Yahoo Sports’ 26-and-under power rankings are a remix on the traditional farm system rankings that assess the strength of MLB organizations’ talent base among rookie-eligible and MiLB players. While focusing on strictly prospects can be a useful proxy for projecting how bright an organization’s future is, it fails to account for young players already contributing at the big-league level.
By evaluating the strength of all players in an organization entering their age-26 seasons or younger, this exercise aims to paint a more complete picture of each team’s young core. These rankings value productive young big leaguers more heavily than prospects who have yet to prove it at the highest level, and the majority of the prospects included in teams’ evaluations are those who have already reached the upper levels of the minor leagues.
To compile these rankings, each MLB organization was given a score in four categories:
-
Young MLB hitters: 26-and-under position players and rookie-eligible hitters projected to be on Opening Day rosters; scored 0-10
-
Young MLB pitchers: 26-and-under pitchers and rookie-eligible pitchers projected to be on Opening Day rosters; scored 0-10;
-
Prospect hitters: prospect-eligible position players projected to reach MLB in the next one to two years; scored 0-5
-
Prospect pitchers: prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next one to two years; scored 0-5
We’re counting down all 30 organizations’ 26-and-under talent bases from weakest to strongest leading up to Opening Day, diving into five teams at a time. We covered Nos. 30-26 early this week.
Next up are teams Nos. 25-21.
25. Toronto Blue Jays (total score: 12/30) | 2024 rank: 22
-
Young MLB hitters (8/10): 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 2B Andrés Giménez, C Alejandro Kirk, 2B Davis Schneider, OF Joey Loperfido, INF Will Wagner, INF Leo Jimenez
-
Young MLB pitchers (0/10): None
-
Prospect hitters (2/5): 3B Orelvis Martinez, OF Alan Roden, SS Josh Kasevich, OF RJ Schreck
-
Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Jake Bloss, LHP Ricky Tiedemann, RHP Trey Yesavage
Guerrero now occupies the same unique space on our list that Juan Soto did a year ago: a highly accomplished young superstar entering the final year of his contract. The Jays’ inability to come to terms with Guerrero on an extension means it’s impossible to consider him a definitive part of their long-term future, just as we couldn’t with Soto and the Yankees. Of course, New York benefited greatly from having a generational talent on the roster if even for a single season, and the same could be true for Guerrero and Toronto as the Blue Jays try to bounce back from a dismal 2024. As such, the Jays’ young hitting grade is boosted by Guerrero’s presence, but not as much as if the slugger were on board for the long haul.
Among all the 26-and-under players evaluated in our rankings, only Soto, Guerrero and Fernando Tatis Jr. have more career major-league plate appearances to their names than Giménez. Now with his third organization, Giménez’s reputation as one of the best infield defenders on the planet has only strengthened over the years, but his offensive profile remains murky at best. Owed $97 million over the next five seasons due to the extension he signed with Cleveland, it will be crucial for Giménez to reestablish himself as at least an average bat for him to be considered a foundational piece for the Blue Jays to build around.
Kirk has failed to recapture the All-Star form he showed in 2022 but has become a good enough defender that he’s still a competent every-day backstop. Wagner and Loperfido arrived in the Yusei Kikuchi trade; both boast impressive minor-league track records offensively and will now get a chance to prove themselves at the highest level. Martinez has higher upside due to his tremendous raw power but is coming off a PED suspension and is a questionable defender at third. Roden is a pick to click as an on-base machine who has raked at every level and could be the Jays’ leadoff man of the future.
