2026 Fantasy Baseball Top 50 FYPD Dynasty Rankings

FYPD rankings are always a chaotically fun thought exercise, especially with all of the different talent pipelines that feed into MLB. Only in fantasy baseball can we compare $50+ million talent with years of success in NPB to 2025 MLB Draftees and even 16-year-old international free agents from the J15 class.

Quite obviously, looks have been limited of the J15 class, so for transparency, I’d take the rankings on those teenage IFA signings with a grain of salt as the perspective on many of those teenage prospects will rapidly change as they make their pro debuts.

Keep an eye out for an accompanying episode breaking down the rankings on The Call Up Podcast.

1. Tatsuya Imai – RHP – Astros

By now, you probably know how bullish I am on Tatsuya Imai. I believe he was worth a nine-figure investment by big league teams. Of course, I am not the one shelling out the money, so it is a lot easier to say from my desk, and teams clearly want to see Imai prove that his drastic slash in walk rate is sustainable.

The structure of Imai’s contract with the Astros implies that they believe he will have success in year one, and I like the landing spot for him. The Astros have done a great job maximizing the arsenals of pitchers of all archetypes over the years. Their ability to take a unique pitcher and help him lean into that successfully stands out as well.

In my breakdown of Imai, I discussed his improved command and quality of his fastball–especially up in the zone–which the Astros will surely encourage him to lean into. The team has also floated the six-man rotation idea to help Imai stick to a similar schedule he enjoyed in NPB, likely keeping his fastball velocity higher.

Some around the industry had questions about Imai’s fastball, but I think it will perform, especially in that environment. His slider will surely be a weapon as well, along with a few different grips to play with until he finds the changeup(s) that work for him. There could be some speed bumps, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Imai is a clear middle-rotation arm quickly, with room for more.

2. Kade Anderson – LHP – Mariners

The new norm is arms like Kade Anderson flying through the Minor Leagues and while the Mariners’ rotation is five deep currently, there isn’t really anybody standing in the southpaws’ way as the next man up.

Anderson pounds the strike zone with four quality offerings and some built-in deception.

Righties actually fared much worse (.546 OPS) than lefties (.747 OPS) in his draft year, which should be an easy thing to build on, given his good feel for a trio of secondaries that all grade out as at least above average.

Already the type of player that a team does not need to put their hands on too much, Anderson lands in an excellent organization for pitching development and could be a factor for the Mariners as soon as the end of the 2026 season.

3. Eli Willits – SS – Nationals

I skew a bit higher on Willits, and the main reason is that the perceived floor for a teenage shortstop is comfortably above his peers.

He’ll be 18 years old for the entirety of the 2026 season, following up on what was a solid 17-game showing at Low-A in his pro debut. His defense is advanced with a chance to be plus at shortstop, and he’s a switch-hitter with good bat-to-ball and plate discipline.

He’s a candidate to get on base at a high clip, where his plus wheels can come into play. Willits is a very instinctual player who should be a steady threat on the base paths as he gets more comfortable in pro ball.

The biggest variable will be how much power he can hit for. Right now, the impact is very light, but again, he just turned 18 years old and still has room to fill in his 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame.

It’s also a very quiet and simple operation, which, paired with his quality feel for the strike zone, should allow him to potentially move more quickly than his peers.

4. Kazuma Okamoto – 1B/3B – Blue Jays

Okamoto ended up earning the biggest payday of any of the IFA signings out of NPB despite being the oldest player at 29 years old, in large part due to his perceived high floor.

The right-handed hitter offers an intriguing blend of both hit and power, launching 30 or more homers for six straight seasons between 2018 and 2023 before just finishing shy in 2024 with 27 long balls.

He was right back on pace for another 30-homer season in 2025, launching 15 through 69 games, but missed a large chunk of time with a left elbow injury after a collision at first base. Since the start of the 2023 season, Okamoto has run a zone-contact rate of roughly 85% and an overall contact rate of 78%.

There’s a little bit more underlying whiff and chase against secondaries that could become more prevalent stateside, but it’s far from a major cause for concern.

