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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Hagen Smith, Joshua Baez, Kaelen Culpepper - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Finding a high-impact prospect on the waiver wire ahead of their promotion can provide a massive spark to your fantasy baseball team.
In this piece, we will spotlight three prospects who are performing at a high level at Triple-A and quickly approaching their MLB debuts.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Hagen Smith, SP, Chicago White Sox
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 47 2/3 IP, 3.78 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 72 SO, 33 BB
I've seen plenty of people getting excited about a possible promotion for Hagen Smith in the near future. Yes, Smith is knocking on the door to the Majors, and I could easily see the White Sox giving him a shot in the near future. However, I'm not nearly as giddy as others are when it comes to Smith's potential fantasy impact in redraft leagues this season.
Hagen Smith (@whitesox) reaches a career-high 92 pitches in a scoreless outing for Triple-A @KnightsBaseball:
4 2/3 IP
3 H
0 R
3 BB
9 K (T-season high)
19 swings-and-misses pic.twitter.com/bCTVZN28XZ— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 7, 2026
In 13 starts for Triple-A Charlotte this season, Smith has posted a 3.78 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 35% strikeout rate across 47.2 innings. Smith is a difficult look for opposing batters, as evident by the 35% strikeout rate, 14.6% SwStr rate, and .183 BAA. But he's also walked 16% of the batters he's faced after posting a 17.6% walk rate in 2025. If you combine the last two seasons, Smith has walked 89 batters in 123.1 innings.
The upside is there and high enough to have him in these top-25 stash rankings when you also factor in the proximity, but I'm expecting a rocky road for Smith once he debuts with the White Sox.
-Written by Eric Cross
Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 57 G, .274/.346/.591, 13 2B, 18 HR, 11 SB
Joshua Baez is a man on a mission over the last month. The 22-year-old outfield prospect smashed nine home runs in his final 17 games in May and already has four multi-hit games so far in June. Over the last 24 games, Baez is slashing .327/.391/.776 with 18 extra-base hits, 101home runs, and five steals in 110 plate appearances. But at the same time, he's running just a 7.3% walk rate with a 28.2% strikeout rate.
OF Joshua Báez (AAA) smashes this ball 438 ft. for his 11th HR of the season.
The #STLCards No. 3 prospect has hit 5 HR over 425 ft. this year. pic.twitter.com/yLs1S9djkC
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) May 17, 2026
There aren't many hitting prospects with more upside for fantasy than Baez, which is why he's so appealing as a redraft stash candidate. Baez is currently rocking a 92.4 mph AVG EV, 52.4% hard-hit rate, and a 20% barrel rate in Triple-A, and is an above-average runner as well. Even if the contact/strikeout issues keep the AVG and OBP in check, Baez could realistically provide 15 home runs and 10 steals over the second half of the season.
- Written by Eric Cross
Kaelen Culepper, INF, Minnesota Twins
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 58 G, .268/.372/.489, 10 2B, 14 HR, 14 SB
Kaelen Culpepper was featured in this piece two weeks ago, and he hasn’t slowed down since. After homering on Friday, he entered Saturday on a 14-game hitting streak with five home runs in that span.
On the season, he’s slashing .268/.372/.489 with 14 home runs, 40 RBI, 51 runs, and 14 stolen bases with an excellent 12.6% walk rate and 17.7% strikeout rate. With a 50.3% hard-hit rate and 89.3% Z-contact rate, he’s proven he can consistently perform at the Triple-A level. The only question remaining is how long it will take for him to get the call to the majors.
Don't blink, you'll miss another Kaelen Culpepper homer!
MLB's No. 37 prospect (@Twins) whacks a solo shot at 105.1 mph off the bat in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak for the Triple-A @StPaulSaints: pic.twitter.com/juEgAX5r2j
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 6, 2026
He’s not blocked by All-Stars by any means, as the Twins had Tristan Gray and Brooks Lee occupying the left side of their infield until Saturday. That was when Royce Lewis got the call back up to the majors after hitting 10 home runs in 15 minor league games, so that likely delays Culpepper's promotion by a bit.
However, it doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of it happening soon. He can play second base, shortstop, and third base, and so can Lee, so they have the flexibility to move guys around in a rotational manner if they were dedicated to getting Culpepper at-bats. Once he does get promoted, he'd be worth adding in all leagues, bringing a solid mix of power, speed, and batting average that could surely help out your fantasy team.
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: Edwin Arroyo (CIN), Spencer Jones (NYY), LuJames Groover (ARI)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Lazaro Montes (SEA), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Zac Veen (COL), Deyvison De Los Santos (MIA), Jacob Melton (TBR), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Jonathon Long (CHC), Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH), Denzer Guzman (LAA)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT), Owen Murphy (ATL)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins | June |
| 2 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals | July |
| 3 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners | July |
| 4 | River Ryan | SP | Dodgers | June |
| 5 | Max Clark | OF | Tigers | August |
| 6 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers | June |
| 7 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies | July |
| 8 | Braden Montgomery | OF | White Sox | NOW |
| 9 | Luis Lara | OF | Brewers | June |
| 10 | Cooper Pratt | SS | Brewers | July |
| 11 | Cole Carrigg | OF | Rockies | NOW |
| 12 | Yohandy Morales | 1B/3B | Nationals | June |
| 13 | Hagen Smith | SP | White Sox | July |
| 14 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers | July |
| 15 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians | August |
| 16 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins | August |
| 17 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees | July |
| 18 | Karson Milbrandt | SP | Marlins | August |
| 19 | Jaxon Wiggins | SP | Cubs | July |
| 20 | Kemp Alderman | OF | Marlins | July |
| 21 | Abimelec Ortiz | 1B | Nationals | July |
| 22 | Blaze Jordan | 1B/3B | Cardinals | July |
| 23 | Jordan Lawlar | INF/OF | Diamondbacks | July |
| 24 | Brody Hopkins | SP | Rays | July |
| 25 | Hector Rodriguez | OF | Reds | August |
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 Hagen Smith, Joshua Baez, Kaelen Culpepper, Jacob Latz, Carson Benge, Gage Jump, Christian Scott, Ben Brown, Jung Hoo Lee, Zack Gelof. 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, Joshua Baez, Kaelen Culpepper, Jacob Latz, Carson Benge, Gage Jump, Christian Scott, Ben Brown, Jung Hoo Lee, Zack Gelof:
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