A quick reminder: This is ONLY players who have Rookie of the Year MLB eligibility, and ONLY a look at potential help for 2026.
That out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season.
1. Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners
2026 stats: 7 G, .269/.296/.462, 1 HR, 0 SB, 0 BB, 10 SO at Triple-A Tacoma.
Konnor Griffin is in the majors — quicker than anticipated, not that we’re complaining — and Emerson now belongs in the top spot. It is worth noting, however, that the infielder exited Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot and didn’t play Sunday, but imaging revealed no structural damage, so he should be back soon. The 20-year-old has above-average tools across the board, and while he hasn’t drawn a free pass yet, talent evaluators rave about his feel for hitting. Emerson should be up helping the Mariners in the coming weeks, and helping fantasy managers in the process.
2. Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
2025 stats: 6 G, .200/.333/.250, 0 HR, 0 SB, 3 BB, 3 SO at Triple-A St. Paul.
Jenkins has gotten off to a slow start, and went just 1-for-11 in his three games against Worcester. It’s tough to be too concerned about a sample that small, and Jenkins is one of the best outfield prospects in baseball with the chance to hit for average, power and steal a good amount of bases for good measure. The Twins do not appear to be contenders in 2026, and a chance to get Jenkins — a presumed core member of their rebuild — comfortable at the highest level. It would be an upset if he isn’t in the majors before the end of June, and it would not be surprising if he was a quality fantasy option once that promotion takes place.
3. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants
2025 stats: 9 G, .281/.477/.375, 0 HR, 0 SB, 9 BB, 13 SO at Triple-A Sacramento.
Eldridge still is waiting on his first homer of the 2026 campaign, but it’s just a matter of time. There are few — if any — prospects who have more raw power, and while he is someone that will pile up the strikeouts because of his willingness to hit late in counts and his long limbs, there’s enough hard contact to believe that he can help a smidgen in the average category as well. The Giants’ offense looked terrible to begin the 2026 season, and it wouldn’t be a major upset if they turned to someone like Eldridge to help give it a boost. It just might help fantasy managers in turn.
4. Peyton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox
2025 stats: 2 G, 10 IP, 4.50 ERA, 0 HR, 3 BB, 13 SO at Triple-A Worcester.
Tolle’s first start wasn’t great, but his second one was a better indicator of what type of talent the southpaw possesses. He worked six innings of one-run baseball while striking out seven against one walk against the St. Paul lineup while showing off the swing-and-miss potential along with the ability to command those offerings. Boston’s rotation is currently full, but Tolles’ arsenal is too good to imagine he’ll be in the minors for the majority of 2026. There’s a lot of fantasy intrigue in his left arm.
5. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 stats: 9 G, .257/.395/.429, 0 HR, 8 BB, 13 SO at Triple-A Reno.
There’s a few prospects who could go in this “final” slot, but we’ll go with a prospect that offers some ceiling and (perceived) floor in Waldschmidt. The 31st pick of the 2024 draft — a selection the D-backs acquired because of Corbin Carroll winning Rookie of the Year – Waldschmidt has an outstanding approach at the plate, and while that leads to hitting late in counts, he makes enough hard contact to believe he’ll hit for some average. There’s not elite power in his bat, but enough to believe he can have a 20-25 homer pace when the Diamondbacks give him a chance. Whether that happens in 2026 is a bit of a guess, but he looks ready to roll, and fantasy managers should keep him on their radar.
Around the minors:
After starting the year just 1-for-10, Jesús Made showed why he’s considered by many to be the best prospect still in the minors Sunday. He went 4-for-5, homered and stole a base for good measure in the finale against Rocket City. It’s worth noting that Made is still just 18 until May, and the fact that he’s already figuring out — figuring out seems like an understatement — Double-A pitching is pretty incredible. Every tool has a chance to be plus or 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and while it seems more likely that he’s a 2027 option than a 2026 one for the Brewers, the latter can’t be ruled out. He has a chance to be special.
Kade Anderson made his professional debut Friday, and it couldn’t have gone much better. He worked four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, and while he did allow five hits, three of those were of the infield variety. While Anderson doesn’t have an elite fastball in terms of velocity, it plays up because of its carry, and he commands that pitch and three quality secondary offerings exceptionally well. The Mariners’ rotation is full even with Bryce Miller currently on the injured list, but Anderson’s stuff/command is so good that it will not be a smidgen of a surprise if he forces his way into a role with Seattle.
Seth Hernandez also made his first professional start, and the fellow 2025 first-rounder also shined in that debut. He fired three scoreless innings for Low-A Bradenton against Dunedin, and he struck out eight while scattering three hits and not issuing a walk. The 19-year-old can get his heater up to 98 mph, and he complements that fastball with a swing-and-miss change and a quality slider and curve to keep hitters honest. On top of that, Hernandez has one of the most athletic deliveries you’ll see, and he repeats that exceptionally well; particularly for a hurler who doesn’t turn 20 until June. This is very much a long-term play, but Hernandez has ace potential, and it’s worth noting that the Pirates have done pretty darn well in developing arms as of late. The sky is the limit.
If James Tibbs III played for a different organization, he’d probably be in the top five of the list above. He plays for the Dodgers, so it’s hard to see a clear path, but he may just mow one based on how he’s playing right now. Even after going 0-for-3 Sunday, Tibbs is hitting .474/.535/1.184 on the season for Triple-A Oklahoma City, and he’s homered seven times. Three of those roundtrippers came Saturday, and he also added a single in that contest. A first-round pick who has been traded twice — once in the Rafael Devers blockbuster, once for Dustin May — Tibbs has really tapped into his power, and he’s always shown a quality approach at the plate as seen in 90 walks in his 2025 campaign. Tibbs isn’t THIS good, but no one is. He profiles as a solid — if unspectacular — corner outfielder who can hit 30 homers and get on at a quality clip. You can do a lot worse.
The Giants have some of the best young shortstop prospects in baseball, and because of it, Johnny Level has gone a bit under the radar. That’s not going to be the case for very long. Level has been outstanding to begin 2026, and after going 4-for-5 with a homer Saturday, he’s now slashing .538/.600/.846 with a homer and a pair of steals for Low-A San Jose. Level’s best tools are on defense, but that’s more compliment to his glove than insult to his stick. He’s a switch-hitter who should be able to hit for average from both sides of the plate — assuming he keeps progressing, of course — and there’s solid power in his bat to go with that. Add in plus speed, and it’s feasible Level is a 20-homer, 30-stolen base player who sticks up the middle. Fantasy managers know how valuable that can be, and while he’s at least a couple years away, the talent level — pun intended — makes him worth the wait.
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