Top 25 FYPD Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: First-Year Player Drafts (2026-2027)

August 6, 2026

Eric Cross' top 25 fantasy baseball prospect rankings for 2026-2027 first-year player drafts (FYPD). MLB prospect rankings for fantasy baseball dynasty leagues.

Another Major League Baseball draft is in the books, and with it comes a new batch of FYPD rankings. For those of you in dynasty leagues, your FYPD draft is one of the focal points of the offseason.

This 2026 draft class was a solid one overall, especially on the hitting side. And while the class lacked a true standout arm, the depth of talented arms was certainly there.

Below you'll find my Top 25 FYPD rankings for fantasy baseball, which include players selected in the 2026 MLB draft. All of the J15 international signings and veteran international free agent signings will be added during the offseason once they sign with a Major League organization.

Top 25 Prospect Rankings for First-Year Player Drafts

1. Roch Cholowsky, Chicago White Sox (SS)

While his final collegiate season wasn’t quite as stellar as his 2025 season, Roch Cholowsky remained one of the best hitters in the nation. In 60 games for UCLA, Cholowsky slashed .320/.452/.636 with 21 home runs and as many walks as strikeouts (36). There’s not a ton of speed upside here with Cholowsky, but the bat truly stands out.

Roch Cholowsky's first pro hit is a game-tying double!@whitesox | @WSDashBaseball | @UCLABaseball pic.twitter.com/w4dKsoKTO7

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 5, 2026

Cholowsky features some of the best raw power in the draft class, and has consistently shown above-average contact skills with a top-notch approach. He’s also a good defender at shortstop who should have no issue sticking at the position long-term. Not only is Cholowsky arguably the best bat in this year's class, but he's also likely going to be one of the first to reach the Majors. Even if he only adds 5-10 steals annually, Cholowsky has the skills to be a strong four-category fantasy contributor.

2. Grady Emerson, Tampa Bay Rays (SS)

It feels like Cholowsky is the most common 1.1 for FYPDs, but Grady Emerson is certainly in that conversation as well. And when it comes to fantasy, Emerson might even have a higher ceiling due to his more favorable long-term speed projection. You can make a case for Emerson being the best pure hitter in this draft class, regardless of age.

Emerson has a quick and fluid swing with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. As of now, the power is more geared for hard doubles in the gap, but there should be 20-homer power here long-term. Emerson is also an above-average runner who could contribute at least 20 steals annually as well. Even if the power or speed don't rise above the 20/20 level, Emerson should be able to make a major impact in the AVG and OBP departments while likely hitting in the top third of the order.

There's a higher floor here than most high school bats, and the upside is a well-rounded five-category contributor and all-star-caliber shortstop. If you want a touch more upside and are rebuilding, I'm not opposed to taking Emerson #1 overall. And frankly, he's more like the 1B to Cholowsky's 1A.

3. Jacob Lombard, Miami Marlins (SS)

Jacob Lombard is probably going to have a wide range of rankings for FYPDs, but I'm definitely on the high end of the spectrum. Yes, there are some concerns about his long-term contact abilities and swing-and-miss concerns. But Lombard also has plus raw power and plus or better speed, which, in my opinion, gives him the highest fantasy ceiling of any player in this draft class.

JACOB LOMBARD FIRST PROFESSIONAL HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/0Olt28UZVy

— Jupiter Hammerheads (@GoHammerheads) August 4, 2026

Don't take this as a direct comparison, because that certainly isn't my intention, but remember another high school prospect from a recent draft with big power/speed upside and a questionable hit tool at draft time who went to Pittsburgh? Work still needs to be done with his all-around approach, but if Miami is able to help Lombard improve in these areas, he has a chance to become one of the most elite prospects in the game.

4. Jackson Flora, San Francisco Giants (RHP)

On the pitching side of things, the arm that has separated himself from the rest of the pack is Jackson Flora from UC Santa Barbara. In his final season on campus, Flora posted a stellar 1.06 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 102 innings (16 starts) with an 8% walk rate and a 33.3% strikeout rate.

A big 6'5 right-hander, Flora features a big fastball in the mid to upper 90s with good riding action that can generate whiffs up in the zone. He can also miss bats at a high clip with his slider and changeup, both of which project as above-average or better offerings. The long-term upside with Flora is a #2 starter with a fairly high floor as well. After Cholowsky and Emerson, you can make a case for Flora as high as #3 for FYPDs this year.

