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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Didier Fuentes, James Tibbs III, Sam Antonacci - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Targeting high-end prospects early in the regular season can be the difference between you winning your fantasy league or falling just short in the final standings. Last season, managers who took the task and stayed with Nick Kurtz were rewarded with a league-winner.
In this piece, we will spotlight three high-upside prospects that are nearing a call-up and carry enough upside to make them high-end stash targets in Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Didier Fuentes, SP, Atlanta Braves
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 10% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 9 2/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 15 SO, 3 BB
The 20-year-old saw his fantasy value improve over the final part of spring training when the team announced he would be joining the 2026 regular season with the big league club. While Fuentes only made one appearance (and in a long relief role), this was a great sign for the young pitcher, setting himself up for a larger role later in the summer.
In his lone appearance on March 29, Fuentes logged four innings of one-run ball with two hits, one walk, and four punchouts. This was a major improvement over the hefty 13.85 ERA and a 2.23 WHIP he held over his first 13 innings in the majors last summer. However, even though the Atlanta rotation is currently decimated by injuries and lacks depth, the Braves opted to send Fuentes down to Triple-A to continue to increase his workload.
Even though his short-term stock has taken a bit of a hit, seeing the Braves trust him early in the season, he could suggest that his return to Atlanta could be much sooner than expected.
Since returning to Triple-A Gwinnett, Fuentes has been quite sharp over two starts. In this short stint, Fuentes has logged 9 2/3 shutout innings with a stellar 0.83 WHIP. During this stretch, Fuentes has struck out 15 hitters while serving up just five free passes. In his most recent outing, he tossed six shutout frames with eight punchouts.
🔴 6 scoreless IP
🔴 8 strikeouts
🔴 16 pitches at 98+ mph@Braves No. 3 prospect Didier Fuentes delivers his second straight stellar Triple-A @GoStripers outing: pic.twitter.com/cU3bcCDhyY— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 9, 2026
Last summer at Triple-A, Fuentes held a 3.63 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP over a short 22 1/3 innings.
With a lengthy list of Atlanta starting pitchers on the shelf like Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), Spencer Strider (oblique), Hurston Waldrep (elbow), and, most recently, Reynaldo Lopez being hit with a seven-game suspension, Fuentes' path to a full-time role is open much sooner than the team likely expected.
Seeing him log six innings of work in his last outing (on April 8) suggests his workload is almost fully ramped up to take a "starting role." Don't wait to stash him as he could truly breakout over his first "full" taste of the major leagues.
A report on Friday morning by Harrison Smajovits of Sports Illustrated suggests that Fuentes could rejoin the MLB roster sometime next week. Given the improvement he has shown at Triple-A, he could make an immediate impact once he claims a spot in the rotation.
-Written by Andy Smith
James Tibbs III, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 15 G, .356/.457/.864, 4 2B, 8 HR
James Tibbs III Is Absolutely Nuclear
⚾️ 7 HR
⚾️ 8 Games
⚾️ .514 AVG
⚾️ 1.850 OPSTibbs is outhomering entire Triple-A rosters and making a massive case for a quick promotion to Los Angeles.
pic.twitter.com/MZuz9yFWzS— RotoLegends (@RotoLegends) April 5, 2026
James Tibbs III was acquired by the Dodgers in the Dustin May trade with the Red Sox, which is already looking like a heist. Tibbs has been crushing the ball in Triple-A, slashing .413/.481/1.000 with seven home runs in 52 plate appearances.
This comes after he put up 20 homers and 10 steals in 562 plate appearances across all minor league levels last year.
The problem here is that Tibbs is blocked from playing time by Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker. However, if one of those outfielders deals with an injury, the Dodgers may opt to give Tibbs a shot, since he's swinging such a hot bat.
There's also the possibility that Tibbs could be traded at the deadline as the Dodgers look to upgrade other areas of their roster.
With that said, there's definitely a lower likelihood that Tibbs will be up in the big leagues than other names on this list. But he's absolutely worth highlighting considering how much he's mashing in Triple-A.
