Top fantasy baseball prospects: Bryce Eldridge heating up, Leo De Vries making early impression

Top fantasy baseball prospects: Bryce Eldridge heating up, Leo De Vries making early impression

A quick reminder: This is ONLY players who have Rookie of the Year MLB eligibility, and ONLY a look at potential help for 2026.

That out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season.

1. Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners

2026 stats: 13 G, .265/.321/.409, 1 HR, 2 SB, 2 BB, 17 SO at Triple-A Tacoma.

Emerson’s first two weeks of play have been a bit of a mixed bag, but the good news is that after suffering an injury scare last weekend, he didn’t miss a game. The 20-year-old has had slow starts in the past, so it’s hard to be too concerned about numbers that aren’t exactly ghastly to look at, either. The Mariners’ infield is currently full and Cole Young has been excellent to begin the year, but it’s just a matter of time until Seattle turns to the player they signed to an eight-year, $95 million extension last week. He’s the one fantasy player I’d have on my roster right now still in the minors, and that’s why he gets this top spot.

2. Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

2026 stats: 13 G, .360/.492/.520, 1 HR, 0 SB, 10 BB, 19 SO at Triple-A Sacramento.

It took a little longer than anticipated, but Eldridge finally got his first homer of the 2026 campaign Friday against Las Vegas. He followed up that game by going 7-for-9 with a pair of doubles over the next two contests. While he has just the one roundtripper, Eldridge has doubled five times, and it’s just a matter of time to see those two-baggers heading over the fence. Whether that will occur as a member of the River Cats or Giants in the coming weeks is debatable, but Eldridge’s power/plate skills make him well worth fantasy consideration whenever San Francisco deems him ready for another shot.

3. Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins

2026 stats: 10 G, .242/.405/.273, 0 HR, 3 SB, 8 BB, 6 SO at Triple-A St. Paul.

Keep in mind that Jenkins was limited by a hamstring strain this spring, and it’s been pretty clear that the outfielder is still getting his timing down. He was finally able to have a breakout game Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases. He swiped three bags over the week, and it’s obviously a positive sign that he’s starting to run. Jenkins is not only one of the top prospects in baseball, but he’s one of the top prospects in baseball playing for a team that -- despite a decent start -- doesn’t appear to be a playoff contender. If he gets the call this summer, and he should, he has a chance to contribute in several fantasy categories.

4. Peyton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox

2026 stats: 3 G, 15 IP, 3.00 ERA, 0 HR, 4 BB, 19 SO at Triple-A Worcester.

Tolle was excellent again versus Triple-A Columbus, firing five scoreless frames while striking out six and issuing one walk. The left-hander has fanned at least six in each of his three starts -- more impressive considering he hasn’t gone deeper than six innings in those outings -- and he continues to show a 97 mph fastball with three solid secondary offerings. Tolle’s ready to go, and it seems much more likely than not that he’s going to get a chance to help the Boston rotation -- and fantasy managers, in turn -- before the end of the summer.

5. Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers

2026 stats: 9 G, .352/.439/.537, 0 HR, 6 SB, 10 BB, 5 SO at Triple-A Toledo.

It was probably a mistake to not have Clark in this fifth spot last week, but we can always rectify errors. Clark has been sensational to begin the season, and while he has yet to see a hit go over the fence, he’s already hit eight doubles. The third pick of the 2023 draft, Clark has a line-drive swing from the left side that is more conducive to hitting for average than power, but that’s more compliment to the former than an indictment on the latter; there’s 20-plus homer potential. He’s an excellent athlete with double-plus speed, and while Detroit may take things easy with their top prospect -- Kevin McGonigle doesn’t count, calm down -- he’s definitely intriguing from a fantasy perspective if they give him an opportunity. The way Clark is playing, he may force their hands.

Around the minors:

Leo De Vries is one of the top prospects to be traded at the deadline in years, and he showed why the A’s may not miss Mason Miller too much over the weekend. After going 3-for-6 against Double-A Frisco on Saturday, he followed that effort up with another three-hit effort with two of those knocks going over the fence. De Vries is a switch-hitting shortstop that doesn’t turn 20 until October, and he already shows above-average power and a hit tool that should be plus thanks to his bat speed and ability to recognize pitches. Add in well above-average speed, and everything is here to be a fantasy star. There’s some question about whether he’s a shortstop long-term, but even if he moves to another infield spot or even the outfield, the bat will play. De Vries can make a strong case that he’s the best prospect still in the minors right now, and even at his young age, he could make his debut this year.

We’ll do our best to not repeat players too often -- at least not twice in a row -- but Kade Anderson’s second start was simply too good to not mention. He whiffed 11 over five no-hit innings against Double-A Wichita, and he’s now struck out 17 hitters over his first nine innings of the season without giving up a run. The third-overall pick of the 2025 draft, Anderson struck out 180 over 119 innings with LSU in 2026, and he’s proof that you do not need a high 90 mph fastball to have swing-and-miss stuff. That’s not to say Anderson is a soft-tosser -- he gets his fastball up to 97 mph -- but it’s his secondary stuff and command that makes him a special pitching prospect. Do not be surprised if he makes starts for Seattle by the end of 2026.

Fantasy managers always need to be on the lookout for help in the stolen-base category, and a player that hasn’t received a ton of pub who could help in that regard is Austin Overn of the Tampa Bay Rays. Overn swiped five bags Thursday, and he’s already up to a dozen steals in 2025 after picking up 64 of them in 2025. He’s also hit .379 with a 1.023 OPS in his first eight games, so it hasn’t just been the thefts that have been impressive for the 2024 third-round pick. Overn is also a terrific defensive outfielder, and while he doesn’t project to be above-average in any category but speed and with the glove, that might be enough for him to carve out a regular role. At the very least, Overn has to be monitored in dynasty leagues.

Tanner McDougal doesn’t get the hype of some of the other White Sox top prospects, but there’s a decent chance that’s going to change soon. Well, assuming he’s still in the minors, that is. McDougal impressed again Saturday against Triple-A Memphis with six innings of two-run baseball where he struck out eight and allowed just two hits. He often finishes hitters off with a fastball that gets into the triple digits, but the 23-year-old also has two solid breaking pitches in his slider and curve -- the slider being the slightly better pitch at this point -- as well as a change that’s made some progress. The command needs work, but if it can be even average, McDougal has a chance to be a solid fantasy option who misses plenty of bats at the highest level. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he got the chance to show that arsenal in the majors in the coming weeks.