2026 Bowman Wishlist

This piece doesn't need much more framing than the title I suppose.

I know a lot of you are going to just jump down to the names. But we have rules here Smokey.

I am not including any 2026 IFA. Primarily, it's because those are usually held for the September release (with a few exceptions), and this wishlist is for the May release. Hopefully, in August, we can revisit with some real (albeit DSL) data and include some of those guys in a Bowman Chrome wishlist.

Second, there are no 2025 prep draftees outside the first round here, and in the same vein, no Daniel Pierce. I like to back up my opinions with game data. Most of these guys don't have much, if any. So if you want to say this list carries a taint because of these exclusions, go ahead. But yes, Pierce, Slater de Brun, Jaden Fauske, Coy James, Jack Wheeler, Blaine Bullard, Jaiden Lo Re, Eli Pitts, and others have definite hobby potential.

But let's get to it:

Edward Florentino

Florentino is the clear #1 on everyone’s list, unless you’re an absolute Ethan Holiday apologist. In 2024 he had a pretty good year in the DSL. It’s a better anecdote that that’s the case – he didn’t completely out of nowhere. It lends more credence to the believability of the absolute breakout he had in 2025, and boy was it ever impressive. Only one 18 year old outside the DSL (Rainiel Rodriguez) had more HR than Florentino, but his breakout was more than just power. Florentino ran a contact% over 80 – a number that’s well above average, especially for someone of his age and especially for one with as much thump as he. There was a passive approach, which in young hitters, I prefer to the inverse. It’s easier to teach aggression, teach which pitches to swing at, than it is to teach which pitches to not swing at. Sometimes over-aggression is just a sign of a hitter who’s unable to pick up spin or adapt his swing for contact – but Florentino has none of that. His defensive game does need work, but whether he ends up at 1B or sticks as a corner OF won’t matter if his offensive ceiling is what we think it is. One thing that’s certainly not real is the 34 bases he stole – his pure speed is not good. The SB numbers will dwindle with maturity, as he sees better catchers, but it’s a nice sign that he’s willing to be opportunistic. He could perhaps touch double-digit SB in the majors, assuming things pan out. Florentino is absolutely not a sure thing, but the building blocks of a hobby superstar are here. There’s a lot to believe in with him.

Ethan Holliday

It’s a given that we will see Holliday in 2026 Bowman this May. He was the top name held from 2025 Bowman Draft, and a very predictable name to have that status. Obviously, there’s a ton of pedigree that comes with the Holiday name. Just being a top 10 pick and having that pedigree will make Ethan a Tier 1 name at the release of 2026 Bowman. One thing you should note is that as a player, Ethan bears little resemblance to his brother. Depending on the source he is 3-5” inches taller than Jackson, and there’s a great likelihood that he ends up at 3B or as a corner OF. But that won’t matter one bit if his power ceiling is what we think it is. He simply has an extremely loud offensive toolkit – louder than any other prep in the draft. One that registered triple digit exit velocity with ease already at age 18, and whose physicality only figures to increase further with maturity. All of this with Coors field on the horizon is quite intriguing. Sure. His debut in Low-A was pretty bad. But it really just put a point on his flaws – it’s nothing we didn’t know about. His swing can get long and lead to a lot of swing and miss, and he’s not quite so adept at pitch selection just yet. However, he did still manage a high BABIP through it all, so even if he gets to just near an average contact rate, we’ll start to see some serious bottom line results. Another thing I’ll say is, don’t worry about the organizational strife he was drafted into. Even if the Rockies coaching does nothing for him, he will develop outside the organizational guidance just fine, and I trust that the organization will at least not inhibit him from doing so. (I also want to give the new front office a fair shake before I call them a bad development team.) He has lots of time to mature. I predict a lot of groaning consternation as he continues going through growing pains this year, but it won’t lead to softening of card prices. Just be patient, wait for his stuff to settle. Then buy up what you want and wait the 1-2 years he’ll need to explode.

