2 The Bigs

By Sal Corso: March 21st, 2026:

These kids all had one heck of a spring showing. However, I want to clarify the exact criteria for a prospect to be eligible for this list. These are not prospects that impressed that I was already in on (think Basallo, DeLauter, Benge, Arroyo, etc). On the other hand, it does not mean if a player made this list that I didn’t value that prospect. What this list means is that I bought into either an increased floor or ceiling for the long run, based on their spring performance. So let’s jump right in…

Tommy White (ATH)

.441/.459/.853 4 HR 15 RBI (37 PA)

I ranked Tommy 8^th on my 2026 Top Corner Infield prospects list this winter. I also called out White in my AFL preview, and he did not disappoint. I said that outside of Max Muncy, there was nearly zero competition for that 3^rd base job on the Athletics. The low-K, high-power profile prospect did just that this spring. Tommy earned that spot, and is a great sleeper add for you fantasy managers (especially those in category leagues).

Kyle Karros (COL)

417/.462/.667 (39 PA)

I was already bought into Karros as a high-floor, low-ceiling every-day hitter at the pro-level. Now, I believe he raised that ceiling. While he may never be a 25-30 HR bat, he’s got the potential to be a .290-15-10 type of consistent bat in the middle of a lineup. The Rockies have to figure out the pitching staff, but this is a lineup that will put up plenty of runs out west. @Baseballunstitched did a nice comparison of his batting stance year-over-year, looks like the increased bat speed has added to his power potential.

I want to highlight some swing changes from Kyle Karros that I think are leading to a dominant ST and potentially him locking up the 3B spot on Opening Day

1.) He is starting with a more open stance, standing taller, and holding his hands higher
2.) An added leg kick, which has… pic.twitter.com/k441XU5X4m

— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) March 9, 2026

Jesus Rodriguez (SFG)

.351/.415/.622 2 HR 6 RBI (41 PA)

“Who is this?”

I received that comment nearly a dozen times when I posted that Jesus made my 2026 Top Catcher prospect list this winter. Another Yankees catcher that was shipped off at the trade deadline. The Giant had a career .309 average in 400+ games coming into the spring. A flat-out on-base machine. And he added a little pop this spring. Patrick Bailey is an elite defensive catcher, possibly the best in the league. But the Giants need to hit in order to contend in the loaded NL West. Jesus should come up and get plenty of at-bats in 2026 at both catcher and DH.

Charlie Condon

.385/.457/.718 3 HR 9 RBI (46 PA)

I was not a fan of Charlie going into 2025. High-k rate frequently injured 1^st baseman who I believed was mostly hype. That changed quickly, and ever since he has grown on me. I felt good about his momentum going into spring training, but he exceeded even my lofty expectations for him in March. More important than the lengthy home runs and +.700 SLG, he only struck out nine times across nearly 50 plate appearances (a 26% K-rate for his career, so far) . He’ll spend some time in the minors improving his (much needed) defensive skillset, but he sped up his debut timeline this spring.

Carlos Lagrange (NYY) /Hagen Smith (CHW)

This is a two-for-one. You may ask, “what do these two have in common?”. Personally, I was a much bigger fan of their respective organization’s top prospect counterparts; Noah Schultz (CHW) and Elmer Rodriguez (NYY). While I still lean on the latter two, Lagrange and Smith both proved to be MLB-ready starting pitchers. Smith gave up a few runs, but he showed some elite stuff incuding a sweeping slider – striking out 8 across 3.2 IP. Now we knew Lagrange had a filthy repertoire, including a 101-103 MPH fastball. But what many weren’t sure about was his ability to go deep into games. That belief led to the conclusion that he would earn a spot in the Yankees bullpen for 2026 (which he ultimately may) and possibly the closer role in the future. But what he showed this spring, is that he should not be counted out as a future rotation piece. He ended the spring with back-to-back 4 IP shutouts, including a 7:2 K:BB ratio. The White Sox and Yankees have some of the most exciting pitching-prospect-duos in the league.