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49. Roch Cholowsky, UCLA shortstop<\/p>\n
Cholowsky is the top amateur prospect in the sport and the runaway favorite to be drafted first overall by the Chicago White Sox in July. Not since Adley Rutschman in 2019 has somebody gone wire-to-wire as the consensus No. 1 player on the board. And while Cholowsky might not have the supersonic ceiling of a Konnor Griffin, a Bobby Witt Jr. or a Paul Skenes, he\u2019s as safe a bet as we\u2019ve seen in some time. Just 23 games into his junior season, the Arizonan has 10 long balls and a 1.197 OPS to go with stellar defense. He\u2019s got shades of peak Xander Bogaerts if everything clicks and will immediately become a crucial building block on Chicago\u2019s road back to contention.<\/p>\n
48. Joe Ryan, Twins starting pitcher<\/p>\n
Ryan is a very good pitcher \u2014 eighth-best K\/BB rate in MLB last season among qualified starters \u2014 but he\u2019s in these rankings because he\u2019s the front-runner to be the best player traded at this year\u2019s deadline. The Twins undertook a substantial fire sale last summer but held on to Ryan, starter Pablo L\u00f3pez and center fielder Byron Buxton. That means Minnesota probably won\u2019t be god-awful in 2026, though L\u00f3pez is out for the year. Still, it\u2019s difficult to envision a playoff run for a ballclub this reliant on injury-prone cornerstones.<\/p>\n
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In the event that the Twins are done and dusted by July, they absolutely have to trade Ryan, who will almost certainly become a free agent at season\u2019s end. (He has a mutual option that he\u2019s unlikely to pick up). It\u2019s not often that a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter becomes available at the deadline; Ryan would be the best arm dealt midseason since Max Scherzer in 2021. That\u2019s a huge deal for whichever team lands him.<\/p>\n
Here are the pitchers dealt at the deadline who started a playoff game the past five seasons:<\/p>\n
Year<\/p>\n
Pitchers<\/p>\n
2025<\/p>\n
Shane Bieber (TOR), Andrew Kittredge (CHC), Zack Littell (CIN), Louis Varland (TOR)<\/p>\n
2024<\/p>\n
Jack Flaherty (LAD), Alex Cobb (CLE), Frankie Montas (MIL), Zach Eflin (BAL)<\/p>\n
2023<\/p>\n
Justin Verlander (HOU), Jordan Montgomery (TEX), Lance Lynn (LAD), Max Scherzer (TEX)<\/p>\n
2022<\/p>\n
Noah Syndergaard (PHI), Jos\u00e9 Quintana (STL), Luis Castillo (SEA)<\/p>\n
2021<\/p>\n
Max Scherzer (LAD)<\/p>\n
47. Mike Trout, Angels outfielder<\/p>\n
Last year was an odd one for the Millville Meteor. Trout stayed healthy, playing in 130 games for the first time since 2019. But for the first time since his 40-game debut in 2011, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer was definitively not elite. Trout slashed .232\/.359\/.439 with 26 homers. That .797 OPS was the top mark on a bad Angels team but light-years below Trout\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n
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But the ballplayer who dominated an era might not be done yet. Set to turn 35 in August, Trout flashed a 30 feet\/second run time during spring training, a sprint speed that just seven qualified players averaged in 2025. Don\u2019t expect him to unleash that pace every journey down the line, but it\u2019s good to know Trout still has that in the bag, and it\u2019s especially important considering he\u2019s slated to be Anaheim\u2019s every-day center fielder.<\/p>\n
Is this a harbinger of a bounce-back? Can Trout rage against the undefeated beast that is Father Time? Or is it merely a blip? Are our best days truly behind us?<\/p>\n
46. Paul DePodesta, Rockies president of baseball operations<\/p>\n
Nothing facilitates change like complete and total ineptitude. The Rockies were a dinosaur of a franchise long before their historically dreadful 2025<\/a>. But that 43-win season was humbling enough to precipitate a long overdue organizational shakeup. For the first time in decades, the Rockies went outside the family to hire a new top baseball exec.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n DePodesta, the inspiration for Jonah Hill\u2019s character in \u201cMoneyball,\u201d was a curious choice, given he\u2019d spent the previous decade with the NFL\u2019s Cleveland Browns. But so far, the club\u2019s new POBO has made a series of well-regarded hires, including general manager Josh Byrnes and director of pitching Matt Daniels.