Picks to Click on: Who I Anticipate to Make the 2026 Prime 100

It’s widespread for readers to ask which of the gamers who aren’t on this 12 months’s Prime 100 would possibly grace subsequent 12 months’s version. Who has an opportunity to essentially get away? That is the piece for these readers, my “Picks to Click on,” the gut-feel guys I believe could make the 2026 Prime 100.

That is the eighth 12 months we’ve performed this train at FanGraphs, and there are some guidelines. First, not one of the gamers you see under could have ever been graded as a 50 FV or higher prospect in any of our write-ups or rankings. Second, I can’t choose gamers who I’ve picked in prior years, although I can take gamers who different writers chosen and I didn’t. For example, I picked Jackson Baumeister final 12 months, however he didn’t make the Prime 100. I can’t choose him once more, however I’d if I might. Brailer Guerrero made the Prime 100 in the course of final season, after which damage his shoulder for the second time in two years and fell off. I can’t put him on right here, regardless of how a lot I like him.

A number of years in the past, we determined to make this considerably aggressive to see which of us finally ends up being proper about essentially the most gamers. Beneath is a short rundown of how my colleagues and I’ve executed since this piece turned part of Prospect Week; you possibly can click on the 12 months within the “Yr” column to entry that 12 months’s checklist. Our initials started showing subsequent to our picks in 2021. Within the occasion that a number of writers picked the identical prospect, I’ve that quantity in parentheses between the person quantities, form of like a Venn Diagram. I didn’t depend “click on echoes” towards our totals, guys who enter the 50 FV tier a number of years after they have been Picks to Click on. Nonetheless, I did depend “click on meteors,” gamers who cross via the Prime 100 through the season however then graduate, like Michael Harris II did a few years in the past:

Final 12 months wasn’t fairly as unhealthy because the 18% hit fee appears on its face as a result of so most of the gamers featured in final 12 months’s article might moderately be on a Prime 100, they simply didn’t make mine. Nonetheless, right here’s to rebounding this 12 months.

I’ve separated the gamers into teams or “sorts” to make the checklist a little bit extra digestible, and to present you some concept of the demographics I believe pop-up guys come from. Every of those gamers now has a document over on The Board, the place you possibly can go see device grades and extra detailed scouting reviews for them. Beneath, I’ve a minimum of a short snippet on everybody who’s a “click on” this 12 months.

Projectable Younger Pitchers
Felix Arronde, SP, Kansas Metropolis Royals
Chen-Wei Lin, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
Ryan Sloan, SP, Seattle Mariners
Cam Caminiti, SP, Atlanta Braves
Brady Smith, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Arronde, 21, is a projectable 6-foot-3 righty who threw a ton of strikes throughout 110.1 A-ball innings final 12 months. He has trying supply, a nasty splitter, and the “click on” right here can be him getting stronger and throwing each his fastball and breaking ball tougher. Lin, 23, is a 6-foot-7 Taiwanese righty who overwhelmed A-ball final 12 months with upper-90s velocity. He clicks if his launch turns into constant sufficient for him to throw extra strikes. Sloan was one of many extra thrilling highschool pitching prospects within the 2024 Draft, rating twenty eighth within the class on draft day. He’s a robust righty, albeit a extra bodily mature one, with a beautiful, robust supply and an important breaking ball. He was as much as 98 throughout his senior spring after sitting 91-93. Caminiti was typically thought of among the best highschool pitching prospects within the 2024 draft for his complete scouting timeline. He’s a lanky 6-foot-2 lefty who’ll contact 97, has an influence curveball, and added a slider throughout his senior 12 months. Smith was a favourite of mine from the 2023 Draft Mix, an athletic however considerably undersized righty with plus fastball experience and superior secondary pitches. The Dodgers acquired a deal executed with him for $700,000, and Smith had Tommy John through the 2023-24 offseason. That is the form of pitcher who clicks if the rehab course of results in energy features and added velocity.

