Landon Thome, Ethan Holliday & The Next Generation Of Prospects From MLB Families

Landon Thome, SS, Illinois (2026)

Jim Thome was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 after his 22-year major league career ended with 612 home runs (eighth all time in MLB history) and a career .276/.402/.554 line. His son, Landon, elevated his status this summer after winning player of the week honors during the Area Code Games underclass event last month. While Jim was a 6-foot-4 slugger who began his career at third base but spent most of his time at first base, Landon is a 6-foot, 170-pound middle infielder who stands out for his hitting ability and instincts. Thome has good rhythm and balance in his lefthanded swing, which takes a tight turn to get his barrel into the zone with the bat control to make contact at a high clip.

Trenton Maybin, OF, North Carolina (2026)

Cameron Maybin was a first-round pick (10th overall) by the Tigers out of high school in 2005, became a four-time Top 100 prospect (including three years in the top 10), reached the big leagues when he was 20 and then went to the Marlins that offseason as part of the trade that brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. After a 15-year major league career that ended in 2021, Maybin now coaches one of most talented travel teams, the San Diego Padres Scout team, whose center fielder is his son, Trenton. The younger Maybin is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with an athletic build featuring a high waist and plus speed that he uses to glide around center field and defend his position well. He made one of the best defensive plays I saw all summer, shading the hitter toward right-center field, then taking an efficient route on a fly ball into the left-center field gap to make a diving catch at the warning track. 

Jacob Lombard, SS, Florida (2026)

Lombard’s older brother is George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ first-round pick last year, and the two were teammates during Jacob’s freshman year. Their father, George, was a premier prep athlete and a Braves second-round pick out of high school in 1994 before spending parts of six seasons in the big leagues from 1998-2006. George Sr. is now the bench coach for the Tigers while Jacob is on track to be a potential first-round pick in a couple years. The No. 2 player in the country for 2026, Jacob is more advanced than his older brother was at the same stage, combining excellent athleticism and tools with smooth, textbook actions both at the plate and at shortstop, along with the high baseball IQ that’s no surprise given his upbringing.

Top 150 High School Prospects For 2026

Ben Badler expands his already-exhaustive ranking of the top prep players for 2026 to a whopping 150 players to know.

SEE THE LIST

Kaden Waechter, RHP, Florida (2026)

Righthander Doug Waechter was a Devil Rays third-round pick out of high school in 1999 and pitched for them in the big leagues from 2003-06 before spending time in the majors with the Marlins in 2008 and Royals in 2009. His son, Kaden, has been one of the bigger up-arrow names in the 2026 class this summer. He’s 6-foot-3, 180 pounds with a projectable frame that points to him being able to add to a lively fastball that already touches 92 mph. He shows feel to spin a low-80s slider that gets empty swings and he fills the strike zone with a smooth, easy delivery and feel for pitching beyond his years—all good signs for his ability to be a starter at the next level.

Brody Schumaker, SS, California (2026)

Skip Schumaker was a Cardinals fifth-round pick out of UC Santa Barbara in 2001, then played in the majors for St. Louis as an outfielder and second baseman from 2005-12 before finishing his 11-year career with the Dodgers and Reds. Now in his second year as Marlins manager, Schumaker has a son, Brody, who is a top 100 player in the 2026 class. Brody, 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, is a lefthanded-hitting middle infielder with a high-contact bat from a short, simple swing with a flat path through the zone, enabling him to spread line drives to all fields.

Josiah Kemp, OF, Oklahoma (2026)

Kemp’s uncle is Matt Kemp, a Dodgers sixth-round pick out of high school in Oklahoma in 2003 who became one of the game’s biggest stars during his prime with the Dodgers, including a runner-up MVP finish in 2011. Josiah is an Oklahoma commit and a top 100 player in the 2026 class, drawing attention for his skills at the plate and in center field. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, he is a righthanded hitter with a short, simple stroke to make frequent contact with gap power and strong performance on the summer circuit this year. He’s an above-average runner with strong defensive instincts and range in center field.

