2026 Fantasy Baseball Prospects: Top 25 in the outfield includes Walker Jenkins, Carson Benge, Owen Caissie
Just when you thought all the prospects were at shortstop, here comes the outfield with its own embarrassment of riches. The surplus makes a little more sense given that outfield is actually three positions in one. Shortstop may not have always needed a list of 25 names to encapsulate its wealth of talent in the minors, but outfield pretty much has. 2026 Prospects: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | P Many of 2025’s biggest prospect breakthroughs came at this position. If you’re not continually scoping out the prospect scene during the season, instead keeping abreast via the top 100 lists that come out at the start of a new year, chances are you won’t have heard of four of the top 12 here. But rest assured, they’ve forced their way in. It’s not like at second at third base, where I was straining to meet the quota.
Note: These rankings are intended mainly for Dynasty use, emphasizing long-term value over a quick payoff, but to say proximity holds no weight wouldn’t be entirely accurate either. Not all of these players will contribute in 2026 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they’re the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know. Age (on opening day): 21Where he played in 2025: Rookie, Low-A, Double-A, Triple-AMinor league stats: .286 BA (308 AB), 10 HR, 17 SB, .850 OPS, 50 BB, 76 K Scouting reports have gushed about Jenkins’ hitting prowess since the Twins selected him fifth overall in 2023, and 2025 offered the clearest demonstration of it, seeing him slash .309/.426/.487 as a 20-year-old in Double-A. His walk rate is a true indicator of plate discipline rather than passivity, and his picturesque left-handed swing lends itself to high line-drive rates. His easy transition to the upper minors is all the more impressive when you consider how much development time he’s lost to injuries, mostly in his legs.
Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-A, Triple-AMinor league stats: .281 BA (441 AB), 15 HR, 22 SB, .857 OPS, 68 BB, 92 K Benge’s first full professional season put him on a path to make the opening day roster, possibly, though he did hit a bump in the road at Triple-A, batting .178 in 24 games. His swing isn’t so leveraged for power yet, standing out for its opposite-field and line-drive tendencies, but both of those make for high batting average potential. He certainly impacts the ball well enough to have a healthy home run total regardless. Factor in superlative plate discipline, and the whole package is reminiscent of Christian Yelich. Age (on opening day): 22Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .287 BA (418 AB), 20 HR, 54 SB, .884 OPS, 59 BB, 103 K
Normally, we want prospects to increase their launch angle so that they maximize their power outputs, but Baez’s swing had gotten so steep that he simply wasn’t making enough contact. With some mechanical changes, he improved his strikeout rate by 15 percentage points in 2025 and unleashed the monster within. With his biggest liability now a strength, it’s no stretch to say he could be a five-category stud, and I’m willing to rank him more aggressively than the consensus. Age (on opening day): 20Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-AMinor league stats: .293 BA (433 AB), 19 HR, 47 SB, .923 OPS, 88 BB, 123 K Though a relative no-name coming into 2025, Quintero emerged as the most complete outfield prospect in a Dodgers system chock-full of them. He shows as much ability to work the count as Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope, but with a better idea how to maximize his power output and the sort of speed that would allow him to stick in center field. Part of me wants to slot Quintero behind those other two just because they earned it first, but the 20-year-old has no obvious red flags and a friendlier profile for Fantasy.
