B/R's 2026 Minor League Player of the Year for Every MLB Organization

As the 2026 MLB season winds to a close, the minor league campaign is also wrapping up this weekend, making this the perfect time to recognize the top prospect performers of the MiLB season.

The goal is to identify each team's most impressive prospect based solely on their 2026 production. Future potential, past performance and where they stand in prospect rankings were not a factor, though age relative to level was an important data point.

Not all of these players offer the same type of long-term ceiling, but in 2026, they were the most productive prospects in their respective farm systems and have earned B/R's Minor League Player of the Year honors for their efforts.

Both position players and pitchers were eligible to be the pick for their respective team. Only players who still carry prospect status were considered, so guys who got off to a strong start in the minors and then spent enough time in the big leagues to exceed rookie eligibility limits were not eligible.

AL Central | AL East | AL West | NL Central | NL East | NL West

AL East

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Joseph Dzierwa

Baltimore Orioles: LHP Joseph Dzierwa

Stats (A+/AA): 24 GS, 2.27 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 30 BB, 149 K, 131.0 IP

With a lanky 6'8" frame, a mid-90s fastball and a terrific changeup, Dzierwa has exceeded expectations since going in the second round of the 2025 draft out of Michigan State. His stuff plays up thanks to a deceptive arm slot, and with a 2.29 ERA in 90.1 innings at Double-A he is on the fast track to Baltimore.

Boston Red Sox: SS Franklin Arias

Stats (AA/AAA): 115 G, .320/.397/.551, 53 XBH (24 HR), 9 SB

Arias hit .278/.335/.388 with eight home runs in 116 games across three minor league levels in 2025, and his offensive upside and polished glove at shortstop were enough to make him a consensus Top 100 prospect. The 20-year-old's offensive game took off this year, and now it looks like he could push for the Red Sox shortstop job next spring.

New York Yankees: IF/OF Jackson Lovich

Stats (A/A+): 112 G, .287/.361/.512, 49 XBH (24 HR), 41 SB

Lovich was a 16th-round pick in 2025 out of Missouri where he hit .357/.430/.622 with 12 home runs as a junior, albeit with 52 strikeouts in 51 games. The swing-and-miss remains, as he has a 28.6 percent strikeout rate this season, but he has filled up the stat sheet with 21 doubles, 24 home runs, 89 RBI, 86 runs scored and 41 steals while seeing time at shortstop, third base and center field.

Tampa Bay Rays: OF Theo Gillen

Stats (A+/AA): 116 G, .315/.419/.546, 52 XBH (22 HR), 44 SB

One of the best pure hitters in the minors with a 55-power, 60-speed toolbox to boot, Gillen has fully showcased the offensive upside that made him the No. 18 overall pick in the 2024 draft. His 13.9 percent walk rate and .419 on-base percentage while reaching Double-A at the age of 20 speak to how advanced his bat is already.

Toronto Blue Jays: 1B/3B Sean Keys

Stats (AA/AAA): 100 G, .294/.417/.602, 51 XBH (28 HR), 7 SB

Keys crushed 28 home runs in 100 games in the minors this season, including a gaudy .303/.422/.622 line with 14 long balls over 226 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He is a bat-first prospect with limited athleticism, but he has hit his way to the majors this year, going 9-for-45 with two home runs in limited action.

AL Central

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Marek Houston

Chicago White Sox: SS/3B Caleb Bonemer

Stats (A+/AA): 132 G, .251/.380/.550, 69 XBH (37 HR), 17 SB

Bonemer quickly established himself as a top prospect with an .874 OPS and 46 extra-base hits in 107 games between Single-A and High-A in his pro debut in 2025. His 161 strikeouts and 27.1 percent strikeout rate will need to improve as he climbs the ladder, but a 37-homer season while reaching Double-A as a 20-year-old is tough to ignore.

Cleveland Guardians: 1B Ralphy Velazquez

Stats (AA/AAA): 119 G, .293/.381/.555, 58 XBH (29 HR), 2 SB

Velazquez has some of the best raw power of any prospect, and more than enough hit tool to fully utilize it at the next level. The 21-year-old put up an absurd .356/.433/.867 line with 15 home runs in 23 games in August, and he should have a real shot at an Opening Day roster spot in 2027.

Detroit Tigers: 2B/3B Max Anderson

Stats (A/AAA): 110 G, .301/.386/.488, 42 XBH (17 HR), 5 SB

After tallying 52 extra-base hits over 122 games in the upper levels of the minors in 2025, Anderson posted an absurd .447/.609/.809 line over 69 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. He has continued to rake at Triple-A this year, and he could be the heir to Gleyber Torres at second base if he walks in free agency.

Kansas City Royals: LHP David Shields

Stats (A+): 25 GS, 4.01 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 28 BB, 139 K, 116.2 IP

Shields became the first teenage pitcher with more than 115 innings pitched and a strikeout rate above 29 percent since 2017, and just the sixth to do it since 2007, joining an exclusive group that includes Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner. He was taken in the second round of the same 2024 draft, when Jac Caglianone was the team's first-round selection.

