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Former Braves players with Hall of Fame cases who did not get voted in

With Andruw Jones being the talk of the town with the HOF vote this week, it seems like a perfect time to reflect on notable for players of the Atlanta Braves franchise who had solid careers but could not quite get the votes needed to be enshrined.

The purpose of this exercise is not to argue who should or should not be in, because at the end of the day it is subjective to those members of BBWAA. What we can do is see how these players have faired in comparison to their peers.

It is easy to say “well if player X is in, then this player should be in”. Let’s get away from that line of thinking for a minute and look more at averages. There have been some fun tools to be able to do this over the years. You can find them easily on Baseball Reference.

We could spend an entire article just explaining these measurement tools, but let’s keep it short and sweet. If you want further explanations on the measurements, you can see them here. In a nutshell, black-ink is league leading stats. Gray-ink is similar but accounts for being in the top ten. Both of these are slightly flawed since it is easier to lead a league before the leagues expanded.

There is the Hall of Fame Monitor test that tries to assess how likely a player will get in, with one-hundred being a “good possibility”. Then, there is the Hall of Fame Career Standards Test which another test used by accumulating points based on key stats. The average HOFer is fifty. Another newer test is to look at WAR. Love it or hate it, we can still use it as a piece of the puzzle.

Let’s look at some former Atlanta Braves that did not quite make the cut but had solid careers.

Dale Murphy

Murphy is likely the first player to come to mind with his two MVP awards, and cemented Braves legacy. Murphy finished his eighteen-year career with a slash of .265/.346/.469 with a 46.5 bWAR and two HRs shy of four hundred.

Looking at the measurement tools we talked about earlier, we see how he measures up to other HOFers.

  • Black-Ink: thirty-one (average HOFer has twenty-seven)
  • Gray-Ink: one-hundred-forty-seven (average HOF has one-hundred-forty-four)
  • HOF Monitor: one-hundred-sixteen (likely HOFer is one hundred)
  • HOF Standards: thirty-one (average HOFer is fifty)
  • Murphy is 27th all-time among CFers in bWAR with 46.5. There are nineteen primary CFers in the HOF and they average a career 71.3 WAR.

Murphy was eligible back when players could stay on the ballot for fifteen years and remained on the ballot all fifteen years. His highest percentage was in year fourteen with 23.2 percent. He also has been on the Veterans committee ballot three times but was not elected.

Kenny Lofton

It may be a stretch to put Lofton on this list because he only played the 1997 season with the Braves, but it was a solid season for the Braves in the peak of his career. Lofton played seventeen seasons where he accumulated 68.4 bWAR showing his five-tool presence. His final career slash-line of .299/.372/.423 is impressive. His voting may have been hampered due to lack of power in an age where power was a huge deal. He only hit one-hundred-thirty.

Now to look at how he measures up to other HOFers.

  • Black-Ink: thirteen (average HOFer has twenty-seven)
  • Gray-Ink: sixty-two (average HOF has one-hundred-forty-four)
  • HOF Monitor: ninety-one (likely HOFer is one hundred)
  • HOF Standards: forty-three (average HOFer is fifty)
  • Lofton is 10th all-time among CFers in bWAR with 68.4. There are nineteen primary CFers in the HOF and they average a career 71.3 bWAR.

Lofton’s value was not flashy in the time frame he played. Defense was typically put on the backburner by voters. That is not to say he should have been a HOFer, but it is a shame that he fell off the ballot on his first year of eligibility while accumulating the tenth most bWAR as a CFer.

Jim Whitney

If you don’t remember this name, it is okay. No one on planet earth was alive when he played. He played for Boston way back from 1881 till 1885. Boston would eventually become what is now the Atlanta Braves. Whitney was a two-way player that pitched and played 1B and OF. In only ten seasons he accumulated 56.0 bWAR to include one of the best single seasons of all-time in 1883 where he had a 11.4 bWAR season. For his career he pitched 3496.1 innings with 1571 strikeouts, 2.97 ERA, and a 1.147 WHIP. With the bat he had just over twenty-three-hundred PAs while slashing .261/.313/.375.

His bat alone was not great, but factor in his pitching and was extremely valuable.

  • Black-Ink pitching: twenty-eight (average HOFer has forty)
  • Gray-Ink batting: nineteen (average HOF has one-hundred-forty-four)
  • Gray-Ink pitching: one-hundred-sixty-one (average HOF has one-hundred-eighty-five)
  • HOF Monitor pitching: one-hundred-eleven (likely HOFer is one hundred)
  • HOF Standards pitching: thirty-one (average HOFer is fifty)
  • HOF Standards hitting: six (average HOFer is fifty)
  • As an SP he is 101stth all-tim in bWAR.

Obviously, he is unique since he was a two-way player so these measurements are not one-for-one. That being said, it is a bit puzzling that he did not get more HOF love. He was an early player, so this was well before the voting process we know today. He was never on a ballot.

Darrell Evans

Evans was one of the more underrated players in Braves history. In his twenty-one-year career he spent nine seasons in Atlanta. For his career he had a slash line of .248/.361/.431 while accumulating 58.7 bWAR along with four-hundred-fourteen HRs.

He clearly did not win over voters due to his low batting average, but he did have a solid career. Here is how the two-time all-start stacks up.

  • Black-Ink: eight (average HOFer has twenty-seven)
  • Gray-Ink: eighty-two (average HOF has one-hundred-forty-four)
  • HOF Monitor: forty-two (likely HOFer is one hundred)
  • HOF Standards: forty (average HOFer is fifty)
  • He is 22nd all-time among 3B in bWAR with 58.7. There are eighteen primary 3B in the HOF and they average a career 68.9 bWAR.

He fell off the ballot in the first year he was eligible with 1.7 percent of ballots.

Joe Torre

Alright, so technically Torre is in the HOF, but not as a player. Torre could be argued to be the best catcher the Braves have ever had while 33.3 of his career 57.7 career bWAR and with the franchise. That being said, He did play some 1B with them as well but was primarily a catcher at this time with the franchise.

Torre finished his career with slash of .297/.365/.452 with two-hundred-fifty-two HRs. He stacked up as a solid career while comparing him to his peers.

  • Black-Ink: twelve (average HOFer has twenty-seven)
  • Gray-Ink: seventy-one (average HOF has one-hundred-forty-four)
  • HOF Monitor: ninety-six (likely HOFer is one hundred)
  • HOF Standards: forty (average HOFer is fifty)
  • He is 26th all-time among 1B in bWAR with 57.6. There are twenty-five primary 1B in the HOF and they average a career 64.9 bWAR.

Torre is an interesting case because he basically split his career between catcher, which is a premium defensive position, and 1B which is the opposite. He also spent some time at 3B as well (23.3 percent of his time) , and four games in the OF. If he could have stayed at catcher for his entire career, it would have been interesting to see if the voting would have been different.

Torre was on the BBWAA ballot as a player all fifteen years reaching his highest rate of 22.2 percent on the final year. He was eventually voted in as a manager in 2014.

There are many more interesting players that played for the Braves at some point that never made it. Put some in the comments!

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2026 MLB Prospect Rankings: Top 100 players headlined by Konnor Griffin, Leo De Vries

It's that time.

Before we get started, please keep in mind that the prospect list you’ll find below skews toward each player’s long-term fantasy potential. There are several prospects who would rank higher on a “real-life” list with no other considerations, but these are the top players who you’ll want to watch closely in fantasy baseball leagues.

Additionally, this group does not include players who signed from Japan this offseason, such as Kazuma Okamoto, Munetaka Murakami, and Tatsuya Imai. All three players have Rookie of the Year eligibility and offerboth short- and long-term fantasy appeal, but none should be considered “prospects” given their prior success in Nippon Professional Baseball..

Without further ado, here are the top 100 fantasy prospects entering the 2026 MLB season.

Related: Top 500 fantasy baseball dynasty rankings

⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

2026 Top 100 MLB prospects

*Age=Reflects player’s age for 2026 season.

1) Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age: 20| ETA: 2026

There were four strong candidates for the top spot, but ultimately, the upside of Griffin is too much to not give him the nod. The 2024 first-round pick forged a .942 OPS overall while hitting .333 and stealing 65 bases at three different levels in 2025, and he slashed .337/.418/.542 over 21 games with Double-A Altoona to close the year. Griffin has upper-echelon speed, and while it’s his best tool, it’s far from the only one that grades out well as his plus bat speed should allow him to hit for both average and power at the highest level. One of the few questions with Griffin is where he’s going to end up on the diamond, as at 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, he might outgrow the shortstop position. He’d be an excellent centerfielder or third baseman if that does happen, and while fantasy managers would love to see him stick at short, he’s the type of talent where it doesn’t matter. There’s a real chance that Griffin could be as good as any fantasy player in baseball in the next five years.

2) Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics

Age: 19 | ETA: 2027

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a prospect of De Vries’ ability and pedigree get moved in a deadline deal, but it happened last summer when he left San Diego for SacraVegas in the deal that sent Mason Miller to the Padres. His .806 OPS while reaching Double-A was impressive enough, but it’s even more impressive when you consider that he didn’t turn 19 until October. Every tool at his disposal projects plus, and his well above-average approach gives him a high floor to go with a tremendous ceiling. He doesn’t have the type of speed that a player like Griffin does, but 20-plus stolen bases to go with 30-plus homer seasons while playing up the middle are certainly plausible, maybe even likely. He may not make his debut until 2027, but he’s as likely as any prospect in baseball to fill all five standard categories.

3) Jesús Made, SS, Milwaukee Brewers

Age: 19 | ETA: 2027

The Brewers gave Made a $950,000 signing bonus in 2024, and it feels pretty likely that Milwaukee isn’t regretting that decision. After an impressive first professional campaign, Made had no real issues handling full-season pitching in 2025, and he reached Double-A while slashing .285/.379/.413 while swiping 47 bases in 115 games. He only hit six homers in that timeframe, but it’s very much worth noting that he doesn’t turn 19 until May, and he was able to compile 35 extra-base hits. He’s a switch-hitter who stings the baseball from both sides of the plate, and both the hit and the power tool have a chance to be well above-average in the coming campaigns. Add in impressive speed and a good chance to stick at shortstop, and there’s massive upside in Made’s game. You could easily argue that he, De Vries or Griffin are the top fantasy prospect in the sport, and you’d probably be right.

4) Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers

Age: 22 | ETA: 2026

McGonigle didn’t get the same top prospect consideration from me that the three names above did, but that’s much more compliment to them than insult to him. An ankle injury to begin the year limited him to just 88 games in 2025, but he still homered 19 times while slashing .305/.408/.583 while reaching Double-A Erie as a 20-year-old. Drafted with the 37th pick in 2023, McGonigle has a picturesque swing from the left side that allows him to spray the ball to all parts of the field, and his strong wrists and lower half give him a chance for 60-grade -- or plus -- power as well. He’s not going to be a major stolen base threat, and expecting more than 15 stolen bases a year is probably expecting too much, barring something unforeseeable. He also may need to move to second base, but a middle-infielder who could hit above .300 regularly with 25-30 homer campaigns will play at any part of the field. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he helps the Tigers and fantasy players in 2026.

5) Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers

Age: 21| ETA: 2027

In the same draft that the Tigers were able to procure the services of McGonigle, the Tigers also selected Clark with the fifth-overall pick, and it could easily be argued they have the best infield and outfield prospect in the game. In 111 games at the High-A and Double-A levels, Clark mounted an OPS of .835 as a 20-year-old while hitting 14 homers and stealing 19 bags. The stolen base total isn’t overwhelmingly impressive, but also undersells Clark’s speed, and it seems likely he’ll be a 40-plus steal player at the highest level. That’s assuming he gets on base enough to run that often, and his smooth stroke and outstanding approach at the plate (94 walks in 2025) make that seem like a strong possibility. The power is still a work in progress, but 20-plus homer seasons seem well within reach. Clark is a prototypical leadoff hitter, and it’s very easy to imagine him being among the league leaders in runs while hitting for an excellent average and filling out several other categories.

6) JJ Wetherholt, INF, St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 24| ETA: 2026

Wetherholt was solid in 2025 with Double-A Springfield with a slash of .300/.425/.466, but was even better after being promoted to Triple-A. His OPS was .978 with Memphis over 47 games while hitting 10 homers and stealing nine bases in his 47 games in the International League. A left-handed hitter, Wetherholt is capable of slashing the baseball to every part of the field, and he’s started to tap into his above-average power at the age of 23. There’s some question marks as to where Wetherholt will play defensively, and with Masyn Winn in tow, his likely landing spot will be second base. The bat certainly plays there, but if he got a chance to be a shortstop, he could be an upper-echelon fantasy player someday. That still could be the case on the other side of the bag, too.

7) Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins

Age: 22 | ETA: 2026

The Twins selected Jenkins with the fifth pick of the 2023 draft, and he has a chance to be yet another member of the class to make an impact early on. He struggled in Triple-A with an OPS of .720, but that was a sample of only 23 games, and he slashed an impressive .309/.426/.487 in Double-A as a 20-year-old. Jenkins has a swing that suggests he’s going to hit for both average and power, and his excellent approach at the plate should see him get on base at a solid clip. He’s also an above-average runner, and 25-plus steal seasons seem likely. Jenkins doesn’t have the same type of ceiling as some of the players listed above, but he’s not far off, and his outstanding approach gives him one of the higher floors as well. He should hit in the middle of the Minnesota order for a very long time, barring something unforeseeable.

8) Trey Yesavage, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Well, that escalated quickly. Yesavage went from being the 20th pick of the 2024 draft to a hurler who made a significant impact for Toronto while helping the team reach the World Series. The right-hander can miss bats with three different pitches, and if he would have qualified, he would have ranked among the league leaders in generating whiffs, strikeout percentage and getting hitters to swing at pitches outside of the strike zone. The one concern with Yesavage is command, as he will walk hitters and also will leave pitches over the middle of the plate. That’s to be expected from a pitcher of his age and experience, and the elite stuff should more than make up for it. He’s very good now, but if his command and control improve, he has a chance to be one of the best pitchers in the sport.

9) Josue De Paula, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age: 21 | ETA: 2027

The Dodgers have won back-to-back championships, and for those who don’t enjoy that, they may be disheartened to hear that they have one of the best farm systems in baseball, with De Paula leading that group. The 19-year-old went hitless in four games with Double-A Tulsa, but that was preceded by an .827 OPS, 32 stolen bases and 12 homers in 98 games in High-A for Great Lakes. While he doesn’t have elite speed, his ability to read pitchers and quickness gives him a chance to be a major threat in the stolen-base category, and while it’s more projection than reality right now, there’s well above-average power in his left-handed swing. The ball jumps off his bat and his approach is outstanding, but hitting for average isn’t a guarantee because there’s some swing-and-miss and he’s willing to hit late in counts. De Paula is also not an elite defender, but he’s good enough to stay in the outfield, and he could be yet another star for the Dodgers in the latter part of the decade.

10) Ethan Holiday, SS, Colorado Rockies

Age: 19| ETA: 2028

Just three years after the Orioles took Jackson Holliday with the first pick, it was widely assumed that his young brother Ethan would follow suit and go 1-1 as well. He “slipped” to the fourth-overall pick to Colorado, but he was given a $9 million signing bonus as a nice consolation prize. A left-handed hitter, Holliday has enormous raw power, and one can’t help but think of that pop playing in Coors Field when he’s ready to go. It’s not his only tool, however, as the product of Stillwater is capable of making hard contact with a solid approach, and he’s a solid runner who should be able to swipe some bags while piling up the roundtrippers. Holliday will need a few years to develop, but his upside is immense, and he could be the rare 40-homer shortstop when all is said and done.

11) Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Baltimore Orioles

Age: 22 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Fantasy managers were justifiably frustrated waiting for Basallo to make his debut even while he was hitting .270/.377/.589 with Triple-A Norfolk, and then couldn’t have been thrilled seeing him register an OPS of .559 upon that promotion. It’s hard to be too concerned based on that small sample/history of players who have struggled early only to have illustrious careers, however. Basallo has significant power in his left-handed bat, the type you see from players who hit 30-plus homers on a consistent basis. He’s a patient hitter, but that patience leads to hitting late in counts, and his long swing means he’s unlikely to hit for a high average at the highest levels. He does sting the baseball when he makes contact, however, so it’s not out of the question. He won’t steal many bases, but he won’t need to if the bat plays to the level he’s capable of. If Basallo isn’t catching his value drops considerably, but as a backstop, he has a chance to be a top-tier option.

12) Colt Emerson, SS/3B, Seattle Mariners

Age: 21 | ETA: 2026

Emerson has seen his stock improve every year since being selected with the 22nd pick of the 2023 draft, and he finished 2025 in Triple-A with Tacoma while hitting .285/.383/.458 with 16 homers and 14 stolen bases. A left-handed hitter, Emerson will sting the baseball thrown to any part of the plate to any part of the field, and he could be among the league leaders in average in his best years. The power isn’t at that level, but he’s capable of reaching 20 or so homers, and a similar number of stolen bases. The biggest question mark is where Emerson will play; there’s talk that he could be the third baseman for Seattle in 2026 before taking over for J.P. Crawford in a year or two, but he’s more than capable of handling shortstop right now/the future. Emerson has one of the highest perceived floors of any prospect, but there’s obviously upside in his bat or he wouldn’t be here.

13) Kade Anderson, LHP, Seattle Mariners

Age: 22 | ETA: 2026

Anderson would have been a top-25 fantasy prospect regardless of what organization he landed with, but there is simply no denying that he became even more intriguing after Seattle selected him with the third pick. The former LSU ace struck out a whopping 180 batters in his 119 innings while helping the Tigers win the World Series, and he has the ability to miss bats with four unique pitches. Seattle will likely pare that down to three, but one will certainly be a fastball that gets into the high 90s. His curve, change and slider all project as plus offerings, and he can throw all four pitches for strikes as well. Anderson seems like the next college hurler who will make an early debut, and playing for a good team that develops pitching well while also playing in a friendly ballpark for hurlers gives him a chance to be a star at the highest level.

14) Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B, Texas Rangers

Age: 20 | ETA: 2026

Walcott has been a highly-touted prospect since signing out of the Bahamas for over $3 million in 2023, and while his slash of .255/.355/.386 isn’t awe-inspiring, it’s more impressive when you consider it came in Double-A as a 19-year-old. A right-handed hitter, Walcott has tremendous raw power, and it’s starting to show up in games. The infielder also has above-average speed, and very well could be a 30/30 player at the major-league level. He has a solid approach at the plate as well, but there is swing-and-miss along with a willingness to hit late in counts, so there’s a chance he won’t hit for a tremendous average even with the tools to do just that. There’s also a chance he may need to move off shortstop, which would drop his value at least a smidgen. Still, Walcott has elite upside, and there’s at least a chance we’ll see that talent in Arlington this summer. If everything clicks, this ranking is several spots too low, but there’s just a little more volatility than with some of the other elite infield prospects.

15) Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets

Age: 25 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

McLean was the 91st pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and based on what he’s shown since being drafted out of Oklahoma State -- particularly in 2025 -- it’s likely several teams are lamenting not scooping him up earlier. He struck out 127 batters in 113 2/3 minor-league innings before being called up, and he was phenomenal with the Mets after his promotion as seen in a 2.06 ERA over eight starts and a 57/16 K/BB ratio. He relies heavily on his 70-grade sweeper, but he also offers a sinker that gives hitters fits on top of a strong curveball and an above-average change mixed in on occasion. McLean needs to work on his control, but even with some self-inflicted damage, his ability to miss bats makes him someone who could pitch at the top of a rotation for several years.

16) Thomas White, LHP, Miami Marlins

Age: 21 | ETA: 2026

The 35th pick of the 2023 Draft, White was limited to just 89 2/3 innings in 2025, but to say he made the most of them is quite the understatement. He struck out 145 batters in that time while forging a 2.31 ERA and reaching Triple-A. The southpaw already has a double-plus slider, and he complements that bender with a fastball that can get into the high 90s with solid movement along with an above-average change that will keep right-handers from sitting on either pitch. There are some durability concerns with White as he’s thrown just 190 innings since being drafted in 2023, but that’s a little less concerning when you consider he doesn’t turn 22 until the end of September. Assuming good health and that his command continues to get better, and White has the stuff to someday be a high-end fantasy option.

17) Eli Willits, SS, Washington Nationals

Age: 18| ETA: 2028

The Nationals made Willits the first pick of last year’s draft, and while he’s not the top fantasy player from that class on this list, consider that more of a compliment to Ethan Holliday than it is an insult to Willits. The son of former big-league outfielder Reggie Willits, Eli is an outstanding athlete who should have no trouble staying at the shortstop position and also piling up the stolen bases. He has a smooth, line-drive stroke that can make hard contact to any part of the field, and .300 seasons are certainly within reach for the 18-year-old based on his skill set. The question mark is power, and while he won’t ever be among the league leaders in roundtrippers -- assuming there isn’t a massive change in his swing path and approach -- there seems to be enough bat speed and strength for 20-homer campaigns. Willits won’t make his debut for a few years, but he has a chance to contribute in several categories when he’s ready to roll in the latter part of the decade.

18) Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age: 24 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Chandler had to wait longer than he probably should have to make his MLB debut, but he more than held his own once he got that promotion with a 31/4 K/BB ratio over 31 1/3 innings with a decent -- if unspectacular -- 4.02 ERA to go with it. A former top quarterback prospect, Chandler has an elite fastball that routinely touches triple digits and averaged 98.9 mph while he was with the Bucs. His best secondary pitch is a plus slider, but his change isn’t far behind, and he’ll show an average curveball to keep hitters honest, as well. Chandler’s control is still a work in progress and likely isn’t ever going to be elite, but it doesn’t have to be for him to be a successful starter. Even if he’ll never pitch at the top of the Pittsburgh rotation as long as Paul Skenes is there, Chandler has a chance to be a fantasy ace in the coming seasons.