CJ Sampson, 3B/OF/RHP, Texas (2026)

Righthander Chris Sampson went to Texas Tech, where he became an eighth-round pick of the Astros in 1999. He made his major league debut when he was 28 and pitched in the big leagues for Houston from 2006-10. His son, C.J., has long stood out for his touch and feel on the mound, but now it’s his hitting ability that is among the best in the 2026 class. He’s 6-foot-3, 210 pounds with a compact, accurate swing from the left side that allows him to be consistently on the barrel. 

Eli Willits, SS, Oklahoma (2025)

Outfielder Reggie Willits played at Oklahoma when the Angels drafted him in the seventh round in 2003. Three years later, he made his major league debut and spent parts of six seasons with the club from 2006-11. He’s now the associate head coach at his alma mater and the father of Eli Willits, who’s scheduled to follow in his footsteps as an Oklahoma commit but is trending toward becoming a high draft pick next year. Willits was the No. 7 player in the 2026 class before he reclassified to become a 2025. Even as a 16-year-old this summer facing older competition, Willits continued to shine with his hitting polish from both sides of the plate, including a gold medal for Team USA at the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier last month. 

Quentin Young, INF/OF, California (2025)

Tampa Bay drafted outfielder Delmon Young out of high school with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He ranked as a top three overall prospect in baseball the next four years, including 2006 when he was the game’s No. 1 prospect. He didn’t turn into the perennial all-star some were expecting, but he made his major league debut when he was 20 and went on to have a 10-year major league career. Outfielder/first baseman Dmitri Young was a slugger who made two all-star teams and hit .292/.351/.475 with 171 home runs during his 13-year big league career. They are both uncles of Quentin Young, an LSU commit who has spent time in the infield and outfield but is known most for the damage he’s capable of doing in the batter’s box. A reclass from 2026 to 2025, Young is a gigantic 6-foot-5, 215-pound prospect with a chance for well above-average raw power, combining strength and bat speed to drive the ball with as much impact as any player in the class. 

Caden Crowell, LHP, Indiana (2025)

Lefthander Jim Crowell made his major league debut with the Reds in 1997, pitching in two games that September. He spent the next seven seasons as a minor league journeyman, including a year in independent ball, before he made his way back to the majors as a 30-year-old with the Phillies in 2004, where he pitched in four relief outings before making four appearances out of the bullpen the next year for the Marlins. Now his son, Caden, is a top 100 player in the 2025 class. A Notre Dame commit, Crowell is a 6-foot-4 lefty who pitches off a fastball that sits in the low-90s and touches 94 mph. He shows the ability to manipulate both his slider and changeup to miss a lot of bats with those pitches. 

Bruin Agbayani, SS, Hawaii (2025)

Outfielder Benny Agbayani signed with the Mets as a 30th-round pick out of Hawaii Pacific in 1993, then reached the majors when he was 26 in 1998. He hit a combined .288/.379/.498 in 220 games over the next two seasons and batted .320/.433/.480 during the 2000 postseason run when the Mets reached the World Series, including an extra-inning home run to beat the Giants in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. His son, Bruin, is a name to know in the 2025 class and one of the top remaining uncommitted players for his year. He’s a 6-foot-1, lefthanded hitter with a good grasp of the strike zone and an approach geared to spray line drives to all fields with gap power. 

Madrid Tucker, SS, Florida (2025)

The Royals drafted Michael Tucker out of Longwood University with their first-round pick (10th overall) in 1992. He went on to a 12-year major league career, mostly with the Royals and Reds but with stints for the Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mets and Phillies, as well. His son, Madrid, is an excellent athlete and a plus runner with plenty of quickness at shortstop. He’s also a standout football player at wide receiver and cornerback who has been drawing interest from colleges in that sport, as well.

Ethan Holliday, SS, Oklahoma (2025)

You didn’t think I just forgot about the No. 1 player in the country, did you? By now, everyone knows Holliday, the younger brother of Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday and the son of seven-time all-star outfielder Matt Holliday. Like his brother, Ethan is a smooth-swinging lefthanded hitter with a great eye for the strike zone. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, however, he’s built more like his dad than his brother. His bat speed and raw power jump out, and while his future position is up in the air, there’s upside to be a high on-base, 30-plus home run hitter in the middle of a lineup.