Minnesota Twins: SS Marek Houston

Stats (A+/AA): 116 G, .312/.392/.455, 42 XBH (12 HR), 50 SB

Houston was a three-year starter at shortstop for Wake Forest and the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 draft, and while his reliable glove gave him a high floor, his bat has him looking more and more like a future everyday option. With a strikeout rate below 20 percent, a walk rate above 11 percent and 50 steals in 59 attempts, he can make an offensive impact even without plus power.

AL West

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Ryan Sloan

Athletics: OF Devin Taylor

Stats (A+/AA/AAA): 138 G, .308/.412/.488, 51 XBH (22 HR), 13 SB

After posting a 1.130 OPS with 54 home runs in three seasons at the University of Indiana, Taylor has continued to look like a future middle-of-the-order run producer. The bulk of his damage this season came at the Double-A level, where he logged a .943 OPS with 30 extra-base hits in 68 games, and he is one of 18 minor leaguers with 100 RBI.

Houston Astros: C/1B Jason Schiavone

Stats (A+/AA/AAA): 121 G, .247/.387/.526, 56 XBH (32 HR), 32 SB

Schiavone is the first catcher to record a 30/30 season in the minors since Willie Royster in 1981, and they are the only two to do it since 1946, according to MLB.com. The 23-year-old is still developing behind the plate, but he has the arm to control the running game with a 33 percent caught stealing rate over 68 starts behind the dish.

Los Angeles Angels: OF Hayden Alvarez

Stats (A/A+): 118 G, .289/.391/.456, 49 XBH (12 HR), 53 SB

Alvarez has a 55-hit, 60-power offensive profile, and room to grow into significantly more power as his 6'3", 190-pound frame fills out. He hit .296/.396/.479 with 42 extra-base hits and 46 steals in 96 games at Single-A, and has held his own over 22 games since being bumped up to High-A at the age of 19.

Seattle Mariners: RHP Ryan Sloan

Stats (AA): 22 GS, 3.73 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 16 BB, 128 K, 101.1 IP

Kade Anderson (18 GS, 1.06 ERA, 135 K, 93.1 IP) was a man among boys during his time in the minors, but he has spent the last month in the majors, and that leaves Sloan as the clear choice. A top-10 prospect leaguewide in his own right, Sloan's 128-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a 20-year-old in Double-A highlights his legitimate frontline upside.

Texas Rangers: 3B Rafe Perich

Stats (A+/AA): 116 G, .315/.401/.586, 62 XBH (27 HR), 9 SB

Perich hit .382/.492/.572 with more walks (34) than strikeouts (23) during his junior season at Lehigh, but hit just six home runs that year and 15 total in 499 plate appearances over three seasons. His power surge this year has elevated his prospect status, and he made a clean jump to Double-A with a .981 OPS and 16 home runs in 78 games since he was promoted.

NL East

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Eric Hartman

Atlanta Braves: OF Eric Hartman

Stats (A+/AA): 128 G, .249/.350/.456, 49 XBH (26 HR), 56 SB

Two years after going in the 20th round of the 2024 draft, Hartman is now the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Atlanta farm system. He turned 20 years old in June, but has already reached Double-A after hitting .273/.364/.525 with 43 extra-base hits and 38 steals in 94 games at High-A to start the year.

Miami Marlins: OF Brandon Compton

Stats (A+/AA/AAA): 124 G, .271/.411/.572, 64 XBH (35 HR), 27 SB

Compton logged the three hardest-hit balls in Draft Combine history before going in the second round of the 2025 draft, rebuilding some stock after a disappointing redshirt sophomore campaign at Arizona State. The loud raw power has been on full display this season with 35 home runs in 124 games over three levels, and while his 189 strikeouts are a red flag, they are accompanied by 103 walks.

New York Mets: SS Mitch Voit

Stats (A+/AA): 105 G, .273/.371/.431, 38 XBH (13 HR), 45 SB

Voit has actually put up better numbers since he was promoted from High-A to Double-A, hitting .347/.430/.517 with 15 extra-base hits in 29 games since making the jump. The 21-year-old has plus tools across the board and a real chance to stick at shortstop, where his athleticism and strong arm are a clean fit.

Philadelphia Phillies: SS Bryan Rincon

Stats (AA): 118 G, .267/.410/.517, 52 XBH (26 HR), 30 SB

Rincon hit .181/.304/.298 with six home runs in 84 games at High-A last season, but he has seen an offensive explosion this year. A hitter-friendly environment at Reading is part of the power surge, but he also has an .873 OPS and 11 long balls on the road. An uptick in offensive impact alongside his standout glove makes him the pick here over an impressive first full season from Gage Wood.

Washington Nationals: SS Seaver King

Stats (AA/AAA): 109 G, .306/.385/.517, 48 XBH (20 HR), 15 SB

King saw his prospect stock take a hit when he batted .244/.294/.337 in his first full professional season, but the Wake Forest product has put together the offensive season this year that helped make him the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He saw sporadic action at second base this year, and could be CJ Abrams' double play partner at some point in 2027.