Caden Scarborough

Topps has not done a great job with pitchers. I worked extensively to get a formula prepared so we can roll pitchers into Hobby+ this offseason. If we were to apply that formula to all non-debuted MiLB pitcher performances, there would be (5) pitchers without Bowman who would be in the Top 10. Scarborough isn’t at the top of that list, but I think he is the best hobby name of that bunch (apologies to Ty Johnson). Scarborough was a two-way, two-sport prep player taken by the Rangers in the 6th Round in 2023 as a developmental arm. I can't really blame Topps for not including him in products based on that fact, and that he only threw 10 innings between the Complex and Low-A in 2024. But there’s absolutely no reason to not include him in a 2026 release after his amazing breakout in 2025. Among pitchers of his age or younger, he placed in the top 10 in K, K-BB%, ERA, and BAA. Thomas White is the only other player who can make that claim – that’s the company we’re talking about here. He’s showing two pitches with clear plus potential, and a third that could get there. He has a deceptive delivery created by a low three-quarters arm slot and great extension, so the High-K% should stick. Unlike White, his command is already very good. He has a solid 6’5” frame with projection remaining that will give him a very long runway to develop as a starter. In short, there’s nothing in his profile to not believe in at present. He could really explode into a Top 25 prospect by the end of the season as he gets his feet wet in the high minors. It’s worth noting that his progression will be slowed for the first (hopefully small) part of the season as he builds up his workload at the Complex following skin cancer surgery and immunotherapy, but he remains otherwise healthy. “Otherwise” does the heavy lifting there – it’s serious stuff.

Wei-En Lin

A seven figure 2024 IFA, Lin is another candidate whose prospect stock could really explode this year, but he’s slightly further behind Scarborough (despite making a higher level, at AA), as there were clear workload issues in the second half of last year. That’s really to be expected – Scarborough and his ilk are the exception, not the rule. In fact, Lin only started half his outings. After May he never eclipsed 60 pitches in any outing. So why do I think he could be a huge riser? Well, one only needs to watch him. He already has the look and command of a pitchability lefty with a four pitch mix, all of which could be average or better. But there’s plenty more potential than that in the tank – he is only 20 after all. At his best he has a mid-90’s fastball (it was lower later in the year) that plays up because he has great control with it. That pitch is also respected because he really tunnels well with his change, slider, and curve, all of which offer different planes of break. So, his success is not really critical to his fastball becoming his best pitch, but man, if it does there’s the potential to be an ace. That’s why he’s a great speculative hobby prospect. Lots of development time to remain relevant, lots of rungs to fall down and still make it to the majors in some capacity. He does need to actually build up his pitch count to something like 80-90 pitches per outing for the entire year this year until he hits an innings cap. We’re not looking at a player who has potential to make it to the majors in 2026 here – this is the prove-it year. If he does, he’ll be in plenty of Top 100 lists before he turns 21.

Aiva Arquette

An obvious name to consider as he was a Top 10 pick in last year's Draft, Arquette is a fantastic real-life prospect. That comes with a sum of his parts though, rather than loud tools we care about for the hobby. He’s a premium infield defender regardless of where he ends up. While there is a legitimate shot he sticks at SS, having a big body and will necessitate the need to continue to prove himself at the position as he progresses. His offensive skillset rides the line of being an above-average power bat and a solid overall hitter. Finding balance and consistency in that regard will key whether he truly hits the ‘star’ label in his career, or if he’s just a solid major leaguer. He’s very safe – he already has the floor of a MLB bench bat, and should be deployed to AA to begin the season with hopes that he excels and reaches the majors by the end of the year (in a perfect world, but we know the Marlins probably won’t do it, especially with the lockout looming). I don’t think there’s many secrets held within Arquette – he’s one of the most obvious upcoming highlights of 2026 Bowman products – so it’s less interesting to write about him here.

