May 2026 Prospect Rankings Update
Welcome to the May update of my 2026 Top 100 MLB Prospects. This update will be relatively larger compared to my April update thanks to a larger set of pro debuts and substantial improvements in underlying power metrics for certain players. There was also a large wave of graduated prospects, most notably those that opened the 2026 season in MLB.
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Graduated From Top 100
As expected, almost all the top prospects that started their season in MLB have now graduated from prospect status. It will take years before we can accurately assess these rankings, but I am happy with how this group has performed relative to its rank thus far.
New Faces in the Top 100
Ah, fresh meat! This group of new Top 100 prospects is mainly players who have come out of the gate firing to start the season, including those that were highly touted selections from the 2025 draft.
Anthony Eyanson has lapped nearly every arm selected ahead of him in his draft class and is now a Top 50 prospect in MLB. His explosive appearance in the Spring Breakout game signaled a meteoric rise in his prospect stock and he has not slowed down since then. He recently received a promotion to AA and is now considered one of the best arms in MiLB.
Ronny Cruz, Eric Hartman, and Jhonny Level each have had very strong starts to the season and provide their own allure in terms of intriguing offensive upside. Cruz has the highest upside of the group thanks to his advanced power and speed combination as well as a stamp of approval from the Nationals front office following a jump to Hi-A after his first two weeks in full-season ball. Hartman is a strong runner who projects well in CF and has seen a substantial uptick in power further fuelled by an extreme pull-air approach. Level is a natural-born hitter who has exhibited budding power from both sides of the plate and the defensive skillset to stick at shortstop.
Tyler Bremner was the 2nd overall selection in the 2025 draft and has started off his pro career strong, displaying his excellent changeup. His lack of a strong breaking ball kept him off my Top 100 prior to the start of the season. Notably, his slider looks more refined in his starts thus far which earns him a spot on the list.
It looks like Charlie Condon‘s wrist injuries are behind him as his quality of contact is vastly improved this season. His recent stretch of performance has spoiled his line for the season, but he has both the patience and power to provide assistance to the Rockies later this summer.
Nathan Flewelling was one of my favourite teenage bats entering this season and just continues to hit. The Rays backstop produces some of the loudest contact in the lower minors which he supplements with a balanced suite of contact skills and swing decisions. He is a name that should continue to climb up rankings this summer.
Pedro Ramírez has been a consistent force in the Cubs pipeline for years and he is now displaying more power to complement his stellar contact skills. It is unknown when he will get his eventual promotion to MLB given the Cubs’ current infield depth.
Ben Jacobs is a lower slot lefty who caught my eye last draft cycle and eventually ended up landing with Detroit in the 3rd round. He wields a quartet of offerings, including a shallow fastball with +3 mph compared to his time with Arizona State. College southpaws tend to breeze through the lower minors, but Jacobs profile feels robust enough to quickly move through the Tigers system.
Devin Fitz-Gerald was acquired in the deal that sent MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers. DFG was on the fast-track to Top prospect status before a shoulder injury cut his pro debut short in 2025. Now healthy, he has not missed a beat in Hi-A and looks like one of the most polished hitters for his age. The power is still lagging behind his pre-injury level and he is more polished from the left side of the plate.
Josiah Hartshorn, Taitn Gray, and Josh Hammond are all 2025 draft selections out of high school who have taken pro ball by storm. Hartshorn is an extremely patient switch-hitter with plus contact skills who is displaying an intriguing amount of pop. Taitn Gray is arguably the strongest teenager in MiLB at the moment, flashing plus exit velocities from both sides of the plate while making consistent, and loud, contact. Hammond is an excellent athlete who projects to be a strong defender on the left-side of the infield with considerable pop.
Top 100 Risers
This list is not all the risers, but it is the most notable. The change in rank is mainly fuelled by their own performance, however, a portion of the movement can be attributed to the 10 prospects who graduated since the last update.
Jesús Made makes his ascent to #1. He just turned 19 last week and is holding his own at AA with advanced power metrics and polished bat-to-ball skills. There was not a question at who would be the top prospect in baseball following Konnor Griffin’s graduation — Made is the top dog until further notice.
Seth Hernandez is in the running for the top pitching prospect in baseball. He was utterly dominant in his Lo-A stint and recently earned a promotion to Hi-A. He wields an advanced 4-pitch mix headlined by triple-digit heat and improving command. He has #1 Prospect in MLB talent.
