This list is going to look a little bit different from it has in past years. The new approach I used this year was breaking prospects into tiers. The thought process here is to differentiate which prospects are grouped similarly so that dynasty managers can assess value. The list below is a dynasty-focused list and features the top-150 prospects in baseball. Each tier contains brief write-ups on two prospects that are featured in that tier and are important for dynasty managers to know about.
If you do not care about the write-ups and tiers and are only focused on the list, a special feature is coming soon for PL Pro Members. By the start of the regular season, an exclusive Google Sheet compiling all dynasty-related rankings will be found in the PL Tools section!
Rules
Before we start, here are a few rules/regulations that guide this list. For starters, this list is made up entirely of prospects who have yet to make their major league debut. Once they debut, they are removed from the list. Secondly, only two primary positions are selected for those prospects who play multiple positions. These are, in my opinion, the two most likely long-term positions for each prospect.
Call Ups
This section is reserved for those prospects who would rank in the top 150 but were promoted to the major leagues within the past month. To start the year, this section is empty.
2026 Prospect List
Tier 1 – The Undoubted Stars
- Konnor Griffin #1: He is without a doubt the best prospect in baseball. He has five-tool potential and has already shown off each of these tools at the professional level. His proximity and production leave him in a tier of his own. For those wondering what kind of production they can expect from Griffin, check out this article I wrote up on dynasty projections here. Dynasty managers should expect Griffin to be up and contributing at the major league level at some point in 2026.
Tier 2 – Would be the Star Category if not for Konnor Griffin
- Andrew Painter #9: Andrew Painter’s fall down prospect lists is a perfect example of prospect fatigue. You could point to a bit of Phillies’ bias here, but Painter still ranks highly on this list heading into 2026. From a stuff standpoint, Painter has everything you want. He has a big fastball sitting in the upper 90s, a deep arsenal of secondary pitches, and is another year removed from Tommy John surgery. Painter is healthy and all but guaranteed a major league rotation spot heading into 2026. Early reports out of camp are that his control and command are back to pre-injury levels. He is the game’s top right-handed pitching prospect and is an excellent buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues.
- Max Clark #5/Kevin McGonigle #8:Feel a need to call this out. Max Clark ranks fifth, and McGonigle ranks eighth. Same tier, so really not much of a difference, but that is backwards to most lists. Let’s walk through it. Both players have excellent contact skills with elite plate discipline. Call that a tie. As McGonigle has filled out his frame, the stolen bases have dropped off significantly. Clark projects as a 20-30 steal player. McGonigle is more 7-12. Advantage Clark. Power goes the other way with an advantage to McGonigle, but their home-run-per-fly-ball rates are not all that different. Clark is a 15-20 homer bat. McGonigle is a 20-30 homer bat. Future batting average goes to Clark. He uses the whole field and hits more line drives. McGonigle is more of a pulled-fly ball hitter, which could impact his future batting average.
- Clark and McGonigle are in the same tier and are both excellent prospects. Really, there is not a large difference. My ceiling projection for Clark is .290 with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases. My ceiling projection for McGonigle is .270 with 30 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Thus, Clark ranks fifth and McGonigle ranks eighth.
Tier 3 – Could be a Star, With a Few More Questions
- Ryan Sloan #18: Have you jumped onto the Ryan Sloan hype train? For those who have followed this series, Sloan has ranked highly since the middle of last year. His fastball/slider combination gives him two plus-plus offerings. That does not even mention his changeup, which he commands well with two-plane movement. Sloan is just 20 years old with only 11.1 innings above Low-A under his belt. His youth and inexperience should not stop you from being aggressive in your valuation of his dynasty value. He has a starter’s arsenal, plus command, and is an organization known for pitching development. Sloan is already showing up on highlight reels, striking out some of today’s fantasy stars. Eighteenth overall is an aggressive ranking, but one that is deserved considering his immense potential.
- Bryce Rainer #24: This is more so a call to please not forget about Bryce Rainer. A discussion in the PL Dynasty Discord channel led me to suggest that Bryce Rainer could rank as the top prospect in all of baseball following the 2026 season. Before a season ending injury, Rainer was showing off all of the tools that dynasty managers look for in a breakout prospect. In 35 games, he had hit five homers, stolen nine bases, and was batting .288. His 6’3″ toolsy frame comes with excellent raw power, and there is room for him to continue adding more. On one hand, his ranking of 24th could be too low if Rainer comes out and proves he is healthy in 2025. There is five-category upside in his profile. On the other hand, Rainer’s injury was a shoulder issue that could have lingering impacts on his offensive production. His ranking of 24th bakes in the injury risk while factoring in his substantial upside.
