30 of the best prospects who missed the Top 100 list -- 1 for each team
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A Top 100 list is never enough.
Every year after we release a Top 100 prospect ranking -- as MLB Pipeline did last Friday -- we always get the simple two-word question from the public: who’s next?
Let’s get you started on who could crack future editions of the Top 100 with one prospect from each organization who just missed the latest list:
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Johnny King, LHP
Trey Yesavage’s surge to postseason-hero status carries a lot of weight for the Blue Jays' pitching corps, but King’s move through the Rookie-level Florida Complex and Florida State Leagues -- in which he struck out 105 in 61 2/3 innings -- shouldn’t go overlooked. The 6-foot-3 southpaw throws a 92-95 mph fastball with good spin and gets a ton of whiffs on his 79-81 mph curveball. Finding a consistent third pitch and better control will be keys for 2026. Even so, King is still entering just his age-19 season.
Orioles: Trey Gibson, RHP
Gibson is coming off a big 2025 season in which he reached Triple-A for the first time. He’s 6-foot-5 with big extension and throws as many as six pitches -- four- and two-seam fastball, sweeper, slider, curve and changeup -- for strikes. His 31.5 percent strikeout rate over the past two seasons is third among Minor League hurlers who have thrown at least 200 innings.
Rays: Jacob Melton, OF
Tampa Bay acquired Melton from the Astros as part of the three-team deal that sent Brandon Lowe to the Pirates, and the 25-year-old should get a long look at being an outfield option for the Rays in ‘26. The 2022 second-rounder has long boasted above-average power and plus grades for his speed and defense, but he improved his hit tool at Triple-A as well last season by chasing less and making more in-zone contact. A sprained right ankle limited him to 32 games in the Majors with rough results, but there’s a trendline for him to be an everyday player in his second organization.
Red Sox: Juan Valera, RHP
Signed for just $45,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, Valera reached full-season ball at age 18 a year later and posted a 46/10 K/BB ratio in 38 High-A innings last year, albeit with a 5.45 ERA and three months on the sidelines with right elbow soreness. When he's healthy, he can run his fastball up to 100 mph and miss bats with an upper-80s slider and a low-90s changeup.
Yankees: Spencer Jones, OF
A 2022 first-rounder from Vanderbilt, Jones slashed .274/.362/.571 with 35 homers and 29 steals in 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A, ranking second in the Minors in homers, fifth in slugging, sixth in total bases (250), seventh in extra-base hits (59) and eighth in runs (102). He features one of the best combinations of size (6-foot-7, 240 pounds) and athleticism in the Minors, but he also had a 35 percent strikeout rate last year.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Braylon Doughty, RHP
While Doughty stands out most for his feel for a low-80s curveball and a mid-80s slider, he also pounds the zone with a low-90s fastball and flashes a mid-80s changeup with tumble. The 2024 supplemental first-round pick out of a California high school logged a 3.48 ERA with a 99/23 K/BB ratio in 85 1/3 innings during his pro debut at Single-A.
Royals: Kendry Chourio, RHP
Signed for $247,500 last January, Chourio became one of the pitching stories of the year in 2025 when he climbed from the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League to Single-A Columbia in his age-17 season. He finished with a 3.51 ERA, 63 strikeouts and only five walks in 51 1/3 innings along the way. Chourio works with a 93-97 mph fastball, upper-70s curveball and mid-80s changeup that could all be at least above average and play up with his easy command. Carrying that same stuff over a slightly longer sample is all he’ll need to jump into the Top 100.
Tigers: Hao-Yu Lee, 3B/2B
The 5-foot-9 infielder was better than his .243/.342/.406 slash line over 126 games at Triple-A Toledo, and the Tigers appropriately added him to the 40-man roster when he became Rule 5-eligible in November. He had the right mix of contact rates and raw pop to project as someone who could be average in both the hit and power departments, and he flashed decent speed too with 22 steals in 27 attempts. The Tigers figure to throw him into the blender of their upper-level infield options, hoping he can come out ahead and claim the MLB third-base job.
Twins: Kendry Rojas, LHP
Injuries have slowed the left-hander, namely a shoulder issue in 2024 and an abdominal strain last year, but the Twins saw enough to acquire him from the Blue Jays in return for Louis Varland and Ty France at the Trade Deadline last year. His stuff has ticked up, with a fastball that can touch 97 mph and his 86-87 mph slider his best secondary offering. He’ll pitch all year at age 23, and a full healthy season could catapult him up the Top 100 and into the big leagues.
