It’s that time of year again.
Just like we did last season, we’ll break down the top five prospects who have a chance to help fantasy players this year, and then look at some more who are more long-term plays for those in keeper formats.
A 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. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 stats: 3 G, .500/.617/.700, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 3 SO at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Sometimes, it’s hard to determine who you want in the top spot. WIth all due respect to the many quality prospects still in Triple-A — and some in Double-A who could make their debuts this year, too — this isn’t one of the years. The best prospect in baseball is Griffin, and he’s one level away from making the majors. Pretty darn easy, folks. Griffin is the type of talent who can contribute in every category, and it would be a surprise if he wasn’t hitting near the top of the PIttsburgh lineup by the end of May, if not sooner. If there’s any prospect worth rostering even acknowledging there will be some wait time, it’s him. Roster him now. The FOMO is palpable if you don’t.
2. Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners
2026 stats: 3 G, .357/.357/.643, 1 HR, 0 SB, 0 BB, 4 SO at Triple-A Tacoma. Emerson did strike out three times in his first game with the Rainiers in 2026 if you’re looking for a negative. He also homered while going 2-for-5, and he picked up a pair of hits again Sunday. The 20-year-old is beginning to tap into this power quicker than anticipated, and he has one of the best tools in the minors with the ability to make hard contact all over the field. Emerson’s quickest path to the majors would be Cole Young struggling, but the Mariners are going to find a way to get his bat in the lineup if they think he’s ready. It wouldn’t be even kind of a surprise if that was early in the season.
3. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants
2025 stats: 3 G, .300/.533/.300, 0 HR, 0 SB, 4 BB, 5 SO at Triple-A Sacramento.
Eldridge hasn’t hit his first homer of the 2026 campaign just yet, but it should be soon. There are few — if any — prospects who have more raw power, and while he is someone that will pile up the strikeouts because of his willingness to hit late in counts and his long limbs, there’s enough hard contact to believe that he can help a smidgen in the average category as well. The Giants’ offense looked terrible against New York this weekend. It wouldn’t be a major upset if they turned to someone like Eldridge to help give it a boost. It just might help fantasy managers in turn.
4. Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
2025 stats: 2 G, .429/.500/.571, 0 HR, 0 SB, 1 BB, 0 SO at Triple-A St. Paul.Jenkins dealt with a hamstring strain late in camp, and Minnesota is playing it safe with the outfielder; only allowing him to play seven-inning games until April 7 and there’ll likely be some maintenance days in between. When healthy, the outfielder has three plus tools in his hit, power and speed, and his solid defense won’t hurt in helping him move quickly through the Twins’ system. With Minnesota looking closer to a rebuilding team than one who is in contention, it would be pretty stunning if Jenkins didn’t have a chance to play in the Twin Cities in 2026, and his skill set gives him a chance to be a quality fantasy outfielder from the jump.
5. Peyton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox
2025 stats: 1 G, 4 IP, 9.00 ERA, 0 HR, 2 BB, 6 SO at Triple-A Worcester. Tolle’s first start wasn’t spectacular, but he was able to get those six punchouts, and he touched 97 mph with his fastball while generating 11 swings and misses before exiting. The 2024 second-round pick has a 70-grade fastball that is complemented with an above-average slider, average cutter and usable change; and he can locate those pitches at an acceptable rate. Boston’s rotation is currently full, but Tolles’ ability is too good to imagine he’ll be in the minors for the majority of 2026. There’s a lot of fantasy intrigue in his left arm.
Around the minors:
There were several players considered for that fifth spot, and while ultimately I decided a pitcher needed to be in the top five, I did give strong consideration to Rockies’ prospect Charlie Condon. He rewarded that consideration by hitting .500 with a 1.743 OPS over the weekend against Oklahoma City, and he picked up a couple of homers during Saturday’s contest. The third pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, Condon has not quite lived up to his considerable hype since being selected, but there’s tremendous power in his right-handed bat, and his swing path suggests he’ll be able to hit for average, too. The fact Condon is going to play in Colorado adds to the intrigue, and there’s a good chance he sees his home park by the end of the year.
Noah Schultz was a disappointment in 2025 with a 4.68 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 73 innings, but it’s certainly worth noting that the left-hander dealt with knee tendonitis. He looked healthy in his first Triple-A outing with four shutout innings, five strikeouts and not allowing a hit against Triple-A Durham. Schultz can get their fastball up to 98 mph, and he has a slider that already is a double-plus. There have been command issues for the 22-year-old and he’s never going to be a strike-throwing machine — we don’t even have that technology, yet — but there aren’t many pitchers in the minors who have his swing-and-miss upside. We should see him starting for Chicago in 2026.
Sometimes there are prospects who rank significantly higher on a “real life” list than one with fantasy implications. Kaelen Culpepper would be one of those prospects, but that doesn’t mean he’s a prospect who should be ignored. The 21st pick of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Twins, Culpepper is opening the season in Triple-A, and he went 5-for-14 (.371) with a homer in his first three games with the Saints. There’s no obvious plus tool in Culpepper’s game — and yes, he is the son of former Vikings’ quarterback Daunte Culpepper — but there’s no obvious weakness, either, and a chance to be average or slightly-above while playing shortstop gives him a chance for fantasy relevancy. Just keep in mind that his ranking on a “normal” list is at least partially tied to positional value.
It seems Robert Gasser has been around for far too long to still be considered a prospect, but he is, and the southpaw looked the part in his first Triple-A start of 2026. He blanked Triple-A Norfolk over 5 2/3 innings, and he struck out 11 while allowing just two hits with three free passes. The 26-year-old — 27 at the end of May — missed most of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but when healthy he showed four competent pitches; the best of them a slider that is consistently plus. It’s also worth noting that Brandon Sproat did not look good in his first start with Milwaukee (3 IP, 7 ER), so there just might be an opening in the Milwaukee rotation. If Gasser gets a chance, fantasy managers who are looking for early starting pitching help may wanna take a look, depending on the matchup.
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