This Is What They Look Like
Bryce Rainer, SS, Detroit Tigers
Konnor Griffin, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Boston Baro, 3B, New York Mets
PJ Morlando, OF, Miami Marlins
Abdias De La Cruz, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Braden Montgomery, OF, Chicago White Sox

Rainer was the eleventh general choose within the 2024 draft, a lefty-hitting shortstop with a swing geared for energy and big arm energy. Rainer didn’t play after the draft, and can click on if he exhibits he’s going to make a viable quantity of contact in opposition to professional pitching. The identical is true for Griffin, a 6-foot-4, 225 pound toolshed who Pittsburgh drafted ninth general. The velocity with which Griffin can go zero to 60 at his dimension is unimaginable. He takes big, highly effective strides and motors across the bases with a rooster tail of filth kicking up from his spikes. His reads and routes within the outfield aren’t nice though Griffin has the velocity for heart area, which is why he was largely relegated to proper area on Workforce USA. Griffin’s bat-to-ball observe document was excellent throughout a number of years on the showcase circuit, however lengthy levers typically make him late on fastballs, and whether or not he adjusts in professional ball will dictate whether or not or not he clicks. Baro, a $700,000 signee from the 2023 draft, is an effective defensive third baseman and speak to hitter who clicks if he has grown into significant energy through the offseason. He was promoted to Excessive-A Brooklyn on the finish of final 12 months.

Morlando, Miami’s 2024 first rounder, is a 6-foot-3 power-hitting outfield prospect who might get away with a swing change. He ft are so unnaturally stationary throughout his swing that it robs it of rhythm and athleticism. Something that may assist him keep on time might unlock dormant 30-homer energy right here. De La Cruz, who turned 20 in November, has a large receiver’s construct at a lanky 6-foot-3, he’s selective, and his swing is geared to tug. He hasn’t tapped into a lot recreation energy but, however he has all of the visible markers of a hitter who will as he matures. Montgomery was the twelfth choose within the 2024 draft and doubtless would have gone larger if he hadn’t fractured his proper ankle sliding into residence through the school postseason. A toolsy former two-way participant, Montgomery had severe strikeout points as an underclassman at Stanford, however then confirmed a brand new capability to cowl excessive pitches as a junior at A&M after a slight mechanical change. His harm meant we couldn’t see how that performed in professional ball, and in addition creates uncertainty round Montgomery’s defensive capability and velocity. If he comes out the gates scorching in 2025, he’ll rocket into the Prime 100.

Sneaky Pitchers
Ethan Pecko, SP, Houston Astros
Trey Yesavage, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Austin Peterson, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Matt Wilkinson, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Hunter Dobbins, SP, Boston Pink Sox
Connor Prielipp, SP, Minnesota Twins

Since coming into professional ball, the Astros have augmented Pecko’s supply, most clearly his stride path, and his fastball has turn into deadly. It has big driving motion and uphill angle that makes it a possible plus-plus providing though it sits simply 92-94 mph. Toronto’s 2024 first rounder, Yesavage’s mid-90s fastball has plus carry and misses bats regardless of its airplane. He has a fastball/slider assault versus righties, with extra splitters and slower breakers versus lefties. Yesavage’s splitter command isn’t nearly as good as that of his fastball/slider, however the pitch has sufficient sink and velo separation to typically keep out of bother when it isn’t situated nicely. Yesavage is a refined, quick-moving no. 4 starter kind. A 6-foot-6 strike-throwing Leviathan, Peterson has the bottom stroll fee (4.3%) amongst certified minor league starters since 2022. He sits 90 mph. The Guardians have been capable of take older, strike-throwing starters and assist them throw tougher previous when one would possibly anticipate pitchers to begin doing so, with Tanner Bibee a outstanding latest instance. Peterson’s dimension and bodily fluidity make it appear possible that this might occur for him.

Nicknamed “Tugboat,” Wilkinson is a 270-pound lefty who’s extremely athletic for an athlete of his construct. His drop-and-drive supply will get him so low to the bottom that his left shin is nearly scraping throughout the highest of the mound. His fastball solely sits about 90 mph, but it surely nonetheless performed like a dominant pitch in 2024 due to its rising motion and Wilkinson’s capability to command it to efficient areas. If his changuep takes a step ahead, or if Wilkinson begins throwing tougher and finally ends up with an elite fastball, he’ll venture as a convention-breaking mid-rotation starter. Dobbins was hidden as an underclassman at Texas Tech as a result of he was a reliever as a freshman, his sophomore 12 months was worn out as a result of COVID, and he blew out and wanted TJ as a junior. He ended his 2024 season at Triple-A Worcester and his innings depend has climbed to the purpose the place he might feasibly deal with a giant league starter’s workload as quickly as subsequent season. Dobbins doesn’t have an thrilling athletic look or supply, however he nonetheless throws arduous, as much as 98. His curveball is his repertoire’s bat-misser, and late within the season, Dobbins’ splinker turned extra identifiable. The emergence of that pitch is the important thing to Dobbins getting a grade bump right here. Prielipp has been damage a ton and labored 23.1 innings in 2024 after coming back from TJ. He has a nasty mid-80s slider with elite spin, and sat 94-95 in 2024. Clicking for Prielipp means sustaining that velo throughout extra innings in 2024.

