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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Charlie Condon, Quinn Mathews, Joshua Baez - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Through the opening months of the 2026 regular season, managers have seen many high-end prospects earn the call and immediately put themselves on the fantasy radar like Henry Bolte, Cole Carrigg, and Gage Jump.
Below, we will look at three of the top prospects in the sport who are all showcasing high-end talent at the Triple-A level, including two outfield prospects who are knocking on the big-league door.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Charlie Condon, 1B, Colorado Rockies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 65 G, .262/.397/.512, 13 2B, 14 HR, 5 SB
Charlie Condon was featured in many editions of this piece early in the season, but cooled off in May and ultimately fell behind Cole Carrigg as the main focus of attention on the Rockies’ Triple-A squad. However, he’s gotten back into the swing of things as of late, launching six home runs since June 7.
In June, he’s slashing an excellent .262/.416/.639 with six home runs, 21 RBI, and 15 runs in 17 games. On the season, he’s up to 14 home runs and five stolen bases with a .261 batting average. The 23-year-old’s max exit velocity this season has been 112.6 mph, while he’s posted a 46.4% hard-hit rate.
Charlie Condon tees off against a rehabbing big leaguer ☄️
MLB's No. 72 prospect (@Rockies) belts his 5th HR in the past 10 games for the Triple-A @ABQTopes: pic.twitter.com/SIduDaON4h
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 17, 2026
While it’s clear the 6’6” slugger possesses plenty of power, it’s also great to see a 15.4% walk rate and 23.5% strikeout rate that are respectable compared to the strikeout rates nearing 30% that many top power prospects find themselves falling into. His chase rate sits at an elite mark of 18.5%, showing a great eye at the plate that should make his transition to the major leagues easier.
Even if his skills weren’t that promising, any hitter who plays half of their games at Coors Field can stumble into fantasy relevance as at least a streaming option. So, when you take a former third overall draft pick who’s raking at the highest level of the minor leagues, it’s obvious that the fantasy upside will be off the charts.
The Rockies lineup currently consists of players such as Troy Johnston, TJ Rumfield, Edouard Julien, and Jake McCarthy. While none of them are potentially franchise-altering players like Condon is, they have all actually been performing pretty well as of late. That may delay his promotion timeline, but any injury to their major league club could instantly open a spot for the youngster.
It’s not like they should be hesitant to promote him, after all, as Condon actually entered spring training with a chance to win the starting first base job outright. There’s no way to know an exact date, but I am confident he’ll make his major league debut in 2026.
-Written by Jeremy Heist
Quinn Mathews, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 60 2/3 IP, 4.01 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 76 SO, 42 BB
Quinn Mathews took the minor leagues by storm in 2024 when he progressed through the Cardinals system at an incredible rate. During that season, he tossed 143 1/3 innings (through all four levels) and posted a 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 202:49 K:BB.
As a result, entering the 2025 season, the lefty was on the verge of a debut. However, he would log only 99 innings and stumble through most of them, which lowered his prospect upside. Through 94 innings of those innings (at Triple-A), Mathews posted a 3.93 ERA with a rough 1.60 WHIP and a 107:74 K:BB.
While these struggles persisted early in the 2026 campaign, Mathews has been making significant strides against the top hitters in the minor leagues. Through his first 35 2/3 innings of work, the Stanford product posted a 5.55 ERA with a hefty 7.6 BB/9.
However, as with the progression Hagen Smith enjoyed, Mathews has begun to get a grip on his command. Over his last three starts, Mathews has logged 16 innings of work with a 0.56 ERA and a much-improved 2.8 BB/9. In his last two outings, Mathews has logged 12 innings with a near-perfect 15:2 K:BB.
While he will need to show this progress over a much longer period, his improvements have put him on the stash list.
The other reason Mathews is an intriguing stash candidate is his path to the majors. With the Cardinals in competition for a Wild Card spot, promoting Mathews to the back end of their staff will give them far more upside than what they are currently receiving.
Since May 1, the team's No. 4 starter, Andre Pallante, has posted a 3.99 ERA. Their No. 4 option, Kyle Leahy, has held a high 6.38 ERA over his last four games.