<\/p>\n Given the desolate state of the Rockies\u2019 big-league roster, it\u2019s unlikely the new regime\u2019s influence leads to immediate success at Coors Field this season. However, hints about the strategies for the future are sure to emerge. How do the Rockies plan to tackle the challenges of Denver\u2019s mile-high environs? What types of pitchers do they target in trades? What does the first draft under Byrnes look like? What other hires do they make in player development? Can they finally help players develop at the big-league level? Progress is paramount, and it all starts with DePodesta.<\/p>\n 45. Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida<\/p>\n The Tampa Bay Rays have been trying to find a new stadium since they moved into Tropicana Field in 1998. It\u2019s an outdated facility (opened in 1990) in a horrible location (across the bay in St. Petersburg). Whimsical though it might be, The Trop puts a literal roof on how this franchise conducts business<\/a>. The Rays have been in an operational holding pattern for a while now \u2014 capable enough to be competent, too financially hamstrung to be anything more than that. That dynamic prompted a sale last summer, when longtime owner Stuart Sternberg offloaded the team to a group led by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n What does the governor of Florida have to do with all this? Well, DeSantis and Zalupski are thicker than thieves. The governor, who played ball at Yale, appointed Zalupski to the University of Florida Board of Trustees in 2023. Zalupski soon after donated $250,000 to DeSantis\u2019 2024 presidential bid. Earlier this year, DeSantis and the Florida cabinet agreed to allocate a 22-acre plot of land in Tampa for the construction of a ballpark. Myriad bureaucratic hurdles remain, but the Rays appear closer to ending their exhausting stadium saga than they have been in quite some time. The organization has struggled to compile the political capital necessary to get a deal done, but Zalupski\u2019s relationship with DeSantis could well get the ball over the fence.<\/p>\n The Phillies’ ace, the Padres’ owner, the Brewers’ young flame-thrower, the Orioles’ new slugger, the Rockies’ POBO and the Dodgers’ shortstop are all among the top 50 people who will shape the 2026 MLB season.<\/p>\n (Dillon Minshall\/Yahoo Sports)44. Munetaka Murakami, White Sox infielder<\/p>\n A year ago, Murakami looked primed to become the next superstar Japanese import. Equipped with light-tower power and still in his mid-20s, the single-season Japan-born NPB home run king was projected to score a sturdy, multiyear contract. Instead, an upper-body injury kept Murakami sidelined for the first two-thirds of 2025. And while he showcased upper-deck juice upon returning, the Yakult Swallows\u2019 slugger made so little contact that he sent the MLB scouting community running for the hills.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n And so, Murakami was forced to settle for a two-year deal with a rebuilding White Sox club that had little to lose by rolling the dice on the corner infielder\u2019s immense ceiling. All things considered, it\u2019s a strong landing spot for Murakami, who will be able to implement much-needed mechanical changes in a relatively low-pressure environment. Small-sample caveats aside, Murakami\u2019s spring training showing did little to assuage doubts about his high-risk hit tool<\/a>. No matter how this plays out, it\u2019ll be fascinating. If it totally clicks for Murakami, he\u2019s a superstar. If he\u2019s just OK, he\u2019ll be a cult hero with billboard fame back home. If he stinks, the entire industry might need to reevaluate how we think about certain types of Japanese hitters.<\/p>\n 43. Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez, Guardians third baseman Five seasons have flown by since Cleveland traded franchise pillar Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets in January 2021. Over that span, the Guardians rank in the bottom 10 of almost every important offensive category, despite Ram\u00edrez\u2019s consistently fabulous statistical output.<\/p>\n Guardians\u2019 offensive ranks since 2021<\/p>\n OPS<\/p>\n 25th (.695)<\/p>\n SLG<\/p>\n 26th (.388)<\/p>\n HR<\/p>\n 26th (807)<\/p>\n Runs\/game<\/p>\n 22nd (4.24)<\/p>\n BB%<\/p>\n 25th (7.8%)<\/p>\n Enter DeLauter, Cleveland\u2019s best chance at finding J-Ram a sidekick while he\u2019s still kicking butt. Drafted 16th overall in 2022, the 24-year-old DeLauter has battled a deluge of injuries during his career but has produced whenever healthy. The Guardians believed in the bat enough to shoehorn him into center field during last year\u2019s wild-card series even though he (1) had yet to debut in the bigs and (2) had barely played center field.