Teams in the American League East have lost a ton of star power in recent years, as many of the game’s top young stars, like Roman Anthony, Junior Caminero, and Samuel Basallo, have joined the MLB ranks. But, the talent pool remains rich, particularly on the positional side of things, as Top 50 prospects Franklin Arias, George Lombard Jr., and Theo Gillen push themselves into the upper echelon of prospects. While each team has its own strength, the cream of the crop is the Tampa Bay Rays, a team notorious for deep prospect pools and advanced player development.
You can argue that the biggest early risers in the prospect ranks are found in the AL East. Elite pitching has been the key, with guys like Joseph Dzierwa and Anthony Eyanson leading the way. Not to be outdone, the bats have been excellent as well, including a pair of Rays’ farmhands, Taitn Gray and Caden Bodine. For more on these guys and others, here is the AL East Report:
Baltimore Orioles Top 15 Prospects
- 2025 second-round pick Joseph Dzierwa is one of the hottest names in prospect circles. The 6’8″ left-hander from Michigan State burst onto the scene during the Spring Breakout game, striking out eight hitters in a three-inning outing. His momentum has continued to High-A, where he boasts a 2.33 ERA and 21% K-BB rate through his first five starts. Entering the draft, his pitchability and strike-throwing were the main talking points. But now that his fastball is averaging around 95mph, the big question is how high and how quickly Dzierwa can rise in the prospect rankings.
- Right-hander JT Quinn is another name drawing plenty of attention this spring. Quinn, who went 11 spots after Dzierwa in the draft, has teamed with the big lefty to make a potent duo atop the Fredericksburg rotation at High-A. Quinn also has a big frame, standing 6-foot-6 with a power arsenal to go with it, headlined by an upper-90s fastball. Over his first 23 1/3 innings, Quinn has 33 strikeouts against just five walks, producing a 33.1% K-BB rate. The big thing for Quinn will be working up to a starter’s workload after working in a middle-relief role in college.
- At the top of that 2025 class was Ike Irish, a bat-first catcher from Auburn, who has now transitioned to 1B and the outfield. Irish is off to a red-hot start, slashing .338/.447/.592 with four homers, six doubles, and eight steals in just 20 games at High-A. The athleticism Irish possesses allows him to move out from behind the dish, and although he’s not a burner, hopefully, rested legs will help in the running game. It won’t be long before Irish pushes his way into the Top 50 overall prospects.
Boston Red Sox Top 15 Prospects
- Twenty-year-old shortstop Franklin Arias is generally considered a Top 25 real-life prospect, but his fantasy value is currently on a rocket ship as he’s mashing to start 2026. Over his first two seasons, Arias has displayed elite plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills but lacked the power needed to become a high-impact fantasy asset. In his age-20 season, the power has arrived. Through 20 games, he’s already hit eight homers, one shy of his previous career high. Though he’s hitting for more pop, his contact skills are still elite for his age, and his strikeout rate is just over 11%. There’s no reason to think this sudden surge is anything other than a skill change as he grows older and more physical. Arias is now a Top 25 fantasy prospect as well.
- Building pitching depth was clearly the main focus for the Red Sox in the 2025 Draft, as they went with collegiate pitching in eight of their first 10 picks. Although he was a third-rounder, former LSU Tiger Anthony Eyanson has been the best early performer. Part of Eyanson’s success has been a 2 mph velo jump on his fastball, giving him a mid-90s heater rather than a low-90s heater. That gain in velocity has allowed him to attack hitters more in the zone, while his breaking stuff, the best part of his arsenal, continues dominating. Through five starts, Eyanson has a 0.44 ERA and 0.49 WHIP at High-A with an obnoxious 43.7% K-BB rate. Eyanson is on the short list of the best MiLB pitchers in 2026.
- A lot of buzz is starting to pop up surrounding Dylan Brown, a 2025 eighth-rounder from Old Dominion. The 6’5″ left-hander was among the collegiate pitchers drafted by the Sox. Early returns have Brown showcasing a traditional four-pitch mix that has already generated a 15% swinging-strike rate and a 33% strikeout rate over 23 1/3 innings at Class A. After posting above-average walk rates collegiately, Brown’s command and control have been a little shaky early on, with over 13% of the hitters he’s faced walking. Dylan Brown is a name to watch as 2026 unfolds.
