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Kevin projects the top 10 fantasy baseball prospects going into the 2026 season. His top MLB prospects to increase their fantasy values for dynasty leagues.
One of the most exciting aspects of a dynasty league is watching and following top prospects. In most leagues, you have separate roster spots for prospects, and they're not part of your "active roster." You can enjoy their ups (MLB Pipeline posting a video of them hitting a home run) but can have some blinders on about their downs since that 0-for-4 game with three strikeouts won't impact your fantasy team's stats.
There's infinite Hope-ium when it comes to prospects. In the words of Peter Griffin, "The mystery box can be anything. It can even be a boat." However, not every top prospect becomes a fantasy superstar right away. Some never become stars. Unless you have a rookie season like Corbin Carroll or Jackson Chourio, it seems like the dynasty community can be quick to move on to the shiny new toys -- and deprioritize guys like Jordan Walker and Jackson Holliday, who have become old news.
Going into this season, the shiny new toys are guys like Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell. But in a short time, they'll graduate and be regular major leaguers, and the dynasty community will want new toys to play with. So, who will be the top dynasty prospects going into 2026 that everyone will want to get their hands on?
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No. 10: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Current Age: 18
If you're a dynasty manager who wants to bet on physical tools, this is the prospect for you. Konnor Griffin was the ninth pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and the first prep player off the board. At 6-foot-4 and 225 lbs, Griffin is built like a strong safety and moves effortlessly on the diamond. His blazing speed helped him steal 87 bases in 43 games during his senior year of HS.
Like every prep hitter, there are some concerns around his hit tool and how his raw power will translate to game power, but he's tweaked his swing a bit this offseason and is already performing well in big league camp. Expect him to put some of these concerns to rest this year as he gets off to a great start in his professional career.
Konnor Griffin (@Pirates) drills his first professional jack!
MLB's No. 43 prospect puts a charge into his second knock of the spring. pic.twitter.com/bpEtt73qgq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 1, 2025
No. 9: Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners
Current Age: 19
One quick Colt Emerson tidbit I learned while researching him is that we share a birthday, so that's always fun. After being drafted 22nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of HS, Emerson rose like a phoenix up the prospect ranks as he had an unbelievable pro debut.
He had a 179 WRC+ in 114 PA across the Complex and Low-A. This past offseason, he looked like the early steal of the draft and a potential future superstar.
The shine on Emerson has dipped a bit after he battled injuries this past season. However, he still had a solid second campaign with a 119 WRC+ in 336 PA across Low-A and High-A.
He is most known for his strong plate skills (14.9 percent walk rate, 17.3 percent strikeout), but scouts rave about his quality of contact. Every bat-first left-handed hitting shortstop gets the Corey Seager comp, but Emerson looks closest to the part among prospects.
If he can stay healthy, expect a big bounce-back year and a re-emergence into top prospect status for Emerson.
No. 8: Josue De Paula, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Age: 19
Growing up as a basketball fan in the Tri-State area, I was pretty intrigued to see a couple of years ago that Stephon Marbury's (and Sebastian Telfair's) cousin was an emerging baseball prospect when I was introduced to Josue De Paula.
While he doesn't move like an NBA point guard, he does have some athletic fluidity that many tall, wiry hitters do not have. This, along with a strong eye at the plate, has helped De Paula develop a very good hit tool for a player his size. Last season, in Low-A and High-A, he had a 17.5 percent walk rate and 19.8 percent strikeout in 481 PA.
Production-wise, De Paula had very solid numbers for a player his age. He had 10 HRs and 27 SBs in 2024. He likely will not continue to steal this much as he fills out his frame, as he's only a 45-grade runner.
However, a willingness to run this much is an encouraging sign that he'll at least provide a little value for fantasy owners. As he matures physically, we can expect him to turn more of his raw power into game power and live up to his "Baby Yordan" nickname.
Playing catchup on Spring Training video, this was such an impressive 0-2 swing left on left by Josue De Paula. Also, he looks HUGE. pic.twitter.com/HyH0GXF2wU
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) March 7, 2025
No. 7: Kevin McGonigle, 2B/SS, Detroit Tigers
Current Age: 20
Having been the Tigers' second draft pick in 2023, Kevin McGonigle originally was in the shadows of Max Clark around prospect circles. However, he has more than blossomed into an exciting prospect on his own merit.
McGonigle has one of the best hit tools in the entire minor leagues. He has walked more than he has struck out by a solid margin in every stop of his professional career.
In 2023, in the Complex and Low-A, he had a 19.4 percent walk rate and 10.8 percent strikeout rate. In 2024, as he upped his competition to Low-A and High-A, he lowered his strikeout rate to 8.5 percent while still having a 14.0 percent walk rate.