5. Josue De Paula, Dodgers Age (on opening day): 20Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .250 BA (360 AB), 12 HR, 32 SB, .791 OPS, 82 BB, 91 K Rarely do players of De Paula’s youth have such a patient approach and penchant for hard contact, and those traits have placed him among the top prospect targets in Fantasy from the time he was 18. Now 20, his power production remains mostly theoretical, owing to suboptimal launch and spray angles, but he’s moved steadily up the minor-league ladder. He’s not as athletic as he seems, which calls his steals production into question and could relegate him to first base or DH long-term. Age (on opening day): 21Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .271 BA (431 AB), 14 HR, 19 SB, .835 OPS, 94 BB, 90 K
The third pick in the 2023 draft has always ranked higher on real-life lists because of the defensive impact he’ll make in center field, but his offensive utility began to take shape in 2025. He upped his walk rate to give him more of those than strikeouts and flashed more over-the-fence power with an improved fly-ball rate, particularly at Double-A. He may peak as a Brandon Nimmo type, but he’s close to being a finished product already, even with his youth. 7. Zyhir Hope, Dodgers Age (on opening day): 21Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .266 BA (458 AB), 13 HR, 27 SB, .804 OPS, 79 BB, 143 K Hope was the big riser in the Dodgers’ system last year, but a move up the ladder this year revealed him to be rougher around the edges than both Quintero and De Paula. He’s probably the best athlete of the three, with his power potential standing out in particular, but his swing can get out of control, leading to too many whiffs on hittable pitches. The Dodgers usually find a way to bring out the talent in a player, though, and Hope offers them plenty to work with.
Age (on opening day): 19Where he played in 2025: Rookie, Low-AMinor league stats: .290 BA (290 AB), 16 HR, 35 SB, .948 OPS, 49 BB, 78 K Despite playing all of 2025 as an 18-year-old, Florentino looked like a complete offensive player. His exit velocities are already major league-caliber, his swing is already optimized for power with elevated fly ball and pull rates, and his plate discipline is already an asset, highlighted by a 14 percent walk rate and 90 percent zone-contact rate. The stolen bases may be a red herring, but then again, players don’t need to be especially fast to contribute them these days. Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .289 BA (484 AB), 18 HR, 29 SB, .892 OPS, 96 BB, 106 K
Waldschmidt’s first professional season was a rousing success, revealing him to be one of the most disciplined hitters in all the minors with enough power and speed for it to matter. The power comes more from his lift-and-pull tendencies than his contact quality and may be inflated by the Diamondbacks’ hitter-friendly pipeline, but he could eke out a few 20/20 seasons. A Christian Yelich comp works as well for him as it does for Carson Binge, only minus the highest-end outcomes. Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: Triple-A, majorsMinor league stats: .286 BA (370 AB), 22 HR, .937 OPS, 57 BB, 121 KMajor league stats: 5 for 26, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 11 K Caissie’s long-touted power projection finally came to fruition in 2025 with more consistent hard contact and a better pull-air rate, and by mid-August, it was clear he was due for a major-league opportunity, just for a team that already had too many outfielders. With Kyle Tucker now out of the way, Caissie has an open lane to playing time. His on-base skills should make up for his likely batting average shortcomings, giving him a chance to be something like a poor man’s Kyle Schwarber.
Age (on opening day): 22Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-AMinor league stats: .333 BA (216 AB), 13 HR, 1.068 OPS, 48 BB, 59 K Not to be confused with Mike Soroka, Sirota is who the Dodgers got back in the Gavin Lux trade, and we’re nearing the point where other teams should tell them “no” just on principle. The 2024 third-rounder had a bad junior year at Northeastern, but the Dodgers valued him like a first-rounder before then and reworked his swing to get him back to producing at an elite level. It was for only an abbreviated period because of a knee injury, but his athleticism and plate skills are reasons for continued optimism. Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: Rookie, Low-A, Triple-AMinor league stats: .269 BA (208 AB), 6 HR, 10 SB, .839 OPS, 55 BB, 85 K