I do think the fact that his swing is a bit grooved for pull side damage, with the slight tendency to pull off of softer stuff or spin on the outer half, could result in Okamoto being more of a power-over-hit bat in MLB, but he has the quality of contact to succeed that way.

Okamoto’s 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.5 MPH in that three-season span is elite for NPB standards and in the plus territory for MLB standards. In his shortened 2025 sample of 69 games, Okamoto’s exit velocities were elite, boasting an average of 92 MPH and an EV90 of 107.5 MPH.

Pair the raw juice with an average launch angle of Hard Hit balls of 17 degrees and ground ball rate hardly above 30%, and you have a good shot at strong home run output, even if the hit tool and on base skills give way some.

He also provides versatility, capable of playing both infield and outfield corners. Okamoto will turn 30 years old mid-season, so if you are a team deep in rebuild mode, it could make sense to turn to either of the next two.

5. Dax Kilby – SS – Yankees

Kilby’s 18-game pro debut was impressive enough to quickly shift the perspective on him to a guy who should have been considered in the same breath as JoJo Parker and Billy Carlson.

It’s such a simple swing, but he gets on plane early, making it easy for him to catch barrels.

Though there were only 56 batted ball events in his pro debut, the average exit velocity was a whopping 92 MPH. That likely wouldn’t maintain over a larger sample, but given his max exit velocity of just 109 MPH, it’s clear how consistently he was getting his A swing off as he faced the toughest talent leap of his career.

Kilby is extremely patient in the box as well, running a chase rate of just 11%. I think his discipline will continue to be an asset against more challenging competition, given how simple his operation is with a quick bat that rarely makes him look rushed.

While he may not stick at shortstop, Kilby is an above-average runner who should be a factor on the base paths, especially with his on-base skills. There’s above-average game power to dream on, which, paired with his feel to hit and approach, could make him a dynamic offensive threat.

6. Munetaka Murakami – 1B – White Sox

Murakami is the first of two big boom or bust bats in the top 10, completely predicated on whether his alarming whiff rates can be curtailed to a remotely reasonable level for his huge raw power to translate at the highest level. In Murakami’s case, it’s 80-grade raw power, and he at least has the track record of mashing in NPB.

The case with Murakami is a fascinating one because his roughly 65% contact rate since 2023 would be tied with Luke Raley for last among qualified hitters in MLB.

While NPB is very competitive, it would take an improvement to even just maintain the same contact rates at the big league level. But Murakami is not some 32-year-old vet coming over, hoping to maintain. It would be unfair to completely rule out Murakami making improvements in his age 26 season.

Murakami earns rave reviews for his makeup and work ethic, and his pairing with new White Sox hitting coach Derek Shoman is an intriguing one.

Shomon is a buzzy young name in the coaching ranks who played a large part in the Marlins’ offensive improvements in 2025, particularly with outfielder Kyle Stowers, who overcame a 65% contact rate between the Triple-A and MLB in 2024 to become an All-Star in 2026.

7. Luis Hernandez – SS – Giants

Looks are so limited on the J15 prospects that I find it nearly impossible to rank them, especially in a setting like this where Hernandez is sandwiched between someone who has played nearly 900 games in NPB and an early first-round pick in the 2025 draft.

Of the J15 prospects, Hernandez may be the easiest to get behind. Training with Carlos Guillén, he is ahead of his years on the diamond with instincts that allow him to tap into his impressive tools so early in his development.

At just 15 years old, Hernandez hit .346 in 104 at-bats in the Venezuelan Major League.

There’s some questions as to how much power Hernandez could ultimately tap into given his standard frame, but his standout athleticism and twitch already allow him to impact the baseball with more severity than his peers.

There’s the potential for an electrifying hit, speed, and power blend with a track record of hitting that you usually do not find from a J15 prospect.

8. JoJo Parker – SS – Blue Jays

Parker is a natural hitter who flexed his bat-to-ball skills on the summer circuit with a 93% contact rate. He gains a lot of ground from his starting point, but his feel for the barrel and ability to hold his back side help counter that.

