MLB 26-and-under power rankings, Nos. 5-1: All-Stars and loaded farm systems drive the top 5, with the Red Sox at No. 1

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 1-2 years; scored 0-5

• Prospect pitchers: prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 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. So far, we’ve covered Nos. 30-26, Nos. 25-21, Nos. 20-16, Nos. 15-11 and Nos. 10-6.

We have finally arrived at the top of our rankings with teams Nos. 5-1.

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More rankings: Nos. 30-26, starting with the Phillies | Nos. 25-21: Young cores on the rise | Nos. 20-16, starring Bobby Witt Jr. | Nos. 15-11: Young superstars powering contenders | Nos. 10-6: Paul Skenes, Jackson Chourio lifting their teams

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (total score: 18/30) | 2024 rank: 7

• Young MLB hitters (2/10): OF Andy Pages, 2B Hye-seong Kim

• Young MLB pitchers (10/10): RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP Roki Sasaki, RHP Brusdar Graterol, RHP Bobby Miller, RHP River Ryan, RHP Gavin Stone

• Prospect hitters (4/5): C Dalton Rushing, SS Alex Freeland, OF Zyhir Hope, OF Josue De Paula

• Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Ben Casparius, LHP Justin Wrobleski, RHP Edgardo Henriquez, LHP Jack Dreyer, LHP Jackson Ferris

Finally, something seems to be going right for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Remember, this organization is the envy of baseball not only because it has seemingly limitless money to spend but also because its player development apparatus churns out impact talent at a stunning rate. That track record is even more impressive when you consider that the Dodgers are always drafting toward the end of the first round and typically have one of the smallest draft and international bonus pools.

Their stable of young big-league arms isn’t really a reflection of that dynamic, however, as both Yamamoto and Sasaki were signed directly out of pro ball in Japan. The former had an injury-pocked debut season but justified his record-breaking contract with a series of strong October showings. If he can stay healthy, Yamamoto could definitely be in the Cy Young mix. Sasaki, the non-Soto talk of the offseason, is a bit more of a work in progress. The raw stuff is remarkable, but he’s far from a finished product. Still, he’s the consensus top prospect in the game because the stats in Japan and the arm talent are so overwhelming.

The Dodgers were able to overcome an avalanche of pitching injuries last season in part because of homegrown players such as Stone and Casparius. Miller is a complicated character; he was so sensational down the stretch in 2023 that he started Game 2 of L.A.’s wild-card series against Arizona. But he took a massive slide backward in ‘24, finishing the year with a mind-boggling 8.52 ERA across 13 big-league starts. Getting him back on track isn’t a must for the stacked Dodgers, but it wouldn’t hurt.

Offensively, the Dodgers don’t have too much young talent at the big-league level but boast an embarrassment of riches on the farm. Rushing looks like a solid defensive catcher with a special bat, but he might not get a chance in 2025 because of the eternal, immortal, impenetrable force that is Austin Barnes. Rushing could be the starting catcher on more than half the big-league clubs right now. And Freeland is a favorite of ours. The 2022 third-rounder broke out in 2024, showcasing a much more powerful stroke along the way. The Dodgers don’t have a real shortstop at the big-league level, and Freeland looks like the long-term solution. Neither Hope nor De Paula will reach the bigs this year, but both are physical athletes overflowing with ability who just need to prove they can keep performing against upper-level pitching in the minors. — J.M.

4. Cincinnati Reds (total score: 19/30) | 2024 rank: 6

• Young MLB hitters (8/10): SS Elly De La Cruz, 2B Matt McLain, 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B Noelvi Marte

• Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Hunter Greene, LHP Andrew Abbott

• Prospect hitters (2/5): SS Edwin Arroyo, INF Sal Stewart, INF Tyler Callihan, OF Hector Rodriguez, OF Rece Hinds, OF Blake Dunn

• Prospect pitchers (4/5): RHP Rhett Lowder, RHP Chase Burns, RHP Chase Petty, RHP Zach Maxwell, RHP Luis Mey

The degree to which De La Cruz improved from Year 1 to Year 2 should terrify opponents. After his unfathomable physical abilities were on display in spurts as a rookie, De La Cruz began to translate his tools into star-level production as a sophomore. As a 6-foot-5, switch-hitting shortstop with blinding speed, light-tower power and a rocket for a right arm, De La Cruz is a create-a-player come to life, with the personality to match. Last season, he smacked 71 extra-base hits, led MLB in steals with 67 and rated as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. And to think: He can still clearly get so much better. If De La Cruz can become a more efficient base-stealer and cut down on some swing-and-miss — he led MLB in both caught stealings and strikeouts in 2024 — there’s no telling how high his ceiling might be. The Reds are lucky to have him.

