Today, ESPN and writer Kiley McDaniel, a former Braves scout, released their Top 100 Prospect list for the 2026 season. here. Once again Cam Caminiti leads the way, but for the first time this year Didier Fuentes is also there, joining JR Ritchie in third place of the four major Top 100 lists.
Caminiti came in at No. 53, at the 50 FV level – the eighth-highest ranked prospect at that level. McDaniel called him the type of prospect who is “smooth, projectable, athletic left-handed with three good pitches and can make the jump at any time.” The most promising comment was that “Caminiti’s scouting report – 92-95, 97 mph speed with solid form, an improving but roughly average sweepy slider and a roughly average changeup – isn’t overwhelming right now, but he’s the right kind of prospect with the right markers for future growth and scouts expect a breakthrough in the next few years.”
McDaniel also noted that “a young pitcher who was among the first in his class in the mid-1990s but chose to develop as a strike pitcher with multiple average or better pitches rather than a velo-chasing circus act also speaks to Caminiti’s mentality and maturity. He adjusted and improved his breaking ball when told it was a weaker part of his scouting report during the draft process, another key attribute for projecting future improvements.”
As for 2026, McDaniel mentioned this change: “I thought Caminiti should add an ’80s cutter to round out its repertoire and asked anyone who would know, and it turns out we’ll see that in 2026; the early data looks positive.” He concluded with this comment on Cam’s upside: “If he doesn’t take a big step forward, Caminiti will still be a solid back-end starter, but there is potential on the front line if everything clicks.”
Fuentes came in at #88, with the type “Fastball-dominant starter who probably has enough off-speed to be a third/fourth starter.” Fuente’s fastball speed and movement is praised, with the concern that “his other pitches (sweepy slider, slurve, cutter, splitter used in that order) are the concern here. None are better than average pitches, although all are 45- or 50-grade offerings that play a role in getting weak contact and keeping hitters honest.”
McDaniel used some very interesting compositions to close out his talk on Fuentes, saying that his “release profile is similar to Bryan Woo and his material is similar to Joe Ryan, so this somewhat unusual profile is one that sleeper prospects have used to become standout starters; Fuentes could be next.”
Ritchie was right behind Fuentes at #89. His type is listed as “Six-pitch righty, with starter traits fully back from elbow surgery and ready to join the big league rotation.” McDaniel noted that “His draft report was that of physical projection and command with average to more raw stuff, and that is in fact still the report.” He continued to talk about the upside and concluded by saying, “A touch more arm speed or a touch more speed would make Ritchie a mid-rotation starter, but he’s more of a solid fourth starter, as described; often everything comes back in the second full year after elbow surgery.”
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