MLB Prospect Rankings for Top 10 at Each Position in 2026
A leaguewide Top 100 prospect list does not always provide context for how a prospect stacks up against his peers at the same position, and not all positions have the same depth of talent.
Ahead, we've highlighted the top 10 MLB prospects at each position, with outfielders all presented in one group and pitchers split into right-handed and left-handed. Our offseason Top 100 prospect list, published on Nov. 14, served as the starting point, though some adjustments were made to rankings along the way.
The following factors helped determine where players were ranked:
Potential: Potential trumps production a lot of the time, especially in the lower levels of the minors and with recent draft picks. Skill set and tools are often better indicators of what kind of player someone will be.
Talent: For those in the higher levels of the minors who are close to breaking into the big leagues, production and talent level were the determining factors since the players are viewed as more complete products.
Eligibility: A player must maintain rookie eligibility to be considered for inclusion. That means no more than 130 big league at-bats for position players, 50 innings for pitchers or 45 days on the active roster.
Catchers
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Top 10 Catchers
1. Samuel Basallo, BAL
2. Moises Ballesteros, CHC
3. Josue Briceño, DET
4. Alfredo Duno, CIN
5. Joe Mack, MIA
6. Eduardo Tait, MIN
7. Harry Ford, WAS
8. Carter Jensen, KC
9. Jeferson Quero, MIL
10. Ethan Salas, SD
Rising: Rainiel Rodriguez, STL
Notes
-This list figures to look significantly different with Samuel Basallo, Moises Ballesteros, Harry Ford, Carter Jensen and Jeferson Quero all in the mix to break camp with an Opening Day roster spot.
-Alfredo Duno could quickly become the new No. 1 on this list after hitting .287/.430/.518 with 32 doubles, 18 home runs and 81 RBI in a full season at the Single-A level, tallying more walks (95) than strikeouts (91) in his age-19 campaign.
-After starting his pro career with a flourish, Ethan Salas struggled to a .599 OPS in 113 games at High-A in 2024 and then had an injury-plagued campaign last year. He is still only 19 years old, but this will be a make-or-break season for his top prospect status.
First Basemen
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Top 10 First Basemen
1. Bryce Eldridge, SF
2. Sal Stewart, CIN
3. Charlie Condon, COL
4. Cam Collier, CIN
5. Ralphy Velazquez, CLE
6. Jonathan Long, CHC
7. Ryan Clifford, NYM
8. Xavier Isaac, TB
9. Tre' Morgan, TB
10. Luke Adams, MIL
Rising: Parks Harber, SF
Notes
-With a 6'7", 240-pound frame and elite raw power, Bryce Eldridge has one of the highest offensive ceilings of any prospect. However, there are some questions of how he fits for the Giants with Rafael Devers settling in at first base, and he went 3-for-28 with 13 strikeouts in his first taste of the majors.
-Charlie Condon could be in line for a breakout season after hitting .337/.439/.434 with four extra-base hits and 13 RBI in 22 games in the Arizona Fall League. After starting his pro career splitting time between third base and left field, he has settled in at first base.
-Now that Pete Alonso has signed elsewhere, there is a far more clear path to playing time for Ryan Clifford with the Mets. The prospect centerpiece in the Justin Verlander-to-Houston trade posted an .826 OPS with 29 home runs and 93 RBI in 139 games in the upper levels of the minors in 2025.
Second Basemen
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Top 10 Second Basemen
1. JJ Wetherholt, STL
2. Travis Bazzana, CLE
3. Michael Arroyo, SEA
4. Brice Matthews, HOU
5. Max Anderson, DET
6. Termarr Johnson, PIT
7. Tommy Troy, ARI
8. Aroon Escobar, PHI
9. Gavin Kilen, SF
10. JD Dix, ARI
Rising: Sam Antonacci, CWS
Notes
-Travis Bazzana (No. 1 overall) and JJ Wetherholt (No. 7 overall) were both top-10 picks in the 2024 draft, and both will get a long look for an Opening Day roster spot. Wetherholt hit .306/.421/.510 with 47 extra-base hits and 23 steals in 109 games between Double-A and Triple-A, and a shift away from shortstop is likely, with Masyn Winn blocking his path.
-Max Anderson has raked at every stop since he was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft, including an absurd .447/.609/.809 line over 69 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. His limited defensive profile becomes less and less of a talking point as he continues to hit.
-After transferring from Louisville to Tennessee for his junior season, Gavin Kilen hit .357/.441/.671 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI in 53 games last spring and climbed all the way to the No. 13 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Third Basemen
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Top 10 Third Basemen
1. Ethan Holliday, COL
2. Caleb Bonemer, CWS
3. Jacob Reimer, NYM
4. Andrew Fischer, MIL
5. Tommy White, ATH
6. Chase Harlan, LAD
7. Xavier Neyens, HOU
8. Josh Hammond, KC
9. Quentin Young, MIN
10. Jesus Baez, STL
Rising: Juan Sanchez, TOR
Notes
-Ethan Holliday (No. 1 overall), Andrew Fischer (No. 20 overall), Xavier Neyens (No. 21 overall), Josh Hammond (No. 28 overall) and Quentin Young (No. 54 overall) were all 2025 draft picks, so there is an infusion of youth at the hot corner. Holliday, Neyens, Hammond and Young will all see action at shortstop, but third base is their likely long-term landing spot.
-A fourth-round pick in 2022 who had a modest start to his pro career, Jacob Reimer took a massive step forward last season, hitting .282/.379/.491 with 32 doubles, 17 home runs and 77 RBI while reaching Double-A.
