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: 18 G, .258/.362/.421, 2 HR, 6 SB, 8 BB, 19 SO at Triple-A Tacoma.
Emerson’s numbers still don’t look like those of a top prospect, but he did pick up his second homer of the season Saturday versus Triple-A Sacramento. He also stole two bases in that contest, and he’s starting to run on a more consistent basis with four swipes last week. Most encouraging of all, Emerson at this point last week carried an ugly 17/2 K/BB. He’s drawn walks in five of his last six games, and he struck out just once in the final four games against the River Cats. It’s also worth noting that Brendan Donovan is dealing with tightness in his surgically-repaired hip. Emerson has all of the tools to be a quality fantasy option, and it’d be more surprising than not if he wasn’t helping fantasy rosters and the Mariners in the coming weeks.
2. Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers
2026 stats: 19 G, .351/.416/.519, 1 HR, 6 SB, 10 BB, 10 SO at Triple-A Toledo.
Clark makes the jump up from the five spot to second, and that’s partially due to how good he’s been over these first three weeks, and partially due to some less-than-spectacular results from some of the other options in Triple-A. He went 1-for-8 over his final two games against Louisville, but that came after a 4-for-5 effort that saw him hit his first homer of the season. The third-overall pick of the 2023 draft has a chance to have plus tools in every category but power, and it wouldn’t be a huge upset if he was a 20-plus homer player as he continues to build strength. It’s a little risky to consider rostering Clark right now because there’s simply no guarantee he’s up soon, but you could make the argument he’s the most talented player in the minors right now.
3. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants
2026 stats: 19 G, .315/.425/.479, 2 HR, 0 SB, 11 BB, 27 SO at Triple-A Sacramento.
In a battle of two of the best prospects in the sport, Emerson ended up having more success than Eldridge over the weekend. The first baseman did have a 2-for-5 effort Friday with a double, but he went hitless in three of the four games while striking out twice in those last three contests. To be fair to Eldridge, he was due for some regression, but you see why there are some concerns about his floor to go along with the enthusiasm about his ceiling. He still has a great chance to be a fantasy contributor this year, but the Giants will likely want him back at his best before giving him that promotion. That’s usually how it works, anyway.
4. Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies
2026 stats: 15 G, .322/.452/.559, 4 HR, 2 SB, 12 BB, 13 SO at Triple-A Albuquerque.
Condon has been outstanding to begin the 2026 campaign, and it’s been beneficial to the sanity of prospect aficionados (including yours truly) who were such big fans of the 23-year-old coming out of the 2024 draft. He’s shown the plus hit- and power-tool that was on display at Georgia, and while he isn’t likely to be a significant source of stolen bases, he’s athletic enough to provide a handful or two of swipes. Condon has split time between first base and right field to begin the year, but it’s worth noting that four of his last five starts have come in the outfield. Be it at the cold corner or a couple hundred feet behind it, Condon doesn’t seem long for the minors, and he’s absolutely worth an addition whenever Colorado makes that call.
5. Peyton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox
2026 stats: 3 G, 15 IP, 3.00 ERA, 0 HR, 4 BB, 19 SO at Triple-A Worcester.
Tolle was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday, but it wasn’t injury related; the Red Sox wanted him to be available in case he was needed for a doubleheader. The left-hander has fanned at least six in each of his three starts — more impressive considering he hasn’t gone deeper than six innings in those outings — and he continues to show a 97 mph fastball with three solid secondary offerings. Tolle’s ready to go, and it seems much more likely than not that he’s going to get a chance to help the Boston rotation — and fantasy managers, in turn — before the end of the summer.
Also considered: Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins; JR Ritchie, RHP, Atlanta; Robby Snelling, LHP, Miami Marlins; Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Around the minors
There are several prospects who have gotten off to good — but not elite — starts to the season. One player who has definitely gotten off to the latter is Franklin Arias. Even after going hitless Saturday, he’s still hitting .467/.564/.833 on the season with three homers and a steal for Double-A Portland. Those three homers came in back-to-back-to-back games prior to that hitless affair, And the 20-year-old appears to be tapping into his raw power after hitting just eight homers in 2025. There’s never been a question about Arias’s hit tool — it could end up plus-plus or 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale — and there’s enough speed to suggest 20-plus stolen base seasons. Arias seems more likely to be a 2027 play than a 2026 one, but there’s no denying he’s one of the best shortstop prospects in the sport; one who could be a fantasy stalwart in the coming years.
The 2025 MLB Draft class has a chance to produce a plethora of frontline fantasy starters, but the one with the highest upside is Seth Hernandez. The 19-year-old was dominant once again with Low-A Bradenton on Friday with five no-hit innings and seven strikeouts against Low-A Tampa. In his three starts with the Marauders, he’s allowed just three hits — zero in those last two outings — with a 23/3 K/BB ratio and 0.75 ERA. It’s rare that a teenager is clearly too good for a level, but Hernandez is an exception. Assuming good health and he continues to progress with his command, there’s a better chance that he ends up being an ace than vice versa.
Speaking of the 2025 draft, the first player selected in last year’s class is starting to put things together in his first full season. Eli Willits is still hitting just was hitting just .139/.244/.194 on April 12, but he’s seen that slash improve to .217/356/.417 after picking up two hits in his last two games and homering in back-to-back contests just before the weekend. The 18-year-old has a smooth, line-drive stroke from both sides of the plate, and while he doesn’t possess elite power, there’s enough strength to believe 20 homer seasons are a realistic possibility. Willits won’t likely see the majors for another few seasons, but a chance to help in five categories gives him a chance to be a fantasy superstar by the end of the decade.
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