Breakout MLB Prospect Candidates For Every American League Team In 2026

With the offseason here, Baseball America is busy diving deep into American League organizations to build out team-by-team prospect lists for the 2026 Prospect Handbook (preorder yours here) and beyond.

As part of the prospect ranking and report process, a number of up-and-coming players have stuck out as potential breakout candidates heading into next season. Each has showcased skills that could land them in the major leagues or send them climbing further up prospect lists.

Below, youâ€ll find one breakout candidate for each AL team to keep an eye on in 2026.

Athletics

Devin Taylor, OF

Drafted in the second round out of Indiana, Taylor had a nice pro debut, hitting .264/.388/.481 with six home runs in 28 games. As a collegiate player, Taylor showed advanced hitting ability over three seasons with Indiana by posting 54 home runs and drawing more walks than strikeouts.Â

The translation from Big Ten competition to the professional ranks posed some questions regarding Taylorâ€s hit tool. He ran a higher-than-average whiff rate in the zone but also showed advanced swing decisions with a chase rate of 16.7%. He avoided passivity, too, as evidenced by a higher zone-swing rate.Â

Taylor shows above-average game power with a combination of exit velocities on the encouraging side of average and lofty launch angles. He ran a barrel rate of 23.2% in his brief pro debut and flexed strong contact quality metrics. Thereâ€s perhaps some hit tool risk lingering, but Taylor should hit for power and get on base.

Baltimore Orioles

Michael Forret, RHP

The Orioles havenâ€t invested a ton of capital toward acquiring pitching in recent years. Despite this, the organization has a potentially-exciting core of pitching prospects brewing in its farm system. Led by Trey Gibson, Luis De Leon, Esteban Mejia and also Forret, the Orioles have a young cache of arms with varying looks and styles who have found early professional success.Â

Forret might be the least heralded of the bunch, but he could make a case for being the best starter among that group when itâ€s all said and done. Selected in the 14th round out of State JC of Florida in 2023, Forret has enjoyed quite a bit of professional success to date. He enters 2026 at 22 years old with upper-minors experience and a deep arsenal of pitches.Â

Forret mixes six different pitches in four-seam and two-seam fastballs, a slider, sweeper, changeup and splitter. He has an outlier ability to ride, sink, run, sweep, drop and fade the ball. He shows good plane on his fastball and release traits, too. Forret ran strong whiff rates against all of his secondaries and has multiple options for generating outs.

Forret will need to prove he can handle 100-plus innings in a season, but he certainly has a starterâ€s repertoire.

Boston Red Sox

Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP

Sometimes itâ€s the trades that slide under the radar that prove to be the most interesting a year later. The Red Sox traded Cam Booser to the White Sox just days before Christmas last year, receiving an 18-year-old righthander who had spent his season in the Dominican Complex League. A year later, that righthander is a Top 10 prospect in the Red Sox system.Â

Fajardo began his 2025 season in the Florida Complex League, making six appearances and allowing one earned run over 20.2 innings while striking out 24 to seven walks. He earned promotion to Low-A Salem on June 17, and in 13 starts there pitched to a 2.98 ERA over 51.1 innings while striking out 59 and holding opposing batters to a .229 average.

Fajardo employs a three-pitch mix led by a mid-80s gyro slider, a mid-90s four-seam fastball and an upper-80s changeup. He throws his slider more than any other pitch, and it drove great results in 2025 with a whiff rate of just under 50%. Fajardoâ€s fastball has good velocity, but it’s short on bat-missing qualities due to a lack of ride or deceptive release characteristics. Fajardoâ€s changeup is fairly firm but does have good vertical separation off his fastball.Â

Chicago White Sox

Tanner McDougal, RHP

Entering the 2025 season, many viewed the White Sox system as one of the deepest in the game. They boasted a cache of talent following the Garrett Crochet trade, as well as homegrown Top 100 Prospects on the mound in Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith. While Schultz and Smith had inconsistent 2025 performances, McDougal emerged as one of the most promising players in Chicago’s system.Â