5. Sawyer Strosnider, Milwaukee Brewers (OF)

You're probably not going to see Sawyer Strosnider this high in many FYPD rankings, but I love the profile. Strosnider flexed his above-average power/speed blend in each of the last two seasons at TCU, combining for 24 doubles, 24 home runs, and 22 steals in 106 games.

While his average dipped to .273 this spring, Strosnider had as many walks as strikeouts (43) and more than doubled his walk rate from 8% to 18.4%. That walk rate increase allowed Strosnider to post an OBP above .410 once again, along with a .590 SLG and .317 ISO. I'm not comparing him directly to Mike Sirota, but there are some similarities here. As long as he can maintain a decent contact rate, Strosnider has a chance to push Top-25 prospect status next season thanks to his blend of power, speed, and on-base abilities.

6. AJ Gracia, Atlanta Braves (OF)

Outside of Cholowsky, AJ Gracia might be the best all-around collegiate bat in this year's draft class. A 6'3 outfielder with a sweet left-handed swing, Gracia took a nice step forward after transferring from Duke to Virginia for his final season, slashing .354/.489/.632 in 56 games with 15 doubles and 14 home runs. He also had more walks (47) than strikeouts (38) for the second consecutive season.

Gracia won't bring much speed to the table, but he brings a high-level blend of contact, approach, and power, which could allow him to develop into a strong 4-category fantasy bat down the road. And for this draft class, I'd bank on him being one of the first bats to reach the Major Leagues. Maybe even as early as late-2027.

7. Eric Booth, Baltimore Orioles (OF)

When it comes to speed and athleticism, you'll be hard-pressed to find a player in this draft who tops Eric Booth. And it would be impossible for you to find one who also has as much upside at the plate as Booth does. Outside of having top-scale speed, Booth has exciting potential at the plate, and he's far from your normal 80-grade runner who makes contact without much impact.

Booth does show solid contact abilities and doesn't chase too often, but there's some sneaky raw power upside here, especially if he can get to his pull-side power and elevate a bit more. Sure, it might not be more than 15-20 home runs annually, but if that comes with a good average and a ton of steals and runs from hitting near or at the top of the order, you'll certainly take it. There aren't many players with more upside for fantasy in this draft than Booth.

8. Vahn Lackey, Minnesota Twins (C)

Regardless of position, Vahn Lackey is a highly intriguing bat. But since his long-term position is behind the plate, that does limit him to some degree due to the wear and tear of the position.

Some have speculated that Lackey could move out from behind the plate to third base or a corner outfield spot, and he has the bat and speed/athleticism to make those position changes work. But given Minnesota's investment in Lackey as the third player off the board, I'd be surprised if they changed his position any time soon. Lackey is also a good defensive backstop with a strong arm, which adds to his case to stick at catcher.

The first XBH in the career of Vahn Lackey! ⚾️ 💪 #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/uyIEjbR5HC

— Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (@MightyMussels) August 4, 2026

Offensively. Lackey has shown a great blend of contact, approach, and power, finishing with 16 doubles, 20 home runs, and a .397/.519/.772 slash line this spring. He also stole 15 bags and had more walks (50) than strikeouts (38). We've seen the Georgia Tech catcher excitement before, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic here with Lackey, who can do everything well across the board.

9. Drew Burress, Athletics (OF)

All Drew Burress did in his three seasons at Georgia Tech was hit, hit, and hit some more. He finished his collegiate tenure with an impressive .357/.484/.720 slash line in 179 games, with 60 doubles, 60 home runs, and more walks than strikeouts. While Burress' power output ticked down in his final two seasons, he's an above-average power bat who should be able to get up over 20 homers annually while providing a good AVG/OBP as well. There's also enough speed to be an annual double-digit steal threat as well.

Some will look at his lack of a standout tool or his struggles in the Cape Cod League back in 2024, and gloss over Burress in their FYPDs. Yes, the upside isn't as notable as many of the names above him, but Burress is a well-rounded offensive talent with a high floor who should be one of the first players from this draft class to reach the Major Leagues. The long-term upside is a 20/10 bat who could hit north of .270.

10. Ace Reese, Seattle Mariners (3B)

If you love power, then you're going to love Ace Reese. Somehow, Reese fell to the Mariners at pick 24, but he's exactly the player the Mariners need. There aren't many players with more raw power than Reese in this draft class, with borderline double-plus raw power and the upside to become a middle-of-the-order impact bat someday.