Tier 4 – Need to See it More to Move Up
- Luis Peña #31: Luis Peña was a difficult prospect to rank. The hype surrounding both him and Jesús Made pushed Peña high up boards here. After scouting the Brewers’ farm system for their top prospects article in January, I came away with more concern than before. Peña is a talented and athletic prospect with significant potential. However, he is extremely raw in his development. He struggles with pitch recognition, causing his swing to be a bit all over the place and inconsistent. Peña’s game power output has also been underwhelming, and he lacks physical projection to add muscle. Listen, Peña is still a very good prospect with the tools and twitchy traits that can turn him into a valuable dynasty asset. The recommendation is to push the pause button on the hype until we see more consistent production offensively.
- Aiva Arquette #35: The common perception amongst those in the dynasty community is that the 2026 draft lacks obvious elite talent. However, tier four is littered with four players who possess significant dynasty upside. Arquette is the lone college bat from that group and has the projectability that dynasty managers dream of. At 6’5″, Arquette has easy power to all fields with 30+ homer upside. Despite his size, he moves well on the bases and defensively, where he could stick at shortstop. With 30+ homer power and 20+ stolen base potential, Arquette only needs an average hit tool to turn into a significant fantasy asset. At the plate, he controls the zone well with a mature approach and strong pitch recognition. Arquette feels like an underrated player in FYPDs and is a great prospect to target heading into 2026.
- Note: Arquette underwent surgery for a core muscle injury that should sideline him for four to six weeks. This does not impact his long-term dynasty outlook or ranking.
Tier 5 – Good Prospects with Room for Projection
- Kyson Witherspoon #42: At the end of last season, Kyson Witherspoon’s ranking on the prospect list was nothing notable. However, opinions change over the course of the off-season. Witherspoon already had a great arsenal coming out of college. His fastball sits in the mid to upper 90s. His slider and curveball are both plus breaking balls. He also showed much improved control in his final collegiate season. Instead of being complacent with where he is at, Witherspoon put in the work. He went to Driveline and developed a new sweeper that supposedly gets over 20″ of break. He is also working to refine his changeup to give him another option against lefties. Recent draftees showing dedication and work ethic always give them a boost entering their first professional season. We saw it with Konnor Griffin prior to 2025, and dynasty managers need to pay attention to Witherspoon heading into 2026.
- JD Dix #48: This is a projection ranking. Dix put together a strong first professional season last year. He showed off a great hit tool and excellent contact skills. Dix controlled the zone well, took his walks, and then stole 28 bases in 89 games. The only thing missing was power. This is where the projection comes into play. Dix stands at 6’2″ and is still only 20 years old. There is room in his profile to maintain his athleticism and add more pop. His swing is designed to drive balls into the gaps, but getting Dix to tap into his pull side more should help his power develop. Do not be surprised to see Dix fly up ranking lists this upcoming season.
Tier 6 – Underrated Prospects Who Should be Good but not Great
- Braylon Doughty #52: Doughty is not your prototypical pitching prospect to rank highly on prospect lists. However, he is the exact kind of pitcher the Guardians seem to always get the most of. Unlike most pitching prospects, Doughty does not have a high-90s fastball. The pitch sits in the low to mid 90s, with decent arm-side run. What Doughty does have is an exceptionally defined array of secondaries. Doughty has near-elite command and feel for both his slider and curveball. Both profile as plus offerings. If Doughty can add a tick or two more velocity to his fastball, he could turn into a top-tier pitching prospect. Without that, he is still a high-floor, underrated prospect for dynasty leagues.
- Joshua Baez #63: Another dynasty darling from this off-season, Joshua Baez comes in at 63rd overall. 2025 represented a major season of development for Baez. The toolsy outfielder adjusted his stance, which resulted in career bests in batting average and strikeout rate. His hit tool improvements only amplify his significant power and speed upside. He has 25/30 upside and seems to have put everything together. Baez has been ranked aggressively by most publications all off-season. This ranking is a bit more reserved because the sample size on success is relatively small compared to the sample size of his struggles. The tangible adjustments to his approach and stance make this breakout easy to buy into, but there is still a chance Baez’s suspect hit tool shows up again in 2026. This would limit his fantasy production.
Tier 7 – A lot of Pitchers with High Variance Hitting Prospects
- Nestor German #77: Some like Trey Gibson, others prefer Luis De León, well, the Orioles pitching prospect I am all in on is Nestor German. Drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft, German’s ascent through the minor leagues has been rapid. On the mound, he has all the makings of a mid-rotation starter. His delivery is calm, smooth, and easily repeated. His arsenal is headlined by a mid-90s fastball that generates nearly 20″ of induced vertical break (iVB). This projects as an excellent whiff pitch up in the zone despite only having mid-90s velocity. Off of that, German’s slider, changeup, and curveball are all average to plus pitches. His tight-wound gyro slider is his best strikeout pitch, while his changeup is a strong offering to lefties. Dynasty managers should not be scared off by his rough two-start stretch in Triple-A last season. German combines floor and upside for an exciting dynasty profile and is currently an underrated prospect.
