Player development is the name of the game in modern baseball, and that was the point as FanSided graded every team's top prospect with the minor-league season coming to a close. The Dodgers can buy top talent like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but they would be lost without depth from a strong farm system.
That broader idea is what makes prospect evaluations useful. Last week, Josue De Paula was promoted, a reminder that the best young players can move fast when the production is there. For teams trying to build a future core, the question is not only who is close to the majors now, but who might be ready when 2027 openings appear.
Crisantes keeps moving up
The Diamondbacks' top prospect, Crisantes, gave a strong answer in 2026. Across four levels of minor-league baseball, he hit.290 with an.839 OPS. That kind of season matters because it shows consistent performance while moving through different stops, which is often the clearest sign that a prospect is handling each new challenge.
Production across four levels is not easy to sustain, and the.839 OPS stands out as the headline number. In a system where the next wave of talent can change a roster picture quickly, Crisantes has given the Diamondbacks a player whose development now looks like a real factor in future depth planning.
Why De Vries remains so highly regarded
The same conversation applies to De Vries, and there is a reason he is one of the very best prospects in baseball. In 2026, he spent the whole season at Double-A at 19 years old and produced a.290/.378/.458 line in 93 games. That is a strong season for any young hitter, and it carries extra weight because he did it against advanced competition while staying in one place all year.
De Vries also posted a 116 wRC+, along with 13 homers and 34 steals, which helps explain the well-rounded appeal. The combination of age, performance and experience level is what keeps his stock so high. Even without projecting too far, that profile makes him the kind of player who can change a team's outlook when the opening arrives.
In the end, this is why prospect grades matter. They are not just about today; they are about the next wave of talent and the depth it can create. Whether it is Crisantes for the Diamondbacks or De Vries in the broader prospect conversation, the 2026 season offered another reminder that future roster decisions are being shaped right now.
