Here is each club's hottest pitching prospect right now

A couple of weeks ago, we took a look at the hottest hitting prospect in each organization. Now it’s time to check in on the pitchers.

While many of the game’s top young arms are still building up and expanding their pitch counts and innings, there have been more than enough stellar starts to the 2026 season to pick one for each team.

And they come from all over the prospect map. There are seven Top 100 prospects detailed below who have been living up to the hype. But there are also pitchers much lower down on team rankings, and there’s even an unranked arm performing so well we couldn’t overlook him.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

Blue Jays: Johnny King, LHP (No. 4)
King was the youngest player in the Northwest League on Opening Day, and at 19, he’s still the youngest pitcher to appear on the circuit this season. Despite that, he’s more than held his own with a 1.04 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings so far for High-A Vancouver. The southpaw still has to improve his control (17.8 BB%), but with the way he keeps racking up whiffs with his fastball and curveball, he can survive a few free passes here and there.

Orioles: Joseph Dzierwa, LHP (No. 12)
The big left-hander might have served notice when he struck out eight in three one-hit innings during the Orioles’ Spring Breakout game in Florida this March. He’s posted a 2.02 ERA and .146 average-against to go along with a 44/9 K/BB ratio over 35 2/3 innings with High-A Frederick. He leads the Carolina League in K’s and WHIP (0.76) while standing second in BAA and fifth in ERA.

Rays: Aidan Cremarosa, RHP (Not ranked)
For fans of the individual nine-inning no-hitter, Cremarosa is your man. The 2025 eighth-rounder out of Fresno State went the distance, striking out 11 and walking one, for Single-A Charleston on May 8. It was a proper gem from the 22-year-old right-hander, who has been dominant for much of his first pro season with a 2.38 ERA, 49 strikeouts and only five walks in 34 innings to this point. Cremarosa isn’t a huge velocity guy with a fastball around 90-91 mph but works with a deep mix and a short arm action that adds some deception -- his 82-84 mph changeup alone has a 50 percent whiff rate, per Synergy.

Red Sox: Anthony Eyanson, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 97)
A College World Series hero for national-champion Louisiana State in 2025 before the Red Sox made him a third-round pick and paid him a nearly double-slot $1.75 million bonus, Eyanson has added significant velocity in his pro debut his year. His fastball has gained 3 mph, now operating at 95-96 and reaching 100, and his tight mid-80s slider remains a dominant pitch. He logged an 0.74 ERA, .125 average-against and 38/4 K/BB ratio in his first 24 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Yankees: Elmer Rodriguez, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 65)
Acquired from the Red Sox in a 2024 Winter Meetings trade for Carlos Narvaez, Rodriguez works with four solid-or-better pitches, highlighted by a mid-90s four-seam fastball that hits 99 mph with bat-missing carry and some armside run. He didn't fare well in his first two big league starts this spring but has chewed up Triple-A hitters, posting a 1.38 ERA, .207 average-against and a 26/9 K/BB ratio in 26 innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Guardians: Justin Campbell, RHP (No. 22)
A supplemental first-round pick in 2022 out of Oklahoma State, Campbell didn't make his pro debut until this April because of two elbow operations (including Tommy John surgery in April 2024) and a wrist procedure. He's working with five pitches and more fastball velocity (94-97 mph) than he showed in college. He has compiled a 1.89 ERA, .164 average-against and a 27/6 K/BB ratio in his first 19 pro innings between High-A and Double-A.

Royals: Justin Lamkin, LHP (No. 13)
Just how great of a start has it been for the 2025 71st overall pick? Well, the Royals promoted him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday after only six High-A starts. The Texas A&M product leaves High-A Quad Cities with a 1.27 ERA, an 0.92 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. His 34.9 percent K rate is best among Royals Minor League qualifiers. Lamkin’s 80-83 mph slider has looked like a massive weapon with a 59 percent whiff rate so far in 2026.

Tigers: Ben Jacobs, LHP (No. 16)
Detroit tends to slow play its college arms with moves to Single-A Lakeland out of the Draft, and Jacobs -- last year’s third-rounder out of Arizona State -- was no different. But the 21-year-old southpaw pushed past the Florida State League quickly after four appearances and has kept right on trucking with High-A West Michigan since his debut there on April 29. Entering this week, Jacobs sports a 1.75 ERA and an 0.90 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings between both spots. His 93-95 mph four-seamer comes in with a flat approach angle that FSL batters couldn’t handle, while his slider and changeup also look like possible above-average pitches.

