2026 Midseason Top Prospect List Updates

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA bumped Jefferson Rojas back into their top 100 after some recent graduates: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/risers-fallers-new-additions-to-april-2026-top-100-prospects-update/

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Jefferson Rojas, SS, Cubs

Previous: Unranked

Now: No. 94

Rojas has earned spots in previous iterations of the Top 100 only to fall off again. He’s back now thanks to a more physical frame that could add some power to his profile. He showed up to camp with easily apparent strength that has resulted in a bushel of barrels on the backfields. If he can marry that added thump with enough athleticism to stick up the middle, he’ll be an asset on both sides of the 

Current BA top 100:

34. Moisés Ballesteros
74. Jaxon Wiggins
94. Jefferson Rojas

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[We Got The Whole 9]

 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

2 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

I want to believe.

[Bertz]

Hartshorn's swing rate is 37.3%.  If he was an MLBer last year that would be second lowest in the league behind Juan Soto.

I think if I was looking for nits to pick that's one I'd keep an eye on.  Pitching is dire enough in Low A that you can probably do quite a bit of damage by just refusing to pull the bat off your shoulder.  I'm thinking about James Wood, who had stellar K/BB numbers as a 19 year old in A ball leading into (ironically) the Juan Soto trade.

James Wood had pedestrian contact numbers even then while Hartshorn's are quite good, so it's not apples to apples.  Also I don't want to yadda yadda that Wood has turned out quite good.  But just steeling myself for why/when Hartshorn's K/BB numbers likely go from insane to just good when he finally runs into pitchers with a little command.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

If he maintains that kind of swing rate with similar BB/K numbers, I wonder how long they keep him there. You obviously want him to start facing guys with better command sooner rather than later 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

31 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Hartshorn's swing rate is 37.3%.  If he was an MLBer last year that would be second lowest in the league behind Juan Soto.

I think if I was looking for nits to pick that's one I'd keep an eye on.  Pitching is dire enough in Low A that you can probably do quite a bit of damage by just refusing to pull the bat off your shoulder.  I'm thinking about James Wood, who had stellar K/BB numbers as a 19 year old in A ball leading into (ironically) the Juan Soto trade.

James Wood had pedestrian contact numbers even then while Hartshorn's are quite good, so it's not apples to apples.  Also I don't want to yadda yadda that Wood has turned out quite good.  But just steeling myself for why/when Hartshorn's K/BB numbers likely go from insane to just good when he finally runs into pitchers with a little command.

Also, quite frankly, it's been just 8 games.

[craig]

Great thoughts, everybody.  Kind of awesome to have a HS pick in April who we already think is under-challenged.  Worthless post, since all points made have been appropriate. 

1. 8 games: lets see how things roll over larger sample. 
2. Agree with Bertz's, pitchers at Myrtle are wild.  You can live on walks at Myrtle; better levels will tell more.  
3. The <5% Swstr is great.  But maybe he's not swinging through strikes because he takes a lot of strikes?  Might still have holes in his strike zone, he's just smart enough to know them and not swing?  But if he does have holes, better pitchers will find them and pound them?  

Sure is a fun start, though.  

Edited April 14 by craig

[Bertz]

FG's Cubs list is apparently coming out this week

[Bertz]

On 4/29/2026 at 9:43 AM, Bertz said:

FG's Cubs list is apparently coming out this week

.

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A dummy: As a prospect dummy, should I get excited over Pedro Ramirez or is it just a case of the cubs writers pumping up their guys?

Eric A Longenhagen: We were set to publish Cubs today, but Rowley woke up with a fever yesterday. James and I like Pedro Ramirez quite a bit. I’ll spare you posting his entire scouting report but note a few key things and our conclusions:

Eric A Longenhagen: He’s been a plus or better contact hitter his entire career. He’s a smaller guy but his move in the box is pretty big and athletic, he gets a lot out of it and he’s maintained plus contact anyway.

Eric A Longenhagen: He does have 45/50 grade raw and round down batted ball traits. He’s a lower launch guy. And though he’s a versatile defender, he’s not an especially good one…

Eric A Longenhagen: We view him as a lesser version of Brendan Donovan. He’s not *quite* that good a contact hitter, but we believe he can hit and that he’ll play a bunch of non-shortstop positions, enough to basically be in the lineup every day. His expected offensive output is similar to what Bryson Stott has been, Donovan Solano, guys like that who tend to hover right around the middle of the second base peer group. Pedro is a 50.