White Sox: Tanner McDougal, RHP
McDougal blew out his right elbow soon after the White Sox drafted him in 2021's fifth round out of a Nevada high school, had Tommy John surgery and has developed into the system's best righty pitching prospect. He used an upper-90s fastball that reaches 100 mph and an upper-70s downer curveball to post a 3.26 ERA with 136 strikeouts in 113 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Ryan Johnson, RHP
Johnson touched the Top 100 last year, showing impressive resilience after being rushed to the big leagues in a relief role to start his pro career then righting himself as a starter before he got shut down in August. It remains to be seen what his long-term role will be, but he has a full repertoire (five pitches) that he can throw for strikes with a funky and deceptive delivery. His slider is a true out pitch, and he has a newer upper-80s cutter that’s also really effective.
Astros: Brice Matthews, 2B
The best athlete on our Top 10 2B list, Matthews has at least plus raw power and similar speed. The 2023 first-rounder out of Nebraska posted a .260/.371/.458 slash line with 17 homers and 41 steals in 112 Triple-A games and batted .167 with four homers in 13 big league contests.
A’s: Wei-En Lin, LHP
The A’s signed Lin in June 2024 for $1.13 million and he pitched his way from Single-A to Double-A in his first season of pro ball at age 19. He fills up the strike zone with four or five pitches and produced a combined 33 percent miss rate in 2025 en route to a 12.1 K/9 rate. He’s helping the A’s gather an impressive assortment of southpaws, right behind Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump.
Mariners: Felnin Celesten, SS
Signed for $4.7 million in January 2023, Celesten had trouble staying healthy out of the gate, not making his debut after signing because of a hamstring tear, then getting shut down in July 2024 following left hamate surgery. He stayed healthy in 2025 and earned a late bump from Single-A Modesto to High-A Everett. He’s a switch-hitter with excellent contact skills and the ability to stick at shortstop. If impact at the plate comes, he’ll move back onto the Top 100.
Rangers: Caden Scarborough, RHP
Scarborough went from projectable but raw Florida prep sixth-round pick in 2023 to the Rangers' top pitching prospect in two years. He compiled a 2.45 ERA, a .181 average-against and a 114/21 K/BB ratio in 88 innings between two Class A stops while working primarily with a lively mid-90s fastball and sweeping low-80s slider.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Didier Fuentes, RHP
Fuentes got rushed to the big leagues last year at age 20, and the combination of that not going well and him having some difficulties getting into a groove back in the Minors might make him underrated. With a low release and flat approach, hitters don’t see his four-seamer, a pitch he can run up to 98 mph. If his secondary stuff takes a step forward, he could be the best arm in this system.
Marlins: Kevin Defrank, RHP
Defrank signed for $560,000 out of the Dominican Republic last January, landing the fourth-highest bonus given to a pitcher in the 2025 international class. He first touched triple digits with his fastball at age 16 last winter, and both his upper-80s slider and changeup could become plus pitches when fully developed. He registered a 3.19 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 31 innings during his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.
Mets: Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF
Fellow corner infielder Jacob Reimer deserves a mention here too as both aren’t far off from Top 100 status. But Clifford's strikeout rate dipped a bit in his age-21 season across the top two levels of the Minors, helping quiet some of the concerns that he’ll be a three-true-outcome slugger. He still took a ton of walks and hit for good pop (29 homers) ahead of his return to Triple-A Syracuse. Clifford could be an MLB option at first base or the corner outfield spots by the first half, depending on club need.
Nationals: Gavin Fien, SS
Washington didn’t necessarily pick up a Top 100 prospect in last week’s MacKenzie Gore blockbuster, but it did get someone close to that status in Fien, the 12th overall pick in last year’s Draft. The California native has a quick right-handed swing that helps him catch up to fastballs, and he has some thunder in there too with plus raw power in his 6-foot-3 frame. He may profile best as a third baseman, but that’s fine with top overall pick Eli Willits already in the system.