19) Bryce Rainer, SS, Detroit Tigers

Age: 21| ETA: 2027

Rainer was in the midst of a very solid first professional season with Low-A Lakeland that saw him rack up an .831 OPS over 35 games, but the year came to a halt after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder near the beginning of June. The fourth pick of the 2024 draft, Rainer has a smooth swing from the left side that gives him a chance to not only hit for a solid average, but also hit 25-plus homers -- perhaps even more -- in his best seasons. He possesses plus speed, and that should allow him to be a threat on the bases and also keep him at shortstop with a weapons-grade throwing arm also helping in that regard. Fantasy managers will have to see how the injury affects Rainer, but there’s tremendous upside in his profile, and a relatively high floor because it seems awfully likely that he’ll be able to stick up the middle.

20) Lazaro Montes, OF, Seattle Mariners

Age: 21 | ETA: 2027

Montes has been compared to Yordan Alvarez for a few years, and while that’s probably unfair, it’s easy to understand why. He’s a 6-foot-5 left-handed hitter who puts up some of the best exit velocities in the minors, and he reached Double-A as a 20-year-old while hitting 32 homers with an .858 OPS to go with them. There’s a boatload of swing-and-miss in Montes’ game as seen in 169 strikeouts over 131 games, but he does help compensate with walks (83), and to say the ball jumps off of his left-handed bat is the understatement of understatements. He’ll likely have to move to first base or designated hitter, but Montes has the type of power that could someday lead the league in homers, and he should fill out the other categories enough to be an excellent fantasy option.

21) Aidan Miller, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Age: 22 | ETA: 2026

Miller hasn’t gotten the hype of some of the other outstanding shortstop prospects in baseball, and that’s a mistake. The 2023 first-round selection reached Triple-A in 2025 while hitting .264/.392/.433 with 14 homers and 59 stolen bases. That latter number might be Miller’s biggest selling point -- even as a player who doesn’t post elite sprint times -- but there’s a lot to like here. He drew 83 walks while ‘only’ striking out 123 times, and he should be able to get on base at a strong clip to put his wheels to work. He also has well above-average power that he’s beginning to tap into, and he’s yet another 30/30 candidate who should be able to play up the middle. Miller could very well make his debut in 2026, but it’s the long-term upside that makes him one of the best -- and most underrated -- infield prospects in the sport.

22) Luis Peña, INF, Milwaukee Brewers

Age: 19 | ETA: 2028

Peña really struggled after being promoted to High-A Wisconsin with a .517 OPS over 25 games, but he was excellent in Low-A with a .308/.375/.469 slash prior to that promotion over 71 games, and fantasy managers should take those numbers much more seriously. Signed as part of the ridiculous 2024 international class for Milwaukee, Peña oozes athleticism, and it helped him swipe 44 bases over his 96 MiLB contests in 2025. Speed can only do so much, but it’s buoyed by a plus hit tool and power that has a chance to be above-average as he gets stronger, as well. There are question marks where Peña will play defensively, and obviously the fantasy upside would go up considerably if he was a lock to stick at short. Still, even if he moves to second or shortstop, this is the type of player who can be among the league leaders in steals while hitting for a high average and providing a solid number of dingers for good measure. Don’t be surprised if he ranks much higher than this in the 2027 list.

23) Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

Age: 21 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Eldridge was a two-way player in high school that many thought might be better on the mound as a 6-foot-7 southpaw, but the Giants made him a first baseman and likely made the right decision. He hit just .107 upon his call-up to San Francisco, but a 10-game sample isn’t anything to take seriously. What should be taken seriously is Eldridge’s power as he swatted 25 homers in 102 games for Triple-A Sacramento, and his strength and use of his lower-half suggests that’s nowhere near his ceiling. He’ll never hit for a high average and it’s hard to imagine more than a handful of stolen bases, however, and he’s very much limited to first base. That provides some risks, but the reward of a 40-homer player who piles up the RBI hitting in the middle of an order is worth taking a chance on, and then some.

24) Eduardo Quintero, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age: 20| ETA: 2028

Quintero saw his stock soar in 2025 after he put together a .293/.415/.508 slash at the Low- and High-A levels while adding 19 homers and 47 stolen bases in his 113 games. That’s not to say that he was an unknown coming into the year -- far from it -- but there weren’t many better at the lower levels in 2025. Everything projects above-average or better for the outfielder, and that includes defensively which should help him rise through the Los Angeles system. It’s not likely that he’ll be a 30-plus homer player at the highest level, but he’s far from bereft of pop, and 20-homer seasons with a high average are well within reason. That’s enticing even before considering the potential for steals, and while he’s not likely to make his debut until the latter part of the decade, his skill set should make him worth the wait and then some.

25) Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

Age: 22 | ETA: 2026

Crawford was the 17th pick of the 2022 draft, and the son of former All-Star Carl Crawford has been one of the best performers in the minors since joining the professional ranks. That includes an exceptional 2025 season where he hit .334, scored 88 runs and stole 46 bases in just 112 games. The speed is the obvious calling card for Crawford, and he’s a top-of-the-scales runner who seems like a lock to steal 40-plus bases as long as he gets on enough to run that much. An improving approach and a line-drive swing from the left side give him a chance to do just that, and while it’s very unlikely he’ll be more than a 12-15 homer hitter -- if that -- he has a chance to have a decent slugging percentage because of his ability to put the ball into the gaps and run. The lack of power is the only thing keeping Crawford from being in the top 15 fantasy prospects, but the floor because of the speed makes him a must-roster player in all eligible formats.

 

26) Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies

Age: 23| ETA: 2027

Condon was the third pick of the 2025 MLB Draft, and being blunt, the beginning of his professional career has been mixed at best. After dominating the SEC at Georgia, he struggled in his brief taste of minor-league action in 2024, and he missed two months to begin 2025 after suffering a wrist fracture. His numbers were decent enough after returning with an .820 OPS and 14 homers over 99 games, and this is still a player who has easy plus power from the right side, a willingness to get on via walk, and makes enough hard contact to suggest he’ll hit for a solid average as well. And on top of that, there’s the Coors Field factor -- potentially, anyway -- to consider, as well. Condon offers more volatility than expected, and being blunt again, this is an aggressive ranking. I just would have extreme FOMO of not rostering a player with his upside based on mediocre results two years into his career. The better outweighs the bitter. Potentially.  

27) Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age: 21 | ETA: 2027

Hope was one of the breakout prospects of the 2024 season, and while his 2025 campaign didn’t match lofty expectations, there was enough good to suggest a bright future. He compiled an .804 OPS with 13 homers and 27 steals, and he did it over 127 games as a 20-year-old while reaching Double-A for a brief six-game sample. A left-handed hitter, Hope has one of the more athletic swings you’ll see, and that along with a keen eye at the plate gives him a chance to hit for a solid average while also drawing a good amount of walks. The power is right there with the hit tool in terms of grades -- maybe even a tick better -- but it’s still a work-in-progress; something that is understandable for a player of Hope’s age and timeline. The hope (pun absolutely intended) is that Hope can be a player who steals 30-plus bases with a similar amount of homers and a solid average, and what’s shown over the last two seasons suggests he can do just that.

28) Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets

Age: 23 | ETA: 2026

Benge was a two-way player at Oklahoma State who teams liked as a pitcher, but the Mets took him 19th because of his bat, and now ranks as the top hitting prospect in the system. He impressed in his first full professional campaign while reaching Triple-A -- although his .583 OPS at that level wasn’t exactly awe-inspiring -- and slashing .281/.375/.472 with 22 steals and 15 homers over 441 at-bats. A left-handed hitter, Benge stings the baseball to all parts of the field, and on top of a plus hit tool, he started driving the baseball enough to suggest that he’ll be able to contribute as a power hitter, as well. He’s a solid athlete who gets good reads, so 20-plus steal seasons are not out of reach. Benge has one of the highest perceived floors of any outfield prospect, but there’s certainly a ceiling in his profile, as well. He should help the Mets and fantasy managers this summer.

29) Josue Briceño, C/1B, Detroit Tigers

Age: 22 | ETA: 2027

Briceño was viewed as an intriguing prospect coming into 2025, but he saw his stock bump up considerably after a season where he forged an .883 OPS while bashing 20 homers and reaching Double-A. It’s worth noting that was considerably better at High-A Lakeland (1.024 OPS) than Double-A Erie (.716), but it’s easy to understand why he’s considered one of the top offensive catching prospects in baseball. There’s tremendous raw power in his left-handed swing; the type you see from hitters who routinely hit 30 homers in their best years. He also has an advanced approach at the plate, and there’s enough hard contact to make up for some swing-and-miss and provide a decent average. The biggest question mark is if Briceño can catch, and there’s a significant chance that he may need to move to first base. The bat can play there, but the upper-echelon upside is based on Briceño being behind the plate. It’s worth the risk.

30) Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians

Age: 24 | ETA: 2026

The Guardians took Bazzana with the first pick of the 2024 draft, and so far, the results haven’t backed up that selection. He did get on at a solid .389 clip in 2025, but it came with a .245 average and .424 slugging percentage; numbers that don’t scream future fantasy superstar. Still, there’s obvious reason for optimism with Bazzana going forward. He’s a second baseman whose bat path and swing decisions suggest a plus hit tool or better along with some of the best pitch-recognition skills in the minors. He does have solid power as well, and enough speed to project 15-to-20 stolen-base seasons. This is more floor than ceiling, but Bazzana’s positional value and well-rounded skill set give him a chance to be an excellent fantasy option in the coming campaigns. Don’t be surprised if 2026 is the breakout year.

31) Carter Jenson, C, Kansas City Royals

Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Jenson entered 2025 as one of the top hitting prospects in the Kansas City system, but he blew expectations out of the water with 20 homers and an .878 OPS at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. He was even better once he got a chance to play in Kansas City, as he slashed .300/.391/.550 in his 20 games with the Royals. Obviously that’s not a large sample, but combining it with the minor-league numbers illustrates how good he was with the bat. There’s plus power in his left-handed bat, and he’s a patient hitter who should put up a solid on-base percentage with enough hard contact to suggest a decent average with it. There won’t be many steals, but there won’t need to be behind the plate; a place Jenson should have no problem sticking at. Jenson has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order hitter, and the fact that it comes from behind the plate makes him a potential fantasy star.

32) Aiva Arquette, SS, Miami Marlins

Age: 22| ETA: 2027

It was a little surprising that Arquette lasted until the seventh pick after a prolific college career that ended at Oregon State, but the Marlins had to be thrilled to find him available. There’s at least above-average power in his right-handed bat, and his selective approach at the plate helps him draw walks and keeps him from beating himself while swinging at pitches inside of the zone. There is some length to his swing on top of hitting in two-strike counts, however, so strikeouts will likely keep him from hitting for an upper-echelon average. He’s a 55-grade runner who gets good jumps on the bases, so on top of potentially picking up 30-homer seasons, he also could have a similar amount of steals. There’s no guarantee Arquette will be a fast-track player, but his advanced skill set gives him a chance to be a helper by 2027, and a fantasy-relevant one in the seasons after.

