All 9 Players With 80-Grade Tools In Baseball America's 2026 Prospect Handbook

Image credit: Tony Blanco Jr. (Tom DiPace)

In recent years, finding a truly elite tool has gotten more difficult. At least, that’s the conclusion one can reach after devouring Baseball America’s annual Prospect Handbook.

In 2024, there were 18 players in the PHB who had at least one 80-grade tool. A year later, that number dwindled to 13. This year, the number is even lower. Just nine of the 900 players ranked in this year’s book have an 80 on their scouting card.

On the position player side, you can find at least one 80 for all five scouting tools: hitting, power, speed, defense and throwing arm. On the mound, things are much more scarce. In fact, we did not grade a single pitch as an 80. That’s down from four (fastballs from Jacob Misiorowski, Reynaldo Yean and Daniel Espino and Roki Sasaki’s splitter) in 2025.

To what can we attribute this decline? Perhaps we and the industry are being a touch more conservative with our tool grades. Or maybe players with 80s are reaching the big leagues faster and graduating from prospect status earlier. That’s certainly the case for Misiorowski and Sasaki. More likely, it’s a combination of both of those things.

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Here, now, is the breakdown of this year’s prospects with 80s by their name in the BA Prospect Handbook.

SPEED

As was the case in 2025, this is the most likely place to find an 80. Why? Because it’s the most cut-and-dried. If you turn in consistently elite times from home to first or on sprint speed metrics, you fit in the elite class. The players who did so this year were Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Orioles), Kellon Lindsey (Dodgers), Kendall George (Dodgers), Dillon Head (Marlins), Jake Cook (Blue Jays) and Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin, who is the game’s No. 1 prospect.

So, who’s the 80 of all 80s? That would be George, who used his speed and baserunning acumen to swipe 100 bases in 124 chances, giving the sport consecutive seasons with a triple-digit base burglar in the minors after Chandler Simpson did the same with the Rays in 2024.

DEFENSE

The only player to earn an 80 for his glovework is Bradfield Jr., who once again is the only player in the book with multiple 80s on his card. Put simply: If you hit a ball somewhere between left-center and right-center when Bradfield’s on patrol, you’re out. Web gems are a part of his daily sustenance. And if you’re going to power up and try to put a ball in the seats, your launch angle had better be pretty darn high. Just ask Fenwick Trimble:

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ARM

The most potent outfield arm in the book belongs to Nationals prospect Andrew Pinckney, an LSU product with tremendous tools and tantalizing upside. Pinckney racked up seven outfield assists in 2025 and was an equal-opportunity assassin, throwing out runners from left, center and right field with Triple-A Rochester.

HIT

The only 80-grade hitter in the book? That’s easy. Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle took that honor thanks to his elite ability to lash line drives on every pitch type in every sector to all fields. If you pitch him away, he’ll drop a knock into left field. Try to bust him in? The right side of the diamond had better be ready to chase a ball into the alleyway. Want to flummox him with on offspeed pitch? He’s got the savvy to stay back and get the barrel on the ball. And if you want to try to beat him with velocity, well, good luck. Nats flamethrower Jarlin Susana found out the hard way that McGonigle can extinguish even the hottest heat.

POWER

It’s not clear exactly why Tony Blanco Jr. is personally offended by baseballs, but he hits them harder than any player in the sport. Blanco doesn’t just hit baseballs, he demolishes them, as evidenced by his outrageous exit velocities and Arizona Fall League home run derby crown this year. And while there are still major flaws to Blanco’s game, hitting the ball hard is not one of them.