit and contact, but too many things either aren’t improving or are moving backwards. His 43.1% Chase% was a career worst by a good margin. That was the thing he desperately needed to improve to breakout and it got considerably worse. He needed to improve his lift/pull and that didn’t get better a single smidge. The contact rates are about average. So taking all of that into account, Hard Hit is really important for him, and that got worse too with a not really standout 43.4%. It bounced back to 48% in the 2nd half, so I’m not too worried about that, but he’s shown absolutely zero improvement in the areas he needed to improve to bet on a breakout. He had a big 2nd half, but with a .635 OPS in September, it was more of a hot two months than some sustainable breakout. He’s just not improving, and while he’s young enough and talented enough to want to bet on a mid 20’s breakout, it seems to be too more wishcasting at this point without real evidence behind it. He’s a good CF so his defense should keep him on the field, and he still went 20/20 on the dot last year despite a 83 wRC+, so the fun power/speed combo is in here, but I’m going to rank him as if this is who he is. I can’t keep on baking in this big breakout potential. – 2026 Projection: 69/20/81/.268/.303/.425/20
150) Edward Cabrera – CHC, RHP, 28.0 – Edward Cabrera is lesson #3,081 on why you can never give up on pitchers with nasty stuff. Or it’s a lesson to not roster too many pitching prospects, and instead wait for their original owner to get frustrated and drop them, after which you swoop in and get them for nothing right before they breakout. Really the second lesson is the one take away from it. Cabrera’s been sitting in the breakout waiting room for the last 5 years, and his number was finally called in 2025, putting up a 3.53 ERA with a 25.8/8.3 K%/BB% in 137.2 IP. The key to the breakout was that his control/command took a huge step forward (11.8% BB% in 2024), and he also changed his pitch mix a bit, throwing his 4-seamer much less. He let the secondaries shine with the curve really standing out with a 45.2% whiff% and .207 xwOBA. The changeup was always his best pitch, and it performed again with a +5 Run Value, and the slider stood out too with a 43.7% whiff%. He turned into Picasso on the mound all of sudden. The 29.4% whiff% overall is near elite for a starter. I’m not sure I’m ready to say he’s now a top of the rotation starter, but I am ready to put him into the high K, mid-rotation starter category, which is a big jump from where he was before. I’m buying as my sense is that his hype isn’t nearly where it should be (although it’s been rising as the off-season goes along). I like him just as much with Chicago as I did Miami. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.67/1.22/177 in 160 IP
151) Andy Pages – LAD, OF, 25.4 – I find it hard not to mention that Pages had one of the worst playoff performances I can remember with a negative 45 wRC+ and .078 BA in 55 PA. I don’t think it’s going to impact how the Dodgers view him going into 2026, but there were also signs that he got lucky in 2025 with a below average .315 xwOBA vs. .332 wOBA. He’s a contact (21.5% whiff%)/lift (16.9 degree launch)/pull guy (20.1% Air Pull%), which can routinely beat Statcast, but the 37.2% Hard Hit% makes the profile a bit precarious, and we saw how bad it can look in the playoffs. It was even cooling off in the regular season with a .696 OPS and 34.2% Hard Hit% in his final 70 games. The 4.6% BB% and 33.2% Chase% is not giving hope that his big walk rates from the minors are all of a sudden going to show up in the majors. I really thought I was going to like Pages a lot coming into this blurb, but I’m coming away more concerned than I am excited. Don’t get me wrong, he’s coming off an excellent year where he went .272/27/14, and LA showed their faith in him during the season even when he was slumping, which is big to see because they are sometimes quick to pull the plug with young players. A lot of that faith is how good he is on defense, including CF. His defensive ability is a big reason I’m staying high, and so is the fact his MLB career is just getting started, so if he can improve that hard hit, the fantasy friendly profile is here to have some huge seasons. I would just caution to have some restraint here as the red flags are here. – 2026 Projection: 72/25/83/.254/.308/.452/10
152) Isaac Paredes – HOU, 3B, 27.2 – We all knew that Houston was the perfect ballpark for Paredes, and then he went out and proved it with 20 homers and a 128 wRC+ in 102 games. He’s the OG Statcast Killa with an extreme contact (17.4% K%)/lift (23 degree launch)/pull (38.5% Air Pull%) profile, and he made himself at home in the Crawford Boxes, obviously. Watching him destroy Statcast every year is so fun with a .353 wOBA vs. .318 xwOBA. But now the problem is that he seems to be in some kind of limbo. Houston seems to want to trade him, but he hasn’t been dealt yet, and if he sticks with the team, it sure seems like they might not actually play him everyday when everyone is at full health. I find that hard to believe with how good his bat is in that ballpark, but it does seem to be trending that way. The fact he can get traded out of Houston during the season is also now scaring me off a bit. – 2026 Projection: 71/25/79/.250/.350/.468/1
153) Addison Barger – TOR, 3B/OF, 26.5 -Barger might have been my best “out of nowhere,” super cheap Target call last off-season, writing, “Toronto has a ton of fringy guys, and predicting which one will emerge probably isn’t something you even want to try to do, but my favorite one is Barger. I know Rodon is getting a lot of praise right now from Toronto at the start of camp, so maybe he ends up being the right guy to bet on, but I’m going to stick to my guns with Barger. I was always visually blown away by his swing, and now that we see his 74.3 MPH bat speed, I’m even more in on it. It’s not long either. The 70 wRC+ in his MLB debut was rough, but the underlying skills still shined through with an above average 8.7% Barrel%, a solid 12.1 degree launch, an above average 28 ft/sec sprint, and a really pretty good 27.6% whiff%. It doesn’t feel like he is that far off from a big breakout, and it’s not like Toronto doesn’t have opportunity. Will Wagner is penciled in as the DH and they have Ernie Clement at 3B. Barger can also play some corner OF. I just want to keep betting on his bat.” … and basically every single thing I wrote in that blurb ended up contributing to Barger’s 2025 breakout. His bat speed got even more elite with a 75.9 MPH swing, he gets the bat on the ball with a 26.1% whiff%, he crushes the ball with a 51% Hard Hit%, and he can lift and pull with an excellent 21.1% Air Pull%. He also improved on defense, playing a solid 3B and an above average RF. He was good in the regular season with 21 homers and a 107 wRC+ in 502 PA, and he was even better in the playoffs, slashing .367/.441/.583 with 3 homers and a 17.6/11.8 K%/BB% in 17 games. He struggled vs. lefties (.607 OPS), the 11.9 degree launch probably does cap the homer upside a bit, and he doesn’t run much, so it’s hard to really fly him up rankings wild crazy, but I am 100% continuing to buy high on the breakout. This is a special bat to keep betting on. – 2026 Projection: 73/25/87/.257/.323/.472/6
154) Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 23.7 – The consensus #1 pick in First Year Player Drafts, non Roki division, and the #1 pick in the MLB Draft, did not live up to that consensus #1 billing. And neither did Roki for that matter. Keep this in mind when you are making your own picks in your league. I’ve preached this since I started writing, but don’t be afraid to think with a mind of your own and make outlier picks. Even when baseball executives, real life prospect evaluators, and fantasy prospect evaluators are all in alignment, we all might be very wrong. Sure when you make a weird a pick your entire league will talk shit to you and call you a dummy, and if it doesn’t end up working out, you’ll never hear the end of it, but if you do hit, you will be treated like a conquering hero … hah, who am I kidding, no you won’t be. They will act like they don’t even remember giving you shit for it ha. But if you’ve achieved the important life level of not caring what other people think of you (it’s less not caring, you want people to like/respect you, it’s more not letting it impact your life decisions and behavior), then you will man up (person up?) and take Ethan Conrad 1st this year 😉 … or whichever guy is pinging your gut as the guy. But back to Bazzana, while he didn’t deserve to be the top dog, he still had a strong year. He put up a 137 wRC+ with 9 homers, 12 steals, and a 24.3/17.6 K%/BB% in 84 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. The lift/pull ability is there, he hits generally hard with a 89.3 MPH EV, the 24.3% whiff% at Triple-A is solid, the approach is excellent with a 13.2% Chase, and he runs. All of the ingredients we loved last off-season were there, just not to quite as high levels as we hoped to see. And the hit tool was most disappointing with a .245 BA and the high K rate. I’m not gonna lie, his still very high value might be more inflated by his name value and reputation than by the cold hard analysis of the numbers. The cold hard analysis says he’s just a solid to good prospect, and not really a standout one. Hard for me say that, because I do still like him a lot, and I still see a 20/20 guy, but maybe I’m also falling victim to the past hype. – 2026 Projection: 69/15/61/.228/.304/.392/17 Prime Projection: 84/20/72/.252/.331/.434/23
155) Marcelo Mayer – BOS, 3B, 23.4 – I get the sense that people are starting to get lulled to sleep by Mayer. They view him as a nice bat maybe, solid player, but I think people are massively underestimating how special of a bat this is. Dude is 6’3” with one of the sweetest lefty swings out there, and it’s not just sweet, it’s lightning fast with a 74.1 MPH bat speed. It results in him consistently crushing the ball with a 48.5% Hard Hit% at Triple-A and an even better 51.7% Hard Hit% in the majors. That mark was 29th best in baseball (over 500 pitch minimum). This isn’t just a nice, solid bat. This dude is a beast. Some hit tool issues popped up in the MLB debut with a .228 BA and 30.1/5.9 K%/BB%, but a 28.6% whiff% and 29.7% Chase% isn’t bad at all for a 22 year old’s first taste of the bigs. It’s actually more encouraging than discouraging. He’s not a lift and pull machine, but a 12 degree launch with a 17.9% Air Pull% at Triple-A is perfectly fine, especially with how hard he hits the ball. And while he doesn’t run a ton, the 27.5 ft/sec sprint was average, so he should at least chip in a handful. Everything is trending toward Mayer being a complete hitter who will hit in the middle of a strong Red Sox lineup for years to come. His glove was excellent at both 3B and 2B, so it’s highly likely he will have a starting job somewhere right out of the gate if he looks good in spring (looking locked in at 2B right now). I don’t love the wrist surgery, as wrist injuries are known killers, but I’m not letting it scare me off. If Mayer isn’t being treated like the truly special bat he is in your league, I would jump on that value. – 2026 Projection: 68/20/77/.252/.313/.433/8 Prime Projection: 94/27/94/.271/.344/.482/11
156) Ryan Waldschmidt – ARI, OF, 23.6 – Waldschmidt is the Luke Keaschall do over. If you missed out on Keaschall, Waldschimdt is your chance to rectify that mistake, and just like Keaschall, he’s never going to truly get the respect he deserves on prospect lists. It’s actually remarkable how similar the profile and career arcs are. Keaschall put up a 146 wRC+ in his pro debut in 2023, and then Waldschmidt put up a 142 wRC+ in his pro debut in 2024. Keaschall went full breakout the next year at High-A and Double-A, slashing .303/.420/.483 with 15 homers, 23 steals, and a 17.2/13.4 K%/BB% in 102 games, and of course, Waldchmidt nearly matched him identically in 2025, slashing .289/.419/.473 with 18 homers, 29 steals, and a 17.6/16.0 K%/BB% in 134 games (the last 66 games at Double-A). The lift and pull is also extremely similar, and Waldschmidt might have more raw power potential at 6’2” (Keaschall is 6’0”). They are actually about the same age, so I guess advantage goes to Keaschall for already being in the majors, but you get the point. Waldschmidt has an above average across the board profile, and he still doesn’t quite get the respect he deserves on prospect lists. – 2026 Projection: 24/6/21/.249/.318/.417/8 Prime Projection: 88/22/79/.271/.343/.453/23
157) Joshua Baez – STL, OF, 22.9 – Back in early July, when Baez was still getting lukewarm love, when people were still hesitant to really go all in, I saw the opportunity to strike, naming him one of my top Mid-Season Targets, writing, “This guy just has Lawrence Butler 2.0 written all over him. I know his hype has been rising, but I still think even a super savvy dynasty owner might be looking at him as a perfect sell high opportunity. Popped up “out of nowhere,” there is hit tool risk, they just might be thinking they are the one getting one over on you, but it’s going to be the other way around. Play possum on this one. Dummy up. Because what Baez is doing is exactly what Butler did. He’s an absolute specimen at 6’3”, 220 pounds, he crushes the ball, he has 34 steals in 39 attempts in 69 games total, and he now has a 25.8/16.4 K%/BB% in 31 games at Double-A. He’s proving his hit tool gains are real. And the insane, true elite talent is there. Pretend you’re the fool buying in too hard, and then don’t gloat when in a year or two their former owner realizes the mistake they make. You just got lucky ;)” … and then not only did he continue to keep it up, he took the hit tool up a notch with a 14.1%/10.6% K%/BB% in his final 40 games of the season at Double-A. The dude is a jacked 6’3” version of Kevin McGonigle out there ha, not quite, but you get the point. He finished the season going 20/54 in 117 games. Like we saw with Lawrence Butler in 2025, it’s hard to feel we are ever completely out of the woods with the hit tool risk on these types, but the massive improvement he showed, combined with his monster upside, is worthy of an extremely high ranking on a fantasy list especially. Since I wrote that Target blurb, his hype has already exploded, and if you took my advice back then, you almost surely already feel like you got one over on somebody. But he’s still on the underrated side now too, so it’s not too late. This is a Top 30 dynasty prospect, and that might still be underselling him. – 2026 Projection: 17/6/23/.228/.301/.418/7 Prime Projection: 79/25/84/.248/.327/.471/28
158) Justin Crawford – PHI, OF, 22.3 – Let’s not beat around the bush, we all know the issue, and it’s that Crawford has an extreme 59.4% GB%. So before we start getting into him hopefully lowering that significantly, the question is can a player succeed with such a high groundball rate? And the answer to that question is a clear yes. And I’m not even talking about Justin’s father, Carl, who is the so obvious comp here, but I’m talking about a possibly even better comp, and that is none other than Christian Yelich. Yelich put up a 63.2% GB% in his 2013 MLB debut and put up a 118 wRC+. He put up a 61% in 2014 (118 wRC+) and a 62.5% in 2015 (120 wRC+). The power uptick came when he dropped the GB% into the mid 50% range. So he was really good even before the drop, and after the drop, he was MVP great. Just this past season, Yelich had a lower launch than Crawford (2 degrees vs. 3 degrees) and Yelich still hit 29 homers. Obviously Yelich is a special talent, but that is the point, so is Crawford. They are both lefties of similar size with good contact rates and the ability to hit the ball very hard. Crawford had a 18.4% whiff% with a 45.3% Hard Hit% at Triple-A. He’s still a very projectable 6’2”, so it’s very possible that Hard Hit is sitting in the upper 40’s at peak, just like Yelich (career 48.4% Hard Hit%). Yelich had better chase so it’s not a perfect comp, but you get the point, a special talent like Crawford absolutely can make a super high groundball rate work. And if he can drop it another 5 to 10 percentage points, watch the hell out. On steals and contact alone Crawford will make a fantasy impact even if he’s not a great real life hitter, but he can most certainly be a great real life hitter too. I’m not getting scared off by the ground ball rates. I’m buying Crawford, and right now, he looks like he can break camp as Philadelphia’s starting CF. – 2026 Projection: 71/9/41/.257/.316/.387/28 Prime Projection: 93/17/72/.281/.344/.436/41
159) Jordan Lawlar – ARI, 3B, 23.9 – I can’t believe we are still ranking Lawlar as a prospect, but he really doesn’t have anyone to blame but himself. The reason he is still a “prospect” is because he’s been very injury prone, and when he does get his shot in the majors, he does absolutely nothing. Less than nothing actually, he’s a negative with a negative 0.7 WAR in 108 PA. He once again only played sporadically in 2025, which is not a recipe for success, but he’s only playing sporadically because he hit .182 with a 35.1% K% in 74 PA this year. I get being completely fatigued with him, and you can definitely question if he truly does have star upside. He destroyed Triple-A in a hitter’s haven, but the 88.8 MPH EV and 43.6% Hard Hit% don’t really jump off the screen. That is a good power for sure, and it should only rise, but it’s not beastly power yet. And it came with a 27.3% whiff%. The 71.7 MPH swing in the majors is only average, and he was bad at 3B. The thing that might be scaring me the most right now is how awful he was in the Dominican Winter League. He put up a .432 OPS with a 18/0 K/BB in 46 PA. It’s only 46 PA, but man, it almost shouldn’t even be possible for a 23 year old stud to be that horrific. There are enough cracks in this profile to clearly move him out of the elite or even near elite prospect range, but I still think his fantasy upside needs to be respected. The fantasy friendly profile is fully there with lift and pull, good raw power, and elite speed/base stealing (29.7 ft/sec sprint). He was also finally starting to find his groove in the majors in September, slashing .333/.390/.528 with a 24.4/7.3 K%/BB% and 88 MPH EV in his last 41 PA. If Arizona just takes the leash off and let’s him go, I still see a seriously impactful fantasy contributor, but Arizona just doesn’t seem to believe in him after trading for Arenado with a contract that runs through 2027. OF and DH now seem to be his best path and he’s going to have to kick the door down. – 2026 Projection: 37/11/44/.236/.303/.419/17 Prime Projection: 82/20/74/.251/.332/.441/30
160) Payton Tolle – BOS, LHP, 23.5 – Tolle could have been in the discussion for the #1 pitching prospect in baseball if he popped as much as Burns/Yesavage/McLean popped in the majors, but his ride wasn’t as smooth with a 6.06 ERA, 4.58 xERA, and 25.7/10.8 K%/BB% in 16.1 IP. While it does take him out of the running for the top spot, that really has more to do with how great those other guys looked, because I’m actually more encouraged than discouraged by his debut. The most important thing for him to show was that his double plus to elite 96.7 MPH fastball would play against MLB hitters, and it did indeed prove that with an excellent 28.3% whiff% and 86.1 MPH EV against. The pitch got extremely unlucky and he threw it 64.1% of the time, which was the biggest culprit for the poor debut. The secondaries have always been the biggest question for him, and while they weren’t great in the debut, I’m encouraged that they all missed bats. The changeup put up a 50% whiff% (also a 50% whiff% at Triple-A), the slider put up a 30% whiff% with a strong .249 xwOBA, the cutter put up a 30% whiff% and the curve didn’t give up a single hit. It all resulted in a 30.1% whiff% overall, which I love to see. And of course he destroyed the minors with a 3.04 ERA and 36.5/6.3 K%/BB% in 91.2 IP spread across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA). The walk rate spiked in the majors to 10.8%, which I don’t want to completely dismiss, but the larger sample in the minors rules the day for me long term. He might not be in the conversation for #1 overall, but this is still an elite pitching prospect for me. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.74/1.19/95 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.39/1.11/200 in 180 IP
161) Jonah Tong – NYM, RHP, 22.9 – Like Tolle, Tong would have been in the discussion for the #1 pitching prospect in baseball if not for the poor MLB debut with a 7.71 ERA, 4.97 xERA and 25.3/10.3 K%/BB% in 18.2 IP, but unlike Tolle, I am actually a little discouraged because of it. The thing we really need to see was that fastball/changeup combo playing against MLB hitters, and it just didn’t play with a negative 4 Run Value and solid but not great 22.3% whiff% on the 95.2 MPH fastball, and an even worse showing for the changeup with a .357 xwOBA and very disappointing 22.3% whiff%. I’ve actually been saying all of 2025 that his curve was getting underrated, and that did actually perform well with a .219 xwOBA and 80.4 MPH EV against, but the 26.3% whiff% wasn’t impressive there either. It’s a small sample, and I’m not saying I don’t like Tong anymore, but I’m saying there are enough red flags from the MLB debut that I’m not flying him up the rankings wild crazy anymore. You would have to be crazy to be completely out on him with his utter destruction of the minors with a 1.43 ERA and 40.5/10.6 K%/BB% in 113.2 IP at mostly Double-A. Keep in mind he was only 21/22 in 2025 while all of the pitchers with better debuts were older than him, which I 100% think matters. Don’t get too scared off by the MLB debut, but kinda get a teeny, tiny bit scared off. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.87/1.28/105 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.45/1.20/198 in 175 IP
162) Connelly Early – BOS, LHP, 24.0 – The prospect world still kinda treats Early like he’s a nice soft tossing lefty who could pitch towards the back of a rotation. I guess when you evaluate a guy for years, it can be hard to get prior evaluations out of your head, but he ain’t that guy anymore. Redraft guys don’t have that prior perception problem, and it’s why he’s going 214th in NFBC right now. That might fall due to the Sox adding 2 starters this off-season, but the point is that redrafters saw him with fresh eyes, and they liked what they saw. This isn’t a junk balling lefty. The fastball ticked up in 2025 and averaged 94 MPH in the majors (93.5 MPH at AAA). That would put him among the Top 15-ish or so lefty starters in the game for velocity. And the pitch utterly dominated both Triple-A batters and MLB batters. It put up a 29.3% whiff% with a .236 xwOBA in the majors. He’s 6’3” and still has room to get stronger, so if he was able to raise the velocity once, who is to say that he can’t do it again. He doesn’t need to, but if does get closer to 95, that would be put in him in rarified air for a lefty. The beauty of coming up a soft tosser is that he learned the art of pitching, and he’s a maestro on the mound, throwing a legit 6 pitch mix. The changeup is his best secondary with weak contact and bat missing ability, and he throws 3 different breakers (curve, slider, sweeper), with the curve standing out on the MLB level with a .179 xwOBA and 39.4% whiff%. He didn’t go to the sweeper often, but it was ridiculous in the majors with an 83.3% whiff%. It all resulted in a 2.33 ERA with a 36.7/5.1 K%/BB% in 19.1 IP in the majors and a 2.60 ERA with a 31.9/9.7 K%/BB% in 100.1 IP at Triple-A. Rotation spot or no rotation spot to start the season, I’m buying high on Early this off-season, as even after the breakout I still don’t think he gets the respect he deserves in the prospect world. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.78/1.23/115 in 110 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.46/1.17/200 in 180 IP Update: Here is what I wrote in Early’s Target blurb, and I am now going to make that adjustment: “I’m in the middle of my off-season 18 team prospect draft where we can’t pick up prospects during the season (well, you can pick them up, but you can’t keep them if they don’t exhaust rookie eligibility), and with the 8th pick, I had the choice between Payton Tolle or Connelly Early. I have Tolle ranked higher on my rankings, but man, when push really came to shove, I started to question myself. Early just had a much, much, much better MLB debut. Sometimes I think prospect guys can try to be the “smartest guy in the room.” It’s like, Early just showed he was much better than Tolle, why are we overthinking this? Early is the better athlete. He has the better secondaries. And it’s not like it’s such a slam dunk that Tolle even has the better fastball. Early’s fastball dominated MLB hitters and at Triple-A too. I was starting to question everything, and then at the last second … I took Ethan Conrad, hah, because fuck taking a pitcher in the 1st round of a FYPD and I just wanted Conrad. Sometimes dynasty isn’t this super serious, scientific process. It’s just having fun and taking the guy you want. But back to Early, I guess what I’m saying is that maybe we are all still underrating him. I ranked him high, and he ended up getting more respect than I thought he would on most lists, but maybe all of us are galaxy braining this thing. Not that Tolle isn’t great, it’s more about how good Early is. I’m starting to get the feeling that in hindsight, this is going to look silly, and in my next rankings update, I might actually change things up a bit. We’ll see. But the takeaway is to go after Early hard. Buy high.”
163) Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 19.6 – I love it when I’m evaluating the incoming international class and a prospect absolutely explodes off the screen. It happened with Lazaro Montes. It happened with Sebastian Walcott. And then it happened with Emil Morales. True athletic beasts that look undeniable even in a few swings on a Youtube video. All 3 immediately became the biggest targets for me in their international class, and all 3 exploded in pro ball. It’s just so fun hitting on one of these guys with such little information, and I can’t help it for them to become personal favorites. Montes and Walcott are obviously long past getting any value on them, but there is still value to be had on Morales, surprisingly. I went all in even more after he destroyed the DSL in 2024, ranking him 39th overall on the 2025 Top 500 Prospect Ranks last off-season when he wasn’t even getting Top 100 love, and he proved my love for him correct once again, closing out the season at Single-A as an 18 year old, slashing .339/.420/.548 with 5 homers, 5 steals, and a 23.1/11.9 K%/BB% in 30 games. That was good for a 160 wRC+. The hit tool was getting better and better as the year went on, he’s a true beast at 6’3” with lift/pull and hard hit, and he’s a legitimately good athlete. This is not just a lumbering slugger. This is a very special talent, who to my disbelief, still might not get a ton of Top 100 love. I don’t get it, but it’s better for you, because there is still time to get in before his value utterly explodes in 2026. I see a star every time I watch this kid, hit tool risk be damned. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 91/33/102/.261/.343/.515/12
164) Luis Pena – MIL, SS/2B, 19.4 – I’ve hammered home the point that there is no better sign for a prospect than when they get promoted to a higher level and not only maintain their production, but take it up notch. It’s the sign of the rocket ship. And Pena started off as that rocket ship at Single-A, blasting off beautifully into the atmosphere, but when he got to higher levels and tried to detach the Flux Capacitors or whatever, it was like watching one of those disasters of the Apollo blowing up right before our eyes. He crumbled at High-A with a 43 wRC+ and 24.8/5.5 K%/BB% in 25 games. While it’s not what we optimally want to see, struggling at higher levels before adjusting is the process most prospects have to go through. Just because you aren’t the rare straight rocket ship that we dream on, doesn’t mean it’s time to panic at all. Pena already established his near elite prospect credentials as an 18 year old at Single-A, slashing .308/.375/.469 with 6 homers, 41 steals, and a 13.3/9.1 K%/BB% in 71 games. He was a named Target last off-season, writing, “he has an explosive righty swing that can hit the ball hard, there is plenty of room to tack on mass, and he doesn’t have any major lift and pull problems, so there is definitely potential for him to develop some level of real power down the line.” … and then that power came with 9 homers in 96 games overall. Made overshadows him, and we are seeing more and more 18 years old at higher levels these days, but let’s remember how special it is for an 18 year old to perform the way he did in full season ball. He has a precocious feel to hit with speed and developing power. Don’t let the High-A struggles scare you off too much – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 91/20/72/.276/.337/.454/31
165) Eduardo Quintero – LAD, OF, 20.7 – Quintero continues to be one off the very best hitters at every single level he plays at. He put up a 177 wRC+ in the DSL in 2023, a 146 wRC+ in stateside rookie in 2024, and then a 158 wRC+ at Single-A in 2025. The cherry on top is that he closed the year out at High-A as a still 19 year old and put up a 135 wRC+ in 32 games. It may sound obvious and simple, but I love a guy who just keeps on raking no matter the competition put in front of him. He finished the season slashing .293/.415/.508 with 19 homers, 47 steals, and a 22.7/16.3 K%/BB% in 113 games. They wanted him to lift/pull more this year, and he did it. Again, making adjustments and not seeing the production drop off at all is another great sign, because baseball is a game of adjustments, and you need to be able to tinker like that your entire career basically. He has a good feel to hit, he has plus power potential, he has speed and he’s a good defensive CF. That is all the boxes except upper minors production, but that is likely coming soon too. As much love as Quintero gets, he’s probably still underhyped. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 91/23/78/.263/.342/.450/31
166) Jose Altuve – HOU, 2B/OF, 35.11 – Altuve is basically 36 years old and the signs of decline are very clearly here. The .301 xwOBA is a career low (other than the shortened 2020 season), and that was coming off his previous career low in 2024 of .317. So it’s a trend. He’s getting slower with a career low 4.44 HP to 1B Runtime. The 38.9% Chase% is a career worst, and that too has been a trending decline. The .265 BA is a career low (other than Covid) and so is basically the 113 wRC+. The negative 10.5 defensive value was a career low. He stole only 10 bags in 16 attempts, which isn’t a career low, but you get the point. The decline is here, but the guy is such a tippy top legend that he can still be productive in decline. We all know the profile by now, and that profile is contact/lift/pull/ballpark. Even with a 30.9% Hard Hit%, he knocked out 26 homers, which is actually the 4th most homers in his career. George Springer just taught us a lesson in not assuming a player’s decline is linear. There are dead cat bounces. There are one year resurgences for whatever reason, like maybe you just stay healthy and avoid all dings that one year. It’s hard to bet on that, but it’s possible, and Altuve hasn’t hit the cliff yet. He’s sliding down the cliff, but who knows, maybe there is still a big season in the tank. Or maybe he falls off the cliff. That is the risk. – 2026 Projection: 84/23/72/.271/.332/.431/13
167) Nico Hoerner – CHC, 2B, 28.11 – Hoerner’s eval is as easy as it gets. He’s your classic contact/speed/defense guy who will steal 30 bags, hit for a high average and score a bunch of runs. But digging in a bit more, because it’s just fun to dig in a bit more, his hit tool is actually improving. He put up a career best by far 7.6% K%, and while the whiff% wasn’t quite as career besty, it was also a career best at 11.2%. It resulted in a .297 BA which was a full season career high. It’s also cute that he tried to increase his power, bringing his launch up 2.1 degrees to 12.5 and his Air Pull% 3 points to 17.5%, but it didn’t matter as he still hit only 7 homers. Still, he’s trying. On the flip side, his speed does seem to be slightly declining with a career worst by a hair 4.34 HP to 1B Runtime. His sprint speed hasn’t declined relative to the last 3 years, but after looking at Statcast pages probably about a zillion times over the last 10 years, HP to 1B Runtime seems to be a cleaner stat to measure if a player’s speed is declining or not. And the 29 steals was a 3 year low, so maybe it’s something to keep in the back of your mind, but it doesn’t seem to be much of a concern in the short term. He’s been the focus of trade rumors the past couple years, but his profile is ballpark proof, so it doesn’t matter too much for fantasy. We know exactly what we are getting from Nico. – 2026 Projection: 89/9/56/.289/.341/.398/30
168) Ozzie Albies – ATL, 2B, 29.3 – I gave Albies the name value and track record benefit of the doubt last off-season, but I’m not apt to give him much of one this off-season after burning us again. And quite frankly, the track record ain’t all that hot either. He’s put up a below average wRC+ in 3 of the past 4 years, and it was a career low 87 in 2025. He has a 105 wRC+ in 1,028 career games. It’s a bit misleading because those wRC’s are weighed down by his low walk rates, and he’s had several excellent seasons, but I think it does hammer home a point it’s not like he has that beastly track record we all have to give a ton of credence to. He’s not fast with a below average 27.2 ft/sec sprint, he doesn’t swing fast with a below average 69 MPH swing, and his 30.7% Hard Hit% was in the bottom 10% of baseball. The name value and “track record” is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for his fantasy value. He’s only 29, and his profile is more or less the same it’s been his entire career as a contact/lift/pull guy with not much hard hit and mid teens steals, so I certainly think there could be more good seasons in here, I just think he still has that name value which is juicing up his value a bit higher then I would be willing to go. – 2026 Projection: 74/21/78/.254/.313/.422/14
169) Steven Kwan – CLE, OF, 28.7 – Kwan played in 156 games, he stole 21 bags, and he still finished 139th overall on the Razzball Player. This is why guys like Kwan just aren’t my bag. You live and die with the BA, and the .272 BA just isn’t that great. Even his career BA of .281 is good, but not great. He’s never hit over .300 in a season. He maintained most of the homer uptick from 2024, but 11 homers still isn’t great, and he made the those homer gains by lifting/pulling more, not by hitting the ball harder. Meaning the gains in homers is coming at the cost of his BA upside. He had a 19.3% Hard Hit%, which is atrocious. I’m not saying can’t have his place on a good dynasty team because he most certainly can, I just never end up with him because he always goes higher than I would be willing to spend. – 2026 Projection: 86/12/59/.281/.346/.400/19
170) Ceddanne Rafaela – BOS, OF/2B, 25.7 – I want to like Rafaela more than I actually do. I want to call him the poor man’s Pete Crow Armstrong, but he’s really not. Sure he has the elite CF defense, a terrible 42.2% Chase%, and a solid power/speed combo (16/20), but a 12.8 degree launch and 16.1% Air Pull% is a far cry from PCA’s extreme lift/pull, and 20 steals is a little underwhelming especially in our new age of base stealing. That power/speed combo isn’t quite big enough when it comes with a .249 BA and .295 OBP. He made improvements in 2025 with a 6.5 point drop in K% to 19.9% and a 2.7 point increase in Barrel% to 9.2%, but it still resulted in a .304 xwOBA and .709 OPS. He’s a young player whose best days should be ahead of him, and the fantasy upside is certainly in here, but I can’t say he’s a big target for me this off-season with his pretty strong value (135 NFBC ADP). – 2026 Projection: 80/18/68/.256/.305/.420/23
171) Jo Adell – LAA, OF, 27.0 – I might have missed on Moore, but Adell was a major hit for me, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “I feel crazy for even saying this, but I think Jo Adell is a target for me this off-season. I know, I know, even saying it out loud sounds downright silly, but hear me out. He just put up a .312 xwOBA in 130 games, which is nearly average, and he massively improved his contact rates with a 29.8% whiff% (38.5% in 2023) and 27.9% K% (40.3% in 2023). It can often take uber athletes into their mid to late 20’s to figure out the hit tool, but when they do, it can pay off huge. It sure seems like Adell took a big step forward there in 2024.” … and then not only did the surface stats start to match up with the strong 2024 underlying numbers in 2025, but he took everything up a notch. The K% dropped even more to 26.4%, the bat speed rose even more to 77.6 MPH, and all hell broke loose with him demolishing 37 homers with a 17.3% Barrel% and 50% Hard Hit% in 152 games. Like I wrote, it can take these types into their mid to late 20’s to figure out the hit tool, but when it happens, my goodness. Maybe this is a cautionary tale to not give up on Jordan Walker so fast, but Walker is still only 23, so good luck waiting 3 more years for the breakout ;). He only stole 5 bags and it still came with a .236 BA/.293 OBP, but I mean, the Jo Adell breakout was one of the most fun things to happen in 2025, and I’m happy to say I was all over it. The .363 xwOBA and .263 xBA actually says he was unlucky, and he’s now entering his magical age 27 year old season. Maybe this is just the start, but at the same time, he has too long of a track record of major struggles to not at least have some caution until he proves he can do it again. – 2026 Projection: 71/32/92/.241/.304/.481/8
172) Zyhir Hope – LAD, OF, 21.2 – If an NFL Running Back played baseball, I imagine it would look a lot like Zyhir Hope. He’s got an NFL running back build at 5’10” with thunder thighs of pure steel, and he’s got the power/speed combo of a running back as well, crushing the ball with 13 homers and stealing 27 bags in 127 games at mostly High-A. He put up a 131 wRC+. Unfortunately, he also has the hit tool of a running back, hah, just playing, it’s not that bad, but there is definitely hit tool issues with a 26.3% K%. I’m very encouraged by his cup of coffee at Double-A to close out the season though. He put up a 20% K% in 20 PA, and while it’s too small of a sample to read into too much, it’s still a good sign. And he hit .266 on the season, so it’s not like the guy is completely incapable of hitting for average. The risk is he ends up a strong side of a platoon corner outfielder, but there is way too much upside in here to get overly scared off by the risk. He was just 20 years old last off-season, so there is time for him to refine the hit tool, and if anyone can help him, it’s the Dodgers. The Dodgers need some payoff from that Michael Busch trade (Busch for Hope and Ferris), and Hope is that payoff. The lefty Randy Arozarena is the comp. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 88/24/79/.250/.338/.455/26
173) Alfredo Duno – CIN, C, 20.3 – Duno vs. Rainiel is a really interesting debate to me as the top catcher prospect in the lower minors, and while it seems the vast majority (or maybe everybody but me, I’m not sure) has it as an easy call in Rodriguez’ direction, I can’t lie that I’m leaning Duno by a slightest of hairs. There are several reasons for that, but the two biggest are that Duno has a massive ballpark advantage (Cincy has the 2nd best ballpark for righty homers and St. Louis has the 5th worst) and Duno also has a path to playing time advantage. Essentially, I think this is Duno’s job when he’s ready and I think he is going to inherently get a longer leash with the bat and glove when he does get that chance. St. Louis is stacked at catcher up and down their organization. The other reasons I have it Duno are because he’s bigger (6’2” vs. 5’10”) and he hits it considerably harder (48.6% Hard Hit% vs. 39.2% at Single-A). Duno had a .423 xwOBA vs Rodriguez’ .368 xwOBA at Single-A. Those are vastly different xwOBA’s. You can say Rodriguez has the age to level edge, but Duno was really good at Single-A as an 18 year old too in 2024. The biggest edge to Rodriguez, and the one where this call could make me look dumb, is that he has the better contact rates. Duno had a 31% whiff% vs. Rodriguez’ 23% whiff%. But Rodriguez had a .249 BA at Single-A because he lifts and pulls an extreme amount, which is great in general, but in a terrible ballpark for righty homers, and with good but not great Hard Hit (there is little to no projection left on his frame, he’s already thick), it might not lead to the highest BA’s in the future either. I love both and it’s coin flip for me, but I have to give my raw unfiltered take on what I would do if I had this choice in my league, and my gut is just leaning Duno. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 71/31/87/.251/.340/.491/4
174) Rainiel Rodriguez – STL, C, 19.3 – Because I felt the need to kinda shit on Rodriguez a bit in the Duno blurb, let me start off this blurb with some excitement, because Rodriguez deserves it. He was the top catcher breakout in the DSL in 2024 with a monstrous 10 homers and 190 wRC+ in 41 games, and then he managed to one up even that at stateside rookie in 2025 with 7 homers and 237 wRC+ in 20 games. That kind of dominance at the rookie ball levels is some of the best we’ve really ever seen, so it was no surprise to also see him kill it at Single-A, slashing .249/.373/.498 with 13 homers, 3 steals, and a 17.4/14.0 K%/BB% in 60 games. I completely understand looking at this level of production as an 18 year old and saying this is one of the most special bats in the minors league, period, regardless of position. He’s a lift and pull god with a 20 degree launch and 29.4% Air Pull%, the plate skills are excellent, and he hits it hard, especially for his age, with a 104.3 MPH 90th% EV and 39.2% Hard Hit%. I love his bat. The things to quibble with are just that, minor quibbles. Sure the path to playing time isn’t clear, but a bat like this generally clears the way for itself no matter who is in it’s path. The ballpark isn’t great, and with his current level of lift/pull and hard hit, it could result in low batting averages, but he’s so young that it would be silly to just say this is always who he is going to be. He will likely hit the ball harder at peak and also refine his general approach. Just because I have Duno ranked higher by a hair doesn’t mean I don’t love Rodriguez. I think it says more about how much I love Duno. Both are awesome. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/27/83/.268/.354/.477/3
175) Dansby Swanson – CHC, SS, 32.2 – Swanson just keeps quietly chugging along as an underrated, very reasonably priced fantasy bat. It’s been like that for 6 years now, and it will be like that going into 2026 as well. He just notched the quietest 20/20 season of all time with 24 homers and 20 steals in 159 games. He stays on the field, he hits for mid 20’s power, and he’s stolen 18+ bags in 3 for the last 4 years. He’s Mr. Consistency, and not just consistency, but impact consistency. The 11.7% Barrel% and .344 xwOBA actually says he got unlucky last year, and while he’s underperformed his xwOBA in his career, it’s not nearly to the extent he underperformed in 2025. You can’t really act on it, but it’s just more evidence that this is an excellent win now bat who gets consistently underrated. – 2026 Projection: 84/24/79/.250/.316/.430/18
176) Eugenio Suarez – CIN, 3B, 34.8 – We couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot. The dude is a home run hitting machine, tying a career high with 49 homers in 2025. The 47.6% Hard Hit% was a career high. And now he’s back in one of the best home run hitting parks in baseball. You know what you are getting, which is lots of homers and a low BA, but at 34/35 years old, this is as high as I can go on a dynasty ranking. – 2026 Projection: 79/34/95/.231/.309/.484/3
177) AJ Ewing – NYM, OF, 21.8 – Ewing was one of my top targets in the 2024 FYPD class, and I thought my target blurb for him was really interesting to look back on, writing, “ I get a very similar feeling for Ewing that I got from diving into Pete Crow and Corbin Carroll from their draft year. I wish Ewing was a speedster so I could really go over the moon for him, but his speed is more in that average to above average area, so putting his name in the same sentence as Crow and Carroll is probably silly. Regardless, point being, Ewing is very underrated because he’s not necessarily a huge guy, but’s not small either, and the swing looks legit to me. He’s going to be damn good.” … and then the “not a speedster” went out and turned himself into a speedster and stole 70 bags this year, hah. It’s almost like he read my blurb and was like, okay, I gotta turn myself into a speedster to get on PCA and Carroll’s level. And now that he has, I am so back all in on him. He slashed .315/401/.429 with 3 homers, 70 steals, and a 18.6/12.1 K%/BB% in 124 games at High-A and Double-A. The surface stats were good at Double-A with a 133 wRC+, which is great to see, but the 22.0/5.3 K%/BB% and 47.8% GB% both took a big hit, so the underlying numbers show there certainly was a drop. Hitting only 3 homers is a bit concerning, but I think that is an aberration. I still love that lefty swing and while he’s not a power hitting beast, he doesn’t hit the ball weakly at all. He hit 10 homers in 90 games in 2024, so it’s not like he’s a guy who has like 6 homers in his career. The guy can hit for some power. His GB% has hovered around 40% in his career, so he has no major groundball issues. And now the hit tool and speed both took big steps forward. I absolutely love him and there is a lurking fantasy star in here. He’s not getting valued like that right now, which opens up a major buying opportunity. I’m not even sure I’m high on enough him with this very high ranking. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 89/17/58/.273/.347/.429/39
178) Caleb Bonemer – CHW, SS, 20.6 – You know I love it when a prospect gets to a higher level and takes it up a notch, and that is exactly what Bonemer did to close out the season, putting up a 192 wRC+ in 11 games at High-A. I loved him in FYPD’s last off-season, and I shot him up the rankings very quickly when he immediately came out hot in his first taste of pro ball at Single-A, so those last 11 games were the final cherry on top of his near elite prospect status. He finished the year slashing .281/.401/.473 with 12 homers, 29 steals, and a 21.2/15.8 K%/BB% in 107 games. He lifts and pulls a ton with a 34% GB% and 53.6% Pull%, so as the power rises naturally, the homers will most certainly be there. And at a big and physical 6’1”, I have no questions about the power. He’s not a burner, but he’s a good athlete and good base stealer. And finally, the plate skills were good with a good feel to hit and approach. The only thing going against him is that we need to trust Chicago to develop him, and while I’m not a slave to organization, it is a factor we unfortunately have to take into account. More to that point, his swing is not the smoothest thing out there. I can’t find the right word at the moment, but it’s a bit abrupt maybe (again, not the perfect word for it). I do think it’s possible the hit tool isn’t going to look as good against advanced competition, and we have to trust Chicago to make those little adjustments as he climbs the ladder. I’m not letting it scare me off, but it’s something in the back of my mind. He’s also almost certainly going to get moved off SS to 3B or OF. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/26/88/.258/.335/.467/18
179) Ryan Sloan – SEA, RHP, 20.2 – High school pitchers don’t just step into pro ball and immediately put up elite walk rates. It’s almost unheard of. I haven’t done a study, and I’m sure there are plenty of examples, but most of the time it’s a Noble Meyer situation. Where you hear a guy has good control and then they put up a 15% BB% in their first taste. Having great control is a mind/body connection, tons of repetition type thing that takes some pitchers well into their MLB career to really find that groove. But not Sloan, who jumped straight off the assembly line as the quintessential Seattle Mariners pitcher. He put up a 3.44 ERA with a 27.1/5.3 K%/BB% in 70.2 IP at Single-A, and then got a cup of joe at High-A and put up a 26.5/0.0 K%/BB% in 11.1 IP. It’s absurd. Just put him in the MLB rotation already as he has the stuff and size for it too. He’s 6’5”, 220 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and two potentially plus secondaries in his splitter and slider. He’s the next Logan Gilbert/George Kirby/Bryan Woo and it’s extremely obvious. I guess we should wait to see it in the upper minors to call him a truly elite pitching prospect, but it almost feels inevitable. I would treat him like an elite pitching prospect already. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 14/3.38/1.09/191 in 180 IP
180) Josue Briceno – DET, C/1B, 21.7 – You already know that I am the world’s foremost expert on Josue’s (I even held up my end of the bargain this season by writing up Josue Brito of the DSL after his first two homers, and then he went on to be tied for the 3rd most homers with 9). I was all over De Paula and Briceno when they were truly complete unknowns, not a whisper of hype, and I continued to be all in on them last off-season, even with Briceno’s lukewarm year at Single-A. Well, that is kind of misleading, because while he wasn’t great at Single-A, he was the MVP of the AFL with 10 homers in 25 games, and then he carried that over into High-A in 2025, slashing .296/.422/.602 with 15 homers and a 16.4/16.8 K%/BB% in 55 games. He wasn’t as good when he got the call to Double-A, but he was only 20, the 112 wRC+ was still good, and he was finding his groove with a .807 OPS in his last 31 games. This is a middle of the order beast at a chiseled 6’4” with a powerful lefty swing that is made to launch bombs. The plate skills have been very strong throughout his career, so there isn’t major hit tool risk either. The biggest quibble with his profile is that he wasn’t great vs. lefties with a .721 OPS, and there is uncertainty around his defensive home. He’s been good enough at catcher to not move him off, and I can foresee a possible Ben Rice like situation here with him getting enough run at catcher to keep eligibility, while playing mostly 1B/DH. He doesn’t have a clear path to playing time with Tork and Carp under team control until 2028, so I can see him taking over the role I laid out in 2029 and beyond assuming there are no trades/injuries which open up a spot sooner. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/31/90/.267/.348/.501/1 Update: Underwent wrist surgery which is not a great injury for hitters because it’s known to linger. There is also no timetable for his return. This probably doesn’t change his long term outlook too much though, and short term he was blocked anyway, so I’m not going to ding him too much for it
181) Eli Willits – WSH, SS, 18.4 – Willits is the default #1 pick in 2026 First Year Player Drafts (non Imai division, who shouldn’t even be in FYPD’s, and isn’t in FYPD’s in most of my leagues). That is so unexciting to say for the first pick, but it’s exactly what Washington did in the real MLB Draft too, taking Willits 1st overall. They looked out into the rest of this draft class and just saw warts all the over place, saying, let’s just take the safest guy who checks the most boxes. Willits has one of the best hit tools in the class, he has a good SS glove, he has baseball bloodlines (you might remember Reggie Willits), he’s got speed, he’s got good size (6’1”), and he’s one of the youngest players in the class. He then cemented that safe profile in his pro debut, slashing .300/.397/.360 with 0 homers, 2 steals, and a 20.7/12.1 K%/BB% in 15 games as a 17 year old at Single-A. He had no major lift or pull issues with a 38.9% GB% and 44.7% Pull%, so when the power ticks up naturally, which his size and age say it should, the homers should come. He’s not the pick that is really going to get the juices flowing when you select him, but he’s the safe play. You can take a pitcher (Doyle/Anderson/Hernandez), but you only have to look to Roki last year to see the risk there. You can take Holliday, but we just saw that hit tool risk. You can go JoJo or Steele, but there is risk in not having seen them in pro ball. You can take Kilby, which that idea is growing on me, but it seems way too cute to take the 29th overall pick 1st overall. You can take Ethan Conrad, but … okay, no buts there, maybe you should take him 😉 … but you get the point. Willits simply checks off the most boxes, even if he doesn’t currently have that electric upside we want with the top pick. I wouldn’t blame you at all for choosing a more risky path, but Willits is my top dog, not including the Japanese veterans. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 93/18/72/.283/.358/.438/29
182) Josuar Gonzalez – SFG, SS, 18.5 – Gonzalez was the top player from the 2025 international class, and while he didn’t go all Jesus Made on us, he still lived up to the billing, slashing .288/.404/.455 with 4 homers, 33 steals, and a 15.8/16.2 K%/BB% in 52 games. He was even better to close out the season with a 1.003 OPS in his final 28 games, so he actually was going all Jesus Made on us by the time it was all said and done. The plate skills are excellent, he hits it hard for his age, the speed is plus and so is the defense. He’s the total package. The 50.3% GB% is on the high side and he’s not the biggest guy at 6’0”, 167 pounds, so he needs to add both raw and game power to really hit his upside, but these are the ingredients you look for in the next hype machine, Top 5 prospect in the game. By this time next year, he might not be far off from that, and while there is still risk, this is the type of prospect to be aggressive with. This is the Top 50 dynasty prospect at least. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 97/20/75/.278/.357/.448/33
183) Matt McLain – CIN, 2B, 26.8 – I can’t say my faith in a McLain bounce back is as strong as my faith in a Steer bounce back, and that is because I don’t trust the hit tool. His batting average tanked to .220 which is backed up by the .213 xBA and 28.9/9.5 K%/BB% in 147 games. Maybe you can say he was shaking off the rust after missing the entire 2024 season with a shoulder and rib injury, but you would have hoped to see him improving as the year went on, and that wasn’t the case. He was even worse at the end of the year with a 35.4% K% in August and September. He can hit it hard enough with 40%+ Hard Hit rates, and he can lift it with a 16.3 degree launch, but the very low 12.9% Air Pull% is why he still only managed 15 homers in 147 games. He’s fast and he runs with 18 steals (and the capability for more if he can get on base more), and he’s a good 2B, so the glove should keep on the field. The fantasy friendly upside is most certainly still in here, and I would bet on a better season in 2026, but I’m not confident enough in it to call him a target. He’s actually going higher than Steer at 208th overall (Steer is going 234th), and I also sense his value is stronger in dynasty, so I don’t foresee myself getting much McLain this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 82/22/77/.248/.325/.435/24 Update: I wasn’t buying McLain this off-season, but how could I not be swayed by his Looney Tunes Spring (7 homers in 17 games). He added muscle this off-season and it’s showing
184) Liam Doyle – STL, LHP, 21.10 – Having an elite fastball is so important if you want to truly break into to the upper echelon of MLB pitchers. I wrote about it in the Blue Jays Team Report when I was giving my reasoning for going Burns over Yesavage (I still love Yesevage) as the #1 pitching prospect in baseball, and it’s my reasoning for giving Doyle the very slight edge over Kade Anderson in FYPD Rankings. Doyle has the type of overpowering, high strikeout, mid to upper 90’s, elite movement profile fastball that has the potential to simply bulldoze through the minors in the blink of an eye, a la Chase Burns. He’s not as good as Chase Burns, but he’s the closest thing this draft has to him. The secondaries aren’t as impressive as the fastball, which is where the edge goes to Anderson (and Anderson has an excellent fastball too despite the mediocre velocity), but I think they get undersold. The splitter dominated college hitters with elite whiff rates, the slider has above average potential with bat missing ability, and he’s working on a cutter too. His 42.6% K% led all of D1, and the 8.3 BB% shows the control isn’t in the true danger zone. I also think it says something that the Cardinals drafted him 5th overall. This isn’t the usual Cardinals type of pitcher. They lean floor over upside (although that seems to be changing of late). But quite clearly they fell in love with Doyle’s upside, which I’m also falling in love with. Kade Anderson is the safer choice and he landed in the perfect situation in Seattle, but I lean pure explosion, and Doyle has more of that explosion than Anderson has right now. St. Louis also has a pitcher’s park. Doyle is my top pitcher in FYPD’s, non Imai division, and it sure seems like he’s going to debut in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.82/1.27/75 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.33/1.07/209 in 178 IP
185) Kade Anderson – SEA, LHP, 21.10 – Anderson couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot than Seattle (3rd overall). Even after falling in love with Doyle’s explosiveness and pure nastiness, pitching in Seattle almost gives Anderson that extra upside nudge to match Doyle’s. And even if Anderson doesn’t have the pure stuff of Doyle, he beats Doyle on pitchability. He’s a 6’2”, 175 pound lefty with an above average to plus 4 pitch mix. The 93 MPH fastball misses tons of bats with a great movement profile, the plus slider is his main breaker, but he throws a plus curve too, and the changeup is a plus weapon vs. righties. He knows how to pitch, he throws the ball over the plate, and there is definitely some projection left on his frame, meaning there is a chance the fastball can sit mid 90’s at peak. It all led to a 3.18 ERA with a 37.4/7.3 K%/BB% in 119 IP in the SEC. It does seem more #2/3 than true top of the rotation at the moment, but again, Seattle give him a bump, and the fastball could tick up in the future. He’s the safer choice over Doyle, and it’s not like he doesn’t have upside himself. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 13/3.45/1.17/190 in 180 IP
186) Shota Imanaga – CHC, LHP, 32.7 – Last year in these here Dynasty Team Reports I called Shota Imanaga my biggest miss of 2024, as I evaluated him as more of a solid mid rotation type than a true top of the rotation starter, and after his 2025 season, I feel a lot better about my original evaluation. He put up a 3.73 ERA, 4.21 xERA, and a 20.6/4.6 K%/BB% in 144.2 IP. I questioned how good the low 90’s fastball was going to be vs. MLB hitters, and it got hit up this year with a negative 10 Run Value and .396 xwOBA. The splitter was still really good, but not quite as dominant as 2024. I’m not trying to take back my walk of shame, as you still got the 2024 season if you drafted him, and I was still too low on him even if this is his true talent level. The 0.99 WHIP is elite, the walk rates are elite, and the 2nd half 24.3% K% is right in line with what he did in 2024 (25.1%). He’s not as good as he was in 2024 and he’s not as bad as he was in 2025, and even in 2025, he wasn’t bad at all. He’s a veteran starter with both a safe floor and upside. I would be happy to buy if his price dips too low. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.47/1.06/153 in 165 IP
187) Drew Rasmussen – TBR, RHP, 30.8 – Rasmussen put up a 2.84 ERA in 2021, a 2.84 ERA in 2022, a 2.62 ERA in 2023, a 2.83 ERA in 2024 and then finally a 2.76 ERA in 2025 in 150 IP. Is this the greatest pitcher of all time? hah, I’m joking, but I mean, it’s super impressive running down his career stat page. I want to say he got lucky in 2025 with a 3.48 xERA, 21.7% K% and 22.2% whiff%, but the man has a career 2.89 ERA in 460.2 IP. And he has the big stuff to back it up with 95+ MPH heat and a 112 Stuff+. He does it with 3 fastballs. A 95.8 MPH 4-seamer, 90.3 MPH cutter, and 95.4 MPH sinker. He doesn’t throw any other pitch more than 4.8% of the time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a starting pitcher throw only fastballs. That is seriously insane. That uniqueness says maybe he can keep on beating those expected stats. And the control is plus too. We’ve never really seen something like this I don’t think. I’m going to give him the respect he deserves, but maybe it’s not quite enough respect if he goes out there and puts up his 6th straight season of a below 3 ERA. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.31/1.10/143 in 155 IP
188) Jordan Westburg – BAL, 3B, 27.1 – Westburg has the type of thunder in his bat that makes me want to bet on his age 27 year old season. He’s only played in 260 games in his career, which I take as a positive moving forward, because it means he’s still building experience which could lead to the big career year/breakout season that we haven’t quite seen yet. I mention the age 27 year old season a lot, and some of it is definitely an old wives tale type of thing as I don’t think a cold hard analysis of the aging curve really backs it up fully, so I don’t actually give huge rankings bumps for it. I do keep it in the back of my mind though, and if Westburg can stay healthy for an entire season, there can easily be a 30+ homer season lurking in here. He was on pace for over 30 in 2025 with 17 homers in 85 games, and while the underlying power numbers don’t jump off the page, they are plus with a 11.2% Barrel%, 14.1 degree launch, 90.2 MPH EV and 43.4% Hard Hit%. He’s not a good base stealer, which is the main thing that caps the fantasy upside, but the double plus 29 ft/sec sprint still helps offensively. And he’s got a good infield glove. He’s a really good but not great power bat, but “really good” power bats usually have a few monster career years sprinkled in. – 2026 Projection: 68/20/64/.268/.323/.470/4 Update: The injury bug strikes again … and again. First we heard he had an oblique injury, and now we heard he also has a partially torn UCL that he got PRP injections for. It’s pretty clear we have to put the injury prone label on him, and while you don’t need elbows for hitting, you certainly need them for throwing in the field. He’s going to be out for over a month and who knows how much longer
189) Kris Bubic – KCR, LHP, 28.7 – The injured pitcher is the bane of the fantasy owner’s existence, and good luck trying to figure out the right spot for them in a general fantasy or dynasty ranking. Nothing is more out of our control than the health of a pitcher’s arm, and even when you think you have some control, say hello to Corbin Burnes, or more accurately, say goodbye to him.. Even when you think you are safe, you aren’t. All of that to say, your guess is as good as mine as to whether Bubic’s shoulder will be completely healthy coming into 2026. His breakout season ended in late July with a left rotator cuff strain, and while it seems he should be good to go for 2026, we won’t really know until he’s completely ramped up this spring. What I do know, is that I nailed him as a target last off-season, writing in his Target blurb, “Bubic is a former starter, with a starter’s pitch mix, who is getting transitioned back into the rotation after putting up a 32.2/4.1 K%/BB% in the bullpen … Blurb over. He’s super cheap. Get him. Simple. What more do you need to know?” … I then continued for a bit to give you more, but I didn’t need to. If someone can’t explain something to you simply, there is a good chance that they are bullshitting you, and in this case, I wasn’t bullshitting you as he broke out with a 2.55 ERA and 24.4/8.2 K%/BB% in 116.1 IP. The 28.8% whiff% was well above average, the 92.1 MPH fastball dominated with a 27.2% whiff% and .295 xwOBA, the changeup was a bat missing machine with a 38.4% whiff%, and the sweeper and slider were both good pitches with a +5 and +3 Run Value, respectively. He thrived vs. lefties and righties. The injury complicates things majorly, and he was also pulling back before the injury with a 4.61 ERA and 20.3/9.3 K%/BB% in his last 41 IP, but the interesting thing is, those two things might actually open up a second buy window if you missed out on the sweetheart deal last off-season. I still really like him, and if his price falls too low, I can see ending up with plenty more of Bubic this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.54/1.17/145 in 145 IP
190) Matt Chapman – SFG, 3B, 32.11 – Chapman made big improvements to his contact rates and stolen bases in 2024, and he mostly backed up those improvements in 2025. The 23.6% K% was actually better than 2025, and the 9 steals in 128 games isn’t bad at all. Those improvements could have theoretically resulted in some monster seasons for Chapman, but unfortunately his home ballpark dulls any breakout chance. He has a career .749 OPS at Oracle Park and it sat at .722 in 2025. He rips the ball more than hard enough to hit well in any park with a 92.2 MPH EV and 47.6% Hard Hit%, but there is clearly still a drop in production in a super tough park like Oracle. This is a supremely talented player with elite bat speed, big time hard hit ability, lift/pull, above average to plus speed, and great 3B defense. Even in Oracle, he’s a very reasonably priced win now bat, and while he’s creeping up there in age, there should still be a few impactful fantasy seasons left in here. – 2026 Projection: 83/26/76/.243/.335/.448/10
191) Trevor Story – BOS, SS, 33.4 – Sometimes the sucker bet pays off. What do they say about the lottery, the biggest sucker’s bet in the game? You gotta be in it to win it. And yes, I play the lottery sometimes, so I’m not above it. Only when the jackpot is like a billion dollars though. 50 mil is chump change, why bother 😉 … after taking the lump sum payment, taxes, and giving money to your friends and family, what does that leave you with, like 100 grand ha … okay, back to Story, it might have been a sucker’s bet, but it ended up paying off in a major way with him going .263/25/31 in 157 games. It’s the first time he’s stayed healthy for a full season in 4 years. The 31 steals were a career high! And the 47% Hard Hit% was a career high too! His power/speed combo has never been better! Wild times! But the real question is now, what the hell do we do with this for next year. And experience tells me he is almost guaranteed to be overpriced next year. The .309 xwOBA was actually still below average, the 26.9/5.0 K%/BB% is rough, and the 35.4% Chase% was a career worst. Paying up for the dead cat bounce year just seems like a classic sucker’s bet, but as we learned, sometimes that sucker’s bet pays off. (quick aside, “dead cat bounce,” “multiple ways to skin a cat,” “curiosity killed the cat” … humans really have a morbid fascination with making expressions out of terrible things happening to cats). The fantasy friendly power/speed combo is clearly still in here, so even if I’m not buying high, he’ll be an impact fantasy player if he stays healthy. – 2026 Projection: 76/20/79/.241/.298/.430/24
192) Willy Adames – SFG, SS, 30.7 – It was immediately obvious that signing with SF was going to be a problem for Adames, and while it seemed like a straight disaster in the 1st half with a .636 OPS in his first 84 games, most of our concerns were eased in the 2nd half with 21 homers and a .854 OPS in his final 76 games. Make no mistake, the ballpark downgrade still shaves legit upside off the top as he had 13 homers with a .721 OPS at home vs. 17 homers with a .759 OPS on the road, but he still managed a 30 homer season with a 108 wRC+, which is right in line with his career norms. He couldn’t maintain the 21 steal outburst from 2024, but 12 steals is still the 2nd most of his career. His extreme lift/pull makes him a BA risk (.225), but that is also why he’s jacking out 30 bombs, so we’ll take it. – 2026 Projection: 89/28/82/.232/.320/.431/10
193) Taylor Ward – BAL, OF, 32.4 – Ward very obviously had a career year with 36 homers and he now has a ballpark downgrade going from LA to Baltimore. It’s not as big of a downgrade from before Baltimore moved their fences back in, but it’s still a downgrade as the Angels are one of the very best park for righty homers. So don’t expect another 36 homer season, but having said, his profile clearly leaves the door open for another big power season. He gets the bat on the ball with an above average 23.8% whiff%, he lifts/pulls with a 18 degree launch and 17.8% Air Pull%, and he hits it hard with a 42.7% Hard Hit%. That is recipe for tons of homers. That Hard Hit% is good, but it’s not quite good enough with all of the lift/pull he does, which is why the .228 BA also wasn’t an aberration. I would expect some regression back to career norms for both the homers and BA, but his profile has slowly been progressing in his career to a classic low BA slugger. – 2026 Projection: 79/31/89/.238/.320/471/4
194) George Springer – TOR, OF, 36.6 – Springer had maybe the biggest dead cat bounce season of all time. I don’t even think you can call it a dead cat bounce, it was more of a dead dead Siberian Tiger (the biggest cat in the world) bounce. Although a bigger cat probably wouldn’t bounce as high, right … I don’t know, I’m not a scientist … but you get the point. Springer arguably had the best season of his entire career with a career best 166 wRC+. He slashed .309/.399/.560 with 32 homers, 18 steals, and a 18.9/11.8 K%/BB% in 140 games. The elite .404 xwOBA also fully backs it up. This was not even the case of having a good season mixed with good luck. It was just legit that great of a season. But it is just such a classic “career year” season which we have to expect regression from the next year. And we also have to factor in that he’s going to be 36 year old. I can’t treat him like a true elite win now piece. A really good win now piece? Sure, but that is as high as I can value him. – 2026 Projection: 88/26/75/.266/.345/.474/16
195) Jonny Farmelo – SEA, OF, 21.7 – The AFL is made for a player like Farmelo. He returned from a torn ACL in 2025, walloped 5 homers in his first 15 games of the season, and then hit the IL again with a stress reaction in his rib that kept him out for over 2 months. He wasn’t as good when he returned from the rib injury with a .676 OPS in 18 games, but we had to give him time to get in a groove again, and the AFL has given him that time. He looks electric out there, slashing .264/.429/.491 with 1 homer, 7 steals, and a 25.7/18.6 K%/BB% in 15 games. The 94.3 MPH EV and 18.9 degree launch shows off the power upside, and after not running during the regular season, he’s back to being a base stealing machine in the AFL. His upside is in rarified air, and while I was continuing to rank him high all season, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he doesn’t need the benefit of the doubt anymore. There is no doubt. There is still hit tool risk, and we haven’t seen him against advanced competition, but the AFL cemented his truly elite upside. He’s a major target this off-season as I don’t think his ranking and hype is going to be where it should be. I’m scared by the projection I’m about to give him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/26/81/.242/.321/.459/31
196) Kevin Gausman – TOR, RHP, 35.3 – We are quite clearly in the decline phase of Gausman’s career, but he’s not taking the fall off the cliff route. He’s still a solid fantasy pitcher with a 3.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 24.4/6.5 K%/BB% in 193 IP. The splitter is still elite with a .228 xwOBA and 38.6% whiff%, and the 4-seamer put up a 20 Run Value. Even if prime Gausman isn’t walking through the door, he’s still very good. The problem is that he isn’t getting any younger at 35 years old, and the efficacy of that 4-seamer seems a bit precarious. He had a .298 wOBA vs. .340 xwOBA. The 16.9% whiff% isn’t great. It’s not the first time he’s beat the underlying numbers on the fastball, so I’m not saying it’s all luck, but it just feels hard to be on the 4-seamer truly being that elite of a pitch. I like him as a good win now arm, but not a great one. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.75/1.18/173 in 185 IP
197) Robbie Ray – SFG, LHP, 34.6 – Ray’s first full season back from Tommy John was a success with a 3.65 ERA and 24.6/9.7 K%/BB% in 182.1 IP. He stayed healthy, the fastball was back with a +9 Run Value, the secondaries missed bats, and the control was good enough. He was just as good or better away from San Francisco as he was at home, so it wasn’t just the result of the ballpark either. It was a very strong year. But he’s now going to be 34 years old, and a 24.6% K% with a 1.21 WHIP is not exactly the top level dominance we want to see if we are going to fly a 34 year old up the rankings. His swing and miss numbers were definitely down considerably from his prime. I would be happy to roster him in win now mode, but I’m treating him like a good but not great win now pitcher. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.73/1.20/190 in 180 IP
198) Zack Wheeler – PHI, RHP, 35.10 – Wheeler underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, but supposedly it’s not as serious as that condition has been for past pitchers. Because that is one of the most serious surgeries you can get for a pitcher, but I’ll take their word for it that it wasn’t as bad as other pitcher’s. And Wheeler certainly has the legend status to give him as much benefit of the doubt as possible. He will start the year on the IL, but he seems to have a shot to return in April. Wheeler was actually in the midst of having his best season ever before the injury with a 2.71 ERA and 33.3/5.6 K%/BB% in 149.2 IP. We all know he’s one of the top aces in the game when healthy, but we need to add a huge amount of risk onto him now. He’s also threatened to retire after his contract is up after 2027, so while I don’t know if this injury will change his mind, that is another risk to take into account. There is just too much short and long term risk for me to rank him higher than this. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.51/1.11/143 in 130 IP
199) Grayson Rodriguez – LAA, RHP, 26.5 – I talked shit about athlete interviews in a previous Dynasty Team Report, so let me give props where it is due to both Grayson Rodriguez and Foul Territory on an awesome post trade interview. That is a highly recommended watch. Grayson came out for blood, threatening to bean former Orioles teammates who didn’t get in contact with him after the trade (he pointed out Gunnar was the first to reach out), and also licking his chops at killing any white-tailed deer that might be frolicking in the Anaheim area. Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water… BAM! A fuckin bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a fuck how many lat strains and bone spurs the son of a bitch who shot you was suffering through? … but seriously, Grayson also said there isn’t some big secret injury here that scared Baltimore away. He was just constantly, minorly straining his lat, and he’s been dealing with these bone spurs for several years. The hope is that the bone spur surgery will help with the lat. There is obviously injury risk, and I guess after watching that interview the “makeup” whispers kinda make sense, hah, but hard to say from just one interview. And even assholes can be good at baseball. I’m still liking the injury discount. We know that injury risk and arm injuries are just part of the game with pitchers, and I’m not running scared like Baltimore. Grayson is too good, and there is still too much upside in here. If healthy, he throws a 96.1 MPH fastball that put up a 27% whiff% and .317 xwOBA. The changeup and slider both miss bats with a 34.8% whiff% and 36.1% whiff%, The control is above average. It takes pitchers until their mid to late 20’s to have the full breakout all the time, and that includes learning how to stay healthy and ramping up innings. Of course there is injury risk, but it seems like everyone is giving up on him, and I’m happy to buy low. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.77/1.23/149 in 140 IP Update: Dealing with a dead arm which obviously feels like here we go again, but he’s saying it’s not serious. Not gonna kill him for it
200) Sandy Alcantara – MIA, RHP, 30.7 – It took a long time for Alcantara to finally shake the Tommy John rust off and/or find a rhythm after a long absence, but he finally did it in mid August, putting up a 2.68 ERA with a 24.9/4.8 K%/BB% in his final 53.2 IP. He desperately needed to show those signs of life because his season was a straight disaster overall with a 5.36 ERA and 19.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 174.2 IP. The stuff was mostly back with a 97.2 MPH sinker, and he was never a big swing and miss guy, so the 24.3% whiff% in those final 53.2 IP was mostly back to career norms as well. I understand treating him like 2026 could be another ace season for Alcantara, but I’m not willing to make that jump completely. I was always on the lower side of Alcantara because I go after big strikeout guys first and foremost for my aces, and he was never that. It’s also going to take more than one hot stretch for me to just rank him back to what he was doing in his prime. I do think he should have a much better 2026 though, and I would understand if you wanted to go higher than this on him. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.71/1.19/163 in 180 IP
201) Max Muncy – LAD, 3B, 35.7 – There is some really cutting edge research that is just emerging that suggest eyes are really important for hitting. I know, mind bending stuff, but if you don’t believe me, just check out what Muncy did before and after getting prescription glasses to fix a slight astigmatism in his eye. He put up a .599 OPS in his first 39 games vs. a 1.010 OPS with 18 homers in his final 61 games. I would say he started seeing the ball much better with the glasses. The utter domination didn’t go through the playoffs with a solid but not standout 115 wRC+, so I don’t all of a sudden think he is the best power hitter in baseball, and he’s also getting old, so possible decline has to be factored in too. Assuming full health and no decline, we know exactly what to expect from Muncy, which is an extremely low BA, high OBP slugger. There are currently no major signs of decline bat speed or foot speed wise, so I’m apt to bet on him for 2026 as an excellent win now piece, especially in OBP leagues. – 2026 Projection: 78/30/83/.237/.362/.477/3
202) Mike Trout – LAA, OF, 34.8 – It’s never easy watching an all time great on the decline, but we’ve been eased into it with Trout declining and/or injured for 5 years now. 2025 was just the continuation of what we’ve already been seeing, which is that the BA is tanking on him. He put up a career worst 32% K% with a .232 BA, which led to a career worst 120 wRC+. He played in 130 games, which is awesome, but he’s quite clearly not the guy he used to be. The power stroke is still in there with lift/pull and a 49.3% Hard Hit%, leading to 26 homers, but even that homer total is starting to decline from peak power levels too. He’s now an injured, aging low BA slugger, which is still an impactful fantasy player when he’s on the field, but there is risk of how much he’s actually going to be on the field as well. The dream here is that somehow he gets in a pocket where the body is feeling good and he has a throwback season, but you can’t really bet on that. – 2026 Projection: 77/30/73/.248/.355/.481/5
203) Ranger Suarez – BOS, LHP, 30.7 – Hey, what do you know, the man churned out yet another excellent season with a 3.20 ERA and 23.2/5.8 K%/BB% in 157.1 IP. He has a career 3.38 ERA in 762 IP. Nothing is flashy but he induces weak and has plus control of a 6 pitch mix. He might not win you your league, but he’ll be that rock in the middle of your rotation all season. Well, maybe not all season as he gets dinged up here and there, which is maybe the biggest knock on his profile. I’ve been calling him the most underrated pitcher of his generation for a few years now, so it’s really cool to see him finally get the recognition he deserved with that 5 year, $130 million contract. He deserved it. Good for him. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.44/1.23/150 in 155 IP
204) Jeff Hoffman – TOR, Closer, 33.3 – Hoffman’s post-season (1.46 ERA with a 37.5/8.3 K%/BB% in 12.1 IP) made it very clear to ignore the 4.37 ERA in 68 IP during the regular season. I was already ignoring it because I trusted the 29.3/9.4 K%/BB% and 31.6% whiff% much more than the ERA, or even the xERA (3.82). The 4-seamer sits 96.4 MPH and while it misses a good amount of bats (23.8% whiff%), it got hit really hard with a 95.4 MPH EV, which is where the high xERA comes in. His fastball has gotten hit hard in the past too, but not really to this level, and it seems like an aberration. The slider is double plus with a 47.4% whiff% and the splitter is really good too with a .219 xwOBA and 31.8% whiff%. At 33 years old and without quite the track record of the other truly elite closers, I can’t put him in that true top tier, but he could easily end 2026 there. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.28/1.10/84/33 saves in 65 IP
205) Daniel Palencia – CHC, Closer, 26.2 – It seems Palencia survived the off-season with the Cubs closer job. He broke out in 2025 with a 2.91 ERA and 28.4/7.4 K%/BB% in 52.2 IP, securing the closer job in late May and not looking back with 22 saves. The heavily used 99.6 MPH fastball put up a +5 Run Value and the plus slider put up a 39.4% whiff%. He also has a good splitter that he rarely goes to. A big part of the breakout was due to improved control, and related to that, he doesn’t have a long track record of success even in the minors. Relievers pop up like this all the time, and then pop back down, so there is still some regression risk here. And he missed time with a shoulder strain towards the end of the season, which he returned from, but it is another risk to take into account. Even with the risk, there are so many trash closer situations out there that Palencia is a breath of fresh air as a guy who has the job, is young, and has some upside. I like him. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.46/1.19/69/28 saves in 60 IP
206) Ryan Pepiot – TBR, RHP, 28.8 – Pepiot is sliding into a solid mid rotation starter, which is still good, but it’s not the true top of the rotation upside we want when really flying a pitcher up the rankings. And you can’t blame the minor league park last year because he was better at home (3.41 ERA with a 26.6% K% at home vs. a 4.38 ERA with a 22.3% on the road). Getting back to the Trop will help, no doubt, but I don’t think the expectation can be this is more than a #3 starter. He put up 3.86 ERA with a 24.6/9.0 K%/BB% in 167.2 IP. The 26% whiff% backs up the drop in K%. The fastball/changeup combo is plus and the 1.16 WHIP was still excellent, so I think he’s an impact fantasy starter, but I’m not seeing the upside to stick my neck out for him. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.65/1.19/173 in 170 IP
207) Andrew Vaughn – MIL, 1B, 28.0 – And this is why betting on organizations is almost more important, or just as important as betting on players. Vaughn couldn’t have demonstrated the stark difference an organization can make any more clearly. He went from one of the worst organizations to one of the best, and he immediately went from a disappointing, underperforming player to the beast he always should have been after getting selected 3rd overall. The skills were always in there. The raw contact/power combo was always in there, but it takes a good organization to really make the necessary tweaks to help a player refine that raw talent and reach their upside. And Milwaukee did just that, taking Vaughn’s .531 OPS with a 22.3/3.6 K%/BB% in 48 games with Chicago to a .869 OPS with a 14.6/9.4 K%/BB% in 64 games with Milwaukee. Milwaukee tweaked a bunch of things with his batting stance and instilled more of a selective mindset at the plate, and boom, it finally all clicked for him. The underlying numbers back it up very clearly too with a .384 xwOBA with Milwaukee. It almost makes you feel sad for players that get drafted into bad franchises. It’s almost like they never even had a shot. Imagine Luis Robert with a good team? Yes, imagine it only, because Chicago refuses to trade him after seeing Vaughn embarrass them. I’m almost acting like everything Vaughn did with Chicago is meaningless. This is always who he was supposed to be, and I think he’s that guy now. He’s a definite target as a plus hit/power 1B. – 2026 Projection: 78/25/89/.269/.338/.460/1
208) Kyle Manzardo – CLE, 1B, 25.9 – Like Busch, Manzardo is another bat speed dropper where the raw power metrics counter intuitively rose despite of it. The bat speed dropped 1.2 MPH to a below average 70.6 MPH, but the EV rose 1.2 MPH to 90.3 MPH and the Hard Hit% rose 3.8 points to 43.8%. It’s just another reminder that bat speed ain’t everything, and it resulted in 27 homers in 142 games. His plus plate skills from the minors have yet to show up in the majors, but the 25.4/9.0 K%/BB% is solid, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see improvement there in the coming years. The problem is that he might lift too much with an extreme 21.3 degree launch, leading to a .234 BA and .226 xBA. He struggles vs. lefties with a .186 BA and .671 OPS, he’s a bad 1B, and he scored just 47 Runs with a bottom 9% sprint speed. He might not be the stud that we hoped for when he was getting near elite fantasy prospect love, but he’s going to be an impact fantasy power hitter coming up in these peak years. – 2026 Projection: 67/28/82/.242/.327/.469/2
209) Cade Horton – CHC, RHP, 24.7 – Horton was a pretty damn hyped pitching prospect who had an awesome rookie season with a 2.67 ERA in 118 IP, and nobody really seems to care. It’s because we are all looking at the same shit, and that shit is a weak 20.4/6.9 K%/BB% and weak ERA estimators (3.93 xERA, 4.27 xFIP, 4.26 SIERA), but you don’t have to dig all that much deeper to see there are things to be extremely excited about. For one, he was truly lights out post all star break with a 1.03 ERA in 61.1 IP, and the 23.5/6.5 K%/BB% over that time looks much prettier and closer to what we want to see. There is also clearly more strikeout upside in here with 2 whiff machine secondaries in his sweeper (36.8% whiff%) and changeup (47.8% whiff%). Displaying plus control with 2 bat missing secondaries and big velocity (95.7 MPH fastball) is a great foundation to build. The fastball probably got lucky with a .312 wOBA vs. .378 xwOBA, but we know the best pitchers tinker like crazy. He can throw the fastball less in favor of the secondaries, he can go to his lesser used sinker more, he can tinker with the 4-seamer pitch shape, etc … This is just the start to his career, and while I agree the mediocre K/BB can’t shoot him up into the young top of the rotation tier already, he’s in the tier right under that. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.64/1.19/139 in 150 IP
210) Trevor Rogers – BAL, LHP, 28.4 – Every time you are ready to give up on a young pitcher. Every time you say no way will this come back to bite me in the ass. Every time you say this guy is 100% toast and worthless, just remember Trevor Rogers. I actually traded for him in my 18 teamer in 2024, getting him as a throw in to a deal instead of taking a mid round FYPD pick. I just said, what the hell, I don’t need another pick, I rather take a shot in the dark on the off chance he’s actually useful, and that off chance hit. He came back from the dead and put up a 1.81 ERA and 24.3/6.9 K%/BB% in 109.2 IP. The 93.1 MPH 4-seamer put up a +16 Run Value which was tied for 12th best in baseball. The changeup was always his best secondary, and that pitch was good again with a +7 Run Value. And maybe the biggest reason for the success was that his breakers, the slider and sweeper, were better than they have ever been with a 41% whiff% and .221 xwOBA on the slider and a 37.7% whiff% and .118 xwOBA on the sweeper. The lack of a good breaking ball was the thing that always held him back, and it seems like he actually found two good ones, which is a major reason to actually buy into this breakout. The 3.34 xERA and 25.6% whiff% shows he certainly got lucky, but even falling back to a #2/3 would be a monster bounce back from where his career was before. I already flipped him in a trade to land Ben Rice in that 18 teamer. It was a larger deal with contracts/salaries involved, but I wanted to cash in this chip while the getting was good. I have no issues hanging on though as I am buying the bounce back/leveling up, at least somewhat. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.68/1.22/136 in 145 IP
211) Gerrit Cole – NYY, RHP, 35.7 – 2025 couldn’t have made it any clearer that taking the Tommy John discount on pitchers is a total roll of the dice. McClanahan got hurt again and never returned. Strider, Eury, and Alcantara all looked rustier than the 30 year old lawn furniture my parents gave me when I moved into my house. I think it’s time to buy some new lawn furniture. I’m overdo Andrew Painter was simply not the same perfect pitching prospect he was pre-injury. While on the other hand, Emmett Sheehan returned and immediately re-established himself as one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game. deGrom was awesome, but even he was diminished from true prime. Bradish looked even better than before, and Bieber looked damn good for the most part. Really nobody knows exactly what level of health/rust these guys will have when they return. And while Cole is generally the type of guy I like taking the Tommy John discount on, he was already in decline even before the injury. His days of being that 30%+ K rate guy were already done with a 27% K% in 2023 and then a 25.4% K% in 2024. His whiff rates match that decline. So you are buying a 35 year old pitcher who was already in decline coming back from Tommy John, which we see can be a treacherous recovery. He underwent the surgery on March 11th, so he may miss a big chunk of 2026 as well depending on the recovery. It’s just a lot, and I fear his name value will keep his price higher than I’m willing to go. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.71/1.20/130 in 130 IP Update: We saw him back out there briefly in spring and the stuff looked good. Long way to go, but it’s a good sign
212) Brandon Lowe – PIT, 2B, 31.9 – When Lowe’s on the field, he produces, and in 2025 he played in more than 109 games for the just the 2nd time in his career. 134 to be exact, and he jacked out 31 homers in those games. He’s been a true talent 30 homer hitter with lift, pull and hard hit since 2018, but it’s just the 2nd time he’s hit 30+ homers because he’s never on the field. His struggles vs. lefties is another reason the plate attempts are capped with a .548 OPS vs. them last year. And he’s a below average 2B, so the glove isn’t going to keep him on the field, but with the trade to Pitt, he might get full time run whether we want it or not. And speaking of the trade, he now goes to one of the worst parks for lefty homers. His power can overcome it, but it’s still a negative. Give him a bump for being a 2B, but take a bump away for the injury risk, age, struggles vs. lefties, and ballpark downgrade. – 2026 Projection: 68/26/77/.246/.318/.469/3
213) Ian Happ – CHC, OF, 31.8 – Happ has been on the hunt for more lift/pull over the last few years, and while it hasn’t fully shown up in the homer totals yet, it very well might show up in 2026. He put up a career best 16.1 degree launch with a 21% Air Pull%, and while he hit 23 homers in 150 games, 11 of those homers came in the final 63 games. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him hit a career high in homers in 2026. The 44.4% Hard Hit% isn’t quite high enough to really think an explosion is coming, but 26+ is in the cards. He combined the increased lift/pull with a career best 24.6% whiff%, so there are some really positive underlying gains being made by Happ. On the flip side, he got slower and stole only 6 bags, so the extra power upside might be mitigated by the steals stepping back from 2023-24. He’s a safe, high floor vet, and there is some sneaky power upside popping it’s head up. – 2026 Projection: 88/26/88/.247/.345/.454/8
214) Wilyer Abreu – BOS, OF, 26.9 – Abreu has the potential for a truly monstrous career year power season. I won’t say Cal Raleigh like, but I mean, just check out these metrics. He has a 74.1 MPH swing, 94.5 MPH FB/LD EV, a 23 degree launch, 25.7% Air Pull%, and a 24% whiff%. Making that much contact, with that much power, with that much Air Pull is a recipe for a no joke, everything goes right explosion. When evaluating Abreu keep that in mind, because it is lurking in here. 22 homers is his career high, and the biggest issue in reaching that upside is that he’s not great vs. lefties and gets platooned. Boston talked about giving him a chance to hit lefties this year, but he’s going to have to show improvement if he wants that to continue. As a platoon bat, 30 dingers with a mediocre BA and a few steals is a Top 200-250 dynasty asset, but if he hits lefties better, and gets a little luck, I’m not exaggerating when I say he might just mess around and pop out 40. – 2026 Projection: 69/28/83/.249/.325/.483/7
215) Kerry Carpenter – DET, OF, 28.7 – Carpenter is a pretty strict strong side of a platoon bat, he’s not good on defense, and he doesn’t get on base, so playing time is going cap his upside, but man does he have extremely high power upside. The 95.3 MPH FB/LD EV, 21 degree launch, 28% Air Pull%, and 26.2% whiff% is just begging for a monster career power year. He knocked out 26 in 464 PA last year, and even in a platoon I think he can get to 30+ in a good year. I tend to get excited about these platoon power bats a bit too much, but again, just look at the potential those power metrics are screaming, but the cap on playing time really does require some restraint. – 2026 Projection: 62/28/78/.257/.310/.490/2
216) Spencer Steer – CIN, 1B, 28.4 – Steer is one of my favorite buy low vets for 2026 but with the Eugenio signing, I’m definitely a bit less gung ho about it. He got off to a rough start to the season with his Hard Hit rate way down, but we know the reason for that. He had a shoulder injury that required a cortisone shot in spring which wiped out basically his enter spring training. He couldn’t play the field due to the injury until late April. It’s clear he wasn’t 100%, and it resulted in a 9.8 point drop in Hard Hit% through July. He went from a 39.9% Hard Hit% in 2024 to a 30.1% Hard Hit% in his first 101 games, but it was a different story in August and September. The shoulder obviously started to feel much better, and not only did his Hard Hit% rebound, but it jumped to career best levels. He put up a 37% Hard Hit% in August and then a 47.4% Hard Hit% in September. At the very least, it seems likely the Hard Hit rate will jump back up into the high 30’s, and with a full off-season to get healthy and stronger entering his age 28 year old season, my bet is that he will be at career high levels. I think September was just a taste for the future. He also ran far less than he did in 2023-24, but when you are nursing an injury, it’s only natural to not risk getting hurt on the bases. He was still 7 for 8 when he did run, and he has a 28 ft/sec sprint, so the ability for 20+ is still in here if he so chooses, and I think he will choose to run a lot more in 2026. Combined with his lift and pull profile (18.8 degree launch with a 25.8% Air Pull%), plate skills (21.6/10.1 career K%/BB%), and great ballpark, all signs point towards a big 2026 season for Steer. – 2026 Projection: 71/22/81/.252/.331/.445/14
217) Jordan Beck – COL, OF, 24.11 – I want to go all in on Beck. He’s my type of player. He’s a big time athlete at 6’2”, 225 pounds with plus speed (28.7 ft/sec sprint), plus bat speed (73.2 MPH swing), plus power (113.8 MPH Max EV), the ability to lift and pull, and he plays in Coors. It feels like a no brainer, but when I do incorporate my brain, it tells me to pump the brakes. Even in his breakout season, he put up a 90 wRC+ with only 16 homers and 19 steals in 148 games. The 29.6/7.3 K%/BB% and 31.2% whiff% are concerning. He wasn’t great vs. righties with a .702 OPS (.831 vs. lefties). He was a below average corner outfielder. He’s not a good base stealer (caught 8 times). And while he does have big raw power, he really hasn’t hit the ball all that hard in the majors with a 38.5% Hard Hit%. That is just way too many flaws/risk to actually go all in on him. He can’t be a stick your neck out for him target, but I’m not avoiding him either. He’s a Top 200-250 dynasty asset, so if his draft price falls into the right area and I need the young upside, I will have no problem scooping him at fair value. – 2026 Projection: 69/21/75/.251/.320/.438/15
218) Gavin Williams – CLE, RHP, 26.8 – I’ve been sitting here for 20 minutes staring at Gavin Williams’ name trying to decide if he had the big breakout in 2025 or if he didn’t. Seriously, it’s not easy to figure out. He put up a 3.06 ERA in 167.2 IP, so score one point for the breakout. But it came with a 24.6/11.8% K%/BB% and a 4.28 xERA, so score one not for the breakout. But those were the full season stats, he was much better in the 2nd half with a 2.21 ERA and 27.7/10.3 K%/BB% in his final 81.1 IP, so again, score another point for the breakout. But hold up, that also was lucky with a 3.63 xFIP, .219 BABIP and a 93.7% Left on Base percentage, so again, score another point not for the breakout. He has a career 3.54 ERA. Good. He also has a career 4.38 SIERA. Not good. He has a 27.7% whiff% on the back of his two bat missing secondaries in his curve and sweeper. Good. But his heavily used 96.6 MPH fastball isn’t good with a negative 8 Run Value and .381 xwOBA. Not good. He used the 4-seamer less this year and even less in that good 2nd half run, so there is something to point to that is was a real breakout. Good. As I’m writing this blurb out, my takeaway is starting to cement that this wasn’t in fact the breakout. There are too many things that indicate the inconsistency is still there. Can the real breakout come in 2026? Sure, but I’m still valuing him as a guy in the breakout waiting room. Which puts him more in the Top 200-ish range for me. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.79/1.25/175 in 170 IP
219) Shane Baz – BAL, RHP, 26.10 – This isn’t the year to give up on the Baz breakout. Baz got absolutely decimated by the switch from Tropicana Field to the minor league George Steinbrenner Field. He put up a 5.90 ERA with 18 homers in 82.1 IP at Steinbrenner Field vs. a 3.86 ERA and 8 homers in 84 IP on the road. He has a career 2.72 ERA in 56.1 IP at the Trop, and his new home digs, Camden Yards works for him too with a 0.56 ERA in 16 IP. Not only did the ballpark crush him, but he also simply got unlucky with a 3.85 xERA vs. 4.87 ERA in 166.1 IP. He has the type of stuff to bet on with a 107 Stuff+ and a 97 MPH fastball that put up a respectable +5 Run Value and 23.5% whiff%. The biggest issue is that the secondaries never returned after Tommy John surgery. The secondary whiffs weren’t there when he returned in the 2nd half of 2024, and they weren’t there again in 2025, but he was showing improvement there in the 2nd half. The curve put up a only 29.5% whiff% on the season, but it sat 35.3% post break. That is a really good sign. The changeup was never a big bat misser for him, but it induces weak contact with a 82.6 MPH EV against. I can’t say he’s a major target for me, because the 24.8/9.0 K%/BB% and 25.8% whiff% aren’t bad, but they aren’t exactly screaming ace breakout, and his price is already relatively high at 203 overall in NFBC, but I’m most certainly holding down the fort as a strong hold. He should have a much better 2026, and a big breakout is definitely still a possible outcome. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.80/1.25/172 in 165 IP
220) Robby Snelling – MIA, LHP, 22.3 – Triple-A is effing hard … except for Robby Snelling. He got promoted to Triple-A mid-season and he was even better there than he was at Double-A with a 1.27 ERA and 32.9/6.9 K%/BB% in 63.2 IP (3.61 ERA with a 28.2/7.3 K%/BB% in 72.1 IP at Double-A). He did it with a plus to double plus fastball/curve combo. He threw the 94.7 MPH 4-seamer 43.1% of the time and it notched a 36.5% whiff%. The curve notched a 42.8% whiff% as his most used secondary. And while the changeup isn’t on that level, it was a good pitch too with a 29% whiff% and .243 xwOBA against. He also mixes in a slider and an occasional sinker. Do I want to go down to Miami and teach him the cutter myself? Yes I do, because I always saw loose shades of Andy Pettitte going back to his draft year. Maybe that comes later. He’s an athletic 6’3”, 210 pounds with above average to plus control/command. He has workhorse mid-rotation starter written all over him when watching him, and while I’m going to stick to that evaluation, he is certainly flashing a potential level of upside even beyond that. I can’t put him in the truly elite pitching prospect tier, but I get it if you want to, and with Miami cleaning house in their rotation, he should get a ton of innings in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.91/1.27/142 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.53/1.16/203 in 190 IP
221) Tanner Bibee – CLE, RHP, 27.1 – Bibee has been teetering on the brick between true top of the rotation starter and solid mid rotation guy for the first 2 years of his career, and in 2025, he unfortunately slipped to the lower notch of solid mid rotation guy. He put up a 4.25 ERA, 3.64 xERA, and a 21.3/7.1 K%/BB% in 182.1 IP. The 23.8% whiff% overall was super disappointing and it was caused by his 94.4 MPH fastball taking a big step back with a 13.2% whiff% and .377 xwOBA. He throws a bevy of secondaries, and all of them are kinda good, but none are good enough to prop up the mediocre fastball. Even with his really strong first two seasons, there were signs he was more of a mid rotation guy than a true top of the rotation guy, and 2025 mostly cemented that. I would be happy to have him on my dynasty team, and I’m expecting a better year in 2026, but expecting a true dominant season seems like wishful thinking. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.68/1.21/172 in 178 IP
222) Luis Castillo – SEA, RHP, 33.4 – Castillo has gone the route of gently declining for the past 2 seasons, and he gently pushed his whiff% and K% to below average for the first time in his career with a 24.6% whiff% and 21.7% K%. The stuff is also on the decline with a career worst by far 96 Stuff+ along with a career worst 95 MPH fastball. But like many former aces are able to do later in their career, they mitigate that loss of stuff and swing and miss by becoming a control artist, and Castillo has done that with a career best 6.2% BB%. It resulted in a still strong 3.54 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 180.2 IP. The home ballpark is also doing a lot of the heavy lifting to keep him above water with a 2.60 ERA at home vs. 4.71 on the road. Seems to me he should be able to pull out a few more wily vet seasons in that ballpark, but don’t buy the name value based on his former ace status. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.68/1.19/168 in 178 IP
223) Corbin Burnes – ARI, RHP, 31.5 – Look above at the Gerrit Cole blurb because I can repeat the exact same blurb for Burnes as I did Cole. Burnes is generally the type of guy I like taking the Tommy John discount on, but like Cole, he was already in decline even before the injury. His days of being that crazy high K rate ace were already long over. His 25.7% whiff% was a career low by far this year, and that is basically only average. His K rates have been mediocre for 3 years now. His stuff is on the decline too with a career worst 102 Stuff+. So you are buying a declining pitcher who now has TJ risk tacked on top of that, and because he underwent the surgery in early June, it’s possible his 2026 gets essentially wiped out too, or close to it. Even in decline, at full health, he was still a really good pitcher with a 2.66 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 64.1 IP, but I’m afraid his name value will make his price a tad high for me this off-season considering all of the downsides. – 2026 Projection: 2/3.79/1.22/28 in 30 IP
224) MacKenzie Gore – TEX, LHP, 27.1 – The breakout waiting room can be such a frustrating place to be. We thought Gore finally had his number called with an ace like first half, putting up a 3.02 ERA, 3.29 xFIP, and a 30.5/7.7 K%/BB% in his first 110.1 IP. The whiffs were up, the walks were down, the stuff was nasty as usual … how could we have not thought that this was the breakout we have been waiting for? 110.1 IP isn’t even a small sample. But reality gave us a cold slap to the face in the 2nd half as he imploded, ending the year with his usual mediocre pitching line of a 4.17 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and a 27.2/9.4 K%/BB% in 159.2 IP. He just faked us out by frontloading his good starts, but it’s clear the inconsistency that has prevented the breakout is still fully there. As frustrating as it is, it does feel like we are still headed in the right direction here with career bests in K%, whiff%, and WHIP. He gave us a taste of what the breakout would look like in that first half. He’s about to enter his prime with that magical age 27 year old season. He’s been too inconsistent to keep calling him a target, but I think it would be foolish to completely write off his chances of breaking out in the future. The breakout waiting room can break your heart, but as long as the talent and stuff are still there (and they are still there), he deserves as much patience as you can possibly give him. And the Rangers are clearly making that breakout bet trading for him this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.77/1.28/191 in 170 IP
225) Shane McClanahan – TBR, LHP, 28.11 – If you want to see what a worst case scenario return from Tommy John is, just look at McClanahan. He underwent Tommy John in August 2023 and had two compete seasons wiped out. He looked great in Spring of 2025 before the arm started barking again, leading to elbow surgery to fix a nerve issue. The expectation is that he is going to be ready for 2026, but the injury risk is obviously through the roof here. At full health, he had the talent (96.8 MPH fastball), whiffs (33.4% whiff%) and production (3.02 ERA in 404.2 IP) to sit in that Tier 2 of aces, but that seems like an eternity ago at this point. His value is in the toilet, and I’m apt to bet on upside, so my instinct is to take a couple of cheap/reasonably priced shots on him, but make the sure the price is actually cheap/reasonable, because this is just about as much injury risk as a pitcher can get. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.61/1.24/135 in 130 IP
226) Jared Jones – PIT, RHP, 24.8 – Jones underwent what seems like internal brace surgery in late May 2025 which makes at some point in the 1st half his best case return date, and I would plan on it being more in the 2nd half, but who knows. He’s definitely good enough to stay patient with, as we know this is just part of the process for young upper 90’s flamethrowers, but at the same time, we’ve also seen these types come back and struggle to find that same success gain (see Spencer Strider and Andrew Painter). We have to take into account a large amount of risk here, and he really wasn’t fully established before going down with the injury either. He put up a 4.14 ERA with a 26.2/7.7 K%/BB% in 121.1 IP in 2024, but most of that success came in the first half. He was regressing hard before going down with the injury with a 5.11 ERA (4.49 xFIP) and 23.2/10.7 K%/BB% in his final 68.2 IP. He’s your classic double plus fastball/slider combo guy who needed to improve the changeup and control to really take that next step, and now he also have to tack on injury risk. My lean is to buy here in dynasty, because the upside is no joke, but I wouldn’t get too crazy. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.98/1.29/102 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.58/1.21/183 in 160 IP
227) Gabriel Moreno – ARI, C, 26.2 – Back when Moreno was getting truly elite prospect love, even on fantasy prospect lists, I was one of the few (or maybe only, I don’t remember perfectly) who was pumping the brakes on valuing him anywhere close to that. You know me and hit tool first guys, and in this case, fading him paid off with him having a very mediocre start to his fantasy career over the last 3 seasons. But now that his value has cratered to where it should have been originally, I’m ready to buy in, because he’s finally showing signs of the power breakout he needs. More than signs really, it’s smacking us in the face, raising his launch 5.6 degrees to 14.6 degrees and raising his Air Pull% 6.6 degrees to 14.6%. He did that while continuing to hit the ball hard with a 43.4% Hard Hit% and making plenty of contact with a 17.2% K%. It resulted in a career high 9 homers, and he did it in only 83 games. He still doesn’t hit the ball super hard in the air, so I don’t think he’s going to be Cal Raleigh all of sudden, but bringing his projected homer total into that 15-20 range is a big deal when he combines it with a really good BA (.285 in 2025 and a .281 career BA). That is the seesaw of dynasty baseball, and really fantasy baseball too. Fade when a guy is getting overrated, and then when the value correction comes, buy when the seeds of a breakout are apparent. He’s one of my top catching targets this year, and while this ranking seems low for one of my top catcher targets, that is why my strategy is to wait as long as possible at catcher, even in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 69/16/73/.276/.345/.435/5
228) Adley Rutschman – BAL, C, 28.2 – Rutschman is the Benjamin Button of catchers. Someone should tell him you are supposed to improve every year as a young player, and not get worse. He went from a 134 wRC+ in 2022, to a 126 wRC+ in 2023, to a 103 wRC+ in 2024 and then finally a 91 wRC+ in 2025. But catchers focus on their defense primarily, so surely he’s been getting better with the glove. Nope. He went from a 19.1 defensive value to a 12.2 to a 6.2 and then finally a 4.0 in 2025. He felt like he was going to reign over the dynasty catcher rankings for years to come, and not only has he gotten worse, but the catcher position has gotten leaps and bounds better around him. He’s now a fringy starter in a 12 teamer. The underlying numbers don’t paint as scary of a picture as the 15.6/11.0 K%/BB% is excellent, he can lift and pull with a 13.7 degree launch and 16.9% Air Pull%, and while he doesn’t crush the ball, he generally hits it hard enough with a 89.4 MPH EV. The .334 xwOBA was much better than the .298 wOBA. Delayed catcher breakouts happen all the time, but you can say that about anybody, so we have to accept that Adley isn’t the guy we thought he was after his rookie year. He’s a solid dynasty catcher, but that is about it. – 2026 Projection: 74/20/71/.255/.339/.420/1
229) Alejandro Kirk – TOR, C, 27.5 – Kirk saw his hard hit rates dropping concerningly low in 2023 and 2024, and I bet he saw his below average 70.1 MPH swing and said I know just the remedy. He increased his bat speed 2.4 MPH to 72.5 MPH and it resulted in not only a major hard hit bounce back, but a career best 50.8% Hard Hit%. It also led to a career high 15 homers in 130 games, not to mention the 5 homers he hit 18 playoff games. He didn’t have to give up any of his elite contact to do it with a 11.2% K% and .282 BA, and he was the 2nd most valuable defensive player in baseball, so the glove is non issue to say the least. He doesn’t lift enough in the air to take full advantage of the hard hit (11.9 degree launch with a 11.8% Air Pull%), and he’s one the slowest men in the game with a bottom 2% sprint, so the 45 Runs and 1 steal (in his career, which came this season), somewhat caps his fantasy value. – 2026 Projection: 56/16/77/.277/.347/.428/0
230) Yainer Diaz – HOU, C, 27.7 – Diaz had a down year with a 92 wRC+ and a .256 BA, but it does seem like just a down year. The .273 xBA and .330 xwOBA vs. .300 wOBA both back that up. He put up a career best 16.8% K% and he hits it hard with a 89.9 MPH EV and 42.2% Hard Hit%, although those hard hit numbers were down from 2024 (47.5%), showing it wasn’t just poor luck for the BA dip. The biggest problems with his profile is the extreme 44.3% Chase%, the improving but still limited lift and pull (10.2 degree launch with a 15.3% Air Pull%), and the fact he’s a mediocre defensive catcher. It’s yet another testament of how deep catcher is that he’s ranked this low as I still really like his bat. But it’s a knife fight out in these catcher streets, and the lack of OBP with good but not great homer totals (20 in 143 games) keeps him relatively low in the rankings. And while I’m not really factoring in his mediocre defense, it is something I have in the back of my mind long term. – 2026 Projection: 61/21/76/.270/.303/.445/1
231) Salvador Perez – KCR, C/1B, 35.11 – Over the past few years, I kept saying I don’t want to be the one left holding the bag on Perez when the inevitable cliff comes, and while the cliff hasn’t come yet, I’m not about to change my strategy when it comes to him in his age 36 year old season. It would be so silly to just avoid him the last few years, only to buy now with the cliff looming even more. Or maybe I will just keep being wrong as Perez once again smacked 30 homers with 100 RBI, finishing as the 5th best catcher in the game. Player’s who chase a ton like Perez with a 42.4% Chase% generally don’t age well, but he’s bucking that trend. He’s also an everyday player between catcher and DH. I’m quick to learn from my mistakes, but in this case, fading him over the past few seasons only to buy now seems like a disaster waiting to happen. I’m going to stick to my strategy of not wanting to pay up big for him only see him fall off that cliff on my team. For just 2026 though, and if the price is right, I guess we should be expecting another good season. He’s still obviously a good win now catcher. – 2026 Projection: 58/26/85/.255/.304/.450/0
232) Kyle Teel – CHW, C, 24.2 – I’m getting the feeling that Teel is a bit overrated at the moment. He’s going as the 14th catcher off the board in NFBC redrafts in 26 total drafts, over Moreno, Alvarez, and Jensen, and in dynasty he might get pushed up even higher than that with his strong name value and strong MLB debut. But with how good and how deep catcher is right now, Teel’s solid but unspectacular production isn’t exciting me. He had a 25.9% K% with a 29.1% whiff% and a .241 xBA in 78 games in the majors, so I don’t really trust that .273 BA. He had a 25.4% K% with a 28.7% whiff% as a 23 year old at Triple-A in 50 games too. The power is also limited with a 37.6% Hard Hit% in the majors and a 42.2% at Triple-A. He hit 8 homers in 78 MLB games. He can lift and pull, but he was never expected to have the type of raw power to really be a home run hitting beast. And the White Sox are years away from putting a good lineup together, so his Runs/RBI are going to be limited. Lastly, he’s not good vs lefties with a .546 OPS in the majors and a .702 OPS at Triple-A. The profile just doesn’t seem very exciting to me with how deep catcher is. He has a really good plate approach and he’ll steal a handful of bags, so it’s not like I don’t like his bat at all, he’s a good young catcher, just a relatively underwhelming one relative to his price/hype right now. – 2026 Projection: 68/17/62/.253/.339/.418/6 Prime Projection: 82/22/73/.266/.350/.443/7
233) Jakob Marsee – MIA, OF, 24.9 – I lean towards being aggressive and giving credence to “debuts,” both pro debuts and MLB debuts, so what Marsee was able to do in his MLB debut holds a lot of weight for me. Proving your profile will transfer to the big jumps of pro ball and the majors is a big deal to prove, because nobody can really know for sure until you do it, and Marsee did it, slashing .292/.363/.478 with 5 homers, 14 steals, and a 20.5/9.4 K%/BB% in 55 games. The underlying numbers back it up with a .353 xwOBA, 41.4% Hard Hit%, 19.5% whiff%, and 19.9% Chase%. He didn’t get lucky. He was just that good. He deserves a strong dynasty ranking (#237 on the End of Season Rankings) after that performance, but at the same time, his Triple-A sample has to be factored in as well, and that sample is telling us not to trust that hard hit rate. He put up a 32% Hard Hit% in 98 games at Triple-A. He was already coming down to earth in the majors in September with a .619 OPS and 31.7% Hard Hit%. So it’s obvious he just got hot at the right time when he got called up, but that doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater (I have no idea if this expression applies, I just always wanted to use it;). We know that a speed, contact, and lift and pull profile can work with low hard hit numbers, and while Marsee didn’t lift and pull and ton in his MLB debut, he did at Triple-A. He also has category winning base stealing skills with four 40+ steal seasons under his belt, stealing 61 bags in 153 games overall this season. And his glove should keep him on the field as a plus defensive CF. That is a super fantasy friendly profile, and even factoring in regression, I don’t think this is just a knee jerk “sell high” situation. If you already own him, I’m riding it. If you don’t already own him, it could be too late to get anything resembling a decent price. – 2026 Projection: 77/16/69/.248/.329/.423/34
234) Willson Contreras – BOS, 1B, 33.11 – The hope that Contreras would unlock some new level of hitting without having to be a catcher didn’t come to pass with him putting up a 124 wRC+ vs. his career 122 wRC+. Still really good, but 20 homers with a .257 BA didn’t exactly blow the doors off even being able to use him at catcher. There was also hope playing full time would make him a cheat code at the position, and while he wasn’t a cheat code, it definitely helped him to finish 6th at the position. He put up a career high 563 PA and it led to a career high 70 Runs and 80 RBI. It wasn’t the beast we wanted, but we at least got a small bump from it. Now going into 2026 he will be losing catcher eligibility and turning 34 years old, so it would be hard to expect anything more than a solid 1B bat, but I do see an avenue to some upside. He put up a career best 19.8% Air Pull%, and while he couldn’t fully take advantage of it in the 5th worst park for righty homers (7 homers at home vs. 13 on the road), he just might be able to take advantage of it in Fenway, if not with homers, then with doubles. He’s still an excellent hitter regardless of position with an elite 76 MPH swing and 13.9% Barrel%. Losing catcher eligibility hurts, but don’t underrate him going into 2026. We could still see a huge season.. – 2026 Projection: 73/24/84/.260/.350/.465/4
235) Alec Burleson – STL, 1B/OF, 27.4 – Burleson improved his bat speed by 1.2 MPH to 72.4 MPH, and he improved his Chase% 5.7 points to 28.8%, resulting in a breakout season where he put up a 124 wRC+ with a .290 BA and 18 homers in 139 games. His hit/power combo is plus with a 14.5% K%, 91 MPH EV, and 15.2 degree launch, but there a few things which cap the upside a bit. The 13.5% Air Pull% is below average and the ballpark is 5th worst for homers, so the homer totals are only good but not great. He has a bottom 10% of the league sprint speed, which contributed to him scoring a mere 54 runs. And he’s not great vs. lefties with a career .606 OPS, although he improved there in 2025 with a .708 OPS, so he’s not in immediate danger of being a platoon bat. I’ve liked his bat for a while now, even calling him a target a couple years ago, so while I love to see him blossoming, there still isn’t enough fantasy upside in here to fly him up rankings. He’s a good but not great bat. – 2026 Projection: 72/22/81/.280/.331/.452/6
236) Yandy Diaz – TBR, 1B, 34.8 – We all love lift and pull, and it is surely important, but Yandy doesn’t care about it at all. He put up a 5.8% Air Pull%, which is 2nd lowest amongst qualified hitters, and it didn’t stop him from smacking a career high 25 homers in 150 games. When you crush the ball as hard as he does with a 52.5% Hard Hit%, and when you make as much contact as he does with a 14.1% K%, you can get away with not lifting and pulling. He put up a 135 wRC+ on the season, and since 2018, he’s the 17th most valuable hitter in baseball by wRC+. He doesn’t get nearly that level of respect though. When you look at all of the names around him on that list, he doesn’t even get a fraction of the respect that those guys get. The biggest red flag about his 2025 season is that 18 of those homers came in a minor league ballpark, so with the move back to the Trop, we can’t expect those outlier homer totals for him again, but other than that, the dude is straight up one of the best hitters in baseball. That is more for real life than fantasy, but he’s been underrated in dynasty for years now too. I’m guilty of it, and I still might be guilty of it looking at this ranking, but that is kinda the nature of dynasty rankings. If you want to lean more win immediately, of course he would rank higher. – 2026 Projection: 82/18/84/.290/.360/.458/2
237) Dylan Beavers – BAL, OF, 24.8 – I’m doing everything I can to talk myself out of going crazy for Beavers. I want to go all in. There are reasons to go all in, but before I get to those reasons, let me start with my trepidation … Parker Meadows. If you lift and pull a ton, and you don’t quite hit the ball hard enough, it can really put a damper on the entire profile even if everything else looks good. Beavers’ Hard Hit was up this year at Triple-A with a 41.3% Hard Hit%, but that still isn’t beastly, and it dropped to 28% in the majors. Like Meadows, he’s also not as good vs. lefties, so the risk of a platoon is there, and unlike Meadows, he’s a corner outfielder whose glove probably isn’t good enough to force him on the field. If he doesn’t run a ton in the majors (he was only 2 for 4 in 35 games this year), we could be looking at a low BA, platoon OF with solid but not standout homer totals. This is me telling myself this more than anything, because I love that his skills immediately transferred to the majors with a 23.7% whiff%, 18.9% Chase%, 21.2 degree launch, a 26.7% Air Pull%, and a 28.9 ft/sec sprint speed. It led to a .225/.375/.400 slash with 4 homers, 2 steals, and a 125 wRC+ in 35 games. The fantasy friendly upside is calling my name with strong plate skills, lift and pull, and speed … but again, if the mediocre hard hit is going to end up in a ton of flyouts, it might not matter as much as I want it to. I have to split the difference. He’s more of a Top 200-250-ish dynasty asset than a true top level target. – 2026 Projection: 71/18/66/.243/.324/.423/18 Prime Projection: 86/22/81/.260/.340/.448/22
238) Ralphy Velazquez – CLE, 1B, 20.10 – Velazquez was one of my top FYPD targets in his draft year and I stayed high on him last off-season, putting him into my Top 100 at #88, so I am amped to see him go nuclear when he closed out the season at Double-A as a barely 20 year old, slashing .330/.405/.589 with 5 homers, 0 steals, and a 15.1/9.5 K%/BB% in 28 games. I’ve talked about it in a few prospect blurbs already, but getting promoted to the upper minors and not only maintaining your production, but improving upon it is the #1 sign of a truly special bat. The only thing that held down his numbers at High-A was BABIP induced bad luck, but even with the bad luck he still hit well with 17 homers and a 20.3/9.5 K%/BB% in 94 games. He even hits lefties well with a .886 OPS. He’s a 6’3”, 240 pound beast with an easy, quick, and powerful lefty swing. It’s a pretty short swing too, which is how he’s able to put up such good K rates, and he lifts and pulls plenty with a 36.1% GB% and 43.6% Pull%. This is a do everything middle of the order bat. He’s a Top 50 fantasy prospect at least. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/31/98/.261/.338/.501/3