33) Owen Caissie, OF, Miami Marlins

Age: 24| ETA: Debuted 2025

Acquired by the Cubs in the deal that sent Yu Darvish to the Padres, Caissie was not great in a brief dozen games with Chicago as seen in a .568 OPS over 26 at-bats. The numbers he put up in Triple-A Iowa are much more indicative of his talent, as he hit .286/.386/.551 with 22 homers over 99 games. The Marlins clearly liked what they saw, as they acquired him as the headliner in the deal that shipped Edward Cabrera to Chicago. A left-handed hitter, Caissie can sting the baseball and has a chance to hit for a usable average despite borderline guaranteed contact issues due to his swing length. The reason he’s one of the best hitting prospects in baseball, however, is plus-plus power from the left side with the ability to take the ball out to any part of the park. He won’t steal many bases as a below-average runner, so the power is going to have to come close to maxing out to make Caissie an upper-echelon fantasy player. No one should be surprised if it does.

34) Rainel Rodriguez, C, St. Louis Cardinals

Age: 19 | ETA: 2028

Rodriguez was signed without much fanfare for $300,000 back in April of 2024, and he’s quickly become one of the best catching prospects in the sport. He dominated the lower levels to the tune of .276/.399/.555 while hitting 20 homers in just 84 games. As you might expect, the power is Rodriguez’s best offensive tool, and it could be plus by the time he’s done developing. He has a quality feel for the strike zone as well, and a relatively shorter swing should keep the swing-and-miss to a dull roar. The only reason Rodriguez doesn’t rank higher on this list is that he needs to show he can do it at the higher levels. In terms of upside, there are very few -- if any -- better catching prospects in the sport right now.

35) Moises Ballesteros, C, Chicago Cubs

Age: 22 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

If Rodriguez represents some of the best upside at the catching position, Ballesteros gives one of the highest floors. That’s not to say that the latter doesn’t offer some ceiling; he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t. The left-handed hitting backstop hit .316 with an .858 OPS over 114 games with Iowa, and more than held his own with the Cubbies as seen in a slash of .298/.394/.474 over 57 at-bats once he got a chance. While smaller than your typical catcher, Ballesteros does have solid-average power, but the best tool at his disposal is his ability to sting the baseball to all parts of the field and consistently putting the ball into play. He’s not a future star, but a catcher who can hit .290-plus with 15 or more homers a year is a very valuable player, and Ballesteros has that kind of ability.

36) Jett Williams, INF/OF, New York Mets

Age: 22 | ETA: 2026

Williams had his 2024 season cut short due to injury, and while his 2025 campaign wasn’t flawless, there were an awful lot of good things for the 2022 first-rounder. He compiled an .828 OPS while hitting 17 homers and stealing 34 bases, and he continues to look like the prototypical leadoff hitter with a strong approach at the plate that has allowed him to draw 206 walks in 294 games. Because he’s so willing to work counts he does hit behind in the count quite a bit, and strikeouts might make it a challenge for him to hit for a high average even though he makes hard contact. Once on base, his plus speed makes him a major threat to steal bases, and there’s above-average power in his right-handed bat. There’s no real obvious answer for where Williams can play, but he’s athletic enough for all three outfield positions, and shortstop and second base are reasonable landing spots as well. Up the middle would be ideal, but wherever he lands, the fantasy upside remains high.

37) Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Age: 23 | ETA: 2026

Waldschmidt was the 31st pick of the 2024 draft -- a selection the D-backs earned due to Corbin Carroll winning Rookie of the Year -- and while he doesn’t offer Carroll’s upside, there’s reason to believe he can be a fantasy-relevant player in the coming years. He slashed .289/.419/.473 in his first full professional season, and he hit 18 homers while stealing 29 bases across 134 games. Every offensive tool for Waldschmidt projects above-average, and those tools are bumped up thanks to his approach; one that allowed him to draw a sensational 96 walks in 2025. He’s not a great defensive player, but there’s enough athleticism to allow him to stay in the outfield. Waldschmidt seems to be floating under the radar right now, and an outfielder who can hit 25 homers and steal a similar -- if not more -- amount of bases should be getting more fantasy love. Here’s your love, Ryan Waldschmidt.

38) Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

Age: 23 | ETA: 2026

Painter’s numbers were disappointing in 2025, as a 5.26 ERA over 118 innings doesn’t exactly scream upper-echelon fantasy pitching prospect. Context is key here, however. This is a pitcher that missed the previous two seasons, and there were some real flashes that suggest the version that made him the best pitching prospect in the sport is still there. When at his best, shows three pitches that grade 60 or better, and he can locate all of them for strikes. There was some real variance to that stuff in 2025, however, and the command was nowhere near as good after the two-year layoff. This is sort of a “safe” ranking for Painter; one that acknowledges the volatility, but also reminds that if he’s the version that he was in 2022, he’s better than any of the names above. Don’t be surprised if he’s closer to that version in 2026.

39) Braden Montgomery, OF, Chicago White Sox

Age: 23 | ETA: 2027

The White Sox acquired Montgomery in the deal that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox last offseason, and in his first season with Chicago he slashed .270/.360/.444 with 12 homers and 14 steals over 121 games. The 12th pick of the 2024 draft, Montgomery is a switch-hitter with plus power at his disposal, and 30-plus homer seasons are within reach. A similar amount of steals are also plausible, even if it’s based more on his baserunning acumen than his straightline speed. He’s a patient hitter who should pile up the walks, but he also is likely to not be among the league leaders in average because of strikeouts; he whiffed 130 times in 2025. Montgomery still needs work, but his power/speed combination makes him one of the best outfield prospects in baseball, and it wouldn’t be stunning if he hit near the top of the lineup for the White Sox next summer.

40) Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age: 20 | ETA: 2028

There was some thought that Hernandez could become the first-ever right-handed arm out of high school selected with the first pick, but he ended up “sliding” to the sixth selection. That later-than-expected draft position has nothing to do with talent. Hernandez has a fastball that gets up to 98 mph regularly -- at times a tick higher -- and he complements that heater with a change that can make hitters from both sides of the plate look foolish. Add in two plus breaking-balls and a feel for throwing all four pitches for strikes, and everything is here for Hernandez to be an ace. He needs to show he can do it at the professional level now, but no one should be stunned if he ranks as the top pitching prospect in baseball with several of the arms above likely to graduate.

41) Alfredo Duno, C, Cincinnati Reds

Age: 20 | ETA: 2028

The influx of talent at the catcher position has been impressive over the past few seasons, and Duno is one of the better ones to keep an eye on. He drew 95 walks in his first full taste of full-season baseball while slashing .287/.430/.518 for Low-A Daytona. He’s a strong defender behind the plate with an excellent arm, so unlike a few names on this list, there’s no real reason to think he’s going to change positions. That obviously matters, but what matters more is that he has a chance to hit for a solid average with an (obviously) strong understanding of the strike zone, and there’s a chance for 20-25 homer seasons as well. Duno is going to need at least a couple more seasons in the minors, but he should be a fantasy-relevant backstop by the end of the decade. His potential home ballpark doesn’t hurt things, either.

42) Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians

Age: 24 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

DeLauter’s year was plagued by injuries again, but he was able to get healthy by the end of the year, and he became one of the few players who has made his MLB debut in the postseason. When he’s right, DeLauter shows a left-handed swing that is aesthetically pleasing, and should allow him to hit for both average and power at an above-average -- potentially better for both -- level. Steals are never going to be a big part of his game, and there’s a chance he won’t be able to be an everyday option against left-handed pitching. That on top of the missed time makes DeLauter a little more risky than his offensive profile should, but the upside is a middle-of-the-order hitter who can fill out four of the five standard categories.

43) Michael Arroyo, 2B/SS, Seattle Mariners

Age: 21 | ETA: 2027

Arroyo is yet another member of the impressive Seattle farm system, and not the last who will show up on this list. He reached Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2025, and he was able to forge an .834 OPS with 17 homers and 12 steals over his 450 at-bats across two levels. There’s some swing-and-miss in Arroyo’s profile, but the ball jumps off of his bat, and he’ll help compensate for the strikeouts by drawing a quality number of walks. Potentially, of course. His power is above-average regardless of position, but it’s especially impressive considering he’s likely to play either second base or shortstop at the next level; although there has been some talk of him moving to the outfield. Add in solid speed that should make him a 15-plus steals player at the next level, and everything is here for Arroyo to be a strong fantasy option in the coming years. Expect to see him in the show by the end of 2027.

44) Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Minnesota Twins

Age: 23 | ETA: 2026

All Rodriguez has done since entering the professional ranks is hit when he’s on the field, but it was another year that was shortened due to injuries. He was limited to just 65 games in 2025, but he was able to post an OPS of .840 with six homers and 10 stolen bases in that timeframe. His calling card is his ability to draw free passes, and he’s been able to work an impressive 278 walks in 295 games. Those 295 games are over five minor-league seasons, however, which tells you just how much time Rodriguez has missed in his career. Still, there’s above-average power potential in his bat as well as 55-grade speed; so the tools are all here for him to hit for average, power and steal bases at the highest level. He just has to be on the field more often to let those skills translate.

45) Rhett Lowder, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

Age: 24 | ETA: 2024

After impressing in 2024, Lowder entered 2025 with lofty expectations. Unfortunately his year was curtailed by injuries, and he made just five appearances in the minors due to issues with his oblique and forearm. When he was healthy last year, he was a hurler who showed the ability to command three plus pitches with good enough stuff to keep the ball in the park -- something important in Cincinnati, especially -- and miss enough bats to be a solid fantasy option. Obviously there’s some risk that comes with what was essentially a full-missed campaign, but don’t forget how good Lowder looked when he was at his best.

46) Theo Gillen, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Age: 21 | ETA: 2027

The Rays made Gillen the 18th pick of the 2024 draft, and although his season was shortened because of injuries, he impressed when he was on the field with a slash of .267/.433/.387 with five homers and 36 stolen bases for Low-A Charleston. The left-handed hitting outfielder is what you picture when you think of a leadoff hitter, as he works counts at an exceptional level and then has the type of speed you see in players who steal 40 bases on the regular. The power wasn’t there in 2025, but he’ll be 20 until September and he should add some strength. Like the previous few names, there are some durability concerns with Gillen -- he has dealt with injuries since high school including a torn labrum -- but assuming good health, the tools are here for him to be a very solid fantasy outfielder.

47) Payton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox

Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Tolle was drafted with the 50th pick in 2024 out of TCU, and he clobbered expectations while whiffing 133 batters in 91 2/3 innings in the minors and then joining Boston at the end of the year. He was not nearly as effective in the majors, but it’s hard to be too concerned about a sample of seven appearances and 16 1/3 frames. Tolle’s fastball is elite, as he uses his 6-foot-6 frame to generate impressive extension and sitting in the mid-to-high 90s with the offering. He also has a solid change on top of a cutter/slider, and he throws all of his pitches for strikes with good enough command to project as a starter. Tolle should compete for a rotation spot with Boston in 2026, and even if he doesn’t win a job, he has a chance to be a strong fantasy option in the coming seasons.