Michael Forret

If I’m pretending these names are roughly in order for a sec – yes, in a bubble I would put Forret basically on par with Aiva Arquette, but Arquette has the benefit of being a hitter and top draftee. That’s not the case with Forret, but he’s certainly come a long way. He was a JuCo 14th Round of the Orioles pick in 2023 – he’ll be turning 22 right around the time this piece drops. He was traded to the Rays this offseason as one of the main pieces in the Shane Baz deal, and man is he ever a great fit for the org. The Rays have a way of maximizing a player’s value to the big club, and there’s a ton of ways Forret could contribute. But for the hobby, we hope it’s as a SP. Forret is a deception merchant. He seems like he gets his arm into position very late in his delivery, but it’s really just very fast, impeccably timed, and very consistent. Not that he’s without good stuff – it’s hard to classify exactly how many pitches he throws, but most of them have average or better potential. His fastballs are mid-90's offerings, lending credence that his K% should stick to at least an above average level – it was an eye-popping 32% last year in High-A and AA. Even more impressive? A .213 SLG allowed, and a .154 batting average allowed in 74 innings. Among players of his age with at least that inning total, that BAA was second best (to Wellington Aracena, who didn’t touch AA and had a concerning BB%). The only concern with Forret is injury related, those 74 innings were due to a back injury. He probably only has a slim chance to debut this year, as the Rays actually spent money on Steven Matz and Nick Martinez, and there are other players (again, Ty Johnson gets a mention) who will likely earn 40-man spots ahead of Forret. There’s plenty left for him to prove in the minors, including that he eventually deserves a rotation spot. But he could easily be their next Rasmussen, and has a low risk of reaching the majors in a significant role.

Sebastian Dos Santos

I can’t ignore the youngest of commodities available for May’s release (assuming no 2026 IFA), and Dos Santos, to me, is the best of that DSL bunch. He signed out of Venezuela for just $75k last January, but he’s already proven that to be a steal. Starting with the negative, Dos Santos is currently lower on the defensive spectrum. He needs to develop physically regardless, but his arm is really only a fit for 2B right now. We absolutely should only care about what he can grow into, but this is where he has the furthest to go. It’s at the plate that we care the most about in the hobby, and that’s where he really shined in the DSL. He has really simple operations at the plate. I don’t know if he even swings with his bat off his shoulder, but he certainly knows how to rip it. He has no issues elevating the ball, and drives it into the gaps with ease. With proper physical development, his power upside is quite intriguing. He’s got a little further to go with his hit tool, despite what it looks like on the surface. But I like the guys that are a little too passive like Dos Santos, as opposed to the guys that are too aggressive. Seeing more pitches is almost always a good thing as one grows into the player they want to ultimately be. He also doesn’t make quite as much zone contact as you’d like to see, but again, more strength can help with that, as he’s not a player who’s looking to swing out of his shoes. I’m excited to see what development brings with Dos Santos – but he’s not a surefire stud hobby name even if he does develop positively.

Juan Sanchez

Unlike Dos Santos, Sanchez is likely to be a stud hobby name if he develops positively. There’s just a slightly lower chance that it happens. He hits a lot of the same beats as Dos Santos: excellent DSL performance, question of a defensive home, and signs of a loud offensive toolset. The difference is that Sanchez’s potential is all about power. What he showed in-game aside, you don’t really get that from his statline. His contact rate and batting average were both higher than Dos Santos, after all. But he’s already fairly aggressive at the plate, and in the early going, signs are that spin can be a way to get him to swing and miss. He also has a significantly bigger frame to grow into, which does portend that big power but could also compound those swing-and-miss issues. None of that is showing yet though. Instead, we saw a player who hit well over .300 and smashed 28 XBH in 56 games. Not much time to show flaws when things are going that well! Defensively, he is at best a 3B, but there’s plenty of time to improve there, so we won’t worry about that too much right now. For 2026 at least, Sanchez could very well be the best 2025 DSL name available for 2026 products from a hobby standpoint.

