Kiley McDanielMay 1, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency. Has worked for three MLB teams. Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’ Follow on XMultiple Authors
Welcome to our first team-by-team MLB prospect rankings big board update. We’ve revised the top 10 prospects for all 30 teams entering May.
Below, you will find the rankings for your favorite team, along with what to know for May, and all 30 of these lists will be updated regularly throughout the season.
Players in the big leagues are eligible for this update as MLB rookie eligibility rules apply here — 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on the active roster — so some well-known major league rookies are appearing here for the final time this month.
There isn’t much movement here yet, just mostly expected performances in the early going. Jump’s velo is up a tick, and Montero has had a slow start in Low-A after another stint in the Dominican Summer League.
Next to debut: Jump is in Triple-A and pitching well, though he doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man after this season.
Cunningham is up a bit, in part because Dix is off to a slow start, and Troy is waiting for a spot to open on the big league club.
Waldschmidt continues to ascend and should debut at some point this season; remember the former Kentucky star’s quick ascent when the next medium-tools, data-friendly SEC performer is available in the draft.
Next to debut: Troy, Waldschmidt and Groover (in that order) seem to be next up when a spot becomes available for a position player.
Caminiti added a cutter at 88-90 mph and continues to progress, while Fuentes and Ritchie look like they’ll be keepers for the big league club. Southisene is off to a hot start this year.
I wonder if this successful group of starting pitchers emboldens the Braves to consider other position players with bigger upside and bigger risk at the No. 9 pick this summer.
Next to debut: With Ritchie/Fuentes filling the short-term pitching needs, there isn’t a clear option; RHP Lucas Braun just missed the list and is a multirole pitcher who needs to be added to the 40-man after the season.
Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers are no longer eligible, so the top of this list is mostly players who would land at the back end of a top 100 or just miss the cut. Gibson still needs to sharpen his command a bit, and Mejia needs to sharpen his a lot, but he has time.
Connelly Early graduated, and Tolle isn’t far behind. Arias gets an arrow up thanks to more in-game power. Arias and Tolle are a coin flip, but Arias will be the top prospect in the system in a few weeks after Tolle graduates.
Moises Ballesteros graduated, and the two arrow-up players of note are Ramirez and Hartshorn. Ramirez is a bit better in all phases at the plate and seems likely to get a look this year. I liked Hartshorn in the draft as a polished hit/power/patience combo in a corner-outfield profile. He has more walks than strikeouts and plus raw power.
Next to debut: Ramirez, Wiggins, Triantos and Long are all in Triple-A, and I’ll guess that’s the order they’d be promoted, though Wiggins could also be first.
Carlson has been solid but needs to add some loft to actualize his power. McDougal’s velo is up in the early going but still comes with reliever risk. Smith and Oppor have command questions that they haven’t begun solving.
Next to debut: McDougal and Bergolla seem next up, depending on whether the need is for a pitcher or position player
Next to debut: Arroyo and Rodriguez are on the 40-man and in Triple-A, so depending on an infield or outfield need, they should be the next prospects to debut.
Parker Messick has graduated, and DeLauter and Bazzana are in the big league lineup. The next wave — Velazquez, Stephen and Genao — should be coming early in 2027. Caceres and Chourio have taken steps forward this season at the plate. Keep an eye on the last cut — RHP Joey Oakie. If he can throw better strikes, he’ll be on the list soon.
Next to debut: Ingle needs to be added to the 40-man after the season, and he’s red-hot at the plate. He’ll need to wait for a catcher or DH need to fill.
Holliday was polarizing in last year’s draft and will continue to be for many this season. He has big left-handed power and can stick in the infield, but his in-zone miss rates were worrisome during the past two summers. He’s moving in the right direction on that front and could just be a slower mover, like Austin Riley was for the Braves.
The Rockies pick 10th in the draft and with a new brain trust making the selections, one of the bigger storylines within the industry will be what sort of prospects Colorado adds to this list in July.
Next to debut: Condon, Hughes and the last cut from the list, OF Cole Carrigg, are all in Triple-A. Hughes is on the 40-man and seems next up.
McGonigle is somehow still a prospect for a bit longer. Lee just made his big league debut, and Clark shouldn’t be far behind. It will be intriguing to see who emerges as the top prospect from the lower minors among Rodriguez, Oliveto, Yost, RHP Malachi Witherspoon and a few others. That will give the Tigers some idea of how much they need to add in free agency to supplement this core.