Despite an impressive score for its position-player group, Toronto falls in our rankings due to its utter dearth of young arms who project to contribute meaningful innings at the major-league level anytime soon. The rotation is exclusively composed of older veterans, with the exception of Bowden Francis, who broke out last year at age 28, and the bullpen isn’t much different. Bloss, also acquired in the Kikuchi trade, could fill in as a spot starter in case of injury ahead of him on the depth chart. Top prospect Tiedemann had Tommy John surgery last summer, so we won’t see him in Toronto anytime soon. Yesavage, Toronto’s first-round pick last July, could move quickly through the minors as an advanced college arm, but he hasn’t thrown a professional pitch yet. All in all, if the Jays want to remain competitive in a possible post-Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era, their pitching acquisition and development will need to make huge strides over the next few years. — J.S.
24. San Francisco Giants (total score: 13/30) | 2024 rank: 24
-
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jung-Hoo Lee, C Patrick Bailey, OF Heliot Ramos, INF Brett Wisely, OF Luis Matos
-
Young MLB pitchers (4/10): LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Hayden Birdsong, RHP Randy Rodriguez, RHP Landen Roupp
-
Prospect hitters (2/5): 1B Bryce Eldridge, OF James Tibbs III, OF Grant McCray
-
Prospect pitchers (2/5): LHP Carson Whisenhunt, RHP Trevor McDonald, RHP Mason Black, RHP Carson Ragsdale, RHP Carson Seymour, LHP Joe Whitman
Lee is one of the more difficult players to evaluate as part of this project. He turns 27 in August, meaning he barely qualifies for inclusion. But this is also a player with only 37 big-league games under his belt due to a shoulder injury that wiped out the majority of his rookie year in 2024. And don’t forget: The dude got $113 million a year ago — that’s a pretty big deal in every sense. The 2025 season represents a pivotal mulligan for Lee to solidify himself as an everyday center fielder worth building around. He unquestionably still has significant talent — but also a ton to prove.
Bailey and Ramos are the two other core offensive pieces worth highlighting. Ramos had a breakout year with the bat and was named an All-Star last year. He hits the ball exceptionally hard, but his shoddy approach could result in some humbling regression. Bailey is a simply sensational defender behind the dish; is there another level for him at the plate as a switch-hitter with solid power, or will he always be a glove-first guy? That could be the difference between him being a reliable everyday player or becoming a full-blown star.
The enormous Eldridge might be special. The hulking first baseman reached Triple-A as a teenager and has the kind of power that could one day threaten to end the franchise’s infamous dinger drought: No Giant has hit 30 home runs in a season since 2004. That’s a lot to ask of a kid who was in high school two years ago, so for now, it’s more important that Eldridge continues to blossom into a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter, regardless of his homer output. His growth is especially crucial considering the severe lack of position-player depth behind him in this farm system.
While the Giants have a ton of pitchers who could warrant big-league innings in 2025, we’re still waiting to find out if any of them can become impact arms, as opposed to useful members of a pitching staff. Harrison and Birdsong are the ones we’ve seen the most in the majors thus far, with Harrison disappointing relative to expectations as a rookie in 2024 and Birdsong more of a pleasant surprise. Rodriguez throws extremely hard, yet his slider was far more effective than his fastball in his debut as a middle reliever. Whisenhunt and his elite changeup should debut at some point in 2025, but it’s unclear if he has enough else in the arsenal to become a difference-maker in the rotation. — J.M.
23. Los Angeles Angels (total score: 13/30) | 2024 rank: 28
-
Young MLB hitters (5/10): SS Zach Neto, C Logan O’Hoppe, 1B Nolan Schanuel, OF Jo Adell
-
Young MLB pitchers (4/10): RHP Jose Soriano, LHP Reid Detmers, RHP Ben Joyce, RHP Hans Crouse, RHP Jack Kochanowicz, RHP Chase Silseth
-
Prospect hitters (2/5): 2B Christian Moore, OF Nelson Rada, OF Matthew Lugo
-
Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Caden Dana, LHP Sam Aldegheri, RHP George Klassen, LHP Samy Natera Jr., RHP Ryan Johnson, RHP Chris Cortez
Year 1 of the post-Ohtani era was, predictably, an utter catastrophe. The Angels lost 99 games, the most in team history, and were a typhoon of irrelevance wire-to-wire. Those struggles were driven, in part, by the lack of development at the big-league level from Anaheim’s young core, notably O’Hoppe, Schanuel and Detmers. That plateauing wasn’t as damning to the ’24 Halos as, say, Mike Trout missing five months, but the lack of progress is a concern for the future.
