Where All 100 Top Prospects Are Expected to Begin the 2025 Season
Kevin McGonigle (MLB No. 2), JJ Wetherholt (MLB No. 5) and Carson Benge (MLB No. 16) will open the 2026 season as Major Leaguers, along with 17 other members of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Baseball's No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin will begin at Trip…
Where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
Twenty members of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list will open the 2026 season on Major League rosters, headlined by Kevin McGonigle (MLB No. 2), JJ Wetherholt (MLB No. 5) and Carson Benge (MLB No. 16). The trio represents some of the most highly anticipated arrivals in baseball this spring, and their promotions signal a wave of elite young talent set to make an immediate impact at the highest level. All three impressed during Spring Training and earned their spots through dominant performances in the Minor Leagues last season.
Baseball's No. 1 overall prospect, Konnor Griffin, will not be among those breaking camp with a big league club. Griffin is expected to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A, where he will continue to refine his game against advanced competition. While his Major League debut is widely anticipated at some point during the season, the organization wants to ensure the top-ranked prospect gets consistent at-bats and further development time before making the jump.
The 20 prospects starting in the Majors reflect a broader trend of teams increasingly willing to promote their top talent earlier in the season rather than manipulating service time. Several organizations, including clubs with competitive rosters, made the decision to carry their best young players from Opening Day, believing their contributions outweigh any long-term contract considerations. The list includes a mix of position players and pitchers spread across both leagues, with some expected to step into everyday roles and others projected to fill key spots in pitching rotations and bullpens.
For the remaining prospects on the Top 100 list who are not starting in the Majors, assignments range from Triple-A to as low as High-A, depending on their development timelines. Many of those at the upper levels of the Minor Leagues could receive midseason call-ups, particularly as teams deal with injuries and look to bolster their rosters for playoff pushes. With so much talent on the verge of the big leagues, the 2026 season promises to be one of the most exciting years for prospect promotions in recent memory.