Impact Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Know - Samuel Basallo, Chase DeLauter, Robby Snelling, Carson Williams, Jett Williams, Harry Ford

January 21, 2026

2026 fantasy baseball prospects that can make big impacts - Samuel Basallo, Chase DeLauter, Robby Snelling, Carson Williams, Jett Williams, Harry Ford. Target these top prospects in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.

Targeting high-upside prospects in your fantasy baseball draft can be the difference between winning and losing your league. Last season, managers saw many emerging players become must-start fantasy assets, such as Nick Kurtz and Logan Henderson, when they made their debuts.

In this piece, we will spotlight six emerging prospects who have either received a small taste of the majors or who are knocking on the big-league door ahead of spring training.

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

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Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Baltimore Orioles

Current Level: Baltimore Orioles
2025 MLB stats: 31 G, .165/.229/.330, 6 2B, 4 HR, 30 SO, 6 BB

Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Samuel Basallo could see nearly every day at-bats with the Orioles to open the 2026 season. The top catching prospect in the sport and the overall No. 7-ranked per MLB Pipeline, made his long-awaited MLB debut in August of the 2025 season. Through his first 31 games in Baltimore, Bassalo showed some growing pains, posting a .165/.229/.330 line with a modest .559 OPS.

He hit four home runs but carried a 30:6 K:BB. Through 70 games with Triple-A Norfolk, Basallo posted an impressive .270/.377/.589 line with 17 doubles and 23 home runs.

During his brief stint with the Orioles last season, Basallo logged 22 games behind the dish with seven at DH and two at first base. With Pete Alonso now on the roster, Basallo will likely only rotate between catcher and DH. Managers should expect Basallo to open the campaign, rotating with Adley Rutschman behind the dish and at DH, given his usage last summer. However, if Basallo sees these struggles continue, he could lose DH at-bats to Tyler O'Neill or Ryan Mountcastle.

Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians

Current Level: Cleveland Guardians
2025 MiLB stats: 42 G, .264/.379/.473, 8 2B, 7 HR, 1 SB

Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter has flashed immense potential in the minors but has struggled to stay on the field, pushing back his MLB debut. Last summer, DeLauter actually joined the club for their postseason run and appeared in two games. Given that he is set to enter spring training with a clean bill of health, DeLauter seems positioned not only to make the MLB roster but also to claim the starting job in center field.

CHASE HOME RUN DELAUTER pic.twitter.com/G14434XhDV

— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) July 9, 2025

Earlier in 2025, DeLauter held an impressive .278/.383/.476 line with eight doubles, five home runs, and a 23:22 K:BB across 34 games at Triple-A. While he has not reached the 50-game mark in each of his last two minor league seasons, when on the field, DeLauter has been very productive. Managers should monitor his status in spring training as he could become a top-sleeper pick in five-outfielder formats if he is penciled into their Opening Day lineup.

Robby Snelling, SP, Miami Marlins

Current Level: Triple-A
2025 MiLB stats: 136 IP, 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 166 SO, 39 BB

Miami Marlins pitching prospect Robby Snelling appears poised to compete for a starting job in the rotation during spring training. Over the past week, the Marlins have sent two of their starting pitchers, Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, to competing teams in exchange for top prospects. As a result, Snelling faces even less competition to crack the rotation next month. Last summer, the southpaw was one of the most dominant pitchers at the Triple-A level.

While he had a modest start to the season at Double-A, where he posted a 3.61 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP across 72 1/3 innings, he reached a new level with Jacksonville. Through 63 2/3 innings at the top level of the minor leagues, Snelling posted an elite 1.27 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, with an 81:17 K:BB. Snelling is a name to closely monitor in spring training, as he would carry high-end sleeper appeal given the strikeout upside he flashed against the top hitters in the minor leagues if he begins the season in the majors.

Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays

Current Level: Tampa Bay Rays
2025 MLB stats: 32 G, .172/.219/.354, 3 2B, 5 HR, 2 SB, 44 SO, 6 BB

Tampa Bay Rays top infield prospect Carson Williams made his MLB debut late in the season and appears to be the favorite to land the starting shortstop job out of spring training. During his first 32-game stint with Tampa Bay, the former 28th overall pick (from the 2021 MLB Draft) posted a .172/.219/.354 line but showed solid power upside, launching five home runs. However, his hefty 41.5% K% tainted his production. Earlier in the season, Williams spent the entire campaign with Triple-A Durham, where he posted a .213/.318/.447 line with a .765 OPS.

WELCOME TO THE BIGS, CARSON WILLIAMS 🤯

He DEMOLISHES his 1st career home run in his Major League debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/ghJy9DGCsF

— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2025

He hit 23 home runs and swiped 22 bases. While his strikeout rate will hinder his upside in points leagues, Williams has shown a solid power and speed skill set that could translate to deeper category formats. He is worth monitoring in spring training as he could be a viable late-round depth middle infielder in 15+ team formats.

Jett Williams, INF, New York Mets

Current Level: Triple-A
2025 MiLB stats: 130 G, .261/.363/.465, 34 2B, 17 HR, 34 SB

The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired shortstop prospect Jett Williams from the New York Mets in a four-player trade, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Starter Freddy Peralta and reliever Tobias Myers are headed to the Mets, while Williams joins starting pitching prospect Brandon Sproat in the package headed back to Milwaukee. Williams is 22 years old and was the Mets' first-round pick in 2022. He spent last season in Double-A and Triple-A, and he struggled adjusting to Triple-A pitching.

Through 34 games there, he slashed .209/.285/.433 with a 9.3% walk rate and 23.2% strikeout rate. Still, he finished the year with an overall 136 wRC+ thanks to the success he had at Double-A. The 5-foot-7 infielder finished the 2025 minor league season with 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases. FanGraphs grades Williams' future value at a 50, with speed and power being his best attributes. Although he primarily plays shortstop, he offers defensive versatility with significant experience at second base and in center field.

Prior to the trade, FanGraphs projected that he would make his MLB debut in 2026.

Harry Ford, C, Washington Nationals

Current Level: Washington Nationals
2025 MiLB stats: 97 G, .283/.408/.460, 18 2B, 16 HR, 7 SB

The Washington Nationals acquired top catching prospect Harry Ford from the Seattle Mariners earlier in the offseason in exchange for reliever Jose Ferrer. Ford was considered one of the top catching prospects in the sport as he was progressing through the Seattle system. However, playing in a club with superstar Cal Raleigh was going to prevent Ford from seeing consistent at-bats. As a result, the Mariners opted to move him to Washington, where he could immediately take on a starting role in 2026.

Outside of a small eight-game taste of the majors, Ford spent the majority of the 2025 campaign with Triple-A. Across 87 games, Ford posted a .283/.408/.460 line with 18 doubles, 16 home runs, seven stolen bases, and a strong 88:77 K:BB. Given Keibert Ruiz's immense struggles last season, Ford could claim the starting role in spring training. He is named to closely monitor in two-catcher leagues.

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:

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