Most Exciting Prospects for 2026: NL Central

Few hitters in the minors mashed quite like Blake Burke in 2025. The left-handed slugger posted a 139 wRC+ across High-A and Double-A, including an eye-popping 178 mark in 37 games at Double-A.

Burke’s offensive game is built around a compact but violent swing that generates some of the loudest exit velocities in the minors, and he’s already translating that raw power into production.

He ran a 32% HR/FB rate in his Double-A stint and cut his groundball rate by 10% from earlier in his career. Even with a near-50% groundball rate, Burke’s sheer ability to impact the baseball allows him to still drive plenty of balls over the fence.

It’s a first base/DH-only profile, so the bat will have to carry, but there’s growing confidence it will. Burke has shown a tendency to be aggressive early in counts, though it’s hard to fault a player hitting over .300 for wanting to swing. Importantly, he’s managed to keep his strikeout rate in check, and a more selective approach could elevate his offensive ceiling even further.

With Milwaukee in need of a middle-of-the-order power threat, Burke has a chance to break in as part of a platoon with Andrew Vaughn as soon as 2026 — and could grow into a cornerstone bat if the offensive maturation continues.

Jaxon Wiggins – RHP, Chicago Cubs

Few arms in the minors are as uncomfortable an at-bat as Jaxon Wiggins. At 6-foot-6, he creates a unique look for hitters with a high-carry fastball from a low release slot, a combination that makes the pitch explode through the zone and generate ugly swings.

Wiggins pairs the heater with both a slider and changeup that flash above-average to plus, giving him a legitimate three-pitch mix that can miss bats in any count. Opponents hit just .160 against him in 2025, and he allowed only four home runs over 78 innings across three levels — a testament to how difficult he is to square up.

The raw stuff translates into whiffs in bunches. Wiggins posted a 31% strikeout rate, routinely overwhelming hitters with his fastball and getting chase on his offspeed pitches.

The main developmental hurdle remains command, particularly of the slider and changeup, which can lead to inefficient innings. He’s also yet to shoulder a significant workload, which may limit his initial role in the big leagues.

Still, with his bat-missing arsenal, Wiggins could impact the Cubs’ bullpen as early as 2026 — with the long-term vision of him transitioning into a rotation piece if the command continues to sharpen.

Cam Collier – 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds

It’s rare to find a hitter as polished and poised as Cam Collier at such a young age.

Still just 20 years old and not turning 21 until November, Collier already shows a level of strike-zone understanding and advanced approach that gives him one of the highest floors among any prospect in the division. He pairs that plate discipline with average contact skills and flashes of emerging power, creating an offensive foundation that projects to translate smoothly to the big leagues.

Collier was red-hot to close out the 2025 season, slashing .342/.435/.430 over his final 18 Double-A games, and his ability to stay within his approach regardless of count or situation continues to impress evaluators. That maturity in the box relative to his age and level is what makes him such a strong bet to reach the majors.

If the power begins to consistently manifest — and there are signs it’s starting to — Collier could hit his way into a late-season call-up in 2026, much like fellow Reds prospect Sal Stewart.

Defensive outcomes remain to be seen — he’s likely headed for first base with occasional third base — so the bat will ultimately have to carry the profile. But if the power takes another step forward, Collier has a real chance to be part of Cincinnati’s lineup by the end of 2026.

Konnor Griffin – SS/CF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Some prospects force their way into the conversation — others, like Konnor Griffin, dominate their way to the top. After entering pro ball with pre-draft questions about his hit tool and not debuting in 2024, Griffin has silenced all doubts and ascended to become a top-two prospect in baseball.

His 2025 season was nothing short of spectacular: Across three levels, Griffin posted a 165 wRC+, stole 65 bases in 122 games, and launched 21 home runs — one of the most impressive seasons ever by a teenager. Remarkably, he won’t turn 20 until May of next season, underscoring just how advanced he already is.

What’s even more encouraging is that he improved as he climbed the ladder, logging a 156 wRC+ at Low-A, a 170 at High-A, and a 175 mark in Double-A. His offensive explosion is backed by video game-caliber tools, and his defensive versatility only amplifies the upside. Griffin has already flashed a plus glove at both shortstop and center field. For now, shortstop appears to be his long-term home, but his elite athleticism could allow him to impact the game at either premium position.

Griffin is expected to open 2026 back in Double-A, but given his rapid development and Pittsburgh’s desperate need for impact offense, there’s a real chance he forces the issue and makes his big-league debut in the Steel City before season’s end.

JJ Wetherholt – SS/3B, St. Louis Cardinals

Few prospects in baseball boast a more polished offensive profile than JJ Wetherholt, and that’s been true since the moment he entered pro ball. The left-handed hitter features a short, compact stroke that allows him to pepper line drives to all fields, and his feel for the barrel makes him one of the most consistent contact hitters in the minors.

In 2025, Wetherholt posted a 48% hard-hit rate in Triple-A while maintaining nearly identical strikeout and walk rates (14.7% K vs. 14.5% BB) — a testament to both his swing decisions and elite bat-to-ball skills.

The most exciting development in his profile has been the emergence of more in-game power. Wetherholt slugged 10 home runs at Triple-A and ran a 20.2% HR/FB rate, showing that while he may never post the 110+ mph exit velocities that come with traditional slugger profiles, he consistently produces 95+ mph contact with advanced plate discipline.

Defensively, Wetherholt has shown he can handle shortstop, but with Masyn Winn entrenched at the position, he’s likely to factor into the third base mix for St. Louis long term.

With a big-league-ready offensive game and defensive versatility, Wetherholt could break camp with the Cardinals next spring — and if not, it’s hard to imagine him not being a regular in the lineup by June 2026 at the latest.