After being selected in the fifth round of 2021, McDougalâ€s professional career got off to a rocky start, as the righthander had Tommy John surgery in October of that year. He spent parts of two seasons following his return with Low-A Kannapolis. After a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem in the second half of 2024, McDougal really struggled and saw his ERA blow up to 6.85.Â

In 2025, things finally came together, as McDougal experienced success for the first time in his career. He pitched to a 3.26 ERA across 28 starts, splitting his season between High-A and Double-A. He set a career high in innings (113.1) and showed he could hold his stuff over a full season.Â

McDougal boasts real stuff across a four-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. He sits 97-98 mph on his four-seam fastball, touching 100.5 mph and showing a moderate combination of ride and armside run. His primary secondary is an upper-70s two-plane curveball with depth and spin rates in the 3000 rpm range that he used to drive whiffs at an elite rate in 2025. His upper-80s gyro slider is also an excellent bat-missing pitch and is used nearly as much as his curveball. McDougalâ€s changeup is a firm upper-80s offering that was used sparingly this season.Â

Thanks to a starter’s pitch mix backed by outlier power, McDougal could catapult up lists next season.

Cleveland Guardians

Braylon Doughty, RHP

Drafted by the Guardians in the supplemental first round in 2024, Doughty is one of the brightest young stars in the lower minors. Armed with advanced command of his five-pitch mix, Doughty enjoyed a strong debut season with Low-A Lynchburg, making 22 starts and pitching to a 3.48 ERA while striking out 99 batters to 23 walks over 85.1 innings. He boasted the best strikeout-to-walk rate of any pitcher who saw 80 or more innings in the Carolina League this year.Â

Even more encouraging is that Doughty could continue to add velocity across his mix as he gets stronger, unlocking another gear. At the moment, he mixes five pitches, but a majority of his usage is split between his four-seam fastball and a mid-80s, high-spin curveball with two-plane break. Heâ€ll also show a sinker, changeup and cutter, but none of those pitches were thrown at a high rate this season.Â

Doughtyâ€s fastball sits 92-94 mph with above-average ride and moderate armside run, but his signature pitch is his curveball. He used it to drive the highest whiff rates in his arsenal while showing the ability to land the pitch in the zone for called strikes.

Doughtyâ€s combination of command and outlier feel for spin gives him beefed up pitchability and the potential for long-term success as a starter.

Detroit Tigers

Malachi Witherspoon, RHP

While less famous than his twin brother and Red Sox first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon, Malachi is an intriguing prospect in his own right. Drafted by the Tigers in the 2025 second round, he signed for just under $1.5 million. He spent two college seasons at Oklahoma, moving from the bullpen to the rotation in 2025. Witherspoon made 15 starts with the Sooners, pitching to an ugly 5.09 ERA but showing swing-and-miss stuff while striking out 25.8% of batters.

Witherspoon shows the stuff to succeed in a variety of roles as a professional. He mixes five pitches in a two-seam fastball, slider, curveball, cutter and changeup. His fastball sits 95-97 mph, touches 100 at peak and displays true sink with heavy armside run. His primary breaking ball is an upper-80s gyro cutter, while his low-80s curveball is a two-plane breaking ball with good depth. His cutter and changeup show interesting traits, but neither was thrown much at Oklahoma.Â

Overall, Witherspoon boasts a deep arsenal with interesting pitch shapes and power. Itâ€s a pitch mix that could succeed out of the bullpen, but starting is not out of the realm of possibility.