48) Harry Ford, C, Washington Nationals

Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

There are not many prospects who have changed homes this offseason, but Ford is an exception as he was dealt from Seattle to Washington in the deal for Jose A. Ferrer. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut last year, but wasn’t likely to make much of a dent in 2026 playing behind Cal Raleigh in Seattle. Now he’ll get a chance to compete with Keibert Ruiz for the starting gig, and he’s an athletic backstop who is tapping into above-average power and has shown a willingness to get on via free pass since joining the professional ranks. Ford’s not a future star, but he’s a good enough defender to stay behind the plate, and he should be able to fill out enough categories to be a strong fantasy contributor over the next few years. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was relevant in 2026.

49) Travis Sykora, RHP, Washington Nationals

Age: 22 | ETA: 2028

Sykora’s a difficult player to rank, as he’s undoubtedly one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but also one that we won’t see pitch professionally until 2027 as he underwent Tommy John surgery in July. He also missed the start of 2025 after offseason hip surgery, but he was dominant with a 1.79 ERA and 79/17 K/BB ratio over 12 appearances between those two ailments. He has three plus pitches at his disposal, and he fills up the strike zone enough to believe he’s a starter at the highest level. There’s a ton of risk with Sykora’s profile, but the risk comes with the potential to be a frontline fantasy option in the coming years. It’s hard to imagine he’s not worth rostering in dynasty leagues even with the volatility.

50) Sal Stewart, 3B, Cincinnati Reds

Age: 22 | ETA: Debuted in 2025

Stewart was excellent in the minors in 2025 with a .907 OPS, 20 homers and 17 stolen bases; but he also held his own once he joined the Reds with a slash of .255/.293/.545 with an impressive five homers in just 55 at-bats. Those power numbers are strong, but Stewart’s hit tool is actually his best with the ability to slash the baseball to all parts of the park and an assertive approach at the plate that won’t let him get beat by pitches outside of the zone. The 32nd pick of the 2022 draft is clearly starting to tap into his pop, however, and 25-plus homer seasons seem realistic now; especially if he’s making his living at Great American Ballpark. Stewart should have a role with the Reds in 2026, and while there are certainly hitters on this list with higher ceilings, there aren’t many with a perceived higher floor.

  1.  Franklin Arias, SS, Boston Red Sox — Age: 20 | ETA: 2027
  2.  Ryan Sloan, RHP, Seattle Mariners — Age: 20 | ETA: 2028
  3.  Edward Florentino, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates — Age: 25 | ETA: 2028
  4.  Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Minnesota Twins — Age: 23 | ETA: 2027
  5.  Caleb Bonemer, 3B/SS, Chicago White Sox — Age: 21 | ETA: 2027
  6.  Johnny Farmelo, OF, Seattle Mariners — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
  7.  Angel Genao, INF, Cleveland Guardians — Age: 22 | ETA: 2026
  8.  Mike Sirota, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 23 | ETA: 2027
  9.  Noah Schultz, LHP, Chicago White Sox — Age: 23 | ETA: 2026
  10.  Jonah Tong, RHP, New York Mets — Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025
  11.  Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees — Age: 25 | ETA: 2026

  1.  Dylan Beavers, OF, Baltimore Orioles — Age: 25| ETA: Debuted in 2025

  1.  Robby Snelling, LHP, Miami Marlins — Age: 22 | ETA: 2026
  2.  Liam Doyle, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
  3.  Emil Morales, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 20 | ETA: 2028
  4.  Jojo Parker, OF, Toronto Blue Jays — Age: 20 | ETA: 2029
  5.  George Lombard Jr., SS/2B, New York Yankees — Age: 21 | ETA: 2027
  6.  Josuar Gonzalez, SS, San Francisco Giants —   Age: 18 | ETA: 2030
  7.  Tyler Bremner, RHP, Los Angeles Angels — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
  8.  Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP, Seattle Mariners — Age: 23 | ETA: 2027

  1.  Ethan Salas, C, San Diego Padres — Age: 22 | ETA: 2026 
  2.  Jarlin Susana, RHP, Washington Nationals — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
  3.  Alex Freeland, INF, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 25 | ETA: Debuted in 2025
  4.  Cam Caminitti, LHP, Atlanta Braves — Age: 20 | ETA: 2027
  5.  Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays — Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025
  6.  Cris Rodriguez, OF, Detroit Tigers — Age: 18 | ETA: 2030
  7.  JR Richie, RHP, Atlanta Braves — Age: 23 | ETA: 2026
  8.  Slade Caldwell, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks — Age: 20 | ETA: 2028 
  9. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Athletics — Age: 19| ETA: 2027
  10.  Felnin Celestin, SS, Seattle Mariners  — Age: 21| ETA: 2028 
  11.  Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics — Age: 23 | ETA: 2026
  12.  Kevin Alcantara, OF, Chicago Cubs — Age: 24 | ETA: Debuted in 2024 
  13. Eduardo Tait, C, Minnesota Twins — Age: 20| ETA: 2028
  14.  Elian Pena, SS, New York Mets — Age: 18 | ETA: 2030
  15.  Jeferson Quero, C, Milwaukee Brewers — Age: 23 | ETA: 2026
  16.  Steele Hall, SS, Cincinnati Reds — Age: 19 | ETA: Debuted in 2028
  17.  Elmer Rodriguez, RHP, New York Yankees —Age: 23 | ETA: 2026
  18.  Gavin Fien, SS, Texas Rangers — Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2024
  19.  Hagen Smith, LHP, Chicago White Sox — Age: 23 | ETA: 2026
  20.  Kevin Alvarez, OF, Houston Astros — Age: 18 | ETA: 2030
  21.  Arjun Nimmala, SS, Toronto Blue Jays — Age: 20 | ETA: 2027
  22.  Jackson Ferris, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
  23.  Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Chicago Cubs — Age: 24 | ETA: 2026
  24.  Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Baltimore Orioles — Age: 24 | ETA: 2026
  25.  Kayson Cunningham, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks — Age: 20 | ETA: 2028
  26.  Cam Collier, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds — Age: 21 | ETA: 2027
  27.  Gavin Kilen, 2B, San Francisco Giants — Age: 22 | ETA: 2027
  28.  River Ryan, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers —  Age: 27| ETA: Debuted in 2024
  29. Jhostnyxon Garcia, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates — Age: 23 | ETA: Debuted in 2025
  30. Billy Carlson, OF, Chicago White Sox — Age: 20 | ETA: 2029
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J.T. Realmuto and Philadelphia Phillies finalize 3-year, $45 million contract

PHILADELPHIA — Catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized their three-year, $45 million contract.

Realmuto gets salaries of $15 million in each of the next three seasons and can earn a maximum $5 million annually in award bonuses.

He would get $2 million for All-Star election and $1 million for selection, $1 million each for a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger and $2 million for finishing in top 10 of MVP voting.

A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Realmuto made his decision a month after designated hitter Kyle Schwarber also chose to remain with the Phillies, agreeing to a five-year, $150 million deal.

Realmuto, who turns 35 in March, hit .257 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 134 games last year, when he tied for the major league lead with 132 games at catcher. He was in the final season of a $115.5 million, five-year contract.

Realmuto has a .270 career batting average with 180 homers and 677 RBIs in 12 seasons with the Miami Marlins (2014-18) and Phillies.

Philadelphia also reached deals this offseason with right-hander Brad Keller ($22 million for two years) and outfielder Adolis García ($10 million for one year).

Infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

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Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Jonathan Santucci (12)

Jonathan Santucci comes from a family of amateur baseball players, but he is the only Santucci to have gone pro. His father, Steven, attended Assumption College and played baseball there from 1991-1993 and his cousin, Nick, attended Rollins College and played on their baseball team for six seasons, from 2017 until 2022. Jonathan attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he hit .322 over the course of his three-year varsity career and showed a great deal of promise on the mound. One of the highest regarded prospects in the state of Massachusetts, he went undrafted in the 2021 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to Duke University.

Overview

Name: Jonathan Santucci
Position: LHP
Born: 12/28/2002 (Age 23 season in 2026)
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2024 MLB Draft, 2nd Round (Duke University)
2025 Stats: 15 G (13 GS), 67.2 IP, 62 H, 29 R, 26 ER (3.46 ERA), 23 BB, 75 K, .313 BABIP (High-A) / 10 G (10 GS), 50.0 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 14 ER (2.52 ERA), 18 BB, 63 K, .277 BABIP (Double-A)

The summer after graduating from high school, he played in the Futures Collegiate League, appearing in two games for the Worcester Bravehearts as a reliever and going 5-27 at the plate. That fall, he went on to attend Duke, and that spring, the left-hander appeared in 20 games for the Blue Devils, starting as a middle reliever but eventually transitioning and establishing himself as a weekend starting pitcher as the months went on. On the season, the left-hander posted a 4.17 ERA in 41.0 innings, allowing 32 hits, walking 20, and striking out 58.

He played in the Cape Cod Baseball League that summer, posting a 3.65 ERA for the Harwich Mariners in 24.2 innings, with 20 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He wasn’t able to keep that momentum going in 2023, as an elbow injury limited the amount of time he was able to spend on the mound in his sophomore season back at Duke. The southpaw started seven games for the Blue Devils before having his season end prematurely in March due to bone chips in his elbow. All in all, he posted a 4.30 ERA in 29.1 innings, allowing 27 hits, walking 16, and striking out 50. Fortunately for him, the injury was not Tommy John-related, but rather, an olecranon- the bony hinge tip of the elbow- fracture and he had surgery to have a screw inserted into his elbow to allow the bone to fuse back together properly.

When the left-hander returned to the mound in 2024, he made up for lost time, throwing 17 scoreless innings to begin the season, scattering 10 hits, walking 7, and striking out 31. He eventually came back to earth, and then in mid-May, sustained a rib-injury on his non-throwing side just prior to starting a game against Georgia Tech. He was originally only expected to miss a week or two, but Santucci missed roughly a month, returning to the mound in the NCAA Regionals, throwing two innings against Oral Roberts University on June 1st. The 40-20 Blue Devils had their season end the next day, finalizing Santucci’s season: in 58.0 innings, the left-hander posted a 3.41 ERA with 40 hits allowed, 36 walks, and 90 strikeouts.

The Mets selected the southpaw in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft and signed him for $2,031,700, the exact slot value of the 46th overall pick. He was assigned to the FCL Mets in early August as a roster formality but did not pitch for them. He instead made his professional debut in 2025, pitching for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Appearing in 15 games for the Cyclones, making 13 starts, Santucci posted a 3.46 ERA in 67.2 innings, allowing 62 hits, walking 23, and striking out 75. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-July and ended his season there, posting a 2.52 ERA in 50.0 innings over 10 starts, allowing 33 hits, walking 18, and striking out 63. All in all, the left-hander posted a cumulative 3.06 ERA in 117.2 innings, scattering 95 hits, walking 41, and striking out 138, his strikeout total fourth in the system.

