25 MLB players on the brink of stardom in 2026

At 21 years old, it appears as though the world, or in this case Fenway Park, is his playground. After climbing the minor league ranks with ease, he showed in the second half of 2025 that he not only belongs, but that he has the potential to be the next best hitter in the game. That was evident in his .292 average as a rookie, along with an OBP that hovered at or near .400 for much of the season. His home runs will certainly see a spike after an offseason with the big club and the confidence that he built up to close out 2025. All of that has Anthony shaping up to be well on his way to being a key cog in Boston’s quest for its next title. 

The Reds are blessed with some of the game’s best young arms. In Burns’ case, he is riddled with elite stuff that includes a wipeout slider that proves unhittable considering his 100-mph fastball. He had his ups and downs as a rookie in 2025, but some of that can be chalked up to a few rough outings and some bad luck. He has games with 10-plus strikeouts already, which demonstrates that despite being so young, he has no issue getting out veteran batters. Look no further than his K/9 ratio, which sits just under 14, a number that puts him among the game’s best strikeout pitchers. 

The White Sox finally called up Teel in June 2025, and all he did was demonstrate why he has the makings of being the next best-hitting catcher. He ranked among the top at the position, posting a .375 on-base percentage and batting .273 with a 12.5% walk rate, a uniquely high number for such a young player. Giving him a full season at the big leagues should see him eclipse the 20-homer mark, putting him among the game’s best catchers at just 23. 

The only thing that halted Langford’s 2025 breakout campaign was an injury, but even that wasn’t enough to stop him from leading the Rangers in multiple categories. His 22 homers were more than anyone on the team, as were his 22 stolen bases. The one area he could improve on is his strikeout rate (which he also led Texas in). Despite that negative mark, his .344 on-base percentage was second on the club. Langford is poised for a 30-30 season in 2026. 

It was unfathomable what Wilson accomplished in 2025. He had a historically low strikeout rate that helped drive his .311 batting average, which was nearly 30 points higher at times during the season. Pitchers couldn’t get this out. The shortstop also flashed some power with 13 home runs, illustrating that he could very well take 20-25 balls out of the year as he gains more muscle. After all, he’s just 22. He would have taken home the AL Rookie of the Year in 2025 had it not been for his teammate. Wilson, who was an All-Star as well, even saw his name pop up on some MVP ballots. 

The powerful 2024 first-round pick blasted his way through the minors, but didn’t have that same pop when he debuted with the Royals in 2025. It was clear last season that pitchers were peppering him with off-speed pitches, which he proved unable to handle consistently. He’ll need to refine his swing and approach this offseason, but there’s no doubt he’s on the brink of stardom. His minor league power numbers are off the charts. Caglianone can only go up from his .157 average in 2025, right?

The Braves always have some young talent in their organization. The 2025 NL Rookie of the Year displayed all of his tools as an all-around talent behind the plate, leading all rookies in the league in average (.274), home runs (19), and RBI (80). That was despite Atlanta utilizing both of its catchers in 2025. Moving forward, this will be Baldwin’s full-time spot with Sean Murphy hitting free agency. A 100-RBI season is on the table for this kid. 

Stop me if you’ve seen this narrative before. Pittsburgh has yet another stud pitcher ready to take over the league. Chandler’s long-awaited call-up came towards the end of 2025 and was highlighted by a high strikeout rate and a remarkably low walk rate at just 3.2%. The latter was on full display over his final three starts after he didn’t give out a free pass to any batter in that timeframe. With further development of his slider and changeup, Chandler is in line to form a dominant 1-2 punch in Pittsburgh alongside Paul Skenes. 

The 2025 postseason was Schlitter’s coming-out party. His Game 3 heroics in the AL Wild Card game against the rival Red Sox will live in Yankees’ lore. That was when he showed just how cold-blooded he is with an epic 12-strikeout, no walk outing to take home the winner-take-all game. Even before that, Schlitter was establishing himself as a nice piece for the New York rotation with a 2.96 ERA as a rookie. With expectations growing and his unflappable personality, Schlitter feels like a good bet to be the next star pitcher coming out of the Bronx. 

His breakout has already occurred, with a monstrous 2025 highlighted by 31 home runs, 94 RBI, and 15 stolen bases, despite his 6-foot-7 frame. His exit velocity numbers are out of this world, confirming that future seasons of 40-50 homers are more than in his range of outcomes with Washington. A budding star, Wood is on this list because he has another level in him, and that one can get him into MVP discussions. With some improved discipline and a refined approach as he gets more experience, there’s no doubt that the counting numbers will be there for the clean-up hitter. 

A playoff hero for Toronto after rapidly emerging from the minor league, Yesavage is going to be counted on heavily in what will be his first full season in 2026. It’s tough to label someone as being on the brink of stardom after having already cemented himself as a World Series legend, but Yesavage still has to go out and do it all over again over a full 162-game slate. The good news for him is that he clearly has all the tools to do so after rising from Single-A to the bigs in less than one season. Thanks to a devastating splitter, Yesavage set the rookie record for strikeouts in a postseason. 