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n DeLauter will slot in as Cleveland\u2019s every-day right fielder for the foreseeable future and is a strong bet to hit for both average and power. Will that happen immediately? And how long will DeLauter\u2019s window of impact overlap with Ram\u00edrez\u2019s before the future Hall of Famer begins to decline? The answer to that question will define the next five years of Cleveland baseball.<\/p>\n 41. Jackson Chourio, Brewers outfielder No club in baseball won more games in 2025 than the Milwaukee stinkin\u2019 Brewers and their band of scrappy misfits. Yet the doubters are out in full force again, with sportsbooks and prognosticators alike projecting this 97-win wagon for a 2026 total in the low 80s. \u201cHow can the Brewers keep getting away with this?\u201d we all yell into the void.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That Milwaukee has been able to sustain contention despite a relative lack of high-end offensive talent on the big-league roster is downright remarkable. The Brewers haven\u2019t had a legitimate position-player behemoth since Christian Yelich\u2019s peak in 2019. Chourio has a chance to change that. The 22-year-old Venezuelan has been teetering on the edge of full-blown stardom since debuting in 2024, and this could be the year he goes Super Saiyan and establishes himself as a perennial MVP candidate. The talent is certainly there.<\/p>\n Speaking of talent, Misiorowski is slated to start on Opening Day. The youthful, long-limbed manchild burst onto the scene last summer with a triple-digit heater and a jolly disposition. His inclusion in the All-Star Game after just five MLB starts made headlines. \u201cThe Miz\u201d tailed off down the stretch but recaptured the magic in October. Now, with Freddy Peralta in Queens, the torch of Next Great Brewers Ace is Misiorowski\u2019s to carry. Let’s see if his shoulders are big enough.<\/p>\n 39. John Seidler, Padres chairman and principal owner<\/p>\n Peter Seidler, the cherished San Diego Padres owner who died in November 2023, was a singular force. No MLB team owner in recent history so drastically and emphatically reoriented the fortunes of a franchise. Seidler dipped into his own pockets to sign and extend superstars, turning San Diego into a baseball-mad town again. Then his death left a void and triggered a messy dispute over control of the franchise between Peter\u2019s siblings and his widow, Sheel. In the end, the brothers Siedlers, with John at the helm, were handed control of the club.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Now they\u2019re looking to sell. The current sale-price record for an MLB franchise is $2.4 billion, which hedge fund honcho Steve Cohen doled out for the Mets in 2020. Experts around the industry project the Padres to surpass that figure. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, final bids are expected in mid-April, with four groups in the running<\/a>. Three billionaires with prominent sports ties \u2014 Jos\u00e9 E. Feliciano (co-owner of Chelsea Football Club), Dan Friedkin (owner of Everton Football Club) and Joe Lacob (owner of the Golden State Warriors) \u2014 have reportedly shown interest.<\/p>\n That level of enthusiasm is a testament to the sport as a whole and to Peter Seidler\u2019s legacy as an owner. Despite a poor farm system and a handful of albatross contracts, the Padres are in a strong spot. They have a beautiful, downtown ballpark, a passionately engaged fan base and superstar cornerstones in Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. In business terms: It\u2019s a nice asset. But to whom John Seidler decides to sell the team \u2014 and for how much \u2014 will speak volumes about the future of San Diego baseball and MLB\u2019s financial trajectory more broadly.<\/p>\n 38. Nolan McLean, Mets starting pitcher The 2025 Mets imploded, in large part, because their pitching staff couldn\u2019t get outs. Some of that blame falls on New York\u2019s shambolic defense, but the non-McLean pitchers carrying a 6.37 ERA and .806 opponent\u2019s OPS over the last two months of the season was much more than a defense problem. And while Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was open and honest about prioritizing run prevention this offseason, Peralta was the only starting pitcher he acquired.