239) Ethan Conrad – CHC, OF, 21.9 – If there is one guy in this FYPD class that really makes me tingle. The guy who I would hate to leave the draft without. The guy I want to say is my guy, it’s Ethan Conrad (Kilby is a close 2nd). He can so easily become the best fantasy player in this draft, and that isn’t even close to a stretch. He’s 6’3”, 220 pounds, and I’m in love with his lefty swing. It’s loose, athletic, upright, and then he absolutely unfurls on the baseball like a big cat striking it’s prey. He was in the midst of a junior year power explosion with 7 homers in 21 games in the ACC before hurting shoulder diving for a ball which required surgery to repair. But you know I’ve been loving the shoulder surgery discount with so many hitters coming back completely fine, and obviously the Cubs thought the same thing stealing him at 17th overall in the Draft. Not only is the power no joke, but he’s fast and he loves to run with 77 steals in 88 attempts in 200 amateur games. He’s also hit extremely well everywhere he’s been since his freshman year. He had a .813 OPS in 200 PA his freshman year in the MAAC, he topped that his sophomore year in the MAC with a 1.171 OPS in 259 PA, he then went to the Cape and put up a .920 OPS in 120 PA, and then he transferred into the ACC and dropped a 1.238 OPS in 21 games. He’s literally never not hit, and his contact rates have always been pretty damn good too with a 14.4% K% this year, a 15% K% in the Cape and a 12.4% K% his sophomore year in the MAAC. He’s had some chase issues throughout this career, he’s yet to really face super tough competition as he was just getting into the meat of his ACC schedule before getting hurt, and I guess there is some risk coming off the shoulder surgery, but all of that just looks like it opens up a giant buying opportunity to me. Conrad is the guy I’m really targeting in this draft. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/24/88/.262/.324/.461/21
240) Theo Gillen – TBR, OF, 20.7 – Gillen is a good example to use to not overly panic on an 18 year old who had a really rough small sample debut at Single-A. He put up a 41.2% K% with a .154 BA and a 58.3% GB% in 8 games, but in 2025 he showed that was just small sample nonsense, slashing .267/.433/.387 with 5 homers, 36 steals, and a 23.1/19.8 K%/BB% in 73 games at Single-A. It was good for a 149 wRC+. I mostly ignored the poor debut (although I didn’t love it) and named him one of my favorite FYPD targets anyway, and I only like him more now. This is a big, physical, athletic kid with a smooth lefty swing that is geared for both power and average. He hits it hard for his age, the base running/speed was impressive, and the plate skills are advanced. He can stand to lift and pull a bit more, which is why the homer totals were low, but I trust Tampa to develop him however they see fit. I was high on him coming out of the draft, and I’m going to remain high on him now. I would value him as a Top 50 prospect. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 88/20/71/.260/.342/.437/30
241) JoJo Parker – TOR, SS, 19.8 – Selected 8th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Parker has the type of lefty swing that is easy to dream on. It’s easy, smooth, fast, and powerful from a strong 6’2”, 195 pound frame. It’s one of those swings that screams plus hit/power combo, and he has the production to match with excellent contact rates, plate skills, and exit velocity numbers. He’s not known as the fastest guy, but he put up some impressive run times, and he could be the type to run more than we think. In short, he’s the Walker Jenkins of this draft class. Jenkins was the Kyle Tucker of his draft class. It’s literally the Russian Nesting Dolls of FYPD prospects with each of them one inch shorter than the last one. Perfect fits. Hit, power, size, and sneaky athleticism. I get it if he’s your top dog in First Year Player Drafts, and if he debuted and hit well, he might have been mine, but he’s still a total mystery vs. pro pitching as he’s yet to debut. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/24/86/.274/.345/.462/16
242) Bryan Abreu – HOU, Setup, 28.11 – We were given just a small taste of what it would look like if Abreu had a closer job when Hader missed the last two months of the season with a shoulder injury, and it was glorious. He saved 7 games with a 32.5/8.4 K%/BB% and 3.86 ERA (3.18 xFIP) in 18.2 IP. He put up a 2.28 ERA with a 35.5/10.5 K%/BB% in 71 IP on the season. The 41.2% whiff% is insanely elite. He would immediately enter the elite closer tier if he had the job, but as you know, as long as Hader comes back healthy, he most certainly doesn’t have the job. He’s a free agent after this season though, and while there is no guarantee he finds a closer job, it seems the odds heavily favor it. Houston could (and should) trade him at some point this year, so he can end up in a closer role even before he hits free agency. If you are in a shallow-ish saves only league, which my 12 teamer is, I would go after him pretty hard this off-season while you will to pay far, far less than elite closer prices for him. I would go after him in other leagues too, but his price might already be high in those leagues. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.85/1.10/95/15 saves in 68 IP Update: I was already going after Abreu, and with Hader’s injury, I would go after him even harder
243) Aroldis Chapman – BOS, Closer, 38.1 – It took him 37 years but Chapman was finally able to improve his control. He went from a 14.4% BB% in 2024 to a 6.6% BB% in 2025. Again, as a 37 year old. Mind blowing. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too old to improve. And come to think of it, how about putting him back in the rotation now? hah … he was being considered as a starter when he first came over from Cuba. He has the pitch mix for it. He has the stuff, obviously. I mean, would anything be more insane than Chapman turning into an ace at age 38? … I’m kidding of course (kinda), so we’ll have to settle for him being an elite closer, putting up a 1.17 ERA with a 37.3% K% in 61.1 IP. The sinker sat 99.4 MPH and all 4 of his pitches miss bats like crazy. We can’t count on the control gains being fully real as relievers are inherently volatile due to small sample seasons, but it really doesn’t make that much of a difference for his dynasty value. He’s going to rack up K’s and saves, which is what we are buying him for. The only question is for how much longer. – 2026 Projection: 4/2.84/1.10/89/33 saves in 62 IP
244) Emilio Pagan – CIN, Closer, 34.11 – Pagan signed a 2 year, $20 million contract with Cincinnati (the 2nd year is a player option), so he’s locked in as the closer for at least 2026 and probably longer assuming he pitches well. He dominated in 2025 with a 2.88 ERA and 30.0/8.1 K%/BB% in 68.2 IP. The splitter was his most dominant pitch with a 40.7% whiff% and .175 xwOBA. The 95.8 MPH fastball is his most used pitch with a 61.2% usage, and it was very good with a +9 Run Value and 24.6% whiff%. He also throws a good cutter. But as we know, relievers are damn volatile, and he hasn’t been this dominant his entire career. He has a career 3.66 ERA in 506.2 IP with more than a few mid 4 ERA’s mixed in there. It’s just how relievers are, but overall, he seems pretty safe in the short term. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.48/1.12/74/33 saves in 65 IP
245) Heliot Ramos – SFG, OF, 26.7 – Ramos has one of the best swing speed/length combos which I was betting on last off-season, and that special swing absolutely crushes the ball with a 91.8 MPH EV and 47.4% Hard Hit%, but there are enough negatives in his game that make the entire profile play down. The ballpark is awful (.708 OPS at home), he doesn’t lift/pull enough, and he doesn’t run (4 steals). The 22.7% K% is a career best, but that is still only about average. A .260 hitter with 20 bombs and 5 steals is just not that great of a fantasy player. He needs to lift/pull more if he wants to get the most out of his raw power, which he has some control over, and he needs to get out of that ballpark, which he has no control over. I can’t value him as anything more than a solid fantasy bat as is. – 2026 Projection: 77/23/77/.262/.329/.440/7
246) Teoscar Hernandez – LAD, OF, 33.6 – It seems the first signs of decline have popped up for Teoscar in 2025. The sprint speed was down a bit, the bat speed was down a bit, the Hard Hit was down a bit and the lift/pull was down a bit. Nothing drastic, but enough to say I’m going to be factoring in some decline risk on a dynasty ranking going into his 33 year old season. The 102 wRC+ was also a career low. He still ripped 25 homers in 134 games and while I’m factoring in some decline, he’s only 33, he’s not ancient yet. He should have another impactful fantasy season in 2026, but considering those signs of decline and age, I’m not paying up huge for him in dynasty. – 2026 Projection: 71/26/88/.253/.308/.468/7
247) Brandon Nimmo – TEX, OF, 33.0 – The days of Nimmo being an OBP cheat code are long gone with a career low by far 7.7% BB%, but in place of the walks, he’s gone out and hunted pitches to crush, and crush them he did with a career high 50.2% Hard Hit%. It’s so interesting to see how a player’s MLB career progresses. We often act like a prospect’s development is done after they get promoted to the majors or after they’re in their mid 20’s, but no, these guys can continue to transform themselves into completely different hitters even into their 30’s. Even his base stealing went from bad to good after the rule change, nabbing 13 bags in 14 attempts (perfect 15 for 15 in 2024). He doesn’t lift and pull enough to fully take advantage of the elite hard hit, but the 25 dingers was also a career high. At 33 years old and with some signs of decline (sprint speed dropped 0.7 ft/sec to a below average 27.3 ft/sec), I can’t fly him up the rankings wild crazy, but it sure seems like there is at least one more underrated, excellent win now season in him in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 83/23/83/.259/.333/.446/11
248) Xavier Edwards – MIA, SS/2B, 26.8 – Miami moved Edwards off SS because he was a below average SS, but he was an excellent 2B, so that glove is good enough to keep him in the lineup as your classic contact/speed play in fantasy. He has a career .298 BA in 1,006 PA, and he took his contact rates up to elite levels in 2025 with a 14.2% K% and 12.2% whiff%. He couldn’t come close to maintaining 2024’s stolen base pace (31 steals in 70 games), but 27 steals in 139 games ain’t bad at all. He also showed slightly more power bringing his Hard Hit% up 5.1 points to 29.4%, but without any lift and pull, that is still nearly a nothing in power with only 3 homers. He’s not really one of my guys as the power is so bottom of the scale, the 75 Runs and 43 RBI are lackluster, and the stolen bases didn’t pop enough, but if you need the contact/speed, he’ll give you that. – 2026 Projection: 81/4/48/.286/.346/.368/31
249) Gleyber Torres – DET, 2B, 28.9 – Torres’ .362 xwOBA is much more impressive than the surface stats (.256/16/4), but I trust the surface stats more in this case. He doesn’t pull it in the air enough with a 13.9% Air Pull%, and Statcast doesn’t value that enough, which is probably a large part of the disconnect. The 39% Hard Hit% and career 38.5% Hard Hit% are on the lackluster side, so with a 14.3 degree launch where he’s not pulling it a ton, there are going to be lots of flyouts, and that is why the BA isn’t matching up with a 16.1% K% and 19.5% whiff%. He’s also very slow, so even with a high .358 OBP, he only scored 79 runs. He’s a rock solid real life hitter with a 113 wRC+ in 2025 and a career 114 wRC+, and he’s shown in his career that he can top that 16 homer mark, but there just isn’t big upside in here. Solid but not standout 2B bat. – 2026 Projection: 81/20/72/.261/.342/.424/5
250) Bryson Stott – PHI, 2B, 28.6 – The hope was that Stott’s power would rise as his career progressed, but it’s gone in the opposite direction. He’s gotten weaker every year with a 36.8% Hard Hit% in 2022, a 35.2% Hard Hit% in 2023, a 30.8% Hard Hit% in 2024, and then a 29.5% Hard Hit% in 2025. That isn’t how it was supposed to go, but it’s how it went. Even with that decline, he’s more or less been the exact same guy every year of his career with a .256 BA, 10-15 homers and plenty of steals (24 steals in 2025). He’s a good 2B, he gets the bat on the ball with a 16.3% K%, and he’s fast with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint. The biggest issue is that he hits at the bottom of the lineup, so the 66 Runs and 66 RBI cap his fantasy upside. – 2026 Projection: 74/14/65/.256/.326/.395/28
251) Colson Montgomery – CHW, SS, 24.1 – Montgomery is a great lesson in betting on the tools, and not getting caught up in the natural ebb and flow of a player’s minor league career. It’s a lesson I passed along in Montgomery’s Top 1,000 player blurb last off-season too, writing, “I’ve talked about this in a previous year’s Strategy Section, but it’s easy to assume every down year for a prospect is him regressing as a player, and every monster year is a true breakout, rather than it sometimes just being a down year or a career year. So even though I was a bit lower than most last year on Montgomery (2024), I’m still not going to jump ship. His profile remains the same for me as a 6’3”, 225 pound slugger with a clear path to playing time. Hold strong.” … and then it got even tougher to hold strong when he put up a 78 wRC+ in 60 games at Triple-A to start 2025, but once again, the underlying profile never changed, and that underlying profile exploded when he got to the majors with 21 homers and a 129 wRC+ in 71 games. He’s a lift and pull machine with a 18 degree launch and 27.2% Air Pull%, and he hits it hard with a 44.5% Hard Hit%. That is what having a carrying tool is all about. Even if you struggle in the minors, that carrying tool is going to play no matter the level. But now we have to continue to follow that lesson, except in the opposite direction. Just because Montgomery went on a wild homer binge in the majors, doesn’t mean we have to buy into that as his true talent level. The 37.9% Hard Hit% wasn’t as impressive at AAA, and the hit tool is a major risk with 33% K% and .215 BA at AAA. It was better in the majors with a 29.2% K% with a .239 BA, and the 28.3% whiff% at AAA backs up the MLB numbers more, but it’s still clearly a major risk. I didn’t panic after the down minor league seasons and I’m not throwing caution to the wind with the hot MLB start. He remains a high risk power bat. – 2026 Projection: 64/26/76/.225/.303/.432/4
252) Trevor Megill – MIL, Closer, 32.4 – There is a closer competition brewing in Milwaukee, and I can’t say I have any idea which way it is going to go. I guess it’s possible they go with a committee too. But if I had to guess, my guess is that Megill gets the first real shot at holding this job. Teams generally lean towards the vet and the incumbent as long as he looks good, and Megill hasn’t done anything to lose the job. He put up a 2.49 ERA with a 31.3/8.9 K%/BB% in 47 IP. He hit the Il with a flexor strain in late August, but he returned at the end of the season and into the playoffs and looked completely healthy (2.25 ERA with a 31.3/6.3 K%/BB% in 4 IP in the playoffs). The stuff is nasty with a 99.2 MPH fastball and a knuckle curve that put up a 48.9% whiff%. You generally don’t see a closer like this lose his job, even if there is a setup guy that is just as good as him in the organization. I have to think he’s still the man, although like I said, I can’t know for sure. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.22/1.12/74/25 saves in 60 IP Update: We found out that Megill had a PRP injection this off-season and Milwaukee seems very non committal about the closer job. I still lean his way, but he feels riskier now than I thought in the off-season
253) Ezequiel Tovar – COL, SS, 24.8 – Tovar’s age is doing a lot of the heavy lifting on his dynasty value, and so is his ballpark, because there is a lot going against him otherwise. He has a career 82 wRC+ in 414 games and he put up a 78 wRC+ in 2025. That is very bad. The 41.1% Chase% is in the full blown panic zone and the 31.4% whiff% isn’t far off from it either. The 38.9% Hard Hit% is on the lackluster side and he doesn’t run much. Terrible plate skills, bad contact, lukewarm hard hit, and not many steals does not seem like a recipe for success. Coors Field isn’t nearly the bump it used to be, and betting on Coors breakouts has resulted in far more misses than hits of late. He has a 26 homer season under his belt in 2024, and like I said, his best years should certainly be ahead of him at only 24 years old, but the underlying numbers just aren’t in here to buy too hard. I can’t say he’s a target for me. – 2026 Projection: 79/22/73/.258/.303/.428/8
254) George Lombard – NYY, SS, 20.10 – I get why Lombard gets ranked extremely high on many real life lists. He’s a good SS with projectable power at 6’2”, good athleticism, a mature approach, and some semblance of a good feel to hit. Scouts love this type, and for good reason. But for fantasy, I find it hard to already put him in that nearly elite prospect range. He slashed .215/.337/.358 with 8 homers, 24 steals, and a 26.4/13.6 K%/BB% in 108 games at Double-A, Granted he was only 20 years old, and he hit a lot better at the age appropriate High-A (1 homer with a 193 wRC+ in 24 games), but it’s still not screaming elite fantasy stud to me. I put him in the mold of a Geraldo Perdomo and Jeremy Pena, two guys who are obviously very good and both had excellent 2025 seasons, but neither of those guys got this type of elite prospect love, and it took them into their mid 20’s until they really came into their own. So I like Lombard a lot. I have him as a Top 50-ish fantasy prospect, which is really good, but I just can’t shoot him up in to that Top 20 range already. He should end the 2026 season in that area though if things go right. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 86/18/73/.261/.338/.430/26
255) Dax Kilby – NYY, SS, 19.5 – If you know me at all, you know I’m the OG pro debut breakout hype beast, going back to 2015/16, and nobody had a pro debut breakout like Kilby had. He slashed .353/.457/.441 with 0 homers, 16 steals, and a 13.6/16.0 K%/BB% in 18 games at Single-A as an 18 year old. Sure he didn’t hit a homer, but when it comes with a 91.9 MPH EV and 45.6% Hard Hit%, I’m not that concerned about it. The only flaw of the debut was the 1 degree launch, but this type of profile can still thrive with a low launch, and if he can raise that launch, watch out. I was already a big fan before the debut, ranking him highly in my original FYPD Rankings, writing, “Selected 39th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Kilby is a projectable 6’2” with a vicious and smooth lefty swing that has power potential written all over it if he can put on good weight. He’s currently more of a line drive, hit tool focused prospect with good speed, so either the power can tick up naturally to enhance that profile, or he can make an approach change to really tap into that hopeful raw power gain in the future. I love the swing, projection, hit tool and athleticism, which is a lot to like. If you can’t draft high enough to grab one of the top high school bats with big present power, you might as well take your shot on a guy who could develop that power down the line.” … obviously his awesome debut, where he showed more raw power than even I was expecting, is going to push his price way up, but I think he’s worth that high price. I’m all in. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 93/20/79/.278/.357/.445/30
256) Munetaka Murakami – CHW, 3B/1B, 26.2 – Murakami doesn’t just have red flags, he’s carrying around and waving the biggest red flag we’ve ever seen. It would be crazy to just ignore it or even downplay it any way. In 2025, he put up a 28.6% K% in 56 games. In 2024 he put up a 29.5% K% with a .244 BA in 143 games. In 2023 he put up a 28.1% K% with a .256 BA in 140 games. This isn’t just a blip. To say the hit tool is a risk would be an understatement, and it’s why it’s not surprising that he only landed a 2 year, $34 million deal with the White Sox. That really tells you everything you need to know about how high risk he is, but at the same time, Chicago didn’t hand him $34 million for nothing. He got that money for his possibly elite power. He hit 22 homers in just 56 games last year. He has a 56 homer season under his belt in 2022. The bat speed and Hard Hit are truly elite at 6’2”, 213 pounds. His BA can be in the low .200’s and still be an impact fantasy bat with that kind of power. And when you compare him to the FYPD kids, it’s not like all of those guys don’t have plenty of risk themselves. Chicago is the perfect landing spot for him because he is going to get full runway and leash to let it fly and see what happens. He’s not good on defense, but again, in Chicago, it really doesn’t matter for us because they are going to play him at 1B/DH until/unless the wheels completely fall off. And even then, they probably still throw him out there. If you prefer the win now bat, I can see jumping Murakami over Parker and Kilby in FYPD’s, but the extreme hit tool concerns would have me hesitant to take him much higher than that. – 2026 Projection: 69/27/81/.222/.320/.460/6
257) Kazuma Okamoto – TOR, 3B/1B, 29.9 – The landing spot was a major factor for Okamoto, because he has the type of lift/pull/contact profile that can thrive in the right environment, and Toronto fits the bill more than well enough. They were the 3rd best park for righty homers in 2025. I love it. He’s coming off a season where he slashed .327/.416/.598 with 15 homers, 1 steal, and a 11.3/11.3 K%/BB% in 69 games. The 32.6% GB% and 47.2% Pull% shows the type of hitter he is, and that is a lift and pull machine with plenty of contact. He has a 41 homer season under his belt in 2023 and he has 6 30+ homer seasons since 2018. He doesn’t hit it nearly as hard as Murakami at 6’0”, 212 pounds, but he hits it plenty hard enough with a 92.4 MPH EV and 105.2 MPH 90th EV. Dude put up better wRC+’s than Murakami over the last 3 years. He’s also the better defender. I completely understand why he landed the bigger contract, but it’s a bit more complicated for dynasty. He is going to turn 30 years old during the 2025 season, and while I’m high on his potential to be an impact fantasy bat in any league size, he doesn’t have the upside of a true superstar. Where you take Okamoto in a FYPD really comes down to your team and league. If you need the impact win now bat in medium to deeper leagues, I would take him higher than this. I like him a lot. – 2026 Projection: 76/23/82/.258/.327/.446/1
258) Anthony Volpe – NYY, SS, 24.11 – It was announced that Volpe was playing through a partial tear in his left shoulder since early May. It adds much needed context to his disappointing season. He put up a .784 OPS in April, looking like the bounce back was here, and then it was a steady decline every month after that with people calling for his head. But knowing he had a tear in his shoulder that ended up needing surgery puts that in perspective. Even with the torn shoulder, the underlying hitting skills were bouncing back in an exciting way. The bat speed was up considerably to 72.6 MPH, the Hard Hit bounced back with a solid 41.9% Hard Hit%, the launch bounced back with a 12.4 degree launch, and the 25.1% whiff% and 23.9% Chase% looked good. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how the shoulder impacted the weak surface stats, but I have to think it played a major role. And you know I’ve been loving shoulder surgeries these days, so I would be very careful about selling too low here. When you tack on 20+ steal speed to the excellent combination of underlying hitting numbers I just laid out, there is still very major fantasy upside in here. The biggest issue is that he’s not supposed to return until May, and considering how bad he was defensively last year, the Yanks might not be so quick to move off Caballero. Caballero has the glove, OBP, and baserunning ability to be a legit starter, so it’s going to be murky if he’s playing well when Volpe is ready to return. I’m buying Volpe long term still, but the Yanks don’t seem as sold as I am, and I can’t say I’m buying for 2026, so it’s hard for me to really go out on a limb and call him a target. He’s a hold for me. – 2026 Projection: 58/16/62/.241/.305/.418/16
259) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 23.0 – Painter used to be literally the perfect pitching prospect. He had a 1.56 ERA with a 38.7/6.2 K%/BB% in 103.2 IP in 2022 as a 19 year old, and that included 28.1 IP at Double-A. I just wanted to repeat those stats to reiterate how absolutely perfect of a pitching prospect he was. And we can now make all the excuses, qualifiers, justifications etc … but the bottom line is that he is so far away from that it’s not even funny. It’s not funny at all, it’s a little sad how much injuries can destroy and/or diminish a pitcher’s career. And Painter’s career was quite clearly heavily diminished after undergoing Tommy John in 2023 and missing two full seasons. He came back a completely different guy, putting up a 5.26 ERA with a 23.7/9.0 K%/BB% in 118 IP. Sure we can blame rust for the 2 years off, we can blame the first year back from Tommy John often being rough, we can blame Triple-A for being a harder league to pitch in than the majors, we can blame him working on stuff … but at the end of the day, he was so far off from the guy he used to be that it would wishful thinking to assume he’s just magically going to turn back into the 2022 version of him. The biggest issue by far is with the fastball. The velocity was there at 96.6 MPH, but the pitch got crushed and didn’t miss many bats. He’s still trying to figure out his secondaries and pitch mix as well, throwing a bevy of pitches (curve, slider, cutter, change, sinker). The changeup showed a lot of promise with a 55% whiff%. The sinker was better than his 4-seamer (thrown only 2.4% of the time), so that gives him another avenue if he can’t get the 4-seamer back. The slider was solid with a 35.8% whiff%. It’s not like there are no good ingredients in here anymore, it’s just his value is living off the 2022 version of him, and that version is gone. Of course I think he will be much better his 2nd year back from surgery, but I don’t see how we can treat him anywhere close to an elite pitching prospect right now. Even this ranking might be giving him too much benefit of the doubt. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.18/1.34/109 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.62/1.21/181 in 170 IP
260) Jackson Jobe – DET, RHP, 23.8 – Jobe was one of the toughest ranks for me on the End of Season Dynasty Rankings. I had him 257th, and that definitely seems low to even me. Didn’t look right. But I don’t do rankings with some vague idea of “where should a player rank,” I do rankings with the very real idea of “would I actually trade player X for player Y in my dynasty leagues.” I like to put my money where my mouth is, and if I actually wouldn’t do something in my own leagues, I’m not going to tell you do that thing, even if the ranking does end up seeming too out of place (obvious disclaimer that every league is different with a ton of different considerations for your team, rules, league etc .. .but you guys get the point). So while it looked off, I just know I couldn’t have parted with any of the guys ranked over him for Jobe. The biggest factor is that he underwent Tommy John surgery in mid June, and we just saw the Tommy John risk very clearly with tons of guys in 2025. Jobe also might miss most or all of the 2026 season even if things go well. The 2nd factor is that he wasn’t very good with a 4.22 ERA and 17.9/12.4 K%/BB% in 49 IP. And the last factor is that I was the only one to even slightly pump the brakes on Jobe last off-season because his K/BB wasn’t all that great in 2024 in the minors with a 25.6/12.0 K%/BB% in 91.2 IP. I saw the writing on the wall that he wasn’t just going to step into the majors and be an ace. There was going to be a breakout waiting room period. And we know how annoying that waiting room can be. So all that to say I do still really like Jobe. I think he can come back healthy and get back on the track to being a top of the rotation fantasy starter, but the TJ risk combined with the fact that he’s clearly not there yet makes me believe Top 250 is more appropriate, even if it looks low. – 2026 Projection: 1/4.20/1.38/16 in 20 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.52/1.19/170 in 160 IP
261) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 22.10 – I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Williams had a disaster 2025. You know me, I’m willing to take on extra risk for upside, but not only did the risk get dialed up to 100, the upside doesn’t really quite seem as big either. Let’s start with the obvious, which is that after the hit tool took a step forward in 2024, getting the hype to near elite prospect levels, it took 9 steps back in 2025. He put up a 34.1% K% with a 38.7% whiff% and a .213 BA in 111 games at Triple-A, and then he was even worse in the majors with a 41.5% K%, 38.3% whiff% and .172 BA in 106 PA. That isn’t just danger zone contact rates, that is run for the hills contact rates. Your upside better be Spencer Jones to even fathom that level of hit tool risk, and Williams’ upside can’t sniff that level. He put up a 38.5% Hard Hit% at Triple-A and a 35.7% Hard Hit% in the majors. He has a 73.6 MPH swing and he has projectable power at 6’2”, but it’s not like we are talking about a hard hit beast here. Certainly not nearly enough to offset the hit tool risk. Plus, he ain’t even that fast with a 27.9 ft/sec sprint and pretty mediocre stolen base success rates in the minors. He can lift and pull, and I’m not saying there isn’t upside, because there clearly is, I’m just saying the upside isn’t matching the insane downside. And the final cherry on top, which I’m not really worried about, but it’s worth mentioning, is that his bulletproof elite SS glove wasn’t actually elite in the majors. It was below average with a negative two Outs Above Average. I’m worried. I’m actually majorly worried. I’m trying not to panic too much as he’s still young and the glove should give him all the chances he can handle, but he’s a major dropper for me. I’m not even sure he deserves this ranking. – 2026 Projection: 31/9/35/.217/.290/.390/8 Prime Projection: 76/22/72/.232/.313/.432/23
262) Jarlin Susana – WSH, RHP, 22.0 – You know that I’m all in on shoulder surgeries these days, and while that is really mostly for hitters, I’m kinda sneakily digging it for pitchers too. Brandon Woodruff performed well in his return and Daniel Espino is currently showing the big stuff is back in the AFL. Susana underwent lat muscle surgery in September, which ended his season, and while that is not exactly the shoulder, it’s close to the shoulder. It’s not a super common surgery, but it seems better to me than Tommy John or actual shoulder surgery. All of that to say, I really don’t want to ding Susana too much because of it. I’ve been calling him the Hunter Greene starter pack for years, and he was in the midst of going full explosion with a 3.51 ERA and 38.9/13.9 K%/BB% in 56.1 IP at mostly Double-A. The fastball sits 100 MPH, the slider is double plus, and the lesser used changeup flashes nasty. He was on a beeline for truly elite pitching prospect status before the injury. Maybe equally scary as the lat surgery is that he also missed 2.5 months of the season with a UCL sprain. He returned from the injury and looked fire, but if he ends up coming back from this lat surgery just to need Tommy John surgery shortly after, that would stink. The injury risk is through the roof here, but as I started this blurb, I just have a really good feeling about shoulder/lat surgeries these days, and this is a special talent. There is no timetable for his return currently, but I would at the very least strongly advise against selling low here, and I can even see trying to buy at a discount. I’m still all in on him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 13/3.42/1.19/188 in 160 IP
263) Jack Flaherty – DET, RHP, 30.6 – Flaherty wasn’t able to maintain the breakout/bounce back season in 2024, but he did enough to think his inconsistent career isn’t done being inconsistent. And in this case, I mean that as a good thing because I think it’s possible he can once again go from a terrible 4.64 ERA to a much better one in 2026. The 27.6/8.7 K%/BB% and 3.99 xERA looks much better than the ERA. The 27.3% whiff% was above average. The knuckle curve is a dominant pitch with a 42.3% whiff% and it just got unlucky in 2025. He should bounce back … again, but the expectation should be more of a #3 starter even if that bounce back does come. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.88/1.23/187 in 165 IP
264) Cam Caminiti – ATL, LHP, 19.8 – Even the high school pitchers are popping from that absolutely stacked 2024 MLB Draft class. Everything that class touches turns to gold, and the top high school arm from the class, Cam Caminiti, put up a golden performance in his first full year of pro ball with a 2.08 ERA and 31.9/11.1 K%/BB% in 56.1 IP at Single-A. He looks like a truly elite pitching prospect waiting to happen at 6’2” with a funky lefty delivery that he uses to fire a good 94 MPH fastball, two potentially double plus to elite sliders, and a solid changeup. I’m already super high on him, ranking him 33rd overall in the End of Season Prospects Rankings, because I’m betting on both more velocity and better control/command coming down the line. He’ll still be firmly 19 years old at the start of the 2026 season. If that is how he looks at just the start of his career, he has the chance to become a truly special pitcher. And even without a ton more refinement, that has high K, mid rotation fantasy starter written all over it. I’m not going to say he’s underrated because I doubt his current owner is underrating him, but he seems under ranked to me on a lot of rankings. I absolutely love him, and with how aggressive Atlanta is with their pitchers, he could be up sooner than you think. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 14/3.43/1.17/203 in 180 IP
265) Roki Sasaki – LAD, RHP, 24.5 – The psychic world is fickle. It’s not like the physical world where you can be exact. It comes in glimpses, fragments, and when I went into a deep meditative state last off-season to Predict the 2026 Top 50 Prospects, I was getting visions of Roki Sasaki still being on that list. I trusted those visions and predicted, “I don’t want to believe it either, but Sasaki will feel elbow soreness in May, hit the IL, and then succumb to Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure after throwing 33.2 IP in the majors.” … The way it actually played out is that Sasaki did in fact hit the IL in May after throwing 34.1 IP with a shoulder impingement. He pitched just 36.1 IP on the season, which means that in fantasy leagues that use 50 IP as the threshold, he is back on prospects lists in 2026. My prediction wasn’t exact, but I mean, eerily close. I even scare myself sometimes. The part I really didn’t predict is how bad he would look. He put up a 4.46 ERA, 5.74 xERA, and a 17.4/13.7 K%/BB%. He put up a 6.10 ERA with a 20.0/13.7 K%/BB% in 20.2 IP at Triple-A. Sure he was better in the playoffs with a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 IP, but it came with a 14.0/11.6 K%/BB%. There is no way I look at that K/BB and go all is forgiven. The velocity was up in the playoffs, but that came in very short outings. There was one silver lining in the entire season, and that was that the splitter was good, not great, with a 37.2% whiff% and .253 xwOBA. He was straight up atrocious otherwise. Nothing translated from Japan. The Dodgers say they are going to put him back into the rotation in 2026 and they have a plan to fix him/teach him how to succeed in MLB, but I’m not going back in on this too hard. Just look at that K/BB in the playoffs one more time, and that was supposed to be the glimmer of hope for next year. Look at what he did at AAA. I don’t see it. It seems there is a very high chance he ends up back in the bullpen in 2026. Of course there is still upside and I can’t imagine he’s worse the 2nd time around, but he’s not a buy low for me. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.27/1.35/106 in 120 IP
266) Sonny Gray – BOS, RHP, 36.5 – Gray’s career has been one of the most consistently up and down careers I can remember. And not only ERA, but also strikeout rate. It’s honestly all over the place. He had another weird one in 2025 with a high 4.28 ERA, which was the 3rd highest mark of his career, but with an excellent 21.6% K-BB%, which was the 2nd best mark of his career. Even within seasons this dude is all over the place. The 5% BB% was a career best and the 26.7% K% was well above average. He’s super hard to pin down, but what we can pin down, is that he’s still good. He’s 36 years old, the 96 Stuff+ was a career worst, and he’s getting a pretty big ballpark downgrade from St. Louis to Boston, so I’m not going to rank him super aggressively in dynasty, but I do think we should expect another impactful win now season in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.80/1.20/191 in 175 IP
267) Noah Cameron – KCR, LHP, 26.9 – I get the foreboding sense that 2025’s low velo, plus changeup lefty revolution is going to backfire in 2026 if the pendulum swings too far in the other direction. K to BB is King is for a reason, and that reason is that it is a much more reliable indicator of a pitcher’s true ability for things he can control. For one, what if the baseball’s aren’t as dead as they were in 2025? Baseball even acknowledged that the balls were not carrying as much this year, and that it was not by choice. Back in 2023/24 I wrote in the Strategy/Thought of the Day Section, “MLB changes the baseball every damn year, and I’m not even 100% sure they are truly in complete control of every change, as my understanding is that they manufacture new balls for every season.” Back then, everyone thought MLB was messing with the balls on purpose, and like I wrote, I wasn’t so sure that was the case. I had a sneaking suspicion that they were as clueless as we were as to how the balls would actually play, and that is now basically proven correct. So if the balls start carrying more, are guys like Cameron going to see as much success? Or if BABIP luck doesn’t go their way as much, will they have as much success? Cameron had a mediocre 20.5/7.7 K%/BB%, but it came with a .241 BABIP, which is much better than every mark he’s ever put up in the minors (MLB league average BABIP was .291 in 2025). The ERA estimators aren’t the be all, end all, but none of them are fully buying Cameron’s 2.99 ERA, with every single estimator (xERA, SIERA, xFIP) being closer to 4.00. I’m only saying all this to have some caution before really paying up huge for Cameron in a trade, or getting into a bidding war in off-season auctions/drafts. The time to buy Cameron was last year or early into 2025. At this point, I don’t think continuing to buy high is that right strategy. Now having said all that, I do think he’s a good pitcher. The 26.6% whiff% is above average, he has weapons for both lefties and righties (the slider, changeup, and curve are all really good pitches), and he induced weak contact with a 6.3% Barrel%, so the good BABIP wasn’t just good luck. I’m not saying you shouldn’t value him like an impact fantasy pitcher, I’m just saying maybe value him more as a Top 250-ish one. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.68/1.19/155 in 170 IP
268) Andrew Abbott – CIN, LHP, 26.10 – Abbott so very clearly got lucky in 2025 with a 2.87 ERA and 21.8/6.3 K%/BB% in 166.1 IP. The 3.56 xERA was much higher, but if that is his true talent level, that is a still a good pitcher. He has a career 3.42 ERA in 413.2 IP, which is a big enough sample to say this guy knows how to pitch. And he made real control/command improvements in 2025 with a career best walk rate. The profile still seems very precarious, because we are heavily relying on a 92.8 MPH fastball that doesn’t miss a ton of bats (19.9% whiff%) to be a dominant pitch. The secondaries are above average (changeup, slider, sweeper), but none of them are really dominant bat missing machines. The 24% whiff% is below average and the ballpark is still below average. Abbott has a big enough track record to say he’s a good pitcher, but he’s more of a solid fantasy arm than a standout one. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.68/1.22/153 in 165 IP
269) Nathan Eovaldi – TEX, RHP, 36.2 – When Eovaldi’s on the mound, he’s really good, and he was beyond really good in 2025 with a 1.73 ERA and 26.0/4.2 K%/BB%, but as if often the case, he’s not always on the mound with only 130 IP. His season ended on August 22nd with a rotator cuff strain, and then we found out he needed sports hernia surgery in October. He’s expected to be ready to go for 2026, but this is a 36 year old coming off a season ending shoulder injury and now a surgery. The ERA was clearly lucky, but it wasn’t all luck with a career best 3.02 xERA and 27.7% whiff%. The curve and cutter drove a lot of that improvement, but again, considering the age and injuries, it’s hard to act on that too much. I’m treating him like a good win now pitcher but he’s not one who can get ranked super high on a dynasty list right now. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.58/1.10/148 in 150 IP
270) Cody Ponce – TOR, RHP, 31.11 – Here was my Target blurb for Ponce in mid February before his hype started rising with his great Spring: “I’ve watched almost every video of Cody Ponce that I could find from his 2025 in Korea, and every time I watch him, my takeaway is, this might actually be a legit ace. Like, not only a legit ace in Korea, which is obvious, but the majors too. I then settle down a little and go the ball is different, the competition is different, there is just too much difference to actually say that. But that voice in the back of my head is going this guy is effing nasty. The 95+ MPH fastball is a bat missing weapon and he has a great control over it. The secondaries are nasty too, and honestly, I’m not even sure I can classify them perfectly by just eye. Scouting reports I’ve read on the web all read different as to what his secondaries are exactly. But forget labels for now. He has a kick change that breaks down away from lefties that is a devasting plus pitch. He has maybe a splitter or a fall off the table slider that is another devastating pitch. He has a cutter that he can backdoor. He has a hard slider I believe. He has a slower, really nice curve I believe too. And he controls all of his pitches really well. Sure it was Korea, but he was seriously one of the best to ever do it out there with a 1.89 ERA and 36.2/5.9 K%/BB% in 180.2 IP. He’s 6’6”, 255 pounds and he’s durable. I actually think there is a real chance he utterly obliterates MLB hitters too. And if that is maybe too hopeful and he falls short of that, he can still end up an impact fantasy starter. There is of course downside risk too that MLB hitters just aren’t fooled by the secondaries and the fastball doesn’t play like it did in Korea, so have some caution, but at his current price, he is a no brainer huge target. I’m all in.” – 2026 Projection: 12/3.72/1.23/179 in 170 IP
271) Dillon Dingler – DET, C, 27.7 – Dingler had a big MLB breakout both offensively and defensively in 2025, slashing .278/.327/.425 with 13 homers, 0 steals, a 18.8 defensive value and a 23.5/4.9 K%/BB% in 126 games. He had a rough MLB debut in 2024 with a 34.5/3.5 K%/BB% and 36 wRC+, but it only came in 87 PA, and he had a big breakout at Triple-A that year, which foreshadowed and backed up this 2025 MLB breakout. He’s had major hit tool and contact issues for most of his pro career, so seeing the 23.5% K% and 24.8% whiff% is huge to see. The power has always been in there, and that shined too with a 90.8 MPH EV, 15.8 degree launch, 19.6% Air Pull%, and a 45.7% Hard Hit%. The .351 xwOBA fully backs up the breakout, and actually says he might have gotten unlucky with a .326 wOBA. My instinct is that he’s still more of a low BA slugger than his 2025 numbers indicate, but no matter how you slice it, I’m mostly buying the breakout. He’s a good fantasy catcher and possibly a still underrated one. – 2026 Projection: 58/17/69/.258/.310/.425/0
272) Logan O’Hoppe – LAA, C, 26.2 – O’Hoppe’s K% and BB% have both gotten worse every single year of his career, bottoming out with a 30.8/5.3 K%/BB% and .213 BA in 2025. His 32.9% whiff% and 31.5% Chase% have both remained relatively consistent throughout his career though, so I’m leaning toward 2025 mostly being a down year. The .231 xBA and .267 BABIP also backs up that he was on the unlucky side. Make no mistake, he’s not a good hitter for average, but he’s probably not this bad. And the power is still so fantasy friendly with a 13.3% Barrel%, 90.9/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, 17 degree launch, 22.7% Air Pull% and 46.9% Hard Hit%. Even his 19 homers in 119 games is on the low end of his ability. He’s still only 26 years old, which is like 21 years old in catcher years, and I still expect to see him at least flirt with 30 homers a few times in the coming years. I would advise against selling too low on the down year, but I’m also not exactly buying low. He’s a hold. – 2026 Projection: 55/25/71/.231/.298/.430/2
273) Austin Wells – NYY, C, 26.9 – Ben Rice has officially become a thorn in Wells side. Wells glove is too good for it to be a major problem, as he was the 5th best defensive catcher, but I think it can cap the top end of his games played. He played in only 126 games in 2025, and I’m not sure we should expect any more than that in 2026. It’s not only Ben Rice, it’s that the bat took a step back too with a 26.3/6.7 K%/BB%, .219 BA, and .275 OBP. He now has a career .224 BA in 937 PA. He lifts and pulls a ton, and the 90.6 MPH EV and 45.3% Hard Hit% are strong, so the power will be there (21 homers), but he’s looking like a power and nothing else bat. And the power isn’t quite good enough to make up for the BA drain. His best years should be still ahead of him and he’s only 26 years old, so I don’t dislike him, but he’s just a decent long term dynasty catcher. – 2026 Projection: 54/22/73/.230/.300/.438/4
274) Jorge Polanco – NYM, 2B, 32.9 – I know the 2nd half of the off-season has been better for David Stearns than the first half, but I still don’t think it’s exactly how he drew it up. I mean, it happens. He beat Cashman out by a hair for Soto, so sometimes it goes to plan and sometimes it doesn’t. He bought high on an injury prone 32/33 year old DH with a career 112 wRC+ and plans on playing him at 1B, a position he’s never played before? Giving him 2 years, $40 million feels a bit like a panic move from my seat, but hey, Stearns’ track record deserves some respect. Maybe Sterns is fully buying into the career high by far 45.8% Hard Hit% and 90.8 MPH EV, which resulted in 26 homers in 138 games, the 2nd best mark of his career. He combined the increased Hard Hit by reversing his declining K% trend with a 15.6% K%. The combo resulted in a 132 wRC+, which was actually a career high. I mean, if Sterns buys the late career breakout/resurgence, and that he can keep it up for 2 more years, then who I am I say he’s wrong. Polanco has a track record of both power and contact, and he’s far from ancient, so maybe there is a method to the madness. As for fantasy, he doesn’t run much with 6 steals, and I’m expecting the BA/homer totals to be more good than great, so I have him as a good but not great win now piece at 2B (who will most likely lose eligibility after this season). – 2026 Projection: 68/24/77/.260/.327/.456/6
275) Bryan Reynolds – PIT, OF, 31.2 – Reynolds had the trifecta of having a down year, mixed with bad luck, and mixed with also just being a bit worse. That is a bad trifecta to have, and instead of .270/24/10, we got .245/16/3. Nothing is all that out of line with career norms, which is where the “down” year comes in, the .338 xwOBA was better than the .315 wOBA, which is where the bad luck comes in, and the career worst 7.3 degree launch, 26.5% K%, and 3 steals is where the being a bit worse comes in. He was already a boring fantasy player, so he went from boring to coma inducing. I’m expecting a bounce back in 2026, but I’m not exactly betting big on it. – 2026 Projection: 75/21/80/.260/.330/.433/7
276) Adolis Garcia – PHI, OF, 32.6 – There was no bounce back to be found after Garcia’s down 2024, and in fact, he got even worse with a 83 wRC+ and .304 xwOBA. It resulted in Texas non tendering him, but Philly signed him for $10 mil, so they clearly aren’t giving up, and that 92.1 MPH EV is a clear sign that I wouldn’t stick a fork in him quite yet either. Beyond crushing the ball, the 24.7% K% was a career best, he lifts/pulls a ton, and he stole 13 bags. He’s only 32 years old. There is definitely potential for a damn exciting fantasy season in here. I’m apt to take some cheap shots on him in win now mode. – 2026 Projection: 72/26/83/.234/.298/.437/11
277) Trent Grisham – NYY, OF, 29.5 – This was the type of year I was waiting for when I loved Grisham so much back in 2020, but sometimes it really does take into the late 20’s to have that real breakout. Baseball is weird like that. Grisham came into his man muscles in 2024 with a 46.4% Hard Hit%, and in 2025, those gains showed up in the surface stats with 34 homers in 143 games. If he still had the speed from 2020, my goodness, but that speed is gone with only 3 steals. He also still hit only .235, albeit with a .348 OBP, so add a huge star for OBP leagues. And he’s not good vs lefties, so he’s mostly a platoon bat. His CF defense can keep him on the field, but without his speed, he isn’t that good at it anymore. 2025 was pretty clearly a career year, but the power gains look real, so I would expect a classic strong side of a platoon low BA, high OBP slugger season. – 2026 Projection: 78/26/73/.235/.333/.441/5
278) Ramon Laureano – SDP, OF, 31.8 – Laureano had the totally normal 30 year old power breakout with a 49.1% Hard Hit% that was a career best by a mile (41.7% in his rookie was his previous career high), and it unsurprisingly resulted in the best year of his career with a 138 wRC+ and .362 xwOBA. None of his other skills standout, but none of them are too bad either. Hit .281 with 24 homers and 7 steals in 132 games. But now the problem is that he’s in San Diego for the entire season (he was traded from Baltimore at the deadline). He put up a .576 OPS in 26 games in Petco. Statcast ballpark factors doesn’t hate Petco, so I don’t want to overrate how bad it is, but it definitely subdues offense. We also have to factor in some regression from that career high hard hit rate. I’m not avoiding Laureano, but I can’t say I’m going after him. – 2026 Projection: 76/22/74/.261/.323/.443/10
279) Evan Carter – TEX, OF, 23.7 – Doesn’t Evan Carter know that bad backs are all in your head? That back fracture he sustained in 2021? All mental. The stress reaction in his back, which required an ablation procedure, that ended his 2024 season in May? Get out of your own head, dude. When he was very secretive and ominous about the injury in Spring of 2025, saying, “We don’t feel like it’s the best for everybody to really put it out there and know exactly what’s going on. It’s kind of personal to me, and we’re just going to keep it that way. I can’t change it. It is what it is. It’s part of me now, but we’ve got a plan.” … you can change it! And then when he needed yet another back injection during the 2025 season? Has nobody told him about the book by Dr. John Sarno, “Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection: Offering a surprising, noninvasive solution to an epidemic of pain, Dr. John E. Sarno’s research on TMS (Tension Myoneural Syndrome) reveals that stress, anxiety and other psychological factors, not structural abnormalities, are the root cause of chronic back pain.” … all of that pain and surgeries for nothing, dude 😉 … I do believe in the mind body connection. And I do believe in mind over matter, but I mean, come on, there is a limit. I wish it were that easy for every situation, but at the very least, this looks like one of the situations where it is not going away. We’ve seen Yelich have to navigate this too, and as we see with him, there are times he’s feeling good and rolling, and other times where he isn’t. It’s a constant minefield to navigate, and really my biggest concern with the injury is that it’s going to prevent him from adding the raw power that he needed to put his profile over the top. The 86.7 MPH EV and 34.6% Hard Hit% is going to have to rise to really reach his ceiling. The good news is that everything else is mostly there. The contact rates, chase, lift and pull, and speed all looked good. He can be a good fantasy player even without the extra power, but it’s just a little sad, because he had the potential to be more than just good with a healthy back. And it wasn’t only the back in 2025 which limited him 63 games. His season ended on August 21st with a wrist fracture, and wrists are another notoriously fickle injury. The injury risk, and the risk he won’t be able to add more raw power, is just too much to value Carter like an ascending young star, but he should still be valued like a Top 250-ish dynasty asset. – 2026 Projection: 69/15/63/.259/.338/.412/23
280) Zac Gallen – ARI, RHP, 30.8 – When I think of Gallen’s down 2025, Jack Flaherty immediately comes to mind. Their career arcs share a lot of similarities to me. Both came into the majors and almost immediately started pitching like top of the rotation starters. Then a few years later, even when the underlying numbers started to hint at some regression, the surface stats stayed strong. Until the reckoning came and the surface stats dropped off to match those worse underlying numbers. But the real reason I bring up Flaherty is that he had a resurgence in 2024, with the lesson being track record matters. Even when the surface and underlying numbers looked mediocre, his track record of being a top of the rotation starter shouldn’t have just been completely thrown out. And I believe the analysis for Gallen has to take that super strong track record into account, even with him falling off a cliff in 2025 with a 4.83 ERA and 21.5/8.5 K%/BB% in 192 IP. The 23.7% whiff% was below average too. It wasn’t good, but there were signs of a better 2026 coming. The ERA Estimators all have him as being on the unlucky side, and the 1.26 WHIP really isn’t that bad at all. His 93.5 MPH 4-seamer still had a +5 Run Value, his curve is a bat missing machine with a 38.9% whiff%, and his changeup was a good pitch too with a +5 Run Value. Combined with his strong track record, I do think a bounce back is coming in 2026, but the last Flaherty comparison is that Flaherty followed up the bounce back 2024 with a mixed bag season in 2025. So don’t go paying up for Gallen’s name value at all. He’s the type where if everyone in your league has given up, you should be the one happy to grab him on the cheap. – 2026 Projection: 12/3.91/1.21/178 in 180 IP
281) Ryne Nelson – ARI, RHP, 28.2 – Nelson’s 4-seamer was tied for the 2nd most valuable pitch in baseball behind only Tarik Skubal’s changeup, and tied with Paul Skenes’ 4-seamer and Chris Sale’s slider. To say that is in rarified air is a major understatement. Do I actually believe his fastball is that good? No. Those guys put up a 46.8% whiff%, 28.9% whiff%, and 39.8% whiff% on those pitches, respectively, while Nelson put up a 19.1% whiff%. A large part of the value comes from how often he throws it (61.9% usage), and he throws it so often because his other pitches aren’t that great. His best secondary is the slider which put up a respectable 33.6% whiff%, but most good sliders have pretty low EV againsts, while his has a 90.3 MPH EV against. In fact, all his pitches get hit hard with a 45.5% Hard Hit% against. The 21.6% whiff% overall is also well below average. It does make me a bit hesitant to buy coming off his excellent season with a 3.39 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 21.3/6.6 K%/BB% in 154 IP. Now having said that, Nelson was a major target for me back in May once he got back into the rotation, so if you bought low off that recommendation, you have already reaped the benefits. He’s also in a home ballpark that suppresses homers, which is perfect for a guy who loves throwing fastballs over the plate (2.71 ERA at home vs. 4.26 ERA on the road). I’m still a fan. I still like him a lot. I’m just a tad concerned the price is going to be higher than I’m willing to go. – 2026 Projection: 13/3.70/1.19/149 in 170 IP
282) Braxton Ashcraft – PIT, RHP, 26.6 – Ashcraft has been a target of mine for a few years now, so if you’ve read my work, hopefully you already have him, because I’ve seen his hype finally getting the respect it deserves this off-season. He made his MLB debut and he proved his skills will most certainly transfer with a 2.71 ERA and 24.3/8.2 K%/BB% in 69.2 IP. He throws gas with a 97 MPH 4-seamer and a 96.6 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground with a negative 9 degree launch. The slider is his most used pitch and it induces weak contact with a 83 MPH EV against and misses bats with a 32.4% whiff%. The curve is a bat missing weapon too with a 36.6% whiff% and a .214 xwOBA, The slider, curve and sinker were all plus Run Value Pitches. He also had no split issues with a .675 OPS vs. lefties. And the control has been plus to double plus for most of his career. If he were on the Mariners, we would be looking at him as the next in line of their big, fire balling, plus control righties, but with Pitt, he’s mostly been forgotten about. Like I said, his hype is rising, but I still think there is value on the bone here. With Oviedo and Burrows shipped out of town, he’s a rotation lock now. Go get him if you don’t have him already – 2026 Projection: 9/3.58/1.21/150 in 150 IP
283) Ryan Weathers – NYY, LHP, 26.3 – Weathers is a major double down buy call for 2026. A forearm strain delayed the start of his season, and then a lat strain knocked out another 3 months, so the injury risk is certainly high, but when he was out there, he once again flashed that special talent that has me buying. The Yanks clearly agree, stealing him from the Marlins, but the Marlins are giving multiple years of #2 upside pitchers away like they grow on trees. Such a weird organization. Weathers throws 96.9 MPH from the left side, which is in rarified air, and he combines the heat with two whiff machine secondaries in his changeup (40.6% whiff%) and sweeper (39.1% whiff%). And he does all of this with above average control. What is there not to buy? The Yanks are already going in the lab to tinker a bit to try to fully unlock the upside, and while I trust Miami’s development with pitching too, it’s always good to get a new set of eyes on things. The talent is here to have a big breakout, and I want to be there when it happens. He’s a double down buy for 2026. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.76/1.24/148 in 150 IP
284) Chase DeLauter – CLE, OF, 24.6 – DeLauter might be the most injury prone hitter I’ve ever seen. The injury bug hit again in 2025, undergoing core muscle surgery in March, which delayed the start of his season, and then he underwent surgery for a broken hamate in July, which ended his season. He played in only 42 games. He’s 24 years old, and the most games he’s ever played in a season is 57. Even in college he barely played with a high of 26 games. I feel I’m more lenient than others to hand wave away injuries for hitters, but this is super extreme, and I have no choice but to factor it into the ranking. Without the injury risk, he would almost certainly be ranked #1 in the Cleveland system. His combo of hit, approach, power and athleticism is insanely exciting. He slashed .278/.383/.476 with 5 homers, 0 steals, and a 15.4/14.8 K%/BB% in 34 games at Triple-A. The 18.9% whiff%, 17% Chase%, 91.2 MPH EV, and 51.9% Hard Hit% is screaming that this is a clear impact bat. All of the injuries have mostly dimmed the hope that he’s going to be a major contributor in steals, and he’s not a huge lift and pull guy, so along with the extreme injury risk, there is some risk it’s more of an excellent real life bat than excellent fantasy bat. Like I said, if not for the injuries, he would be #1 overall in Cleveland’s system, so I love the talent, but this is one of the times I’m a bit scared by a hitter’s injury risk. – 2026 Projection: 68/17/62/.258/.325/.420/5 Prime Projection: 79/23/77/.276/.350/.455/7
285) Logan Henderson – MIL, RHP, 24.1 – Logan Henderson is pinging off a lot of similarities in my gut to where Joe Ryan was in 2021. Ryan was a low velo discrimination guy who got lukewarm respect at best in the prospect world, and even after proving his skills would transfer to the Majors in 26.2 IP to close out 2021, he still got super lukewarm respect. I remember being the high guy on him, ranking him 59th overall going into 2022, and looking at Baseball Reference, he was only in the very back of the Top 100 at the mainstream outlets. And now history is repeating itself with Logan Henderson, and I am once again going to be the high guy. He’s a major target headed into 2026. Henderson only throws 92.9 MPH, and if you want to discriminate against that while he’s in the minors, I get it, because who knows how it will truly play against MLB hitters, but just like Ryan, we already know how it will play. He put up a 28.1% whiff% with a .310 xwOBA, and .280 wOBA on 48.8% usage in 25.1 IP. His control likely isn’t quite as elite as Ryan’s, but it’s plus control at least with a 32.8/4.7 K%/BB% in the upper minors in 2024 and a 27.9/7.7 K%/BB% at Triple-A in 77.2 IP in 2025. And unlike Ryan, he actually has a plus secondary in his changeup which put up a +3 Run Value, a 84.9 MPH EV against, a .205 wOBA, and a .282 xwOBA in the majors. It doesn’t miss an insane amount of at bats (about 30% between AAA and the majors), but it induces tons of weak contact. He also throws a lesser used cutter and slider which both need improvement, but the cutter showed potential in the majors and the slider was solid at AAA. It all led to a 1.78 ERA, 3.77 xERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 33.3/8.1 K%/BB% in 25.1 IP. It doesn’t matter that he throws low 90’s, this guy is obviously good, and just like Ryan, people are still super hesitant to buy in. I’m not though. He’s one of my top 2026 pitcher targets relative to price, whether he has a rotation spot to start the season or not. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.66/1.18/144 in 130 IP
286) Daylen Lile – WSH, OF, 23.4 – Can I just take a quick pat myself on the back moment here? I put the damn work in on my in-season rankings updates, legitimately diving into like 400+ prospects in 5 days (and over 500 players in my in-season dynasty rankings). I don’t just do skim updates, I update for real. And I was actually very early on Lile’s breakout. He was getting zero hype, and I included him in my May Top 300 Prospects Rankings at #252, writing, “Lile’s contact rates seem to improve every year, and now he has a 11.9/5.6 K%/BB% in 28 games in the upper minors. His power also seems to be ticking up with a 90.9 MPH EV, and he has speed with 7 steals. As a corner outfielder, it’s not really the profile MLB teams are looking for, but he has across the board skills.” I didn’t hype him up, or write a target blurb or anything like that, and I wasn’t fast to buy in when he was doing it in the majors, but I definitely noticed what was happening with him very early and passed word along to you. Everything he was doing in the minors mostly transferred to the majors, slashing .299/.347/.498 with 9 homers, 8 steals, and a 16.0/6.0 K%/BB% in 91 games. The .348 xwOBA backs it up for the most part. But the things I brought up in that May blurb, and the reason I was hesitant to buy in, are still issues. He was atrocious on defense, he doesn’t get on base, and he doesn’t hit lefties well. He lifts and pulls, but the 40.1% Hard Hit% is not super great, especially in a ballpark that is below average for lefty homers. He was also caught stealing 6 times in the majors. There are people that really love Lile, and I just can’t say I’m one of them. I like him and I see the skills to like, but he’s going to end up going higher than where I’m willing to take him. – 2026 Projection: 78/16/66/.269/.323/.425/18
287) Brenton Doyle – COL, OF, 27.10 – Sometimes you get burned so bad by a player that you just can’t relive that trauma, and that is Doyle for me. I was all in coming off his breakout 2024, and the worst part is it wasn’t even his contact rates that got him. He actually locked in the big contact gains he made in 2024 with a 25.7% K% in 2025. If his contact took a huge step back, okay, I could have lived with being wrong about that. But it didn’t. He even hit the ball harder with a 44.6% Hard Hit% (41.4% in 2024). This should have resulted in another big season, but as we know, it didn’t. He put up a 65 wRC+ and he was getting benched for awhile there in the middle of the year. Maybe if I was completely devoid of emotions and was just a logic only robot, I would point out that he actually did perform how I expected in the 2nd half of the season, slashing .277/.302/.449 with 10 homers, 11 steals, and a 26.3/3.7 K%/BB% in his final 74 games. Maybe I would point out that the underlying numbers were saying he was getting unlucky in that first half. Maybe I would say his plus CF glove should keep his bat in the lineup despite the weak wRC+ (it wasn’t even good in his 2024 breakout either with a 97 wRC+), and that we should buy low this off-season, but I just can’t. He burned me way too hard, and even with the strong 2nd half, he still left a bad taste in our mouths in September with a .473 OPS and 25/1 K/BB in 22 games. Maybe the most concerning part was the .593 OPS vs. righties on the season, which wasn’t an issue for him in 2024 (.778 OPS). I just can’t go for this ride again unless he comes for super cheap. – 2026 Projection: 74/18/68/.249/.302/.417/24
288) Colton Cowser – BAL, OF, 26.0 – Cowser’s hit tool went from bad to horrific in 2025 with a .196 BA, 35.6% K% and 34.6% whiff% in 92 games. He does have some legitimate excuses for it though. He broke his thumb the 4th game of the season which kept him out for two months, he fractured his ribs in June which he played through and he also suffered a concussion. It was just a nightmare season injuries wise. So while I’m still putting his hit tool in the very red danger zone, I want to give him a chance to prove 2025 was just a fluke. The one positive of 2025 was that he went a perfect 14 for 14 on the bases. If the hit tool bounces back, we could be looking at a legit 20/20 player. The only other issue is that he might be unplayable vs. lefties. There are too many warts for me to go after him, but the upside keeps his ranking solid. – 2026 Projection: 68/23/74/.228/.310/.429/16
289) Brendan Donovan – SEA, 2B, 29.2 – Donovan is your classic better in real life than fantasy bat, but his bottom 27% sprint speed even hurts him in real life. If you aren’t going to have a big power/speed combo, at least you gotta rack up Runs and/or RBI, and he doesn’t do that either with a career high of 65 Runs and 73 RBI. Granted he would have beaten that in 2025 if he stayed healthy, but 64 Runs and 50 RBI in 118 games isn’t exactly blowing up. The plus hit tool is his game with a .287 BA, 353 OBP and a 13.0/8 K%/BB%. He hits the ball hard enough, and lifts and pulls enough, to pop out mid teens homers with a 40.9% Hard Hit%, but after the trade to Seattle, any hope of a big power season is kinda out the window. St. Louis had a bad ballpark for lefty homers too, so I don’t think this trade changes his value, but going to a better ballpark would have been fun. On the flip side, Seattle has a really good lineup, so he should be able to put up a career high in runs hitting atop their lineup. – 2026 Projection: 83/14/65/.284/.358/.423/5
290) Royce Lewis – MIN, 3B, 26.10 – I feel the legend of Royce Lewis is starting to become more myth than reality. There is a vibe that this would be a Byron Buxton level breakout superstar if he could only stay healthy, but the stats don’t really back that up. He had the monster rookie year in 2023 with a .921 OPS, which is where the legend is coming from, but even in that year the the xwOBA was .045 worse than the wOBA, and the Hard Hit + K/BB was not super impressive. Then after that season he put up a .317 xwOBA in 2024 and a .296 xwOBA in 2025 with the surface stats more or less matching the underlying numbers. This isn’t the story of some superstar waiting to be unleashed with good health. The approach is below average with a 31.3% Chase%, the contact rates are below average with a 26.7% whiff%, the speed is below average with a 26.8 ft/sec sprint, and the hard hit is lackluster with a 40.3% Hard Hit%. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate him. He’s a lift/pull machine which should lead to plenty dingers, and maybe the biggest positive, he started running again with 12 steals in 14 attempts in 106 games. Assuming he can stay healthy, which is a bad assumption, I definitely see a path to 25/15 with a decent BA. But taking the injury risk into account, and the very much not superstar underlying numbers/talent, I think the name value/legend is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for his still solid hype. – 2026 Projection: 65/21/74/.246/.307/.440/8
291) Cam Smith – HOU, OF, 23.1 – Smith was rushed. I respect organizations being aggressive with promotions, but when you are aggressive, sometimes it will turn out you were too aggressive, and in this case, Houston was too aggressive. Smith could have really used a year (or at least a large portion of the year) to develop in the minors, because he still has multiple areas of his game that need improvement. I really hope that him being rushed isn’t going to arrest his development, because I feel Houston is going to feel pressure to start him in the majors again in 2026. For one, he needs to learn to lift and pull more as an 8.9 degree launch and 13.1% Air Pull% is not going to cut it if he wants to make a legitimately big fantasy impact. For two, he needs to improve the hit tool with a 27.8% K% and 28.7% whiff%. For three, he needs to improve his defense. And for four, and arguably the most concerning one, he needs to improve vs. righties with a .227 BA and .617 OPS. Trying to improve in so many areas being thrown right into the fire was not a recipe for success, and while he was holding his own at points during the season, it resulted in a mediocre 9 homers, 8 steals, and a 90 wRC+ in 134 games. Really the biggest thing for me keeping his fantasy value strong is the 74.5 MPH swing and 29.3 ft/sec sprint at 6’3”, 224 pounds. This dude is a special athlete, and if he does make the right improvements, the talent is in here to be a beast. We definitely have to grade his rookie year on a major curve considering how rushed he was, but I had Smith pegged as a better real life than fantasy hitter coming out of the draft, and I still see that as his ultimate profile, so I can only go so high. – 2026 Projection: 73/17/66/.252/.324/.410/11 Prime Projection: 86/23/81/.270/.340/.460/14
292) Christian Moore – LAA, 2B, 23.6 – Christian Moore was giving me major Zach Neto 2.0 vibes. The Baseball Gods were whispering to me that he would be the one to make major waves in the majors in 2025 … and I was led astray. You can have good intuition. You can have good pattern recognition. You can have a good gut (or I think we are calling it the microbiome these days). Shit, you can be damn near psychic … but the bottom line is that even if all signs, evidence and feelings are leaning one way, it’s not always going to play out like that. The future is unpredictable, and Moore just didn’t have the year I foresaw. After hitting 5 homers with a 171 wRC+ in 23 games at Double-A in 2024, he wasn’t able to come close to repeating that success in the upper minors in 2025 with 7 homers and a 115 wRC+ in 68 games. The MLB debut was super lackluster too with an 82 wRC+ in 53 games. I wish I could say there was something to really hang our hats on, but there really wasn’t anything that stood out in the profile. He had above average bat speed, but 72.7 MPH isn’t standout, he can lift it, but the 10.8% Air Pull% is super low, he’s got above average speed, but he attempted only 3 steals in the majors, and he can hit it hard, but a 36.3% Hard Hit% in the majors and 41.5% at Triple-A isn’t screaming a hard hit beast. Worst of all, the hit tool is a major issue with a 33.6% whiff% at Triple-A and a 36.9% whiff% in the majors. So while there wasn’t some standout stat or skill I could really hammer home to give you confidence, he’s still a strong hold for me. This was just his first full year of pro ball, and while the skills played down, the skills I loved are still there. He still hit 7 homers in 53 games. He stole 10 bags in 68 games in the minors. The hit tool was worse than hoped for, but I’m betting on improvement as he gains more experience. 2B is also a pain in the ass position, so he gets a positional bump too. I know I didn’t do a great job of convincing you to hold strong, but I can only say how I would play it, and he’s a strong hold for me. – 2026 Projection: 68/20/72/.232/.308/.412/11 Prime Projection: 77/25/83/.248/.331/.447/14
293) Mike Sirota – LAD, OF, 22.9 – It was straight comical how just about everybody immediately called Sirota a major FYPD target the second he got traded to the Dodgers, including myself. I don’t even victory lap it at all because everyone single one of us saw it coming from a mile away right after the trade went down. And it’s just so stupid how ridiculously good of a season he had, slashing .333/.452/.616 with 13 homers, 5 steals, and a 21.9/17.8 K%/BB% in 59 games at Single-A and High-A. I want to reiterate that he was a 3rd round pick. Number 87 overall. He hadn’t played a single professional game, and yet every damn one of us was like, yup, he’s going to explode, and he did. I love it. The fact that he was considered a possible Top 10 picks before his junior year was also a big reason for the optimism. The talent is unquestionable here at 6’2”, 188 pounds with a plus power/speed combo. If we are going to nitpick, which is what we do, he only did this in the lower minors as an advanced college bat. Despite the plus speed, he was a bad base stealer, going 5 for 10, and while the 37.7% GB% looks good, the 34.2% Pull% is quite low. So the risk is that the hit tool ends up exposed a bit against more advanced competition, he doesn’t run a ton, and the lack of pull limits his homer totals. But the upside is a good defensive CF would hits 25 bombs with 15 steals and a solid BA. A knee injury is why his season got cut short and never got to prove it in the upper minors. He’s a Top 50-75 prospect for me, but the negatives I laid out are why I’m not going higher. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 86/24/84/.262/.339/.457/11
294) Emmanuel Rodriguez – MIN, OF, 23.1 – All the injuries were starting to wear on me. The hit tool risk was starting to weigh me down. Even the upside was starting to look more really good than great … and then Baby Buxton stepped into the grown man’s league known as the Liga de Beisbol Dominicano, a pitcher’s league (although it seems there was more offense this year by eye test), and he wiped all the fears away. He was the 2nd best hitter in the league behind Miguel Sano (minimum of 60 PA), slashing .292/.417/.646 with 4 homers, 3 steals, and a 30.0%/10.0 K%/BB% in 18 games. For reference, Jordan Lawlar put up a .432 OPS with a 39.1/0.0 K%/BB% in 46 PA. My goodness is that horrific. I’m getting nervous that he just can’t hit … but back to Rodriguez, he most certainly can hit, and even with the injuries and contact issues, he hit well at Triple-A too with a 134 wRC+ in 52 games. The problem is that the 37.2% whiff% is wildly bad. Even dominating in Winter League, that 30% K% is so high. He also struggled vs. lefties with a .607 OPS stateside, although he’s been better against them in the past. And like I mentioned about that upside, the lift and pull wasn’t there this year either (8 degree launch with a 8% Air Pull%), but again, he’s done better in the past. The Winter League dominance definitely matters for me. It definitely gets his hype moving back in the right direction, but it can’t completely wipe away the extreme contact issues (and injury risk). It’s hard to put someone who whiffs that much in the elite prospect range, or really anywhere close to it, but it’s a testament to his Hard Hit ability (46.9% Hard Hit%), athleticism (10 steals in 65 games), OBP (20.6% BB%), and good OF glove that he’s still a Top 50-75 prospect for me even with those deficiencies. – 2026 Projection: 28/9/26/.218/.308/.420/6 Prime Projection: 82/25/77/.236/.335/.465/15
295) Kaelen Culpepper – MIN, SS, 23.3 – Just like Luke Keaschall got underrated in his draft year, I saw the same thing happening with Culpepper, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, “He reminds me a lot of Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 2023, Luke Keaschall, who has similar size, speed, and feel to hit. Nothing jumps off the screen, but they get the job done in all facets of the game. Minnesota has had a lot of success with Keaschall, and Culpepper looks to be next. He’s a nice little “let him come to you” target in off-season prospect drafts right now” … and then just like Keaschall, he exploded in his first full year of pro ball, slashing .289/.375/.469 with 20 homers, 25 steals, and a 17.4/9.7 K%/BB% in 113 games split between High-A (147 wRC+) and Double-A (129 wRC+). The 50% GB% is too high, but it’s not like he doesn’t know how to turn on one. Watch him demolish his first homer at Double-A, going Tongue Out like he’s Michael Jordan. There is definitely explosion in that swing, and while he’s not a hard hit beast, the almost 113 Max EV shows he’s got juice in the bat. I saw a solid across the board contributor coming out of the draft, and he just cemented that profile in 2025, if not taking it up a notch. He’s a Top 50 prospect who is still underrated. Him vs. Emmanuel is a safety vs. upside coin flip for me. – 2026 Projection: 17/4/14/.249/.309/.397/5 Prime Projection: 83/18/67/.273/.334/.435/22
296) Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 24.11 – Let’s be honest, the odds are really good that Jones just won’t be able to hit enough to truly be a fantasy beast. The guy had a 41.6% whiff% and 36.6% K% in 67 games at Triple-A as a 24 year old. That is beyond the danger zone. That is the Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone, the Exclusion Zone, the Black Zone … okay I think that is all the nicknames for the Chernobyl area. A guy who hits .200, if he’s lucky, can only provide so much fantasy value no matter how big the power/speed combo, but boy oh boy is that power/speed combo humongous. He’s 6’7”, 240 pounds with a 94.8 MPH EV and plus speed. He hit 35 homers with 29 steals in 116 games on the season. If there is an exception to the rule, it will be him. A .200/30/30 guy would be absolutely hysterical, but that is obviously a pipe dream. If he were 22 years old, I could see giving some more leeway for the hit tool, but he’s going to be 25 for most of 2026. The most optimistic comp we can point to is Joey Gallo, who had a career 106 wRC+ in 939 games with a 41.4% whiff%. Matt Wallner is another good one with a career 131 wRC+ in 273 games with a 36.6% whiff%. Jones has to improve majorly to even get down to Wallner’s whiff%, but at least it’s example that it’s not impossible to thrive with super high whiff rates. All indications also point to the Yankees still really believing in him. The upside is so massive, I think they want to roll that dice and eventually give him a shot, and because I’m a sucker for upside, I’m also willing to roll the dice. I still think he’s a Top 50-75 prospect just on the off chance he can get that hit tool into a good enough area. Maybe I’m crazy. – 2026 Projection: 15/4/19/.192/.279/.399/3 Prime Projection: 68/23/73/.218/.309/.438/17
297) Charlie Condon – COL, 1B, 23.0 – I feel like I absolutely nailed Condon last off-season with the perfect amount of panic and patience. I hit the panic button immediately with that nasty pro debut (31.3/3.7 K%/BB%), but I didn’t totally avoid him. I just moved him down to the Top 10 area (52nd overall on the Top 500 Prospects Rankings), allowing us to rightfully pick Kurtz, JJ, Griffin, Burns etc … over him. And in 2025, he proved that finding the perfect balance between the pro debut and pre-draft evaluation was the right move, with a very good, but still flawed season. He bounced back as expected with a 131 wRC+ in 99 games, but he showed at Double-A that this isn’t going to be easy. He put up a .235 BA with a 28.3% K%. It’s clear the hit tool is a very real risk, as the pro debut smacked us in the face with, but it’s also clear this is a potentially special power bat as we knew pre-draft. The ball jumps off his bat different at 6’6”, 216 pounds, and it led to 11 homers in 55 games at Double-A. He has no issues lifting and pulling. The dude is a beast, and the 1B job in Coors is waiting with open arms for him. – 2026 Projection: 34/12/46/.230/.301/.431/2 Prime Projection: 78/30/91/.248/.324/.485/5
298) Lazaro Montes – SEA, OF, 21.5 – Remember what I said in the Emerson blurb about how great a sign it is when a prospect gets called up to the upper minors and actually improves on their weaknesses … well, that wasn’t the case for Montes. He got called up to Double-A and the hit tool risk immediately popped up with a .213 BA and 30.5% K%. He still jacked out 14 homers with a 121 wRC+ (32 homers in 131 games overall), so it was far from a disaster, but it highlighted his biggest weakness. And even at High-A the swing and miss was a problem with a 27.6% K%. The evaluation is super easy. He’s a low BA, high OBP slugger with the only question being just how low that BA is going to go. The power is monstrous enough at 6’5” with a beautiful lefty swing that I’m willing to take on both the hit tool and ballpark risk, but there is enough risk to keep him out of the truly elite prospects in the game. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/35/95/.236/.329/.493/6
299) Steele Hall – CIN, SS, 18.8 – Selected 9th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Hall’s double plus speed and athleticism is his calling card, giving him enticing fantasy upside just based on that, and there is a chance his power potential is being considerably underrated. He’s one of the youngest players in the draft, and while he’s not a huge guy at 5’11”, his righty swing is super fast, explosive, and he knows how to lift it. His power already took a big jump last off-season with tacked on muscle, and if he was able to do it once, who says he can’t keep on tacking on mass. The biggest issue is that he struggles vs. breaking balls, and generally when you go after these type of speed prospects, you want their hit tool to be a plus, rather than a risk. The upside is super fun, especially hitting in Cincinnati, and his young age gives some added legroom for both the power and breaking ball struggles. He has a chance to be a fantasy beast. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 86/18/74/.251/.321/.427/37
300) Ethan Holliday – COL, SS, 19.1 – The full 5 alarm, hide the women and children, blood in the streets panic mode is in full swing, and there is no putting that genie back in the bottle after Holliday put up a 39.3% K% in his 18 game pro debut at Single-A, but let me try to talk you off the ledge. We only have to look at Charlie Condon’s horrific pro debut as the example to follow for Holliday. Condon had more of a track record to fall back on, but Holliday was only 18 years old, just getting his feet wet. Like Condon, of course it removes Holliday completely from the 1st overall conversation, but I don’t think it should remove him from the Top 10 range. Even with the extreme swing and miss, he still hit the ball very hard, showing off his prodigious power potential at 6’4”, 210 pounds, and he still put up an above average 108 wRC+. It wasn’t a complete disaster. We already knew he had hit tool risk coming out of the draft, so it was stupid in my opinion for Colorado to debut him this year anyway. What did they think was going to happen? Why not give the kid an off-season to really prepare, instead of throwing him into the fire and likely getting in his head due to the struggles. We know Colorado is awful at development, but Ethan has both his father, Matt, and brother, Jackson, to fall back on and help with both the mental and physical part of the game. You know I’m the OG of putting a ton of weight on pro debuts, so I 100% hit that panic meter immediately, but there has to be a limit to the panic when the talent is still so huge, and Holliday’s talent is huge. My bet is on a much better K% in 2026. I’m going to do with him exactly what I did with Condon, which is drop him to the Top 10 range. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 84/27/88/.261/.342/.476/12
301) Luis Hernandez – SFG, SS, 17.4 – Hernandez is the consensus top player in the 2026 international class, and from everything I’ve read and watched, it seems to me that Leo De Vries is the closest “prototype” to the type of #1 overall prospect he is. He’s not getting the level of hype that Leo got, so I’m not saying he’s as good as Leo, but it’s a similar evaluation where Hernandez is just so far out ahead skills wise for his age. Scouts said Leo wouldn’t have embarrassed himself if he played in the majors at 17, and while who knows if that is true, we saw what he’s been able to do at 17-18 years old in the minors, so I don’t doubt it. Hernandez gives that same vibe with him already dominating a grown man’s league in the Venezuelan Major League, hitting .346. That video I linked shows the smooth swing and feel to hit against that advanced competition. Like Leo, Hernandez doesn’t necessarily jump off the screen in a pure size/tools sense at 5’10”, 180 pounds (Leo is 6’1”, so again, he’s not as good as Leo), but that doesn’t mean the exciting tools aren’t in here. You can see that smooth athleticism and the tight build that is only going to get stronger and stronger. The swing is fast and athletic and it’s geared for both contact and power with the ability to lift and pull. He’s not a burner, but he’s a good athlete who should steal plenty of bags. With his success against older competition already, he feels as safe as an international prospect gets, and while the upside may not be obviously off the charts, Jesus Made’s and Josuar Gonzalez’ builds aren’t far off. There is still a lot of risk with international prospects, but it feels like “we” are getting better and better at evaluating them before they turn pro. The guys at the very tippy top of the class generally become really, really good prospects, so I don’t want to be too risk averse. Hernandez deserves to be valued right with the best high school bats in the MLB Draft class, but the thing keeping him towards the back of that area is that he will play in SF. That ballpark just subdues everyone offensively, and it is slightly preventing me from going even higher than this. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 88/22/76/.272/.341/.446/20
302) Hurston Waldrep – ATL, RHP, 24.1 – Waldrep is example number seven million and two on why evaluating and ranking pitching prospects is so hard (which I hit on in a previous strategy blurb). One tweak, or a pitch mix change can alter their entire outlook from literally one start to the next. The breakout came for Waldrep from the most obvious advice of all time, which was “throw your best pitch more and your worst pitch less.” I feel like that was the big analytics breakthrough like 20 years ago, but better late than never for Waldrep. And that best pitch is his famed splitter which dominated MLB batters when he got the call. It was his most used pitch with a 32.4% usage, and it put up a 45.3% whiff% and .225 xwOBA. And that worst pitch was the 4-seamer, which he almost completely shelved in favor of the 95.9 MPH sinker (+4 Run Value) and 93.1 MPH cutter (which wasn’t a good pitch, but hopefully it improves as he throws it more). He also has an excellent breaker in his curve with a .183 xwOBA and 38.7% whiff%. It all led to a 2.88 ERA and 24.0/9.6 K%/BB% in 56.1 IP. He wasn’t as good at Triple-A, but that was what I was getting at in the beginning of the blurb. Once he made the pitch mix change mid season, he took off. We know heavy splitter guys tend to be on the volatile side, and I would expect the walk rates to remain high, so not sure I’m ready to put top of the rotation upside on him, but a high K mid-rotation starter is awesome for fantasy, and I wouldn’t rule out top of the rotation as a ceiling. I’m buying the breakout. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.60/1.21/73 in 70 IP Update: Underwent surgery to remove loose bodies and there isn’t a timetable on his return. It’s mid season at best, and at worst, longer than that. He was all set to be one of my biggest targets, and while I still like him and am not giving up on him, this obviously a requires a healthy drop
303) Seth Hernandez – PIT, RHP, 19.9 – Selected 6th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Hernandez has the highest pure upside of any arm in the class. He’s a great athlete with prototypical size at 6’4”, 195 pounds, and the stuff is filthy with a mid to upper 90’s fastball and a double plus changeup. The breakers (slider, curve) aren’t quite as impressive, and can be inconsistent, but they definitely have the potential to get to plus at peak. And his control/command is really strong for a high school starter with this level of stuff, generally throwing all of his pitches around the plate. I would be lying if I didn’t mention that I see at least some shades of Brock Porter, who had a very similar profile as a 19 year old starter with upper 90’s heat, an elite change, and inconsistent breakers. That also underscores how risky high school righties have traditionally been in the draft. Noble Meyer and Dylan Lesko can attest to that. Even Jackson Jobe and Andrew Painter, who have risen to elite prospect status, needed Tommy John and have had their struggles of late. But Hunter Greene exists too. There is an argument to let someone else draft Hernandez, and then buy low on him after he gets Tommy John surgery. But the top of the rotation upside is undeniable, and that upside is worth the risk. If you like going after high school arms more than I do in the 1st round of FYPD’s, I can see ranking him higher than this, but that just isn’t how I play the game really. Hernandez would have to fall for me to get him anywhere. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 14/3.45/1.13/200 in 180 IP
304) Jamie Arnold – SAC, LHP, 22.0 – Arnold was the consensus top arm in the class before the season started, and while he slid a bit this year, falling to the Athletics at 11th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, I’m still a huge fan of his. I’m an absolute sucker for his type of funky lefty delivery, and the truly remarkable thing about it, is how easily and smooth he can repeat it. Usually there is some violence and control risk that comes with it, but not with Arnold. It allows his 93 MPH fastball to play up, and he can even get it up into the upper 90’s when he really needs it. The sweeper is a nasty pitch that is at least plus, and the changeup has plus potential too with tons of whiffs. It all led to a 2.98 ERA with a 33.9/7.7 K%/BB% in 84.2 IP in the ACC. Maybe it’s not true top of the rotation upside, but this still looks like an impact fantasy starter with 3 above average to plus pitches and plenty of swing and miss. If he still ended up the best pitcher in the class it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 13/3.58/1.16/184 in 175 IP
305) Aaron Nola – PHI, RHP, 32.10 – Nola imploded in 2025 with a 6.01 ERA and 24.0/6.9 K%/BB% in 94.1 IP. He had ankle and rib injuries that kept him out for 3 months mid season, but he got bombed just the same when he returned. It’s extremely obvious that he got unlucky as the 4.13 xERA and the K/BB aren’t nearly as bad as the ERA, but the question is if he’s still going to be more name value than real value in 2026. The velocity was down a tick to 91.9 MPH, so it’s not like there is zero to point to as to why he got blown up. The K rate and whiff rates have also been in clear decline for a few years, so it’s also clear that this isn’t prime Nola. I 100% think he is going to bounce back in 2026, and the track record is strong enough at a still not too old 32 that I would buy the track record, but I’m not buying too hard. He would have to fall in my lap, and looking at his still decently strong 210 NFBC ADP, I’m not sure he will. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.91/1.23/180 in 180 IP
306) Carlos Lagrange – NYY, RHP, 22.10 – Carlos Lagrange gives me major Dellin Betances vibes when watching him, and the similarities are really striking in so many ways. I have a hard time believing any Yankees fan that watches Lagrange won’t get those exact same vibes. Lagrange is a tall drink of water at 6’7”, 248 pounds with an upper 90’s fastball that gets over 100 MPH, a plus breaker, a solid, lesser used changeup, and double below average control. The control looked like it was taking a huge step forward in the beginning of the year at High-A with a 7.1% BB% in 41.2 IP, but it ballooned when he got to Double-A with a 14.9% BB% in 78.1 IP, showing the major control risk is still there. The upside is equally as high though with a 3.53 ERA and 33.4% K% in 120 IP on the season. I can’t help but feel he is most likely going to take the same path as Betances and become a hopefully elite reliever, and possibly closer, but the door isn’t even close to shut on him remaining a starter. Just look at Jacob Misiorowski, who is equally as tall and had almost equally bad control. And ending up a closer is a pretty damn good outcome anyway. – 2026 Projection: 2/3.82/1.29/32 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.51/1.24/190/ in 160 IP Update: While I still think there is bullpen/control risk, he’s absolutely blowing me and everyone else away in Spring. I have to think the Yanks give him every chance to start at this point
307) Abner Uribe – MIL, Setup, 25.9 – Roster Resource actually has Uribe as the closer and Megill as the setup guy, but that feels a bit too aggressive to me. Teams are usually more conservative with switching the closer like that, and Megill has done nothing to lose the job. If I had to guess, I would guess Megill is the presumed favorite, but it’s just a guess, and Uribe is certainly worthy of it on his own merits. His control finally took the huge leap forward that it needed to take, leading to the breakout. He put up a 1.67 ERA with a 30.2/9.1 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP. His control was also improving as the year went along with a 7.8% BB% in his final 40 IP, although it spiked to 16% in 6 IP in the playoffs, so that volatility is still in there. The sinker sits 98.7 MPH and put up a +10 Run Value. The slider is elite with a 46.6% whiff% and .188 xwOBA. He also filled in admirably for Megill at the end of the season, saving 5 games, when Megill went down with a flexor strain, but Megill returned and looked healthy into the playoffs, so I don’t think Megill is going to lose the job because of that. If Megill gets traded or hurt again or if I’m wrong about the pecking order, Uribe has a chance to be a truly elite closer, but the uncertainty of his role combined with his track record of control risk makes me think he’s still in the elite setup guy bucket. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.08/1.14/83/15 saves in 68 IP Update: Megill needed a PRP shot this off-season and Milwaukee seems very non commiattal about the closer job. It helps Uribe, but we could be looking at committee possibility too
308) Carlos Estevez – KCR, Closer, 33.3 – Fantasy owners keep trying to take the closer job away from Estevez, but we have no actual real power, and Estevez keeps proving us wrong. We wanted Lucas Erceg, but Estevez held off Erceg all season with an excellent 2.46 ERA and 20.1/8.2 K%/BB% in 66 IP. He led the league in saves with 42. Did the underlying numbers look good? No, of course not. Actually, they have literally never looked worse with a career worst K/BB, a career worst K%, and a career worst by a county mile 19% whiff%. None of his pitches put up an over 20% whiff%, which is wild, especially for a closer. He doesn’t induce weak contact either with a 10.6% Barrel% against, or keep the ball on the ground. The guy is a straight magician. I’m not going to try to explain it, but it works, and with him under contract for at least another season, he’s locked into the closer role. I’m still treating him as a lower end option (although with so many shaky closer situations, he’s more mid I would say), but maybe once again I’m underrating him. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.43/1.18/55/34 saves in 63 IP
309) Pete Fairbanks – MIA, Closer, 32.3 – Fairbanks is the locked in closer in Miami but keep in mind it is only a 1 year deal, so in dynasty, you might be sweating out his landing spot not only after this year, but at the trade deadline. His days of putting up elite strikeout rates are also over with a 2.83 ERA and 24.2/7.4 K%/BB% in 60.1 IP. The 26.1% whiff% is pretty mediocre for a reliever. The 97.3 MPH fastball/slider combo is good, but it’s not missing as many bats as it used to. He’s a solid closer with risk he loses the job by the deadline. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.39/1.15/60/25 saves in 60 IP
310) Raisel Iglesias – ATL, Closer, 36.3 – Atlanta signed Iglesias to a 1 year, $16 million contract and then also signed Robert Suarez to a 3 year, $45 million contract. They claim Iglesias is still going to be the closer, and I believe them, but it surely complicates things for Iglesias both short and long term. He’s in the decline phase of his career with a 3.21 ERA and 27.3/7.4 K%/BB% in 57.1 IP. Still good, but not elite like he once was. The fastball is down to 94.9 MPH, which isn’t down majorly, but it is down a bit. The 30.9% whiff% is still excellent, but again, it’s not what it once was. He struggled for the first few months of 2025, and while he ended the season lights out, if he struggles like that again, Atlanta now has another established option to go to in Suarez. You also have to think about how many more years Iglesias is going to be closing with only a 1 year deal and at 36 years old. I like him for 2026, but there should be at least a tad bit of caution. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.37/1.11/69/29 saves in 65 IP
311) Ryan Helsley – BAL, Closer, 31.9 – I don’t see how we can truly rely on Helsley. He surely signed to be the man in Baltimore with a 2 year, $28 million contract, but even with that deal, I don’t see why they would give him a long leash. He was pretty damn bad in 2025 with a 4.50 ERA and 25.0/9.9 K%/BB% in 56 IP. He was even worse in the 2nd half after getting traded to the Mets with a 7.20 ERA and 23.2/11.6 K%/BB% in 20 IP. We know relievers are volatile as hell, so who knows, maybe he can fully bounce back, or just as easily it could go the other way and the full implosion continues. If you want to look glass half full, he was on the unlucky side with a 3.99 xERA. He can still miss bats with a 29.5% whiff%. And the stuff is still nasty with a 99.3 MPH fastball and a slider that put up a 41.6% whiff%. The skills are certainly in there to bounce back, but even all of those numbers were down considerably from his prime. I don’t really trust him, especially because it seems his price is still pretty high. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.68/1.24/73/25 saves in 62 IP
312) Seranthony Dominguez – CHW, Closer, 31.4 – Dominguez signed a 2 year, $20 million contract, so he seems pretty locked in as Chicago’s closer as long as he’s pitching well. There is definitely volatility here with a career worst 13.8% BB% in 2025, and his K rates have been pretty variable throughout his career. On the whole though, he should be good enough to hold the job with a 3.16 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 30.3% K% in 62.2 IP. He had a 33.3% whiff% in 2025 and has a career 31% whiff%. The fastball sits 97.7 MPH and misses bats with a 26.8% whiff%. The sweeper and splitter are whiff machines with a 49.1% and 49.5% whiff%, respectively. The WHIP is high and his saves chances will likely be low with Chicago, so he’s still a lower end option. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.56/1.25/73/27 saves in 62 IP
313) Dennis Santana – PIT, Closer, 30.0 – It seems like Santana survived the off-season as Pitt’s closer. He took over for Bednar after the deadline and dominated with a 1.27 ERA, 26.9/7.7 K%/BB%, and 10 saves in his final 21.1 IP. The stuff isn’t truly monstrous like many of the other top closers in the game, but it’s big enough with a 94.7 MPH fastball, and the slider is the true moneymaker with a .248 xwOBA and 35.7% whiff%. The cutter is a good pitch too. It’s not close to true elite closer status with true elite bat missing ability, but it’s good enough to hold down the job. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.61/1.19/60/28 saves in 65 IP
314) Ryan Walker – SFG, Closer, 30.4 – Walker started the season in the closer role, then lost it, then got it back again by default. Camilo Doval got traded and then Randy Rodriguez went down with Tommy John, so it’s back to Walker it is whether San Francisco likes it or not. Reliever volatility struck again, and after two years of elite reliever production, Walker imploded in 2025 with a 4.11 ERA and 22.6/6.8 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP. The slider just stopped missing bats with a 28% whiff% (41.9% whiff% in 2024). The 95.9 MPH sinker never missed a ton of bats, but it does keep the ball on the ground. If the slider whiffs come back, he can be elite again, but your guess is as good as mine if that is going to happen. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.42/1.18/66/25 saves in 62 IP
315) Griffin Jax – TBR, Closer Committee, 31.4 – It’s a 3 man race for the Rays closer job between Jax, Uceta, and Cleavinger, and it’s anyone’s guess who is going to get it. They can also just go full committee, which might be the most likely outcome if one doesn’t truly separate themselves. This isn’t case where none of the options are good though. All of the options are really good, which is why I’m struggling to even name a favorite. But If I had to name one, I think it would be Jax. He put up a 4.23 ERA, 3.26 xERA, and a 35%/7.4% K%/BB% in 66 IP. That is his 2nd straight year of a truly elite K/BB and the 37.3% whiff% is wildly elite. He does it on the back of a sweeper and changeup as his two most used pitches, and he put up a 46.5% whiff% on each. If the fastballs were better, I would feel more comfortable going with him, but the 97 MPH fastball put up a .424 xwOBA and the 96.5 MPH sinker wasn’t much better at .382. That is why I can’t be confident to call him the guy, but again, if I was forced to pick one to lead in saves, it would be him. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.35/1.17/89/18 saves in 65 IP
316) Christian Walker – HOU, 1B, 35.0 – The signs of decline are here. Walker was a late career breakout, and when you are a late career breakout, those prime years might be shorter than you want. The bat speed dropped 0.9 MPH to 74.1 MPH, the whiff% jumped 4.9 points to 30.5%, and the Chase% jumped 3.8 points to 28.1%. It resulted in a 99 wRC+. But it’s not all bad news. You can talk yourself into that it was just the result of a bad 1st half (.635 OPS in his first 81 games), because his 2nd half was much closer to prime Walker, slashing .264/.318/.489 with 17 homers, but the bat speed, whiffs, and 27.5/5.6 K%/BB% over that time were still in decline. He had the bat speed to spare and the big power is still here, so I don’t think he’s going to fall off a cliff, but in his age 35 year old season, I do think we have to factor in a real decline here. – 2026 Projection: 73/28/86/.240/.312/.458/2
317) Jake Burger – TEX, 1B, 30.0 – I might have been higher on Burger if he didn’t undergo wrist surgery this off-season. He hurt the wrist back in August and played through it in September, not very well. Wrist injuries scare me for hitters, and Burger has a few other things going against him as well, especially for dynasty. Most notably, he’s a below average defensive player with a very low walk rate (3.2% in 2025). Even with neutral luck, he has a career .297 OBP, and when things go wrong, like they did in 2025, it resulted in a .269 OBP. It doesn’t seem like he’s the type of player you want to keep betting on as he gets deeper into his 30’s. Texas also scared us all by demoting him coming off a rough month of April, and while they called him back up in a couple weeks, that does kinda hint at how quickly it can come apart for a player like this. But the reason I would be higher on him if he didn’t get that wrist surgery is that the underlying numbers were all basically in line with his career norms. He put up a 13.9% Barrel% with a 16.1 degree launch, 48.5% Hard Hit, and a 24.7% K%. That is going to rip a ton of dingers like he’s done his entire career. The 74.6 MPH swing is near elite. He’s a true talent 30 homer bat as long as he’s healthy and in the lineup, which could make this ranking look too low if he does indeed show the wrist is fully healed. – 2026 Projection: 67/27/78/.245/.300/.454/1
318) Otto Lopez – MIA, 2B/SS, 27.6 – Lopez was my “good enough” target last off-season at the pesky 2B, writing in his Target blurb, “Brice Turang was my “good enough” 2B target last year, as the pickings have been slim at this position, and I think that worked out just dandy for people who took that advice. This year, Otto is my “good enough” target at the position” … and first off, feeling even better about that Turang call 2 years ago ;), and while Lopez didn’t even have that good of a season, he was still the 13th best 2B on the Razzball Player Rater. I think that qualifies as a “good enough” target. And like Turang, maybe he can have a better season in 2026. He went .246/15/15, and the .271 xBA and 13.8% K% says there was some bad luck in play. 15 steals isn’t enough to really fall in love with this type of profile, but he stole 20 in 117 games in 2024, so there is more in the tank in here. I would want to aim higher at 2B, but once again, if you are desperate, you can do worse. – 2026 Projection: 76/13/68/.268/.329/.391/19
319) Marcus Semien – NYM, 2B, 35.7 – Semien is a 35 year old coming off a season where he put up an 89 wRC+ and now has two seasons in a row with a .699 OPS. The big picture says this is an aging player on the decline, but the specifics don’t paint as gloomy of a picture. His bat speed and foot speed aren’t really on the decline, and neither is anything in the underlying numbers. He put up a .318 xwOBA and has a career .315 xwOBA. He’s a contact/lift/pull guy, and he did that again in 2025 with a 19.4 degree launch, 23.8% Air Pull% and a 17.4% K%. The 35% Hard Hit% is low, but that has been his profile his entire career. At a weak 2B position, I really have no issue banking on a small bounce back in 2026. Obviously his time is running out in dynasty, but there could be another year or two of solid production in here, which is obviously what the Mets are banking on. – 2026 Projection: 81/23/74/.245/.320/.427/12
320) Sal Frelick – MIL, OF, 25.11 – Frelick had the power breakout he needed with his bat speed, EV, Hard Hit, and Lift/Pull all up two clicks, and it resulted in a breakout season with his homer totals jumping from 3 to 12, his BA jumping from .259 to .288 and his wRC+ jumping from 87 to 114. The metrics are all still well below average at the very least (27.4% Hard Hit%), so this might be the ceiling, but combined with a 13.5% K% and 28.9 ft/sec sprint, it was enough to let the contact/speed profile shine. The only problem now is that 19 steals aren’t enough to get excited about a profile like this. He only stole 18 bags in 2024, so it’s hard to expect many more. The .299 xwOBA vs. .332 wOBA also says he almost certainly got on the lucky side, because again, all of those power metrics are still pretty close to the bottom of the scale. It’s low upside and there is actually some downside here too if the xwOBA can be trusted. I can’t say he’s a big target for me but I’m not avoiding him if I need his skillset later in a draft. – 2026 Projection: 79/10/56/.273/.339/.381/21
321) Xander Bogaerts – SDP, SS, 33.3 – Xander stole a career high 20 bags … and he still finished 202nd overall on the Razzball Player in 136 games. The 11 homers, 63 Runs, 53 RBI and .263 BA were super lackluster. The .326 xwOBA is a 4 year high, and that isn’t even that good. He’s an aging, low upside fantasy player, but he’s not ancient quite yet, and the ingredients are still in here for a solid across the board season. Most notably, he gets the bat on the ball with a 17% K%, and the 39.2% Hard Hit% ain’t bad, so with a little bit of luck going his way, maybe he can still put together an impactful season. Not the type I usually go after, but I still see at least some appeal for a win now team in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 76/15/61/.272/.331/.410/18
322) Jack Leiter – TEX, RHP, 25.11 – Leiter is your classic breakout waiting room guy. We all know that every single year, we are all going to be calling for the breakout, and every single year, he will show flashes, just enough to keep us on the hook, but never actually explode. Or he’ll explode the year after you finally drop him from your team. So while I 100% see the reasons to think a big breakout is coming in 2026, I can’t quite call for it or pay up for it. The signs of the potential breakout are that he leveled up majorly from a terrible MLB debut, putting up a respectable 3.86 ERA, 1.28 ERA and 22.9/10.4 K%/BB% in 151.2 IP. He was even better in the 2nd half with a 3.34 ERA and 26.4/9.5 K%/BB%, and his final start of the season was a 10 K gem. He throws 97.2 MPH with a 107 Stuff+. I get calling for the big 2026 breakout. It makes sense. But my gut is telling me we aren’t going to get out of the breakout waiting room that easily. The 24.3% whiff% was a bit below average and none of his pitches put up an xwOBA under .305. He really hasn’t shown that he has a truly dominant pitch, and the control/command is below average. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe he does put it all together next year. He certainly has the potential for it, but I’m feeling there could be a few more years of waiting before it finally does happen in all it’s glory. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.74/1.25/176 in 170 IP
323) Colt Keith – DET, 3B/2B, 24.8 – Keith’s season played out almost exactly as I feared it would and as I predicted it would in the Torkelson target blurb (see the Tork blurb). His bat wasn’t good enough to hold the 1B job, hitting only 13 homers with a .256 BA in 468 PA. They settled on him at 3B by the end of the season, and while he wasn’t bad at the position, he still graded out as below average for both range and his arm. The bigger problem though might be that he was utterly unusable against lefties with a .403 OPS, and they almost never gave him at bats vs. them (46 PA). He was better vs lefties in 2024, but right now it seems like he’s going to be in a strict platoon role. But finally for some good news, he actually did show very real signs of a breakout coming in 2026. His EV, Hard Hit, and lift and pull were all majorly improved. He had a 9.2% Barrel%, 90 MPH EV, 13.3 degree launch, 43.7% Hard Hit%, and a 18% Air Pull%. All signs point towards him hitting a lot more than 13 homers next year, and he combines that with plenty of contact and a good approach. His .339 xwOBA was really good. There are enough negatives (defense and platooning) where I can’t act too hard on the seeds of a breakout that are so clearly there, but just like with what I said about Tork last off-season, I wouldn’t be so quick to completely give up on Keith. – 2026 Projection: 77/18/72/.268/.340/.431/4
324) Justin Steele – CHC, LHP, 30.9 – Steele underwent UCL revision surgery after the first 4 starts of the season and he’s not expected to be ready for Opening Day 2026. The timetable is still up in the air but it seems “at some point in the 1st half” is the hope. Considering he’s going to miss a good portion of 2026, and that he’s also not a big strikeout guy, I can’t say I’m going out of my way to take the “Tommy John” discount on him. You can probably blame the elbow injury, but the stuff and results were both down before getting the surgery, and with a 91+ MPH fastball, he doesn’t really have the leeway to lose too much stuff. He’s good enough and young enough to ignore, so if everyone in my leagues basically ignore him, I will be happy to scoop him for cheap, but I’m not getting in any bidding wars or anything like that. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.88/1.19/95 in 100 IP
325) Bryce Miller – SEA, RHP, 27.7 – I’m 100% in on the narrative that Miller was pitching with an injured elbow all season (loose bodies), leading to a disaster season (5.68 ERA, 5.27 xERA, and a 18.9/8.7 K%/BB% in 90.1 IP), and now with a full off-season to heal he should bounce back in 2026. I’m just questioning how high the bounce is going to be. His big year in 2024 required a lot of luck with a 2.94 ERA vs. 3.67 xERA. The 24.4% whiff% was slightly below average. I thought he was going to take an underlying numbers step forward in 2025 to match the surface stats, but I was wrong. That didn’t happen at all, and even taking the injury into account, there is really nothing but wishful thinking to say the mediocre whiff rates are who he is. I know injuries don’t only impact velocity, but especially by the end of the season, Miller’s velocity was fully back and then some, and he still wasn’t pitching well. He didn’t end up getting surgery this off-season, but either way, I would say it’s a risk the elbow inflammation could come back too. His price is deflated, so I don’t mind him at his cheaper price, but I can’t say he’s one of my guys in 2026 even expecting a bounce back. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.91/1.22/142 in 150 IP
326) Carlos Correa – MIN, SS/3B, 31.6 – It’s almost stupid how much of a guarantee it was that Correa would come alive after his trade back to Houston, and while he didn’t go full prime Correa, the 122 wRC+ in 51 games was much better than the 97 wRC+ in 93 games with Minnesota. The problem is that it came with only 6 homers and 0 steals. He’s been locked in as a super boring fantasy player for a long time now, and he’s only getting more boring with the launch bottoming out with a 7.3 degree launch. The Crawford Boxes won’t help if he doesn’t hit it there. He’s still a good real life hitter with a 19.3% K%, 45.9% Hard Hit%, and a .339 xwOBA, and the move back to Houston does kinda give him some positive juju, even if strictly looking at the ballparks it doesn’t seem like a major difference for his profile. He’s been so banged up in his career, there are some signs of decline with declining bat speed and foot speed, and the fantasy upside just isn’t in here to get me excited. He’s a boring option in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 74/20/74/.275/.342/.445/0
327) Luis Garcia – WAS, 2B, 25.11 – Garcia was on my top fades last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “ I see why one would buy into Luis Garcia. He was a talented prospect who got rushed to the majors and just had his big breakout season at 24 years old. That checks out. But personally, I’m not buying in. I would be all ears on Garcia this off-season if I can get a similarly objectively valued young breakout who I actually believe in more.” … and then in 2025 his value fell off a cliff. 2024 was in fact not a real breakout, dropping back to a 91 wRC+, and his steals dropped back too from 22 to 14. But now that his value has tanked, I really don’t mind him at all for 2026. You can argue that he did in fact back up his breakout, but he just got unlucky with a .337 xwOBA vs. .300 wOBA. The 9% Barrel%, 90.2 MPH EV, 45.8% Hard Hit%, 72.4 MPH bat speed, 9.2 degree launch, and 15.5% Air Pull% are all career bests and all built off the 2024 breakout. The extreme chase is the one thing he just can’t figure out with a 37.9% Chase%, and that alone can definitely make an entire profile play down. A bigger problem is that he isn’t good on defense, and a low OBP player with this type of moderate power profile is not one you want to bet on if they are a 1B/DH. He’s also not good vs. lefties and his Run/RBI production has been weak in his career. So while I like him more this off-season than I did last off-season relative to value, it’s still a profile I’m not loving long term. – 2026 Projection: 66/18/74/.270/.309/.430/16
328) Alec Bohm – PHI, 3B, 29.8 – Me avoiding Alec Bohm … a tradition unlike any other. Empty batting average plays are my least favorite, and as prospects, maybe they can develop more power or speed, but as established MLB vets, we know what we are getting, and what we are getting is mediocre at best. He’ll hit about .280 with 15 homers and 5 steals. He racked up 97 RBI in both 2023 and 2024, but that disappeared in 2025 with 59 RBI in 120 games. He hits it hard with a 46.5% Hard Hit%, but the lift/pull was never good, and it’s moving in the wrong direction with a 6.8 degree launch and 7.7% Air Pull%. He’s serviceable in medium sized leagues, but I like to aim higher if I can. – 2026 Projection: 66/15/79/.280/.330/.422/4
329) Brett Baty – NYM, 3B/2B, 26.5 – The Bichette signing puts the squeeze on Baty. It still looks like there is a path to full time at bats between 3B, 1B, OF, and DH, but the signing definitely puts more playing time risk on him. Just evaluating him as a hitter though, I like him. I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season by writing, “I always cautioned against his 5×5 fantasy upside, because the game power probably isn’t huge, but I always thought Baty was going to end up one of those damn good “professional” hitters, and I still think he should reach that peak” … and while I wouldn’t say he’s reached that peak quite yet, 2025 was definitely a huge step in that direction. He put up a 111 wRC+ with 18 homers and a .335 xwOBA in 130 games. The 74.8 MPH swing with a 46.9% Hard Hit% is exciting, and the plate skills are solid with a 27.3% whiff% and 24.8% Chase%. Those are the markers of a “professional hitter” that he was always destined to become. But like I warned, the 5.8 degree launch is a bit of a bummer for fantasy. One interesting upside development was that he was a perfect 8 for 8 on the bases, which is a career high, so who knows, maybe he has a weird, out of nowhere steals breakout that we’ve been seeing more and more these days. That would surely bump up the upside, and so would a rise in launch. I’m still not betting on huge fantasy upside, but I am betting on 2026 being the year Baty officially rises to that excellent real life hitter upside … if he gets the playing time. I’m not getting scared off, but I’m not going to be as aggressive as I would have been before the signing. – 2026 Projection: 68/20/74/.264/.332/.448/6
330) Ha-Seong Kim – ATL, SS, 30.6 – I was all set to call Kim is one of sneakiest win now targets in the game, but he unfortunately underwent surgery for a torn tendon in his right middle finger after falling on ice in January. Likely story hah, nah, just playing. That will keep him out until late May at the earliest, and no hand/finger injury is great for hitting. The reason I was going to call him a target is because like all shoulder surgery returnees, he came back with a supercharged new and improved shoulder, leading to a career high by far 43.3% Hard Hit% (35.4% in 2024). I might get elective shoulder surgery just to start kicking ass in my softball game. I can use the power uptick. His bat speed was also a career high 70.5 MPH (69 MPH in 2024). And he continued to lift (15.7 degree launch) and pull (26.1% Air Pull%) with tons of contact (career best 15.5% whiff%). Those are pretty damn exciting numbers right there. He didn’t run a ton with only 6 steals, but that is still about a 20 steal pace over a full season, and he picked up a calf injury his first game back, and a back injury later in the season, which likely impacted his speed. He only put up a 82 wRC+ in those 48 games, and he didn’t even debut until July coming off shoulder surgery, so the hope was to capitalize on his value being the toilet, but now with the new injury, it’s killed my enthusiasm. I wouldn’t forget about him, and maybe you can look at this as a chance to get him for even cheaper. I still don’t mind him as a super cheap target really. – 2026 Projection: 51/12/38/.253/.336/.414/16
331) Josh Jung – TEX, 3B, 28.2 – The hype of Jung’s prospect days and strong rookie year have officially worn off. He’s now in the fighting for his life stage of his career, but the good news is that Texas looks locked into giving him one more shot in 2026. Being an above average defensive 3B is a big help to getting that shot too. If we want to pick out positives from his disappointing 2025 (91 wRC+ with 14 homers in 131 games), it’s that the wrist looks healthy with an excellent 46.7% Hard Hit%, and the contact rates are improving with a 25.4% whiff% (31.9% in 2024). That is a strong combo. He’s not a huge lift/pull guy, but it’s good enough to hit for both power and average at his best. The skills are in here to go .250+/20+, which isn’t the highest upside profile, but we’ll take what we can get at this point. – 2026 Projection: 64/20/73/.256/.304/.428/5
332) Bailey Ober – MIN, RHP, 30.9 – I came into this blurb thinking I was going to be totally out on Ober after his disaster 2025 (5.11 ERA with a 19.2/5.0 K%/BB% in 146.1 IP), but I actually don’t mind him as a buy low, as long as you can really buy low. He has 3 main things going for him, which is a strong track record, still elite control, and the fact he’s still only 30 years old. He’s not ancient. Taking the big picture view, it sure seems like it was just a down/bad year, which happens. Even in good years, we always have to suffer through a few blowups with Ober, as he throws the ball over the plate a ton without monster stuff, but this year the blowups were more often. Even the 4.40 xERA shows he was somewhat unlucky. The biggest culprit for the down year was that his velocity tanked 1.5 MPH to 90.2 MPH, and he didn’t have the velocity to spare. It was even worse at the end of the season after returning from a hip injury, and he claimed he tried to pitch through that hip injury for way too long. If he can bring that velocity back up, which seems very possible, the good changeup (+4 Run Value) and sweeper (41.1% whiff%) give him two secondaries to pair with it. I don’t think the upside is very high, but I can still easily see a plus WHIP, solid mid rotation fantasy starter. I’m not targeting him, but if he falls into my lap, I won’t avoid him either. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.05/1.22/150 in 155 IP Update: Velocity is still down this spring, and while I don’t want to rule out that it could rise during the season, it’s not a good sign. I’m a big discouraged
333) Joe Musgrove – SDP, RHP, 33.4 – Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery in October and missed all of 2025. He battled arm injuries in 2023 and 2024, so in hindsight, this felt inevitable, although he was actually starting to pitch damn well in the 2nd half of 2024 before finally succumbing to the surgery. He’s a borderline case as a Tommy John discount category as he’s established with near ace upside, but he hasn’t really shown that upside in a couple years and he’ll be 33 years old when he returns. He’s someone I would want to wait to see how he looks in his first spring training outing. I wrote it in the Emmet Sheehan blurb, but the TJ returnees who looked great immediately stayed looking great and the ones who didn’t more or less stayed looking bad. So his value is going to swing majorly in March for me, before most drafts, based on how he looks. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.80/1.20/130 in 130 IP Update: Will start the year on the IL because San Diego wants to give him more time to ramp back up after so much time off. Not a great sign, but it doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal right now
334) Pablo Lopez – MIN, RHP, 30.1 – I came into this blurb thinking I would love the value on Lopez and that he would fall into the range of pitchers I love to build my staff with, but I’m actually not seeing it, especially considering his value is still pretty high with a 135 ADP. He has a career 3.81 ERA, and his ERA’s over the last 3 years have been 4.08 in 2024, 3.66 in 2023, and 3.75 in 2022. He put up a 2.74 ERA in 75.2 IP this year, but that is fool’s gold with a 4.02 xERA and 23.4/6.4 K%/BB%. His strikeout rates haven’t been all that standout either with only two years in his career with a better than 25.6% K%. The 94.5 MPH velocity is good, but it’s not great, and the pitch has only really been truly dominant by Run Value one year of his career, in 2024. None of his secondaries really rack up whiffs either. And now we can tack injury risk on top of all of this as he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for 3 months mid season, and then ended the year on the IL with a forearm injury (he’s expected to be a full go by Spring). I’m not saying I’m don’t like him at all, I’m just seeing enough holes here where I’m not sure he’s worth his still very high name value price. I’m treading carefully here. I wouldn’t feel super comfortable if he was one of my top 2 pitchers on my staff. – 2026 Projection: OUT Update: Underwent internal brace which will knock him out for all of 2026 and possibly the start of 2027 as well. He’s good enough to keep on your IL/take the TJ discount on in, but not quite good enough where I would really stick my neck out for it