The 6’2”, 205-pound left-hander has a solid frame for pitching. The left-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot, almost exclusively working from the stretch, incorporating a leg kick and long arm action through the back.

His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s, topping out as high as 97 MPH on stadium radar guns. Additionally, the pitch comes at batters from a flat approach angle, giving the pitch rising life, especially when thrown up in the zone.

His primary secondary pitch is his slider, a tight, two-plane pitch with gyroscopic break that sits in the low-to-mid-80s. Santucci can throw the pitch effectively to both sides of the plate and uses the pitch against left-handed batters and right-handed batters equally, though it has shown more effectiveness against left-handed batters. The pitch was his main strikeout pitch in college, and the pitch has retained its swing-and-miss qualifies as a professional.

His changeup sits in the mid-to-high-80s and features a bit of armside fade and vertical tumble. He generally does not use the pitch much, more or less reserving it for the second or third time through an order, and the fact that it tunnels well with his fastball and he does not telegraph it makes the pitch even more dangerous.

The left-hander recently added a developing curveball to his repertoire, and the addition of this new high-70s-to-low-80s pitch gives him a four-pitch mix. The pitch is still a work in progress and is not currently a true weapon, instead a strike stealer to catcher batters off-guard.

Command has long since been an issue for the left-hander, and all of his pitches play down when he has starts where he isn’t able to locate his pitches. Coming into the season, Santucci airmailed his fastball and bounced his secondaries with alarming regularity, making him inefficient as well. While some of his command issues stem from the movement in his pitches, almost unbelievably for a highly-regarded college pitching prospect who was drafted fairly high in his respective draft, some his command issues have come down to simply needing to throw more and learn how to repeat his mechanics and release points better; Santucci was primarily an outfielder during his high school baseball days, and after transitioning to being a pitcher full-time while at Duke, he still only threw 128.1 innings in total, supplemented by another 26.2 in collegiate summer leagues. While pitching for Brooklyn, manager Gilbert Gomez observed that Santucci had to do more on-the-job learning than most pitches his age and level and was pleased with how the left-hander began recognizing and self-correcting issues during his tenure with the Cyclones.

While he did not show any issues over the course of 2025, health may be an issue for Santucci over the course of his professional career. While his 2024 rib injury was seemingly random and has not been problematic since, the elbow issue he sustained and had surgically fixed in 2023 may have a recurring impact on his career given the location of the injury.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List

13) Elian Peña
14) Zach Thornton
15) Nick Morabito
16) R.J. Gordon
17) Chris Suero
18) Dylan Ross
19) Ryan Lambert
20) Antonio Jimenez
21) Edward Lantigua
22) Eli Serrano III
23) Randy Guzman
24) Daiverson Gutierrez
25) Boston Baro

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2025 Season in Review: Dylan Moore

With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.

Today we are looking at utility guy Dylan Moore.

How many reasons can you come up with for wanting the Texas Rangers to win the division in a given year?

One could say that there’s just one reason, and its that you are a fan of the Texas Rangers, and so inherently you want them to succeed, and winning the division is a success.

But beyond that obvious fact, what other reasons might there be?

Take the 2025 Texas Rangers. I wanted the Rangers to win the division because they hadn’t won the division since 2016, and I wanted to end that run of not winning the division title, meaningless though that may be in the Wild Card Era.

I wanted the Rangers to win the division so they’d finish ahead of the Astros, because screw the Astros.

I wanted the Rangers to win the division because I didn’t want the 2023 world title to be seen as a fluke, a team that played great and then didn’t do anything else afterwards.

I wanted the Rangers to win the division because of what a great story it would be, overcoming all the injuries that near crippled the team late in the season.

And, fairly low down on the list — but on the list nonetheless — is the fact that, over the final month of the season, the Rangers had two guys playing regularly for them who had been released earlier in the season by the Seattle Mariners. And it would be very funny to me if the Rangers passed the Mariners and finished ahead of them with a couple of guys the M’s had cast off.

It didn’t happen, of course, because of course it didn’t. Too many injuries, too much ground to make up.

But it would have been very amusing. At least to me.

Dylan Moore was one of the guys the Mariners released who the Rangers scooped up. Released by the Mariners on August 25, signed by the Rangers on August 27, Moore made his first appearance on August 29 for the Rangers. He seemed to be a good luck charm at first, as the team went 9-2 in the first 11 games he appeared in for Texas. He appeared in seven games after that, and Texas went 0-7 in them, so so much for that.

The Mariners were 44-44 in the games he appeared in for them, so maybe there was something inherently average about him, something that wasn’t limited to just himself but manifested in the team around him. Maybe the Rangers, by signing him, ended up locking themselves into a .500 record for 2025. Maybe the Mariners would have finished at .500 if they had not released him.

As with Luke Jackson, Moore signing with the Rangers brought his career full circle. He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the 7th round in 2015 out of the University of Central Florida, a senior sign who got $10,000 so the Rangers could go above slot for Eric Jenkins and Michael Matuella, their second and third round picks.

And like Luke Jackson, the Rangers traded Moore to the Atlanta Braves in 2016, for an insubstantial return. The Moore to Atlanta trade was actually a three way deal in late August, back when you could still make trades after July 31. Former Ranger Jeff Francoeur, on his last legs in his final major league season, went from Atlanta to Miami. Miami sent Matt Foley, motivational minor leaguer, to the Braves. Texas got international slot money from both Atlanta and Miami.

I had forgotten Jeff Francoeur played for the Rangers until just now. The Rangers traded Joaquin Arias to the Mets for him on August 31, 2010.

Man, that was a long, long time ago.

Moore spent six-plus seasons with the Mariners as a useful role player, even winning a Gold Glove for utility guy in 2024. We can condemn the Rangers for giving up on Moore barely a year into his pro career and getting little in return for him, I guess, if we are especially condemnation minded today. But the Braves released him at the end of spring training in 2018, after he had slashed .207/.291/.292 as a 24 year old in AA the year before, and apparently then didn’t do much that spring to suggest he was going to be any better going forward.

Milwaukee then signed Moore, and he had a pretty good season in their minor league system in 2018, splitting the year between AA and AAA. It wasn’t good enough to convince them to add him to their 40 man roster, however, and he became a free agent at season’s end. Seattle snatched him up a week later on a major league deal and, well, the rest is history.

Moore got 30 plate appearances in his 18 games for the Rangers in 2025, slashing .259/.300/.481 while helping fill in for the injured Marcus Semien at second base. I am hard-pressed to think of anything particularly memorable about his month with Texas. Really, in my mind, he stands as an avatar for the pets-heads-falling-off state of the Rangers in the last six weeks or so of the 2025 season.

Previously:

Gerson Garabito

Tyler Mahle

Kyle Higashioka

Adolis Garcia

Luis Curvelo

Alejandro Osuna

Blaine Crim

Jake Burger

Jacob Webb

Nick Ahmed

Jon Gray

Carl Edwards Jr.

Josh Jung

Leody Taveras

Dustin Harris

Marc Church

Luke Jackson

Danny Coulombe

Wyatt Langford

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Angel Genao is our No. 5 Guardians prospect. Who should be No. 6?

The people have spoken and Angel Genao is our No. 5 Cleveland Guardians prospect. Genao won with a 40.1% of the vote, beating out Cooper Ingle (26.8%), Braylon Doughty (15.5%) and Khal Stephen (11.3%). He moves down one spot from No. 5 last year.

Genao received a $1.175 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic in Cleveland’s 2021 international class, tops in Cleveland’s class. In his debut season for the Dominican Summer League, the switch-hitting shortstop slashed .265/.422/.364 with an impressive 20.3% walk rate. The following season, he moved to the United States, where he dominated the Arizona Complex League to the tune of a .322/.394/.416 slash.

Genao spent his entire 2023 campaign with Lynchburg at age 19, slashing .263/.345/.385, although he missed the first two months of the season because of knee surgery. Once fully healthy in 2024, Cleveland chose to repeat him at Lynchburg and the move paid off.

Genao slashed .322/.377/.463 with a 166 wRC+ in Lynchburg, which earned him a promotion to Lake County, where he didn’t slow down, slashing .322/.377/.463 with 13 stolen bases over 66 games played, good for a 140 wRC+. He finished his season with a career-high 10 home runs, more than double his previous best of four in 2023. He has also had pretty even splits against LHP and RHP as a professional.

Genao began 2025 with an aggressive placement at Double-A Akron for his age-21 season, but he was hampered by an injury. He didn’t debut in Akron until early June due to a right shoulder sprain and it never seemed like he was able to fully put it together, finishing the year with a disappointing .263/.332/.382 slash and a ho-hum 103 wRC+ in 77 games at Akron.

Hopefully he can put the shoulder issues behind him in 2026 and get back to his dominant 2024 self.

Now, it’s time to determine who is number five in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:

Juneiker Caceres, OF (Age 18)
2025 (CPX) 160 PA, .289/.419/.469, 3 HR, 5 SB, 16.9 BB%, 11.3 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (A): 130 PA, .250/.331/.345, 1 HR, 2 SB, 6.9 BB%, 13.1 K%, 103 wRC+

Impressed at the complex league, then hit the ground running in a late season promotion to Single-A before running out of steam late in his age-17 season. Loaded with potential.

Jaison Chourio, OF (Age 20)
2025 (CPX) 27 PA, .261/.370/.304, 0 HR, 1 SB, 14.8 BB%, 37.0 K%, 95 wRC+
2025 (A+): 353 PA, .235/.380/.284, 2 HR, 9 SB, 18.7 BB%, 21.8 K%, 103 wRC+

Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.

Braylon Doughty, RHP (Age 20)
2025 (A): 22 GS, 85.1 IP, 3.48 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 27.3%, 6.4%, 1.25 WHIP

Cleveland’s competitive balance first round pick in 2024, Doughty debuted in full-season ball and put up solid numbers in his age-19 season at Single-A, showcasing elite control.

Cooper Ingle, C (Age 23)
2025 (AA) 403 PA, .273/.391/.443, 9 HR, 0 SB, 16.1 BB%, 17.4 K%, 148 wRC+
2025 (AAA) 107 PA, .207/.383/.329, 1 HR, 0 SB, 19.6 BB%, 16.7K%, 105 wRC+

Ingle has shown excellent offensive tendencies for a catcher. Will his defense and power be enough to earn an opportunity in Cleveland this year?

Jace LaViolette, OF (Age 22)
2025 (NCAA) 262 PA, .258/.427/.576, 18 HR, 7 SB, 21.8 BB%, 25.2K%, 120 wRC+

Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.

Alfonsin Rosario, OF (Age 21)
2025 (A+) 354 PA, .268/.362/.490, 16 HR, 12 SB, 10.8 BB%, 25.1 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (AA): 145 PA, .211/.303/.391, 5 HR, 2 SB, 10.3 BB%, 33.1 K%, 105 wRC+

One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.

