One of many large developments of the previous yr in baseball is what number of younger gamers have risen to the highest of prospect rankings. A have a look at MLB Pipeline’s High 100 Prospects record will present you only one participant within the prime 10 older than 21.
After all, whereas there is a bumper crop of teenage shortstops on the prime, there are nonetheless loads of intriguing prospects of all ages. With that in thoughts, for the second yr in a row, we’ll check out the easiest prospects of every age in a nod to Will Leitch’s long-running column.
First, some floor guidelines. On this train, any participant who has not exhausted rookie eligibility and is taken into account a prospect is eligible. That signifies that unsigned worldwide gamers below 25, excessive schoolers and school gamers rely, along with prospects in MLB groups’ farm techniques.
Though 23-year-old Japanese righty Shunpeita Yamashita has not been posted by his NPB crew, he can be a prospect if he signed with a Main League membership, so he counts (though, spoiler alert, he is not going to be chosen). Munetaka Murakami made this record final yr, however since he turned 25 and is now thought-about a overseas skilled, he will not be eligible.
With the World Baseball Traditional developing this spring, who’re the gamers to observe? And the way do a number of the upcoming Draft prospects stack as much as gamers their age? With out additional ado, listed below are the perfect prospects in baseball from ages 16-25.
Hernandez is the straightforward selection as the highest worldwide prospect within the 2026 signing interval due to his excellent bodily items and mature strategy for his age. All 5 of his instruments venture as not less than plus outdoors of a median arm, though he ought to keep athletic sufficient to stay up the center defensively. Higher but, he is already proven he can translate his skillset into success, as he dominated within the Venezuelan Main League towards former MLB gamers, a few of whom had been twice his age.
Runner-up: Jacob Seamon, OF, Metrolina Christian Academy (N.C.)
Willits stands out as the third-youngest No. 1 general choose in historical past, however he stands out for his polished strategy on the plate. A switch-hitter who’s higher from the left facet, the Oklahoma native has maybe the very best upside on this yr’s Draft class due to his bat-to-ball expertise and spectacular motor that ought to assist maximize his spectacular toolset. The son of former large leaguer Reggie, he seems to be a secure guess to stay at shortstop as nicely.
Runner-up: Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Price Christian HS (Texas)
A speedy switch-hitter with energy who has the defensive chops to stay at shortstop? Made actually could be the entire package deal, particularly when you think about he earned a pair of promotions to change into the youngest participant in Double-A this yr. And if his toolset is not spectacular sufficient, he displayed a number of the finest swing choices within the Minors, hardly ever chasing or whiffing (each 24 p.c), whereas constantly making onerous contact. He’ll be fairly onerous to get out as he continues to mature.
Lengthy thought-about the participant with the very best potential within the ’24 Draft, Griffin exceeded even the very best expectations in his debut season to change into baseball’s prime prospect. The Mississippi native answered lingering questions on his hit software and shortstop protection whereas persevering with to show double-plus pace and influence energy. He’ll have an opportunity to make his large league debut earlier than his twentieth birthday on April 24 as a 30/30 risk for years to return.
20: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA
Cholowsky was the top-ranked participant within the 2023 Draft to go undrafted and now appears to be like like among the best school prospects in years. As soon as having a hit-over-power profile, he is grown into his 6-foot-2 body at UCLA and now shows plus energy from the suitable facet. His robust protection at shortstop — the place he has the robust arm and skill to throw from many angles befitting of a highschool quarterback — provides him a excessive flooring, and he ought to instantly be one of many 10 finest prospects in baseball after signing subsequent summer season if he continues to develop as anticipated.
McGonigle is maybe the perfect pure hitter within the Minor Leagues — he even hit higher towards fellow southpaws (.321/.444/.628) than he did towards righties (.300/.396/.569) final yr. Well being was about the one factor that held him again this yr, and he made up for it with Most Useful Participant honors on the Arizona Fall League. Rising up in a Philadelphia suburb, McGonigle seemed as much as Chase Utley and is on a path to have a profession much like his childhood idol.
Yesavage actually did all of it in his first marketing campaign, showing at each full-season degree within the Minors earlier than making his MLB debut in September. With an excessive over-the-top supply (7.09 ft, second amongst pitchers solely to Justin Verlander), his mixture of a rising fastball and devastating splitter, with a promising slider and curve besides, enabled him to rack up 160 Okay’s in 98 Minor League innings. And after dominating within the postseason, he’ll shoot up the High 100, doubtlessly into the highest 10.
The West Virginia star might need been the primary general choose within the 2024 Draft had he not handled hamstring points his junior season, however he is wanting each little bit of the pure hitter scouts hoped he’d change into now that he is wholesome. His pure, low-effort swing from the left facet offers pop to all fields, and he racks up elite contact charges (79 p.c) whereas sustaining a discerning eye. Wetherholt is an effective guess to begin the yr in St. Louis, though the precise infield place might depend upon the Cardinals’ offseason strikes.
We regularly speak about how gamers with two-way or multisport backgrounds have the potential to take off after specializing in one side of the sport, and McLean is an ideal instance — for each. After pitching, hitting and briefly strolling on as a quarterback at Oklahoma State, he absolutely dedicated to the mound for the primary time in 2025. As soon as seen as a probable reliever, McLean matches the invoice of a possible top-of-rotation starter with an improved six-pitch combine led by a sinker-slider mixture that helped him to an elite 60.2 p.c ground-ball charge and 30.3 p.c strikeout charge throughout 48 large league innings this yr.
Sproat made his large league debut simply over two years after the Mets drafted him 56th general in 2023 and has the makings of a mid-rotation starter. The righty has tantalized with triple-digit velocity, however the form of his fastball has not generated a ton of whiffs, main him to lean extra into his sinker. He generates loads of floor balls general — and chases together with his sweeper and curve — whereas limiting onerous contact nicely when he stays out of the guts of the zone together with his enhancing management.
Runner-up: Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cardinals (STL No. 5)
