2026 MLB Prospect Report: Part 3 & MLB Talent (T-Z)
This article was published in separate parts due to the length of the original article being longer than the average read time on our website.
Introduction
For this article/series, I decided to start a fun project tracking all the prospects who’s cards I have. This will be a weekly project tracking their hopefully success as we move through the season. I love the Topps pro debut set and have a very large collection from this alone.
Here are the links to the other parts of this series to navigate and read through:
Tai Peete- The Mariners selected the left-handed hitting shortstop 30th overall in 2023 out of high school. He has also played some outfield in the pros and shown his versatility. He debuted that year and performed well in rookie ball. He hit .351/.429/.387 with a .861 OPS. After ten games, he got called up to low A for the last 14 games. He returned to low A in 2024 and showed some power hitting 7 home runs, while his speed was on full display stealing 45 bases and hitting 9 triples and 26 doubles. He moved up to high A in 2025, and the stolen base number dropped to 25 but he hit a career high 19 home runs. His in-game power showed consistently and showed he is more than a contact hitter with speed. The Mariners traded him to the Cardinals in the 2025 offseason, and he will start next year in a new system. He did get a chance to get in some games this spring for the big-league team and went 3-11 with a home run and two doubles. 6 strike outs were not the best, but he is still young, so the three extra base hits against advanced pitching was impressive for a 19 year old that has not played above high A. He will likely return to high A so the Cardinals can keep developing him into a better all-around hitter.
Thayron Liranzo- Liranzo is an exciting switch-hitting catching prospect for the Tigers. He received a spring training invite in 2026 and has showed a lot of promise. Despite being optioned down to AA, he really put his name on the map. A lot of hard contact for the young catcher from the Dominican Republic. Liranzo only has 88 games played in AA and none above, so it made sense that he did not break camp with the big league club. It will be interesting to see if he can improve on a disappointing 2025, where he only posted .659 ops. In spring training, he had 12 at bats and recorded 3 hits (one home run), a double, and 4 rbis. He also recorded 2 walks and posted a line of .250/.357,583 with an op of .940. Excited to see him build on this number.
Theo Gillan- The Rays drafted the left-handed hitting outfielder 18th overall in 2024 out of high school. He debuted right away and struggled in low A in a very limited sample. He returned to low A last year and was very solid. Hitting .267/.433/.387 with a .820 OPS. While he is not a big power bat, he did hit 5 home runs showing some pop. The highlight of his season was stealing 36 bases and hitting 12 doubles. He also did not strike out a ton and walked at an almost even rate. Still to be seen where he starts 2026, but it will be a good chance for him to prove he can stay healthy and show his development not hust at the plate but in center.
Travis Bazzana- The Guardians selected Bazzana first overall in 2024. He was incredible at Oklahoma State and was the clear number one pick. The left handed hitting second baseman will be in the show this year. In two minor league seasons he has hit .242/.384/.417 with a .801 OPS. He has hit 12 home runs and walked 83 times. The strikeout rate is a little high but not overly concerning. He will start the season in triple A but should be up in the majors soon.
Travis Honeyman- The Boston College outfielder was selected in the third round of the 2023 draft by the Cardinals. In College he was a line drive hitter with high exit velocities. The Cardinals felt they could unlock his raw power and transfer it to in game power. So far, they have not. He is not hitting the ball as hard but is still hitting the ball constantly and getting on base. Through two seasons (102 games), he is hitting .298/.411/.392 with an .804 OPS. He is a tough strike out and draws a good number of walks. Likely will need to start hitting the ball with more loft to have a chance at the show, but his skillset is outdated in today’s game. Teams are not jumping for a first baseman/DH that hits 3 home runs a year. This will be a huge year for him to change the narrative and show his power.
Travis Sykora- The Nationals selected the 6’6” right-handed pitcher out of high school in the third round in 2023. In his first season, he went 5-3 with a 2.33 era in 85 innings. He struck out 129 batters and only walked 27 runs and 22 earned runs. He dominated and moved through both low A and high A in 8 starts in 2025 and finished the season in double A. He struggled in two double A starts but was almost four years younger than the average player. Unfortunately, he tore his UCL and needed elbow surgery. He hopes to come back better than before which will be tough because overall, he was great. He throws an upper 90s fastball, a plus splitter and an above average slider. A tough three pitch mix that dominated hitters. He will likely miss all of 2026 but hopes to be back up in 2027 for opening day.
