Post-Draft 2026 Prospect Rankings Update
Welcome to the Post-Draft update of my 2026 Top 100 MLB Prospects. Unlike other in-season updates, I was not afraid to make drastic changes. This includes significant movement for certain players, including those that fell outside the Top 100 completely.
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Graduated From Top 100
Here are the prospects that have graduated since the last update.
New Faces in the Top 100
Ah, fresh meat! This group of new Top 100 prospects are mainly recent draftees and players that continue to stand out among their peers this season.
Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, and Vahn Lackey were the clear-cut Top 3 players in their class and are the only batters from the 2026 draft to crack my Top 100 post-draft update. Cholowsky was viewed as the top prospect in the draft early in the cycle and that held as he was taken with the #1 pick by the White Sox and landed a record-breaking signing bonus. Emerson is the best prep player in the class and his balanced skillset and high floor made him a lock to debut in the top half of my rankings. Lackey projects to be an above-average hitter with elite throwing ability behind the plate — a set of traits that garnered him a Top 30 ranking before making his pro debut.
Kaelen Culpepper has defied my expectations. I was pessimistic about the Twins shortstop due to his lacklustre swing decisions, but he has improved his chase rate substantially this season. This improved approach has allowed Culpepper to consistently translate his plus bat speed and above-average bat-to-ball skills into in-game results, which he further supplements with agile defending on the left side of the infield.
Cam Cannarella started his season on a strong note before suffering a fractured left wrist in mid-April which forced him to miss over a month of action. Since his return near the end of May, he has been one of the best hitters in MiLB, posting a 1.028 OPS while surging his way up from Hi-A to AAA. His strength has gradually returned after a shoulder injury sapped his power during his final year with Clemson. He also grades out as an above-average runner and defender in centerfield. Cannarella is now one step away from the Majors and is the front-runner for being the first player from the 2025 draft to make their debut.
Jackson Flora is the lone pitcher from the 2026 draft class to join these rankings — a characteristic that will likely hold for most outlets. Flora has a refined 4-pitch mix, can consistently throw strikes with his most utilized offerings, and has the physical capabilities to sustain a starter’s workload. He projects as a mid-rotation arm and has the tools to quickly move through the Giants system.
Axiel Plaz was a prospect who I highlighted earlier this season thanks to his staggering raw power and average bat-to-ball skills. While his results have been good rather than great this season, it is important to note that he is still just 20 years old at Hi-A. His underlying batted ball and expected metrics rival that of other top prospects and made me comfortable placing him in the Top 100.
Caden Bodine continues to flash one of the sharpest hit tools in MiLB while remaining a stable force behind the plate. He is posting the lowest strikeout rate of any player in full-season ball thanks to a miniscule whiff rate and he projects to be the Rays’ long-term solution at catcher alongside fellow catching farmhand Nathan Flewelling.
Felnin Celesten shook off the injury bug that stalled his teenage years as a pro and is back to looking like one of the top prospects of his IFA class. Despite being viewed more as raw talent than polished product at the moment, there are not any glaring holes in his game. This makes Celesten an intriguing prospect to follow in the Mariners system and one that could continue to catapult up rankings.
Xavier Neyens epitomises an archetype of batter that I cannot get enough of — the uber-patient, low-contact, big-power slugger. Neyens wields one of the loudest bats of any teenage prospect and he excelled at Lo-A before earning a well-deserved promotion to Hi-A following the All-Star break. I am banking on his quality of contact and sharp eye to sustain his production and counter the drawbacks of his shaky hit tool.
Emil Morales continues to excel as a teenager in full-season ball and is projected to complete his first 20-HR campaign of his pro career. His power rivals that of his peers and he has the capability and athleticism to stick on the left side of the infield. Morales’ production as a teenager and sky-high power upside lay a strong foundation for one of the most exciting young prospects in baseball.
Marek Houston has enjoyed a productive pro debut supported by plenty of contact, a sharp eye, and stupendous defense at shortstop. Houston’s glove and sound hit tool provide him a lofty floor and the traits to quickly move through the Twins system, although his limited power upside prevented him from a steeper climb up the rankings.
Owen Murphy made a steady climb up my rankings following his return from Tommy John Surgery last season which ultimately culminated in a spot in my Top 100 just before he made his MLB debut. His arsenal is headlined by a plus fastball and a plethora of secondaries which he elevates further thanks to above-average command.
Kendry Chourio and Ramon Marquez are a pair of young righties who are making easy work of Hi-A after dominating Lo-A earlier this season. Chourio is the sole 18-year-old at the level and can hit the upper 90s while exhibiting control beyond his years. Marquez possesses one of the best pitches in MiLB with his changeup and his strikeout numbers are simply jaw-dropping. I have qualms about both their projectability, so they slot in near the backend of the list.
