Every MLB Team's Top Prospect at Each Position in 2026
Simply comparing the talent level of one farm system to another does not always tell the full story, as an organization can be loaded at one or two spots on the diamond, but lack the all-around depth to serve as a true pipeline for the MLB roster.
With that in mind, we've highlighted the top prospect at each position for every MLB organization, essentially selecting a preseason "All-Prospect" team ahead of the 2026 campaign.
A "100" emoji alongside a player's name indicates he is currently part of Bleacher Report's Top 100 prospect list, which was last updated at the start of the offseason on Nov. 14.
To provide a clear long-term picture, some prospects were moved off their current position to a spot that better fits their skillset and organization needs.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Carlos Virahonda
1B Demetrio Crisantes
2B Tommy Troy
3B LuJames Groover
SS Kayson Cunningham 💯
OF Ryan Waldschmidt 💯
OF Slade Caldwell 💯
OF Druw Jones
RHP Patrick Forbes
LHP Kohl Drake
Quick Thoughts: The D-backs system is thin on pitching talent, and the top arms are all recent additions, with right-hander Patrick Forbes taken No. 29 overall in the 2025 draft, while lefties Kohl Drake and Mitch Bratt were acquired last summer in the deal that sent Merrill Kelly to the Rangers.
Athletics
2 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Davis Diaz
1B Tommy White
2B Joshua Kuroda-Grauer
3B Johenssy Colome
SS Leo De Vries 💯
OF Henry Bolte
OF Devin Taylor
OF Gavin Turley
RHP Braden Nett
LHP Gage Jump 💯
Quick Thoughts: Infielder Johenssy Colome received the second-largest bonus of the 2026 international period at $4 million, and while he will likely start his pro career at shortstop, his projectable 6'2" frame, plus power and elite arm strength should make him a clean fit at the hot corner once he physically matures.
Atlanta Braves
3 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Nick Montgomery
1B David McCabe
2B Cody Miller
3B John Gil
SS Alex Lodise
OF Tate Southisene
OF Diego Tornes
OF Conor Essenburg
RHP JR Ritchie 💯
LHP Cam Caminiti 💯
Quick Thoughts: The Braves system is extremely pitching-skewed, and aside from top 2025 draft picks Alex Lodise and Tate Southisene, most of their position player picks here profile more as organizational depth than future impact players. One to keep an eye on is outfielder Conor Essenburg, who was given an above-slot $1.2 million bonus in the fifth round of the 2025 draft.
Baltimore Orioles
4 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Samuel Basallo 💯
1B Ethan Anderson
2B Aron Estrada
3B Wilfri De La Cruz
SS Wehiwa Aloy
OF Ike Irish 💯
OF Dylan Beavers 💯
OF Nate George
RHP Esteban Mejia
LHP Boston Bateman
Quick Thoughts: With Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers both expected to be part of the Orioles roster on Opening Day, the system is starting to skew toward lower-level prospects on the rise. Nate George and Esteban Mejia enjoyed breakout 2025 seasons, and could both be consensus Top 100 prospects in the coming year.
Boston Red Sox
5 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Gerardo Rodriguez
1B Nathan Hickey
2B Henry Godbout
3B Dorian Soto
SS Franklin Arias 💯
OF Justin Gonzales
OF Miguel Bleis
OF Harold Rivas
RHP Kyson Witherspoon 💯
LHP Payton Tolle 💯
Quick Thoughts: After years of struggling to develop pitching talent, the Red Sox now have Payton Tolle, Kyson Witherspoon, Connelly Early and newcomer Jake Bennett all comfortably among their top 10 prospects. Meanwhile, the position player side of things has started to skew younger, with 20-year-old Franklin Arias now the clear top dog.
Chicago Cubs
6 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Moisés Ballesteros 💯
1B Jonathon Long
2B Juan Cabada
3B Pedro Ramirez
SS Jefferson Rojas 💯
OF Kevin Alcantara
OF Ethan Conrad
OF Kane Kepley
RHP Jaxon Wiggins 💯
LHP Pierce Coppola
Quick Thoughts: The Cubs traded from an area of strength when they shipped Owen Caissie to the Marlins as the centerpiece of the Edward Cabrera blockbuster, and their up-and-coming outfield contingent was further bolstered by the additions of Ethan Conrad (No. 17 overall) and Kane Kepley (No. 56 overall) at the top of their 2025 draft haul.