Ty Southisene- The Cubs selected the speedy second baseman in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Ty will likely never hit for power, but he hits the ball all over the field. He loves going the other way and does this more than he pulls the ball. His swing really only produces line drives and ground balls and he only hits about 15% of his balls in play in the air. He debuted in 2025 at 19 years old and walked 4 more times than he struck out while hitting .245/.388/.277 with a .664 OPS. He also stole 41 bases and scored 69 runs. He impacts the game without hitting home runs. It will be interesting to see if he tweaks his swing to try to add some power as the lack of slugging really hurts the OPS. It will be interesting to see how the Cubs decide to develop a player like him.
Tyson Lewis- The Reds selected the left-handed hitting shortstop in the second-round pick in 2024. out of high school Lewis has great speed and a good glove. His arm is solid and he may stick at short but will likely see time at third and second as well. He debuted at 19 and was very good all around. In rookie ball, he played 46 games and hit .340/.396/.532 with a .928 OPS. In that time, he hit 6 home runs, 5 triples, 8 doubles, and stole 19 bases. He was then called up to low A where he was also solid. In the remaining 35 games, he hit .268/.347/.417 with a .765 OPS. His counting stats were 3 home runs, 1 triple, and 8 doubles with 8 stolen bases. Lewis showed his skills all over the diamond and solidified himself as one of the top shortstop prospects in baseball. He will likely start the season in high A after his impressive spring training performance with the big league team.
Victor Rodriguez- The Dodgers signed Rodriguez out of Venezuela in 2020. He possess solid speed and athleticism but is very raw. Victor has a great eye at the plate and does not chase. He had 22 more walks than strike outs last year which is incredible. While the power has not shown, he has a big frame (6’2” 203 lbs) and it could come. While he is not elite behind the plate, he is good enough to stick back there and should continue to develop. His game is centered around his ability to make contact and draw walks. Should he find some power, he should rise up in the ranking and move up in the system.
Walker Jenkins- The Twins selected the 6’3” outfielder fifth overall in 2023 out of high school. He debuted right away and was incredible. Through two level, in 26 games he hit 3 home runs, 4 triples, 5 doubles, and stole 6 bases. He drew 9 walks and only struck out 14 times in 105 at bats. By his second full professional season, he found himself in triple A by the end of it. He has good speed on the bases and can swipe bags while also having a great eye at the plate. He has been a low strike out high walk rate guy since day one and this is why he is ranked so highly. Jenkins will start the season in triple A and should definitely get the call this year. Expect him to likely shift to a corner spot with Buxton in center, but they should be patrolling the outfield in Minnesota for years to come.
Yeremi Cabrera- Cabrera was signed out of the Dominican in 2022 by the Rangers. He debuted that year at 16 but struggled badly at the plate. He showed a good eye but did not hit the ball well at all. He ran it back in 2023 and was a completely different player. He still walked a ton (more than he struck out), but he posted a 1.004 OPS and hit 7 home runs, 6 triples, and 6 doubles. The speed was on display as was the improved bat to ball skills. He came stateside in 2024 and lit up rookie ball. Hitting 9 home runs, 3 triples, and 11 doubles with a 1.009 OPS in 210 at bats (49 games) before getting called up to low A. The Rangers were aggressive with it and while he struggled in his 23 games, it paid off. His second year in low A was much better. He hit .256/.364/.366 with a .730 OPS. He hit 8 home runs, 3 triples, 12 doubles, and stole 43 bases. Cabrera was then included in the Makenzie Gore trade with the Nationals. He will likely start this year in high A in a new system. His speed will likely keep him in center as he covers so much ground and his arm is strong enough to stick.
Yoelin Cespedes- While there is no relation to La Potencia, the young Cespedes made a name for himself and positioned himself as the top hitting prospect hitting prospects in the 2023 international class. The RedSox signed the switch-hitting middle infielder out of the Dominican and he shined in the DSL. He was an extra base machine hitting 6 home runs, 4 triples, and 15 doubles in 46 games at 17 years old. He came stateside in 2024 and lit up rookie ball. While he only played 25 games, he hit 5 home runs, a triple, and 10 doubles and slashed .319/.400/.615 with a 1.015 OPS. Last year he played a full season in low A and had mixed results. While the OPS dropped to .668, he hit a career high 10 home runs, 24 doubles, and 5 triples while stealing 10 bases. He pulls the ball over 50% of the time but last year 32% of his fly balls did not make it out of the infield. A lot of pop ups really hurt the stat line. He will likely return to low A this year to work on his timing before he advances to better pitching in double A. With a good season, he could definitely reach high A this year.