335) Nolan Schanuel – LAA, 1B, 24.2 – He’s trying. I respect that he’s trying. Schaneul put in the work last off-season to raise his bat speed over 2 MPH, but it still sat at a super below average 67.5 MPH, and it only resulted in a terrible 29% Hard Hit%. He actually hit one less homer than he did in 2024 (12 homers vs. 13 homers), although he did it in 15 fewer games. He was also able to bring his K% down 4.4 points to 12.6% while raising his bat speed, which was impressive, but the .264 BA and .263 xBA is still super lackluster for this type of profile. And the final non cherry on top is that he got slower with a 26 ft/sec sprint, and he ran half as much with only 5 steals. He scored 64 Runs with 53 RBI. He’s a solid real life hitter (109 wRC+), but I’m just not seeing the path to major fantasy impact. He wasn’t my guy coming out of the draft, and he’s still not my type of guy now. – 2026 Projection: 77/15/61/.271/.358/.405/7
336) Coby Mayo – BAL, 1B, 24.4 – The Orioles hate Coby Mayo. I like him, but I mean, I get it. He’s been horrible in the majors and even with the strong finish to 2025, the underlying numbers didn’t back it up. He followed up his .098 BA and 47.8% K% in 46 PA in 2024 with a .188 BA, 5 homers and a .589 OPS in his first 59 games of 2025. He went off in his final 26 games with 6 homers and a .902 OPS, but the underlying numbers didn’t back up the surge with a 29% K%, 84.7 MPH EV, and 32.7% Hard Hit% over that time. You can’t consider that a real surge. I would trust his full season line as his current true talent level, and that level isn’t high with a .217 BA, a .687 OPS, and a .294 xwOBA. He’s not a valuable defensive player as a 1B, so the bat is going to have to really hit it’s ceiling, and he was better vs. lefties than righties. The Orioles straight buried him on their depth chart and we also are hearing zero rumors about a trade. If you are looking for hope, his 74.7 MPH swing is double plus, and so is his ability to lift and pull with a 20.7 degree launch and 26.8% Air Pull%. The 30.6% whiff% and 27.9% Chase% arent’t too bad at all. We know there is big raw power in here at 6’4”, 230 pounds. The power upside is very real with the potential to go full Kyle Stowers on us … if given the chance. But who knows when that chance comes now. – 2026 Projection: 56/24/69/.233/.317/.452/5 Update: Jordan Westburg injury opens up a spot for Mayo and he looks great this Spring. He still has to prove it in games that matter, but the opportunity gives him a bump
337) Tyson Lewis – CIN, SS, 20.3 – Tyson Lewis is the Spencer Jones of the lower minors. Or the Munataka Murakami of the United States … kinda. These are the type of players who really test your risk tolerance, and while you know I’m not scared of taking on extra risk, even I have to stop and pause for a second at these atrocious contact rates. Lewis put up a 45.8% whiff% with a 35.4% K% in 35 games at Single-A. We should write him off then, right? Well no, because his talent is just as insane in the opposite direction. He’s a physical specimen at a rock solid 6’2”, and the power/speed combo is elite with a 92.4 MPH EV, 50% Hard Hit%, and 27 steals in 81 games on the season. Even with missing the ball like half of the time, he still managed a 114 wRC+. These players are honestly impossible to evaluate, because you are inevitably going to either end up too high or too low. If he can get the contact rates into a reasonable range, a la the career path of Elly De La Cruz (who wasn’t even as bad as Lewis), we could be looking at an elite dynasty asset, but if can’t, he might barely make it out of Triple-A, or he might breakout at like 27 years old on his 3rd team. We almost have no choice but to split the difference. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/22/76/.229/.308/.435/24
338) Parker Messick – CLE, LHP, 25.5 – Messick was a named FYPD Target for me back in 2023, writing in his Target blurb, “He has a fan favorite build, delivery, and demeaner on the mound at a thick 6’0”, 225 pounds with a funky lefty delivery and excitable attitude. It’s just so fun to root for this guy. He’s honestly probably a back end starter, but if you want a fun pick, Messick is the type I would grab if he drops. I’m not sticking my neck out for him, but as the last pick if I needed a pitcher, why not.” … and my analysis of him likely being a back end starter stuck for the next 2 years, but I respect a good MLB debut, and Messick’s excellent MLB debut has me bumping up that projection. He put up a 2.72 ERA with a 23.0/3.6 K%/BB% in 39.2 IP. The most exciting part was that the low 90’s fastball/changeup combo completely transferred with the 92.8 MPH 4-seamer putting up a 29% whiff% and .262 xwOBA, while the changeup put up a .220 wOBA and 31.2% whiff%. The lesser used slider and curve didn’t miss a ton of bats, but they were good pitches that induced weak contact. I get being skeptical of this profile in the minors, but once you prove it in the majors, the skepticism should go away. He dominated Triple-A too with a 3.47 ERA and 29.1/10.3 K%/BB% in 98.2 IP. The 30.5% whiff% at Triple-A and 26% whiff% in the majors is impressive. I’m not saying he’s a top of the rotation guy now, but he’s easily leveled up to mid-rotation starter for me. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.72/1.27/160 in 160 IP
339) Hunter Barco – PIT, LHP, 25.4 – Most people have Barco pegged as a back end arm, and I mean, they very well might end up correct. It’s probably the smart bet to make, but I think there is more in there than that, and because he doesn’t really get very much love in the prospect world (both mainstream and underground), that puts him into the pitching prospect aisle I love to shop in. For one, he has that funky lefty delivery that I am an absolute sucker for, and that deception helps his entire arsenal play up. He only had a 3 inning cup of coffee at the end of the year, but in those 3 innings he proved the stuff will translate to the majors with a 33.3% whiff% on the 94 MPH sinker, a 42.9% whiff% on the splitter, and a 33.3% whiff% on the slider. That gives him weapons to get both lefties and righties out. And we all know the low velo, plus changeup lefty was all the rage this year. Barco has that profile, and maybe even a supercharged version of it. He didn’t give up a single earned run in 25.2 IP at Double-A to start the year, and then he held his own in the Triple-A is effing hard league with a 3.79 ERA and 25.4/13.0 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP. I mean, it’s arguably better than what Chandler did at the level. Just saying. Pittsburgh just traded 2 starting pitchers ahead of him on the depth chart, so while he still might not break camp in the rotation, he should find his way in eventually. Barco is one of my favorite low cost, close to the majors pitching prospects. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.98/1.29/78 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.69/1.22/167 in 160 IP
340) Luis Arraez – SFG, 1B, 29.0 – Arraez finished 172nd overall on the Razzball Player Rater. He played in 154 games. He hit .292. He stole a career high 11 bags. And he still finished that low. That in a nutshell is why hit tool only guys are just not my guys. The upside ain’t high, and the floor is lower than you think. He’s also trouble in real life, because he’s a bad defensive player and the 104 wRC+ in 2025 is barely above average. He’s been a 1 WAR player for the past 2 seasons. That just isn’t a starter, and it’s why he was only able to nab a 1 year, $12 million contract this off-season. The 3.1% K% and 5.3% whiff% are truly insane, but when it comes with a 16.7% Hard Hit%, it’s just not that impactful. Even with a full time job, you know he’s never been one of my guys. – 2026 Projection: 75/8/56/.303/.339/.410/9
341) Luis Morales – SAC, RHP, 23.7 – Okay, now I’m sweating bullets with how much I love Athletic starters. Maybe I’m missing something? No, I’m going to lean in, because they are due to get some pitching success stories, and I think they are going to get them in 2026. Morales still gets very underrated in the prospect world, and the redraft world ain’t buying either (406 NFBC ADP), so I hate to say it, but that makes him the 3rd great pitching target in this organization, and he’s neck and neck with Perkins for who I like more. Unlike Lopez and Perkins, Morales is actually young at 23. He’s also the most talented at an athletic 6’3”, 200 pounds, and he throws the hardest with a 97.3 MPH fastball. That fastball didn’t actually perform all that well in both the majors (15.3% whiff% with a .381 xwOBA), or the minors (19.9% whiff% with a .362 xwOBA), but when you throw that hard, and when you are that young, I’m betting on improvement coming in the future. And the thing that got me so excited about his MLB debut, is that the secondaries were all really good. The sweeper dominated with a 38% whiff% and .227 xwOBA. The changeup was solid with a +3 Run Value, and the lesser used slider put up a 38.7% whiff% and .239 xwOBA. It resulted in a 3.14 ERA with a 21.6/9.0 K%/BB% in 48.2 IP. That K/BB and the 4.37 xERA shows he clearly got lucky, and the 23.5% whiff% overall wasn’t impressive, but the ingredients are most certainly in here for a big breakout. He’s not there yet, and I can’t guarantee it’s going to come in 2026, but I’m betting on him long term. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.88/1.29/153 in 160 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.47/1.18/191 in 180 IP
342) Mike Burrows – HOU, RHP, 26.5 – I liked Burrows as a late, let him come to you target even before his trade to Houston, and while I like him even more in Houston, now everyone else seems to be catching on too. His change was straight elite with a +9 Run Value, 83.6 MPH EV against, and a 43.1% whiff%. It was tied for the 6th most valuable changeup in baseball, and he did it in only 96.6 IP. Having a pitch that good should not be ignored. It’s really the only thing he does well, but he has big velocity with a 95.5 MPH fastball, and his slider isn’t too bad either with a +1 Run Value. It all led to a solid 3.94 ERA and 24.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 96 IP. Houston is one of the best pitching development teams in baseball, and we’ve already heard they are tinkering with the arsenal. They obviously traded for him because they like him and maybe think they can get another level out of him. Late 20 breakouts are not that rare. Even with his likely inflated price, I like him, but I wouldn’t get into any bidding wars for him or anything. If someone really goes out of their way to get him, I will have to let him pass. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.83/1.26/148 in 150 IP
343) Jacob Lopez – SAC, LHP, 28.1 – When a guy with a low 90’s fastball proves that fastball will play against MLB hitters, I take notice, and the best part is that it consistently takes the rest of the fantasy baseball world a much longer time to notice, or at least to care about it. Lopez only throws 90.8 MPH, but the pitch dominated with a 28.6% whiff%, an 84.7 MPH EV and a .314 xwOBA. Just to give some clarity on how good of a fastball that is, you should check out the whiff leaderboard on 4-seam fastballs. It’s a whose who of the best pitchers in the game and almost no bad pitchers. The .350 wOBA and negative 1 Run Value wasn’t as good, and the pitch wasn’t as good in his small tastes of the majors before this, so I’m not saying I think his fastball is elite, I’m just saying for his current price (385th overall in NFBC), that is a huge Green Flag. It dominated at Triple-A too with a 35.8% whiff%. The slider is his best secondary with a 32.7% whiff%, 82.4 MPH EV and .251 xwOBA. He also throws a changeup and cutter which aren’t great, but the cutter was better at Triple-A and the changeup missed some bats with a 30.8% whiff%. The 28.3% whiff% overall is in the double plus range. It all led to a 3.64 xERA (4.08 ERA) with a 28.3/9.3 K%/BB% in 92.2 IP. A lot of that damage came in the final start in late August where he gave up 9 ER in 2 IP before hitting the IL with a flexor strain that ended his season, but there was a shot he could have returned, so it doesn’t seem like a major deal. I don’t think Lopez is going to explode into like Top of the Rotation starter territory because he has plenty of negatives too. The control is below average, he’s not great vs. righties, and his ballpark is terrible, but I do think he can be an impact fantasy starter, and at his current cost, he makes for a great cheap target. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.78/1.25/166 in 150 IP
344) Johan Oviedo – BOS, RHP, 28.1 – I can’t be sure Oviedo is going to crack the Opening Day rotation, but I would find it a little silly that Boston would trade for him if they didn’t view him as a starter. I have to think he is going to get a shot before kids, and just like Boston, I like him a lot. He returned from Tommy John surgery after missing the entire 2024 season, and unlike so many other Tommy John returnees, not only didn’t he look diminished, he came back a new man. He added 5 inches of induced vertical break to his fastball, and it turned into a dominant pitch with an elite 31.3% whiff%. It sits 95.5 MPH and it also comes with an elite 7.4 feet of extension from his 6’6”, 275 pound frame. The dude is a beast. He combines that with two good breakers in his slider (86.7 MPH EV against with a 27.6% whiff%) and curve (38.1% whiff%), while also mixing in a sinker and changeup. He was actually better vs. lefties (.560 OPS) than righties (.724 OPS) this year, so he doesn’t have major split issues either. It all led to a 3.57 ERA with a 24.7/13.5 K%/BB% in 40.1 IP. The control is below average, the K/BB doesn’t look great, and all of the ERA estimators (SIERA, xFIP) don’t love him either, but that is what makes him a true sleeper. Maybe less of a sleeper after the trade increased his visibility, but I still don’t see him getting a lot of respect. These days, everyone is looking at the same stuff, so if you want a real sleeper, you are going to have to find different avenues, and Oviedo is that avenue. I like him as a let him come to you at the end of the draft type target. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.79/1.28/148 in 145 IP
345) Gage Jump – SAC, LHP, 23.0 – I’m telling you, the Athletics pitching resurgence is coming, and while I can’t say Jump is a target because he’s getting valued correctly already, I’m definitely a fan. He has a super violent and funky lefty delivery that scares the crap out of me both in a good way and a bad way, but I’m not in the business of predicting pitcher injury (well, I guess I am, but I think it’s a fool’s errand), so I’m not going to be scared off by it. And from that deceptive, herky jerky delivery he fires a plus mid 90’s fastball that is a bat missing weapon, multiple bat missing breakers, and a lesser used change that is good when he goes to it. I don’t love how much his production dropped off when he got to the upper minors, putting up a 3.64 ERA with a 25.3/8.5 K%/BB% in 81.2 IP at Double-A (2.32 ERA with a 37.2/4.1 K%/BB% in 31 IP at High-A), but some of that is because they started limiting his innings with longer rest and shorter outings, which I’m sure messed with his rhythm. He looks like a potentially impact mid rotation starter, and while I hate to say it, I do think that delivery gives him some injury risk. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.18/1.32/46 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.66/1.21/163 in 160 IP
346) Owen Caissie – MIA, OF, 23.9 – The trade to Miami is exactly what Caissie needed. His path to playing time is now wide open, and even if there is a hit tool adjustment period, Miami has all the incentive to remain as patient as possible. But it’s certainly possible that patience will have to go into 2027 and beyond, because the hit tool is a major concern. It immediately got exposed in the majors with a 40.7% K% and 39.7% whiff% in 27 PA, and while it was in a super small sample and with sporadic playing time, it’s still not exactly great to see. His strikeout rates have been very high in the minors too with K rates in the high 20’s his entire career. We’ve seen hit tool risk sluggers like him need a long leash to reach their ultimate power hitting beast destiny. His power upside is worth that risk though with 22 homers, a 92.1 MPH EV, and a 53.4% Hard Hit% in 99 games at Triple-A. The 74.8 MPH swing was great to see in his debut. The dude is going to mash and I trust he will hit his ceiling one day, the only question is if it will come in 2026 or like 2028. – 2026 Projection: 61/22/69/.229/.304/.430/6 Prime Projection: 79/28/89/.248/.335/.473/7
347) Chandler Simpson – TBR, OF, 25.5 – Simpson is nightmare evaluation. Well, he’s actually an easy evaluation, but he’s a nightmare to rank. He’s an easy evaluation because he’s the most contact/speed combo guy there ever was with a 9.8% K%, .295 BA, and 44 steals in 109 games. But he’s a nightmare to rank because he’s bad on defense (negative 8.2 defensive value), he’s still bad on offense despite the BA (88 wRC+ with a .296 xwOBA), and he’s an impossible fit with the way I build my dynasty teams. I’m no rocket scientist, but being bad on both defense and offense doesn’t sound like a great combination. I don’t see how he’s not a major playing time risk. And even if he does get the playing time, he hit 0 homers with a 0.5 degree launch and a 17.3% Hard Hit%, so he’s a black hole in the power department. I don’t build my teams where I can have a literal zero in homers as an everyday player. I build my teams with power/speed combos as the core, so I generally don’t have a team of only lumbering sluggers where I’m desperate to get steals in just one or two players. If you build your teams differently, or if you inadvertently ended up a with a build where a player like Simpson makes sense, by all means stick your neck out for those steals, but if you build like me, he’s a super awkward fit. I’ve never been the guy to roster the monster steals and nothing else fantasy player. Just not my bag, and especially with playing time also being a risk, I won’t be ending up with Simpson either. – 2026 Projection: 78/2/39/.291/.328/.350/60
348) Ryan Clifford – NYM, 1B/OF, 22.8 – I was screaming from the rooftops that Clifford was a major target back in his FYPD year despite getting drafted 343rd overall in 2022, and all he’s done since entering pro ball is rake. 2025 was more of the same with him slashing .237/.356/.470 with 29 homers, 7 steals, and a 25.6/14.7 K%/BB% in 139 games in the upper minors. The power is absolutely beastly with a 93.6 MPH EV and 53.1% Hard Hit% at Triple-A. And the swing and miss isn’t really that bad with a 29% whiff%. We’ve seen these type of big sluggers with much worse whiff rates that that. He has a career .242 BA in 409 minor league games, so the batting average is definitely going to be a drag, but the bordering on elite power should more than make up for that. And keep in mind he did all of this as a mostly 21 year old last year. This dude is going to be a power hitting beast for a long time, and word on the street is that the Mets have mostly refused to include him in trade talks. They believe in this bat. It seems likely the Mets will sign someone to further clog up Clifford’s path to playing time, but if they don’t, we might see him real soon, and even if they do sign someone, he might just kick this door down anyway. I loved Clifford from his draft year, and I still love him. – 2026 Projection: 21/10/30/.218/.298/.420/1 Prime Projection: 81/33/94/.235/.330/.502/5
349) Moises Ballesteros – CHC, C, 22.5 – Ballesteros had the type of MLB debut that I love to see, just immediately proving the profile will transfer, slashing .298/.394/.474 with 2 homers, an 89.1 MPH EV, a .342 xwOBA, and a 18.2/13.6 K%/BB% in 20 games. The dude has been a precocious hitter since stepping on a pro field in the DSL in 2017, and he’s just kept on hitting every single year and at every higher level, now including the majors. This is a bat you want to bet on, regardless of the warts, but there are some concerning warts. Most notably, he’s not a good defensive catcher, putting his ultimate defensive home in question, and putting major pressure on the bat. He doesn’t lift and pull with a 0.9 degree launch and 4.4% Air Pull% in the majors (9 degree launch and 9.6% Air Pull% at AAA). He’s super slow with a bottom 17% of the league sprint. And he was bad vs lefties at AAA with a .577 OPS. If he ends up a short side of a platoon DH that doesn’t hit a ton of homers, that is super weak for fantasy. But if he plays in 120+ games with catcher eligibility and an Alejandro Kirk like offensive profile, that ain’t bad at all. I’m actually getting more discouraged by him as I’m writing this blurb and listing out his negatives but all this guy has even done is hit, so I can’t fade him too much. – 2026 Projection: 51/13/56/.269/.310/.403/2 Prime Projection: 66/18/79/.283/.334/.435/3
350) Tyler Stephenson – CIN, C, 29.8 – The good news is that Stephenson was finally able to have the big power breakout we always wanted from him at 6’3”, 225 pounds and as the 11th overall pick in the 2015 Draft, but the bad news is that he needed to tank his hit tool to do it. He put career bests in Barrel% (14.4%), EV (90.5), Launch (12.9 degrees), Hard Hit% (49.2%) and a near career high in Air Pull% (18.7%), leading to 13 homers in just 88 games. But he put up career worsts in K% (33.9%) and whiff% (30.9%), leading to a .231 BA. I love to see the attempt to unlock that game power, but the price was a heavy one. Maybe he goes back to a more balanced approach, or maybe he can actually marry the solid hit tool with the increased power, or maybe he just sticks as a low BA slugger. I can’t tell you exactly what strategy he’s going to have in 2026, but at already 29 years old, I don’t think we can bank on a true all encompassing breakout. He’s a medium to lower end fantasy option, but the game power gains give him some upside, especially in Cincy. – 2026 Projection: 58/19/66/.240/.322/.434/1
351) Dalton Rushing – LAD, C, 25.1 – 2025 was a disaster year for Rushing. All of our worst fears were confirmed with him being blocked, and instead of the Dodgers trading him, or instead of letting him destroy Triple-A, they used him as a backup catcher in the majors. Getting sporadic playing time in your MLB debut is almost always a recipe for disaster, and that disaster struck with a 37.4/6.5 K%/BB%, 35.7% whiff%, and a .582 OPS in 155 PA. I’m not just going to hand wave away all of that hit tool risk, because there was always hit tool risk, but the 35 games he got at Triple-A shows we need to have patience. He put up a 26.2% whiff% with a 21.5/17.4 K%/BB% and a 144 wRC+. The power potential is unquestionable, and he showed it in the majors with a 14% Barrel%, 90.8 MPH EV, 17.2 degree launch, 29.1% Air Pull%, and a 45.3% Hard Hit%. If he wasn’t blocked, I would rank him higher, but he’s still blocked. Ohtani, Freeman, and Will Smith aren’t going anywhere. We’ve seen a similar scenario play out with Michael Busch, and Busch did end up getting traded, but Rushing might be different. He’s a catcher and they like to rest Will Smith a lot, so they might not feel all that compelled to trade him. He’s just in a super weird spot. – 2026 Projection: 23/9/31/.229/.308/.427/1 Prime Projection: 74/28/86/.248/.331/.470/2
352) Ryan Jeffers – MIN, C, 28.10 – Jeffers is a below average defensive catcher and he’s never got more than 464 PA in a season. Minnesota signed a good backup in Caritini, so it once again looks like he’s ticketed for about 120 games. And long term, that below average defense is a concern as well. The bat on the other hand I like a lot, even coming off a down power season with only 9 homers in 119 games. That seems like a fluke to me with a 89.3 MPH EV, 42.1% Hard Hit%, 15 degree launch and 18% Air Pull%. He had a 7% HR/FB rate vs. a 15% mark in 2024 (where he hit 21 homers). He also has no hit tool risk with career bests in K% (19.6%) and whiff% (21.1%). I want to like him more, and if his defense was better I would rank him higher, but considering he’s a free agent after this year, I can’t say I’m extremely confident he’s a lock to find a full time job, although he likely will. He’s just a solid win now catcher option, which isn’t bad for how cheap he should go this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 55/18/63/.254/.335/.430/2
353) Jung Hoo Lee – SFG, OF, 27.8 – It’s very clear at this point the fantasy upside isn’t here at all with 8 homers and 10 steals in 150 games, but I do think there is a path for him to put up some impactful fantasy seasons in his late 20’s. He’s still in his adjustment period coming over from Korea, especially considering how much time he missed in 2024 due to the shoulder injury, so the expectation should be that he’s only going to get more and more comfortable. The contact rates are elite with a 11.5% K%, so there is some BA upside in years where things go right. I can see a season where he flirts with .300/15/15. That is the very high end outcome though. – 2026 Projection: 83/10/59/.277/.340/.414/12
354) Ryan O’Hearn – PIT, 1B/OF, 32.8 – O’Hearn actually hit better vs. lefties (.832 OPS) than righties (.795 OPS) in 2025, and while I still trust his much better career numbers vs. righties than lefties, it gives hope that he’s not just a platoon bat. The bigger problem for fantasy is that he’s not a big lift and pull guy with a 11.4 degree launch and 14.4% Air Pull%, so the homer totals are only solid and not great (17 homers in 144 games in 2025 was a career high). He makes up for it somewhat with a high BA (.281 BA with a .272 xBA) and strong approach (20.0/10.7 K%/BB%), but homers are king for fantasy, and without big homer totals, he’s just a solid fantasy player that is better in medium to deeper leagues. Landing in Pitt is not exactly a great spot either with one of the worst ballparks for lefty homers. He’s a low end win now bat – 2026 Projection: 74/18/68/.270/.340/.435/3
355) Matt Wallner – MIN, OF, 28.4 – The Whiff Wizard finally couldn’t work his magic in 2025. The BA tanked to .202 with a 35.5% whiff%. He was putting up mid .200’s BA’s with mid to high 30% whiff rates before last year, but it was clearly too much of a tight rope act for him to keep up. Part of that is because the Hard Hit rates dropped to 45.5%, so if he can raise that back up to career norms (48.5%), then maybe he can settle somewhere in the middle in the .220 to .230 area. That seems reasonable. And of course you are buying the homers with an extreme lift/pull profile. He jacked out 22 homers in just 104 games. He’s not guaranteed to platoon as he was pretty good vs. lefties in 2025, but he’s been bad for his career, and it’s definitely possible he is going to be in some kind of a playing time rotation. He’s your classic very low BA, high OBP slugger with platoon and BA risk. – 2026 Projection: 74/26/74/.228/.330/.475/5
356) TJ Friedl – CIN, OF, 30.8 – That 27 steal season in 2023 looks like an aberration with 9 steals in 85 games in 2024 and only 12 steals in 152 games in 2025. That just isn’t enough stolen bases to get excited about this profile. He’s a Statcast killer with contact/lift/pull/ballpark and a very low Hard Hit%, once again beating his .303 xwOBA with a .333 wOBA, but a .261 BA with 14 homers can’t make up for the lack of steals. He hits atop the lineup and scored 82 Runs, so that does bump his upside a bit, but he’s just an average across the board type. – 2026 Projection: 76/16/61/.251/.335/.405/16
357) Josh Lowe – LAA, OF, 28.2 – The dream of the repeat 20/30 season from 2023 is basically dead. He’s atrocious vs. lefties and he just put up a 79 wRC+ in 108 games with the below average .298 xwOBA to back it up. That is the 2nd year in a row with an under .300 xwOBA. He’s also not good on defense and he doesn’t get on base a ton with a 37.1% Chase%. Even the high launch is gone now with it tanking to 9.3 degrees, and he doesn’t hit the ball that hard with a 39.6% Hard Hit%. This isn’t an MLB starter, which is why the Rays gave him away, but the Angels aren’t very deep and it does seem like he has a strong side of a platoon locked down. I’m done chasing his upside though. He would need to fall into my lap. – 2026 Projection: 69/16/55/.240/.303/.415/24
358) Kody Clemens – MIN, 1B/OF/2B, 29.10 – Clemens is a super sneaky target right now. And sure, signing Josh Bell to a one year deal complicates his path to playing time, but that makes him an even sneakier target. You should now be able to get him for I think maybe completely nothing, and I’m not letting the Bell signing deter me. He can play all over the field, including the OF, and if he hits like I think he can hit, they are going to get his bat in the lineup. He had a big breakout in 2025 that didn’t fully show up in the surface stats. He put up a 12% Barrel%, 91.5 MPH EV, 48.3% Hard Hit%, 16.7 degree launch, 23.2% Air Pull%, and best of all, a 23.9% whiff%. That is an insanely exciting combination of skills. It resulted in 19 homers in just 112 games, and while it came with a .213 BA, the whiff rate and .246 xBA says that was definitely unlucky. There is an absolute beastly late career breakout lurking in here, and if we can count on anyone doing whatever it takes, absolutely whatever it takes, with his career in jeopardy coming into last year, it’s Roger Clemens son ;). But that’s none of my business, and I obviously don’t want to flippantly put that on him, so just take it as tongue in cheek. He also has multi position eligibility, particularly the tricky 2B, and he’s got some speed and will chip in with a handful of steals. I’m so in for this at his current very low price, and now probably even lower with the Bell signing. I’m shocked to say this, but he’s someone I’m going to be targeting everywhere, and while I feared his price would rise as the off-season went along, I don’t fear that anymore. Get him for free in all of your leagues – 2026 Projection: 66/24/77/.241/.314/.451/8
359) Kristian Campbell – BOS, 2B/OF, 23.9 – There is a popular saying, most famously said by John F. Kennedy, but originally attributed to Tacitus, a Roman historian, that “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” Great saying, but I think in the fantasy/prospect world, it’s the exact opposite. When you hit on a player, or when a writer hits on a player, “I” was the one who nailed that pick, but when you miss on a player, “we” were the ones who got it wrong. I try to avoid doing it because it’s something I’ve noticed a lot (well, avoid doing the “we” one, I don’t avoid victory lapping ha), and I’ve definitely been guilty of it, but with that as the backdrop, “I” definitely missed on Campbell … wait, did I just find a way to actually still blame “we” on getting it wrong while also getting the morality win on saying “I?” … did I just find the loophole? Yes, yes I did, ha, but back to Campbell’s disaster of a season, his out of nowhere monster 2024 breakout turned out to not be sustainable. I’m not going to say it was mirage, because it wasn’t a mirage, he just couldn’t keep it up. The hard hit ability, lift/pull, speed/baserunning and bat speed all took big drops. He put up a 84.1 MPH EV, 29.9% Hard Hit%, a 5 degree launch and 4 steals in 73 games at Triple-A. I’m not even sure what we are supposed to do with that? That is atrocious. He got off to a hot start to his MLB career with a .935 OPS in his first 28 games, and then it was a straight nose dive after that with a .451 OPS in his next 39 games. And like I mentioned, those underlying numbers got even scarier after he got sent down. Even with loving him last off-season, I did have one small cautious thought, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Underscoring my visual evaluation of that explosive shoulder movement is that shortly after that homer he hit the IL with a lat strain, which is right under the shoulder blades. Campbell underwent a well documented swing change and bat speed training to unlock more power last off-season, which was obviously successful beyond anybody’s wildest imagination, so let’s just hope that it’s not going to cause more injuries. That is the only small thing that is even rattling around in my brain as a negative” … maybe the swing was just too violent to truly keep up. I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but I can tell you he wasn’t the same guy he was in 2024. With below average speed, not many steals, and a low launch, I don’t see how we can be even close to excited for Campbell in 2026. Even a bounce back might only look like a solid but not standout fantasy bat, and he was so bad at 2B that he’s only being considering in the OF now. I’m scared off. – 2026 Projection: 38/10/34/.238/.312/.395/7 Prime Projection: 77/19/69/.251/.336/.429/13
360) Grant Taylor – CHW, Closer Committee, 23.10 – It was already announced that Taylor would be used out of the bullpen in 2026, and likely in a multi inning role. My guess is that he’ll mix in for some saves sometimes too, so I’ll give him the “Closer Committee” tag, but by no means should you expect him to take over the full time closer role. And while it’s easy to give Chicago shit for this decision, I actually trust them when it comes to high upside arms like this. They have a history of breaking them in in the bullpen before putting them back in the rotation, and it seems to me that is the strategy they are taking with Taylor. I also think it makes sense to let Taylor have success in the pen first, because I also foresaw some struggles ahead if they threw him into the rotation. I’m trusting Chicago here. He had some ups and downs out of the pen in 2025, but the 2.91 xERA, 4.91 ERA and 34.4/9.6 K%/BB% shows the upside clear as day. The 98.7 MPH fastball dominated with a 32.1% whiff% and .262 xwOBA. The curveball was nasty too with a 37% whiff% and .191 xwOBA (the slider was good too when he went to it). The cutter was mediocre and he didn’t use his changeup at all, so he’s likely going to have to develop those pitches if he wants to thrive if/when he does get a shot in the rotation. I would almost prefer Chicago just leave him in the bullpen to become their closer, but either way, he’s worth buying and staying patient with. The upside is high in any role. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.25/1.18/100 in 75 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.58/1.26/183 in 160 IP
361) Braden Montgomery – CHW, OF, 23.0 – Montgomery undoubtedly had a strong pro debut with a 137 wRC+ between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, and the 137 wRC+ in 34 games at Double-A checks off the upper minors production box, but there were enough warts to not fly him up rankings. For one, the K% spiked to 28.7% at Double-A and sat at 25.1% on the season, so there is very clearly hit tool risk. And the 2nd wart is that he hit only 12 homers in 121 games due to the 49.2% GB%. He smokes the ball with plus to double plus raw power, but high K rates with high groundball rates are not the best combination for fantasy. He’ll contribute in steals (14 for 21), but he’s not a burner or great base stealer, so that also isn’t going to be a major strong suit. If he doesn’t raise his launch, this profile just isn’t a standout one for fantasy. He hits the ball so hard I’m willing to give him some benefit of the doubt though, and he’s going to have no playing time problems in Chicago. – 2026 Projection: 37/11/43/.236/.302/.420/6 Prime Projection: 80/24/85/.253/.330/.452/11
362) Jett Williams – MIL, SS/OF, 22.5 – A wrist injury tanked Jett’s 2024 season, and I sensed a buy low opportunity, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, ” Lift, speed, plate approach, and sneaky pop is a potent fantasy combination, and with Williams’ injury induced down year, I’m sensing some major buy low opportunities this winter. This is an electric player, size be damned.” … So it was great to see him bounce back and prove the wrist was healthy in 2025, slashing .261/.363/.465 with 17 homers, 34 steals, and a 22.9/13.3 K%/BB% in 130 games at Double-A and Triple-A. HIs value clearly bounced back, but there is a reason I’m not flying him up the rankings to near elite prospect range. The numbers dropped off at Triple-A with a .209 BA and 81 wRC+ in 34 games despite hitting 7 homers, and while a lot of that is due to a .223 BABIP, I do think there is some signal there. He put up a 34.3% Hard Hit% with an 18 degree launch and 23.2% K%. He’s a small guy at 5’7”, and fringy power mixed with a high launch and a relatively high strikeout rate is a recipe for a low BA. If he gets to the majors and strikes out 25% of the time with mediocre hard hit rates, it might not looks as good as the minor league stats look. It shows there is real downside in the bat, but he doesn’t only lift it, he pulls in the air too, so that can overcome mediocre hard hit. And if he does have enough juice to get it over the MLB fence. the speed and OBP give him considerable fantasy upside. The trade to the Brewers doesn’t change his dynasty value too much, but I do think it’s a slight bump for opportunity long term. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/17/62/.253/.334/.427/31
363) Franklin Arias – BOS, SS, 20.4 – I’ve talked about my aversion to hit tool first players without bit tools or big power/speed combos in a few different player blurbs this off-season, and while that blew up in my face with Kevin McGonigle, I feel like I nailed it with Starlyn Caba, Angel Genao and Franklin Arias. It’s not that I hate these guys, they just aren’t the ones I fly up rankings wild crazy. I liked Arias and had him as a Top 100-ish prospect type, and he had that safety over upside season that I projected him for, slashing .278/.335/.388 with 8 homers, a 47.7% GB%, 12 steals in 21 attempts, and a 10.1/7.2 K%/BB% in 116 games at mostly High-A. The hype has definitely cooled a bit from last off-season, and the funny thing is I now see I might be slightly higher on him than other places, or at least I’m fully on board with his current value. The hit tool is a standout skill, and he’s not a light hitting nothing. He can put a sting into the ball. Keep in mind he was 19 years old at both High-A and Double-A. At the age appropriate Single-A to start the year he dominated with a .346 BA in 19 games. He’s also a strong defender at SS, so the glove will get him on the field. The power/speed combo might never be huge, but it should be good enough when combined with the hit/glove combo. I like him at his current level of hype. Really good prospect. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/17/76/.276/.332/.430/12
364) Cooper Pratt – MIL, SS, 21.8 – Pratt has a really nice mix of floor and upside. He was a 20 year old for the vast majority of the season at Double-A and he more than held his own with a 108 wRC+ in 120 games. The good glove at SS and the 15.2/12.7 K%/BB% gives him that floor. He’s not flashing major upside right now with only 8 homers, mediocre hard hit rates, and not much lift and pull, but at 6’3”, 206 pounds, there is definitely more power upside in here, both game and raw. He’s also a really good base stealer, going 31 for 36. That good glove at SS immediately gives him a leg up on playing time that a lot of the other bats in Milwaukee’s system don’t have. Joey Ortiz hasn’t exactly locked down the position and while Caleb Durbin is growing on me at 3B, I’m still not completely sold. Made and Pena will compete for open infield spots too, but I think Pratt’s glove will earn him a real shot at some point. I projected Pratt as a solid across the board type coming into the year, and that is still how I project him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/18/74/.264/.332/.438/23
365) Aiva Arquette – MIA, SS, 22.5 – Selected 7th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Arquette was the first college bat off the board, and another one wasn’t selected until 13th overall, so he’s clearly the consensus top college bat in the draft by a good margin. But not here at Imaginary Brick Wall where we like to throw caution to the wind and take a guy coming off shoulder surgery above him (Ethan Conrad). And part of that reason isn’t only that I love Ethan Conrad so much, it’s that I was underwhelmed by Arquette’s pro debut. He slashed .242/.350/.323 with 1 homer, 7 steals, and a 23.1/14.5 K%/BB% in 27 games. It’s not a big sample, but it’s not super small either. He had some hit tool risk coming out of the draft, and it popped up it’s head in pro ball. He also had some game power risk, and that popped up too with a 47.3% GB%. An advanced college bat should hopefully rip up the lower minors like Nick Kurtz did in 2024. Or like JJ Wetherholt did. Or like Cam Smith did. Or even like Christian Moore did. But having said that, part of the allure of Arquette wasn’t only the player he is today, it’s the player he can become. He’s 6’5”, 220 pounds with big time raw power, speed, and a smooth athleticism about him that certainly stands out. He looks the part and he has the tools. Good pro instruction could lead to a big breakout down the line, and Miami’s development prowess has been growing on me of late. It’s also a good sign how much he ran in pro ball, which is a nice silver lining. 15 feels low, I know, but including the Japanese vets pushes everyone down, and if you prefer the college bat to some of the arms/high school bats ranked above him, it’s completely reasonable to push him up higher than this. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/23/81/.260/.328/.450/13
366) Didier Fuentes – ATL, RHP, 20.10 – Atlanta is getting way too crazy with calling up their very talented young arms. I appreciate the aggressiveness, and I appreciate the sentiment of let’s use the bullets while these guys are still healthy, but they have taken it way too far. When I heard Fuentes was getting the call, I said it was going to be AJ Smith Shawver all over again, and it was actually much worse than Shawver with a 13.85 ERA in 13 IP over 4 outings. Then relatively soon after getting sent back down to Triple-A, his season ended in early August with shoulder inflammation. I can’t say pushing him that far was the reason for the shoulder injury, but there is a level of adrenaline that tends to flow when you are on that big league mound. On the other hand, I guess Atlanta can argue, see, we tried to get value out of him before he inevitably got hurt. So I’m not blaming them, but it’s just a thought. But onto the positives, Fuentes proved Atlanta wasn’t completely crazy for giving it a shot when he got back down to Triple-A, putting up a 3.63 ERA with a 32.6/4.5 K%/BB% in 22.1 IP. The 95.5 MPH fastball is potentially plus with bat missing ability (30% whiff% at AAA although it got crushed in the majors), and the sweeper is a plus bat missing weapon as well. The lesser used curve can miss bats too, but it gets hit hard, and the rarely used splitter needs a lot more refinement. He’s a super talented young pitcher who just got rushed. Two plus pitches with plus control can end up a top of the rotation starter, and improving his splitter is another avenue he can take to that outcome. That’s the ceiling, with maybe #2/3 a more reasonable upside projection. – 2026 Projection: 5/4.01/1.28/91 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.69/1.20/180 in 170 IP Update: He’s been electric and lights out in spring. We know he can roll through this level of competition, so I’m not giving him a huge bump for it, but I will give him a smaller one
367) Joey Cantillo – CLE, LHP, 26.3 – I can’t be certain Cantillo wins a rotation spot, but I think he is one of their best 5 starters, so my lean is that he’s going to get one, and you damn well know I’m betting on a guy who put up a 29.7% whiff% in 95.1 IP. He had a 31.1% whiff% in 38.2 IP in 2024, so it’s not an aberration. He does it on the back of his changeup with an absurd 49.4% whiff%. The surface stats were really good too with a 3.21 ERA and 26.9/10.5 K%/BB%. Some of that came in a bullpen role in the first half of the season, but he was just as good as a starter, so there is no regression necessary on the surface and underlying numbers. He’s not just the changeup, the curve is also a really good pitch with a .206 xwOBA even if it doesn’t miss a ton of bats (24.3% whiff%). The reasons to have caution are that the control is below average and his 91.7 MPH fastball can get knocked around, so those two factors heavily limit his upside, but I see the potential for a high K, mid-rotation starter here if they unleash him. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.72/1.27/161 in 145 IP
368) Jordan Walker – STL, OF, 23.10 – Walker is a cautionary tale of when bat speed targets go wrong. The man swung a 78.1 MPH bat, which was 5th fastest in baseball (minimum 50 swings), behind Giancarlo Stanton, Oneil Cruz, Junior Caminero, and Riley Adams (and one ahead of Jhonkensy Noel). Just look at that list. That thing ain’t bulletproof. Cruz was a huge disappointment, Adams put up a .560 OPS in 286 PA, and Noel fell off the face of the earth with a .480 OPS in 153 PA. And of course, Walker was almost incomprehensibly bad with a .584 OPS in 396 PA. I’ve talked about it a bunch now this off-season, but don’t overrate bat speed. I was all over it last off-season and got some major hits from it, but it wasn’t some be all, end all stat that perfectly predicted breakouts. Many players were able to increase their bat speed substantially, making it risky to assume a players current bat speed is set in stone, and there were huge power breakouts from guys who actually decreased their bat to below average levels (Michael Busch). You can swing the bat as fast as you want, but if you can’t hit, you are in trouble, and Walker can’t hit anymore. The 31.8% K% and 36.6% whiff% were career worsts, leading to a .215 BA. He chases with a 34.1% chase% and he doesn’t lift/pull with a 11.3% Air Pull%. You can have all the talent in world, and Walker does have all the talent in the world, but it doesn’t matter if you can’t hit. He’s still young and he has a 116 wRC+ season under his belt in 2023, so of course I’m not sticking a fork in him, but I’m no longer going after him. As a free flier, bottom of the roster guy, sure, but anything more than that and I’ll pass. – 2026 Projection: 63/16/69/.233/.300/.400/12
369) Jacob Melton – TBR, OF, 25.6 – Melton had the type of cover your eyes bad MLB debut that puts your patience to the test. We all knew a hit tool adjustment period was going to happen, that was almost guaranteed, but seeing it play out to the extreme was tough. He had a .157 BA with a 37.2% K% in 78 PA. He’s already 25 years old, so it’s not like he is going to get some super long leash if he can’t show improvement very quickly. So while I’m definitely scared off a bit, I’m trying to fight the urge to give up. His hit tool was actually taking a big step forward at Triple-A with a 20% K% and 20.7% whiff%. Those numbers are really strong, albeit in only 35 games. He also showed off his very real upside at Triple-A with a 92.6 MPH EV, 57.9% Hard Hit%, 14 degree launch and 21.6% Air Pull%. It resulted in 6 homers, 12 steals (29 ft/sec sprint), and a 141 wRC+. No matter how old he is, we have to have some patience for him to adjust to MLB pitching. Just be prepared that we might be looking at more of a 27 year old breakout type where he spends the next few seasons figuring it out as a part time player, which can be hard to roster in many dynasty leagues. I don’t think the trade to Tampa drastically changes his value, as both teams have about the same short and long term opportunity in their OF, but it’s still nice to see a smart team like Tampa target him. – 2026 Projection: 50/12/50/.225/.295/.404/19 Prime Projection: 77/19/71/.246/.318/.439/26
370) AJ Puk – ARI, Closer Committee, 30.11 – Arizona’s bullpen is horrific, so they are clearly just waiting on Puk and Justin Martinez to return from Tommy John surgery. Both of them got the surgery in June, which puts the 2nd half of 2026 as their best case return date, and at worst, their 2026 will be more or less wiped out. But long term, they are still the guys there assuming full health. Puk only made it 8 innings in 2025 and those 8 innings were glorious with a 3.38 ERA and 34.3/5.7 K%/BB%. The 96.4 MPH fastball and plus slider were whiff machines. He’s an elite reliever assuming full health, and better than Justin Martinez, but along with injury risk, there is still risk he ends up in a committee rather than taking the job outright. – 2026 Projection: 2/3.45/1.22/29/10 saves in 25 IP
371) Justin Sterner – SAC, Closer Committee, 29.7 – The Athletics bullpen is wide open, and while I hope that Jack Perkins takes ahold of that closer’s job and stays in the pen, who knows if that is their plan for him. And if it’s not, I’ll bet on the guy who pitched the best in 2025, and that guy was Sterner. He put up a 3.19 ERA with a 26.3/7.9 K%/BB% in 65 IP. The 4-seamer only sits 93.5 MPH but it’s a good pitch with a 24.7% whiff% and .312 xwOBA. The cutter is another good pitch with a .312 xwOBA and it’s a bat misser with a 33.3% whiff%. And the sweeper is his least used pitch, but it dominates with a .164 xwOBA and 46.4% whiff%. His 30.8% whiff% with a 7.9% BB% is a great combo. I don’t see how he’s not the heavy favorite for the job, and that makes him my top underrated closer target. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.45/1.15/72/20 saves in 65 IP
372) Jaxon Wiggins – CHC, RHP, 24.6 – A pitching prospect like Wiggins is why you don’t have to pay up for the already extremely expensive, universally highly ranked elite pitching prospects, and also why you don’t have to dip into the hyped teenage lottery ticket bucket of pitching prospects. Every year there are quite a few truly beastly, huge stuff, huge upside, huge K rate pitching prospects who are in the upper minors and who don’t get all that much hype where you are going to have to pay up majorly for them in an off-season prospect draft. And if a few of them go earlier than you think, there are plenty more to choose from. I talked about this “flaw” in prospect rankings in an earlier team report, and Wiggins highlights this perfectly. He’s 6’6” with a double plus upper 90’s fastball that has good shape and misses a ton of bats. He combines the heat with a plus, bat missing slider, and the lesser used changeup is a really good pitch too when he goes to it. It resulted in a 2.19 ERA with a 31.0/11.5 K%/BB% in 78 IP at mostly Double-A. Sure there is risk, which we will get to, but every pitching prospect has risk. I would much rather take the inherent risk of a pitching prospect later in the draft than passing up elite hitting prospects for an already hyped to death pitching prospect earlier in the draft. The risk is that he has below average control, he needs to keep working on the changeup, and there is injury risk too, as 78 IP is his career high (he missed time with a shoulder injury this year). But he’s the type to get the redraft guys in a tizzy when they finally discover who he is in spring training, and ponder why this guy didn’t get more prospect hype. Wiggins is one of the top pitching prospect targets this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.89/1.31/83 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.55/1.22/170 in 150 IP
373) Noah Schultz – CHW, LHP, 22.8 – Schultz had pretty damn bad season with a 4.68 ERA and 23.2/13.8 K%/BB% in 73 IP at Double-A and Triple-A, but sometimes you just gotta keep betting on the talent, and that goes tenfold for pitchers. And Schultz still very clearly has that elite talent at 6’10” with 2 mid 90’s fastballs, a wipeout slider, a lesser used, but really good changeup, and also a cutter and curve. The arsenal has so much bat missing potential. The big velocity and diverse pitch mix are there. His control took a concerning step back, but some of that can be attributed to knee tendinitis that he suffered through throughout the season. I honestly don’t want to give too much credit for that knee injury, as it’s not great that he had a bad knee, and it’s also not great he fell apart so much because of it, but it’s something to point to. Bottom line for me is that this is still just a unique talent that I don’t want to jump ship at the first sign of struggle. I’m betting on bounce back 2026. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.20/1.36/72 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.68/1.24/188 in 170 IP
374) Caden Scarborough – TEX, RHP, 21.0 – Scarborough is one of my favorite targets in the underrated pitching prospect aisle I love to shop in. There are so many to choose from, and it’s going to be hard to figure out which ones to grab, but he’s one I’m definitely circling extra hard. He’s an athletic 6’5” with a mid to upper 90’s fastball that has big extension and a low release height. The sweeper is a double plus pitch that is a bat missing machine, and the lesser used splitter is good when he goes to it and has the potential to become a plus pitch too. It all resulted in a 2.45 ERA with a 33.2/6.1 K%/BB% in 88 IP at mostly Single-A, and he was even more dominant at High-A at the end of the season with a 0.00 ERA and 38.8/4.1 K%/BB% in 13 IP. Size, control, stuff, velocity, bat missing secondaries, production … and he was just barely 20 years old last year. He’s a baby in terms of pitching development with so much more refinement coming. Scarborough is a major target. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 13/3.56/1.17/180 in 170 IP
375) Jack Perkins – SAC, RHP, 26.4 – It worries me a bit about how much I like a lot of Sacramento’s “young” starters (Lopez and Perkins), as they aren’t even that young, they are far from flawless, both ended the season hurt, and they are in a terrible ballpark for at least 2 more years, but I mean, when the price is sooooo cheap, I just can’t help but be drawn in by that bat missing ability. Perkins is going 527th in NFBC, and while his price will be higher in Dynasty, he is not getting very much hype there either. He’s more of a target than Lopez for me, because not only does he have that bat missing ability, but he also has the stuff to back it up. He put up a 32.2% whiff% in 38.2 IP, which is elite, and the 96 MPH fastball and 105 Stuff+ is no joke. The sweeper might be a near elite pitch with a .204 xwOBA and 38% whiff%. The changeup is insane when he goes to it with a 10.4% usage, .079 xwOBA and 58.6% whiff%. The fastball gets hit harder than you want with a .377 xwOBA, but it misses bats with a 25.2% whiff%, and he also mixes in a solid cutter. The performance of all of those pitches in the majors were backed up with similar numbers at Triple-A. He put up a 38.4% K% at Triple-A, which is nuts. It only resulted in a 4.19 ERA (3.69 xERA) with a 23.0/11.2 K%/BB% in the majors, but that strikeout rate is so clearly not his true talent level. The below average control is his true talent level, which is the biggest problem, and so is the shoulder strain that ended his season in late August. His role is also up in the air for 2026, but my stance is that I’m betting on the player and letting it work itself out. If he becomes their closer, I would sign up for that right now, which is definitely a possibility. Perkins is a definite target. – 2026 Projection: 7/3.71/1.24/133 in 120 IP
376) TJ Nichols – TBR, RHP, 23.10 – Nichols is yet another pitcher in the pitching prospect aisle I love to shop in. There are almost too many good options in this bucket this year. It’s so overflowing that it’s going to be hard to choose which ones to actually take, but Nichols should not get lost in that shuffle. He checks so many boxes. He’s a still projectable, pretty skinny 6’5”, he throws mid 90’s, the control/command is plus, he has two good secondaries in his slider and changeup, he has upper minors production, and he has a great organization. What isn’t there to like? He put up a 2.90 ERA with a 29.8/5.7 K%/BB% in 133.2 IP at mostly High-A, but he was even better at Double-A with a 0.97 ERA with a 28.0/6.8 K%/BB% in 37 IP. Once he proved it at Double-A, there was really very little left to doubt. He doesn’t have the outward electricity that Hopkins has as his pitches don’t move all over the place, but the pitchability and control/command is much better. It’s a coin flip on who I like better between the two, with Hopkins getting the upside edge and Nichols taking the safety edge. Both are Top 100 Prospects. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.78/1.23/160 in 160 IP
377) Brody Hopkins – TBR, RHP, 24.2 – There are very few pitchers in the minor leagues who jump off the screen like Brody Hopkins. Electricity isn’t an official tool, but if it was, it would be 80 grade electricity here. The stuff is pure filth, dashing and diving in every direction. He’s uncut nastiness with two mid to upper 90’s fastballs in his 4-seamer and sinker, to go along with a whiff machine sweeper, a plus changeup vs. lefties, and he’ll mix in a curve and a cutter. He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with an athletic and funky 3-quarter arm slot delivery that gets good extension. It all led to a 2.72 ERA with a 28.7/12.2 K%/BB% in 116 IP at Double-A. As you can see by that walk rate, the stuff is almost too nasty for his own good. It doesn’t seem like he really knows where it is going. I’m sure Tampa will use the strategy of just throwing everything to the same spot and letting the stuff and nastiness do the rest, but it seems hard to believe this will be anything but below average control for the foreseeable future. That gives him very real bullpen risk, but he could make for a nasty reliever, and I’m not giving up on him as a starter at all. The pitch mix is there. It’s the right organization to bet on. And the electricity is just too much to ignore. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.28/1.37/37 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.73/1.28/171 in 155 IP
378) Elmer Rodriguez Cruz – NYY, RHP, 22.8 – Don’t call it a breakout. Just look at Cruz’ career minor league stats. He put up a 1.88 ERA in 38.1 IP in 2022, a 2.60 ERA in 55.1 IP in 2023, a 2.91 ERA in 89.2 IP in 2024, and now a 2.58 ERA in 150 IP in 2025. Just because nobody seemed to notice all that much or care all that much, doesn’t mean Cruz hasn’t been dominating professional baseball for 4 seasons now. And this year he was able to continue the dominance in the upper minors with a 2.64 ERA and 30.3/8.2 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP at Double-A. He has the talent to back up the excellent production with size (6’3”), velocity (95+ MPH heat), pitch mix (he threw a 4-seamer, sinker, curve, change, cutter, and probably his best secondary, the slider, in his one start at Triple-A to end the season), and bat missing ability. That is a lot of boxes to check. The control/command took a step forward in 2025, but it’s still on the below average side. I wouldn’t put top of the rotation upside on him, but maybe that is just the continuation of the underrating he’s gone through his entire career. An impact mid-rotation starter wouldn’t be a bad outcome though, and that deserves a spot in the Top 100-ish Prospects. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.07/1.31/62 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.68/1.22/175 in 175 IP
379) Troy Melton – DET, RHP, 25.4 – Melton cracked my Top 1,000 last off-season, writing, “Melton put up a 5.10 ERA in 100.2 IP at Double-A, but the 27.2/7.0 K%/BB% ad 3.14 xFIP is much more indicative of how he really pitched. He’s a big guy at 6’4”, 210 pounds with a decently athletic delivery, a mid 90’s fastball, and a starters pitch mix. It might not be the highest upside, but he’s a rock solid pitching prospect who is definitely on the underrated side.” … and then I went ahead and underrated him anyway at #1,014, ha, but at least he made the list, and then he went out and showed in 2025 that he was most certainly on the underrated side with a 2.99 ERA and 32.4/6.4 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. It earned him a call to the majors, and he pitched well there too with a 2.76 ERA, 3.72 xERA, and 20.0/8.3 K%/BB% in 45 IP over 16 outings. He thrived with the heavily used 97.1 MPH fastball that dominated MLB hitters with an elite 29.7% whiff% and .299 xwOBA. The slider was really good too with a 29.3% whiff% (47.2% whiff% at AAA) and a +4 Run Value. He also mixed in a sinker, cutter, splitter and curve. The Framber signing is a road block to getting into the rotation, but it’s not stopping me from really liking him long term. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.77/1.24/97 in 100 IP Update: Out with arm soreness that doesn’t seem overly serious, but it’s still not great
380) Tyler Bremner – LAA, RHP, 21.11 – With maybe the biggest surprise pick in the draft, the Angels selected Tyler Bremner 2nd overall as the first pitcher off the board, and they aren’t exactly the franchise to trust when they make weird picks, so I’m not inclined to chase his draft slot. He’s also entering a situation that is the MLB version of a rookie QB getting drafted to a bad team with a terrible O-Line. The Angels defense is cover your eyes horrific with a dead last by a mile negative 54 Outs Above Average. It’s a nightmare waiting to happen, except Bremner doesn’t have to get crushed by 250+ pounders on every other play, so there is that I guess. Having said that, evaluating him in a team neutral context, Bremner was considered 1B to Arnold’s 1A before the season, and while he scuffled to start the year, he finished it strong with 74 strikeouts in his last 43.1 IP. His best pitch is a filthy double plus changeup, which he combines with plus mid 90’s heat and an average-ish slider. It resulted in a 3.49 ERA with a 35.8/6.1 K%/BB% in 77.1 IP, and like I said, he was even more fire in the 2nd half. If the breaking ball can improve in pro ball, there is #2 starter upside, but right now, mid rotation upside is looking like the safer bet, and the team context is horrific. Bremner is not someone I’m planning to get very much of this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.19/1.36/56 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.69/1.22/185 in 175 IP
381) Kyson Witherspoon – BOS, RHP, 21.8 – Selected 15th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6’2”, 205 pound Witherspoon might have the most visually explosive arm action in the class, and it’s weird too. You know I love me some weirdness in a pitcher’s delivery, and Witherspoon has that with a jerky, quick, short and very explosive arm. The delivery itself is very smooth and athletic though, and it all adds up to a deep and explosive arsenal. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s, the potentially plus slider is his best secondary, and the hard, upper 80’s changeup has the potential to be a nasty pitch with further refinement. He also throws a cutter and curve. It led to a 2.65 ERA with a 31.8/5.9 K%/BB% in 95 IP in the SEC. He hasn’t quite flashed the type of strikeout upside that the pitchers ranked above him have because the fastball doesn’t miss as many bats as you would think, but the stuff looks as nasty as anyone’s to me. He’s really exciting and there is easily impact fantasy starter potential in here. If you are in a league where a #3 starter has a lot of value, or if you really need the win now arm, push him up. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection:12/3.71/1.19/182 in 180 IP
382) Gage Wood – PHI, RHP, 22.4 – I’m apt to think that Wood should be considered right with that top consensus group of starters, even though he dropped to 26th overall in the draft. I guess for real life, it makes sense to factor in more of the risk, but for the vast majority of fantasy leagues, it’s about that upside, and his upside is as high as any college pitcher in the draft. This was his first year starting, and he hurt his shoulder after his 2nd outing, which is where the risk comes in, but he made it back in time to show off his ridiculous upside. He put up a 3.86 ERA with a 46.0%/4.7 K%/BB% in 37.2 IP, and he closed out the season by pitching a no hitter with 19 strikeouts in the College World Series. The mid to upper 90’s fastball is an elite bat missing weapon which he combines with a plus curve. He also mixes in a slider and change which are good pitches in their own right. If he had stayed healthy all season, there in no way he falls to the end of the first round. I’m buying whatever discount I can get here. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.69/1.21/175 in 160 IP
383) Casey Mize – DET, RHP, 28.11 – Casey Mize felt just about as can’t miss of a pitching prospect as you can get after getting selected 1st overall in 2018, and well, he missed. But like soooooooo many young pitchers, it just took 5 years for the breakout to finally come, and it came somewhat in 2025 with a 3.87 ERA, 3.69 xERA, and a 22.2/5.7 K%/BB% in 149 IP. He’s firmly establishing that his control/command is double plus, and his 24.1% whiff% was a career high and is creeping up to average. Double plus control with about average whiffs is a profile that can certainly work, but unfortunately, I’m still not seeing the big upside. The famed splitter, while putting up a good 33.2% whiff%, still wasn’t a good pitch with a negative 11 Run Value. The 94.6 MPH fastball is about average. The slider was his best performing pitch with a +5 Run Value, but it only had a 19.5% whiff%, so the pitch can only be so good. And finally he threw the slurve a lot more, and that pitch has real potential with a .221 xwOBA and 28.9% whiff%. With the double plus control, there are enough ingredients in here to be solid again, but I don’t see the signs of another major leveling up. We have to be happy with where he is. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.83/1.25/150 in 160 IP
384) CJ Kayfus – CLE, 1B/OF, 24.5 – I was initially super disappointed in Kayfus’ MLB debut, but the more I dig in and really think about it, it’s been growing on me. The disappointment stemmed from the below average 71.1 MPH swing, mediocre 36.8% Hard Hit%, and terrible 35.7% whiff%, but all of those numbers were improving as he got more comfortable. He put up a .585 OPS in August vs. a .888 OPS in September, so that improvement showed up in the surface stats too. The Hard Hit% rose to 44.4%, which is more in line with what he did at Triple-A (47.7%), and while the bat speed and whiffs didn’t improve a ton, it was headed in the right direction. Michael Busch and Kyle Manzardo taught us that bat speed ain’t everything. You can have a big power breakout by actually decreasing your bat speed to even more below average levels, so I don’t want to get too hung up on it, especially when Kayfus’s swing is so damn sweet and super short too. The 27.7% whiff% at Triple-A isn’t bad at all, he lifts and pulls a ton, and he’s a good athlete with a 27.6 ft/sec sprint. A 96 wRC+ in your first 138 PA in the majors is actually pretty solid, especially coming off his destruction of the upper minors (151 wRC+ in 86 games), and xwOBA says he was unlucky with a .324 xwOBA vs. .306 wOBA. He has some defensive versality with the ability to play 1B and OF, giving him a few avenues to get his bat in the lineup. I still really, really like this bat. Maybe he’s not a superstar, but his looks like an impact MLB bat to me. – 2026 Projection: 36/11/43/.245/.323/.438/3 Prime Projection: 77/26/84/.258/.339/.456/8 Update: Hoskins signing seems to push Kayfus out of a role to start the season, but I still like the bat long term
385) Hagen Smith – CHW, LHP, 22.7 – Smith put up a 17.6% BB% in 75.2 IP at Double-A. That is such a wildly bad BB% that you can’t even just say he has control risk and move on. You really need to hammer home how terrible that is, and it’s not in a super small sample and it wasn’t getting better as the year went along (6 walks in 4 IP in his last outing). It was better in the AFL with a 10.5% BB% in 14 IP, so there is some relief there, but it’s not much. That walk rate is extreme enough where I have to think the chances he ends up in the bullpen are very high, but the good news is that he can be an elite closer if that is where he ends up. The mid 90’s fastball/slider combo is plus to double plus with elite bat missing ability. Even with that walk rate he put up a 3.69 ERA with a 33.9% K% (2.57 ERA with a 36.8% K% in the AFL). Another reason he’s likely to end up in the bullpen is because he still has to improve his below changeup. There is upside for a high K, mid rotation starter if he can improve his walk rates and develop a third pitch, but handing him the closer role just looks so juicy. – 2026 Projection: 2/3.71/1.31/33/2 saves in 25 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.28/1.13/85/33 saves in 61 IP
386) Kenley Jansen – DET, Closer Committee, 38.6 – Jansen signed a 1 year, $11 million contract with Detroit, and while they announced they are going with a committee approach, you have to think Jansen is going to see the majority of save chances. He’s old and on the decline, so it’s possible he’s just not good enough to hold the job, but assuming no further decline, he still got the job done in 2025 with a 2.59 ERA and 24.4/8.1 K%/BB% in 59 IP. That K/BB and K% are career lows by far, and the 3.74 xERA was not nearly as good as the ERA. Like I said, it’s possible he slips out of the job just based on continued decline. He throws a 92.8 MPH cutter 81.4% of the time and it’s an excellent pitch with a +13 Run Value. I trust the savvy vet to stay effective probably until the day he decides to hang up the cleats, but he’s now in the low end closer bucket, especially for dynasty. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.51/1.13/60/28 saves in 60 IP
387) Kirby Yates – LAA, Closer Committee, 39.0 – Yates is 39 years old and started showing his age in 2025. He was limited to 41.1 IP due to back and hamstring injuries. The fastball was down to 92.8 MPH, and the results were down too with a 5.23 ERA, 4.22 xERA, and 29.1/10.1 K%/BB%. The 35.3% whiff% was actually a 4 year high on the back of both his 4-seamer and splitter, so he didn’t fall off a cliff or anything, but it’s hard not to factor in continued decline here. On the other hand, if Stephenson can’t healthy and/or isn’t good, there still seems to be enough in the tank for Yates to win the closer job and possibly thrive. You can’t count him completely out yet. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.60/1.19/74/24 saves in 58 IP Update: Stephenson got hurt again and now looks to be in the pole position for saves
388) Giancarlo Stanton – NYY, OF, 36.5 – Double tennis elbow. 35 years old. Doesn’t matter. Stanton is one of the all time true beasts of the game, jacking out 24 homers in just 77 games. That is like a 50 homer pace in a full season, but that is the problem, banking on a full season is a bad bet. He hasn’t played a full season since 2018. You know the power metrics. It might be the fastest bat we’ve ever seen with a 80.6 MPH swing and it’s utter destruction with a 94.4 MPH EV. Along with injuries and age, the hit tool risk is very real too with a career worst 34.2% K% and 37.4% whiff%. Expect a low BA slugger who plays in about 100 games. – 2026 Projection: 51/25/76/.239/.315/.478/0
389) Marcell Ozuna – PIT, DH, 35.5 – Ozuna played through a tear in his hip in 2025, so we know why he had the down season (114 wRC+), but at 35 years old, I’m not sure we can just expect some perfect bill of health. This might have triggered his decline. Even with the bad hip he still put up a .354 xwOBA, and he’s coming off two years in a row with a nearly elite xwOBA. So even a small bounce back health wise could result in another big power season. Pitt is the worst ballpark for righty homers, and while Ozuna clearly has the power for any ballpark, it’s still not great. – 2026 Projection: 66/24/77/.248/.329/.451/0
390) Brady House – WSH, 3B, 22.10 – House had one positive in his MLB debut, and that positive is that he hit the ball very hard with a 46.3% Hard Hit%, but that was literally the only positive offensively. He put up a 56 wRC+ with 4 homers, a 5.8 degree launch, 5 steals, and a 28.5/2.9 K%/BB% in 73 games. He hit well at Triple-A with a 127 wRC+ in 65 games, but everything that plagued him in the majors was also bad at Triple-A, which is not a great sign to say to some major improvement is coming quickly. He started the season as a 21 year old, so of course there should be improvements coming all around from the struggle street rookie year, and his above average 3B glove should give him leash, but the indicators we want to see for big fantasy upside aren’t in here other than hard hit. Poor contact, poor approach, doesn’t lift/pull, doesn’t run … even a future breakout may result in a solid fantasy player rather than a standout one. – 2026 Projection: 59/15/67/.246/.294/.398/5 Prime Projection: 74/22/81/.263/.317/.432/7
391) Jhostynxon Garcia – PIT, OF, 23.4 – Now that Garcia isn’t as blocked as he was in Boston, I kinda feel like one of those videos where the dogs are barking like crazy and acting all tough behind a closed gate, but once the gate opens, they immediately calm down and do nothing. Let me at em, let me at em, let me at em … oh wait, let’s think this thing through for a second hah … and the thing I’m thinking through is that the underlying numbers at Triple-A were pretty damn lackluster. An 86.4 MPH EV, 34.6% Hard Hit%, 34.2% whiff%, and 26.8/9.2 K%/BB% is actually pretty bad. He only stole 7 bags in 114 games. I’m excited by the 75 MPH swing he showed in his cup of coffee in the majors, but that was a very small sample (just 14 swings), so considering he also had a 50% whiff%, I kinda doubt it is going to be that high for a full season. Regardless, it’s exciting that he swings such a quick bat. But if this is a low BA, good but not great power bat with only a handful of steals, it’s not like that is a world beater profile. The Pirates are also the single worst park for righty homers by far with a 68 (Statcast, 3 year rolling average). I can’t lie to you, I just don’t see myself really sticking my neck out for this. If I already owned him, this trade is awesome, because he’s going to get his shot, but if I didn’t own him, I can’t say he’s a particular target for me this off-season. I was all over his breakout when his price was dirt cheap, but I don’t think I’m buying on the high side right now. – 2026 Projection: 39/12/45/.230/.297/.419/5 Prime Projection: 73/25/83/.248/.322/.456/8
392) Jacob Reimer – NYM, 3B, 22.1 – I absolutely nailed my deep sleeper target section of the 2022 MLB Draft/2023 FYPD Ranks. I grouped Jacob Reimer, Alex Freeland, Luke Adams, and Nacho Alvarez into a “deep sleeper target” tier after all of them showed things to like in their small sample pro debuts. Ignore the small sample debuts at your own risk, because I’ve been doing this a long time now, and I’ve found you get a lot more right than you do wrong when you give proper value to a pro debut, even in a small sample. None of them have done anything in the majors yet, granted, but with super deep FYPD picks like that, even turning into a solid trade chips is a big win. Reimer’s breakout might not have come immediately, taking a few years, but it came in a very loud way in 2025. He slashed .282/.379/.491 with 17 homers, 15 steals, and a 21.5/11.1 K%/BB% in 122 games split evenly between High-A (163 wRC+) and Double-A (150 wRC+). He’s always had a good approach and he’s always hit the ball hard, so the breakout came on the back of much improved lift and pull. There is now a potent hit/approach/power profile in here. The biggest issue is that he’s kinda shaky at 3B, and if he can’t stick at the position, that puts so much more pressure on the bat. It calls into question exactly how clean his path to playing time will be. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up as trade bait. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/23/79/.267/.342/.447/8
393) Michael Arroyo – SEA, 2B, 21.5 – I’m a little nervous that Arroyo has the type of profile that will play down in Seattle. We might have gotten a glimpse of that when he went from Seattle’s hitter haven ballpark to High-A, to their pitcher’s park at Double-A. He hit 15 homers in 65 games at High-A vs. 2 homers in 56 games at Double-A. He’s got legit juice in his bat and he hits it hard, but at 5’10”, I doubt he’s going to be a ballpark proof type guy. He’s also not a particularly great athlete or base stealer (12 for 17 on the bases in 121 games), and he’s not a good defensive 2B. Seattle has already said they are moving him into the outfield, and the competition for a starting OF job is tougher than the competition at 2B. I can actually see him as a good trade candidate, and that would be perfect for everyone involved, because Arroyo definitely has offensive potential. He put up a 153 wRC+ at High-A and a 123 wRC+ at Double-A as a 20 year old. The plate skills have always been good with a 18.7/12.4 K%/BB% and he can lift and pull. In the right ballpark and on the right team to give him the opportunity, he can certainly be an impact hitter. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/23/76/.262/.331/.441/11
394) Juan Sanchez – TOR, SS/3B, 18.6 – With the dynasty/prospect community continuing to grow (which I genuinely love to see, I’m a firm believer in a rising tide lifts all boats), it’s harder than ever to truly find complete unknown prospects to tout that have legitimate upside. It’s just fun to find that guy who truly doesn’t have a whisper of hype. Back when I first started writing in 2015/16, it was much easier. People’s heads would explode if you found a good prospect who wasn’t in the mainstream Top 100’s. But it can still be done, and mostly it can be done in the DSL. I gave you Josue De Paula when he was a complete unknown. I gave you Jouse Briceno when he was a complete unknown, and this season, I gave you Juan Sanchez when he was a complete unknown. I wrote him up in early July in the Rundowns, writing, “This man is a ghost … but a ghost who is a power hitting machine with 4 homers in 25 games. He lifts and pulls with a 39.4% GB% and 58.2% Pull%. He’s also slashing .312/.418/.516 with a 21.8/10.9 K%/BB%. While the video is sparse to non existent, we know this is a big powerful kid who got paid, and is now backing up that that million with power hitting performance. I’m apt to buy now in deeper leagues and ask questions later.” … I then put him into my July Top 300 Rankings at #244, writing, “He’s quickly becoming one of the more exciting prospects in the DSL.” … and then Josh Norris of BA actually got boots on the ground in the Dominican Republic and returned a conquering hero with word (and video) of Juan Sanchez’ legend. In short, dude is legit with both the scouts and numbers to back him up. I hope you took my advice to buy now and ask questions later, because now that the questions have been answered, the hype is through the roof already. He ended the season slashing .341/.439/.585 with 8 homers, 4 steals, and a 17.4/10.3 K%/BB% in 56 games. The righty swing is quick and powerful, he hits it hard, and the plate skills are strong. He’s the Emil Morales to Josuar Gonzalez’ Jesus Made of the 2025 DSL class. He’s a definite target this off-season as long as the price doesn’t get too nutty in your league, which I don’t think it will in most leagues. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 84/28/94/.267/.340/.481/7
395) Braylon Payne – MIL, OF, 19.8 – Payne was one of my favorite FYPD Targets last off-season, and he by no means had a bad season with a 113 wRC+ in 77 games at Single-A, but I can’t deny he is still more raw than optimal. He was considered raw coming out of the draft, and I noted that if you were sick of hearing about how every lefty has a “sweet lefty swing,” just watch Payne’s choppy and slappy swing, and that rawness is still evident when you watch him. It also showed up in his numbers with a 30.1% K% and 50.3% GB%. That is not a combo I love. Milwaukee still has a lot of work to do to truly tap into his upside, but that upside is no joke. Remember that he was only 18 years old for basically all of the season, so some of that rawness can be forgiven right off the bat. He’s a projectable 6’2” and he’s already hitting the ball really hard, resulting in 8 homers in 77 games despite the high groundball rate. The 51.1% Pull% shows he can certainly turn on pitches. And he’s a speed demon with 31 steals. If Milwaukee can continue to refine his swing and his game, the payoff could be huge, but it’s also possible we are looking at more of a mid 20’s breakout type. I still like him a lot, but I can’t say I’m exactly targeting him again this off-season. He’s a hold. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 81/18/67/.248/.325/.436/26
396) Brock Wilken – MIL, 3B, 23.10 – Milwaukee has played Wilken at only 3B in his career. They selected Wilken 18th overall in 2023. They just traded Durbin and have 3B wide open (who knows if another move is coming though). If we are reading the tea leaves, it sure seems like they believe he can stick at 3B. Luke Adams, a similar fringy 3B type, has been given a ton of run at 1B in his career and particularly this year, so that shows me how Milwaukee handles someone who they don’t actually believe in. They at the very least still have hope that Wilken can stick at 3B, and that is a big deal for his fantasy value, because the path to playing time is so much clearer at 3B than it is at 1B. And if he can get into the lineup, the dude is going to hit tons of dingers. He hit 18 homers in 79 games at Double-A. His profile is a super easy one to evaluate as a low BA, high OBP slugger (27.0/20.1 K%/BB% with a .226 BA and .387 OBP). He’s had just about the worst injury luck you could have though. He got hit by a pitch in the face in 2024, sustaining multiple fractures and needing surgery, and then in 2025 he dislocated his knee cap during a celebration. He struggled in the last 16 games of the season after he returned. Hard to guess at how bad the injury was, but any injury to the knee isn’t exactly great. It tacks on a bit of risk for me, and so does the hit tool and so does the defense, but power conquers all, and Wilken has that. – 2026 Projection: 36/15/53/.213/.293/.410/2 Prime Projection: 66/24/74/.230/.320/.443/2
397) Chase Harlan – LAD, 3B, 19.9 – Harlan was one of my favorite 2025 FYPD Targets, writing in his Target blurb, “Harlan gives me shades of Austin Riley,” and after his excellent pro debut, those shades are even more obvious. He’s 6’3”, 205 pounds with an absolutely beastly righty swing. Just look at this thing. That is the type of swing you watch and your jaw just drops. It stands out. And he uses that swing to truly crush the ball. He slashed .269/.357/.442 with 9 homers, 3 steals, and a 22.3/12.0 K%/BB% in 68 games split between rookie ball (121 wRC+) and Single-A (103 wRC+). There is definitely hit tool risk, and that popped up at Single-A with a .240 BA and 26% K%. He was young for his class, but he turned 19 by the time he got to Single-A, so I hesitate to give him too large of an age to level bump. Still, he will only be 19 years old for the first half of the 2026 season, so there is time to improve that hit tool. And if he can, we are taking about true top level power upside, a la Austin Riley. I love him last off-season and I love him even more now. He’s a target, again. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 79/28/91/.244/.326/.472/6
398) Elian Pena – NYM, SS, 18.5 – Pena doesn’t have the long and lean build that scouts drool over at an already decently thick 5’11”. He doesn’t have that smooth and effortless fast twitch athleticism that gets scouts in a tizzy. He doesn’t have the behemoth human exit velocities that the new age prospect hounds can’t get enough of. But what he does have is some of the best production in the DSL after signing for the largest signing bonus in his class. He slashed .292/.421/.528 with 9 homers, 21 steals, and a 16.1/16.1 K%/BB% in 55 games. And that includes him going hitless in his first 9 games. Taking that out he put up a 1.081 OPS in 46 games. He got paid for that dangerous lefty swing, and he more than proved he was worth that signing bonus. That thing is quick, easy, and powerful. He lifts and pulls a ton, which I love, and while scouts don’t like his build, he’s got that big trunk that says big time raw power is coming as he ages. Combine that with the strong plate skills, and this looks to be one of the most dangerous bats coming out of the DSL, if not the most dangerous. I ain’t fading him just because he doesn’t look as good in the uniform as other players. He’s trending towards a classic power hitting, 3B profile. He’s a Top 100 prospect. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 85/27/92/.268/.341/.473/11
399) Kevin Alvarez – HOU, OF, 18.2 – Alvarez is in that super juicy DSL breakout target range where the hype is still plenty low enough to get a great deal on him. He’s in that goldilocks zone of big signing bonus, huge talent, excellent production, no major K or GB issues, and some bubbling hype, but not the type of hype that the most hyped DSL guys are getting (Josuar Gonzalez, Juan Sanchez, Elian Pena). He basically perfectly lived up the Top 1,000 blurb I gave him last off-season, writing, “I love the guys where the bat looks like an absolute twig when they swing it, and that applies to the 6’4”, 185 pound Alvarez who has an easy, but lightning fast lefty swing. He’s known for his advanced approach and good feel to hit, so when he adds more power onto on his projectable frame, this could end up a truly potent hit/power combo masher from a corner outfield spot.” … and that is exactly what he showed in the DSL, slashing .301/.419/.455 with 2 homers, 11 steals in 16 attempts, and a 9.9/12.0 K%/BB% in 47 games. Once the raw power ticks up naturally, the huge breakout will very likely come. He’s obviously not without risk though. The hit tool could still get exposed a bit against more advanced competition, he wasn’t a great base stealer, and while he didn’t have any major groundball issues, the approach is hit over power right now with a 32.6 FB% and 36.4% Pull%. But those are the reasons he isn’t getting hyped to death, and if it all comes together, this is middle of the order beast. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 81/25/88/.268/.339/.465/10
400) Kodai Senga – NYM, RHP, 32.6 – Reading the tea leaves it seems Senga is a favorite for a rotation spot as long as he’s looking good and healthy in spring, and right now the word is that he’s looking better than he did in 2025. He missed almost the entire 2024 season with a shoulder and calf injury, and then in 2025 he was clearly diminished from who he was in 2023. The velocity was down a tick to 94.7 MPH, and the K% plummeted from 29.1% to 22.1% in 113.1 IP. He actually put up a 3.02 ERA, but the Mets demoted him anyway because they saw those regression monsters around the corner and didn’t want to wait for them to catch up to him. They took their gains and got up from the table. The silver linings to the season are that the 27.4% whiff% wasn’t as bad as the K%, and the Ghost Fork was still a dominant pitch with a .208 xwOBA and 41.4% whiff%. Granted, the fork put up a 59.5% whiff% in 2023, so that is still a long way off. The cutter was also a major difference maker in 2023 with a +20 Run Value, and that tanked to 0 in 2025. I can’t lie that 2023 feels more like a weird outlier that is going to be hard to repeat with how crazy valuable the cutter was and with how insane the Fork was. It’s hard to say he’s going to get back to that, but if the velocity increases and he’s feeling healthy, he can certainly be an impact fantasy starter. I’m not avoiding him but the price has to be cheap. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.85/1.28/150 in 150 IP Update: Looks great and healthy this spring. All signs point towards a bounce back
401) Caleb Durbin – BOS, 3B, 26.1 – Here is how I started Durbin’s blurb before the trade, “There is still a part of me that doesn’t trust Durbin will be a full time starter long term.” … and I think Milwaukee trading him away for that return backs up my thoughts. He does seem to have a starting job in Boston, but I also think Mayer and Gonzales are better than him, so I’m still worried he’s not a starter long term. The glove is only okay at 2B/3B and the bat has very limited real life upside with a 26.9% Hard Hit%, 5.9% BB% and .309 xwOBA. He works much better as a 400-500 AB utility player, but it’s not like there is nothing to like with elite contact rates (9.9% K%), some lift/pull, and above average to plus speed. The 18 steals is lackluster for this type of profile, but he’s shown the capability for more than that in the minors. He popped out 11 dingers, so he’s not going to be a total drain in the power department, but the flip side of that weak hitting, lift/pull is that the BA is only decent with a .256 BA. And the Runs/RBI aren’t there at all with 60 Runs and 53 RBI. Boston is much worse park for righty homers than Milwaukee, but the monster should help with BA and doubles, so it’s probably a wash. The short term upside is moderate, and I see the long term downside of him slipping into a utility role. I would want to aim higher at 3B, but it’s not like I don’t see the things to like. – 2026 Projection: 74/13/58/.261/.326/.398/22
402) Cole Young – SEA, 2B, 22.8 – Young has a stolen base and ballpark problem. He stole just one bag in 77 games in the majors and only 4 bags in 54 games at Triple-A. He was a bad base stealer in 2023 and 2024, and he’s not a burner, so it doesn’t look like we can count on steals, and if we can’t count on steals, that puts so much pressure on the hit/power combo, which is where the ballpark comes in. He doesn’t have the type of raw power that is ballpark proof, which makes Seattle a terrible ballpark for him. He actually had a decently exciting power breakout with a 44.6% Hard Hit% at Triple-A, and then in the majors he flipped his hitting profile, showing off the ability to lift and pull with a 17.2 degree launch and 23.3% Air Pull%. The Hard Hit dropped to 31.1% with the change, but what I’m trying to say is that there is a path to a real power breakout … if he played in a ballpark that was conducive to lefty homers. Being in Seattle kills him. He also wasn’t good at 2B with a -9 OAA. The hit tool, contact rates, and approach were always his best skills, and that was still there with a 18.3/10.0 K%/BB% in the majors (11.4/12.7 K%/BB% at AAA). We also have to give him a bump for being 21 years old for the most the year, but I’m not seeing big fantasy upside. – 2026 Projection: 72/16/38/.253/.332/.409/11 Prime Projection: 88/20/68/.270/.341/.435/15 Update: Power is up this spring and has clearly won the 2B job
403) Gavin Fien – WSH, SS, 19.1 – Selected 12th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6’3”, 200 pound Fien is a big boy with the big power to match from a fast and powerful righty swing. I don’t exactly love the swing though. It’s oddly stiff. It’s like his batting coach is Charlie from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. “What you want to do is lock your knees in place and then snap your back up.” It’s working though, and I never want to get too hung up on swing mechanics, especially when it’s working for a guy. He has size, power, and feel to hit, and while the pro debut wasn’t great (75 wRC+ in 10 games), I wouldn’t let it swing your thinking in either direction. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 77/25/84/.257/.336/.464/8
404) Matthew Boyd – CHC, LHP, 35.2 – Boyd is a rock solid win now arm, putting up a 3.21 ERA with a 21.4/5.8 K%/BB% in 179.2 IP. The 3.74 xERA and 5.16 ERA in his final 61 IP shows the ERA was lucky, but even with neutral luck this is a rock solid fantasy starter you can feel good about every week. The fastball sat a career high 93.3 MPH and the 5.8% BB% was a career high too, so not only weren’t there signs of decline here, there were signs of improvement. He really doesn’t have that many miles on his arm considering his age, so maybe that plays a role into it. He’s 35, so of course we have to factor in some decline, and it’s not big upside, but Boyd should be setup for another solid fantasy season. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.72/1.17/140 in 160 IP
405) Merrill Kelly – ARI, RHP, 37.6 – I can’t say a floor over upside 37 year old is my favorite fantasy target, ha, but Kelly is coming off another excellent fantasy season (3.52 ERA with a 22.3/6.4 K%/BB% in 184 IP), so I guess the expectation is that he can do it again in 2026. The control is plus, leading to a strong 1.11 WHIP, and he whiff rates are about average. That is a combo that usually works for a solid mid-rotation starter. Again, he’s 37 years old, so I’m not sure how much I’m actually going to end with him, but he’s been good for 7 years now basically. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.77/1.19/152 in 170 IP
406) Ian Seymour – TBR, LHP, 27.4 – Seymour is a perfect example of why organization alone can make someone a great flier candidate as you get deeper into drafts. Organization should always be taken into account, but especially when you are getting into “flier” pick territory, it should take on greater and greater importance. Tampa has the perfect combination of being pitching development wizards, but not only that, they have never ending opportunity on the MLB level. It’s not only about being good at development, it’s also about opportunity. It was that combination of organization and opportunity that made me put Seymour in my Top “1,000” Rankings last off-season at #1,013, writing, ” “Seymour is likely a back end arm with that classic plus changeup, low velocity profile, but Tampa is known to work magic, so he might have a chance to end up at the high end of this profile type.” … and he did indeed end up on the high end of that profile with a 3.63 ERA and 26.4/7.9 K%/BB% in 57 IP. The strong 27% whiff% backs up the K rate and his stuff doesn’t get hit hard with an average 7.1% Barrel% against. He was even better at Triple-A with a 2.62 ERA and 29.2/5.6 K%/BB% in 86 IP, so it was just a matter of proving his skills would translate, and they sure did. The 91.6 MPH fastball was a good pitch with a 23.8% whiff% and a +2 Run Value, and the changeup was even better with a 35.1% whiff% and +4 Run Value. He has a weapon to get lefties out with a sweeper that notched a 35.1% whiff% and .250 xwOBA, albeit in only 8% usage. And he’ll throw a cutter as his 3rd most used pitch which is only a decent pitch at best, but I guess it’s useful to set up the rest of his arsenal. It’s really not only organization, he was also the victim of velocity discrimination, but 2025 made pretty clear that the low velo, plus changeup lefty can be effective in the majors. It’s not top of the rotation upside, but especially with Tampa at his back, Seymour can be a solid mid rotation fantasy starter. The biggest problem is that the Matz and Martinez signings complicates his path to the rotation, but he’ll likely rack up innings one way or another. – 2026 Projection: 7/3.81/1.21/120 in 120 IP
407) Sean Manaea – NYM, LHP, 34.2 – K/BB is King, and Manaea is coming off a season where he put up a 28.5/4.6 K%/BB% in 60.2 IP. That alone truly makes him a buy at his current low value. It’s not that simple though, or course. That K/BB came with a 5.64 ERA, and while the 4.02 xERA was better, that still isn’t a great xERA. The 26.8% whiff% is good, but it doesn’t back up that high K% either. He was also limited to just 60.2 IP because an oblique strain that turned into an elbow injury knocked him out until mid July. Above all, Manaea’s track record rules the day for me here. He has a long track with a 4.08 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 22.8% K% (more like 25%+ in recent years) over 1,245 IP. He’s had ups and downs in his career, but he’s generally been a solid fantasy pitcher when he’s out, and that is my expectation for 2026. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.92/1.23/165 in 155 IP
408) Cristian Javier – HOU, RHP, 29.0 – Javier returned from Tommy John surgery in August and put up a 4.62 ERA with a 21.7/9.6 K%/BB% in 37 IP. It’s clear his ace days are long in the rear view mirror, and that was true even before the injury in 2024. His 2023 season was the first indication that his ace days were over. The 24% whiff% this year is now officially below average. The control remains below average. But just because he’s not an ace, doesn’t mean he can’t be useful. The 3.36 xERA is certainly interesting, and more than hints not to write him off. The individual pitch xwOBA’s actually looked good too. The 92.9 MPH fastball put up a .263 xwOBA. The sweeper a .174 xwOBA. And the changeup a .294 xwOBA with a 34.8% whiff%. He’s only 29 years old and we have to give some leeway to ramp back up from Tommy John. He can still be a useful fantasy starter, but those ace days are clearly gone. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.95/1.29/138 in 145 IP
409) Shane Smith – CHW, RHP, 26.0 – Smith’s biggest problem is that he’s going to crush you in wins leagues even if he pitches well, and while he didn’t get that many quality starts either (8 wins and 7 QS), at least you have there is some upside to capitalize in QS leagues. He had an impressive rookie campaign with a 3.81 ERA and 23.5/9.4 K%/BB% in 146.1 IP. The 27.7% whiff% is well above average. He did it mostly with a truly elite 95.7 MPH 4-seamer which put up a 20 Run Value, .286 xwOBA, and 25.3% whiff%. That whiff% is good, but it’s not quite good enough for me to truly believe the pitch is in that elite of the elite range. Expect some regression, but that is still a double plus pitch. The secondaries weren’t as good, but they showed potential with the curve putting up a 48.1% whiff% and the changeup a 31.8% whiff%. He has two paths to improvement, which are a step forward in control and/or a step forward with the secondaries. But the biggest problem still remains which is that Chicago is not going to get him wins. Good young pitcher to take a shot on but I can’t say he’s a target. – 2026 Projection: 8/3.74/1.25/160 in 160 IP
410) Owen Murphy – ATL, RHP, 22.5 – I’m trying to become less of a velocity snob, and the reality is the entire prospect ranking world are velocity snobs too. The reason is obvious. It’s because throwing mid to upper 90’s is really damn valuable, but the prospect world has missed on too many guys who ended up really good without that mid to upper 90’s fastball. And Owen Murphy looks to be one of the next guys in that assembly line. He returned mid-season from Tommy John surgery and he picked up right where he left off pre surgery, putting up a 1.19 ERA with a 30.9/5.5 K%/BB% in 30.1 IP at mostly High-A. The fastball only sits low 90’s, but it’s deceptive with good shape and excellent location, so it’s a bat missing weapon. He has his two plus breakers on an absolute string, it’s really a thing of beauty to watch. And he’ll mix in a lesser used changeup which was some potential. This is the low velocity guy to bet on. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.63/1.16/165 in 160 IP
411) Travis Sykora – WSH, RHP, 21.11 – Sykora is very clearly the type of pitcher you take the Tommy John discount on. Last off-season I named him one of the top candidates to end 2025 as the #1 pitching prospect in baseball, and he was in the midst of doing just that, or close to it with a 1.79 ERA and 46.7/10.1 K%/BB% in 45.1 IP before going down with a torn UCL in July. He’s 6’6”, 232 pounds with 3 plus to double plus pitches in his mid to upper 90’s fastball, a heavily used slider, and a nasty splitter. The injury will wipe out most or all of his 2026 season, and we definitely have to factor in some risk as we’ve seen with a ton of guys returning from Tommy John this year, but Sykora is the type of guy you stay patient with. And he’s a good candidate to buy low on if you want to grab a possible young ace without having to pay tippy top price for one. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 13/3.39/1.14/185 in 160 IP
412) Kruz Schoolcraft – SDP, LHP, 18.11 – If you know me, you know I love me some monster humans who are good athletes and have nasty tools, and that describes Schoolcraft perfectly. He’s like a blend between Noah Schultz and Boston Bateman from their draft years, and both of those guys were targets for me. Selected 25th overall, Schoolcraft is 6’8”, 215 pounds and is a legitimate 2 way prospect to give you an idea of his athleticism. I was super high on him already before he made his pro debut, and then after making his pro debut, forget about it, I’m over the moon. Sure he got hit up with 2 earned and 3 walks in 1.2 IP at Single-A, but it was the stuff that was eye catching. He was sitting upper 90’s, blowing the heat right by guys. Then he dropped in the potentially plus changeup, making hitters look silly. He also has a potentially plus slider in the bag. He struck out 4 with 10 whiffs in the outing. This is basically the Noah Schultz 2.0 blow up, and I saw it coming from a mile away. Just like Schultz, it won’t take long to ascend to elite pitching prospect status if the results are there in 2026, but at a still 18 years old, we have to expect that the refinement could take some time. There is definitely still some rawness in his game and pitchers this tall often take extra time to get their mechanics down. Before the electric debut, I was for sure the high guy on him, but after the debut, everyone is seeing what I’m seeing. I love him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 13/3.55/1.19/194 in 175 IP
413) Xavier Neyens – HOU, SS, 19.6 – Selected 21st overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Neyens is a super easy evaluation. He’s the Lazaro Montes of the Draft Class. Or the Xavier Isaac. You get it. He’s a 6’4”, 210 pound lefty with massive power, patience, and hit tool risk. The swing is powerful, smooth, and athletic. The fact that a smart organization jumped on him at 21st overall is a great sign of confidence for the hit tool as well, although Houston’s system is full of high upside, hit tool risk guys, so maybe not. But either way, he strikes me as underrated right now. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection:77/28/88/.240/.330/.480/8
414) Quinn Priester – MIL, RHP, 25.6 – I’ve always felt Priester was overrated in the prospect world, and I’ve been proven correct … at least until Milwaukee got their hands on him. Of course the gold standard organization got the breakout out of him, because that is what they do. He put up a 3.32 ERA with a 20.2/7.7 K%/BB% in 157.1 IP. The K% is low, but it looked a lot better in the 2nd half of the season with a 23.2% K% in his final 86.1 IP, so I’m expecting a bump in 2026. He started using the cutter a bit more and the sinker a bit less, and his two breakers miss bats with the slider putting up a 35% whiff% and the curve putting up a 41.2% whiff%. The 93.9 MPH sinker is a good pitch too with a negative 4 degree launch and +6 Run Value. It might not be top of the rotation upside, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t have another impact, middle of the rotation fantasy season, and this time with a big more strikeouts. – 2026 Projection: 7/3.76/1.28/79 in 90 IP Update: Diagnosed with a nerve issue and is hoping to return in early May, but that seems like a best case scenario, and worst case scenario might be continued issues. I’m scared off
415) Masyn Winn – STL, SS, 24.0 – Every year the breakout doesn’t come, it gets harder and harder to keep betting on it coming. Or at the least, you question how much upside there is actually going to be when it does come. The base stealing seems pretty hopeless with him going 9 for 14 on the bases in 129 games despite a 28.4 ft/sec sprint. At this point, it seems more likely that they are going to tell him to stop running completely than him having this big stolen base breakout. The power breakout didn’t come either with only 9 homers, but there are at least semi positive signs there. The Barrel%, EV, Hard Hit, launch, and Air Pull% all went in the right direction, but a 4.8% Barrel% and 34.6% Hard Hit% still seems very far off from the type of power breakout we actually need. And to top off the terrible season, his season ended in early September, undergoing knee surgery for a torn meniscus. He’s just not a very good hitter with a .285 xwOBA, and even if he can have a mid 20’s breakout, it seems unlikely it’s going to come with big fantasy upside. I’ve been lukewarm on Winn for a few years now, and he’s not someone I’m going after in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 78/15/59/.258/.313/.405/11
416) Chase Meidroth – CHW, 2B/SS, 24.8 – There were some positives from Meidroth’s MLB debut, but the same reason I wasn’t going after him last off-season is still there, which is that the upside is lacking. The elite contact rates transferred to the majors with a 14.3% K%, the strong approach transferred enough with a 8.9% BB%, he doesn’t hit it super weakly with a 88.2 MPH EV, and he even ran more than I expected with 14 steals in 122 games, but it still resulted in a super weak season with an 87 wRC+, .649 OPS, a 1.6% Barrel%, 6.7 degree launch, 5 homers, 54 Runs and 24 RBI. With a 27 ft/sec sprint and only 6 steals in his final 95 games, it’s hard to count on him to steal enough bags to give this type of profile the upside it needs. He didn’t lift and pull at all either, so the homers aren’t going to be there. And he’s on the Sox, so the Runs/RBI aren’t coming anytime soon either. Some people like these BA players more than I do, and I do see a path to Meidroth being a decent fantasy player, but it’s just not a profile I go after. – 2026 Projection: 72/9/41/.268/.343/.367/16
417) Max Muncy – OAK, 2B/3B, 23.7 – Muncy was never the type of prospect who was going to blow the doors off in his MLB debut. He doesn’t have the standout tool or skill that would shine immediately, and the strikeout rates have always been on the high side, so a hit tool adjustment period was coming too. He put up a 72 wRC+ with a .268 xwOBA, 32.4% Hard Hit%, 1 steal and a 30.9/4.5 K%/BB% in 63 games. The biggest silver lining was the 9 homers, and that wasn’t fluky with a 10.1% Barrel%. He put up a 108.8% 90th% EV at Triple-A, so the guy definitely has the raw power in the tank when he gets ahold of one. The 41.3% Hard Hit% was also much better at Triple-A, and he can lift and pull, so the future looks bright for his power. If the hit tool can improve over time, and if he can chip in with steals, Muncy can definitely become an impact fantasy player. Sacramento is also pretty wide open at both 3B and 2B (less so after the McNeil trade, but long term they are still wide open). I liked Muncy last year and thought he was getting underrated, and I still like him this year. – 2026 Projection: 61/19/71/.236/.298/.415/6 Prime Projection: 73/23/82/.252/.323/.440/10
418) River Ryan – LAD, RHP, 27.8 – Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024 which wiped out his entire 2025 season. He was breaking out on the MLB level before going down with the injury with a 1.33 ERA and 22.2/11.1 K%/BB% in 20.1 IP. He had the big stuff to back it up with a 96.3 MPH fastball, a diverse pitch mix, and bat missing secondaries. But like so many Dodgers pitchers in this category, who knows when he will be able to claw his way back into the rotation, and how much they are going to ease/baby him back in. He’s good enough to not ignore, but he’s not so good where I would say he’s the type I’m actively targeting. If he’s a guy you have on the bottom of your roster, that works. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.88/1.29/93 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.29/150 in 150 IP Update: Looks healthy in his return from Tommy John and while he didn’t win a rotation spot out of camp, he could be next man up
419) Jose Caballero – NYY, 2B/3B/SS/OF, 29.7 – I want to not like Caballero. I was planning on not liking him, but I’m kinda getting drawn in slightly. For one, the glove is excellent, and with Volpe out until at least May after undergoing shoulder surgery, Caballero is going to start at SS. He can also play every position and the Yanks don’t have a deep bench right now, so he may get a lot of run. The 2nd reason I’m getting drawn in is that he gets on base. He put up a 12.7% BB% with a .339 in 370 PA in 2025. And of course, he led the league in steals with 49. A great defender, who plays everywhere, gets on base, and is a great baserunner is actually getting pretty close to a legit starter. And if Volpe struggles again, he might just be the Yanks starting SS. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t love him for dynasty with a terrible BA and little power, but I don’t hate him as much as I thought I was. And for steals alone he obviously holds fantasy value. – 2026 Projection: 61/9/42/.231/.327/.360/45
420) Nolan Gorman – STL, 2B/3B, 25.11 – St. Louis is in rebuild/retool mode and it looks like Gorman is going to be let loose at 3B, but the bat just hasn’t developed as hoped. Not only is the 41.1% Hard Hit% disappointing for where his power should have been at this point in his career, but his terrible hit tool has made no progress with a .205 BA and 33.8% K%. He’ll hit homers, don’t get me wrong, but 14 homers in 111 games isn’t even that great for the BA you are going to have to tolerate. The bat speed is in a 3 year decline too, which is maybe intentional to make more contact, but it’s clearly not working. He’s also bad on defense with a negative 9 Run Value, so he’s really a DH. Going from Arenado to him is going to be a hit for their pitchers. One positive is that he’s been just as good vs. lefties as he has been vs. righties in his career, but honestly, that is more about how bad he’s been vs. righties (.720 OPS vs. righties and .717 OPS vs. lefties), so not sure how much of a positive that actually is. Either way, we know the power is in there, and a mid to late 20’s breakout would be far from crazy for this type of player. He’s certainly worth a flier. – 2026 Projection: 62/22/71/.220/.307/.418/5
421) Zebby Matthews – MIN, RHP, 25.11 – Welcome to the breakout waiting room, Zebby. It’s not the room we wanted to see him in this off-season, but only a special few completely bypass this room, and he’s obviously not one of them. He’s going to have to take his lumps first, and those lumps are a 5.56 ERA in 79.1 IP in 2025, but there are plenty of signs to remain as patient as possible here. For one, the 24.9/6.8 K%/BB% is actually pretty good, and K/BB is King. That K/BB and the 3.82 SIERA is screaming he was massively unlucky. The 106 Stuff+ and 103 Location+ are both excellent. The huge velocity is there with a 96.3 MPH fastball, and it missed a respectable amount of bats with a 22.2% whiff%. He has a plus secondary in his slider which put up a 38.5% whiff% and .239 xwOBA. The 27.5% whiff% is well above average overall. And he has a diverse pitch mix with 6 pitches. The biggest issue is that he might be over the plate too much, resulting in his heater getting hit up with a .374 xwOBA, and it’s why the 4.67 xERA says he actually wasn’t all that unlucky. He was lights out at AAA with a 1.72 ERA and 31.8/6.1 K%/BB%, so there was no reason for him to tinker too much, but now that he has some experience under his belt in the majors, it’s time for him to tinker. He already gained velocity last off-season, so he’s willing to put in the work, and the ingredients are so clearly in here for a future breakout. I’m not giving up on him. – 2026 Projection: 7/3.98/1.26/115 in 110 IP Update: Got beat out for a rotation spot in spring and my gut is definitely starting to lean me away from Matthews as a sought after breakout candidate
422) Joe Boyle – TBR, RHP, 26.8 – I don’t play scared. Where others see risk, I see opportunity. The only banned 4 letter F word in my house is Fear … wait, did I actually just come up with that? That has to be some lame motivational speaker line already, right? Or am I next the Tony Robbins? … googles it … yea, it’s been said a million times hah … but back to Boyle, I’m too blinded by the insane upside to let his obvious control risk scare me off. There are too many things going his way. For one, we are betting on Tampa here just as much as we are betting on Boyle. Tampa already improved his control massively after just one year in the organization (and really less than one year as he got traded on December 14, 2024), bringing his BB% down to 11.8% in 86 IP at Triple-A (19.8% in 2024) and 12.4% in 52 IP in the majors (17.7% in 2024). With a full off-season in their program and another year to build off, I’m betting on that number coming down again. And if it does, oh brother, because the stuff is off the charts. The fastball sits 98.5 MPH and it’s a bat missing weapon with a 26.8% whiff% in the majors and a 35.4% whiff% at Triple-A. Tampa also gave him a new pitch in the splitter which was filthy with a .190 xwOBA and 31.1% whiff% (and it was even better at Triple-A). And the old slider is still really good with a 31.1% whiff% in the majors and a 46.5% whiff% at Triple-A. That type of stuff doesn’t just grow on trees. That isn’t easy to find. You don’t just run scared because he has only little flaw. Okay, it’s a big flaw, but the big upside is there to counteract it, and the organization is just getting started on molding Boyle into the pitcher he has the potential to be. He’s going 454th in NFBC, and even without a projected spot in the rotation to start the season, that is too low, and especially in dynasty, I’m buying low everywhere. He also has the fallback of a possible closer or back of the bullpen guy. He’s a major target. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.79/1.29/103 in 90 IP Update: He was a walk machine this spring and the continued control issues are definitely starting to wear on me. He’s getting closer and closer to being bullpen’d
423) Christian Scott – NYM, RHP, 26.9 – Scott underwent a hybrid Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure in late September 2024 which knocked him out for all of 2025 but he’s expected to be fully healthy for 2026. The problem is, a rotation spot is most certainly not waiting for him, and he already straddled the line between the type of pitcher I like to take the TJ discount on. He wasn’t quite an elite pitching prospect, but he wasn’t far off from it, and he didn’t fully establish himself on the MLB level yet, but he was starting to set a pretty strong foundation. He put up a 4.56 ERA with a 19.8/6.1 K%/BB% in 47.1 IP in his MLB debut. Plus control of a highly used, above average 94.2 MPH fastball is his bread and butter. He combines that with a potentially plus sweeper, above average splitter, and decent slider. None of the secondaries missed enough bats in the majors to keep up the 33.5% K% he put up at Triple-A, and the fastball isn’t quite a good enough pitch to make up for it. He can be a plus control mid-rotation starter even if the secondaries don’t miss a ton of bats, but he’ll have to unlock more if he wants to beat that projection. And now also tack on risk from the elbow surgery and the fact he’s going to have to kick the door down to the rotation. He’s unfortunately just in flier range in most leagues. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.22/1.29/42 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.22/141 in 150 IP Update: Looked healthy in his first spring outing, and if you read my strategy article, you know my plan is to jump on TJ returnees that look healty very quickly. Still not rotation spot, but he deserves a bump
424) Mark Vientos – NYM, 3B, 26.4 – I’m in for the 2026 bounce back, but with the Bichette signing, Vientos looks to be the biggest loser. There is still a path to a weak side of a platoon role, and maybe more, but it’s not enough of a path to really go after him. But the reason I was in for the bounce back is that Vientos did everything we wanted to see coming off his 2024 breakout. Most notably, he dropped his K% from 29.7% to 24.8%, and he upped his Hard Hit% from 46.6% to 50.5%. He even pulled in the air a hair more. He should have at least backed up the breakout, if not taken it up a notch. But we all know that isn’t how it played out. He hit just 17 homers with a .702 OPS in 121 games and started getting benched because he’s also bad on defense. But like I said, I’m not ready to throw in the towel. He jacked out 11 homers in his final 48 games, so the power was starting to come, because how could it not have with how hard he crushes the ball. We aren’t completely out of the hit tool risk woods with a 32.5% whiff%, he’s a near zero in steals, and now he’s out of a starting job. I can’t say I’m going after him with those negatives – 2026 Projection: 52/20/69/.245/.309/.454/1
425) Triston Casas – BOS, 1B, 26.2 – Casas’ knee injury is scary. I generally wouldn’t panic too hard, but it was described as a severe injury, fully rupturing his patellar tendon. He suffered it May 2nd while running to 1B, requiring season ending knee surgery. He’s hoping to return in May, but there isn’t a starting spot waiting for him unless they trade Jarren Duran. He’s going to have to wait his turn again. The man was already one of the slowest men in baseball with a bottom 2% of the league sprint, so he really doesn’t have any speed to spare. He might be the slowest man in baseball in 2026. We will also have to see if this type of injury impacts his near elite 75.1 MPH swing. I’m a bit nervous it is not going to be a case where he just gets right back to full health without missing a beat, but your guess is as good as mine there. He was also having a terrible year before the injury with a .580 OPS, .295 xwOBA and a 31.1% whiff% in 25 games. There is enough risk here where I’m not willing to overlook it, but at full health, I’m still a big fan. Like I mentioned, the swing speed is near elite, he has a career 119 wRC+ in 251 games, and he’s actually been slightly better vs lefties in his career than righties, so unlike so many other 1B options, he doesn’t really have platoon risk. I thought he was on his way to being one of the best middle of the order mashers in baseball before the disaster 2025, so I don’t want to fall victim to out of sight, out of mind either. The injury and lack of starting spot kills his value though, so I would only go after him for cheap. – 2026 Projection: 41/14/49/.237/.321/.442/0
426) Alex Freeland – LAD, 3B/2B, 24.7 – Freeland’s hit tool risk got exposed immediately in the majors with a .190 BA and a 36.1% K% in 97 PA. The 30.5% whiff% isn’t nearly as scary, and the 21.9% K% and 23.7% whiff% at Triple-A was considerably better, so I’m expecting a much better showing in his 2nd go around, but it’s very clearly a real risk. His next biggest problem is that he’s on the Dodgers and they don’t seem like they are just going to unleash him in the starting lineup. He’s going to have to compete and he’s going to have to earn it every step of the way. His good infield glove will help though, and if he can make his way on the field, the power/speed is in here to make a fantasy impact. He ripped the ball at Triple-A with a 47.6% Hard Hit%, and the 90.7 MPH EV in the majors is not too shabby. He can hit it damn hard, he can lift and pull, he’s got an excellent approach with a 19.3% Chase%, and he’s got speed with two 31 steal seasons under his belt in the minors. The 26.2 ft/sec sprint was oddly low in the majors, so I’m thinking it was just a small sample, but he also wasn’t exactly a demon on the bases at AAA this year (18 for 24), so we should probably keep the stolen bases expectations in a more moderate range. Considering both the hit tool and playing time risk, it’s hard to bet on him too hard, but the Dodgers are also super old in their infield. I wouldn’t fade him too hard either. – 2026 Projection: 38/9/31/.233/.308/.406/7 Prime Projection: 77/22/73/.248/.330/.436/16
427) Termarr Johnson – PIT, 2B, 21.10 – Johnson hasn’t had the rise we hoped for when he was the 4th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, but it’s been far from a disaster, and that long term Pitt 2B job is still sitting wide open for him. Based off where they drafted him, I have to think he is going to get every chance to lock down that long term job, and not even taking draft slot into account, I still think he’s the best man for the job. The biggest issue is that the supposedly elite hit tool hasn’t even been close to elite in pro ball, but it finally started to show some signs of improvement in the 2nd half of this season. He hit .325 with a 18.3/13.3 K%/BB% in his final 42 games at Double-A as a barely turned 21 year old. That is what we were expecting from the get go, but better late than never. We obviously can’t just say he’s an elite hit tool guy again, but it gives a lot more confidence that he can fulfill the solid across the board projection I’ve been giving him for the past few years. The 119 wRC+ is also pretty damn good for his age. He hit only 9 homers with a 46.7% GB% in 119 games, and he’s also not a great base stealer, going 20 for 32, so this isn’t the upside we were hoping for at all, and I don’t think he’s a Top 100 prospect anymore, but I still believe he will be a fantasy relevant player, possibly for many years to come. – 2026 Projection: 28/5/23/.242/.306/.387/7 Prime Projection: 79/16/72/.265/.338/.423/18
428) Deniel Ortiz – STL, 1B/3B, 21.7 – I can’t help myself, I’m going after Ortiz. The red flags are there. He put up a 32% whiff% at Single-A, he’s not fast despite the high steal totals, he’s not a good defensive player and he was 20 years old in the lower minors, but man I’m a glutton for upside, and he has upside for days. Ortiz slashed .300/.416/.462 with 13 homers, 39 steals, and a 26.0/14.9 K%/BB% in 107 games split between Single-A and High-A. I take it as a great sign that the K rates were much better at High-A to close out the season with a 168 wRC+ and 22.3/13.8 K%/BB% in 30 games. He was a 16th round pick out of community college in 2024, so seeing an adjustment period in his first taste of advanced competition is normal. It’s not just the surface stats though, the underlying numbers jump off the page with a 91.5 MPH EV, 49.3% Hard Hit%, 18 degree launch, and 25% Air Pull%. He’s not fast, but he’s definitely a good base stealer, and we’ve seen plenty of not fast, good base stealers rack up plenty of steals in the majors. He’s also a solid rock at 6’1”, 230 pounds (although that weight looks high to me) with a beastly righty swing. I’m dodging those red flags left and right, because this is such a fun upside fantasy prospect. I’m taking on the extra risk. He’s a great target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 69/24/77/.244/.322/.449/15
429) Felnin Celesten – SEA, SS, 20.6 – Celesten did not have the introduction to full season ball that we wanted to see. He was very mediocre with 5 homers, 20 steals, a 22.6/8.7 K%/BB% and a 107 wRC+ in 93 games at Single-A, and then he was even worse at High-A with a 31.3% K% and 67 wRC+ in 11 games. The silver lining was that the 45% GB% was much better than 2024’s 64.9% GB%, but he hit only 6 homers in 104 games overall. He still very much looks the part with an athletic and powerful swing from both sides of the plate, but this isn’t the straight path to elite prospect status that we want when we draft a high upside kid like this. His development path looks like it’s going to be slower with plenty of ups and downs. So he’s still a good prospect, but I can’t call him a truly coveted one. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/20/75/.259/.320/.435/14
430) Andrew Fischer – MIL, 1B/3B, 21.10 – Whenever a smart team takes a 1B bat at 20th overall, fantasy players should definitely take notice, because that is a big bet on the bat. And the bat is what we care about the most for fantasy. The 6’1”, 205 pound Fischer has one of the top power bats in college baseball, slashing .341/.497/.760 with 25 homers, 4 steals, and a 14.4/21.6% K%/BB% in 65 games in the SEC. He doesn’t really have that true elite raw power like guys from last year’s class (Cags, Kurtz, Condon), but it’s easy plus raw power and he can lift and pull. In a super weak college hitting class, he was the guy I really wanted to get excited about (other than Conrad), but there are a few things holding me back. The pro debut was good with a 141 wRC+ in 19 games at High-A, but that .423 BABIP was doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The 1 homer and 25.3% K% don’t look as good, but he was a lift and pull machine with a 24.5% GB% and 51.9% Pull%, so I’m still more encouraged than discouraged by the debut. The thing that is really holding me back is that Milwaukee is stacked with 3B/1B types. Andrew Vaughn just locked down 1B on the MLB level (signed through 2027). Milwaukee took a super similar player at 34th overall in last year’s class, Blake Burke. And Brock Wilken and Luke Adams have that same 3B/1B profile. That is a lot of guys to compete with and get through. If he can really stick at 3B, that would be huge, but it seems that is less likely than not. We’ve seen tons of guys with limited defensive value and a good but not great bat struggle to get handed full time playing time. And we see Milwaukee has a ton of these guys. It’s what keeps him in the Top 20-ish range of FYPD Ranks, rather than Top 10. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/24/83/.252/.333/.464/8
431) Justin Gonzales – BOS, 1B/OF, 19.3 – Justin Gonzales is the discount Edward Florentino. I had Gonzales and Florentino ranked back to back this off-season (with Florentino one spot ahead, thank you very much ;), and while Gonzales didn’t go full elite prospect breakout like Florentino, he had a damn impressive season, slashing .298/.381/.423 with 4 homers, 11 steals, and a 14.6/9.8 K%/BB% in 81 games at Single-A. It was good for a 131 wRC+. He did this as an 18 year old in full season ball all year, and he most certainly looks the part at 6’4”, 210 pounds with an athletic and powerful righty swing. He hasn’t learned how to tap into his double plus to elite raw power yet with a concerning 55.8% GB%, but considering his age and how much I like his swing ingredients in general, I’m betting on him doing much better than that in the future. He’ll need to change his stance/swing to do it though. While the game power isn’t there yet, the plate skills were impressive, and it’s another indication that he’s the type of precocious hitter that will be able to make the necessary adjustments. He’s a monster breakout candidate for 2026 and he’s one of my favorite targets not getting anywhere close to Top 100 love. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/23/84/.272/.341/.455/9
