Scouts Grade The 2026 Draft Class

Plus: 15 rising fantasy prospects, best college player in every state & more

February 11, 2026

MLB Scouts Grade The 2026 Draft Class

As part of Baseball America’s preseason All-America and best tools balloting, each year we ask scouting directors to grade the strength of the upcoming draft class based on the 20-80 scale across several key categories, such as overall talent, depth and hitting and pitching demographics. For 2026, we received feedback from 18 MLB clubs.

By all accounts, this year’s draft class is one of the best in years—something our scout feedback bears out. Check out the complete grades below, including intel on how 2026 could feature a historically great prep pitching class.

Want to go deeper on the 2026 class? Check out our updated Top 200 draft board, college rankings and high school rankings.

2026 FANTASY RANKS

15 Fantasy Prospects We’re Ranking Aggressively For 2026

In preparation for the update to our Top 500 dynasty prospect list published last week, we dug deep into advanced Statcast data, scouting notes and industry rankings. That final part is key, as it highlights how certain players are being valued and allows us to more deliberately target players we believe in and bet against those we’re suspicious of.

With that in mind, Geoff Pontes has put together his list of 15 fantasy prospects he’s higher on than the industry consensus—in some cases, a good bit higher—heading into the 2026 season.

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50 PLAYERS IN 50 STATES

Top College Players In Every State For 2026

As part of the lead up to the start of the new college baseball season on Friday, BA’s Jacob Rudner has completed one of our favorite exercises of the preseason—naming the best Division I college player in every state.

The exercise leans first on collegiate production and projected impact this spring, though in many cases a state’s premier draft prospect also rises to the top of its on-field hierarchy. From Player of the Year candidates and top draft prospects to lesser known players in smaller states, you can find all 50 names below.

Speaking of top draft names, we also recently published an in-depth look at the top 10 draft arms to know in the SEC for 2026.

BASEBALL CARD UPDATES

Topps Series 1, PSA Price Raises & More

Today marks another exciting date on the baseball card release calendar, as Topps Series 1 is officially available for purchase. This year’s set is particularly special, as Topps is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its first baseball cards by packing Series 1 with a ton of special cards, inserts and autographs. For collectors getting ready to make a purchase, here’s a rundown of recent hobby news to get caught up on:

Want even more baseball card content? Check out BA’s new homepage here.

TRENDING NOW AT BASEBALL AMERICA

👀 ICYMI: We highlighted prospects who just missed Top 30s for every team.

⚾️ Jacob Rudner continued his exhaustive college preview coverage.

🎙️ Here’s a rundown of the latest BA podcasts:

📖 Don’t forget to order your 2026 Prospect Handbook.

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