It’s worth wondering if higher quality stuff could pull him onto his front side more in pro ball, though his pitch recognition skills and bat path that lives in the zone for a long time seem to offset that.

There’s room for more strength, which would take some pressure off the hit tool as Parker currently projects for average power.

The blend of bat-to-ball and plate discipline from the left side gives Parker a strong floor with at least a decent chance to stick at shortstop. The wheels are closer to average, but he has the instincts and enough quickness to grab some stolen bases.

9. Ethan Holliday – SS – Rockies

The risk is obvious, but so is the reward. Long-viewed as the favorite to go 1-1, swing and miss concerns started to bubble a bit as he struggled some in the summer circuit.

His exciting tools–particularly the left-handed raw power–still made him the most highly touted prep bat for our Tyler Jennings.

Though likely unfair given the mere 20-game sample, Holliday’s brief pro debut only stoked the flame, striking out 41% of the time with a 58% contact rate in 93 plate appearances. He also has popped exit velocities north of 110 MPH. He’s been searching ever since the summer circuit struggles and found himself with an operation that I think took some of his quickness away.

Tinkering is not necessarily a bad thing for a teenage prospect of his caliber and pedigree, and the makeup, work ethic, and resources Holliday has make him the type of candidate who could tie loose ends.

He will also be in environments where his high quality of contact will be rewarded as highly as just about any Minor League park once he gets out of Fresno.

High-A Spokane is one of the more hitter-friendly environments of any level, with one of the few it trails being Triple-A Albuquerque. I know I don’t have to tell you about the Coors Field reward if Holliday is making anywhere near enough contact.

It’s completely understandable to have Holliday lower in the pecking order as others do, but if I’m picking 9th, I am willing to roll the dice for a guy who can eclipse 30 homers and will be given every opportunity to do so by the Rockies.

10. Aiva Arquette – SS – Marlins

The top college bat in a prep-heavy top of the class, Arquette offers a solid skill set that should translate to above-average production. He hits the ball hard, but there’s room for even more impact for the 6-foot-5, 220-pound shortstop as he learns to utilize his big frame more effectively to produce more violence.

The feel to hit is solid enough to get into that power, and even in a lackluster pro debut production-wise, he maintained his decent contact rates.

Arquette is at risk of sliding over to third base, where there will be even more pressure to tap into that power, but the Marlins are going to give him every opportunity to stick at shortstop.

A better runner than he gets credit for, Arquette joins a Marlins org that has its prospects running more than any team in baseball. Even without much gains in the power department, Arquette projects as a 20-ish home run bat with an average hit tool and above-average plate discipline.

I think he can get more power, though.

11. Seth Hernandez – RHP – Pirates

The highest-upside pitcher in the 2025 class, Hernandez can touch triple digits with a clear plus changeup working off of it. He also boasts a low-80s power curveball that dives beneath the barrels of lefties and righties.

He will also mix in a cutter/slider hybrid in the upper 80s that flashes above average.

It’s no secret that hard-throwing prep righties are a risky archetype, but Hernandez is unique. He’s an impressive athlete for his 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame, who pounds the strike zone and could really swing the bat as an amateur as well. Two minor detractors are that his fastball shape can be a bit flat at times, and he was on the older side of the draft class.

The Pirates have done a great job with their arm,s and Hernandez is the latest high-upside pitcher added to the equation.

12. Ethan Conrad – OF – Cubs

Conrad has become a buzzy name and understandably so.

After transferring from Marist to Wake Forest, he was on the cusp of a statement season that could have solidified him as a top 10 pick in the draft before dislocating his shoulder while laying out for a ball in the outfield.

In the 21 games up to that point, Conrad was hitting .372/.495/.744 with 7 HR, 15 XBH, and more walks than strikeouts.

His operation is a bit reminiscent of Kerry Carpenter, loading early with a hover that allows him to see the ball early and get his “A” swing off consistently. The drawback is that it can create a more aggressive approach, which we see with Carpenter and is a mild concern with Conrad.