432) Wandy Asigen – NYM, SS, 16.7 – If I were basing it purely off video, Asigen would be my top dog in the international class. I talked about Hernandez not really jumping off the screen, but my goodness does Asigen’s brutal lefty swing jump off the screen and then some. That thing is lightning quick, explosive, and is already crushing the ball. That is the explosion I love betting on from the international class. He’s got the lean and projectable build at a skinny 6’0” that scouts love, so we could be looking at a special power bat here if it all works out. The speed is plus, he has a good feel to hit, and he’s performed well against good competition. The hit tool doesn’t seem quite as safe as Hernandez’, and he doesn’t have that comforting production against much older competition like Hernandez, but damn does his upside seem to be on another level. He’s also almost a full year younger, which I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. You are drafting a full on 16 year old here. Hernandez is the consensus top international prospect, but I don’t think it’s unanimous. Some like Asigen more, and I get it. I like him more too just based on video, but I’m going to factor in the extra risk, and I can’t quite rank Asigen in as lofty of a tier as I did Hernandez. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/26/86/.262/.328/.467/26
433) Joe Mack – MIA, C, 23.3 – Mack is very clearly coming for that starting catching job, and he very well might be coming for it straight out of camp. If catcher wasn’t so insanely deep, maybe that would warrant a super high ranking even on a fantasy list, but catcher is so damn deep I still think it makes him more of a back end Top 100 type, because while the bat is good, I’m not sure it’s going to truly standout. He put up a 108 wRC+ in 99 games at Triple-A, which is good, but didn’t exactly blow the doors off. There is hit tool risk with a 27.9% K% and 32.2% whiff% at the level, and while he hits the ball hard, he doesn’t tear the cover off with a 89.1 MPH EV and 43.1% Hard Hit%. The evaluation is super easy. He’s a classic low BA slugging catcher with good power, but not humongous power. With how deep catcher is, that likely makes him a fringy starter in a 12 teamer at best, but unlike some of the catcher prospects ranked above him, he’s a near lock to stick behind the plate, which does matter for long term planning. – 2026 Projection: 41/15/47/.225/.303/.409/3 Prime Projection: 59/23/72/.238/.321/.432/6
434) Harry Ford – WSH, C, 23.1 – The trade to Washington is exactly what Ford needed to open a path to playing time, but he’s still going to have to battle for it. He’s a good fantasy catcher prospect with excellent plate skills (19.2/16.2 K%/BB%), and his power finally ticked up this season with 16 homers and a 41.9% Hard Hit% in 97 games at Triple-A. He didn’t run much this year with only 7 steals but he’s got speed and he’s run much more in the past (35 steals in 2024). He can be the rare solid across the board catcher, and now he should the opportunity if the defense is good enough. There are some questions about if the defense is actually going to be good enough, which still gives him some long term playing time risk. – 2026 Projection: 39/8/42/.246/.310/.378/8 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.269/.350/.427/13
435) Eduardo Tait – MIN, C, 19.7 – Tait has a loose, athletic, and powerful lefty swing that is a thing of beauty and is so easy to dream on. He was only 18 years old in the upper minors, and while he didn’t blow the doors off with a 103 wRC+ in 112 games at Single-A and High-A, the underlying contact/power numbers were impressive for his age. He put up an 89.5 MPH EV, 41.4% Hard Hit%, 16 degree launch, 21.8% Air Pull%, 24% whiff%, and a 19.3% K% at Single-A. The bat is special. He does have one glaring issue in his profile though, and that is he is a chase monster with a 38.2% Chase%. He also still needs work defensively behind the plate and he wasn’t good vs lefties with a .648 OPS. I don’t think he’s on the Duno/Rainiel tier on lower minors catchers, but he’s the next best thing. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 69/25/83/.258/.319/.455/2
436) Angel Genao – CLE, SS, 21.10 – I was wrong about McGonigle, but I was right about Genoa. Both were hit tool first prospects who were getting a lot of hype, and while I ended up too low on McGonigle, I was right on target for Genoa. He got a bit exposed in the upper minors, slashing .259/.323/.359 with 2 homers, 6 steals, and a 15.8/8.5 K%/BB% in 77 games at Double-A. I was worried the hit tool wouldn’t be as elite at higher levels and that the power/speed combo was only moderate, and that is exactly how it played it out. It’s not that I didn’t like him as a prospect at all, I just thought he was overvalued for fantasy, and now his value has dropped to where it should be. He has a good glove that will get him on the field, he has an excellent feel to hit, he can hit it pretty hard, and he’ll steal some bags. He’s a good prospect, just not a great one. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/15/66/.272/.329/.409/18
437) Brice Matthews – HOU, 2B, 24.0 – Matthews has an even bigger hit tool problem than Melton. His contact rates were even worse than Melton’s in his MLB debut with a .167 BA, a 42.6% K% and a 50.6% whiff% in 47 PA. Honestly, that makes Melton look good and not even that risky ha. And unlike Melton, Matthews’ whiff% was super concerning at Triple-A too with a 35.3% whiff% and 27.9% K% in 112 games. The hit tool is just about as high risk as it gets, so good thing the upside is damn high too. He’s fast with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint and he loves to run with 42 steals. He hits it pretty hard (89.8 MPH EV), he lifts it (15 degree launch), and the 17.3% Air Pull% is solid. He also has a solid 2B glove, but with Altuve under contract through 2029, I don’t see how that is going to get him on the field. He’s a 24 year old, super duper high risk bat without a path to playing time. As much as I liked him coming out of the draft, and as much as I still like the upside, I just don’t see how he could be a very highly valued dynasty asset at the moment. – 2026 Projection: 23/6/28/.212/.288/.389/9 Prime Projection: 73/18/68/.228/.310/430/24
438) Jonathon Long – CHI, 1B, 24.2 – I really like Long’s bat. I’ve actually really liked Long’s bat since I called him a deep league sleeper as a 9th round pick in his 2023 Draft year, but unfortunately, when you are a 1B only prospect, really liking a prospects bat isn’t enough. You have to think it’s going to be one of the better bats in MLB to bet on them securing a full time job, and I can’t say that about Long. The biggest issue for me is that he didn’t lift and pull a ton at AAA with a 10 degree launch and 10.5% Air Pull%. He still hit 20 homers in 140 games, and he hits the ball really hard with a 90.9 MPH EV and 47.1% Hard Hit%, but if we need to bet on his bat exploding so hard and quickly in the majors to win a 1B/DH job, I would optimally want to see more lift and pull. The plate skills are strong with a 19.1/13.0 K%/BB%, so he’s not just a home run or nothing guy, but again, at 1B, a solid above average bat with good but not great homer totals just might not be enough. Especially in Chicago where Michael Busch is locked at 1B and they have plenty of other DH options both short and long term. If he were on another team, I could see ranking him higher, but until he’s on that other team, this is as high as I can go. – 2026 Projection: 14/3/15/.247/.308/.407/0 Prime Projection: 74/22/79/.265/.330/.453/2
439) Demetrio Crisantes – ARI, 2B, 21.7 – I love me some shoulder surgery. I don’t know what they are putting in the shoulder surgeries these days, but not only do hitter’s very often come back to 100%, they come back better than ever. Neto and Varsho returned from shoulder surgery during the 2025 season and put up career best Hard Hit and bat speed numbers. Ohtani hit a career high 55 homers. Usually when rehab from major surgery bumps up right into the next season, guys don’t have great years, but not with whatever they are doing with these shoulder surgeries. So all of that to say, I’m not budging on the rankings on any of the guys who underwent shoulder this year, and in fact, it makes them really good targets for me. Crissantes’ strong across the board profile was transferring to High-A before the shoulder surgery with 4 homers, 6 steals, and a 12.6/13.9 K%/BB% in 34 games. He was also improving his lift and pull with a 45.9% FB% and 47.7% Pull%, which is a great sign, because he already hit the ball hard. He’s an excellent base stealer and the plate skills are near elite. He was getting a lot of hype last off-season, so it might have been hard to buy, but the shoulder injury really slowed that hype train down. Out of sight, out of mind. And because there does seem to be a small buy window now, I would be all over it if you can. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 85/18/75/.276/.340/.442/22
440) Jace LaViolette – CLE, OF, 21.7 – LaViolette was one of the favorites for #1 overall before the season started, but he had the worst year of his college career last year, causing him to fall to 27th overall. His 18 homers and .258 BA in 56 games in the SEC were career worsts. His 25.2% K% is in the major danger zone, and instead of improving his junior year, like we wanted to see, it actually got a bit worse. The tantalizing talent is certainly in here at 6’6”, 230 pounds with plus speed (7 steals) and monster power, but you can see by how far he fell that most teams didn’t trust the hit tool at all. I’m apt to aim for upside in fantasy, so I would caution about letting him fall too low in your draft, but hit tool risk has to be factored in. He didn’t debut in 2025, which is a smart move because they didn’t want to scare all of us with a 30%+ K rate to start his pro career. Let him ease in next year. He’s the Spencer Jones of the 2025 class – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/27/78/.226/.310/.454/14
441) Jhonny Level – SFG, SS, 19.0 – Level was one of the top DSL breakouts in 2024, and then he came stateside and did basically the exact same thing, slashing .288/.375/.493 with 9 homers, 17 steals, and a 15.3/12.6 K%/BB% in 58 games. I would have loved for him to close the season out with a bang at full season ball, and while he didn’t do that with an 89 wRC+ in 31 games, he wasn’t overly matched or anything with 3 homers, 4 steals, and a 20.4/11.6 K%/BB%. Good enough to hold his value steady. My comp for him has always been Michael Arroyo, and it’s really the perfect comp with similar size (5’10”), underrated power, good feel to hit, decent but not great speed/base stealing, and a terrible ballpark waiting for them. The ballpark is the thing that really scares me for both of them, because I don’t think they are going to have the type of power to be ballpark proof, but trades happen, and even if they don’t get traded, I would still like them. It just shaves some upside off the top. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 81/21/72/.264/.330/.432/12
442) Arjun Nimmala – TOR, SS, 20.6 – Nimmala looked to be ascending to an elite power hitting prospect in the first two months, slashing .291/.382/.527 with 9 homers, 5 steals, and a 17.5/11.8 K%/BB% in 46 games at High-A, but it fell off a cliff after that with a .558 OPS and 23.9/9.1 K%/BB% in his final 74 games. The .224/.313/.381 slash with a 91 wRC+ is just not an impressive season when it was all said and done. He was only 19 years old at High-A and that vicious righty swing that got him drafted 30th overall is still there, but he now has a .227 BA in 220 minor league games in his career. We have to give some leeway for being young for every level, but it’s clear that the hit tool is a very real risk here. I can’t say he excites me a ton right now, and I can’t say I’m targeting him, but he’s still a good, young power hitting prospect. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 71/24/79/.242/.319/.448/10
443) Billy Carlson – CHW, SS, 19.8 – Selected 10th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Carlson’s best tool is his double plus SS glove, which makes him a better real life prospect than fantasy prospect, but he’s no slouch with the bat either. He’s 6’1”, 175 pounds with the type of righty swing that I am drawn too. Upright, loose, and quick. There really aren’t any truly standout offensive tools here, so it’s hard to rank him too high for a fantasy list. He has a good feel to hit, but it’s not one of the top hit tools in the class. He’s a good athlete, but it’s not plus speed. And there is power, but it’s probably more 20-ish homer upside. If it all clicks, think something like Masyn Winn or Jeremey Pena (with less speed). Maybe it’s too early to worry about, but Chicago also just landed the top pick in 2026, and that pick is almost certainly going to be college SS Roch Cholowsky. It just adds another future hurdle, but again, it’s a bit early to worry about. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 83/19/68/.268/.327/.427/16
444) Daniel Pierce – TBR, SS, 19.8 – Selected 14th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Tampa basically drafted the Carson Williams starter pack. The similarities are striking and the profile is very similar. Pierce’s scouting report reads very similar to what Williams’ scouting report read in his draft year. Pierce is an excellent athlete at 6’1”, 180 pounds with plus speed and a plus glove at SS. There is power potential in here to get to at least above average at peak, and while there are some hit tool issues, he generally has a good feel to hit. Williams obviously went the route of adding a ton of power with more swing and miss than optimal, but we’ll see the route Pierce decides to take. A strong showing in pro ball will have him climbing the ranks in a heartbeat. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 78/18/73/.252/.326/.427/28
445) Sean Gamble – KCR, OF, 19.9 – Selected 23rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6’2”, 185 pound Gamble is a high upside high school bat with at least plus speed, a good feel to hit, and above average power potential at the least. His lefty swing is fast and explosive. He’s not a finished product both hit tool and game power wise, and he’s on the older side at 19 years old, but there is impact all category potential in here if it all clicks. He doesn’t seem to get nearly the hype as a lot of the other talented high school bats, so he might come at a pretty good value in many first year player drafts compared to other high school bats that are getting the full hype treatment. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection:77/19/70/.252/.321/.437/26
446) Ethan Frey – HOU, OF, 22.0 – Selected 95th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, you know I love me a good pro debut breakout, and after Kilby, Frey might be the next biggest pro debut breakout, slashing .330/.434/.470 with 3 homers, 9 steals in 14 attempts, and a 20.5/16.4 K%/BB% in 26 games at Single-A. He’s a 6’6”, 225 pound behemoth, and befitting his size, he can crush the ball, but the risk is that that is all he can really do well. He had hit tool and contact issues throughout his college career at LSU, putting up a 22.2% K% in his junior year. So while it’s definitely great to see the good BA and strong contact rates at Single-A, he still projects for a below average hit tool, like many 6’6” guys do. He’s a good athlete but he’s not a burner and he didn’t steal much in college, so we can’t bank on steals, and he’s not valuable on defense, so the bat is going to have to hit it’s ceiling. He also didn’t lift and pull much with a 41.6% GB% and 33.8% Pull% (only 13 homers in 62 games this year in college, which is good but not great). He’s really like so many recent Astros picks with impressive talent/athleticism (in this case size and power), but with enough flaws to question what it is going to look like on the MLB level. I love the pro debut, and he’s definitely a big riser from the pre draft evaluation, but he’s already getting a ton of love, and I’m not sure how much higher I am going to end up than consensus. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/22/78/.250/.327/.442/9
447) Nick Becker – SEA, SS, 19.4 – Selected 57th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Becker is 6’4”, 190 pounds with a super bouncy, athletic and quick righty swing. I’m a definitely a fan of the swing, and there is plenty of projection on his frame to get to plus power at peak. He combines that with plus speed and a good feel to hit, but he’s yet to combine the hit/power combo together, so plenty of refinement is needed. This guy just has the look of that NBA style natural athlete. Fluid motions and explosion. I definitely want to bet on him. The pro debut wasn’t great with a 32.1% K% and 66 wRC+ in 6 games at Single-A, but it was small sample, and it’s not scaring me off from loving him. If something tanks him though, it will be the hit tool. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 75/21/77/.251/.324/.434/24
448) Francisco Renteria – PHI, OF, 17.3 – If you could draw up the perfect international prospect, Renteria is basically exactly how you would draw it up. He’s a projectable 6’3”, 200 pounds with explosive bat speed, double plus power potential and plus speed. He very well might have the highest pure upside of anyone in the class (but I think my boy Santiago Solarte could give him a run for his money there), and it also comes with a good feel to hit and good approach. That is literally every single box you want to see checked. He doesn’t have the truly special way ahead of his age refinement that Luis Hernandez has, and it seems Asigen is also ahead in terms of hit tool confidence and getting to the raw power, but if Renteria ends up lapping both of them, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all. There is legit elite prospect upside in here if it works out. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 82/28/88/.258/.335/.478/18
449) Angeibel Gomez – KCR, OF, 17.4 – Gomez is a supreme athlete at a projectable 6’2”, 181 pounds with plus speed, plus power potential, and a history of production. He won the MVP in the 2024 Amateur Scouting League, giving some comfort that he isn’t going to come into the DSL and just tank, and he also has the plus CF glove that can carry him on real lift lists and give him a long leash in general. He already hits the ball hard and there is a lot more coming with his projectable frame. He’s very clearly a truly elite international prospect who checks just about every box you want to see checked. You could put his profile against anyone’s from this class. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 84/24/21/.262/.331/.455/24
450) Tanner McDougal – CHW, RHP, 23.0 – That pitching prospect bucket that I love shopping in is just insanely overflowing. I think I’m gonna need a bigger bucket, or maybe 2 buckets, because I’m going to be drowning in choice when I’m ready to take my stabs on the guys in that Top 75-150 area on prospects rankings. Finding underrated pitching prospects is so easy that it’s become hard. Oh shit, I feel like that’s a Yogi-ism. Anyway, onto McDougal, he’s 6’5” with a mid to upper 90’s fastball, two bat missing breakers in his curve and slider, and a lesser used changeup. It resulted in a 3.26 ERA with a 28.3/10.2 K%/BB% in 113.1 IP at High-A and Double-A (he was even better at Double-A than High-A). There is control risk and he needs to improve the changeup, giving him sizeable relief risk, but there is very really high K, mid-rotation starter upside in here. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.78/1.27/158 in 150 IP
451) Brandon Sproat – MIL, RHP, 25.6 – I was ready to give Sproat the Triple-A is effing hard bump with a 4.24 ERA and 22.1/10.4 K%/BB% in 121 IP, but it turned out MLB was really hard for him as well with a 4.79 ERA and 20.2/8.3 K%/BB% in 20.2 IP. The Triple-A is hard bump only works if the majors ends up being easier, which we’ve genuinely seen from a ton of rookies this year, but that isn’t how it went down for Sproat. A 15.1% whiff% is concerningly low, and the 25.6% whiff% at Triple-A is mediocre too. There is a reason the Mets were willing to include him in the Peralta deal. He’s really not that good. There is a big BUT though, and that but is that the stuff is really, really good, so while he’s not that good right now, there is definite breakout potential in the right franchise, and I don’t think I have to tell you that Milwaukee is the right franchise. They have some fun stuff to work with like a 96.7 MPH 4-seamer, 95.7 MPH sinker, and a potentially plus sweeper. The changeup, curve and slider all flash really good too. I don’t want to fade a guy too hard with this level of stuff who is going to a great organization, but I’m too unimpressed with his 2025 season to to call him one of my guys. He’s a fringy Top 100 prospect as there are a lot of guys with really good stuff who had much better seasons than Sproat, so he’s towards the back end of that fringy group. The trade to Milwaukee is the main reason he’s even ranked this high for me. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.15/1.32/79 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.76/1.27/155 in 160 IP
452) Luis Perales – WSH, RHP, 22.11 – Boston and Washington swapped upside for safety (Perales for Jake Bennett), and while I actually do think the trade is in the fair range for real life, I’m easily a Perales guy for fantasy. I’m a Perales guy for real life too for that matter. He returned from June 2024 Tommy John surgery and immediately showed the insanely exciting stuff was back with the fastball sitting upper 90’s. He couldn’t command it to save his life in his return with a 18% BB% in 11.1 IP in the AFL, and he got bombed there with a 10.32 ERA, so while it’s great to see the big stuff back, it’s hard to say he proved he is fully healthy. He actually relied more on his plus, low 90’s cutter than he did the heater. He was going full breakout in 2024 with a 2.94 ERA with a 38.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 33.2 IP at High-A and Double-A before going down with the injury, and he certainly didn’t pick up right from where he left off. He was of course just ramping back up and shaking the rust off, so we have to give him a lot of leeway, but seeing it again first would be nice before getting too crazy with his ranking. He also still has bullpen risk as he needs to improve his secondaries (slider, splitter). There is plenty of risk here, both injury and bullpen, but the upside is just as high, even if he does end up in the bullpen as a potential future closer. He’s a major 2026 breakout candidate. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.78/1.29/164 in 150 IP
453) Kevin Defrank – MIA, RHP, 17.8 – 17 year old DSL pitching prospects are by far my least favorite aisle of prospect to shop in. For one, there are so many underrated pitching prospects with big stuff in the upper minors that you don’t have to dive this far to get a potentially really impactful fantasy starter. For two, who knows how many Tommy John surgeries you will have to sit through before he gets to the bigs, and then who knows how long they will sit in the breakout waiting room before actually breaking out (see, Edward Cabrera). So it’s just treacherous waters to dive in, but sometimes there are exceptions, and Defrank is that exception. He don’t look 17 years old at a thick 6’5”, and his stuff isn’t that of average an 17 year old with a mid to upper 90’s fastball and an already pretty advanced, filthy changeup. The slider isn’t as refined yet, but it definitely has potential to be a bat missing weapon at peak. And he does it all with pretty good control, and an athletic, kinda super charged righty delivery. It led to a 3.19 ERA with a 24.1/7.1 K%/BB% in 31 IP. It would have been nice to see that wild crazy 30%+ rate, but the above average walk rate mitigates that, and the stuff is clearly going to miss a ton of bats. Who knows if he can hold up for a full starters workload, but if you’re going to take a shot on a DSL pitcher, Defrank is the one to go for. Even if you don’t plan on keeping him, he could be a great trade chip as he flies up rankings. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 12/3.48/1.15/175 in 160 IP
454) Luis De Leon – BAL, LHP, 22.11 – De Leon was a late season helium pitcher who got the sent to the AFL where the helium just kept getting blown into his hype balloon. And he deserves every bit of it as a still projectable 6’3” lefty with a mid 90’s fastball and two bat missing secondaries in his slider and changeup. It led to a 3.30 ERA with a 28.5/10.9 K%/BB% in 87.1 IP at mostly High-A, but he kept it up at Double-A too with a 1.69 ERA and 35.3/10.5 K%/BB% in 16 IP. He’s had control issues throughout his career and he’s definitely not a finished product, but out of all of Baltimore’s super talented proximity pitchers, I think De Leon might have the most upside of them all. I’m rolling the dice on De Leon. He makes for a great target this off-season even with his rising hype. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.77/1.29/166 in 150 IP
455) Kendry Chourio – KCR, RHP, 18.6 – I talked about keeping things simple in the Kris Bubic blurb, and I talked about K to BB being King in the Noah Cameron blurb, which leads us to Kendry Chourio. He just put up a 29.9/2.4 K%/BB% in 51.1 IP as a 17 year old making his pro debut, rising all the way from the DSL to Single-A in the span of 2 months. Is he a fireballer? No (the fastball gets into the mid 90’s though). Are the secondaries off the screen insane? No (the breakers and changeup both project to be good pitches though). Is he a huge man? No (he’s only 6’0”, but he’s not small). But like I said, don’t make things more complicated than they have to be. That K/BB is special, and rising all the way up to Single-A as a 17 year is special, where that K/BB was still awesome with a 25.0/4.2 K%/BB% in 22.2 IP. The pitchability is top of the scale, and the stuff ain’t bad either. I’m buying it for the most part, but this is is still a super volatile bucket of prospect, so I wouldn’t go too crazy quite yet. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.81/1.19/155 in 165 IP
456) Jameson Taillon – CHC, RHP, 34.4 – Taillon is mostly a win now WHIP play with a 1.06 WHIP and 5.2% BB% in 129.2 IP. The 18.9% K% is super low and the 3.68 ERA (3.85 xERA) might not help you a ton either, but if you go for higher K, higher WHIP shots earlier in the draft, Taillon is a good option to even that out a little bit later on. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.87/1.16/126 in 155 IP
457) Carlos Narvaez – BOS, C, 27.4 – Narvaez was the 8th most valuable defense catcher in baseball, so while he has a below average bat, Boston just might keep rolling with him. And the bat was only slightly below average with a 97 wRC+. 15 homers with a .241 BA and .725 OPS is not that bad for a plus defensive catcher, and considering he has only 461 career MLB PA, he might be able to get to above average in his late 20’s. The 9.1% Barrel%, 91.1 MPH EV, 44.6% Hard Hit% and 13.2 degree launch shows there is some legit juice in the bat. The 27.7% whiff% and 24.9/8.5 K%/BB% isn’t bad at all. He’ll hit in a really good Red Sox lineup. I’m actually coming away liking him way more than I thought I would before I started writing this blurb. If you want a longer term catcher option in a medium to deeper league, he’s actually not the worst guy to grab. – 2026 Projection: 53/16/61/.244/.318/.415/1
458) J.T. Realmuto – PHI, C, 35.0 – The cliff came for Realmuto. Well, maybe “the cliff” is a little strong, but the full on decline is quite clearly here. He put up a 94 wRC+ with his bat speed declining 1.2 MPH to 72 MPH. He hit only 12 homers in 134 games which was his worst pace since 2016. It’s not like he’s all of a sudden an old man as the 28.4 ft/sec sprint, 90 MPH EV, 45.5% Hard Hit% and 23.5% K% are all good marks in line with his career norms, but it’s not like he’s getting any younger. I’m not against him as a low cost win now catcher, and I don’t think a dead cat bounce season is out of the question, but I don’t see how we can’t treat him as anything other than a declining vet whose best days are behind him. – 2026 Projection: 60/16/58/.259/.318/.420/8
459) Sean Murphy – ATL, C, 31.6 – Murphy is down bad. He hit below the Mendoza line for the 2nd year in a row, Baldwin stole his starting job, and his season ended in early September with a torn labrum in his hip which required surgery. Talk about kicking a man when he’s down. Hip surgery sure doesn’t sound great for a constantly squatting and popping up catcher, and Atlanta can give him all the extra rest he needs now, which isn’t good for his fantasy value. Atlanta has room to give both Baldwin and Murphy near full times at bats at C/DH depending on what they do this off-season, and Murphy was still an excellent defensive catcher, so as long as he’s fully healthy, he should get enough run to be a starting fantasy catcher. His bat is the bigger question with a career worst 32.3% whiff% and 31.4% K%. The bat speed is in a 3 year decline with a 72.6 MPH swing. There is still juice in the bat with 16 homers and a 13.2% Barrel% in 94 games, so you shouldn’t completely give up on him, but he’s only a low end win now catcher. – 2026 Projection: 52/18/61/.228/.322/.425/0
460) Edgar Quero – CHW, C, 23.0 – Chicago’s lineup is so weak and their organizational depth is so nonexistent that Quero should still get enough at bats in 2026 to be a startable fantasy catcher despite Kyle Teel running away with the actual full time catcher job. Long term, I wouldn’t feel as comfortable about it though as he’s a below average defensive catcher and his offensive potential is more solid than standout. He hit only 5 homers with 0 steals and a .689 OPS in 111 games in his MLB debut. He hits it hard with a 46.3% Hard Hit% and he hits it often with a 17.6% K%, but he doesn’t lift and pull nearly enough to take advantage of it with a 6.8 degree launch and 7.8% Air Pull%. A bottom 5% sprint speed and a 67.5 MPH swing further caps that fantasy upside. If Chicago never traded for Teel, I would like him as a solid, young fantasy bat, but with Teel, I just don’t trust the playing time enough long term considering the lack of both real life and fantasy upside. – 2026 Projection: 42/12/51/.260/.331/.404/1
461) Andres Gimenez – TOR, 2B, 27.7 – Gimenez’ plus glove at 2B and good glove at SS too is a huge boost to his fantasy value, because it might be the only thing keeping him in the starting lineup, at least as of now. The bat is getting brutal with a 70 wRC+ in 2025 and a 83 wRC+ in 2024. He’s having the opposite of a mid to late 20’s power breakout with a 27.7% Hard Hit% that is in the bottom 5% of the league. He certainly got unlucky in 2025 with a .252 xBA vs. .211 BA, and a quad and ankle injury contributed to only 12 steals in 101 games, so a bounce back to his previous solid fantasy profile could be in the cards in his age 27 year old season, but it’s not something I’m chasing. He’s a low end option. – 2026 Projection: 68/11/61/.246/.308/.380/24
462) Luisangel Acuna – CHW, 2B, 24.1 – The trade to White Sox is a major boon to Acuna’s fantasy value as it seems he’s the favorite for their starting CF job. And not only is the trade exciting, but his performance in Venezuela Winter League was exciting too, slashing .282/.397/.542 with 8 homers, 12 steals, and a 19.0/15.0 K%/BB% in 39 games. Keep in mind that Venezuela Winter League isn’t nearly as tough as Dominican Winter League, but I mean, it’s certainly something to hang your hat on for a hopeful breakout. Just looking at his MLB performance isn’t as rosy. He hasn’t lived up to the family name, not adding any power over time, putting up the goose egg in homers in 95 games in the majors (also 0 homers in 28 games at Triple-A). It resulted in a brutal 65 wRC+. He has speed (elite 29.5 ft/sec sprint with 16 steals), solid contact rates (19.2% K%), and above average defense, so if he can transfer any of the winter power gains to the majors, the fantasy upside is in here. I like him as a late upside shot now – 2026 Projection: 63/10/49/.250/.307/.369/26
463) Rhys Hoskins – CLE, 1B, 33.0 – Hoskins hasn’t been the same player since tearing his ACL. His 109 wRC+ was better than 2024’s 101 wRC+, but both marks are the worst and 2nd worst wRC+’s of his career. The bat speed is on the decline with a 1.2 MPH drop to 70 MPH, and so is the foot speed with a 0.5 ft/sec drop to 24.8, which is in the bottom 4% of the league. The 28.8% K% in 2024 and 27.7% K% in 2025 are both also the worst two marks of his career. He’s just not the same guy. He was so good in his prime that he had room to decline and still be a good power bat, which he still is with a 10.3% Barrel%, 90.2 MPH EV, 22.1 degree launch, and 46.4% Hard Hit%, but entering his age 33 year old season, we have to start factoring in some continued decline from here. My guess is that he’s able to find a mostly full time job this off-season, but that is no guarantee, and landing in a good ballpark for righty homes will also go a long way for his value. – 2026 Projection: 59/23/71/.233/.328/.441/2 Update: I’m legit surprised how little interest there was in Hoskins to the point he signed a minor league deal with the Guardians. I knew there was no guarantee of landing a full time job, but a minor league deal is much worse than I was expecting. It does look like he has a chance at a starting gig at 1B/DH, but with only a minor league deal, that is obviously far from guaranteed.
464) Mike Yastrzemski – ATL, OF, 35.7 – Yas finally got out of San Francisco in the 2nd half of 2025, and even though he went to the still bad Kansas City ballpark (not bad anymore hopefully with them moving the fences in), he exploded with 9 homers, a 127 wRC+ and 11.8/13.4 K%/BB% in 50 games. Damn, it’s like he was finally able to get that oppressive weight of Oracle Park off his chest, and now he’s going to a park that is actually above average for lefty homers. Too bad it took him until 35 years old, because we now have the factor in decline, but I hope the baseball gods bless him with at least one season of feeling good in a good ballpark for him. He lift/pulls like crazy with a 20.4 degree launch and 25.3% Air Pull%, and he hits the ball decently hard with a 42.6% Hard Hit%. The 19.4% K% was a career best and the career best 19% whiff% backs it up. It really does feel like things are setting up for a big time strong side of a platoon season for Yas. I’m in for this in win now mode in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 71/23/74/.244/.332/.450/6
465) Jeff McNeil – SAC, 2B/OF, 34.0 – What an unbelievably great landing spot for McNeil going to Sacramento, and at a weak 2B position, he’s actually a super sneaky win now target kinda. He’s started to pull in the air more over the last 2 seasons, giving him 15+ homer upside even without the minor league park (12 homers in 122 games in 2025), so now in the minor league park, there really is a chance for a weird 20 homer season. It’s come at the cost of his usual high BA’s with a .243 BA, but again, the ballpark mitigates all of this. The elite contact rates are his best skill with a 11.9% K%, and he actually managed a career best 10.6% BB% too. Assuming no decline, which we can’t fully assume at 34 years old, he should be able to put together a pretty damn good offensive season in 2026. I like him a decent amount in medium to deeper leagues and even in shallower leagues he’s going to have value. – 2026 Projection: 76/16/68/.264/.338/.421/5
466) Brady Singer – CIN, RHP, 29.8 – Singer has never been my guy. I’ve never owned him anywhere, in any league, ever. There is nothing wrong with him. He’s completely fine. But I guess that is why I never own him. I generally aim for more than completely fine. Or at the least, I aim for a guy who I know can impact a certain category. He put up a 4.03 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 22.8/8.4 K%/BB% in 169.2 IP. That is more or less exactly his career norms. And as you can see, nothing is too bad … and nothing is too good. Everything is average-ish if you want to be kind, and mediocre if you don’t want to be kind. He’ll probably be completely fine once again … on someone else’s team 😉 – 2026 Projection: 11/4.00/1.26/159 in 168 IP
467) Chad Patrick – MIL, RHP, 27.8 – What can’t Milwaukee do? They even take depth/org arms like Chad Patrick and turn them into legit mid-rotation starters. It’s wild how far ahead of everyone they are. Patrick stepped into the majors as a 26/27 year old and put up a 3.54 ERA with a 25.2/8.0 K%/BB% in 119.2 IP. It’s not like he’s just a junkballer, and he’s actually kinda the opposite of a junkballer with 3 fastballs leading his arsenal. The 94.1 MPH sinker put up a +4 Run Value with a 5 degree launch. The 94.2 MPH 4-seamer put up a +4 Run Value with a 25.5% whiff%. And the 87.9 MPH cutter is his most used pitch with a +3 Run Value and 27.2% whiff%. He mixes in a much lesser used changeup and slider which aren’t very good but they are there. The control and whiff rates are only average at best, and maybe slightly below, so 2025 feels like more of a ceiling, but I’m not going to bet against Milwaukee. I’m valuing him as a solid #4 starter who should be in the rotation. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.93/1.30/144 in 150 IP
468) Miguel Vargas – CHW, 3B/1B, 26.4 – The long awaited breakout finally came! All of the hopes and dreams from when Vargas was an elite prospect finally came to fruition when he got unleashed in Chicago … and it all came to a 101 wRC+ with 16 homers, 6 steals, and a .234 BA in 138 games. I mean, it’s much better than what he did in LA, but that is still super lackluster. The “breakout” came on the back of increased hard hit with a 9.3% Barrel%, 89.7 MPH EV, and 40.5% Hard Hit%, but that still isn’t hitting the ball quite hard enough to take advantage of the strong plate approach (17.6/9.8 K%/BB%) and lift/pull (22.6 degree launch with a 23.1% Air Pull%). And he needed to give up a lot of speed to get to that power increase with a 1.1 ft/sec drop in sprint to a mediocre 27.5. Maybe there is another power bump in here, or maybe he starts running more, but it’s not something I’m betting on. He’s a low end option that is more appealing in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 74/19/66/.242/.320/.422/9
469) Andrew Benintendi – CHW, OF, 31.9 – Benintendi’s slide into a super boring fantasy player has been a rough watch considering how exciting his MLB career started, but he’s actually a bit less boring now than he used to be. He decided to go nuclear on lift/pull, putting up career bests with a 20.1 degree launch and 26.5% Air Pull%, and it resulted in him ripping 20 homers in just 116 games. Combined with a 17.4% K% and a decent enough I guess 36.9% Hard Hit%, that could be enough to actually have fantasy impact power. He doesn’t run anymore with only 1 steal and the BA is going to be low with a .240 BA, but I mean, I like where his head is at as the best path to impact. We’ve actually seen a few guys have the “totally normal” 30’s Hard Hit increase, and if that happens, he could be one of those Laureano like breakouts. You can’t bet on it, but it’s possible. I actually sneakily like him in deeper leagues, although the Runs/RBI are going to limit any upside, so only in deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 63/22/75/.242/.310/.426/4
470) Gavin Sheets – SDP, OF, 29.11 – Sheets had a huge Hard Hit% breakout with it rising 11.2 points to 46.5%, and at 6’3”, 235 pounds, it’s about damn time. He did it by increasing his bat speed 2.1 MPH to a near elite 74.8 MPH, and he didn’t have to sacrifice any contact to do it with a 19.6% K%. It resulted in 19 homers and a 111 wRC+ in 145 games. Not exactly world beating, but it’s much better than what he was doing before. The home ballpark is subduing the power breakout a bit, and he’s not great vs. lefties, so the upside is likely capped even with a lot of lift/pull. But he has a starting job right now, and if that holds, he can definitely hit mid 20’s homers if things go right. He’s fantasy relevant at the least with a chance to make a legit power impact. – 2026 Projection: 61/21/76/.250/.319/.428/2
471) Mickey Moniak – COL, OF, 27.11 – I remember when Mickey was just a wee lad who was supposed to have an elite hit tool, getting drafted 1st overall, but turned out, no, he did not have a good hit tool at all. It took him 9 years of putting on those man muscles to have the 27 year old breakout with a career high by far 45.3% Hard Hit%. He lifts and pulls a ton, he hits in the Coors, and the contact rates are at a career best too with a 23.9% K% and 28.2% whiff%. I just want to respect the crushing expectations of being the 1st overall pick, followed quickly by the embarrassment and fall from grace of terrible production, only to rise from the ashes through hard work and determination. I just respect the mental fortitude and hard work. He’s unplayable vs. lefties, he doesn’t walk with a 38% Chase%, and he’s not good on defense, so it’s a precarious profile, but he definitely has dynasty value. He damn near went 25/10 last year (24/9) with a .270 BA. There are too many holes to buy in too hard, but we just saw what he can do when things go right. – 2026 Projection: 64/20/69/.255/.296/.432/9
472) Lars Nootbaar – STL, OF, 28.7 – He finally did. He finally raised his launch considerably to 16.5 degrees (6 degrees in 2024), and he did it with a career best 50% Hard Hit% and career norm 20.4% K%. This should be the huge homer breakout, right? Shockingly, no. He still hit only 13 homers in 135 games. 12 of those homers came in the first half, but even in that half his BA tanked to .227, so the trade off still arguably wasn’t worth it. He suffered a rib injury mid season which seemed to coincide with the power outage (just 1 homer post break). And I’ve seen plenty of players make the underlying number changes in one year where it doesn’t show up in the surface stats, only for it to show up in the surface stats the next year. So even though the big homer breakout didn’t happen, it can still happen in 2026. He’s not great vs. lefties, he doesn’t run much (4 steals), and he has a career .242 BA, so even if the 20+ homer power does come, it’s still not likely to be a beastly fantasy season, but I do foresee a career high in homers coming. – 2026 Projection: 75/18/66/.242/.338/.418/6
473) Will Warren – NYY, RHP, 26.9 – The biggest problem with Warren is that his famed sweeper just isn’t getting the job done vs. MLB hitters. The pitch got destroyed with a .405 wOBA, .361 xwOBA, and a negative 10 Run Value. That literally makes it the least valuable sweeper in baseball. If that pitch was as good as advertised, the profile would work, because everything else is more or less doing it’s job. The 93.3 MPH 4-seamer is good with a 23.2% whiff% and +11 Run Value. The sinker keeps the ball on the ground with a negative one degree launch. The changeup and curve weren’t good either with negative Run Values, but the whiff rates and xwOBA on the pitches are okay. The sweeper was supposed to be the standout secondary, and I guess it did standout, just in the opposite way we wanted to. It all led to a 4.43 ERA with a 24.1/9.1 K%/BB% in 162.1 IP. He needs to find a true wipeout secondary, whether the sweeper or another pitch, if he wants to be more than a back end arm. He could also be fighting for a rotation spot if the mediocrity continues. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.08/1.33/153 in 150 IP
474) Cade Cavalli – WAS, RHP, 27.7 – Cavalli checks a ton of boxes I love to see checked off when looking for pitching sleepers/targets. He’s a big dude (6’4”, 223), he throws hard (97.1 MPH 4-seamer), the fastball misses bats (25.6% whiff%), he has a ground ball inducing sinker, he has two bat missing secondaries in his curve (39.8% whiff%) and changeup (41.8% whiff%) and he has a plus whiff% overall (27.9% whiff%). He even showed above average control in his debut with a 6.8% BB%. I’m kinda talking myself into him here, but the problem is, it just hasn’t come together for great production. He put up a 4.25 ERA with a 18.3% K% in 48.2 IP in the majors. He put up a 5.35 ERA with a 24.7/9.4 K%/BB% in 74 IP at AAA. The 26.4% whiff% at AAA isn’t that impressive. The control has been below average throughout his career. He had a 1.48 WHIP in the majors and a 1.45 WHIP in the minors. I clearly see the ingredients in here, and they are enticing, but I’ve seen ingredients like this before where it just never comes together. That WHIP is the scariest part because that seems far off from a true breakout. I’m going to split the difference on him. I can’t call him a breakout, but if nobody else seems to particularly like him in my leagues, I can see ending up with him in some places. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.93/1.34/138 in 150 IP
475) Mick Abel – MIN, RHP, 24.8 – After 4 years of struggles and unfulfilled potential, Abel finally had the big breakout we’ve all been waiting for, and Philly couldn’t wait to sell high and cash in on that value at their first chance. They got Jhoan Duran for him (and Tait), so it’s not like they gave him away, but I think it does say something about what they think about him. I would have done the same thing. They didn’t all of a sudden view him as an untouchable elite pitching prospect. All the years of struggles were not just wiped away. He put up a 2.20 ERA with a 28.6/10.1 K%/BB% in 98.1 IP at Triple-A, but as you can see, the control is still below average. The 28.3% whiff% is really good, but it’s not elite levels for AAA, and the 3.78 xFIP also hints at some good luck. It also all fell apart in the majors with a 6.23 ERA and 22.4/9.2 K%/BB% in 39 IP. He throws hard with a 96.4 MPH fastball (95.7 MPH at AAA), but the pitch gets hit hard too with a .423 xwOBA (47% Hard Hit% at AAA). The curve is legitimately plus with a 39.1% whiff%, but the other secondaries aren’t nearly as good and he doesn’t go to them very often. The upside is definitely in here and it’s always been in here, and it’s awesome to see him start to actualize it, but I’m not ready to really stick my neck out for him. His career has been a wild ride, and I’m not so sure that ride is done. I don’t mind him for cheap, but he’s not a target for me. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.17/1.33/136 in 140 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.85/1.29/165 in 160 IP Update: Made the rotation out of camp and has looked good in spring, but not sure it changes his dynasty value majorly for me
476) Ben Hess – NYY, RHP, 23.7 – Hess was underrated in First Year Player Drafts last off-season, and he’s still underrated now. The Yanks took him 26th overall for a reason, and that reason was that he’s a big man at 6’5”, 255 pounds with big stuff, and while he didn’t have that truly dominating Junior Year breakout, the breakout came in pro ball this year. He put up a 3.22 ERA with a 33.0/10.9 K%/BB% in 103 IP at High-A and Double-A, and he was even better at Double-A with a 2.70 ERA and 31.3/9.0 K%/BB% in 36.2 IP. He dominated with a plus mid 90’s fastball/curve combo, and the lesser used changeup is really good when he goes to it too. He also throws a solid slider. The control/command is below average, likely limiting his reasonable upside projection to a mid-rotation starter, but a high K mid-rotation starter is an impact fantasy starter. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.14/1.33/47 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.71/1.24/171 in 165 IP
477) Michael Forret – TBR, RHP, 22.0 – Forret is yet another really good pitching prospect target in the bucket I love to shop in. There are so many good options in this bucket this year that you don’t have to stick your neck out for any of them. Whichever ones fall into your lap will work. I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season by writing, “he’s the type who could really pop with a good showing in the upper minors,” and then he finally got to the upper minors towards the end of 2025 and delivered on that promise with a 1.88 ERA and 27.3/7.3 K%/BB% in 14.1 IP. He was even better at High-A with a 1.51 ERA and 33.5/7.5 K%/BB% in 59.2 IP. He’s a box checker with size (6’3”), velocity (mid 90’s heat), and a bevy of good secondaries (slider, cutter, changeup). There really isn’t anything not to like. He projects as a potentially impact mid rotation starter, and I think there is upside for more than that. The fact that Tampa targeted him in the Baz trade emboldens my love for him even more, and he gets an organizational bump. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.67/1.21/160 in 160 IP
478) Gage Stanifer – TOR, RHP, 22.4 – Stanifer is yet another awesome pitching prospect target. Add him to the pile. He’s 6’3”, 208 pounds with that at the ear mid 90’s fastball that always creates a great movement profile and always racks up whiffs. He combines the bat missing heater with a potentially plus slider and a lesser used, solid changeup. It resulted in a 2.86 ERA with a 35.5/12.8 K%/BB% in 110 IP at mostly High-A. He got hit up in 2 starts to end the season at Double-A but I wouldn’t read too much into it. The biggest issue with his profile is the below average control, but he’s not super wild, so I think he can improve on that over time. He was just 21 years old last year. He gets some hype, but in the grand scheme, he’s definitely underrated. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.68/1.24/171 in 160 IP
479) Carson Kelly – CHC, C, 31.9 – It feels like Kelly’s 2025 came out of nowhere, but he’s actually had a couple of similar seasons in the past, and nothing in the underlying numbers were all that different from career norms. It was just a really good year with a career best 115 wRC+. He has excellent plate skills with a 19.0/10.7 K%/BB%, he lifts and pulls with a 16.4 degree launch and 23.9% Air Pull%, and he hits it hard enough with a 40.3% Hard Hit%. He’s also an above average defensive catcher. He looks locked into Chicago’s starting catcher job, but he’s likely more of a 120+ game type starter than a 140+ guy. And the offensive potential is just modest. He’s a low end win now catcher. – 2026 Projection: 51/15/56/.245/.330/.415/1
480) Nolan Arenado – ARI, 3B, 34.11 – The decline continued for Arenado with a .666 OPS and .287 xwOBA in 107 games. His Hard Hit is in the toilet with a 32.6% Hard Hit%, and when you lift it as much as he does, that is a recipe for a low BA (.237). The elite contact and elite lift/pull is still there, and he’s not completely ancient at a still barely 34 years old, so I wouldn’t rule out a Hard Hit bounce back back to career norms. Career norms is 37.5%, which still isn’t great, but it would at least make him a useful fantasy bat again. The trade to Arizona gives him a ballpark upgrade, and a player with this profile is heavily dependent on a good ballpark, so that is a nice bump. I’m not willing to stick a fork in him quite yet, but he’s still only a low end win now option. – 2026 Projection: 66/20/75/.250/.306/.420/3
481) Ryan McMahon – NYY, 3B, 31.3 – If McMahon couldn’t have the offensive breakout in Colorado, it seems far fetched it’s going to happen in his age 31 year old season now that he’s not in Coors. He put up a 86 wRC+ in 2025 and has a career 89 wRC+. Expecting anything different would be foolish. If you were trying to talk yourself into him, you would say that he crushes the ball, and he actually put up career highs in that area with a 12.1% Barrel%, 93.3 MPH EV and 50.5% Hard Hit%. He also put up a career highs in lift/pull with a 13.9 degree launch and 17% Air Pull%. Even those numbers he still hit only 4 homers in 54 games with the Yanks though. And he needed to give up contact to do it with a career worst 35.2% whiff% and .214 BA. The excellent 3B glove should keep him on the field, and he should hit 20+ dingers, but counting on a truly impactful fantasy season seems like a long shot. – 2026 Projection: 74/21/71/.230/.320/.423/4
482) Josh Bell – MIN, 1B, 33.8 – Bell landed a full time job this off-season as I expected, and he’s far from done with a 107 wRC+ and even better .358 xwOBA in 140 games in 2025. The 73.1 MPH swing is up almost 3 MPH from 2024, he hits it very hard with a 47% Hard Hit%, and the plate skills are excellent with a 16.5/10.7 K%/BB%. He’s a true talent .250/20/0 guy, which doesn’t exactly blow the doors off in fantasy, but that’s still solid. Beggars can’t be choosers when you are looking for win now options this deep in the rankings, and Bell really isn’t the worst desperation option. This ranking might even be underselling him, but at 33 years old, there might not be many more years left. – 2026 Projection: 61/21/72/.250/.335/.425/0
483) Jorge Soler – LAA, OF, 34.1 – Lower back inflammation ended Soler’s season after 82 games and at 34 years old, you never want to hear about a back injury like that. He was in the midst of a bad season before getting shutdown with a .215 BA, 12 homers and 88 wRC+. The Hard Hit% was down to 42% and the K% was up to 29.8%. He’s an aging slugger who can still certainly hit dingers, especially if he truly comes into 2026 fully healthy, but there might not be that many years left in here as a full time starter, especially considering how bad he is on defense. – 2026 Projection: 68/23/74/.236/.321/.438/1
484) Tyler O’Neill – BAL, OF, 30.9 – Baltimore signing O’Neill made little sense last off-season, and now one year later, it makes even less sense. I do still believe his contract gives him the leg up on a full time job though (Beavers and Basallo could be the ones battling it out for the last spot, at least until injuries hit), and the guy just put up a .360 xwOBA, so I wouldn’t ignore him completely. Now, everything else was a disaster with a .199 BA, .584 OPS and only 54 games played with a variety of injuries. He’s just never on the field. His 4 highest games played in his career were 138, 113, 96, and 72. So I wouldn’t fear too much about Basallo and Beavers playing time, because the odds O’Neill is actually healthy for even over 100 games is low. If he can manage it though, there is still big fantasy upside in here. He had a 16.5% Barrel% with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint and a 24.4/10.5 K%/BB%. The guy can still play and do real damage when he’s out there. – 2026 Projection: 54/18/59/.238/.320/.447/6
485) Davis Schneider – TOR, 2B/OF, 27.2 – Schneider is way too much of a lift and pull machine for his own good with a 24.2 degree launch and 33.3% Air Pull%. It will result in lots of dingers, which is great for fantasy (11 homers in just 227 PA in 2025), but it makes his BA such a high risk that it’s a killer for both his fantasy value and real life value. The .234 BA wasn’t bad last year, but the .191 xBA and career .217 BA says he was lucky to even to get to that level. He did show some real hit tool improvements with a career best 26.4% K% and 28.5% whiff%, so maybe all of it wasn’t a mirage. He’s not too bad on defense either. There is definitely path for him to have a real breakout, and while he doesn’t have a full time job, if he’s truly raking, I think there is some semblance of a path to playing time still there even with adding Okamoto. If a part time player has value in your fantasy league, Schneider is one of my favorites to go after, and even in shallower leagues, keep a close eye on him early in the season. And add a major star in OBP leagues as he just put up a 15.9% BB% and .361 OBP, which is another reason I think he can find his way to full time at bats. He’s a sneaky let him come to you “target.” – 2026 Projection: 60/20/60/.227/.333/.435/6
486) Denzel Clarke – SAC, OF, 25.11 – I’m cautiously buying Clarke. I’m sure as hell not sticking my neck out for him. I’m not going out of my way to get him. But I am going to put a circle next to his name if I can get him for free or as a tack on to a trade. The number one thing to love about him is his elite CF glove, making plays like he’s Spider-Man out there. That glove is going to give him as long of a leash as the Athletics can possibly tolerate. The reason why the Athletics are going to need the patience of a saint is because the hit tool is brutal. He put up a .230 BA with a 38.4/3.8 K%/BB% in 159 PA in his MLB debut. He’s struggled with the hit tool his entire career, so it’s really what was expected, but I think there is a sliver of hope. The 32.7% whiff% was not as bad as the strikeout rate, and when you crush the ball with a 52.1% Hard Hit% at Triple-A and a 90 MPH EV in the majors, you can get away with a whiff% in that range. He also showed signs of improvement with the hit tool at Triple-A with a 22.2/17.0 K%/BB% in 32 games. The hit tool is definitely not hopeless. The improvement to his hit tool came at the expense of his game power though with a 4.1 degree launch and 7.9% Air Pull% in the majors (and not much better at AAA). At nearly 26 years old, it seems like a long shot he will really ever be able to figure this out to be anything but a below average offensive player, but the elite raw talent is in there (along with the hard hit he’s lightning fast with a 29.5 ft/sec sprint and 30+ steal ability), and the glove will give him plenty of chances. He’s worth a flier. – 2026 Projection: 67/14/56/.232/.298/.390/21
487) Cedric Mullins – TBR, OF, 31.6 – Mullins was a fade for me last off-season, ranking him all the way down at #360 overall because I was concerned about his long term hold on a job, and coming off a terrible 2025, that caution proved correct. He put up a .690 OPS with a .284 xwOBA and a 1.3 WAR. This just isn’t a full time starter. Tampa gave him $7.5 million to be their starting CF though, so he’s in the pole position to at least have a strong side of a platoon role. There is going to be competition though and it’s not like the leash will be long if there is a repeat of 2025. He has an extreme lift/pull profile with a 24.1% K% and 35.9% Hard Hit%. That is a recipe for a super low BA, and that is what happened in the last 3 years, bottoming out to .216 in 2025. The fantasy friendly homer/steal combo is still in here with 17 homers and 22 steals, so as long as he’s on the field, he’s going to have fantasy value. There is too much playing time uncertainty both short and long term for me to chase that upside too much, but it’s certainly there. – 2026 Projection: 69/16/61/.230/.304/.408/24
488) Garrett Mitchell – MIL, OF, 27.7 – Mitchell was one of my favorite targets last off-season, and while it was a total disaster season, I don’t regret my process at all. The dude is a special talent with a 76.1 MPH swing and 29 ft/sec sprint coming off a season where he put up a 127 wRC+. He actually did bring his whiff% down 3.9 points to a less horrible 30.9%. He actually did raise his launch 8 degrees to 10.8 degrees. But obviously it didn’t matter. The hit tool still tanked him with a 32.1% K% and .206 BA. He hurt his oblique after 25 games and then during his rehab assignment he hurt his shoulder which required surgery in early July. He’s expected to be ready for 2026 and Milwaukee currently has an outfield spot up for grabs, but he’s going to have to earn it every step of the way now. I still own him in a lot of places just because I went after him last year, and I can’t lie that I still don’t hate that truly special bat speed/foot speed combo. Sure he struggled hard in 2025 but it was only 78 PA. He still has a career 114 wRC+. He’s gets on base and plays good D. I’m not going after him this year, and he’s probably just a guy you keep watch of on the waiver wire in most leagues, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the big season I expected in 2025 was just one year delayed. The talent is in here. – 2026 Projection: 51/13/43/.234/.312/.428/16
489) Brooks Lee – MIN, SS/3B/2B, 25.2 – Lee had the raw power breakout that he desperately needed, raising his EV 2.8 MPH to 88.6 MPH and his Hard Hit% 14 points to 38.5%, which got me really excited early in the year because the contact/lift/pull was already there, but it still wasn’t quite enough power to have a big season. It resulted in 16 homers with a .236 BA and a 81 wRC+ in 139 games. He’s very slow with a bottom 19% sprint speed, so not only does he not steal bases (3 steals), but he’s also not going to score many runs (50 runs). He’s going to have to up his raw power at least another level to really have an impact fantasy season, and even if he can, the fantasy upside still isn’t going to be huge. – 2026 Projection: 61/19/76/.250/.310/.414/4
490) Adael Amador – COL, 2B, 23.0 – The biggest issue with Amador’s profile is that he’s slow with a bottom 27% sprint speed of 26.5 ft/sec and that he’s a bad stealer (21 for 31 on the season). He’s never been a big power guy, so his upside was going to come from stolen bases, and that doesn’t look like something you want to be betting on. The power isn’t terrible with 11 homers and a 41.4% Hard Hit% in 80 games at Triple-A, but an 87.3 MPH EV with an 8 degree launch is pretty mediocre, and then in the majors it dropped off a cliff with a 84.8 MPH EV and 24.7% Hard Hit% in 128 PA. We gave him a pass for being horrific in the majors in 2024 when he was rushed, but he was basically just as bad in 2025 with a .269 xwOBA. The hit tool and contact rates are good with a 20.7% whiff% in the majors and a 16.5% whiff% at AAA, and I think at peak he will have a good hit tool, but the power/speed combo is lacking for me. And I think Roc Riggio might be better than him, so he’s going to have competition for that 2B job of the future. I don’t hate him but I don’t see myself grabbing too much of him this off-season – 2026 Projection: 52/7/45/.241/.317/.376/9 Prime Projection: 82/15/58/.273/.344/.409/15
491) Tommy Edman – LAD, 2B/OF, 30.11 – Edman was dealing with a messed up ankle basically all season, which originated in 2024, and he ended up getting surgery to fix it in November. He was originally expected to be ready for opening day, but there are lingering issues, and he’s not expected to start the year on the IL. Not great, and with stolen bases a key part of his fantasy value, it makes him a very risky player headed into his age 31 year old season. The ankle limited him to just 3 steals in 97 games in 2025, and while I guess the hope is the surgery returns him to full health, I’m not loving it at all. Not only was the speed down, but the 81 wRC+ was a career worst. I’m willing to give him a pass on that because the .320 xwOBA says he clearly got unlucky, but he has a career 97 wRC+, so it’s not like we are talking about a great fantasy player here if he’s not stealing. The biggest silver lining is that his power was up with 13 homers, an 11.8 degree launch, and career high 39.9% Hard Hit%, but 8 of those homers came in April, so even if the power did truly tick up, which I think it did, it’s not as exaggerated as the homer totals would have you believe. If he’s not stealing, the fantasy value is capped majorly, and I would be worried about betting on that too much. He’s still very much worth a roster spot, but it’s gotta be for very cheap. – 2026 Projection: 63/13/59/.248/.304/.412/13
492) Jefferson Rojas – CHC, SS/2B, 20.11 – I always put Rojas in the better real life than fantasy prospect bucket, and that is still the bucket I have him in. He has a good middle infield glove and he has a good feel to hit, which is as safe as a real life prospect gets, but he doesn’t have the tools to get me excited for fantasy with an average power/speed combo. To his credit, he bounced back in a major way coming off a down 2024, slashing .278/.379/.492 with 11 homers, 14 steals, and a 15.7/12.7 K%/BB% in 67 games at High-A, but he fell off a cliff when he got to Double-A with a 54 wRC+ in 39 games. He was only 20 years old, so the High-A numbers mean more to me, but I do think it hints at the subdued upside as he starts facing better competition. Solid prospect, but not a high upside fantasy prospect. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/17/66/.271/.334/.419/19
493) Nelson Rada – LAA, OF, 20.8 – The Angels are in desperate need of defensive upgrades, and while the Josh Lowe trade seems to now block Rada, Rada is still very likely their best defensive CF. Leave it to the Angels to acquire another bad OF, but if they get desperate for defense, Rada will be sitting at AAA waiting to go. And if he does get run, his base stealing ability alone will make him fantasy relevant with 54 steals in 135 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. The problem is that is likely all he will be able to do. The Hard Hit is bottom of the scale with a 83.4 MPH EV and 19.7% Hard Hit%, the 56.4% GB% is extreme, and while the hit tool is solid, a 20.4% whiff% and 19.9% K% isn’t exactly the type of elite hit tool you would want to see for this type of profile. He gets on base with a strong approach, but if he just can’t hit, that isn’t going to matter and that could disappear in the majors. Everything I just said though has to be taken with the context that this was a 19/20 year old in the upper minors all season, and he put up 121 wRC+. That counts for something. He’s never going to be a big hard hit guy at 5’9″, but it should only tick up as he matures. A plus defensive CF with speed and good enough plate skills can be fantasy relevant even from the bottom of the order, and if the BA/OBP is good enough, there is a chance he can hit at the top. He still looks like the Angels starting CF of the future. – 2026 Projection: 31/1/13/.238/.296/.331/9 Prime Projection: 77/7/42/.262/.333/.378/31
494) Nate George – BAL, OF, 19.11 – George was the 489th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, but he signed for $455K, showing he was a legit prospect, and calling him a legit prospect now is an understatement after making his pro debut in 2025. He slashed .337/.413/.483 with 5 homers, 50 steals in 75 attempts, and a 16.8/10.3 K%/BB% in 87 games split between rookie ball (179 wRC+), Single-A (163 wRC+) and High-A (133 wRC+). He’s not a huge guy at 6’0”, 200 pounds, but he’s definitely pretty electric out there with solid hard hit, speed, and good plate skills. He’s not a big lift and pull guy with a 46.7% GB% and 40.2% Pull%, but he doesn’t have to be with this type of profile. He projects as a solid across the board type with plenty of upside depending on how much of his raw power he can tap into and/or if he can improve his base stealing skills. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/18/71/.266/.331/.431/25
495) Zack Littell – WSH, RHP, 30.6 – Littell is an elite control, low WHIP back end fantasy arm with a 3.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 17.1/4.2 K%/BB% in 186.2 IP. None of his pitches are standout but he throws 6 pretty solid ones. He landed in a good spot with Washington. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.90/1.18/139 in 165 IP
496) Isaac Collins – KCR, OF, 28.8 – Collins seems to have a starting job in Kansas City, but I doubt there is going to be a long leash, so if he’s not hitting, they will likely make him a part time player pretty quickly. Even with a full time job, the fantasy upside is low without big power at 5’8” (9 homers in 441 PA), slightly above average speed (16 for 23 on the bases), and a good but not great hit tool (.263 with a 21.1% K%). He gets on base with a 12.9% BB%, so that can keep him on the field, but it’s only someone I’m interested in deeper leagues as a depth piece. He’s already 28 years old, so he’s pretty set in stone. If Kansas City wasn’t moving the fences in, I wouldn’t have any interest in him, but even with attempting to make it a neutral ballpark, I’m not too in. He’s fine in a deeper league. – 2026 Projection: 72/11/63/.251/.342/.395/18
497) Victor Robles – SEA, OF, 28.10 – Robles was a fade for me in 2025, which proved correct, but not in the way you want to be correct when fading a player. He fractured his shoulder in early April making a play in the outfield and it kept him out until late August. He was horrific after returning with a 75 wRC+ and .237 xwOBA in 32 games on the season. The Hard Hit% tanked to 23.2%. You can surely throw out the entire year due to the injury, but I was already fading him before the season, and I’m not going back in now. Even in 2024 he had a 28.6% Hard Hit%, which is terrible. The thing you are buying is the stolen bases (34 steals in 91 games in 2024 and 6 steals this year), but there is no impact in his bat, and now tack on injury risk for the shoulder. I wasn’t buying last off-season and I’m still not buying even at a heavily reduced price. It does seem like he has a starting job at the moment though, so I won’t give him the worst ranking. – 2026 Projection: 68/6/53/.256/.322/.375/27
498) Zac Veen – COL, OF, 24.3 – The raw power finally came. It finally happened. I was once upon a time extremely high on Zac Veen because I couldn’t believe that the raw power wasn’t going to come for the projectable 6’3” uber athlete, and in 2025, it came with a 90.7 MPH EV and 47.9% Hard Hit% in 90 games at Triple-A. That is what I have been waiting for, but unfortunately, the rest of his game still isn’t refined enough to take advantage of it. The hit tool got exposed when he got called to the majors with a 37.8% K% and 43.7% whiff% in 37 PA. It was a small sample, and he was better at Triple-A (20.4% K% with a 25.9% whiff%), but it’s clearly a risk. He didn’t lift enough to take full advantage of the power uptick with a 46.9% GB%, and even his once huge steal totals have diminished, going 15 for 20 in 93 games. He had a strong triple-slash (.289/.354/.464), but it was still only good for a 94 wRC+, and he struggled vs. lefties with a .679 OPS. Any leftover hype from being the 9th overall pick in 2020 and having huge potential has really mostly been extinguished. He’s just one of Colorado’s many talented by flawed corner outfielders. There is fantasy upside, but don’t overpay for the name value. – 2026 Projection: 24/5/28/.234/.298/.379/8 Prime Projection: 64/23/69/.252/.319/.441/14 Update: Dude quit drinking, gained 43 pounds, presumabley at least some of that is muscle hah, and is now looking pretty damn good in spring. He’s dragging me back in hah, but still clearly only grab him for cheap. There is still hit tool risk, and now we have to see how much of his speed he’s retained
499) Ethan Salas – SDP, C, 19.10 – I don’t think the upside is high enough to stay too patient with Salas. We gave Salas a lot of leeway for his terrible 2024 season (75 wRC+ in 111 games at High-A) because he was so young for the level, but in 2025, we saw what actual electric 18 year old prospects could accomplish at High-A like Jesus Made and Leodalis De Vries. Salas was off to another horrible start in 10 games at Double-A this year before a stress reaction in his back ended his season. His prospect stock was always buoyed by his excellent catcher glove, which doesn’t matter that much for fantasy, and while he was hurt this year the rest of the catcher world around him has exploded. Tack on a below average hitter’s park in San Diego, and he just doesn’t seem like a very special fantasy prospect. Of course we still have to take his age and him being pushed extremely aggressively into account, and maybe the biggest thing in his favor is that the San Diego catcher job is waiting for him, but he feels more name value to me than anything else. He needs to show legitimate offensive juice in 2026 regardless of what level they put him at before we can get excited about him again. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/22/79/.266/.340/.448/8
500) Esmerlyn Valdez – PIT, 1B/OF, 22.6 – Pitt’s offense is atrocious. They scored the least amount of runs in the league, and while they have some good bats in the farm system, it’s not like they are stacked there either. Point being, a prospect like Valdez is in the perfect organization to bet on for fantasy. Even the moves they made this off-season were for short term vets. They need some big bats, and I don’t see why Pitt wouldn’t give Valdez a major chance to be one of those big bats. He obliterated High-A with 20 homers and a 176 wRC+ in 72 games as a 21 year old, and while he got off to a slow start at Double-A, he finished strong with 6 homers and a 145 wRC+ in his final 42 games. He then went to the AFL and went nuclear with 8 homers and a 1.355 OPS in 19 games. The dude can flat out mash with a powerful righty swing at 6’2” and plenty of lift and pull. There is hit tool risk with a 24.6% K%, and he doesn’t have much defensive value, but like I said, beggars can’t be choosers. Pitt needs some big bats, and I think Valdez is going to get his shot at some point, if not in 2026, then in 2027 and beyond. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 70/26/81/.243/.318/.462/4
501) Hector Rodriguez – CIN, OF, 22.1 – Rodriguez has been a precocious hitter since the time he stepped on a pro field at 17 years old, and in 2025 he proved that special hit tool will have no problems in the upper minors, putting up a .283 BA with a 15% K% in 135 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. A hit tool like that generally finds it’s way onto the field, but the negatives in his profile overshadow that hit tool a bit for me. He doesn’t have much defensive value as a decent corner outfielder, he doesn’t get on base with a 46.6% Chase%, he’s not a great base stealer with 15 steals in 22 attempts on the season, the raw power is only average to maybe above average with a 39.3% Hard Hit%, and he hits the ball on the ground a ton with a 48.1% GB%. It doesn’t seem like a high upside fantasy profile or a high upside real life profile. He’s always going to have to scratch and claw for playing time because the defense ain’t great. He’s more of a Top 150-ish prospect for me. – 2026 Projection: 11/2/13/.255/.295/.391/3 Prime Projection: 82/16/61/.273/.322/.429/16
502) Juneiker Caceres – CLE, OF, 18.8 – Uh oh, another hit tool first prospect for me to underrate ;), but nah, I’m not going to do it. I told you in the Jacob Wilson blurb that I’m in deep therapy for my aversion to hit tool first types, and I think I’m making progress, because I actually like Caceres a lot. He was a 17 year old for the vast majority of the season and he ripped up stateside rookie, slashing .289/.419/.469 with 3 homers, 5 steals, and a 11.3/16.9 K%/BB% in 40 games. He wasn’t as good when he got called up to Single-A, but it’s still super encouraging that the elite contact rates transferred with a 13.1% K% and 103 wRC+ in 30 games. He’s 5’10” with a quick lefty swing that is certainly geared for average over power, but he can hit the ball pretty hard already, so he should have some legit pop at peak. I wish he had more speed/was a better base stealer, but that is where I’ve slipped up in the past when underrating these types. I’m going against type and actually liking Caceres this year. I’m in (although looking at this ranking, I don’t know, maybe I can’t help myself hah … I just love upside!) – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 86/18/68/.277/.345/.438/8
503) Brandon Marsh – PHI, OF, 28.4 – Marsh finally had the K% improvement we’ve been waiting for, dropping his K% 6.5 points to 25.9%, and it resulted in a career best .280 BA. Unfortunately, the fantasy upside has never matched his athleticism, and even with the contact gains, he hit only 11 homers with 7 steals in 133 games. He’s locked into a platoon role, he’s never hit more than 16 homers, he’s never had more 60 Runs or RBI, and he hasn’t racked up steals in his career. He’s a good but not great platoon bat with a moderate power/speed combo. – 2026 Projection: 63/15/59/.264/.335/.425/11
504) Jesus Sanchez – TOR, OF, 28.5 – Sanchez is a strict strong side of a platoon bat and that is at best. He hits it really hard but he’s never been able to lower his near 50% GB%, which caps any upside when you combine it with hit tool risk (career .239 BA). At 28 years old, it’s within the realm of possibility we can see a leveling up, but you can only really bet on him being the guy he’s been his entire career, which is a very mediocre fantasy player who is only really interesting in medium to deeper leagues. The trade to Toronto doesn’t really change his value much, but I kinda think Davis Schneider is better than him, so his hold even on a full side of a platoon is tenuous. – 2026 Projection: 65/16/59/.248/.317/.421/12
505) Kevin Alcantara – CHC, OF, 23.8 – Alcantara has been such an intriguing fantasy prospect for several years now with raw upside to dream on at a projectable 6’6” with hard hit ability and plus speed, but he still hasn’t put it together. He had a decent year at Triple-A with a 109 wRC+ in 102 games, but it came with a 30.5% whiff% and 29.8% K%, he stole only 10 bags, and he didn’t lift and pull with a 9 degree launch and 12.7% Air Pull%. The 90.4 MPH EV and 45% Hard Hit% are good, but they aren’t so good where you can just ignore everything else. He’s simply still too raw. And he’s blocked in Chicago. He seems like the exact type to take a shot on when he’s like 27 years old on his 2nd team and starting to refine his hit tool enough to let his other tools shine. He’s got a good CF glove, so the glove should help him get on the field when the bat does potentially get refined enough. But in the near term, it’s hard to really keep targeting him. A trade would do wonders for his fantasy value. – 2026 Projection: 18/4/23/.227/.289/.378/2 Prime Projection: 67/20/74/.246/.318/.427/18
506) Colby Thomas – SAC, OF, 25.2 – Thomas is currently in a short side of a platoon role at best, but if an injury hits, or if Denzel Clarke just can’t hit himself out of a paper bag, Thomas could easily work himself into a bigger role, and he has real upside that is worth keeping an eye on. He put up a 13.3% Barrel%, 92.2 MPH EV, a 74.8 MPH swing, a 21.2 degree launch, a 49.3% Hard Hit% and a 28.6 ft/sec sprint in his 132 PA MLB debut. It resulted in 6 dingers and 2 steals. If he gets on the field, he very clearly has the tools to make a big fantasy impact. The biggest issue is that the hit tool and approach is a major problem. It got exposed in the majors with a 37.1%/5.3% K%/BB% and 37.1% whiff%, and it wasn’t good at Triple-A either with a 26.8/8.3 K%/BB%. He wasn’t bad vs. righties in the minors, but the Athletics were very hesitate to play him vs. them in the majors, and it wasn’t good when they did with a .463 OPS. And he’s already 25 years old. In most leagues, a guy like this is someone I don’t love holding onto, but rather jumping on quick right when I see he’s actually getting full time at bats. So he’s a good proximity play prospect, but he’s not in Top 100 prospect contention anymore. – 2026 Projection: 52/15/61/.236/.299/.435/7
507) Henry Bolte – SAC, OF, 22.8 – Bolte came into this world as a super raw, high upside player, and that is most probably how he’s going to leave this world as well. He’s only 22 and he has the most explosive tools in the system at a powerful and athletic 6’3”, so maybe I’m being too harsh, but that rawness is just staring me in the face. He put up a 32.5% K% with a 34% whiff% and a 66.2% GB% in 34 games at Triple-A. He was better at Double-A, but the 27.4% K% and 55.8% GB% was still very high. He has elite speed (44 steals), he hits it hard with a 42.5% Hard Hit%, and he gets on base with a 11.7% BB% and 22.1% Chase%, but that K/GB combo is absolutely deadly. He was only 21 in the upper minors all season, and he put up a 121 wRC+, so it was a super successful season overall. I’m just not confident the profile will work in the majors, and at best, it seems likely we are looking at more of mid 20’s breakout candidate, which isn’t bad, but it’s annoying to hold for another 3-4 years hoping for that outcome. If you aren’t as scared of the risk as I am, I can see ranking him higher, but this is one case where the risk is getting to me. I’m torn on him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/17/69/.244/.318/.420/26
508) Cris Rodriguez – DET, OF, 18.2 – No prospects explode up rankings like DSL breakouts who immediately prove it stateside that next season, and Rodriguez certainly has the potential to be one of those big breakouts. He signed for $3.2 million, and then he went out and earned that bonus, slashing .308/.340/.564 with 10 homers, 10 steals, and a 22.3/5.9 K%/BB% in 50 games. Not gonna lie, that K/BB is scary for the DSL, and it does point to a very likely adjust period coming when he gets stateside, but his upside and talent is good enough to take on that extra risk. He’s got the scout’s dream build at a projectable and athletic 6’3”. The power/speed combo is potentially plus and so is the CF glove. If the plate approach doesn’t tank him, he can become a true stud. I’m taking on the extra risk for that upside. He’s a definite target. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/26/85/.249/.320/.462/16
509) Josh Hammond – KCR, SS, 19.7 – Selected 28th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6’2”, 215 pound Hammond is a barrel chested kid with big time present power to all fields. He reminds me a bit of an even bigger Luke Dickerson in the box. He’s also a really good athlete who would have been a day 1 pick as a pitcher too if he wanted to go that route. There are some questions about how the hit tool will play against pro competition, and Kansas City is a well below average park for righty homers (at least they used to be, we’ll see how the new park dimensions play) so there is some risk in profile, but this is a big physical kid who hits the ball damn hard. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.250/.322/.451/9
510) Ryan Mitchell – STL, SS, 19.2 – Selected 55th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Mitchell is one of my favorite targets in 2026 First Year Player Drafts. He checks so many of the boxes I look for in underrated targets with a good feel to hit, projectable power at 6’2”, 185 pounds, present power with some impressive top end exit velocities, and speed/athleticism. The lefty swing is athletic and powerful. There is just so much to like here. The swing is currently geared for average over power, so he’ll have to make some changes to truly unlock his raw power, and while he’s a good athlete with speed, he’s not a true top of the scale burner. If he ended up more of a solid across the board type rather than truly standout across the board it wouldn’t be that surprising, but the good feel to hit gives him a solid floor, and the upside is so clearly in here. I’m a big fan and he’s someone I’m going after. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 84/19/69/.266/.335/.433/24
511) Johenssy Colome – SAC, SS, 17.6 – Colome has the baseball bloodlines you love to bet on. You probably remember his uncle the most, Alex Colome, but you might remember his father too, Jesus Colome. And you can see that MLB blood running through his veins when you watch him swing a bat. He looks like he’s been doing it since coming out of the womb with an absolutely vicious righty hack (he looks young in that video, but it shows that preternatural ability all the more). The MLB Pipeline scouting report dropped Vlad Guerrero Jr’s name, and you know what, I get why. He has the Guerrero family type righty hack that is both precocious and powerful. Colome is 6’2”, 190 pounds and he’s already getting to that big power. He’s also a good athlete. Dude has the chance to be a real beast. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 82/30/91/.258/.326/.483/9
512) Santiago Solarte – MIA, SS, 17.4 – The 6’5”, 203 pound Solarte gives me visions of James Wood at the dish with an athletic and dangerous lefty swing that is already unsurprisingly crushing the ball. And like Wood, he’s a really good athlete with speed. If you want to bet on pure uncut upside, Solarte is that guy, but like many players this tall, it comes with considerable hit tool risk. He’s already shown hit tool risk and he hasn’t even gotten into pro ball yet, which is a bit scary. We are looking for the possible true beasts when we take lotto ticket shots on these international prospects, and considering all of them have risk, what’s it to me to just tack on a bit more for that insane upside. You already know, Solarte is a definite international target for me. He might hit .200 in the DSL, but with someone who should go very late in drafts, why not take the shot. I’m all in. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 76/26/85/.240/.320/.461/19
513) Slade Cecconi – CLE, RHP, 26.9 – Coming into this off-season, I didn’t think I would have much interest in Slade Cecconi, but there is this one weird thing that kinda makes him intriguing to me. I “discovered” it when I was going over bat speed induced for pitchers in a previous Dynasty Team Report, and the thing I discovered is that Cecconi was one of the best starting pitchers last year at inducing slow swings. As I wrote in that Team Report, bat speed isn’t as valuable to look into for pitchers as it is for hitters, obviously, but when looking at the top of that leaderboard, Sale, Hunter Greene, Skubal, and Skenes are the top 4 starters on the board. I mean, the fact that those 4 starters are at the top tells me there has be some value to it. And you know who was number 5? You guessed it, Slade motherfucking Cecconi. I can’t help but be immediately intrigued. It’s not the only thing to like either. He also has plus control with a 5.9% BB%, he has bat missing breakers in his slider (35.4% whiff%) and curve (32% whiff%), and he has a diverse pitch mix with 5-7 pitches. It only resulted in a 4.29 ERA, 5.00 xERA, and a 20% K% though. The 22.5% whiff% is weak and the heavily used 94.3 MPH fastball is okay at best with a 0 Run Value (and that was probably with good luck). It’s why I wasn’t planning on being that into him, but after seeing the swing speed against, with the other things to like a bit, I think I’m down for a flier here. I want to grab him in at least one of my leagues, preferably the 18 team or 30 teamer. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.02/1.21/134 in 155 IP
514) Kyle Harrison – MIL, LHP, 24.8 – Harrison has officially fallen into “prospect’s” no man’s land, as he should be at the point of his career when he’s getting a shot, but it’s uncertain when that shot could come. There is more opportunity in Milwaukee than Boston, but I can easily see Milwaukee just deciding to try to turn him into a relief ace. He was once again mediocre in the majors with a 4.04 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 24.4/9.0 K%/BB% in 35.2 IP. He was mediocre in Triple-A too with a 3.66 ERA and 25.7/10.2 K%/BB% in 76.1 IP. He was even worse when he got to Boston and they started to tinker with him. The 94.6 MPH fastball is a good pitch with an excellent 26.2% whiff% and .281 xwOBA in the majors, but that is all he has. The secondaries are atrocious and the control is below average. Maybe Milwaukee thinks they have to answer to turn him into a starter, but my lean is still reliever. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.05/1.30/127 in 130 IP Update: The new changeup looked great in spring and seemed to be another Milwaukee success story, but then he went down with a blister that he blamed the new changeup on. He still gets a bump, and it surely looks like he’ll be unleashed in the rotation, but hopefully that blister isn’t a recurring problem
515) Matthew Liberatore – STL, LHP, 26.5 – Liberatore put up a 4.21 ERA with a 18.8/6.2 K%/BB% in 151.2 IP … and that makes him the fearsome staff ace of the St. Louis Cardinals … remember this when everyone calls Tink Hence, Brandon Clarke, and even Liam Doyle future relievers. St. Louis would have to be out their damn mind to shift anyone into the bullpen until they’re like 29 years old and 3 Tommy John’s deep. Until that time, they are starters. How could you draw any other conclusion looking at this shit show? To Liberatore’s credit, he did actually “breakout” in 2025 by improving his control to plus levels with a 6.2% BB%. The curveball put up an impressive .192 xwOBA and 32.6% whiff%, the changeup put up a +7 Run Value, and the slider was solid with a +2 Run Value and 32% whiff%. The problem was that the 93.9 MPH fastball just wasn’t very good. It got destroyed with a .379 xwOBA and a lowly 12.1% whiff%. A bad fastball with maybe above average secondaries and above average to plus control just isn’t very enticing. It’s a #4/5 profile that plays down in fantasy due to the lack of strikeouts. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.08/1.29/139 in 160 IP Update: He’s looked good in spring, so I will give him a small bump, but he was doing it against weak competition so I’m not going too crazy
516) Jeremiah Estrada – SDP, Setup, 27.5 – Estrada was tied for first with Will Vest for the slowest swing speed against at 70.8 MPH, and I guess if you want any chance whatsoever of actually making contact with his nasty stuff, you gotta slow the swing down. He put up a 3.45 ERA, 2.76 xERA, and a 35.5/8.9 K%/BB% in 73 IP. All three of his pitches are whiff monsters (97.9 MPH fastball, splitter, slider). The control is solid. He is a truly elite reliever and if Mason Miller gets hurt, he will be a truly elite closer. Beast. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.11/1.12/95/7 saves in 68 IP
517) Robert Garcia – TEX, Closer Committee, 29.10 – I liked Garcia a lot last off-season, thinking he had a chance to sneak into that closer role, and while he couldn’t fully take it over, or end the year with the job, he did tally 9 saves on the year after not having saved any games the first two years of his career. And that was tied for the team high. Texas is once again left with a depleted bullpen heading into 2026, but if they didn’t give the job to the lefty Garcia in 2025, I’m not sure we can expect them to give it to him in 2026. He pitched well enough to be in consideration though with a 2.95 ERA and 25.3/8.2 K%/BB% in 64 IP. The 94.4 MPH fastball is plus to double plus with a 30.3% whiff%, the change is plus to double plus with a negative 2 degree launch and 32.4% whiff%, while the slider lags behind as his 3rd pitch. It’s not dominant enough to really demand the job, but it’s good enough to make him the favorite. Or he could end up grabbing about 10 saves again as they go with a righty. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.51/1.20/69/15 saves in 63 IP
518) Clayton Beeter – WSH, Closer Committee, 27.6 – Washington’s bullpen is a mess, so I guess Beeter is the favorite for the closer job, but who knows. After the trade to Washington, Beeter put up a 2.49 ERA with a 38.1/16.7 K%/BB% in 21.2 IP. The fastball sits 96.5 MPH but it got demolished with a 15.7% whiff% and .445 xwOBA. The slider dominated though with a 46% usage%, .183 xwOBA, and 49.1% whiff%. That is certainly a back end of the bullpen profile, but the control is really bad and the 4-seamer isn’t good. This competition is going to be decided on the field and likely go into the season. Whoever gets hot will win it, but it seems Beeter will get the first shot at it. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.88/1.31/69/20 saves in 60 IP
519) Justin Martinez – ARI, Closer Committee, 24.8 – Like I wrote in the Puk blurb, the Arizona closer job is still waiting wide open for Puk and Martinez to return from Tommy John surgery (2nd half of 2026 is best case return date), and while Puk is the better reliever, Martinez is a righty, which is always an edge for who the manager decides closes games. Before going down with the injury, Martinez put up a 4.11 ERA (3.21 xERA) with a 32.8/17.9 K%/BB% in 15.1 IP. The sinker sits 99.2 MPH, the splitter put up a 58.6% whiff%, and the 100 MPH 4-seamer put up a 44.8% whiff%. As you can see, the stuff is absurd, but also as you can see, the control is a major issue. It what gives Puk the edge in general, but again, who gets the 9th isn’t only about who is the best. – 2026 Projection: 1/3.55/1.28/12/2 saves in 10 IP
520) Taylor Rogers – MIN, Closer, 35.3 – Rogers signed a 1 year, $2 million contract with Minnesota, and while he has the closer job, it’s clearly a stopgap option. You have to think there is risk he gets traded at the deadline too. And he’s also clearly in the decline phase of his career with a 3.38 ERA (4.16 xERA), 1.38 WHIP, and a 24.0/10.4 K%/BB% in 50.2 IP. The K/BB, bat missing ability (23.2% whiff%), and velocity (92.7 MPH sinker) are all on the decline. He’s been steady throughout his career with closer experience, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him lose the job even if he doesn’t get traded. He’s a low end option. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.71/1.31/61/20 saves in 60 IP
521) Paul Sewald – ARI, Closer, 35.10 – Signed with Arizona and immediately seems to be the favorite for the short term closer job. It’s only going to be until Puk/Martinez gets healthy and ramped up, although I guess it’s possible he could hold them off for most or all of the year, so he certainly has value right now. He’s not a high end option with him often injured on the decline, but he put up a 3.71 xERA with a 24.7/7.1 K%/BB% in 19.1 IP in 2025. He put up similar numbers in 2024. He can certainly be a solid option and in saves only leagues, everyone is always desperate to find saves. That has value. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.89/1.24/54/20 saves in 50 IP
522) Edwin Uceta – TBR, Closer Committee, 28.3 – Like I said in the Jax blurb, and will repeat here, it’s a 3 man race for the Rays closer job, and it’s anyone’s guess who is going to get it. They can also just go full committee, which might be the most likely outcome if one doesn’t truly separate themselves. This isn’t case where none of the options are good though. All of the options are really good, which is why I’m struggling to even name a favorite. Uceta is coming off a season where he put up a 3.79 ERA and 32.1/8.4 K%/BB% in 76 IP. The 35.6% whiff% is elite and the control is solid. The velocity isn’t off the charts at 94 MPH, but the pitch is a bat missing machine with a 38.7% whiff%. The changeup is his next best pitch with a 36% whiff%. And he also throws a cutter which is decent at best. It’s not really the prototypical profile for a closer, but the results are prototypical. He’ll be a strong contender, although I’m not leaning his way as the main guy. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.46/1.18/68/8 saves in 50 IP Update: Dealing with right shoulder inflammation which will put him on the IL with no timetable to return
523) Jake Cronenworth – SDP, 2B, 32.2 – Cronenworth had his usual wet napkin fantasy season with 11 homers, 3 steals, 61 Runs, 59 RBI, and a .246 BA in 135 games. Add a star in OBP leagues as his 13.4% BB% and .367 OBP were career highs, but even in OBP it’s just OBP and that’s it. There have been some rumors that he’s on the trade block, and if he does get traded to a better ballpark for lefty homers, I guess there is some semblance of hope as the 39% Hard Hit% was basically a career high, but this is a low upside, aging dynasty player. – 2026 Projection: 74/15/68/.244/.340/.398/5
524) Brayan Bello – BOS, RHP, 26.10 – Continuing to wait for some big breakout here just seems silly at this point. Or really I should say betting on some big breakout seems silly at this point. Waiting on it is okay because pitchers do have late 20’s breakouts constantly, but we have to value him like who he is today, and who is he today isn’t a very good fantasy pitcher. He got massively lucky in 2025 with a 3.35 ERA vs. 4.48 xERA in 166.2 IP. The 17.7/8.4 K%/BB% says it all. He is a long way off from a big fantasy breakout. Even his best secondary, the changeup, was more mediocre than usual. He’s just a #4 upside type. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.94/1.29/135 in 165 IP
525) Simeon Woods Richardson – MIN, RHP, 25.6 – Richardson is a back end fantasy arm who backed up his 2024 breakout by the time the season ended, but it was a rocky road. He put up a 4.04 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 22.7/9.8 K%/BB% in 111.1 IP. The 3.82 xERA and 24.1% whiff% were actually a bit better than 2024. But he actually got sent down to the minors mid-season, and a lot of his success came in a late season surge due to using his new splitter more, and why not as the pitch dominated with a .168 xwOBA and 32.7% whiff%. All of Minnesota’s flashier upside options really didn’t materialize last year, so it seem Richardson is that rock that is going to keep on chugging in the rotation, and maybe that splitter gives him some unlocked upside. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.89/1.27/142 in 150 IP
526) Max Meyer – MIA, RHP, 27.1 – It seems Meyer should be in the rotation with Miami clearing house, but we are a long ways away from his hyped prospect days. He’s really a back end guy at this point with a 4.73 ERA and 23.9/7.0 K%/BB% in 64.2 IP. His season ended in early June with a hip tear that required surgery, which now adds another injury onto what is now a long injury history. The reason he cracks the list is that the slider put up a 42.4% whiff%, which is good, and the fastball sits 95 MPH. I guess it’s enough to get on, and sure he can still breakout, but he’s a long way off from target status. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.18/1.31/134 in 140 IP Update: He’s looked great this spring and is getting a bump, but his Major League track record is still really bad, so he has a lot to prove in games that matter
527) Chase Dollander – COL, RHP, 24.5 – I tried to warn you. I’ve done been trying to warn you since I started writing. I have a zero tolerance policy for Coors pitchers, and it’s literally never come back to bite me in my entire life. Not once. No bargaining. No this time will be different. No just this once. Not only that, but Colorado seems to have given up all hope on even doing anything about it (less hopeless now that they brought in Paul DePodesta, but we have to see actual results first). They don’t even bring it up to their pitching prospects. Absolutely zero strategy on how to handle it. Dollander got asked on a Baseball America Youtube interview last off-season about preparing to pitch in Coors, and he literally acted like that was the first time he was hearing about. It’s a hopeless situation, and Dollander did in fact look hopeless at home, putting up a 9.98 ERA with a 15.3/10.9 K%/BB% in 46 IP. He was better on the road, but it’s not like he was a true ace on the road either with a 3.46 ERA and 22.2/11.3 K%/BB% in 52 IP. Pitching prospect are so volatile to begin with, and tacking Coors on top is just way too much. Now having said that, I do think it’s possible he becomes a useful fantasy pitcher. He throws gas with a 97.9 MPH fastball, the curve was a really good pitch with a 35.7% whiff%, and he induces weak swings with a 71.3 MPH bat speed against that is 20th best amongst qualified pitchers (7th best amongst starters). At the very least, you can use him on the road and bench him at home. Last off-season, his price was insanely high, getting treated almost like he wouldn’t have to pitch in Coors at all, but his value is in the toilet now. He’s still worth a roster spot, so for a very cheap price, he’s fine to have him on your team. – 2026 Projection: 7/4.31/1.39/138 in 155 IP
528) Seth Lugo – KCR, RHP, 36.4 – Lugo looked like his usual rock steady self with a 2.95 ERA and 22.0/7.3 K%/BB% in his first 113 IP, but the wheels completely fell off in his final 7 starts with a 8.35 ERA and 16.3/13.8 K%/BB% in 32.1 IP. His season ended in late August with a back injury, and I would say it’s pretty clear the back is largely to blame for the out of character horrible stretch to end the season. He’s 36 years old, so a back injury isn’t great, and I’m not sure he’s the type of pitcher I really want to go on the ride with for the decline portion of his career. If he’s completely healthy, he can get back to that solid mid 3’s ERA mid-rotation starter, but I’m not going after it too hard. Also keep in mind KC is moving the fences in too. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.75/1.25/137 in 155 IP
529) Jose Soriano – LAA, RHP, 27.6 – Soriano was one of my favorite pitching targets last off-season despite his mediocre K/BB, and his terrible 2025 proves once again why K/BB is King. When you come at the King, you best not miss, and I missed. He put up a 4.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 21.0/10.8 K%/BB% in 169 IP. The things I loved about him last off-season are still there. He throws gas with a 97.2 MPH sinker, he’s a worm killer with a negative 2.8 degree launch, and his secondaries miss a ton of bats, led by the curve (43.2% whiff%), splitter (39.5% whiff%), and slider (39.4% whiff%). I mean, this should work. And I feel like almost any team other than the Angels or Rockies would figure out how to make this work, but I knew he was on the Angels, and I called him a target anyway. It also probably had something (or everything) to do with the Angels being the worst defensive team in baseball by a massive landslide with a negative 54 Outs Above Average. The next worst team, Washington, had a negative 33. Honestly, reading that, why the hell am I still holding strong on Grayson? I’m actually completely fine with a total avoid on all Angels pitchers (and keep that in mind for Tyler Bremner in FYPD’s), but defense can be improved (Nelson Rada, please), and I don’t want it to stop me from loving Grayson. As for Soriano, I can’t go back to this well even if there are still things to like, but for his own sake, and call me crazy, how about someone tells him to stop throwing the sinker so much which relies on good defense, and to throw the bat missing secondaries more which doesn’t rely on good defense. Wild idea, I know. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.88/1.31/153 in 170 IP
530) Clay Holmes – NYM, RHP, 33.0 – I learned my lesson to not disobey my mother. Here is what I wrote in Holmes Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, “When I told my mom (an insanely passionate Yankees fan) that the Mets signed Clay Holmes with the intent to turn him into a starter, she just laughed and said “good luck with that.” My take isn’t as harsh as my mom’s, as we saw the value to be had in 2024 with these reliever to starter transitions, and my instinct is to buy them.” … maybe my mom should replace me here at the Brick Wall, because while Holmes actually wasn’t bad at all with a 3.53 ERA and 18.2/9.3 K%/BB% in 165.2 IP, that isn’t the breakout we were looking for in fantasy. I guess we were both partly right, but again, in the grand scheme, she was right. That K/BB is nothing to buy into, the 22.1% whiff% is bad, and the 4.33 xERA is probably more representative of his true talent as a starter, or at least somewhere inbetween. The sinker kept the ball on the ground and the secondaries were okay, so it’s not a complete mirage, but I’m not going back to this well in 2026. Holmes put a bit of a halt to the reliever to starter pipeline being lined with gold. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.89/1.32/137 in 155 IP
531) Reynaldo Lopez – ATL, RHP, 32.3 – Lopez underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder after his first outing of the year which ended his season. He’s expected to be ready to go for spring, and you know I’m loving shoulder surgeries these days, but we have to see him all the way back to full health before we can get excited again. They even mentioned he could easily be put back into the bullpen, so we can’t even fully count on him being in the rotation. At full health he throws 95+ MPH gas with a double plus slider, good curve and lesser used changeup. Don’t completely forget the 1.99 ERA and 27.3/7.7 K%/BB% he put up in 2024. It’s anyone’s guess how healthy he’s going to look, but he’s certainly worth staying on the radar until we get a look at him again. – 2026 Projection: 7/3.93/1.27/131 in 130 IP Update: Velocity is down in spring but he’s pitched well so I will keep his value steady
532) Mitch Keller – PIT, RHP, 30.0 – Remember when we all kept waiting for the big Mitch Keller breakout? Yea, we aren’t waiting anymore as this is just who he is. And who he is is a back end fantasy starter with a 4.18 ERA and 20.0/6.8 K%/BB% in 176.1 IP. The 20.6% whiff% was a career low, so his upside has actually managed to go in the opposite direction. – 2026 Projection: 10/4.15/1.28/157 in 175 IP
533) Michael McGreevy – STL, RHP, 25.9 – Liberatore better be careful, because McGreevy might just surpass him as staff “ace.” Sure all of his secondaries are bad, and sure his 4-seamer is actually worse than Liberatore’s, but his control is bordering on elite with a 5% BB%, and his 91.8 MPH sinker is a genuinely awesome pitch. It put up a +9 Run Value with a .278 xwOBA and negative 1 degree launch. It was dominant in 2024 in the majors too, so that wasn’t a fluke. It led to a 4.42 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 14.5/5.0 K%/BB% in 95.2 IP. That K% is awful, and while the 19.2% whiff% shows his true talent level is higher than that, that whiff rate is really bad too. Like I said, his secondaries and 4-seamer were bad. He threw the sinker only 21.7% of the time, and I have no idea why. He should throw it like 70% of the time and I’m not sure I’m kidding. If you want to look for some hope, the secondaries were much better at Triple-A and he put up a 25.5% K% there, so he should do better as he gains more experience in the majors. He’ll be in a great ballpark and even if he’s a back end starter, his WHIP has the potential to be a plus in fantasy due to the elite walk rates. There are worse options out there in deeper leagues, but he’s only a deeper league play right now. He’s not going to be one of my favorite fliers in shallower leagues. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.05/1.21/121 in 160 IP
534) Zach Eflin – BAL, LHP, 32.0 – The Orioles re-signed Eflin for 1 year at $10 million, which tells us the hope is for Eflin to get back to being a plus control, plus WHIP #4 starter, but there is a lot of risk coming off back surgery. His season ended with the back injury in July and it was a rough year with a 5.93 ERA and 16.2/4.2 K%/BB% in 71.1 IP. As you can see, he still had elite control, which is his calling card, and the 4.48 xERA wasn’t quite as bad as the ERA. I can’t say I love a high risk (back sugery)/low upside (low K’s) profile, but Eflin has a long enough track record to not write him off. And the fact Baltimore gave him 10 mil is a good sign. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.08/1.21/110 in 140 IP
535) Rhett Lowder – CIN, RHP, 24.1 – 2025 was a completely lost season for Lowder. A right forearm injury sidelined him until May, he got bombed in 4 outings, and then he missed almost 4 months with an oblique injury. He returned for one start at the end of the year and 4 in the AFL, so he should be fully healthy for 2026 at least. While he deserves a mulligan for the lost season, his upside was already questionable without big stuff and in a terrible ballpark. I love the ballpark discount for guys with nasty stuff like Greene/Lodolo/Burns, but not for these control over stuff guys. Lowder had a 90 Stuff+ in his 30.2 IP MLB debut in 2024 and he struggled to miss bats with a 20.1% whiff%. The fastball sits 93+ MPH and he’s got two good secondaries in his slider and changeup, so it’s not like he’s got no stuff at all, and the plus control/command helps everything play up. He got drafted 7th overall for a reason. In a better ballpark, I can see going higher than this, but in Cincinnati, I don’t see the fantasy upside to really go after him. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.29/1.32/61 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.81/1.20/164 in 170 IP
536) Reid Detmers – LAA, LHP, 26.9 – Are people back in on Reid Detmers? I kinda keep seeing his name as a favorite sleeper and I keep having to rub my eyes to make sure I’m seeing right. He got moved into the bullpen in 2025 and put up a 3.96 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP in 63.2 IP. How is that encouraging for what he’s going to be able to do back in the rotation? He was volatile in the pen and we know that was even more amplified when he was a starter. His bat missing ability was always what made him so enticing, and he definitely showed that with a 30.1% K%, but again, even in the bullpen he still couldn’t make it work for a dominant season. The control is still below average too. How isn’t this going to be the exact same ride it’s always been, and then factor in the worst defense in baseball behind him by a landslide, and I just can’t say he is a target or sleeper for me at all. Do the I see the path to a breakout? Sure. He misses bats, the stuff is good, and a mid to late 20’s breakout happens all the time for pitchers, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it happens, but I’m not going after it. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.22/133/167 in 145 IP
537) Josh Smith – TEX, 3B/SS/1B, 28.7 – The Marcus Semien trade is a big help for Smith. Semien wasn’t budging off 2B, so opening up that spot gives Smith another spot to get his bat in the lineup. He can play almost every position on the field, so even if he doesn’t lock in that starting 2B role (we’ll see what else Texas does this off-season), he’ll get near full time at bats one way or another with 592 PA in 2024 and 563 PA in 2025. The bigger problem is that he’s mediocre real life and fantasy hitter. The .313 xwOBA is very slightly below average, and the 10 homers, 12 steals, and a .251 BA is very lackluster for fantasy. There aren’t any true standout skills or tools here. He’s most valuable in a multi-positional eligibility bench role in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 73/13/59/.254/.335/.390/13
538) Dominic Canzone – SEA, OF, 28.7 – I once had Canzone and Burleson in the same “if they had playing time targets” tier with a similar contact/power profile, and now Canzone is doing his best Burleson impression with a .300 BA and 11 homers in 82 games games. The underlying numbers start to diverge though when you dive deeper. Canzone doesn’t have the contact and lift that Burleson has with a 22% K% and 10.5 degree launch, but he crushes the ball with a 49.7% Hard Hit%. The .376 xwOBA is damn impressive. The guy is a good hitter, but in a platoon role, without many steals, and with good but not great homer power, especially in Seattle, I don’t see big fantasy upside. – 2026 Projection: 58/16/66/.260/.320/.432/6
539) Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – ARI, OF, 32.6 – Gurriel underwent knee surgery to repair his ACL in September which will keep him out into the 2nd half of the 2026 season at the least. It’s a major surgery and I would consider anything he gives us in 2026 as gravy. He was starting to run more in 2025 with 10 steals, but coming off the surgery, I don’t think we can count on that anymore. He’s also started to lift and pull more, but it’s still resulted in his usual around 20 dingers. At full health, he’s been a boring, stable vet for basically his entire career. He’s now getting up there in age, the injury is serious, he’s not great on defense, and he doesn’t walk very much, which makes him both a short term risk for this year obviously, and also a long term risk for playing time. – 2026 Projection: 38/10/44/.260/.308/.434/2
540) Jake Meyers – HOU, OF, 29.10 – Meyers has a plus CF glove and his offense took a big step forward in 2025 on the back of his hit tool. The K% improved 5.2 points to 17.6% and the whiff% improved 5.8 points to 21.2%, leading to a .292 BA and 107 wRC+ in 104 games. Getting on base that much also allowed him to steal a career high 16 bags. He has a career .243 BA and the .269 xBA wasn’t nearly as good either, so we for sure have to expect a healthy dose of regression even with the real gains he made. He needed to drop his lift/pull to do it as well, and it led to only 3 homers, so there was a give and take. He seems to have a lock on the starting job and the improved contact gives some comfort that he can maybe keep it, but it’s just a profile for medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 71/9/53/.258/.320/.375/18
541) Victor Scott – STL, OF, 25.2 – Scott seems pretty locked into the bulk of St. Louis’ starting CF job, but that is mostly because they just don’t have any better options. He’s an excellent defensive CF, so if the bat improves, he could be the long term answer, but that seems like a long shot after he put up an abysmal 76 wRC+, .287 xwOBA, 26% Hard Hit% and 24% K% in 138 games. You have to consider him a short term steals only option, and while he’ll certainly make an impact in steals (34 steals with an elite 30.2 ft/sec sprint), he will hurt you everywhere else (.216 BA, 5 homers, 54 Runs and 37 RBI). – 2026 Projection: 64/8/41/.233/.309/.347/35
542) Willi Castro – COL, OF/3B/2B, 28.11 – Castro couldn’t have landed in a better spot than Colorado as it now looks like he’s going to be a full time player. Even with that bump though, he’s still not a very high upside player. That 33 steal season in 2023 is now far in the rearview mirror with just 14 steals in 2024 and 10 steals in 2025 in 120 games. He has a career .244 BA and has a career high of 12 homers. Coors Field is a good ballpark, but it doesn’t really give those big bumps it used to give. He’s most interesting as a versatile bench bat in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 68/14/51/.250/.329/.398/14
543) Harrison Bader – SFG, OF, 31.10 – Bader put up a career best 122 wRC+ with 17 homers in 501 PA in 2025, and while a lot of it was the result of good luck (.359 BABIP and .297 xwOBA), not all of it was. The 73.5 MPH bat speed and 40.3% Hard Hit% were both career highs by far. The power increase was real. It came at the expense of contact with a 27.1% K% and 29% K%, which is where the good luck came in, because the .220 xBA was much worse than the .277 BA. Signing with SF is a double edged sword, because it seems he’s locked into a full time job, but that ballpark has a chance to kill his offensive value. There is fantasy upside in here with the ability to lift/pull, speed, and now more hard hit, so even in that ballpark, he’s worth the shot at this point. – 2026 Projection: 68/17/63/.236/.305/.400/17
544) Yoan Moncada – LAA, 3B, 30.10 – I thought Moncada performed well enough offensively to land a starting 3B job, and he did indeed land one going back to LA. Perfect landing spot. He put up a 117 wRC+ with the .323 xwOBA, 14.3% Barrel%, and 43.4% Hard Hit% to back it up. He never lifted and pulled more with a 15.1 degree launch and 26.3% Air Pull%, and it led to 12 homers in just 84 games. He doesn’t run anymore and there is hit tool risk with a 31.4% whiff%, but there is very clearly potential for him to be a 20+ homer, fantasy relevant bat in 2026. That is if the Angels continue to overlook his defense. He had a negative 13 OAA, but he’s been solid at 3B in the past, and if any team is going to not care about his defense, it’s the Angels. He’s going to be more fantasy relevant than you think. – 2026 Projection: 73/20/68/.240/.321/.427/2
545) Clarke Schmidt – NYY, RHP, 30.1 – Schmidt underwent internal brace procedure in July, which makes a late 2026 return the best case scenario. He’s almost purely a play for 2027 and beyond, and while he’s good enough to not ignore, he’s not so good where I’m going after him. He put up a 3.32 ERA in 78.2 IP, and while the 3.02 xERA backs it up, the 23.1/9.5 K%/BB% makes me skeptical that is actually his true talent level. He can definitely miss bats with a 26.6% whiff%, and he has a diverse pitch mix with 5 of the 6 pitch pitches putting up plus Run Values and whiff rates, led by the cutter. I was 100% in on him when he was healthy, but we’ll have to see if he can get back to full health, and he wasn’t quite standout/established enough for me to really buy hard considering he’s 30 years old and missing basically the entire season. – 2026 Projection: OUT
546) Luis Gil – NYY, RHP, 27.10 – A lat strain delayed the start of Gil’s season until August, and while the 3.32 ERA in 57 IP looked good, he was a shell of his former self. The 16.8/13.5 K%/BB% was horrific, the whiff% tanked to 21.5%, and the velocity was down over a tick to 95.3 MPH. I was already being cautious on Gil before the injury due to the horrific control, and his 2026 has me out even more. Of course we have to take into account the injury, and with a full off-season to heal he should be much better, but I’m just not to keen to go on this rollercoaster ride. I think there is a better chance that he’s in the bullpen by mid-season than there is a breakout. Or at least an equally good chance. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.98/1.32/130 in 130 IP
547) Spencer Horwitz – PIT, 1B, 28.5 – Horwitz is a really good real life hitter with a 119 wRC+ in 108 games in 2025 and a career 122 wRC+ in 220 games, but the power/speed combo simply isn’t there to be exciting for fantasy. The 36% Hard Hit%, 87.4 MPH EV and 107.3 MPH Max EV is very lackluster for what we need power wise from your 1B in fantasy. And he’s a literal zero in steals with 0 steals in his career. He had a big August and September to close out the season with 8 homers and .922 OPS in his final 50 games, but it came with a 30.4% Hard Hit%, so I’m not buying that he hit a new level. He’s already 28 years old, so it’s hard to think there is more coming, and he’s unplayable vs. lefties (.548 career OPS), so he’s not going to be an accumulator either. The plate skills are double plus with a 17.8/10.7 K%/BB% and he’ll hit for a good BA/OBP (.272/.353), but he’s just a low end fantasy option. – 2026 Projection: 66/15/60/.265/.344/.428/0
548) Wenceel Perez – DET, OF, 26.6 – Perez looks to have the inside track on a starting OF role, and there is definitely some fantasy friendly upside in here with lift/pull, some speed, some hard hit, some contact, and good defense. The 18.4 degree launch, 22.9% Air Pull%, and 90.3 MPH EV is a recipe for plenty of dingers, and he hit 13 in 100 games in 2025. It came with 8 steals and a 22.7/8.7% K%/BB%. It was good for a 103 wRC+. He’s optimally more of a bench outfielder or short side of a platoon (he hits lefties better than righties), but Detroit doesn’t have better options and he should be fantasy relevant when he’s out there. – 2026 Projection: 63/15/59/.245/.309/.428/10
549) Pavin Smith – ARI, 1B, 30.2 – I loved Smith as a target last off-season, and he really didn’t have a bad year at all with a 123 wRC+, but that wRC+ is misleading. His .392 xwOBA from 2024 that got me so excited tanked down to .319. Most concerningly his K% spiked completely out of nowhere with a 31.9% K%. His K% was been under 20% basically his entire career, so I’m dumbfounded at exactly how that happened. The 31.8% whiff% spiked with it, so it wasn’t some fluke. Just really weird. And he was unplayable vs. lefties with a .542 OPS. But as you can see from that wRC+, it wasn’t a complete disaster. The power uptick I was buying into not only didn’t regress, but it took another step forward with a career best 46.1% Hard Hit%. He also maintained his Air Pull% increase from 2024 with a 19.5% Air Pull%. If he can bring his strikeout rate back down closer to career norms, he can definitely have an excellent season, and he looks locked into a strong side of a platoon role. And add a star in OBP leagues as he’s a walk machine with a 14.2% BB%. He’s only a medium to deeper league play, but I wouldn’t completely forget about him. There is still something here. – 2026 Projection: 66/16/66/.250/.344/.435/2
550) Lenyn Sosa – CHW, 2B/1B, 26.2 – Here is what I wrote about Sosa before the Murakami signing: “I don’t trust Sosa’s lock on full time playing time long term. Chicago is a wasteland right now, so it does seem he’s the guy at 1B for 2026, but an under .300 OBP guy with a 100 wRC+ and below average defense just isn’t a long term starter at 1B. He put up a 3.3% BB% with a 40.9% Chase% and a .293 OBP in 140 games. He’s also a righty who hits better vs. lefties than righties in his career. He’s only a locked in starter because Chicago has no better options, but I have to think that isn’t going to be the case long term.” … and “long term” came pretty quickly as Sosa is now out of a job. He has enough defensive versatility where he can still rack up at bats, and he can compete at DH, so I wouldn’t throw him out completely, but it hurts him. Just looking at his fantasy bat though, there are definitely skills to buy. He has a legitimately good contact/power/lift/pull combo, which is a combo that is easy to love. The 90.7 MPH EV, 18.4 degree launch, 20% Air Pull%, 43.8% Hard Hit% and 23.5% whiff% should produce good results in 5×5 BA leagues if he can get in the lineup. He’s not slated for a full time job though, which is a value killer. – 2026 Projection: 51/18/66/.257/.298/.436/2
551) Spencer Arrighetti – HOU, RHP, 26.3 – If we are going to be as kind to Arrighetti as possible, we are going throw out his 2025 season as a completely lost season. He broke his thumb after two starts, keeping him out for 4 months, and then his season ended 5 starts after that with elbow inflammation. It was a disaster year with a 5.35 ERA and 19.9/12.8 K%/BB% in 35.1 IP. The velocity down a tick too to 93.1 MPH. If you are going to look for a silver lining, the 27.4% whiff% was still good and all of his pitches were still missing bats, so the bat missing ability that I was buying into last off-season was still there. If he’s at full health for 2026 which is the expectation, the breakout could certainly have just been delayed, but I can’t say I’m buying back too hard this off-season. There is just way too much risk piling up. Injury risk, control risk, and playing time risk too. It doesn’t seem like he has a rotation spot. He’s someone you keep an eye on during the season rather than someone you hold right now. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.18/1.34/92 in 90 IP
552) Reese Olson – DET, RHP, 26.8 – Olson’s season ended in late July with a shoulder injury that didn’t require surgery. He’s expected to be ready for 2026, but it obviously adds some risk to the profile. He was in the midst of once again outperforming his mediocre K/BB with a 3.15 ERA and 22.8/8.8 K%/BB% in 68.2 IP. It’s what he’s done his entire career, and maybe I would be more scared off if his whiff rates weren’t elite. He put up a 29.8% whiff% and has a career 28.4% whiff%. Those whiff rates just call my name even if it doesn’t show up in his K rates. It tells me that the performance is not a full mirage, and maybe we should instead expect an uptick in K% to match the ERA, rather than the other way around. His changeup and slider are the reason for the whiff rate with a 46.2% and 44.8% whiff% respectively, and his sinker is the cause for the low K rate with a 2.5% whiff%. Granted, that sinker whiff% is absurdly low, but as you can see from the secondaries, it’s not like he can’t miss bats when he wants to. We have to ding him a bit for the shoulder injury, but I’m mostly in on Olson. – 2026 Projection: OUT Update: Underwent shoulder surgery and will miss all of 2026. I do like shoulder surgery, less so for pitchers, so I wouldn’t completely write him off, but this kills his value. It’s a monster injury risk now and his upside wasn’t really high enough to stay too strong
553) Ryan Johnson – LAA, RHP, 23.8 – Johnson is one of my favorite FYPD Target “hits” from last off-season. I put “hits” in parenthesis because he really hasn’t proven anything yet and and it’s not like he’s some elite pitching prospect now, but for someone who was being completely ignored, completely off Top 100 FYPD lists, his value and hype has seen a major rise. The things I saw and loved last off-season are now being noticed by everyone. And that main thing I loved was the elite K/BB. K/BB is King, and when someone has a dominant 35.9/3.3 K%/BB% in college, you should take notice. That was far from the only thing to like though, writing in his FYPD Target blurb, “He has uniqueness, size, production, elite K/BB, velocity, a wipeout secondary, and a diverse pitch mix. I mean, that is a lot of boxes to check.” … and he checked all of those boxes again in pro ball. The Angels decided to have him break camp with the MLB team in the bullpen because they are just a dumb franchise, and even though he struggled with a 7.36 ERA, the x3.56 ERA, 22.2/6.9 K%/BB% and 27.7% whiff% in 14.2 IP all looked pretty good. The 94.3 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground, the sweeper put up a 40% whiff%, and the 91 MPH cutter put up a .287 xwOBA and 31.6% whiff%. He also mixed in a slider, splitter, and 4-seamer, and he did it at 6’6” with that super weird delivery that I was drawn towards. I go towards weird. The Angels eventually sent him down to High-A which is where he should have started to begin with, and he dominated with a 1.88 ERA and 29.7/4.6 K%/BB% in 57.1 IP. I wish he was in any other organization (except the Rockies, of course), but it is what it is. He proved everything I loved about it will translate to pro ball, and that makes him a Top 100-150 prospect for me. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.12/1.30/75 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.81/1.21/168 in 165 IP Update: He made the team coming out of camp. The guy has literally never pitched in the upper minors. The Angels are the worst.