Rejoining De La Cruz in the middle infield this year will be McLain, who was Cincinnati’s best player as a rookie in 2023 and will now look to recapture his star potential after missing all of last season due to shoulder surgery. While the nine-inch height difference makes McLain and De La Cruz an aesthetic odd couple of sorts, they could soon establish themselves as one of the best double-play combos in MLB — one that could be the foundation for the Reds to build their roster around for years to come.

Further fueling Cincinnati’s sterling spot in our rankings is a strong crop of 26-and under arms, led by Greene. As one of the more hyped pitching prospects of the 21st century, it took a while for Greene to convert his exceptional velocity and standout slider into consistent run prevention at the highest level. But the right-hander put it all together in 2024, making his first All-Star Game and yielding a .179 batting average against that was the lowest among hurlers with at least 150 innings pitched. There might still be another level for Greene to reach if he can master a third pitch and/or walk fewer batters, but he’s quite good as is and the kind of starting pitcher plenty of teams would love to have.

The Reds spent their past two first-round picks on right-handers from Wake Forest with eye-popping college statlines: Lowder and Burns. Lowder raced to the big leagues and demonstrated an advanced feel for pitching in his debut stint down the stretch. His success is more likely to be rooted in finesse than power, whereas Burns, who has yet to throw a professional pitch, brings a high-octane arsenal with big strikeout potential. Petty has taken a different developmental path as a first-round pick out of high school, but he’s roughly the same age as the Demon Deacon duo and has already reached Triple-A, thanks to high-velocity sinker and sharp slider. He now looks like a future rotation candidate after skepticism earlier in his career forecasted him as a reliever. Speaking of relievers, Maxwell and Mey each routinely touch triple-digits with their heaters and are looking to rein in their command enough to become impact bullpen arms. — J.S.

3. Seattle Mariners (total score: 20/30) | 2024 rank: 3

• Young MLB hitters (7/10): OF Julio Rodriguez, 2B Ryan Bliss

• Young MLB pitchers (9/10): RHP Bryce Miller, RHP Bryan Woo, RHP Andres Muñoz, RHP Gregory Santos, RHP Emerson Hancock, RHP Troy Taylor

• Prospect hitters (3/5): 2B Cole Young, C Harry Ford, 1B Tyler Locklear, OF Lazaro Montes, 3B Ben Williamson, SS Colt Emerson, 2B Michael Arroyo

• Prospect pitchers (1/5): RHP Logan Evans, LHP Brandyn Garcia, BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje

Seattle maintains its No. 3 spot thanks to steps forward from two talented, young right-handers in Miller and Woo and the continued monumental presence of Rodriguez as the face of the franchise in center field. Impact arms George Kirby and Matt Brash have graduated from this project, but the Mariners still received a near-perfect score in the young MLB pitching category. After beginning the 2024 season as the No. 4 and No. 5 starters behind veteran ace Luis Castillo and homegrown stars Kirby and Logan Gilbert, Miller and Woo finished the year with the lowest ERAs of the bunch, at 2.94 and 2.89, respectively.

Most encouraging for Miller was the 31-start, 180-inning workload he amassed with no interruptions, and like his rotation mates, he just keeps adding more pitches to his already deep arsenal. Woo’s durability remains something of a yellow flag, but his strike-throwing has remarkably ascended to Kirby levels, and his two fastballs — 72% of Woo’s pitches in 2024 were four-seamers or sinkers — are both exceptional offerings. As good as they’ve already been, there’s still another gear for these hurlers to reach if they can find a way to coax more whiffs.

The 26-year-old Muñoz also supports Seattle’s stellar young MLB pitching grade as one of the nastiest relievers in the American League. We’ve seen plenty of Muñoz since his debut at age 20 way back in 2019, but he just keeps on keeping on, overwhelming opponents with a balanced diet of triple-digit heaters and wicked sliders. Santos is a significant wild-card among this group, a trade acquisition from a year ago who was limited by injury to eight appearances in 2024. But he showed closer-caliber stuff in 2023 with Chicago and could pair with Muñoz as a devastating end-of-game duo if he can get right.

