Top 100 Prospects: Graduates From the Last Update
Now that we've got a new Top 100 Prospects update out, let's take a look at the 15 graduates from the previous one and see how they're doing.
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Back on June 3, the first midseason update to our Just Baseball Top 100 MLB Prospect List was unveiled. The update saw a variety of shake-ups in the rankings, with nearly 25 newcomers breaking their way into the Top-100.
What makes this update so special, though, is the sheer number of players who have graduated from prospect status and are absolutely tearing it up at the MLB level. It feels like this year’s Rookie of the Year races will be the most competitive there has been in some time, and that comes as a result of the unprecedented talent we are seeing unfold right in front of our eyes.
These 15 players, whether they’re already making waves or have struggled to find their footing, represent some of the most intriguing young talent in the league. Several are the future faces of their franchises, and some are already making their case for a boatload of awards come season’s end. With the continued success and development of each of the following players, Major League Baseball will be in great hands.
Without further ado, here are the 15 graduates from our previous Top 100 update!
All stats were updated prior to games on Monday, June 15
Samuel Basallo | C/1B, Baltimore Orioles
After struggling in his initial go in the majors last year, Samuel Basallo has left little to be desired offensively in 2026. The 21-year-old has slashed .258/.321/.469 through 215 plate appearances, and is showing no sign of slowing down. He ranks in the 70th percentile of xwOBA (.345), 87th percentile average exit-velocity (91.9 MPH), and 82nd percentile in hard-hit rate (47.5%).
Basallo has seen nearly half his time spent in the designated hitter role this year, with the re-emergence of Adley Rutschman’s bat. DH is where Basallo provides the most value, given his below-average defensive metrics. Even with the Orioles’ struggles earlier this season, Basallo’s bat has been a huge part of their recent success, helping them stay afloat in the AL wild card race.
Carson Benge | OF, New York Mets
Carson Benge began the 2026 season on a sour note. After his promotion, the 23-year-old got off to a poor start in March and April, where he hit just .189 with a 52 wRC+ through the season’s first month.
Since then, however, he has been on a tear, and looks like the player Mets fans were promised coming off a dominant minor league season. Just recently, the young star turned in an impact 5-for-5 showing on June 7 against the San Diego Padres.
In the month of May, Benge’s wOBA jumped to .359, a .119 increase from the previous month. Part of his success can be attributed to an elite Launch Angle sweet-spot of 41.9% (94th percentile), which has made for many hard hit line drives when paired with above-average exit-velocity (90 MPH). With his 100 PA rolling xwOBA steadily increasing, there’s no reason to doubt that Benge is here to stay and will be a pivotal part of the Mets’ future.
Owen Caissie | OF, Miami Marlins
Owen Caissie first became a member of the Marlins organization this January, after headlining Miami’s return for Edward Cabrera. He began the season with the major league squad, but has struggled in the first part of 2026. Through 61 games, Caissie has slashed .212/.272/.376 with a 76 wRC+, and has struck out 40.3% of the time (1st percentile). He’s also accumulated -6 OAA in the field, ranking in the 3rd percentile.
Caissie’s offensive struggles can most simply be explained by one offensive metric: Squared Up%. A ball is “squared up” when a hitter achieves at least 80% of the maximum possible exit velocity given the pitch and swing speed. MLB found that in the first month of 2024, “squared up’ swings led to .371 BA // .656 SLG // .438 wOBA // 60% hard-hit rate // +11.4 run value per 100, and “not squared up” swings led to .126 BA // .142 SLG // .119 wOBA // 1% hard-hit rate // -6.7 run value per 100.
Caissie ranks in the 3rd percentile of Squared Up%, meaning that he is one of the league’s worst at efficiently transferring the power of his swing towards productive contact. He has the tools to succeed, but the Marlins’ coaching staff will play the most important part in helping the 23-year-old unlock his potential.
Bubba Chandler | SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Since being promoted last August, Bubba Chandler has remained a part of Pittsburgh’s starting rotation. The 23-year-old showed several flashes of potential last year, but has taken a step back, largely due to control issues. So far in 2026, Chandler’s posted a 4.76 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP through 68 innings, while walking 13.6% of opposing hitters (7th percentile). An abundance of free passes, plus a 1.06 HR/9, has led the right-hander to a 4.87 xFIP.
Chandler has limited hard-hit contact to just 36% of the time (69th percentile) and has held opponents to a .224 xBA (72nd percentile), but just isn’t generating enough whiffs outside the zone to be an effective starter. The majority of his six pitches have below-average movement profiles, causing hitters to lay off pitches breaking out of the zone more easily. For Chandler to succeed at the major league level, both his arsenal and command need work from the Pirates coaching staff.
Chase DeLauter | OF, Cleveland Guardians
While Chase DeLauter made his Major League debut during last year’s postseason, he got his first taste of regular-season action on Opening Day 2026. The Guardians have long been in search of impact outfielders, so DeLauter’s promotion was essentially a no-brainer for the squad’s front office. Through his first 66 games, the 24-year-old has slashed .263/.337/.408 and managed a 110 wRC+.