Conrad’s swing is compact and quick, and he improved his path heading into his first year with Wake Forest to be geared for more loft.

Between his strong showing on the Cape and hot start to the 2025 season, there’s plenty of reason to believe that Conrad’s is going to hit in pro ball, with potentially above-average power to pair. He has a shot to stick in center with his above-average wheels as well.

13. Liam Doyle – LHP – Cardinals

Doyle was a major breakout in 2025, seeing his heater make more than a three-tick leap at Tennessee on his way to a dominant season. Averaging 96 MPH on the fastball with good life, Doyle overwhelmed collegiate hitters, limiting them to a .170 batting average.

The secondaries are where there are more questions for Doyle. His splitter flashed plus with good vertical separation, but the shape and location were very inconsistent. The same could be said for his upper 80s cutter and low 80s curveball, all of which combined for just 37% usage between his draft year and brief pro debut.

It’s a high effort delivery that I think contributed to the tapering down in velocity later in starts as well as the sporadic secondaries.

I clearly skew on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to Doyle, as I just feel like there’s a fair amount of reliever risk here, but it could be closer stuff out of the pen.

14. Kyson Witherspoon – RHP – Red Sox

Witherspoon offers an intriguing four-pitch mix, headlined by a fastball that averaged 96 MPH. It’s a short-arm delivery that limits his extension, but also makes his 88-90 MPH cutter a very natural throw that he pounds the strike zone with.

Witherspoon’s slider gives him a solid third pitch, and he has at least shown signs of improving his curveball and changeup.

He’s an athlete who fills up the strike zone and landed in a Red Sox organization that has done a great job with developing arms of late. He’s a high probability back-end of the rotation arm with middle-rotation upside to dream on.

15. Tyler Bremner – RHP – Angels

The annual allure of an Angels prospect who could be fast-tracked to the big leagues is impossible to ignore, and Bremner’s high floor only contributes to that. Bremner’s borderline double-plus changeup and fastball that averages 95 MPH give him a great shot of at least landing in the back-end of a rotation, especially when you account for his strike-throwing ability.

There are some questions about the fastball shape, and Bremner will need to significantly improve his breaking ball for it to be a viable third pitch. There’s middle-rotation upside if he can develop an above-average breaking ball with a great chance of at least landing as a back-end starter and getting there quickly.

16. Johenssy Colome – SS – Athletics

Another toolsy, projectable prospect from the J15 cycle, there are people out there who think Johenssy Colome–the son of former big leaguer Jesus Colomé–is the best of the bunch.

He’s projectable with standout bat speed that could give him the potential for plus power. The swing is also relatively advanced for such a physical and explosive teenage hitter. He’s got long levers and it could come with some whiff, but there’s just too much to dream on here.

17. Gavin Fien – SS/3B – Nationals

Fien has become a very popular name from the prep class, especially from an analytical perspective. It’s understandable, Fien was as impressive as anybody on the summer circuit and has a track record of just hitting with above-average pop to dream on.

My hangup is with the swing mechanics. Fien somewhat takes his lower half out of the equation, straightening out his back leg as he loads, making it easier to fall forward as he swings.

He has the tendency to be heavy on his front side while also stepping in the bucket, which, paired with a late barrel tip, can make it really difficult for him to be on time against better stuff and stay in the zone against higher quality spin.

Still, he has a knack for finding the barrel, and he is a sturdy 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with above-average bat speed. His feel for the strike zone also stood out in his pro debut.

Ultimately, I think it will be power over hit, but there’s the potential for enough in both departments to be productive. There may be a bit more pressure on the bat as he slides over to third base, but his plus bat speed helps.

18. Steele Hall – SS – Reds

Arguably the best athlete in the 2025 class, Hall has many of the ingredients to be a top-of-the-order, everyday shortstop. He’s a 70-grade runner with a good chance of sticking at shortstop. The swing is a long way off, though, looking armsy and rushed, which will limit his power output as well. If Hall can clean up the swing, he could be a fantasy baseball monster.

