7 Up-Arrow MLB Prospects Who Could Be No. 1 Overall In 2026

Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pirates

There’s zero doubt that Griffin has the tools to be a superstar. He lashes baseballs all over the diamond, sprints around the bases and uses his high-end athleticism to impact the game on defense, as well. Scouts raved about how natural he looked in center field during spring training, and also noted that his swing looked cleaner than the version he employed as an amateur.

He’s consistently flashed his upside at Low-A Bradenton, where he’s collected 13 extra-base hits and 13 stolen bases through his first 28 games. His 27.7% strikeout rate is a touch higher than you’d like, but he’s making more than enough contact to display the depths of his talent. 

Arjun Nimmala, SS, Blue Jays

Nimmala’s trajectory hit an obstacle early in the 2024 season at Low-A. He was striking out at such an alarming enough rate that the Blue Jays sent him back to extended spring training for a bit of a reset. When he reemerged, he looked like a new man. By the time the season was over, he’d swatted 16 home runs, which was good for a tie for fourth place in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League.

He advanced to the High-A Northwest League this year, and the early returns have been excellent. His seven home runs are tied for the league lead, and he’s among the circuit’s top 10 in nearly every offensive category. He could stand to make a touch more contact, but his exit velocity numbers are quite good for a player his age. Nimmala’s tools are becoming skills, and the results are loud. 

Eduardo Tait, C, Phillies

Before every iteration of the Top 100, BA seeks feedback from evaluators around the sport. When the results came in for our May update, Tait’s name was quite popular. The lefty-swinging backstop is lauded for his combination of age and production, which have coalesced into loud numbers at each of his three minor league stops. The lefthanded hitter is capable of jaw-dropping damage, and he’s already produced a max exit velocity of 116.2 mph this season. His 90th percentile mark of 107.9 is the best in the minors among players 18 or younger.

His approach is a bit more aggressive than you’d like, and his chase rate is quite high, though he has plenty of time to improve in those areas as he moves up the ladder. There are plenty of questions, too, about whether his body will allow him to stick behind the plate, but his bat has a chance to be as special as they come.

Luis Peña, SS, Brewers

Could one Brewer pass the baton to another? Made gets the lion’s share of the headlines on an incredibly stacked Carolina Mudcats club, but you’d be wise not to sleep on Peña. The 18-year-old infielder torched the competition last summer in the DSL, where his .393 average was the best mark in the league since 2019. Like Made—and Jackson Chourio, Luis Lara and Yophery Rodriguez—Peña skipped over the Arizona Complex League and instead headed straight to Low-A, where he’s thrived.

In a shorter sample due to a couple of brief injuries, Peña has shown a knack for both contact and impact, including 90th percentile and maximum exit velocities that should lead to higher slugging percentages as he develops. Throw in speed and smarts on the base paths—he’s already swiped 19 bases in 21 attempts—and you’ve got all the ingredients for a big-time player. 

Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox

Arias started getting whispered about on the backfields during 2024 spring training, and he responded by putting forth one of the finer seasons in the Florida Complex League and earning a late-season bump to Low-A. He returned to the Carolina League to begin this season but quickly proved too advanced for the level and was jumped to High-A on April 29. He’s thrived at both Class A stops, showing outstanding bat-to-ball ability—especially inside the strike zone—overall.

The biggest question from an offensive standpoint will be how much power Arias can produce from a smaller frame. He has the chops to be an above-average defender at shortstop, so he could wind up being the type of player who thrives as a table-setter while providing value on both sides of the ball. 

Bryce Rainer, SS, Tigers

A lot of things are going right for the Tigers these days. Their big league club is clicking, they have the reigning Cy Young winner at the front of their staff and their farm system is headed by a pair of top 20 prospects. Rainer might be next up. Detroit’s first-rounder from a year ago has shown well in the early days of his career in the Florida State League. He earned strong reviews from scouts in spring training, and he’s backed that confidence by hitting the ball hard and often.

There’s a little work to be done in terms of bat-to-ball, but he’s already produced a stunning 108.5 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which stands out among his peers and lives in the same universe as prospects like Samuel Basallo and Sebastian Walcott. He’s got the defensive chops—including a double-plus arm—to stick at shortstop. 

George Lombard Jr., SS, Yankees

Without question, Lombard earned some of the loudest reviews of any prospect during spring training. Though his overall tool package might not be as loud as guys like Griffin or Rainer, he has fewer warts and equal upside thanks to incredible instincts and feel for the game. The Yankees already showed their faith in him by bumping him from High-A to Double-A on May 6 and giving him a chance to prove himself against upper-level competition for the first time.

He’s been selectively aggressive at the plate—in other words, he’s done a great job picking the right pitches—and his swings have resulted in lots of hard contact. Add it all up, and his floor this time next year could be at the back of the overall top 10.