6 Fantasy Baseball Prospects With Upside to Know for 2026 Drafts

February 18, 2026

Andy analyzes 6 high-upside fantasy baseball prospects, breakouts, sleepers for 2026. These are impact MLB prospect call-ups and rookies for fantasy baseball including Colt Emerson, Spencer Jones, more.

Targeting high-upside prospects in the final rounds of your draft can provide your team with an elite lottery ticket. Last season, managers saw many high-end prospects immediately flash upside in the big leagues, such as Chase Burns, Logan Henderson, and Nolan McLean.

In this piece, we will spotlight six emerging prospects who could carry fantasy value during the 2026 campaign much sooner than expected

Who are six high-impact fantasy baseball prospects managers should keep on their radar heading into draft season? Let's dive in!

Moises Ballesteros, C, Chicago Cubs

Current Level: Triple-A
2025 MLB stats: 20 G, .298/.394/.474, 2 2B, 2 HR, 12 SB, 9 BB

According to Maddie Lee of The Sun Times, Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros may not make it to camp until next weekend due to visa issues. Ballesteros and fellow backstop Christian Bethancourt continue to have their camp pushed back, but appear to be making some progress and could reach the United States by the end of the week. Ballesteros is expected to compete for a near-everyday role in the Cubs lineup following the departure of Kyle Tucker. Last season, the team's No. 1-ranked prospect in the system posted a .298/.394/.474 line with two long balls across 20 games.

PINCH-HIT GRAND SLAM FROM MOISES BALLESTEROS pic.twitter.com/CIHxDvd7dZ

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) July 28, 2024

At Triple-A, the 22-year-old posted an impressive .316/.385/.473 slash line with 13 round-trippers in a 114-game stint. Ballesteros should compete for a lead role as the team's primary DH and may also see occasional starts behind the dish and at first base. Given his projected playing time, the young backstop is a prime late-round sleeper in deeper formats.

Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners

Current Level: N/A - 2025 Draft Pick

Seattle Mariners left-handed pitching prospect Kade Anderson has looked impressive in the early days of camp, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. According to Divish, the former LSU standout struck out several of Seattle's top hitters in live batting practice over the weekend and did not look overmatched. The team's president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto, noted that Anderson pitched "like it was a start in June."

The Mariners selected the southpaw with the third overall pick in last year's draft. In his final season in college, Anderson played a lead role in LSU's National Championship run, logging 119 innings with a 3.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 180 hitters and was even named Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series. The left-hander will likely begin the regular season at High-A per Divish, but could be in the mix for a second-half MLB debut if he continues this current trajectory.

Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners

Current Level: Triple-A
2025 MiLB stats: .285/.383/.458, 16 HR, 14 SB

MLB.com's Daniel Kramer writes that Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson, the No. 9 overall prospect at MLB Pipeline, will be given a legitimate chance to make this year's Opening Day roster, and it "seems a certainty that his housing carousel in 2026 will include residence in Seattle." Emerson is working out at all three infield positions in camp (shortstop, second base, and third base) as he did on his own in the offseason. He's a natural shortstop and has the plus defense needed to stick at the premium position long term as arguably the best defensive infielder in the M's system.

Colt Emerson, tunnel vision. @MLBPipeline’s No. 9 overall prospect unloads during his final round of BP on the velo machine here on the backfields in Peoria. pic.twitter.com/whD4hy31uy

— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) February 12, 2026

However, Emerson won't be at the 6 this year unless J.P. Crawford misses time due to injury. MLB Pipeline lists the 20-year-old as the "owner of the best hit tool in the Mariners system" as well, and his glove could elevate him into what general manager Jerry Dipoto calls "a sneaky five-tool guy." We won't have a clearer picture of Seattle's plan for Emerson to begin the year until later in spring training, but he's already a player that should be stashed in all dynasty/keeper formats, and he figures to make an impact at the big-league level at some point this year.

JR Ritchie, SP, Atlanta Braves

Current Level: Triple-A
2025 MiLB stats: 140 IP, 2.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 140 SO, 54 BB

Atlanta Braves starting pitching prospect JR Ritchie is drawing "excitement" in the early stages of camp and continues to make a strong case to begin the season in the MLB rotation. Ritchie is currently ranked as the team's No. 2 prospect on MLB.com and the sport's overall No. 86 prospect. Last summer, the 22-year-old opened the season at High-A but was able to progress through the upper levels at a fast rate, and concluded the campaign with Triple-A. At High-A, he posted a dominant 1.30 ERA with a 0.79 WIHP across a 41 2/3-inning stint.

Through 98 1/3 innings shared between Double-A and Triple-A, Ritchie held an impressive 3.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 102:44 K:BB. However, his path to the majors has become quite clear, following the injury to Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and, more recently, Hurston Waldrep being shut down with elbow discomfort. He is a top name to monitor throughout spring training.

Carlos Lagrange, SP, New York Yankees

Current Level: Double-A
2025 MiLB stats: 120 IP, 3.53 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 168 SO, 62 BB

New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange has impressed early in spring training and has a shot to win a spot on the Opening Day roster as a reliever, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Lagrange doesn't have the best command, but his fastball is capable of hitting triple digits when he's fully built up, and the 6-foot-7, 248-pound Dominican hurler can also generate plenty of spin on the ball. "We're excited about him for good reason," manager Aaron Boone said. "I think Carlos has a very bright future."

Carlos Lagrange strikes out Aaron Judge on three pitches. Last one at 102.6 mph. pic.twitter.com/Z4dODwf0Hn

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 16, 2026

Lagrange is a consensus top-100 prospect, but he has yet to pitch at Triple-A. He had a 3.53 ERA and a 33.4% strikeout rate in 120 innings split between High-A and Double-A last year. Lagrange lowered his walk rate from 20% to 12.3% last year, but he's still on the wild side and has more developing to do. Boone has compared Lagrange to former reliever Dellin Betances, and with the Yankees short on sure things in their bullpen, the 22-year-old may get a chance in short stints out of the bullpen if he makes his major-league debut in 2026. He's an arm to watch.

Spencer Jones, SP, New York Yankees

Current Level: Triple-A
2025 MiLB stats: 116 G, .274/.362/.571, 35 HR, 29 SB

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that outfield prospect Spencer Jones is "currently blocked" from playing time at the big-league level, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. A former first-round pick by the Yankees in 2022, Jones will turn 25 years old in May. He posted monster numbers split between Double and Triple-A in 2025, hitting .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs, 80 RBI, 102 runs scored, and 29 stolen bases across 506 plate appearances. However, swing-and-miss remains a major concern in Jones' profile, as he logged a 35.4% strikeout rate.

The Yankees currently have established veterans Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge penciled in as their starting outfielders, while Giancarlo Stanton is locked in as the designated hitter. Even if one of those four players were to suffer an injury, fellow Yankees outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez may be ahead of Jones in the outfield pecking order. Barring a trade or multiple outfield injuries in New York, it appears as though Jones will begin the 2026 season in the Minors.

2026 Prospect Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Who are the top fantasy baseball prospects to know? Check out our latest 2026 prospect fantasy baseball rankings which are updated regularly:

More Fantasy Baseball Prospects and Rookies