The left-hander excels at limiting swing-and-miss, ranking in the 88th percentile or above in strikeout, whiff, and chase rate. He also squares up the ball 33.4% of the time (92nd percentile) and hits pull-side fly balls at an 18% clip. DeLauter has slowed down a bit since his torrent April start, but he’s shown to be a clear above-average major league outfielder. It seems every year, Cleveland is churning out new talent from their minor league system, and DeLauter is no exception.
Connelly Early | SP, Boston Red Sox
Connelly Early impressed in his brief showing at the end of the 2025 season and ultimately earned his spot on the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster. Since then, the 24-year-old has thrown 75.2 innings, where he’s pitched to a 3.81 ERA and struck out 72 batters. On the surface, things look good for Early. However, given a 4.52 xERA and 4.33 xFIP, things are looking a little concerning under the hood.
This year, Early has allowed barrels 11.4% of the time (12th percentile), meaning he’s also allowed more hard-hit contact (42.3% of the time, to be exact). His strikeout rate currently sits at 22%, not poor in itself, but is about eight points lower than any of his previous professional seasons. His whiff rate has also decreased from last season, and he’s allowing fewer groundballs than ever before. It’s not exactly clear what’s plaguing Early’s performance, but the Red Sox coaching staff will need to identify and fix it fast.
Konnor Griffin | SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
With his Major League debut this April, Konnor Griffin became the first 19-year-old position player to do so since Juan Soto. It wasn’t long after that that he turned 20 and demonstrated why he was formerly one of the top prospects in the game. Before being placed on the injured list with a right arm flexor strain, Griffin appeared in 51 games, where he slashed .270/.327/.402 with a 102 wRC+. While he’s been slightly above average in his limited time, all that Griffin has accomplished is nothing short of impressive given his age.
The right-hander’s most valuable asset thus far has been his speed, which has allowed him to steal 14 bases in 15 tries. Griffin ranks in the 99th percentile of sprint speed at 29.9 ft/sec and has accumulated +4 baserunning RVAL (99th percentile). His above-average bat, paired with remarkable speed, has led to an accumulation of 1.1 fWAR in 2026. While there’s still plenty of room to grow, Griffin has shown that he has all the necessary tools to make an impact on Pittsburgh’s playoff odds both this season and in the coming years.
Carter Jensen | C, Kansas City Royals
When Carter Jensen was first called up last fall, he made an immediate impact and appeared to be the catcher of the future for the Royals. Now, in his first full major league season, he’s faced a fair share of struggles. The 22-year-old began his 2026 campaign right where he left off, owning a 125 wRC+ through the end of April, with an .818 OPS. Since then, though, the left-handed hitter has been on a month-plus-long slump that’s only gotten worse as we enter June.
On the season, Jensen ranks in the 15th percentile or lower in xwOBA, xBA, whiff rate, and strikeout rate, while slashing .213/.286/.381. On the defensive side of things, he’s been just about average, which was expected entering this year. It’s not entirely clear what the cause of Jensen’s struggles has been, given their sudden onset. There’s no reason to write the young catcher off anytime soon, given his immense potential, but the Kansas City coaching staff will need to get him right sooner rather than later.
Kevin McGonigle | SS/3B, Detroit Tigers
Kevin McGonigle has been nothing short of amazing since his promotion to the Detroit Tigers’ big league squad. Through his first 68 career games, the 21-year-old has accumulated 2.7 fWAR, which is tied for ninth among all position players so far in 2026. The athletic infielder’s feat comes as a result of an above-average bat, above-average glove, and well above-average baserunning skills, which have led to a net total of +15 runs above average (+8, +3, +4, respectively).
Through 300 plate appearances, McGonigle has owned a .363 xwOBA (82nd percentile), a 126 wRC+, and has walked more often than he’s struck out (14% vs. 13.3%). The left-handed hitter rarely chases or swings and misses for that matter, and pulls fly balls at an above-average clip (20.8% of the time). On the bases, he’s a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts, and he’s racked up +5 DRS at third base and +3 DRS at shortstop. It sure looks like McGonigle has all the tools to be one of the future faces of MLB.
Andrew Painter | SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Andrew Painter has fought tooth and nail to reach the majors after overcoming a nearly three-year absence as a result of 2023 Tommy John surgery. Although he is fully healthy now, the 23-year-old has yet to return to pre-surgery performance levels. In 63 innings so far this season, Painter has pitched to a 6.43 ERA and racked up 50 strikeouts and managed a 4.75 xFIP.
While the numbers themself aren’t encouraging, Painter has had several impressive starts in 2026. What’s made his performance so volatile has been a lack of strikeouts, which has led to a reliance on Philadelphia’s defense. Currently, Painter’s strikeout rate sits at 17.5%, which ranks in the 17th percentile.
He’s been reliant on his defenders, notoriously some of the worst in the league, to consistently make plays behind him. The root of the cause seems to be velocity, which has evidently dropped in each of Painter’s pitches since surgery. The young right-hander has shown he has the potential to succeed before, so now, it becomes a matter of recovering it.
