Welcome to the fourth annual MLB Pipeline Govt Ballot. Beginning earlier than the 2023 season, we surveyed entrance workplaces throughout baseball — from normal managers to scouting administrators, farm administrators, analysts and past — on a variety of questions relating to prospects.
As has been our custom, we’re starting with who they suppose will win Rookie of the 12 months honors in every league in 2026. They began out on fireplace in ’23, selecting Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll, each of whom took house that {hardware}. In 2024, winners Paul Skenes and Jackson Chourio acquired votes, although the survey leaders had been Yoshinobu Yamamoto within the Nationwide League and Evan Carter within the American League.
Final yr, the business picked Dylan Crews and Roman Anthony (although most felt Roki Sasaki can be the front-runner in whichever league he signed). Drake Baldwin, the NL winner, didn’t seem on a poll. Within the AL, winner Nick Kurtz did get some consideration and Anthony completed third in precise voting at season’s finish.
Can entrance workplaces hit the nail on the top in ’26? There’s removed from a consensus in both league this time round, with greater than 40 entrance workplace officers weighing in on an array of matters that might be mentioned in a week-long collection.
Let’s kick issues off with the outcomes of the American League Rookie of the 12 months survey:
Additionally acquired votes: Jamie Arnold, LHP, A’s; Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians; Max Clark, OF, Tigers; Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians; Leo De Vries, SS, A’s; Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners; Gage Leap, LHP, Athletics; Carson Williams, SS, Rays
That’s a complete of 14 gamers getting not less than one vote. And having two leaders on the high, one pitcher and one hitter, is one thing that might be mirrored once we get to the NL. It’s attention-grabbing, although, that the 2 tied within the AL are a pitcher who starred within the postseason and a hitter who has but to play a sport above Double-A.
Trey Yesavage (MLB No. 26), taken by the Blue Jays because the No. 20 general choose within the ’24 Draft, had a meteoric rise via Toronto’s system in ’25, beginning the season with Single-A Dunedin and ending it by showing in three World Sequence video games as maybe probably the most reliable arm on the postseason workers. He’s nonetheless solely 22 and it is going to be fascinating to see if he can choose up the place he left off and the way the league adjusts after getting an extended have a look at him, particularly that devastating splitter.
Kevin McGonigle (MLB No. 2) might be simply 21 for many of the ’26 season and has a grand complete of 46 video games above A ball on his resume. However he additionally has a profession .922 OPS within the Minors, and a few voters had been little question swayed by his Arizona Fall League exhibiting in ’25, when he was named MVP after posting a .362/.500/.710 slash line with 5 homers and 19 RBIs in 19 video games. He’s thought of by many to be the very best pure hitter within the Minors, with a complicated strategy that ought to allow him to carry his personal on the plate. The place he suits within the Tigers’ infield is likely to be one of many extra intriguing storylines in Lakeland this spring. He’s primarily been a shortstop (the place he’ll see loads of time in Spring Coaching), might little question deal with second base and regarded good at third within the AFL.
The opposite 4 on our leaderboard all have not less than touched the massive leagues. Samuel Basallo (MLB No. 7) debuted in August, simply days after his twenty first birthday, and homered 4 instances in 109 at-bats. The ability will play and it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the Orioles get him at-bats behind the plate, at first base and as a DH. Carter Jensen (MLB No. 39) was a September callup for the Royals and after a stable debut (.941 OPS in 60 ABs), he ought to get an opportunity to make the Opening Day roster, studying behind Salvador Perez and getting loads of plate appearances as a DH as effectively. Payton Tolle (MLB No. 28) and Connelly Early (BOS No. 4) are two Pink Sox lefties who confirmed glimpses of what is likely to be attainable with a full season in Boston’s rotation.
Along with the Pink Sox, the Tigers (Max Clark, McGonigle), Guardians (Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana) and A’s (Jamie Arnold, Leo De Vries) all had a number of vote-getters. It was the Athletics who completed 1-2 within the AL ROY voting in ’25, with Jacob Wilson (who acquired a number of survey votes a yr in the past) proper behind Kurtz.
Additionally acquired votes: Carson Benge, OF, Mets; Aidan Miller, SS, Phillies; Thomas White, LHP, Marlins
There was a transparent high three among the many 10 gamers who acquired votes within the NL, and like with the AL, it’s led by a hitter who has but to get a single huge league at-bat and a pitcher who made a really sturdy first impression on the highest stage.
Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt (MLB No. 5) had an excellent first full season of professional ball after being the No. 7 general choose within the 2024 Draft, splitting the yr between Double-A and Triple-A and posting a mixed .306/.421/.510 slash line with 17 homers and 23 steals. Some had been stunned he didn’t get a late-season audition in St. Louis, however you need to determine his bat will work its approach into that lineup sooner relatively than later. He’s performed three infield positions, which ought to assist give the massive league workers choices for him to make the Opening Day roster.
Like Yesavage, Nolan McLean (MLB No. 11) not solely made his Main League debut, however did so below a really massive highlight, making eight excellent begins down the stretch throughout the Mets’ ill-fated playoff push. With a 2.06 ERA, 10.7 Ok/9 charge and .200 average-against, McLean was the Mets’ finest starter on the finish of the season and is the one vote-getter in both ’26 survey to have acquired precise ROY votes in ’25. He was simply two innings shy of surpassing rookie standing for the upcoming season.
Behind the 2 leaders is No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin, and the very fact he acquired such a wholesome proportion of votes exhibits how far and how briskly he’s come. The No. 9 general choose within the ’24 Draft, Griffin went from Single-A Bradenton to Double-A Altoona and hit completely all over the place, ending with a mixed .333/.415/.527 line, 21 homers and 65 steals, making him the straightforward choose for MLB Pipeline’s Hitting Prospect of the 12 months award. He ought to get an extended look this spring at shortstop and clearly a number of executives imagine he belongs.
Of the remaining 4 on the leaderboard, Bubba Chandler (MLB No. 14) and Sal Stewart (MLB No. 31) have huge league time, whereas Justin Crawford (MLB No. 54) and Zyhir Hope (MLB No. 20) don’t. Chandler must be within the Pirates’ rotation (and is the one participant who acquired votes in final yr’s ballot to seem this time round), and Stewart within the Reds’ lineup, from Day 1 of the ’26 season. All indicators level to Crawford getting each probability to roam the outfield for Philadelphia on Opening Day, whereas Hope is a little bit of a long-shot play.
With Griffin and Chandler, the Pirates are the one crew with two gamers among the many leaders, however the Phillies (Aidan Miller, Crawford) and the Mets (Carson Benge, McLean) additionally had a number of prospects receiving votes.
