With Spring Training set to get underway, this is the time of year when fantasy baseball players in keeper and dynasty formats dive into scouting reports on the top prospects around the game. Every fantasy manager covets the untapped potential a rookie can bring to their squad.
The perspective shifts in redraft leagues, where the focus narrows to which young talents will produce right away. The following group of hyped prospects should each receive a legitimate opportunity to prove themselves at some point during the 2026 season.
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2026 Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Stash
Konnor Griffin (SS – PIT)
The consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the league, Griffin has an outside shot to crack the Pirates’ Opening Day lineup. More realistically, the uber-skilled 19-year-old will spend some time in Triple-A before making the jump to the big leagues.
Griffin played 123 games in his first professional season last year and moved across three levels of the Pirates’ farm system. The ninth pick in the 2024 draft absolutely raked, hitting at least .325 at every stop. Across 563 total plate appearances, Griffin produced a stout .941 OPS with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. His power-speed combo mirrors Bobby Witt Jr.
Kevin McGonigle (SS – DET)
A couple of years older than Griffin, McGonigle may not offer the same overall upside, but he brings more experience. Since Detroit selected him late in the first round of the 2023 draft, he has compiled a .308/.410/.512 slash line over 183 minor-league games.
Most recently, he tore through the Arizona Fall League. He finished with a ridiculous 1.210 OPS, 12 extra-base hits, and a 19-to-12 BB/K ratio across 90 plate appearances.
Travis Bazzana (2B – CLE)
Bazzana will take over as the Guardians’ second baseman at some point, though some have floated a possible move to the outfield. Before making his major league debut, he will showcase his talent for his native Australia on the World Baseball Classic stage.
It’s only a matter of time before the top pick in the 2024 draft brings his strong on-base skills and speed to the big leagues. Bazzana shows impressive discipline at the plate and works counts like a seasoned veteran. Injuries limited him to 84 games last year, but he still posted a .389 OBP with 31 extra-base hits and 12 steals across three minor-league levels.
Harry Ford (C – WSH)
Ford turns 23 this month. Now the question is whether he will finally capitalize on the hype that has followed him since Seattle selected him 12th overall in 2021. A trade to Washington, on paper, definitely helps. He no longer sits behind MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, as Keibert Ruiz currently tops the Nationals’ depth chart.
Ford should compete for a big-league roster spot this spring. It may not take long for him to supplant Ruiz, who struggled to stay healthy in 2025 and failed to produce consistently when active. Meanwhile, Ford slashed .283/.408/.460 with 16 home runs across 97 Triple-A games.
Thomas White (SP – MIA)
First and foremost, White is a strikeout machine. MLB.com ranks him as the No. 4 overall pitching prospect and the top left-hander. He piled up 145 strikeouts at an elite 38.6% rate and posted a 2.31 ERA across three minor-league levels in 2025. He also walked 51 batters in 89 2/3 innings, so he still needs to refine his command. Even so, hitters struggled to square him up, and he allowed just two home runs all year.
White has not reached 100 innings in either of his first two full professional seasons. Because of that, Miami will likely limit his workload once he debuts. Expect him to arrive sometime this summer. Once he does, it may be too late for fantasy managers who chose not to stash him.
JR Ritchie (SP – ATL)
A first-round pick by Atlanta in 2022, Ritchie looks ready. The 22-year-old right-hander logged 140 innings over 26 starts last season, climbing from High-A to Triple-A along the way. He made 11 starts at Triple-A and posted a strong 3.02 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 61-to-27 K/BB ratio across 59 2/3 innings.
Given the health concerns in Atlanta’s rotation, it’s easy to see Ritchie earning a real opportunity to impact the big-league club this year. He started the All-Star Futures Game at his soon-to-be home, Truist Park, last summer. That outing should mark the first of many in the Braves’ home park. Ritchie commands a deep pitch mix and has already proven he can handle a starter’s workload.
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