Brandon Sproat | SP, Milwaukee Brewers
As baseball fans, we all know how impressive the Brewers’ pitching lab is. So, when Milwaukee acquired Brandon Sproat this offseason, it’s no surprise he was expected to break out in his first season with his new squad. Well, it hasn’t happened yet. He’s gone deeper than five innings in just four start this year, and has struck out more than five batters just three times. So, what’s wrong with Sproat?
Most simply, opponents are hitting everything he throws. Of Sproat’s six pitches, hitters have generated an xwOBA below .332 against just one offering (the sweeper). He’s allowed hard-hit contact 43.6% of the time (20th percentile), is walking hitters at a 11.5% clip (19th percentile), and has been below average in garnering swing and misses, chases, and strikeouts in general. Sproat has shown immense potential throughout his professional career and might very well benefit from a period of retooling in the minor leagues.
Sal Stewart | 1B/2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds
Sal Stewart entered the 2026 MLB season looking to follow up on his impressive showing in the tail end of the previous year. He’d had only a glimpse at the major leagues, but had shown he was more than ready with a 124 wRC+ through his first 18 games. Stewart has continued that excellence into this season, where he’s posted a 114 wRC+ and is worth 1.1 fWAR thus far. Even more impressive, he maintained a high offensive standing despite slumping through most of May and June.
At the plate, Stewart generates high power output, having blasted 13 homers already, and owns a 90.7 MPH average exit velocity (75th percentile). Pair that with 90th percentile barrel rate (14.9%) and 85th percentile walk rate (12.8%), and it becomes evident why the 22-year-old is one of the most respected young hitters in the game.
Even still, he hasn’t even reached his full potential!
Hitters tend to be strongest to their pull side, and Stewart has a relatively low pull-air% to start the season (13.4% compared to 30% last year). If Cincinnati can unlock whatever was causing Stewart to pull the ball at such a high clip last season, they’ll have one of the league’s perennial power hitters on their hands.
Payton Tolle | SP, Boston Red Sox
Payton Tolle began his 2026 campaign in Triple-A, where he stayed until April 23 when Sonny Gray went down with an injury. The 23-year-old was promptly promoted to the major league squad, where he’s demonstrated he deserves to stay in the month and a half since. Through nine games started and 53.1 innings pitched, Tolle has generated 54 strikeouts, pitched to a 2.70 ERA, and ranks in the 95th and 89th percentiles, respectively, with a 2.50 xERA and .200 xBA.
Tolle has opened the season attacking hitters with a five-pitch mix: four-seam, sinker, cutter, curveball, changeup. All but one (sinker) have led opponents to a .227 xWOBA or lower, while three of them have generated positive RV/100. The left-hander has also allowed hard-hit contact just 32.4% of the time (84th percentile), barrels just 4.9% of the time (82nd percentile), and has struck out 25.1% of opponents (70th percentile). While Boston has admittedly struggled in 2026, Tolle has been a very bright spot and looks to be for years to come.
JJ Wetherholt | 2B, St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt easily earned his promotion after showing flashes of excellence in spring training and hasn’t looked back since. He’s arguably been the best rookie in all of baseball and a clear-cut top-five second basemen. So far this season, Wetherholt has boasted a .341 xwOBA and 118 wRC+, and has blasted nine homers. Oh, and he’s been worth 13 OAA, which ranks in the 100th percentile. It’s no surprise the 23-year-old has already accumulated 2.7 fWAR.
With his elite defense, Wetherholt needs to be just an average bat to be one of the league’s very best. As he’s already shown, he’s much better than that, and he’s got the metrics to back it up. The left-handed hitter has posted a 90.6 MPH average exit velocity (73rd percentile), a 47.1% hard-hit rate (80th percentile), an 10.8% walk rate (70th percentile), and just a 16.6% strikeout rate (77th percentile). Wetherholt’s success has propelled St. Louis back into playoff contention and provided the spark the squad needed.
Trey Yesavage | SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Although he began the season on the IL, Trey Yesavage hasn’t missed a beat in producing for the Blue Jays. The 22-year-old has continued to build off his electric 2025 postseason run and has continued shutting hitters down on the regular. Through 47.2 innings pitched this season, Yesavage has managed a 3.78 ERA, struck out 47 batters, and ranks in the 81st percentile with a 3.15 xERA.
Yesavage does all this with a three-pitch mix: a four-seamer, splitter, and slider. The four-seam has immense ride, with Yesavage inducing 20.1 inches of positive vertical movement on average, and has led hitters to a .176 xBA against the offering. Hitters have swung and missed against the splitter 40.7% of the time, and have owned just a .275 xWOBA against the slider. With the countless injuries to their pitching staff, Yesavage’s continued dominance has been crucial for Toronto.
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Written by
Mason Linken first began writing about baseball after founding FBC Reports, and contributing to SABR's book "Henry Aaron". At Just Baseball, Mason is responsible for covering…