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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Braden Montgomery, Colt Emerson, Joshua Baez - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Finding potential league winners on the waiver wire can be the difference-maker in whether you win or lose your fantasy league. Even though it is still early in the campaign, many prospects have already heard the call and begun to flash elite upside.
Below, we will spotlight three prospects that could be worth stashing or picking up off the waiver wire, including a top-10 prospect who recently earned the call to the majors.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Braden Montgomery, OF, Chicago White Sox
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 13 G, .291/.361/.473, 4 2B, 2 HR, 1 SB
The White Sox have been a pleasant surprise this season and could be adding one of the top outfield prospects in the game to the mix in the near future. Braden Montgomery has been hitting well all season between Double-A and Triple-A, combining for a .309/.412/.564 slash line, 19 extra-base hits, and three stolen bases in 182 plate appearances.
He's currently on a five-game hitting streak with two home runs in those five games.
While Montgomery brings plenty of power to the table, as evident by his 92.3 mph AVG EV and 51.4% hard-hit rate in Triple-A, I'm a little worried that the average could be a bit lower initially. Montgomery is running a contact rate below 70% this season, including 67.7% in Triple-A. But even if he's hitting in the .240 range initially, Montgomery's power and ability to add a steal here and there make him appealing for redraft leagues.
Another White Sox prospect to keep an eye on is Jacob Gonzalez. The 23-year-old middle infielder is slashing .306/.423/.638 with 14 home runs and seven steals this season. He's also walking at a 15.8% clip while only striking out 20.4% of the time. He's put his name back on the prospect map after a lackluster first three years in the minor leagues, and could get a shot soon if the White Sox need a middle infielder.
-Written by Eric Cross
Colt Emerson, 3B/SS, Seattle Mariners
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 25% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 38 G, .255/.347/.469, 8 2B, 7 HR, 10 SB
The Mariners have called up their No. 1 prospect, Colt Emerson, after veteran infielder Brendan Donovan landed on the injured list with a groin injury. Donovan is expected to miss more than the minimum 15 days, and even if he returns quickly, Emerson could stick around if he proves he’s ready for the majors.
The bigger question is what happens when Donovan returns, as Seattle’s current shortstop, J.P. Crawford, could end up blocking Emerson’s path to regular playing time.
Crawford has been productive this season, posting a 120 wRC+ across 41 games, but at this stage of his career, he profiles more as a below-average overall infielder with a solid bat. Emerson, meanwhile, is viewed as the future of the organization. Earlier this year, Emerson signed an eight-year, $95 million extension, a clear signal that the Mariners are fully committed to his long-term role with the club.
Unfortunately, unlike Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle, Emerson currently projects to be a better real-life baseball player than a fantasy asset in 2026. Even so, it’s rarely a bad idea to pick up a top-10 overall prospect. So far at Triple-A this season, the left-handed-hitting Emerson has recorded seven home runs and 10 steals while posting a 27.2% strikeout rate and a 10.0% walk rate across 169 plate appearances, good for a 105 wRC+.
Here is a Statcast breakdown of his Triple-A performance.
While those numbers may not immediately jump off the page, it’s important to note that he suffered a minor wrist injury earlier in the year, which delayed his initial MLB call-up. Now that he is fully healthy, what should fantasy managers expect? If he stays up the rest of the season, Emerson could hit up to 10 home runs while swiping 10 bags with a .235 average.
Overall, he profiles as a rosterable middle-infield option in a 15-team league, but buyer beware, it is not a forgone conclusion that he will stay up or be an above-average bat to start his career.
- Written by Marty Tallman
Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 41 G, .239/.315/.497, 7 2B, 11 HR, 10 SB
2026 Prospect Fantasy Baseball Redraft Stash Rankings
Who are the top fantasy baseball prospects to know? Check out our latest 2026 prospect fantasy baseball rankings which are updated regularly by Eric Cross:
Promoted This Week: Colt Emerson (SEA)
Promoted Last Week: Henry Bolte (ATH), A.J. Ewing (NYM), Carson Williams (TBR)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Lazaro Montes (SEA), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Gabriel Gonzalez (MIN), Zac Veen (COL), Deyvison De Los Santos (MIA), Hector Rodriguez (CIN), Blaze Jordan (STL), Jacob Melton (TBR), James Tibbs (LAD), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Jonathon Long (CHC), Jacob Gonzalez (CHW), Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH), Aidan Miller (PHI), Pedro Ramirez (CHC)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): Hagen Smith (CHW), Jaxon Wiggins (CHC), Brody Hopkins (TBR), Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | Now |
| 2 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | PIT | Now |
| 3 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | MIN | June |
| 4 | Kade Anderson | SP | SEA | July |
| 5 | Edwin Arroyo | 2B/SS | CIN | May |
| 6 | River Ryan | SP | LAD | June |
| 7 | Braden Montgomery | OF | CHW | July |
| 8 | Max Clark | OF | DET | July |
| 9 | Charlie Condon | 1B | COL | June |
| 10 | Luis Lara | OF | MIL | June |
| 11 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | MIL | June |
| 12 | Cooper Pratt | SS | MIL | July |
| 13 | Walker Jenkins | OF | MIN | June |
| 14 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | OF | MIN | June |
| 15 | Thomas White | SP | MIA | July |
| 16 | Esmerlyn Valdez | OF | PIT | July |
| 17 | Cole Carrigg | OF | COL | June |
| 18 | Yohandy Morales | 1B/3B | WAS | June |
| 19 | Jordan Lawlar | INF/OF | ARI | July |
| 20 | Carlos Lagrange | SP | NYY | July |
| 21 | Kemp Alderman | OF | MIA | July |
| 22 | Gage Jump | SP | ATH | July |
| 23 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | July |
| 24 | Kevin Alcantara | OF | CHC | July |
| 25 | Jonah Tong | SP | NYM | July |
Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Braden Montgomery, Colt Emerson, Ralphy Velazquez, A.J. Ewing, Henry Bolte, Zebby Matthews, Tanner Scott, Hunter Greene. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Looking to pick up someone else instead? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Hagen Smith, Jack Wenninger, Jonah Cox, A.J. Ewing, Henry Bolte, Justin Crawford, Colt Emerson, Travis Bazzana, Jonah Tong:
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