Inbox: Which Top 100 infielders could crack Opening Day rosters?
Some might think it’s too late to wish folks a Happy New Year (Larry David comes to mind), but since this is the first time I’m greeting all of you via the MLB Pipeline Inbox in 2026, I’m sending you New Year cheer anyway.
We’re off and running in 2026, fresh off our annual four-part Executives Survey series, and we’re working behind the scenes to get our new Top 100 together, with our Top 10 by positions lists starting on Monday with our right-handed pitchers list. So there’s a good head of steam as I dig into your questions this week.
Griffin, McGonigle, Wetherholt. Who debuts first? What are the debut dates for all of them? Who has the best year? -- @andrewhirsch89 on X
Wetherholt and Bazzana, will they be on the 26-man roster on Opening Day? -- @brutalcocacola on X
Sometimes I like to bundle questions that voice similar thoughts, and with the calendar turned to 2026, it makes sense that people are thinking about which prospects will debut in this season and when. These two questions put together four infielders who are at the upper levels of systems and could very well see the big leagues this year, maybe as early as Opening Day.
In the Executives Survey, the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle tied for the lead in votes for American League Rookie of the Year, with Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage. And it was the Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt who led the voting for National League top rookie honors. Konnor Griffin of the Pirates, our No. 1 prospect, did finish third on that list, while the Guardians’ Travis Bazzana, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick in the Draft, got a mention on the AL side. This isn’t a be-all, end-all handicapping of who makes it when, or who has the best season, but it’s a snapshot of where front-office execs think they are.
Of this group, Wetherholt appears to be the closest to a sure thing in terms of making an Opening Day roster, so I’ll say he debuts first and I’ll answer yes to the second question above. I would think that Bazzana, after a rougher year interrupted by injury, would start the year in Triple-A. I’m still a believer and could see him hitting his way up to Cleveland not long after the season starts.
Neither McGonigle nor Griffin have played above Double-A, but both will be given a long look this spring. I actually think both have a chance to make their club; McGonigle is older and has more pro experience, but the Tigers are in win-now mode. The Pirates hope to compete in the NL Central as well and Griffin may very well be their best option at shortstop. But he also only has one year of pro experience and will be just 20 for the 2026 season.
Adding all this up, I think Wetherholt makes the Cardinals on Opening Day, while Griffin and McGonigle are maybes. Wetherholt is a very good choice for NL Rookie of the Year (Jim Callis picked him, in fact, in our most recent episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast), and he’s the safest bet to have the best year. I do think that McGonigle is going to hit whenever he starts playing, so he could give Wetherholt a run for his money from a “best year” standpoint. Griffin has the loudest tools, but I’ll put him a shade behind in terms of what he’ll do out of the gate to hedge because of his age… and he might prove me very wrong.
Have to start the year off with a Blahbla question, right? Every year, we set an intention to see more players, and every year, it’s difficult because our time to get out and see them is limited. I’m lucky enough to have seen Griffin play in Asheville last year and McGonigle, both in Erie and in the Arizona Fall League. I got to watch Wetherholt, albeit briefly, in the Futures Game. Same with Jesús Made and Leo De Vries… so I guess I have our old top five covered. And I think I should answer this with someone I haven’t seen. So I think I’ll go the amateur route. Now, it’s possible I saw Roch Cholowsky in high school -- quick research shows he and Hamilton HS were at the National High School Invitational, but he was an underclassman and wasn’t on my radar. He also played in MLB’s High School All-American Game and Dodger Stadium in/around the 2022 All-Star break ... but I haven’t seen him play in his current iteration, as the best prospect in the Class of 2026. After the UCLA shortstop hit .353/.480/.710 with 23 homers as a sophomore, I can’t wait to see what he does for an encore. Speaking of…
In a word, of course. Cholowsky is the most clear-cut No. 1 Draft prospect heading into a season that we’ve had in a while ... probably since Adley Rutschman ahead of the 2019 Draft. Rutschman obviously did end up going 1-1, but would it have been a calamity had the Orioles taken Bobby Witt Jr. instead? In fact, the White Sox could end up with a similar situation: top college guy (Cholowsky) vs. high school shortstop from Texas (Grady Emerson, currently No. 2 on our Draft Top 100). I know everyone wants to chisel this pick in stone, and there is indeed every chance Cholowsky goes out and performs as expected to earn the spot. But it’s far too early to have the jersey made. He’ll be watched very carefully and picked apart like every top of the Draft prospect is. If he falters at all, or questions come up, he could come down from that top spot. And the White Sox will do due diligence on a number of players beyond Cholowsky and Emerson, because so much could change between now and July.
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