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The club\u2019s new and improved defense should help a great deal in 2026, but there\u2019s still quite a bit of pressure on Peralta and McLean to reestablish New York\u2019s staff. For Peralta, it\u2019s also a key season for his bank account. The right-hander, added via trade with Milwaukee in January, will hit free agency for the first time this winter, barring an extension. If he\u2019s one-and-done in Queens, it better be a good one.<\/p>\n McLean, on the other hand, will be around for a while. His eight-start stint at the end of 2025 was outrageously impressive and solidified the 24-year-old as an NL Rookie of the Year front-runner for 2026<\/a>. He didn\u2019t dominate in two WBC starts for Team USA, but the raw stuff was very much on display. This is one of the most talented young arms in the sport. The Mets are counting on him to be just that.<\/p>\n 36. Jason Benetti, NBC broadcaster<\/p>\n For 36 seasons, \u201cSunday Night Baseball\u201d on ESPN operated as the sport\u2019s weekly national showcase. Over that stretch, just four characters held the primary play-by-play gig: Jon Miller (1990-2010), Dan Shulman (2011-2017), Matt Vasgersian (2018-2021) and Karl Ravech (2022-2025). But with ESPN opting to reprioritize its baseball holdings, SNB is NBC-bound this season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Benetti, the beloved lead broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers, will provide the soundtrack for the weekly stand-alone game\u2019s new era<\/a>. He\u2019ll be joined in the booth by a rotating cast of local analysts. Few play-by-play personalities are able to flow seamlessly between intensity and humor like Benetti, who could not be more suited for the job.<\/p>\n 35. Pete Alonso, Orioles first baseman<\/p>\n The Polar Bear finally got his ice. After multiple winters of consternation, Alonso earned a massive payday, hauling in a landmark, five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles. Doubts about his defense and aging curve scared off a host of clubs, including his former employers in Queens, but Alonso has always raked.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That\u2019s what he\u2019ll be expected to do in Baltimore, where he\u2019ll slot into the middle of an Orioles lineup coming off a disastrous 2025. On paper, it\u2019s a good fit. Injuries derailed the O\u2019s in 2026; Alonso has a phenomenal track record of health and rarely misses a game. Most of the young Orioles are lefty swingers; Alonso hits right-handed. His experience should also help a relatively unproven group of hitters still looking for its first postseason victory as a unit.<\/p>\n Baltimore\u2019s new ownership group deserves a lot of credit for finally breaking the bank for a massive free agent. Alonso, too, deserves kudos for betting on himself and waiting out the market. Now, all that\u2019s left to do is hit.<\/p>\n 34. Junior Caminero, Rays third baseman Only five players have hit 50 homers in a season over the past five years: Aaron Judge (thrice) Shohei Ohtani (twice), Cal Raleigh, Matt Olson and Kyle Schwarber. Here are the two best bets to join that list.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Caminero\u2019s brilliant WBC showing was another reminder that this is an ascending megastar. Yes, the Dominican\u2019s 45-homer campaign last year was boosted by the temporary launching pad of George M. Steinbrenner Field, but let\u2019s not pretend that was some enormous fluke. Caminero clocked 45 last season despite sporting a second-percentile launch-angle sweetspot percentage (meaning he was very poor at hitting the ball at optimal angles). Besides, he doesn\u2019t turn 23 until July and sports the second-fastest bat speed in the sport behind Oneil Cruz. The sky \u2014 or the Tropicana Field Roof \u2014 is the limit.<\/p>\n Kurtz\u2019s path to 50 tanks is even simpler. \u201cThe Big Amish\u201d didn\u2019t debut until late April last season and went homerless in his first 59 plate appearances as he adjusted to big-league ball. Then he caught fire, blasting 36 long balls over his remaining 430 trips to the dish to unanimously win AL Rookie of the Year. There are warts to his game, to be sure. Kurtz had the highest whiff rate in the sport among hitters with at least 475 plate appearances. That resulted in a mountain of punchouts. He\u2019s also a poor defender at first base. But those, my friends, are merely nits picked. Kurtz, who turned 23 during spring training, is a bona fide monster. Fifty homers is not just within range; it feels like a certainty at some point in his career.<\/p>\n 32. