Pirates trade prize just vanished from Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects

Baseball America just released their initial 2026 Top 100 Prospects list, and as expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates are well represented.

Of no shock to anyone who pays attention to the minor leagues, Konnor Griffin topped BA's list at No. 1 overall, an honor he'll receive at every major outlet throughout the pre-season period. Whether or not he makes the Opening Day roster, the 19-year-old should debut with the Pirates at some point this season and will likely graduate from his prospect status shortly after.

Bubba Chandler (No. 15) and Edward Florentino (No. 28) followed Griffin within the top 30, and while the former should make the team's starting rotation out of camp, the latter has played all of 54 games stateside. Florentino will need some seasoning before Pirates fans can count on seeing him in Pittsburgh.

The final Bucs representative on the list was Seth Hernandez (No. 38), the sixth overall pick in the 2025 draft. It's a top-heavy system to be sure, but that quartet of players gives a lot of hope for a window of sustained success in the near future.

And yet, there's one glaring omission that simply doesn't make sense: Jhostynxon García is nowhere to be found in the Top 100.

Pirates outfielder Jhostynxon García inexplicably left off Baseball America Top 100 prospects list

García, affectionately known as "The Password" due to his difficult-to-spell first name, was the centerpiece in the trade return for starting pitcher Johan Oviedo. He's still a little raw as a player — he just turned 23 in December — but he could make the Pirates' Opening Day roster with a strong performance in spring training.

And yet, despite making his debut on Baseball America's Top 100 list last June (at No. 99 overall), García is a curious absence this time around. Sure, top 2025 draft picks (like Hernandez) need to be accounted for, but García earned that spot with his brilliant play in the Boston Red Sox's system last year.

The Pirates, who ranked dead-last in MLB in home runs last season (by a country mile) will benefit greatly from García's presence. He hit .267/.340/.470 with 21 home runs and a 116 wRC+ in the minors in 2025. He was even better in 2024, hitting 23 bombs and producing a ridiculous 149 wRC+.

García's MLB debut left something to be desired as he struck out in more than half his trips to the plate, but it was only a sample of nine plate appearances. There's no reasonable way to suggest that such a small cup of coffee could warrant him getting dropped in the rankings.

And yet, Baseball America feels that García is no longer a player worthy of the most important prospect recognition in the sport. Not that he needs it after being traded by the franchise that signed him in 2019, but perhaps The Password will be even more motivated to prove the doubters wrong this year with a new chip on his shoulder.