Top fantasy prospects moved at the trade deadline: Zyhir Hope, Jefferson Rojas headline the list
The MLB Trade Deadline has come to pass, and while it didnt feature a ton of superstars changing organizations -- the Tarik Skubal trade being the obvious exception -- there were plenty of good players moved before the clock struck midnight, or 6:00 p.m. ET to be more specific.And in exchange for those quality players, several talented prospects changed organizations over the deadline, with some seeing their stock rise by joining a new club, and a few maybe in a more tenuous situation.Heres the top ten fantasy MLB prospects who were dealt over the past few days.1) Zyhir Hope, OF, Detroit TigersTheres some debate as to who the better real-life prospect is between Hope and River Ryan -- the two big names from the Skubal blockbuster -- but from a fantasy perspective, its not particularly close. Hope is an outfielder who has a chance to help in five categories, and he joins the Detroit organization after slashing .293/.369/.530 with 23 homers and 18 stolen bases for Double-A Tulsa. The 21-year-old has easy plus power in his left-handed bat, and he complements that pop with well above-average speed. He makes plenty of hard contact as well, but hitting for average may be a little more difficult because of a willingness to work counts and some length to his swing. Hope offers more fantasy upside than any player on this list because of that power/speed combo, but his patience at the plate and quality defense gives him the highest floor, as well. Thats a good combination, and Hope could be in Detroit by the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027.Category help: HR, R, RBI, SB2) Jefferson Rojas, SS, New York MetsIf there was one prospect I was surprised to see moved, it was Rojas, and if Im being blunt, seeing him moved for Tyrone Taylor and Clay Holmes is even more surprising. Rojas is one of the better infield prospects in baseball, and the 21-year-old has been able to smash 15 homers and steal 17 bases with an .800 OPS in 91 games with Double-A Knoxville. Every tool for the right-handed hitter has a chance to be above-average, and while theres some concern he may need to move to third base, theres enough athleticism in Rojas profile to suggest he can stay up the middle. He may not be as quick of an advance as some names on this list, but Rojas has a chance to be an excellent fantasy option before the end of the decade.Category help: AVG, HR, R, SB3) Anthony Eyanson, RHP, Baltimore OriolesEyanson was not the first pitcher the Red Sox selected in 2026 -- well get to him in a second -- but he pretty quickly became the best pitching prospect in the system, and its a little surprising to see him moved in the deal for Adley Rutschman. The 21-year-old already shows a 70-grade (on the 20-80 scale) slider, and he complements that offering with a fastball that can get into triple digits, a solid splitter and above-average curveball. The control needs work, but Eyanson throws enough strikes to project as a starter at the highest level. A slight bump in his ability to locate gives him a chance to potentially be a fantasy ace.Category help: W, SO2026 MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers: Thoughts on the Red Sox, Brewers, Pirates, moreEric Samulski breaks down the winners and losers from a wild 2026 MLB Trade Deadline Eric Samulski,4) Arjun Nimmala, SS, Los Angeles AngelsNimmala comes from Toronto in the deal for Jose Soriano, and its very possible hes now the top prospect in the system, with all due respect to Tyler Bremner and a few other players. A 2023 first-round selection, Nimmala has easy plus power in his right-handed bat, and the ball jumps off his bat thanks to his bat speed and strong wrists. He also is a patient hitter who has drawn 141 walks in 281 games, but hes also struck out 304 times because of his patience and long swing. Hes a solid-average runner, but hasnt been much of a base-stealing threat just yet as seen in just six swipes over 62 games in 2026. He should be able to stay at shortstop, however, and this is a 20-year-old who could hit 30 homers while playing a premium position. You can do a lot worse than that.Category help: HR, RBI5) Enddy Azocar, OF, Baltimore OriolesAzocar is the second player on this list from the Rutschman deal, and not the last. Signed for under $50,000 in January of 2024, Azocar went from being unheralded addition to one of the breakout prospects in baseball thanks to an .881 OPS, 18 homers, and 28 stolen bases at the Low- and High-A levels. A right-handed hitter, Azocar has substantial power despite being in the 180-190 pound range, and he can make hard contact to all parts of the field. Hell need to show more willingness to do so to reach his potential 55-grade hit tool, but if he can, he also has a chance to be a 25-plus steal player. Azocar has more work to do than the other prospects mentioned, but it wouldnt be a