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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Braden Montgomery, Jonah Tong, Jimmy Crooks - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Targeting high-end prospects ahead of their MLB debuts is a great way to add upside to your fantasy baseball roster. Those who stashed Payton Tolle, Robby Snelling, and Ryan Waldschimdt ahead of their promotion, not only saved some FAAB but also potentially acquired a high-impact lottery ticket.
In this piece, we will spotlight two of the top hitting prospects who are approaching their MLB debuts and a pitcher who could be in the mix to earn his second taste of the big leagues.
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: 10% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 6 G, .292/.370/.375, 2 2B
Braden Montgomery RBIs have arrived at Triple-A!
See what else the @whitesox top prospect has in store (for FREE!) after he plates a pair for @KnightsBaseball: https://t.co/Wm3V2525Oi pic.twitter.com/tAbkNpVtGc
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 8, 2026
Like the Cardinals, the White Sox are significantly exceeding expectations, so they can afford to be a bit more patient with their top prospects. Montgomery is one of those young players. Recently promoted to Triple-A, we can likely expect to see Montgomery in the second half of the season.
This is a 23-year-old outfielder who slashed .313/.429/.606 with six homers in 126 plate appearances at Double-A. So far in Triple-A, Montgomery is slashing .111/.200/.111 with a 30.0% strikeout rate, so he definitely needs some more reps before he gets called up.
However, the question is when, not if, as the White Sox have every incentive to see what they have with their young players. Currently, Jarred Kelenic and Tristan Peters are getting at-bats in the outfield, so the White Sox could certainly use the boost from Montgomery.
Once he's finally called up to the big leagues, fantasy managers can expect a polished bat who could produce at a 20-20 pace in the best-case scenario.
While not as much of a priority stash as Baez, Montgomery definitely fits the bill in deeper formats, so keep an eye out for him.
-Written by Frank Ammirante
Jonah Tong, SP, New York Mets
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 36 1/3 IP, 4.46 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 52 SO, 21 BB
Round out our list will be a familiar name to readers of this column. Jonah Tong has been a difficult prospect to trust throughout the early part of the 2026 campaign, as he has shown high usage at times but has really been able to sustain it over several games. However, with Kodai Senga on the 15-day injured list and David Peterson stumbling in a long relief role, Tong is firmly back on the stash radar ahead of Week 7.
Tong made his MLB debut last summer but struggled in his first stint in Queens, posting a hefty 7.71 ERA over a short 18 2/3-inning stint. However, in the minor leagues, Tong was far more impressive. He opened the 2025 campaign with Double-A, where he logged 102 innings to the tune of an elite 1.59 ERA with a 162:44 K:BB.
HE was then bumped up to Triple-A, where he needed only two starts before moving up to the Mets. The young right-hander was unable to win a starting role out of camp and was optioned to Syracuse to put the finishing touches on his development.
Through 31 1/3 innings at Triple-A, Tong has not enjoyed much sustained success, which has kept him lower on our list. Through this stint, he has posted a 4.60 ERA with a modest 1.20 WHIP. While his statistics on the surface may not look overly impressive, they are heavily skewed by a five-run and a six-run implosion.
Removing those two starts, Tong would carry a 2.80 ERA with a 20:4 K:BB (over 16 frames), which is much closer to his 2025 production than his 2026 totals. While he will need to fully return to this form to be in the mix for a promotion, the current state of the rotation could prompt a call-up in the near future.
If Tong can return to his 2025 form in his next set of outings, he will quickly climb to the top of this list given his path to a clear full-time role. Tong was flashing more upside than his former minor league teammate, Nolan McLean, at this time of the campaign a year ago. The Georgia Premier Academy product has just as much raw upside as McLean had as a prospect and could quickly return to this level of prospect pedigree if he can turn the corner at Triple-A.
Similar to Smith and Anderson on this list, Tong is not near the "must-stash" territory but could reach this status with a handful of strong outings at Syracuse.
- Written by Andy Smith
Jimmy Crooks, C, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 30 G, .264/.418/.632, 12 HR, 1 SB
- Written by Frank Ammirante
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 Last Week: Bryce Eldridge (SFG), Joe Mack (MIA), Robby Snelling (MIA), Ryan Waldschmidt (ARI), Spencer Jones (NYY)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Lazaro Montes (SEA), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT), Gabriel Gonzalez (MIN), Zac Veen (COL), Deyvison De Los Santos (MIA), Hector Rodriguez (CIN), Blaze Jordan (STL), Jacob Melton (TBR), James Tibbs (LAD), Cole Carrigg (COL), Edwin Arroyo (CIN)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): Gage Jump (ATH), Carlos Lagrange (NYY), Hagen Smith (CHW), Jaxon Wiggins (CHC), Trey Gibson (BAL), Brody Hopkins (TBR), Kendry Rojas (MIN), River Ryan (LAD)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | May |
| 2 | Henry Bolte | OF | ATH | Now |
| 3 | Max Clark | OF | DET | July |
| 4 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | MIN | June |
| 5 | Kade Anderson | SP | SEA | July |
| 6 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | July |
| 7 | Charlie Condon | 1B | COL | June |
| 8 | Luis Lara | OF | MIL | June |
| 9 | A.J. Ewing | OF | NYM | July |
| 10 | Walker Jenkins | OF | MIN | June |
| 11 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | OF | MIN | June |
| 12 | Thomas White | SP | MIA | July |
| 13 | Jonah Tong | SP | NYM | June |
| 14 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | MIL | June |
| 15 | Jordan Lawlar | INF/OF | ARI | July |
| 16 | Braden Montgomery | OF | CHW | July |
| 17 | Carson Williams | SS | TBR | May |
| 18 | Kevin Alcantara | OF | CHC | July |
| 19 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | PIT | June |
| 20 | Pedro Ramirez | 2B/3B | CHC | July |
| 21 | Hagen Smith | SP | CHW | July |
| 22 | Aidan Miller | SS | PHI | August |
| 23 | Kemp Alderman | OF | MIA | July |
| 24 | Jonathon Long | 1B | CHC | July |
| 25 | Michael Arroyo | 2B/3B | SEA | 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, Jonah Tong, Jimmy Crooks, Justin Crawford, Owen Caissie, JR Ritchie, Logan Henderson, Connelly Early, Josh Jung, Moises Ballesteros, Rico Garcia. 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 Braden Montgomery, Jonah Tong, Jimmy Crooks, Justin Crawford, Owen Caissie, JR Ritchie, Logan Henderson, Connelly Early, Josh Jung, Moises Ballesteros, Rico Garcia:
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