MLB Pipeline will reveal its 2026 Top 100 Prospects list at 8 p.m. ET on Friday with a one-hour show on MLB Network and MLB.com. Leading up to the release of the Top 100, we'll examine baseball's top 10 prospects at each position.
Spoiler alert: this will be our most loaded position group of 2026.
That makes some level of sense. Considered the captains of the infield, shortstops are responsible for covering tons of ground, making difficult throws and displaying adaptability. In other words, the six is where you want your best athletes (or right-handed-throwing ones anyway).
Long gone are the days in which clubs were willing to live with light-hitting shortstops who could only flash the glove. You need to be able to provide value with the stick too. Case in point: of the 17 Major League shortstops worth at least 3.0 fWAR in 2025, only two had a wRC+ below 100: Dansby Swanson (99) and Masyn Winn (91).
This year’s batch of Top 10 shortstop prospects is reflective of that. Nine of the 10 have at least above-average hit tools, and eight of the 10 grade out at least above average for power. Not that there aren't a couple defensive wizards here too. But overall, this is where you’ll find the most five-tool talents in this prospect-ranking cycle.
The Top 10 (ETA)
- Konnor Griffin, Pirates (2026)
- Kevin McGonigle, Tigers (2026)
- Jesús Made, Brewers (2027)
- Leo De Vries, Athletics (2026)
- JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals (2026)
- Sebastian Walcott, Rangers (2026)
- Colt Emerson, Mariners (2026)
- Eli Willits, Nationals (2028)
- Aidan Miller, Phillies (2026)
- Ethan Holliday, Rockies (2029)
Complete list »
Top tools
Hit: McGonigle (70)
Even this might be light. A career .308 hitter in the Minors, McGonigle has the right combination of plate discipline, aggression on pitches he can drive, directness to the baseball and high-quality angles off the bat. He’s walked more than he’s struck out in all three Minor League seasons, and the quality of contact off the bat can push balls past defenses consistently. He could be a multitime batting champion in Detroit.
Power: Griffin, Walcott, Holliday (65)
Coincidentally, all three of these players are listed at 6-foot-4, making them the tallest shortstops on the Top 10, and they could use that size, along with the strength that comes with it, to become at least 30-to-35-homer players in the Majors. Griffin, who went deep 21 times in his first full season, has done the most to bring out that pop in-game in the pros so far.
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Run: Griffin (70)
Even at his size, the 2024 ninth overall pick can really get moving. He recorded a Bolt (i.e., a Sprint Speed of 30 ft/sec or faster) 33 times over 50 games during his time in the Florida State League last season. Oneil Cruz (42) was the only Pirate to register more than six in the Majors last season. Griffin also finished with 65 steals in 2025, tied for eighth-most in the Minors.
Arm: Griffin, Walcott (70)
The size of Griffin and Walcott doesn't only equate to power at the plate. Both possess a cannon that has aided in the pursuit of sticking at the premium position, and if they need to move at some point down the line (Griffin to center field, Walcott to third base or right), their arms will certainly smooth the transition.
Field: Griffin, Willits (60)
That said above, Griffin answered plenty of questions about his ability to remain a shortstop in 2025, and after originally planning to split his time between short and center, the Pirates locked him in at the six because of his range and ability to make strong throws. Griffin was even voted the Best Defensive Prospect in the MLB Pipeline Executive Poll earlier this month. Willits, last year’s first overall pick, received a few votes himself and could earn more in the future as he establishes his professional defensive bona fides.
Superlatives
Highest ceiling: Griffin
All five of Griffin’s tools grade out as plus or above, and he’ll still only be 19 years old on Opening Day. When asked about the No. 1 prospect in baseball in the aforementioned Executive Poll, 88.4 percent of respondents chose Griffin. That type of industry-wide consensus is rare, and in this case, revealing. The Bucs shortstop is the most tooled-up No. 1 name at the top of this list since Bobby Witt Jr. in 2022, and he’s a bigger version of the Royals superstar.
Highest floor: McGonigle
You could give Griffin the nod here too, considering he has so many different lanes to provide his team with value, but we’ll go with the No. 2 man in McGonigle because he excels at the most difficult thing in the sport. There’s very little doubt that the Tigers infielder will hit at the top level, and even if he needs to move to second or third base long term, his offensive capabilities will work anywhere.
Rookie of the Year candidate: Wetherholt
If Griffin and McGonigle crack the Major League Opening Day rosters, they certainly have the ceilings to compete for the award in the National and American League respectively. (Even if they don’t, Nick Kurtz proved last season you needn’t be up in March to take home hardware.) But as things sit now, Wetherholt has the best Opening Day shot of anyone in this group with the Cardinals clearing out Nolan Arenado and potentially Brendan Donovan from the infield. The former West Virginia star is adaptable against multiple pitch types, and his power showed up in improved ways at Triple-A. He could bat .300 with 15+ homers and 20ish steals as a rookie.
Highest riser/humblest beginnings: Made
Teams typically are willing to draft high-quality shortstops highly or sign them for big money internationally, so it shouldn’t be a shock that there aren’t many big-time breakouts here. Made is the only player to sign for below seven figures, and even he got $950,000 to join Milwaukee out of the Dominican Republic in January 2024. He made a big jump up to No. 56 on our preseason Top 100 last year after a star turn in the Dominican Summer League and is poised to make another massive leap after climbing to Double-A in his age-18 season in ‘25. With his quick-twitch skill set, the switch-hitting Made could see Milwaukee before he turns 20.
Most to prove: Holliday
This feels harsh for an 18-year-old shortstop who is still only months removed from being the fourth overall pick in the Draft. But swing-and-miss issues were already a concern coming off Holliday’s time on the summer-showcase circuit and were exacerbated during his brief turn at Single-A Fresno, where he whiffed on 41 percent of his total cuts and 44 percent of his hacks against fastballs. That could have been the result of an 18-year-old ramping up against pro pitching for the first time. It could have also exposed his greatest weaknesses. If Holliday adjusts, he could be a Top 10 overall prospect this time next year. If he doesn’t, he’ll be off the Top 10 SS list entirely in ‘27.
Keep an eye on: Josuar Gonzalez, Giants
Gonzalez could make the next Made-level jump. A switch-hitter, the then-17-year-old hit .288/.404/.455 with four homers and 33 steals in 52 games in the DSL last season, and he’s already a better defender at shortstop than his Brewers counterpart. He has plenty of speed to burn with his bat and feet, and if he adds a little strength in his move stateside, his stock will come with plenty of rocket fuel.