Which Top Prospects Shined the Most in A-Ball This Year?

Competition across Low-A and High-A has commenced. The 132-game sample led the way for a plethora of young players to establish themselves as some of the premier prospects in the sport.

A hotbed for young, unproven talent, the lower minors are the environment to establish oneself as a must-know name. Last season, names like Kevin McGonigle, Jesus Made, and Ryan Sloan dominated the levels on the way to 2026 surges.

Who are the standout performers in A-Ball on their way to cementing their names in the minds of all around the prospect world?

Andrew Fischer, 1B—Milwaukee Brewers

2026 A+ Stats: 54 G, .298/.443/.675, 20 HR, 173 wRC+

While Fischer spent the least amount of time in A-Ball on this list, his potent numbers speak for themselves. Among players with at least 200 plate appearances in High-A, Fischer’s 173 wRC+ and .675 slugging percentage led the pack. He managed to continue his success through his promotion, tacking on 28 (and counting) more home runs on the season, totaling the most by a minor leaguer this century.

Drafted 20th overall out of Tennessee last summer, Fischer’s extreme three true outcomes profile carried into pro ball, running a staggering 60.6% TTO rate across High-A and Double-A. While Fischer will need to tone down the whiffs and strikeouts moving forward to jump into top 100 lists, there’s a clear path to big league success.

Eduardo Quintero, OF—Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 A+ Stats: 111 G, .309/.445/.495, 12 HR, 44 SB, 149 wRC+

Following a rough few weeks to start off the season, Quintero kicked it into gear, slashing .347/.488/.562 while walking more than he struck out in his next 94 games. Among qualified High-A batters, the 20-year-old Quintero led the level in wRC+ and on-base percentage, playing against arms three to four years his elder.

Quintero’s hot streak allowed him to jump from No. 36 to No. 14 in our latest top 100 update. His mix of contact ability, raw power, plate discipline, wheels, and center field profile makes him one of the most enticing prospects in the lower minors.

Emil Morales, SS—Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 A/A+ Stats: 117 G, .295/.382/.546, 26 HR, 133 wRC+

Morales piqued the interest of many in the prospect world following a torrid stint in the DSL as a 17-year-old, where he posted a 187 wRC+, and has continued to mash at every level since. After tearing through Low-A with a .570 slugging percentage, Morales was quickly promoted, where he found sustained success, eclipsing the 20-home-run mark in 81 High-A games. He also led all of the minor leagues in RBI with 119.

Still just 19 years old, Morales not only handled an aggressive promotion, but he thrived through it. Morales has potent power potential with a real shot at sticking at shortstop as he continues to develop.

Josiah Hartshorn, OF—Chicago Cubs

2026 A/A+ Stats: 124 G, .287/.410/.522, 23 HR, 142 wRC+

Hartshorn got early second-round money in the 6th last summer and hit the ground running in his pro debut. After a great showing in a short Low-A stint, Hartshorn’s power finally reared its head, mashing nine home runs in his first 26 High-A games. He finished with the highest wRC+ among qualified teenagers in High-A.

A physical switch-hitter, Hartshorn recently climbed up to No. 24 on our top 100 update, flashing legitimate game power and stellar swing decisions as a 19-year-old.

Easton Shelton, 1B—Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 A Stats: 109 G, .297/.403/.644, 37 HR, 151 wRC+

While Shelton isn’t a premier prospect quite yet, we’d be remiss not to mention Low-A’s top performer. An undrafted free agent as a Nevada prep, Shelton spent two seasons developing at the complex before getting his shot at Low-A as a 20-year-old. The result was 37 home runs—10 more than the next-best mark.

Capable of driving balls 110+ mph with ease, Shelton comes with an immense amount of swing-and-miss, which was surely the driving factor that kept him out of High-A. Still, the prodigious power potential is undeniable.

Kendry Chourio, RHP—Kansas City Royals

2026 A/A+ Stats: 90.2 IP, 2.48 ERA, 25.7 K%, 4.8 BB%

Chourio made waves last season, emerging as a consensus top-100 prospect capable of sitting mid-90s with advanced command at just 17 years old. Chourio carved through offenses in his second Low-A stint, posting a 1.88 ERA over 48 innings while walking just nine batters. The lone 18-year-old to throw innings in High-A, Chourio continued to find success, boasting a 3.16 ERA in 42.2 innings.

Slotting in at No. 55, Chourio is the lone teenage arm on our top 100. Mixing sustained results with stellar stuff and command, Chourio has a unique opportunity to reach MLB before his 21st birthday.

Ramon Marquez, RHP—San Francisco Giants

2026 A/A+ Stats: 69 IP, 2.22 ERA, 40.2 K%, 7.7 BB%

One of the top chips dealt at the deadline, Marquez saw a stellar leap in run prevention, posting just a 1.86 ERA in 29 Low-A innings. Marquez quickly got the bump to High-A, where he would only get better, lowering his ERA to 1.50 with an absurd 43.4% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. He got roughed up in a shorter stint with the Giants, but maintained elite strikeout-to-walk numbers.

Of players with at least 60 innings pitched, Marquez’s strikeout minus walk rate ranked second, only behind Kade Anderson. Already sitting in the mid-90s, Marquez blends advanced command with a double-plus cambio, an easy recipe for dominating the lower minors. A newcomer to the top 100, Marquez slots in at No. 77 in our most recent update.

Miguel Sime Jr., RHP—Washington Nationals

2026 A/A+ Stats: 72.1 IP, 2.99 ERA, 41.3 K%, 20.3 BB%

Sime signed for early second-round money in the fourth round last summer, already up to triple digits as a prep. His raucous stuff immediately translated to pro ball, overpowering the lower minors with a minor league-leading 41.3% strikeout rate.

Pairing his high-powered fastball with a gyro slider that falls off the table from a tall release height, Sime possesses one of the more potent pitch pairings in the minor leagues. He does carry significant reliever risk, but he’s as electric as they come, and still just 19 years old.

Seth Hernandez, RHP—Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 A/A+ Stats: 74 IP, 2.43 ERA, 40.4 K%, 10.6 BB%

One of the best prep arms to surface in recent memory, Hernandez immediately put on a show in his introduction to the mainstream baseball world, touching 102 mph in his Spring Breakout outing. Hernandez dominated the Low-A level, running a minuscule 0.96 ERA and a 48.1% strikeout rate in 28 innings. He was sharp in High-A as well, throwing to a 3.33 ERA over 46 innings.

Hernandez was shut down in late July with an oblique injury, but he quickly made his mark as one of the best pitching prospects in the sport. He’s all the way up to No. 5 on our top 100.

Caden Hunter, LHP—Baltimore Orioles

2026 A/A+ Stats: 68 IP, 1.46 ERA, 38.1 K%, 11.6 BB%

A sixth-round selection out of USC, Hunter managed to jump a few ticks with his already-stellar shapes, and the returns have been massive. Hunter mowed through his short stint in Low-A, striking out 43.5% of batters to a 1.17 ERA, then carried his success into High-A.

After posting a 5.50 ERA in college, Hunter has managed to climb up three levels to Double-A. Hunter has been one of the minor leagues’ most dominant pitchers, making his debut on our top 100 at No. 66.