Rodriguez, who only just turned 24 in December, remains the most important player in this organization as he enters his fourth major-league season. Similar to 2023, it was another brutally cold start at the plate for J-Rod in 2024, only partially redeemed by a strong second half that buoyed his final statline. While his speed and terrific defense in center field ensure a wonderful baseline for his overall value, Rodriguez has yet to put together a complete campaign offensively, due to an aggressive approach that has too often been exploited by opposing pitchers. That said, Rodriguez remains one of the few players on the planet whom you can look at with a straight face and say, “yeah, he can win MVP,” so it’s probably best to be patient with the ups and downs at what is still an early stage in his career. Julio’s best season is almost certainly still in front of him.

Based on this organization’s track record developing arms, we might be underselling its prospect pitchers to some degree. Garcia and Evans, Seattle’s 11th- and 12th-round picks in 2023, respectively, have emerged in pro ball in a shocking way after wholly unremarkable collegiate careers. The Mariners are considering fast-tracking Garcia to the big leagues in a bullpen role, while Evans projects as more of a workhorse starter. Cijntje, last year’s first-round pick, is one of the more fascinating pitching prospects in baseball for one very obvious reason: He can pitch with both hands. Will Seattle let Cijntje keep cooking from both sides or have him focus on his superior side to maximize his potential as a righty? Either way, he’s a must-monitor in 2025.

Seattle’s more famous prospects are found on the position-player side, though the highest upside names are more likely to be relevant in 2026 and beyond (Emerson, Jonny Farmelo, Tai Peete). Closest to the majors are Young and Ford, who should both start 2025 in Triple-A. Young could stick at shortstop but profiles best as a bat-first second baseman who might be Seattle’s best option at the keystone sooner rather than later. Ford is an ultra-athletic backstop with power who might need to expand his defensive horizons if he wants to be a factor in Seattle, where Cal Raleigh is entrenched at catcher. Locklear and Bliss have reached the majors, but both still have rookie eligibility and are looking to prove themselves as roster-worthy options in 2025, if even in part-time roles. Arroyo and Montes were two of the most productive teenage hitters in MiLB in 2024; the hitter-unfriendly confines of Double-A Arkansas await them in 2025, and each must continue to improve defensively to fortify his top prospect status. — J.S.

2. Baltimore Orioles (total score: 20/30) | 2024 rank: 1

• Young MLB hitters (10/10): SS Gunnar Henderson, 3B Jordan Westburg, OF Colton Cowser, 2B Jackson Holliday, OF Heston Kjerstad, OF Dylan Carlson

• Young MLB pitchers (4/10): RHP Grayson Rodriguez, LHP Cade Povich, RHP Roansy Contreras

• Prospect hitters (5/5): C Samuel Basallo, 3B Coby Mayo, OF Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF Dylan Beavers, OF Jud Fabian

• Prospect pitchers (1/5): RHP Chayce McDermott, RHP Brandon Young, RHP Alex Pham, RHP Patrick Reilly

This Orioles group is a perfect example of why we started doing these 26-and-under rankings. Evaluators generally agree that Baltimore’s farm system, a consensus top-five system over the past few years, has slid down into the 10-15 range. But that’s almost entirely due to big-league graduations. The collection of young talent in this organization is still undeniably elite.

Henderson took the full leap last season, hitting 37 homers, stealing 21 bags and playing above-average defense on the way to a 9.1-bWAR season. He finished fourth in AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto, but in many other years, the Baltimore shortstop might have won the award. Still just 24, Henderson has already fulfilled the promise he showed as a top prospect. He’s one of the best players in the game and is under team control for four more seasons.

Cowser finished second in AL Rookie of the Year, cranking 24 bombs and solidifying himself as Baltimore’s left fielder of the future. Westburg, the most underrated player in this group, made the All-Star team in his first full season and looks set to man the hot corner at Camden Yards for the next half-decade.

It was a rocky debut season for Holliday, widely considered the top prospect in baseball heading into last season. He arrived in the bigs in early April, went 2-for-34 and got sent back to Triple-A. The 20-year-old was somewhat better upon his return, but he struck out at a concerning rate and generally underwhelmed as a second base defender. Not every youngster sets the world ablaze right away, and Holliday is still a phenomenal talent with a bright future. But Year 1 definitely took some of the shine off, just because of how overwhelmed he looked at the plate.