Luke Adams, Carter Graham, and Josiah Ragsdale represent a tier composed of bat-first prospects who are producing at a level that is impossible to ignore. Adams is the most refined hitter of the group. He has made significant power gains since his draft selection and has consistently dominated every level of the minors while being one of the youngest players at each stop. Graham completely flipped his career around and is posting absurdly stellar underlying metrics. I am buying into Graham’s breakout — even considering age and level, his quality of contact and all-around approach is extremely difficult to fabricate. I firmly believe he is one of the best hitters in the Reds system and deserves to be treated as such. Ragsdale rounds out this group with his surge through the Brewers system. He transformed from a speedy, contact-oriented hitter to a slugger who continues to decimate MiLB pitching. If he can improve against LHP, watch out!
Top 100 Risers
This list is not exhaustive, but it highlights the most notable movers. The change in rank is mainly fuelled by individual performance, though a portion of the movement can be attributed to the 8 prospects who graduated since the last update.
Franklin Arias is the new #1 prospect in baseball! Arias’ power growth this season has been outstanding and complements his stellar hit tool. He projects to be a strong defender up the middle while also being a decent runner. I know Jesus Made is viewed as the consensus #1 prospect, but there was simply too much to like about Arias to keep him from the top spot.
Rainiel Rodriguez and Eli Willits jump their way into the Top 10 after they continue to excel against competition many years older than them. Rodriguez has seen his power metrics trend upwards in AA and Willits is exhibiting an incredibly advanced approach and budding power.
Sebastian Walcott is back! After undergoing Tommy John Surgery prior to the start of the season, Walcott is making up for lost time. He has already smacked 4 HR in a handful of weeks and is flashing the elite raw power that painted him as a top prospect in baseball. It will take a larger sample to determine if he can consistently tap into more loft, but the early signs are encouraging.
Zyhir Hope got knocked down my rankings earlier this season as he failed to consistently translate his plus raw power into game action, which yielded middling results. He has since corrected his production and has performed like one of the best prospects in MiLB since the start of June. Notably, Hope’s contact rates have improved substantially this season and his expected results indicate that he has yet to reach his offensive ceiling.
Arjun Nimmala has found his groove in AA after missing 5 weeks with a right hamstring injury he suffered at the end of May. The improved contact rates that he flashed last season are now accompanied with elite raw power (108.2 mph EV90, 49.7 HardHit%) and paint him as a more complete hitter. With his defense improving, it feels like a matter of time before Nimmala is considered one of the best shortstops in MiLB.
Eduardo Quintero worried me at the start of the season. Through May his contact quality was below average and he was failing to lift his hardest hits. While the latter continues to be a point of contention, Quintero has been on fire since the start of June and is flashing an impressive blend of contact, patience, and power. Tapping into more loft will be key moving forward.
Tate Southisene has quickly moved through the Braves system, reaching AA in just over 100 professional games. He is composed beyond his years — he is adept at identifying pitches and driving them all over the field with intent. He is posting some of the best underlying metrics of any teenager in MiLB while being a menace on the basepaths. Unfortunately, he was placed on the IL after he was hit by a pitch in his AA debut.
Christian Zazueta and Gage Wood were two of my favourite non-Top 100 arms entering this season due to their exceptional fastballs, and they continue to gradually rise in my rankings. They have both worked their way to AA where they are posting gaudy strikeout rates while limiting walks. They are comfortably in my top 10 pitching prospects.
Taitn Gray’s climb up my rankings stalled after he missed nearly two months recovering from elbow surgery. Although there were concerns that his power would be negatively impacted upon his return, he quelled those worries with a productive rehab stint. His innate power as an 18-year-old switch-hitter is special as he consistently posts plus exit velocities from both sides of the plate.
Charlie Condon is waiting patiently in Albuquerque for his promotion to the Majors. He has hit 20 HR on the season while flexing plus power and one of the most patient approaches in the minors. Like most sluggers, there are some swing-and-miss concerns, but Condon has the makings of an everyday power hitter who should easily flourish in Coors Field.
Braylon Doughty takes another large leap this update after a significant climb in June. Now in AA, Doughty’s reputation as a command artist continues to hold up, and his stuff has taken another step this season.
Angel Genao is knocking on the door to the majors and his production at AAA warrants a bump up my rankings. His plus hit tool and solid defense on the left side of the infield give him an excellent foundation to be an MLB regular, although his inability to consistently lift the ball caps his power projection.
Cam Caminiti is yet another Braves prospect shooting up the list. The teenage southpaw has added two pitches this season — a high-80s cutter and a two-plane curveball — to flesh out his arsenal. He can consistently throw each of his offerings for strikes and is holding his own against Hi-A hitters.
Dax Kilby flashed incredible potential in his short Lo-A stint shortly following his draft selection last season, but a major hamstring injury has limited him to just a handful of games this season. His return pushes him slightly up the list.
Top 100 Fallers
River Ryan is now 28 years old and finds himself on the injured list once again. He has all the tools to be a successful major league starter, but he has yet to consistently stay on the mound throughout his career. His ceiling alone warrants his lofty ranking, but he will continue to slide if he cannot stay healthy.