Phillies: Gage Wood, RHP
Wood will forever be known for his 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series for Arkansas ahead of the Phillies taking him in the first round of the 2025 Draft. Now we’ll get to see just what kind of professional he can be. It’s mostly his outstanding fastball, up to 98 mph with tons of carry, and his power curve getting the job done, though he has a less-effective slider and seldom-used changeup. He could move quickly through the system, though he’ll have to prove he can start long term.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 3B
A former star at both Duke and Mississippi, Fischer transferred to Tennessee for his junior year in 2025 and finished with 25 homers, third-most in Division I. Milwaukee took him 20th overall in July, with some in the club’s Draft room thinking he was the best college hitter in the class thanks to his combination of bat speed, strength and improved approach. Fischer will move from first to third base for the Crew, and he already ranks as MLB Pipeline's top prospect at the hot corner.
Cardinals: Quinn Mathews, LHP
The former Stanford pitching legend jumped into the Top 100 in his first full season in 2024, when he struck out 202 in 143 1/3 innings across all four full-season levels, but took a step back last year at Triple-A Memphis while overcoming early left shoulder issues. While his four-seamer sat just 93 mph, his low-80s changeup still generated whiffs at a plus rate, with a short slider and curveball to help suppress damage. The Cardinals are hopeful the 6-foot-5 southpaw can make the proper mechanical adjustments to find the zone more often and re-establish himself as a potential No. 3 or 4 starter.
Cubs: Ethan Conrad, OF
Conrad showcased some of the best all-around tools in the 2025 college class before injuring his left (throwing) shoulder diving for a ball last March and having season-ending surgery a month later. Drafted 17th overall out of Wake Forest, he has the ability to hit for power and average, and he has the speed to steal some bases and perhaps stick in center field.
Pirates: Jhostynxon Garcia, OF
“The Password” came to the Pirates in the Johan Oviedo trade in December and has the kind of raw power that could translate to 25-30 homers a year in the big leagues. He’s always going to be power-over-hit, but a little more of a refined approach should enable him to get to that pop more consistently. Pirates fans could get a look to see how it plays at PNC Park as early as Opening Day.
Reds: Tyson Lewis, SS
There was a lot to like about Lewis, the Reds’ second-round pick in 2024, during his first full season of pro ball. He finished with a .311/.376/.486 line with 31 extra-base hits and 27 steals over 81 games between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A Daytona. The enthusiasm was dampened a bit by a 29.1 percent overall strikeout rate, a number that rose to 35.4 percent in his 35 games with Daytona. Improvements to his overall approach could get him on the right track.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Kayson Cunningham, SS
The 18th overall pick entered pro ball with a cabinet full of accolades, including USA Baseball’s Player of the Year in 2024 and the Gatorade Player of the Year Award for Texas in ‘25. Cunningham draws significant praise for his barrel control from the left side of the box, and he is expected to hit for a high average. Squeezing a bit more power would aid that pursuit, and there’s the possibility he has to move from shortstop to second base down the line.
Dodgers: River Ryan, RHP
After logging a 1.33 ERA in his first four big league starts in 2024, Ryan blew out his right elbow and had Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of last season. Acquired from the Padres in a 2022 trade for Matt Beaty, he features a six-pitch repertoire that includes a 95-100 mph four-seam fastball with huge carry, a mid-90s two-seamer, an upper-80s slider, a low-90s cutter, an 82-85 mph curveball and an upper-80s changeup -- all of which grade as at least solid when they're on. He has looked good in offseason workouts and could make an impact in Los Angeles this year.
Giants: Luis Hernandez, SS
The top prospect in the 2026 international class, Hernandez signed for $4,997,500 out of Venezuela. He combines athleticism and tools with advanced skills for a player who just turned 17 in December, giving him one of the highest ceilings and perhaps the highest floor in the Giants' system.
Padres: Ethan Salas, C
Once considered the top catching prospect in the game, Salas posted just a .599 OPS with High-A Fort Wayne in 2024 and was limited to only 10 games with Double-A San Antonio last season by a stress reaction in his lower back. He is back to being healthy this offseason, considered a potential plus defender behind the plate and still only 19 years old. His ceiling remains high, but going on two years without consistent offensive results, Salas will need to show enough with his bat to elbow his way back into the Top 100.
Rockies: Jared Thomas, OF
In many respects, Thomas looks very hitterish. The 2024 second-round pick out of Texas posted a slash line of .300/.398/.452 with 14 homers while reaching Double-A in his first full season, and even had 33 steals. He also hit .302 with an OPS of .867 in the Arizona Fall League. A 27.2 percent strikeout rate was offset during the regular season by a walk rate north of 13 percent, but there was some concern about his 28/3 K/BB ratio in 17 AFL games.