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Rule 5 Draft Preview & First-Round Whiffs
Plus: Giants top 10, 40-man rosters, Japan scouting reports & more
Rule 5 Draft Preview 1.0: Top Names To Know
Baseball America’s initial preview of the 2025 Rule 5 draft is here.
Our 1.0 list features 13 names who immediately jumped out following the 40-man roster protection deadline on Tuesday night. It’s the first installment of what will be a lengthy work in progress, so stay tuned as we continue to add players in future updates ahead of the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 10.
More Rule 5 Draft Coverage
➡️ A rundown of every first-rounder left unprotected.
➡️ Team-by-team 40-man roster deadline analysis featuring in-depth breakdowns for every player added last night.
➡️ A deep dive into the traits and players teams historically target in the Rule 5 draft.
2026 TOP 10s
Top 10 Giants Prospects For 2026
We’re continuing our rollout of Top 10 prospect lists for 2026 with a look at the San Francisco Giants.
The top of the Giants system is headlined by Bryce Eldridge, a fast-moving slugger who might need a little more seasoning before he’s ready to take over as a cornerstone player in the middle of San Francisco’s lineup.
For the complete Giants rollout, be sure to also check out:
Stay tuned each day this week as we continue prospect drops for the rest of the NL West.
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NPB SCOUTING REPORTS
Scouting Reports For Tatsuya Imai, Munetaka Murakami & Kazuma Okamoto
Entering 2026, the Japanese free agent trio of third basemen Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto and righthanded pitcher Tatsuya Imai presents a unique opportunity for MLB teams to sign long-term deals with established NPB stars who profile as above-average regulars. This is arguably as much talent as has come over from Japan in a single class, even if greater individual talents have been posted previously.
With that in mind, Geoff Pontes presents updated scouting reports as MLB teams get set to place their bids during the 45-day posting period for each player.
2026 FANTASY RANKINGS
Top 40 First Baseman Dynasty Rankings
Geoff Pontes and Dylan White continue their series of dynasty positional previews with an in-depth ranking of the top 40 available first basemen for 2026.
Our 1B rankings are topped by the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz, who burst onto the scene this year with a four-homer game and one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory.
Want even more fantasy baseball coverage? Be sure to bookmark our 2026 home page for all of Baseball America’s latest rankings, data analysis and lots more.
OFFSEASON SCOUTING 101
Scouting Gio Rojas: Top Prep Arm Drafted?
BA draft expert Carlos Collazo continues his offseason scouting series with a deep dive into the profile of Florida high school lefthander Gio Rojas.
Ranked as our top prep pitcher for 2026, Rojas posted a 0.72 ERA over 68 innings in 2025, totaling 120 strikeouts to just 16 walks. Armed with an ideal frame and impressive high school pedigree, will it be enough to see him come off the board as the top-drafted prep pitcher come July?
Check out Carlos’ full report for breakdowns of Rojas’ pitch mix, physical traits and more.
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TRENDING NOW AT BASEBALL AMERICA
🔟 ICYMI: Our Diamondbacks top 10 and best tools published on Tuesday.
💪 Jacob Rudner profiled 10 top college pitchers with standout data.
⚾️ The Orioles traded Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for Taylor Ward.
📖 Don’t forget to preorder your book bundle featuring the 2026 Prospect Handbook.
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