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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - J.J. Wetherholt, Brice Matthews, Cam Schlittler - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Throughout the first half of the season, many of the top prospects in the sport have been given the call to join their respective MLB rosters and have made a significant impact. For example, Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has emerged as a must-start first baseman due to his power upside, and Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron has provided strong value to anyone who grabbed him off the waiver wire.
In this piece, we will look at two players who have just received the call to the big leagues and determine if fantasy managers should view them as must-add targets. Additionally, we will also spotlight one of the top picks from the 2024 MLB Draft, who is approaching his eventual MLB debut.
Should those players be left on the waiver wire, or should fantasy managers add them before their breakout? Let's dive in!
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J.J. Wetherholt, INF, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 MiLB Stats: 68 G, .309/.431/.494, 17 2B, 8 HR, 14 SB, 44 SO, 46 BB
Sal Stewart wasn't the only notable prospect to get the bump to Triple-A last week as J.J. Wetherholt was bumped up as well. Wetherholt has already picked up eight hits, five extra-base hits, and four walks in his first six games. Overall, Wetherholt is slashing .309/.431/.494 this season with 17 doubles, eight home runs, and 14 steals in 16 attempts.
Wetherholt might not stand out in any one area offensively, but he does a lot of things well, which makes him one of the best fantasy prospects in the game. He's made contact at an impressive 82% clip this season with a 7% SwStr rate, 16.1% walk rate, and a 14.7% strikeout rate. Wetherholt is also an above-average power bat with average to above-average speed as well.
If the Cardinals need a middle infielder over the final two months of the season, Wetherholt could get the call. For now, he is worth monitoring in deeper formats as an August promotion could be in play.
JJ Wetherholt in his first six Triple-A games:
.400/.500/.800
1 HR
2 RBI
231 wRC+Our #27 prospect just keeps hitting no matter what level he’s playing at! pic.twitter.com/NKizegmZZp
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) July 21, 2025
-Written by Eric Cross
Brice Matthews, INF, Houston Astros
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 6 G, .200/.304/.650, 3 HR, 9 SO, 2 BB
Brice Matthews has gotten off to a slow start to his MLB career, but it is just a 15-plate-appearance sample we are talking about. With 15 homers and 32 stolen bases in 2024, Matthews showed an impressive power/speed combo as he jumped from High-A up to Triple-A. This year, Matthews began the year with Sugar Land and was rather dominant. With 10 home runs and 27 extra-base hits, Matthews showed the five-category potential by also swiping 25 bases.
Matthews is a stellar athlete, which is evident when you see him in person and watch him run. He steals bases with ease, getting great reads and jumps. The power upside is there, as Matthews posted a 106 mph 90th percentile exit velocity with strong batted ball angles.
The biggest concern with Matthews is his ability to make contact. Matthews posted a 64 percent and a 74 percent in-zone contact rate. The approach is good as Matthews is running just a 20 percent chase rate and an average zone swing rate. Contact remains an issue in the majors, as expected.
Matthews is playing most days at second base. If he begins to hit, the power and speed are intriguing. He is a deeper league play for now until he adjusts to major league pitching.
Given his recent surge at the plate this week, the top-ranked prospect in Houston could emerge as a viable infielder in standard formats during the second half of the campaign.
The Astros may never have a highly rated farm system, but they always generate high-impact rookies. Brice Matthews is just another example.
pic.twitter.com/Ys0edd6sYT— Will Maddux (@MLBMetrics) July 22, 2025
- Written by Chris Clegg
Cam Schlittler, SP, New York Yankees
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 MLB Stats: 10 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 11 H, 10 SO, 5 BB
Cam Schlittler dazzled in his MLB debut for the Yankees, striking out seven batters in 5 1/3 innings. Sure, he allowed four hits, two being homers, but otherwise, Schlittler looked the part of a Major League starter. The minor league numbers were great as Schlittler posted a 2.82 ERA across 76.2 innings with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate and a strong 24 percent K-BB.
His fastball averages close to 97 mph, and it comes with 16-17 inches of IVB, and tops out around 99 mph. Schlittler pounds the zone with it and locates it well at the top of the zone. The real attraction is his 2500 rpm slider, which graded out exceptionally well, having 11 inches of sweeping action and very strong HAA.
While the fastball and slider are plus pitches, Schlittler also features a curveball with two-plane movement as well as an upper-80s cutter. Schlittler could benefit from adding a changeup, but he has not yet shown a clear need for one.
While Schlittler did have his start skipped, he is fine and will make his second career start on Tuesday evening against the high-flying Toronto Blue Jays. In this outing, the right-hander once again held his own, logging five innings of two-run ball. While he did allow seven hits, he struck out three.
With Luis Gil (lat) working his way back and nearing a return, Schlittler may only be given a handful more opportunities in the near future.
Cam Schlittler made his MLB debut!
It was an electric debut for Schlittler as he hit 100 MPH on his fastball and flashed with strong breaking balls. His control was solid, but his outing was ultimately spoiled by the long ball. Nonetheless, it was a very encouraging start! pic.twitter.com/cGSMkrfr4k
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) July 10, 2025
- Written by Chris Clegg
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