Houston Astros

Ethan Frey, OF

In Frey, the Astros believe they might have landed one of the best values in the 2025 draft. Houston selected the former standout LSU outfielder in the third round this past July, signing him for just under $1 million. Almost immediately upon signing, Frey began to impress. Over 26 games with Low-A Fayetteville, he hit .330/.434/.470 with three home runs and a 16.4% walk rate.Â

While the Low-A production was good, the under-the-hood metrics were even more impressive. Frey made lots of contact, running an 80.2% contact rate and an 84.6% zone-contact rate. He rarely expanded the zone (19.2% chase rate) while staying moderately aggressive in the strike zone. Where Frey really separated himself was with his plus exit velocities, as his 90th percentile EV during his brief professional sample was an elite 108.3 mph. His launch angles are fairly flat, but added lift in the coming years could lead to a power breakout as Frey combines plus-plus raw power with the contact needed to get to it.Â

Frey will likely begin the 2026 season in the friendly confines of High-A Ashevilleâ€s McCormick Field. There, he projects to put up the eye-popping numbers that could make a first-half promotion to Double-A possible.

Kansas City Royals

Josh Hammond, SS

A talented two-way player as an amateur, Hammond had the skills to be drafted as a pitcher or position player within the first three rounds this past July. After late-spring buzz, Hammond started to be viewed more and more as a position player. Thatâ€s come to fruition as the Royals selected Hammond 28th overall with a pick earned via the Prospect Promotion Incentive program.Â

Hammond combines average feel to hit with above-average game power and the ability to stick on the left side of the infield with a plus arm. He was up to 99 mph as a pitcher and shows real athleticism and rotational explosiveness. We have no official pro sample to speak of with Hammond—he did impress in the bridge league—but his loud tools and potential upside make him a name to know for Royals fans heading into 2026.

Los Angeles Angels

Gabriel Davalillo, C

The younger brother of Rangers pitching prospect David Davalillo, Gabriel is a bat-first prospect who took the Dominican Summer League by storm this season by hitting .302/.408/.518 with seven home runs and walking more than he struck out. Davalillo is large physically, leading to questions about his ability to stick behind the plate long term.Â

Despite the defense and body concerns, itâ€s hard to knock what Davalillo showed at the plate in 2025. He posted impressive exit velocity data while running a minuscule 9.8% zone-whiff rate. Davalillo shows some passivity at the plate along with flatter angles, but his .391 xwOBA was right in line with his season number of .398.Â

Davalillo is a flawed, yet interesting prospect with advanced hitting skills but lingering questions regarding his long-term defensive home.

Minnesota Twins

Charlee Soto, RHP

Injuries likely robbed Soto of a breakout season in 2025. He only lasted three starts with High-A Cedar Rapids before going down with an elbow injury, and he wound up having surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow.Â

Prior to the injury, Soto had shown improved stuff across his pitch mix, with his upgraded fastball shape of particular note. Before the injury, he sat 96-98 mph on his four-seam fastball, touching 100 and showing above-average ride, armside run and plane of approach. Though he was limited to just an 86-pitch sample, the improvements to his primary fastball could pay dividends in the future.Â

Soto, if fully healthy this season, could skyrocket up lists to make up for the 2025 breakout that never was.

New York Yankees

Dillon Lewis, OF

A 13th-round pick out of Queens University in 2024, Lewis could one day prove to be the best player to have ever stepped foot on campus. After a brief debut with Low-A Tampa following the draft, Lewis headed back to the level to begin his 2025 season. He hit .250/.323/.477 across 46 games before earning promotion to High-A Hudson Valley, where he hit .228/.320/.426 over 76 games.Â

Lewis shows plus raw power and fringe-average plate skills. His 107.7 mph 90th percentile exit velocity this season is a noteworthy number showing he possesses plus raw power. He shows a knack for finding the barrel at good angles, as well, running a high air-pull% and a higher barrel rate.Â

Whether or not Lewis†plate skills hold up in the upper minors is questionable, but his combination of plus raw power and good angles make him worth following in the coming seasons.