Energy-Hitting Catchers
Blake Mitchell, C, Kansas Metropolis Royals
Eduardo Tait, C, Philadelphia Phillies
Omar Alfonzo, C, Pittsburgh Pirates

Mitchell is a power-hitting 20-year-old with poor plate self-discipline and unpolished protection. He catches from a such a low one-knee’d crouch that it appears like he’s attempting to win a curler skating limbo, and his fingers and method selecting balls within the filth improved a ton all through 2024. Subsequent for Mitchell is getting his arm to play nearer to his expertise degree; he was into the mid-90s as a highschool pitcher, however hosed simply 15% of runner final 12 months. Tait is similar to Mitchell (big lefty energy, expands the zone an excessive amount of, wants to enhance on protection), besides he’s 18 and has common huge league uncooked energy already. Alfonzo is a 21-year-old lefty-hitting catcher with energy who had a 53% hard-hit fee in 2024. He additionally has a plus arm, however in any other case has a number of bettering to do as a defender.

Would possibly Want a Dev Tweak
Austin Charles, 3B, Kansas Metropolis Royals
Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Denzel Clarke, OF, Athletics
Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jhostynxon Garcia, OF, Boston Pink Sox

Charles was the Royals’ final choose in 2022 and signed on the eleventh hour after visiting the staff’s facility. He’s a bodily outlier at a yoked 6-foot-5, and he’s an absurdly coordinated defensive participant for somebody his dimension. His swing is a little bit awkward trying, however Charles was nonetheless capable of submit an above-average wRC+ at Low-A in 2024 at age 20. He’s so geared to tug that he swings inside a ton of sliders; if he can quell this tendency, he’ll click on sufficient to benefit upside-driven Prime 100 inclusion a 12 months from now. Crawford has a few underlying points that, if resolved, might result in a real breakout. He’s in all probability going to have an enormous 2025 line simply due to the hitting atmosphere in Studying, however beneath the hood, if he stops chasing a lot (he chased at a 36% clip at largely Excessive-A in 2024; the large league common is 27%), or if he’s lifting the ball extra (1 diploma launch on common in 2024; Jacob Younger set the certified main league low at 4 levels), or if his really feel for heart area improves, then we are able to begin to speak about him as a Prime 100 man. He’s already labored arduous to get stronger in comparison with 2023, however one among these items must be his subsequent space of progress.

Clarke is an unimaginable outfield defender with an excellent lengthy swing. He’ll click on if he can shorten up sufficient to have even one above-average offensive device. Waldschmidt had one of many extra well-rounded statistical circumstances of any school hitter within the 2024 draft and carried out nicely in a number of key statistical classes at Kentucky, together with plate self-discipline, contact, and measurable energy. His swing is hellacious however atypical; it’s all fingers and torso, and requires a ton of effort. This isn’t a man who wants an adjustment to click on, I simply wish to see it work in opposition to professional stuff since we’re speaking a couple of left fielder. “The Password” is listed at simply 163 kilos on his official minor league participant web page, however he’s about 60 kilos heavier than that, and has dynamic energy and velocity. He’s chase susceptible (50% chase with two strikes) and can click on if that will get toned down.

Small, however Mighty
Keyner Benitez, SP, Miami Marlins
Slade Caldwell, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Santiago Suarez, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Benitez is an athletic lefty with a possible plus-plus changeup. He pitched nicely in Low-A final 12 months, and gained’t flip 19 till the top of Could. Caldwell is a muscular 5-foot-9 outfielder constructed within the Jasson Domínguez/Jett Williams mildew. He has the talents of a standard leadoff hitter. Suarez got here to Tampa by means of the Xavier Edwards commerce with the Marlins. He’s a Doogie Howser kind, a really younger surgeon with stroll charges within the 3-5% vary at every degree to this point.

Show That It’s Actual
Demetrio Crisantes, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Theo Gillen, 2B/CF, Tampa Bay Rays
Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez, SS/CF, San Francisco Giants
Zyhir Hope, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Aroon Escobar, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies

Crisantes is a 20-year-old infielder who carried out on the advanced and within the Cal League final 12 months. He has terrific underlying contact information. If he may be on time to tug fastballs extra typically in 2025, I’ll purchase that this underlying information is legit. For now, I’m apprehensive about how a lot contact he’s sending to proper area, particularly contemplating he’s a 2B/1B defender. Gillen had among the best contact/energy mixtures within the 2024 draft though he was a excessive schooler, however a shoulder harm made it robust for him to throw, and it’s nonetheless unclear what place(s) he can play. If he can show to be a match at second base or in heart area in 2025, it will likely be simpler to venture him as a foundational on a regular basis participant. De Jesus Gonzalez was my high ranked 2025 worldwide participant, a dynamic athlete with good energy for his dimension. Some worldwide scouts noticed him at shortstop, some in heart area. If it turns into clear that he can play both or each of these in 2025, he has shot to be included behind subsequent 12 months’s hondo.