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks pitcher For an ace, a true ace, there is no more defining trait than availability. From 2020 through 2024, this trio ranked second (Wheeler), third (Burnes) and 12th (Cole) in innings pitched. Combined, they made nine All-Star Games, won two Cy Youngs, finished runner-up three other times and started 26 postseason games. On an annual basis, they are the first (Wheeler), fifth (Cole) and sixth (Burnes) highest-paid pitchers in the game. All were no-doubt No. 1 pitcher material.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Arm injuries, as they tend to do, derailed the joyride for these three in 2025. Cole missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during spring training. Burnes, in Year 1 of a hefty new contract with the Diamondbacks, also had elbow surgery after feeling tightness during a June 1 start. Wheeler\u2019s ailment was even more dire; he went on the IL after doctors discovered a blood clot near his right shoulder. The issue turned out to be thoracic outlet syndrome, and Wheeler had a rib removed as part of the ensuing surgery<\/a>.<\/p>\n All three hurlers are now on the road to recovery, all three are expected to return at some point in 2026, and all three are absolutely crucial to their clubs\u2019 aspirations. Wheeler, impressively, is on track to be back first and should recapture his spot atop Philadelphia\u2019s rotation in late April. Then it\u2019ll be Cole<\/a>, whose impending return surely deterred the Yankees from making a significant offseason addition. Burnes will be last and the most important; Arizona\u2019s 2026 plan is essentially to tread water until he and a pair of key relievers come off the IL this summer. But being healthy and being hearty are two different things. Just how quickly will these aces get back to being aces? That answer could completely reshape the playoff picture.<\/p>\n 29. Carlos Correa, Astros shortstop<\/p>\n A decade ago, Correa was, alongside Jose Altuve, the emblem of Houston\u2019s rise to dominance. Now, as he approaches his 32nd birthday, the Puerto Rican star will either be the face of a resolute resurgence or the symbol of a once-great empire, finally in ruin.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Traded back to Houston in a shocking move at last summer\u2019s deadline, Correa performed well as his club tumbled down the standings in August and September. The Astros finished outside the playoff picture for the first time since 2016, Correa\u2019s second year in the bigs. His return also created something of a positional logjam that resulted in 2025 All-Star Isaac Paredes getting jettisoned to the bench.<\/p>\n Remember, Correa has a no-trade clause. He chose to head back to Houston, opting into this challenge. That makes this a critical campaign for both him and his ballclub. Eventually, this organization and its barren farm system will run dry of talent. No dynasty lasts forever. But Correa will play a gigantic role in determining whether the Astros have a few more gasps of glory left.<\/p>\n 28. Mookie Betts, Dodgers shortstop<\/p>\n The eight-time All-Star is coming off a supremely weird 2025. On the positive side, he transitioned brilliantly to shortstop, where he was a Gold Glove finalist in his first full season at the position. That\u2019s ridiculously impressive for anybody \u2014 even more so for a primary outfielder making the shift at 32 years old. His aptitude shone through during the season\u2019s final moment: a crisp 6-3 double play that ended Game 7 of the World Series.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Now, for the bad: Betts is coming off the worst offensive season of his Hall of Fame career. He posted an OPS below .800 for the first time, his bat speed tailed off precipitously, and he stole only eight bases. Things weren\u2019t much better in October; Mookie\u2019s postseason statline was mediocre, and he finished the postseason homerless.<\/p>\n So who is Mookie Betts now? Is his run as an elite hitter a thing of the past? We don\u2019t think so. Remember, a stomach illness during spring training last year caused him to lose between 15 and 20 pounds. That sapped him of his strength and trademark quick twitch. He was playing catch-up all season while learning a new position.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ed_032326_top-50-people-who-will-impact-the-mlb-season_50-26mod.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
42. Chase DeLauter, Guardians outfielder<\/p>\n
40. Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers starting pitcher<\/p>\n
37. Freddy Peralta, Mets starting pitcher<\/p>\n
33. Nick Kurtz, Athletics first baseman<\/p>\n
31. Zack Wheeler, Phillies pitcher
30. Gerrit Cole, Yankees pitcher<\/p>\n