Chicago White Sox
7 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Landon Hodge
1B Ryan Galanie
2B Sam Antonacci
3B Caleb Bonemer 💯
SS Billy Carlson 💯
OF Braden Montgomery 💯
OF Jaden Fauske
OF George Wolkow
RHP Tanner McDougal
LHP Noah Schultz 💯
Quick Thoughts: The White Sox youth movement kicked into gear during the 2025 season, and more young talent is on the way with Braden Montgomery, Noah Schultz and Tanner McDougal all on track to debut at some point during the upcoming season. With a .378/.505/.541 line in 93 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League, Sam Antonacci raised his prospect stock considerably.
Cincinnati Reds
8 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Alfredo Duno 💯
1B Cam Collier 💯
2B Sal Stewart 💯
3B Tyson Lewis 💯
SS Steele Hall
OF Hector Rodriguez
OF Mason Neville
OF Adolfo Sanchez
RHP Rhett Lowder 💯
LHP Tristan Smith
Quick Thoughts: The Reds have a lot of moving parts on their infield, with Sal Stewart and Cam Collier both best utilized at first base, while Tyson Lewis, Steele Hall and Edwin Arroyo are all currently manning shortstop. Some long-term projection can be made as far as who fits best at other spots, and Stewart might serve as the big league club's primary DH to begin 2026.
Cleveland Guardians
9 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Cooper Ingle
1B Ralphy Velazquez
2B Travis Bazzana 💯
3B Dean Curley
SS Angel Genao 💯
OF Chase DeLauter 💯
OF Jaison Chourio
OF Jace LaViolette
RHP Khal Stephen
LHP Parker Messick
Quick Thoughts: The glove-first middle infield tandem of Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias figures to get a serious push from Travis Bazzana this spring, especially if the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft puts together a strong run with Team Australia in the World Baseball Classic. Angel Genao also reached Double-A last year and could push to debut during the second half with a strong start.
Colorado Rockies
10 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Cole Messina
1B Charlie Condon 💯
2B Roldy Brito
3B Ethan Hedges
SS Ethan Holliday 💯
OF Cole Carrigg
OF Robert Calaz
OF Jared Thomas
RHP Brody Brecht
LHP Griffin Herring
Quick Thoughts: With a 50-hit, 60-run profile and a .371/.444/.516 line in 365 plate appearances between rookie ball and Single-A in his stateside debut, Roldy Brito is a prospect on the rise, though it remains to be seen if second base or the outfield will be his long-term home. As his 6'4", 210-pound frame continues to fill out, Ethan Holliday might be destined for third base, but shortstop is where he'll play to start his pro career.
Detroit Tigers
11 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Thayron Liranzo 💯
1B Josue Briceño 💯
2B Max Anderson
3B Bryce Rainer 💯
SS Kevin McGonigle 💯
OF Max Clark 💯
OF Cris Rodriguez
OF Jackson Strong
RHP Jaden Hamm
LHP Andrew Sears
Quick Thoughts: Thayron Liranzo and Josue Briceño are both bat-first catching prospects who could end up moving out of the crouch at the next level, and with 2025 Gold Glove winner Dylan Dingler controllable through 2030, that might be necessary anyway. Liranzo has a better defensive profile thanks to his strong throwing arm, while shifting Briceño to first base would help expedite his superior bat.
Houston Astros
12 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Walker Janek
1B Will Bush
2B Brice Matthews 💯
3B Albert Fermin
SS Xavier Neyens
OF Kevin Alvarez
OF Joseph Sullivan
OF Ethan Frey
RHP Miguel Ullola
LHP Colton Gordon
Quick Thoughts: The Astros have one of the thinnest systems in baseball right now, but significant investments in outfielder Kevin Alvarez ($2 million in 2025) and Albert Fermin ($2.3 million in 2026) could give them a pair of future impact bats. Outfielder Zach Cole could break camp with a spot on the Opening Day roster, but the three outfielders listed above all boast higher long-term ceilings.