Roldy Brito

Brito is slightly undersized at just under 6 '0”, but make no mistake, he’s a terror both on the plate and on the bases. A switch hitter, he hasn’t quite tapped into much power yet, but he’s a slasher with a knack for finding gaps in the defense with excellent barrel manipulation. He’s very aggressive, with quite a bit of swing-and-miss, but the quality of contact is excellent, as you’d think. He hits a lot of grounders by design. That makes sense considering his speed, which is at least a plus asset, but as he matures a bit more it might make sense to tweak for a bit of elevation to maximize his XBH. He’s heading into his first full year of full-season ball after posting a .371/.444/.516 with 35 SB in 84 games. While his defensive home isn’t settled, this is a great athlete that should eventually be a positive force on that side of the ball. The Rockies could find a way to screw this up, but he’s their best low minors prospect not named Ethan Holiday, and one with a lot of hobby ceiling.

Honorable Mention

I don’t mean to give any of these guys the short shrift – some will definitely do better in the hobby than being down here. This piece isn’t truly a linear rank. I just chose to write about guys who were interesting to me. For instance, Andrew Fischer is awesome, but he’s a really well known commodity!

Kendry Chourio – A 2025 IFA who only walked 5 hitters in 51 innings while posting a 30 K% and made it to Low-A at age 18? Yes please. Results were uneven at that last level, but there’s no uncorking the bottle now and no need to pick nits at a very clearly ascending profile.

Andrew Fischer – 2025 1st Rounder, loads of power that’s already been proven as an asset that will play in pro ball. Hit tool question, but among similar players, he’s already passed Brock Wilken in the Brewers’ organizational depth chart. They want him at 3B. They need him at 3B, like, now. But for all the wishing they can make in one hand, his lack of range may fill the other up faster.

Other Collegiate 2025 Draftees – It’s not really interesting to include any other 2025 prep hitters in this, even Daniel Pierce, because they have done so little as pros. But collegiate players likeJace LaViolette , Wehiwa Aloy , Brendan Summerhill , and Cam Cannerella come in with some baked-in hype based on what they did in college. And guys like Henry Godbout and Paxton Kling had pretty great debuts, however brief, and have already jumped the station at which they were drafted.

David Shields – It’s a mystery to me as to why Shields, who was the 5th prep pitcher off the board in 2024 (2nd Round), doesn’t have Bowman cards yet. He should have been low-hanging fruit for 2025 products, and his performance has simply proven why he was so highly regarded. Except innings, he compares favorably across the board to Braylon Doughty. And we all like how he’s coming along, right?

Dauri Fernandez – One of the best Complex League performers in 2025. Short of stature, at this point it’s fair to drop him in the “Guardians hit-first infielder” bucket. But he does already have a knack for elevating the ball with quality contact. That’s something to keep tabs on as he develops.

Kruz Schoolcraft – Being a 1st Round pick with plenty of merit behind the selection makes him an easy choice here. However, I don’t know if he’s quite as good as Kash Mayfield, and with the expectation of a similar innings cap, don’t expect quick hobby growth. Mayfield didn’t see much last year, as a point of reference.

Justin Gonzales – Red Sox. Young. Powerful. Everything else almost doesn’t matter. He’ll be a good hobby name should he be in 2026 products. He hasn’t broken out in-game yet at all, so from almost every perspective (boom or bust), the hope is that it’s in May and not September.

Ty Johnson – The #1 pitcher without Bowman in Hobby+. Shortarm delivery with elite extension creates loads of deception and a pair of plus offerings. Non-performance caveats abound as he’ll be 25 this year, hasn’t seen AAA, and doesn’t have a clear path to the majors.

David Davalillo – Last pitcher, I promise. Among proximity arms, while Michael Forret got the nod with a full writeup, Davalillo has a similar ceiling with a higher floor. I’m just less sure he ends up in the rotation, as his fantastic splitter (which could end up as a top-of-the scale offering) could be his only pitch that ends up as average. That means relief risk, but his performance plus two years of topping 100 innings says otherwise. Already on the 40-man and could debut later this year.

Maxton Martin – 2023 11th Round diamond in the rough who’s showing some nice signs of power, and continued performing in a brief High-A stint. Still more of a sleeper, as contact rates are a bit concerning and doesn’t hold a lot of defensive value. But potential 30 HR bats don’t grow on trees, and I think he has that in him.