Production-wise, McGonigle was more than just a good K:BB. He had five HRs and 22 SBs, along with a 144 WRC+ in 328 PA. Like Clark, he'll look to hit for more power as he physically matures in the upper minors. Looking at his Statcast page from Low-A, he has the quality of contact metrics to do so.
McGonigle's Statcast data from Lo-A this season was bright red
He is going to be a stud! pic.twitter.com/uic5xlVJ50
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) February 5, 2025
No. 6: Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers
Current Age: 20
One of the biggest debates of the 2023 MLB Draft was: who is the best prep bat, Max Clark or Walker Jenkins? Both guys have lived up to the hype so far in their minor-league careers.
While Clark did not get off to the same blazing start as Jenkins, he has been plenty impressive in his own right. Last season, across Low-A and High-A, Clark had nine HRs, 29 SBs, and a 129 WRC+ across 490 PA.
His strong hit tool and blazing speed will carry his profile throughout the next few years of his career.
He had a 19.2 percent strikeout rate and a 12.4 percent walk rate last season. The former star high school wide receiver has 70-grade speed on multiple scouting outlets. His power development will determine his true fantasy ceiling. If the power develops a bit, dynasty managers can dream of a Corbin Carroll-like profile for Clark.
No. 5: Jesus Made, SS, Milwaukee Brewers
Current Age: 17
This ranking is putting a lot of faith in Jesus Made (and those who evaluate DSL prospects). Made had six HRs and 28 SBs with a 169 WRC+ over 216 PA last season as a 17-year-old in the DSL.
He also walked way more than he struck out (18.1 percent walk rate, 13.0 percent strikeout rate). But we see prospects with video game numbers in the DSL every year. Every fan of prospects has been fooled by a DSL darling or two (looking at you, Hedbert Perez and Reginald Preciado). What makes Made a made man amongst prospects?
As we look under the hood a bit, Made's hit tool and quality of contact metrics were incredible, even by DSL standards. He had an 89 percent contact rate, 15 percent chase rate, and 104 mph. All of these are just not what you see from a normal 17-year-old. The path has already been demonstrated for a prospect of Made's caliber to fly up prospect rankings in the Brewers system from what they did with Jackson Chourio.
Expect him to perform well in an aggressive Low-A assignment this season.
Jesus Made ripped balls at 109 and 106 mph on Tuesday 💪 No DSL hitter has a better combination of Contact and Hard-Hit rate:
• 2nd in Contact (89%)
• 5th in Hard-Hit (44%)
• 6th in OPS (1.064)
• 7th in 90th EV (104.3)#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/4kw2I9QAyM— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) August 1, 2024
No. 4: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians
Current Age: 22
Travis Bazzana is the prospect on this list who is the most likely to have graduated by the time 2026 comes around.
With the Guardians trading Andres Gimenez, it appears they're clearing the runway for their number one overall pick to be the second baseman of the future. However, the future might be slightly on hold for the young Aussie as he still hasn't played above High-A, and the Guardians have a number of young middle infielders in the majors and high minors that they'll likely want to see if there's a place for on their roster going forward.
Bazzana played three years at Oregon State, where he was very good as a freshman and sophomore but exploded in his junior season with 28 HRs, 16 SBs, and a WRC+ of 229. He also walked over twice as often as he struck out (25.7 percent walk rate, 12.5 percent strikeout rate) last season.
After being selected first in the 2024 MLB draft, he had a solid professional debut with a 126 WRC+ in 122 PA in High-A. His hit and power potential, along with decent speed, is something everyone wants from their fantasy second baseman.
Expect Bazzana to perform well in the high minors before getting the Dylan Crews late-season call-up, keeping his prospect status intact for 2026 so the Guardians can chase the PPI draft pick if he wins Rookie of the Year.
No. 3: Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
Current Age: 20
Walker Jenkins is the prospect on this list that has been at the top of prospect lists for the longest, which is crazy to say for a player who just turned 20 a couple of weeks ago. That just speaks to how the prospect game is changing.
I was asked recently if I value proximity or upside when it comes to prospects, and I said that the top prospects are always closer to the majors than they appear. The top guys are being pushed through the minors at a lightning pace and being thrown into the deep end of the majors as soon as their floaties are ready to come off.
After being drafted fifth overall out of high school in 2023, Jenkins had about as good of a professional debut as a high school draftee could have. He had a solid 136 WRC+ in the complex before quickly being moved to Low-A, where he had a ridiculous 182 WRC+, albeit in only 56 PA.
In 2024, across four levels (CPX, A, A+, AA), he had a 139 WRC+ and walked quite a bit more than he struck out (15.2 percent walk rate, 12.8 percent strikeout rate). His hit tool has been extremely impressive so far in his professional career, but he only hit six HRs and had 17 SBs.