Kansas City Royals
13 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Carter Jensen 💯
1B Brett Squires
2B Sean Gamble
3B Josh Hammond
SS Yandel Ricardo
OF Carson Roccaforte
OF Asbel Gonzalez
OF Angeibel Gomez
RHP Kendry Chourio
LHP David Shields
Quick Thoughts: The Royals are an odd farm system to assess in that three of their top 10 prospects—Carter Jensen, Blake Mitchell and Ramon Ramirez—are catchers who lack positional versatility. A strong September debut has pushed Jensen to the top of that group, and he is on track to start the season as Salvador Perez's backup.
Los Angeles Angels
14 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Gabriel Davalillo
1B Ryan Nicholson
2B Jeyson Horton
3B Joswa Lugo
SS Denzer Guzman
OF Nelson Rada
OF Hayden Alvarez
OF Raudi Rodriguez
RHP Tyler Bremner 💯
LHP Johnny Slawinski
Quick Thoughts: With a priority placed on MLB readiness in recent draft classes, the Angels top prospect list is lacking, while first-round picks Nolan Schanuel and Christian Moore have already exhausted their prospect status. Outfielder Raudi Rodriguez is capable of emerging as a top-tier prospect after he hit .281/.372/.470 with 49 extra-base hits and 38 steals in 125 games at Single-A last year before raking in the Arizona Fall League.
Los Angeles Dodgers
15 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Jesus Galiz
1B Ryan Ward
2B Alex Freeland 💯
3B Chase Harlan
SS Emil Morales
OF Josue De Paula 💯
OF Zyhir Hope 💯
OF Mike Sirota 💯
RHP Christian Zazueta
LHP Jackson Ferris
Quick Thoughts: For as deep and talented as their farm system is overall, the Dodgers are relatively thin at catcher and the corner infield spots, while also skewing left-handed with their top arms. Alex Freeland is the best shortstop prospect in the system, but second base is his most clear path to playing time in the majors, and he has little left to prove in the minors.
Miami Marlins
16 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Joe Mack 💯
1B Deyvison De Los Santos
2B Starlyn Caba
3B Juan Matheus
SS Aiva Arquette 💯
OF Owen Caissie 💯
OF Dillon Lewis
OF Kemp Alderman
RHP Kevin Defrank
LHP Thomas White 💯
Quick Thoughts: Outfielders Owen Caissie (via Cubs for Edward Cabrera) and Dillon Lewis (via Yankees for Ryan Weathers) were both acquired this offseason, and could bring some much-needed impact to the team's outfield. Since they rolled out the trio of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna in the outfield, production has been hard to come by there.
Milwaukee Brewers
17 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Jeferson Quero 💯
1B Andrew Fischer
2B Luis Peña 💯
3B Jesús Made 💯
SS Cooper Pratt 💯
OF Jett Williams 💯
OF Luis Lara
OF Braylon Payne
RHP Logan Henderson 💯
LHP J.D. Thompson
Quick Thoughts: The Brewers prospect list took some shuffling since Jesús Made, Luis Peña and Cooper Pratt are all technically shortstops at this point in their developmental arc. Pratt won a Minor League Gold Glove in 2024 and is widely viewed as the best defender of the bunch, while Made has the power profile and arm strength to be a clean fit at the hot corner. Andrew Fischer is also technically a third baseman, though he played primarily first base at the University of Tennessee last spring.
Minnesota Twins
18 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Eduardo Tait 💯
1B Billy Amick
2B Kyle DeBarge
3B Kaelen Culpepper 💯
SS Marek Houston 💯
OF Walker Jenkins 💯
OF Emmanuel Rodriguez 💯
OF Gabriel Gonzalez
RHP Charlee Soto
LHP Dasan Hill
Quick Thoughts: Choosing the best left-handed pitching prospect in the Twins system is a difficult call between Dasan Hill, Connor Prielipp and Kendry Rojas, which is a great problem to have for a Twins team that has not always had success developing arms. Hill, 20, has the highest ceiling of the trio, and he logged a 31.1 percent strikeout rate in 62 innings between Single-A and High-A in his pro debut last year.