554) DJ Herz – WAS, LHP, 25.3 – Remember when the Nationals weren’t going to put Herz in the rotation because of all their other “great” options? hah, what a joke. Just wanted to get that in there because I thought it was crazy at the time, and after seeing how that rotation panned out, it looks crazier even now. Unfortunately, Herz sprained his UCL anyway and underwent surgery in mid April. That likely makes his return date at some point mid season. The good news is that the rotation is still in shambles, so if Herz flashes any of that upside he showed in 2024 (4.16 ERA, 3.29 xERA, and a 27.7/9.4 K%/BB% in 88.2 IP), he will get his shot again. I would love Herz sitting in my IL slot if you have the IL spots to share. Beyond that though, I can’t say he’s a big TJ target. We need to see signs of life first. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.16/1.31/70 in 70 IP
555) AJ Blubaugh – HOU, RHP, 25.9 – Blubaugh is one of my favorite true sleeper pitcher targets this off-season. He’s the type of sleeper that should stay a sleeper deep into draft season. When a pitcher makes their MLB debut and proves their stuff will translate, I listen, and Blubaugh more than proved his stuff will translate. His 94.6 MPH fastball put up a 28.7% whiff%, which is near elite. The sweeper induced weak contact (76.7 MPH EV) and missed bats (34.5% whiff%), and the changeup was his most valuable pitch with a +6 Run Value. He handled his business vs. both righties (.585 OPS) and lefties (.543 OPS). It all led to a 1.69 ERA with a 28.0/9.6 K%/BB% and 30% whiff% in 32 IP, and absolutely nobody gives a shit. The main reason nobody gives a shit is because he stunk at Triple-A with a 5.27 ERA and 22.3/12.8 K%/BB% in 99 IP, but Triple-A stats are so wonky that you really can’t take them at face value. The fact that Blubaugh was immediately soooooo much better in the majors is like Exhibit A for that, and as I’ve written about a ton, there are so many others too. The MLB success came in mostly short outings, but he has a 5 IP game in there and several 4 IP outings. He wasn’t just a 1-2 inning guy. We’ve seen Houston pull so many rabbits out of their hat with way underrated pitching prospects, and combined with Blubaugh’s MLB success, he seems like such an easy target at his extremely low, to probably free in most leagues, price. Houston made additions which clearly push him out of a rotation spot, but it’s still likely he finds his way into the rotation at some point in 2026.. You don’t need to stick your neck out for him. Just let him fall right into your lap. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.85/1.33/76 in 75 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.73/1.29/168 in 160 IP
556) Sam Antonacci – CHW, 2B/3B, 23.2 – Antonacci is the type who just rakes everywhere he goes and still can’t get any respect. He stepped into pro ball and put up a 170 wRC+ in 23 games at Single-A, then he started at High-A in 2025 and put up a 154 wRC+ in 64 games, followed up a promotion to Double-A where he put up a 153 wRC+ in 49 games, and then finally he destroyed the AFL with a 1.046 OPS in 19 games. He’s not a big tools guy without big raw power or raw speed, which is why he doesn’t get any respect, but the guy can hit, which is pretty damn important for a hitter. The contact and approach are elite with a 14.1/13.3 K%/BB%, he doesn’t hit the ball weakly at all with a 44.4% Hard Hit% in the AFL (keep in mind those numbers are a bit inflated in the AFL, but he showed about average raw power in the minors too), and he’s an excellent base stealer with 48 steals. He needs to lift and pull more if he wants to get to more of his power (5 homers in 116 games), which he did more of in the AFL (3 homers in 19 games), and he’s only an average defender at 2B/3B, so while the glove isn’t bad, it’s not going to force the bat on the field. It might be a utility infielder long term, but he’s been beating expectations since entering pro ball, and he just might keep beating them. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/10/58/.262/.326/.392/23 Update: Looks great in spring and deserves a bump
557) Kumar Rocker – TEX, RHP, 26.4 – Rocker’s fastballs are atrocious. The 95.6 MPH sinker put up a .402 xwOBA and the 95.8 MPH 4-seamer put up a .415 xwOBA. Neither of them miss many bats. He simply can’t survive if his fastballs are getting destroyed like that, and it led to a 5.74 ERA with a 19.5/8.0 K%/BB% in 64.1 IP. The 90.1 cutter was solid with a 35.8% whiff%, and so was the slider with a 38.5% whiff%, but neither of those pitches put up a dominant xwOBA, so they can’t even come close to make up for how bad the fastballs are. The talent is clearly in here to make adjustments and tinker and figure something out. Plenty of pitchers take into their mid to late 20’s before they figure it out, but he doesn’t feel all that close to me. He’s in the flier range at this point. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.23/1.35/84 in 90 IP
558) Ricky Tiedemann – TOR, LHP, 23.8 – I was hoping to see Tiedemann get some AFL action after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2024, but it was not to be. Actually seeing the filthy stuff all the way back would have gone a long way to getting his hype bubbling again, but as of now, it’s still a mystery as to what he’s going to look like. The lack of news out there about him also kinda gives me a bad feeling. The last we heard was that he was throwing bullpens back in June, and then nothing. I guess we can’t read into that either way, but I would have thought there would at least be some video, or some word of his fastball back into the mid 90’s or whatever. At full health he’s a funky, flame throwing lefty with a plus slider and a pretty damn good changeup too. The control was erratic, giving him risk even before the injury, and now obviously the TJ and lack of updates gives him even more risk. On a contending Blue Jays team, I can definitely foresee him getting broken into the majors in the bullpen, but long term, and even short term when injuries hit, I have a hard time believing he won’t get every chance to start, assuming he’s healthy. – 2026 Projection: 2/3.90/1.31/52 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.58/1.22/177 in 160 IP Update: Felt elbow soreness while ramping up and we also found out he had bone chips removed, which is why there has been so little about his rehab out there. His injury risk is feeling sky high
559) Dasan Hill – MIN, LHP, 20.3 – It didn’t take long for the lanky 6’5” Hill to have the velocity explosion we were hoping for coming out of the 2024 Draft, throwing 95+ MPH flames in his pro debut in 2025 on both the 4-seamer and sinker. Not only was the velocity there, but the secondaries (slider, change, curve) were all whiff machines, leading to a 2.77 ERA, 30.6/14.9 K%/BB%, and a 34.9% whiff% in 52 IP at Single-A (5.40 ERA with a 33.3/15.6 K%/BB% in 10 IP at High-A). As you can see by the walk rate, the control/command still needs major work, and like many 6’5” pitchers, he needs to continue to refine the delivery. He’s like a baby deer out there, and I mean this in the best way possible, the dude looks uncommon on the mound. Tall, skinny, athletic and explosive. The risk is high, but so is the upside. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.73/1.32/175 in 150 IP
560) Christian Oppor – CHW, LHP, 21.8 – I was super quick on the Oppor breakout in 2025, debuting him on the rankings in May around the Top 200 because you know I love me a nasty lefty, and the only team that loves nasty lefties more than I do is Chicago. They know what they are doing with these guys, and they got another one in Oppor. He put up a 3.31 ERA with a 29.3/12.5 K%/BB% in 65.1 IP at High-A. He has an explosive lefty delivery at 6’2” that he uses to fire a 95+ MPH fastball with two potentially above average to plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. There is no doubt visible rawness when you watch him, and you can see that in the walk rates, so he’s not a finished product. A high K, mid-rotation starter is the reasonable upside on him right now, and he’s the type of pitcher I love betting on. I’m a fan. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.61/1.24/183 in 160 IP
561) Charlee Soto – MIN, RHP, 20.8 – Soto came into 2025 a high upside project with 3 plus to potentially double plus pitches in his upper 90’s fastball, nasty changeup and nasty slider, and it looked like he was about to be shot to the moon to start the season with a 1.38 ERA and 28.3/7.5 K%/BB% in 13 IP at High-A, but unfortunately his season ended with a triceps strain. He ended up getting bone spur surgery in August. We know how treacherous the injury waters are for flame throwing pitching prospects, so this is just part of the process. 13 innings isn’t enough to assume he would have kept that up the entire season, but it’s enough to get pretty damn excited about his 2026. He’s a major breakout candidate assuming full health, and he’s a definite high upside target. Use the injury to your advantage. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.68/1.22/169 in 160 IP
562) Johnny King – TOR, LHP, 19.8 – King has the kind of electricity that immediately jumps off the screen. I felt it immediately when evaluating him for FYPD Rankings last off-season, finishing his blurb by writing, “He’s damn electric out there. I like King as a later round upside pitcher.” … you know a big, funky, nasty lefty never slips by me … and then he made his pro debut this year and that electricity was even more obvious. He’s 6’3”, 210 pounds with a funky lefty delivery that he uses to fire 2 93+ MPH fastballs (sinker, 4-seamer), 2 whiff machine, nasty breakers (curve, slider), and a lesser used, developing changeup that induced weak contact. It resulted in a 2.48 ERA with a 39.5/13.9% K%/BB% in 61.2 IP split between rookie and Single-A. He was a whiff machine at both levels, but the walk rate spiked at Single-A with a 17.9% BB%, showing there is still plenty of risk in the profile. Considering he was 18 years old for most of 2025, that rawness should be expected. He still needs to refine all aspects of his game, but a high K, mid rotation starter is a reasonable upside projection at the moment, and I think there is room for even more as a tippy top ceiling. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.61/1.28/180 in 160 IP
563) Winston Santos – TEX, RHP, 23.11 – Santos was one of my favorite pitching prospect targets last off-season, and it looked like he was about to go full explosion after his first two outings of the season, but unfortunately he suffered a stress reaction in his back after just 5.2 IP. Maybe he read Dr. John Sarno’s book though (see the Evan Carter blurb), because he didn’t require surgery, and he was able to return in very late August. He didn’t pitch particularly great, but the more important thing to see was the huge stuff back, and it was back with a 96.4 MPH fastball. He combines the plus heater with two good secondaries in his slider and changeup, and his control/command has always been above average. That is a profile I am always going to bet on, especially because he’s never got even Top 100 pitching prospect love, let alone the full hype treatment. I’m going back to the well this off-season. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.18/1.31/67 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.81/1.22/171 in 165 IP
564) Braylon Doughty – CLE, RHP, 20.4 – You can’t watch Doughty pitch and come away thinking anything other than this guy just looks like a natural on the mound. He’s only 6’1”, 196 pounds, but the smooth and athletic righty delivery stands out, and so does the nasty curveball that he has on an absolute string. It’s a thing of beauty. The fastball sits 93+ and he has excellent control over it. He also mixes in a slider and change which are solid pitches when he goes to them. It all resulted in a 3.48 ERA with a 27.3/6.4 K%/BB% in 85.1 IP at Single-A in his pro debut. It couldn’t have gone any better, and it validated Cleveland taking him 36th overall in 2024. Hard to say the upside is huge, but his pitchability, solid velocity, and nasty breaker is pretty damn exciting. Easy mid-rotation upside and maybe that is underplaying him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 12/3.75/1.23/170 in 170 IP
565) Enrique Bradfield – BAL, OF, 24.4 – Baltimore seems too stacked now for Bradfield to have a real path, but he’s still likely their best defensive CF, so you never know. And if he can get on the field, his elite base stealing will make a major fantasy impact in that category with 36 steals in 76 games at mostly Double-A. The problem is that is all he does well. Victor Scott’s profile isn’t far off, and you couldn’t have been happy with what Victor Scott gave you this year. The hit tool is solid, but a .242 BA with a 21.2% K% is far from where you would optimally want for a light hitting guy like this. He hit only 3 homers on the year with well below average hard hit. He’s also bad vs. lefties with a .530 OPS vs. them. He gets on base with a 13.1% BB%, which definitely helps, but I doubt it’s enough to get him to the top of Baltimore’s lineup. He’s really a steals only guy with risk the bat isn’t good enough to hold down a full time job. Not my favorite type to go after, but if you want steals and a decent shot to hold down the starting CF job long term, he’s your guy. – 2026 Projection: 28/1/13/.248/.307/.340/12 Prime Projection: 76/6/41/.268/.330/.365/38
566) Roc Riggio – COL, 2B, 23.6 – Riggio got shipped off at the trade deadline from the Yanks to the Rockies, and since I knew there wasn’t a shot in hell for him to ever get a real chance on the Yanks, he’s way better off with Colorado. He’ll have to beat out Adael Amador for the 2B of the future job, and while my money is still on Amador, it’s not like Amador has a lock on the job with big time struggles in the majors (35 wRC+ in 41 games in 2025). Riggio could easily end up better than him after his monster breakout this season, slashing .262/.363/.517 with 20 homers, 17 steals in 28 attempts, and a 22.0/12.5 K%/BB% in 88 games at mostly Double-A. He’s got above average power, he can lift and pull, he’s got some speed, he walks, and he’s got a good 2B glove. There is still hit tool risk, he wasn’t a great base stealer, and while he hasn’t been bad against lefties in the minors, I can see struggles vs. them in the majors. It’s hard to say I’m really particularly targeting Riggio, but I definitely think he’s on the underrated side, and it’s not like there is no path to playing time. He’s a fun deeper league flier at the very least. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/19/68/.252/.328/.433/14
567) Tommy Troy – ARI, 2B, 24.2 – I held pretty strong on Troy’s ranking this off-season even as the hype was fading on him, and he proved my patience correct with a strong 2025 season, slashing .289/.382/.451 with 15 homers, 25 steals, and a 16.9/11.5 K%/BB% in 125 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. That is the skillset that got him drafted 12th overall in 2023. But even with the strong season, the risk he ends up a utility infielder seems very high right now, especially for the first few years of his career, and in most fantasy leagues, it’s hard to hold a lower upside guy on your fantasy roster if he’s not a starter out of the gate. Ketel Marte is locked in at 2B through 2030 at least (barring a trade), and Troy played almost exclusively 2B this year with 15 games in CF mixed in. Even putting him in center like that is kinda a bad sign, because it shows they are trying to expand his utility as a future utility player. Perdomo ain’t leaving SS anyway, and while 3B is his best chance at the lineup long term, he hasn’t played a single game at 3B in his pro career. If his upside was higher, I might not care, but it seems the upside is capped without big hard hit, struggles vs. breaking balls, and good, but not truly category winning steals totals. On a team where there was a path to playing time, I can see liking him more, but in Arizona, it might be more like a 27 year old breakout type. – 2026 Projection: 26/3/19/.251/.309/.382/7 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.269/.329/.421/26
568) Blake Burke – MIL, 1B, 22.10 – Burke has the same problem I’ve written about for a ton of the guys in Milwaukee’s system. Vaughn is signed through 2027 and Yelich, who DH’s most of the time, is signed through 2028. Even after they are gone, assuming they aren’t resigned, all these guys are going to have each other to compete against (Wilken, Adams, Fischer, Burke). I can’t lie to you and say I know which ones are going to emerge, but a couple of them will likely emerge, and the ones that do are going to make a fantasy impact in the power department. Burke was selected 34th overall in 2024, so they most certainly like this kid a lot, and he went out a earned that draft slot after getting promoted to Double-A, slashing .300/.377/.579 with 11 homers, 3 steals, and a 25.8/10.1 K%/BB% in 37 games. He hit well at High=A too with a 124 wRC+ in 95 games, but it only came with 5 homers, because he’s not a huge lift and pull guy. He had a 49.6% GB% and 34.3% Pull% overall. He’s a big boy at 6’3”, 236 pounds with the raw power to match, so he can hit it out without tons of lift and pull, but that combined with the hit tool risk, lack of defensive value, and struggles vs. lefties (1 homer with a .698 OPS) puts him slightly behind their other similar prospects. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 63/17/69/.256/.332/.453/6
569) Luke Adams – MIL, 1B/3B, 21.11 – Milwaukee has already moved Adams to mostly 1B, so the pressure on his bat to hit it’s ceiling is going to be very high, and while I really like his bat a lot, it’s not that bulletproof beast that you really want to bet on for a 1B only guy. There is hit tool risk with a .232 BA and 21.6% K% in 64 games at Double-A, and despite being 6’4”, 210 pounds, his raw power is only average-ish right now. He’s been young for the level with excellent wRC’s and a strong plate approach his entire pro career (160 wRC+ at AA this year). He also lifts and pulls plenty, so I don’t want to act like there isn’t real upside with the bat, but it’s hard to feel certain it will end up good enough to be an everyday 1B, and he has a lot of competition for those at bats in Milwaukee both in the short and long term. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 69/18/66/.246/.328/.435/7
570) Xavier Isaac – TBR, 1B, 22.4 – We just learned that Isaac underwent “life-saving” brain surgery on July 3rd, which was the reason for his season ending in late June. Baseball surely gets put in perspective when something like this happens. All indications are that he’s now fully healthy and ready to go for 2026, and I don’t really feel like/am qualified to speculate on what this means for his future baseball career. Here was my evaluation of him before the news broke, and I’m going to stick with that evaluation now: Isaac’s evaluation is super easy, unfortunately, because when he was drafted the hope was that he could be a true complete hitter with a Yordan Alvarez like trajectory, but it’s pretty clear that isn’t going to happen. We have to accept who he is, and that is a very extreme 3 true outcome slugger. He crushes the ball with top of the scale power, leading to 9 homers in 41 games at Double-A, and he gets on base with a 19.4% BB%, but the hit tool is brutal with a 29.7% K% and .201 BA, and he’s unplayable vs. lefties with a .369 OPS in 63 PA. The 48.3% GB% is also too high, although he hits it hard enough where it’s not too concerning. He’s a power platoon bat very clearly. He was only 21 years old in the upper minors, so the hope is that he can improve his weaknesses, and if he can, the raw power will do the rest. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/26/85/.238/.322/.470/6
571) Alex Clemmey – WSH, LHP, 20.8 – I’ve been a sucker for the big funky lefty with nasty stuff since I started writing (Josh Hader was one of my first Sleeper posts ever), and I just can’t help but fall in love with Clemmey too. He’s a 6’6” lefty with a three quarters arm slot delivery that he uses to fire a mid 90’s fastball, a plus, whiff machine slider, and a lesser used but solid changeup. He was a 19 year old kid at High-A for most of the season and he dominated with a 2.47 ERA and 30.0/15.9 K%/BB% in 87.1 IP. He got hit up after getting the call to Double-A with a 6.44 ERA in 29.1 IP, but considering his age, I wouldn’t read too much into it. The biggest concern is the terrible control, and when you watch him he’s still like a baby deer out there trying to get his legs and arms synched up with each other. The rawness is so very obvious, but I’m apt to give him a lot of leeway there due to his young age, especially when the upside is humongous. And like Hader, ending up an elite closer would not be a bad outcome either. The risk is too high to put him in the Top 100, but this is easily a Top 150 prospect for me, and considering he doesn’t get a ton of rankings love, he’s a great value later in off-season prospect drafts. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 4/3.27/1.18/90/33 saves in 65 IP
572) Esteban Mejia – BAL, RHP, 19.1 – You know that rookie ball pitchers are my least favorite aisle to shop in by far, so if I am going to dip my toe into this market, it better be someone who jumps off the screen, and Mejia most certainly jumps off the screen. He has a level of upside that is worth sticking your neck out for a bit. He’s 6’3” with a very athletic delivery that he uses to fire an upper 90’s fastball and two potentially plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. It’s led to a 2.94 ERA with a 29.5/13.7 K%/BB% in 52 IP split between mostly rookie ball and Single-A. There is along way to go and a lot of refinement is needed to his control/command and really all of his pitches, but if it all clicks, we could be looking at an elite pitching prospect in the near future. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.73/1.26/160 in 155 IP
573) Michael Wacha – KCR, RHP, 34.9 – Wacha was already a low upside arm, and now that upside gets even lower with KC bringing the fences in. He put up a 3.86 ERA with a 17.6/6.3 K%/BB% in 172.2 IP. He’s been beating his ERA estimators for years, and while he beat them again in 2025, not by nearly enough. He’s a declining low end win now option. – 2026 Projection: 10/3.97/1.24/130 in 160 IP
574) David Peterson – NYM, LHP, 30.7 – Peterson was an obvious fade coming off a 2.90 ERA vs. a 4.58 xERA and 19.8/9.0 K%/BB%, and he inevitably fell off in 2025 with a 4.21 ERA and 20.7/9.0 K%/BB% in 168.2 IP. K/BB so rarely misses. The 24% whiff% dropped to below average now too. He might be fighting for a rotation spot sooner rather than later if the Mets rotation stays healthy and Tong kicks the door down. He’s a #4 starter. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.98/1.34/136 in 150 IP
575) Khal Stephen – CLE, RHP, 23.3 – I think Toronto not making Stephen untouchable in the Shane Bieber trade probably does give some insight into what they thought his upside was. Obviously you are going to have to give something good to get Bieber, so I’m not saying they didn’t like him, I just think it hints more towards his solid mid rotation upside than anything higher than that. Some of that got exposed when he got to the upper minors with a 7.04 ERA and 18.8/4.3 K%/BB% in 15.1 IP over 5 outings at Double-A. If you want to ignore what he did at Double-A, I get it, because he was mostly coming back from a shoulder injury, and he was much better at High-A with a 1.49 ERA and 26.6/5.4 K%/BB% in 48.1 IP. But as you can see, the strikeout rate wasn’t standout at High-A either. He throws a plus 93+ MPH fastball that misses bats and has an excellent movement profile, but the secondaries (slider, cutter, change, curve) aren’t as good. If he can find a dominant secondary, he can beat my projection for him, but as of now, and until he fully proves it in the upper minors, I have him as a plus control/command #3/4. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.21/138 in 155 IP
576) Kash Mayfield – SDP, LHP, 21.2 – Mayfield’s profile is one that always get underrated as a prospect, and in general, for good reason as it’s not a super high upside profile, but it’s a profile that very clearly can work on the MLB level. We saw it a ton in 2025, and that profile is the low velo, plus changeup, good slider vs. lefties profile. He put up a 2.97 ERA with a 34.1/10.9 K%/BB% in 60.2 IP at Single-A. The fastball only sits 91 MPH, but it plays up due to his smooth and deceptive lefty delivery at 6’4”, 200 pounds, and there is definitely room to tack on mass for added velocity. Mid rotation starter upside might be the upside, but the profile plays. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.77/1.24/172 in 165 IP
577) Miguel Ullola – HOU, RHP, 23.9 – Ullola has had extreme control issues his entire career with extremely high walk rates, so it’s hard to place any of the blame for the 15.9% BB% on Triple-A, but so many AAA pitchers had massively inflated walk rates that immediately dropped down in the majors, that I do think he deserves at least a little leeway there. And if he can actually improve his control enough to just the below average range, he has the upside to make a huge fantasy impact. He put up a 30% whiff% overall on the back of a 93 MPH fastball that is a bat missing weapon with a 29.6% whiff%. The breakers (curve and slider) aren’t great, but they are both solid pitches that induce weak contact and whiff about 30% of batters. And while the change gets hit hard, it misses bats with a 36.7% whiff%. It all led to a 3.88 ERA with a 26.6% K% in 113.2 IP. He’s far from a finished product, and the relief risk is extreme, but Houston is a great organization to bet on to unlock that upside, if it’s possible. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.13/1.38/58 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 8/3.81/1.33/159 in 145 IP
578) Trey Gibson – BAL, RHP, 23.10 – Baltimore has a ton of underrated, close to the majors pitching prospects you can target this off-season, and their rotation is not exactly in great shape, which means there is opportunity for a couple of them to emerge. I have De Leon as my top dog, but Gibson would be the safer play. He destroyed Double-A with a 1.55 ERA and 32.5/8.6 K%/BB% in 52.1 IP, and while he got hit up at Triple-A with a 7.98 ERA and 22.3/8.6 K%/BB% in 29.1 IP, we all know Triple-A is effing hard, so I don’t want to tank him because of it. He’s 6’5”, 240 pound and he leads with a 94.2 MPH 4-seamer that is a bat missing weapon. The pitch mix is very diverse though with multiple breaking balls (slider, curve, sweeper), a cutter, and a sinker/changeup. I lean towards a #4 type being his most likely outcome, but there is definitely upside for more in here, and he should be one of the first to get his shot at a rotation spot when one opens up. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.29/1.34/80 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.26/148 in 160 IP
579) Jonathan Santucci – NYM, LHP, 23.3 – I was relatively high on Santucci in the FYPD’s last year, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “I don’t mind him as a “let him come to you” target in drafts. Don’t reach. Let him fall into your lap.” And he more or less had the pro debut breakout I thought he could have with a 2.52 ERA and 32.0/9.1 K%/BB% in 50 IP at Double-A. He’s a lefty who averages about 94 MPH on the fastball with a heavily used plus slider as his best secondary. He still needs to improve the changeup and the control/command leans below average, so it’s not a top of the rotation profile, but he has the potential to be a high K mid-rotation starter if he he hits his peak. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.81/1.28/164 in 155 IP
580) George Klassen – LAA, RHP, 24.2 – Klasson is either lights out, or he gets bombed. There is no in between, and I’m not sure I want to bet on the Angels to get that consistency out of him. It resulted in a 5.22 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and a 27.7/9.7 K%/BB% in 108.2 IP at mostly Double-A. You can look at the 3.20 xFIP and say he got unlucky, and he almost certainly did, but it’s not just bad luck with below average control and the lack of a changeup leading to the inconsistently. The fastball/breaker combo is straight fire though with an upper 90’s fastball and plus curve, and he also throws a good slider/cutter. The profile looks very relievery to me, and even if he does stick in the rotation, I don’t foresee a super clean and easy development process. He’s in the bucket of pitching prospect I like going after, and I wouldn’t avoid him, but he’s not one of my favorites in that bucket. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.27/1.39/83 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.52/1.24/84/15 saves in 72 IP
581) Ty Johnson – TBR, RHP, 24.7 – Johnson is yet another really good Rays arm in the underrated pitching prospect bucket. Sorry if I sound like a broken record on this, but it’s why there is a never ending stream of “out of nowhere” pitching breakouts on the MLB level every year. There are so many super talented pitchers out there, and with how many of them drop off with injuries, there is also opportunity for new ones to pop up. Johnson isn’t necessarily my tippy top favorites in the bucket, but he’s firmly in the bucket. He dominated Double-A all season with a 2.61 ERA and 34.7/8.8 K%/BB% in 110.1 IP. The at the ear, mid 90’s fastball misses bats, the slider is plus, and the changeup can definitely flash nasty at it’s best, although it’s a clear 3rd pitch that needs refinement. There is bullpen risk and the stuff doesn’t jump off the screen, but it’s hard to argue with those numbers. He’s a Top 150 ish prospect for me. – 2026 Projection: Prime Projection: 9/3.88/1.27/150 in 145 IP
582) Jurrangelo Cijntje – STL, RHP/LHP, 22.10 – Boy did Seattle mess up taking Cigntje over Yesavage, and what a way to get it slapped right in their face by having to face him in the ALCS. Seattle knows what they are doing when it comes to pitchers, so not really trying to throw shade at them, but it just goes to show how hard this is to get right. Yesavage was the consensus better draft prospect, and I had him ranked over Cijntje in my FYPD Rankings, but Seattle thought with a mind of their own, and it burned them this time. Not only did Yesavage shoot to the moon, but Cigntje didn’t exactly standout either with a 3.99 ERA and 26.1/11.1 K%/BB% in 108.1 IP at High-A and Double-A. The one good sign is that he was actually better at Double-A than High-A with a 2.67 ERA in 33.2 IP. The stuff is also electric from the right side with a plus mid to upper 90’s fastball, a plus slider, and a solid changeup. He’ll mix in a curve too. The stuff from the left side isn’t as good, sitting low 90’s, and you can also blame some of the mediocre results on him trying to do a very unique thing by switch pitching. I don’t know if he’s going to stick with it or not, but either way, Cigntje is a very talented arm who deserved to go in the 1st round (just not over Yesavage), and even with the so-so debut, you should still bet on the talent, future ballpark, and now opportunity in St. Louis. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.31/1.36/44 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.27/159 in 165 IP
583) Jack Wenninger – NYM, RHP, 24.1 – Wenninger was a big 2025 breakout on the back of increased velocity, putting up a 2.92 ERA with a 26.4/7.6 K%/BB% in 135.2 IP. I won’t say any of his stuff is over the top nasty, but the splitter is his best pitch and it’s definitely plus at least. The fastball sits 94+ and the breakers are solid. He looks the part too at 6’4”, 210 pounds with a decently athletic righty delivery. He definitely falls into the pitching prospect bucket I love to shop in, and he’s one that actually isn’t getting a ton of hype right now. The eye test and 26.4% K% says he might not really have that tippy top upside we really want to aim for, but I think he can be a good one. He’s underrated. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.28/1.35/35 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.92/1.26/155 in 160 IP
584) David Shields – KCR, LHP, 19.7 – We just saw what Kansas City could do with Noah Cameron, and David Shields is the next in line to fit that mold for Kansas City. He’s a deceptive lefty with low 90’s heat and double plus pitchability, putting up a 2.38 ERA with a 28.5/5.0 K%/BB% in 75.2 IP at Single-A. He’s not some no name, out of nowhere guy either, he got drafted 41st overall and got paid $2.3 million in 2024, so Kansas City knew what they were getting. He’s a rock solid 6’2” with a ballerina like leg kick, showing off the real athleticism. The potentially plus slider is his best secondary, and the changeup can develop into an impact pitch as well. And the ballpark will be on his side too. Even without a velocity uptick, we know these guys can be really, really solid mid rotation fantasy starters at the least, and if the velocity does tick up, he can beat that upside. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 12/3.78/1.17/158 in 170 IP
585) Santiago Suarez – TBR, RHP, 21.3 – Suarez is 6’2” with a mid 90’s fastball and elite control, which is a great foundation to lay, but I’m a bit concerned the strikeout rates will be lacking against advanced competition. We already saw a hint of that when he got a cup of coffee at Triple-A to end the season. He put up a 4.09 ERA with a 20.9/4.7 K%/BB% in 11.2 IP. He was only 20 years old, he was recently returning from a shoulder injury that kept him out for 3 months, and it was a very small sample, so I’m not saying I’m putting a ton of weight on it, I’m just saying there might be some signal there. Even at High-A the 26.9% K% is not off the charts. Elite control of an above average fastball still clearly plays, and he’s young enough where he can project some improvement to the secondaries (cutter, slider, curve, changeup). He projects as a low WHIP mid rotation starter if things break right. – 2026 Projection: 11/3.75/1.18/147 in 160 IP
586) Bishop Letson – MIL, RHP, 21.6 – Letson gets the scout’s dream, looks the part bump at an athletic and projectable 6’4”. When you watch him pitch, his athleticism on the mound truly does standout. And he knows what he’s doing out there with a 2.40 ERA and 30.8/7.5 K%/BB% in 41.1 IP at High-A. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and clearly has room for more as he adds muscle. He has his slider on a string and that projects as an easy plus pitch. The changeup needs work, and maybe most concerningly, he keeps getting hurt. Elbow soreness ended his season in 2024 and then a shoulder impingement knocked him out for 3 months in 2025. I try to stop myself from getting too amped up about “a looks the part” dream build. Maybe that is the Moneyball generation in me, but I do still think it can seep too much into scouting. I remember when I pumped the brakes on Darren Bowen back in 2023 because I thought he was getting too much of the “looks great in the uniform bump.” Now, I like Letson a lot more than Bowen, and it’s not like Letson doesn’t have the production too. He also has Milwaukee at his back, so maybe I’m super foolish for even pumping the brakes a little. I like him a lot. I see why the scouts are drooling over him, but I want to see a bit more against advanced competition before really going crazy. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.86/1.27/150 in 150 IP
587) David Hagaman – ARI, RHP, 23.0 – Hagaman’s target status is going to depend on the intensity of your league. If your league mates are all deep in the prospect game, digging for every morsel, Hagaman might end up going really high in your off-season prospect drafts, but I have a sneaking suspicion that in most leagues, even some savvy leagues, he’s going to be in a juicy target range. He made his pro debut in June coming off Tommy John surgery, and he looked damn electric with a 2.98 ERA and 33.7/6.1 K%/BB% in 42.1 IP at mostly High-A. The fastball sits mid 90’s and is a potentially above average to plus pitch, the breakers are bat missing machines, and the changeup is a true weapon vs. lefties. He was a short outing reliever in college with high walk rates, so this is just a small sample so far, but it’s an exciting small sample. He’s also got the size at 6’4”, 215 pounds. I’m all about chasing that mystery upside as you get deeper into prospect rankings/drafts, and not only does Hagaman have that, he already flashed that upside. He’s a great target and explosion candidate for 2026. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.76/1.24/155 in 145 IP
588) Nasim Nunez – WSH, SS/2B, 25.7 – Nunez is penciled in as Washington’s starting 2B right now, but I kinda doubt he makes it through the off-season with the job. He’s just not a good enough hitter with a 80 wRC+, 29.5% whiff%, and 32.6% Hard Hit% in 63 games at Triple-A. Those numbers looked better in the majors, but it only came in 92 PA, so I trust the bigger Triple-A sample more, and even in the majors he only had a 94 wRC+. But the reason he cracks this list, beyond currently having the job, is that he’s a good defensive player and he’s a speed demon. He has an elite 29.8 ft/sec sprint and he’s an elite base stealer with a 70 steal season under his belt. His walk rates have also been high in the minors, and the 8.7% BB% wasn’t bad in the majors, so maybe there is some Jose Caballero in here. Elite defender, plays all over, gets on base, and is a great baserunner. Even in a part time role Caballero has had value for fantasy. Nunez is in that mold. I think I just talked myself into him as a speed first, deeper league sleeper. – 2026 Projection: 54/6/42/.234/.310/.362/28 Update: He did indeed seem to make it through the off-season with the job, but I’m still concerned about him being able to hold it long term
589) Cameron Cauley – TEX, OF/SS/2B, 23.2 – Cauley is a fantasy friendly prospect with a fun power/speed combo, and the hit tool really wasn’t all that bad at Double-A. He slashed .253/.325/.448 with 15 homers, 28 steals, and a 24.9/9.7 K%/BB% in 113 games. He can lift and pull, he hits it fairy hard, and he’s an electric athlete with double plus speed. That athleticism helps with glove too as he can be an asset in the field with defensive versatility. I’m actually encouraged by a .253 BA with a 24.9% K% in the upper minors, but at the same time, that still isn’t good. There is a very high chance he’s not going to be able to hit enough to be an MLB starter, or at least, it could take into his mid to late 20’s for it to happen. But his upside is high enough to take a shot on at this point. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 62/15/56/.234/.295/.414/22
590) Abimelec Ortiz – WSH, 1B, 24.1 – Path to playing time matters a lot for a prospect like Ortiz who will have to prove it every step of the way, and right now, his path to taking over the strong side of the 1B job looks to be his for the taking, maybe straight out of camp. Washington’s 1B job is wide open right now assuming Luis Garcia goes back to 2B. He made a statement after getting promoted to Triple-A, ripping 9 homers with a 133 wRC+ and 21.8/12.7 K%/BB% in 41 games. The underlying numbers are even more impressive with a 91.7 MPH EV, 17 degree launch, 53.8% Hard Hit%, 22.5% whiff%, and a 24% Air Pull%. He hit 25 homers in 130 games on the season in the upper minors. He’s a bull of a man at 5’10”, 230 pounds with a quick and powerful lefty swing. He’s not good vs. lefties, he’s not good on defense, and he has hit tool risk (both contact and chase), so he’s a very flawed player, but a flawed player who hits bombs can still make a major fantasy impact. He’s a really strong proximity power bat at a likely cheap price. – 2026 Projection: 27/10/39/.227/.292/.420/1 Prime Projection: 67/24/79/.245/.319/.453/2
591) Kemp Alderman – MIA, OF, 23.6 – I liked Alderman a lot coming out of college as a bull of a man at 6’2”, 235 pounds with the massive raw power to match, but his lackluster first 2 years of pro ball soured me on him. As much as I do value pro debuts, certainly it takes some guys a few years to really find their stride, and Alderman started to find his stride in the AFL last year. He hit 6 homers in 9 games, and then he carried over that success into the upper minors in 2025, slashing .285/.338/.482 with 22 homers, 22 steals in 32 attempts, and a 23.1/7.3 K%/BB% at Double-A and Triple-A. He put up a 95 MPH EV with a 33.3% whiff% in 20 games at Triple-A, which basically tells you exactly the type of player he is. The walk rates aren’t high, there is hit tool risk, he isn’t fast, he’s not great on defense, he hits lefties better than righties and he’s not a huge lift and pull guy, but he smashes the ball, and smashing the ball is enough to make a fantasy impact if he can find his way onto the field. I want to like him more, but it seems to me he kinda projects as a mostly short side of a platoon guy. – 2026 Projection: 19/6/26/.231/.297/.418/2 Prime Projection: 62/19/71/.246/.318/.448/8
592) Wyatt Sanford – PIT, SS, 20.4 – Sanford is the type of prospect who just slowly rises up prospect rankings with a high floor profile. He’s got a good middle infield glove, he’s got a solid feel to hit, he’s got speed and he’s got some projectability at 6’1”. This is going to be a MLB ballplayer, the only question is how good, and that will likely be dictated by how much stronger he can get. He held his own at Single-A with a 104 wRC+, 4 homers, 21 steals, and a 20.1/9.8 K%/BB% in 44 games. The 85.3 MPH EV and 30.3% Hard Hit% aren’t great, but he was only 19 years old, and like I said, there is definitely room for him to tack on more mass. Those numbers are only going up. He’s not the flashiest of prospects, but he’s probably on the underrated side right now with a high floor and not bad upside at all. I like him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/14/67/.262/.323/.417/26
593) Marek Houston – MIN, SS, 22.0 – Selected 16th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Houston is a glove first college player with a plus glove at SS, but the bat doesn’t seem like it’s going to make enough of an impact to be a sought after fantasy player. The power did tick up in 2025 with 15 homers in 61 games, but most of them came in Wake’s bandbox of a stadium before they even got into conference play. There is a potential above average hit/speed combo in here with a 15.4/15.4 K%/BB% and 19 steals, so it’s not like there is nothing to like, but if he simply can’t hit the ball hard enough in the majors with wood bats, everything offensively is going to play down. And then that fear materialized in his pro debut, slashing .270/.330/.350 with 1 homer, 7 steals, and a 19.1/7.3 K%/BB% in 24 games at Single-A and High-A. Defense, speed, and solid feel to hit will make you fantasy relevant at some point. I’m not denying that, but with a 33 wRC+ in 12 games at High-A, and 1 homer in 24 games overall, I would need to be in a deeper league to really feel excited about picking him. He’s 6’3”, 205 pounds, so it is possible the power ticks up in his mid 20’s, but college bats who already don’t have big power generally stay the same in the majors. Obviously there are exceptions, but projecting too much on a college bat generally isn’t that great of a bet. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/14/63/.261/.325/.410/19
594) Ike Irish – BAL, OF/C, 22.4 – I really want to get excited about some college bats from this class. I really do. And Irish was one of the top college bats off the board at 19th overall, but he was already projected to be more of a solid than truly standout MLB bat, and his pro debut did nothing to get me excited. In fact, it got me discouraged, slashing .230/.296/.297 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 23.5/7.4 K%/BB% in 20 games at Single-A. It was good for a 81 wRC+ and it came with a 54.7% GB%. I mean, I’m not exactly sure what we are buying here after a debut like that. He performed much better in the SEC from the second he stepped on campus as a freshman, finishing his college career with a big junior year, slashing .364/.469/.710 with 19 homers, 11 steals, and a 14.3/12.8 K%/BB% in 55 games, so if you want to ignore the debut, you can dream on an above average hit/power combo at peak. Especially if he can stick behind the plate, which is questionable, that would be a solid fantasy bat. But I’m not seeing big upside, and that pro debut is showing me the downside. I just can’t say he’s one of my guys. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/19/71/.256/.328/.428/8
595) Slade Caldwell – ARI, OF, 19.10 – I was a big Caldwell fan coming out of the draft, and I still like him a lot as a prospect now, but I fear he’s getting a bit overvalued right now. His pro debut was definitely good, especially when you consider he started the year as an 18 year old, but there were enough flaws where I wouldn’t be comfortable paying up huge for him. Most notably, I just don’t love the combo of a 26.7% K% and 51.5% GB%. At 5’9”, he’s not a huge raw power guy, so if you aren’t making tons of contact, and you aren’t lifting and pulling, that seems like a problem to me. He also wasn’t a great base stealer, going 25 for 35, which I’m less concerned about because the speed is there, but it’s still just another thing to tack on. Like I said, he still had a good debut with a 160 wRC+ in 48 games at Single-A (98 wRC+ in 66 games at High-A), and the 17.6% BB% mitigates a lot of that high K%. So I by no means dislike him, I just think too much of his pre debut hype is seeping into his price. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/14/58/.270/.340/.415/27
596) Joey Bart – PIT, C, 29.3 – Bart couldn’t back up his 2024 offensive breakout (13 homers with a 121 wRC+ in 80 games) with only 4 homers and a 101 wRC+ in 93 games, but he maintained enough of it to still be Pittsburgh’s starting catcher. He actually improved his Hard Hit% to a respectable 43.2%, and he improved his walk rate to an excellent 12%, but his lift and pull dropped (9 degree launch with a 14.1% Air Pull%), and his hit tool regressed with a 28% K% and 28% whiff%. The .319 xwOBA backs up the average offensive production. 4 homers is clearly on the low end of his true talent, but the hope that 2024 gave us for a legit offensive breakout has subsided. He’s also a below average defensive catcher. He’s a very low end real life MLB starter and also a very low end fantasy starter. He doesn’t even feel that locked into the job and he sat a ton in 2025 even when healthy. – 2026 Projection: 36/9/43/.244/.322/.391/1
597) Bo Naylor – CLE, C, 26.1 – I would feel a little better about Naylor if Cooper Ingle wasn’t breathing down his neck at Triple-A. Naylor is a good defensive catcher, so even if he doesn’t lose the job completely, we might be looking at a timeshare here very quickly into 2026, and he might straight up lose the job with how horrific his hit tool is. He hit .201 in 2024 and then .195 in 2025. He actually managed to improve his strikeout rate majorly with a 23.9% K% (31.4% in 2024), and it didn’t matter at all because he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough (38.3% Hard Hit%) to lift and pull so much (21.3 degree launch with a 26.8% Air Pull%). He’s also almost unplayable against lefties with a .501 OPS. If he had no real competition for the job, I could see giving him some leeway as delayed catcher breakouts are the norm, but with Ingle there, I don’t feel comfortable about it. – 2026 Projection: 40/14/40/.218/.302/.396/3
598) Patrick Bailey – SFG, C, 26.10 – Bailey was the most valuable defensive player in baseball by a mile. He put up a 35.2 defensive value and the next highest guy was Alejandro Kirk at 25.6. That number is not an aberration either as he had a 36.5 defensive value in 2024. That should ensure he remains a starting catcher but his offense is super rough. He put up a 70 wRC+ with 6 homers, a .222 BA and a 29.4/6.6 K%/BB% in 135 games. He almost hurts your team more than he helps it, but he’s only 26 years old, and he’s locked into a job. – 2026 Projection: 48/9/54/.230/.290/.350/2
599) Freddy Fermin – SDP, C, 30.10 – Fermin is San Diego’s starting catcher, but he’s clearly just a short term stopgap option. He has an above average to plus catcher glove, but the bat isn’t up to snuff. He put up a 77 wRC+ with 5 homers, 1 steal and a .271 xwOBA in 347 PA. He has solid contact rates with a 18.7% K%, but that is all he does well. The 34.1% Hard Hit% is rough. At the very least his hit tool hopefully won’t tank you if you need to use him in deeper leagues with a .251 BA in 2025 and a career .264 BA, so at least there’s that. – 2026 Projection: 46/8/41/.254/.307/.355/1
600) Will Vest – DET, Closer Committee, 30.10 – I didn’t rank Vest in last off-season’s Top 1,000 rankings, but he did make the rankings in a different way, writing in the Paul Skenes blurb, “Skenes had the 8th best swing speed against amongst qualified pitchers at 70.9 MPH. The only qualified starter to induce slower swings was Chris Sale, and Will Vest led of all baseball amongst qualified pitchers.” That should have been the indicator for me to put Vest in the damn rankings, but I didn’t listen to the signs. He once again induced slow swings in 2025 with a 70.8 MPH bat speed against, which was tied for first amongst qualified pitchers (he tied with the excellent Jeremiah Estrada), and he once again pitched really well with a 3.02 ERA and 26.4/7.7 K%/BB% in 68.2 IP. As you can expect from all the slow swings, he induces weak contact with a 4.3% Barrel% against. The 4-seamer sits 96.7 MPH with a 22.7% whiff%, the sinker keeps the ball on the ground with a 0 degree launch, and the slider racks up whiffs with a 43.7% whiff%. His 23 saves led the team, but with Kyle Finnegan back, and Kenley Jansen added to the mix, it seems likely he’s not going to be the full time guy. Maybe it will be a committee, but it’s also possible he going to be mainly a setup guy. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.35/1.17/71/10 saves in 65 IP
601) Robert Suarez – ATL, Setup, 35.1 – Suarez signed a 3 year, $45 million contract with Atlanta, and while he’s expected to be a setup man this year, it’s possible he gets the closer job back in 2027 with Iglesias on a one year deal. Or Iglesias scuffles/gets hurt and Suarez slides in there this year. On the other hand, he’s 35 years old, so counting on him “long term” for saves seems a bit silly. Either way, he’s next man up in Atlanta at the least, and he’s coming off an excellent season with a 2.97 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 27.9/5.9 K%/BB% in 69.2 IP. The 98.6 MPH fastball put up a +15 Run Value and the sinker put up a +5 Run Value. The changeup was not as strong as usual though with the whiff rate falling off a cliff with a 32.8% whiff%. So if you are looking for signs of decline, that is the sign. The 3.66 xERA and 24% whiff% aren’t as impressive as the surface stats. Considering his age, lack of whiffs, and lack of closer job, he’s not super valuable in a saves only league at the moment. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.30/1.08/65/9 saves in 65 IP
602) Ke’Bryan Hayes – CIN, 3B, 29.2 – The dream of more lift/pull coming to combine with his good contact/hard hit is dead. It’s been long dead. He is who he is, which is a bad real life and fantasy hitter, and a great 3B defender. The Hard Hit hasn’t even been that great of late with a 42.9% Hard Hit% in 2024 and a 42.5% Hard Hit% in 2025. He put up a 60 wRC+ in 2024 and a 65 wRC+ in 2025. He has a career 84 wRC+. The underlying numbers back up the terrible surface stats. The ballpark upgrade should help, but he’s not the type of hitter that can even fully take advantage of it. He’s a very low end option, and with the Eugenio signing, it kinda does put some pressure on Hayes’ bat. – 2026 Projection: 66/9/61/.247/.302/.368/13
603) Zach McKinstry – DET, 3B/OF/SS, 30.11 – It seems like McKinstry could be the main starter at SS over Baez, and when he’s not in at SS, his ability to play all over the field gives him the chance to essentially be a near full time player. That is if his bat is actually good enough to force his way into the lineup, and I’m not sure it’s quite good enough to bet on. He put up a 114 wRC+ in 144 games in 2025, but the .302 xwOBA isn’t buying it, and the career 89 wRC+ also tells us to not completely buy it. He lifts and pulls, but the 30.5% Hard Hit%, 21.7% K%, and the mediocre at best ballpark for lefty homers doesn’t lead me to believe the lift/pull is the reason for the better surface stats vs. underlying numbers. That 19 steals is the best thing to buy into for fantasy, but with a low BA/homer combo, it’s not quite high enough to get excited. He’s best as a multi positional bench bat in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 66/11/58/.245/.313/.396/18
604) Jonathan India – KCR, 2B/3B/OF, 29.4 – India is a bad defensive player, and as I feared last off-season, his offensive profile didn’t translate well to Kansas City’s pitcher park at all. He put up a career worst 89 wRC+ with 9 homers, 0 steals, and a .233 BA in 136 games. That just isn’t a starting player. His underlying hitting profile is basically exactly the same from his days in Cincy, but the ballpark downgrade was dramatic, and without big hard hit, it was a disaster waiting to happen. His stolen bases also dropped off a cliff as the final cherry on top. Even with Kansas City making the park more neutral, I’m not going back in on this. It’s both low floor and low upside, although I like him slightly better with fences moving – 2026 Projection: 69/15/58/.242/.330/.399/6
605) Gavin Lux – TBR, OF, 28.4 – The trade to Tampa is a definite boost for Lux in terms of playing time as it seems he’s going to be their strong side of a platoon bat at 2nd base. That’s just about the nicest thing I can say for him as the guy just hit 5 homers with 1 steal and a .269 BA in 140 games. That is the saddest, most boring fantasy line I’ve ever seen I think. He has a career 99 wRC+, and he gets on base with a 11.1% BB% in 2025, so maybe he can be just barely good enough to actually hold the job, but that isn’t a guarantee either. Low upside and low floor. Any even teeny, tiny bit of hype left over from his elite prospect days are so far gone it’s not even funny. Not bad is the ceiling. – 2026 Projection: 68/10/61/.256/.335/.390/5
606) Connor Norby – MIA, 3B, 25.10 – Miami isn’t the right ballpark for the weak hitting, lift/pull profile as one of the worst parks for righty homers in the league, and that got exposed with Norby putting up a .689 OPS with 8 homers in 88 games. Not only isn’t it the right ballpark, but Norby is also missing a key ingredient for the weak hitting (37.1% Hard Hit%), lift/pull profile to work, and that is contact. He put up a 26.7/5.4 K%/BB%. He’s also bad on defense. That simply isn’t a starter, and it seems likely to me that Graham Pauley will win the 3B job. Or at the least it will be some kind of a timeshare. Basically, you can’t count on Norby actually being locked into a role, and while there is fantasy friendly upside here with lift and speed, the upside isn’t quite high enough to take on that playing time risk. Even in medium to deeper leagues, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with him as my starting 3B. – 2026 Projection: 59/16/49/.242/.302/.409/9
607) Trevor Larnach – MIN, OF, 29.1 – Larnach is a strong side of a platoon bat who has been bringing his lift/pull down over the last few years in an attempt to help his BA, and it’s worked with him hitting .250 with 17 bombs in 142 games in 2025. He hits it hard with a 45.7% Hard Hit%, he still lifts and pulls enough, and the K% is heading in the right direction at 21.5%. Pretty remarkable considering he was striking out well over 40% of the time earlier in his career. The 29.8% whiff% shows the hit tool risk is still in here and he’s bad on defense, so he’s pretty locked in as a good but not great platoon power bat. – 2026 Projection: 60/16/60/.245/.325/.424/4
608) Joey Ortiz – MIL, SS, 27.8 – Ortiz is a good defensive player, which is likely to keep his bat in the lineup, but Made, Pena, and Pratt are coming, so I’m not sure for how much longer. His bat just isn’t up to snuff with a .274 xwOBA, 84.9 MPH EV, and 32.4% Hard Hit%. It resulted in a 67 wRC+ with 7 homers and .230 BA in 149 games. He was better in 2024, but even then his xwOBA was below average. He’s best suited as a utility player, and that day might be coming faster than you think. If you want to look on the bright side, he can get the bat on the ball, he’s got speed, and he’s hit the ball harder in the past, so if he can get his hard hit back up, there is a potential for a solid across the board season. – 2026 Projection: 71/11/53/.245/.310/.377/16
609) J.P. Crawford – SEA, SS, 31.2 – Crawford might be the most boring fantasy player of all time. He hit .265 with 12 homers, 8 steals, 69 Runs and 58 RBI in 157 games. And that was the 2nd best year of his career. He gets on base with a .352 OBP, but even in OBP leagues, you want to aim much higher than this in the vast majority of leagues. There just isn’t any upside here at all, and at 31 years old coming off a season where he wasn’t good defensively, the risk is that he loses his job in the next couple years, or sooner. Low end option in deep leagues only. – 2026 Projection: 76/13/55/.257/.346/.378/7
610) Ernie Clement – TOR, 3B/SS/2B, 30.0 – Clement’s glove is really good at every infield position, giving him a good shot to keep his bat in the lineup, but the bat isn’t good enough to guarantee it, and it’s lackluster for fantasy even if he is a full time player. He slashed .277/.313/.398 with 9 homers, 6 steals, and a 10.4/4.6 K%/BB% in 157 games. The 26% Hard Hit% is way too low for him to do any real damage even with contact/lift/pull. He’s a medium to deep league option only. – 2026 Projection: 71/12/59/.268/.308/405/9
611) Romy Gonzalez – BOS, 1B/2B, 29.7 – Romy crushes the ball. Truly smashes it with a 93.3 MPH EV and 57.3% Hard Hit% that is in the top 1% of baseball. He’s also fast with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint. It resulted in a .826 OPS and .347 xwOBA in 2025. I want to really love him, but despite the insanely fun raw power/raw speed combo, the fantasy upside isn’t in here. He doesn’t lift and pull at all with a 5.5 degree launch (only 9 homers), he doesn’t run a ton with only 6 steals in 96 games, the plate skills are bad with a 23.8/5.3 K%/BB%, and he’s mostly in a short side of platoon role, especially with Boston bringing in Durbin. – 2026 Projection: 58/13/63/.275/.317/.433/10
612) Jared Triolo – PIT, SS/3B/1B, 28.2 – Triolo has survived the off-season so far as Pitt’s starting 3B but the off-season isn’t over yet, so it’s not set in stone. He can also play every position on the infield very well, so he can rack up at bats as a utility guy too if the bat is decent enough. The bat hasn’t been decent though with a 72 wRC+ in 2024 and then a 86 wRC+ in 2025. Meet the new Ke’Bryan Hayes, same as the old Ke’Bryan Hayes. And just like Hayes, Triolo does just enough to give you hope. The profile is very fantasy friendly with a 14.7 degree launch, 28.8 fts/sec sprint (13 steals in 107 games), 89 MPH EV and 20.2/10.4 K%/BB%, but the 38.2% Hard Hit% has everything playing down. He’s already 28 years old, so it’s hard to really bank on any more hard hit coming, but if it does come, the rest of the skills are there to take advantage of it. I don’t mind him as a medium to deeper league flier with both a path to playing time, fantasy upside, and a decent floor with the glove/plate approach combo. I’m actually talking myself into him a bit. – 2026 Projection: 66/13/58/.234/.319/.381/18
613) Parker Meadows – DET, OF, 26.5 – Here we go again … or more like, here the Tigers go again, because I can’t get back on this ride again. All of the ingredients I loved for a possible breakout have moved in the wrong direction. The Hard Hit% has declined to a mere 30.9%. The whiff% has risen to 28.8%. The launch has declined to 12.5 degrees. The steals have disappeared with 4 steals in 58 games. There just isn’t anything to really buy into anymore. He’s still young and talented, and he can still play a good CF, so who knows, crazier things have happened, but at some point you gotta let go, and I’m letting Meadows go. – 2026 Projection: 56/11/43/.234/.310/.395/11
614) Paul Goldschmidt – NYY, 1B, 38.7 – Goldy is clearly on his last legs. He backed up a 100 wRC+ in 2024 with a 103 wRC+ in 2025. The underlying numbers have come down with it with a mediocre .328 xwOBA. He’s been terrible vs. righties and the walk rates have been way down the last two years. He’s an average bat now, and at 38 years old, there could be another level of decline coming. The Yanks signed him to a one year deal where he’s just going to be a short side of platoon bat and late inning defensive replacement, and that is at best. It’s a very low upside profile with contact (18.7% K%) and not much else (10 homers and 5 steals in 146 games). I guess you can never rule out the dead cat bounce from legends like Goldy, so that is what keeps him even this high on the rankings. – 2026 Projection: 58/14/53/.265/.320/.420/6
615) Austin Hays – CHW, OF, 30.9 – Hays signed with Chiacgo which gives him the chance of a full time job, but that still isn’t a guarantee, and certainly not for the entire season. His real role is as a short side of a platoon bat. He put up a .949 OPS vs. lefties and a .708 vs. righties in 2025. He’s a lift/pull guy who beats Statcast, but the 25.7/7.0 K%/BB% and 38.4% Hard Hit% is not conducive to that much upside. Even with the good landing spot playing time wise, Runs/RBI take a hit, and I don’t think he’s actually a locked in full time player for the entire season. – 2026 Projection: 56/15/61/.258/.311/.430/5
616) Luis Rengifo – MIL, 2B/3B, 29.1 – Rengifo’s value rises going to Milwaukee, but coming off a season where he put up a 73 wRC+ with below average defense, I still don’t think a full time job is guaranteed, and certainly not for the full season. I was fading him last off-season because I didn’t buy the steals breakout or the surface stats, and both dropped off with only 10 steals and a .275 wOBA. His xwOBA said he got lucky in 2024, and he doesn’t have the lift/pull profile that beats Statcast, so I was trusting the poor underlying numbers, and those won out. Even with the opening at 3B in Milwaukee, he’s just a low end deeper league option. – 2026 Projection: 58/12/49/.253/.308/.398/16
617) Christopher Morel – MIA, OF, 26.9 – Morel is in competition for Miami’s starting 1B job, and that electric swing (76 MPH) and Hard Hit (49.7%) is good enough to put him in flier territory even though it’s just not coming together. The hit tool is atrocious with a 35.7% K%, 38.9% whiff% and .219 BA in 305 PA in 2025. The hit tool needs to take a massive step forward, but it wouldn’t be the first time that happens for a mid to late 20’s super talented guy, and if it does, the power, lift/pull, athleticism and path to playing time are all there. – 2026 Projection: 51/16/57/.226/.305/.417/8
618) Edouard Julien – COL, 1B/2B, 26.11 – Julien followed up his terrible year in 2024 (79 wRC+) with another terrible year in 2025 (81 wRC+), but at least this time there are some things to like. The .330 xwOBA shows he almost definitely got unlucky, the Hard Hit bounced back with a 42.3% Hard Hit%, the whiff% dropped 4.8 points to a respectable 26.1%, and he still walks a lot with a 10.6% BB%. A 12.2% Barrel% is not far off from his excellent rookie year in 2023 where he put up a 13.1%. Even with the things to like, I’m still not buying though because the lift and pull is bad (6.1 degree launch with a 11.4% Air Pull%), the hit tool is still a big risk with a 29.3% K%, he doesn’t run, and he’s bad on defense. The trade to Colorado is clearly a big bump for his value with openings at both 1B and 2B, but he’s still not a target for me. – 2026 Projection: 61/16/52/.238/.322/.395/5
619) Miguel Andujar – SDP, 3B/OF, 31.1 – Andujar couldn’t have landed in a better spot, because there is an opportunity for him to win the full time DH job. He’s far from locked into it, but it’s a chance. The guy just put up a 125 wRC+ in 2025, and he has a career 107 wRC+, so on a thin team, that bat can be good enough to stay in the lineup. I don’t buy the 125 wRC+ because the .297 xwOBA, .348 BABIP and .261 xBA doesn’t back it up. He gets the bat on the ball with a 14.4% K%, and that is all he does well. He doesn’t play good defense, he doesn’t lift/pull that much, he doesn’t hit it hard and he doesn’t have speed. Granted, if you get the bat on the ball, good things can happen, and good things have generally happened for him with a career .282 BA. It’s a low upside deep leauge play. – 2026 Projection: 51/12/57/.272/.316/.418/2
620) Ronny Mauricio – NYM, 3B, 25.0 – The serious knee really seemed to derail Mauricio’s career. It hurt his window to take hold of an everyday job, and physically he’s not the same guy. He was never super fast, but he was average to slightly above, and now his speed is some of the slowest in the league with a bottom 13% sprint. That really says it all. The knee ain’t right unfortunately. The hit tool looks like a major risk with a .226 BA, 29.3% K% and 33.9%. And he’s never had a great approach with a 39.9% Chase%. With the decline in athleticism, major plate skill risk and lack of a job, he’s only a flier. But he still cracks the list because he hits it hard with a 91.2 MPH EV and he can pull in the air with a 25.4% Air Pull%. His glove was good at 3B last year and even with the drop in speed, he was 10 for 11 on the bases between the majors and minors in less than half a season of at bats. If he gets traded to a team that has opportunity, or injuries hit, and if the knee looks healthier the 2nd year back, the skills that made him an enticing prospect are still in here. – 2026 Projection: 33/10/29/.234/.291/.415/6
621) Kyle Karros – COL, 3B, 23.8 – Karros doesn’t have the hit tool, raw power. game power, or speed to buy in here. He looks the part at 6’5”, 220 pounds, but you can’t buy into a guy because he looks great in the uniform. He plays in Coors, but the Coors bump ain’t what it used to be and it’s quite frankly not really a reason to buy into a player anymore. His MLB debut laid all of that bare, slashing .226/.308/.277 with 1 homer, 0 steals, and a 26.3/9.6 K%/BB% in 43 games. He hit only 6 homers in 73 games in the upper minors. The contact, hard hit, and approach aren’t terrible, and he put up a 142 wRC+ in the minors, so you can dream on improvement in all areas, making him a solid real life bat, but even in that scenario, the fantasy upside isn’t going to be high. He’s a good defender, so the glove should get him on the field, but he’s more interesting in deeper leagues. The Willi Castro signing also puts a squeeze on his playing time at best, and at worst he’s out of a job – 2026 Projection: 58/11/44/.244/.318/.383/4 Prime Projection: 78/17/63/.264/.336/.421/7
622) Joseph Sullivan – HOU, OF, 23.9 – Sullivan was a fun high risk, high reward FYPD sleeper last off-season who wasn’t one of my guys, but he mostly lived up to the hype he was getting in the lower minors, slashing .233/.411/.462 with 15 homers, 34 steals, and a 26.7/19.1 K%/BB% in 75 games at High-A. He hits it hard and he’s an excellent athlete. The reasons I wasn’t on him was because he was on the older side for his class, I was concerned about the hit tool, and he wasn’t a big launch guy, and those concerns are still there. The hit tool wasn’t good at High-A, especially for a 22/23 year old, and then it got much worse at Double-A after he got promoted with a .191 BA and 30.0% K% in 31 games. The 45.4% GB% is still on the high side, and it spiked to 55.1% at Double-A. It’s not a major concern, and he can pull it, but this isn’t a lift and pull type slugger. And the final concern is that he’s not good vs. lefties with a .168 BA. Houston is also compiling a bunch of these types (great athletes with hit tool concerns). I still can’t bring myself to really go all in on him, but the fun fantasy upside is certainly in here. He’s more of a Top 200 prospect for me. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/18/69/.238/.318/.429/26
623) Bo Davidson – SFG, OF, 23.9 – I know there are people all in on Davidson, and while I respect it and see what they like, I can’t say I’m all in. The things to like are that Davidson is an excellent athlete with a plus power/speed combo. He slashed .281/.376/.468 with 18 homers, 19 steals, and a 22.8/13.0 K%/BB% in 114 games split between High-A and Double-A. But the reasons I’m not going all in are that he was old for the lower minors, and right when he got to Double-A the hit tool risk popped up with a .234 BA and 24.1% K% in 42 games. He raised his launch when he got to Double-A, which is a good sign, but he still hasn’t been a big lift/pull guy throughout his career. And while he runs, I’m not ready to say he’s going to steal 20+ in the majors. It’s hard to predict steals, but my read is that he’s going to be more of a mid teens guy. Then tack on San Francisco’s terrible hitter’s park on top, and I just can’t say he’s a guy I’m flying up my prospect rankings. I like him, but I’m not going to be the high guy. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/19/71/.252/.328/.425/16
624) Wehiwa Aloy – BAL, SS, 22.2 – First there was Jud Fabian. Then there was Vance Honeycutt. And now there is Wehiwa Aloy. Aloy falling to 31st overall in the 2025 MLB Draft says a lot about how teams view his hit tool. And that view is that they don’t believe in it. I do think Aloy has a better chance to hit than Fabian and Honeycutt though. And if he does, his no joke power will do the rest. He’s 6’2”, 200 pounds with a huge righty swing that utterly obliterates the ball. It led to 21 homers in 65 games in the SEC. He’s also a good athlete with a solid glove at SS, so even if he moves off, the glove should add value somewhere. The problem is the 20.1/10.3% K%/BB%. And then he stepped into pro ball and put up a 27.8/8.9 K%/BB% in 20 games at Single-A. He hit well overall with a 146 wRC+, so the debut doesn’t really move the needle in either direction, but a 27.8% K% as a 21 year old at Single-A very clearly shows the risk. In a draft full of flawed college bats, Aloy remains one of the more interesting ones, and you shouldn’t have to go all that high to grab him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/23/76/.243/.312/.441/10
625) Charles Davalan – LAD, OF, 22.4 – Davalan is only 5’9” and he’s not a huge tools guy as a maxed out college bat, but you know if the Dodgers took him 41st overall, there is something to like, and as a little man discount connoisseur myself, I wouldn’t let his size fool you. For one, he packs a real punch with the bat, jacking out 14 homers in 65 games in the SEC. This isn’t just some Punch and Judy hitter. Davalan can hit the ball hard even if power isn’t going to be the main part of his game. The main part of his game is the hit tool with an 8.5/11.0 K%/BB%, speed (10 steals), and defensive versality (he can play 2B and all 3 OF positions). The pro debut got me even more excited for him, slashing .500/.541/.735 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 13.5/8.1 K%/BB% in 8 games at Single-A. Maybe he tops out as a cheap 400-500 AB utility type for the Dodgers, which might be the most likely outcome, but he’s also the type who can just keep hitting his way into more and more playing time. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/16/71/.273/.331/.418/21
626) Devin Taylor – SAC, OF, 22.3 – Very few can come close to matching Taylor’s history of production at every stop of his amateur career. He stepped onto Indiana campus as a freshman and knocked out 16 homers with a 1.080 OPS in 55 games. He’s jacked out 54 homers in 169 games in his career, and his junior year was his best year yet, slashing .374/.495/.706 with 18 homers, 12 steals, and a 11.2/19.3 K%/BB% in 55 games. He raked in the Cape too with 5 homers and a .907 OPS in 29 games. His history of production is impregnable, but there are reasons he dropped to 48th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft. His batting stance is that low and crouched one I don’t necessarily love (although it’s athletic and I don’t particularly hate it either), the Big Ten doesn’t have the toughest competition, and he’s not a good defensive player as a corner outfielder. We immediately saw the level of adjustment to pro competition in his debut with his K% spiking to 28.7%. Granted he hit well overall with 6 homers, a 134 wRC+ and a 16.3% BB%, but the big K% spike isn’t optimal. At the end of the day this guy has produced everywhere he’s been, every single year, and in a FYPD class that is weak in college bats, Taylor is a very reasonably priced good one. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 72/23/79/.253/.328/.448/5
627) Aroon Escobar – PHI, 2B, 21.3 – I’ve been waiting for Escobar to get to an age appropriate level before flying him up my rankings, and I feel good about that after he put up a .256/.348/.369 slash with 4 homers in 46 games at the age appropriate High-A. He wasn’t bad with a 116 wRC+, 20.7/11.1 K%/BB% and 14 steals, but that isn’t really a standout performance. He’s not a good defensive player, he’s not a burner, so there is some risk the steals drop off against more advanced competition, and he’s not a big lift and pull guy. Even though he’s not one of my guys and others are higher, I still like the bat in general. He has strong plate skills and he can hit the ball hard. He’s only 21, so more improvement should be coming all around. There is potential for him to become a good fantasy bat, but with how much hype he gets, I’m not really going after him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/20/73/.265/.328/.431/13
628) Joc Pederson – TEX, OF, 33.11 – Pederson had a disaster season with only 9 homers and a 76 wRC+ in 96 games, and while you can blame some of it on a hand fracture in July, he wasn’t good before the injury either. He was both unlucky and bad with a .276 wOBA vs. a still below average .315 xwOBA. The underlying skills weren’t too far out of career norms and he has a long track record of being a power hitting platoon bat, so I’ll give him some benefit of the doubt and expect a bounce back, but he’s also going to be 34 years old, so his time is coming to end sooner rather than later. – 2026 Projection: 55/17/53/.242/.339/.437/3
629) Lane Thomas – KCR, OF, 30.7 – Thomas bottomed out in 2025 with a 48 wRC+, .160 BA and a 31% K% in 142 PA. The .243 xwOBA is wildly bad, but the hope is that it was mostly due to injuries. He suffered a bone bruise on his wrist in early April, and wrist injuries are a known killer for hitters. He also suffered planter fasciitis which required surgery in September. It’s seems reasonable to blame the injuries, but he only signed a one year deal for $5.25 million, which shows you exactly where he is in his MLB career, which is a guy who could be out of the league soon. There is at least one OF spot open in KC, but he’s a below average CF, so it’s not a guarantee he can actually lock down that role. At his best, Thomas is a lift/pull machine with plus speed and base running ability, but the foot surgery calls into question how much he is going to run, and he has a career 99 wRC+, so any decline offensively really pushes him out of starter territory. There is some upside and opportunity, but he’s a flier only. – 2026 Projection: 51/12/46/.235/.302/.405/14
630) Heriberto Hernandez – MIA, OF, 26.4 – I was about to be down with a late flier on Hernandez, but after the Caissie trade, he’s just someone I’m likely to watch on the waiver wire in most leagues. The dude has real power with 10 homers, a 10.9% Barrel%, a 90.2 MPH EV, and tons of lift/pull in 294 PA in the majors. The power numbers were even more impressive at Triple-A. It comes with major hit tool risk as the 35.2% whiff% is much worse than the 26.2% K%. He had a 35% K% at Triple-A, again to underscore how risky the hit tool is. Without a job, he’s just a flier in deeper leagues, but if he does find his way into playing time, his power can make an impact in any league. – 2026 Projection: 41/12/47/.230/.305/.428/2
631) Staryln Caba – MIA, SS, 20.4 – Caba was one of my top fades last off-season with him getting ranked extremely high, lambasting the Marlins for trading Jesus Luzardo for a couple of light hitting lower minors prospects, and that trade now looks even worse in hindsight. Caba slashed .222/.335/.278 with 1 homer, 14 steals, and a 14.7/14.7 K%/BB% in 51 games at Single-A. I know his best tool was his potentially elite SS glove, making him a better real life prospect than fantasy prospect, and even in the down year, he still showed plenty of positives. The plate approach and contact numbers were excellent, the speed is there, and the 88.1 MPH EV and 34.6% Hard Hit% really isn’t bad at all for his age and his type of profile. Better days are definitely ahead. He also suffered a sprained thumb in April which kept him out for 2 months, and finger injuries can be killers for hitters. He’s a super high floor prospect who will likely be manning short and hitting atop the Marlins lineup in the not too distant future. I like him as a prospect in general, and his perceived value has now fallen to where it should have been last off-season too. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 89/12/55/.276/.348/.395/32
632) Gavin Kilen – SFG, SS, 22.0 – Selected 13th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, I was low on Kilen pre-draft as a low upside college bat, then I got even lower on him after he got drafted by San Francisco, and now I’m even lower than that after his poor pro debut. He put up a 58 wRC+ with 0 homers, 0 steals, and a 47.1% GB% in 10 games at Single-A. Sure it’s only 10 games, and it came with a 11.6% K%, but it just hammered home the point that this isn’t the impact fantasy bat you want to be drafting very high. I’m not getting lured in by the high pick in the real MLB Draft. He’s a hit tool first college bat who doesn’t have the power to truly overcome that park, and he’s not a big speed guy either. The power/speed combo is average-ish. He’s 5’11”, 180 pounds and he slashed .357/.441/.671 with 15 homers, 6 steals, and a 11.0/12.2 K%/BB% in 53 SEC games. If he got drafted into a better ballpark, I can see going higher on the high floor profile, but in San Francisco, and with the debut, I’m out. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/17/72/.270/.325/.415/9
633) Brendan Summerhill – TBR, OF, 22.5 – Summerhill didn’t have the junior year power breakout that could have really catapulted him up draft boards (4 homers in 44 games), falling to 42nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, but there could be some delayed breakout potential in here. For one, he broke his hand pretty early into the year, which is never a recipe for a power breakout, and he’s still relatively projectable at 6’3”, 195 pounds with a beautiful lefty swing that is easy to fall in love with. His 8 homers in 58 games in 2024 also shows he has more in the tank than what he showed this year. And what you are really buying is the hit tool and plate skills with a .343 BA and 11.6/17.4 K%/BB%. He’s a really good athlete with plus speed, and while he’s not a good base stealer (11 for 19), that is another area which gives him delayed breakout potential if he can improve there in pro ball. He played to his exact college profile in pro ball, slashing .333/.429/.444 with 0 homers, 5 steals, and an 11.9/14.3 K%/BB% in 10 games at Single-A. It’s an interesting mix of floor and upside here, and Tampa is a good organization to bet on for that continued improvement. In a draft weak in college hitters, I like Summerhill. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 79/15/66/.269/.336/.417/15
634) Jose Corniell – TEX, RHP, 22.10 – I wasn’t buying the Tommy John discount on Corniell, removing him from my rankings after undergoing Tommy John in July 2024, but that was clearly a mistake as he looked completely healthy after returning in July of 2025. He obliterated Double-A with a 0.45 ERA with a 30.3/1.5 K%/BB% in 20 IP, and then he more than held his own in the much tougher Triple-A with a 3.65 ERA and 25.9/11.1 K%/BB% in 12.1 IP. It even earned him a one outing cameo in the Majors where he didn’t pitch well, but that doesn’t really matter. He’s 6’3” with mid 90’s heat and 2 bat missing secondaries in his sweeper (main secondary) and changeup. He also throws a 90+ MPH cutter. It all comes with above average control/command as well. That is a lot of boxes to check, and the ingredients are certainly there to be an impact fantasy starter. Texas is stacked with really good underrated pitching prospect targets right now. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.09/1.30/86 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.72/1.21/160 in 160 IP Update: Dealing with back and triceps sorness, which is not great
635) Dillon Lewis – MIA, OF, 22.10 – Lewis was the 394th overall pick in 2024 despite going 22/20 with a .371 BA in his Junior year in the Atlantic Sun Conference. He was one of only 2 players to go 20/20 in Division 1, and yet, nobody believed in him. He was a very athletic 6’3”, 205 pounds, so he looked the part too, and yet, still nobody believed in him, Well, I guess the Yanks did in the 13th round, giving him a $150,000 signing bonus, but in hindsight, it’s pretty wild he was so disrespected. And that hindsight was provided by what he did in pro ball in 2025, slashing .237/.321/.445 with 22 homers, 26 steals, and a 23.5/10.2 K%/BB% in 122 games split between Single-A and High-A. His K/BB actually improved majorly at High-A, which is big to see with a 20.8/10.8 K%/BB% at that level, and it’s big to see because this dude absolutely smokes the ball with a 93.7 MPH EV and 54.6% Hard Hit%. He also has no issues lifting and pulling. The upside here is truly pretty damn massive, which is why the Marlins targeted him. But the reason the Yanks were willing to part with him is because nobody really believes in the hit tool, and a 21/22 year old in the lower minors with a .237 BA definitely isn’t good. He also doesn’t have a standout OF glove, projecting to be a solid corner outfielder. This is the type of player who can potentially breakout on the Marlins at 27 year old (hysterical that I wrote this blurb before the trade, hah, so easy to predict), so I get the lack of hype, but I mean, those EV and Hard Hit numbers deserve real respect. The power/speed combo is mouth watering for the price he’s going to go for this off-season. He’s a great high upside target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 64/21/71/.239/.307/.433/16
636) Jeral Perez – CHW, 2B, 21.4 – Just imagine how much more hype Perez would be getting if he was still on the Dodgers. It’s actually kinda crazy to think about. He got traded to the White Sox and then he fell off the face of the earth. Don’t even hear about him anymore. But if he were still on the Dodgers, he would be talked about as Andy Pages 2.0, because that is who he is. He ripped 22 homers with 10 steals, a 20.9/8.2 K%/BB% and a 124 wRC+ in 125 games at High-A. Just like Pages, he has that lift and pull profile that is going to rip dingers and he has good raw power that should only tick up from here. The problem is, he’s not on the Dodgers anymore. I agree with the drop off in hype. He currently has a very closed statue of liberty batting stance that I don’t particularly love. Are we trusting the White Sox to figure this out with him every step of the way through the upper minors and into the majors? I don’t. But I try not to be a total slave to organization, and if you like what Pages just did in the majors, Perez has that same profile, except at 2B. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/25/84/.246/.323/.446/7
637) Cam Collier – CIN, 1B, 21.4 – Collier had one of the all time weird power outages in 2025. He went from hitting 20 homers in 119 games at High-A as a 19 year old, to just 4 homers in 95 games at mostly Double-A as a 20 year old. You can say it was because of the higher level, but he also hit just 1 homer in 22 games in the hitter’s paradise that is the AFL. It’s just odd. He had a 90.1 MPH EV in the AFL and he has impressive top end exit velocities, so it’s not like he can’t hit it hard either. He’s not a huge lift and pull guy, but it doesn’t go extreme in the other direction either, so that can’t fully explain it. He almost certainly got unlucky and I’m sure he will hit a lot more in 2026, but with him moving to 1B, the bat needs to be bulletproof, and 5 homers in 117 games is certainly not bulletproof. He hit well otherwise, especially for a 20 year old at Double-A with a 114 wRC+, so it wasn’t a disaster season by any stretch, but the 27.9% K% shows there is also hit tool risk here. He was useless vs lefties with a .563 OPS. I like Collier and I like his bat, but at 1B, you need to really love the bat to rank him highly, and 2025 was just too underwhelming. He’s a solid fantasy prospect but I can’t say he’s a highly valued one. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 71/22/77/.250/.332/.441/1
638) Tink Hence – STL, RHP, 23.0 – Just look at St. Louis’ rotation. There is no reason for them to prematurely put anyone in the bullpen, and while Hence might not have the durability required to stick in the rotation, I don’t think St. Louis is done giving him that chance. I know everyone else is writing him off, but I’m not willing to do that yet. 2025 was basically a lost season, pitching just 21.1 IP due to a ribcage injury and shoulder inflammation. He battled shoulder, chest and lat issues in 2024. I’m not saying the injury risk isn’t sky high, because it is, I’m just saying if it were me, I’m holding him. His stuff is too good and his delivery is too smooth. The changeup might be straight elite, he’s got two good breakers in his gyro slider and curve, and the fastball sits mid 90’s. The righty delivery is truly a thing of beauty. He’s coming off a season where he put up a 2.71 ERA with a 34.1/8.1 K%/BB% in 79.2 IP at Double-A. Giving up on this would be nuts to me. I’m not willing to do it. I’m holding or grabbing him for free if his current prospect ranks are any indication of his dynasty value. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.05/1.32/28 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.68/1.23/147 in 140 IP
639) Landon Harmon – WSH, RHP, 19.6 – Selected 80th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $2.5 million, Harmon is maybe the best upside pitching play in the mid to late rounds of FYPD’s. He’s a projectable 6’5”, 190 pounds and his fastball is already sitting mid to upper 90’s. He’s not wild with it either. It might not be pinpoint command, but he’s consistently around the plate. The secondaries aren’t as nasty, but he can rip off some plus breakers for sure. Tons of refinement is needed and he needs to work on the changeup, but I really want to bet on the size, athleticism, monster fastball and pretty good control. I’m a big fan. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection:11/3.77/1.22/178 in 165 IP
640) Cody Bradford – TEX, LHP, 28.1 – Bradford hurt his elbow in spring and eventually went under the knife for an internal brace procedure in late June. There is talk that he could be ready at some point in May, but that seems on the very hopeful side. I would expect a mid-season return at best, and as we know, it’s a roll of the dice if he’s going to come back completely healthy or not. Here was my blurb for him last off-season before news of the injury, so this is the expectation if fully healthy, so I’m factoring in risk with this ranking that he’s not: “Bradford was a victim of low velocity pitchers getting no respect (I am fully guilty of this as well), but low velocity pitchers are starting to get their due more and more, and Bradford is another example of why the discrimination needs to end. The fastball only sat 89.8 MPH, but it was tied for the 21st most valuable 4-seamer in baseball with a +11 Run Value. One of the pitchers he was tied with was Mason Miller and his 100.9 MPH fastball. And Bradford’s fastball was better on a per pitch basis than Miller’s. Just really fun to think about that disparity in velocity with about the same effectiveness. He combines the plus fastball with an above average changeup that notched a 33.8% whiff%, and he also mixes in a curve, slider, and cutter. He has elite control over the entire arsenal. It resulted in a 3.54 xERA with a 22.7/4.2 K%/BB% in 76.1 IP, and the 3.54 xERA perfectly backs up the surface stats. He gets hit relatively hard with a 8.9% Barrel% against, so I don’t think the upside is very high, but nothing he did in 2024 was a fluke either. He looks like a low WHIP, mid rotation fantasy starter.” – 2026 Projection: 4/3.88/1.22/73 in 80 IP
641) Anthony Santander – TOR, OF, 31.5 – Santander got off to a horrific start with a .577 OPS in 50 games before a shoulder injury put him out of his misery, essentially knocking him out for the rest of the season. The few at bats he did get at the end of the year and into the playoffs weren’t pretty either, but we’ll give him a pass for that. It was a disaster season surface stats wise, underlying numbers wise (.265 xwOBA) and injury wise. He has a long enough track record to give him a mulligan as the 24.5% whiff%, extreme lift/pull, and 89.6 MPH EV were all there. Assuming full health, and with another year to get comfortable with his new team, he should get back to being a low BA slugger of some kind. I’m not against buying low but only a steep discount. – 2026 Projection: OUT Update: The shoulder injury didn’t go away he underwent surgery in February. There is a chance he can return in the 2nd half of the season, but we clearly can’t count on him for anything this year. You know I’m all in on shoulder surgery, so I wouldn’t count him out for the rest of his career, but he is now just in flier territory
642) JoJo Romero – STL, Closer Committee, 29.7 – The cavalry ain’t coming for St. Louis this year, which makes them the land of opportunity, and also the perfect spot to speculate for cheap saves. And my top target in this bullpen is JoJo Romero. He’s a lefty and it’s almost certainly going to be some kind of committee, but I think he has a leg up on the job based on track record and the fact he’s in the last year of team control. They aren’t going to care about juicing up his arb numbers, and they want to use him as trade bait at the deadline (if not sooner). So it’s a bit of a double edged sword there as I doubt he’s a closer all year, but I think he’s the best man for the job for the first 4 months of the season. He put up a 2.07 ERA with a 21.6/11.4 K%/BB% and 8 saves in 61 IP. The K% is low, but the 27% whiff% shows that is on the very low end of his true talent. He has a 93.7 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground, a heavily used slider that put up a +9 Run Value and 34.2% whiff%, and also a solid changeup vs. righties that put up a .255 xwOBA and 31% whiff%. It’s not a perfect profile, he’s not going to dominate, and he’s not going to rack up saves, but he’s the guy I would circle for saves if you are desperate early in the year. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.55/1.23/58/15 saves in 63 IP
643) Matt Svanson – STL, Closer Committee, 27.2 – I want to say Svanson is my big underrated closer target in 2026. It looks all setup for him in St. Louis, and it’s possible he can actually be a long term guy, but there is one major thing holding me back from doing it. And that is the 23.1% whiff%. None of his pitches miss anywhere near enough bats. But the reason I really want to say he’s the guy is because he dominated in his rookie year with a 1.94 ERA and 29.1/8.5 K%/BB% in 60.1 IP. Damn you whiff rates, because that K/BB is awesome. He has prototypical closer stuff with a 96.8 MPH sinker that put up a very good .289 xwOBA, but the secondaries aren’t there whiff wise. The sweeper put up a .191 xwOBA, but a 26.7% whiff% is shaky. The cutter put up a 28.3% whiff%. The numbers were not nearly as good at Triple-A as they were in the majors. Again, I really want to say he’s the top dynasty closer target, but I’m falling just short of it because of the whiff rates. I will take some shots on him though still but I’m not sticking my neck out. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.52/1.25/65/8 saves in 65 IP
644) Luke Weaver – NYM, Setup, 32.7 – Well this feels familiar. Weaver will be the setup man for Devin Williams in New York, except this time for the Mets, and we just saw Williams lose his closer job once already, so who is to say it can’t happen again. I don’t think it will. I like Williams a lot this year, but just saying, it just happened last year. And if he does, Weaver will step in. Weaver put up a 3.62 ERA, 2.96 xERA, and a 27.5/7.6 K%/BB% in 64.2 IP. The 95.1 MPH fastball is a really good pitch with a .282 xwOBA, and the changeup is a whiff machine with a 43.9% whiff%. A 31% whiff% with a 7.6% BB% is a great combo. He’s an elite setup guy who will be a near elite closer if he steps into the job for any reason. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.30/1.09/76/9 saves in 65 IP
645) Andrew Kittredge – BAL, Setup, 36.0 – You just have to look at Helsley’s 2025 to know there is definitely some shakiness there, and if that shakiness pops up in 2026, Kittredge will step in. And if he steps in, he can be an impact closer to say the least with a 3.40 ERA and 30.8/5.3 K%/BB% in 53 IP. The slider is his most used pitch and it dominates with a 40.3% whiff% and .201 xwOBA. The 95.2 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground with a negative 3 degree launch. 2025 was probably the very top end of his ability, so he’s likely not actually an elite reliever, but he’s a damn good one assuming no decline at 36 years old. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.43/1.16/74/10 saves in 65 IP
646) Garrett Whitlock – BOS, Setup, 29.10 – Whitlock returned from internal brace procedure in 2025, finally taking his rightful role in the bullpen, and he thrived with a 2.25 ERA and 31.1/8.2 K%/BB% in 72 IP. His velocity was all the way back at 95.8 MPH on the sinker, and it was an elite bat missing weapon with a 31.1% whiff%. The slider and changeup were both really good pitches too with a 35.9% and 31.1% whiff%. The dude was a straight up truly elite reliever, no questions asked. The team has a club option on him for 2027-28, so it’s impossible to predict if and when he can ever rise to the closer role without an injury, but if and when he does, he could be an elite closer. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.25/1.11/79/6 saves in 65 IP
647) Jordan Leasure – CHW, Setup, 27.8 – Leasure is the top setup man in Chicago (Grant Taylor is in that mix too), and with Seranthony Dominguez far from bulletproof, he could easily end up with the job at some point in 2026. He put up a 3.92 ERA, 3.19 xERA, and a 30.1/11.2 K%/BB% in 64.1 IP. The 96.2 MPH 4-seamer is excellent with a 25.6% whiff% and .307 xwOBA and so is the slider with a 40.8% whiff% and .235 xwOBA. The control is well below average, but this is getting pretty close to near elite reliever territory. He might just be better than Dominguez, and while that doesn’t mean he will be given the closer job even if that is true, it does mean he’s one of the top setup men to go after. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.41/1.21/79/10 saves in 65 IP
648) Matt Brash – SEA, Setup, 27.11 – Brash returned from Tommy John surgery in early May after missing all of 2024, and while he wasn’t as nasty as he was before the injury. He was nasty enough. He put up a 2.47 ERA with a 29.1/9.0 K%/BB% in 47.1 IP. The velocity was down about 2+ MPH on all his pitches with the sinker sitting 96.4 MPH. The slider was still excellent with a 36% whiff%, and he also added a new pitch in his changeup which dominated with a 11.9% usage, .203 xwOBA, and 43.9% whiff%. So what he lost in velocity, he made up with a new pitch. He’s in the elite tier of setup men, and if anything happens to Andres Munoz, that would make him a near elite closer. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.30/1.21/80/6 saves in 65 IP
649) Garrett Cleavinger – TBR, Closer Committee, 31.11 – Cleavinger seems to the 3rd guy in the 3 man race for Tampa’s closer job, but on skills and production, he matches up with Jax and Uceta at the least, and might surpass them, certainly on surface stats. He put up a 2.35 ERA, 3.23 xERA, and a 33.7/7.4 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP. The 36% whiff% is elite. His biggest problem is that none of his most heavily used pitches are all that great. The slider is his most used pitch and it put up a .292 xwOBA. The sinker is his next most used pitch and it put up a .404 xwOBA. The reason his whiff rate is so high is actually because of his lesser used pitches (4-seamer and sweeper) racking up whiffs and putting up elite xwOBA’s in about 10%+ usage each. That’s a bit weird. I just have no idea how this bullpen is going to play out, but if Cleavinger can repeat what he did in 2025, he’s surely going to be tough competition. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.40/1.18/76/8 saves in 63 IP
650) Victor Vodnik – COL, Closer, 26.6 – My zero tolerance policy for Coors pitchers doesn’t extend to relievers, but Vodnik just isn’t very good. He put up a 22.8/12.1 K%/BB% in 50.2 IP, and it was just as bad in 2024 with a 20.3/11.6 K%/BB%. Sure he had a 3.02 ERA this year, but it came with a 1.40 WHIP and 4.13 xERA. Some closers just aren’t worth it even if they do have the job, and Vodnik looks like one where his saves might not even be worth the WHIP bomb (and probably weak ERA too). But if you are completely desperate, there are some positives to pull out. He throws gas with a 98.7 MPH fastball and the changeup is a bat missing weapon with a 44.2% whiff%. He closed the season strong with a 1.06 ERA and 21.9/7.8 K%/BB% in his last 17 IP, but as you can see, the K/BB was still weak. It’s possible he can have a useful fantasy season, but it’s also possible he blows up your ratios and/or loses the closer job. He’s a worst case option only. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.92/1.34/60/22 saves in 65 IP
651) Riley O’Brien – STL, Closer Committee, 30.2 – St. Louis’ bullpen is wide open, and while my bet is on Romero early in the season, it seems everyone thinks Riley O’Brien is the favorite for the job. And as a righty, I get it. But I also think righty Matt Svanson is better than him, so O’Brien seems very tenuous to me. It’s mostly because he’s not that good with little track record. He put up a 22.6/11.1 K%/BB% in 42 IP in basically his first year in the bigs. Sure the 2.06 ERA was good, and the stuff is certainly big with a 98 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground, a plus curve that put up a 50.7% whiff%, and a solid slider. I get why everyone is giving him the job. He saved 6 games last year. I just don’t feel comfortable with the K/BB combined with a 24.6% whiff%. He has the skills to do better than that, so the breakout potential is in here, but I can’t say I love him. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.72/1.28/66/15 saves in 65 IP
652) Mitch Bratt – ARI, LHP, 22.9 – I think we’ve learned not to underrate the low velo lefty in 2025, and while I warned against overrating them in the Noah Cameron blurb, I do believe these types deserve more love on prospect lists than they currently get. So let’s give Bratt some love now. He sits only low 90’s, but just watch that fastball give upper minors hitters absolute fits in one of his starts later in the season. Hitters couldn’t square it up at all, and that has been the story of his season with a 3.38 ERA and a 29.3/4.2 K%/BB% in 122.1 IP. He combines the good fastball with elite walk rates and a diverse pitch mix (slider, curve, cutter, change). Maybe back end starter is still the most likely outcome, but we’ve seen too many “low velo, back end starter prospects” actually become impact mid rotation fantasy starters to just completely tank these types down the rankings. Maybe they don’t deserve Top 100 prospect love, but they still deserve strong rankings. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.31/1.30/38 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.90/1.19/139 in 160 IP
653) Zack Gelof – OAK, 2B, 26.6 – I stayed strong on Gelof last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “When I named Gelof a major target back in 2023 at the very beginning of his breakout, I dubbed myself the “Autobahn of Dynasty Baseball Schools,” and if you think scraping up against the guard rails a little bit in 2024 is going to scare me off, you got another thing coming.” … and then in 2025 the car didn’t just scrape the guard rails, it flipped over 36 times, landed on it’s back, ignited on fire, and then an emergency team needed to come on the track and extract you from the car before it exploded. He put up a 45.5% K% with a 43.2% whiff%, which is insane. It resulted in a .174 BA with a .219 xwOBA. The hit tool went from bad to one of the worst we’ve ever seen. He wasn’t great at Triple-A either with a 107 wRC+ and 35% whiff%. You can certainly blame some of it on a broken hamate which required surgery in spring, and then a stress reaction in his ribs in May. He can’t be this bad and he’s shown in the past he is better than this, so I am giving leeway for the injury plagued year, but the injury issues might not be behind him. He dislocated his shoulder which required surgery in September, so he has another thing to deal with in 2026. You know I love shoulder surgeries, but I mean, come on. And as of now, he’s out of a job. He’s just a guy to keep an eye on a best. He’s not a hold. – 2026 Projection: 38/10/31/.225/.293/.410/14
654) Kane Kepley – CHC, OF, 22.2 – Selected 56th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Kepley had one of the best pro debuts in the class, and you know I love me a good pro debut. He slashed .299/.481/.433 with 2 homers, 16 steals, and a 11.5/19.1 K%/BB% in 28 games at Single-A. It’s the same thing he did after transferring into the ACC his junior year with a 7.1/14.2 K%/BB%, 3 homers, and 45 steals in 61 games. The plate skills are excellent, he’s a great base stealer with plus speed, and most importantly for this type of profile, he has a good CF glove. A guy with a good glove in CF, excellent contact rates/approach, and speed is going to make an impact in both real life and fantasy if he gets on the field. He’s not a big guy at 5’8”, 180 pounds, and he’s doesn’t much raw power, so the risk is that he tops out as a 4th outfielder. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/10/53/.271/.332/.378/28
655) Sung Mun Song – SDP, 3B/2B, 29.7 – Song signed a 4 year, $15 million contract with San Diego, which tells you that he’s expected to be a bench/utility player on the MLB level. The jump from Korea to the majors is much bigger than Japan to the majors, and he’s already 29 years old, so it’s not like you can buy a longer development/adjustment period. But if you want to dream on the tippy top upside, you just have to look at what he did in 2025, slashing .315/.387/.530 with 26 homers, 25 steals, and a 14.9/10.5 K%/BB% in 144 games. He had never hit more than 19 homers before last year, and 13 homers was the career high before that, so he doesn’t have a long track record of this kind of dominance either. He’s 6’0”, 194 pounds, which isn’t a huge guy, and San Diego is not a good park for lefty homers, so it’s hard to buy that the power is going to be that big on the MLB level. He also had to give up some contact and approach to get to those power gains. Andujar seems to be the only one in his way of a starting job, so if Song plays well, there is opportunity for him to get more and more at bats. There is a nice glove/feel to hit/power/speed combo in here, so he’s not a bad flier. – 2026 Projection: 51/13/59/.247/.315/.418/15
656) John Gil – ATL, SS, 19.11 – Gil was a low key potential breakout prospect last off-season, and while he got off to a slow start, a lot of it just seemed to be bad luck as the plate skills and speed were impressive all year with a 13.9/12.3 K%/BB% and 50 steals in 100 games at Single-A. Not only did the luck turn in his final 33 games at the level (1.001 OPS), but he started to tap into his solid raw power more too with 6 of his 7 homers coming in those final 33 games. He’s not a small guy at 6’1” and he’s only getting stronger. He’s got a good SS glove, the plate skills are excellent, he’s fast with tons of steals, and the raw power projects to be potentially average. That is a really damn good prospect, both in real life and fantasy, and his hype isn’t even nearly where it is likely going to be by this time next year. He was a solid target last year, and he’s an even better one now. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/15/60/.273/.334/.422/28 Update: I liked Gil to breakout this off-season, and if spring is any indication, that breakout is coming with more power
657) Marconi German – WSH, 2B/SS, 18.7 – Germen gives me Jhonny Level 2.0 vibes. Level gives me Michael Arroyo 2.0 vibes. It’s like the Russian Nesting Dolls of prospects. None of these guys are jump off the screen electric athletes, but they are just damn good baseball players. German actually signed for the lowest bonus of the 3 at only $400K, but that is still a legit bonus. And he proved he was underpaid as one of the top DSL breakouts, slashing .283/.479/.513 with 8 homers, 33 steals, and a 19.7/20.2 K%/BB% in 53 games in the DSL. He’s a 5’10” switch hitting SS who has a vicious lefty swing and not as impressive of a righty swing. It projects for potentially above average across the board production, and while he’s never likely going to get the full hype treatment on prospects lists, he should slowly climb the ranks just like Arroyo and Level have. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 79/18/73/.262/.330/.424/23
658) Cole Carrigg – COL, OF, 23.11 – I started Carrigg’s Top 1,000 blurb last off-season by writing, “I really wish we could have seen Carrigg at Double-A, because it’s hard for me to buy in too hard here as an advanced college bat in the lower minors.” … and my hesitancy to fly him up the rankings (I still liked him) proved prudent with him slowing down at Double-A, particularly with the tool. He slashed .237/.316/.394 with 15 homers, 46 steals, and a 27.0/8.4 K%/BB% in 123 games. The fun fantasy upside is certainly here with good power, tons of steals, and a solid CF glove, but he was already 23 years old, the the plate skills were below average, and we know how fickle Colorado can be with these non elite prospects. – 2026 Projection: 13/3/15/.225/.289/.380/7 Prime Projection: 72/17/69/.244/.317/.418/23
659) Aidan Smith – TBR, OF, 21.9 – Smith’s hit tool disappointed in 2025 with a 31.2% K% and .237 BA in 102 games at High-A, and that is rough enough to really sour on him, but his fantasy friendly profile is just too juicy for me to give up. He stole 41 bags in 47 attempts with the plus speed to back it up, and he cracked 14 homers on the back of strong lift/pull and at least above average raw power potential. He didn’t hit well in the AFL with a .686 OPS, but the 19.6/19.6 K%/BB% and 40.6% Hard Hit% wasn’t bad at all. He only had a 3 degree launch in that AFL, so he was clearly working on making more contact, but it shows me there is a world where he can marry the two approaches. He’s still only 21 years old for the first half of 2026, so it’s not time to give up on this kind of upside. I’m going to hold relatively strong. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/21/76/.242/.321/.433/24
660) Brandon Winokur – MIN, SS/OF, 21.4 – The Winotaur didn’t have the monster breakout I was hoping for in 2025, but it wasn’t a disaster either with a 98 wRC+, 17 homers, 26 steals, and a 24.8/8.3 K%/BB% in 122 games. All the things I loved about him are still there at 6’6”, 210 pounds with double plus raw power and rare athleticism for a guy that size. He can legitimately play SS and CF. But the problem is that the hit tool is still rough. He hit .226, and then he went to the AFL and hit .192 with a 43.2% whiff% in 21 games. That’s brutal. It came with a 92.8 MPH EV and 48.1% Hard Hit%, but we knew the power was in there already, we needed to see hit tool hope, and we didn’t get it. The hope of a rocket ship has subsided, but the hope for a future breakout definitely hasn’t. It just might be more of a mid 20’s breakout type, so he’s more of a Top 200 ish prospect type. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/22/75/.237/.314/.441/14
661) Luke Dickerson – WSH, SS, 20.8 – I guess when in Rome … Dickerson caught the case of hot start Washington-itis this year too, looking like a potential breakout candidate in the first 25 games of his pro career, slashing .273/.383/.455 with 3 homers, 4 steals, and a 20.5/15.2 K%/BB% at mostly Single-A, but like his MLB org mates, and really much worse than his MLB org mates, it all fell apart after that with a .183/.286/.274 slash and 26.6% K% in his final 64 games. If you are looking for a silver lining, even with the terrible OBP, he still stole 22 bags in 89 games on the season. He’s an excellent athlete who landed a $3.8 million signing bonus in last year’s Draft, he already hits the ball really hard, he didn’t have any major lift (41.1% GB%) or pull (46.2% Pull%) issues, and the 24.5/12.5 K%/BB% isn’t bad at all. The ingredients are definitely in here for a future breakout, and the upside is high with power and speed. I still like him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/19/73/.241/.318/.425/26
662) Kayson Cunningham – ARI, SS, 19.9 – Selected 18th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Cunningham was the dreaded elite hit tool high school bat who comes into pro ball and immediately gets exposed with a 28.8/5.8 K%/BB% in 11 games at Single-A. He’s pretty old already too as an already 19 year old at the time of the draft. The 54.4% GB% was really high and he was only 1 for 2 on the bases. I liked him a lot more before the debut, and while the debut isn’t turning me completely off to him, I’m way less apt to go after him now. The good version of Cunningham is the little man discount candidate to a T, and nobody loves the little man discount like Arizona. They turned Corbin Carroll into a superstar after drafting him 16th overall, they scooped up Slade Caldwell last year at 29th overall, and now they went back to the well for the 5’10” Cunningham. The lefty swing is quick, simple, and it’s pretty powerful. He can put on a show in BP with exit velocities over 100 MPH. It’s not like he’s a light hitting nothing, even if power isn’t the main part of his game. What you are buying is the plus hit/speed combo, but I believe in reacting to pro debuts, and his debut scared me a bit. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/15/63/.251/.323/.414/25
663) Seaver King – WSH, SS, 22.11 – Seaver King’s play in the AFL is demanding a mulligan for his poor first full year of pro ball. The AFL is a hitter’s environment and he’s not exactly young for the league, but we’ve seen enough big AFL seasons translate the next year to not just write it off. He slashed .359/.468/.563 with 2 homers, 6 steals, and a 18.5/13.6 K%/BB% in 18 games. It came with a 94.1 MPH EV. That is the profile that made him the 10th overall pick in the draft in 2024. He has a good feel to hit, he hits it hard, he has a good SS glove and he has speed. And even though he struggled during the season, slashing .244/.294/.337 with 6 homers, 30 steals, and a 21.1/5.8 K%/BB% split between High-A and Double-A, he still did display those skills for the most part. The speed, K% and Hard Hit were still there. He hits the ball on the ground too much to fully get to that raw power (52.4% GB%), and he’s never been a huge OBP guy, so it’s trending towards a bottom of the order bat. His regular season numbers also have to rule the day, but I’m giving him an AFL bump for sure. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/14/65/.253/.309/.397/24
664) Jadher Areinamo – TBR, SS/2B, 22.4 – Areinamo absolutely lit up the Venezuelan Winter League, and while it’s a hitter’s league that isn’t nearly as tough as the Dominican Winter league, he was the best hitter there, slashing .364/.420/.692 with 13 homers, 5 steals, and a 20/14 K/BB in 36 games. Destroying any league like that says something to me. He also hit well stateside, slashing .285/.344/.445 with 15 homers, 21 steals, and a 11.7/8.0 K%/BB% in 131 games at High-A (126 wRC+) and Double-A (111 wRC+). Plus contact is his best skill, and while there isn’t a ton of raw power at 5’8″, he knows how to lift and pull. The swing is straight Mickey Mouse with one of the wackiest swings out there. There is both an exaggerated bat wiggle and leg kick, so who knows if it can actually work on the MLB level, and the power/speed combo isn’t going to be big. It’s probably a utility infielder long term, but the dude just hits everywhere. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 52/12/55/.266/.318/.403/9
665) Kellon Lindsey – LAD, SS, 20.6 – A shoulder impingement and back strain limited Lindsey to just 32 games at Single-A, but it was enough games to show he has very real hit tool risk. He put up a 31.7% K%, which isn’t what you want to see from a speed over power prospect especially. The elite speed was on display too with 11 steals, the 14.3% BB% mitigates some of that hit tool risk slightly, and the surface stats were really good with a 117 wRC+, so the season was far from a disaster. He’s a still projectable 6’0” with an athletic righty swing that looks the part, so the tools that got LA so excited to take him 23rd overall are most certainly in there. He’s just a tad more raw than optimal. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/16/64/.249/.324/.414/28
666) Kendall George – LAD, OF, 21.5 – George is the next line of the steals only guys. The Simpson’s, Rada’s and Bradfield’s. He stole a minor league leading 100 steals in 111 games at High-A. That is a carrying tool if I’ve seen one. If he gets on the field, he will contribute for fantasy. The only question is if he can get on the field, and if he can do anything else but run. He hits the ball super weakly and the 60.3% GB% is extremely high, so it’s questionable how much of an impact he can actually make. The plate skills are really good with a 15.2/16.3 K%/BB%, but that isn’t quite elite contact, and combined with the lack of impact, the hit tool might play down. Even with the potential for good CF defense, this isn’t a guy the Dodgers really give everyday playing time to. Even in a 400-500 AB utility role, he can have value, and it’s also very possible he gets traded to a team that will give him run. Upper minors steals only guys sit in the fringe Top 100 range for me, so a lower minors version has to sit lower than that. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/5/39/.263/.324/.351/46
667) Asbel Gonzalez – KCR, OF, 20.3 – If you like rostering the Chandler Simpson’s, Nelson Rada’s, and Enrique Bradfield’s of the world, Asbel Gonzalez is the next in the conveyer belt of that style of prospect. And he’s really more like Rada and Bradfield in that he has the potential to be a plus defensive CF, which matters a lot for this type of player to actually get and stay on the field. But of course, what you are buying is the blazing speed and base stealing ability, as he nabbed 78 bags in 115 games at Single-A. Granted he got caught 26 times too, which led the minors for caught stealing, so methinks he ran a bit too much (78 steals was 4th best in the minors), but you get the point. He combines the defense and speed with above average plate skills (17.0/10.7 K%/BB%) and a projectable frame at a skinny 6’2”. There isn’t much present power now with only 1 homer and a 50% GB%, so his upside will be dictated by how much more power he can get to, both raw and game. Even without a power surge, a plus defensive CF with 40+ steal upside and good plate skills has plenty of fantasy value. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/8/46/.254/.326/.372/34
668) Jared Thomas – COL, OF, 22.9 – I was a fan of Thomas’ coming out of the draft, and I loved seeing him destroy High-A out of the gate in 2025 (11 homers with a 146 wRC+ in 73 games), but I refused to fly him up the rankings until I saw it at Double-A. Just like with Cole Carrigg, we know Colorado’s High-A ballpark is a hitter’s haven, so it’s hard to take those numbers at face value, and just like with Carrigg, the numbers immediately fell off at Double-A with a 34.6% K%, 3 homers, and a 114 wRC+ in 45 games. He’s now in the AFL, and while he’s hitting well with a .929 OPS, it comes with a 15/1 K/BB in 8 games. The reason I liked him coming out of the draft is that he looks the part at 6’2” with smooth athleticism and a quick and powerful lefty swing, but it’s clear the hit tool is a major problem. He’s likely a corner outfielder, so the glove isn’t going to force the issue, and he’s not great vs. lefties, so it will likely come in a platoon role at best. We’ve seen this type of Colorado prospect a million times, and they usually never really give them a full chance. The fantasy upside is there, but he’s going to have to scratch and claw for his shot. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/16/63/.240/.318/.421/19
669) Jaison Chourio – CLE, OF, 20.10 – Chourio was a big time breakout candidate that look destined to explode in 2026, but he took a major step back in all areas instead. Not only didn’t he have a power breakout, but he actually managed to hit less homers this year, going from 5 to 2. The strikeout rate got worse, going from 16% to 22.9%. He stole far fewer bags, going from 10 to 44. And the production dropped off a cliff, going from a 144 wRC+ at Single-A to a 79 wRC+ at High-A. I’m not sure there is that much to learn from it, other than we are never going to be able to perfectly predict breakouts, but I have a few thoughts. One, maybe the Chourio name value/bloodlines got a bit overrated. I love bloodlines, but it’s starting to maybe seem they get too big of a bump. The 2nd thought is that after the minors contracted some teams, Single-A is starting to bleed a bit into a glorified rookie ball league. Not quite, but more than in previous years. High-A is almost the first real challenge. Chourio is still a solid prospect with speed and good plate skills. He can have the breakout in future years, but he’s no longer a super unique one. The tools aren’t off the charts and now the production isn’t there either. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 81/14/52/.261/.342/.408/23
670) Brailer Guerrero – TBR, OF, 19.10 – Guerrero is still a project with a 29.3% K% and 52.8% GB% in 51 games at Single-A, but at a still young 19 years old, and at 6’1”, 215 pounds with a viciously powerful lefty swing, he’s a project that is worth staying patient with for at least one more year. Even with the rough K/GB combo, he still put up a 119 wRC+ with 6 homers and 9 steals. He only got caught stealing once, so while he’s not fast, there is some semblance of base stealing skill. There is a ton of refinement needed all around, and the risk is high, but the dude looks the part of a beastly left handed slugger. Let’s see what he can do in 2026. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 72/24/81/.248/.324/.452/9
671) Roldy Brito – COL, 2B/OF, 19.0 – Brito was a huge stateside rookie ball breakout with a 159 wRC+ in 51 games, and then he fully kept it up when he got the call the Single-A, slashing .375/.442/.463 with 1 homer, 13 steals, and a 17.3/9.0 K%/BB% in 33 games. He’s a pretty electric player out there with a top of the order skillset. He’s got a good feel to hit, he’s fast, and he’s already pretty strong at 5’11” with the ability to hit it hard. The 56% GB% is way too high, but he can certainly lower it over time, and he has the type of skillset where a low launch is maybe better off. He’s ultimate defensive home is still a question, but they’ve been playing him in CF more, and he has the speed to turn into a pretty good CF. There is a long way to go and a lot of refinement is still needed, but Brito has the upside to be an impact top of the order hitter at peak. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 77/15/64/.267/.333/.416/25
