MLB prospects who just missed Keith Law’s top 100 ranking: Dax Kilby, Dylan Beavers and more

Every year that I produce a top 100 prospect ranking, I go through an iterative process where I start with more than 100 players, circulate the first cut to industry sources, move some guys around, take some names off the list and add others, circulate again, and so on. That process always means some players just miss the list — the decision to stop at 100 is rather arbitrary, just a function of us having 10 fingers and a base-10 number system — and this year I’ve written up a few more of those players.

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The players listed below are all very good prospects who shouldn’t be overlooked just because they missed the main list. I do write these comments in a way that I hope describes their abilities while also making it clear why I omitted them from the top 100.

I always say no one ever reads the intro, but here it is anyway: These players are listed in alphabetical order. This isn’t a further ranking, although someone will inevitably claim that it is. The last player cut from the top 100, if you’re interested, was the New York Yankees’ Dax Kilby.

Note: Ages are listed as of July 1, 2026. Scouting grades are on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. EV = exit velocity. EV50 = the average exit velocity of the top half of all of a player’s balls in play, ranked by exit velocity — that is, the top 50 percent of his batted balls; EV90 is the same concept but the top 90 percent of a player’s balls in play. Z-swing rates = swings at pitches in the zone.

Dylan Beavers, OF, Baltimore Orioles

Height: 6-5 | Weight: 206 | Bats: L | Throws: R | Age: 24

Beavers has been tinkering with his swing since the Orioles took him with their second pick (pick No. 33) in 2022. This past year was his best yet, as he hit .304/.420/.515 in Triple A, earning his first callup to the majors. He still has a little bit of a hitch in his swing, but it’s much reduced, with his hands higher when he loads and a little further out from his body. He’s very strong, leading to high exit velocities even with just average to slightly above-average bat speed, and he should be a 20-homer guy for a few years in the majors.

Dylan Beavers debuted last season and is ready to help the Orioles this year. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

The Orioles did finally get him out of center field last year; it looked like he might stay there when they drafted him, but the past few years have shown he’s better off in a corner and could be above-average in either spot. I think he’s a regular and ready to step into a job right now, more capable of playing every day than Colton Cowser as Beavers gets on base against lefties at a solid clip.