100 Strikers: Early Fix

The first week of the season is baseball’s favorite laboratory for overreaction. A few plays, a few big swings, a well-timed phone call and suddenly the future feels like it’s coming at once. This is where the Top 100 Hitter list begins to breathe. Because while the veterans are still shivering at the time of April and the pitchers are looking for instruction, the kids don’t want to wait. They’ve announced themselves with major league at-bats that look like they’ve been doing this for years instead of days. JJ Wetherholt looks like a middle of the range hitter at the moment. The path is calm, the barrel is on time, and the game slows down in a way that you can’t fake. Kevin McGonigle did what advanced hitters do with controlled at-bats, line drives to all fields, and the quiet confidence of someone who understands who he is at the plate. Then there’s Chase DeLauter, whose first-season flurry feels less like a hot start and more like validation. Body, power, damage that can change the game. And just as the momentum of the first season was building, along came Konor Griffin. This is what you should feel in the first week. Not conclusions. They are not final answers. It just sheds some light on where the Top 100 is headed next. Because the ranking in April is not about who finished climbing. They are about who just started running.

Getting up

• Chase DeLauter – There may not be a better player in the entire league right now. DeLauter announced his arrival and showed why he’s always been highly regarded for hitting in the minor leagues, but he’s always held back from being high on the prospect list because of his questionable injury history. Chase managed just 42 games at the minor league level in 2025 after posting just 39 games in 2024. However, if we ignore that upcoming challenge and focus on the quality of communication, then rising standards may not be enough. In a small sample size, DeLauter has a .335 xBA, 93^rd percentile exit velocity, and he raises the ball better than 80% of the league. If we have a full season for Chase DeLauter, we’ll be looking at a top-rated bat that could produce 25-30 home runs.
• Mike Trout – At 34-years-young, Mike Trout turns back time to the beginning of 2026. He plays center field, steals bases, and displays an incredible batting eye. This version of Trout can hit 40 homers and steal 20 bases during a fully healthy season. He’s far from hitting .300 and is likely to settle for .250 over a full season, but he’ll have more upside in percentage-based leagues. This may be the first time in a long time that Mike Trout has been overlooked, even with the injury risk he brings to the roster.
• Drake Baldwin – Hitting .281 with three homers, 17 combined runs and an RBI, and an impressive 8.3% strikeout rate, Drake Baldwin looks incredibly comfortable entering the 2026 season. He has played in every game for the Braves, and being in the lineup every day this season between catcher and designated hitter will increase his value. What stands out early is his 96 strike rate^th percentile, his strike rate is 95^th percentage and an expected batting average of .328. Baldwin is maturing as a hitter quickly, and there’s little doubt he’ll be a top-five hitter or better this season.

To fall

• Jackson Chuorio – Churio was a surprise addition to the Milwaukee Brewers first day injury list. He has a broken left hand from being hit by a pitch in an exhibition game leading up to the World Baseball Classic. Although he is making progress in the evaluation with hopes of returning to the majors by the end of April, any hand injury will bother him for the rest of the season. Until we see him back to full strength, we have to assume 80% of the production and therefore drop respectably in our top 100 hitter rankings for the rest of the season.

Watching

• Jordan Walker – After an offseason in which the Cardinals worked with Walker to streamline his plate approach, improve his preparation, and pitch selection, we see an early return in the first eight games of the season. He has two homers, eight RBIs, and an improved strikeout rate. He also has the highest batting velocity of any player in the majors and is moving the ball over 41% of the time, which is a recipe for success. If we’re going to pick, the launch angle still needs to improve, but there’s a lot to like this early in the season. Time will tell if these changes are true. However, Walker could be a powerful bat if he puts everything together.
• Sal Stewart – Still considered a rookie after managing 55 at-bats in 2025, Sal Stewart will start immediately in 2026. He is hitting .407 with an expected batting average of .350 while powering two home runs behind a hard hit rate of 58%. Stewart was a strong player in his limited major league appearances, but struggled in 2025. So far in 2026, he is walking more than his strikeouts and looking comfortable at the plate. There is no speed in the profile, so his value may be included. However, with first base and third base eligibility, we’ve seen Sal step up because of a more advanced approach that could lead to a solid average to match his incredible power in the Great American Ballpark.