Your Picks Are In: The STS User Choice Prospects of the Year

You voted. We counted. And the 2026 User Choice Prospects of the Year are officially in the books. Across the Scout the Statline community, readers picked the top prospect at each position (three at outfield), and the result is a list that mixes a teenage catching star, infielders who reached Triple-A, a lefty reliever with 82 strikeouts in 51.1 innings, and two players who did much of their damage on the farm before getting to the big leagues this year.

A quick note on how this works: Prospect of the Year covers the full 2026 season. That is why Kade Anderson and Josue De Paula are on the list even though both reached MLB this year. Each spent most of the season in the minors and put up a huge year on the farm. The three outfield winners are grouped simply as OF, since the voting picked three outfielders. Each player was selected from a pool containing 3 other players (4 total were selected for each position listed).

Every name below comes with its OOPSY Peak WAR as of 9/29/2026, so you can see how the numbers back up the ballot box. Voting opened September 22 and ran for one week. Here are your winners.

STS WAR as of 9/29/2026. Level = highest level reached in 2026. OF = the three outfield winners.

The Winners

C: Rainiel Rodriguez, STL (AA)

The top WAR on the board belongs to a 19-year-old catcher. Rodriguez signed with the Cardinals out of the Dominican Republic in April 2024 and has climbed quickly, moving up to Double-A Springfield on May 12. At that level he led the Texas League in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging. His is the #1 ranked non-debuted prospect in the OOPSY Peak model by STS (fantasy) rank and MLB (Wins Above Replacement) and received a whopping 81% of the vote share!.

1B: Ralphy Velazquez, CLE (AAA)

Cleveland’s 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall, out of Huntington Beach High School in California) is a left-handed bat with real thump. He started 2026 at Double-A Akron, posting a .317/.414/.566 line with seven homers in 36 games, then moved up to Triple-A Columbus on May 18, where he continued to mash. He was also picked for the 2026 Futures Game. Velazquez is our #21 ranked fantasy prospect and secured 43% of the vote share to run away with the crown at first base.

2B: Devin Fitz-Gerald, WSN (AA)

A fifth-round pick of the Rangers in 2024 out of Stoneman Douglas High School, Fitz-Gerald joined the Nationals organization in the January 2026 MacKenzie Gore trade. A switch-hitter, he reached Double-A Harrisburg in June and struggled with a period of adjustment before turning things around strongly to finish the season.. Overall he hit .251 with 20 home runs and 15 steals. Power and speed from the middle infield is a fun combination. Fitz-Magic (as we like to call him), won with 52% of the vote share.

SS: Franklin Arias, BOS (AAA)

Boston’s top prospect signed out of Venezuela in 2023 and has turned power into a real part of his game this year. On the season, the breakout prospect hit .320/.397/.551 with 24 homers over 115 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, at just 20 years old. With his massive breakout season, Arias threatened for #1 overall prospect for some and should be with the Red Sox early, if not at the start of the 2027 season. He won with 49% of the vote share.

3B: Andrew Fischer, MIL (AA)

Milwaukee’s 2025 first-rounder (20th overall, out of Tennessee) has been one of the most surprising (and exciting) bats in the minors this season, and he reached Double-A Biloxi in June. He carries an STS ranking of #17 for fantasy, a 121 peak wRC+ projection, and leads all non-debuted prospects in home run projection (2nd to Lazaro Montes overall). Fischer completed a record setting season with 48 HR and a 1.067 OPS across High-A and Double-A, and was labeled Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year. He won the voting at third base with 65% of the vote share.

OF: Eric Hartman, ATL (AA)

The Braves found a gem in the 20th round of the 2024 draft: a Canadian outfielder from St. Albert, Alberta (Okotoks high school). Hartman, 20, stole 56 bases and hit 26 home runs across two levels this year, was the Braves’ 2026 Minor League Player of the Year per Baseball America, and reached Double-A Columbus on August 4. That mix of speed and power is a big part of why readers took notice. Hartman received 42% of the votes in his pool to knock out Lazaro Montes, Eduardo Quinter, and Edward Florentino for the honor.

OF: Theo Gillen, TBR (AA)

Tampa Bay took Gillen 18th overall in the 2024 draft. This year he earned South Atlantic League MVP honors at High-A Bowling Green before moving up to Double-A Montgomery on June 23. He is the Rays’ top-ranked prospect, and was named the organization’s 2026 Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. Season totals of roughly .315 with 22 HR and 44 SB. Gillen received 56% of the votes.

OF: Josue De Paula, LAD (MLB)

De Paula makes the list on the strength of his minor league season, but he also made a splash in his brief MLB debut, slugging .581 in his first 42 MLB PA. He played 124 games for Double-A Tulsa and hit .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs, 37 doubles, 104 RBI, 106 runs and 31 steals, and was named Texas League Player of the Year. The Dodgers then called him up on September 10 and he debuted on September 11 at age 21, skipping Triple-A entirely. He hit his first big league homer on September 13. De Paula won the award with 71% of the votes in his pool

SP: Kade Anderson, SEA (MLB)

Simply put, Anderson was lights out during his time in the minor leagues. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU (College World Series Most Outstanding Player) went 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 135 strikeouts in 93.1 innings over 18 starts for Double-A Arkansas, and leading the minor leagues in nearly every pitching category. Seattle called him up and he debuted August 22, and although the big leagues hasn’t been as silky smooth, Anderson still projects for top tier pitching numbers:. STS ranks him as the #1 pitching prospects and he projects for a peak 3.22 ERA projection. He won with 57% of the votes.

RP: Micah Ashman, BAL (AA)

The 6-foot-7 lefty out of Utah was an 11th-round pick of the Tigers in 2024 and came to Baltimore in the Charlie Morton trade on July 31, 2025. At Double-A Chesapeake this year he posted a 1.75 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 51.1 innings and five saves, and he was named an Eastern League postseason all-star. A bullpen arm to remember. Ashman took home the award with 49% of the votes.

What’s Next

That is the ballot. Ten winners spread across Double-A, Triple-A and the majors, and one thing in common: a full season of production that the STS numbers back up.

What’s next? We’ll keep tracking every one of these players in our daily prospect recaps, and the STS prospect rankings are updated all the time. Dive into the full STS rankings to see how this group stacks up against the rest of the minors, and consider becoming an STS member for deeper stats and tools.

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Next up is our annual Prospect of the Year bracket to determine our overall Prospect of the Year. Thanks to everyone who voted. Who did we miss? Tell us in the comments or on social media, and we will see you next season.