Khal Stephen, RHP (Age 23)
w/ TOR 2025 (A) 7 GS, 39.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.97 FIP, 31.4 K%, 4.6 BB%, 0.92 WHIP
w/ TOR 2025 (A+): 9 GS, 48.1 IP, 1.49 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 26.6 K%, 5.4 BB%, 0.85 WHIP
w/ TOR 2025 (AA): 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 6.35 ERA, 1.88 FIP, 11.1 K%, 5.6 BB%, 1.68 WHIP
2025 (AA): 4 GS, 11.1 IP, 9.00 ERA, 9.54 FIP, 21.9 K%, 3.9 BB%, 1.50 WHIP

Acquired from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade, Stephen rocketed through the minor league system in 2025 before hitting a wall in Double-A.He instantly became one of Cleveland’s top pitching prospects.

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A Pod of Their Own: Bo Knows

Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space. 

This week, we begin by discussing the very busy 24 hours for the Mets between Thursday night when they missed out on Kyle Tucker and Friday afternoon when they pivoted to Bo Bichette instead. We also talk about whether a salary cap or a lockout is coming for baseball and where the Mets go from here this offseason.

We also talk about the state of the NL East with the Mets sniping Bichette from the Phillies and the Braves losing their starting shortstop to injury for the first half of the season. We also shout out the record-breaking attendance at Capital One Arena in Washington DC for the PWHL game between the New York Sirens and the Montreal Victorie.

Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise. 

You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!

You can follow A Pod of Their Own on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@apodoftheirown) and you can follow Home Run Applesauce on Twitter and Instagram (@HRApplesauce). You can also follow our co-hosts on Twitter and Bluesky: Allison McCague (@PetitePhD), Maggie Wiggin (@maggie162), and LindaSurovich (@LindaSurovich). You can also email the show at aa.apodoftheirown@gmail.com. 

Look for A Pod of Their Own in your feeds every week and don’t forget: there’s no crying in podcasting!

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Elephant Rumblings: A’s Interested in Andujar Reunion?

Morning everyone and welcome to a brand new week!

Yesterday afternoon we got a morsel of news regarding our A’s. The club apparently hasn’t closed the door on adding another position player as the team was called one of six teams interested in left fielder/DH Miguel Andujar:

The former top prospect as you know spent the entire 2024 season and the first half of last year with the A’s. After spending years trying to get back to being a consistent hitter in the big leagues he finally showed some life in his bat during his time with the Athletics. Over 135 games played over two years Andujar hit a solid .290/.324/.302 with 10 home runs in about a full-season’s worth of at-bats. And then he was even better with the Reds after the mid-season trade to Cincy, slashing an incredible .359/.400/.544 with 4 long balls in just 34 games as they marched to the postseason. The Reds probably don’t get there without Andujar.

While he missed plenty of time with injuries (a recurring theme for him throughout his career), he was a quality right-handed bat that was superb against lefties and earned more playing time against right-handed pitching. He was predictably best against left-handers (.389 batting average in 2025), but he was still an above-average option against same-handed pitching, giving whatever team he goes to an option against either handed starters.

His defense in left field was also not as much of a handicap as once thought, and he even stepped in at the hot corner for a while when the A’s were desperate to get his bat in the lineup. In 32 games played there he held his own and didn’t commit an error while on the infield dirt. Not saying he would be the everyday option if he joined up again, but the team could definitely find at-bats for him there if neither Max Muncy, Darell Hernaiz or Brett Harris can lay claim. His most likely position would be as a bench bat/part-time left fielder but the A’s have two big bats in those spots in Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker, so the fit isn’t perfect. But he’d likely be an upgrade over young outfielder Colby Thomas, who could always return to Triple-A for more seasoning.

There’s no indication the A’s are considered favorites by any measure, and he’d likely have a better shot at playoff contention if he signed with the Padres or Cubs. That said perhaps his time with the A’s was more impactful on him and he could always seek a return to an up-and-coming young A’s squad. And if he does return, then the A’s essentially got a pitching prospect in RHP Kenya Huggins (currently ranked the #22 prospect in the farm system) in exchange for two months of Andujar’s services. Win-win-win all around already.

We’ll see what happens with him, but the A’s may not be quite done retooling. Would you like Andujar back? And if we miss out on him, another right-handed bat like his? Comment below and discuss.

Have a great day A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

MLB News and Interest:

Best of X:

Well worth the read about our star shortstop!

A final look at Seth Brown’s time with the A’s:

A’s have some serious international talent coming up through the farm right now:

Several A’s taking in some Kings action:

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Breaking away from Cody Bellinger

Another day, another series of tweets detailing how the Yankees are prepared to walk away from the negotiating table in the case of Cody Bellinger. The club seems to be standing on the five-year, $150-ish million offer they’ve had for the onetime MVP since the beginning of free agency, and Bellinger’s camp still appears confident they can get seven guaranteed years. By all accounts both the Blue Jays and Mets are also negotiating with Cody’s crew, and the Yankees are willing to let their division or crosstown rival have him if the price goes above the number they’re at.

The pivot being reported on is primarily one to the trade market, with the club very much interested in Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, even after bringing in Ryan Weathers last week (Austin Hays is another lesser outfield consideration). The truth is the Yankees need quite a bit of help by my estimation, especially as the Jays, Red Sox and even Orioles are on paper better than they were last year. New York has to count on a number of things falling into place — that Gerrit Cole can be effective in his age-35 season coming off Tommy John surgery, that Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s career year in 2025 was closer to his true baseline talent, that Austin Wells can be more like his 2024 self than last year’s version, that Aaron Judge can continue to have arguably the greatest peak by a right-handed hitter ever.

Adding Peralta, but perhaps especially Bellinger, helps to offset some of those possible pitfalls. The Yankee lineup without him begins to look pretty thin — certainly thinner than the rotation. You start to count on steps forward from Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez, or Trent Grisham repeating himself, or Spencer Jones to actually become a representative MLB player, and all four of those possibilities seems equally as unlikely as the rest. While I don’t think Cody Bellinger is his MVP form anymore, I would reasonably expect him to be better than all four of those guys in 2026.

Here’s where things get tricky, though. Five years is probably the limit that I would also go with Belli, and would probably expect that fifth year to be fairly underwater. Six or seven years stretch that from one season where you’re writing off performance to an Aaron Hicks-esque hair pulling. However, all roster and personnel decisions the Yankees make should be seen through the lens of winning with Aaron Judge. We don’t know how much longer we’ll have a guy with a 200 wRC+ and 10-WAR production, a player who at present is the second-best hitter and seventh-most-valuable overall in the history of the game’s most storied franchise.

“The playoffs are a crapshoot” is passed around here like a cigarette, but the organization clearly believes in it. Build a team good enough that you get into the postseason, load up on relief pitching, and see what happens. In a watered down playoff system, in an American League that doesn’t look nearly as competitive as its Senior Circuit counterpart, the Yankees as currently constructed are probably a playoff team barring some kind of catastrophe. A playoff team with a pretty tough postseason rotation to face, at that.

But here’s the thing the org hasn’t really embraced in almost a decade of so-called “Baby Bombers” baseball — the playoffs involve a great deal of randomness, but you can hedge against it. The Dodgers were one good secondary lead away from losing the World Series — that’s randomness — but they have also taken great care and expense to always head into the playoffs with the best possible roster, and the last two years it’s worked well.

There are going to be things that are outside of your control, but there’s a great deal of things that you do control. The next two free agent classes are awful shallow, with the best names available seemingly being Nico Hoerner and Randy Arozarena in the 2027 class. There’s no “wait a year for xyz player” coming down the pipe, and with a looming potential labor crisis next year, that’s another potential lost year in the Aaron Judge era. He’s already arguably the greatest Yankee to not have a ring, and not bringing back Cody Bellinger or at least replacing him with a player likely to offer the same complimentary production makes that drought all the more likely.

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Mariners News, 1/20/26: Jose A. Ferrer, Jorge Mateo, and Ryan Pressly

In Mariner news…

Around the league…

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The Mets biggest offensive hole remains in the outfield

The Mets have made it very clear that improving their outfield is important before we get into February and really begin to think about the 2026 campaign. They offered Kyle Tucker a monstrous four year, $220m deal before the lefty chose the back-to-back champion Dodgers offer of four years, $240m, showing how important they view an upgrade to the outfield.

The Mets pivoted from the rejection quickly, signing Bo Bichette to a three year, $126m deal (with two opt outs, really making it a one year pact, but I digress) the day after Tucker went to the West Coast. Signing Bichette shored up their other biggest need, a strong right handed hitter to balance out their lefty-heavy lineup, something the Mets coveted all winter. While Bichette, obviously, does not help fix their outfield woes, which is currently constructed as rookie Carson Benge, Tyrone Taylor, and Juan Soto, signing the infielder does make their pursuit of an outfielder more flexible than it was previously.

Bo Bichette is a very good hitter, as he comes into 2026 with a career slash line of .294/.337/.469 (124 wRC+), and that includes his injury plagued 2024 where he hit .225/.277/.322 (70 wRC+), which likely causes his career numbers to undersell his overall production. Slotting into third base, and somewhere between one through four in the everyday lineup, makes their pursuit of an outfielder much more interesting than it was previously.

The Mets chased Kyle Tucker because he killed two birds with one stone — filling in their need for an outfielder and an impact bat in one swoop, despite being left handed. They have also been linked to Cody Bellinger, who is riding a bounce back 2025 season in the Bronx into a very demanding contract ask, as he is currently spurning some very generous offers by the Yankees.

The Mets have been pretty consistently linked to Bellinger, with the caveat that the lefty would accept a similar contract to the one that Bichette signed; a short term contract with opt outs, one that gives the Mets the long-term payroll flexibility that President of Baseball Operations David Stearns covets. Bellinger, prior to the Bichette signing, felt like an awkward fit for the Mets, however. While a good player, he has not been an offensive superstar since his first three years in the league with the Dodgers. His last three years have been up and down offensively, literally, as he had a 135 wRC+ in 2023 with the Cubs, a 108 wRC+ in 2024, again with the Cubs, and a 124 wRC+ last season with the Yankees. The Mets, who moved on from Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso this winter, needed someone a little more stable offensively than modern-day Bellinger can provide.

Bichette’s signing, however, makes the sometimes inconsistent Bellinger a better fit for the Mets, in my view. He is a good defender, and is a flexible one, able to play all three outfield spots and also first base, which fits the roster’s needs like a glove. He will not be relied upon to be a foundational offensive player, and more of a complimentary one, which suits his strengths more in 2026.

If Bellinger and the Yankees want to continue their very expensive game of chicken, the Mets suddenly can go a myriad of ways to fix their outfield issue. Carson Benge, who is one of the very best prospects in the sport, will get every opportunity to be in the Mets everyday lineup come March 26th. With him likely locked into a spot, upgrading on Tyrone Taylor (70 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR) is the goal.

Similarly to how I feel about Bellinger, the Mets can chase more complimentary offensive outfielders than necessarily needing a middle of the order hitter. Will Sammon, in The Athletic, suggested something similar, naming guys such as Harrison Bader, Lars Nootbar, Jake Meyers, and Luis Robert Jr. Bader and Meyers are more defensive minded players who can pitch in offensively and play center field, kicking Benge to left. Nootbar and Robert are bounce back candidates that a team with a revamped Major League hitting apparatus can get more out of after they battled injury.