Rodriguez rates near the top of the scales in contact quality, plate discipline and overall athleticism, and those outlier traits have sustained his prospect standing even through an injury-plagued minor league career. But the wager was that he’d shore up the lesser aspects of his profile as he moved up the ladder, and that simply hasn’t happened. He won’t swing at any pitch out of the zone, but he’ll often miss on pitches in the zone, giving major league pitchers a clear strategy to use against him unless he has another leap still to make. Age (on opening day): 21Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .241 BA (490 AB), 32 HR, .858 OPS, 83 BB, 169 K Montes has often been compared to Yordan Alvarez, largely because of his size and backstory, but now that he’s spent some time in the upper minors, it’s clear he’s not the same caliber of hitter. Sure, he can put a charge in the ball, but he slashed only .213/.319/.433 in his first 64 games at Double-A, striking out more than 30 percent of the time. He was young for the level and is bound to improve in a return trip there, but as he closes in on the majors, we need to be honest about what he’s not. Age (on opening day): 22Where he played in 2025: Triple-AMinor league stats: .334 BA (440 AB), 7 HR, 46 SB, .863 OPS, 58 BB, 91 K A player out of his time and, thus, a controversial prospect, Crawford has consistently excelled in two areas that are essential for Fantasy, batting average and stolen bases, while falling short in the one most critical for real life, home runs. His father, Carl Crawford, profiled similarly to begin his career and eventually developed enough power to be a first-rounder in Fantasy, but that was 20 years ago. If the younger Crawford never develops that power, his current profile may still be viable, as evidenced by the recent success of Chandler Simpson and Xavier Edwards. Age (on opening day): 24Where he played in 2025: Double-A, Triple-AMinor league stats: .274 BA (438 AB), 35 HR, 29 SB, .932 OPS, 58 BB, 179 K Another controversial prospect, Jones’ upside is plain to see from his home run and stolen base totals, which are made possible by his 6-foot-6 frame and uncommon athleticism for someone so big. Unfortunately, he’s simply too easy to beat for pitchers who know what they’re doing and, at 24, seems unlikely to improve much in that regard. A mechanical adjustment midseason seemed to whittle down his strikeout rate, but he gave it all back over the final two months. Joey Gallo, for all his flaws, had a few years of Fantasy prominence, and maybe Jones can, too. Age (on opening day): 24Where he played in 2025: Triple-A, majorsMinor league stats: .304 BA (342 AB), 18 HR, 23 SB, .934 OPS, 68 BB, 76 KMajor league stats: .227 BA (110 AB), 4 HR, 2 SB, .775 OPS, 26 BB, 36 K A change in the way he shifts his weight allowed Beavers to turn on fastballs better, reducing his strikeout rate and greatly improving his exit velocities, and suddenly there was more to his profile than an elite batting eye — which also remained. The power is still the sort that relies on angling the ball off the bat optimally, but he’s shown the ability to do that and is also speedy enough to make a 20/20 outcome possible, provided his struggles against left-handers don’t confine him to platoon duty. Age (on opening day): 24Where he played in 2025: Rookie, Triple-A, majors (postseason only)Minor league stats: .264 BA (148 AB), 7 HR, .852 OPS, 28 BB, 28 KMajor league stats: 1 for 6, 1 BB, 1 K There’s simply no getting around DeLauter’s injury history, which includes a thrice broken left foot in past years and a sports hernia and broken hamate bone that sidelined him for most of 2025. He’s produced when he’s played, but you have to wonder how much he’ll suffer from the lost developmental time, even if he manages to stay healthy moving forward. The Guardians gave him a baptism by fire in the postseason, recognizing that they need to begin cashing in while he’s healthy, and in theory, he profiles as a Bryan Reynolds type, perhaps with more batting average. 