Yoffry Solano- The Marlins signed the switch hitting infielder out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. He debuted that year in the DSL and played two seasons there before coming stateside. While he is not a power bat, he is a potential extra base machine who sprays the ball over the field. While it may never go over the fence, it does land in the gaps frequently. While Luis Araez is a special contact hitter, Solano is a similar player. Low strike out percentage with a high ground ball rate who uses both right field and left field almost evenly. Solano will likely start the year in low A, but it is still not confirmed.
Yohandy Morales- The corner infielder was drafted by the Nationals in the second round in 2023 out of the University of Miami. He was a big time power bat for the Canes and hit 49 home runs in 174 games. In his first pro season, the power disappeared. He hit no home runs in 42 games across 4 levels. He did still hit 16 doubles and 4 triples and posted a line of .349/.423/.494 with a .917 OPS. He also only struck out 36 times and did a good job battling at the plate. In 2024, he found his power stroke and hit 7 home runs in 75 games across two levels (low A and double A). The strike out rate rose a little bit, but was not a huge problem. Last year he hit 15 home runs through double and triple A. He played 128 games and hit .265/.339/.430 with a .769 OPS. The concern was that his strike out rate in triple A was 30% and he had 164 strike outs in 509 at bats. Morales did get a chance in spring this year but went 1-17 with 7 strike outs. He will start back in triple A but is right at the doorstep. This could be a huge season for Morales.
Yolfran Castillo- Castillo was signed by the Rangers in 2024 out of Venezuela. As a late bloomer, he slid under the radar in the international market, but the Rangers will gladly take it. He is a 6’2” with good speed and an even better arm. He can stick at short but also has the arm to play the hot corner. He debuted at 17 years old and shined. While there is no real in game power currently, he has a big frame as could definitely add strength as he fills out. He goes up the plate looking to hit. He does not walk much which would be a problem if he struck out a lot, but he does not really strike out either. 53 walks and 84 strike outs in 123 career games (540 at bats) through the DSL, rookie ball, and low A. The lack of power hurts the OPS, but he uses the full field and can fly around the bases. While he only has one professional home run, he does have 18 doubles and 8 triples with 39 stolen bases. A lot of the balls Castillo hits in the air do not make it out of the infield but as he gets stronger and develops his swing more, this should improve. He will likely start back at low A, but he could definitely be up to high A soon.
Zander Mueth- The Pirates selected the 6’6” right-handed pitcher out of high school in 2023. The flame throwing righty has an upper 90s fastball with an above average slider and changeup. A good three pitch mix where his slider is used to put batters away. At 19 years old he debuted and played across two levels. Making 20 appearances (19 starts), he posted a 2.31 era and struck out 79 batters in 74 innings. His control definitely needs work as he has a career walk percentage in the 20s. In 100 innings, he has walked 79 batters. While his pitches are nasty, he has struggled controlling them. This will improve as he grows and is developed by the organization. Mueth will likely return to A ball this year as he struggled last year posting a 7.36 era and walked 25 batters in 22 innings pitched. He limits fly balls and does a great job of keeping the ball on the ground with elite ground ball rates. The problem is when you walk everybody ground balls score runs. If he can control his pitches, he should move through the system fast as he checks all the boxes.
Zyhir Hope- The Cubs drafted the lefty out of high school in 2023 and gave him fifth round money. Hope played 11 games for the Cubs in 2023 hitting .286/.419/.543 with a .962 OPS. The Cubs then traded him to the Dodgers for Michael Busch. In 2024, he played through both levels of A ball and performed well. He showed some power, hitting 9 home runs and slashed .290/.419/.484 with a .903 OPS. In his first full season in high A, he played well finishing with a .805 OPS. The concern was that he struck out 139 strike outs in 535 at bats. He has a good eye and walked at a 15% rate but the 27% strike out rate is a concern. He was invited to spring as a non-roster invite this year and struggled with strike outs. In 21 games (38 at bats), he struck out 13 times while only drawing 3 walks. He will likely start return to double A and look to find a patch to the Bigs in a stacked organization.
MLB Players
Agustin Ramirez-Ramirez was snugged out of the Dominican by the Yankees in 2018. He was the headliner of the Jazz Chisholm trade. Augustin is not a contact hitter and strikes out a lot, but he has impressive power. His slash line as a rookie was solid, posting a .231/.287/.413 with a .701 OPS. He hit 20 home runs in 136 games. If he can cut the strike outs down, he could definitely hit 30+ homers per year. It will be interesting to see if he can take the next step this year as the Marlins have Joe Mack in triple A gunning for the starting catcher spot.