New York Yankees Top 15 Prospects
- Top prospect George Lombard Jr.has taken his game to the next level in 2026, literally and figuratively. Lombard recently made the jump to Triple-A after starting his season with a .971 OPS and 153 wRC+ in just 20 games in AA. The 20-year-old is one of the most toolsy players in the Minors, but he’s struggled with contact. So far, his strikeout rate is down 4%, while his overall contact rate is up 5%. If those gains hold, Lombard will push Anthony Volpe at the Major League level by the end of 2026.
- All the buzz to close out 2025 surrounded shortstop Dax Kilby, the 39th overall pick in 2025. Kilby debuted shortly after the draft, batting .353 with 16 steals and more walks than strikeouts in a 20-game sample. We have yet to see Kilby in 2026, however, as a hamstring injury landed him on the IL. Current estimates are a mid-May return for Kilby, who will look to build on his post-draft momentum.
- With Elmer Rodriguez now in the Majors, the top pitching prospect in the Yankees’ system is righty Carlos Lagrange. Lagrange had a strong start to Spring Training as he racked up 13 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings in Major League camp. His final appearance did not go well (2.2 IP, 8 ER), but Lagrange has performed much better at AAA to start 2026. In his first six starts, he’s got a 3.75 ERA with a 28% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, his walk rate is nearly half that, sitting at 13.1%. Command and control are everything to Lagrange, who has some of the most electric stuff in the Minor Leagues.
Tampa Bay Rays Top 15 Prospects
- Despite not debuting following the draft, 2025 third-round Taitn Gray may have more momentum than any prospect in their system. The 18-year-old converted catcher is a helium name early in 2026 after showing off a blend of top-notch athleticism, above-average raw power, and a keen eye at the dish. Through his first 22 games at Class A, Gray has a .303/.434/.487 slash line with three homers and more walks (19) than strikeouts (15).
- 2025 first-rounder Caden Bodine is dominating Class A in his first full season. The Rays nabbed Bodine in the Shane Baz trade, and the former Coastal Carolina catcher is already showing why the Orioles took him with pick #30 last summer. The 22-year-old owns a .383 average and .449 OBP this spring, walking 11 times against just four strikeouts while adding four homers and 38 combined runs and RBI in just 23 games. His feel to hit, matched with his pitch recognition, is reflected in an overall contact rate just below 89% and virtually no chasing. But the biggest surprise so far is the 4 HR, which would be a huge development as he entered the draft with a 40-grade power tool, which is well below average.
- Brody Hopkins is considered one of the highest upside pitching prospects in the game. The 6’6″ right-hander has premium stuff with elite bat-missing capabilities, but the underlying concern in his profile has been command. Those concerns are surfacing in a big way early in 2026. In his AAA debut, Hopkins has a 20.2% walk rate in just 27 2/3 innings, up 8% year-over-year. Some of the inflation is likely due to the ABS, but it’s not like he’s ever been a control specialist. It’s still a small sample, and those numbers could look a lot better in a month. But for now, Hopkins isn’t pushing to the Majors as many, including myself, thought he would do by mid-2026.
Toronto Blue Jays Top 15 Prospects
- With Trey Yesavage nearing graduation, all of the focus in the Jays system shifts to a trio of toolsy shortstops: JoJo Parker, Arjun Nimmala, and Juan Sanchez. Parker is the team’s first-round pick from 2025, and after a hot start, he’s cooled off and shown some growing pains in year one. Parker is batting .200 with a pair of homers and nine steals, but that’s come with an elevated strikeout rate and a 56.9% groundball rate. Like many advanced hit tool guys, he’s far too passive at the plate. Parker is drawing a called-strike rate of nearly 20%, but that patience has also yielded 21 walks in just over 100 PAS. On the batted-ball side, there are too many groundballs, but that should naturally regress to the mean. Parker has shown plenty of early pop, averaging a nearly 92mph EV with a 105.1 mph 90th percentile. Once he learns to lift, we should see that power/speed blend that made him a Top 10 pick and has him inside the Top 75 on most prospect boards.
- As much as I believe in Parker, I’m not getting the warm and fuzzies from Arjun Nimmala, the team’s first-round pick from 2023. Now entering his fourth pro season, Nimmala sports a .228/.329/.426 slash line with 33 homers and 28 steals. His performance can best be described as inconsistent, and the Jays recognize this. He spent a good bit of 2024 on the Dev List and finally got promoted to Double-A after 200+ games at two levels of A-ball. The development track certainly isn’t the same for everyone, but Nimmala’s advancement seems very slow given his status as a top prospect.
