The 2026 MLB rookie crop is deep, offering a little bit of everything for fantasy managers, with several bankable fantasy prospects looking like favorites to break camp with their respective teams.
Even some of those who won’t break camp will offer significant value to fantasy squads in 2026.
Since playing time has a huge impact on our rankings, the rookies appearing on this list are players we believe will have greater opportunities to produce and even end up on the opening-day roster with prominent roles for their respective clubs.
In order of projected fantasy impact, here are this year’s top 15 most impactful rookies:
Top 2026 MLB rookies for fantasy baseball
1. 1B/3B Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds. Stewart made his MLB debut last September, slashing .255/.293/.545 with five home runs in 55 at-bats. This line came after he slugged 20 homers and hit 34 doubles across upper-level affiliates. Stewart, 22, had his breakout season fueled by higher hard-contact rates and a willingness to sit middle-in to slug pitches over the left-field fence without compromising his natural, opposite-field gap approach. He should produce more of the same, likely as the Reds starting first baseman.
2. SS Konnor Griffin, Pittsburgh Pirates. A loud 2025 season, across three levels, propelled the 19-year-old to the top spot on nearly every prospect list this winter. The ninth overall pick from the 2024 draft, Griffin destroyed minor league pitching in his debut, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. Griffin’s hit, power and speed tools should carry him to impactful production in most fantasy formats.
3. RHP Nolan McLean, New York Mets. A former two-way player, McLean, 24, dazzled in his late-season big-league debut in 2025. In 48 innings, McLean went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.042 WHIP and 57 strikeouts. Not bad for someone who became a full-time pitcher in June 2024. McLean throws a kitchen sink assortment of pitches, relying more on overall stuff and movement than precise command.
4. OF Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies. Crawford, the son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, posted his best season in the minors last season in Class AAA, slashing .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals. The 22-year-old improved his ability to elevate the ball, though he’ll still likely turn in high ground-ball rates. Defense and speed are his carrying tools. With likely a solid average, Crawford’s ability to swipe bases will sustain high fantasy value.
5. 1B/3B Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox. The White Sox signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contact after a successful career in Japan. A slugger by trade, the 26-year-old is known for his pristine plate discipline, his exceptional hard contact rates and his dismal contact rates. Despite struggling with injuries in 2025, Murakami still slugged 22 home runs in 56 games with the Yakult Swallows. A third baseman in Japan, he is slated to be Chicago’s opening-day starter at first.
FANTASY RANKINGS: Where do this year's rookies slot overall?
6. RHP Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates. Like McLean, Chandler is a former two-way player, who committed full time to pitching after the 2022 season. The 23-year-old had an up-and-down season in Triple-A before a late-season promotion to Pittsburgh. He left his struggles with command in the minors and proved his stuff, especially his high-riding fastball, against big-league competition.
7. OF Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians. DeLauter has the tools to be a significant fantasy producer. The 24-year-old has been a fixture on the injured list, dating to before he was a first-round pick in the 2022 draft. When he’s on the field, he has dominated. In 138 career minor league games, DeLauter slashed .302/.384/.504 with 20 homers and 40 doubles.
8. 2B/SS JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals. The seventh pick in the 2024 draft, Wetherholt has a tremendously high floor. The 23-year-old is known for his double-plus hit tool, which overshadows the rest of his toolshed. Last year, Wetherholt slashed .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs, 23 steals, and nearly as many walks as strikeouts (72 BB,73 SO). The sneaky power and sneaky speed should play right away.
9. 3B Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old Okamoto, like Murakami, is not really a prospect, though he’s an MLB rookie, having come over from Japan. With the Yomiuri Giants last year, he slashed .327/.416/.598 with 15 homers in an injury-shortened season. Power production likely doesn’t follow Okamoto to the big leagues, but the hit and on-base tools should play.
10. OF Dylan Beavers, Baltimore Orioles. Beavers enjoyed a breakout 2025, mostly spent at Triple-A before a late-season promotion took him to Baltimore. The 24-year-old slashed .304/.420/.515 with 18 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 94 games. Beavers’ ability to get on base is his calling card but his double-plus speed doesn’t carry exceptional stolen base skills. His average power should play in the big leagues.
11. SS Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers. McGonigle’s hit tool is exceptional, which carries his profile, but don’t sleep on his power, which is plus. In 88 games, McGonigle slashed .372/.462/.648 with 19 home runs, walking 59 times and only striking out 46 times. The 21-year-old has struggled with injuries the last three seasons and has yet to appear in 100 games.
12. OF Carson Benge, New York Mets. The Mets drafted the former two-way player in the first round in 2024. Benge, 23, had a stellar season, showing the ability to work the gaps. In 116 games across three levels, Benge hit .281/.385/.472 with 15 homers and 22 steals.
13. C Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals. Jensen is an offense-first backstop who rode loud contact rates to his big-league debut in 2025. The 22-year-old hit .290/.377/.501 with 20 home runs across upper-level affiliates and continued to show on-base skills and power during his MLB debut. He and Salvador Perez likely split reps between DH and catcher in 2026.
14. C Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles. The 21-year-old Basallo was overmatched during a late-season big-league call-up after bullying minor league pitching. It’s a double-plus power tool, fueled by exceptional bat speed and feel for barrel. Basallo is still figuring out launch angles though. The hit tool fuels batting average with a chance for more.
15. RHP Trey Yesavage, Toronto Blue Jays. The unexpected hero of Toronto’s American League championship run, Yesavage, 22, will be splitting innings with one of the deepest rotations in baseball. His split finger is a true double-plus offering, especially when commanding his flat-angled fastball. Even the slider is capable of getting whiffs.
Chris Blessing writes about minor league prospects for Baseball HQ. For more in-depth fantasy baseball stats and analysis subscribe to BaseballHQ.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top 15 rookies for fantasy baseball in 2026