672) JD Dix – ARI, 2B, 20.6 – The biggest issue with Dix is that he played almost exclusively 2B in his pro debut this year. That immediately puts so much more pressure on the bat than if he had a plus SS glove, and while the bat was good, it wasn’t truly standout. He slashed .261/.391/.335 with 1 homer, 19 steals, and a 22.2/16.1 K%/BB% in 50 games at Single-A. He has projectable power at 6’2”, he has no major lift and pull issues, he’s got speed, and he has a good feel to hit. He would have actually been in the mold of a Geraldo Perdomo type, but the difference is that Perdomo’s plus SS glove gave him a long leash. Regardless, Dix has a really good blend of floor and upside. He’s the type of prospect who keeps getting a little better every year, until he breaks out as an impact fantasy player in his mid 20’s. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/17/71/.266/.333/.435/24
673) Josh Adamczewski – MIL, 2B/OF, 20.11 – Adamczewski is a hit tool first, likely corner outfielder, which is not exactly my favorite profile to go after in fantasy, but the guy can certainly hit. He proved that in the AFL with one of the standout performances, slashing .277/.415/.538 with 4 homers, 4 steals, and a 20.7/18.3 K%/BB% in 20 games. He hit the ball hard with a 91.6 MPH EV, and while the swing is geared for average over power, he can definitely get ahold of one and pop some dingers. His performance in the lower minors was similar to what he did in the AFL with a .320 BA, 5 homers, and 7 steals in 71 games at mostly Single-A. The power/speed isn’t big, but it’s big enough if he can maintain the double plus plate skills in the upper minors and into the majors. Not my favorite guy, but if you are into these type of profiles more than I am, I think he’s a good version of it. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/15/63/.271/.338/.417/15
674) Mitch Voit – NYM, 2B, 21.6 – Selected 38th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Voit has strong across the board contributor written all over him. He even looks it with a strong and athletically boxy 6’0”, 201 pound frame. He hits like it too with a very easy and basic swing. And of course, he performed like it in the Big Ten, slashing .346/.471/.688 with 14 homers, 14 steals, and a 13.0/15.3 K%/BB% in 56 games. He can hit the ball hard, he has speed, and has a good feel to hit. And if he had a great debut, I could see really loving him, but he didn’t. He was yet another college bat who had an underwhelming debut with a 89 wRC+, 1 homer, a 32.8% Hard Hit%, and 24.2/13.1 K%/BB% in 22 games at Single-A. The silver lining is that he stole 20 bags, but I would have much rather seen an advanced college bat rip up Single-A. He was young for the class and all of the college bats are flawed this year, so I’ll hold steady with his value. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/17/73/.253/.322/.421/23
675) Aron Estrada – BAL, 2B/OF, 21.2 – Estrada isn’t a good defensive player and we’ve seen how hard Baltimore makes it for their young kids to break into the bigs, so I don’t foresee a clean path for Estrada to get full time at bats. Even if he gets traded, he is the type that is going to have to scratch and claw for playing time, but if he does find that playing time, there is definitely some fantasy upside in here. He slashed .288/.366/.447 with 10 homers, 34 steals, and a 16.9/9.9 K%/BB% in 108 games split between High-A and Double-A. The most exciting part of the his year is that the production didn’t drop off at Double-A at all with a 138 wRC+ in 27 games, which is impressive for a 20 year old. He has a good feel to hit, he hits the ball pretty hard and he has speed/baserunning ability. The 48.6% GB% is too high and he doesn’t strike me as a high OBP type on the MLB level, so combined with the poor defense, there are enough negatives here preventing me from flying him up the rankings. Definitely a good fantasy prospect though. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/16/72/.268/.326/.425/22
676) Ching-Hsien Ko – LAD, OF, 19.8 – Ko utterly decimated rookie ball with a 175 wRC+ in 53 games, but a lot of it was BABIP induced (.449), and then the numbers took a dive when he got to full season ball with a 88 wRC+ in 32 games. It was just his 18 year old season, so of course you have to give big leeway for an adjustment period, but one of the big things I loved about Ko is that he just kept on hitting everywhere he went, and then at Single-A, he didn’t. He hit only 4 homers with 6 steals in 85 games on the season. As much as I love him and want to bet on him, I can’t go too crazy, but I still see that pretty and powerful lefty swing from a 6’3”, 215 pound frame and want to buy. The 23.2/16.7 K%/BB% at Single-A shows he was far from overmatched. He’s not my usual prospect crush as I love the gaudy homer/steal totals, but he has the feel to hit, approach, and size that catches my eye. He also has the best developmental organization to help him tap into more of his raw power. I just see a really good hitter here at peak. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 81/20/79/.272/.341/.432/10
677) Slater de Brun – TBR, OF, 18.10 – Selected 37th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, de Brun fits perfectly into that little man discount bucket. He’s 5’9”, but he’s a strong 5’9” who can definitely impact the baseball. The lefty swing is very short and quick, so it’s geared more for contact than power, projecting for potential plus hit at peak. And his best skill is that he is a true speedster with double plus runtimes. He’s the discount Kayson Cunningham in this draft, and after Cunningham’s mediocre debut (de Brun didn’t debut), maybe Cunningham should be the discounted de Brun, but we all know Cunningham is still going to go much higher. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 81/14/58/.271/.330/.403/31
678) Kahlil Watson – CLE, OF, 22.11 – Watson is the prototype for the mid 20’s breakout bucket, so it’s hard to buy in right now, but he’s certainly someone you should keep an eye on. The upside that got him drafted 16th overall in 2021 and made him a hyped FYPD pick is still so clearly in here. He walloped 16 homers with a 129 wRC+ in 102 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, and he did it by crushing the ball with a 49% Hard Hit% and lifting in the air. He’s also a great athlete who can steal bags (17 steals in 24 attempts). But the the thing that makes him a mid 20’s breakout candidate is that the hit tool isn’t there yet. The 27.7% K% and especially the 35.2% whiff% at Triple-A is in the major danger zone. There is almost certainly going to be a big MLB adjustment period too. I like the talent and upside, but we are still probably several years off from when a real breakout might happen. – 2026 Projection: 9/2/13/.218/.291/.392/2 Prime Projection: 72/22/69/.236/.315/.441/14
679) Gabriel Davalillo – LAA, C, 18.5 – Davalillo was the top international catcher in the class, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Francisco Alvarez is really the very easy and perfect ceiling comp here with an almost identical profile. Davalillo is a 5’11”, 215 pound bull with plus power, but the hit tool isn’t bulletproof and neither is his defense at catcher.” … And then he backed up his top dog status in the DSL, slashing .302/.408/.518 with 7 homers, 3 steals, and a 12.4/13.6 K%/BB% in 41 games. The hit tool was much better than expected, which is great to see. We have to trust the Angels to develop him, which is honestly a fool’s bet, and as opposed to last year’s top DSL catcher breakout, Rainiel Rodriguez, Davalillo didn’t lift and pull a ton (44.7% GB% with a 34.7% Pull%). Catcher is so deep that I can’t say I would actually go after Davalillo too hard in any of my leagues, but he is very much a favorite to be in the next wave of hyped up catcher prospects, if he can actually stick behind the plate, which is a question. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 71/23/82/.266/.332/.447/3
680) Anderson Brito – TBR, RHP, 21.9 – Brito has big stuff that misses bats, but there is a lot of risk here that prevents me from really flying him up my rankings. He put up a 3.28 ERA with a 31.1/13.4 K%/BB% in 49.1 IP at High-A. That walk rate is risk factor #1. His season ended in late June with a stress reaction in his shoulder, and at 5’10”, it underscores some bullpen risk relating to his size. He made it back for the AFL looking healthy, which is great to see, so I don’t want to want to overrate the injury risk, but it’s certainly still there. He’s also yet to face advanced competition. But maybe I’m being too cautious. He’s legit nasty. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s, the curve is plus, the changeup is good vs. lefties and he also throws a cutter and sweeper. Tampa didn’t trade for him because they didn’t like him, and I could easily see him ending up a 5 and dive, 150 IP stud for them. If anyone can improve his walk rates, it’s Tampa. Even if he’s not my guy, I definitely see why others love him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.73/1.30/150 in 145 IP
681) JR Ritchie – ATL, RHP, 22.9 – I like Ritchie and I think he can be a good big league pitcher, but I’m just not seeing the big upside, and I think there is back end starter risk too. He pitched well all season spread pretty evenly across A+, AA, and AAA with a 2.64 ERA and 24.8/9.6 K%/BB% in 140 IP. The problem is he doesn’t have big velocity with a 93.4 MPH sinker, and none of his secondaries put up a better than 27.8% whiff% in 59.2 IP at Triple-A. The 22.6% whiff% at Triple-A overall is weak. The control/command is also probably more in the average area. I just don’t see that standout pitch or skill to be a truly coveted fantasy prospect. But the reason I think he can become a good real life starter is that the guy most certainly understands the art of pitching when you watch him with a 6 pitch mix. I can see him turning into a solid #4. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.30/1.37/58 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.29/147 in 165 IP
682) Quinn Mathews – STL, LHP, 25.6 – I had a bad feeling that Mathews 2024 implosion at Triple-A to end the season shouldn’t have been completely dismissed, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “I think it’s easy to completely hand wave Mathews getting bombed at Triple-A to close out the season (6.48 ERA with a 27.8/17.7 K%/BB% in 16.2 IP), but I do think there might be at least a small amount of signal there that we shouldn’t just 100% dismiss.” … and I wasn’t nearly scared away enough, as his 2025 season looked much closer to what he did at Triple-A to close out the year than he what he did at Double-A. He put up a 25.4/17.5 K%/BB% in 94 IP. That is scary bad, and while I’ve been pounding home the point in 2025 that Triple-A is effing hard, Mathews doesn’t have the big stuff to fall back on either. The fastball sat 93.1 MPH and put up a 18.2% whiff%. It wasn’t a complete disaster as the 3.73 ERA isn’t terrible, and the secondaries (slider/changeup/curve) all missed a ton of bats with the changeup standing out with a 56% whiff% and .208 xwOBA, but this wasn’t nearly the guy we expected coming off the huge 2024 breakout. He simply wasn’t able to keep it up, and he now looks more like a back end starter with mid-rotation upside, which isn’t a very highly valued dynasty asset. Pitching in St. Louis should help and there is nothing but opportunity there, so I wouldn’t completely give up on him, you just need to change expectations. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.38/1.41/79 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.06/1.33/142 in 155 IP
683) Daniel Espino – CLE, RHP, 25.3 – I refused to simply write off Espino. People had completely given. Basically treated him like a non prospect, and I just couldn’t do it, writing in his Top 1,000/Target blurb last off-season, “Sometimes you just gotta say eff it. If Espino’s value held up at all, I also would be scared off by the injuries and surgeries, but everyone has completely given up on him. And while obviously there is risk, there is also a chance he does in fact come back healthy from all of this. He’s still young. And his stuff was so insanely elite, that it could legitimately take 2 steps back and still be nearly elite. The dude was also known for his work ethic, so you know if it’s possible to get healthy again, he will do it. He’s probably a free pickup in most leagues. Putting him on the bottom of your roster and seeing what happens is the move here.” … and then he came back in time for the AFL and looked like fire. He went right back to racking up strikeouts with 7 in 4.2 IP. The fastball was right back to upper 90’s and hitting over 100 MPH. The plus slider looked good. It was only in very short outings and a super small sample, so we are far from out the woods, but I mean, hell yea. I’m just pumped for him coming off two shoulder surgeries, but like you know, shoulder surgeons are wizards these days. Might he end up in the bullpen? Sure, that might be the most likely outcome, but they said they haven’t given up on him in the rotation yet. I’m happy I stayed patient with upside like this and I’m going to stay patient one more off-season. – 2026 Projection: 2/3.89/1.31/42 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.45/1.18/87/30 saves in 63 IP
684) Juan Valera – BOS, RHP, 19.10 – Valera most certainly looks the part at 6’3” with an easy and explosive righty delivery that he uses to fire a mid to upper 90’s fastball. The secondaries aren’t as refined, but he knows how to spin it with the breakers flashing plus, along with a changeup that lags behind but has potential. Keep in mind he started the season as an 18 year old, so there is so much refinement and tinkering coming down the line. And Boston showed how much they liked him by sending him to High-A immediately, putting up a 3.00 xFIP (5.45 ERA) with a 27.5/6.0 K%/BB% in 38 IP. He suffered an elbow injury that kept him out for a large chunk of the season, which just highlights how much risk there is with young flamethrowers like this. He’s also far from a finished product, and there are sooooooooo many enticing pitchers with legit upside in the upper minors, so I don’t really think he’s close to a Top 100 arm, but he’s on that trajectory if he can stay healthy. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.26/163 in 160 IP
685) Drew Anderson – DET, RHP, 32.0 – Anderson signed a 1 year, $7 million contract with Detroit, which tells you he’s expected to be a back end arm, and with the Framber signing, he’s now going to be a 6th starter at best. If he had a job, there was definitely some of that mystery upside that is fun to take a flier on. He went to the KBO (Korea), added a kick change, and all hell broke loose with a 2.25 ERA and 35.3/7.3 K%/BB% in 171.2 IP. The kick change is truly nasty. He combines that gem with a mid 90’s fastball and two breakers in his slider and curve. Like the contract says, he’s likely a back end arm/reliever, and without a job, I can’t say I’m going after him, but keep an eye if injuries open a spot in the rotation at some point. – 2026 Projection: 7/4.01/1.31/110 in 110 IP Update: Seeing him in spring, I’m liking him enough to not care that he doesn’t have a rotation spot. I actually think he’s a sneaky good target in medium to deeper leagues
686) Alejandro Rosario – TEX, RHP, 24.3 – It’s the Curious Case of Alejandro Rosario. It was reported that Rosario had a UCL injury in February that was going to require Tommy John, but we found out months later that he never actually underwent the surgery, and then just went under the knife in January 2026. That will now wipe out his entire 2026 season which will be two completely lost seasons in a row. This certainly doesn’t feel like a situation I’m running to buy into. On the flip side, he showed legit top of the rotation potential in 2024 with 3 plus to double pitches (mid to upper 90’s heat, slider, splitter) that led to a 2.24 ERA and 36.9/3.7 K%/BB% in 88.1 IP. The only box he didn’t check in 2024 was upper minors production, but he just didn’t get the chance. The upside is certainly worth waiting on the Tommy John discount, but with all of the other surrounding circumstances, something just doesn’t feel right. I can’t recommend him as a target right now. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.71/1.18/163 in 150 IP Update: It seems as if he might have gotten the surgery now, but it still doesn’t even feel definite that he did. What a weird situation
687) Dean Kremer – BAL, RHP, 30.3 – Kremer is a back end fantasy starter who brought his walk rate down enough to think maybe he can actually be a positive in WHIP. He put up a 4.19 ERA with a 20.1/6.4 K%/BB% in 171.2 IP. His splitter is a true out pitch with a .218 xwOBA and 39.2% whiff%. Low end option. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.09/1.25/143 in 160 IP
688) Chris Bassitt – BAL, RHP, 37.1 – Bassitt is a 37 year old #4-ish starter, which only has so much value in a dynasty league, and if there is any further decline, he will be unusable. He put up a 3.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 22.6/7.1 K%/BB% in 170.1 IP, which is already pretty fringy for most leagues. Even in medium to deeper leagues, the impact isn’t going to be big. – 2026 Projection: 10/4.00/1.30/157 in 165 IP
689) Tyler Mahle – SFG, RHP, 31.6 – Mahle signed a 1 year, $10 million contract with San Francisco, so signing into that ballpark gives him some appeal, but other than that, I’m not seeing it. The 2.18 ERA in 86.2 IP was very clearly good luck as the 4.24 xERA and 19.1/8.4 K%/BB% don’t back it up at all. The 23.2% whiff% is below average and the 92 MPH velocity is down 1-2 ticks from his prime. He also missed 3 months with a shoulder injury, so injury is another big risk. The fastball still missed a decent amount of bats (23.5% whiff%) and the secondaries were plus value pitches (I think due to good luck), so if he stays healthy and in a great ballpark, I could see a fantasy relevant season as a possibility. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.99/1.28/109 in 130 IP
690) Tyler Wells – BAL, RHP, 31.7 – It doesn’t seem like Wells is a favorite for a rotation spot to open the season, but I like him enough to still put him on these rankings. He returned from Tommy John surgery at the end of the season and he more or less looked like his old self. He put up a 2.91 ERA with a 22.0/2.4 K%/BB% in 21.2 IP. He gets the job done with very good control of a very good 92.8 MPH fastball that might not have huge velocity but it has plus vertical break and it’s always missed bats. The secondaries aren’t as good, but the changeup has always done a good job for him with a +2 Run Value in just those 4 outings. The slider, cutter, and curve have also been solid pitches for him in the past. Good control, a good fastball, and multiple more than serviceable secondaries is what made me like him so much before the injury, and now that he looks completely healthy, I like him again. He just needs to get back in the rotation somehow. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.89/1.15/87 in 100 IP
691) Jacob Latz – TEX, LHP, 30.0 – I see a 29.4% whiff%, and I’m immediately interested … and then I look at the 21.8/10.6 K%/BB% and I’m less interested hah. But back to the interesting part, because he’s only going to cost a flier type price anyway. He has good velocity with a 94.2 MPH 4-seamer that put up a very respectable 23.8% whiff% and .331 xwOBA. The changeup put up a 41% whiff% and the slider put up a .260 xwOBA with a 30.4% whiff%. He was in the bullpen most of the year, but he was good when he got put into the rotation in August too, leading to a 2.84 ERA and 4.13 xERA in 85.2 IP. He put up pretty big K rates in his minor league career, so the guy knows how to miss bats. It’s probably a back end starter at best and he’s going to have to keep earning that role every step of the way, but like I led this blurb off with, I see that whiff% and go why not. Or at least keep an eye early in the year. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.98/1.32/122 in 130 IP
692) Landen Roupp – SFG, RHP, 27.6 – It seems like Roupp is the favorite for a rotation spot at the moment, but he’s just a potentially back end fantasy arm, and he’s only even that because of his home ballpark. He put up a 2.63 ERA at home vs. a 4.76 ERA on the road. It all added up to a 3.80 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and a 21.4/9.5 K%/BB% in 106.2 IP. The 92.8 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground, and the secondaries can miss some bats, leading to an average 25.2% whiff%. The ballpark and starting spot is what gets him on. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.02/1.35/122 in 130 IP
693) Braden Nett – SAC, RHP, 23.10 – Nett definitely qualifies for that bucket of prospect I love to shop in, which is guys in the upper minors with good stuff and good production, but he’s not one of my favorites of the group. He put up a 3.75 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 24.8/10.3 K%/BB% in 105.2 IP at Double-A. The K/BB isn’t bad, but it’s not really popping like you want to see. The stuff is really good though with a plus mid to upper 90’s fastball that misses bats, a plus cutter, 2 good breakers in his slider and curve, and also a splitter. All of his pitches move all over the place. Good luck watching him and trying to classify his pitches just on eye test ha. The control is below average, there is reliever risk, and I don’t like the ballpark downgrade leaving San Diego, but Nett definitely has the talent to “come out of nowhere” in the near future. – 2026 Projection: 1/4.20/1.38/19 in 25 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.91/1.32/147 in 150 IP
694) Michael Soroka – ARI, RHP, 28.8 – Soroka put up a 3.53 xERA (4.52 ERA), 1.13 WHIP and a 25.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 89.2 IP. I mean, that is pretty damn good. He did it with a dominant slurve leading the way with a .211 xwOBA and 38.3% whiff%. The 93.6 MPH 4-seamer, changeup and sinker are all decent. It seems like he’s the favorite for a rotation spot, and while he’s a likely back end starter with injury risk (suffered and biceps and shoulder sprain in 2025), those underlying numbers are good enough to make him interesting. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.18/1.26/127 in 130 IP
695) Brandon Pfaadt – ARI, RHP, 27.6 – Pfaadt was a buy for me last off-season with a 4.71 ERA vs. 3.72 xERA, but sometimes it’s the underlying numbers which end up regressing towards the surface stats, rather than the other way around, and that is what happened with Pfaadt. He put up a 5.25 ERA, 5.30 xERA, and a 19.2/4.8 K%/BB% in 176.2 IP. The elite walk rate couldn’t save him as the whiffs dipped to a below average 22.1% and he got utterly crushed with .352 xwOBA against. The 4.01 xFIP is your best sign of hope, and I think it’s possible he can become a plus control, #4, but with without big upside, and a clearly super low floor, I’m not going back in on this. The man has a 5.13 ERA in 454.1 IP. I mean, he shouldn’t have a rotation spot, but it seems he still does. – 2026 Projection: 10/4.44/1.31/144 in 160 IP
696) Yusei Kikuchi – LAA, LHP, 34.2 – Of course all of the Houston magic wore off when Kikuchi signed with the Angels. In fact, he was even worse than he was for Toronto too with a 3.99 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 22.2/9.6 K%/BB% in 178.1 IP. The whiff% dropped off a cliff to 23.6% and he has the worst defense in baseball by a mile behind him. He’s 34 years old. None of his pitches are standout. He’s a backend fantasy starter. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.08/1.34/170 in 170 IP
697) Jeffrey Springs – OAK, LHP, 33.6 – Springs is a low upside back end arm with a 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 19.4/7.6 K%/BB% in 171 IP. His home ballpark kills any upside he does have with a 4.81 ERA at home vs. a 3.45 ERA on the road. The 26% whiff% was still above average and the WHIP still looked good, so some shades of his past upside are still in there somewhere. – 2026 Projection: 9/4.15/1.24/142 in 160 IP
698) Luis Severino – SAC, RHP, 32.1 – Sacramento Ballpark just crushes Severino’s value. He put up a 6.01 ERA at home vs. 3.02 on the road. He was already slipping into back end fantasy starter range, and now he might not even be that in that ballpark. He put up a 4.54 ERA, 4.61 xERA, and 17.6/7.1 K%/BB% in 162.2 IP. None of his pitches had an above 22.6% whiff% which I honestly can’t remember seeing with any other pitcher. He makes the list for track record, velocity (96.1 MPH) and the fact he could get out of that ballpark next season. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.33/1.31/138 in 165 IP
699) Grant Holmes – ATL, RHP, 30.0 – Holmes season ended in late July with an elbow injury that he was seriously considering getting Tommy John for, but he opted to go the rest and rehab route. That makes him an extreme injury risk, and his 2025 wasn’t good enough to really take on a lot of that risk with a 3.99 ERA and 25.0/11/0 K%/BB% in 115 IP. The walk rates and 94.5 MPH 4-seamer both took a step back from his 2024 breakout, and I’m sure those two things are related to each other. The secondaries still missed bats though with an elite 29.7% whiff% led by the slider (42.2% wihff%). There are things to like, and he would rank higher without the injury, but that injury scares me. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.02/1.31/137 in 130 IP
700) Taj Bradley – MIN, RHP, 25.1 – Bradley has a 4.86 ERA in 385.1 MLB IP. That is a big enough sample to say he’s just not good. The stuff is still good for sure with a 96.2 MPH fastball and 3 potentially pretty good secondaries in his cutter, splitter and curve, but quite clearly it’s not coming together. In 2025 his K% actually dropped to 21%. He gets a bump because an injury opened up a rotation spot for him, but I’m going to need to see an extended string of pitching well before going back in here. – 2026 Projection: 7/4.28/1.32/126 in 130 IP Update: Won a rotation spot with a good spring, but he needs to show it in real games and not just flashes, consistently
701) Dustin May – STL, RHP, 28.7 – May returned from his 2nd major elbow surgery since 2021 and he’s just not the same guy anymore. The fastball is down two ticks to 95.4 MPH and he can’t miss bats with a 20% whiff%. It led to a 4.96 ERA and 21.1/9.6 K%/BB% in 132.1 IP. He cracks this list most for opportunity, looking like he has a rotation spot in St. Louis, but other than that and name value, I’m not sure he deserves to crack it. He still has injury risk too with his season ending in early September with another arm injury. He hangs onto this list by a thread. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.28/1.31/120 in 130 IP Update: Stuff is up this spring, which gives him a bump, but he’s still not a target for me
702) Braxton Garrett – MIA, LHP, 28.8 – Garrett underwent revision surgery and an internal brace procedure on his elbow in January 2025 and missed the entire season. He got a late start to 2024 with a shoulder injury, looked mostly like himself for 7 outings, and then went right back on the IL with an elbow injury that turned into the surgery. He’s a plus control #3/4 type starter at full health, which isn’t exactly the upside I’m looking for on guys to take the “Tommy John” discount on, but he’s expected to be healthy for 2026 and there is a rotation spot waiting for him. How he looks in spring with be a major swing for his value. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.05/1.25/100 in 110 IP Update: Looked solid this spring but he’s going to start at Triple-A to truly ramp back up
703) Adrian Houser – SFG, RHP, 33.2 – Houser is a back end fantasy starter at best, but in San Francisco, a back end starter can sometimes play up. He put up a 3.31 ERA, 4.04 xERA, and 17.8/7.3 K%/BB% in 125 IP. His velocity jumped two ticks from the recent past with a 94.4 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground. The changeup missed bats with a 35.1% whiff%, and the slider, 4-seamer and curve all put up above average xwOBA’s. The 18.1% whiff% is well below average and the control is average-ish, so it’s just a back end fantasy starter at best. – 2026 Projection: 7/3.96/1.31/100 in 130 IP
704) Carmen Mlodzinski – PIT, RHP, 27.1 – Mlodzinski is going to have to fight for the 5th starter job, but he might be in the pole position for it, and he’s definitely interesting. He put up a 3.55 ERA with a 21.2/6.4 K%/BB% in 99 IP. Most of that success came in a 2-3 IP role as he got knocked around earlier in the season in a proper starters role. Regardless, he throws gas with a 97.1 MPH fastball to go along with a putaway secondary in his splitter (43.1% whiff%). The 95.9 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground and he mixes in a decent sweeper and slider too. That walk rate is also the best mark of his career. The biggest issue is that he simply doesn’t miss enough bats with a 23% whiff%, so even with the ingredients to like, it’s hard to buy in too hard, especially with his success coming in a multi inning bullpen role. He’s just a flier in medium to deeper leagues, but not the worst flier at all. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.75/1.27/82 in 90 IP
705) David Davalillo – TEX, RHP, 23.6 – I suspected Davalillo was the type of pitcher who would see his strikeout rate dip in the upper minors, and while that did happen with a 34.0/5.5 K%/BB% in 51 IP at High-A vs. a 25.7/7.5 K%/BB% in 56 IP at Double-A, he still pitched damn well overall with a 2.73 ERA at the level. And Texas’ Double-A ballpark is extremely hitter friendly, making it even more impressive. He doesn’t have the huge fastball, sitting more 93 MPH, but it plays up due to his good control/command, and it comes with some pretty nasty secondaries in his slider, curve and splitter/changeup. I see more of a classic mid rotation upside type, making him a good pitching prospect, but not a great one. – 2026 Projection: 1/4.30/1.36/23 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.92/1.27/147 in 160 IP
706) Kendry Rojas – MIN, LHP, 23.5 – Rojas came into 2025 as a possible breakout candidate, but an abdominal strain delayed the start of his season until the very end of May, and then he scuffled at Triple-A to close out the season, so he will once again enter 2026 as a possible breakout candidate. He most certainly looks the part at 6’2” with a very easy and athletic lefty delivery that he uses to fire two 94+ MPH fastballs and two bat missing secondaries in his slider and change. It resulted in a 4.70 ERA (3.50 xFIP) with a 28.8/10.3 K%/BB% in 69 IP split between nearly every level of the minors except High-A. Like I mentioned, Triple-A tripped him up with a 7.24 ERA and 20.0/14.7 K%/BB% in 32.1 IP, but as we know, Triple-A is hard, and the stuff was still working with a 28.6% whiff% there. He also dominated Double-A with a 40.0/2.7 K%/BB% in 18.2 IP, so it’s not like he can’t get upper minors hitters out. He’s your classic mid rotation upside starter. – 2026 Projection: 1/4.38/1.40/25 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.95/1.30/139 in 150 IP
707) Anthony Kay – CHW, LHP, 31.0 – Kay is coming back over from Japan on a 2 year, $12 million contract after dominating the league with a 1.74 ERA and 21.5/6.8 K%/BB% in 155 IP. As you can see from that K rate, the upside isn’t very high here, especially in Chicago, and the floor is obviously low too, but I’ll put him on the the list because, who knows, maybe it can translate. He also seemingly is a favorite for a rotation spot. He found that success by switching to a sinker, groundball profile. He went with the 3 fastball approach of sinker, 4-seamer, cutter, which we’ve seen a few guys in the majors have success with. He’ll also mix in a slider, changeup and curve. Like the other Japan/Korea returnees on these rankings, why not at this point. – 2026 Projection: 7/4.28/1.33/117 in 140 IP Update: I think he looked pretty good in spring. I’m starting to think all the expats are underrated. I’m willing to give them some mystery benefit of the doubt
708) Justin Wrobleski – LAD, LHP, 25.9 – Wrobleski was a pitching prospect I always liked, but this is a case where being on the Dodgers kills you. They just are never going to roll the carpet out for him, and he’s either going to have to be so insanely good they give him no choice, or he’s going to have to wait for injuries to hit. Or both. It stinks, but on his own merits, he’s pretty exciting. He put up a 4.32 ERA, 3.43 xERA, and a 27.1/6.1 K%/BB% in 66.2 IP in a mostly bullpen role. The 96 MPH 4-seamer was utterly elite with an insane 35.2% whiff% and .269 xwOBA. The 95 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground with a -2 degree launch. The secondaries weren’t as impressive with the slider only putting up a 25.8% whiff%, although it came with a .226 xwOBA. He also throws a cutter, curve, and change. The secondaries probably do have to improve to actually be a good starter, but that fastball is nuts. My read is that the Dodgers are going to keep him in the bullpen, but when injuries/ineffectiveness hits, he could easily work his way into the rotation. – 2026 Projection: 6/3.82/1.27/94 in 90 IP
709) Foster Griffin – WSH, LHP, 30.8 – Griffin signed for $5.5 million coming back over from Japan, which tells you is that expectation is back end starter at best. He put up a 1.62 ERA with a 25.1/5.9 K%/BB% in 78 IP. He’s a low velo, plus changeup lefty with a decent slider and plus control. We’ve definitely seen that profile work on the MLB level, but the upside isn’t high, and obviously the floor is that he’s just not good. – 2026 Projection: 5/4.23/1.30/106 in 120 IP
710) Ryan Weiss – HOU, RHP, 29.4 – Weiss signed for only $2.6 million coming back over from Korea, so the expectations are extremely low, but why not take a flier on the mystery upside at this point. He put up a 2.87 ERA with a 28.6/7.7 K%/BB% in 178.2 IP in the KBO. He’s 6’4”, 210 pounds with a 94 MPH fastball with a potentially plus slider as his best secondary. He also has a diverse pitch mix with a curve and changeup. He’s expected to be a reliever or back end arm, but at this point, why not. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.22/1.34/87 in 90 IP
711) Gavin Stone – LAD, RHP, 27.6 – Stone underwent shoulder surgery in October 2024 and missed all of 2025. The injury just killed his dynasty value because who knows how many guys he’s going to have to work through to get back into that rotation. It’s a shame, because he was bouncing back from a down 2023 and living up to his lofty prospect promise before going down with the injury with a 3.53 ERA and 20.0/6.4 K%/BB% in 140.1 IP. The strikeouts were the only thing missing, but the changeup and slider missed plenty of bats, so even that wasn’t that big of a concern. You know I’m buying shoulder surgeries these days, not really for pitchers, but still. The injury risk and opportunity risk are too much to make him anything more than a flier. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.19/1.31/53 in 60 IP Update: Experiencing shoulder sorness again. I love shoulder surgery, less so for pitchers, but there is clearly still risk
712) Karson Milbrandt – MIA, RHP, 21.11 – Milbrandt was a talented FYPD arm in 2022 who signed for $1.5 million, and while it took him a minute to get comfortable in pro ball, he broke out in 2025 in his 21 year old season (this is a reason I’m staying patient on Noble Meyer for one more year below). He put up a 3.26 ERA with a 30.1/12.8 K%/BB% in 77.1 IP at High-A, and then he pitched well in a cup of coffee at Double-A with a 1.69 ERA and 22.2/8.9 K%/BB% in 10.2 IP. He’s a big physical 6’2” with a mid 90’s fastball and nasty slider. The arm is pretty electric. He does look a bit relievery out there, and with below average control and mostly two main pitches (he’ll also mix in a curve, cutter and change), the reliever risk is high. But he just took his first big step forward in 2025, and there should be more refinement to come in future years. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.87/1.28/157 in 155 IP
713) Jose Urbina – TBR, RHP, 20.5 – Urbina put up a 2.15 ERA with a 26.6/7.9 K%/BB% in 96.1 IP at Single-A. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s, the slider is potentially plus and the changeup is developing. The control is solid and he looks the part at an athletic 6’3”, 180 pounds. Long way to go, but that is a lot of boxes to check … size, athleticism, velocity, good secondary, good control, full season ball success. He’s a good one. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.83/1.25/151 in 160 IP
714) Jackson Ferris – LAD, LHP, 22.3 – Ferris is ranked here more for looking the part than for his great production. He’s a 6’4” lefty with a smooth and athletic delivery that he uses to fire a mid 90’s fastball, two potentially plus breakers, and a still developing changeup. That is basically the on the assembly line prototype for a starter, but the production is a bit underwhelming. He put up a 3.86 ERA with a 24.2/11.8 K%/BB% in 126 IP at Double-A. You can be a “looks the part” pitching prospect that ends up a back end starter, which is a still a great career in the grand scheme of things. The Dodgers are also hell to break into their rotation. The talent is in here to breakout, but it hasn’t happened yet, and being on the Dodgers really clouds his path to playing time. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.31/151 in 160 IP
715) Noble Meyer – MIA, RHP, 21.3 – Meyer was considered a relatively safe high school pitching prospect at the time of his draft, but as we’ve seen so often, there are no safe high school righties. He stepped into pro ball and immediately showed his control/command was far worse than advertised, and it was bad again this year with a 12.8% BB% in 65.1 IP at High-A. That wouldn’t even be so bad if he was racking up K’s and dominating, but that isn’t the case either with a 4.41 ERA and 24.3% K%. I understand if you don’t think he deserves to be on this list, but I want to be patient for at least one more year. If he went to college, he would be entering his Junior year, and we’ve seen so many talented players not fully breakout until that Junior year. Meyer also still looks the part when you watch him at an athletic 6’5” with a low to mid 90’s fastball that he seems to just fling out of his hand. It’s explosive. The slider and changeup still need refinement, but both flash plus at best. It’s been a super disappointing pro career so far, and his value has obviously fallen far, but why not give him his 21 year old season to see if he can make that big jump. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 8/4.07/1.32/139 in 150 IP
716) Wei-En Lin – SAC, LHP, 20.5 – The only thing missing from Lin’s profile is velocity. Everything else is there for things you look for in an exciting young pitching prospect. He knows how to spin it with two good breakers in his slider and curve. He has a developing changeup and splitter that both flash and miss bats. The low 90’s fastball plays up due to his command over it. He has good control. None of his pitches really look nasty when you watch him, and you can almost see in his delivery that it’s less explosive and more controlled, but if more velocity ticks up naturally from his projectable 6’2” frame, Lin can most definitely explode up prospect rankings. And he’s good as is with a 3.72 ERA and 33.4/6.3 K%/BB% in 87 innings split mostly between Single-A and High-A (he also got a Double-A cameo). You can see the K/BB rates decline at each level, and I think there is signal that his stuff isn’t going to play as well against advanced competition. He’s going to need to throw harder, but at only 19 years old in 2025, I don’t see why that wouldn’t be coming. I like him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.81/1.24/155 in 160 IP
717) Danny Jansen – TEX, C, 31.0 – Jansen landed in Texas on a 2 year deal, and while he seems like the starter, Higashioka is going to get a lot of run too, so it’s likely a timeshare. Jansen was both average on defense and average on offense in 2025.. He’s a lift and pull god with a 24 degree launch and 32.7% Air Pull%, which results in dingers (14 homers in 98 games) and a low BA (.215 BA). – 2026 Projection: 41/17/49/.220/.315/.415/0
718) Keibert Ruiz – WSH, C, 27.8 – Here is what I wrote about Ruiz before the Henry Ford trade: “Ruiz is not a starting MLB catcher. I mean, he is, but he shouldn’t be. He was off to his 2nd straight horrible season with a 65 wRC+ and a negative 5.3 defensive value before a concussion ended his season after 68 games. The underlying numbers are bad too with a .286 xwOBA. He has elite contact rates with a 9.7% K%, and that is literally his only good skill. Washington doesn’t have any good alternatives, but even their not good alternatives can start taking at bats away from Ruiz. Washington desperately needs to acquire at least a decent catcher in trade or free agency.” … and then they went out and got Ford. There is no guarantee Ford takes the job outright, but there is certainly going to be a timeshare, and if Ford’s defense is good enough, he can just take it. Ruiz was already a fad for me, and he’s an even bigger fade now. – 2026 Projection: 31/6/37/.248/.290/.360/1
719) Joey Loperfido – HOU, OF, 26.11 – Loperfido gets an opportunity boost in Houston, but he’s still not guaranteed a job, and he’s not shown to be starter material in his career so far. The plate skills are poor, he has hit tool risk, he doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard, he doesn’t lift and pull a ton and he doesn’t run that much. It’s just a lot of things he needs to improve. It’s also probably at best a platoon role. He’s a good athlete and I don’t think it’s impossible for him to improve, so he’s not the worst dart throw in medium to deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 39/9/36/.250/.308/.418/7
720) Jurickson Profar – ATL, OF, 33.1 – Profar wasn’t able to hold onto all of his PED gains, but he held onto more than enough of them. I think word on the street is that you can maintain a lot of that new muscle even when you stop taking PED’s, but what do I know? Could be wrong. But in Profar’s case, it looks to right as his 40.3% Hard Hit% was not far off from 2024’s 44.4% (he had a 31.8% in 2023). He also learned how to lift/pull more in his time off with a career best by a mile 20 degree launch with a 23.6% Air Pull%, and he did it while maintaining his excellent 15.9% K%. It resulted in 14 homers in 80 games post suspension. The .245 BA dropped, but that is what happens when you lift/pull that much. It’s hard to know exactly what to expect in 2026 though. Will the hard hit continue to decline? Will he keep lifting and pulling so much more than his career averages? Will there be decline at 33 years old? He’s honestly a really tough one to rank for me, so I’m going to split the difference and put him in the good but not great veteran bat tier. I think that is fair. – 2026 Projection: OUT Update: Busted again for PED’s and will be suspended for the entire season. Unbelievable. There is a chance he can still be solid when he returns in 2027 though, so I won’t completely write him off
721) James Tibbs III – LAD, OF, 23.6 – This guy gets tossed around like a hot potato. I was going to try to update the “hot potato” expression, but I just made potatoes yesterday, and damn are those things hot as hell. The expression stays. He’s projected to be more of a solid than standout bat, so once he got out of San Francisco, I definitely liked him more, but ending up in LA is a double edged sword. He’s very likely to end up blocked, but he needed a good developmental organization based on his pro debut, and LA immediately unlocked his potential at Double-A, slashing .269/.407/.493 with 7 homers, 5 steals, and a 21.4/17.3 K%/BB% in 36 games. He ended the season with 20 homers and 10 steals with a 21.4/16.0 K%/BB% in 123 games, which isn’t bad. Tibbs was a FYPD fade for me last year after getting picked 13th overall, writing, “The only scenario I would honestly see myself drafting him is in like a 30 team league, or if he falls so far I simply don’t have a choice (and even then I might keep on passing). Maybe this ranking is too low, but he’s just not my guy.” … So he’s still not my favorite prospect without big tools, but his draft pedigree and solid season deserve a decent ranking. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/18/72/.253/.327/.423/8
722) William Bergolla Jr. – CHW, SS, 21.5 – 4.9% K%. 40 steals. 0 homers … blurb over, you get it ha … but seriously, this is the most contact/steals bat there ever was. That K% is insane for a 20 year old at Double-A, but he’s not a big guy at 5’9”, the hard hit is super low, the groundball rate is super high, and the 6.7% BB% is lackluster, so it only resulted in a .286 BA and 104 wRC+. He’s going to have to hit the ball harder and/or get on base more if he wants to be anything more than a utility infielder, which at only 21 years old, is very possibly coming. There is too much utility infielder risk for me to go too hard here, and Chicago is starting to become stacked with middle infield gloves (Roch Chowolsky is coming too), but if he gets in the lineup, the contact/steals will be there. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/4/39/.276/.323/.337/26
723) Alfonsin Rosario – CLE, OF, 21.9 – Rosario is a big time athlete at 6’2”, 222 pounds with at least plus power (21 homers) and good speed (14 steals), but his hit tool got exposed immediately when he got to Double-A. He put up a .211 BA with a 33.1% K% in 33 games to end the season there. He was better at High-A with a .268 BA and 25.1% K%, and he was more age appropriate for High-A than he has was Double-A, so we certainly have to give some leeway for an adjustment period, but it highlights how risky the hit tool is here. Even with the hit tool troubles, he still put up a 105 wRC+ at Double-A, and he destroyed High-A with a 139 wRC+ in 82 games, so the talent is undeniable with lift/pull and big time hard hit. If he can make the proper hit tool adjustments, the fantasy upside is big. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 64/24/76/.237/.308/.444/9
724) Edgar Montero – SAC, SS, 19.4 – Montero is a DSL repeater, which still isn’t my favorite bucket of prospect to stick my neck out for, but he wasn’t bad his first go around with a 123 wRC+ in 2024, and then he decimated the level in 2025, slashing .313/.484/.580 with 9 homers, 11 steals, and a 22.1/24.6 K%/BB% in 55 games. He’s a physical specimen at 6’2”, 190 pounds and he already hits the ball really hard with plus power potential at the least. Maybe I can see going higher on him if the 22.1% K% was a bit lower, but that is still a very high K% for the DSL, especially for an 18 year old who is repeating the level. I’m nervous the hit tool has the potential to tank him when he gets to Single-A, let alone the upper minors and the majors. But if you are more forgiving of 18 year old DSL repeaters than I am, I can see being higher on him than I am, and even though I’m not going crazy for him, I do still like him. Fun upside prospect. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/25/84/.246/.328/.457/9
725) Yairo Padilla – STL, SS, 18.9 – There was hope for a Padilla explosion in 2025 with lots of backfields hype last off-season, and while he didn’t explode, his value held strong with another good season. He slashed .283/.396/.367 with 0 homers, 24 steals, and a 14.2/12.2 K%/BB% in 38 games at stateside rookie ball. That was good for a 119 wRC+. It’s basically exactly the same thing he did in the DSL in 2024. He displayed a good feel to hit, good approach, and plus speed, but he’s going to need to learn to lift more to tap into his power potential. A 52.7% GB% is way too high. He already hits the ball fairly hard for his age and there should be more coming with a long and lean build, so if can combine the plate skills and speed with more lift, the explosion could come in 2026. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 82/16/66/.268/.335/.422/28
726) Luis Cova – MIA, OF, 19.2 – Cova was a DSL repeater, which I still discriminate against, but he did improve considerably, especially with power, slashing .299/.422/.537 with 9 homers, 35 steals, and a 18.3/15.6 K%/BB% in 50 games. He added both more raw power and game power by lifting and pulling a lot more, but it came at the expense of contact rates (10% K% in 2024), so it was a give and take. We need to see him keep up this production at an age appropriate level before really flying him up rankings, but the upside is now pretty damn considerable if the hit tool doesn’t tank against advanced pitchers. Even as a DSL repeater, I like him, but I need to keep some caution. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 79/18/70/.253/.324/.436/31
727) Robert Calaz – COL, OF, 20.4 – Calaz was a fun upside, power hitting potential breakout pick last off-season, but full season ball exposed the rawness in his game. He hit only 10 homers with a 49.8% GB% and 25.9/8.7 K%/BB% in 99 games at Single-A. The .259 BA and 106 wRC+ aren’t bad, so it was far from a disaster season, but it wasn’t the huge breakout many were hoping for. I was a bit on the cautious side with him last off-season because I didn’t love the batting stance, and it looks like there is going to be plenty of more refinement needed to fully tap into his considerable raw power. The power upside is still here, but there is now both hit tool and groundball risk, and we have to trust Colorado to actually develop him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 67/23/75/.252/.324/.455/7
728) Hayden Alvarez – LAA, OF, 19.0 – Hayden Alvarez is a “looks great in the uniform” type with a scout’s dream build at a projectable 6’3″, but he’s not just style, he’s got substance too with an excellent feel to hit and speed. He dominated rookie ball with a 131 wRC+ in 55 games, and then he took it up a notch when he got to Single-A as an 18 year old, slashing .355/.459/.435 with 0 homers, 9 steals, and a 10.5/13.2 K%/BB% in 20 games. He doesn’t hit the ball hard and the 54.2% GB% shows you the type of hitter he is, which is one that is focused on contact, but there is no reason the power shouldn’t tick up as he matures, and there is a chance it can tick up in a major way. Even if he never becomes a big launch guy, the profile could work with contact, approach, speed, and more hard hit. I don’t trust the Angels at all to develop him. They are really bad at developing these types, but I mean, there are a lot of fun ingredients to like here. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 73/14/61/.262/.328/.399/23
729) Bryce Cunningham – NYY, RHP, 23.3 – Cunningham was on the way to being a major pitching prospect breakout after the first 46.2 IP of his pro career with a 1.93 ERA and 25.7/6.0 K%/BB% at High-A, but he just didn’t look the same after returning from a shoulder injury he suffered in June. He put up a 5.11 ERA with a 20.0/16.4 K%/BB% in 12.1 IP over 5 outings after returning, and he looked just as bad in his latest AFL start. The most concerning part is that the stuff was down. The mid 90’s fastball that could get into the upper 90’s was down to about 93 MPH. The hope is that he was just taking it easy to end the season coming off the injury, and that he’s just trying not to hurt himself again before having a full off-season to ramp back up. That does make sense to me, and that is the way I’m leaning, but it does add some extra risk heading into the off-season. When healthy, he’s a beast of a man at 6’5”, 230 pounds with the big stuff to match. Along with the mid 90’s heat, he has a plus, bat missing changeup that is probably his best secondary, a solid slider, new cutter, and he threw the curve in the AFL game. The most impressive part of the start to his season was the excellent walk rate, because he had below average walk rates in college, but that disappeared when he returned. He might have been knocking on the door of the Top 100 had he remained healthy, but the injury put a halt to that, and he’s now a Top 200-ish prospect for me. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.85/1.29/147 in 155 IP
730) Sean Burke – CHW, RHP, 26.3 – Burke was a later round target for me last off-season, but the breakout didn’t happen with a 4.22 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 22.3/10.6 K%/BB% in 134.1 IP. The only reason he cracks this list is because the White Sox rotation is so bad he probably still has a rotation spot. The other reason is that the 94.4 MPH 4-seamer isn’t bad at all with a very strong .310 xwOBA and 24.7% whiff%. A good fastball is a strong foundation to work with. The secondaries were bad, with the curve the only halfway decent one, but even that needed good luck to be halfway decent. If he can find a good secondary to pair with the fastball, I guess there is breakout potential, but on the White Sox, it’s not going to come with any wins. He make the list almost just to take my walk of shame on him. It didn’t pan out. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.32/1.38/125 in 130 IP
731) Nestor German – BAL, RHP, 24.1 – I pumped the brakes on German a bit last off-season, and now it seems like his value is falling in between the people highest on him and the people (me) lowest on him. Good pitching prospect but not a very sought after one. As I expected his numbers dropped considerably against upper minors hitters with a 3.93 ERA and 28.0/9.0 K%/BB% in 123.2 IP at mostly Double-A. The fastball was down to 92.8 MPH at the end of the season at AAA, but it was higher than that earlier in the year, sitting mid 90’s, and the pitch can miss bats. He combines that with 3 bat missing secondaries in his slider, splitter, and curve. The stuff is good, the K% was good, he had success in the upper minors and he’s close to the majors. Like I said, he wasn’t a big breakout like the high guys hoped for, but he also wasn’t as lackluster as my ranking of him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/3.92/1.31/146 in 150 IP
732) Connor Prielipp – MIN, LHP, 25.3 – The most important thing for Prielipp to show in 2025 was health. He had a career high of 23.1 IP including college, and he had 2 major elbow surgeries on his resume since 2021. So seeing him stay healthy all season and throw 82.2 IP is huge to see. Sure he’s already 25 years old, and sure Minnesota babied him for most of the year, but that was a huge step. The exciting stuff was always in here, and he proved he could sustain it over a full season with a double plus slider, two mid 90’s fastballs (sinker, 4-seamer) and an above average changeup. He didn’t exactly destroy the upper minors with a 4.03 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 27.0/8.5 K%/BB%, but that is almost certainly on the low end of his ability and also the product of some bad luck (3.55 xFIP). More than the mediocre results, I’m still most concerned that he ends up in the bullpen. The health is still a big risk and he’s definitely a bit reliever-ish out there with a heavy slider profile. The easy move is to just unleash in the bullpen, maybe for a multi inning role, and not have to deal with trying to stretch him out for 150+ innings. That is where I’m leaning right now, so I can’t say I would value him super highly in dynasty, even though I like him. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.07/1.33/71/ in 75 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.53/1.24/69 in 65 IP
733) Boston Bateman – BAL, LHP, 20.6 – Bateman was one of my favorite underrated high school pitchers in last year’s FYPD class, and while he didn’t dominate, he did well enough for his value to hold serve with a 4.14 ERA and 24.7/10.0 K%/BB% in 87 IP at mostly Single-A. You know I love me a 6’8” lefty beast, and the stuff is very good too with a mid 90’s fastball, two potentially plus breakers, and a developing changeup. His control was mostly solid (it ballooned a bit in his last 3 starts at High-A). It wasn’t as much dominance as you optimally want to see, but Bateman’s a guy I want to keep betting on. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.89/1.28/160 in 160 IP
734) Daniel Eagen – ARI, RHP, 23.4 – Eagen was a 3rd round pick in 2024 coming out of a non major conference, the Big South, so it was huge to see him just immediately obliterate High-A in his pro debut with a 2.49 ERA and 34.1/10.6 K%/BB% in 97.2 IP. He did it with a low to mid 90’s fastball that misses bats and is tough to square up, to go along with a big curve that racks up whiffs, a solid slider and a lesser used changeup. It’s not great to see the production immediately drop off when he got to the upper minors with a 5.49 ERA and 24.7/12.9 K%/BB% in 19.2 IP, but considering he was reaching a career high in IP when he was facing the toughest competition he’s ever seen, he deserves some leeway to get comfortable. I view him more as a mid rotation upside type, so while I don’t think he carries huge dynasty value, I do think he’s a good pitching prospect. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.96/1.32/140 in 150 IP
735) Miguel Mendez – SDP, RHP, 23.9 – Mendez is a skinny 6’2” with a smooth and athletic delivery. He’s damn electric out there really. He can blow the mid 90’s fastball by guys and then drop in the vicious slider or the bat missing changeup. He dominated High-A with a 1.32 ERA and a 28.6/9.8 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP at High-A before getting tripped up at Double-A with a 8.06 ERA and 28.0/15.9 K%/BB% in 22.1 IP. It’s a good sign he was still missing bats, but clearly it’s not a good sign how crushed he got. It does give me some pause from going too crazy, but he passes the eye test, the stuff is good, and the stuff misses bats. There is also tons of opportunity in San Diego both long term and short term. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.83/1.30/153 in 150 IP
736) Antwone Kelly – PIT, RHP, 22.6 – Pitt has become a pitching development factory, and Kelly is yet another big hit for them in 2025. His velocity took a big jump this year, now sitting upper 90’s and hitting over 100 MPH, and it resulted in a 3.02 ERA with a 27.2/7.7 K%/BB% in 107.1 IP split between High-A and Double-A. He wasn’t quite as good at Double-A (23.5/8.2 K%/BB% in 48 IP), but he was reaching a career high IP, and he still put up a 3.00 ERA at the level. He’s not tall at 5’10”, but he doesn’t look small out there all all. He’s thick in the right spots, and the delivery is both explosive and pretty athletic. The secondaries aren’t as good as the fastball, but he throws a variety of them (slider, change, cutter, sinker), and hopefully there is more improvement coming down the line as he was only 21 years old this year. I’ll take a foundation of upper 90’s heat and strong upper minors production all day. He also has the fallback of being a possible future closer candidate. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.26/156 in 155 IP
737) Yordanny Monegro – BOS, RHP, 23.5 – I was ready for battle. Me against the entire prospect world. I had the baseball bat I keep next to my bed because a home intruder could never defeat a guy with a baseball bat. I had a kitchen knife. And I had a screwdriver. That’s basically all the weapons I have in my house. I was ready to defend Yordanny’s honor against all doubters… and then he went down with a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery … No. Not like this. This is isn’t how I wanted to go out. And I hate to say it, but he’s not quite good enough to really take the Tommy John discount on. Hold him for free, sure. Pick him up at the end of next season or in the next off-season, sure. But this is brutal. At full health, Monegro dominated with a secondary first profile, going to his plus slider the most. He also uses a plus curve and a bat missing changeup. Off those secondaries he mixed in a mid 90’s sinker and 4-seamer. The fastballs aren’t as good, which is why a lot of the prospect world was out, but I mean, it surely worked at Double-A with a 2.67 ERA and 35.8/5.8 K%/BB% in 33.2 IP before going down with the injury. I was ready to bet on the unique-ish profile and bet on fastball improvement over time, but coming off Tommy John. I’m way less gung ho about it. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 8/3.93/1.31/143 in 140 IP
738) Riley Quick – MIN, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 36th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Quick didn’t really have a standout statistical season with a 3.92 ERA and 25.9/8.9 K%/BB% in 62 IP in the SEC, but he definitely has the standout stuff, athleticism and size to hope for the delayed pro breakout. He’s 6’6”, 250 pounds (but a build up 250, not a sloppy 250) and he was a good enough lineman to play football in college too to give you an idea of his athleticism. The stuff matches the size with a mid to upper 90’s fastball, a good low 90’s cutter, a potentially plus changeup, and a solid slider. The stuff obviously didn’t result in as much swing and miss as we would want, but he’s still on the inexperienced side when it comes to pitching with his entire 2024 season wiped out due to Tommy John, and he’s young for the class, so the hope is that he can start to really harness and refine his stuff in pro ball. This isn’t a comp, but he gives me a similar feeling that Brandon Sproat gave me in his draft year. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.89/1.27/164 in 160 IP
739) Patrick Forbes – ARI, RHP, 21.9 – Selected 29th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Forbes got transitioned from the bullpen into a full time starter in 2025, and you can definitely still see that rawness. He mostly looks like a reliever out there with a plus mid 90’s fastball/slider combo, below average control, and lack of a third pitch. And as you can expect with that profile, it put up big K numbers, but not the best line overall with a 5.30 ERA and 36.7/10.7 K%/BB% in 71.1 IP in the ACC. He’s 6’3”, 220 pounds, he’s a good athlete on the mound, and he’s only pitched 109.2 IP in his college career, so the hope is that there is a lot of room for development in pro ball to improve the control and changeup. He’s in that Ben Hess/Brandon Sproat type bucket of FYPD arm. Big guy with big stuff, but didn’t quite have the full blown Junior Year breakout. The breakout can happen in the minors though. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.87/1.31/168 in 155 IP
740) Robert Gasser – MIL, LHP, 26.10 – Gasser returned from Tommy John surgery in late July and basically looked 100%, putting up a 2.37 ERA with a 27.3/7.3 K%/BB% in 38 IP at Triple-A. He got a cameo in the majors to close out the season, and just like in 2024, he got the job done despite a low strikeout rate with a 3.18 ERA and 17.2/13.8 K%/BB% in 5.2 IP. The 25% whiff% was about average on the back of the sweeper (40% whiff%). The velocity isn’t big at 93.2 MPH, but the pitch can miss bats (27.3% whiff% in the majors and 28.4% whiff% at AAA). He also mixes in a sinker, changeup and cutter. It’s not a high upside profile, but it’s one we constantly see Milwaukee get the most out of. When his numbers gets called, I think he’ can be solid. – 2026 Projection: 5/4.11/1.32/84 in 100 IP
741) Briggs McKenzie – ATL, LHP, 19.6 – McKenzie was selected 127th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, but he signed for $3 million, which was actually the largest bonus in Atlanta’s class, and signing bonus means arguably more, and at least just as much as draft slot. He got that bonus because he’s that classic big, athletic and projectable lefty who can spin it. He’s 6’2”, 190 pounds with a low 90’s fastball and an absolutely vicious power curve. It’s potentially plus at the very least. The change is a lesser used third pitch, but it definitely has some potential too. The delivery is athletic and he’s around the plate, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see some high walk rates early in his career. I love Atlanta as the landing spot, and if more velocity comes, he could legitimately blow up. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.86/1.28/155 in 150 IP
742) Jaden Fauske – CHW, OF, 19.4 – Selected 44th overall, Fauske looks the part already at a physical 6’3”, 200 pounds with a smooth and powerful lefty swing. I’m definitely buying that swing, and it also comes with a good feel to hit, strong approach, and good athleticism. He has some defensive questions, recently moving off catcher, so that might have played a role in his draft slot. Because on pure offensive potential, I think he’s underrated. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 82/25/88/.266/.338/.471/7
743) Tommy White – SAC, 3B, 23.1 – It seems to be trending that White will end up at 1B long term, which makes him less appealing for fantasy, because it puts so much more extra pressure on the bat. The bat is good, but I’m not sure it’s going to end up great. He slashed .275/.334/.439 with 12 homers, 3 steals, and a 13.7/7.3 K%/BB% in 93 games split between High-A (108 wRC+) and Double-A (109 wRC+). He then went to the AFL and took it up a notch power wise with 3 homers, a .840 OPS and a 8/9 K/BB in 19 games, although the 34.4% Hard Hit% wasn’t great, so hard to say that is going to lead to the extra power we really want to see. For fantasy, the lack of power is disappointing, and while the raw power is in there at 6’1”, 220 pounds, the 50.5% GB% is brutal. The contact rates are great, but he’s not walking a ton, he doesn’t run, and the huge game/raw power from college just isn’t translating. It’s not a very high upside profile unless he changes something to lift the ball more, which certainly could be in the cards. – 2026 Projection: 17/4/24/.249/.293/.394/0 Prime Projection: 68/18/77/.268/.320/.429/3
744) Miguel Bleis – BOS, OF, 22.1 – Bleis is already in the mid to late 20’s breakout bucket. The hit tool just isn’t improving fast enough to think the breakout is coming sooner with a .226 BA and 23.1% K% in 77 games at High-A and a .209 BA with a 26.3/5.1 K%/BB% in 30 games at Double-A. But the reason I’m still ranking him decently is because if that breakout does come, even at 25 years old+, it will be big with plus raw power, tons of lift/pull (arguably too much with a 62.4% Pull%), plus speed, and good defense. He put up a 114 wRC+ with 13 homers, and 20 steals in 77 games at High-A. Not bad. This is the type of player teams will give chances to maybe deep into their 20’s. Remember when Bleis and Caminero were considered a coin flip for best young prospect breakout potential (I had Caminero ranked one ahead, thank you very much)? Yea, it feels like forever ago, but that talent is still in Bleis if he can figure out the hit tool. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/15/61/.231/.301/.415/22
745) Tim Piasentin – TOR, 3B, 19.0 – Selected 143rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for a modest $750K, Piasentin is one of my favorite deep sleepers in the draft. He has some of the best power in the high school class at 6’3”, 205 pounds and he has a powerful lefty swing that is geared to rip homers. The present power/game power combo is truly among the best in the class. He’s also on the young side for his class at barely 19 years old to start the 2026 season. The reason he dropped is because he’s not a particularly great athlete and teams likely don’t think he can stick at 3B. There is also hit tool risk, of course. But in fantasy, we mainly care about the bat, and Piasentin’s bat is getting underrated in both real life and fantasy. I like him a lot. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/24/81/.247/.331/.462/5
746) Quentin Young – MIN, SS, 19.1 – Selected 54th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Young is your pure upside high school pick, and because I love upside, I’m definitely drawn to him. He’s the nephew of Delmon Young (former 1st overall pick in the draft) and Dimitri Young (171 homers with a .826 OPS in 1,364 career MLB games). He’s also 6’6”, 225 pounds with an explosive righty swing that already produces plus power, and as you can tell from his uncles, he’s an excellent athlete. The snafu is, you guess it, there is major hit tool risk. He’s shown a ton of swing and miss in his game, and it’s no surprise that he put up a 40.9% K% in 5 games in his pro debut. It’s a super small sample and he was just getting his feet wet, but that majorly highlights the risk. He might be the type who doesn’t rally come into his own until his mid 20’s, which would be a long time to wait if you draft him now. But if you want that disgusting upside, Young is your guy. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 71/26/79/.231/.309/.460/13
747) Aaron Watson – CIN, RHP, 19.3 – Selected 51st overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Watson is a projectable 6’5”, 205 pounds who already has polished control/command over his low to mid 90’s fastball. If that thing ticks up into the mid 90’s consistently, he’s going to be dangerous just off that, and he combines that with two potentially plus secondaries in his slider and splitter. Both still need refinement and he doesn’t command them as well as the fastball, but there are a lot of really interesting ingredients here. Size, easy delivery, projection, double plus control of a good fastball, two good secondaries. There is a lot to like here. I’m a fan as a later round FYPD arm to go after. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.22/165 in 170 IP
748) Michael Oliveto – DET, C, 19.2 – In a draft that is super weak at catcher, Oliveto, selected 34th overall, might have the highest upside of the crew (of guys likely to stick behind the plate). He’s a projectable 6’3”, 185 pounds who projects to be your classic slugging catcher at peak with a smooth lefty swing that is geared for power. He hasn’t faced the toughest competition as a NY high schooler, which adds to the question of how good the hit tool would be, but Detroit clearly wasn’t very scared off. And Detroit has been doing pretty damn good with development these days. Bodine was the first catcher off the board (other than Irish) in the Draft, but I’m leaning Oliveto as the first fantasy catcher off the board in fantasy. In a deep league, or a league where you prefer floor, Bodine is reasonable as first catcher off the board. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 66/22/76/.250/.331/.450/5
749) Caden Bodine – TBR, C, 22.4 – Selected 30th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Bodine was the first no doubt catcher taken off the board, but he got drafted more for the glove and contact than for his fantasy potential. He put up a 7.7/15.0 K%/BB% in 67 games in the Sun Belt Conference but it came with only 5 homers and little impact. He then did the same in pro ball, slashing .326/.408/.349 with 0 homers, 0 steals, and a 16.3/10.2 K%/BB% in 11 games. This could easily end up a classic back up catcher, but the contact rates are good enough to think he could end up a starting catcher that helps in BA, and the trade to Tampa is a huge boost to his value. He immediately becomes the favorite to be their catcher of the future. Before the trade, I was completely avoiding him, but after it, he’s not a bad option in deeper leagues if you are lacking at catcher. Still not someone I’m going after though. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 66/9/48/.270/.330/.395/2
750) Luke Stevenson – SEA, C, 21.8 – Selected 35th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Stevenson is a super easy evaluation as your classic low BA, high OBP slugging catcher. He’s 6’1”, 210 pounds with a smooth and tremendously powerful lefty swing that has produced 33 homers with a 22.4/19.1 K%/BB% in 125 ACC games. He’s also expected to stay behind the plate. He had a very strong pro debut, slashing .280/460/.400 with 1 homer, 1 steal, and a 19.0/23.0 K%/BB% in 22 games at Single-A. That was good for a 153 wRC+. My biggest issue with him is that he is on Seattle. Raleigh is locked in there through 2030 at least (mutual option in 2031), and after trading away Ford, it seems Stevenson is the one they are holding onto. He may not get a shot until/unless Raleigh leaves in free agency. And obvious it’s not a great offensive ballpark either. On a different team, I could see making him the 1st catcher off the board in FYPD’s, but with Seattle, I’m leaning Oliveto and Bodine. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 66/20/74/.247/.332/.445/3
751) Dorian Soto – BOS, SS, 18.2 – Soto was one of the most exciting incoming international prospects last off-season, and while he didn’t explode in 2025, he did enough to maintain his value, slashing .307/.362/.428 with 2 homers, 1 steal, and a 15.1/8.6 K% in 47 games in the DSL. He showed a good feel to hit, and at a projectable 6’2” with a smooth and quick swing, there is only more power coming. The 38.9% GB% shows there is no major groundball risk either. There is a potential for a potent hit/power combo here at peak. It would have been nice to see more stolen bases, the walk rate is a bit on the low side for the DSL, and he needs more refinement all around, so he’s more of a Top 250-ish type prospect, but the big breakout potential if most certainly in here. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 72/24/81/.267/.328/.453/6
752) Aidan West – LAD, SS, 18.11 – Selected 135th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $1.27 million, West is already a big physical guy at 6’2”, 205 pounds, and while the raw power isn’t quite as impressive as his size quite yet, he doesn’t sell out for power with a very easy, simple and quick lefty swing. The swing doesn’t look particularly athletic or explosive to me, but it’s smooth and as he gains more power naturally, it should result in 20 homer power. He’s also an above average runner and athlete, giving him the type of fantasy upside I like going after. Add another star for getting drafted by the Dodgers and their developmental team. There is some hit tool risk here and I can’t exactly say I’ve fallen in love with him, but the organization, fantasy upside, and smooth lefty swing are all there. He’s a good later round prospect. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 72/20/78/.255/.326/.435/15
753) Cole Sands – MIN, Setup, 28.8 – Minnesota is a decent place to speculate on long term saves because Rogers isn’t that great, he’s old, and he might get traded, but the problem is there is nobody I really want to bet on in this bullpen. Sands will be in the mix for next man up though with a 4.50 ERA, 3.88 xERA, and a 21.4/6.4 K%/BB% in 72 IP. He has 4 good pitches in his 95 MPH 4-seamer, cutter, splitter, curve, but none are standout pitches or standout bat missers. It’s the plus control with a good WHIP where he shines, putting up a 1.00 WHIP in 2024 and 1.17 in 2025. And his pitches missed more bats in 2024, so maybe there is more in the tank. I guess he would be the guy to look at if something happens to Rogers. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.80/1.19/65/6 saves in 68 IP
754) Hunter Harvey – CHC, Setup, 31.4 – If Harvey is healthy, he can be the one to emerge from Chicago’s pen if Palencia struggles. He was limited to just 10 IP in 2025 due to a shoulder strain in the beginning of the year and a hip injury injury in early August which ended his season. When he was out there though, he looked good with a 0.00 ERA and 28.2/2.6 K%/BB%. He has prototypical closer stuff with a bat missing 96.1 MPH fastball (24.5% whiff%) and 3 bat missing secondaries in his splitter, slider, and curve. He dominated in 2022 and 2023, so he has a track record of being a near elite reliever. If he’s healthy, it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest to see him as the best arm in Chicago’s pen, and that includes Palencia. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.29/1.17/55/8 saves in 50 IP
755) Justin Lawrence – PIT, Setup, 31.4 – Here’s a fun one. Lawrence finally got out of the depths of pitching hell in Colorado, and all heaven broke loose with a 0.51 ERA and 33.3/11.6 K%/BB% in 17.2 IP. The 95 MPH sinker put up a negative 1 degree launch and the sweeper notched a 40% whiff% and .163 xwOBA. Elbow inflammation is what limited to only 17 IP, but he was really good when he returned from the injury in September with 6 lights out appearances. I mean, why not take the shot on some mystery out of Colorado upside here. And if Santana falters, maybe Lawrence swoops in. I low key like him. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.61/1.24/70/5 saves in 60 IP
756) Chris Martin – TEX, Closer Committee, 39.10 – Based on 2025, it doesn’t seem like Texas wants to give the closer job to Martin, but it doesn’t seem like Texas wants to give the job to anyone and someone has to win it. Or it ends up a committee. Martin is the best righty in their pen assuming full health and no decline with a 2.98 ERA and 24.9/4.0 K%/BB% in 42.1 IP. He doesn’t miss bats with a 21.8% whiff%, he’s old, and he was put on the IL in September with thoracic outlet syndrome. Not great. Texas just gave him a 1 year, $4 million deal, so that is a good sign he’s healthy, but the guy is going to turn 40. I really hope they just unleash Garcia in the role, but who knows. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.68/1.19/49/9 saves in 48 IP
757) Drew Pomeranz – LAA, Closer Committee, 37.4 – Pomeranz is the lefty in the Angels closer committee/competition, so even if he doesn’t win the job outright, he might work his way into at least a handful of saves anyway when matchups dictate that. He hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2021 due to continued elbow issues, but he finally got healthy again and put up an excellent season with a 2.17 ERA, 3.48 xERA, and 28.1/7.4 K%/BB% in 49.2 IP. He’s never been a huge velocity guy in his career, so the 92.7 MPH 4-seamer was within career norms, and it performed well with a +10 Run Value. The curve only put up a 26.3% whiff%, but that isn’t out of the norm for his career either, and the .232 xwOBA was good. The 24.5% whiff% overall is lackluster, and he’s 37 years old with both decline and injury risk, but Stephenson and Yates are far from without risk, so it’s certainly possible Pomeranz ends up the most stable guy. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.72/1.22/53/9 saves in 50 IP
758) Cole Henry – WSH, Closer Committee, 26.8 – Henry isn’t good, which has me leaning Beeter as the favorite, but Washington’s bullpen is so bad I guess it’s possible he emerges with the role. He’s also still young with only 1 year of MLB experience, so there is some leeway for improvement too. He put up a 4.27 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and a 21.6/13.3 K%/BB% in 52.2 IP. The thing you are really buying here is the 94.4 MPH 4-seamer as it put up an excellent 29.3% whiff% and .310 xwOBA. The sweeper was decent with a .279 xwOBA and 29.3% whiff%. He needs better control or a better sweeper to take the next step, but both are possible. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.92/1.33/62/10 saves in 62 IP
759) Mark Leiter Jr. – SAC, Closer Committee, 35.1 – Leiter is the vet in this Athletics closer committee with the longest track record, which could give him the leg up, but that track record isn’t very good. He put up a 4.84 ERA, 3.74 xERA, and a 24.7/7.8 K%/BB% in 48.1 IP. The 93.7 MPH sinker is his most used pitch but it doesn’t miss bats (8.8% whiff%) or keep the ball on the ground (16 degree launch), so I have no idea why in the world he would throw that pitch so much. The splitter and curve are insane bat missers with a 42.8% whiff% and 50% whiff%, so if you want to bet on Leiter taking the job, those pitches are what you are hanging your hat on. He very well could be in the pole position for the main job, but Sterner is just better than him, so I want to bet on Sterner. But Leiter isn’t a bad option either honestly if you are save chasing. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.95/1.33/73/12 saves in 62 IP
760) Lucas Erceg – KCR, Setup, 30.11 – Erceg is probably next man up in KC, but Matt Strahm is in the mix too, and it might end up a committee if something happens to Estevez. Erceg’s strikeouts fell off a cliff in 2025, but he was still good with a 2.64 ERA, 3.85 xERA, and a 19.3/7.2 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP. His two most used pitches, the 97.6 MPH 4-seamer (28% whiff%) and slider (36.2% whiff%) missed as many bats as 2024, so it was the sinker and changeup that were the culprits for the K drop. The sinker was still really good with a negative 2 degree launch, but the whiff% dropped from 21% to 8.4%. I take this as generally a good sign that his two most used, bat missing pitches were still really good, as the sinker’s main job is to pound the dirt, and it did that. Regardless, it’s still not great to see the K’s and whiff’s drop, and it keeps him out of the elite setup tier. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.40/1.19/60/5 saves in 62 IP
761) Alex Vesia – LAD, Setup, 30.0 – Vesia is probably better than Tanner Scott, which doesn’t mean that LA will give him the job if Diaz gets hurt, but it’s possible it comes into play. He put up a 3.02 ERA with a 33.8/9.3 K%/BB% in 59.2 IP. The 92.7 MPH fastball is dominant with a 27.7% whiff% and .266 xwOBA. The slider misses bats with a 37% whiff%. He’s been truly elite for 4 of the last 5 years. LA very well might choose to go to him as next man up. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.09/1.10/74/6 saves in 58 IP
762) Aaron Ashby – MIL, Setup, 27.10 – The dream of Ashby turning into a starter seems to be waning, so we’ll have to settle for him being a near elite reliever. He put up a 2.16 ERA, 3.12 xERA, and a 28.1/8.9 K%/BB% in 66.2 IP. The sinker sits 97.5 MPH and put up a negative 1 degree launch. The curve is his most used secondary and it notched a 43.9% whiff%. He also throws a changeup, slider and 4-seamer which are all really good pitches and miss bats. The 27% whiff% overall isn’t quite elite, but a lot of that is because of the sinker, and all of his pitches induce grounders with a negative 0.1 degree launch overall, mitigating the low-ish whiff% somewhat. He doesn’t seem to be all that close to saves, so he’s just an excellent setup guy. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.28/1.16/75/3 saves in 65 IP
763) Tanner Scott – LAD, Setup, 31.8 – The Edwin Diaz signing pushes Scott out of a closer job, and after his performance last year, I’m not even sure he would have gotten the full time role anyway. Which also means who knows if he’s actually going to be the next man up. He put up a 4.74 ERA, 4.19 xERA, and a 25.3/7.2 K%/BB% in 57 IP. He went from a wild man strikeout machine, to an above average control, more pedestrian strikeout guy. For fantasy, I would rather have the strikeout guy. The 29.5% whiff% is still high, but it’s far off from his prime whiff rates. The 96.5 MPH fastball and plus slider are still good pitches, so hopefully he can find a happy medium between the two approaches. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.72/1.23/73/5 saves in 63 IP
764) Brayan Rocchio – CLE, SS/2B, 25.3 – Now this is what a hit tool first prospect ends up looking like when it doesn’t really work out. You already know Rocchio has always been a fade for me, and his MLB career is what I feared it would be. He followed up a 79 wRC+ in 2024 with a 77 wRC+ in 2025. He hit 5 homers with 8 steals and a .233 BA 115 games. If you are looking for silver linings, there were actually steps forward in the underlying numbers. The Hard Hit% exploded 13.3 points to 35.5% and the lift/pull increased with a 11 degree launch and 20.7% Air Pull%, but as you can see, it didn’t really matter. The contact rates are only slightly above average with a 24% whiff% and the glove was actually below average too. He’s not a MLB starter, and with Travis Bazzana coming for 2B, he’s going to have to battle it out at SS with Gabriel Arias. – 2026 Projection: 58/10/66/.245/.313/.386/10
765) Will Benson – CIN, OF, 27.9 – Benson always had the huge talent and he just put up a .342 xwOBA with a 53.8% Hard Hit%. The hit tool also took a step forward with a career best by far 26.5% K%. None of this really showed up in the surface stats with a .226 BA and 85 wRC+, so he probably remains a power bench bat, but Cincinnati just demoted Bleday, so the path to playing time is more open now. Wouldn’t be the first time a truly uber talented beast (6’4”, 230 with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint) took until their late 20’s to figure it out. – 2026 Projection: 48/15/44/.230/.300/.430/8
766) Carlos Santana – ARI, 1B, 40.0 – Santana is a 40 year old coming off a season where he put up an 82 wRC+ with a .290 xwOBA. I have no idea why any team would sign him to a full time job, but it seems Arizona might have. The plate skills are still good, he lifts/pulls, and he hits the ball hard enough, so there is a chance he could be a low BA, high OBP, 20 homer bat, but just like last year, he could just lose the job. – 2026 Projection: 55/16/60/.225/.315/.405/4
767) Jake Fraley – TBR, OF, 30.10 – Fraley is in a strong side of a platoon role at best, and while there is some semblance of fantasy upside with lift/pull and speed, he’s coming off two pretty mediocre seasons. In 2025 he hit 6 homers with 4 steals in 76 games. In 2024 he stole 20 bags, but he hit only 5 homers in 116 games. His homer totals and steals have been super variable throughout his career, so it’s hard to bet on exactly what he’s going to do in 2026, and he his hold on the job is obviously not very secure. He’s never scored more than 44 Runs. He was banged up in 2025, so the hope is that the steals return, and the lift/pull is there, so despite weak hard hit, there is hope the 10+ homers return as well, but this is just a deep league play. – 2026 Projection: 47/10/42/.248/.328/.400/14
768) Jake Mangum – PIT, OF, 30.1 – It’s hard to count on Mangum actually being a full time player and with the Ozuna signing, it looks like he’s not. He would be best utilized as a 4th outfielder, but he has the defense/contact/speed profile to be fantasy relevant. He hit .296 with 27 steals in 118 games in 2025 with the 15% K% and 29.1 ft/sec sprint to back it up. It comes with a negative 0.7 launch, 33.4% Hard Hit%, and 4.4% BB% though. The .251 xBA also says he got lucky. He’s more of a deep league and even there he’s more of a bench play. – 2026 Projection: 47/3/35/.263/.301/.352/21
769) Hyeseong Kim – LAD, 2B, 27.2 – Kim’s elite contact rates from Korea couldn’t even come close to transferring to not only the majors, but also Triple-A, putting up a 30.6% K% in the majors and a 27.6% whiff% at Triple-A. He doesn’t hit the ball hard with a sub 30% Hard Hit%, so without elite contact rates, there isn’t much to buy here. In this case, I blame the Dodgers. The Dodgers “made” him make major swing changes to try to unlock more lift/pull, but it was way too ambitious of a decision. It’s a big jump from Korea to the Majors, and doing it while undergoing a major swing change is just not how to do it. I get it from the Dodgers perspective, because they were shooting for the moon, but from Kim’s perspective, I don’t think it was worth the big risk. He also didn’t even lift and pull that much more with a 7-8 degree launch. If he had stuck with his original profile of contact/speed/defense, I think it could have worked. I have no idea what his plans are this off-season, but regardless of the swing change, there was always going to be an adjustment period for him, so it’s fair to give some leeway for the mediocre first year. It also seems he could be competing for the 2B job to start the season with Edman on the IL, but he’s most likely a utility player even if he can improve from his rookie year. – 2026 Projection: 38/6/32/.251/.308/.385/18
770) Cooper Ingle – CLE, C, 24.1 – Ingle is coming for a share of that Guardians catcher job, and maybe more than a share if Naylor keeps struggling so hard. He has the polar opposite profile of Naylor with a hit over power approach, slashing .260/.389/.419 with 10 homers and a 16.7/16.9 K%/BB% in 120 games at Double-A and Triple-A. He struggled in the 28 games at Triple-A, but the 14.3% whiff%, 16.5% Chase%, and 41.8% Hard Hit% shows it was mostly poor luck. He’s also a solid defensive catcher who has no questions about sticking at the position. It’s a low upside profile, but I have to imagine Cleveland is getting a bit sick of Naylor hitting .200, and Ingle will be the remedy to that problem. Both of them are lefties though and both struggle vs. lefties, so it’s not going to be a super clean fit if it’s a timeshare. Ingle makes me dislike Naylor more than it makes me like Ingle for fantasy, but again, there is a path here for him to take the job. – 2026 Projection: 28/4/24/.248/.319/.368/1 Prime Projection: 66/12/59/.266/.342/.410/3
771) Leonardo Bernal – STL, C, 22.2 – Bernal was seemingly having a big breakout as a 21 year old at Double-A with 11 homers and a .937 OPS in his first 47 games, but it proved to be just a hot start. He cratered after that with a .559 OPS in his final 65 games. He finished the year slashing .247/.332/.394 with 13 homers, 13 steals, and a 16.9/10.8 K%/BB% in 107 games. I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season by writing, “Bernal is a very solid catcher prospect who is probably on the underrated side, although he projects as more of a solid all around hitter rather than a true beast.” … and that evaluation still holds today. He’s a switch hitter and I like his swing a lot from both sides of the plate, but he did much more damage with his righty swing this year (.848 OPS vs. lefties). He also has strong plate skills and is a solid defensive catcher. Ivan Herrera has the hype on the MLB level, but it seems a long shot they will actually give him full time reps at catcher. Rainiel Rodriguez has the hype in the minor league system, but he’s 3 years younger than Bernal and his glove still needs work. Jimmy Crooks is ahead of Bernal on the depth chart at Triple-A, but Crooks looks more like a backup to me after a mediocre at best season. That leaves Bernal as the kinda middle option of all of them, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he were the one that emerged, as least until Rainiel is ready. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 64/17/68/.258/.327/.421/3
772) Jimmy Crooks – STL, C, 24.8 – Crooks could very easily be St. Louis’ main catcher in 2026. Herrera is a major question on defense, Pages is terrible on offense, Bernal is one level behind him on the depth chart, and Rainiel Rodiguez is a few years away. He has a good glove and he was solid at Triple-A with the bat, slashing .274/.337/.441 with 14 homers, a 104 wRC+ and a 26.5/8.4 K%/BB% in 98 games. He doesn’t crush the ball, but he can hit it hard with a 89.7 MPH EV and 42.1% Hard Hit%. The hit tool can so easily tank him though as we see with that AAA K/BB, and then it got exposed even more in the majors with a .133 BA and a 37.0/0.0 K%/BB% in 46 PA. He may be worse than Pages with the bat. That is why I have Bernal as the highest ranked non Rainiel option in the Cards minors, but Crooks could end up being the short term guy to emerge. Long term, it seems like he’s a backup. – 2026 Projection: 18/4/24/.226/.289/.355/0 Prime Projection: 38/10/46/.243/.309/.391/2
773) Jeferson Quero – MIL, C, 23.6 – Quero clearly didn’t go to the right shoulder surgeon, because he didn’t get the power uptick that everyone else got, returning from the surgery and putting up a 86.8 MPH EV and 29.7% Hard Hit% in 58 games at Triple-A. He lifts (16 degree launch) and pulls (19.4% Air Pull%), and has excellent plate skills (14.0/10.0 K%/BB%), so he doesn’t have to be a huge hard hit guy to succeed, but he’s going to need to do better than that to make a true fantasy impact. It resulted in a mediocre 101 wRC+. More worrisome than the solid but low upside offensive potential is him being blocked by William Contreras. Catching depth is important so I don’t think Milwaukee is going to feel all that pressured to trade him, and they have plenty of really good DH options in their system, so you can’t even count on tons of at bats there. He’s just not a super valuable dynasty asset. – 2026 Projection: 19/5/26/.237/.303/.385/1 Prime Projection: 62/17/66/.253/.328/.428/3
774) Marco Dinges – MIL, C, 22.7 – Dinges has a truly explosive and powerful righty swing that definitely makes you want to bet on him, and that swing produces plus power with 13 homers in 77 games at mostly High-A. There is some hit tool risk with a 22.9% K% at High-A, and he was a 21/22 year old in the lower minors, so I want to see it at Double-A first before I’m really willing to bet huge on the bat. He’s still raw behind the plate with refinement needed in all aspects of defense, so it’s questionable if he can actually stick at the position, and with Contreras and Quero ahead of him at the depth chart, there isn’t a clear path to playing time. I like Dinges and I like his swing/power a lot, but I struggle to really treat him like a super valuable dynasty asset quite yet. If he rips up Double-A, he will rise higher. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/22/73/.248/.329/.440/4
775) Blake Mitchell – KCR, C, 21.8 – Mitchell suffered a fractured hamate bone in his wrist which required surgery in February, and it completely tanked his season. Not only did he start the year on the IL, but he experienced lingering soreness during the season too, which can explain the lackluster power numbers even when he did play. He hit just 3 homers in 60 games at mostly High-A after hitting 18 homers in 111 games last year. I’m apt to give him a do over in 2026, because we know how bad wrist injuries can impact hitters. Unfortunately, they can also be recurring and have been known to tank careers (Alex Kirilloff), but let’s not put that on Mitchell quite yet. The maybe more concerning part of his year was the continued contact and hit tool issues. He hit .218 with a 31.8% K% this year, and it wasn’t much better in 2024 with a .232 BA and 30.7% K%. We know who Mitchell is when healthy, and that is a low BA, high OBP slugging catcher, and like I mentioned, he deserves some leeway for the down 2025. It seems to me that him and Jensen will share that C/DH job for years to come once Salvador Perez finally declines, if he ever does. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 64/22/71/.227/.318/.434/9
776) Walker Janek – HOU, C, 23.7 – Yainer Diaz isn’t a good defensive catcher. He’s acceptable at best. He’s also a free agent after the 2028 season, which isn’t around the corner, but it’s not far. All of that to say, it sure looks like Janek has a real shot of being Houston’s catcher of the future starting in 2029, and he’s likely to start eating into some of Diaz’ playing time before that. He got drafted 29th overall in 2024 for his glove, and while it doesn’t seem like he’s a finished product with the glove yet, that is expected to be his best skill. The bat is more of a question, but I’m encouraged by his season at High-A and then into the AFL. He’s got power with 15 homers in 105 games (92 games at Single-A and 13 games in the AFL), he can lift and pull, which is huge in Houston, and the major fantasy cherry on top is that he’s a great athlete. He stole 30 bags this year and got caught only twice. He’ll be an impact fantasy catcher, that is if the hit tool doesn’t tank him. He put up a 26.6/7.5 K%/BB%, which is pretty bad for a 22 year old in the lower minors. He came from a small conference, and we know catchers focus so much on defense that offensive refinement comes later, so he does have some excuses for the weak plate approach. With the catcher position looking so deep right now, Janek can’t be considered a super valuable fantasy prospect, but he’s far from irrelevant. He has more value the deeper the league is. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 53/17/61/.233/.300/.415/13
777) Steven Matz – TBR, LHP, 34.10 – Matz put up a 3.05 ERA with a 19.1/3.6 K%/BB% in 76.2 IP out of the bullpen and Tampa gave him 2 years, $15 million to see if he can repeat that success in the rotation. At best he’s an elite control, good WHIP, back end fantasy starter, and at worst he’s going to end up back in the bullpen pretty quickly. He’s also injury prone and about to turn 35 years old. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.15/1.26/101 in 130 IP
778) Nick Martinez – TBR, RHP, 35.8 – It seems Martinez landed a starting job with Tampa, and if he does have that job, he can still be fantasy relevant with a good WHIP, plus control profile. He put up a 4.46 ERA, 4.04 xERA, a 1.21 WHIP and a 17.0/6.1 K%/BB% in 165.2 IP. But it’s a back end fantasy profile at bes, he’s already 35 years old, and he can easily end up in a swingman role if the Rays start to go with youner upside options. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.02/1.24/112 in 140 IP
779) TJ Rumfield – COL, 1B, 25.10 – I’m not too big on Rumfield as an older guy at Triple-A who had a 87.8 MPH EV and 36.9% Hard Hit%, but he seems to be in the running for Colorado’s 1B job, he’s hitting well in spring with 3 homers in 9 games, and he hit well at Triple-A with a 121 wRC+. He’s worthy of getting on the list, but he’s still not someone I’m targeting even if he does win the job. – 2026 Projection: 46/10/41/.257/.323/.415/2
780) Alek Thomas – ARI, OF, 25.11 – Thomas cracks this list because it seems like he might have the strong side of the CF job, but there isn’t anything to buy into really. He put up a 81 wRC+ with 9 homers, 7 steals, and a 26.0/4.5 K%/BB% in 469 PA. He shouldn’t be starting and I hope Waldschmidt takes this full time job from him sooner rather than later. – 2026 Projection: 38/7/29/.246/.294/.370/7
781) Graham Pauley – MIA, 3B, 25.6 – Pauley is a really good defensive 3B, and I think that is the edge he needs to be the main starter at 3B over Norby. You still don’t want him for fantasy though because the Hard Hit is weak at 35.4% and he’s slow with a 26.6 ft/sec sprint. The approach is solid and he lifts and pulls, but like Norby, Miami is not the place where this profile would work. Norby has more fantasy upside and I like his bat more, so I still like Norby more for fantasy, and even though I give the edge Pauley for the job, I doubt he’s the full time guy there. He’s a very deep league option only. – 2026 Projection: 44/9/36/.233/.301/.387/6
782) Everson Pereira – CHW, OF, 25.0 – Pereira probably can’t hit MLB pitching. He has a .146 BA with a 44.3% whiff% in 176 MLB PA. He crushed Triple-A pitching, but even that comes with a 39.9% whiff%. The dude mashes with a 50% Hard Hit% at Triple-A, and Chicago has openings in the OF, so he gets on the list for power and opportunity alone. Odds are long that he will ever hit enough, but if he can, he’ll be fantasy relevant quickly. – 2026 Projection: 23/8/29/.209/.280/.393/3
783) Zach Cole – HOU, OF, 25.8 – Cole’s hit tool likely isn’t good enough to be a starter, and he’s already 25 years old. He put up a 35.1% K% in 97 games in the upper minors and then a 38.5% K% with a 42% whiff% in 52 PA in the majors. But I’ll give him a decent ranking for upside and some semblance to a path to playing time. Even with the high K%, he put up a 151 wRC+ with 19 homers and 18 steals in the minors. He produced in the majors too with 4 homers, 3 steals, and a 142 wRC+. He’s an excellent athlete at 6’2” with a plus power/speed combo. But the bottom line is that I just don’t see how he’s a full time starter with those K rates. They need to come way, way down. – 2026 Projection: 33/9/36/.224/.294/.397/8
784) Adrian Del Castillo – ARI, DH/C, 25.6 – Del Castillo is a strong side of a platoon power bat at best, and at worst, the hit tool isn’t good enough even for that role. The slight bump is that he can get enough games to be catcher eligible, so a strong side of a platoon power bat with a catcher eligibility deserves to crack the list if he hits that peak. – 2026 Projection: 27/8/33/.232/.301/.405/0
785) Deyvison De Los Santos – MIA, 1B/3B, 22.9 – Deyvison went from 40 homers in 137 games in the upper minors in 2024 to a mere 12 homers in 110 games at Triple-A in 2025. That is a wild drop that is kinda hard to wrap your head around, and while both numbers aren’t likely indicative of his true talent level, the 12 homers are far from a fluke. The guy doesn’t lift and pull at all with a 51.3% GB% and 13.6% Air Pull%. He hits is hard, but a 43.9% Hard Hit% is not like off the charts, lift/pull proof hard. That isn’t going to cut it, especially when the 30.8% whiff% and 35% Chase% are both well below average too. So is the defense. It resulted in a 85 wRC+. It was a disaster year for De Los Santos, and there really aren’t many silver linings. I guess the only silver lining is that even with all the Miami breakouts in 2025, 1B is still sitting wide open. He was only 21/22 years old last year, and there is no doubt about the pure raw power talent in here. It sure seems like he will eventually get his shot, and when he does, that type of power alone could make him relevant, but there are too many holes in his game right now. Even if an MLB breakout does eventually come, it might not come for a few years at least. – 2026 Projection: 16/5/21/.222/.278/.391/1 Prime Projection: 63/21/76/.243/.309/.436/4
786) Rafael Flores – PIT, C/1B, 25.5 – Pitt targeted Flores in the David Bednar deal for a reason, and that reason is that they are desperate for close to the majors power bats, and Flores most certainly fits that bill at 6’4”, 232 pounds. He mashed 22 homers in 133 games in the upper minors. The reason I don’t have him ranked higher though, is because I was a little disappointed with the hard hit numbers once he got to Triple-A, putting up a 87.9 MPH EV and 36.4% Hard Hit% in 46 games. He’s also already 25 years old and has major hit tool risk with a 34% whiff% at Triple-A and a 41.2% K% in his small cup of coffee in the majors in 17 PA (albeit while crushing the ball with a 94.8 MPH in 8 batted balls). It’s also questionable if he can stick at catcher, making defense another area of risk. If Pitt didn’t sign all the vets, I would have ranked him higher, but now he’s also blocked. – 2026 Projection: 24/9/31/.226/.297/.415/2 Prime Projection: 45/16/57/.241/.318/.438/5
787) Daniel Susac – SFG, C, 24.11 – Susac was selected in the Rule 5 draft and that gives him a better path to playing time than he had behind Langeliers. He’s still probably a back up catcher long term though. He was the 19th overall pick in 2022 and he looks the part at a powerful 6’4”. That power showed up at Triple-A with 18 homers in 97 games. The EV/Hard Hit data is more solid than standout with a 39.3% Hard Hit%, and the 26.8/8.6 K%/BB% shows the below average plate skills. He also needs to continue refining his defense. The pedigree, size, power, and squint hard enough path to playing time gets him a decent spot on the list. – 2026 Projection: 18/4/24/.220/.280/.377/2 Prime Projection: 49/16/58/.238/.303/.419/5
788) Hao-Yu Lee – DET, 2B/3B, 23.2 – Lee has a few fatal flaws that really limit how high I can go on him. For one, he’s not a great defensive player as a 2B/3B, and because his bat only profiles to be potentially solid, but not great, that presents a problem when he’s on a team that doesn’t have a clear long term spot for him. His 2nd biggest problem is that he put up a .702 OPS vs. righties, which limits his chance at finding a full time role even more. And his third lesser problem is that he doesn’t lift and pull very much. Without those big deficiencies, I can see liking him a lot more as he he hits it hard (44.8% Hard Hit%), the plate skills are solid (20.9/11.2 K%/BB%) and he runs (22 steals). The 104 wRC+ at Triple-A doesn’t jump off the screen, but he was probably on the unlucky side. So he’s a solid prospect who maybe I’m underrating, but those deficiencies are really sticking in my craw. – 2026 Projection: 14/2/11/.244/.303/.381/3 Prime Projection: 66/14/61/.261/.327/.420/10
789) Gabriel Gonzalez – MIN, OF, 22.3 – Gonzalez is a corner outfielder with a good but not great bat, which means he’s going to have to scratch and claw for playing time, and even if he gets it, the fantasy upside isn’t very high. The hit tool is his best tool with strong contact rates throughout his career. He put up a 14.5% K% with .329 BA in 2025 split between Double-A and Triple-A. But that is really all he does well. There isn’t big raw power (34.6% Hard Hit% at AAA), he hits the ball on the ground a lot (47.6%), and he doesn’t walk a lot (8.7% but has been worse in his career). He was 21 years old and put up a 148 wRC+ with 15 homers and 8 steals in 123 games, so the guy can certainly hit and deserves a decent ranking, but he’s not one of my guys. He’s fine. – 2026 Projection: 12/2/14/.255/.304/.380/1 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.271/.328/.420/8
790) Max Anderson – DET, 2B, 24.1 – Max Anderson hits it hard (90.8 MPH EV, 45.8% Hard Hit%, and 19 homers in 122 games in the upper minors) and he hits it often (15.8% K%), but that is just about all he does. He doesn’t have a valuable glove as a maybe decent 2B, he doesn’t get on base with a 6.5% BB%, he doesn’t lift and pull much, and he doesn’t dominate righties (.767 OPS vs. a 1.017 OPS against lefties). He has the exact same problem that Hao-Yu Lee has, and quite frankly, them both being on the same team is another problem for both of them. More competition. I just can’t see how they are very valuable fantasy assets, but if they do get playing time, I can certainly see them being fantasy relevant. – 2026 Projection: 11/3/15/.247/.294/.398/0 Prime Projection: 60/16/69/.264/318/.430/3
791) Thayron Liranzo – DET, C, 22.9 – Liranzo’s hit tool got majorly exposed in his first taste of the upper minors with a .206 BA and 31.7% K% in 88 games at Double-A. That isn’t his only problem though. He’s also now firmly blocked with Dillon Dingler breaking out on the MLB level, and Josue Briceno competing with him for even back up catcher duties in the future. He’s also not some great defensive catcher, although it seems he’s going to stick at the position. There is no doubt about the power, but the hit tool risk and lack of path to playing time are major issues right now. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 51/18/62/.234/.318/.432/1
792) Nathan Flewelling – TBR, C, 19.5 – Flewelling was a 3rd round pick in 2024 and was one of the youngest players in the class as a still firmly 18 year old all of 2025. Tampa showed their faith in him by sending him straight to Single-A, and he held his own, slashing .230/.393/.341 with 6 homers, 9 steals, a 125 wRC+ and a 27.5/20.4 K%/BB% in 107 games (5 of those games came at High-A where he hit well). He didn’t hit many homers, but he’s 6’2”, 200 pounds and he hits the ball hard. His power upside is evidenced by winning the 2023 Canadian Futures Showcase Home Run Derby. He’s more of a line drive hitter right now, there is hit tool risk, and the defense needs work, so there is a long way to go, but there is a pretty exciting ball of clay here for Tampa to work with. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 66/20/71/.250/.330/.436/5
793) Axiel Plaz – PIT, C, 20.8 – Plaz is an underrated lower minors catcher who has no joke juice in his bat. He’s a thick 5’11” and he put up a 92.3 MPH EV with a 53.1% Hard Hit% and 9 homers in 55 games at Single-A. Those hard hit numbers are truly impressive. There is a lot of hit tool risk with a 29.9% whiff% and a .236 BA overall (including 11 terrible games at High-A), but it improved majorly from 2024, and it looked good in the AFL with a .354 BA and 8/10 K/BB in 14 games. He also needs continued refinement on defense. Pitt doesn’t sign free agents and they don’t exactly have a locked in long term option right now. Plaz could so easily be their starting catcher in 3-4 years, and he has real power upside in his bat. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 54/18/66/.238/.316/.426/1
794) Ramon Ramirez – KCR, C, 20.9 – Ramirez is the forgotten about 3rd best catcher in Kansas City’s system, and because only one guy can be the starting catcher (or actually 2 if they can share the C/DH role), that leaves Ramirez as the best bet to be the backup long term. But just because that is how it’s trending right now, doesn’t mean that is how it’s going to end up. He might just end up better than Mitchell, or he might get traded. So while I do like to project out playing time for my prospects, even ones in the lower minors, you can’t put too much stock into it. Things change fast. And Ramirez has the type of bat to not let it get you down with big power potential. He jacked out 11 homers in 70 games at Single-A, and he has the lift and pull and hard hit to back it up. There is some hit tool risk with a .244 BA, but the 21.2/11.7 K%/BB% wasn’t too bad. And while he’s not a lock to stick behind the plate, it seems it’s more likely than not that he will stick. He’s a good lower minors catcher prospect. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 51/17/59/.242/.318/.430/5
795) Denzer Guzman – LAA, SS, 22.2 – Guzman was a two million dollar international bonus baby, he’s the same age as the incoming college class, and he hit well at Triple-A with a 119 wRC+, 17 homers, and 14 steals in 129 games. He still has that powerful righty swing that got him paid, he’s a good athlete, and the SS glove is good. LAA has an infield spot open right now and they desperately need a guy with a good glove. Guzman is very interesting to me in medium to deeper leagues, but it’s just for medium to deeper leagues. The 33.3% Hard Hit% and 30.5% whiff% is not a good combo. He has extreme lift and pull, but without contact or hard hit, it doesn’t really matter, and that got exposed in the majors with a .566 OPS and 51.2/2.3 K%/BB% in 43 PA. He’s not old, but he’s old enough where the hit tool risk and lack of hard hit is a very big concern. He has enough going for him to make him interesting, and there should definitely be improvement ahead, but I’m not exactly targeting him. He’s fine. – 2026 Projection: 19/7/25/.215/.282/.368/3 Prime Projection: 61/18/69/.233/.305/.409/9
796) Edwin Arroyo – CIN, SS, 22.8 – Arroyo has a good SS glove with a good feel to hit, above average speed, and upper minors production, giving him one of the safer profiles a minor league can have. He slashed .284/.345/.371 with 3 homers, 12 steals, and a 16.9/7.7 K%/BB% in 120 games at Double-A. He had a more contact oriented approach this year, putting up a career best K%, but it came at the cost of his power with a career worst 50.8% GB%. He needs to find a happy medium between the two approaches, and considering he missed all of 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery, missing key developmental time, we might want to give him some leeway to do just that. A power breakout, or even just a leveling up will start to get his hype brewing again, but even as if, he’s not a bad prospect for medium to deeper leagues – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/14/56/.266/.320/.405/16
797) Jordan Yost – DET, SS, 19.3 – Yost gets the draft slot bump getting scooped by Detroit at 24th overall. They took Kevin McGonigle 37th overall in 2023, and I ended up ranking him lower than that draft slot too, so maybe I should stop doubting them. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt here. He didn’t hit the ball that hard at the MLB Draft Combine, but I mean, just look at him, he’s skinny as hell at 6’0”. A lot of these high school kids are already pretty muscled up, so Yost has nowhere to go but up with his power. That is clearly what Detroit is betting on. The hit/speed combo is plus, so if he can add meaningful power, Yost will live up to his draft slot. He didn’t debut in 2025. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection:76/14/62/.270/.328/.409/25 Update: He already looks much bigger this spring. That is exactly what Detroit was betting on
798) Dakota Jordan – SFG, OF, 22.11 – Jordan is an excellent athlete with a plus power/speed combo, and he showed off those skills at Single-A, slashing .311/.377/.497 with 14 homers, 27 steals, and a 22.8/8.9 K%/BB% in 88 games. A 22 year old at Single-A is just way too old to get excited about a player though, so Jordan has to prove it at much higher levels first. He also put up a 48.1% GB% with a mediocre 22.8/8.9 K%/BB%, which isn’t great, and one of the worst ballparks in the league is waiting for him. That is too many warts to fly him up the rankings, but if you’re looking for upside from a non teenager, Jordan is a reasonably priced option. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/17/64/.239/.309/.418/24
799) Zach Root – LAD, LHP, 22.2 – If the Dodgers like Zach Root, I like Zach Root. Sure, the Dodgers might like him for his real life value as a potential back end starter/opener/jerk him around all over the place and never have any idea if and when he will enter the rotation, but as the Dodgers first pick in this draft at 40th overall, he deserves a solid ranking. He’s 6’2”, 210 pounds with a funky lefty delivery and a diverse mix of secondaries that makes him a tough matchup. The curveball and changeup are his two best pitches and both are potentially plus. He also throws a solid slider and cutter. The 93 MPH fastball isn’t a very good pitch and it doesn’t miss bats, so he throws his secondaries early and often. It all led to a 3.62 ERA with a 30.0/8.3 K%/BB% in 99.1 IP in the SEC. I’m a fan of the Dodgers. I’m a fan of funky lefty deliveries. And I’m a fan of a diverse mix of bat missing secondaries. But the fastball might limit him to that role I outlined above. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 7/3.81/1.29/125 in 130 IP
800) Cam Leiter – LAD, RHP, 22.2 – Selected 65th overall, Leiter is a high risk, high reward college pitcher play, and not gonna lie, I ain’t upset that he got drafted by the Dodgers. Leiter showed big stuff with big K rates (35.2% K% in 2024) and tons of walks (13.8% BB%) in his first 2 years of college (2023 in the American Conference and 2024 in the ACC), but he hurt his shoulder and required surgery just 35 IP into 2024. It caused him to miss the entire 2025 season. The reason he ranks this high though, other than the Dodgers, is because the stuff is filthy. The fastball sits mid 90’s and is a bat missing weapon, both his breakers are potentially plus, and the changeup is a really good pitch vs. lefties. The arsenal is there. If the Dodgers can unlock his control/command, and if he can return healthy, I can 100% see Leiter being one of those Dodgers “out of nowhere” risers in pro ball. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 8/3.89/1.32/152 in 140 IP
801) Miguel Sime – WSH, RHP, 18.11 – Selected 111th overall and signed for $2 million, you are buying the size and electric arm talent here. Sime is 6’4”, 235 pounds with a mid to upper 90’s fastball that can already touch 100 MPH. This is like the Jarlin Susana starter pack, if we are going to keep it in the Washington family, and why not, as they have proven they can develop these type of arms. Everything else lags behind that impressive velocity though. The control is scattershot and the secondaries (curve/changeup) need continued refinement. The bullpen risk is obvious when you watch him, but we are aiming for upside as we get deeper into the draft, and Sime has plenty of upside and then some. He’s a definite target for me in the mid to later rounds. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.29/174 in 160 IP
802) Joseph Dzierwa – BAL, LHP, 21.11 – Selected 58th overall, Dzierwa might be missing the big fastball, sitting in the low 90’s, but there is so much else to like. For one, he’s a still projectable 6’8”, 200 pounds, so the fastball can certainly tick up in the future, and his controlled lefty delivery does a good job of hiding the baseball, so combined with his size, the fastball plays up. His best secondary is a plus changeup that works against both righties and lefties, and he also throws a solid slider. And the best part of all, unlike many pitchers this tall, the control/command is actually plus. We’ve seen the plus changeup, plus control lefty do damage in the bigs and minor leagues of late, and Dzierwa fits that profile to a T, and actually might be a supercharged version of it due to his size. It was enough to obliterate the Big Ten with a 2.36 ERA and 28.0/5.9 K%/BB% in 91.2 IP. You still gotta say that he’s a #4 upside type, but he’s one of my favorites in that bucket. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.76/1.21/154 in 160 IP
803) Taitn Gray – TBR, C, 18.8 – Selected 86th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Gray is a switch hitting, 6’3”, 220 pound bruiser with a quick, explosive and powerful swing that is better from the left side. Dude can mash. He’s also a good athlete for his size and position. There is some hit tool risk, and there is also defense risk, but he’s a fun, power hitting upside prospect. He’s also one of the youngest players in the class. I like him a lot. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 63/24/78/.243/.325/.456/8
804) Jose Berrios – TOR, RHP, 31.10 – I faded Berrios last season coming off his 3.60 ERA, and that proved correct as he put up a 4.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 19.8/8.0 K%/BB% in 166 IP. The velocity was down over 1 MPH to 92.2 MPH on the sinker. He’s a back end fantasy arm who might not have a starting spot right now. He gets this ranking mostly for track record. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.08/1.29/112 in 130 IP Update: Went down with a stress reaction in his elbow which he’s hoping to not miss a ton of time from, but I was already out, and I’m even more out now
805) Adrian Morejon – SDP, Setup, 27.1 – Morejon’s 23.8% whiff% isn’t high enough to really put him into the elite reliever tier, but everything else is there with a 2.08 ERA, 2.63 xERA, and a 24.5/5.9 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP. The only reason the K% and whiff% are so low is because he goes to his 97.7 MPH sinker so often, and for good reason with a .266 xwOBA. The slider has a 38.3% whiff%, so if he went to that more, there is clearly more K’s in the tank. Estrada is probably next man up in San Diego as a righty, but maybe Morejon could factor into a committee if Miller gets hurt. – 2026 Projection: 5/3.18/1.14/68/6 saves in 68 IP
806) Kyle Finnegan – DET, Closer Committee, 34.7 – Teams love to give Finnegan saves, and to be fair, the guy is really damn stable with a career 3.55 ERA in 6 seasons. He’s never had an ERA above 3.76. The guy is consistent. The 24.0/7.9 K%/BB% and 24.6% whiff% in 2025 doesn’t standout, but the stuff is good with a 96.3 MPH 4-seamer that has generally performed as an above average to plus pitch in his career. The splitter misses bats with a 37.3% whiff%. I would assume Jensen is in the pole position for the main saves job, and I like Will Vest more than Finnegan, but Finnegan keeps on chugging along. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.55/1.25/61/9 saves in 64 IP
807) Phil Maton – CHC, Setup, 33.0 – Maton seems to be next man up in Chicago, and while I like Palencia, he doesn’t have some long track record. He could take a step back in 2026 and Chicago isn’t going to have some super long leash. So if that happens, Maton could sneak in off his insane 2025. He put up a 2.79 ERA with a 32.5/9.6 K%/BB% in 61.1 IP. The 36.2% whiff% backs up that K rate, and while this is the best year of his career by far, the 31.5% career whiff% shows the guy knows how to miss bats. He doesn’t throw hard with a 90.6 MPH cutter as his fastest pitch, but the pitch misses bats with a 32.9% whiff%. The curve is his most used and best pitch with a 41.6% whiff%. And he also throws a sweeper and sinker. I wouldn’t expect him to be as good as 2025, but he’s been good for 4 years now. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.40/1.16/75/9 saves in 65 IP
808) Tony Santillan – CIN, Setup, 29.0 – Santillan is next man up in Cincinnati coming off an excellent 2025. He put up a 2.44 ERA with a 24.9/9.6 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP. The 4.33 xERA and that K/BB shows he wasn’t actually nearly that good, but I don’t think those poor underlying numbers are who he is either. He’s somewhere in the middle. The 27% whiff% is strong, and so is the stuff with a solid 96.3 MPH fastball and two bat missing breakers in his slurve and slider. He’s not an elite reliever, but if something happens to Pagan, he can be a good closer. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.44/1.19/73/6 saves in 68 IP