Brice Matthews- Matthews was drafted 26th overall by the Astros in 2023. The utility infielder wasted no time flying through the minors. He got his first cup of coffee with the big league club in July. He was then called back up in September. Matthews problem is strike outs. In his 13 MLB games last year he had a 42% strike out rate which was concerning. In spring, he has looked a lot more comfortable dropping it to 28%. It will be interesting to see where he starts the season, but he will definitely play games at the big league level this year.
Caleb Durbin- Durbin was drafted in the 14th round in 2021 by the Braves. Durbin has since been traded 3 times since 2021. He debuted last season for the Brewers and had a solid season finishing third in the Rookie of The Year voting. His slash line was .256/.334/.387 with a .721 OPS. He hit 11 home runs and only struck out 50 times in 445 at bats. Durbing was traded to the Red Sox and will be their opening day starting third baseman. Durbin has looked good in spring so far and seemed poised for a big season.
Cam Smith- The Astros selected Cam Smith 14th overall from Florida State University in 2024. Smith finished 2025 10th in the rookie of the year rankings after playing 132 games and slashing .236, .312, .358, with a .671 OPS. He has a good eye at the plate, walking 43 times. The problem was he struck out 137 times. If the strike out numbers drop, he will show his power and ability to get on base. His spring training numbers are better, but still 12 strike outs in 30 at bats is concerning. Will be interesting to see if Smith can put the ball in play more this year.
Carson Williams- Williams was drafted in the first round in 2021 by the Rays out of high school. Williams is a very talents right hand hitting shortstop. He has good power and gets on base. The biggest concern is the strikeouts as his career strikeout rate is above 30%. Even with this, he has a career .816 OPS in the minors. He played 32 games in the majors last year and was bad. He hit .172/.219/.354 with a .573 OPS. He was optioned to triple A this spring but then recalled due to injuries and will likely be the Rays’ opening day short stop. This is a huge opportunity for Williams to stick at the major league level.
Christian Moore- Moore was selected 8th overall in 2024 and was fast tracked to the majors. Moore struggled last season, hitting under .200 and striking out 62 times in 53 games. Cutting down the strike outs will be a huge step forward for him. So far in the spring, Moore has struggled again. Slashing .175, .233, .250, with a .483 OPS. Moore will start the season in triple A and hopefully this can reset his career and build confidence at the plate. It will be interesting to see how this year plays out for Moore.
Cody Freeman- The Rangers selected Freeman out of high school in 2019. Freeman has a brother Tyler that plays for the Rockies. In 2025, he appeared in games at second, third, and both corner outfield spots. He only recorded 2 errors overall in 36 games. Freeman is not known for the bat, but his ability to play multiple positions will allow him to stick around. In 36 Major League games, he hit .228/.258 /.342 with a .600 OPS.
Colson Mongomery- Colson is an extremely talented left-handed hitting short stop for the White Sox. He reached the major leagues last year and had mixed results. The power numbers pop out as he hit 21 home runs and posted .840 ops in 71 games. The concern is the strike outs and low batting average. He was a 3 WAR player last season and looks to build on this with a strong second season. It will be hard to see long term success with a 29% strike out rate. If he can cut this down, he has the potential to be one of the best power hitting middle infielders in the entire league.
Dalton Rushing- Rushing was a second-round pick for the Dodgers in 2022 out of the University of Louisville. Rushing plays both first base and catches. While he is blocked full time by Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, he should be the backup at both positions. DH is also blocked by Ohtani, so playing time will be hard to find. Dalton has struggled in spring, striking out 13 times in 37 at bats. Could definitely see him being a trade piece, as he is blocked for years.
Jac Caglione- Jac really struggled when he came up last year. The 2024 6th overall pick wasted no time getting to the show. I think his struggles came because he was also learning how to play outfield while adjusting to major league pitching. They primarily played him at 1b and DH despite having Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino blocking him at both positions. He never looked comfortable at the plate or in the outfield. With a full offseason of work, Jac is primed for a huge season. The lefty has looked great in spring and while playing for Italy in the World Baseball classic. In spring, he has played 6 games and had a slash line of .400, .550, .733, with a 1.283 OPS. In the classic, Jac slashed .364, .563, .727 with a home run, four rbis and five runs scored. Should be a huge season for Jac.
Jonah Tong- Tong was a seventh-round pick by the Mets in 2022. His stuff is incredible and he struck out more batters than any other pitcher in minor league baseball last year. This earned him a call up to the majors, which unfortunately did not go well. He got hit hard and struggled to throw his secondary pitches. He was not able to beat hitters throwing just his fastball and changeup and needed to improve his other pitches. Tong will start the season in triple A but should definitely be back up at some point during the season. He is working on adding a cutter that should help as well as becoming more comfortable with his curveball and slider.