19. Jamie Arnold – LHP – Athletics

Viewed as the potential SP1 heading into the 2025 collegiate season, Arnold did not quite turn in the year evaluators wanted to see, despite matching his 2.98 ERA from the season prior. The stuff was not quite as sharp, and the fastball was hit hard.

That said, Arnold is incredibly unique. Throwing from a funky low three-quarters angle that produces a sub-5-foot release height and above average extension. The slider is wipeout, and the sinker was more effective than the four-seamer, but Arnold will need to find more confidence in a changeup to keep righties at bay and reach his middle-rotation potential.

20. Jace LaViolette – OF – Guardians

As high upside as you are going to find at this stage of the draft, LaViolette offers plus power and speed potential, hedged by the concern that he may not hit enough.

He’s patient in the box, which helped drive up his walk rate to nearly 20% in his draft year, but the willingness to get deep into counts with poor contact rates against spin resulted in a 26% strikeout rate in LaViolette’s draft year.

He is a hard-nosed player who played through a broken left hand at the end of the season for Texas A&M and has the speed and arm to stick in center. If LaViolette can even become a 40-grade hitter, his speed, power, and ability to play all three outfield spots would make him a fantasy asset.

21. Xavier Neyens – OF – Astros

As big of a boom-or-bust bat as there is in the 2025 class, Neyens comes with the potential for 70 grade power and the risk that he may never hit enough for it to matter after glaring whiff on the summer circuit. I believe there was a shock factor for Neyens as he went from lighter competition in Washington to elite arms through the summer, which exposed his big swing.

If he can tighten things up a bit, there’s massive upside. The whip and bat speed he generates is eye-popping, and there’s athleticism in the box that implies the ability to make the adjustments needed. In the back half of the first round of drafts, I’m swinging big with Neyens.

22. Ethan Frey – OF – Astros

Frey’s pro debut raised his stock as much as any prospect in the 2025 class. He backed up a very productive draft year with a 26-game Low-A debut where he posted a .904 OPS with ridiculous underlying data.

In those 122 plate appearances, Frey produced a 54% hard hit rate and a max exit velocity of 114 MPH. He can cheat for fastballs at times, which is something to monitor against more challenging competition.

It’s a bat-first profile and an SEC hitter mashing at Low-A should ultimately be taken with a grain of salt, but between his simple operation, easy plus raw power, and quality swing decisions, there’s a lot of production to dream on.

23. Ike Irish – OF/C/1B – Orioles

Irish provides a quality blend of hit and power potential, which is why he was such a popular under-slot candidate in the first half of the draft.

His swing path is limiting, currently creating a lot more hard contact on the ground, but if he can create more loft in his swing, he offers exciting offensive upside.

Though he’s likely to land in the outfield, there’s some defensive versatility potentially, as well as the Orioles do not want to close the door on catching and have given him reps at first base as well.

24. Kruz Schoolcraft – LHP – Padres

A 6-foot-8 southpaw with a surprisingly smooth delivery, Schoolcraft offers exciting upside with a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and gets up to 99 MPH.

The changeup flashes plus as well with a pair of breaking balls that are a work in progress, but have the potential to be average or better as well. Schoolcraft has huge upside, albeit with some risk command-wise.

25. Charles Davalan – OF – Dodgers

I understand that hit-tool driven prospects are not the most popular archetype in fantasy baseball, but as we get to the end of the first round, the high-probability big leaguers are hard to stray from.

Davalan was easily the most underrated pure hitter in the 2025 class, boasting easy plus bat to ball and a good approach that saw him walk more than he struck out at Arkansas.

His body control is impeccable, especially as he has toned down his once noisy leg kick. Left on left matchups give Davalan little issue, hitting .422 against southpaws in 100 plate appearances if you include his pro debut.

The raw power may be below average, but there’s some sneaky gap-to-gap pop with the ability to get. Davalan’s instincts and above-average wheels should make him a factor on the base paths as well.