Seattle Mariners

Luke Stevenson, C

Though he was of the best defensive catchers in the 2025 draft class, there were major questions about Stevensonâ€s ability to hit heading into draft day. Post-draft, Stevenson worked hard to answer those questions, hitting .280/.460/.400 over 22 games with Low-A Modesto.Â

While strong production is expected of Power Four college hitters against Low-A competition, Stevensonâ€s underlying data gives reasons for optimism. His 15.1% zone-whiff rate is excellent, and he also showed a patient but not passive approach at the plate. He displayed at least average raw power with a 104.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and an impressive air-pull%.Â

With advanced defensive abilities, Stevenson could prove in 2026 that his early professional hitting production was no fluke. If so, he should waltz into the Top 100 Prospects list by the end of next season.Â

Tampa Bay Rays

Nathan Flewelling, C

One of the best young catchers in the lower minors, Flewelling has managed to slide under the radar despite a very strong professional debut in 2025. He spent the majority of his season with Low-A Charleston, hitting .229/.393/.336 for a line 24% better than his peer average in the Carolina League.

While Flewelling didnâ€t put up gaudy numbers this season, he still boasts a host of strong underlying traits. He shows impressive exit velocity data despite hitting only six homers, including a noteworthy 90th percentile EV of 105.1 mph that was a plus mark for both his age and level. And while thereâ€s some swing-and-miss in Flewellingâ€s game, his advanced swing decisions and on-base skills mitigate some of his strikeout risk, while leaving him selective on which pitches he attacks.

The Carolina League run environments are tricky (just ask Roman Anthony), so not much can be taken away from the less-than-stellar slashlines produced at the level. As such, Flewelling should look like a strong breakout candidate in 2026 with a move to High-A Bowling Green.

Texas Rangers

Caden Scarborough, RHP

Over the last year, weâ€ve written extensively about Scarborough and his bubbling breakout (see here, here and here). The righthander cleaned up his mechanics entering 2025 and now employs a buttery-smooth and repeatable operation. Scarborough made 19 appearances (18 starts) with Low-A Hickory, striking out 32.3% of batters faced while allowing free passes just 4.1% of the time. He earned a late-season promotion to High-A Spartanburg, making three starts and showing his usual swing-and-miss ability with advanced command.Â

Under the hood, Scarborough boasts excellent stuff across his three-pitch mix, which features a four-seam fastball, sweeper and changeup. The four-seamer sits 93-96 mph, touching 97 and showing a flat vertical approach angle due to 6-foot-8 extension that drops his release height to an outlier 5 feet. This creates excellent plane on his fastball, leading to above-average whiff rates. His sweeper is an outlier offering, as well. A nasty bat-missing pitch, it sits 81-83 mph with an average of 16 inches of horizontal movement. While the changeup lags behind Scarboroughâ€s other two pitches, it shows some unique traits with splitter-like shape.Â

Scarborough is still years away from impact, but his 2025 season hinted at big potential upside.

Toronto Blue JaysÂ

Jake Cook, OF

Cook is a very unusual prospect. Recruited as a two-way player to Southern Mississippi, he barely played or pitched over his first two seasons, as he redshirted as a freshman and mostly worked as a defensive replacement as a sophomore. Cook dropped pitching entering his junior season and subsequently enjoyed a breakout offensive campaign, hitting .350/.436/.468 with three home runs.Â

Cook was one of the hardest players to strike out in Division 1 college ball in 2025, thanks in part to an inside-out swing designed to pepper line drives to the opposite field. Heâ€s a plus defender in center field with a plus arm, and he shows true 80-grade speed, clocking consistent sub-3.9 home-to-first times. Whatâ€s unusual about that is that Cook, to this point in his career, is a below-average basestealer. Whether this changes or not is up for some debate, but heâ€s arguably the most tooled-up player in the Blue Jays’ system and tests as a top-of-the-scale athlete.Â

If Cook can add some loft and power while also improving as a baserunner, he could develop into a Jarren Duran-type hitter with better defense in the outfield. Itâ€s a risky profile, but Cook shows supreme upside.

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