Quinn Mathews electric night is done
6 IP
1 H
0 ER
1 BB
9 K61% strikes with 16 whiffs on the night (47% whiff rate). The slider, changeup, and curveball all had over a 50% whiff rate. pic.twitter.com/I002ifjvsb
— Redbird Farmhands (@RedbirdFarmhand) June 5, 2026
- Written by Andy Smith
Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 67 G, .274/.343/.626, 14 2B, 25 HR, 12 SB
Joshua Baez had the best single-game performance of any player this season on Tuesday, June 16, launching four home runs and collecting seven RBI. A performance like that at Triple-A would get anyone on the radar for a potential major league promotion, and that’s especially true for Baez, who was already one of the highest-upside stash candidates in baseball before the historic night.
A FOUR-HOMER GAME FOR JOSHUA BÁEZ! 🤯
The @Cardinals' No. 3 prospect becomes just the third Minor Leaguer this decade to deliver a quartet of roundtrippers: pic.twitter.com/3cRsqt88Is
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 17, 2026
He was featured in this piece three weeks ago, where I said it would be hard for the Cardinals to justify keeping him in the minors at his current pace. After those four homers and another on June 18, he’s slashing .274/.343/.626 with 25 home runs, 64 RBI, 56 runs, and 12 stolen bases in 67 games. That’s nearly a 60-homer, 30-steal pace over 162 games, which shows just how crazy high his upside is.
That’s even underselling his stolen base success, as he swiped 54 bags in the minors last season. Of course, no one expects the 22-year-old to carry those rates into the majors and be the best player in baseball history, but the skills are clearly there to be a huge fantasy asset in both power and speed.
The biggest downside is his strikeout rate, which currently sits at 29.9%, as that could push into dangerous territory if he struggles to adjust to big league pitching. Still, there’s room for the youngster to be effective regardless, as his 114.1 mph max exit velocity and 54.6% hard-hit rate can provide a path to success, even with a lot of swinging and missing.
The Cardinals are in playoff contention, and at some point, will need to field the best possible roster. It certainly looks like Baez should be a part of that, especially considering Nathan Church is currently one of their primary outfielders. He’s worth stashing in any standard-sized leagues, as the slugger is the front-runner to be the next big promotion.
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: Cooper Pratt (MIL), Kahlil Watson (CLE)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH), Jonathon Long (CHC), Max Anderson (DET), Zach Ehrhard (LAD), Kemp Alderman (MIA), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Lazaro Montes (SEA), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Jacob Melton (TBR), Yohandy Morales (WAS), Abimelec Ortiz (WAS), Harry Ford (WAS)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): George Klassen (LAA), Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT), Quinn Mathews (STL), Brody Hopkins (TBR)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals | July |
| 2 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners | July |
| 3 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins | July |
| 4 | Max Clark | OF | Tigers | July |
| 5 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | Diamondbacks | July |
| 6 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies | July |
| 7 | Karson Milbrandt | SP | Marlins | August |
| 8 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins | August |
| 9 | River Ryan | SP | Dodgers | July |
| 10 | Zac Veen | OF | Rockies | July |
| 11 | Seaver King | SS/2B | Nationals | July |
| 12 | Hector Rodriguez | OF | Reds | August |
| 13 | Luke Adams | 1B/3B | Brewers | July |
| 14 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers | July |
| 15 | Luis Lara | OF | Brewers | July |
| 16 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | Pirates | July |
| 17 | Owen Murphy | SP | Braves | July |
| 18 | Hagen Smith | SP | White Sox | July |
| 19 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers | July |
| 20 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians | August |
| 21 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees | July |
| 22 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | Yankees | July |
| 23 | Jaxon Wiggins | SP | Cubs | July |
| 24 | Wei-En Lin | SP | Athletics | August |
| 25 | Jonah Tong | SP | Mets | 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:
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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Charlie Condon, Quinn Mathews, Joshua Baez, T.J. Rumfield, Chase Meidroth. Luis Garcia Jr., Grant Taylor, Josh Jung, Alex Lange, Jacob Webb, River Ryan. 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 Charlie Condon, Quinn Mathews, Joshua Baez, T.J. Rumfield, Chase Meidroth. Luis Garcia Jr., Grant Taylor, Josh Jung, Alex Lange, Jacob Webb, River Ryan:
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