Next to debut: Anderson looks next, but with Lee jumping ahead of him in the infield pecking order, Briceno might return from injury and jump ahead of Anderson.
Brice Matthews graduated, and Neyens has been putting up ridiculous exit velos, as many expected. Alvarez is the other intriguing high-upside position player in the system, but he is still quite early in his path. Huezo is a boom-or-bust type with big tools, and Forcucci is now back on the mound for the first time in almost exactly two years.
Next to debut: RHP Miguel Ullola, who just missed the list, and Pecko are the main options, but Ullola is on the 40-man, and he seems up next.
Carter Jensen has graduated, and everyone mostly moves up a spot as a result. Hammond was my “How did this guy last this long?” pick in last year’s draft, and the early returns back up my befuddlement. Hopefully, Hammond has the same success as Kevin McGonigle, who lasted longer than I thought in the 2023 draft.
Chourio continues to improve without lighting up Stuff+ models, but he has elite control, and his fastball is sitting 95-97 mph as an 18-year-old.
Next to debut: There are several big league veterans and injured prospects in the upper minors for K.C. I’ll go with late cut RHP Drew Beam, but there might not be a debut soon.
The Angels are always fascinating, but this time, it’s for the arrow moving the right way regarding pitcher development. Bremner wasn’t a consensus pick last summer, but the early returns are positive. Gregory-Alford and Jordan are from previous drafts but are headed in the right direction, while Haley’s early returns are very positive, and the back-field whispers on 2025 draftees RHP CJ Gray and LHP Johnny Slawinski are also positive.
Next to debut: Rada is a clear option because he’s in Triple-A, can contribute in a part-time role and needs to be added to the 40-man after this season.
Alex Freeland has graduated, and Hope and Morales are coming out strong. Quintero has been a little slower out of the gates, and Sirota is still in A-ball for some reason. Ryan has returned after an injury odyssey, and Tibbs is red-hot at the plate.
Davalan is also a notable arrow-up prospect since the draft, and there’s plenty of depth here, with another half a dozen prospects who could have sneaked on the list.
Next to debut: Jackson Ferris and Adam Serwinowski, lefties who just missed this list, are next to be added to the 40-man after the season; Serwinowski’s stuff fits better in shorter stints.
Owen Caissie has graduated, and it appears as though a wave of talent has arrived in Miami. White, Snelling and Mack will all be there in short order, then the Marlins need the next wave to get organized to support the major league roster. Milbrandt has front-line potential with a little more command, Defrank has huge stuff as a teenager and the early returns on Cannarella are positive.
Next to debut: Mack (on 40-man) and Alderman (not on 40-man) are options if their positions are needed, while LHP Dax Fulton (on the 40-man, just missed the ranking) could be the next pitcher up.
Brandon Sproat has graduated, and this is still a deep list with another half a dozen or more prospects you could add at the end of the list: OF Luis Lara, OF Marco Dinges, 1B Blake Burke, OF Braylon Payne, LHP J.D. Thompson.
Henderson, Williams, Quero and Pratt seem to be big league factors pretty soon, while Letson, Adams and Adamczewski are maybe just one year behind.
Prielipp and Rojas have debuted, and Jenkins and Rodriguez can’t be that far behind. Tait and Hill have some of the higher upside at their levels, and RHP Riley Quick (a late cut) has also gotten an arrow up since the 2025 draft.
Soto is a personal favorite who could take another jump forward when he gets back on the mound. Keep an eye on RHP James Ellwanger, who was also drafted in 2025.
Next to debut: Rodriguez seems next up because he’s raking in Triple-A and is on the 40-man in his final option year.
Nolan McLean has graduated, and my belief in Ewing has been rewarded this year. This wave has mostly arrived, with the top seven all likely big league factors this season. It’s cold comfort to think prospects can solve what’s wrong with the major league team, but there’s a lot of young talent here (shrug emoji).
Next to debut: Clifford and Wenninger need to be added to the 40-man before the season ends, so those are the safe bets, but Ewing might force his way onto the big league roster before either.
Lombard was just called up to Triple-A, and Rodriguez just made his MLB debut. Jones could be called up to New York next, and Lagrange could be up this year. Kilby is a nice arrow-up member of the 2025 draft class, but beyond those five players, the system doesn’t have much potential impact. The depth has been hollowed out by trades, and we can’t gloss over finding Cam Schlittler, who has graduated, at the 220th pick, but a strong draft class could land several guys on this top 10 by July.