809) Hunter Gaddis – CLE, Setup, 28.0 – It seems that Gaddis is next man up in Cleveland, although Shawn Armstrong could factor in too, but Armstrong is 35, so Gaddis is the better dynasty play regardless. He put up a 3.10 ERA with a 26.6/7.7 K%/BB% in 66.2 IP. The fastball sits 94.7 MPH and is a good pitch with a 23.5% whiff% and .317 xwOBA. The slider is his most used pitch at 53.7% usage with a 36% whiff%. And the changeup is really good when he goes to it with a 46.2% whiff%. The 32.2% whiff% overall is much better than the K rate, which is good to see. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.48/1.17/74/6 saves in 65 IP
810) Brad Keller – PHI, Setup, 30.8 – It would probably be a committee with Alvarado if Duran went down, but it seems to me that Keller would be the main guy in that committee. He broke out in 2025 with a 2.07 ERA, 2.80 xERA, and a 27.2/8.0 K%/BB% in 69.2 IP. He got transitioned to the bullpen in 2025, and boy did he take to it with his velocity ticking up about 4 MPH to 97.2 MPH. The pitch didn’t miss a ton of bats, but it performed well with a .318 xwOBA. His secondary pitches all popped too (slider, sweeper, sinker, changeup) with whiffs and strong xwOBA’s on the whole (the slider was a bit underwhelming). The 26.9% whiff% is above average and he keeps the ball on the ground with a 6.5 degree launch. I doubt he’s actually as good as he showed in 2025, but it sure seems like the breakout to being a really good reliever was real in general. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.40/1.20/69/4 saves in 67 IP
811) Louis Varland – TOR, Setup, 28.4 – I don’t think Varland would be the favorite to be next man up in Toronto, but his main competition are two 35 year olds, one coming off a pretty serious elbow surgery, so it’s certainly possible he ends up being next man up. He put up a 2.97 ERA, 4.02 xERA, and a 25.3/7.4 K%/BB% in 72.2 IP. The 27.1% whiff% is above average, he keeps the ball on the ground with a 5.3 degree launch, the control is good, he has big velocity with a 98.1 MPH fastball, and he has a bat missing breaker in the curve. That is a lot to like. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.48/1.19/73/4 saves in 68 IP
812) Ben Joyce – LAA, Setup, 25.7 – I’ll sneak Joyce on the back of the list as it seems he still could be the long term closer in LA, but there is a lot of risk here. The biggest risk obviously being the shoulder surgery he underwent in May with no timetable for his return. The 2nd risk is that LA has good enough options in the back of the bullpen to think Joyce is not just going to be given that closer role back even if he is pitching well. The 3rd risk is that he just hasn’t been that good with a career 20.9/11.8 K%/BB% in 49 IP. But the stuff is too insane to completely forget about with a 101.1 MPH 4-seamer. The sinker is his next most used pitch, and it really produces more like Jhoan Duran’s splitter. The slider is plus in theory, but it hasn’t been that great in the majors, which is the main reason for the struggles. The stuff is so insane that it can take 3+ steps back and still be nasty, but considering he hadn’t really broken out yet, he’s just a flier. – 2026 Projection: 1/3.82/1.32/13/0 saves in 15 IP
813) Kade Strowd – ARI, Setup, 28.7 – Someone has to emerge from this Arizona bullpen before Puk and Martinez return, and since Arizona obviously likes Strowd, trading Blaze Alexander for him, maybe it will be him. He really does seem like he may have the best chance at actually breaking out. He put up a 1.71 ERA, 2.80 xERA, and a 22.9/12.4 K%/BB% in 26.1 IP. That K/BB should give you some pause about betting too much on it, but some of the underlying stuff looks good. He has a 95.8 MPH 4-seamer that put up a 31% whiff% and .202 xwOBA, which is elite if he can actually maintain anything close to that. His 91.7 MPH cutter is his most used pitch by far and it’s solid with a .336 xwOBA and 30% whiff%. The 96.3 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground, and the curve and sweeper induce weak contact. There are some nice ingredients for a possible breakout. He wasn’t nearly as good at Triple-A and the control is below average, so he’s not a slam dunk breakout candidate, but at least he has shot, and a seemingly better shot than others in that pen. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.78/1.30/62/5 saves in 62 IP Update: Sewald signing likely puts Strowd further away from the job, but he could still take it during the season
814) Hogan Harris – SAC, Closer Committee, 29.3 – Harris is the lefty option in the Athletics closer committee, which means he probably won’t get the full time job, but he could factor in no matter who wins the main job. The bigger problem is that he isn’t that good with a 3.20 ERA, 3.85 xERA, and a 23.5/11.9 K%/BB% in 64.2 IP. A 23% whiff% overall with a 11.9% BB% is a terrible combo. He doesn’t keep the ball on the ground either with a 14.9 degree launch. He also doesn’t have big stuff with a 93.5 MPH fastball and none of his pitches have a better than 26.1% whiff%. He only cracks this list because of his chance at saves but I’m going after Sterner in this pen. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.87/1.33/58/9 saves in 63 IP
815) Jose Alvarado – PHI, Setup, 30.10 – Alvarado got popped for an 80 game PED suspension in May and when he returned he didn’t look right. The velocity was down, he put up a 7.50 ERA in 6 IP, and then his season ended in September with a strained forearm. There certainly seems to be multiple areas of risk here. But assuming a normal off-season gets him back to full health, he has the insane stuff for a big season. The 93.2 MPH cutter is straight dominant with a .170 xwOBA and 47.4% whiff%. He throws the 99.1 MPH sinker more, but he probably shouldn’t because that pitch really isn’t that great throughout his career. He’s had a really up and down career with bouts of control issues, and then surprisingly bouts of low K’s too, so it’s hard to know exactly what we are going to get in 2026, especially when you factor in the PED’s and injury. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.59/1.28/68/6 saves in 55 IP
816) Mikey Romero – BOS, 3B/2B/SS, 22.3 – Romero completely flipped his profile from when he entered pro ball. He started as a good feel to hit guy without big power, high groundball rates and good contact rates, and now he’s the exact opposite of that. Too much so actually, because his terrible plate skills are the thing that could tank him. He put up a 27.0/7.0 K%/BB% in 111 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. That isn’t going to cut it. But on the flip side, his power became insanely exciting, hitting 17 homers with a 20 degree launch and 47.1% Hard Hit%. He’s going to hit dingers on any level with a profile like that, but it’s almost certainly going to come with a very low BA/OBP, and he doesn’t run much either. He was only 21 years old, so he has a bit of runway to improve those plate skills or to find a happy medium between his old and new hitting style, but until he does that, it doesn’t seem like a starting MLB bat, especially because he’s not great on defense either. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 58/18/66/.234/.302/.426/4
817) Ethan Petry – WSH, OF, 21.9 – Selected 49th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6’4”, 235 Petry does one thing, and really only one thing well, and that is mash. He’s smashed 54 homers in his 168 game SEC career (11 homers in 31 games in the Cape last year), and he has the standout exit velocities to match. The problem is that it comes with major hit tool risk, he’s not a good defensive player, and he’s not a particularly good athlete either. He was able to bring his K rate down to 17.4% this year (25.3% in 2024), but the homer power came down with it with a career low 10 homers in 44 games. It’s a really good sign that the contact rates didn’t spike majorly in his pro debut with a 24.8% K% in 24 games at Single-A, and he hit well overall with a 137 wRC+, but it only came with 2 homers and a 54.1% GB%. It might end up a part time power bat at peak, but these type of bats often find a team willing to unleash the bat, and if he does get the playing time, he will definitely make a fantasy impact with his power. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/22/77/.246/.322/.451/2
818) Brady Ebel – MIL, SS/3B, 18.8 – Selected 32nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Ebel is one of the youngest players in the draft, and he has a great blend of size, plate skills, and power potential. He’s 6’3”, 195 pounds with a good feel to hit, strong plate approach, and plenty of room to tack on weight to add more power. His lefty swing is completely in control and natural looking, lining the ball all over the field. Maybe he ends up a boring fantasy type bat with an average-ish hit/power combo and little speed at peak, which would obviously be a really good outcome for the 32nd pick, but maybe not as exciting for fantasy. He didn’t have a great debut with a 79 wRC+ in 16 games, but nothing was overly concerning, especially considering his age, so I wouldn’t let it impact his value all that much or at all. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 77/20/77/.269/.334/.445/5
819) AJ Smith-Shawver – ATL, RHP, 23.4 – Shawver’s season ended in late May with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in early June. That makes a 2nd half return date as the best case scenario. Shawver is good enough not to completely forget about, but he wasn’t nearly good enough to hold in most leagues. He put up a 6.31 xERA (3.86 ERA) with a 22.0/10.5 K%/BB% in 44.1 IP. He throws hard with a 95.6 MPH fastball, the splitter is excellent with a 39.7% whiff% and the curve is decent with a 31.4% whiff%. The 27.1% whiff% is plus. He’s young enough with good enough stuff and bat missing ability to keep on your radar. – 2026 Projection: OUT
820) Bruin Agbayani – MIN, SS/2B, 19.0 – Selected 179th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Agbayani last name might ring a bell for you, and that’s right, Bruin is the son of Benny Agbayani, the former New York Met. Not only does he have the bloodlines, but he has the size at a thick 6’2” with a controlled and powerful lefty swing that is geared for contact. The main reason he ranks this highly though is because of his pro debut, putting up a 13.0/30.4 K%/BB% with 3 steals and a 139 wRC+ in 5 games at Single-A. Sure it’s only 5 games, but that is the type of line that made me call Jacob Reimer and Luke Adams deep high school sleepers back in their class. Agbayani fits that mold. He’s a good athlete with speed, and you can certainly dream on more power coming. Like I said, he’s a deep target in the Reimer/Adams mold. He’s a legit sleeper target. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 82/18/71/.270/.340/.433/16
821) Kyle Lodise – CHW, SS, 22.5 – Selected 76th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Lodise makes for a very enticing college bat as you get deeper into FYPD’s. I don’t know if I’ll go so far as to call him a target, but in my 30 teamer I’m going to target him, and in shallower leagues I’ll definitely have his name circled. He has a very fantasy friendly profile of contact/lift/pull/speed, and that profile shined when he transferred into the ACC, slashing .329/.429/.667 with 16 homers, 13 steals, and a 17.7/12.8 K%/BB% in 55 games. Even more exciting, it immediately transferred to pro ball with 4 homers, 7 steals, and a 18.6/13.3 K%/BB% in 28 games at High-A. Sure it came with a .185 BA, but a lot of that is due to a .188 BABIP. Not all of it is due to BABIP though as he’s not a big raw power guy. It’s around average, and if the hit tool plays down against more advanced competition, there might not be enough juice in the bat to truly be an MLB starter. That is why I’m hesitant to go after him too hard, and it also says something that he fell to 76th overall to the White Sox. Not a great sign that so many smart teams passed him up over and over again. But he shouldn’t cost that much in FYPD’s, and in a draft that is weak in college bats, Lodise is an excellent value. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/16/66/.252/.323/.412/16
822) Diego Tornes – ATL, OF, 17.9 – Tornes was one of the youngest players in the international class, and he was also one of the most physically mature at an already pretty solid 6’2”. It earned him a $2.5 million signing bonus, and he mostly lived up to that bonus, slashing .279/.395/.402 with 0 homers, 24 steals, and a 21.8/15.6 K%/BB% in 32 games. I don’t love the 0 homers with a 21.8% K% combo, but befitting his strong build, he already hits the ball very hard, and more is most certainly coming. He combines the power potential with speed and a shot to stick in CF. There is hit tool risk (maybe mitigated by how young he is, but I’m not sure how much that should really give him a bump, I guess a little), and it would have been nice to see some dingers, but this is still a super talented youngster with big time breakout potential in the coming years. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/23/79/.253/.330/.449/18
823) Tony Blanco Jr. – PIT, 1B/DH, 20.10 – I remember when Blanco was a fun international prospect sleeper as a giant of a man at 6’7”, 243 pounds, but like many giant men find, getting the bat on the ball is just really hard to do at that height. And Blanco certainly struggles with that with a 35.1% K% in 30 games this season, but he doesn’t struggle hitting bombs with 7 homers and a 135 wRC+ at Single-A. It came with a 93.1 MPH EV and 53.8% Hard Hit%. He’s basically been a DH only with a few games 1B mixed in, so it’s all bat and nothing but the bat, but the dude will hit bombs at any level clearly. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/25/73/.220/.311/.478/0
824) Justin Verlander – DET, RHP, 43.1 – Verlander is here for pure legend status as he’s now a 43 year old back end fantasy starter. That doesn’t hold much dynasty value. He put up a 3.85 ERA, 4.25 xERA, 1.36 WHIP, and a 20.7/7.9 K%/BB% in 152 IP in 2025. He can still be serviceable in medium to deeper leagues, but that is about it. – 2026 Projection: 8/4.00/1.32/130 in 145 IP
825) Max Scherzer – TOR, RHP, 41.8 – Scherzer cracks the list for legend status only as it’s not even certain how Toronto is going to deploy him. Or when they are going to deploy him. He put up a 5.19 ERA, 4.64 xERA, and a 22.9/6.4 K%/BB% in 85 IP in 2025. He’s going to turn 42 years old this season. Like I said, he’s on the list of Legend status only. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.15/1.26/78 in 80 IP
826) Kyle Leahy – STL, RHP, 28.10 – Leahy is being transitioned back into the rotation in a good situation in St. Louis, but he doesn’t miss enough bats (23.1% whiff%) to be a very sought after dynasty asset. Solid is the ceiling with a mid 90’s fastball, diverse pitch mix and good control. The floor is that he gets moved back into the pen when St. Louis’ more exciting young options are ready. – 2026 Projection: 7/4.16/1.29/113 in 130 IP
827) Jason Junk – MIA, RHP, 30.3 – Junk put up a 4.17 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 17.2/2.9 K%/BB% in 110 IP. His control took a huge step forward, which I don’t know if he can maintain, and there is also no guarantee he has a rotation spot for the entire season. But if he does, and if he can maintain that elite control, it’s possible he can be a good WHIP back end fantasy starter. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.25/1.26/82 in 100 IP
828) Eric Lauer – TOR, LHP, 30.10 – Lauer is a 30/31 year old without a rotation spot and without big upside, but he did enough in 2025 to stay interesting. He put up a 3.18 ERA, 3.88 xERA and a 23.9/6.1 K%/BB% in 104.2 IP. The 4-seamer was dominant with a +9 Run Value and .286 xwOBA, although with a 20.6% whiff%, that might be hard to keep up, which is probably why Toronto had no interest putting him in the rotation to start the season. None of his secondaries are big bat missers but the slider, curve and cutter are all solid. As I write this blurb, I’m not sure he should crack the list, but he was a favorite of mine as a prospect, and I’m pumped he had a big year last. Maybe he can be a plus control, good WHIP #4 if he finds his way back into the rotation. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.12/1.25/103 in 110 IP Update: Injuries opened up a spot for Lauer in the rotation to start the season, but he’s still a low end option even if injuries keep a role open for him all season
829) Lucas Giolito – UFA, RHP, 31.8 – Giolito returned from internal brace surgery and he came back very far away from his prime. He put up a 5.06 xERA with a 19.7/9.1 K%/BB% in 145 IP. Sure the 3.41 ERA looked good and he was better in the 2nd half, but the K/BB remained rough all year. The Stuff+ was down to a career low 92 and the whiff% dropped off a cliff to 22.9%. The hope is that he gets healthier with a full normal off-season and starts regressing more towards his career stats, but he was in decline even before the injury, so I’m not betting on that too hard. I’m not going after him. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.18/1.30/76 in 90 IP Update: He’s still unsigned, which obviously kills his value
830) Ben Brown – CHC, RHP, 26.7 – Brown was one of my top pitching targets in 2025, but he didn’t take any of the steps forward we needed to see, and he got bombed in the majors with a 5.92 ERA, 4.55 xERA, and a 25.6/6.8 K%/BB% in 106.1 IP. We needed to see the 95.8 MPH fastball miss more bats, and it took a step in the other direction with a poor 14.8% whiff%. We also needed to see him use his changeup more, and I have no idea why he only went to it 4.5% of the time because it was solid with a .274 xwOBA. It’s highly likely Chicago uses him out of the bullpen now, but we know pitching development is all over the place, and the things I like are still there, so I’ll keep him on the list. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.90/1.29/83 in 75 IP
831) JT Ginn – SAC, LHP, 26.10 – Ginn is a 26/27 year old who doesn’t seem like he has a rotation and just put up a 5.08 ERA with a 25.3/7.9 K%/BB% in 90.1 IP, so he’s fringy for this list, but there is enough to like to put him on. The 28.7% whiff% is double plus. The individual pitches look good too with a 93.4 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground and misses some bats. The slider put up a 38.3% whiff% and the changeup put up a 47.3% whiff%. The cutter is a useful pitch too. The most likely outcome is a back end arm or bullpen arm. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.13/1.33/85 in 80 IP
832) David Festa – MIN, RHP, 26.3 – Festa’s season ended in late July with a shoulder injury that they feared was thoracic outlet syndrome, but I guess it turned out not to be that because he’s expected to be ready for spring training. Either way, this is an insane injury risk, and even if not injury, just a risk that he’s not going to be able to find his former stuff. He got knocked around in 2025 with a 5.40 ERA and 23.1/8.3 K%/BB% in 53.1 IP. The fastball velocity was down to 94.1 MPH. The changeup still dominated with a 44% whiff% and the slider missed some bats with a 32.2% whiff%, so if the electricity on the fastball can return, it’s possible he can bounce back, but without a rotation spot and major risk, he’s not a hold. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.40/1.32/70 in 70 IP Update: Shoulder impingement puts opening day in question but it doesn’t seem like they are treating it like a serious injury for now and they are saying it is unrelated to last year’s injury
833) Hayden Birdsong – SFG, RHP, 24.7 – Birdsong cracks this list for former favorite status more than anything else, because on pure merit, he doesn’t really deserve it. He doesn’t have a rotation spot and he was terrible last year with a 4.80 ERA and 22.8/12.4 K%/BB% in 65.2 IP. He was even worse at Triple-A. His control is horrific. The stuff is still really good, which is what made me love him, with a 95.5 MPH fastball and 3 bat missing secondaries, leading to an excellent 28.4% whiff%, but obviously it’s not working. He’s still young so maybe he can take that big control bump, but it seems pretty obvious that he should be a pen arm. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.28/1.38/68 in 65 IP
834) Brandon Clarke – STL, LHP, 23.0 – Remember what I said in the Doyle blurb about St. Louis moving away from their usual safety over upside approach when it comes to pitching? Well, targeting Clarke in the Sonny Gray trade is Exhibit B. When you talk about “looking the part,” nobody looks the part more than Clarke at 6’4”, 220 pounds with an athletic and smooth lefty delivery that he uses to fire upper 90’s gas with a potentially double plus slider. When he got off to a hot start to the season, it was giving visions of Garrett Crochet 2.0, but he couldn’t keep it up, finishing with a 4.03 ERA and 34.5/15.5 K%/BB% in 38 IP at mostly High-A. The lack of control got him in the end, and it’s that lack of control that can end up relegating him to the bullpen. Even if he does end up in the pen, he has the potential to be a dominant closer, but St. Louis has every reason to be as patient as possible. He simply hasn’t pitched very much, redshirting his freshman year at Alabama and barely pitching his sophomore year at Junior College. He dominated when healthy his junior year, and then he flashed that upside in pro ball, albeit in limited innings due to blisters. He underwent Tommy John surgery and had issues with his elbow earlier in his amateur career, which is why he barely pitched before his junior year. You might see that as risk, well, because it is risk, but I see it as opportunity for so much improvement potential. St. Louis is the perfect place for him, and I’m buying that upside. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 7/3.77/1.28/142 in 130 IP Update: Suffered an aneurysm in his throwing shoulder that required surgery. He’s out until June at least, but it’s possible he just won’t be healthy enough to remain a starter
835) Kutter Crawford – BOS, RHP, 30.0 – Crawford missed the entire 2025 season with what started as a knee injury and ended as a wrist injury that required season ending surgery. That doesn’t sound great for a pitcher and we are going to need to see what he looks like in spring before we can even begin to going back in here. He’s also going to have to fight for a rotation spot at best, and simply not have one at worst. Even at full health the upside isn’t that high as a #4 type starter with plus control, average whiffs, a good WHIP, and a +4 ERA. He’s a flier only right now. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.15/1.23/88 in 90 IP
836) Nick Castellanos – SDP, OF, 34.1 – Castellanos probably doesn’t deserve to crack this list as he’s a 34 year old who doesn’t have a starting job, but the move to San Diego helps him in that regard. I started his blurb in last year’s Top 1,000 by writing, “Castellanos basically has the recipe for a guy you don’t want to buy the decline years on.” And that proved correct as he lost his starting job. He put up a 90 wRC+ with low walk rates and bad defense. The hard hit rates are in decline too with a 34.5% Hard Hit%. He cracks this list purely for track record, because it’s possible a small bounce back and injuries to other players can see him crack 20 homers again. – 2026 Projection: 41/10/47/.250/.301/.428/4
837) Jake McCarthy – COL, OF, 28.8 – I don’t believe McCarthy is a full time starter all season, but I guess there is opportunity in Colorado, so he deserves to get on the list. He doesn’t hit it hard, he doesn’t lift it and he doesn’t get on base. He’s a below average hitter, but he gets the bat on the ball and he runs, which has fantasy value if he’s in the lineup. – 2026 Projection: 56/8/41/.258/.318/.398/19
838) Michael Conforto – CHC, OF, 33.1 – Conforto didn’t land in a great spot with the Cubs because there isn’t really a clear path to playing time, but DH is I guess not completely locked down. The underlying skills say he is still worth being on the fantasy radar in deeper leagues. He struggled hard in 2025 with a 83 wRC+, but the .330 xwOBA, 44% Hard Hit%, and 24.9/11.5 K%/BB% all say he got unlucky, or at the very least there is a chance of bounce back in 2026. He’s not ancient yet at a freshy turned 33. If injuries hit, he could be fantasy relevent for sure. – 2026 Projection: 41/11/44/.240/.326/.427/1
839) Nick Gonzales – PIT, 2B, 26.10 – Gonzales isn’t a long term starter, but until Griffin is ready to take over SS, he could still have the job. He’s a good defender at both SS and 2B, so with Lowe on a one year deal, and Termarr Johnson unproven, he could compete at 2B long term as well. He put up a 82 wRC+ with 5 homers and 0 steals in 96 games. He’s bad for both fantasy without a power/speed combo and real life with a very low walk rate. He gets the bat on the ball with a 17.9% K%, the 38.8% Hard Hit% isn’t terrible, and the .260-ish BA won’t kill you, but that is about all he does. It’s just a matter of time before he’s a utility infielder unless the bat take a huge step forward. – 2026 Projection: 41/8/46/.265/.308/.390/4
840) Jacob Young – WSH, OF, 25.8 – Young is an elite CF so it’s possible he keeps racking up at bats, but he’s just a 4th OF, and even on Washington with opportunity, I can’t imagine he’s a full time player. His bat is terrible with a 66 wRC+ in 2025 and a career 78 wRC+. He’s fast, but even his base stealing took a step back, going 15 for 26 on the bases in 120 games. The defense and speed gets him on the list, but that is it. – 2026 Projection: 40/3/36/.245/.308/.330/20
841) Tyler Freeman – COL, OF, 26.10 – Freeman’s a bad defense player, he doesn’t walk that much, and he doesn’t hit for power, which means he’s highly unlikely to be an MLB starter, but he cracks this list because Colorado has some semblance of opportunity and the contact/speed profile is good enough to make a fantasy impact if he does get on the field. He put up a 11.9% K% with 2 homers, 18 steals, and a .325 xwOBA in 110 games. The 40.4% Hard Hit% is actually pretty legit for this type of player. I just don’t trust he’s a full time starter. If he does win a full time job though, this will be low. – 2026 Projection: 53/6/38/.272/.335/.380/15
842) Gabriel Arias – CLE, SS/2B, 26.1 – With Travis Bazzana coming for 2B, Arias and Rocchio are going to have to battle it out for the SS job. Arias has the better SS glove, so that could end up giving him the leg up, but he has the much worse hit tool, and it makes me think Rocchio is the better bet. He put up a .220 BA with a 40.5% whiff%, 34.4/5.7 K%/BB% and 77 wRC+ in 129 games. He just can’t hit. He can hit it hard, but there isn’t much lift and pull and there isn’t much speed. He’s less than a desperation option. You don’t want him even if he does have a job, unless he can massively improve his hit tool, which I guess is possible. – 2026 Projection: 38/9/46/.222/.281/.370/7
843) Brooks Baldwin – CHW, OF, 25.7 – It seems Baldwin has a path to a strong side of a platoon role, but there is no guarantee of that. He’s not a good defensive player and he’s a below average offensive player, so he’s probably not a starter long term, and he might not even be an MLB player long term. But he cracks the list because there is just enough upside and opportunity to get him on. He lifts and pulls and he’s got speed. He hit 11 homers with 5 steals and a not horrific .307 xwOBA in 328 games. The 10.9% Barrel% and 40.9% Hard Hit% are solid. It’s the 26.2/6.4 K%/BB% that tanks him though. If the plate skills can improve, it’s possible for him to put up a fantasy relevant season. – 2026 Projection: 38/12/44/.238/.295/.408/7
844) Griffin Conine – MIA, OF, 28.9 – Conine hits it really hard with a 48.1% Hard Hit% and that is it. The hit tool is a major risk with a 29.1% K% and 36.1% whiff%. He doesn’t lift and pull with an 8 degree launch. He’s not good on D. He doesn’t run. And he doesn’t particularly walk a lot. He has a career 109 wRC+ in 175 PA and he will compete for a job, but he’s not a fringy guy I’m betting on. – 2026 Projection: 31/8/31/.240/.302/.391/0
845) Nolan Jones – CLE, OF, 27.10 – Jones doesn’t really deserve to crack the list with as a 27/28 year old coming off a 72 wRC+ season in 2025 and a 69 wRC+ in 2024, but we’ll put him on for old times sake. There is also some semblance of opportunity for a strong side of a platoon role. He hits it hard with a 46.7% Hard Hit% and he gets on base with high walk rates, but he can’t hit with a career 29.6% K%. He also doesn’t lift/pull a ton and he only steals a handful of bags. – 2026 Projection: 35/8/35/.237/.318/.401/8
846) Pedro Pages – STL, C, 27.7 – Pages put up a 15.9 defensive value in 389 PA in 2025, which keeps him in the mix for the starting catcher job in St. Louis, but his bat is equally as brutal. He put up a 77 wRC+ with a .258 xwOBA. That was the 4th worst xwOBA in baseball. The 27.5/4.9 K%/BB% is terrible and the 36.5% Hard Hit% is below average. He did manage to hit 11 homers, which isn’t bad, but he’s only a moderate lift and pull guy, so it’s not like we can bank on homers either. St. Louis clearly doesn’t want him to be their starter, but they were kinda backed into a corner last year. He’s a back up catcher, and even if he does get starting reps again, it won’t help you that much in fantasy. – 2026 Projection: 30/9/37/.230/.277/.370/1
847) Nick Fortes – TBR, C, 29.5 – Fortes is currently penciled in as Tampa’s starter and he has the above average catcher glove to possibly hang onto the job through the off-season, but we shall see. The offense on the other hand is brutal with a 80 wRC+ in 110 games in 2025 and a career 72 wRC+ in 401 games. He hit .229 with 5 homers and 1 steal. You don’t want him, even if he does retain the vast majority of the job. – 2026 Projection: 24/5/24/.228/.289/.346/1
848) Luke Raley – SEA, 1B/OF, 31.6 – I’m not sure Raley deserves to crack this list, but he’s just one year removed from a 22/11 season with a 129 wRC+ (and a similar season in 2023 too), so I’ll let him hang on by a thread. 2025 was a major step back for him with a 91 wRC+ and .630 OPS in 73 games. His lift and pull dropped off a cliff, resulting in only 4 homers, and without lift/pull, there really isn’t much to buy into. He put up a 29.2% K%, 40.8% whiff% and a .202 BA. He has speed, but he’s not the type to rack up steals with a career high of 14 steals and only 2 steals in 2025. He’s also a strict platoon bat. Like I said, he really doesn’t deserve to be on here except for his 2023/24 alone, but track record counts, and I guess you can blame a mid-season oblique injury for some of the struggles. He’s a platoon bat at best and most likely a bench bat. – 2026 Projection: 40/11/40/.227/.308/.426/6 Update: Played well this spring and might have indeed won that platoon role
849) Angel Martinez – CLE, OF, 24.2 – It seems Martinez might have won the starting LF job, but coming off a season with a .255 xwOBA, I’m not too interested in chasing this. He doesn’t hit it hard, he has a poor plate approach and he run much. He’s young and he can improve, but he’s not a late flier for me. – 2026 Projection: 44/10/39/.237/.295/.395/9
850) George Valera – CLE, OF, 25.4 – Gotta sneak my former boy with the sweet lefty swing Valera on the list, but he’s very fringy. It’s a platoon role at best, there is hit tool risk (31.5% whiff% at AAA), he doesn’t lift/pull that much (2.2 degree launch in 48 PA in the majors and a 9 degree launch at AAA), and he doesn’t run at all. He can hit the ball hard, but not that hard with a 34.8% Hard Hit% at AAA (42.9% is better in the majors). That makes him a low upside option with a lot of risk, but there is opportunity for a strong side role in Cleveland. – 2026 Projection: 38/10/38/.230/.310/.420/0
851) Jake Bauers – MIL, 1B/OF, 30.6 – Bauers is a strict strong side of a platoon bat at best, and a bench bat at worst, but his 2025 was strong enough to get him on the list. He had the best season of his career by far with a 114 wRC+ and .355 xwOBA. He did on the back of a career best 91.7 MPH EV and 27.1/14.7 K%/BB%. The .235 BA, 7 homers and 8 steals in 86 games wasn’t as impressive for fantasy though. He has the lift and pull and hard hit to dream on better homer totals, but he’s had that his entire career for the most part and the big homer totals have never been there. The 14.7% BB% was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, so add a star in OBP leagues, but he’s only a deep league bench bat. – 2026 Projection: 48/12/48/.230/.330/.401/10
852) Starling Marte – KCR, OF, 36.5 – Marte is on his last legs and I doubt he finds a full time job, but he just put up a 112 wRC+ in 2025, so he deserves to crack the list. The bigger problem is that you can’t count on him to rack up steals anymore with only 7 last year. Maybe you can blame injuries, but at 36 years old, expecting him to get healthier seems like a bad bet. He’s a win now option for like 30 teamers and that is about it right now. If he lands in a good spot, he will move up. – 2026 Projection: 58/10/49/.263/.322/.399/18 Update: Marte landed in a good spot in KC, but he’s still not guaranteed a full time role or anything like that. I also doubt they want to play an injury prone 36 year old full time. So he’s still just a deeper league win now play
853) Javier Baez – DET, SS/OF/3B, 33.4 – Baez had a fakeout dead cat bounce in the 1st half with a .783 OPS in his first 71 games, which I wasn’t buying, and then it inevitably disappeared in the 2nd half with a .540 OPS in his last 55 games. He’s still has a good glove, but the bat is so brutal these days that it might not really matter. The .268 xwOBA is in the bottom 2% of baseball. The extreme chase (46.1% Chase%) was always an issue, and as you get older, it becomes an even bigger issue. He’s best used as a bench utility player, and that seems to be his most likely role in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 41/10/45/.232/.273/.369/6
854) Austin Martin – MIN, OF, 27.0 – Minnesota is too deep, and Martin doesn’t make enough of an impact with the bat to think he’s going to be a starter for them, but the guy just put up a 113 wRC+ with a .345 xwOBA, to go along with a 17.1/12.2 K%/BB% and 11 steals in 50 games, so I’ll put him on the list. The 38.6% Hard Hit% is above average. He just has no game power though. He hit 2 homers in 143 career MLB games and 5 homers in 315 career minor league games. He’s also not good vs. righties. For a corner outfielder, that isn’t going to cut it, and it’s likely a short side of a platoon at best. He just sneaks on here barely. – 2026 Projection: 36/3/19/.268/.337/.370/11
855) Casey Schmitt – SFG, 2B/3B, 27.1 – The Arraez signing pushes Schmitt out of a job, and even if he had a job, the ballpark really limits his upside. He had the power breakout he desperately needed with his Hard Hit% rising 7.7 points to 43.8%, but 43.8% still isn’t quite hard enough when you are in one of the very worst parks for righty homers. He hit 9 homers on the road and only 3 homers at home. It resulted in a still lackluster year with a .237/.305/.401 slash and a 98 wRC+ in 95 games. He’s a literal zero in steals and the 23.9/7.8 K%/BB% is mediocre, so all his value is going to come from homers, and in that ballpark, it’s going to be hard for him to really make a huge fantasy impact on homers alone. He’s a lift and pull machine with a 19.2 degree launch and 26.2% Air Pull%, so the added hard hit is a big deal, and in a different ballpark I might actually say he’s a sneaky target assuming he had playing time, but I can’t do it at Oracle Park, and he doesn’t have playing time. – 2026 Projection: 42/14/51/.243/.310/.421/2
856) Blaze Alexander – BAL, 3B, 26.10 – Alexander is a solid defensive player who can play all over the field which gives him multiple shots to get on the field, but with the trade to Baltimore, they are too locked in everywhere to really give him a shot. He needs an injury, which of course could (will) happen. And while he has both risk and not super high upside, there is enough to like offensively to keep him on the radar. For one, he hits the ball extremely hard with a 50.7% Hard Hit% at Triple-A and a 43.2% Hard Hit% in the majors. He doesn’t lift and pull enough to take advantage of it with a 48.3% GB%, but he knocked out 7 homers in 266 PA in the majors, so it’s not like he doesn’t hit homers. He has a 20 homer season under his belt in the minors too. He’s super fast with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint, but he’s generally been a bad base stealer in his career (4 for 10 in MLB this year), so we can’t count on more than a handful there. And the risk is the hit tool with a 32.3% K% and 31% whiff%. This is optimally a 400-500 AB utility guy on a good team, which is clearly how Baltimore views him. – 2026 Projection: 41/9/36/.242/.318/.400/7
857) Michael Massey – KCR, 2B, 28.0 – Massey shouldn’t on this list coming off a 57 wRC+ in 77 games, to go along with a career 81 wRC+, but India is so bad at 2B that he just might get a ton of run at 2B again. He’s solid defender at 2B and there is an interesting contact/lift/pull profile that could work in a better ballpark than KC (worst in the league for lefty homers), but he’s in KC. He had a 15.5% K% with a 22.2 degree launch and 23.7% Air Pull%. The career 37.1% Hard Hit% isn’t terrible. In KC, everything will play down though, and he just hasn’t been a very good hitter in his career. – 2026 Projection: 38/13/45/.245/.291/.400/3
858) Endy Rodriguez – PIT, 1B/C, 25.10 – Make it two lost seasons for Rodriguez because of the right elbow. Tommy John wiped out his 2024 and then the elbow starting barking again in 2025, needing ulnar nerve transposition surgery. He’s played in just 36 games over the past two seasons. He cracks this list mostly because of his track record previous to the elbow issues. In the few games he did play in 2025 he actually crushed the ball with a 92.2 MPH EV and 44.7% Hard Hit% in 38 batted balls. He lifts and pulls a lot (15.1 degree launch with a 26.3% Air Pull%) and he makes contact with a 24.5% whiff%. That is a strong combination of skills which made him so hyped when he was a healthy prospect. It’s still not out of the question that he’s Pitt’s long term catcher, and he can play other positions too, but Pitt isn’t as open as it was earlier in the off-season. He’s actually more interesting than I thought he would be from when I started this blurb, health is the x-factor, and he’s obviously just a flier. – 2026 Projection: 28/7/21/.232/.300/.389/1
859) Troy Johnston – COL, 1B/OF, 28.9 – The Rockies seem to be leaning Rumfield’s way for 1B, but it’s a competition that will go into the season, and really they are both holding the seat warm for Condon. Johnston put up a 109 wRC+ with a .339 xwOBA in 121 PA in Miami. The 89.6 MPH EV, 40.7% Hard Hit%, 14.6 degree launch, 19.8% Air Pull%, and 21.5% K% aren’t bad numbers at all. He also stole 31 bags at AAA despite below average speed, so even if the steals dry up, he should at least contribute in the category. If he actually does end up with the job, I’m not against a flier, but the reason why I’m not going higher is that the 31% whiff% and 36% Chase% are both rough. The hard hit is decent, but it’s not great, and he was also only solid at Triple-A with a 109 wRC+ in 84 games. At already 28 years old, he’s likely not a long term starting MLB 1B even if he does get the job by default this year. – 2026 Projection: 41/11/44/.257/.318/.415/7
860) Ryan Mountcastle – BAL, 1B, 29.1 – Mountcastle is another good example of how quickly low OBP 1B can lose their jobs. It happens in the blink of an eye. He struggled out of the gate, hurt his hamstring that kept him out for 2 months, and when he returned, he was basically out of a full time job. He’s now expected to be a bench bat headed into 2026. It wasn’t just the low OBP that got him, he also wasn’t good in 2025 with a .653 OPS. He got a bit unlucky with a .311 xwOBA, but that xwOBA is still below average. His lift/pull reached career low levels with a 9.1 degree launch, and his hit tool tanked with a career worst 27.5% K%. The 75.2 MPH swing and 47.1% Hard Hit% is still an impressive combo, and he’s only 29, so he should positively regress closer to career norms in 2026, so I would hesitate to say he’s toast, but he’s going to have to wait his turn again at best, and at worst he’s done as a starter. – 2026 Projection: 31/10/37/.252/.301/.427/2
861) Christian Encarnacion-Strand – CIN, 1B, 26.4 – Strand was a fade for me last off-season, and I couldn’t have nailed that harder, ending his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “Seeing his 220 ADP in NFBC Drafts, I’m concerned he might be a hair overrated at the moment. He has a long history of hitting for power and Cincinnati is one of the best ballparks in the league, but I really thought I was going to like Strand a lot more before digging into him for this blurb. I think I’m kinda lukewarm on him right now.” … and “lukewarm” ended up being nice as he was horrific in 2025 with a 59 wRC+ in 137 PA. The .269 xwOBA backs up the horrificness. He wasn’t even that great at Triple-A with a 107 wRC+ in 64 games. It’s easy to see what tanked him and it’s his terrible plate approach. He put up a 46.6% Chase% in the majors and a 39% Chase% at AAA. MLB pitchers exploited him easily. He’s a lift and pull machine and there is plus raw power, so the guy will hit dingers even if he hits .200, but he’s out of a job right now. That’s why you should be nervous about 1B only guys who don’t get on base. The leash is short to non existent. Strand will have to wait his turn to get another chance, and when/if he does, the extreme chase could tank him again. – 2026 Projection: 21/10/30/.227/.289/.412/0
862) Carson Roccaforte – KCR, OF, 24.0 – Kansas City desperately needs a CF. Roccaforte has a chance to be a good defensive CF, he’s already 24 years old, and he has good upper minors production under his belt at Double-A. I’m just saying, there is a chance we see Roccaforte out there at some point in 2026. He slashed .290/.387/.475 with 5 homers, 10 steals, and a 28.8/12.7 K%/BB% in 45 games at Double-A. He lifts/pulls, he hits it hard and he’s fast. The hit tool is obviously a major issue with that K rate (he hit .237 with a 29.8% K% at High-A), so he’s probably not a full time starter on a good team, but like I mentioned, KC is desperate to find a long term CF. They haven’t found one yet, and if Roccoforte gets his shot, there is fantasy friendly upside in here. – 2026 Projection: 9/2/11/.214/.285/.376/3 Prime Projection: 44/10/41/.229/.303/.417/15
863) Kala’i Rosario – MIN, OF, 23.9 – Rosario slashed .256/.358/.487 with 25 homers, 32 steals, and a 27.5/12.6 K%/BB% in 130 games. That is an impressive slash, but the most likely short side of a platoon profile isn’t as exciting. He mashes lefties but isn’t as impressive vs. righties. There is legit big power in here, but it also comes with hit tool risk as evidenced by that very high K%. And while he stole 32 bags, he’s never run that much in his career before and he’s not a burner, so it’s a question how much he’s going to run on the MLB level. The fantasy upside is obvious, which is why I led with the slash line, but there are enough negatives to not buy into it too much. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 55/18/64/.238/.313/.441/11
864) Tai Peete – STL, OF, 20.8 – I love Peete’s upside, athleticism and power/speed combo, but the hit tool is too brutal to keep betting too much on it. He put up a .217 BA with a 30.6/8.7 K%/BB% and 79 wRC+ in 125 games at High-A. Even being very young for the level, it’s clear the hit tool is in well beyond the danger zone risk territory. The good news is that he had the game power breakout we were waiting for with more lift/pull and more raw power, leading to 18 homers. He’s also fast with 25 steals, although he got caught a lot this year (10 times). The upside is worth sticking around a bit longer, especially giving some age to level leeway, but the extreme hit tool risk can’t make him a coveted prospect. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 61/16/64/.231/.308/.426/18
865) Eric Bitonti – MIL, 1B, 20.4 – Bitonti is the type of big, powerful, athletic and explosive prospect I love betting on at 6’4”, 218 pounds with a powerful and athletic lefty swing, but a 33.5% K% with a .238 BA in 118 games at Single-A is too much hit tool risk to ignore. Not only that, they have already moved him to 1B full time, so the bat is going to have to hit it’s ceiling to lock down a full time job in the future. Even with the swing and miss, he’s still such a beast that he notched a 117 wRC+ on the back of 19 homers and a 13.1% BB%. He’s a lift and pull machine, so combined with the raw power, he’s going to smash tons of dingers. He also stole 17 bags, showing the athleticism, albeit with 10 caught stealing, so he’s unlikely to contribute majorly in the category at peak. He’s your classic hit tool risk slugger, except a mid 30’s K rate in Single-A is a very extreme version of it. He needs to majorly improve that hit tool before the hype can really hit again. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 58/17/66/.228/.312/.441/5
866) George Wolkow – CHW, OF, 20.3 – Wolkow was a favorite of mine coming out of his FYPD year at 6’7”, 239 pounds with the type of power/athleticism combo I love betting on, and while the hit tool adjustment period for pro ball is taking awhile, I still can’t help but be drawn to this. His contact went in the right direction in 2025, bringing the K% down from 40.6% in 2024 to 29.6% in 116 games at Single-A in 2025. It’s still clearly a major issue, but this is the type of mammoth human power than can make an impact with mid 30’s whiff rates, so don’t discount him because of it. And that athleticism I loved for his size is still there with 33 steals. 13 homers with a 98 wRC+ isn’t exactly the dominance you want to see even with the high K rate, but I’m not giving up on him. We know the super tall guys take longer to figure out the hit tool, but when/if they do, the upside is monstrous. Even a Matt Wallner comp with more steals is in play. I’m still in on Wolkow for the mid 20’s breakout. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 62/22/74/.233/.311/.435/9
867) PJ Morlando – MIA, OF, 20.11 – Morlando was a fade for me in First Year Player Drafts, and avoiding him looks to be the right call so far with him having a lackluster first full year of pro ball. He was already 20 years old (which was one of the reasons I was fading him) and he slashed .226/.361/.353 with 5 homers, 6 steals, and a 26.6/15.5 K%/BB% in 52 games at Single-A. The 85.2 MPH EV, 7 degree launch, and 30.3% whiff% all looked pretty bad too. You can blame an already injury filled career for the lackluster numbers (he’s suffered back and elbow injuries), but not sure if that should be used as a positive if he’s injury prone. He definitely still looks the part at a strong and athletic 6’3”, and we know that more raw power is most certainly in here. If he comes back fully healthy in 2026, I can see him having a much better season, and even in the down year, he still had a 112 wRC+. It’s too early to give up on him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/20/76/.252/.331/.440/8
868) David Sandlin – CHW, RHP, 25.1 – Trade to Chicago is exactly what Sandlin needed for his value because he was almost surely a pen arm for Boston. He still might be a pen arm for Chicago too, but at least there is now a chance he can start, and his stuff is nasty enough to make an impact if he does. The heater sits mid to upper 90’s and he has a legit 5+ pitch mix with multiple bat missing secondaries. But the reason the Sox were willing to give him up is because the results didn’t match the stuff in 2025, especially when he got to Triple-A with a 4.50 ERA and 23.4/8.8 K%/BB% in 106 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. I was out on him before the trade, but with the trade, I’m willing to dip my toe back in a little, but he’s still not a guy I’m going after. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.38/1.33/46 in 50 IP
869) Christian Zazueta – LAD, RHP, 21.6 – Zazueta put up a 2.41 ERA with a 29.7/5.9 K%/BB% in 67.1 IP at Single-A. You know I love that K/BB, and the stuff is good with a potentially plus 93+ MPH fastball/changeup combo. The breakers still need work, he could use an extra MPH or two on the fastball at a still projectable 6’3”, and he needs to prove it at higher levels, but if anyone is going to get the most out of him, it’s the Dodgers. Will they ever give him a rotation spot though? Probably not. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.25/142 in 150 IP
870) Kelvis Salcedo – DET, RHP, 20.2 – Let me start by saying that Salcedo does not look the part. He’s super thick, and not necessarily in an athletic looking way, with bow legs. Based purely on looks, yes, I would guess he’s going to end up in the bullpen. But our eyes can be deceiving, because plenty of weird body shapes end up successful, and just looking at the stuff and results, he’s pretty exciting. He put up a 1,83 ERA with a 33.5/9.8 K%/BB% in 68.2 IP split between rookie and Single-A. He was actually better at Single-A than rookie ball. He throws gas with a 95+ MPH sinker and 4-seamer, and the secondaries are whiff machines in his cutter, changeup and slider. On age, stuff, and production alone, Salcedo could be majorly underrated. But it’s only the lower minors, and you look at the body, and go, I don’t know. I lean more towards stuff than looks the part, so I lean towards buying, but I can’t lie the look is preventing me from going too high. – 2026 Projection: 9/3.78/1.31/151 in 145 IP
871) Marcus Phillips – BOS, RHP, 21.8 – Selected 33rd overall, Phillips is a 6’4”, 246 pound solid rock with an arm action that gives off “rubber arm” type vibes, and befitting that size and arm, he throws gas with an above average mid 90’s fastball. He combines that with an above average slider and lesser used, still developing changeup vs. lefties. It all resulted in a 3.90 ERA, 4.08 FIP and a 27.3/9.5 K%/BB% in 83 IP in the SEC. Not bad, but it’s not exactly the dominance you want to see if you are drafting a college arm high in FYPD’s. The size and stuff definitely give him upside, but there is bullpen risk, and you would have liked to see a bit more college dominance to go higher than this. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/3.93/1.32/143 in 150 IP
872) Anthony Eyanson – BOS, RHP, 21.6 – Selected 87th overall, Eyanson has the look of a classic mid rotation upside arm, which isn’t bad, but it’s not a very unique profile, and he’s yet to prove it in pro ball, so I can only go so high on this type of profile. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s fastball and it’s not a particularly huge bat misser. He mostly relies on his slider and sweeper to dominate, and to be fair, he dominated the SEC with a 3.00 ERA and 33.9/8.0 K%/BB% in 108 IP. He has good size at 6’2”, 208 pounds and he also mixes in a changeup. Plenty to like for sure, but it seems like a #4 type to me, which was underscored by him falling to where he did in the draft, albeit with an above slot $1.75 million bonus. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.30/151 in 160 IP Update: Velocity is way up this spring. His breakout looks inevitable
873) Cam Cannarella – MIA, OF, 22.7 – Selected 43rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, I kinda predicted that Cannarella would be an interesting buy low this off-season after undergoing shoulder surgery which took his rehab right up until the start of the season (he was in Top 10 discussion before the season), but now that the buy low opportunity is actually here, I’m having cold feet. 5 homers with 6 steals in 10 attempts in 61 games in the ACC is just super lackluster, and then he came into pro ball and stole only 1 bag in 4 attempts in 22 games at High-A. If we can’t count on big steal totals, I’m not exactly sure what it is we are buying here. The power isn’t big and even his hit tool looked more good (18.9/7.4 K%/BB%) than great in pro ball. He’s got a plus CF glove, so a good defensive CF who gets the bat on the ball and has speed is a high floor player who will be a big leaguer of some sort, I’m just not seeing the big fantasy value right now. He’s more interesting in deep leagues to me. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 75/12/61/.263/.322/.392/19
874) AJ Russell – TEX, RHP, 21.9 – Selected 52nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Rangers took the Tommy John discount on Russell. He underwent the surgery in June 2024, which essentially knocked out his potential starting pitcher breakout in both 2024 and 2025, but it was a good sign that he was able to return in 2025 for 25.1 IP, and he looked good in those innings with a 3.55 ERA and 32.4/9.9 K%/BB% in the SEC. He’s 6’6”, 220 pounds with an athletic righty delivery that he uses to fire an at least plus, bat missing, low to mid 90’s fastball. The fastball is his bread and butter. The secondaries aren’t as good (slider, curve, change), but maybe he could have refined them if he didn’t get hurt. The injury leaves some mystery upside on that bone with professional coaching and a full off-season/season of being healthy. Texas certainly thought he was worthy of the gamble with a pretty high pick and a $2.6 million signing bonus – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 8/3.95/1.29/126 in 135 IP
875) Brandon Compton – MIA, OF, 22.5 – Selected 46th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Compton had a disappointing season coming off a great Cape performance and a great performance in his first year at Arizona State. He went from 14 homers and a 1.089 OPS in 2024 to 9 homers and a .865 OPS in 2025. He then came into pro ball and continued to show that he’s a flawed player, slashing .217/.354/.359 with 2 homers, 8 steals, and a 32.7/16.8 K%/BB% in 27 games at High-A. He definitely looks the part at 6’1”, 225 pounds with an athletic and powerful lefty swing that can hit the ball out to all fields. He’s got speed too. The upside is in here, but as you can see, the hit tool risk is extremely high, and he’s not the type who will have the red carpet rolled out for him as corner outfielder. He’s the type you take a shot on when he’s like 25-27 years old and maybe starting his work his way into a full time job. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 63/17/69/.241/.318/.425/9
876) Aaron Walton – CLE, OF, 21.11 – Selected 66th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Walton has has the size (6’3”, 219 pounds), power/speed combo and college production to make him one of the more interesting college bats as you get later in the draft. He slashed .320/.437/.589 with 14 homers, 29 steals, and a 13.8/10.0 K%/BB% in 65 games in the Big 12. The biggest issue is that the hit tool immediately didn’t transfer to pro ball with a 29.6% K% and .238 BA in 16 games at Single-A. He was solid with a 111 wRC+, 1 homer, and 6 steals, but considering the hit tool risk, and the fact that the homer power really hasn’t been that huge in his career, I can’t say I’m particularly going after him. If the pro debut had been better, I could have seen really flying him up rankings, but it didn’t play out like that. He’s in that glut of later college bats who are excellent athletes but have reasons they dropped to where they did in the draft. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/17/64/.246/.317/.428/14
877) Korbyn Dickerson – SEA, OF, 22.5 – Selected 152nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, I actually like Dickerson a lot. He has a jump off the screen athletic and explosive righty swing that crushed 19 homers in 56 games in the Big Ten with the big exit velocities to back it up. Not only is the power there, but he’s a good CF with plus speed. He only stole 5 bags, but he was a perfect 5 for 5 and I hope to see him run more in pro ball. The hit tool is the biggest question with a 18.8/8.9 K%/BB%, which is straight up not good for college. That seems ripe to get picked apart in pro ball against more advanced pitchers, but I mean, looking at how late he went, it seems that risk got weighted way too heavily. Considering the CF glove, power, and athleticism, how the hell did he fall so far? I like him a lot for fantasy too. He’s a college bat I’m going after in the mid to later parts of drafts. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 72/18/70/.246/.314/.435/14
878) Joendry Vargas – LAD, SS, 20.5 – We’re looking for shooting stars when going after teenage bats, and Vargas’ shooting star status/potential was pretty much extinguished in 2025. Full season ball gave him fits with a 29.9/8.0 K%/BB% and 75 wRC+ in 29 games. The hit tool and approach got exposed as being super raw. The tools I fell in love with are still there at a projectable 6’3” with plus power potential and good athleticism, but the minor leagues are littered with good athletes who are still raw, so it’s not a super unique profile. The upside is high enough to give him more of a chance in full season ball than just 29 games, but 2025 puts him in a different bucket of prospect. A worse bucket. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 58/18/67/.238/.302/.426/9
879) Robert Arias – CLE, OF, 19.6 – Arias is a future breakout candidate who has a strong foundation of excellent contact skills, a projectable 6’1” frame, CF defense and speed. He slashed .287/.389/.402 with 2 homers, 29 steals, and a 11.1/14.6 K%/BB% in 46 games at stateside rookie ball. He needs to improve both his raw and game power (52.5% GB%), and of course he has to prove the elite plate skills will transfer out of rookie ball, but I like him as a sleeper prospect. He doesn’t get much love and he can certainly end up a good one if things go right. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 78/14/57/.269/.337/.403/28
880) Andrew Salas – MIA, OF, 18.1 – So ridiculous that Miami debuted Salas at Single-A, putting up a 74 wRC+ with a .186 BA in 104 games. I mean, what are we supposed to learn from that? More importantly, what is Salas supposed to learn from that? Just a bad franchise making more bad decisions. I guess his evaluation should remain the same which is that he has a good plate skills (24.3/15.9 K%/BB% wasn’t bad), projectable size (6’2”), and athleticism (39 steals). I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want to go on this rushed Salas family ride though. I don’t want to hold Miami’s decision against him, or the fact MLB loves to rush the entire family, but I’m not too enthused on this. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 78/18/74/.255/.332/.422/22
881) Emanuel Luna – STL, OF, 17.3 – Luna is already a pretty muscled up and built up 6’2”, and befitting that size, he can already show the potential for very real raw power at peak. He’s also an excellent athlete with speed and strong plate skills. Size, power, athleticism, speed, plate skills … yup, that’s a really good international prospect who could pop and be among the best in the class by next off-season. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 76/23/79/.253/.324/.451/19
882) Angel Nunez Jr. – CIN, OF, 17.0 – Nunez is only 5’10”, but it’s an electric 5’10” with a pretty damn explosive lefty swing that should bring solid power at peak, to go along with plus speed, a good feel to hit, and just a general smooth operator feel to his game. I will say the upside might not be as high as some of the others at the top of the class, but I don’t know, it sure seems like there is legit juice in that swing if he can gain muscle. I can’t put him as high as the other truly elite international prospect, but again, kid is electric. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 83/17/58/.266/.324/.421/28
883) Elian Rosario – TEX, 3B/OF, 17.6 – The 6’2”, 195 pound Rosario is an absolute bull in the box already, and at only 17 years old, this guy could be a true beast at peak. He already has some of the best power in the class and he gets to that power with lift/pull. There is some hit tool risk, but the righty swing is natural with big time bat speed. He might end up in a corner outfield spot, and while he’s a good athlete, his body seems to be trending away from being a huge steals guy. So you are betting on the big power here from an already pretty big dude. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 79/28/89/.251/.332/.475/8
884) Coy James – WSH, SS, 19.1 – Selected 142nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $2.5 million, James got that pay day for the advanced hit tool, which if you’ve read me for any amount of time, you know that isn’t my favorite type of prospect. It’s giving me nightmares of Carter Johnson from the 2024 MLB Draft, who I was low on last off-season, but I actually don’t hate James at all, and considering he got drafted 142nd overall, I doubt he’s going to be a super high FYPD pick. He has one of the safest floors in the high school class with a history of hitting against the top competition for Team USA baseball and in high school. The swing is quick and simple, and he makes a ton of contact. He’s 6’0”, 185 pounds, so it’s not like he’s a super small guy, and while the swing is geared more for average, it’s possible he can get to 20 homers at peak. He’s not a jump off the screen type of athlete, but he plays a solid SS and there is for sure athleticism in here. Again, a hit tool first high school prospect without a big power/speed combo is not the type of guy I go after, and while I can’t say I’m planning on getting him in my leagues, I have no problem with him at his fair value. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 79/18/72/.272/.331/.421/10
885) Jose A. Ferrer – SEA, Setup, 26.1 – I was all set to really like Ferrer as a cheap closer in Washington, but Seattle smartly traded for him, which takes him out of any save opportunities. As a setup guy only he’s not quite dominant enough to rank highly, but I like him enough to keep him on the list. He was one of my favorite setup men last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Ferrer is the best lefty in an unsettled bullpen situation, which can often lead to like 8-10 saves, and it’s very possible he can emerge as the main guy too.” … and then he went out in 2025 and saved 11 games, emerging as the main guy after Kyle Finnegan got traded. He put up a 3.18 ERA with a 25.5/4.1 K%/BB% in 22.2 IP once locking in the job. The heavily used 97.7 MPH sinker is a worm killer with a negative 5 degree launch, the slider is his most used secondary with a 21.9% usage and 47% whiff%, and the lesser used changeup is damn good when he goes to it with a 52.5% whiff%. All of his pitches induce weak contact, leading to a 4.8% Barrel% against. He throws the sinker too much (70.6% usage) to really rack up K’s, but his 24.8% whiff% and 21.9% K% were both career highs. Sinker ballers also tend to have higher WHIP’s (1.27). He’s a good setup man but not a great one, yet. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.57/1.20/60/3 saves in 65 IP
886) Tyler Rogers – TOR, Setup, 35.4 – I don’t know who would be next man up in Toronto is Hoffman gets hurt/falters, but I do know Rogers is the best setup man they have assuming no decline. He’s a submarining righty with a 1.98 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 16.1/2.3 K%/BB% in 77.1 IP. That is the top end of his ability, but he’s basically been doing this since 2021. I’m sure being in San Francisco helped, but he’s been nearly as good on the road, so it’s not just San Francisco. He’s getting up there in age, but just based on past performance, he probably should be next man up. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.25/1.12/53/5 saves in 72 IP
887) Gregory Soto – PIT, Setup, 31.1 – Soto seems to be next man up in Pitt if Santana falters, which is certainly possible, but he’s a lefty and he’s not quite good enough to be sure he would actually be the guy. He put up a 4.18 ERA with a 25.1/8.6 K%/BB% in 60.1 IP. He throws gas with a 96.8 MPH sinker that put up a 1 degree launch and the slider is a bat misser with a 45.5% whiff%. It’s a classic back of the bullpen profile, but he’s had an ERA well above 4 for 3 years in a row, and the career 1.44 WHIP (1.43 in 2025) is super high, so he’s a guy who can actually hurt you. Even with Pitt being a decent place to chase saves, Soto is a kinda risky option. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.10/1.36/70/8 saves in 61 IP
888) Camilo Doval – NYY, Setup, 28.10 – Doval is the top setup guy in New York, but his terrible control has made him so shaky throughout his career that it’s far from a guarantee that he will actually be next man up when/if the time comes. He put up a 3.58 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 25.9/12.6 K%/BB% in 65.1 IP. He had a 4.82 ERA in 18.2 IP after getting traded to the Yanks and he had a 4.88 ERA in 2024 just to give you an idea of that volatility. He has the upper 90’s fastball with a bat missing slider, but the control just never allowed him to be consistently great. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.72/1.32/75/6 saves in 65 IP
889) Calvin Faucher – MIA, Setup, 30.6 – Faucher is next man up in Miami and he saved 15 games last year, but he’s just not that good. He put up a 3.28 ERA, 4.36 xERA, and a 23.1/9.4 K%/BB% in 60.1 IP. If you are looking for reasons to believe, the curveball took a huge step forward last year with a 38.6% whiff% and .197 xwOBA, but he only threw it 15.1% of the time, so who knows if that is actually sustainable or it’s just a small sample thing. He throws the 92.1 MPH cutter the most and it’s a solid pitch with a +4 Run Value. The 23.7% whiff% overall is a below average and so is the walk rate. He’s a mediocre reliever with some semblance of a path to saves, possibly after the deadline. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.69/1.32/62/10 saves in 62 IP
890) Fernando Cruz – NYY, Setup, 36.0 – I see a 46.5% whiff%, and I’m going to buy. That is crazy. And while it seems Doval is next man up in New York, Doval is super shaky, so Cruz might actually be ahead of him. He put up a 3.56 ERA with a 36.0/12.0 K%/BB% in 48 IP. He throws the splitter 60.5% of the time and it has a 56.6% whiff%, which is why the overall whiff% is so high, but that is also why the walk rates are well below average. Throwing the splitter that much is going to cause volatility. The fastballs sit 93-94 MPH and aren’t great pitches, so that is why it’s all splitter, all the time. If you want a high K setup guy who could be next man up, I like Cruz. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.65/1.23/90/4 saves in 63 IP
891) Gabe Speier – SEA, Setup, 31.0 – Speier doesn’t seem all that close to saves, but he’s coming off a season with a 2.61 ERA and 33.7/4.5 K%/BB% in 62 IP with the underlying numbers to back it up. The 95 MPH fastball put up a 33.3% whiff%, the slider put up a 49.1% whiff%, and the sinker put up a +4 Run Value. Seattle is stacked in the pen. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.38/1.11/79/1 save in 61 IP
892) Jedixson Paez – CHW, RHP, 22.2 – Paez was the 2nd pick in the Rule 5 Draft, which is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because Chicago’s rotation is terrible and Paez has to stay on the MLB roster if Chicago wants to keep him. There is a clear path to him getting into the rotation at some point. But it’s curse because he’s never pitched above High-A and the odds of him actually being ready for it are slim. So I lean this move likely putting him in the bullpen for the foreseeable future. I was a big fan of Paez coming into the season because K/BB is King, and he put up a 30.2/3.1 K%/BB% in 96.2 IP in 2024. Unfortunately, a calf strain knocked out the vast majority of his 2025 season, but once again the K/BB was pristine when he was out there with a 2.79 ERA and 27.7/3.6 K%/BB% in 19.1 IP. He has a very fun, super athletic righty delivery with a bevy of good secondaries (change, slider, curve). The fastball only sits low 90’s, but there is some projection there at 6’1”. I would have loved to see what he could do with a healthy season in the upper minors, but it was not to be. It’s not going to stop me from liking him though, because again, and elite K/BB like that is worth betting on. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.39/1.34/69 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.93/1.23/142 in 150 IP
893) Tekoah Roby – STL, RHP, 24.6 – Roby was bouncing back from a down and injury 2024 with a 3.10 ERA and 27.5/6.0 K%/BB% in 78.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A but unfortunately his season ended in early July with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. That basically wipes out his entire 2026 season. He’s good enough to keep on the list, but he’s not someone I’m taking the TJ discount on. The fastball sits 95+ but it doesn’t miss a ton of bats. The breakers miss bats and his sinker is probably better than his 4-seamer, so he has ingredients to tinker with. But now with the surgery, we have to see if he can even get back to full health. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 8/4.09/1.29/133 in 140 IP
894) Braxton Bragg – BAL, RHP, 25.5 – Bragg was having a breakout season with a 2.32 ERA with a 33.7/6.9 K%/BB% in 42.2 IP at Double-A before going down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in July. That essentially wipes out his entire 2026, and while he’s good enough not to forget, he’s not good enough for me to take the TJ discount on. He had a velocity bump this season with the fastballs now sitting mid 90’s, and he combines that with a good slider, changeup, and cutter. He’s a mid rotation upside type who will be 26 years old when he returns, and who knows if he gets back to full health or not. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 4/3.73/1.21/68 in 65 IP
895) LuJames Groover – ARI, 3B, 24.0 – Groover is a floor over upside bat who is a better real life hitter than fantasy hitter. He slashed .309/.399/.434 with 12 homers, 3 steals, and a 14.4/11.5 K%/BB% in 123 games at Double-A. That basically tells you everything. He’s not a big lift/pull guy, he doesn’t have big hard hit numbers and he doesn’t run. But I mean, the guy can hit, and he’s decent at 3B. Lawlar hasn’t been able to hit his way out of a paper bag and Blaze Alexander can play all over the field, so it’s not like there isn’t a path at all for him long term. He’s not the type I go after in fantasy, but in deeper league he’s gets a bump, and if you are into these types, Groover definitely has the chance to emerge in 2026. – 2026 Projection: 11/2/9/.251/.306/.369/0 Prime Projection: 74/15/66/.272/.336/.415/3
896) Ryan Bliss – SEA, 2B, 26.4 – Bliss had a completely lost season, first undergoing biceps surgery in April, which kept him out until late August, and then undergoing knee surgery in September, which ended his season. But in his absence, nobody took hold of the starting 2B job. Colt Emerson is coming, but he might actually end up at 3B. All of this to say, Bliss still has a chance to factor into the Mariners 2026 plans. The bigger problem is that the hit tool doesn’t look like it’s going to be good enough to get to his fun fantasy upside. He put up a 28.2% K% in 11 games in the majors before getting hurt, and a 27.8% K% at AAA in 6 games before hurting the knee. Stolen bases was his best asset, and now with the knee injury, even that could be a little at risk. But the thing that gets him on the list is that he’s a good defender at 2B, and he has a 10.4% Barrel% in 110 MLB PA. He hits the ball harder than his 5’7” size would indicate. If he comes back completely healthy, and Seattle doesn’t add anyone else this off-season, there is certainly a chance he can win the job. – 2026 Projection: 20/6/20/.228/.307/.398/9
897) Juan Brito – CLE, 2B, 24.6 – Brito seemed to miss his window to establish himself as a MLB 2B in 2025. He suffered both a thumb injury and severe hamstring injury, both requiring surgery, and it limited him to just 31 games in the minors. Bazzana is highly likely to take that 2B job very early in 2026, and as the #1 overall pick in the draft, I imagine he’s going to get a very long leash. But these things get decided on the field, and it’s within the realm of possibility that Brito is better than Bazzana. The problem is that Brito isn’t a good defensive player, and while the bat has the potential to be solid, there isn’t really big upside in there. His best fantasy skill is that he’s a lift and pull machine, so combined with the strong plate skills, there is a path to be an impact bat if given the chance. He doesn’t hit it hard enough to get excited, but maybe the raw power can tick up in his mid 20’s. I would have loved to see what he could have done if he stayed healthy in 2025, but now he’s going to have to scratch and claw for a shot. – 2026 Projection: 18/4/21/.234/.301/.382/3 Prime Projection: 62/18/66/.250/.320/.425/7
898) Jansel Luis – ARI, 3B/2B, 21.1 – Here is what I wrote about Jansel in last year’s Top 1,000 blurb and I can literally write the same thing this year, “Luis was a breakout candidate coming into 2024, and while he didn’t breakout, he did enough to stay on the future breakout radar.” … he’s just not getting better at the things he needs to get better at, but he keeps performing solidly at higher levels, slashing .304/.342/.422 with 5 homers, 22 steals, and a 16.3/6.0 K%/BB% in 102 games at High-A. He needed to improve his power and walk rate, and as you can see he hasn’t yet. The 50.6% GB% is too high and he’s a chase machine. He also isn’t a particularly great base stealer, so we’ll see if he can keep the steal totals up at higher levels. The strong feel to hit, projectable power and good athleticism is all there, so maybe his age 21 year old season is when he starts improving those weaknesses. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/13/61/.265/.310/.401/17
899) Tyler Locklear – ARI, 1B, 25.4 – Locklear’s season ended in September after a collision at 1B that resulted in him needing both elbow and shoulder surgery for a torn ligament and labrum damage. That just added injury to insult as Locklear had a brutal year with a .249 xwOBA, 37.1% K% and a .529 OPS in 116 PA. Arizona’s 1B and DH job are both currently shaky enough to win, but with him not expected to be ready to start the year, and with how horrific he’s performed in the majors, he’s likely pretty far down the depth chart already.. He dominated at Triple-A with a 136 wRC+, 19 homers and a 21.9/10.8 K%/BB% in 98 games, so he definitely has potential to do better than he’s shown thus far, but even at Triple-A the 8 degree launch and 14.5% Air Pull% was lackluster. A 1B with hit tool risk and very little lift/pull is not someone I’m running to bet on. Now tack on the injury risk and he’s just a flier in deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 18/5/23/.225/.303/.395/2
900) Gabriel Rincones – PHI, OF, 25.1 – Rincones is a proximity power play with some impressive EV/hard hit numbers. He put up a 92.3 MPH EV with a 48.1% Hard Hit% at 6’3”, 225 pounds in 119 games at Triple-A. He’s not a huge lift and pull guy, so the homer totals haven’t been off the charts in his career, but he can certainly pop dingers with 18 this year. He’s also a good base stealer despite mediocre speed with 21 steals in 26 attempts. His biggest issues are the hit tool risk (.240 BA with a 28.9% whiff%), he’s terrible vs. lefties, and he’s not a good defensive player. So it’s a platoon bat at best, and most likely a bench power bat. – 2026 Projection: 12/3/15/.223/.292/.390/1 Prime Projection: 51/14/56/.241/.320/.430/8
901) Ben Williamson – TBR, 3B, 26.5 – I already assumed Williamson wasn’t going to be a starter, and with the trade to Tampa, that seems even more likely. Even if he was, the upside isn’t in here with a lack of both game and raw power. He hit 1 homer with a 76 wRC+ and 3.1 degree launch in 85 games in the majors. The 35.6% Hard Hit% at Triple-A shows there isn’t big time raw power in here either. He gets the bat on the ball, he’s a good defensive player, and he runs a bit, so he can be a low end fantasy bat if given the chance, but I don’t think he’s going to get the chance, at least not for the entire season. Maybe he can win the short term SS job, but I don’t see that as a long term option. – 2026 Projection: 33/4/26/.250/.310/.360/7
902) Liam Hicks – MIA, C/1B, 26.10 – Joe Mack is very clearly going to take the starter job with Ramirez backing up (for as long as Miami can stomach his defense), but if Mack struggles hard, it’s possible Hicks gets a large share of catcher at bats again. Hicks also chips in at 1B and 1B is open in Miami at the moment. He has elite plate skills with a 14.4/11.0 K%/BB% but the 84.5 MPH EV and 27.7% Hard Hit% tanks any offensive value he can actually squeeze from that. He hit only 6 homers with 2 steals and a .247 BA in 390 PA. I guess add a star in OBP leagues with a .346 OBP, but I just don’t trust he’s going to get the at bats even in deeper leagues. Desperation option only. – 2026 Projection: 32/6/38/.252/.341/.360/2
903) Blaze Jordan – STL, 3B/1B, 23.3 – What happened to that big raw power that got everyone so excited when Jordan was in high school? If he still had it, he would be pretty exciting, but not only doesn’t he have it, it’s now bottom of the scale. He put up a 85.5 MPH EV with a 34.5% Hard Hard Hit%. To be fair, the 105.1 MPH 90th EV isn’t bad at all, and it does show he still has it in there somewhere, so maybe if he ever decided to try to hit it harder, he has that in him somewhere. But right now, the focus is so heavily contact with a 11% K%, and it did produce a good season in the upper minors with 19 homers and a 111 wRC+ in 129 games. He doesn’t walk enough, he doesn’t lift and pull enough, he’s not a good defensive player, and he doesn’t consistently hit it hard to enough to make him a good bet to ever lock in a full time 1B job, but with St. Louis in retool mode, maybe there is a pocket for Jordan to get a real shot at some point. – 2026 Projection: 14/3/19/.249/.291/.385/1 Prime Projection: 52/15/65/.268/.314/.420/3
904) Yohandy Morales – WAS, 1B/3B, 24.6 – 1B is currently wide open in Washington, and at the least the short side of the platoon is open, so Morales might actually compete for the job out of camp. He got drafted 40th overall in 2023 for a reason, and that reason is that he’s a big dude at 6’3”, 225 pounds who can smash the ball with a 92 MPH EV and 48% Hard Hit%. The problem is that is all he can do well with major hit tool risk (35.9% whiff%) and no lift/pull (6 degree launch with a 8.3% Air Pull%). That is the type of profile that can get run on a team that has no other options, but it’s not the type you actually want to be your MLB 1B for any extended period of time. – 2026 Projection: Prime Projection: 48/13/59/.237/.309/.417/4
905) Jace Jung – DET, 3B, 25.6 – Jung put up a 9 wRC+ in 55 MLB PA in 2025. That’s fun. He’s already 25 years old and he doesn’t have a job. He’s hanging on by a thread to the Top 1,000, but he did enough at Triple-A to give him one more year. He had a raw power breakout at Triple-A with a 90.5 MPH EV and 46.8% Hard Hit% in 110 games. It led to 17 homers and a 124 wRC+. The 38.7% Hard Hit% in the majors wasn’t terrible either. He has hit tool risk, which is obvious with the .106 BA and 29.1% K% in the majors, but the .161 BABIP and 23.6% whiff% shows he very clearly got unlucky. He can lift/pull, he gets on base, and he played a good 3B. He’s only a very deep league option right now, but I’m not ready to completely banish him quite yet. – 2026 Projection: 14/5/16/.227/.309/.395/1
906) Chris Suero – NYM, C/OF/1B, 22.2 – Suero makes for a super fun catcher prospect because of how much speed he has. He has a chance be a legitimately solid defensive catcher, and it comes with plus speed and 35 steals in 115 games at High-A and Double-A. That is an extremely unique profile. He also has solid raw and game power with an athletic right swing that produced 16 homers. He killed it in the AFL too, slashing .283/.353/.567 with 5 homers, 9 steals, and a 26.5/10.3 K%/BB% in 15 games. As you can see from the K rate, the hit tool is the biggest issue with a 29.3% K% on the regular season season. The BA dropped to .221 in 41 games at Double-A (.240 at High-A), and the production dropped in general with a 118 wRC+ (154 wRC+ at High-A), but considering he was only 21, we can give him some leeway there. He played a lot of OF and 1B, which I like, because it gives him more opportunity to get on the field than just at catcher. The most likely outcome is a backup catcher who gets almost enough PA at other positions to be fantasy viable, and his speed gives him unique upside if he can get enough PA. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 55/13/48/.233/.318/.415/18
907) Jesus Baez – STL, SS/3B, 21.1 – Baez has an above average contact/raw power profile with a quick and powerful righty swing, but the game power and and BA play a bit down. He put up a 18.1% K% in 103 games at High-A, but the approach isn’t particularly skilled, so it resulted in a .242 BA. He hits the ball hard, but a 46% GB% resulted in only 12 homers. And there is still a question about his ultimate defensive home. There is potential for a solid real life bat, but even if he does reach that peak, the fantasy upside isn’t very high. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 61/17/69/.250/.316/.428/5
908) Izaac Pacheco – DET, 3B, 23.4 – Pacheco was a 22 year old at High-A, so you have to take his numbers with a bit of a grain of salt, but the dude mashed with 17 homers, a 155 wRC+ and a 28.9/17.4 K%/BB% in 99 games. As you can see from that K% though, the hit tool is still a major risk, and it’s the hit tool that tanked him in 2023 and 2024 when he was age appropriate for the level with over 30% K rates. This was his 3rd go around at High-A. I liked him a lot after his breakout 2022 season because he’s 6’3”, 225 pounds with a beastly lefty swing, so the 2025 resurgence is good enough to get him back on the radar, but we need to see it in the upper minors before getting excited again. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 42/15/45/.228/.309/.424/2
909) Joswa Lugo – LAA, SS, 19.2 – Lugo was one of my favorite players coming out of the DSL last off-season, and while he didn’t have the explosion we are aiming for with those types, it wasn’t a disaster either. He slashed .271/.375/.372 with 2 homers, 1 steal, and a 26.3/12.5 K%/BB% in 35 games in stateside rookie ball. The powerful righty swing from a 6’3” frame is still one to bet on, and he hits the ball really hard, but the 49.4% GB% is way too high. Combined with the high strikeout rate, you can see that this is still a very raw player. And not to sound like a broken record, but the Angels aren’t the team to bet on to refine these types. He’s still a fun power upside prospect, but I don’t like him as much as I did last off-season. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 63/21/74/.242/.316/.429/7
910) Cooper Flemming – TBR, SS, 19.8 – Selected 53rd overall, Flemming is a projectable 6’3”, 190 pounds with a good feel to hit, solid approach, and the ability to add a lot more power in the future. He has a long way to go, and nothing is too standout in the profile (he’s an average runner), so you are buying the ingredients and organization here. He strikes me as a better real life bat than fantasy bat. He didn’t debut in 2025. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 73/20/76/.261/.325/.431/8
911) Kyle DeBarge – MIN, SS, 22.9 – I liked DeBarge in last year’s FYPD class as both a little man discount and small school discount, but his first full year of pro ball wasn’t good enough to hang on too strong here. He slashed .237/.347/.362 with 8 homers, 66 steals, and a 22.3/12.9 K%/BB% in 121 games at High-A. A college bat needs to have a better slash line that that in the lower minors to be really high on them. He doesn’t hit the ball very hard and the K rate is on the high side, which is not a good combo. On the flip side, he stole a shitload of bags, and the lift/pull profile is still there, so the fantasy friendly upside is in here. He’s trending towards a fantasy relevant utility player, which isn’t bad for deeper leagues. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/13/51/.242/.318/.409/24
912) Cristian Hernandez – MIA, SS, 22.3 – The big talent that made Hernandez the top international signing in his class is still here at an uber athletic 6’2” with an electric swing, raw power, and plus speed, but his pro career has been a struggle. Credit to him for righting the ship after it bottomed out in 2022 and 2023, but it just feels like so much work has gone into him just being a mediocre bat in the lower minors. He was a 21 year old at High-A and he put up a 97 wRC+ with a .252/.329/.365 triple slash. Granted, we saw a lot of 21 year old college bats step into the lower minors and put up some mediocre lines too, so maybe I’m being harsh, but that might say more about the 2025 college class than it does about Hernandez. The good news is that the 20.7/10.5 K%/BB% is solid, the SS glove is solid, and the fantasy upside is in here with 52 steals. The power upside is there too, but he hit only 7 homers with a 47.1% GB% in 115 games, so he doesn’t seem that close to tapping into it. He’s a mid 20’s breakout candidate at best (which is hysterical that the Marlins landed him), and it’s possible he drops like a stone once he starts seeing advanced pitching in the upper minors. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 67/14/61/.243/.312/.413/22
913) Franyerber Montillo – DET, 2B/SS, 20.11 – Franyerber was a 20 year old at Single-A and his numbers weren’t standout enough to get too excited. He slashed .271/.368/.395 with 4 homers, 27 steals and a 24.7/12.7 K%/BB% in 67 games. The 35.3% Hard Hit% is good for his age, but it’s not like he’s a hard hitting beast. But the reason he cracks this list is that I just like the look of him when I watch him. He’s super smooth out there with an athletic righty swing that looks the part. The stolen bases show the type of athlete he is, he’s 6 foot with room to tack on more mass, and he can lift and pull. There is certainly breakout potential in here. Despite the mediocre age to level stats, I like him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/17/65/.244/.317/.414/20
914) Welbyn Francisca – CLE, SS, 19.10 – Francisca had a down year in his first full taste of full season ball with a .229/.320/.302 slash in 98 games at Single-A, but his profile really hasn’t changed at all. He stole 45 bags with a 17.1/11.1 K%/BB%, which looks better than the surface stats. It only came with 3 homers, which is disappointing, but homers were never going to be the major part of his game. It just feels like an unlucky/down season, but at the same time, the hope was for him to show off there was more pop than meets the eye at 5’8”, and he clearly didn’t show that. He’s still a good top of the order prospect but some of the shine has definitely worn off. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/13/55/.262/.330/.380/29
915) Yandel Ricardo – KCR, SS, 19.5 – Ricardo was an international bonus baby, signing for $2.4 million in 2024, and while his DSL performance in 2024 (92 wRC+) couldn’t get him back onto my Top 1,000, he definitely flashed plenty of that big talent to keep him on the radar. And then he showed way more than just flashes in stateside rookie ball this year, slashing .342/.438/.533 with 2 homers, 17 steals, and a 24.1/12.4 K%/BB% in 33 games. The .459 BABIP was doing a lot of the heavy lifting there, so I stayed a bit skeptical, and he did in fact crater when he got the call to Single-A with a 60 wRC+ in 50 games. He was just 18 years old, but I mean, there were plenty of 18 years who played at Single-A in 2025 who played much better than that. Doesn’t mean he isn’t a good prospect though, because he certainly is with all the talent still present that landed him that big bonus. He’s a projectable 6’1” with a quick and powerful lefty swing that definitely looks the part. The righty swing doesn’t look as powerful, gearing it more for contact. He’s got speed, he’s got a good MI glove, and he’s got projectable power. The hit tool is a risk and the groundball rates are well over 50%, so there is a lot of risk and a long way to go, but if he pans out, it could pay off big. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 73/14/66/.246/.317/.408/18
916) Shotaro Morii – SAC, SS, 19.4 – I was a big fan of Morii last off-season after hitting 45 home runs in his high school career in Japan, and while he didn’t show off as much of that power hitting prowess as I wanted to see, he still had a solid stateside debut, slashing .258/.399/.384 with 3 homers, 4 steals, and a 25.0/19.1 K%/BB% in 43 games in rookie ball. It was good for a 110 wRC+. I fell in love with the balanced, smooth, quick and powerful lefty swing, and that swing is still fully there. He didn’t have any groundball (38.8% GB%) or pull issues (48.5%). He’s already a strong 6’0”, but there is definitely more room for him to tack on mass, and I only see the raw power ticking up from here. The K rate was higher than optimal and it wasn’t the explosion onto the scene I wanted to see, but this is still a bat I want to bet on. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/22/81/.253/.334/.438/8
917) Devin Fitz-Gerald – WSH, 2B/3B/SS, 20.7 – Fitz was a 19 year old in stateside rookie, so you have to take some points away, but he was still impressive, slashing .318/.423/.542 with 6 homers, 5 steals, and a 11.5/13.1 K%/BB% in 31 games. The production immediately dropped off at Single-A in 10 games with a .250 BA and 0 homers, which underscores that age to level matters, but you have to give all players a minute to adjust to new levels/new teams regardless of age. He’s not a big tools guy at 5’10”, but he can hit the ball hard and the plate skills are strong. There isn’t big fantasy upside, and he’s not a good defensive player, but he can be your classic solid across the board type at peak if it all works out. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/18/71/.263/.331/.430/16
918) James Ellwanger – MIN, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 88th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Ellwanger is really easy to like at a very athletic and still projectable 6’5”, 195 pounds. He already throws mid 90’s and he combines that gas with two bat missing breakers and a lesser used changeup. The reason he doesn’t rank even higher is because there are still control/command issues, putting up a 3.98 ERA with a 33.0/13.5 K%/BB% in 63.1 IP in Conference USA. He’s only pitched 81 innings in his college career, and he’s still just 21 years old, so I’m apt to project better control in the future based on his athleticism. I like him a fair amount and would definitely be a guy I’m circling as you get deeper into the draft in medium to deeper leagues. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.81/1.31/161 in 155 IP
919) Dauri Fernandez – CLE, 2B/SS/3B, 19.1 – Fernandez is your classic little man contact/speed play at 5’9”, slashing .333/.398/.558 with 6 homers, 16 steals, and a 12.5/9.1 K%/BB% in 43 games in stateside rookie ball. He wasn’t able to keep it up in a cup of coffee at Single-A with a 57 wRC+ in 7 games, but it’s a good sign the 12.5% K% remained excellent. There is bottom of the scale power in here despite the homer totals, but he can lift and pull, so any uptick in power will be helpful. He’s most likely a utility infielder long term, but the little man contact/speed/lift/pull profile has broken out many times before, and Fernandez fits that profile if the raw power can tick up considerably. Hit that weight room young man. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 63/10/41/.266/.319/.391/21
920) Darell Morel – PIT, SS, 18.6 – Morel signed for $1.8 million in the last signing period and at 6’4” with good athleticism, the upside is obvious. He also hit well in the DSL, albeit with some major flaws, slashing .287/.425/.414 with 1 homer, 26 steals, and a 22.3/18.3 K%/BB% in 50 games. That high K% is one major flaw, and the other is a 60.8% GB%. A high K/GB combo is the sign of a still very raw player, but those stolen bases and his size point to very real upside if he can refine his game. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 61/16/66/.242/.318/.425/12
921) Miguel Hernandez – STL, SS, 17.10 – Hernandez was one of the youngest players in the DSL, and he was also one of the best, slashing .281/.408/.444 with 5 homers, 15 steals, and a 20.7/14.8 K%/BB% in 36 games. He has a good glove at SS, plus speed, and a projectable frame at a skinny 6’0”. The 68.4% Pull% shows the guy is out to do damage. He already has some power with 5 dingers and hopefully a lot more is coming. The K% is a bit higher than optimal, but this is a really interesting fantasy prospect. I like him. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/18/73/.251/.319/.428/23
922) Ronny Munoz – MIA, SS, 17.6 – Munoz has that loose, smooth, natural, easy, athletic, quick and powerful righty swing that is just a beauty to watch. It stands out for sure, and he uses that swing to already hit the ball hard to all fields. You can tell by that swing that he is an electric athlete and he uses that athleticism on the bases as well. The hit tool is a risk, but if he comes into the DSL and shows that he can hit, he’s the type that can skyrocket up rankings in a hurry. I really like him. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 78/22/83/.253/.321/.446/26
923) Sean Keys – TOR, 3B, 22.10 – Keys is a 6’2”, 232 pound lefty masher who smacked 19 homers with a 38.8% GB% and 53.4% Pull% in 119 games at High-A. He was on the older side for what I like in the lower minors, but he can quite clearly mash. The hit tool is a bigger problem with a .217 BA, and while the 22.1/16.3 K%/BB% doesn’t look as bad as the BA, it’s clearly going to be an issue as he faces more advanced competition. He has to show what he can do in the upper minors first, but the power is legit. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 51/18/58/.231/.311/.432/5
924) Parks Harbor – SFG, 3B, 24.6 – It’s hard to get too excited for a 23 year old in the lower minors, but to Harbor’s credit, he utterly decimated the levels. He put up a 174 wRC+ with 13 homers and a 23.0/12.8 K%/BB% in 79 games at mostly High-A, and then even more impressively, he destroyed the AFL, slashing .383/.513/.683 with 3 homers, 1 steal, and a 26.3/18.4 K%/BB% in 17 games. The 94.6 MPH EV in the AFL is top of the scale. At 6’3”, 225 pounds, the guy can crush the ball. How good the hit tool will be against real competition in the upper minors is a big question, he might end up at 1B, and most of his power goes the opposite way, so it seems ending up a bench bat in a bad ballpark is the most likely outcome. But he’s destroyed every level in pro ball, and sometimes these guys just keep on destroying. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 54/16/61/.246/.319/.429/4
925) Carson DeMartini – PHI, 3B, 23.3 – It all fell apart for DeMartini in his first taste of the upper minors, slashing .202/.291/.288 with 2 homers, 27 steals, and a 25.7/9.5 K%/BB% in 66 games. Both the power and hit tool fell off a cliff. That is a really bad sign, to say the least. He stole 27 bags and he stole 45 bags on the season, but if the bat can’t get him on the field, it’s not going to matter too much. He lifts is a ton with a 32.7% GB%, but he doesn’t pull enough (38.3% Pull%) and he doesn’t crush the ball hard enough to take advantage of it. So combined with the high K rate, it’s a BA tank waiting to happen. He doesn’t seem like a starting quality MLB bat, but his lift/speed profile has fantasy friendly upside when/if his bat does get into the lineup, even in a bench role for deep leagues. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 51/13/46/.229/.311/.413/15
926) Yassel Soler – ARI, 3B, 20.2 – Soler is thick dude with a mammoth righty swing that has easy plus power potential, but the hit tool got exposed in his first taste of full season ball. He put up a .240 BA with a 22.3% K%. Not terrible, but there are other warts in his game too, like high chase, high groundball rates, not great on D, and not much speed. He knocked out 12 dingers in 92 games, and there is potential for a lot more than that, but he’s just a lower end power bat flier in the lower minors. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 48/16/59/.240/.315/.433/3
927) Wilder Dalis – COL, 3B, 19.8 – Dalis was a stateside rookie ball breakout with a 150 wRC+ in 56 games, but the .438 BABIP was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, and he wasn’t nearly as good at Single-A with a 100 wRC+ and .241 BA in 31 games. He doesn’t have a standout tool or skill with a 19.7% K%, 6 homers, and 16 steals in 22 attempts, but he can end up a solid across the board type if the power ticks up over time at a not small 6’0”. He was also young for Single-A, so we have to give him some leeway there too. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 67/12/51/.254/.321/.391/14
928) Angel Salio – CIN, 3B, 18.1 – Salio signed for half a mil in the last international signing period, and then he went out and made that look like a bargain, slashing .331/.402/.507 with 1 homer, 14 steals in 15 attempts, and a 10.1/11.2 K%/BB% in 42 games in the DSL. The hit tool was excellent, he’s a good athlete, and he’s a projectable 6’2” with a smooth lefty swing, so more power should be coming, although the 55% GB% shows it might not ever be a major part of his game. Lots of ingredients to like here, but a long way to go obviously. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/14/59/.267/.323/.395/18
929) Darell Hernaiz – OAK, 3B/SS, 24.8 – Hernaiz isn’t a high upside fantasy bat and my money is on Muncy to take the 3B job, but he has two things going for him, which are hist elite contact rates and good infield glove. He put up a 12.2% K% in 51 games in the majors and a 11.5% K% in 96 games at Triple-A. That is a standout skill, and having a standout skill can often carry the day, especially when his competition has a shaky hit tool. He also likely has a better glove than Muncy. But there is just such little impact that I don’t have much desire to bet on him. Even with the elite contact rates he put up a 65 wRC+ with a 30.1% Hard Hit% and no lift/pull. There is some upside on the bases with a 28.2 ft/sec sprint, but he went 3 for 7 in the majors, so it’s not much upside there either. It’s a clear utility infielder profile unless he can significantly increase his raw power, which is certainly possible. – 2026 Projection: 38/4/30/.253/.314/.368/6
930) Ryan Ritter – COL, 2B/SS, 25.3 – Ritter hit very well at Triple-A in a hitter’s haven park with a 138 wRC+, but he was already 24 years old, and the numbers dropped off a cliff in the majors with a 64 wRC+, .246 xwOBA, a 35.4% whiff% and 30.5% Hard Hit% in 60 games. Even the 30.3% whiff% and 42.9% Hard Hit% at Triple-A aren’t standout, especially for a 24 year old. The only reason he cracks the list is that Colorado has an opening at 2B, and it’s conceivable Ritter ends up winning the job if shows massive improvement his 2nd go round in the majors. – 2026 Projection: 24/6/29/.243/.302/.398/3
931) Maximo Acosta – MIA, SS/3B, 23.5 – Acosta probably doesn’t deserve to crack the list with a 87 wRC+ in 115 games at Triple-A, but he gets on for a few reasons. He’s got speed with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint and 33 steals at Triple-A. He’s got proximity with a versatile infield glove. And most eye poppingly, he put up a 56.8% Hard Hit% and 93.5 MPH EV in his small sample 61 PA MLB debut. I don’t trust that at all with a 36.2% Hard Hit% at Triple-A, but maybe it portends some more power potential in the future. He was only 22 years old at Triple-A, which isn’t super young, but it’s still young for the level. He would be more enticing if he didn’t strikeout so much (26.5%). – 2026 Projection: 16/3/12/.225/.298/.368/6 Prime Projection: 41/8/32/.241/.318/.397/15
932) Gabriel Rodriguez – CLE, SS, 18.11 – Rodriguez followed up his strong DSL season in 2024 with an equally as good season in stateside rookie ball in 2025, slashing .294/.393/.402 with 1 homer, 11 steals, and a 18.9/12.3 K%/BB% in 28 games. He’s a glove first prospect, so there isn’t big fantasy upside, but the glove will get him on the field, and there is a chance for a solid across the board profile with plus speed as his best attribute. He’s not small at 6’0”, so if the power ticks up meaningfully, he can beast my projection. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 71/14/58/.252/.318/.391/22
933) Tate Southisene – ATL, SS, 19.6 – Southisene was a surprisingly high pick at 22nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, and he had the type of disaster pro debut that didn’t make Atlanta look smart for sticking their neck out for him, slashing .219/.242/.297 with 0 homers, 3 steals, and a 40.9/1.5 K%/BB% in 15 games. That K/BB isn’t just bad, it is one of the worst I’ve seen in a decently sized debut sample. I don’t recall seeing a worse one than that off the top of my head. It also came with a 51.4% GB%. That debut straight up scares me way off him, and I wasn’t a huge fan even before the debut. I’m also not a huge fan of his batting stance with his hand placement very low and center. It looks like he’s ready to cosplay a light saber fight in his garage rather than hit a baseball. The one big positive of his debut was that he hit the ball much harder than I expected from evaluation him pre draft, and that is a genuinely a good thing. I’m not writing him off completely because of the extreme struggle street debut, but I wasn’t too high on him to begin with, and now I’m even lower. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 62/18/73/.236/.304/.426/14
934) Landyn Vidourek – LAD, OF, 22.5 – Let’s keep things simple as we get into the later rounds. Vidourek was selected by the Dodgers (104th overall) and he’s coming off a season where he hit 14 homers with huge EV numbers and 39 steals in 40 attempts. I mean, Dodgers? Check. Power/speed combo? Check. Good defense to get him on the field? Check. But of course, you already know, the hit tool is an issue. He put up a 26.7% K% this year and he couldn’t hit a lick in the Cape with a .138 BA in 35 PA. The K% spiked to 33.8% in 16 games at Single-A in his pro debut underscoring that the Dodgers have their work cut out for them. Granted it came with 1 homer, 3 steals and a 131 wRC+, so he flashed the talent too. If he didn’t get drafted by the Dodgers, I probably wouldn’t have ranked him here, but he did get drafted by them. If the Dodgers think they can help the hit tool, then I do too. And the power/speed is no joke. Fun later round shot. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 55/15/61/.229/.308/.428/17
935) Josh Owens – TEX, 2B/RHP, 19.3 – It seemed like Texas drafted Owens 84th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft to be a hitter, but after his pro debut, I’m not so sure. They had him both hitting and pitching, and he had a 0.00 ERA with a 6/3 K/BB in 4 IP as a pitcher vs. a negative 42 wRC+ and 45.8/0/0 K%/BB% in 8 games as a hitter. If he keeps struggling with the bat, they can just so easily start focusing more on him on the mound, and it seems word is that they do actually like him on the mound more now. He’s a prototypical scout’s dream type prospect at a projectable 6’3”, 185 pounds with top level athleticism (he pitches, hits, and he played football). He displayed a good feel to hit in high school, he can hit the ball hard already with a smooth, but a bit long lefty swing, and he has speed. On the mound he has a funky, sidearm righty delivery, sitting low to mid 90’s with a potentially plus slider and developing changeup. He seems reliever-ish on the mound, but he’s so young that there is plenty of projection for him as both a pitcher and hitter. The upside seems to be on the hitting side, but if he struggles with the bat, they might just pull the plug and focus on pitching. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/19/74/.253/.321/.429/18 // 8/3.94/1.32/140 in 140 IP
936) Adam Serwinowski – LAD, LHP, 21.10 – Serwinowksi has a weird, start and stop, herky jerky, funky lefty delivery that I can’t say I love. I usually love the funky lefty delivery, but this one I’m not sure I love. I’m not going to dock him for it though as it’s working for him, putting up a 4.03 ERA with a 28.5/11.2 K%/BB% in 111.2 IP at High-A. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and the curve is potentially plus. He needs to work on his changeup, improve his control, and maybe add some velocity too to take the next step. I can’t say he’s a target for me, but there are definitely some really nice ingredients in here for the Dodgers to work with. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 6/3.88/1.32/132 in 130 IP
937) Johnny Slawinski – LAA, LHP, 19.1 – Selected 79th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $2.5 million, Slawinski is your classic projectable lefty at 6’3”, 180 pounds with a low 90’s fastball, two potentially good secondaries in his slider and changeup, and solid control/command. Nothing really stands out in his profile, but he’s not missing any ingredients either. If the fastball ticks up into the mid 90’s, he can definitely start popping, and we’ve seen plenty of low 90’s lefties have success of late too. His development could go any number of ways and there is tons of refinement needed all around, but he got $2.5 million for a reason. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 9/4.06/1.28/145 in 160 IP
938) Dean Moss – TBR, OF, 19.11 – Selected 67th overall, Moss isn’t a jump off the screen athlete I generally like going after in the high school class. He’s a hit tool first tool prospect with a strong track record of performance. He’s not a bad athlete by any means though at 6’0”, 180 pounds with a quick lefty swing and the ability to play centerfield. The big power/speed combo isn’t in here, but it’s good enough to be a strong across the board type if the hit tool plays on the next level. Not really my jam in FYPD’s, but the guy can hit. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/16/62/.262/.326/.415/16
939) Sean Linan – WAS, RHP, 21.5 – It was almost funny to see Linan’s hype fall off a cliff immediately after getting traded from the Dodgers to the Nationals. He was becoming an underrated darling of the prospect world, but after the Dodgers traded him away, it was like, eh, he was never that good anyway. Which of course I get, because the Dodgers deserve that organizational bump, while the Nationals do not. He also got hurt almost immediately after getting traded, so I’m sure that played a role too, but he got back out there in the AFL, so he looks healthy now. The Dodgers are clearly the superior development org, but I almost like him better with the Nationals. The odds of him ever getting a rotation spot in LA were slim to none, but in Washington there is nothing but opportunity. He’s definitely the type to get underrated on prospect lists due to velocity discrimination with the sinker only sitting low 90’s, but the pitch can miss bats and keep the ball on the ground, while the plus to double plus changeup is his money maker. He also throws a solid slider. It led to a 3.03 ERA with a 33.0/10.3 K%/BB% in 77.1 IP at mostly High-A. A profile like this can often rip up the lower minors before slowing down against more advanced competition, but as we’ve seen, sometimes the skills don’t drop off that much. Logan Henderson isn’t a perfect comp, but it’s not that far off, and we’ve seen him succeed. Linan is not a bad cheap low velo target. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.92/1.30/141 in 150 IP
940) Caden Dana – LAA, RHP, 22.4 – Coming off a really exciting 2024 season, Dana had a disaster 2025 with a 5.93 ERA and 23.0/12.4 K%/BB% in 82 IP at Triple-A. It was even worse in the majors with a 6.40 ERA and 23.4/12.8 K%/BB% in 32.1 IP. If it were just for proximity, I wouldn’t have given him this spot, but there are still things to like with his stuff. Most notably the bat missing ability of his secondaries. He put up a 28.2% whiff% in the majors on the back of his changeup putting up a 53.1% whiff% and curve putting up a 57.1% whiff%. The slider, changeup and curve all put up around a 40% whiff% in the minors too. The problem is that the 94.9 MPH fastball is terrible and doesn’t miss bats, and the control is below average. He looks like a back end starter, if that but he gets this ranking for his 2024 season, bat missing secondaries, proximity, and still young age. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.49/1.44/71 in 80 IP
941) Bryce Mayer – HOU, RHP, 24.2 – Mayer is kinda a classic Astros pitching prospect. The velocity doesn’t jump off the screen in the low 90’s, but the dude knows how to spin it and knows how to spin all of his pitches. He put up a 4.11 ERA with a 30.2/7.3 K%/BB% in 87.2 IP split between 3 levels (A, A+, AA). He combines the good fastball with two potentially plus breakers (curve, sweeper), a cutter, and changeup. We’ve seen underrated arms like this sneak up on us in Houston, so he’s worth keeping an eye on. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.97/1.29/141 in 150 IP
942) Tanner Franklin – STL, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 72nd overall, the 6’5”, 225 pound Franklin was a reliever in college but it seems the Cardinals are at least open to transitioning him into a starter’s role. And while the odds are that he still ends up a reliever, there is enough upside as a starter that he’s worth the shot at this point in the draft. He put up a 31.9/5.5 K%/BB% in 38.1 IP his junior year in the SEC, and that is the type of K/BB you want to see if you are going to bet on someone making the transition, albeit coming with a 4.89 ERA. He also has the type of stuff you want see with a plus to double plus mid to upper 90’s fastball that immediately transferred to pro ball with a 1.50 ERA and 32.1/17.9 K%/BB% in 6 IP at Single-A and High-A. The secondaries aren’t quite as dominant with a low 90’s cutter as his main secondary, a lesser used bat missing slider, and a even lesser used decent changeup. There are enough ingredients in here that I see why the Cards want to give it a shot in the rotation, and I mean, why not. They can always put him back in the pen. I really don’t mind taking the shot on him in FYPD’s, although I can’t say I would go out of my way for it due to the very high pen risk. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 7/3.89/1.28/120 in 120 IP
943) Dean Curley – CLE, 2B/3B/SS, 21.4 – Curley dropped considerably in the MLB Draft from where he was expected to go before the season started (he ended up at 64th overall), because the concerns over his defense grew louder and he didn’t quite have that monster junior year that it looked like he was setup for. But he still had an excellent season, slashing .315/.435/.531 with 14 homers, 8 steals, and a 16.0/15.3 K%/BB% in 65 games in the SEC. He most certainly looks the part at 6’3”, 212 pounds with an athletic, quick and powerful righty swing that can hit for both power and average. He’s also a good athlete who should contribute in steals. I might have been apt to go after him in FYPD’s, but his pro debut was too brutal. He put up a 67 wRC+ with a 31.4/5.7 K%/BB% in 9 games at Single-A. It’s a small sample and I don’t want to overrate it, but combined with where he fell in the draft and his inability to have the monster junior year, I can’t say I’m going after him. If he falls super late in deeper leagues, I can see grabbing him – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 56/15/63/.248/.317/.419/8
944) Mason Neville – CIN, OF, 22.3 – Selected 114th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6’3”, 200 pound Neville is a super fun fantasy prospect with big time power (26 homers in 57 games in the Big Ten) and athleticism (9 steals), but as you can see from the draft slot, MLB teams don’t think he’s going to hit. He put up a 23.6% K% this year, he had a 33.5% K% in the Pac 12 last year (a tougher conference than the Big Ten) and he had a 48.7% K% in 39 PA in the Cape. He then proved the hit tool fear correct in pro ball with a 34.4% K% and 41.7% whiff% in 23 games at Single-A. He’s a good defensive OF and can play CF, so at least his glove has a chance of getting him on the field to give the hit tool time to improve, and Cincinnati is also the most fun landing spot for a guy like this. If you want upside from a bat later in the draft that isn’t a teenager, Neville is a good option, but those contact numbers in pro ball were too extreme to really target him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/18/69/.226/.305/.430/12
945) James Quinn-Irons – TBR, OF, 22.10 – Selected 147th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Irons is a 6’5”, 230 pound uber athlete who slashed .419/.523/.734 with 16 homers, 26 steals, and a 15.4/13.1 K%/BB% in 61 games. I mean, what else do you need to know? Hah. He’s fun as hell for fantasy. Now, for the downside and why he got drafted so low. For one, he was already 22 years old at the time of the draft. For two, he played in the Atlantic 10, which doesn’t have great competition. And for 3, there are major hit tool concerns with him putting up a 26.4% K% in the Cal Ripken Collegiate League and a 25.9% K% in 2024 in the A10. He then put up a 31.3% K% in 8 games at Single-A in his pro debut, proving that hit tool risk immediately. This seems like a classic Rays player who breaks out when he’s 28 years old in a platoon role. So he’ll be fun for fantasy eventually, but it will take awhile, and even then he won’t be playing as much as you want. But of course, the disgusting upside is there if it does click early. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 63/19/68/.238/.319/.442/16
946) Gavin Turley – SAC, OF, 22.5 – I got the vibe in this draft that teams weren’t super interested in going after college hitters with hit tool issues, and maybe that has something to do with how poorly Vance Honeycutt and Rodney Green did this year. Even a guy like Spencer Jones, who is killing it, hasn’t been able to bring that K rate down at all. Enter Turley, who despite huge power (20 homers with big time EV’s in 65 games at Oregon State) and good athleticism (5 steals), he fell to 110th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft because the contact rates are rough with a 22.5% K% this year and a 26.5% K% in his career.. Interesting it’s the same team, the Athletics, who took Rodney Green. But at the same time, it’s the same team that turned out Lawrence Butler, Denzel Clarke and Henry Bolte. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t (also, they can still work their magic with Green in the future, we’ll see), and at 110th overall, it’s worth the risk. Same thing goes for fantasy. Late enough in the draft, it’s worth the risk. His debut was basically exactly what we thought it would be with 4 homers, a 31.1% GB%, 27.2% K% and 105 wRC+ in 21 games at Single-A, so his value holds steady. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 66/20/69/.227/.308/.434/7
947) Druw Jones – ARI, OF, 22.4 – Any last vestiges of the hype Jones had from being 2nd overall pick in 2022 should now be gone. He slashed .255/.335/.360 with 5 homers, 28 steals, and a 23.3/10.3 K%/BB% in 123 games at High-A. That was good for a below average 92 wRC+ with a 50.8% GB%. Sure the talent is still in there at 6’4”, but it’s clear he’s a very flawed player. He’s not a good hitter and he can’t get to his raw power. At best he’s a mid to late 20’s breakout candidate. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 57/10/49/.245/.317/.396/16
948) Chase Hampton – NYY, RHP, 24.8 – I could have went a number of ways with the 10th spot on the Yankees Top 10 as nobody really fully deserves it, so let’s give it to Hampton who was trending towards being a consensus Top 100 prospect before injuries derailed his career. He had an elbow injury tank his 2024 season where the stuff and production were both down majorly, and then he once again felt elbow pain when ramping up for the 2025 season, succumbing to Tommy John surgery in February 2025. At full health, he’s 6’2, 200 pounds with mid 90’s heat, a diverse set of secondaries (slider, curve, cutter, change), and solid control/command. He put up a 3.63 ERA with a 33.1/8.4 K%/BB% in 106.2 IP split between High-A and Double-A in 2023. If he comes back 100% from the surgery, the hype can definitely get going again, but who knows how he will look after 2 lost seasons. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 6/4.18/1.34/103 in 120 IP
949) Ryan Forcucci – HOU, RHP, 23.4 – The Astros took the Tommy John discount on Forcucci in the 2024 MLB Draft, selecting him 101st overall. He was in the midst of a Junior year breakout before going down with the injury with a 2.16 ERA and 37/6 K/BB in 25 IP. The fastball sat mid 90’s and was a bat missing weapon, which he combined with a plus slider as he his best secondary. He also mixed in a curve and changeup to give him a starter’s pitch mix. The righty delivery was controlled, athletic and pretty explosive. He was in the running to be a 1st round pick before the injury, but the injury put a halt to that, undergoing surgery in June 2024 and missing the entire 2025 season. I wouldn’t say he’s generally my type to take the Tommy John discount on as even at full health there was relief risk, but he shouldn’t be very expensive, so I can see taking some cheap fliers. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.28/145 in 150 IP
950) Matt Barr – MIN, RHP, 20.2 – Selected 149th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Barr is a projectable 6’6”, 195 pounds with a fastball that can already touch the upper 90’s and the ability to spin two bat missing breakers. He dominated Junior College last year and was impressive enough to land a $762,000 signing bonus instead of heading to 4 year college. The control/command needs work and he probably needs to add a change/cutter or something, so there is a long way to go, but he’s a fun ball of clay. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/3.85/1.31/150 in 150 IP
951) Luis Lara – MIL, OF, 21.4 – Lara is your classic speed/defense/contact CF who might not hit enough to be an everyday player. He slashed .257/.369/.343 with 2 homers, 44 steals, and a 16.2/14.1 K%/BB% in 136 games at Double-A. As you can see, even at Double-A, he only hit .257 because the impact isn’t there without hard hit and with a 50.9% GB%. He was only 20 years old, he gets on base, and the glove should make him a big leaguer in some role, so if he does get on the field, the stolen bases will make a fantasy impact. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/6/33/.266/.331/.365/26
952) Victor Caratini – MIN, C, 32.8 – Caratini didn’t land a full time job, which makes him fringy to even be on this list, but the bat is kinda good enough, and there is kinda a path to enough at bats that I will keep him on. He put up a .330 xwOBA in 2025 on the back of a 16.8% K% and 40.7% Hard Hit%. He put up career highs in lift/pull with a 12.5 degree launch and 15.8% Air Pull%, leading to 12 homers and a .259 BA in 386 PA. He can still be relevant in deeper leagues. – 2026 Projection: 31/8/35/.260/.328/.400/1
953) Randy Vasquez – SDP, RHP, 27.5 – Vasquez has a job and that is about it for his value. I’m not sure he should even be on the list. He put up a 15.7% whiff% with a 13.7/9.7 K%/BB% in 133.2 IP in 2024. Those are ridiculous numbers and it’s pretty crazy he actually has a job but San Diego is desperate. We know pitchers can breakout out of nowhere and he does have decent stuff, so hey, who knows. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.33/1.35/90 in 130 IP
954) Lance McCullers – HOU, RHP, 32.6 – McCullers is on his last legs and doesn’t really deserve a starting job, but he it seems like he might have one out of camp. His track record is the only thing getting him on the list as I really do think he’s done. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.38/1.36/90 in 90 IP
955) Kyle Higashioka – TEX, C, 35.11 – Higashioka and Jansen are in a timeshare at best, and more likely, Jansen has the edge on the bigger share of the role. He’s decent offensively, putting up a 97 wRC+ with 11 homers in 327 PA. The 21.9% whiff% was actually a career best and he brought his K% down to 22%. He lifts and pulls an extreme amount, and the 39.1% Hard Hit% isn’t bad, so the dude hits homers and he’s hit homers his entire career. He’s a 36 year old and a likely small side of the time share, so he’s a low end option. – 2026 Projection: 29/10/41/.234/.283/.410/1
956) Dominic Keegan – TBR, C, 25.8 – I’ve had Keegan as my deep league sleeper for the last few years as I saw a path to Tampa’s starting catcher job of the future, and he’s now on the doorstep of competing for that job, but unfortunately, Caden Bodine isn’t far behind after the trade. Here is what I wrote in his Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, “His upside isn’t huge as he’s more of a complete hitter than one who sells out for power, but he’s got more raw power in the tank if he ever decides to try to unleash it,” … and boy did he decide to sell out for power in 2025 with 10 homers, a 91.4 MPH EV, a 48% Hard Hit% and a 14 degree launch in 69 games at Triple-A, but it came with a 30.6/8.1 K%/BB% and 33.2% whiff%. He completely flipped his profile in every way, but a 89 wRC+ says it might not have been worth it. The glove can be solid but he was never known for his defense, so I don’t foresee Tampa just handing him the job. He’s going to have to battle for it. – 2026 Projection: 18/6/22/.217/.289/.379/0 Prime Projection: 46/17/55/.230/.309/.426/0
957) Caleb Lomavita – WSH, C, 23.5 – Ruiz is regressing to the point that he simply doesn’t look like a starting catcher, and while they traded for Harry Ford, Ford is not established either with serious questions about his defense. I’m just saying Lomavita still has a chance to factor in long term. I wouldn’t exactly say Lomavita had the type of season that is going to storm the castle for the job, but he was the 39th pick of the draft in 2024, and he had a solid season at mostly High-A, slashing .275/.340/.374 with 6 homers, 7 steals, and a 20.6/5.2 K%/BB% in 108 games (the last 9 of those games came at Double-A were he hit just as well). He doesn’t lift and pull, the power is only average-ish, and he chases a lot, so the bat has plenty of holes, but he’s known for his potentially plus catcher defense, which could make him the favorite for Washington’s long term catcher job if they don’t acquire a real starting catcher. It’s a backup profile to me, but in an org weak at catcher, he gets a bump. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 42/9/47/.252/.313/.382/6
958) Miguel Amaya – CHC, C, 27.1 – Amaya suffered an oblique strain in May and an ankle injury in August which limited him to just 28 games. It allowed Kelly to run away with the job, and while Amaya hit really well in those games (.814 OPS), it seems pretty clear that Kelly is the man there. Kelly is the better defensive catcher (Amaya is above average too though), and Amaya’s underlying numbers weren’t as impressive as the surface stats with a .293 xwOBA, 32.9% Hard Hit% and 21.4/3.9 K%/BB%. He lifted and pulled a ton, but with those Hard Hit numbers, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. The only reason he cracks this list is because Kelly is potentially a free agent after this season (mutual option for 2026), and Ballesteros isn’t a good defensive catcher. It’s possible he can work back into the starting conversation in 2027. – 2026 Projection: 22/6/26/.237/.299/.385/0
959) Johanfran Garcia – BOS, C, 21.4 – Johanfran Garcia, brother of Jhostynxon Garcia, underwent knee surgery for torn ligaments just 14 games into the 2024 season, and it kept him out until late May of this year, but it didn’t take him long to show off that power potential when he returned at a beefy and strong 5’11”. He crushed 12 homers in 58 games at mostly High-A (3 of them came in 12 games in rookie rehab assignment). He went to the AFL and the power looked good there too with a 90 MPH EV, 44% Hard Hit%, and 2 homers in 19 games. It’s the hit tool that is the problem with a 30.6% K% at High-A. He also lost some athleticism after the knee surgery and he still needs plenty of refinement on defense. His age 21 year old season, and with a normal off-season as he gets further away from the injury, will be a make or break season for him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 42/14/49/.232/.304/.428/2
960) Brendan Jones – MIA, OF, 23.11 – I wrote this blurb before the trade to Miami, but it doesn’t take away my comp for him here, so I’m going to keep the blurb. I talked about Lagrange inevitably reminding Yankees fans of Dellin Betances, so let’s keep the nostalgia going with Jones, because the shades of Brett Gardner are strong with him. The controlled and simple lefty swing looks super similar to Gardner, and so does his size at 5’10”. The profile is super similar too, slashing .250/.365/.415 with 7 homers, 28 steals, and a 20.9/15.3 K%/BB% in 80 games at Double-A. That was good for a 131 wRC+. He doesn’t have big raw power, but he can lift and pull with a 33.1% GB% and 44.4% Pull%, which would have given him the chance to take advantage of the short porch, but obviously that is done in Miami. And like Gardner, he has a standout OF glove. It’s most likely a 4th outfielder profile, but that is what they said about Gardner, and if he does work his way into a full time job, the speed will make a fantasy impact. I like him a bit less without Yankee Stadium though – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/10/48/.247/.324/.380/25
961) Vaughn Grissom – LAA, 2B, 25.3 – The Moncado signing moves Grissom to the bench, but if Moncado or Moore stink and/or get hurt, he could still factor in. The bigger problem is that he wasn’t even that good at Triple-A as a 24 year old with a 106 wRC+ in 96 games, and he’s been even worse in the majors with a .654 OPS in 350 PA. He has a decent hit tool and that is it with a below average power/speed combo and below average OBP. – 2026 Projection: 36/5/26/.252/.306/.387/6
962) Curtis Mead – CHW, 1B/3B, 25.5 – Chicago is far from locked down at the positions Mead can play (1B/2B/3B), but the guys they currently have at those positions are still better than Mead. Mead just isn’t very good with a .620 OPS and .284 xwOBA in 264 PA. He doesn’t hit it hard with a 34.8% Hard Hit%, the plate skills are mediocre at best with a 23.9/5.7 K%/BB%, and he’s slow. He can get the bat on the ball and he can lift and pull, but it only resulted in 3 homers. He desperately needs to hit the ball harder, and since he’s only going to be 25 years old with a 73.3 MPH swing, it’s not out of the question to see that big Hard Hit bump. I’m not betting on it personally, but it’s possible. He’s hanging onto this list by a thread. – 2026 Projection: 23/6/23/.243/.310/.380/4
963) Tre’ Morgan – TBR, 1B, 23.9 – I don’t see the fantasy appeal of Morgan. He doesn’t hit the ball hard with a 87.8 MPH EV and 37.4% Hard Hit%, he doesn’t lift and pull all that much, and worst of all, the famed hit tool really hasn’t been all that great against upper minors pitching with a 27.6% whiff% and .274 BA in 92 games at Triple-A. 8 homers and 8 steals isn’t going to cut it for a good fantasy 1B. I guess I see the real life appeal as an excellent defensive 1B with a mature plate approach (19.2/15.0 K%/BB%), strong wRC+’s at every stop, and good athleticism, but even as a real life 1B, I would want more offensive upside than that. He also has platoon risk, especially in Tampa, although Tampa isn’t nearly what they used to be in terms of depth. Their minor league system really isn’t churning out underrated offensive gems at the pace they used to, so maybe a stable bat like Morgan can work his way into a full time job long term. Even if he can, it’s going to be a Nolan Schanuel type bat, and that just isn’t what I aim for, especially with a prospect who might not even reach that level. – 2026 Projection: 18/2/12/.248/.315/.372/3 Prime Projection: 77/15/61/.269/.341/.404/11
964) Pedro Ramirez – CHC, 2B/3B, 22.0 – It’s not a flashy profile, but all of Ramirez’ skills transferred to Double-A, slashing .280/.346/.386 with 8 homers, 28 steals, and a 15.1/8.2 K%/BB% in 129 games. The power is below average at 5’9” with a 49% GB%, and he’s not a burner, getting caught 10 times on the bases. The hit tool is good, but it’s not great. The 2B/3B glove is above average, so it could give him a leg up on playing time, but this doesn’t seem like a starting player on a good team. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 63/8/41/.261/.309/.381/15
965) Juan Cabada – CHC, 2B/3B, 17.11 – Cabada cracked last year’s Top 1,000 Rankings at #1,008, writing, “Luis Pena of the Brewers is what you hope that Cabata can duplicate in 2025,” and while he didn’t break out like Pena broke out, he still had a strong season, slashing .287/.429/.426 with 3 homers, 20 steals, and a 18.2/11.8 K%/BB% in 42 games. He has a good feel to hit, he hits the ball hard for his age, and he’s got speed. He’s not a big guy at 5’10”, and the hit tool wasn’t nearly on Pena’s level, so I don’t think he’s as good as Pena, but he’s a definite candidate to level up again when he gets stateside. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/18/73/.267/.321/.427/23
966) Nate Furman – SFG, 2B, 24.9 – Furman is probably a utility player, and he’s been old for the lower minors, but the guy has put up some fun numbers in his career, and his speed gives him some fantasy upside. He returned from a shoulder injury that kept him out until mid-season and went bonkos at High-A, slashing .364/.490/.649 with 6 homers, 3 steals, and a 7.3/15.6 K%/BB% in 21 games. He then closed out the year with his first shot at the upper minors, putting up a 188 wRC+ in 9 games. The contact rates have always been impressive, he gets on base, and he’s got plus speed (I’m assuming he didn’t run as much this year due to the shoulder). He’s a small guy at 5’8”, he’s not great on defense, there isn’t big raw power, and he’s already 24 years old, so it’s highly likely to be a utility guy, but I’d like to see what he can do in his first taste of the upper minors before dropping him off the list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 44/6/29/.255/.326/.388/18
967) Charles McAdoo – TOR, 3B, 24.1 – It’s highly likely the hit tool just isn’t going to be good enough with a 27.7/9.1 K%/BB% and a .247 BA in 121 games at Double-A as a 23 year old, but if he can improve it enough in his mid to late 20’s, the fantasy friendly upside is in here. He jacked out 16 homers with 34 steals. He lifts and pulls a ton, he’s got raw power at 6’1”, 210 pound, and while he’s not a burner, he’s a good athlete and good base stealer. The well below average hit tool likely makes him a bench bat long term, but his proximity/upside gets him on the list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 44/13/49/.234/.301/.417/9
968) Murf Gray – PIT, 3B, 22.3 – Selected 73rd in the 2025 MLB Draft, Gray is a 6’4”, 230 pound bruiser in the box with the bat speed and power to match. He cracked 18 homers in 60 games in the Mountain West Conference, and even better, he did it with excellent contact rates. He put up a 10.8% K% his junior year and a 10.2% K% his sophomore year. It wasn’t in a major conference, but that is still a very exciting hit/power combo from a big man. The approach isn’t great with a 8.2% BB% and lots of chase, he also may end up moving off 3B to 1B, putting even more pressure on the bat, and he doesn’t run at all with only 1 steal. A low OBP, righthanded 1B is always fighting for his life for playing time, but I love the hit/power/size combo. He’s a pretty enticing later round college bat to circle. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 52/18/61/.253/.314/.437/1
969) Blaine Bullard – TOR, OF, 19.8 – Bullard was selected 353rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, but he signed for $1.7 million which was the 2nd largest bonus in Toronto’s class. He’s your classic toolsy and projectable 6’2” outfielder with plus speed and potentially plus CF defense as his current best skills. He’s a switch hitter with both swings needing plenty of refinement, and he currently has a hit over power profile with a low launch. There are also questions about how good the hit tool will be against advanced competition. Long way to go but these are the types of balls of clay that can rise quickly if they can put it together. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/16/63/.253/.320/.428/24
970) Yohendrick Pinango – TOR, OF 23.11 – Pinango is a stocky corner outfielder with a howitzer of a lefty swing that produces big time hard hit numbers. He put up a 91.9 MPH EV with a 47.8% Hard Hit% in 84 games at Triple-A. He’s always had strong contact rates, and they were good at Triple-A too with a 20.2 whiff%, but the fear was that the hit tool was going to fall off against advanced pitchers, and that did indeed happen with a .235 BA and 96 wRC+ at the level. He’s not a huge lift and pull guy and he’s never actually put up huge homer totals in the minors (15 in 131 games overall in 2025), so combined with the lack of speed and defensive value, he seems like a fringy MLB type. You can’t deny the hard hit/contact/proximity combo though, and that can certainly make an impact on any level. He deserves to crack the list. – 2026 Projection: 9/2/13/.229/.291/.395/0 Prime Projection: 58/14/66/.249/.322/.433/4
971) Luis Matos – SFG, OF, 24.5 – In a different ballpark, maybe I could see giving Matos some more leeway, but in SF, it snuffs out any impact ability he has in there. And that impact ability is pretty subdued to begin with. He put up a .274 xwOBA, .690 OPS, 4 steals, and a 37.7% Hard Hit% in 57 games in 2025. That is just about what he’s done his entire career in 593 PA. The 14.7% K% is strong and he can lift/pull, but it’s clearly not going to work in that ballpark. He’s only 24 years old, so the hope is that he can get considerably stronger, but even in that scenario, it’s not going to be high upside. The Bader signing also takes him out of the running for a job. – 2026 Projection: 31/7/37/.245/.302/.395/5
972) Dante Nori – PHI, OF, 21.6 – Nori lived up to his draft profile in his debut, but with a generally underwhelming version of that profile, slashing .261/.361/.372 with 4 homers, 52 steals, and a 14.7/13.0 K%/BB% in 125 games at mostly Single-A as a 20 year old. The plate skills are very strong and he’s fast, but there is very little power in here, and he’s already a pretty filled out 5’9”, so there likely isn’t going to be much more coming. He’s going to top out as a speed only, good defensive CF play, which can climb to fringe Top 100 range at best, but these types often end up 4th outfielders because they just can’t make enough impact on the MLB level to hold down starting jobs. Even at Single-A he hit .262. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 71/8/42/.268/.331/.379/31
973) Owen Carey – ATL, OF, 19.8 – The Braves drafted Carey in the 15h round for $150,000, and despite still being 18 years old, they sent him straight to Single-A, which signaled how much they believed in this kid. And while he didn’t blow the doors off, I’m pretty impressed with his season and with him in general. He slashed .258/.330/.345 with 4 homers, 17 steals, and a 15.6/7.2 K%/BB% in 117 games. A 103 wRC+ ain’t bad. I really, really like his loose, upright, and quick lefty swing at 6’0”, and while there might not be huge power potential in here, I think there is more than enough potential juice to make a real impact down the line, especially combined with those excellent contact rates and good athleticism. He only went 17 for 27 on the bases, which likely does cap some of his fantasy upside, but this looks like a potential solid across the board contributor to me at peak. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/16/63/.268/.333/.422/13
974) Andres Valor – MIA, OF, 20.5 – Valor is a toolsy and projectable 6’3” with a potentially plus power/speed combo, but the hit tool is still very raw. He put up a 29% K% with a .231 BA in 108 games at Single-A, but it came with 9 homers, tons of lift/pull, 45 steals, and a 104 wRC+. He’s fringy for this list, but the upside is there, and he was above average in his first taste of full season ball. If he can improve the hit tool, there is certainly big breakout potential. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 69/17/62/.238/.307/.421/23
975) Josiah Hartshorn – CHC, OF, 19.2 – Hartshorn was selected 181st overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, but his $2 million signing bonus shows you the type of talent he has. He’s an already built up 6’2”, 220 pounds with easy plus raw power potential and a good approach at the plate. He’s a switch hitter, but injuries (elbow and back) have prevented him from actually hitting from both sides at the same time very often, sometimes only hitting righty and sometimes only hitting lefty, so there is a definitely a rawness there that you can either look at as a good thing (plenty of room for refinement) or a bad thing (risk). He’s a solid athlete but he’s not a burner and he looks a bit lumbering out there on the bases, so I don’t think steals are going to be a major part of his game. You are betting on the size, power and approach here, but plenty more refinement is needed. There is a reason he slipped so far in the draft despite the high signing bonus. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 72/23/78/.258/.327/.441/8
976) Victor Valdez – TBR, SS, 17.7 – Valdez is already a very big and physical kid (man) in the box at 6’1”, 185 pounds, and he has the big power potential to match with a lightning quick and powerful righty swing. He’s not just power though, he has has a good feel to hit with good athleticism. The hit/power combo gives him enticing upside that is well worth taking a dart throw late in FYPD’s. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 78/24/82/.260/.330/.450/10
977) Jose Manon – ATL, SS, 17.3 – Can I start this blurb by saying I love how the MLB Pipeline blurb gives a little travel blog esq writeup on the area every prospect comes from. Like Manon came from a city that first gained notoriety for it’s sugarcane production. Hm, interesting ha, and I’m not even joking, I do find the little tidbits interesting when reading the blurbs. Who writes the MLB Pipeline blurbs? Why is there no attribution for them? Does Manon have a stronger sweet tooth than other international prospects? These are the questions I need answered, but back to baseball, Manon has your classic international prospect profile at a projectable 6’2”, 175 pounds with a good feel to hit, power potential, and good athleticism. I always love a good leg kick, and Manon utilizes one to already hit the ball pretty hard. Really good all around player with upside. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 80/20/80/.271/.332/.444/15
978) Fabricio Blanco – TBR, SS, 17.6 – Blanco isn’t a super tooled up player at 5’11”, but he has a history of production with some pop and good athleticism. He’s not the highest upside international prospect out there, but he’s another good one. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 81/18/72/.268/.337/.420/16
979) Nolan Schubert – CLE, 1B/OF, 21.11 – Selected 101st overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Schubert is a man amongst boys at 6’5”, 223 pounds with a beastly lefty swing, and befitting that size he was one of the best power hitters in college baseball since stepping onto campus his freshman year in the Big 12. He smashed 59 homers with a 26.8/18.9 K%/BB% in 165 career college games. He dropped to 101st overall for a reason though, and that reason was both hit tool and defense risk. Both of those risk areas popped up immediately in pro ball with him already essentially moving to 1B (he was an OF in college), and his K% spiking to 36.4% in 15 games at Single-A. Granted it came with 3 homers, a 22.7% BB% and a 163 wRC+, so he dominated the level like he should have, but not seeing the K rate spike like that would have been the most important thing to see, and we didn’t see that. It makes his most likely outcome as a part time power bat, but the dude is going to mash at any level. He’s not a bad later round FYPD pick at all. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/20/68/.228/.313/.446/1
980) Matthew Fisher – PHI, RHP, 20.1 – Selected 221st overall and signed for $1.25 million, Fisher is a great athlete at 6’3”, 200 pounds who was also a star QB in high school, so the hope is that there is lot of improvement coming from here, because he’s not a finished product as is. He throws all of his pitches with a high spin rate, but the fastball is only low to mid 90’s and all of the secondaries (slider, curve, change) still need plenty of refinement. You are betting on the athlete, size, and ingredients for 3 above average to plus pitches, but there seems to be a long way to go. He’s also on the older side for the high school class, which I don’t care as much about for pitchers in particular, but it’s worth keeping in mind. Old for the high school class is a bucket Philly seems to love to shop in though, and they’ve had success with it, most notably with Aidan Miller. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 9/3.90/1.30/146 in 150 IP
981) Cameron Millar – KCR, RHP, 18.11 – Selected 97th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $1.5 million, I gotta say that I’m not the biggest fan on Millar’s delivery. He kinda turns his back a bit before, to be fair, unloading a mid 90’s fastball and two good secondaries in his slider and changeup. But I can’t imagine the control is going to be that great with that delivery. Maybe I’m wrong and obviously a guy this young is going to refine his delivery probably several times before reaching the bigs, so maybe who cares. The stuff is what we care about, and the stuff is really good at 6’2”, 200 pounds. KC is also a really good landing spot for both ballpark and future opportunity. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 9/3.88/1.33/155 in 150 IP
982) Zach Thornton – NYM, LHP, 24.2 – Thornton is probably a back end starter with a low 90’s fastball, but I’m drawn to that 28.5/4.0 K%/BB% in 72.2 IP at mostly Double-A. Like any respectable crafty lefty, he has a diverse pitch mix with his slider as the best secondary. The dude definitely knows how to pitch. The upside isn’t very high, probably a #4, and he’s already 24 years old, but that K/BB gets him on the list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.02/1.21/140 in 150 IP
983) Ethan Pecko – HOU, RHP, 23.7 – Pecko put up a 3.83 ERA with a 28.7/8.2 K%/BB% in 80 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s the type of arm that Houston pulls out of their hat all the time, so while it seems he’s more of a back end guy, I’m giving him a Houston bump. The stuff isn’t bad with a 94.1 MPH fastball and diverse pitch mix (cutter, slider, curve, sinker, changeup), but none of the pitches are particularly standout, particularly the secondaries. The 4-seamer and sinker are his best pitches and they both miss bats, so if that transfers to the majors, that is where the value will lie. I need to see it transfer first though before going higher than this. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.32/1.36/44 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.96/1.31/136 in 150 IP
984) Sterlin Thompson – COL, OF, 24.9 – Thompson was the 31st overall pick in 2022, and he has really done nothing but hit well in pro ball with above average wRC+’s at every single stop, but there just isn’t a standout skill or tool to really hang your hat on. He had arguably his best season in 2025, slashing .296/.392/.519 with 18 homers, 12 steals, and a 20.9/10.3 K%/BB% in 120 games at Triple-A, but I still can’t get too excited. The 87.8 MPH EV and 40% Hard Hit% is decent, but far from standout. The 46.7% GB% subdues the power even further. He’s not a burner and he didn’t steal a ton of bags. He’s a corner outfielder. And the hit tool is okay I guess, but it’s still a bit of a risk with 20%+ K rates in his minor league career. I just don’t see exactly what we are betting on. Maybe he can become a solid across the board bat, but he’s going to have to scratch and claw for playing time to even get to that, like all of these fringy Colorado outfielders. – 2026 Projection: 19/4/21/.241/.303/.389/3 Prime Projection: 68/15/63/.258/.323/.420/9
985) Sam Peterson – WSH, OF, 23.3 – Peterson was a 22 year old in the lower minors, so he has to prove it in the upper minors before getting excited, but he more than handled his business at High-A, slashing .297/.398/.490 with 6 homers, 18 steals, and a 18.0/11.6 K%/BB% in 44 games. He did the same to the AFL where he put up a .934 OPS with a 47.4% Hard Hit%. The dude can hit the ball hard, he has a good feel to hit and he’s a good athlete. There are a lot of skills to like. The 31.5% whiff% in the AFL shows there is real hit risk though, especially when he faces advanced competition, so we need to see it at Double-A first, but he’s one to keep an eye on early in 2026. If he’s doing the same to Double-A that he did to High-A and the AFL, he’s going to get some hype. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 61/16/68/.248/.319/.428/18
986) Fenwick Trimble – MIA, OF, 23.7 – Trimbe gets a “looks the part” part bump at 6’3”, 200 pounds as his stats are a bit fringy for a 22 year old, slashing .237/.355/.395 with 6 homers, 16 steals, and a 18.8/12.7 K%/BB% in 54 games at Double-A. That is still good for a 126 wRC+ though. Not only does he look the part, but the plate skills are strong, he hits it hard, and he has a plus speed. The 47.8% GB% is subduing the production though, and like I mentioned, a 22 year old with a triple-slash like that at Double-A is probably saying he’s more of a part time player. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 56/12/41/.252/.324/.409/19
987) Hendry Mendez – MIN, OF, 22.5 – At some point, Mendez is going to try to unlock more lift in his swing. I think it has to be coming. The problem is that he might not feel the need/want to make that major overhaul until he’s in his mid 20’s and not getting the results he wants on the MLB level. But it he does try it, and if he’s successful, there is legit breakout potential in here. The plate skills are elite with a 13.2/13.6 K%/BB%, he can hit the ball hard with probably coming at a still projectable 6’3”, and he produced at Double-A as a 21 year old with a 138 wRC+ in 118 games. But with a 54% GB%, poor defense and no speed, that just isn’t an MLB starter. I get not wanting to overhaul things when you are having success. And maybe he can be an MLB player with that skillset, but if he really wants to thrive, he’s going to have to try to make the change one day. If he can pull it off, we are looking at a high BA, 20+ homer guy. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/14/59/.274/.342/.415/5
988) Zach Ehrhard – LAD, OF, 23.2 – Ehrhard has a potentially solid across the board profile that is highly unlikely to be a starter on the Dodgers. He will likely need a trade to get a real shot, and even then he isn’t guaranteed to be a full starter, but there are enough skills and production in here to crack the list. He slashed .272/.374/.439 with 14 homers, 37 steals, and a 18.0/12.5 K%/BB% in 123 games at mostly Double-A. He doesn’t crush the ball at 5’11”, but he gets the most out of his raw power with lift/pull. The plate skills are solid, he’s a good athlete and he has a good glove in the OF. He just needs a trade to a small market team that has openings, but it’s possible the Dodgers keep him as a bench OF. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 64/14/58/.252/.323/.418/20
989) Austin Overn – TBR, OF, 22.11 – The trade from Baltimore to Tampa is definitely a bump for Overn’s value for both opportunity and developmental organization. I don’t think it changes his value drastically, as the hit tool still makes it likely that he’s a part time player, but it’s still better. He put up a 27.3% K% in 114 games split between High-A and Double-A. It’s a good sign he didn’t fall off a cliff at Double-A with a 25% K%, but the BB% had to tank to do it with a 6% BB%. He’s a classic Rays part time guy with good defense, average power and double plus speed (13 homers with 64 steals). If the hit tool can improve, maybe he can lock down a full time job, but that is something that might happen 3-4 years from now. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 58/13/41/.238/.308/.403/24
990) Trevor Cohen – SFG, OF, 22.5 – Selected 85th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, you know I love me a good pro debut, and Cohen had a good pro debut, slashing .327/.438/.402 with 1 homer, 8 steals, and a 11.5/15.4 K%/BB% in 28 games at Single-A. That is exactly what he did in the Big Ten. He’s 6’1”, 195 pounds and he doesn’t hit the ball weakly, but an extreme 59.1% GB% kills any power he has. He hit only 4 homers in his 163 games college career. It’s most likely a 4th outfielder, but if he can learn to lift a bit more, he can beat that projection. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/4/33/.273/.335/.352/22
991) Henry Godbout – BOS, 2B, 22.5 – Selected 75th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Godbout was one of the top contact hitters coming out the draft, and that skill immediately translated to pro ball, slashing .341/.473/.477 with 0 homers, 1 steal, and a 10.9/16.4 K%/BB% in 13 games at High-A. He put up a 8.4/11.5 K%/BB% with 8 homers and 6 steals his junior year at Virginia. But as you can, the reason he dropped to 75th overall, is because there isn’t much power or speed, and he’s only a solid defender at 2B. It’s a utility player type profile, but he’s not small at 6’2”, 190 pounds, so I guess you can hope for enough power to combine with the contact rates to beat that projection. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 41/5/33/.268/.328/.390/4
992) Brad Lord – WSH, RHP, 26.2 – Lord is a back end fantasy starter at best, but in Washington, it seems his rotation spot is safe. He put up a 4.34 ERA with a 19.8/7.9 K%/BB% in 130.2 IP. The reason he cracks this list is because the 94.8 MPH fastball put up a respectable 24.2% whiff% but it still was a below average pitch. The 94.3 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground. But the slider and changeup aren’t very good pitches. He really doesn’t deserve to be on the list. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.29/1.32/112 in 130 IP
993) Richard Fitts – STL, RHP, 26.3 – Fitts is battling for a rotation spot in St. Louis and while he’s not one of my guys, his stuff is good enough to crack the list with a 95.9 MPH 4-seamer that put up a respectable .336 xwOBA and 23.3% whiff%. The sweeper is good too with a 39.6% whiff%, and he throws a 5-6 pitch mix. It didn’t result in a good 2025 though with a 5.00 ERA, 5.62 xERA, and a 20.5/8.2 K%/BB% in 45 IP. The breakout could come in 2026, but I’m not betting too hard on it. – 2026 Projection: 4/4.35/1.32/82 in 90 IP Update: He did not win one of those rotation spots
994) Nate Dohm – STL, RHP, 23.3 – Dohm was one of my favorite deep sleepers in FYPD’s last off-season, and while he didn’t have a huge breakout, he mostly proved why I liked him so much with a 3.24 ERA and 27.9/9.9 K%/BB% in 75 IP at mostly High-A. The stuff isn’t off the charts but it’s good with a 93+ MPH fastball that can touch the upper 90’s to go along with an above average slider and decent changeup. I love the trade to St. Louis, because there is nothing but opportunity there. The stuff didn’t pop enough for me to really double down hard on his target status, but it’s enough for his value to hold steady. I think he’s underrated, even though he didn’t flash enough upside to really get excited. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.09/1.32/141 in 150 IP
995) Ixan Henderson – STL, LHP, 24.2 – Henderson performed very well at Double-A with a 2.59 ERA and 25.2/9.6 K%/BB% in 132 IP, but his stuff isn’t good enough to think he’s more of a #4 upside type. Pitching in St. Louis and all of the opportunity they have in their rotation is another bump to his value. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and can definitely miss bats. The sweeper is potentially plus and the changeup is a bat missing weapon. There is enough here to be fantasy relevant in a good ballpark, but the upside isn’t super high. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/4.03/1.29/135 in 150 IP
996) Blade Tidwell – SFG, RHP, 24.10 – Tidwell gets a ballpark and opportunity boost with the trade to San Francisco and he also pitched well at Triple-A with a 3.62 ERA and 27.3/9.1 K%/BB% in 97 IP. The problem is nothing transferred to the majors with a 9.00 ERA, 2.20 WHIP, and 12.8/12.8 K%/BB% in 15 IP. It’s only 15 IP, but that is horrific. The stuff is really good with a 95.8 MPH 4-seamer and multiple bat missing secondaries in his sweeper, changeup and slider. None of those secondaries missed bats on the MLB level though. Tack on below average control, and there is big relief risk here. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.31/1.35/43 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.71/1.26/68 in 65 IP
997) JD Thompson – MIL, LHP, 22.6 – Selected 59th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, nothing in Thompson’s profile really particularly stands out both stuff and stats wise, but he got drafted by the Brewers, which most definitely does standout. They work wonders with these types all the time, and if they like Thompson, we probably should too. He’s a well built 6’0”, 199 pounds with an easy and athletic lefty delivery that he uses to fire a low to mid 90’s fastball that can miss bats, two solid breakers in his slider and curve, and good changeup that he dominates righties with. It all resulted in a 4.00 ERA with a 31.1/7.9 K%/BB% in 90 IP in the SEC. He has solid control, he throws a bunch of good pitches, good production in the toughest conference and now in an excellent organization. I’m not really going after him, but there is stuff to like, especially in deeper leagues. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.02/1.28/141 in 150 IP
998) Victor Figueroa – BAL, 1B, 22.3 – Figueroa destroyed rookie ball with a 360 wRC+ in 11 games, he hit well at Single-A with a 129 wRC+ in 53 games, but it’s not a good sign that he struggled when he got to High-A with a 88 wRC+, 0 homers and a 29.3% K% in 25 games. He was already 21 years old, so what he did at rookie ball and even Single-A has to be taken with a grain of salt. High-A was the first true age appropriate level, and he wasn’t good. He’s a huge man at 6’5”, 240 pounds with a powerful lefty swing, and there is an interesting power/approach combo in here, slashing .284/.398/.503 with 12 homers, 7 steals, and a 22.1/15.7 K%/BB% in 89 games overall. I’m willing to give him some leeway regardless of his age as it takes time to adjust to higher levels, but a bench/part time power bat is probably his most realistic good outcome scenario. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 41/12/49/.243/.318/.429/3
999) Creed Willems – BAL, C/1B, 22.10 – I really like Willems bat, but it’s more of a good bat than a great bat, and considering he’s not a good defensive catcher, he may just top out as a bench bat. He slashed .253/.338/.441 with 16 homers, a 117 wRC+ and a 19.1/8.8 K%/BB% in 105 games. He has plus raw power potential and he lifts and pulls a ton. He has a catcher’s body at 5’11”, 225 pounds, so if he can’t stick behind the plate, there really isn’t anywhere else for him to play. He’s played some 1B and I guess it’s an option, but the bat probably isn’t good enough to make it a real option. He’s blocked in Baltimore, but even in Baltimore trades him, it’s not like there is a team out there that will clear a path for him. The bat is good enough to crack this list though. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 48/15/56/.246/.318/.430/1
1000) Max Belyeu – COL, OF, 22.4 – Selected 74th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Belyeu’s hit tool immediately got exposed in pro ball with a .150 BA and 35.6% K% in 21 games at High-A. Quite frankly, it got exposed when he transferred from the Big 12 into the SEC for his junior year with a 25% K% in 32 games. He wasn’t great in the Cape either with a .658 OPS and 21/5 K/BB in 18 games. It seems highly likely he’s just not going to be able to hit enough to hold down a full time job, but on the positive side, he’s 6’2”, 210 pounds with a smooth, athletic and powerful lefty swing that cracked 18 homers in 59 games in 2024 and 9 homers in 32 games this year. Even with the extreme swing and miss in pro ball, he still cracked 4 dingers, so when he does make contact, he can do damage. The extreme hit tool risk makes him just a FYPD flier though in deeper leagues. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 52/17/64/.227/.303/.429/7
1001) Brendan Tunink – LAD, OF, 20.6 – Tunink was a fun high upside sleeper FYPD pick, especially with the Dodgers, and he mostly lived up to that billing, slashing .300/.417/.500 with 5 homers, 9 steals, and a 30.4/16.1 K%/BB% in 39 games in rookie ball. He’s old for rookie ball and the K% is high, so he remains very high risk, but he clearly showed off that athletic upside too. He had no major lift/pull issues. LA not testing him at Single-A is probably a sign of how much more development is needed here though. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 68/16/62/.233/.310/.427/16
1002) Yorger Bautista – SEA, OF, 18.7 – Bautista is a good example (of many, many, many, many examples) of why I still have to factor in a heavy dose of risk when evaluating even my favorite international prospects. I’m excited for this year’s class too, it definitely looks stacked with so much talent, but the international class is still by far the riskiest FYPD bucket to shop in. Yorger was hyped last year, I loved him, he had a great hit tool … and then he came into the DSL and hit .223 with a 29.8/9.8 K%/BB% in 53 games. All the time you see these great talents with a good hit tools come in and they just can’t hit enough. He showed the talent too with 7 homers and 10 steals, and obviously he has a lot of runway left to fix that hit tool, but again, it’s a reminder of how much risk there is in evaluating the best 15/16 year olds. My advice is to not take too many international prospects in your FYPD/prospect draft. I like to sprinkle in 1 or maybe 2, sure, but I wouldn’t make it the bulk of your draft. And I also wouldn’t hold on for too long when they show immediate struggles in the DSL. It’s not that they aren’t talented or potentially good anymore, it’s that you are letting so many better and more established prospects go just to hold on for this long journey. The goal is to get a rocketship, not to hang on for 7 years for him to a platoon power bat. There are tons of super talented teenagers who are still raw. It’s not a unique profile. So while I still like Yorger and would definitely keep an eye out for a future breakout, he’s not a must hold or a guy you should be paying up for. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 66/22/74/.238/.309/.432/16
1003) Teilon Serrano – MIN, OF, 17.10 – I was a fan of Serrano last off-season as you got deeper into the FYPD class, ranking him 921st overall on the Top 1,000, and he showed off that explosiveness in his pro debut, slashing .258/.386/.426 with 5 homers, 21 steals, and a 25.4/14.8 K%/BB% in 41 games. That explosive swing that I loved in the videos was fully there and gives him the chance for plus power potential at a strong 6’0”, but the hit tool was worse than hoped, and he’s apparently not quite as fast as last off-season’s scouting reports indicated, although he’s still a really good athlete. It was a successful if flawed first year of pro ball, and he’s still 17 years old. I’m sneaking him back on the end of this list. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 68/21/73/.242/.318/.428/18
1004) Kenly Hunter – STL, OF, 17.11 – Hunter cracked last year’s list at #1,047 overall and he lived up exactly to his scouting report, writing, “Hunter has a history of production against international competition, he has a good feel to hit, he’s got speed, and he’s projectable at 6’0”, 160 pounds.” … and then he slashed .314/.442/.400 with 0 homers, 25 steals, and a 11.6/13.9 K%/BB% in 37 games. He needs to improve both his game (49.5% GB%) and raw power, but he put the defense, speed and plate skills on display. And he’s still just 17 years old. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 79/14/59/.268/.326/.405/28
1005) Gabriel Rosario – BAL, 1B/OF, 17.7 – Just watch Rosario swing the bat in the video I linked to and tell me you aren’t immediately in on this kid. That thing is lightning quick, smooth, easy, and athletic from a still projectable 6’3” frame. He’s already getting to his big raw power in games. Sure he might come into the DSL and hit .195 as he has hit tool concerns, but that is the risk we have to take with almost all of these kids. Remember they are being evaluated as 16 year olds, and that is at best, so it goes without saying that this is the highest risk group to go after by far. But I mean, just watch that swing. If he can hit, this dude can explode as one of the best power hitters coming out of the DSL. That is a bet worth making as you get into the deep rounds of FYPD’s in medium to deeper leagues. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/26/82/.245/.326/.461/7
1006) Pedro Gomez – BAL, OF, 17.6 – Gomez is already a built up 6’2”, 210 pounds, and not only does he have the raw power to match, he has the ability to get to that power as well. He’s not a great athlete and will likely be a corner outfielder at best, but there is definitely shades of Juan Sanchez in this evaluation. Sanchez was a better athlete, so not quite, but if Gomez comes out and starts hitting dingers in the DSL with strong plate skills, that hype will hit. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 79/27/91/.251/.330/.472/4
1007) Sebastian Dos Santos – STL, SS, 18.2 – Santos had the 3rd highest wRC+ in the DSL among 1st time 17 year olds at 158, making him one of the most productive hitters in the league. He slashed .313/.452/.570 with 4 homers, 13 steals, and a 17.5/18.1 K%/BB% in 38 games. He only signed for $75,000, so this isn’t a tooled up player with a big power/speed combo, but the production speaks for itself. Guy can hit with solid power, lift/pull and some athleticism. Let’s see what he can do stateside. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 68/17/71/.253/.322/.413/11
1008) Jose Luis Acevedo – BAL, SS, 17.4 – It’s usually lefties that get the “smooth” swing praise, but Acevedo has a uniquely rhythmic smooth righty swing that is a beauty to watch. He looks like a natural up there, and at projectable 6’1”, 175 pounds, it’s really easy to see how this can turn into a dangerous hit/power combo at peak. He can already hit the ball hard with a good feel to hit and good athleticism. I like him a fair amount as one of my DSL dart throws later in the draft in deeper leagues. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 77/20/77/.264/.328/.439/12
1009) Jeyson Horton – LAA, SS, 16.11 – Horton is the equivalent to the little man discount category of the MLB Draft. Guys like Slade Caldwell and Kayson Cunningham. He’s only 5’9”, but the lefty swing is out to do damage with hard contact. Contact and speed are truly what you are buying, but if he shows more pop than his size would suggest, he could pop in a big way. Beyond his size, the biggest problem is that we have to count on the Angels to develop him, which is simply not a good bet. I can’t say I’m targeting him. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 77/14/61/.267/.330/.400/26
1010) Wilton Guerrero Jr. – PIT, SS, 16.10 – That’s right, Guerrero has the Guerrero family bloodlines, but not the from the Vladimir side … from the Wilton side. Even the name isn’t as cool, and the production surely wasn’t either as a 5’11” 2B with a career .677 OPS. And Wilton Jr.’s profile is also closer to his dad’s than his uncle’s at 5’10”, but hopefully a better version of it. Double plus speed is his calling card, giving him some fantasy upside right off the top, and he’s a projectable 5’10” with a good feel to hit. How much power he’s able to get to will dictate his ultimate upside. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 77/15/63/.262/.324/.403/31
1011) Eli Pitts – CIN, OF, 19.4 – Selected 145th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Pitts is a tooled up and strong 6’1”, 185 pounds with plus speed and plus bat speed. The righty swing is easy, simple, natural, and explosive. There is some hit tool and he only signed for $572,000, which is a bit on the low side for a great high school athlete, but maybe he needs a better agent ha. I like the upside. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 71/15/69/.243/.311/.418/22
1012) Connor Essenburg – ATL, LHP/OF, 19.6 – Selected 157th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $1.2 million, I like Essenburg as both a hitter and a pitcher, which makes his evaluation complicated. I guess it’s not that complicated for where you are going to take him in the draft. Meaning, you just take him and let the chips fall where they may. As a hitter I’m a big fan of the righty swing which is the upright one with a leg kick and then explosion. At 6’2”, 200 pounds, there could be considerable power with the bat at peak. But he’s also an intriguing lefty pitcher with a 3 quarters arm slot delivery and 3 potentially good pitchers in his low 90’s fastball, slider and changeup. I could honestly go either way, but if I had to guess, I would guess it goes pitcher, and that isn’t as exciting for fantasy. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.33/141 in 150 IP
1013) Alex Lodise – ATL, SS, 22.1 – Selected 60th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Lodise had a nightmare pro debut, especially for a college bat at High-A, slashing .252/.294/.398 with 1 homer, 2 steals, and a 38.5/4.6 K%/BB% in 25 games. He already was considered low upside, so seeing that insanely bad K/BB is a complete turnoff. A low upside college bat who also has extremely high risk now? No thanks. I actually thought getting drafted 60th was on the low side pre debut for real life because he has a good infield glove, and he had the big Junior year breakout in the ACC, slashing .394/.462/.705 with 17 homers, 6 steals, and a 20.0/9.8 K%/BB% in 58 games. He has good size at 6’1”, 195 pounds. He still deserves to crack the Top 100+ FYPD Rankings, but barely. He’s a deep league only play. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 56/13/61/.235/.301/.395/5
1014) Max Williams – MIA, OF, 21.8 – Selected 78th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Williams is a burly 6’2”, 207 pounds with a powerful lefty swing that lifted off for 19 homers in 57 games in the ACC. It’s not the upright and loose swing that I love, and it immediately didn’t hit for any power in his pro debut with 0 homers in 19 games at Single-A. It came with a 90.5 MPH EV, so we know the power is in there, and the plate skills were actually better in pro ball (14.1/11.5 K%/BB%) than they were in college (16.1/7.3 K%/BB%). He also ran more in pro ball than college (5 steals vs. 2 steals). He’s not a burner but he’s a good athlete. It’s encouraging to see the plate skills and speed transfer, but it’s still only Single-A, and what you are really buying is the power bat. Because I don’t love the swing though, he’s just a fine later round college bat. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 53/14/58/.256/.312/.427/6
1015) Jeancer Custodio – PIT, OF, 17.5 – Custodio is only 5’10” but he already has the seeds of that type of bulldog like, rock solid build at 185 pounds. The swing also gives off that bulldog vibe with blink of an eye bat speed from a pretty simple and to the point swing. It sure seems like he could be the type that just rips off hard hit balls with ease all over the field at peak. The simple swing also gives him the potential for a good hit tool and he’s already shown that off against advanced competition. Tack on good athleticism and you got yourself a very good international prospect, even if it doesn’t come in the usual “long and lean” package. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/21/81/.264/.328/.443/13
1016) Michael Lombardi – KCR, RHP, 22.6 – Selected 61st overall, Lombardi was a two way player in college who never pitched more than 42 IP in a season, but the reason he got drafted relatively highly because he has two whiff machine pitches in his 94 MPH fastball and plus curve that resulted in a 43.5% K% his junior year. Anyone with a K% that high is worth taking a shot on. He put up a 2.14 ERA with a 43.5/12.5 K%/BB% in 42 IP overall. As you can see, the odds he ends up in the bullpen is very high, which isn’t as good of a fallback for fantasy as it is for real life. The changeup and control both lag behind, but there could be untapped potential in here due to not focusing full time on pitching, which is what KC is betting on. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 5/3.75/1.27/86 in 78 IP
1017) Malachi Witherspoon – DET, RHP, 21.8 – Selected 62nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Malachi is the twin broth of Kyson Witherspoon, and while the stuff is basically just as good, he’s not as good of a pitcher in general. He’s 6’3”, 211 pounds with a mid to upper 90’s fastball, two bat missing breakers, and a lesser used changeup. The results didn’t match the stuff though because the control/command isn’t where it needs to be with a 5.09 ERA, 5.00 FIP, and 25.8/9.1 K%/BB% in 74.1 IP in the SEC. You are buying the arm talent here, and hoping Detroit can put that layer of polish on top for the delayed pro debut breakout. He’s only 21 years old for most of 2026, so he has a bit of extra runway there. If starting doesn’t work out, maybe he can end up a nasty reliever with that kind of stuff. Not the worst fall back. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 4/3.68/1.26/72 in 65 IP
1018) Kohl Drake – ARI, LHP, 25.8 – I was always a bit lower on Drake because I questioned how good his stuff would play against MLB hitters, but it seems everyone is pretty lukewarm on him now, so I guess I’m with the herd. He’s a solid but not great pitching prospect with #4 upside. The production dropped off when he got to Triple-A with a 7.15 ERA and 23.1/9.0 K%/BB% in 34 IP (2.44 ERA with a 31.8/10.8 K%/BB% in 55.1 IP at Double-A). None of his pitches are really standout, but he has a bunch of potentially average ones in two 93 MPH fastballs (4-seam, sinker), two solid breakers, and a changeup. If the control was above average, or if he was younger, maybe I would bump up the projection a bit, but as is, I see a solid fantasy arm as the reasonable upside. – 2026 Projection: 2/4.29/1.36/49 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.04/1.31/139 in 150 IP
1019) Jacob Bresnanhan – SFG, LHP, 20.9 – Bresnahan dominated Single-A with a 2.61 ERA and 32.5/11.3 K%/BB% in 93 IP. He’s slightly old for the level, and Single-A isn’t as strong as it used to be, so I don’t want to take that outsized production too seriously. The stuff is good with a low 90’s fastball that has a great movement profile, to go along with a plus changeup and solid slider. If the control wasn’t below average, maybe I would be more excited, but with the bad walk rate, I really need to see how much of those strikeouts translate to a higher level. We know this profile can work on the MLB level, and at 6’4”, 195 pounds, the fastball can certainly tick up too, so he’s a good lower minors pitching prospect. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.32/152 in 150 IP
1020) Trey Gregory-Alford – LAA, RHP, 19.11 – If you drafted TGA in last year’s FYPD, you were drafting his size and velocity, and while he had a reasonably successful pro debut, you are still really only buying the size and velocity. He put up a 2.86 ERA with a 20.7/10.0 K%/BB% in 78.2 IP at rookie and Single-A. The ERA is good obviously, and I’m not dismissing it completely, but we know K/BB is King, and that is a bad K/BB. He’s 6’5” and throws mid to upper 90’s with a potentially plus slider and a lesser used curve and changeup, but as you can see, the stuff didn’t miss many bats. And that was against rookie ball pitchers. He’s young, so the bet is on the stuff and hoping the rest figures itself out. Good luck betting on the Angels to help him though. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 4/3.65/1.23/63 in 65 IP
1021) Jake Bennett – BOS, LHP, 25.4 – Bennett gets a major opportunity downgrade going to Boston and considering he’s already 25 years old with low upside, he’s just not a highly sought after fantasy pitching prospect. He put up a 2.27 ERA with a 21.5/6.4 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP at mostly Double-A. He’s a 6’6” lefty with a low 90’s fastball, plus extension, a good changeup, diverse pitch mix, and good control. We know that can play on the MLB level, but in Boston, I don’t see the opportunity or upside to go after this. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.03/1.26/128 in 150 IP
1022) Will Watson – NYM, RHP, 23.5 – Watson is 6’6” with a mid 90’s fastball and two good secondaries in his slider and changeup. He put up a 2.60 ERA with a 28.5/11.6 K%/BB% in 121.1 IP at mostly High-A, but he had 4 outings at Double-A where the stuff mostly transferred. The stuff doesn’t necessarily blow you away and the control is below average, so it’s probably more #4 upside, but the size, stuff and production are good enough to get on the list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 6/4.12/1.33/124 in 130 IP
1023) Stharlin Torres – CIN, RHP, 19.10 – Torres is a rookie ball breakout with a 1.88 ERA and 30.6/4.9 K%/BB% in 38.1 IP. It’s not a big sample and it was only in 4 IP outings, but man is that K/BB sweet. And it’s not just K/BB, the stuff is also good with a 93+ MPH fastball and 3 potentially good secondaries in his slider, changeup and curve. He’s not a huge guy at 6’0”, and long way to go obviously, but I’m buying that K/BB. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.22/143 in 150 IP
1024) Juaron Watts-Brown – BAL, RHP, 24.1 – Watts-Brown put up a 3.62 ERA with a 30.7/9.7 K%/BB% in 124.1 IP at mostly Double-A, which is gonna get you on the list, but the problem is the profile seems more reliever-ish. He does it will a true out pitch in his nasty slider, but that is really his only standout pitch. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and is average at best. The curve and change can also be average pitches. It just feels like that slider can dominate in the bullpen, but if he does make improvements to the rest of the arsenal, there is #4 starter upside in here. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 4/3.55/1.22/69 in 65 IP
1025) Luke Sinnard – ATL, RHP, 23.5 – Sinnard is a big dude at 6’8”, 250 pounds who throws pretty hard with a mid 90’s fastball and has two good secondaries in his slider and changeup. It all resulted in a 2.86 ERA with a 28.3/8.9 K%/BB% in 72.1 IP split between Single-A and High-A. The slider can definitely look pretty damn nasty at it’s best, and the changeup is effective vs. lefties. Considering his age and size, he needs to show it against against more advanced competition, but there is plenty to like here with mid rotation upside. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.30/141 in 150 IP
1026) Yhoiker Fajardo – STL, RHP, 19.6 – Fajardo conquered the DSL in 2024, stateside rookie ball to start 2025, and then he kept it up at Single-A as an 18 year old with a 2.98 ERA and 27.8/9.4 K%/BB% in 51.1 IP. He looks the part at 6’3” with a pretty athletic delivery and the stuff is solid with a 94 MPH fastball and two good secondaries in his slider and changeup. None of his pitches are truly nasty, but all of them are pretty good, and he was only 18 years old. He profiles as a #4 upside type right now, but his age gives him more runway for big leaps. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.31/140 in 150 IP
1027) Bryce Meccage – MIL, RHP, 20.0 – Meccage was drafted 57th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and his solid but unspectacular pro debut has his value holding steady. He put up a 4.35 ERA with a 23.6/8.9 K%/BB% in 70.1 IP. He looks the part at 6’4”, he can spin it with a beautiful curve and drop off the table slider, the fastball has reached 97 MPH, and he’s in a great developmental organization. There is a lot going for him, but long way to go. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/4.06/1.27/152 in 160 IP
1028) Ramon Marquez – PHI, RHP, 20.6 – Martinez pitched well in rookie ball, and then he was called up to Single-A and kept pitching well with a 31.4/7.1 K%/BB% and 4.24 ERA (2.94 xERA) in 17 IP. He’s a projectable 6’2” with a 93.8 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground, a whiff machine changeup, and a potentially solid slider and cutter. Pitch mix, grounders, bat missing secondaries, good velocity, size, and now doing it in full season ball … a lot of boxes here. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.06/1.28/139 in 150 IP
1029) Joey Oakie – CLE, RHP, 19.11 – Here is what I wrote about Oakie in last year’s Top 1,000, and I basically nailed what was going to happen in his pro debut, writing, “the 6’3”, 205 pound Oakie is a sidearming righty with stuff that dashes and dives in every direction. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s with tons of movement, the slider is a vicious pitch with at least plus potential, and he also has a developing changeup. The stuff is almost too nasty for his own good in that he doesn’t seem to always know where it is going, so he will need to refine his control/command to remain a starter” … and then he went out and put up a 5.31 ERA with a 28.8/14.0 K%/BB% in 59.1 IP at rookie and Single-A. That basically says it all. The fastball was already up into the mid 90’s, which is great, but I never questioned the stuff. He still needs to massively improve his control if he doesn’t want to end up in the bullpen, but there is real upside in here. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/3.91/1.33/161 in 150 IP
1030) Frank Cairone – MIL, LHP, 18.7 – Selected 68th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Cairone immediately gets the Milwaukee bump, and he also gets the young for his class bump. It’s not hard to see what Milwaukee likes as a 6’2”, 195 pound lefty with a nasty breaker as his standout pitch. The fastball sits low 90’s and he mixes in a changeup as well. There is a long way to do and tons of refinement is needed all around, but there are more than a few ingredients to buy into here. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 10/3.92/1.29/144 in 150 IP
1031) Jorge Quintana – SDP, SS, 19.0 – Quintana has a good SS glove and big raw power potential at 6’2”, 183 pounds, but the rest of his game is very raw. The hit tool got exposed at Single-A with a 33.7% K% in 25 games, and while he was young for the level, the offensive production wasn’t great in rookie ball either with a 98 wRC+ and 21.8% K%. He’s got raw power, but he hits the ball on the ground too much, resulting in only 4 homers in 75 games. The glove should give him a long leash to refine his offensive game, and there is upside in the bat, but there is a long way to go. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 52/14/59/.241/.313/.421/9
1032) Ramcell Medina – KCR, SS, 18.5 – Medina cracked my Top 1,000 last off-season at #1,010, writing, “Medina has a perfect combination of refinement, history of production, and now size/projection. He’s grown to 6’2”, 180 pounds, and he looks pretty damn physical in the box already. He could end up with real power to go along with an advanced feel at the plate and solid athleticism.” … and then he did enough in the DSL to both back up that scouting report and hold his value steady, slashing .260/.398/.404 with 2 homers, 7 steals, and a 14.0/16.7 K%/BB% in 44 games. He has no problems lifting and pulling and that power potential is still in there to go along with the strong plate skills and athleticism. A strong showing stateside will have his hype on the rise. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/18/74/.257/.326/.428/11
1033) Luis Arana – MIA, 3B/SS, 18.0 – Arana was one of the top contact breakouts in the DSL, slashing .297/.419/.476 with 5 homers, 28 steals, and a 7.9/13.2 K%/BB% in 52 games. He’s not a big at 5’10”, he doesn’t hit the ball very hard, the groundball rates are high, and he’s not a particularly toolsy athlete, so he’s trending towards a utility infielder role long term. Still, this is an 18 year old with a standout tool for his age in his contact, so if he starts hitting the ball harder and/or lifting more, he can beat that projection. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 72/12/48/.268/.326/.390/18
1034) Haritzon Castillo – MIN, SS/2B, 18.0 – Haritzon got the million dollar signing bonus in the last international class (well, close, but not quite at $947,500 … and then after taxes, and after paying his agent, and after paying the baseball clinic he came from … 30 grand hah) … and he lived up to that bonus with a strong season in the DSL, slashing .283/.395/.428 with 2 homers, 12 steals, and a 13.2/14.4 K%/BB% in 39 games. He’s not a super toolsy guy at 5’10”, but as you can see the plate skills are strong and there should only be more power coming from here. He’s a really good all around player who could start popping when he gets stateside. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 79/15/66/.268/.337/.409/22
1035) Sebastian Blanco – COL, SS, 18.3 – Blanco was a DSL breakout, slashing .345/.449/.453 with 3 homers, 11 steals, and a 13.7/13.3 K%/BB% in 54 games. The hit tool was among the best in the league, he’s a good athlete and he’s got projectable power at 6’1”, 180 pounds. We have to trust Colorado to develop him, which isn’t fun, but there is a potential breakout in here when he comes stateside. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 78/18/73/.268/.335/.430/14
1036) Diego Frontado – MIL, SS, 17.7 – Brewers international prospect? Sign me up, although Antunez and Fenelon weren’t anything special last year, so it’s still a crapshoot. Frontado’s allure is the advanced feel to hit with a projectable 6’0′ frame that could grow into considerable power at peak. Here he is 13 years old, already pimping that homer hard. He’s also a plus runner. Org, hit, speed, projectable power … yea, that is your classic good international prospect. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.266/.332/.429/24
1037) Jaider Suarez – KCR, SS, 17.4 – Suarez has a really good combo of floor and upside with a history of production in international competition, and also the tools we are looking for in fantasy. He’s an already strong 6’1” with room for more, giving him at least above average power potential, and he’s also a plus runner with a good feel to hit. The righty swing is balanced, quick, and powerful. Lots to like here. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 82/22/84/.261/.336/.448/18
1038) Chase Shores – LAA, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 47th overall, it seems highly likely to me that the Angels drafted Shores to be a quick moving reliever. He’s got the reliever profile at a massive 6’8”, 245 pounds with an upper 90’s fastball that routinely gets into the 100’s, and due to injuries and inconsistency, he’s mostly been a reliever in college at LSU. He put up a 5.09 ERA with a 24.6/10.9 K%/BB% in 63.2 IP his junior year, which shows you that inconsistency. Even with throwing 100, he doesn’t miss as many bats as you would think. The slider is his best secondary, but even that has had some inconsistency, and the changeup lags behind as a 3rd pitch. Maybe a more patient team than the Angels would try to tap into his upside as a starter, but I don’t think that is the Angels MO. I’m not going after him in drafts. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 4/3.72/1.27/68 in 65 IP
1039) Liberts Aponte – CIN, SS, 18.5 – Aponte cracked my Top “1,000” at #1,046 for his plus at least plus SS glove, and then he went out in the DSL and popped 7 homers in 45 games. He’s a skinny 6’0”, so more raw power should be coming from here, and he was also a perfect 9 for 9 on the bases. The 18.1% K% and .247 BA wasn’t quite as impressive, but for a defense first player, he showed more upside with the bat than expected. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection 68/18/73/.246/.318/.427/12
1040) Wilfri De La Cruz – BAL, SS, 18.7 – Cruz checked in at #935 on last year’s Top 1,000, and his 142 wRC+ in the DSL has his value holding steady. He slashed .258/.465/.400 with 0 homers, 15 steals in 22 attempts, and a 21.2/27.1 K%/BB% in 40 games. He didn’t hit a homer, but he’s a projectable 6’2”, and he lifted/pull plenty, so the power could be coming in a big way down the line. The low BA, high K% and poor stolen base percentage isn’t great, so I can’t fly him up rankings, but he was worthy of a spot on this list last off-season, and his performance was good enough to still be worthy of one now. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 78/20/78/.251/.332/.434/10
1041) Angel De Los Santos – DET, SS, 18.1 – De Los Santos was a DSL breakout, slashing .370/.465/.543 with 1 homer, 7 steals, and a 17.2/11.1 K%/BB% in 29 games. The .446 BABIP is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but he’s a projectable 6’1” with lift/pull and the ability to hit the ball pretty hard already. The power could tick up in a big way down the line, and combined with his feel to hit, athleticism and glove, it could make him a breakout candidate over the next couple years. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 74/16/67/.257/.318/.418/16
1042) Angel Feliz – WSH, SS, 19.5 – I’m not a huge Feliz fan with high groundball rates, below average speed, and mediocre production in rookie ball, but he cracks this list for the potential he brings at a projectable 6’3”. The talent is in here to be an impact bat, but there is a ton of refinement needed. The hit tool and approach are solid with a 19.3/13.2 K%/BB% in 53 games at rookie ball, but the 23.3% K% and .230 BA in 31 games at Single-A hints that it’s only an okay hit tool. The 49.3% GB% is way too high and he’s not a good base stealer. Not my favorite prospect but I guess he deserves to be on the list. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 66/13/51/.258/.325/.417/6
1043) Albert Fermin – HOU, SS, 17.2 – Fermin is your classic scout’s dream build at a projectable 6’3” with hard hit ability, plus speed, and a good feel to hit. He’s expected to get the 13th highest signing bonus and the tools/skills look excellent, but he was not included in Pipeline’s Top 50. Not sure what the disconnect is there, but it sure seems like he has the talent, feel to hit and big bonus to deserve to be on that list. Either way, he should certainly be on your list with legit upside and going to a good organization. Not a bad dart throw at all. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 76/20/78/.251/322/.433/18
1044) Joniel Hernandez – SDP, SS, 17.1 – Hernandez has the classic long and lean build at 6’1”, 175 pounds, so there is projection for him to add plenty more power in the future, and he already has the ability to hit the ball hard. The plus speed and athleticism is what you are buying the most, and while he has a good feel to hit, there is definitely some hit tool risk in here. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 76/17/69/.250/.321/.421/23
1045) Johan De Los Santos – PIT, SS/2B, 17.8 – Santos was one the youngest players in the DSL and he had one of the top contact/speed seasons in the league, slashing .353/.451/.460 with 0 homers, 34 steals, and a 7.5/15.5 K%/BB% in 44 games. The speed is elite and he’s a skinny 5’11”, so if he can add any power at all, he could be in line to be the next Chandler Simpson like prospect. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 61/5/38/.262/.324/.348/34
1046) Ricky Moneys – MIL, SS, 17.6 – “Ask anyone who has traveled to the Dominican Republic about La Romana and you’ll often hear about the beaches. But the city in the southeastern portion of the country is also a hotbed for baseball talent” … I joked about it in the Jose Manon blurb too, but I fucking love this MLB Pipeline writer hah … who is writing these half travel blogs, half scouting reports haha. Beyond the beaches though, and even beyond the scouting report, does this guy have the best name in the history of names? He’s so Money(s) and he clearly knows it. He has an open righty batting stance with a quick swing that is looking to do real damage. He already did real damage in the Amateur Scouting League, putting up a 1.723 OPS and winning MVP. Good feel to hit, growing power at a projectable 6’0”, good athlete, and a history of production. Pretty Money(s). – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 76/20/81/.259/.326/.435/10
1047) Maykel Coret – TBR, OF, 18.6 – Coret checked in at #923 on last year’s list, writing, “He has one of the highest upsides in the class at 6’4”, 190 pounds with a potentially plus power/speed combo. The swing is athletic and powerful, and while it’s not the shortest swing, I like that he’s trying to do real damage. He can already hit the ball very hard. He’s also an excellent athlete who certainly looks the part on the field with smooth and explosive movements. If the hit tool is at least solid in the DSL, he definitely has potential to get some real hype very quickly.” … and while the hit tool still has definite risk, it transferred enough to get him back on this list, slashing .273/.394/.370 with 2 homers, 15 steals, and a 22.3/12.8 K%/BB% in 41 games. He hit the ball hard, he showed off the athleticism, and he didn’t have any major groundball issues. The K% was too high, so he remains his risk, but the high reward is in here too. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 68/23/76/.249/.312/.435/18
1048) Gregory Pio – SEA, OF, 17.2 – Pio is a tooled up player at a still very projectable 5’11”, 170 pounds with explosive bat speed and foot speed. He definitely jumps off the screen despite not being a huge human being. It’s why he’s expected to get the 9th highest signing bonus in the class. Those tools come with hit tool risk though, and it seems his value has dropped a bit since securing that huge bonus early on. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 71/16/66/.240/.306/.417/27
1049) Samil Serrano – WSH, OF, 17.5 – The #1 thing to like about Serrano is his loose, easy, athletic and explosive lefty swing. That thing is easy to dream on, and while he doesn’t have much power now, it’s not hard to envision more coming at a long and lean 6’2”. He’s a good athlete who can play CF and he has a good feel to hit. If the power comes, he could be very dangerous. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/18/71/.259/.327/.430/12
1050) Cristian Arguelles – COL, OF, 18.9 – Arguelles was a DSL repeater, but he was young for his class, and he utterly obliterated the level, slashing .422/.528/.652 with 5 homers, 6 steals, and a 10.6/14.4 K%/BB% in 52 games. The .463 BABIP is doing a lot of the heavy lifting and he’s not a big tool guy with potentially average power and speed. It’s a hit tool first profile DSL repeater. I’ll let him crack the list but he’s gotta show it at higher levels. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 74/17/66/.271/.334/.417/7
1051) Juan Rijo – SEA, OF, 17.7 – Rio was a late bloomer who always showed a strong feel to hit and the ability to get the most out of his smaller stature, and then he hit his growth spurt, growing to 6’1”, 185 pounds, which gave him the physicality to take his game to the next level. He still has that little man leg kick, although it’s a quick one, and the lefty swing is balanced and quick. It’s not the most the most tooled up profile in the class, but still plenty to like. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 79/20/77/.268/.336/.435/12
1052) Dean Livingston – ARI, RHP, 19.7 – Selected 123rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $1 million, Livingston is your classic tall, projectable righty at 6’4”, 200 pounds. The fastball can already get into the upper 90’s and he combines the heat with a potentially plus slider and developing changeup. Lots of refinement is needed and there is a long way to go, but this is a really good ball of clay for Arizona to work with. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 10/3.94/1.27/158 in 160 IP
1053) Andri Hidalgo – BAL, LHP, 17.1 – I don’t remember the last time I included an international prospect pitcher in the FYPD Rankings, but Hidalgo’s profile is similar enough with some of the back end high school arms for him to crack the list. He’s a projectable and athletic 6’4” lefty, which is a great foundation to start with, and he’s that frame to fire a low 90’s fastball that can get into the mid 90’s. The slider is his best secondary and he’s also working on a changeup. He’s basically a 6’4” ball of clay with some really nice ingredients but there is a long, long, long way to go. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 9/3.93/1.32/150 in 150 IP
1054) Ariel Roque – BAL, OF, 17.5 – Roque is a tooled up and supremely athletic 6’0”, 165 pounds with speed, projectable power and a howitzer of a lefty swing that could produce big power when the man muscles start to come in. He’s not as refined as other top athletes in this class with some rawness in his game, so he’s on the risky side, but the upside is huge if it comes together. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 71/17/67/.242/.311/.420/19
1055) Tyson Hardin – MIL, RHP, 24.4 – Hardin is likely a back end arm without standout stuff, but his pristine walk rates get him on the list. He put up a 2.72 ERA with a 24.7/4.4 K%/BB% in 96 IP at High-A and Double-A. Seeing the K% drop to 21.8% at Double-A really says it all, which is that the stuff probably isn’t quite good enough to play as a mid rotation starter at the MLB level. But he has the upside of an elite control, good WHIP #4 starter, and Milwaukee is a great org, so I’ll put him on the list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.08/1.24/130 in 150 IP
1056) Drew Beam – KCR, RHP, 23.1 – The Royals are the perfect organization to take shots on floor over upside arms because of their ballpark and lack of funds to sign expensive free agents (well, maybe not their ballpark anymore, but we shall see how it plays next year with the fences moving in), making Beam a worthy medium to deeper league prospect despite having low K, #3/4 type upside. He cracked my Top 1,000 last year at #964 as the 76th overall pick in the draft with that safe floor profile, and then he performed as advertised at High-A with a 3.83 ERA and 20.5/5.6 K%/BB% in 131.2 IP. He’s a big dude at 6’4”, he throws the ball over the plate, the fastball sits mid 90’s and he’s racked up innings. There isn’t great secondaries or great pitch shapes or big strikeout numbers, so the upside isn’t high, but the potential is there to be a fantasy relevant pitcher. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 8/4.08/1.30/128 in 150 IP
1057) Cade Obermueller – PHI, LHP, 22.8 – Selected 63rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Obermueller had the big junior year breakout in the Big Ten with a 3.02 ERA and 32.9/9.0 K%/BB% in 83.1 IP. He doesn’t stand out physically at 6’0”, 170 pounds, but the lefty delivery is athletic with a little funk to it, and the sweepy slider looks like a nightmare to hit. The low to mid 90’s sinker keeps the ball on the ground and he’ll mix in a lesser used changeup too. It looks more like a back end profile with reliever risk, so he’s not my favorite arm, but Philly obviously sees more with drafting him relatively highly. If the fastball can tick up, and he does have some projection, he could certainly pop. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.03/1.32/142 in 150 IP
1058) Homer Bush Jr. – TBR, OF, 24.6 – Bush is your classic, double plus speed (57 steals in 121 games at Double-A), double plus defensive CF, which has value both in real life and fantasy, but he’s on the low end of this type of player. His power is truly non existent with 0 homers and a 53.8% GB%. And his contact and approach aren’t really good enough for this type of profile with a 17.9/8.8 K%/BB%. You need elite contact, or elite OBP or something else beyond just defense and speed. Because he only has defense and speed it’s probably a 4th OF at peak if that, but that speed keeps him on the fantasy radar. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 51/2/28/.258/.319/.345/23
1059) RJ Schreck – TOR, 25.8 – Schreck is a 25 year old corner outfielder with a good but not great bat, which means he’s going to have to scratch and claw for playing time. He hit well in the upper minors with 18 homers, 9 steals, a 21.3/16.4 K%/BB% and 143 wRC+ in 105 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, but the hard hit metrics were lacking in Triple-A with a 28.3% Hard Hit%. The plate skills are strong and he lifts and pulls, so he can definitely make a fantasy impact if he does get on the field. He gets ranked highly, which I don’t completely understand, but I guess there is the potential for him to be a solid bat. Deep league only guy for me. – 2026 Projection: 10/2/10/.238/.309/.405/1 Prime Projection: 68/17/64/.252/.330/.428/7
1060) Raudi Rodriguez – LAA, OF, 22.9 – Rodriguez was a 21/22 year old in the lower minors, so you can’t take his production at face value, but there is enough upside in here to be firmly on the fantasy radar. He slashed .281/.372/.470 with 14 homers, 38 steals, and a 23.2/11.3 K%/BB% in 125 games at Single-A. He followed that up with a strong AFL performance, putting up a 1.164 OPS in 18 games, albeit with only 1 homer and a high BABIP. He’s a good athlete at 6’0” with hard hit ability and speed, but the hit tool is still a risk and he’s not a huge lift/pull guy either. We also have to bank on the Angels to develop him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 58/11/53/.247/.319/.409/18
1061) Arnaldo Lantigua – CIN, OF, 20.3 – Lantigua is 6’2”, 200 pounds with plus power potential, and he showed off that power at stateside rookie ball with 10 homers and a 21.4/8.7 K%/BB% in 49 games. He wasn’t quite as good at Single-A to close out the season, but he still put up a 110 wRC+ with a not bad 25.9% whiff% in 32 games. Showing the hit tool not immediately imploding was big to see. He doesn’t run, the hit tool is super high risk, and he was old for stateside rookie ball, so he’s just a long shot power prospect. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 63/22/74/.243/.314/.436/5
1062) Jose Anderson – MIL, OF, 19.4 – Anderson destroyed the DSL in 2024 with 8 homers and a 140 wRC+, and then he destroyed stateside rookie ball in 2025 with 3 homers and a 197 wRC+ in 10 games. But Milwaukee got so excited that they immediately sent him to Single-A, and he wasn’t ready for the challenge as an 18 year old with a 89 wRC+ and 28.5% K% in 94 games. He did hit 11 homers though, which shows the power potential at peak. His age appropriate obliteration of the rookie ball levels deserves a spot on this list. He profiles as a corner power bat if it all works out. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 66/20/69/.251/.323/.432/7
1063) Handelfry Encarnacion – MIL, OF, 18.10 – Encarnacion has an electric lefty swing that is fast and powerful (5 homers), which he combines with a good feel to hit (15.4/8.9 K%/BB%) and some speed (6 steals) in 48 games at stateside rookie. He’s also barely 18 years old. He didn’t hit well after getting the call to Single-A with a 34 wRC+ in 28 games, but that is forgivable at his age, and the 19.3/8.8 K%/BB% wasn’t bad. He’s definitely pretty electric out there, but long way to go. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/18/66/.259/.318/.420/8
1064) Ryan Wideman – SDP, OF, 22.5 – Selected 99th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Wideman is an athletic specimen at 6’5”, 204 pounds with a plus power/speed combo, which is easy to love, but I didn’t love his pro debut. He came from a non major conference and the skills immediately didn’t transfer to pro ball with 0 homers and a 78 wRC+ in 26 games at Single-A. The 28.6% K% and 66.1% GB% are the most concerning numbers from that debut. He ripped up Conference USA, slashing .398/.466/.652 with 10 homers, 45 steals, and a 16.6/8.1 K%/BB% in 60 games. Even that line has the BABIP doing a lot of the heavy lifting with non standout homer or K/BB rates. The athletic upside is worthy of cracking the list, but I can’t say I’m going after him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 53/14/58/.244/.305/.417/17
1065) Elorky Rodriguez – TEX, 2B/OF, 18.3 – Rodriguez was a DSL standout, slashing .337/.473/.506 with 6 homers, 9 steals, and a 16.8/17.3 K%/BB% in 46 games. He’s not a huge guy at 5’10”, but he’s a strong 5’10” with sweet and powerful lefty swing. He signed for over $1 million, so this isn’t some unknown guy. He got that signing bonus for his bat. There isn’t big upside and there is a long way to go, but he’s an interesting DSL bat. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 72/17/66/.261/.324/.422/9
1066) Richard Matic – NYY, 3B, 18.8 – Matic was a DSL repeater after hitting .196 in 2024, and while he was still age appropriate for the level, I still don’t think it’s a good sign. What is a good sign though is how much he raked, slashing .336/.407/.566 with 5 homers, 11 steals, and a 22.5/20.9 K%/BB% in 46 games. He signed for $800K in the 2024 signing period, so this is a real prospect, and there is plus power potential in the bat. Even with the much better year though, you can see the K% is too high, and he’s not a burner or a great defender. He’s gotta prove it stateside before really putting any shine on his name. He’s one to keep an eye on though. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 38/13/43/.227/.306/.425/5
1067) Harold Rivas – BOS, OF, 17.11 – Rivas checked in on last year’s list at #937, writing, “He’s a visually super explosive at the dish with an athletic and powerful righty swing that definitely has power potential as he continues to fill out his 6’2”, 170 pound frame. He’s also a plus runner who plays a good CF” … and then he lived up to that scouting report, putting up a 113 wRC+ with 2 homers, 18 steals, and a 17.9/17.9 K%/BB% in 46 games. He didn’t dominate in any area, so he needs refinement all around to his game power, raw power, baserunning, and hit tool, but he flashed all of the ingredients to be a future breakout candidate. His performance was good enough to stay on the list. – ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 76/17/67/.255/.327/.416/19
1068) Jhon Simon – STL, 3B/OF, 18.2 – Simon signed for a half million in the last international signing class, and then he went out and produced in the DSL, slashing .315/.419/.427 with 1 homer, 0 steals, and a 17.1/13.3 K%/BB% in 23 games. He’s already a filled out 5’11”, 210 pounds, and befitting his size he hits the ball hard, but a 55.4% GB% caps the game power right now. If he can make the adjustments to tap into more of his raw power, there is the potential for an above average hit/power combo at peak. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 71/18/74/.263/.328/.422/4
1069) Yoniel Curet – PHI, RHP, 23.5 – It seems highly likely that Curet ends up in the bullpen after his mediocre 2025 with a 3.90 ERA and 25.5/12.8 K%/BB% in 55.1 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. It’s a very reliever profile with 3 fastballs (96.1 MPH sinker, 4-seamer, cutter) and a lesser used changeup and slider. If he had better control, I could see projecting him as a 3 headed fastball monster starter, but the below average control has me leaning bullpen. – 2026 Projection: 1/4.12/1.36/18 in 20 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.61/1.24/69 in 65 IP
1070) Coleman Crow – MIL, RHP, 25.3 – Crow is probably a reliever and he can’t stay healthy (he missed all of 2024 with Tommy John), but the dude can really spin it, and he was dominating Double-A before going down for the year with a hip injury and flexor strain. He put up a 3.24 ERA with a 32.0/6.0 K%/BB% in 50 IP. He only sits low 90’s but the spin and control helps it play up. The curve is a plus bat missing weapon and he also throws a cutter and changeup. This is just as much a bet on the organization as it is Crow, but the most likely outcome is still that ends up in the bullpen. If he does find his way into the rotation though, don’t be surprised if he’s another out of nowhere Milwaukee success story. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 4/3.82/1.28/86 in 90 IP
1071) Zane Taylor – SAC, RHP, 23.10 – Selected 141st overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Taylor cracks this list for the beautiful 28.8/3.0 K%/BB% with a 1.98 ERA in 95.2 IP in the Coastal Athletic Conference. The Athletics then sent him straight to Triple-A where he put up a 50% K% with a 30% whiff% in 2 IP. He’s already 23/24 years old, he’s not from a strong conference, and the stuff is more solid than anything else with a 93-94 MPH fastball and diverse pitch mix. It’s a back end profile, but that K/BB is good enough to get my attention. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 6/4.17/1.31/108 in 120 IP
1072) Cody Freeman – TEX, 2B, 25.3 – Freeman’s a 5’8”, 25 year old who immediately saw everything play down when he got to the majors. He dominated Triple-A with a .336 BA, 19 homers, and a 131 wRC+ in 97 games, but the Hard Hit dropped from 40% to 25.8% in the majors, and the K% rose from 8.7% to 15.7%. It resulted in a 66 wRC+ and .266 xwOBA in 36 games. No matter how old you are, you have to give some leeway for an adjustment period, so he deserves another crack at it in 2026 before writing him off. He has a standout skill in contact, he was mentioned as in the mix for the 2B job (although a clear long shot), and his Triple-A performance was impressive. 2B is weak enough where he’s still relevant in deeper leagues, but he’s got to show some upside on the MLB level to stay on the list. – 2026 Projection: 22/5/24/.247/.298/.377/2
1073) Nick Yorke – PIT, 2B, 24.0 – Both Yorke’s bat and defense just aren’t good enough to think he’s a long term starter. He hit 7 homers with a 104 wRC+ in 103 games at Triple-A, and then he came to the majors and got dominated with a .583 OPS and .255 xwOBA in 72 PA. Nothing is too bad in the profile, but nothing is too good either. He’s just mediocre across the board. – 2026 Projection: 21/4/22/.240/.296/.378/6
1074) Ty Harvey – SDP, C, 19.8 – Selected 160th overall and signed for $1.5 million in the 2025 MLB Draft, Harvey is an already pretty built up 6’2”, 215 pounds, and he has the plus power potential to match his physique with a quick and powerful righty swing. It’s not the upright and loose swing I love, but the dude definitely looks like he can do damage in the box. He also has a good chance to stick at catcher with a big arm and solid receiving skills. The hit tool is the biggest question which was made obvious in his pro debut, hitting .174 with a 40/23.3 K%/BB% in 7 games at Single-A. He was also already 19 year old when he debuted, so he’s old for the class. He’s just a late round FYPD flier in deep leagues if you want a catcher. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 44/15/53/.236/.315/.420/2
1075) Fernando Graterol – CHW, C, 17.6 – Graterol is set to receive the 2nd highest bonus for catchers in the class, and he’s ranked 1st overall for catchers on MLB Pipeline. MLB Pipeline does absolutely elite work for us dynasty players when it comes to the mystery box that is international prospects. Just wanted to give them some much deserved love in this area. There are no videos of Graterol out there that I can find, which is no fun, but he’s known for his big time raw power at a still projectable 6’1”. His big arm is his best asset behind the dish. More refinement is needed to the hit tool and defensively, and Chicago is not the best landing spot, although they did a good job with Edgar Quero (at least from 2023 on as he was with the Angels earlier in his career) and Teel (obviously we can’t give them much credit for Teel considering they traded for him last off-season as a finished product). – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 66/22/75/.245/.325/.445/5
1076) Manuel Bolivar – DET, C, 17.7 – Bolivar is set to receive the highest bonus for a catcher in the international class, but there really aren’t any standout catchers in this year’s class like Gabriel Davilillo last off-season, so he’s just a pure lotto ticket flier. He’s a projectable 6’3” with a smooth righty swing that could produce plus power at peak. He’s known as a good defensive player so there aren’t any questions about his ultimate defensive home. And of course, there is hit tool risk. Detroit has done a fairly good job at developing catchers of late, so I think it’s a good landing spot too. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 64/20/72/.245/.325/.437/5
1077) Randy Santana – DET, OF, 17.6 – Santana is already a physical kid with power, and there is probably room for him to tack on even more muscle, giving him considerable upside as a power hitting outfielder. The righty swing is balanced, direct to the ball, and fast. He also has a good feel to hit and speed, but it’s pretty clear this is going to be a corner outfield masher if it all works out. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/22/78/.243/.323/.440/10
1078) Keyner Martinez – SFG, RHP, 21.8 – Keyner was way too old for rookie ball, and he repeated the level, but he obliterated the level, and then he kept on pitching well when he got the call to Single-A with a 2.86 ERA and 31.3/11.5 K%/BB% in 22 IP. Granted, he was too old for Single-A too, especially with the talent left there at the end of the season. He backs up the numbers with good stuff too though. The fastball sits mid 90’s, the slider is potentially plus and the changeup is developing. He’s one to keep your eye on in 2026 more than go too hard for him this year. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/3.95/1.31/146 in 150 IP
1079) Ethan Dorchies – MIL, RHP, 19.5 – Dorchies was a rookie ball breakout who kept it up when he got the call to Single-A, putting up a 3.27 ERA with a 26.7/10.5 K%/BB% in 55 IP at Single-A. He’s a big dude at 6’5”, 215 pounds, and while the stuff isn’t huge right now, it’s still good with a low to mid 90’s fastball and two potentially good secondaries in his slider and changeup. The fastball probably has to tick up for him to really start popping, but at only 19 years old, that can certainly be in the cards. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 10/3.97/1.29/149 in 160 IP
1080) Josue Brito – BOS, 1B/OF, 19.0 – As the world’s foremost expert on Josue’s, it is my contractual and moral obligation to include Josue Brito on this list. He’s a DSL repeater who destroyed the level the 2nd time around, slashing .284/.497/.606 with 9 homers, 13 steals, and a 20.4/26.1 K%/BB% in 43 games. That was good for a 182 wRC+. He’s a power hitting corner bat if it all works out, but he clearly has to prove it at much higher levels. His first name gets him on the list. I couldn’t live with myself if he kills it next year and I didn’t include him hah. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 51/16/57/.242/.315/.425/8
1081) Jose Colina – ???, C, 17.6 – Colina is a wiry strong 5’11” with a super natural and rhythmic lefty swing that is easy to dream on. He already has power and there is only more coming in the future. He’s also known as a strong defensive catcher with a big arm. There are hit tool questions and he’s not an overtly huge guy both height and width wise, which you usually kinda want to bet on for catcher, but I loved the swing so much that I snuck him on the list. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 62/18/68/.255/.327/.426/2
1082) Jose Perdomo – ???, C, 17.11 – Perdomo is the younger brother of former hyped (not hyped anymore) top international prospect Jose Perdomo, so he’s got some bloodlines in here, and I’m a big fan of his righty swing. It’s upright, loose and he’s got the little man leg kick I love at a pretty strong 5’11”. He also looks particularly quick and athletic behind the plate with a big arm. He’s old for the class, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he emerges as the top catcher coming out the DSL next off-season. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 58/16/63/.250/.321/.416/5
1083) Mason Morris – CIN, RHP, 22.7 – Selected 83rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Morris was a reliever in college, but it seems like he might get a chance to convert to starter in pro ball, and the size and stuff is big enough for him to crack this list. He’s 6’4”, 225 pounds with an athletic right delivery that he uses to fire a mid 90’s fastball, a nasty slider, and a really good cutter too. It resulted in a 3.29 ERA and 34.1/9.2 K%/BB% in 54.2 IP in the SEC. He then stepped into pro ball and put up a 43.8/6.3 K%/BB% in 4 IP at Single-A (albeit with a 9.00 ERA). Not gonna lie, that little small pro debut K/BB dominance is what gets him on the list. He’s probably a reliever, but why not at this point in the draft. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 4/3.51/1.22/75 in 65 IP
1084) James Triantos – CHC, 2B, 23.2 – Triantos had a terrible year at Triple-A with a 76 wRC+, but his overall profile remains the same as a contact/steals guy. He put up a 15.1% K% with 28 steals in 102 games. The 34.9% Hard Hit% isn’t good, but it’s not terrible, and the glove might be good enough to stick at 2B, although it’s not a guarantee. Chicago always threatens to trade Hoerner who is a free agent after this year, and while that doesn’t mean Triantos would get the 2B job, it’s conceivable he would be in the mix. And if he does get run, the contact/steals profile would make him fantasy relevant. – 2026 Projection: 11/1/6/.237/.280/.345/3 Prime Projection: 51/6/38/.256/.301/.378/16
1085) Chris Arroyo – MIA, 1B/LHP, 21.7 – Selected 139th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Arroyo cracks this list for his age and raw power. He’s one of the youngest players in the college class and is almost a full year younger than Aiva Arquette and Ike Irish, for reference. He also has some of the best raw power in the class with top end exit velocities, and that hard hit ability immediately showed up in pro ball with a 91 MPH EV and 48.1% Hard Hit% in 20 games at Single-A. He didn’t hit particularly well with a 93 wRC+, and the 49% GB% and 30.7% whiff% is not a great combo, but that is where giving some leeway for his age comes in. He hit well in the ACC, slashing .291/.361/.519 with 11 homers, 5 steals, and a 13.8/10.6 K%/BB% in 49 games, so if he stayed in college, there was a chance he could have had that big 21 year old season that so many college bats have. He’s also a lefty reliever, and while that isn’t a great fallback for fantasy, it’s some kind of fallback plan if you are drafting him in deep leagues. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 64/16/66/.247/.321/.430/5
1086) Cole Mathis – CHC, 1B, 22.8 – Mathis underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted in 2024, so we have to grade his entire 2025 on a curve to begin with, and while he was healthy to start 2025, he hurt his elbow again after a month+ and was shut down again until the AFL. The AFL was his saving grace, as the things that got him onto my 2025 Top 1,000 at #866 started to show up, slashing .280/.439/.400 with 2 homers, 3 steals, and a 23.9/22.4 K%/BB% in 16 games. He also put up a 121 wRC+ with 3 homers and a 22.7/13.7 K%/BB% in 29 games at Single-A before he got hurt again. He put up a 90.1 MPH EV with a 37.1% Hard Hit% in the AFL, which is solid, and the hope is that the power will continue to tick up as he gets further away from the elbow injury. He’s a really good all around hitter with the ability to hit for power and average, and while he’s not a burner, he’s definitely a good athlete. Let’s see what he can do in 2026 when he’s presumably fully healthy for the first time in his pro career. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 64/16/66/.258/.327/.429/7
1087) Callan Moss – PIT, 1B, 22.7 – Moss was traded to Pitt at the deadline, and while it was only a small deal for Bailey Falter, it shows that there is something buy into here. Pitt wouldn’t have asked for him if they thought he was nothing. He was an age appropriate 21 years old at High-A all year and he hit damn well, slashing .287/.384/.457 with 13 homers, 17 steals, and a 22.3/12.5 K%/BB% in 122 games. That was good for a 140 wRC+. He’s more of an all fields, line drive hitter, which is why the homer totals are low, but he can certainly hit it hard at a rock solid 6’3”, 225 pounds. He’s not fast but the stolen bases show there is some athleticism in there. I prefer my 1B prospects with more actualized game power, but there is more in there, and you can’t deny the strong production. He deserves to crack the list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 51/12/53/.258/.326/.421/6
1088) Jared Jones – PIT, 1B, 22.8 – Pitt loves Jared Jones’ obviously, and they picked another one in the 2025 MLB Draft at 263rd overall. This one is a hitter though. Well, “hitter” is a stretch, because he doesn’t actually hit it that often with a 44.8% K% in 15 games at High-A in his pro debut. That is the reason he fell so far in the draft, along with his lack of defensive value and the fact he’s a righty/righty 1B. But when he does actually get the bat on the ball, he demolishes it at 6’4”, 246 pounds. He crushed 4 homers in that debut and crushed 64 homers in his 189 game college career at LSU. It’s most likely a bench power bat. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 41/14/49/.223/.309/.430/3
1089) Tanner Thach – COL, 1B, 22.1 – Selected 227th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Thach cracks this list for his solid pro debut. He slashed .279/.375/.397 with 2 homers, 1 steal, and a 23.8/10.0 K%/BB% in 18 games at Single-A. It was good for a 120 wRC+. He also cracks the list for his plus raw power at 6’4”, 225 pounds, and he got to that power often in college in the Colonial Athletic Conference with 54 homers in 176 games. He chases a lot, there is hit tool risk and there isn’t much defensive value, so he’s just a late FYPD flier. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 47/13/56/.244/.307/.419/3
1090) Edguardo De Leon – MIA, 3B/1B, 19.1 – De Leon followed up a strong pro debut in the DSL in 2024 (5 homers with a 142 wRC+) with another strong outing in stateside rookie ball, slashing .276/.353/.500 with 5 homers, 5 steals, and a 28.8/9.8 K%/BB% in 43 games. As you can see, the hit tool is a concern, but the power is legit with hard hit and the ability to lift it. He played mostly 1B this year, so if he ends up a 1B only, there is going to be a ton of pressure on the bat. Tack on hit tool risk, and he’s only a power flier in deeper leagues. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 47/16/54/.235/.306/.431/5
1091) Warel Solano – TBR, 3B, 18.6 – Solano signed for the milly and then went out and proved that high signing bonus in the DSL, slashing .319/.391/.418 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 16.4/9.2 K%/BB% in 48 games. The power/speed combo obviously doesn’t jump off the page, but at projectable 6’2” and without any major groundball issues, the homers should come over time. The swing is already fast and explosive, so there is real power upside in the bat. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 65/19/72/.252/.314/.426/6
1092) Luke Hill – CLE, 3B, 22.0 – Selected 132nd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Hill followed up a big junior breakout in the SEC with an even better pro debut, slashing .347/.459/.510 with 1 homer, 7 steals, and a 17.7/17.7 K%/BB% in 15 games at Single-A. He proved all the skills will translate to pro ball, and those skills are a good feel to hit, good approach, and good athleticism. There isn’t big power upside and he’s not a burner, which makes his most likely outcome as a utility player, but the impressive debut and SEC production gets him on this list. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 63/11/48/.261/.327/.401/14
1093) Dixon Williams – ATL, 2B, 22.3 – Selected 136th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Williams is a 6’2”, 210 pound lefty with a nice looking lefty swing that certainly looks the part. He didn’t come from a major conference (American Conference), but he immediately proved he can hit pro pitching with a 150 wRC+ in 28 games at Single-A. The K% spiked to 30.7%, which is a big red flag, but the 14% BB% mitigates that somewhat, he stole 6 bags, and he lifted the ball with a 29.3% GB%. He ripped 14 homers with 22 steals and a 16.2/16.8 K%/BB% in 62 games his junior year. He’s actually an interesting late round college bat for deeper leagues. Size, lift, speed, strong debut … there are some nice ingredients here. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 36/11/41/.238/.301/.413/9
1094) Enmanuel Merlo – MIN, SS, 17.4 – Merio has some of the best hard hit ability in the class already and at 6’1”, 180 pounds, this is surely only the start to his power potential. He also has a strong history of production with a good feel to hit and athleticism. This is the area these blurbs start to get repetitive, but nobody knows which players are going to be the true monster DSL breakouts, and these are the types that could be the guy. He’s another good one. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 77/23/83/.261/.332/.449/9
1095) Dawvris Brito – BOS, SS, 17.6 – The only video I can find is the Pipeline one where he looks about 13-14 years old, but even at that age, you can see he has a swing that is designed to get to his power. He can already hit the ball hard and at 6’0”, 177 pounds, a lot more hard hit should be coming down the line. He combines the potentially exciting game/raw power combo with a good feel to hit and good athleticism. He’s another good one. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/18/69/.249/.323/.427/16
1096) Garielvin Silverio – BOS, OF, 17.6 – Silverio is a 6’1”, 207 pound physical masher with a big and powerful lefty swing that is quite easy to see the big power potential. Watching him hit in those cages almost looked silly. Dude stands out. He also had a good feel to hit, but he’s not a particularly great athlete, which means the bat has to hit it’s ceiling here. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/24/83/.257/.328/.453/4
1097) Ezequiel Melbourne – LAD, SS, 16.10 – Melbourne is going to the Dodgers, which gets you a leg up right off the bat, and he’s also one of the youngest and most projectable players in the class. He’s a skinny 6’3” with a smooth and quick swing from both sides of the plate. There isn’t big power now, but there could be in the future. He also has the requisite good feel to hit and good athleticism, giving the Dodgers a great ball of clay to work with. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 71/19/46/.250/.320/.426/9
1098) Alexander Pio – ???, SS/3B, 17.3 – Pio is a projectable 6’2”, 180 pounds who is already showing the signs of easy plus power potential. He has a righty swing that is geared for lift, so he shouldn’t have any trouble getting to that power. There isn’t big speed, he’s likely to move off SS, and there is hit tool risk, so the hope is that he can turn into a power hitting 3B. He’s not one of my favorite later round international prospects, but the bat certainly has the potential to pop in the DSL. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 68/22/76/.242/.317/.436/5
1099) Michael Mesa – ???, OF, 17.3 – Mesa is already a pretty strong 6’2”, 195 pounds and has the type of easy, natural and explosive lefty swing that isn’t hard to envision doing major damage in the DSL. It seems his most likely path is going to be a power first, corner outfielder masher, but there is good athleticism and feel to hit as well, so the profile can go any number of ways. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 69/20/75/.245/.322/.438/10
1100) Starling De La Cruz – ATL, OF, 17.5 – De La Cruz is in the little man discount bucket of international prospect. He’s 5’9” but he hits the ball harder than his height would indicate and he’s an explosive player with plus speed and a good feel to hit. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 77/16/69.262/.326/.414/26
1101) Javier Mogollon – CHW, 2B, 20.5 – Mogollon is a fun little man discount candidate at 5’8” with a lift/pull profile and plus speed, but the hit tool isn’t good enough for this type of profile. He hit .220 with a 25% K% in 51 games at Single-A and it was even worse in 2024 with a 38.3% K% in rookie ball. It came with 5 homers and 15 steals, showing the fun power/speed combo, but I don’t want to bet too much on the hit tool here, or the organization. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 47/12/38/.228/.306/.408/15
1102) CJ Gray – LAA, RHP, 19.2 – Selected 140th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $1.25 million, Gray is pure unrefined talent at 6’2”, 205 pounds with an uber athletic righty delivery and mid 90’s gas, but unfortunately, we have to trust the Angels to develop that talent, and that isn’t a great bet. He combines the heat with a potentially plus slider and developing changeup. He needs to improve his control/command and he needs refinement all around, so you are just betting on the upside. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 8/3.98/1.34/143 in 140 IP
1103) Isaias Suarez – WSH, OF, 17.4 – Suarez is a projectable 6’2”, 165 pounds who doesn’t have big power right now, but it’s not hard to envision much more coming in the future as he becomes a grown man. And what you are buying here is the excellent speed and athleticism who plays a strong CF. There are some hit tool questions too, keeping his ranking subdued, but there is a lot to like here and it’s not hard to dream on what his future could look like in a perfect world. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 73/15/64/.251/.316/.409/25
1104) Dylan Jordan – LAA, RHP, 20.6 – Jordan cracked my Top 1,000 last off-season at #1,031 for his size and funky righty delivery, and now he’s proven the profile will play in pro ball with a 2.36 ERA and 26.7/9.4 K%/BB% in 76.1 IP at rookie ball and Single-A. He was just as good at Single-A as he was rookie ball. He does it with a low 90’s fastball, potentially plus slider and developing changeup, but none of the pitches are really standout right now so as is, it looks more like a back end starter profile. He’s young with with plenty of improvement ahead of him, so his upside will be dictated by how much velocity he gain, how well he develops the secondaries, and how much he can improve his control. Long way to go, but good debut. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.04/1.31/136 in 150 IP
1105) Argenis Cayama – SFG, RHP, 19.7 – Cayama was a rookie ball breakout pitcher with a 2.25 ERA and 27.8/9.1 K%/BB% in 48 IP, but he got rocked with a 8.16 ERA and 9.6/13.7 K%/BB% in 14.1 IP when he got the call to Single-A. He was young for the level, but I don’t think it’s a great sign. He’s a projectable 6’1”, 180 pounds with a fastball that can already get into the mid 90’s, a pretty vicious slider and a solid changeup. Long way to go, but good ingredients. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.09/1.32/142 in 150 IP
1106) JJ Bleday – CIN, OF, 28.5 – Bleday was one of my top fades of last season with him getting real sleeper buzz, and I nailed it with him putting up a 90 wRC+ with below average defense and losing his job. He’s now on a $1.4 million deal in Cincy, and while he can still compete for an OF job, I think he’s most likely to be on the bench. He’s a lift and pull machine, and the 38.7% Hard Hit% should be enough to hit dingers out in Cincy. He hit 20 in 2024 and 14 in 98 games in 2025. He also gets on base with a 10.5% BB%. Those were the reasons people liked him last off-season, but his price was insanely high to me. He doesn’t run at all and he has a career .215 BA. The K% spiked last year to 26.5%. So it’s a low BA, moderate power, no speed profile who will have to scratch and claw for playing time. – 2026 Projection: 36/10/31/.228/.310/.415/2 Update: Got reassigned to minor league camp
1107) Kevin Ginkel – ARI, Setup, 32.0 – I don’t have the slightest clue who is going to close games in Arizona and I’m assuming they don’t either. Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, Kade Strowd, Taylor Clarke and probably more can all be in the mix. It’s a situation where I’m not even going to make a dart throw. We need to actually see how the bullpen is being handled before even guessing at it. I’m putting Ginkel here just because he would have been the presumed favorite had he not had a terrible 2025. He put up a 7.36 ERA with a 24.0/10.7 K%/BB% in 25.2 IP. He began the year on the IL with a shoulder injury and then his season ended in early August with a shoulder injury. So if you want to look on the bright side, you can say the shoulder tanked his season, and assuming full health in 2026, he will emerge as the guy. He has prototypical back end stuff with a mid 90’s fastball and whiff slider when healthy, so he certainly could emerge with the role. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.91/1.32/58/9 saves in 55 IP Update: Arizona signed Sewald and he is now the presumed short term favorite. Whoever is pitching better during the season will likely rise to the job though
1108) Brendon Little – TOR, Setup, 29.8 – 43.5% whiff%. Blurb over. Ha, not quite, but yea, that whiff% will get you on the list. He put up a 3.03 ERA with a 30.8/15.3 K%/BB% in 68.1 IP. He did it on the back of the knuckle curve with a 55.6% whiff%. The 93.4 MPH sinker also missed a ton of bats with a 31.6% whiff% while keeping the ball on the ground. The walk rate is wildly bad, and so is the 1.36 WHIP, so it’s just a big K play. Maybe he doesn’t deserve to crack the list, but again, that whiff% is just fun, and he’s the best lefty in that pen, so maybe that means a handful of saves. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.56/1.31/85/5 saves in 65 IP
1109) Mason Montgomery – PIT, Setup, 25.10 – Montgomery was a favorite last year, and while he was a total nightmare with a 5.67 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and 30.1/12.9 K%/BB% in 46 IP, I want to give him one more year to see if he can improve. He’s still young, and if we are going to give starters and position players leeway to stink in their first taste of the bigs, we should maybe do the same for relievers. And the upside is there to give him one more late shot. The 98.7 MPH 4-seamer put up a 31.4% whiff% and the slider notched a 43.4% whiff%. If he can improve his control, there is still elite reliever upside in here, and maybe he can breakout to be the undisputed leader of Pitt’s pen. His 2025 was too terrible for him to be anything other than a flier, but not the worst flier. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.96/1.34/71/1 save in 55 IP
1110) Shawn Armstrong – CLE, Setup, 35.7 – It’s possible Armstrong is next man up in Cleveland coming off a strong season. He put up a 2.31 ERA with a 26.1/7.0 K%/BB% in 74 IP. The 93.5 MPH 4-seamer is a bat missing weapon with a 34.4% whiff%. The cutter and sinker are two other good fastballs and the sweeper put up a .171 xwOBA and 33.6% whiff%. He’s been super up and down in his career with a 3.82 ERA in 421.1 IP, he’s already 35 years old, and Gaddis might be ahead of him. – 2026 Projection: 4/3.69/1.23/65/4 saves in 65 IP
1111) Justin Topa – MIN, Setup, 35.1 – Topa could be next man up in Minnesota, and Minnesota isn’t a bad place to speculate for saves, but he’s not that good and he’s already 35 years old. He put up a 3.90 ERA with a 18.3/6.7 K%/BB% in 50 IP. He’s a groundball pitcher with a 94.2 MPH sinker, and he combines that with a good sweeper (.243 xwOBA with a 33% whiff%). He also throws a cutter and changeup. He throws the ball over the plate and he keeps it on the ground, but a 18.1% whiff% is way too low to be too interesting for me. – 2026 Projection: 3/3.90/1.33/51/4 saves in 62 IP
1112) Robert Stephenson – LAA, Setup, 33.1 – There is a 3 headed closer competition brewing in LA, and while Stephenson is probably the favorite, he’s also probably the biggest injury risk. He returned from Tommy John surgery in late May for 2 outings, but then he immediately went back on the 60 day IL with a stretched nerve in his biceps. He then returned again in late August, pitched a month, and then his season ended with elbow inflammation. I would say the injury risk is high, to say the least, but when he was out there, he looked pretty good with a 2.70 ERA, 3.33 xERA, and a 23.8/7.1 K%/BB% in 10 IP. the K% wasn’t high, but the 38.3% whiff% was, and I trust that whiff% more. The stuff was back with a 113 Stuff+ that was actually the best mark of his career. The velocity was back to 96.4 MPH. If he can stay fully healthy, he should be the guy, but the leash won’t be long if he does run into some troubles. – 2026 Projection: OUT Update: Hurt his elbow again and it’s now in question is if he will pitch at all this season
1113) Cooper Kinney – TBR, 2B, 23.2 – I’m not sure Kinney deserves to crack this list after a mediocre at best showing at Double-A. He slashed .242/.299/.386 with 13 homers, a 46.7% GB%, 0 steals, and a 25.0/7.2 K%/BB% in 117 games. I mean, tell me what skill we are buying here. There is no good skill. I guess the reason he’s still on the list is because the 103 wRC+ was slightly above average, and I still like his swing. Tampa also doesn’t really sign free agents, so even if it takes until he’s 28, he might eventually get a shot. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 28/7/32/.244/.303/.396/2
1114) Ethan Hedges – COL, 3B/RHP, 21.11 – Selected 77th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Hedges is a two way player who just started pitching out of the pen in his Junior Year. He probably has more upside with the bat, but with how many fringy type hitters Colorado already churns out, and with how much they struggle with arms, I think my money is on him ending up a pitcher. And if he ends up a pen arm, it’s not going to be very valuable for fantasy, especially in Coors. His poor pro debut has me leaning towards him as an arm even more with a 50 wRC+, .195 BA and 0 homers in 20 games at High-A. The 19.1/11.2 K%/BB% wasn’t bad, but the hit tool is obviously a major issue, and his average power/speed combo isn’t big enough to get too excited about him as a fantasy bat in general. He’s raw on the mound with a fastball that gets into the mid 90’s and two decent secondaries in the slider and changeup. He’s good enough to crack the list, but he’s not a later round FYPD guy I’m going after personally. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 3/4.03/1.36/58 in 65 IP
1115) Gustavo Melendez – PIT, SS, 18.5 – Selected 113th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Melendez is one of the youngest players in the class as a full on 18 year old for all of 2026. He’s not particularly projectable or anything at a small 5’9”, but it still does give some leeway for more development. He certainly fits in the little man discount category as that lefty swing looks like it could result in some good lift/pull, so if he can get his strength into the say Jett Williams/Slade Caldwell area over the next couple years, he could start to pop. Problem is, the hit tool and speed are only solid, and not standout, putting him in the low end of the little man discount bucket. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 73/12/49/.256/.324/.385/18
1116) CJ Hughes – MIL, SS, 18.7 – Selected 335th in the 2025 MLB Draft and signed for $700K, Hughes is a pure projection play as one of the youngest players in the draft and at a very skinny 6’1”. He has strong foundation with a potentially plus SS glove and good athleticism, but his offensive game is still raw. He needs to add considerable strength, learn how to tap into his power, and refine his swing/hit tool. Long way to go. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 66/10/42/.246/.313/.395/15
1117) Cleiner Ramirez – NYM, OF, 17.4 – The Mets are no strangers to the little man discount bucket with Jett Williams, and while they aren’t the same players, Ramirez is similar in the sense that he may not be tall at 5’9” but he’s thick and can certainly pack a punch. He combines the short but strong power potential with a good fell to hit, athleticism, and the ability to play all over the field. Not my favorite international profile, but I don’t want to doubt him just because he’s small. He deserves to crack the list. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 72/15/59/.265/.326/.414/17
1118) Jake Cook – TOR, OF, 22.9 – Selected 81st overall, Cook is 6’1” but plays more like he’s 5’9”. He has more of a slappy, contact oriented swing that produces well below average power, but to be fair, it works for him, slashing .350/.436/.468 with 3 homers, 3 steals, and a 6.7/10.9 K%/BB% in 60 games in the Sun Belt Conference. He’s a speedster centerfielder, but as you can see from his stolen base totals, he’s not a good base stealer. The ingredients of contact, speed, some projectable size, and defense are in here, but considering he came from a smaller school and didn’t debut yet, he has a lot to prove in pro ball. And he will already turn 23 years old in the middle of the season. Those contact rates are what gets him on the list really. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 52/7/39/.261/.320/.375/9
1119) Nathan Church – STL, OF, 25.9 – Church could so easily take the starting CF job from Scott, but there is no guarantee his bat is any better than Scott’s. Just like Scott, his strong contact rates from the minors (9.6% K% in 86 games, which to be fair, was better than Scott’s about 15% K%) immediately didn’t transfer to the majors with a 27.7/4.6 K%/BB% and 28.1% whiff% in 65 games. Considering the below average game power with high groundball rates, and average raw power at best, that isn’t great. He has plus speed and he’s a good base stealer, but he doesn’t rack up steals like Scott, so in a part time role he won’t be as valuable as Scott either. He’s a classic 4th OF who only ranks this high because of how bad Scott is, so it’s possible he works his way into that starting role. – 2026 Projection: 29/4/26/.238/.289/.349/6
1120) Randy Arias – HOU, SS, 17.6 – Arias’ best tool is mostly his glove right now, which isn’t my favorite type of international prospect to go after, but he’s so skinny at 5’11”, 155 pounds, that a big breakout could come as he gains more muscle. The speed, athleticism and good feel to hit are there, so if he puts on considerably weight, combined with his other tools, he could pop. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 68/8/41/.253/.319/.371/21
1121) Juan Parra – PHI, SS, 17.4 – Parra has plenty of upside in his very projectable 6’1” frame with plus speed, a good SS glove, and a quick, smooth swing from both sides of the plate. He needs to add considerable power but it’s not hard to envision more muscle coming to combine with the rest of his strong profile. The upside is high enough to tack him onto the end of this list. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 66/14/61/.246/.314/.404/16
1122) Ruben Gallego – ARI, SS, 17.5 – Gallego has a strong foundation with a potentially plus SS glove, plus hit tool and athleticism, but he’s going to have to add considerable weight at a very skinny 6’1”. The swing is quick, athletic and natural, so if that power comes, he could certainly breakout in the next few years. – ETA: 2031 Prime Projection: 74/12/48/.266/.327/.380/21
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