18. Bo Davidson, Giants Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .281 BA (449 AB), 18 HR, 19 SB, .844 OPS, 68 BB, 119 K After going undrafted in 2023, Davidson made a splash with a .327/.437/.605 slash line in 2024 and then bolstered his prospect credentials with continued success while making a couple moves up the ladder in 2025. He has a true center field projection, which speaks to his athleticism and gives him a clearer path to playing time. With Baseball America giving him a 60 grade for both power and speed, he may end up resembling Randy Arozarena for Fantasy. Age (on opening day): 21Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .315 BA (485 AB), 3 HR, 70 SB, .830 OPS, 68 BB, 105 K Ewing fits the mold of a traditional leadoff man, combining top-of-the-scales speed with a keen batting eye and line-drive approach. He could probably tap into more power if he needed to, but it’s become less of a requirement in today’s game. Ewing has also gotten some exposure to second base and could develop into a superutility player in the mold of Tommy Edman, but I think he’ll be an even better hitter than that. Age (on opening day): 22Where he played in 2025: Low-A, High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .270 BA (448 AB), 12 HR, 14 SB, .804 OPS, 57 BB, 130 K An ankle injury prevented Montgomery from debuting after the Red Sox picked him 12th overall in 2024, which only added to the intrigue when they flipped him in the Garrett Crochet deal that offseason. Turns out he was worth the wait. He showed well at all three levels in 2025, making quality swing decisions and impacting the ball in a way that portends more power. He both strikes out and puts the ball on the ground too much, and a return trip to Double-A should clarify whether those are growing pains or red flags. Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .243 BA (457 AB), 20 HR, 10 SB, .801 OPS, 90 BB, 120 K Some will hold it against Tibbs that he was traded twice in his first full professional season, first for Rafael Devers and then for Dustin May, but the team that ultimately acquired him was the Dodgers. And right on cue, he did his best work for them, slashing .269/.407/.493 in 36 games at Double-A Tulsa. The 13th pick in the 2024 draft showed he could take a walk at all three stops and did a much better job elevating the ball with the Dodgers, allowing his power to come through. Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: Double-A, Triple-AMinor league stats: .285 BA (488 AB), 22 HR, 22 SB, .819 OPS, 39 BB, 124 K Alderman’s move up to Triple-A late in the year — where he was at his best with a .303/.341/.671 slash line in 20 games — allowed us a glimpse at the Statcast data, and every quality-of-contact metric puts him in the 90th-100th percentile. The man can crank it and fits the description of a hulking slugger despite a fairly safe outfield projection. His downfall could be his aggression at the plate, but his chase rates, while high, are workable.Age (on opening day): 25Where he played in 2025: Double-A, Triple-A, majorsMinor league stats: .279 BA (358 AB), 19 HR, 18 SB, .917 OPS, 52 BB, 146 KMajor league stats: .255 BA (47 AB), 4 HR, 3 SB, .880 OPS, 5 BB, 20 K Cole capped off a breakthrough minor league season with a consequential 15-game stint in the majors, continuing to homer and steal at the same rate while securing an everyday role for a contending Astros team. Better swing decisions fueled the breakthrough, activating his latent (but entirely legitimate) power and speed, but his contact issues remain severe enough that they could scuttle the whole operation over a larger sample. Age (on opening day): 22Where he played in 2025: High-A, Double-AMinor league stats: .286 BA (458 AB), 26 HR, .896 OPS, 56 BB, 130 K Passivity held Valdez back in the past, putting his strikeout rate at an untenable level, but he did a better job attacking in 2025, where he dominated at High-A and again in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .368/.513/.842 with eight homers in 19 games. He may be overcalibrated for power and struggle with the high heat and advanced breaking balls to come, and there are also real doubts about his defensive viability. Age (on opening day): 23Where he played in 2025: Double-A, Triple-A, majorsMinor league stats: .267 BA (434 AB), 21 HR, .810 OPS, 45 BB, 131 KMajor league stats: 1 for 7, 1 2B, 2 BB, 5 K Though Garcia seems to be a fixture on top-100 lists right now, I actually don’t like him all that much on account of his poor exit velocities (86.4 mph average at Triple-A, where he spent most of his time) and even worse plate discipline (particularly when you look at his chase and zone-contact rates). But he’s been productive, and since I value proximity all the more as a Fantasy Baseball writer, I should probably have him round out this list rather than far-off options like Theo Gillen, Jonny Farmelo or Nate George.
已发布: 2025-12-02 21:26:00