NL Central

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Rainiel Rodriguez

Chicago Cubs: OF Josiah Hartshorn

Stats (A/A+/AA): 125 G, .284/.407/.518, 54 XBH (23 HR), 17 SB

The Cubs gave Hartshorn a $2 million bonus in 2025, the largest ever for a sixth-round pick, and that investment has paid immediate dividends. He does not turn 20 years old until February, but made his Double-A debut on Sept. 11 after crushing High-A pitching with a .965 OPS and 39 extra-base hits in 83 games.

Cincinnati Reds: C Alfredo Duno

Stats (A+/AA): 97 G, .281/.395/.504, 42 XBH (19 HR), 5 SB

Duno looks the part of a future franchise catcher, with an advanced hit tool, plus raw power, strong defensive skills and the intangibles needed to anchor a pitching staff. With a .322/.406/.488 line and 13 extra-base hits in 32 games since he was promoted to Double-A, the 20-year-old might be ready to push for the starting job in the majors by 2028.

Milwaukee Brewers: 3B Andrew Fischer

Stats (A+/AA): 126 G, .273/.413/.654, 68 XBH (48 HR), 9 SB

The 48 home runs that Fischer has launched this season are the highest single-season total in the minors since Ron Kittle hit 50 in 1982, and his 2026 season started when he went 5-for-14 with one home run playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. His 33 percent strikeout rate will need to improve, but 102 walks and a .413 on-base percentage help balance some of that swing-and-miss.

Pittsburgh Pirates: 3B Murf Gray

Stats (A/A+/AA): 126 G, .305/.402/.567, 59 XBH (32 HR), 5 SB

Gray had a 1.037 OPS and 18 home runs during his junior year at Fresno State, and that breakout performance made him the No. 73 overall pick in the 2025 draft. That now looks like an absolute steal after a loud pro debut this season, and he could get a long look for the third base job next spring if his defensive game continues to develop.

St. Louis Cardinals: C Rainiel Rodriguez

Stats (A+/AA): 115 G, .324/.413/.574, 58 XBH (27 HR), 11 SB

There are some legitimate questions whether Rodriguez will stick behind the plate, but some of that stems from his electric offensive game pushing him through the minors faster than a traditional catcher's developmental curve. After hitting .328/.408/.591 with 23 home runs in 87 games at Double-A as a teenager, the Cardinals might look to expedite him to the majors.

NL West

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David Hagaman

Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP David Hagaman

Stats (A+/AA): 22 GS, 2.87 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 45 BB, 132 K, 106.2 IP

The D-backs acquired Hagaman in the deal that sent Merrill Kelly to the Rangers at the 2025 deadline, and he has emerged as the top pitching prospect in their system this year. With a lively mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball headlining a four-pitch repertoire, he has a chance to be an impact starter if his command continues to improve.

Colorado Rockies: 1B/OF Charlie Condon

Stats (AAA): 127 G, .275/.390/.514, 58 XBH (26 HR), 8 SB

Condon hit .433/.556/1.009 with 37 home runs in 60 games at the University of Georgia in 2024. His first full professional season resulted in an .820 OPS and 33 extra-base hits in 99 games, and after a strong run in the 2025 Arizona Fall League, he raked against Triple-A pitching this year to put himself on the MLB doorstep.

Los Angeles Dodgers: 1B Easton Shelton

Stats (A): 109 G, .297/.403/.644, 65 XBH (37 HR), 4 SB

In a system loaded with elite prospect talent, Christian Zazueta (22 GS, 3.65 ERA, 144 K, 103.2 IP), Mike Sirota (106 G, .985 OPS, 47 XBH) and Josue De Paula (124 G, .948 OPS, 66 XBH) are all Player of the Year candidates. However, Shelton's season is simply impossible to ignore, and he has come a long way since signing as an undrafted free agent out of prep powerhouse Bishop Gorman in 2023 rather than honoring his commitment to UNLV.

San Diego Padres: C Ethan Salas

Stats (AA/AAA): 96 G, .296/.374/.448, 31 XBH (10 HR), 17 SB

After a disappointing 2024 and an injury-plagued 2025, Salas entered the season at as much of a make-or-break crossroads as a 20-year-old prospect with a world of potential can face. He answered the call with a strong run at Double-A and an even better stint at Triple-A (24 G, .949 OPS, 11 XBH) before making his MLB debut as a September call-up.

San Francisco Giants: SS Jhonny Level

Stats (A/A+): 113 G, .311/.374/.513, 60 XBH (18 HR), 26 SB

Josuar Gonzalez and Luis Hernández have headlined San Francisco's last two international free agency hauls, and they stand as the top prospects in the Giants system, but Level has outperformed them in 2026. The 19-year-old is an advanced hitter with sneaky pop in his 5'8" frame, and he could ultimately fit at second base, shortstop or third base.