Eric Cross' Top 125 Dynasty Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball (August 2026)

August 30, 2026

Eric Cross' updated fantasy baseball prospect dynasty rankings -- his top 125 prospects for fantasy baseball from his August 2026 rankings update. Check out his dynasty prospect risers and fallers.

Another month has flown by, and the finish line for the 2026 season is starting to appear over the horizon. There has been plenty of prospect movement this season, and the month of August was no different. My August Top 500 rankings had plenty of notable risers, several of which you'll see in my Top-125 below.

These MLB prospect rankings are geared toward standard 5x5 fantasy baseball leagues (AVG) and consider many factors, including performance to date, scouting grades, future projection, and video and data analysis. Or, as I like to call it ... "PPP," which stands for profile, performance, and projection.

While these dynasty fantasy baseball prospect rankings are more slanted toward long-term fantasy value, proximity and short-term value do play a part in where a prospect lands in my rankings. If you want to see the full top 500, then head on over to my Patreon!

Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (August)

Prospect notes and analysis can be found below the rankings table.

Prospect Eligibility: Less than 130 MLB AB or 50 IP (I'm ignoring service time)

Rankings Updated: August 2026

Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings Notes

Kevin Alvarez, Houston Astros

If you follow me on Twitter/X, you might remember me making a post a few weeks ago listing a few names I believe could be elite/Top-10 prospects for fantasy within the next year. Kevin Alvarez was one of the names I mentioned in that post. In 94 Low-A games this season, Alvarez has slashed .268/.351/.443 with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 17 steals, and a 116 wC+. Sure, those numbers aren't otherworldly, but that's not the reason why Alvarez is one of my biggest priority prospect targets right now.

Kevin Alvarez slugs his second homer in his past three games ☄️

The @astros' top prospect has 11 roundtrippers and 16 stolen bases this season for Single-A @WoodpeckersNC: pic.twitter.com/1ctkvgXzwt

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 24, 2026

When you pop the hood on Alvarez's profile, there's plenty to be excited about. As just an 18-year-old playing full-season affiliated ball in Low-A, Alvarez has displayed an intriguing blend of contact, approach, and power. There's easy plus raw power in his profile, with projection to add more in the coming years. On top of that, Alvarez has posted a 10.2% walk rate, 17.4% strikeout rate, 8.7% SwStr rate, and an 81% contact rate this season. He's also a solid runner as well.

These are the type of skills that I'm absolutely willing to invest heavily in, especially when it's such a projectable prospect with as much upside as Alvarez. I gave Alvarez a sizeable jump in my prospect rankings this month, and I don't anticipate this being the last time he rises in these rankings.

Franklin Primera, Boston Red Sox

Honestly, I don't believe the season Franklin Primera is having is being talked about enough. In 72 games between the Complex Level and Low-A, Primera has slashed .376/.508/.596 with 16 doubles, 12 home runs, and a 181 wRC+. For prospects with at least 300 plate appearances this season, Primera ranks 1st in AVG, 1st in OBP, 8th in SLG, 1st in OPS, and 1st in wRC+, most of which having a sizeable gap between Primera and the prospect in second place.

Not only is the slash line highly impressive, but Primera's metrics are as well. He's currently running an 82% contact rate with just a 7.5% SwStr rate this season. Oh yeah, and did I mention that he has walked considerably more than he's struck out? In 314 plate appearances, Primera has drawn a walk 14.6% of the time compared to just a 10.2% strikeout rate. Primera has also started tapping into his power more consistently this season.

If Primera continues to add more power while maintaining his elite blend of contact and approach, we could be looking at the next elite catching prospect in baseball. And given his strong defensive profile, I'm not worried about Primera moving out from behind the plate any time soon.

Jesus Baez, St. Louis Cardinals

There's another Baez in the St. Louis system wreaking havoc right now. In 101 games between High-A and Double-A, Jesús Baez has cranked a whopping 35 home runs with a .272/.316/.576 slash line. That's already an impressive power output, but it gets even more impressive when you see that he's his 21 of those home runs in just 47 Double-A games, while managing a .677 SLG and .375 ISO at the level.

Jesús Báez's latest roundtripper comes at 109 mph off the bat 🚀

The @Cardinals' No. 15 prospect reaches 35 homers on the year -- 21 with the Double-A @sgf_cardinals -- in a three-XBH night: pic.twitter.com/vYfCdA9ujU

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 27, 2026

Baez isn't just an all-or-nothing slugger either, as he's posted a solid 77% contact rate this season while keeping his strikeout rate in check at 16%. However, Baez is definitely on the aggressive side of the approach spectrum, walking just 5.8% of the time this season with a 55.5% swing rate in Double-A.

While the aggressiveness is a bit concerning, and Baez doesn't bring much speed to the table, his blend of contact, power, and performance this season warranted a spot inside my Top-100 overall this month.

Enddy Azocar, Baltimore Orioles

After generating some buzz with his performance in the Red Sox organization earlier this season, Enddy Azocar has carried that momentum over into the Baltimore system since being acquired as part of the return in the Adley Rutschman trade.

In 21 games since the trade, Azocar has racked up 12 extra-base hits, three home runs, and seven steals with a .353/.398/.588 slash line. And for the season, Azocar is now slashing .299/.352/.549 in 106 games with 34 doubles, eight triples, 21 home runs, and 18 steals. Only Zac Veen (65) and Hunter Fitz-Gerald (64) have more extra-base hits in the minor leagues than Azocar (63) does this season.

Azocar is a strong and athletic outfielder who is an above-average runner with above-average or better raw power as well. He's still a bit raw at the plate with his approach, but it's encouraging to see a higher 79% contact rate since the trade after running a 70% contact rate before the trade. If Azocar can continue making positive gains with his contact and approach, the skills are here to be a Top-25 overall fantasy prospect by early next season.

If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see the full Top 500 along with additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.

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