Doesn’t Colorado always have a way of finding someone with elite power and speed? Beck is the latest in the organization to reach the majors with five-tool potential. His 2026 success and likelihood of earning the star label will depend on his durability, as injuries have hampered him at various points in his young career. With Coors Field at his disposal, Beck has all the talent in the world to hit 25-30 homers and steal more than 30 bags, coming very near to a 20-20 season in 2025. 

This one may be cheating since there’s no doubt he’s a star player. Belting 45 homers and driving in 110 runs will put you in that category rather quickly. He fits our criteria despite all of that because he’s just 22 years old and only has one All-Star selection. The sky is literally the ceiling for the Tampa Bay slugger. With improved defense, Caminero can be the best player in all of baseball at some point in his career.

Barger went on a legendary run during the 2025 playoffs after a solid regular season. His pinch-hit grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series has Toronto fans eager to see him finally put it all together over a 162-game season. He’s one of the oldest players on this list at 26, but that won’t get in the way of reaching stardom. If he can find a way to be a league-average hitter against lefties and avoid being a part of a platoon as he was in 2025, Barger will quickly become a household name. 

Wait, isn't he already a star? You wouldn't be wrong to appoint the 2025 All-Star and Gold Glove winner into the upper echelon of players. Like a few others on this list, there's another level he can tap into if he can lower his chase rate and raise his on-base percentage. He’s already among the few capable of being a 30-homer, 30-stolen-base player. Another strong showing in 2026, following his breakout 2025 campaign, will undoubtedly have him among the game’s next batch of stars. 

It took a special rookie season to upend Jacob Wilson from taking home the honor. It turns out it was his teammate who put together the one rookie campaign that was stronger than Wilson’s. Kurtz took all of his minor league hype and turned it into a whopping 36 homers and 86 RBI. At this point, his eyes are set on adding an MVP to his mantle because he looks well-positioned to be someone who can lead his league in multiple hitting categories. 

When it comes to the Reds ace, there’s no need to even look at the raw stats. Sit back and watch him over seven innings. You’ll see right away that he has the physical tools to be the game’s next best pitcher. With an overpowering 100-mph heater and a growing command of his secondary pitches, Greene is positioned to be a staple in the Cy Young voting over the next five-plus years. The problem for him over his first four years has been durability, topping out at 26 stars in 2024 before dropping down to 19 in 2025. A full season of him avoiding any extended run on the injured list would certainly warrant an astronomical season for Greene, who already has one All-Star selection under his belt with plenty of room for more. 

Sasaki was the missing piece for the Dodgers’ bullpen. His 2025 rookie season was filled with road bumps, even teetering to the point of disappointment until he made the switch to the pen. That was where he put the Dodgers’ glaring weakness straight on his back, becoming a dominant closer utilized in high-leverage situations throughout their World Series title run. He’ll get a shot to return as a potential Ace for the Dodgers in 2026, but at this point, it's hard not to envision him being used the same way in the 2026 playoffs. No matter where he's at, it's clear he’s got nasty stuff to work with. 

The Mariners have become a pitching factory as of late. Woo has big league achievements already with an All-Star pick and a selection to the All-MLB Second Team. He is a star already, but his stardom can reach higher heights. The Cy Young is well within his reach after his 15-7 record and 2.94 ERA season. If he can stay a bit healthier and reach the 200-inning mark next season, he’ll certainly cement himself as a true ace.

The centerpiece of Houston’s Kyle Tucker trade, Smith had a rookie season that began hot but stalled out with a down second half. Pitchers knew how to attack him late in the season and made his lift difficult at the plate. For him to avoid a sophomore slump, he has to improve his plate recognition and hone in on his pitch. Out of all the guys on this list, he may be the only one whose spot on the Opening Day roster has any question. There's a chance he goes back down, though it shouldn't be for long if that's the case. Smith has the tools to be a great hitter at the next level with a bit more emphasis on plate discipline.

The Brewers' stud young pitcher earned a controversial All-Star selection after just five career starts. That speaks to his star value, making him a perfect name for this list. Midseason struggles elevated his ERA into the 4s, which is something he’ll aim to lower in 2026. With a high strikeout rate and a season under his belt, the upcoming season is shaping up to be the true breakout into stardom season for Misiorowski. 

The unexpected ace of the Mets’ staff to close out 2025, McLean was utterly dominant after his August call-up. He pitched to a 4-0 record and sub-1.50 ERA in his first four starts. He finished 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA. The best for McLean is that he retains his rookie eligibility for 2026, making him the heavy favorite to win the award. 

All this Brewers phenom has done over his first two years is put together back-to-back seasons of 20-homer, 20-stolen-base campaigns. All of that was before turning 22, too. His growth and climb into true stardom will require him to be a bit more disciplined at the plate. Improving his walk rate would maximize his speed on the bases and further separate him from his peers.

He was well on his way to being the NL Rookie of the Year before an injury derailed his season. He compiled a lowly 0.93 ERA over his final 11 starts, setting himself up with an 11-4 record and 2.67 ERA in his first year. A healthy 2026 will do wonders to establish him as the Cubs’ long-term ace.

The Marlins always find young talent. Ramirez leaves a lot to be desired as a defensive catcher, but offensively, he’s as gifted as they come. He's among the few rookies at the position ever to hit 20 homers and showcased his speed with 16 steals. Cutting down his league-high errors at the position will be the top priority for Ramirez if he wants to become a true star in the game.