huge shock if he ended up being the best player on this list, either. The risk is worth the reward.Category help: AVG, HR, SB6) River Ryan, RHP, Detroit TigersWe go from a player that may not debut until 2029, to a player that will turn 28 and made his MLB debut two years ago in Ryan. Baseball is remarkable. Ryan just might be the best prospect on this list with no fantasy implications. He has four pitches that flash plus, and he can throw all of them for strikes. He also has an average change, and the command isnt far behind the control either. The issue with Ryan is that hes been slowed by injuries for the last three seasons, and he missed all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. That makes Ryan a riskier proposition than you might anticipate based on his profile, but if everything clicks and he can stay on the mound, he could be an ace.Category help: W, SO, WHIP7) Alexander Fras, OF, St. Louis CardinalsThe Brewers have become one of the truly elite talent-developers in baseball, and theyre taking a chance by moving a talent like Fras in return for JoJo Romero and Dustin May. Frias was given a $350,000 bonus last January, and after posting a solid .811 OPS over that summer, hes now slashing .342/.427/.553 with eight homers and 19 steals over 60 games in the Arizona League and Low-A Wilson. For a player that doesnt turn 19 until early March, Fras shows impressive power potential in his left-handed bat, but he also shows a keen eye at the plate, and the speed to someday be a major stolen-base threat for good measure. The only reason he doesnt rank higher on this list is because we need to see it at a higher level, but the upside here is considerable.Category help: HR, RBI, SB8) Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Baltimore OriolesWitherspoon is the third player on this list from the Rutschman deal, and consider his lower placement more compliment to the names above than insult to him. That being said, its been a bit of a rocky first season for the right-hander as seen in a 4.78 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 17 appearances and 75 1/3 innings for High-A Greenville. Still, there was a reason the product of Oklahoma went 15th in 2025, as he had some of the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the class with three above-average breaking balls and a heater that routinely gets into the high 90s. The command clearly needs work, but considering he doesnt turn 22 for another three weeks, theres time for him to get that work in. It would be a mistake to give up on Witherspoon based on a poor four months.Category help: W, IP, SO9) Ramon Marquez, RHP, San Francisco GiantsOn top of getting Marcelo Mayer for Erik Miller -- one of my favorite trades of the day, but Mayer no longer has prospect eligibility -- the Giants were able to add to their talent pool by acquiring Marquez in the Luis Arraez-Caleb Kilian deal. A 20-year-old who signed with zero fanfare in 2025, Marquez has been sensational in 2026 with a miniscule 1.68 ERA and 93/19 K/BB ratio over 59 innings and reaching High-A. He can get his fastball up to 98 mph and scouts believe theres still projection in his 6-foot-2 frame, but his best pitch is a change that comes from the same arm speed and offers considerable late fade to make it a swing-and-miss offering against lefties and righties. He needs to improve his cutter, but he does throw that pitch and the aforementioned fastball/change for strikes. He needs to show it at the higher levels, but Marquez is one of the most underrated fantasy pitching prospects in baseball. It would be wise to try and procure his services in keeper/dynasty formats.Category help: W, SO, WHIP10) Boston Smith, C/OF, Seattle MarinersThere were a few players that received consideration in this spot, but ultimately, the offensive upside of Smith wins him this spot. A sixth-round pick by the Nationals who was originally acquired by Chicago in the Curtis Mead deal but then moved to Seattle on Saturday in the Luis Castillo four-player deal, Smith has raked in 2026 with an OPS 1.039, 22 homers and nine steals across three levels. Its worth noting hes been at his best in Double-A, as well, with a .306/.485/.667 (1.152 OPS) slash with eight homers in just 23 games with Binghamton. Obviously, Smith has considerable power in his left-handed bat, but hes also a patient hitter who can compensate for some punchouts with some walks and enough hard contact to project a workable average. The big question mark with Smith is defensively; and ultimately, he may need to move to first base or designated hitter. Because of his plate skills, hes a prospect who has a chance for success if that worst case scenario takes place.Category help: HR, RBIAlso considered: Josiah Ragsdale, OF, St. Louis Cardinals; Marty Gair, RHP, San Francisco Giants; Kash Mayfield, LHP, Detroit Tigers; milien Pitre, 2B, New York Mets
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