The baseball season is back and 2026's Opening Weekend was certainly one for the books. There was no shortage of action, drama, and the introduction of the ABS challenge system still has the league buzzing. But, it was the rookies that stole the show. Chase DeLauter (CLE No. 2 prospect) and Sal Stewart (CIN No. 1) took home AL and NL Player of the Week honors, while Kevin McGonigle (DET No. 1), JJ Wetherholt (STL No. 1) and Owen Caissie (MIA No. 3) all made immediate impacts for their respective clubs.
In total, 20 members of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list opened the season as Major Leaguers. But what about the other top prospects that are on the cusp?
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The Pirates didn't take long to tap MLB's No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin for his big league debut after opening the season at Triple-A and lasting just five games.
On the latest episode of the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo alternate making predictions for the exact date each of nine top prospects with 2026 ETAs will get the call to The Show, with the non-predicting expert weighing in on whether the callup will happen before or after the predicted date.
Here's how it got into the books:
Leo De Vries (ATH No. 1/MLB No. 4) -- July 17
Callis: He was a monster in Spring Training, and I will give you not just the date, but also the promotion. July 17, he's going to play in the Futures Game and then he's going to join the A's after the All-Star Break. It's Championship Belt Bag giveaway day in Sacramento. ... He tears up Double-A and makes a quick stop in Triple-A en route to the bigs.
Mayo: A little bit later. More like Aug. 1 for me.
Colt Emerson (SEA No. 1/MLB No. 7) -- June 18
Mayo: I thought that there was a chance that he was going to make the team anyway this spring, but then Cole Young had a great spring. And then, the addition of Brendan Donovan, it didn't make sense to have him there if he's not going to play every day, even though he can move around a little bit. And I'm still not 100% sure how the pieces are going to move around. So I'm going with June 18, but I feel like it should be sooner than that.
Callis: I will take sooner. Not so much for the contract, but I feel like it's a different feel for teams that are trying to win this year. And they are trying to win this year, 100%, no doubt about it. And they will realize Colt Emerson is their best option at shortstop this year.
Note: Emerson fouled a ball off his right foot during Saturday's Triple-A Tacoma doubleheader (after the recording of this podcast). X-rays came back negative.
Max Clark (DET No. 2/MLB No. 8) -- June 11
Callis: I'm going with June 11. Not that he's not going to hit, but Max is the type of guy that doesn't have to hit to help you win. Max is going to steal bases, he'll play great defense. So, June 11, which is a special ticket package, Hank Greenberg 125th anniversary.
Mayo: I think that's spot on. That's a good guess, but I'm going to say sooner. I look at the outfield situation in Detroit and outside of Riley Greene, maybe Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter are fourth outfielders. I think there is going to be a need for Max after two months of the season.
Walker Jenkins (MIN No. 1/MLB No. 11) -- July 1
Mayo: He would have been in the big leagues last year, I think, and it does amaze me that as much as he's been hurt, every time he comes back, he produces. It is amazing to me that with all the lost development time, he's been pretty good. I feel like there's going to be opportunities here. Austin Martin, Matt Wallner, we don't know ... can Byron Buxton stay healthy? So, Jenkins is still very young, I'm going to say July 1.
Callis: Later. But I think it really comes down to if he stays healthy and if the Twins outfielders stay healthy. They're not going to contend this year so there's no real rush.
Thomas White (MIA No. 1/MLB No. 14) -- Sept. 4
Callis: No promotion for you on this one, but I'm going Sept. 4 because the Marlins have a deep rotation. They have Braxton Garrett in Triple-A, who could be the next guy up if they need another pitcher. Thomas White began the year with an oblique injury, missed Spring Breakout; he's not ready to open the season, he's still dealing with an oblique [injury]. They have Robby Snelling, who's another Top 100 prospect and a lefty on the same pitching staff in Triple-A. Thomas White is also young, he's pitched two games at Triple-A to this point. So I don't think they're going to push him.
Mayo: I'll go sooner. There's some concerns about the command, but I just feel that once he's really getting going, pitching is so volatile, I think there's going to be the need for him sooner than Sept. 4.
Payton Tolle (BOS No. 1/MLB No. 16) -- May 22
Callis: It's a team that's looking to contend. I think Payton Tolle is the next guy up from Triple-A if they need a starter. And this one, I think, comes down to -- when do you have an injury? So just given the nature of pitching injuries, someone is going to go down, so I'm going to go May 22. That is Roger Clemens double bobblehead night at Fenway Park.
Mayo: His first start didn't fill me with confidence, so I'm going to say a little bit later. I think they're going to struggle with what his role is going to be. So it wouldn't surprise me if it's a bit later and it's in a bullpen role.
Travis Bazzana (CLE No. 1/MLB No. 17) -- May 1
Mayo: I think that he is a sooner-rather-than-later kind of player. We all thought that he would be really quick to the big leagues coming out of the Draft and then he wasn't himself last year because of injury. I think there should be an opportunity for him at second base in Cleveland. So I will say May 1, he will supplant Brayan Rocchio as the second baseman in Cleveland.
Callis: I will take later. Mathematically, it just makes more sense because if I say sooner, than he's up in April. But, I think he will be up quick.
Aidan Miller (PHI No. 1/MLB No. 20) -- Sept. 10
Mayo: If he were healthy, I could see it happening soon. But if the Phillies compete, where Aidan Miller would play is difficult. He has been a shortstop and he's been a good one, but he can also play third. But how is that going to work? I guess he can play second base, but he hasn't. Also, back problems worry me. I think this is going to take a while, so I'm going to say Sept. 10.
Callis: I'm going slightly sooner. Aiden Miller gets traded at the Deadline for a major pickup and he makes his debut elsewhere. So, sooner, but different team.
Bryce Eldridge (SF No. 1/MLB No. 22) -- May 8
Callis: The Giants could use some offense so there is an obvious spot there. Bryce Eldridge has some power, but also very aggressive; he chases, he hasn't hit non-fastballs really well at the upper levels. There is some stuff to work on in Triple-A. But, at the same time, I think the Giants are expecting to contend, so I don't know how patient they are going to be if they're not scoring runs and/or Casey Schmitt doesn't produce. I think it's going to be sooner rather than later. I think there's going to be some pressure to score runs, so as long as he gets off to a decent start in Triple-A. I'm going to go with May 8, which is K-Pop Fireworks Night in San Francisco.
Mayo: I'm going to say just a little bit later.