Twins: Riley Quick, RHP (No. 11)
The Twins are letting their 2026 draftee (No. 36 overall out of Alabama) build up slowly this year, as he’s collected just 16 total innings over five starts between Single-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids. But Quick didn’t give up his first run until his fifth outing. Hitters have an absurd .096 average against him and he boasts a 24/4 K/BB ratio out of the chute. If he keeps this up, we’ll have to start eyeing him as a potential Top 100 arm soon.

White Sox: Gabe Davis, RHP (No. 25)
Davis battled injuries and inconsistency while recording a 5.61 ERA in three seasons at Oklahoma State, though the White Sox still drafted him in the fifth round last July because he has a mid-90s fastball that touches 100 mph and a tight upper-80s slider. They're working well in his pro debut as he sports a 1.80 ERA, .200 average-against and a 25/6 K/BB ratio over 20 innings at High-A.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

Angels: Tyler Bremner, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 64)
Even with his May 5 start cut short because of illness-caused fatigue, there’s been a lot to like about how the No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 Draft has kicked off his career. The right-hander has given up just three runs over 18 IP (1.50 ERA) while striking out 14.0 per nine. It might have surprised some that Bremner didn’t start the year at Double-A, especially given the Angels’ reputation for pushing prospects, but assuming he’s fully recovered from his illness, he should get there sooner rather than later.

Astros: Alimber Santa, RHP (No. 16)
After getting rocked by Triple-A hitters at the end of last season, Santa has been one of the best relievers at that level in 2026, fashioning a 1.70 ERA with a .170 average-against and 22 strikeouts in 16 innings. Signed for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, he relies heavily on a tight upper-80s slider and a low-80s sweeper while mixing in some mid-90s fastballs.

A’s: Wei-En Lin, LHP (No. 4)
While the 20-year-old left-hander isn’t a pure stuff guy, he seems to be really building a head of steam as his season with Double-A Midland unfolds. He’s gone at least five innings in his last four starts, allowing just three earned runs over 23 IP in those outings. For the season, he’s second in the Texas League in ERA (1.85) and BAA (.179), while standing third in strikeouts (43 in 34 IP) and WHIP (0.91).

Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 13)
The No. 3 overall pick in last year’s Draft stands ahead of the aforementioned Lin on the Texas League leaderboard, topping the Double-A circuit with his 0.60 ERA and 47 K’s in 30 total innings. He also leads the league in WHIP (0.67), BAA (.150) and K/BB (9.40), looking very much like the advanced college lefty the Mariners hoped they were getting.

Rangers: Dalton Pence, LHP (No. 12)
An over-slot $350,000 signing as an 11th-rounder out of North Carolina in 2024, Pence quickly became the left-hander in the Rangers' system thanks to his ability to mix three solid pitches and throw strikes. He has logged a 2.59 ERA, .200 average-against and 30/5 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 innings at High-A.

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NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Braves: Ethan Bagwell, RHP (No. 24)
Bagwell broke out of the gate with six hitless innings in his first start of 2026 as he was sent back to Single-A Augusta to build up innings after missing three months of 2025 with an oblique injury. Even with an outlier game in which he gave up five earned runs, he's posted a 2.73 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP and a .209 BAA over 33 IP spanning six starts so far. After tossing 11 shutout frames over his last two outings, might there be a promotion to High-A Rome soon?

Marlins: Robby Snelling, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 29)
Snelling made his big league debut Friday after dominating Triple-A opponents to the tune of a 0.90 ERA, a .116 average-against and 44 strikeouts in 29 innings. His mid-90s fastball stands out with its carry and command, while he throws two versions of an 82-85 mph slider.

Mets: Jack Wenninger, RHP (No. 5)
Wenninger has built on last year’s strong showing at Double-A with a 1.27 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings in his first action at Triple-A Syracuse in 2026. He’s worked around some control issues with a walk rate that’s jumped from 7.6 percent in 2025 to 12.4 so far in ‘26, but his 93-95 mph four-seamer and 83-86 mph splitter continue to lead the way in his arsenal.

Nationals: Miguel Sime Jr., RHP (No. 17)
This is where to find real heat on this list. The 2025 fifth-rounder out of New York City has come as advertised with a fastball regularly touching triple digits that he can blow by batters at Single-A. But Sime has also found success by dropping in a mid-80s gyro slider and a low-80s curveball that give hitters plenty on which to ponder. He’s fanned 47.6 percent of the batters he’s faced through seven starts for Fredericksburg, and while control is certainly an issue, all those strikeouts have helped him maintain a 3.32 ERA as well.

