Change. It’s inevitable. It’s never too early to start looking ahead to 2026 and beyond. The dynasty landscape will undergo a dramatic transformation in the coming weeks with top prospects Roki Sasaki, Dylan Crews, Kristian Campebll, Jasson Domínguez, Matt Shaw, Jackson Jobe and Cam Smith set to graduate from lists after opening the season in the big leagues. The central question for dynasty managers in the wake of their departures is which prospects step up to fill the void?
Here’s an oversimplification: Sebastian Walcott.
There are plenty of strong candidates, which we’ll get to momentarily, but the Rangers shortstop of the future is the overwhelming favorite to take over as the top prospect in dynasty leagues. His combination of age, physical skills, immense all-around talent and proximity to the majors make him a potential game-changing player from a dynasty perspective. He’ll open the minor-league season at Double-A Frisco as a 19-year-old phenom and could legitimately be knocking on the door to the majors by the end of the year. He’s flashed above-average tools across the board while being roughly a presidential term younger than his competition, producing a 106.4 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity in the upper minors with near-elite max exit velocities, which he pairs with above-average speed. It’s the type of elite fantasy superstar starter kit that very few prospects possess outside of true generational talents.
Is there anyone who can knock Walcott off the podium heading into 2026? It’s a bit unlikely, but it’s possible.
We’re taking a long-range look at the dynasty landscape with this exercise, which means we’re excluding most of the prominent upper-echelon prospects that figure to reach the majors in the coming months including: Roman Anthony, Nick Kurtz, Andrew Painter, Bubba Chandler, Coby Mayo, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Jordan Lawlar, Travis Bazzana, Samuel Basallo, Noah Schultz, Carson Williams, Quinn Mathews, Dalton Rushing and Marcelo Mayer.
Without further delay, here are the seven top candidates with the best shot at unseating Walcott by
next year.
Leo De Vries, SS, Padres
De Vries remains a hyperspace jump (or two) away from ascending to the majors, but he’s the primary challenger to Walcott for top dynasty prospect status thanks to his top-of-the-metaphorical-charts upside based on improving contact rates, elite athleticism and above-average power/speed projection. The 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop will open the year at High-A Fort Wayne after recording some elite batted ball data, including a 110-mph max exit velocity, during a brief Arizona Fall League stint. The Padres will likely continue to be aggressive in fast-tracking him to the majors with challenging assignments. He’s unlikely to match Walcott’s power ceiling, which is why the Rangers phenom gets the slight edge in Rotoworld’s rankings right now, but he could develop into one of the most well-rounded five-category contributors in the fantasy landscape. He’s a true contender for top prospect status, especially if he reaches the upper minors in a few months.
Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
Jenkins’ combination of raw athleticism, strong bat-to-ball skills and elite power/speed upside will make him a potential elite fantasy contributor in relatively short order. It’s not hyperbolic to suggest him as a true challenger to Walcott and De Vries at the apex of any dynasty prospect list heading into next year. The 20-year-old outfielder was selected fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft and has been one of the most impressive hitters in the minors over the last two seasons, when he’s been healthy. He’ll head to Double-A Wichita to open the minor-league season, which is a tough hitting environment, especially early in the year, but the talent is there for him to excel regardless of the setting.
Jesus Made, SS, Brewers
The biggest X-factor on this list, Made possesses the widest range of potential outcomes as he gets set to embark on his stateside debut at Low-A Carolina. It’s an extremely aggressive assignment considering the switch-hitting shortstop doesn’t turn 18 years old until next month and will skip over the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League entirely after spending last year demolishing the Dominican Summer League. There’s understandable skepticism of DSL statistics, but those concerns don’t apply here. According to Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes, Made posted elite underlying batted ball data relative to his age and level last year when he combined upper-echelon contact skills with a 90th percentile exit velocity of 104.2 mph. The hype has already reached astronomical levels and there’s a strong possibility Made winds up challenging Walcott for the top-overall prospect spot in Rotoworld’s dynasty rankings by the end of the year.
Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants
There’s an outside chance that Eldridge reaches the majors by the conclusion of the 2025 season after racing through four minor-league levels last year to reach Triple-A Sacramento before his 20th birthday. He’s showcased above-average hitting ability for a 6-foot-7 power-hitter and his size naturally leads to some truly stratospheric exit velocities. He’s unlikely to steal more than a handful of bases, but that’s the only potential weakness in his fantasy game at this juncture of his development. His size amplifies the risk that he reaches his ceiling, but the raw power potential is undeniable and he’s going to be among the top prospects in the dynasty landscape by the All-Star break, if he’s not there already.
Max Clark, OF, Tigers
One of my personal favorite prospects in the dynasty space, Clark might not offer the over-the-fence power potential to truly threaten the Walcott, De Vries and Jenkins tier, but he’s displayed strong contact skills and game-changing speed on the bases since being taken third overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. The 20-year-old speedy centerfielder will most likely head back to High-A West Michigan to kick off the minor-league season, but should reach the upper minors by midseason. He’s the type of high-floor contact and speed fantasy prospect that tends to be underrated by dynasty managers searching for hitters with greater power ceilings.
Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pirates
My personal favorite dark horse pick on this list, Griffin will open the minor-league season at Low-A Bradenton, splitting time between shortstop and centerfield, after being selected ninth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. The 18-year-old prodigy combines double-plus speed with a massive 6-foot-4 frame, which makes it easy to envision him growing into above-average raw power. He’s still a long way from the big leagues, but a strong start to the minor league season will put him in the conversation as a top-10 range dynasty prospect by midseason.
Chase Burns, SP, Reds
It would be totally unfair to exclude pitching prospects entirely from this exercise, but history tells us that it’s extremely rare for a hurler to ascend to top overall prospect status. If anyone has a shot, it’s Burns. The hard-throwing 22-year-old righty was the second-overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft and boasts the strikeout upside required to ascend to upper-echelon fantasy status someday. He’ll open the year at High-A Dayton after flashing triple-digit velocity in spring training outings. He’s unlikely to reach the majors until 2026 which means he’s a strong candidate to finish the year as the top pitching prospect in the dynasty landscape.
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