New York Mets
19 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Chris Suero
1B Ryan Clifford
2B Mitch Voit
3B Jacob Reimer
SS Elian Peña
OF Carson Benge 💯
OF A.J. Ewing
OF Nick Morabito
RHP Nolan McLean 💯
LHP Jonathan Santucci
Quick Thoughts: With Nolan McLean and Carson Benge both candidates for the Opening Day roster and Ryan Clifford knocking on the door after logging an .826 OPS and 29 home runs in the upper levels of the minors, the Mets have some up-and-coming talent in the pipeline to supplement their collection of pricey veterans.
New York Yankees
20 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Ediel Rivera
1B Coby Morales
2B Kaeden Kent
3B Roderick Arias
SS George Lombard Jr. 💯
OF Spencer Jones 💯
OF Dax Kilby
OF Jace Avina
RHP Carlos Lagrange
LHP Kyle Carr
Quick Thoughts: The Yankees have a wealth of high-ceiling pitching prospects, headlined by the trio of Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez and Bryce Cunningham, but things are much thinner on the position player side. Beyond George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones and 2025 first-round pick Dax Kilby, most of their intriguing talent is in the lower levels of the minors.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Alirio Ferrebus
1B Keaton Anthony
2B Aroon Escobar
3B Carson DeMartini
SS Aidan Miller 💯
OF Justin Crawford 💯
OF Dante Nori
OF Francisco Renteria
RHP Andrew Painter 💯
LHP Cade Obermueller
Quick Thoughts: The Phillies might have the most top-heavy farm system in baseball, with a steep drop-off after the headlining trio of Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford. Toolsy outfielder Dante Nori is a breakout candidate and Francisco Renteria received the second-highest bonus of the 2026 international class at $4 million, but for now, they are lacking in established top-tier talent.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Omar Alfonzo
1B Rafael Flores Jr.
2B Termarr Johnson
3B Murf Gray
SS Konnor Griffin 💯
OF Jhostynxon García 💯
OF Edward Florentino 💯
OF Esmerlyn Valdez
RHP Bubba Chandler 💯
LHP Hunter Barco 💯
Quick Thoughts: The Pirates will likely use Rafael Flores Jr. in a hybrid role, splitting time between catcher and first base, but his defensive shortcomings keep him from being a true everyday option behind the plate. Acquired out of the Yankees system last summer, there are obvious comparisons to draw to Ben Rice as a best-case scenario. After the front office opted against putting an obviously ready Paul Skenes on the Opening Day roster, expect Konnor Griffin to head back to Triple-A to begin 2026.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Ethan Salas 💯
1B Kale Fountain
2B Jhoan De La Cruz
3B Deivid Coronil
SS Jorge Quintana
OF Ryan Wideman
OF Joniel Hernandez
OF Braedon Karpathios
RHP Miguel Mendez
LHP Kash Mayfield
Quick Thoughts: The Padres have traded away their top prospects time and again in recent years, so it's not surprising that most of the players on the above list reside in the lower levels of the minors. Top left-handed pitcher is a good debate between Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft, who are the clear top two prospects in the system, but Mayfield gets the edge for now based on his proven production.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Daniel Susac
1B Bryce Eldridge 💯
2B Gavin Kilen
3B Luis Hernandez
SS Josuar Gonzalez 💯
OF Bo Davidson
OF Jhonny Level
OF Dakota Jordan
RHP Argenis Cayama
LHP Carson Whisenhunt
Quick Thoughts: The Giants have hit on Jhonny Level (2024 international class) and Josuar Gonzalez (2025 international class), and just added the highest-paid prospect in the 2026 class with a $5 million bonus for infielder Luis Hernandez. Getting impact bats to sign on to play their home games at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park is never easy, so developing some in-house would go a long way.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Luke Stevenson
1B Luis Suisbel
2B Michael Arroyo 💯
3B Colt Emerson 💯