O’Hoppe was tracking like a future All-Star catcher, but he backslid offensively last year amid a big workload (136 games) for a player his age (24). Schanuel, rushed to the big leagues two months after he was drafted in 2023, had just 32 extra-base hits, the fewest by an everyday first baseman (min. 600 plate appearances) since a 40-year-old Pete Rose had the same number in 1982. Schanuel also ranked near the bottom in Statcast’s bat-speed metric, adding even more doubt to the idea that he’ll hit for enough power to be an impact first baseman. Detmers started hot, carrying a 1.19 ERA through his first four starts, before completely imploding. Across his next eight outings, the talented righty posted an ugly 8.93 ERA before being banished to minor-league purgatory.
There were also a few bright spots. Neto, easily the team’s most valuable player last year, took a meaningful step forward, posting 5.1 bWAR. He’s still just 24 years old and looks like a potential All-Star. Soriano made a successful transition to the rotation and is tracking as a reliable starter. Joyce, a flamethrowing closer, was utterly dominant and threw the second-hardest pitch in MLB history.
Meanwhile, the farm system has some compelling pieces. Dana is already a massive draft and development win. Selected in the 11th round out of a New Jersey high school and signed to a $1.5 million bonus, the sturdy righty with Noah Syndergaard’s hair should reach the bigs in 2025 and settle in as a rotation piece. Klassen, acquired in the Carlos Estevez deadline deal, has always thrown gas, but he took a big step forward command-wise before the trade (though his walk rate ballooned once he joined the Angels system). Odds are he’s a reliever, albeit an impact one. Moore is a divisive prospect who enjoyed one of the greatest college careers ever, shining as the face of an electrifying Tennesee Volunteers championship-winning club. He’s really strong, particularly for a middle infielder, but some evaluators have questions about the hit tool. We’re on the high end here and think Moore will become a good regular.
The Angels have a reputation for moving players through their system at warp speed, a strategy that initially seemed tied to the shrinking Ohtani timeline. Yet the Angels have continued that aggressive approach since the most talented player in MLB history peaced out, which is … interesting. Altogether, the path to contention remains hazy. The Angels’ scouting and development groups are embarrassingly underfunded and undersupported. Until that changes, it’s hard to see how the Halos salvage the Mike Trout era. — J.M.
22. Texas Rangers (total score: 13/30) | 2024 rank: 17
-
Young MLB hitters (6/10): OF Wyatt Langford, OF Evan Carter, OF Leody Taveras, UTL Ezequiel Duran
-
Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP Kumar Rocker
-
Prospect hitters (3/5): SS Sebastian Walcott, INF Justin Foscue, OF Dustin Harris
-
Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Alejandro Rosario, RHP Jack Leiter, RHP Emiliano Teodo, RHP Winston Santos
Langford, a popular Rookie of the Year pick, was horrendous to start the year in 2024. The linebacker-esque outfielder didn’t hit an over-the-fence-ball until July 17, 195 plate appearances into his MLB career. He seemed to turn a corner after that, thanks to some mechanical adjustments and additional big-league experience. Overall, it was a mixed bag debut season, but Langford is tracking like a future All-Star.
Carter, on the other hand, has seen his stock slide. He burst onto the scene as a 21-year-old during Texas’ 2023 World Series run after hardly playing in the bigs in the regular season. Then his first real season was awful; he struggled for the first two months of ’24 and then missed the last four due to a severe back issue. There’s reason for concern here — back injuries tend to linger — but he’s still only 22.