 

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47684227/2026-top-10-prospect-rankings-all-30-mlb-teams-kiley-mcdaniel

ESPN May update:

[Outshined_One]

If you take Longenhagen's comps at face value, Ramirez's ceiling is roughly as a 2-4 WAR super utility type whose primary value is going to come from his contact ability with some pop.  That's a pretty good profile to have, and it's something that should age reasonably well.  I think you can make a case for him being the #1 prospect in this system currently.

My problem is, I just don't see where he (or Rojas, for that matter) fits on this roster over the next two years.  I don't think any of Shaw/Rojas/Ramirez have the sort of bat that would justify taking over full time in a corner OF spot, and I also don't think either Rojas or Ramirez would be an improvement over Shaw over the next two years in a super utility role.

Injuries Happen and Baseball Is Dumb, and it's a really good conundrum for the Cubs to have, but I'm seeing both of them as high quality trade bait at the deadline or in the post-lockout offseason.

[mul21]

1 hour ago, Outshined_One said:

If you take Longenhagen's comps at face value, Ramirez's ceiling is roughly as a 2-4 WAR super utility type whose primary value is going to come from his contact ability with some pop.  That's a pretty good profile to have, and it's something that should age reasonably well.  I think you can make a case for him being the #1 prospect in this system currently.

My problem is, I just don't see where he (or Rojas, for that matter) fits on this roster over the next two years.  I don't think any of Shaw/Rojas/Ramirez have the sort of bat that would justify taking over full time in a corner OF spot, and I also don't think either Rojas or Ramirez would be an improvement over Shaw over the next two years in a super utility role.

Injuries Happen and Baseball Is Dumb, and it's a really good conundrum for the Cubs to have, but I'm seeing both of them as high quality trade bait at the deadline or in the post-lockout offseason.

I don't know, I could see Shaw's bat becoming something akin to Happ and he's been out there for 8+ years now.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

3 hours ago, Bertz said:

.

 

Eric also said that Pedro would be added to the top 100.

[Bertz]

1 hour ago, mul21 said:

I don't know, I could see Shaw's bat becoming something akin to Happ and he's been out there for 8+ years now.

Yeah Shaw's rest of season ZiPS projection right now is a 109 wRC+.  Him being a 120 guy at maturity with +5 defense seems pretty reasonable.  And that's to your point essentially Ian Happ.  

I'd also say that as a lefty Pedro is the easiest roster fit among the young infielders.  

Edited 9 hours ago by Bertz

[CaliforniaRaisin]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Yeah Shaw's rest of season ZiPS projection right now is a 109 wRC+.  Him being a 120 guy at maturity with +5 defense seems pretty reasonable.  And that's to your point essentially Ian Happ.  

I'd also say that as a lefty Pedro is the easiest roster fit among the young infielders.  

Between the 3 of them, I bet if the Cubs had the choice, Rojas would be the odd man out: Shaw has big league success and OF defense success, Pedro is a switch hitter and already at AAA and Rojas probably won't be a big league SS (but can juice trade models by playing SS).

[Bertz]

Triantos with his resurgence is another wrinkle to this conversation.  Especially because skillset wise he's probably the guy among the four you'd first choose to fill the exact role Matt Shaw's currently in.

[Outshined_One]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Triantos with his resurgence is another wrinkle to this conversation.  Especially because skillset wise he's probably the guy among the four you'd first choose to fill the exact role Matt Shaw's currently in.

This topic came up when Nico was pulled during the game. The ultimate question in terms of who gets the (hypothetical) call was, do you value Ramirez because he's a switch hitter, Triantos because he has the best floor, or Rojas because he has the best ceiling? It's a fun mental exercise, but I lean Triantos because I think he'd be a pain in the ass for other teams.

And for the record, I'm skeptical Shaw's bat would be as good as Happ's, but I've been proven wrong before.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Ramirez floor is greater than the other 2 IMO, and theres really no question about it. Triantos doesn't walk and makes a lot of bad swing decisions, plus hes not on Pedro's level defensively. Ramirez would legitimately improve the team with his high level of contact, swing decisions, and burgeoning power.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

56 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

This topic came up when Nico was pulled during the game. The ultimate question in terms of who gets the (hypothetical) call was, do you value Ramirez because he's a switch hitter, Triantos because he has the best floor, or Rojas because he has the best ceiling? It's a fun mental exercise, but I lean Triantos because I think he'd be a pain in the ass for other teams.

And for the record, I'm skeptical Shaw's bat would be as good as Happ's, but I've been proven wrong before.

I would call up Triantos if the worst happens and Nico ends up on the IL. Shaw would get all of Nico's ABs and I wouldn't want Pedro rotting on the bench.