SS Felnin Celesten
OF Lazaro Montes 💯
OF Jonny Farmelo 💯
OF Yorger Bautista
RHP Ryan Sloan 💯
LHP Kade Anderson 💯
Quick Thoughts: Even with Cole Young graduating to the majors last year, the Mariners farm system is still loaded with infield talent. Colt Emerson has the defensive chops to stick at shortstop, but his path to the majors is at third base, and if no outside addition is made before the start of spring training, he could be the guy at the hot corner on Opening Day.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Rainiel Rodriguez 💯
1B Deniel Ortiz
2B Jesus Baez
3B JJ Wetherholt 💯
SS Yairo Padilla
OF Joshua Baez
OF Nathan Church
OF Ryan Mitchell
RHP Yhoiker Fajardo
LHP Liam Doyle 💯
Quick Thoughts: Similar to Colt Emerson with the Mariners, JJ Wetherholt is probably a more natural fit at a middle infield spot, but with Nolan Arenado gone he looks like the heir apparent at third base. This system is also loaded with catching talent, as Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal are also consensus top-10 prospects, and that is a great problem to have with a leaguewide shortage of impact talent behind the plate.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Caden Bodine
1B Xavier Isaac
2B Jadher Areinamo
3B Daniel Pierce
SS Carson Williams 💯
OF Theo Gillen 💯
OF Jacob Melton
OF Slater de Brun
RHP Brody Hopkins
LHP Joe Rock
Quick Thoughts: The Rays have a long list of quality pitching prospects, and developing arms has long been the strength of the system, but they are almost exclusively right-handed hurlers. Joe Rock is on the older end of the prospect scale at 25 years old, and he made his debut last year, but he still has prospect status and stands as the best southpaw in the pipeline.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Malcolm Moore
1B Maxton Martin
2B Elorky Rodriguez
3B Sebastian Walcott 💯
SS Yolfran Castillo
OF Josh Owens
OF Dylan Dreiling
OF Paxton Kling
RHP Caden Scarborough
LHP Josh Trentadue
Quick Thoughts: The Rangers paid a steep prospect price to acquire MacKenzie Gore from the Nationals earlier this month, but they still have plenty of high-ceiling talent in the pipeline. Josh Owens is one to watch, as he was drafted as a two-way player and is the most athletic player in their system. He might start at shortstop, but his speed and athleticism might fit best in center field, assuming he ends up settling in as a full-time position player.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Edward Duran
1B Tim Piasentin
2B JoJo Parker 💯
3B Juan Sanchez
SS Arjun Nimmala 💯
OF RJ Schreck
OF Yohendrick Pinango
OF Jake Cook
RHP Trey Yesavage 💯
LHP Johnny King
Quick Thoughts: Shortstops Arjun Nimmala and JoJo Parker are the consensus top position player prospects in the Blue Jays system. Nimmala is the better bet to stick at shortstop defensively, though Parker is the safer bet to maximize his offensive potential, so their progression through the minors will be interesting to monitor. After hitting .349/.439/.565 with 28 extra-base hits in 56 games in the Dominican Summer League, slugger Juan Sanchez is on a Top 100 prospect trajectory.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
Top Prospect By Position
C Harry Ford 💯
1B Ethan Petry
2B Devin Fitz-Gerald
3B Gavin Fien
SS Eli Willits 💯
OF Seaver King
OF Sam Petersen
OF Andrew Pinckney
RHP Travis Sykora 💯
LHP Alex Clemmey
Quick Thoughts: Technically, Eli Willits, Seaver King and Gavin Fien are all shortstops, though Willits likely has the upside to be the guy who sticks at the position since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft. There's nothing wrong with stockpiling middle infield talent, and after years as one of the thinner systems in baseball, the Nationals are trending up in a big way thanks in part to the MacKenzie Gore trade.
.jpg?w=600 "Grading every NFL team's draft")
.JPEG?w=600 "Best Late-Round Draft Steals ‼️")
.jpg?w=600 "Undrafted Free Agent Tracker ✍️")
.jpg?w=600 "Day 3 Grades 🔠")
.jpg?w=600 "Mel Kiper's Top Draft Grades ✍️")