26. Kayson Cunningham – SS – Diamondbacks

Cunningham’s skill set is headlined by good bat-to-ball skills and plus speed. It’s a very simple swing with the ability to spray the ball all over the field. His 5-foot-8, 175-pound frame limits his upside, but there’s still hope that Cunningham can push a little bit beyond his gap-to-gap pop as he matures.

There are similarities to Xavier Edwards both offensively and defensively, as it would not be surprising to see Cunningham ultimately slide over to second base.

27. Kane Kepley – OF – Cubs

Another contact-oriented bat, Kepley is a superb defender in centerfield with ridiculous wheels. His pro debut at Low-A was impressive, hitting .301/.481/.433 in 29 games (including two postseason games) with 8 more walks than strikeouts, a pair of homers, and three triples.

He also grabbed 16 bags in that span.

Kepley is compact at 5-foot-8, 185 pounds, but produced 48 batted balls north of 90 MPH and 11 north of 100 in his first 103 pro at-bats. There’s no doubt he will stick in center field, and there may just be enough quality of contact to complement the bat-to-ball and speed.

28. Gage Wood – RHP – Phillies

Wood has a lively fastball that famously dominated Murray State in the College World Series on his way to an 18-strikeout no-hitter.

The pitch was dominant all year, boasting plus ride at 96 MPH, generating a 35% zone whiff, leading to a 45% strikeout rate in his 10 starts for Arkansas. The curveball looks like a plus pitch as well if he can harness it more consistently, but there’s clearly a heavy reliance on the fastball (65% usage).

Though he limited the free passes in his draft year, it’s more control over command for Wood.

He missed some time in his draft year with a shoulder issue, has never thrown more than 59 1/3 innings in a year, including summer ball, which, paired with his bulky build and high fastball usage, does not necessarily scream starting pitcher. He’ll get every opportunity to stick as a starter and the fastball/curveball combo helps, but there’s certainly relief risk here.

29. Sung-Mun Song – INF – Padres

Signed for 4 years, $15 million out of the KBO, Song enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, where he produced a .927 OPS and followed that up with a career-high 26 homers and 25 stolen bases in 2025. Song hit velocity well between 2024 and 2025, producing an OPS of .869 and 80% contact rate.

There’s some questions as to whether he can stay back on breaking balls with the big leg kick that can pull him out on his front side prematurely, cratering his quality of contact against those pitch types.

The downside is that Song is older at 29 years old and may be placed in more of a utility role, which can limit his fantasy impact. That said, there’s a pathway to regular at-bats for Song in the Padres lineup with the upside for 15+ homers and stolen bases.

30. Billy Carlson – SS – White Sox

Carlson is another toolsy player with a swing that needs work. He has a big, lounging stride that, unfortunately, will likely be exposed in pro ball.

It’s something he and the White Sox are almost surely aware of, and while such an ingrained move may be difficult to completely re-pattern, Carlson’s elite athleticism earns him the benefit of the doubt.

Carlson will almost surely stick at shortstop and probably be an asset there. It may just be average hit, power, and speed, though, which would limit his fantasy outlook.

Players 31-50

31. Francisco Rentaria – OF – Phillies

32. Santiago Solarte – SS – Marlins

33. Fabricio Blanco – SS – Rays

34. Nick Becker – SS- Mariners

35. Gavin Kilen – 2B – Giants

36. Angeibel Gomez – OF – Royals

37. Josh Hammond – SS – Royals

38. Wandy Asigen – SS – Mets

39. Brendan Summerhill – OF – Rays

40. Andrew Fischer – 3B – Brewers

41. Jordan Yost – SS – Tigers

42. Drew Compton – OF – Marlins

43. Cam Leiter – RHP – Dodgers

44. Riley Quick – RHP – Twins

45. Foster Griffin – RHP – Nationals

46. Mitch Voit – 2B – Mets

47. Slater de Brun – OF – Rays

48. Devin Taylor – OF – Athletics

49. Sean Gamble – OF – Royals

50. Trevor Cohen – OF – Giants