Those are just a few names from a very tight lipped organization, but it does show a peak into their thinking. The flexibility of a strong defensive center fielder that pushes Benge into left field and allows for the best possible outfield you can have, or a better hitting left fielder that allows Benge to be the center fielder himself, something prospect evaluators have little doubt he can handle, means that there is likely a few interesting tricks up the Mets sleeve during this offseason of immense change.

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Justin Steele’s rehab is ahead of schedule

Cubs left-hander Justin Steele made just four starts in 2025 before missing the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery. That surgery took place April 18, 2025, and the normal time frame for returning is between 12 and 15 months.

That means, theoretically, that Steele could be back pitching sometime in late April, though that’s likely not going to happen. Most probably, Steele will be placed on the 60-day injured list whenever that list opens, usually sometime in early March, which would mean the first game back for him would be in early May.

The Cubs, though, will likely be more cautious, but Meghan Montemurro reported in the Tribune that Steele’s rehab process is going well and ahead of schedule:

Steele took a step forward in his rehab process Friday when he threw off a mound for the first time since he underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April. Steele said Saturday he is feeling really good and hasn’t suffered any setbacks.

“There hasn’t really been any hiccups at all through this process,” Steele said. “It’s felt good the entire time. If anything, we’re ahead of schedule. Kind of been pushing the envelope the entire time, wanting to get off the mound, push the footage back as far as the throwing progression goes. But, yeah, it’s full steam ahead.”

Steele expects his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, will want him to be on some level of an innings limit for 2026 and so he anticipates that will impact when he comes back, though the belief is it will be sometime early in the season. The Cubs envision playing in October and making a deeper run this year, lessening a rush to get Steele back as soon as possible, especially with the depth they have built for the rotation.

The last sentence is the most important. This sort of thing is something the Dodgers, for example, have done — put together a deep rotation so that injured pitchers don’t have to rush back. For example, Blake Snell made just 11 starts during the 2025 regular season, but started five times (and appeared in six games) during the Dodgers’ postseason run.

The acquisition of Edward Cabrera means the Cubs already have a solid rotation that includes Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. Colin Rea, who started 27 times for the Cubs in 2025, is thus pushed to a long relief/swingman role, and Javier Assad, who started seven games down the stretch for the Cubs last year, probably starts the year at Triple-A Iowa being stretched out to start.

Thus Steele’s return could even be delayed until after the All-Star break, with a somewhat leisurely rehab assignment before that to make sure he’s 100 percent. That would be a bonus to the Cubs, to be able to add a starter of Steele’s caliber in late July, almost like a trade deadline acquisition.

Give Jed Hoyer credit — he’s addressed the starting rotation by acquiring Cabrera, which helps give the staff more depth, and here’s hoping when Steele comes back, he’s ready to produce — similar to the way Boyd did for the Guardians when he returned from TJS in August 2024. You probably remember that first Boyd start — it was against the Cubs Aug. 13, 2024, and he shut them down for 5.1 innings with six strikeouts.

Here’s hoping for a similar return for Steele.

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Potential free agent target: Miguel Andujar

Although the Royals have added Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas to their lineup, the offseason still feels incomplete. The Royals could use another outfielder to provide depth and give more options on offense. Reports are that a trade for Jarren Duran of the Red Sox or Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals are “increasingly unlikely,” the Royals may have to turn to a thin free agent market.

One of the outfield bats still available is 30-year-old Miguel Andujar. Andujar is coming off a career resurgence, in which he hit .318/.352/.470 with 10 home runs in 341 plate appearances with the Athletics and Reds last season. According to New York Post reporter Jon Heyman, the right-handed hitting outfielder is drawing “significant interest” with Rangers, Padres, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, and Athletics among the teams “in play.”

Andujar was once a highly-touted top 100 prospect with the Yankees. In 2018, he hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs as a rookie, finishing behind only Shohei Ohtani, then of the Angels, in Rookie of the Year voting. He missed most of the next season following shoulder surgery, and struggled to hit the next few years with the Yankees. The Pirates claimed him off waivers in 2022, and the Athletics picked him up after the 2023 season.

After a wrist injury set him back to begin the year, Andujar’s got off to a hot start in 2024. He hit .285/.320/.377 in 75 games with the A’s, but he missed the final month with a core muscle injury that would require surgery. In 2025, he got off to a decent start but went on an absolute tear over the last two months. After July 25, he hit .372/.411/.620 with seven home runs in his last 39 games.

Andujar obliterated lefties last year, hitting .389/.409/.578 against them, and he hit .411 against southpaws in 2024, although in just 61 plate appearances.

He also puts the ball in play. Andujar has a strikeout rate of just 13.8 percent over the last two seasons, 21st-lowest among players with at least 600 plate appearances. He has a 92.9 percent contact rate on pitches in the strike zone in that time, one of the highest rates in baseball. He hardly ever walks, but he is a tough out – over the last two seasons, he has hit .269 with two strikes on him, the fifth-highest average in baseball in those situations.

Andujar is not particularly fast, and he has negative Baserunning Runs in each of the last two seasons. He split his time mostly between third base and left field last year, and was a poor defender at each position.

Andujar is probably looking for a two-year deal, but at this point in the offseason, he will likely have to settle for a one-year contract, even with the alleged suitors Heyman mentions. He has value as a role player, likely in a platoon role, but is not worth investing in long-term. The Royals may be up against their budgetary limitations, but Andujar shouldn’t break the bank. I would expect him to sign for between $6-8 million, with maybe a $9-10 million club or mutual option for 2027 with a $1 million buyout.

The Royals have two left-handed-hitting outfielder with Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone. Isaac Collins is a switch-hitter without much of a platoon split, and Lane Thomas is a right-hander. Andujar could slot in there and spell Isbel and occasionally Caglianone (unless his reverse split last year was for real) and give the Royals a weapon against lefties. It isn’t the impact bat the Royals are looking for, but even incremental upgrades can help and the Royals can always reassess the market this summer if they are in contention.

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Colorado Rockies prospects: No. 28, Konner Eaton

28. Konner Eaton (75 points, 12 ballots)

Eaton, a 23-year-old lefty pitcher, was a bit below the radar entering 2025, but his size and athleticism were intriguing. He throws in the lower half of the 90s and boasts a slider whose late horizontal movement is effective against hitters from both sides of the plate. Eaton has a sturdy, durable frame (6’3”, 210 pounds) that projects well as a traditional starting pitcher. His delivery is athletic, though he has worked on simplifying his mechanics since turning professional to improve his overall strike-throwing ability.

Mid-season 2025 Rank: 30

High Ballot: 21

Mode Ballot: 24

Future Value: 35+, starting pitcher depth

Contract Status: 2024 Sixth Round, George Mason University, Rule 5 Eligible After 2027, three options remaining

MLB ETA: 2027

Eaton, who signed for a full-slot bonus of $378.9k after getting drafted in the sixth round in 2024, threw 62 innings across 14 starts in his platform draft year, though his results (5.66 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 4.9 BB/9 rate, 11.9 K/9 rate) weren’t strong and the level of competition wasn’t notably high. Unusually for a newly-drafted pitcher, Eaton actually saw some action in affiliated ball as well, throwing 11 innings across nine relief appearances in Low-A Fresno and High-A Spokane, allowing just one run on six hits and three walks while striking out 16.

In 2025, Eaton was assigned back to High-A Spokane, where he was 1.2 years younger than league average. Eaton was a rotation stalwart for Spokane, starting 23 games and throwing 121 1/3 innings with a 3.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9.3 K/9 rate, and 3.1 BB/9 rate while holding lefties to a .603 OPS. That includes quality starts in seven of eight starts between mid-June and early August. In mid-August, Eaton was promoted to Double-A Hartford, where he was 2.7 years younger than league average. He took the mound for another four starts in the Eastern League, throwing 18 2/3 innings with a nice 11.6 K/9 rate, albeit a 5.30 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 4.8 BB/9 rate.

Here’s a look at Eaton’s 2025 highlights:

Eaton was ranked 180th overall in the 2024 draft rankings by MLB Pipeline and is currently ranked 21st in the system as a 40 FV prospect with a 55 grade on his slider and 50s on the fastball and changeup:

At 6-foot-3, Eaton’s combination of size and athleticism have long intrigued scouts. While he typically runs his fastball up to about 94 mph, it can miss bats with solid inverted vertical break. His low-80s sweeping slider is an above-average breaking ball that can serve as an out pitch at times, and while his changeup has been inconsistent in the past, it’s a third effective offering for the southpaw.

After walking 5.0 per nine innings over the course of his George Mason career, there were questions about Eaton’s ability to start long term. He was finding the zone much more consistently at the outset of his pro career, and if that continues along with his three-pitch mix, he does have the chance to stick in a rotation. If not, the fastball-slider combination could play up coming out of the ‘pen in shorter stints.

Eaton’s “vertical” attack plan (high fastballs and sweepy sliders) is a good fit for Coors Field if he can locate well, as high-spin sliders are less affected by the thin air than traditional curveballs. Eaton’s total 140 frames in 2025 represents a clear starter’s workload in this day and age, setting him up to be an innings eater option in the upper minors or even MLB.

Eaton should head back to Hartford to begin the year, so a reasonable trajectory might be to see him in purple pinstripes by the end of 2027. He might yet be sent to the bullpen if his command falters against upper minors hitting, but the current starting role and results make him a 35+ FV player in my book, one who just missed inclusion on my ballot.

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Report: Pirates still in pursuit of third baseman

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a successful offseason. There’s not too many out there that wouldn’t grade their moves relatively highly. However, there’s more work still to be done, and the Bucs have a glaring need at third base, where the current depth chart lists Jared Triolo as the only one currently on the roster. A recent report, however, still has the Pirates in hot pursuit of one of the top third baseman still out there.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on his podcast that the Bucs are still interested in Eugenio Suarez. He hit .228 last season with 49 homers and 118 RBIs while playing with the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rosenthal had this to say about Pittsburgh’s pursuit:

“I would certainly expect, and actually know that the Pirates are interested in Eugenio Suárez and the problem they’re going to face is the problem they’ve faced with other free agents as well… If Eugenio Suárez has chance to play for a more competitive team, in his opinion, he’s going to choose that team. If Eugenio Suárez can go to Boston, if he can return to one of his former teams, Seattle or Arizona, that might be his preference.”

So despite the Pirates’ interest, it sounds like an overpay might be in order to convince Suarez to come to the Steel City. The Bucs are definitely going to be improved this year, and Suarez could very well the bat that takes them from competitive to real players in the division, but other teams still have more attractive situations. In addition, the Bucs still need one or two more arms for their pitching staff as well as potentially another outfielder, so overpaying for Suarez just might not be in the cards.

Nonetheless, Rosenthal says the Bucs are legitimately interested, and as we head down the home stretch into Spring Training, they may have an outside shot at securing another big bat.