Edward Florentino was one of my favourite breakout prospects last season, earning a Top 20 ranking this time last season. His steep upper-cut swing oozes home run potential, and while he has produced strong slugging numbers this season, his contact rates have taken a nosedive. I still like the profile, but he will need to clean up the strikeouts before returning to the top of the list.
Luis Peña was dealt a myriad of injuries and ailments this season. He has simply missed too much time and his power has failed to progress in a meaningful way. I am going to chalk this year down mainly as a write-off, but he still drops because others have leaped ahead of him.
Emmanuel Rodriguez has fluctuated constantly in my rankings. At his peak, I firmly believe he is one of the premier power prospects in MLB and has an all-star calibre ceiling. Unfortunately, his injury history has piled up to the point where it is impossible to ignore. He is currently rehabbing in Lo-A and hopefully can make his MLB debut later this summer.
George Klassen and Carlos Lagrange fall in the same bucket. Both pitchers are electric and wield some of the nastiest stuff in baseball, but their futures as starters remain unclear. Klassen has found his groove in AAA recently, but his walk rates toe the line of being unsustainable in a rotation. Lagrange is currently nursing an injury and had been shifted to the bullpen before then to potentially bolster the Yankees’ relief corps.
Devin Fitz-Gerald was hastily rushed to AA after a dynamic start in Hi-A where he hit 12 HR in 51 games. Since his promotion, he has hit just 1 HR and has seen his underlying metrics uniformly decline. I don’t want to be too tough on Devin as his mother was recently diagnosed with cancer. I wish her a swift recovery and it is important to remember that baseball is as much of a mental game as it is physical. These players are human.
Aidan Miller has yet to play a game this season due to a recurring back issue, and I am not even sure if he has swung a bat this year. I considered Miller a Top 10 prospect in the pre-season, but he will remain at the backend of the list until he proves that he is healthy enough to get back on the field.
Dasan Hill sees the biggest non-injury drop in this update. After an impressive pro debut in 2025, I had high hopes for the towering Twins southpaw, but his strike-throwing collapsed and he is posting one of the highest walk rates in Hi-A. I am still a fan of his profile — lefties that throw 100 mph are always valuable — but he looks more like a reliever at the moment.
Wei-En Lin underwent Tommy John Surgery on June 30 and may not pitch in MiLB until 2028. This was a massive blow to one of the highest-climbing prospects this season. Like the other out-for-season players, he slots in at the end of the list.
Dropped Out of Top 100
Jacob Reimer and Jett Williams were a pair of prospects who thrived in the Mets system last season. Reimer was one of the most productive hitters in 2025 after he exhibited a refined approach, solid contact skills, plus power, and a potential long-term future at third base. He has failed to replicate any part of that success this year, although there is still some optimism regarding his quality of contact metrics. Williams has followed suit with an underwhelming performance in AAA. His typical pull-air approach is less prevalent this season and he has struggled to consistently tap into his power.
Ronny Cruz catapulted himself onto the Top 100 list after a torrid start to the season, but he has cooled off tremendously. He has a dynamic set of tools to make his way back onto the Top 100, but his issues with swing-and-miss and chasing yield an extremely volatile profile at the moment.
Tanner McDougal is one of the hardest-throwing starters in the minors, but shaky command, a forearm issue, and the White Sox’ playoff aspirations have pigeonholed him into a short-inning role. He has the build to return to starting, but he slips off the list in the meantime.
Jack Wenninger joined the Top 100 on the heels of solid command and improved velocity on his fastball. Both of those characteristics have faded this season and have resulted in an underwhelming year in AAA for the Mets righty.
John Gil hopped onto the Top 100 in the June update, but his production has steadily declined since. His underlying metrics have suffered a similar fate and now he finds himself out indefinitely with a hand injury.
Bishop Letson’s calling card was his electric fastball and above-average strike-throwing accompanied by dynamic release traits, including upper-echelon extension and a low 3/4 release. While his profile remains exciting, he has seen his walk rate spike significantly and his strikeouts have faded.
Kyson Witherspoon is a crafty righty who has the capacity to carry a deep arsenal, however, he slides off the list due to concerns surrounding his fastball. He can dial it up to 98 mph, but it has struggled to generate whiffs and mitigate damage this season.
Jake Bloss and Charlee Soto were given some grace following their return from major injuries that wiped out their 2025 seasons. In their brief return, neither was able to replicate their pre-injury stuff that earned them a spot on the Top 100. Coincidentally, both pitchers find themselves back on the IL and off the list.
Check out last week’s Prospect Parade for more of the hottest prospects in the minors, and my updated Top 100 Prospects list. Follow along with each player’s data all season on their individual player pages.
For more prospect coverage: underrated prospects in the farm systems of deadline buyers, the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline Primer, and the interactive Top 100 Prospects list.
