Top 100 Hitters: Early Adjustments

The first week of the season is baseball’s favorite overreaction laboratory. A handful of games, a few loud swings, one well-timed call-up and suddenly the future feels like it is arriving all at once. This is where the Top 100 Hitter list starts to breathe. Because while veterans are still shaking off April timing and pitchers search for command, the kids do not want to wait. They have announced themselves with big-league at-bats that look like they have been doing this for years instead of days. JJ Wetherholt looks like a hitter who belongs in the middle of a lineup right now. The approach is calm, the barrel is on time, and the game slows down in a way you cannot fake. Kevin McGonigle has done what advanced hitters do with controlled at-bats, line drives to all fields, and the quiet confidence of someone who understands exactly who he is at the plate. Then there’s Chase DeLauter, whose early-season thunder feels less like a hot start and more like confirmation. The physicality, the leverage, the damage that can change a game. And just when the early season momentum was building, Konor Griffin arrived. This is what the first week is supposed to feel like. Not conclusions. Not final answers. Just flashes that hint at where the Top 100 is headed next. Because rankings in April aren’t about who’s finished climbing. They are about who just started running.

 Rising

• Chase DeLauter – There may not be a more impressive player across the league right now. DeLauter has announced his arrival and shown why he was always a highly thought of bat in the minor leagues, but always held back from being at the top of prospect lists due to his questionable injury history. Chase only managed 42 games at the minor league level in 2025 after posting only 39 games in 2024. However, if we ignore that impending challenge and focus on the quality of contact, then the current rise in the rankings may not be enough. With the small sample size, DeLauter has a .335 xBA, 93^rd percentile exit velocity, and is squaring up the ball better than 80% of the league. If we have a full season of Chase DeLauter, we will be looking at a high-average bat that can deliver 25-30 home runs.
• Mike Trout – At 34-years-young, Mike Trout is turning back the clock early in 2026. He is playing centerfield, stealing bases, and showing an incredible batting eye. This version of Trout can hit 40 homers and steal 20 bases across a full healthy season. He is far from a .300 hitter and likely settles in the .250 range over a full season, but will be an extra boost in on-base percentage leagues. This may be the first time in a long while that Mike Trout is undervalued, even with the injury risk that he brings to a lineup.
• Drake Baldwin – Hitting .281 with three homers, 17 combined runs plus RBI, and an impressive 8.3% strikeout rate, Drake Baldwin has looked amazingly comfortable kicking off the 2026 season. He has played in every single game for the Braves, and staying in the lineup every day this season between catcher and designated hitter will amplify his value. The things that stand out early are his bat speed at 96^th percentile, his strikeout rate at 95^th percentile and an expected batting average of .328. Baldwin is maturing as a hitter quickly, and there is little doubt he will be a top five or better catcher this season.

Falling

• Jackson Chuorio – Chuorio was a surprise addition to the opening day injury list for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has a fractured left hand from a hit by pitch in an exhibition game leading up to the World Baseball Classic. While he has been making progress in rehab with the hope of returning to the majors by the end of April, any hand injury is going to be a concern for the rest of the season. Until we see him back to full strength, we must assume 80% of the production and therefore a decent drop in our top 100 hitter rankings for the rest of the season.

Watching

• Jordan Walker – After a refocused offseason in which the Cardinals worked with Walker to simplify his plate approach, improve his preparation, and pitch selection, we are seeing early returns in the season’s first eight games. He has two homers, eight RBI, and an improved strikeout rate. He also has the highest bat speed of any player in the majors and is squaring the ball up over 41% of the time, which is a recipe for success. If we are to be picky, the launch angle still needs to improve, but there is a lot to like early this season. Time will tell if these adjustments hold true. However, Walker could be a potent bat if he puts everything together.
• Sal Stewart – Still considered a rookie after managing 55 at bats in 2025, Sal Stewart is off to a fast start in 2026. He is hitting .407 with a .350 expected batting average while powering two home runs behind a 58% hard hit rate. Stewart has been a strong power bat in his limited major league appearances, but struggled with his plate approach in 2025. So far in 2026, he is walking more than he strikes out and looks more comfortable at the plate. There is no speed in the profile, so his value may be capped. However, with first base and third base eligibility, we could see Sal moving up the rankings thanks to a much-improved approach that could lead to a solid average to pair with his impressive power in Great American Ballpark.