- Jett Williams #88: Is it weird to say that Jett Williams‘ dynasty outlook feels much improved in Milwaukee? Williams has hovered around 100th overall for the last two seasons of the prospect list, but moves up slightly following the off-season trade. Williams is the exact kind of player who thrives in the scrappy, small (medium?)-market environment of Milwaukee. Williams is a plus runner with great contact skills. He is going to put the ball in play, take his walks, and steal 30+ bases for fantasy managers. The power is still suspect, and something dynasty managers should be mindful of. This limits his long-term upside. However, he should quickly earn everyday playing time in Milwaukee and be a reliable, albeit unspectacular, fantasy asset.
Tier 8 – Overlooked and Breakout Potential Prospects
- Josh Adamczewski #98: Josh Adamczewski is oozing with breakout potential. The 2023 15th-round pick has put up back-to-back solid seasons for the Brewers’ minor league affiliates. Already with an excellent understanding of the strike zone, Adamczewski has worked hard to improve both his contact rates and game power. The strides to his hit tool showed up last year, and the uptick in his power shone at the AFL. With good bat speed and good pull-side awareness, Adamczewski could surge up ranking boards in 2026. For now, he ranks 98th until he shows his home run output from Arizona is sustainable over the course of a full season.
- Esteban Mejia #112: This is a name that dynasty managers need to know. Esteban Mejia signed with the Orioles out of the Dominican Republic back in 2024. Still only 18 years old, Esteban is far from a finished product. However, it speaks volumes that Baltimore was willing to promote him to full-season ball to end 2025. Control is the biggest issue, as a 13.7% walk rate needs improvement, but the stuff pops off the screen. An electric arm, Mejia’s fastball sits in the upper 90s and has touched as high as 102 mph. The pitch generates significant arm-side run and is a plus offering. His fastball is so good that he has not had to fully develop his secondary pitches, which will need to change. His slider flashes plus potential, and his changeup can be effective against lefties, although it lacks command. Both pitches sit in the low-90s. Mejia is raw, needs to develop more consistency in his delivery, and more command of his secondaries. However, his fastball and potential are difficult to ignore.
Tier 9 – A Difficult Tier to Rank
- Caleb Bonemer #115: Another shoutout to the PL Discord here, as my ranking of Bonemer was discussed recently in there. Bonemer is another player that the dynasty community has gravitated toward this offseason. His results in his first season were strong, but there are still some concerns about his profile. Bonemer has good bat speed, but even with a high fly-ball and pull rate, he did not get to much game power last season. While more home runs should come, he lacks much physical projection, and his stolen-base rate from last season should not be expected to continue. The contact skills Bonemer showed last season were promising, but I have two concerns. First, how will he handle pitchers that can consistently locate velocity up and in? Second, how low will the BABIP and batting average drop? From 2015-2025, hitters with a fly-ball rate greater than 46% and a pull rate greater than 50% hit .229 on average. Bonemer’s ceiling is likely .250 with 20 homers and 15 steals. A fine player, but not the kind of prospect worth paying top dollar for.
- Seaver King #132: One prospect worth paying close attention to this spring is Seaver King. His first professional season in 2025 was disappointing. However, he made a noticeable adjustment to his approach at the AFL, which could alter his future outlook. King already has good contact skills and plus speed. A more patient and selective approach would improve his game power production as well. A former 10th overall pick, there is draft pedigree and upside here that dynasty managers should not write off too quickly.
Tier 10 – The Fringe and Just Missed
- Andrew Salas #147: Prospects who post a 74 wRC+ in their first professional season do not find themselves on top prospect lists often. However, Andrew Salas really held his own as a 17-year-old in Low-A. Signed out of Venezuela last January, Salas moved straight to full-season ball. The power and batting average were disappointing, but he posted an impressive 76.4% contact rate while walking 15.9% of the time. His swing consistently produced line drives, he showed a good feel for getting to his pull side, and has the frame that lends itself to significant projectability. Salas is a good athlete, has plus speed, and a strong hit tool. This ranking is all about projection and taking a shot on an exciting profile.
- Juan Sánchez (JM): Juan Sánchez quickly jumping into the top 150 next month would not be surprising at all. Sánchez showed just about everything that he possibly could have last season in the DSL. He hit .341, slugged eight home runs, and showed off impressive contact skills for a player his age. The inevitable move to third base puts more pressure on his bat to play up, and his lack of speed creates a bigger need for his other tools to shine. Sánchez is also an extreme pull and fly ball hitter. This is a good thing for his power outlook, but it should not be viewed as a positive when it comes to his future batting average. There is 30+ homer upside here. Dynasty managers should pay close attention to Sánchez as he moves stateside in 2026.
