IBC

From the April 1st BA article 50 MLB Prospects Who Impressed Scouts Entering 2026:


Cam Caminiti, LHP, Braves

There’s always money in the banana stand, and there’s always a talented pitching prospect lurking in the Atlanta farm system. Caminiti certainly isn’t obscure, but his rise to prominence last summer came gradually. Now, he stands as the system’s top prospect and one of the best arm talents in the minor leagues. He deals a low-to-mid-90s fastball from a lower arm slot and backs it with a gyro slider and a sweeper as well as a changeup with plenty of bottom. He has feel for his entire mix and plenty of avenues to carve hitters, leaving a path toward the middle of a rotation in a couple of years.

Tanner Franklin, RHP, Cardinals

Franklin joins Angels righty Nate Snead in the category of Tennessee alums who showed out during spring training. Selected by St. Louis in the third round in 2025—just two rounds after fellow Volunteer Liam Doyle—Franklin was excellent in his team’s Spring Breakout game. There, he showcased a fastball in the mid 90s that peaked at 99 as well as a sharp breaking ball that rode the line between slider and cutter. He was almost solely used as a reliever in college but will be given plenty of chances to start as a pro. His power arsenal and physical frame could help him hold up over the course of a longer workload.

Esteban Mejia, RHP, Orioles

Mejia made a name for himself last summer as the unquestioned top prospect in the Florida Complex League. His first test at full-season ball showed he needed a little bit more feel and command of his scintillating arsenal, however, and he’ll need to continue to make strides in that department this season. His fastball still regularly visits triple digits, and his slider has plus potential as well. Mejia’s changeup is a little bit behind both of his other offerings, and he’ll need to shorten his arm action if he is to improve the quality and quantity of his strikes. Even so, his pure stuff will give him plenty of runway.

From the April 3 update to the BA 2026 Top 100 MLB Prospects:

BA Top 100 Prospects

10. Leo De Vries, SS (Ath)
14. Sal Stewart, 1B (Cin)
40. Robby Snelling, LHP (Mia)
53. Cam Caminiti, LHP (Atl)
72. Alfredo Duno, C (Cin)

Only 5? Yikes. That's as low an offseason number as I can remember, but I dealt away Bonemer (#26) and Carson Williams graduated. Neyens and Mejia have to already be right on the cusp, and a good first half performance on the mound could easily vault Joey Oakie, Tanner Franklin, Moisés Chace or Keyner Martinez into Top 100 consideration, so I'm not losing too much sleep at this point.

From the April 7th BA article 15 Breakout MLB Pitching Prospects Who Could Crack The Top 100 In 2026:


Tanner Franklin, RHP, Cardinals

In recent years, the former SEC college reliever ranks has been a far more successful hotbed for starting pitching prospects than one might expect. Last July, the Cardinals targeted Franklin with the idea that he could make the jump to being a full-time starter.

Franklin made his debut post-draft, giving us a glimpse of what he was capable of. In 2026, the Cardinals assigned him to High-A after a strong camp, and Franklin delivered in his debut. He hit 100 mph and generated 15 swinging strikes, mixing his upper-90s fastball with average ride and moderate cut, his hard low-90s cutter and a mid-80s sweeper.

If Franklin can build up, hold his stuff and consistently compete in the zone, he has a chance to really shine as a starter.


Jackson Cox, RHP, Rockies

Betting on Rockies pitchers has been a fool’s errand over the last decade, as even the most talented pitching prospects wilt in the luck-driven haven that is Coors Field. Even so, Cox is an intriguing breakout candidate.

The 2022 second-round pick enjoyed his first fully healthy professional season in 2025 and performed to the tune of a 3.39 ERA and 92 strikeouts to 25 walks over 85 innings in 23 starts for Low-A Fresno. Cox was noted as an amateur for his outlier feel for spin, and that hasn’t changed. His curveball sits 78-81 mph and boasts spin rates north of 3,000 rpm while showing heavy sweep and some depth. It’s a nasty out pitch when paired with his mid-90s fastball, changeup and low-90s cutter.

In his age-22 season, Cox has a chance to further solidify his prospect status with a strong showing at High-A.


Davian Garcia, RHP, Nationals

Garcia was a buzzy name within the Nationals’ newly hired front office this spring. After a strong 2025 season that saw him pitch fairly well across both levels of A-ball, Garcia’s stuff was up this spring, and the team showed real belief in him by assigning him to Double-A Harrisburg out of camp.

Garcia struggled at times to command the zone in 2025, but he showed sharper locations this spring with a few ticks added to his average fastball velocity. Garcia sat 93-96 mph this spring, touching 97 mph with plus ride and cut while also mixing in a hard cutter, splitter and sweeper.

Garcia is an off-the-radar name who could blow up in the coming months.

From the April 13 BA Hot Sheet:


3. Robby Snelling, LHP, Marlins

Team: Triple-A Jacksonville (International)
Age: 22
Why He’s Here: 0-0, 0.00, 1 G, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 12 SO

The Scoop: The 22-year-old Snelling had some trouble with his control this week, but that didn’t stop him from striking out 12 batters, the second-highest total of his career. He recorded 15 whiffs total on 33 swings (45%) and had at least one on all four of his pitches. He sat in the mid 90s, and his changeup was especially dominating, generating six whiffs on nine swings. Snelling did walk four hitters, however, and threw first-pitch strikes to only 11 of 21 hitters. He’ll need to be more pitch-efficient to reach his potential, but Snelling has only given up four runs total in his first three starts, continuing to build on a strong 2025 season. (IC)


15. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics

Team: Double-A Midland (Texas)
Age: 19
Why He’s Here: .385/.448/.654 (10-for-26), 9 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 3 BB, 6 SO, 2-for-3 on SB

The Scoop: De Vries was having a solid start to the season, but this weekend, he kicked it into another gear. After going 3-for-6 with a double on Saturday, he went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs on Sunday, tagging Rangers’ pitching prospect David Davalillo in the first and then finding Frisco’s Lazy River in the ninth inning. De Vries loves to hit home runs in bunches. This was the fifth two-homer game of his very young career. (JJ)


19. Alfredo Duno, C, Reds

Team: High-A Dayton (Midwest)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .333/.519/.556 (6-for-18), 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 8 BB, 4 SO

The Scoop: As a catcher, Duno has developed a very good understanding of the strike zone. And when he’s standing in the batter’s box, he does not swing at pitches out of the zone. In the Midwest League, that—and the threat of a long home run if a pitcher catches too much of the zone—has served him very well so far. He’s gotten on-base in all eight games this season, having drawn at least one walk in seven of eight games, which explains his .500 on-base percentage. (JJ)