He likely won't be a burner but should provide solid stolen base numbers in the future (MLB Pipeline has him as a 55-runner). However, we hope to see some bigger game power come soon for Jenkins as he has a solid 6-foot-3, 210 lbs frame.
Expect him to start hitting for more power in the upper minors this season, solidifying himself as an elite fantasy prospect. Jenkins is also likely to be the highest prospect here on industry lists, as he's already third overall on MLB Pipeline.
We also all must collectively pray that he does not catch Twins prospect-itis in that he gets injured all the time like Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, or Emmanuel Rodriguez.
No. 2: Leodalis De Vries, SS, San Diego Padres
Current Age: 18
The story of Leodalis De Vries' 2024 season was similar to the top prospect on this list, except he's about half a year younger and did his damage at Low-A. The Padres aggressively assigned (as they always do) the 2024 top international signee to Low-A, skipping the DSL and Rookie Ball.
It looked like a rough assignment for most of the season, as he had a sub .660 OPS each of the first three months. However, he set the A-ball world on fire in July with an OPS of 1.136 and finished up his season with a solid August. His final season totals were 11 HRs, 13 SBs, and a WRC+ of 116 in 360 PA.
While his tools are not as loud as the top prospect, De Vries has still posted an exit velocity (EV) of 110 mph, which is incredibly impressive for a player his age. He also has very good plate skills with a 23.3 percent strikeout rate and a 13.9 percent walk rate last season and contact rates that improved throughout the season.
Expect Leo to ascend the prospect rankings this year as more graduations occur, and he continues to show his skills at High-A or maybe even Double-A.
Some Leo De Vries swings from the AFL. He smoked a line drive for a new max EV in this game, 110 mph. Considering he just turned 18 years old, he put up some pretty impressive data this year. 80% Z-Con, 25% Chase, while getting the ball in the air often with strong EVs. pic.twitter.com/2U5xJKb9jW
— Chris Clegg (@ChrisCleggMiLB) November 11, 2024
No. 1: Sebastian Walcott, SS, Texas Rangers
Current Age: 19
When it comes to rostering prospects, the concept of a "safe prospect" is a bit of an oxymoron to me. All prospects have an inherent amount of risk, so shooting for upside is the name of the game. Going into next season, there won't be a prospect in the minors with more fantasy upside than Sebastian Walcott.
"Bam Bam" is the perfect blend of incredibly loud tools and impressive age-to-level production. As an 18-year-old up until only a few days ago, Walcott has put up EVs over 110 mph quite a few times and had a 90th percentile EV of 106 mph last season.
Sebastian Walcott is what you look for in a future #1 prospect. Hitting a ball 116 mph & having a 106 mph 90th is absurd for an 18-year-old. The contact improved all year, and Walcott looked good at SS in my looks this year. He leads the Rangers top prospects, full list ⬇️ https://t.co/hSvW64kDN0 pic.twitter.com/GW0GnNu0jr
— Chris Clegg (@ChrisCleggMiLB) December 27, 2024
While Walcott's light tower power has excited Rangers fans and prospect analysts, his production last season was just as, if not more, exciting. The biggest sign that a prospect will be a star in the big leagues is if they produce when they're much younger than their competition at a respective level.
This is similar to why a freshman or young international star is the top pick in the NBA draft almost every year. In High-A (and a cup of coffee at Double-A) last season, Walcott had a 125 WRC+ with 11 home runs and 27 stolen bases in 515 PA. The only other 18-year-old with over 400 PA in High-A last season was Ethan Salas, who had a 75 WRC+.
These full-season stats were incredibly impressive on their own when you consider Walcott's age, but the improvements he made as the season went on are what made him look like a potential future top prospect. Obviously, a High-A assignment for a young 18-year-old is incredibly aggressive.
For the first couple of months last season, Walcott looked a bit overmatched, as he had an OPS below .650 in both April and May.
However, when June hit, the switch flipped in a big way for Walcott. He had an .870 OPS the rest of the way and hit eight of his 11 HRs. Expect Walcott to continue where he left off into the upper minors and be your top fantasy prospect going into 2026.
Other Prospects Considered
Felnin Celesten, Aidan Miller, Jac Caglianone, Zyhir Hope, Michael Arroyo, Robert Calaz, Jonny Farmelo, Cooper Pratt, Franklin Arias, Cam Collier, Ethan Holliday (HS), Jace LaViolette (NCAA)
Top Prospects Expected To Graduate That Would've Been Considered
Roki Sasaki, Roman Anthony, Jasson Dominguez, Kristian Campbell, Matt Shaw, Dylan Crews, Coby Mayo, Bryce Eldridge, Samuel Basallo, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Dalton Rushing, Bubba Chandler, Jordan Lawler, Nick Kurtz, Jackson Jobe, Luke Keaschall
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