This is a big year upcoming for Rodriguez, as the broad-shouldered Texan has been tasked with replacing departed ace Corbin Burnes. There’s no denying the arm talent here, but G-Rod was essentially league average across 20 starts in 2024 and then missed the last two months due to a lat strain. Taking the next step will be a lot about limiting hard contact on his four-seamer.

Basallo is the crown jewel of this farm system right now. The 20-year-old is an absolutely massive human being with light-tower, top-of-the-charts juice that could eventually lead to 45 homers a season if he dials in the other parts of his offensive game. As a 19-year-old, the Dominican backstop torched Double-A while nearly five years younger than the average player. He’s still a flawed defender — evaluators point to ball blocking and receiving as his current bugaboos — and it’ll be fascinating to see whether the O’s give him the time to develop defensively or opt to push him to the bigs to make the most of his bat.

The Orioles’ competitive window is wide open, thanks to the steady flow of homegrown hitters matriculating to the big leagues. It’s a pipeline that shows no signs of slowing, with Basallo, Mayo and Bradfield all in play to impact the big-league club this year. Whether the Birds can make significant developmental strides on the pitching side and guide some of their well-performing minor-league arms to big-league success will be an interesting thing to follow. — J.M.

1. Boston Red Sox (total score: 20/30) | 2024 rank: 12

• Young MLB hitters (6/10): 1B Triston Casas, OF Wilyer Abreu, OF Ceddanne Rafaela, C Carlos Narvaez, 2B Vaughn Grissom

• Young MLB pitchers (8/10): LHP Garrett Crochet, RHP Brayan Bello, RHP Quinn Priester

• Prospect hitters (5/5): OF Roman Anthony, INF/OF Kristian Campbell, SS Marcelo Mayer, OF Jhostynxon Garcia

• Prospect pitchers (1/5): RHP Richard Fitts, RHP David Sandlin, RHP Hunter Dobbins, LHP Connelly Early, RHP Luis Guerrero

In these rankings, we tend to value current big-league talent over prospects. Dreams are dreams; production is real. But Boston’s trio of hitting prospects, none of whom has gotten any MLB time, is special enough to flip that script. Anthony, Campbell and Mayer have gotten all that buzz for a reason.

Anthony was the consensus No. 1 minor-league prospect in the game this winter, ranked behind only incoming Japanese flame-thrower Roki Sasaki on most lists. All he has done since joining the Sox system as a second-rounder in 2022 is hit, hit and hit some more. It’s a profile built on elite bat speed and sensational in-box athleticism. He seems like more of a perennial All-Star slugger type than a true MVP candidate, but Anthony seems primed to hit in the middle of Boston’s lineup for the next decade.

Campbell is a fascinating story. He hit just four homers at Georgia Tech, but his power took a massive leap in 2024. It’s a wonky swing that you’d never teach a Little Leaguer — it’s a bit Yuli Gurriel-ish to me — but it works. Where Campbell slots in defensively is unclear; he’s not skilled with the glove at second or in the outfield. Still, this is a potential difference-maker. We’re a bit lower on Mayer than the industry, mostly because he has suffered various injuries the past three years. The 2021 fourth overall pick is a solid, though not Gold Glove-level, defender at short and boasts rare power for the position.

While those three are getting much of the spring training hype, Boston’s group of big-league youngsters ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Casas had an injury-riddled 2024, but the 25-year-old first baseman rakes when healthy. Abreu was a phenomenal surprise, winning a Gold Glove in right field and finishing sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. He’s a nonfactor against left-handed pitching but absolutely clobbered righties. Rafaela, still just 24, was a pretty blah hitter across 571 plate appearances last year, but he’s still young, talented and defensively versatile. He just might be a good utility piece instead of an impact starter. Grissom, whom Boston acquired for NL Cy Young Chris Sale, had an empty year beset by injuries, but he’s also still only 24.

All that said, it was the offseason acquisition of Crochet that likely pushed the Sox to the top of this list. The 26-year-old southpaw emerged as one of the league’s top strikeout artists last season, punching out a whopping 209 hitters in 146 frames. Expect his innings count to increase this year as he gets further from Tommy John surgery. If he can replicate his breakout 2024 with more bulk, Crochet should finish in the Cy Young conversation. — J.M.