Franklin Arias and Ethan Salas are going to the moon. Both players have been known for their refined hit tool and strong defensive skillset with a lack of power limiting their upside. Both players have rewritten the script this season and are flexing drastically improved slugging results with the exit velocities to support it. Arias and Salas are now Top 10 prospects and have the skillset to rise further.
George Lombard keeps on chugging along in the Yankees system. Now in AAA, Lombard looks the part of an everyday shortstop whose carrying tools are a sharp eye, above average power, and a smooth glove. His contact rates have also improved, polishing up his weakest trait.
I wanted to raise Caleb Bonemer up further, but my concerns about his contact metrics and seemingly eventual move to 3B made me temper my optimism. He is laying waste to Hi-A at the moment thanks to plus raw power and a ludicrous number of pulled fly balls. The biggest knock against Bonemer is his documented struggles against breaking balls which keeps him just outside the Top 10.
Eli Willits has wiped out doubts regarding his limited power translating to pro ball with a very strong start in Lo-A. He is flexing a refined hit tool at just 18-years-old and producing solid quality of contact despite the lack of high-end exit velocities. He will be 18 for the entirety of the season which gives him plenty of time to continue filling out his frame as he develops.
Travis Bazzana and Joe Mack each made their MLB debuts since the last update following strong showings in AAA. Bazzana displayed more consistent power while Mack patched up his poor hit tool that capped his offensive upside.
Mike Sirota has not had much time to build up his stock since his return from a knee injury that kept him out since last July, but he deserves a correction on his rank. He is dominating Hi-A once again while posting plus-plus exit velocities in addition to excellent swing decisions and above average contact rates. This profile just screams future MLB slugger.
Braden Montgomery and A.J. Ewing hit the ground running in AA to start the season and recently earned promotions to AAA. Montgomery continues to flex elite power which gives him the edge over the more contact-oriented Ewing. Both profile as strong defenders in center field and are expected to join their respective teams during the summer.
JoJo Parker and Theo Gillen received substantial bumps in rank thanks to their performances thus far. Although Parker has cooled off recently, the quality of contact he has demonstrated pairs wonderfully with his patience and advanced hit tool. He has the helium to rise much higher in following updates. Gillen is displaying exceptional raw power to supplement his steady plate presence, already eclipsing last season’s home run total.
Wei-En Lin and Christian Zazueta are two of my favourite pitching prospects. Wei-En Lin is one of the youngest pitchers in the upper minors and he has been nearly unhittable this season. He has displayed advanced strike throwing while weaving in his 4-pitch mix. Zazueta is striking out the world in Hi-A thanks to his electric fastball.
Luis Lara continues to excel in AAA thanks to his exceptional bat-to-ball skills and budding power. He has already smashed his career high in HR and is knocking on the door of the Majors with one of the best gloves in MiLB.
Top 100 Fallers
Bryce Rainer was poised to be a Top 10 prospect following his strong pro debut, but a shoulder injury has put a dent in his stock. His swing looks a lot stiffer and he is struggling to make contact this season. I would expect his mechanics to improve as he distances himself from surgery, but for now it is a waiting game until he climbs back up the rankings.
Eduardo Quintero is more of a correction. I will admit I drank his Kool-Aid a bit too much in the offseason despite my bearish view on the Dodgers outfielder given his flatter bat path. He is still hitting the ball hard and making more contact, but the quality of that contact has taken a nosedive this season.
Cooper Pratt signed an extension last month but still finds himself struggling in AAA. His contact skills remain strong and his glove is silky smooth, but the limited progression of his power fuels this drop in rank.
Bishop Letson has been disappointing this season after an impressive showing in Spring Training where he showcased improved velocity and better secondaries. He is struggling to throw strikes and allowing hard contact.
Jarlin Susana receives an injury correction which should have been applied in an earlier update. Susana is expected to miss most of the 2026 season following surgery to repair a lat tear and he joins Travis Sykora at the end of the Top 100.
Dropped Out of Top 100
Three pitchers have fallen out of my Top 100, and mostly for similar reasons. Brody Hopkins has some of the best stuff in MiLB, but his command continues to be detrimental to his profile. He looks like a reliever long term, which knocks him out of the Top 100. Gage Stanifer follows suit with inconsistent strike throwing. Jaxon Wiggins is currently dealing with an elbow issue, which is never good. I was already skeptical about his ability to sustain a starter’s workload, and this development does not help.
