Chris Clegg's 10 Prospect Bold Predictions for 2026 MiLB Season

Chris Clegg has ten bold predictions for prospects during the 2026 Minor League Baseball season.

Author

Chris Clegg
March 31, 2026

Every minor league season brings surprises. Prospects break out, top names stumble, unknown players suddenly become household names in dynasty circles, and organizations make aggressive moves that change development paths overnight.

Trying to predict what will happen across hundreds of players and multiple levels is nearly impossible, which is exactly why bold predictions are fun. Some of these will look terrible come July, but others could look quite great.

With that in mind, here are 10 bold prospect predictions for the upcoming Minor League Baseball season, from breakout hitters and pitching leaps to fast promotions and future Top 100 prospects who aren’t on many lists yet.

Jojo Parker Vaults to Top 5 Overall Prospect Status

Parker was quite hyped entering the 2025 MLB Draft and one of my favorite prep hitters. He put together a tremendous spring and looks ready to take a step toward being one of the top prospects in baseball. Parker will begin the season in Single-A Dunedin, but don’t be surprised if he spends a decent portion of the season in High-A.

Kendry Chourio Ends Up as the Top Pitching Prospect in Baseball

Chourio was one of the first pitchers to move from the DSL to full-season ball in the same year he signed. Putting together a tremendous 2025 season, Chourio has advanced command for his age, and the stuff is already quite advanced for a player who turned 18 during the offseason. The velocity took a leap this spring, and Chourio looks poised to take off even further up the ranks in 2026.

We Don’t Get A New Number One Prospect Until Late 2026

Konnor Griffin did not make the team out of camp and we know that the Pirates have a history with keeping talented prospects down longer than they should. The Pirates have offered Griffin a deal that would be the largest for a player to never debut, according to reports. Griffin could take the deal and likely have a deal similar to Roman Anthony’s, if not larger(this is just my speculation). The Pirates seem content right now with having Griffin in Triple-A for the foreseeable future unless he just absolutely knocks the door down. This could look like a bad bold prediction, but it’s not crazy to think Griffin spends a lot of 2026 in the minors.

Yairo Padilla Puts It Together Like We Thought He Would in 2025

Padilla was a popular breakout pick last year and one I hyped up in a big way. The season did not go as expected on paper, but the underlying data was quite good. For a player to grow nearly four inches last offseason, it is not surprising that there are major adjustments that needed to take place. The 2026 season could present an opportunity for Padilla to put together the season we hoped he would last year. Check out his report and data here:

Harold Rivas Becomes a Top 100 Prospect

Rivas is a talented Red Sox prospect with a strong glove in center field, which could arguably be a future Gold Glove talent. A plus runner with projectable power, you could argue that Rivas has the potential to be a five-tool caliber player. Heading stateside, Rivas will be on showcase in the complex, and then likely Single-A, and a huge vault up rankings could be in order.

Anthony Eyanson Has a Payton Tolle, Esq. Rise

Eyanson put together a massive spring and saw a huge uptick in velocity this offseason. The stuff is impressive and Eyanson has the potential to take off like we saw Payton Tolle do last season. While there is hype around his name, there may not be enough.

Ryan Forcucci is The Pitching Prospect Off Radars to Take Off

Forcucci was a third-round pick in 2024 with first-round talent. Tommy John surgery in June of 2024 set him back in the draft, and he did not pitch in 2025. Forcucci has shown a strong command in the past, and he has a great feel for several pitches. While he is not on a break camp roster, Forcucci could come back strong during the season, and if the stuff returns to college level, he will be an arm to invest in.

Sadbiel Delzine is the Underrated DSL Arm to Breakout in 2026

The Red Sox have had much success signing pitchers on the international side of things, and Delzine might develop into that guy from the 2025 signing class. Armed with a plus fastball and slider, Delzine just turned 18 years old and already has an impressive starter’s frame. He has thrown just nine innings in his pro career, but Delzine has traits that could allow him to take off.

Caleb Bonemer is The Surprising New Number One Prospect by Season End

Bonemer already broke out in 2025 as he looked like the best prospects from the 2024 MLB Draft. Once touted as the best prep player in that class, Bonemer wound up in the second round to the White Sox and got a $3 million bonus. There is plenty of power and Bonemer has sneaky speed on the base paths as well. The approach and feel to hit give him a well-rounded combo of skills and Bonemer ascends to top prospect status.

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