-Chase Harlan secured an above-slot deal as a third-round pick in 2024 thanks to a loud performance at the Draft Combine, then hit .269/.357/.442 with 26 extra-base hits in 68 games between rookie ball and Single-A. Power is his carrying tool, but he also showed a better approach than expected.
Shortstops
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Top 10 Shortstops
1. Kevin McGonigle, DET
2. Konnor Griffin, PIT
3. Jesús Made, MIL
4. Sebastian Walcott, TEX
5. Leo De Vries, ATH
6. Colt Emerson, SEA
7. Luis Peña, MIL
8. Eli Willits, WAS
9. Bryce Rainier, DET
10. George Lombard Jr., NYY
Rising: Josuar Gonzalez, SF
Notes
-Kevin McGonigle, Konnor Griffin and Jesús Made can be considered 1, 1A and 1B on any list of baseball's top prospects, and there is a good chance we'll see McGonigle and Griffin in the big leagues in 2026. After hitting .362/.500/.710 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 19 games to win Arizona Fall League MVP, McGonigle will get a long look this spring.
-Despite being overshadowed by Jesús Made in his own system, fellow 2024 international signee Luis Peña has a sky-high ceiling in his own right. He played the entire 2025 season at the age of 18, hitting .270/.335/.422 with 33 extra-base hits and 44 steals in 96 games between Single-A and High-A.
-Aiva Arquette (MIA), Franklin Arias (BOS), Aidan Miller (PHI), Jett Williams (MIL) and Angel Genao (CLE) joined the 10 shortstops on our list in earning a spot inside the top 50 on B/R's most recent Top 100 prospect list.
Outfielders
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Top 10 Outfielders
1. Josue De Paula, LAD
2. Max Clark, DET
3. Zyhir Hope, LAD
4. Walker Jenkins, MIN
5. Lazaro Montes, SEA
6. Carson Benge, NYM
7. Justin Crawford, PHI
8. Ike Irish, BAL
9. Emmanuel Rodriguez, MIN
10. Owen Caissie, MIA
Rising: Theo Gillen, TB
Notes
-For all the nine-figure bonuses handed out on the international market these days, Josue De Paula signed for just $397,500 in 2022, but he wasted little time emerging as a top-tier prospect in the Dodgers system. The 2025 Futures Game MVP hit .263/.406/.421 with 29 extra-base hits, 32 steals and a healthy 19.0 percent walk rate in 98 games at High-A last year.
-There is still time for them to make a splashy outside addition, but as things currently stand, Carson Benge is the leading candidate to start in left field for the Mets in 2026. A two-way player at Oklahoma State, he hit .281/.385/.472 with 25 doubles, 15 home runs, 73 RBI and 22 steals across three levels while reaching Triple-A in his first full professional season.
-Owen Caissie was the prospect centerpiece of the deal that sent Edward Cabrera from the Marlins to the Cubs earlier this month. He logged a .937 OPS with 28 doubles, 22 home runs and 55 RBI in 99 games at Triple-A, and got a taste of the big leagues for a contending team in 2025.
Right-Handed Pitchers
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Top 10 Right-Handed Pitchers
1. Bubba Chandler, PIT
2. Nolan McLean, NYM
3. Trey Yesavage, TOR
4. Andrew Painter, PHI
5. Seth Hernandez, PIT
6. Jonah Tong, NYM
7. Kyson Witherspoon, BOS
8. Jarlin Susana, WAS
9. Rhett Lowder, CIN
10. Tyler Bremner, LAA
Rising: Jaxon Wiggins, CHC
Notes
-Bubba Chandler, Nolan McLean and Trey Yesavage all showed enough down the stretch last season to be virtual locks for a spot in their team's 2026 rotation on Opening Day. Yesavage had a 3.58 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 27.2 innings in the postseason, looking like a seasoned veteran on the sport's biggest stage.
-Kyson Witherspoon went 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 124 strikeouts in 95 innings last spring at the University of Oklahoma, and his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup all grade out as plus offerings.
-After going No. 7 overall in the 2023 draft, Rhett Lowder flew through the minors to make his MLB debut down the stretch in 2024, logging a 1.17 ERA in 30.2 innings across six starts. Forearm and oblique strains kept him sidelined for the entire 2025 season, and he is now something of a post-hype sleeper.
Left-Handed Pitchers
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Top 10 Left-Handed Pitchers
1. Thomas White, MIA
2. Kade Anderson, SEA
3. Noah Schultz, CWS
4. Payton Tolle, BOS
5. Liam Doyle, STL
6. Gage Jump, ATH
7. Jamie Arnold, ATH
8. Robby Snelling, MIA
9. Hagen Smith, CWS
10. Hunter Barco, PIT
Rising: David Shields, KC
Notes
-Thomas White has a 2.65 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 190 innings in pro ball since going No. 35 overall in the 2023 draft, though his command remains a work-in-progress. His walk rate climbed from 9.2 to 13.6 percent last year, and that will need to be ironed out before he breaks through in the majors.
-Top 2025 draft picks Kade Anderson (No. 3), Liam Doyle (No. 5) and Jamie Arnold (No. 11) immediately join the cream of the crop among left-handed pitching prospects, and all three have the potential to move quickly through the minors.
-The Marlins acquired Robby Snelling in the 2024 deadline deal that sent Tanner Scott to the Padres, and buying low on the former first-round pick has quickly paid dividends. The 22-year-old had a 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 166 strikeouts in 136 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