The pitchers on this list are compelling, with Rocker the likeliest to make the team out of camp. It has been an outrageously arduous road for the Vanderbilt product, who made his MLB debut last fall. The velocity has wavered quite a bit over the years, but Rocker’s stuff looked all the way back in 2024. He remains an injury risk, given his history, but we’re high on him.
Lastly, let’s talk about Walcott, who could be the consensus top prospect in baseball by this time next year. The Bahamian shortstop is still just 18 years old but projects to spend a big chunk of the upcoming season in Double-A. He has everything you look for in a franchise-altering shortstop prospect in the Carlos Correa-Fernando Tatis Jr.-Manny Machado mold. Sinewy and quick-twitch, Walcott needs to improve his swing decisions and prove he can tackle upper-minors pitching, but, boy, oh boy, is this an exciting player.
There’s not a ton of depth in this organization, but Texas boasts a handful of potentially elite players with Langford, Walcott and, if you’re on board, Rocker. — J.M.
21. Houston Astros (total score: 14/30) | 2024 rank: 27
-
Young MLB hitters (5/10): C Yainer Diaz, 3B Isaac Paredes
-
Young MLB pitchers (6/10): RHP Hunter Brown, RHP Spencer Arrighetti
-
Prospect hitters (2/5): 3B Cam Smith, OF Jacob Melton, SS Brice Matthews, INF Zach Dezenzo, INF Shay Whitcomb
-
Prospect pitchers (1/5): LHP Colton Gordon, RHP Ryan Gusto, RHP A.J. Blubaugh, RHP Miguel Ullola
With each passing year, the core of the Astros roster that has dominated the AL West for the better part of the past decade becomes less and less familiar. This past offseason brought perhaps the most dramatic changes yet, with the trades of Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly to the Cubs and the departure of Alex Bregman in free agency. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez remain as franchise anchors, but Houston’s ability to extend its window as a contender will be dependent on the growth and success of its young players.
Despite having a bottom-tier farm system for several years now, Houston has consistently produced enough reinforcements from within to support its veteran stars. That was especially on display last year on the mound, with the breakouts of Ronel Blanco and Arrighetti after injuries ravaged key members of the pitching staff. While Arrighetti likely profiles as a useful backend starter moving forward, Brown has started to come into his own as a legitimate mid-rotation force worthy of handing the ball to in October — and he still might be getting better. The Astros do not currently boast any high-end pitching prospects by traditional standards, but they have considerable depth at the upper levels in arms that appear capable of filling in if/when injuries strike again. Among that group, Blubaugh has the most upside.
Savvily acquired from Cleveland for Myles Straw when the catcher was still in A-ball, Diaz has emerged as one of the better offensive backstops in the American League. His ultra-aggressive approach could be exploited more as he ages, but Diaz might just have enough raw power and advanced contact skills to sustain his production even if he keeps swinging at roughly everything. More pertinent to his long-term value will be his development as a defender, which has been a mixed bag so far.
Entering his fourth full season and coming off his first All-Star appearance, the 26-year-old Paredes is one of the more experienced players in this entire project. He arrived in the Tucker trade as a seemingly ideal fit for the Astros’ home ballpark, which features the notoriously close Crawford Boxes in left field, as Paredes excels at pulling fly balls as much as nearly any hitter in the sport. As Bregman’s successor at the hot corner, there will be substantial pressure on Paredes to produce right away.
But as important as Paredes will be to the 2025 Astros, Smith, the other hitter in the return for Tucker, is a far more crucial piece in the bigger picture for Houston. Chicago’s first-round pick just last summer, Smith is a physical, right-handed hitter who could be a game-changing offensive force, albeit at a position to be determined. He’ll play third base for now but likely fits better as a corner outfielder. His bat could be special, though, and it could be in Houston by the end of 2025. Matthews (ultra-athletic shortstop with big strikeout issues) and Melton (low-OBP center fielder with power) were college stars who became early draft picks but have yet to translate their impressive physical tools into steady production in the upper minors. — J.S.
