The new year is all about resolutions — and, yes, predictions!
Nobody knows what the future holds, but on the latest MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo do their best to try figuring it out. Callis and Mayo whip out their crystal balls to project which prospects will stand out a year from now in a slew of major categories.
As such, they make bold predictions about how the 2026 season will shake out.
Rookies of the Year
Callis: INF Kevin McGonigle (DET No. 1/MLB No. 2), SS J.J. Wetherholt (STL No. 1/MLB No. 5)
“In our November podcast, we picked Rookie of the Year [candidates] and we both picked Samuel Basallo, and now I think we’re both moving off from Basallo. I am going with Kevin McGonigle. It’s not just based on the Fall League. I just think his performance and the presence about him and the ability — he had as good a year as anybody in the Minor Leagues last year. I just think he’s going to force his way into that Tigers lineup. By May 1, I think he’s going to be a regular in that lineup and I think he’s going to rake.
“[In the NL], I think JJ Wetherholt is such a good hitter. It sounds like the Cardinals are looking to make room for him in their lineup. I really like his bat. He’s a very good offensive player with a track record of production in the Minors who should have an opportunity to get a lot of at-bats this year.”
Mayo: McGonigle, 3B Sal Stewart (CIN No. 1/MLB No. 31)
“I still think Basallo has the chance to put up big numbers. I am just a little concerned where they’re going to come from and how that’s going to work in terms of their first base/catching situation. McGonigle looked good at third base in the Fall League. That gives the Tigers three spots where they can play him on Opening Day. And it won’t surprise any of us if he plays so well in Spring Training that he makes the team.
“[In the NL], I thought about being a homer and taking Konnor Griffin, but I’m just not convinced he’ll be up for long enough. So I’ll take more of a sure thing offensively, and that’s Sal Stewart of the Reds. He’s going to hit and he’s going to be in the lineup every day.”
Pipeline Hitter of the Year
Callis: SS Jesús Made (MIL No. 1/MLB No. 4)
“I think he’ll spend most of the year at Double-A and Triple-A. When you’re that talented, ETAs don’t mean anything. You write your own ETA. This is a guy I think can hit .300 with 20 homers and 50 steals this year while playing a quality shortstop.”
Mayo: OF Edward Florentino (PIT No. 5/MLB No. 81)
“I decided to be a homer on this one. You want to make sure you’re picking someone who is going to be in the Minors for the vast majority of the season. Florentino is now in our Top 100 and has a huge up arrow next to his name. I can see him completely exploding and having a huge year, maybe making it to Double-A. I decided to pick the guy who has as much helium as anyone on our list.”
Pipeline Pitcher of the Year
Callis: RHP Seth Hernandez (PIT No. 3/MLB No. 27)
“It came down to two Draft guys — Kade Anderson with the Mariners or Seth Hernandez and the Pirates. I think Hernandez had the highest ceiling in last year’s Draft. The stuff is unbelievable. The control is advanced. I think he’s going to pitch around 100 innings and be pretty spectacular.”
Mayo: RHP Ryan Sloan (SEA No. 4/MLB No. 44)
“Sloan was Seattle’s second-round pick in 2024. He was quite good in his first full season, pitching in the hitter-friendly California League. What really stands out with him besides the size and the really good stuff is that he throws a ton of strikes. He had 90 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 82 innings of work. The gloves will probably come off a little this year too. I think he’s going to put up some monster numbers.”
No. 1 overall Draft pick
Callis: Roch Cholowsky (Draft No. 1), SS, UCLA
“This one is pretty easy. Cholowsky is probably more of a slam dunk as the top overall pick in a class since Adley Rutschman in 2019.”
Mayo: Cholowsky
“He had a huge year at UCLA last year. More expected this year. He checks off pretty much all of the boxes. This is about as easy a prediction to make at this point as there is.”
No. 1 prospect at the end of the year
Callis: Made
“This prediction is about looking at the top of the list and seeing who will be prospect-eligible at the end of the year. And I think Leo De Vries will be up in the big leagues with the Athletics.”
Mayo: Made
“The only reason Made wouldn’t be here is if the Brewers decide to Jackson Chourio him. But I don’t see that happening. I think we’ll be talking about Jesús Made a lot.”
No. 1 farm system at the end of the year
Callis: Brewers
“I’m looking for a team with a lot of talent but who won’t graduate a lot of it to the big leagues this year. I settled on the Brewers. I don’t think many of their top prospects, outside of maybe Logan Henderson, are going to graduate this year. And I think they have a lot of guys on the rise like Bishop Letson, Josh Adamczewski and Andrew Fischer.”
Mayo: Mariners
“Seattle currently has seven players in the Top 100 after trading Harry Ford. Colt Emerson probably graduates. So that leaves six. But I think the rest will probably still be in the Minors at season’s end. They aren’t as deep as the Brewers are. But I do have faith in their player development system to tease more out of guys to get there.”
Biggest riser among current Top 100 prospects
Callis: SS Josuar Gonzalez (SF No. 2/MLB No. 82) over LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (SD No. 2/MLB No. 95)
“A good demographic to choose from here is an international guy making the jump stateside. Josuar Gonzalez was the best amateur international prospect in last year’s class. He signed for $3 million. He has a long track record of performing. He has solid-to-plus tools across the board. He had a strong Dominican Summer League performance. He walked more than he struck out, flashed power, stole 33 bases and played good defense. He’s someone a lot of people think could really pop this year.”
Mayo: RHP Tyler Bremner (LAA No. 1/MLB No. 91)
“He was the No. 2 overall pick in the Draft. People really like him. The Angels saved a ton of money and that factored into the equation of why they took him. But they also really, really liked him. He could move really quickly.”
Breakout prospect of the year
Callis: SS Dax Kilby (NYY No. 7)
“The Yankees sent Kilby straight to the Florida State League out of the Draft, which is unusual for a high school player. Not to read too much into a small 18-game sample size but he hit .353, had more walks than strikeouts and stole 16 bases. He just turned 19 in November, so I don’t think they’re going to rush him. But I do think he has a chance to keep taking the Minors by storm and establish himself as one of the best young hitters in the Minors.”
Mayo: SS Daniel Pierce (TB No. 5)
“Pierce is one of these guys where the individual tools don’t jump out at you, but he does a lot of things well. I can see him having a very solid first full season.”
