I'm starting to question the wisdom of ranking prospects by position.
Of course, I've been doing this for over ten years now and I know it can work. And it's certainly more useful for fantasy purposes than ranking by team, as is usually the case. But here we have another position that is painfully weak in the prospect arena. In fact, third base may be the worst offender of all.
It just seems like every prospect right now is either a shortstop or an outfielder. Or catcher, I guess, but that's kind of its own category.
And of course, some of these shortstops will end up at third base, as well as at second base. An organization typically waits until the final stage of a prospect's development to move him down the defensive spectrum, often to fill an immediate need on the major league roster. But our experience in predicting which prospects will actually take that step isn't particularly strong, so I don't like to rush things.
I'm not complaining so much as I'm explaining why I'll go 20-30 deep at shortstop after having to scratch and claw 10 names at each of the other infield positions. The imbalance is so staggering that my overall top 100 list may only have one or two of these three core prospects.
Note. These ratings are intended primarily for use in Dynasty, emphasizing long-term value over quick returns, but to say that proximity doesn't matter wouldn't be entirely accurate either. Not all of these players will contribute in 2026—most won't, in fact—but among the prospects, they are the names fantasy baseball players need to know the most.
Age (on opening day): 22
Where played in 2025: High-A, Double-A
Minor League Statistics: .282 BA (444 AB), 17 HR, 15 SB, .870 OPS, 58 BB, 112 K
Rymer doesn't seem to get a lot of attention in traditional prospect circles, but he reminds me a little Sal Stewart Even before his breakthrough, he has already achieved results through his wavering decisions, but he has reason to believe that he is only scratching the surface of his power potential. He'll have a much narrower path if he's forced to slide to first base, but that's hardly a foregone conclusion. Either way, the .282/.379/.491 slash will play there.
Age (on opening day): 24
Where played in 2025: Triple A majors
Minor League Statistics: .263 BA (415 AB), 16 HR, 18 SB, .834 OPS, 83 BB, 111 K
Major league statistics: .190 BA (84 AB), 2 HR, 1 SB, .601 OPS, 11 BB, 35 K
Freeland is in a precarious position: he has already graduated, but has failed to make a strong impression in an organization that leaves no room for error. Although he is a capable player, his best performance with the Dodgers could be in a useful role, as he debuted as a replacement for Max Muncy at third base. He will be supported by plate discipline, supported by a pursuit rate comparable to Juan Sotobut he could also develop into a 15-hit, 15-steal player if given the opportunity.
Age (on opening day): 21
Where played in 2025: High-A
Minor League Statistics: .311 BA (74 AB), 1 HR, 8 SB, .848 OPS, 11 BB, 22 K
The 20th overall pick in the 2025 draft has hit just one home run in his first 19 professional games, but he had 25 of 65 games at the University of Tennessee last year, and his hitting prowess represents a departure from the Brewers' usual emphasis on bat-ball skill. However, this power is due more to the steep launch angle than pure exit speed, which poses some mid-range risk. Prospect361 compares it To Rhys Hoskinswhich seems fair, except that Fisher might actually be stuck at third base.
Age (on opening day): 23
Where played in 2025: High-A, Double-A
Minor League Statistics: .275 BA (360 AB), 12 HR, 23 2B, .773 OPS, 29 BB, 54 K
The biggest knock on White is that he's likely destined for first base, where the Athletics are already overloaded and where right-handed hitters have a hard time breaking through at all. But he can really hit, achieving legendary status in college with the eighth-most home runs of all time and maintaining a strikeout rate of about 15 percent even as a pro. Its muted performance so far is mainly due to the spray angle, which is a common development bottleneck.
Age (on opening day): 21
Where played in 2025: Low-A, High-A
Minor League Statistics: .300 BA (370 AB), 13 HR, 39 SB, .878 OPS, 67 BB, 117 K
You probably haven't heard much about Ortiz, but I have a hard time explaining his production. His exit velocity is near the top end of the scale, and he hits the ball at the right angles, putting it on the ground less than a third of the time. He works for the count and is a legitimately fast runner, backing up his stolen base scores. His 26 percent strikeout rate is a bit high for a Class A player and could be an issue as he moves up the ranks, but Ortiz is something of a hidden gem right now.
Age (on opening day): 23
Where played in 2025: Double-A
Minor League Statistics: .309 BA (470 AB), 12 HR, .833 OPS, 63 BB, 79 K
With his classic attitude and calm delivery, Geno Gruver, aka LuJames, looks like a pro hitter whose plate discipline won't give him any problems, but does his bat pack enough of a punch for him to fill an everyday role in the majors? His modest power in 2025 becomes even more alarming when you consider that Amarillo is one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in Double-A, and accordingly, he had just a .672 OPS on the road. He's just Wilmer Floresor is he something more?
Age (on opening day): 23
Where played in 2025: Double-A
Minor League Statistics: .226 BA (270 AB), 18 HR, .876 OPS, 69 BB, 93 K
Keeping faith in Wilken, the 18th pick in the 2023 draft, requires a fair amount of magical thinking, but third base has so little to offer that we might as well have fun. As a rookie in 2023, he took off his fastball, then took his fastball off his face early in 2024 and struggled with depth perception after that. After offseason eye therapy, he seemed to be taking off again with 18 homers and a .942 OPS in 65 games, but then another serious injury, a dislocated knee, sidelined him again. There's an OPS pig waiting for us here, but he needs more luck with injuries.
8. Hao-Yu Lee, Tigers
Age (on opening day): 23
Where played in 2025: Triple-A
Minor League Statistics: .243 BA (497 AB), 14 HR, 22 SB, .748 OPS, 65 BB, 121 K
Scouting reports read better than Lee's actual stats, but keep in mind that he slashed .298/.363/.488 for Double-A Erie just a year ago. No outstanding skills here, but he hits the ball pretty hard, controls the strike zone well, and is improving as a base stealer. If he takes his opportunity wherever it comes, most likely at second base, he can stay.
Age (on opening day): 24
Where played in 2025: Low-A, High-A
Minor League Statistics: .323 BA (291 AB), 13 HR, .970 OPS, 44 BB, 79 K
Failure to reach Double-A before he turns 24 isn't usually a good sign for a player's development, but the Giants thought enough of Harber to make him part of the team. Camilo Doval pull out. Perhaps it's his struggles with sliders, his defensive shortcomings, or his right-handedness that ultimately trip him up, but late bloomers do exist, and Harber really does knock the snot out of the ball. Considering how he's performed at every stop (including the Arizona Fall League), I'm willing to listen to him.
Age (on opening day): 23
Where played in 2025: Beginner, Low-A, High-A
Minor League Statistics: .307 BA (218 AB), 4 HR, 17 2B, .867 OPS, 33 BB, 70 K
Power was supposed to be Amick's advantage as the Twins took him in the second round of the 2024 draft, but as you can see from the numbers, in his first full professional season, which incidentally included two extended stints on the IL, he seemed to take a more linear approach. The outcome might be the best of both worlds, but considering he's already 23 years old and hasn't played a game in Double-A yet, he'll have to put it all together soon.