Kristian Campbell- Campbell was selected in the fourth round by the Red Sox out of Georgia Tech in 2023. The second baseman debuted last year and his first month was special. It earned him a long-term contract buying out his arbitration years (6 years $60m). In his first 28 games, he hit .303 with a .935 OPS. After the first month, he struggled a lot which got him sent back to triple A. He finished the minor league season with a .799 OPS and went into spring competing for the second base job with the big league club. So far through 15 games, he has a slash line of .229, .3255, .375, with a .696 OPS. Looking to likely start the season in the minors, but the Red Sox committed $60M to him, so he should definitely see time in the show again.
Kyle Teel- Teel was drafted 14th overall by the Red Sox in 2023. In his first season, Teel cruised through three levels of minor league baseball, ending the season in double A. He spent 2024 splitting time between double A and triple A. In 2025, he was traded to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade and debuted in the majors. In 78 games, he hit .273/.375/.411 with a .786 OPS. He hit 8 home runs drove in 35 runs. Teel looked great in the world baseball classic for team Italy before suffering a hamstring injury that will keep him out for opening day. Despite the injury, this should still be a huge season for Teel. The sky is the limit for the power hitting catcher. Splitting time with Edgar Quero behind the plate should also keep him fresh.
Nick Kurtz- The 2025 MLB Rookie of The Year came flying onto the scene in his first year. Cementing himself as one of the top bats in the game. The fourth overall draft pick debuted on 4/23/25 and proceeded to hit 36 home runs and drive in 86 runs in 117 games. He also hit .290 and posted a 1.002 ops (3rd highest in MLB) over for the season. Kurtz is primed for another great season on a young and exciting Athletics team.
Marcelo Mayer- Mayer was selected by the Red Sox fourth overall out of high school in 2021. All throughout his journey in the minors he was a highly ranked prospect who had success at every level. Last season, Mayer got the call to the show and had mixed results. His season ended due to a wrist injury that required surgery. He looks to bounce back and take the next step to becoming an everyday player. He has the versatility to play three infield positions (3b, SS, 2b) and will likely see time at all three. With Caleb Durbin starting at 3b, he will likely battle to be the opening day second baseman. While the sample size is small so far in spring (9 games 24 at bats), he has played well. 6 hits (1 home run), and 6 walks. It will be interesting to see if he makes the roster on opening day.
Matt Shaw- Shaw was a first round pick in 2023 and wasted no time getting to the show. Within 2 years he became the Cub’s third baseman. His rookie year was very up and down, but he has all the talent to stick around for a while. His rookie season saw him 13 home runs in 126 games. He also had 3 triple and 17 stolen bases, showing off his speed and base running ability. He was a 3 WAR player despite posting a slash line of .226, .295, .394 with a .690 ops. If he can put it all together at the plate, he could really become one of the premier third baseman in baseball. Shaw has lit it up in spring, posting a line of .361, .455, .500 with an ops of .965. If he can carry this into the season, it could be a really exciting one to watch for Cubs fans and Shaw collectors.
Roman Anthony- Roman is already one of the biggest names in baseball. His team USA success only furthered his growth and cemented him as one of the biggest names in baseball. Posting a 3.3 WAR as a Rookie, Roman showed a little of everything. Recording 75 hits in 71 games (257 at bats), 8 home runs, and 32 rbis. He hit 18 doubles and stole 4 bases. Excited to see a full season of Roman in Boston.
Samuel Basallo- Basallo was signed at age 16 by the Orioles out of the Dominican Republic. In August, he made his debut at 20 years old. Despite struggling at the plate, the Orioles still locked him up for 8 years for $69m. In 31 games, he posted only a .165 batting average and .559 ops. The positive note was he did hit 4 home runs in 109 at bats. The power is definitely there and once he puts it all together at the plate, he will be a huge part of the Orioles core. So far in the spring, Basallo has only hit one home run in 29 at bats, but 9 hits and 4 walks. This looks to be a positive step for the young catcher.
Trey Yesavage- Yesavage was drafted in the first round by the Blue Jays out of East Carolina in 2024. In 2025 he flew through every level of the minors and was a September callup to the big-league squad. He posted a 3.21 era in three starts, striking out 16 batters in 14 innings. In October, he blew up when he went 3-1 with a 3.58 era in 4 post season starts. He was a crucial part of the Blue Jays world series run. With rookie eligibility still for 2026, he finds himself in the running for rookie of the year. Excited to see him get a full year to take the next step.
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