Reese is far from an all-or-nothing masher too, showing decent contact and on-base skills at Mississippi State without notable swing-and-miss concerns. His bat will have to carry him, but as long as Reese can continue making decent contact and keeping the strikeout rate in check, we could be looking at a 30-homer bat down the road who can hit north of .250 with a solid OBP as well.

11. Justin Lebron, Cincinnati Reds (SS)

There might not be a bigger boom-or-bust player in this year's first round than Justin Lebron. The Alabama shortstop entered the year just behind Cholowsky when I first formulated these FYPD rankings, but an inconsistent spring bumped him down a bit.

Justin Lebron rips his 13th homer of the year for @AlabamaBSB ⭐ (He's 36-for-37 on SB attempts, too!)

See where MLB's No. 5 Draft prospect lands in our full 2026 first-round mock: https://t.co/h8Gy7tfTrg pic.twitter.com/levsWokbhC

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 9, 2026

Due to his blend of power and speed, you can make a case for Lebron having one of the highest offensive ceilings of anyone in this entire draft class. However, there are concerns with Lebron's contact skills, and his average dropped to .277 in his final collegiate season. If you like shooting for upside and have a pick outside of the Top 10, Lebron is a fine selection. Because if he can make enough contact, this profile would be extremely exciting in Great American Ball Park.

12. Tyler Bell, Colorado Rockies (SS)

Well, this is a fun landing spot. Going into the draft, I had Tyler Bell 10-15 spots lower than this, but he bumps up after landing with the Rockies. Bell is one of the more advanced high school bats in this class, especially when it comes to switch hitters. He features solid bat speed from both sides and has shown the ability to drive the ball to all fields.

However, that power wasn't a big part of his game at Kentucky, so getting the ball elevated and tapping into his raw power more consistently in games will be the X-Factor for Bell long-term. He's also a solid runner, but might be more of a 50-grade speed guy down the road.

I'm not willing to go Top-10 on him personally, but if I had a pick in the 11-15 range, Bell becomes a worthwhile target in that range. In his final season at Kentucky, Bell had nine doubles, nine home runs, 10 steals, and a .343/.510/.608 slash line. He also hit well in his five games on the Cape in 2025.

13. Derek Curiel, Pittsburgh Pirates (OF)

While I was surprised that Pittsburgh took him with the 5th pick, Derek Curiel is definitely a player to target in the first round or early second round of your fantasy FYPD. In his 126 games at LSU, Curiel slashed .349/.452/.522 with 38 doubles, 13 home runs, and 16 steals, with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. His blend of contact and on-base abilities gives Curiel a higher floor than most, and he also has the speed to add more than 20 steals annually.

But the reason why he's not inside my Top-10 is due to questions I have with Curiel's long-term power output. He's certainly not a slap hitter, but Curiel is more of a fringe-average raw power bat who smacks a ton of doubles into the gap. At this point, I'm not sure if he's more than a 10-12 homer bat long-term, but he should move quickly.

14. Trevor Condon, St. Louis Cardinals (OF)

Outside of Eric Booth, Trevor Condon will be the prep outfielder I'll be targeting the most in FYPDs this offseason. Condon is a premium athlete who has double-plus speed and an aggressiveness on the basepaths that should help him steal a ton of bags each season. He's also demonstrated advanced contact abilities for his age with sneaky raw power potential.

The power area is the biggest question long-term, but Condon has plenty of bat speed and a great feel for the barrel, so the hope is that he can grow into more game power down the road. If he does, Condon could develop into a five-category fantasy contributor who really stands out in AVG and SB, while likely hitting first or second in the lineup. If you're picking outside of the top 10 and want to go with an upside play, I'd look long and hard at Condon.

15. Liam Peterson, Cleveland Guardians (RHP)

Liam Peterson landing with the Cleveland Guardians might be my favorite landing spot of the first round. There was already a high level of intrigue here, but now Peterson gets to develop in one of the best pitching development organizations in baseball. When it comes to stuff, you can make a strong argument for Peterson being the top dog from this draft.

The 6'5 right-hander boasts a mid-to-upper-90s fastball, a mid-80s changeup, and two good breaking balls, with the upper-80s slider being the best of his secondaries. The bat-missing upside long-term for Peterson is enormous, but the concern here is his inconsistent command and control, which led to inconsistent results in his time at Florida. If Cleveland can help him harness/improve in the command and control departments, watch out.

If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see the full top 100, along with additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.

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