Josh Ekness, Riley Cornelio Headline 10 Statcast Standouts (April 13)

Minor League Baseball’s early-season radar-gun buzz centers on a pair of arms, as Marlins right-hander Josh Ekness and Nationals prospect Riley Cornelio pace the first Statcast leaderboard release of 2026. The April 13 update, published by Baseball America, spotlights ten players whose raw stuff has already turned heads across the affiliated circuits.

Ekness, the headline act, has flashed an arsenal that evaluators label “enviable,” though specific pitch metrics were not disclosed in the initial announcement. Cornelio, Washington’s farmhand, slots immediately behind him, giving the Nationals a second consecutive week of national recognition after last week’s prospect accolades.

The complete top-ten list was not itemized in the brief release, yet the designation confirms that both pitchers have separated themselves from the hundreds of arms currently stacking innings in full-season affiliates. With only two weeks of game action in the books, the data set remains small, but Statcast’s early buy-in underscores the industry’s confidence in the technology’s ability to identify breakout candidates before traditional statistics stabilize.

Baseball America noted that the full breakdown of velocities, spin rates, and movement profiles will follow in subsequent coverage. Until then, Ekness and Cornelio occupy the spotlight as the names to watch every fifth day.