Phillies: Gage Wood, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 88)
He hasn’t been as completely dominant as hoped as he builds out slowly during his first full season, but the Phillies’ first-rounder has missed a ton of bats (13.7 K/9) and has been tough to hit (.182 BAA) over his first seven outings. Wood is working on rounding out a starter’s arsenal and a few more outings with Single-A Clearwater should be all he needs to move on to High-A Jersey Shore.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Brewers: Craig Yoho, RHP (No. 28)
Yoho’s season debut with Triple-A Nashville was delayed until April 19 due to a right calf strain, but he’s looked like his vintage dominant self out of the Sounds' bullpen since then with a 2.08 ERA, an 0.69 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. He’s once again relying heavily on his plus-plus changeup, an upper-70s option with a ton of armside run and sharp drop. International League batters have whiffed on 54.8 percent of their swings against Yoho’s cambio to begin 2026.

Cardinals: Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP (No. 12)
Acquired from the Red Sox in the offseason as part of the Willson Contreras deal, the 19-year-old right-hander has made a strong first impression in the third organization of his career. Entering this week, Fajardo has a 1.46 ERA, 34 strikeouts and only three walks through 24 2/3 innings with High-A Peoria. His 30.4 K/BB percentage is sixth-best among 144 High-A pitchers with at least 20 frames this season, despite being one of only four age-19 hurlers to meet that innings threshold at the level.

Cubs: Dominick Reid, RHP (No. 15)
Reid topped all NCAA Division I pitchers with 66 strikeouts via a changeup last spring at Abilene Christian before the Cubs made him a third-round pick. His running low-90s fastball and low-80s curveball also have worked well during his pro debut at Single-A, as he has posted a 3.49 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.

Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 19)
Recently promoted to High-A Greensboro, there might not be a hotter pitcher in the Minors than Hernandez, the No. 6 pick in last year’s Draft. The 19-year-old right-hander allowed just three runs over 28 IP in the Florida State League for a 0.96 ERA. He also gave up just 13 hits (.135 BAA) and struck out 50 (16.1 K/9) while walking only 2.3 per nine. His final start for Bradenton was a six-inning shutout effort in which he scattered just three hits and a walk while whiffing nine.

Reds: Deivi Villafana, RHP (No. 27)
Signed at age 21 for just $20,000 in July 2024, Villafana has flown under the radar and put up modest numbers in his first two summers of pro ball. Now 22, he might be making more of a name for himself with a 2.74 ERA over his first 23 IP during his full-season debut. What’s most impressive is his 21/2 K/BB ratio over those six outings. Take away his most recent start in which he gave up five runs in five frames and Villafana would have an ERA of just 1.00.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

D-backs: Junior Sanchez, RHP (No. 27)
The 20-year-old right-hander was a recent addition to the D-backs’ Top 30 as his results became too good to ignore with High-A Hillsboro. Entering this week, he leads Northwest League pitchers (min. 20 IP) with a 39.8 percent K rate and a 33.0 K/BB ratio, all while sporting 1 .54 ERA over 23 1/3 frames. Sanchez has a 92-94 mph fastball that plays above its velo with cut-ride action, and his mid-80s sweeping slider shows above-average promise too.

Dodgers: Christian Zazueta, RHP (No. 9)
Zazueta's 4.50 ERA may not be the prettiest, but he leads the High-A Midwest League in strikeouts (43 in 28 innings), K rate (38 percent) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (33 percent). Stolen from the Yankees in a February 2024 deal for Caleb Ferguson, he has a pair of plus pitches in a lively 92-97 mph fastball and an 83-85 mph changeup that sinks and fades. His mid-80s slider has looked better than ever this season.

Giants: Carson Whisenhunt, LHP (No. 12)
Whisenhunt's 4.25 ERA actually ranks third in the hitter-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League, and he tops the circuit in strikeouts (43 in 36 innings) and average-against (.231) while standing second in K rate (27 percent). The key to the 2022 second-rounder from East Carolina's success has always been his changeup, a 78-81 mph tumbler that grades among the best in the game.

Padres: Kash Mayfield, LHP (No. 4)
The 21-year-old left-hander moved to High-A Fort Wayne for the first time in his second full season and is holding opponents to a .107 average through six starts. That lack of hits has helped him post a 1.82 ERA and an 0.85 WHIP, and he’s missed some bats too with 26 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. After dealing with some shoulder issues last year, Mayfield is posting again this spring, and with that extra work, he’s added some run to his low-90s fastball while continuing to flash a plus changeup.

Rockies: Konner Eaton, LHP (No. 26)
While the lefty has walked too many (6.0 per nine) and isn’t missing a ton of bats (7.8 K/9), he has posted a solid 3.00 ERA to go along with an impressive 1.86 GO/AO ratio for Double-A Hartford. And if you remove his second start of the season (5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER), he has given up just five earned runs on 18 hits over 24 2/3 innings across his other five starts (a 1.82 ERA).