The 2026 MLB Draft is an exciting prospect, with the potential for impact players to emerge from anywhere in the draft. Here are 20 draft sleepers who are also exciting prospects and might warrant more attention. Each player below currently ranks outside of the top 100 on our most recently updated draft board.
Peyton Bonds (OF, Rutgers)
Bonds has a great blend of contact ability and power that could be unlocked at the next level with refinements to his approach and swing mechanics. If he can find a way to elevate more consistently, there’s lots of impact potential here. Plus, he’s a great athlete with speed and a chance to stick in center.
Elliot Lascelles (SS, Upper Canada College HS, Toronto, Ont.)
Lascelles does everything smoothly. He’s a savvy hitter with a compact swing and he has the tools and instincts to stick at shortstop and be a good defender. He has also faced lots of advanced pitching with Team Canada and acquitted himself nicely.
Carson Wiggins (RHP, Arkansas)
If Wiggins were healthy this spring, he would have had a chance to pitch himself into a top-50 range on the board. He has elite arm talent, and even if he’s a reliever Wiggins could have high-leverage upside.
Andruw Giles (OF, Basic HS, Henderson, Nev.)
It’s hard to not get excited about Giles’ offensive package when scouts start talking about his swing and swing mechanics. He’s more of a pure hitter now, and even though he doesn’t have the biggest frame, it sounds like there’s some real power on the way.
Jaxon Willits (SS, Oklahoma)
Willits might lack a plus physical tool, but his baseball IQ is his carrying tool. He’s just a savvy player who always seems to be in the right spots defensively, and he rarely has an at-bat where he looks lost or uncomfortable.
Sean Dunlap (C, Crown Point (Ind.) HS)
Dunlap has exciting athleticism and physical tools, with great leverage and bat speed offensively that could lead to impressive home run output for a player with a real shot to stick at catcher. There is some refinement needed here, but the upside is big if he can make those strides.
Kolby Stringer (RHP, West Marion HS, Foxworth, Miss.)
Stringer wasn’t on my radar before the season, but he absolutely dominated this spring in Mississippi. He’s strong, he throws strikes, he has been in the upper 90s with his fastball and he also has a hammer of a curveball to go with it.
Eric Nachtsheim (RHP, McNeese State)
It’s all about the fastball with Nachtsheim. He has one of the freakier heaters in the class with all of the traits evaluators look for: riding life, flat approach angle, excellent extension and solid velocity.
Grant Govel (RHP, Southern California)
I love pitchers who command the baseball, and Govel does that at a high level. He feels like the sort of arm that a smart pitching development team could help level up in pro ball with a bit more stuff that helps everything else take off.
Coleton Brady (RHP, TNXL Academy, Ocoee, Fla.)
Brady checks a lot of boxes. He has a great pitcher’s frame. He has a deep pitch mix. Brady throws strikes at an advanced level. He’s also one of the youngest players in the class.
Nu’u Contrades (3B/2B, Arizona State)
Contrades has a lengthy track record as a high-contact bat, but he made some swing changes this spring that helped him get the ball in the air more and hit a career-best 21 home runs this spring—without sacrificing much of his contact skills.
Ty Burnham (RHP/OF, Rogers (Ark.) HS)
Burnham hasn’t focused on pitching full-time yet, and I’m excited about the continued strides he could make once that happens. He’s a great athlete, the fastball has already trended up in a big way and there are a handful of promising secondaries here as well.
Hayes Holton (RHP, Loranger (La.) HS)
Holton has a chance to miss plenty of bats, and could make a leap if he’s able to sharpen his breaking balls and improve his control. His fastball seems to be one of those outlier, high-ride heaters that always get over barrels and he also has a changeup that might be a plus offering.
Ryne Barker (3B, Casteel HS, Queen Creek, Ariz.)
I’m not exactly sure where Barker fits best defensively, but I’m intrigued with his lefthanded contact skills, near top-of-the-scale speed and the strength gains he could make in the coming years.
Keller Bradley (RHP, Pennsbury HS, Fairless Hills, Penn.)
Bradley looks the part on the mound and has a body to dream on with a fastball that’s already trending up and a pair of exciting breaking balls.
Gage Peterson (RHP, Appalachian State)
I love Peterson’s fastball and release traits. He doesn’t have the biggest velocity and sits in the low 90s, but he has elite extension and great riding life on his fastball.
Cole Dennis (RHP, Snyder HS, Jacksonville)
Dennis is another pop-up player who wasn’t on our radar much before the spring, but the jump he has shown in velocity this spring has me intrigued.
Tanner Marsh (SS, Liberty)
Marsh seems like a slick defender at shortstop with solid instincts, range and arm strength. He’s also coming off a career-best offensive season, and while his hit/power combination seems light, there are contact skills and solid swing decisions to build on if he can add some more strength.
Gavin Eddy (RHP, California)
Eddy felt like a pitcher that fell a bit under the radar this spring, but if you dig into his profile there’s a lot to like. His performance is excellent, he throws a lot of strikes and he has a solid fastball/slider combo.
Dominic Pellegrin (SS, Holy Cross HS, New Orleans)
Pellegrin was one of my picks to click before the season, and while that didn’t quite happen in terms of his rank on the BA 500, I still like the profile quite a bit. He’s got excellent defensive tools at shortstop to start with, he hit well this spring and he also has been one of the better offensive performers in the MLB Draft League.