- Written by Frank Ammirante
Sam Antonacci, INF/OF, Chicago White Sox
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 13 G, .289/.484/.444, 2 HR, 5 SB
Tanner Murray (FC) steals 2B and Sam Antonacci steals home. #Knights trail 4-3 after the double steal. pic.twitter.com/P5ZR1uO3F4
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 1, 2026
Sam Antonacci is off to a great start at Triple-A, slashing .353/.522/.559 with two home runs and four stolen bases in 47 plate appearances. The plate discipline looks terrific, as highlighted by a 21.3% walk rate and 12.8% strikeout rate. The 184 wRC+ and .206 ISO are exactly what you want to see from a 23-year-old.
What's most intriguing here is the uptick in power. Last season, Antonacci had only five homers in 519 plate appearances across all minor league levels. If he can now get to 15+ homers, he becomes much more intriguing in fantasy. That's because Antonacci stole 48 bases in the minors last season.
When you look at the White Sox depth chart, you can see a path to playing time for Antonacci. Right now, the White Sox are deploying Dustin Harris and Tristan Peters in the outfield. These are two completely unproven players. Veteran Austin Hays is on the injured list with a hamstring issue, so there's an opportunity here.
If Antonacci can continue swinging the bat well, he'll be up sooner than later, making him a worthwhile stash in all formats, as long as you have an NA spot. While reports suggested over the weekend the White Sox were set to give him the call, Bruce Levine of The Score 670 noted that the call-up is not imminent. Managers should continue to monitor their status, but for those in 12+ team leagues, this is a great opportunity to stay ahead of the official confirmation.
- 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 This Week: Noah Schultz (CHW)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Lazaro Montes (SEA), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Kemp Alderman (MIA), Kevin Alcantara (CHC), Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT), Gabriel Gonzalez (MIN), Zac Veen (COL), Deyvison De Los Santos (MIA), Hector Rodriguez (CIN), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Pedro Ramirez (CHC), Blaze Jordan (STL), Ryan Ward (LAD), Luis Lara (MIL), Jacob Melton (TBR)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): Gage Jump (ATH), Carlos Lagrange (NYY), Elmer Rodriguez (NYY), Hagen Smith (CHW), Jaxon Wiggins (CHC), Trey Gibson (BAL), Brody Hopkins (TBR)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Noah Schultz | SP | CHW | April |
| 2 | Sam Antonacci | 2B/3B/OF | CHW | May |
| 3 | Didier Fuentes | SP | ATL | April |
| 4 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | ARI | May |
| 5 | Robby Snelling | SP | MIA | May |
| 6 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | May |
| 7 | Payton Tolle | SP | BOS | May |
| 8 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | CLE | June |
| 9 | Charlie Condon | 1B | COL | May |
| 10 | Bryce Eldridge | 1B | SFG | May |
| 11 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | June |
| 12 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | MIL | May |
| 13 | Max Clark | OF | DET | July |
| 14 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | MIN | May |
| 15 | Walker Jenkins | OF | MIN | June |
| 16 | River Ryan | SP | LAD | May |
| 17 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | PIT | June |
| 18 | Jonah Tong | SP | NYM | June |
| 19 | Aidan Miller | SS | PHI | July |
| 20 | Carson Williams | SS | TBR | May |
| 21 | James Tibbs III | OF | LAD | June |
| 22 | Thomas White | SP | MIA | July |
| 23 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | OF | MIN | July |
| 24 | Jonathon Long | 1B | CHC | June |
| 25 | Spencer Jones | OF | NYY | 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 Didier Fuentes, James Tibbs III, Justin Crawford, Owen Caissie, Colt Emerson, Ryan Waldschmidt, Bryce Eldridge. 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 Didier Fuentes, James Tibbs III, Justin Crawford, Owen Caissie, Colt Emerson, Ryan Waldschmidt, Bryce Eldridge:
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