I don’t suppose the small A-ball information pattern Hope produced in 2024 is very dependable and, based mostly on my Fall League look, I believe there’s extra swing-and-miss occurring right here that was evident at Rancho. Even when I’m proper about that, if Hope can play heart area (he was actually quick in highschool, however he’s stuffed out a lot already, was damage for some time, and seemed rusty taking part in left area in 2024), he’ll have sufficient energy to profile there regardless of numerous strikeouts. He may also simply show my contact skepticism mistaken. Escobar is a bodily center infielder and trying hitter who raked in 104 Advanced League plate appearances final 12 months, a season lower brief by shin splints. He clicks if he can keep wholesome and produce similarly at Low-A Clearwater this 12 months throughout a much bigger pattern.

A brand new part I’m debuting this 12 months is the “Two-Yr Darts,” the place I choose 10 gamers who I believe will take two seasons to essentially pop. These guys will depend for the evaluation that takes place in 2027. I’m simply mentioning names from right here on out.

Two-Yr Darts
Eriandys Ramon, 3B, Chicago Cubs
Josh Knoth, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Anderson Brito, SP, Houston Astros
Tyson Lewis, SS, Cincinatti Reds
David Matoma, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Hyun-Seok Jang, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Yohanfer Santana, SP, Miami Marlins
Sheng-En Lin, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Asbel Gonzalez, OF, Kansas Metropolis Royals
Humberto Cruz, SP, San Diego Padres

As I’ve executed in years previous, here’s a checklist of high-leverage relievers who may very well be up through the 12 months. They typically don’t have the form of affect on a staff to justify inclusion on the Prime 100, however they’re nonetheless related names to know:

Yordin Chalas, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Royber Salinas, RHP, Atlanta Braves
Payton Tolle, LHP, Boston Pink Sox
Andrew Walters, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
Zach Agnos, RHP, Colorado Rockies
Zach Maxwell, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Sean Burke, RHP, Chicago Whie Sox
Luis Mey, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Luis Peralta, LHP, Colorado Rockies
Samy Natera Jr., LHP, Los Angeles Angels
Eric Reyzelman, RHP, New York Yankees
Alex McFarlane, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Hunter Cranton, RHP, Seattle Mariners
Mason Montgomery, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Marc Church, RHP, Texas Rangers
T.J. Brock, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Orlando Ribalta, RHP, Washington Nationals
Bradgley Rodriguez, RHP, San Diego Padres

Final 12 months, we debuted a bit on the backside of this piece the place I share names my sources think about Picks to Click on (their hit fee was amusingly horrible). Listed below are this 12 months’s nominees:

Eduardo Quintero, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers (2 votes)
Brady Smith, RHP, Los Angeles Dodger
Emil Morales, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Hyun-Seok Jang, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Braden Nett, RHP, San Diego Padres
Humberto Cruz, RHP, San Diego Padres (2 votes)
Demetrio Crisantes, INF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Yassel Soler, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jansel Luis, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
Gary Gill Hill, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Jackson Baumeister, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Jose Urbina, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Aidan Smith, OF, Tampa Bay Rays (2 votes)
Caleb Bonemer, 3B, Chicago White Sox
Blake Mitchell, C, Kansas Metropolis Royals
Cole Carrigg, OF, Colorado Rockies
Kyle Karros, 3B, Colorado Rockies (2 votes)
Zach Agnos, RHP, Colorado Rockies
Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets (2 votes)
Izack Tiger, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Bryce Rainer, SS, Detroit Tigers
Owen Corridor, RHP Detroit Tigers
Mike Burrows, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Yolfran Castillo, SS, Texas Rangers
Tyson Lewis, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Adam Serwinowski, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Ramon Ramirez, C, Kansas Metropolis Royals
Michael Arroyo, 2B, Seattle Mariners
Lazaro Montes, OF, Seattle Mariners
Yairo Padilla, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Cole Mathis, 1B, Chicago Cubs
A.J. Blubaugh, RHP, Houston Astros
Okay.C. Hunt, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers