Ben and Carlos talk about Baseball America’s new top 500 high school player ranking, as well the new star rating system we are unveiling to help further contextualize high school recruits. The two talk about what separates a five-star, four-star and three-star high school player and then talk through some of the top recruiting classes in the country. After that the two hit on a few notable Top 100 risers and the different ways that UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey ended their 2026 seasons. 

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Time Stamps

• (2:30) Top 500 High School list and new star system ratings
• (7:30) Why the star system ranking is different from BA grades
• (11:40) What is a BA five-star recruit?
• (18:30) Four-star players are the backbone of premier recruiting classes
• (23:40) What does a three-star prospect entail?
• (29:00) How the star scale applies to underclassmen
• (32:55) The schools with the most exciting recruiting classes
• (40:40) Top 100 talk
• (41:00) Travis Bazzana
• (44:00) Ryan Sloan
• (46:30) Ethan Salas
• (49:30) Theo Gillen
• (51:30) Mike Sirota
• (55:10) Luis Hernandez
• (56:50) Alfredo Duno
• (59:00) Roch Cholowsky vs. Vahn Lackey 

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

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In this week’s listener mailbag, Ben and Carlos take questions like: can you make the case for Jacob Lombard over Grady Emerson? Where would UC Santa Barbara righthander Jackson Flora stack up with other Giants pitching prospects? Who are the top DSL pitchers to watch? Why isn’t Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson ranked even higher? 

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Time Stamps:

• (0:50) Give me an argument for taking Jacob Lombard over Grady Emerson
• (7:00) Where would Jackson Flora rank among top Giants pitching prospects?
• (12:00) Who are the best arms in the DSL this season?
• (18:00) Why isn’t Daniel Jackson ranked higher? 

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Ben and Carlos talk about the upcoming NCAA tournament and the players, teams and matchups they are looking forward to seeing. The two talk about the state of the college pitching in the 2026 draft class, and wonder who the best candidates are to come off the board after UC Santa Barbara righthander Jackson Flora. 

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Time Stamps

• (0:00) Opening banter
• (3:50) NCAA regional talk
• (8:30) College pitching talk
• (12:00) Cameron Flukey
• (25:00) Mason Edwards
• (27:00) Cole Carlon
• (29:00) Tegan Kuhns
• (37:00) Cade Townsend
• (46:30) Jack Radel
• (51:30) College pitching depth and draft strategy
• (54:00) Closing Derek Curiel propaganda

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Ben and Carlos answer mailbag questions surrounding Red Sox outfielder Justin Gonzales, Athletics shortstop Johenssy Colome, Royals outfielder Angeibel Gomez and Mets shortstops Wandy Asigen and Elian Peña.

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Time Stamps:

• (0:30) What are your thoughts on Red Sox outfielder Justin Gonzales?
• (6:00) Where would A’s shortstop Johenssy Colome and Royals outfielder Angeibel Gomez stack up with 2026 high school draft prospects?
• (14:00) Is Wandy Asigen a better prospect than Elian Peña?

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Ben and Carlos focus on up-arrow prospects who are not quite on the top 100, but are tracking up the board on individual Top 30s. The group of names includes a pair of Brewers lefthanded hitter, a trio of Guardians contact bats, A Rangers shortstop to know, even more Dodgers outfield prospects to be aware of and a few young arms with big stuff. They close with a chat about what scouting departments are doing this time of year as the college season winds down and the draft approaches. 

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Time Stamps

• (4:00) Prospect talk begins
• (4:30) Braylon Payne
• (10:00) Blake Burke
• (17:30) Cooper Ingle
• (23:00) Jasion Chourio & Robert Arias
• (29:40) Yolfran Castillo
• (32:40) Pedro Ramirez
• (36:00) Charles Davalan & Kendall George
• (42:00) Sadbiel Delzine 
• (45:40) Dylan Jordan
• (50:00) How scouting departments operate this time of year

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Ben and Carlos open the mailbag to answer questions about the top defensive shortstop prospects in the minors; where 2027 California high school shortstop Dylan Seward would rank in the 2026 class; the center field likelihood of Derek Curiel, Drew Burress and AJ Gracia; and the odds that Justin Lebron slides out of the first round. 

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Time Stamps:

• (1:30) Who are the best defensive shortstops in the minors?
• (10:00) Where would Dylan Seward rank if he was in the 2026 class?
• (16:00) CF defense profiles of Derek Curiel, Drew Burress & AJ Gracia
• (20:00) Is there a chance Justin Lebron falls out of the first round?

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Twitter: @CarlosACollazo

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Ben and Carlos talk about the Mock Draft V 3.0, the most recent projection of the first 40 picks for the 2026 draft. The two talk about the latest rumors up top, whether or not Roch Cholowsky and Grady Emerson are in a tier of their own, and then talk through a number of different teams and picks throughout the first round and beyond. 

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Time Stamps

• (0:30) Jesus Made as the new top prospect
• (4:15) Where Roch Cholowsky fits in the Top 100
• (7:30) Giants SS Luis Hernandez 
• (9:50) Mock draft talk
• (13:00) Grady Emerson vs. Vahn Lackey
• (19:00) Twins
• (23:55) Giants
• (29:00) Tegan Kuhns
• (31:30) Royals
• (35:00) Jared Grindlinger
• (40:00) Orioles
• (45:00) Why Eric Booth is going high
• (50:00) Braves
• (54:00) Nationals
• (56:40) Reds
• (1:04:00) Guardians
• (1:11:30) Red Sox
• (1:15:00) Padres
• (1:28:00) Coleman Borthwick

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today’s mailbag episode Ben and Carlos take questions about Braves prospect rankings, how the top of the 2026 draft stacks up with recent classes and which players we are individually higher or lower on in regards to our updated Top 100 prospect list. 

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Time Stamps:

• (1:05) Why are you guys light/late on Braves prospects?
• (8:30) Where does the 2026 top four compare to the 2025 and 2024 classes?
• (17:10) Are there any players you think are too high or too low on the top 100? 

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a  question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos talk about the first significant in-season update to the 2026 Top 100 list. The two talk about a handful of 2025 draftees who are flipping the switch with strong starts to the season after questionable pro debuts in 2026. They talk about a few notable additions at the back of the list, including a handful of Rays prospects and Royals infielder Josh Hammond. They also talk about how electric Padres catcher Ethan Salas has been, and the consistent offensive production that Mets outfield AJ Ewing provides. 

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Time Stamps

• (1:00) Top 100 adjustments
• (4:00) Ethan Holliday, Tate Southisene, Kayson Cunningham
• (17:30) Ethan Salas
• (27:45) Josh Hammond 
• (32:00) Rays risers
• (42:00) Emil Morales
• (45:00) AJ Ewing 
• (47:30) Names close to the 100 who aren’t quite there yet

—

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben and Carlos break open the FP mailbag and talk about hitters outside of the top 10 they have a lot of conviction in, complex league players they are anticipating, the logistics of academies in the Dominican Republic and what would have to happen for UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky to actually slide in the draft. 

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Time Stamps:

• (1:05) Which draft hit tools are you most convicted of deeper in the class?
• (11:00) Which players are you looking forward to in the complexes?
• (23:30) How many academies are there in the D.R. and how many players are at those academies? 
• (30:15) Is there any world where Roch Cholowsky could slide?

Do you have feedback for the show or want to ask us a question? Email us: [email protected].

Future Projection Twitter: @FutureProPod

Ben's Twitter: @BenBadler

Carlos's Newsletter: @CarlosACollazo

Baseball America Website

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy