X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

3 Impact Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash - Jac Caglianone, Matt Shaw, Marcelo Mayer

Jac Caglianone - Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Jac Caglianone, Matt Shaw, Marcelo Mayer - who can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.

It's not surprising that we are starting to see more and more prospects get called up. We are at the point of the season when teams are dealing with injuries and potentially need a spark on offense. Prospects like Nick Kurtz, Dalton Rushing, Coby Mayo, and Cade Horton are some of the biggest names to be promoted this year.

Three more prospects to add to that list are Kansas City Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone, Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw, and Boston Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer. All three youngsters are currently in the majors and have the potential to be solid fantasy options in Year 1.

So, should fantasy managers be adding Caglianone, Shaw, and Mayer in fantasy? Let's dive in and see if these three prospects should be grabbed off the waiver wire before it's too late.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Jac Caglianone, 1B, Kansas City Royals

Current Level: Kansas City Royals
Availability: 64% rostered
2025 MiLB stats: 50 G, .322/.389/.593, 15 HRs, 56 RBI, 41 R, 2 SB

Kansas City's top prospect has quickly risen up the minor league ranks since being drafted sixth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Caglianone played just 29 games at High-A in 2024 before starting the 2025 season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. In Double-A, the left-handed slugger hit .322 with nine home runs and 43 RBI in his first 38 games.

Those numbers earned Caglianone a promotion to Triple-A Omaha on May 20. Unsurprisingly, the 22-year-old continued his strong season in Omaha by slashing .319/.370/.723 with six home runs and 13 RBI in his first 12 games. That left the Royals no choice but to promote him to the major league roster. That's exactly what the team did on June 3.

After being drafted just 11 months earlier, Caglianone made his MLB debut on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Although MLB Pipeline's No. 10 overall prospect went hitless in his debut (0-for-5), there are some things to be encouraged by. He didn't strike out in any of those plate appearances and had four hit balls over 96 mph.

Caglianone also had a hit taken away from him in the second inning. He belted a ball into the right-center gap, but Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II made a nice grab to rob him of a hit. That ball was hit 98.4 mph off the bat and had an expected .330 batting average. So, he was a bit unlucky at the plate in his MLB debut.

If he is still somehow available in your league, he should be picked up immediately. Caglianone should be rostered in almost every format, considering his above-average power at the plate. He hit 15 home runs and drove in 56 runs across just 50 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

 

Matt Shaw, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Current Level: Chicago Cubs
Availability: 51% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 24 G, .286/.409/.560, 6 HRs, 14 RBI, 22 R, 5 SB
2024 MLB stats: 31 G, .238/.328/.333, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 18 R, 5 SB

Everyone expected Shaw to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster. Chicago had a clear hole to fill at third base, and the team's top prospect showed a ton of promise in his first two minor league seasons. He hit .357 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 38 games in 2023 and batted .284 with 21 home runs, 71 RBI, and 31 stolen bases across 121 games in 2024.

That made Shaw a sleeper target later in 2025 fantasy drafts. However, MLB Pipeline's No. 18 overall prospect got off to a brutal start with the Cubs. He hit just .172 with one home run, three RBI, and 18 strikeouts in his first 18 games. Those slow start led to Chicago optioning its top prospect down to Triple-A to work on a few things.

The good news is that Shaw's time in Triple-A seemed to work out well for him. He slashed .286/.409/.560 with six home runs and 14 RBI across 24 games with the Iowa Cubs before being promoted to the major league roster on May 19. Since being called back up, the Cubs third baseman has been much more consistent at the plate.

In his second major league stint, Shaw is batting .319 with six doubles, four RBI, and five stolen bases across 13 games. It has been nice to see the 23-year-old bounce back after a rough start to the year. More importantly, he is becoming a solid fantasy option for those in roto leagues.

So, he is worth an add in most 12-plus team leagues in Week 10 of the fantasy baseball season. Shaw has shown his all-around potential in recent weeks, and he's someone who could steal close to 20 bases in 2025. That makes him a nice target, especially since he could hit for a solid average, steal bases, and score plenty of runs in this elite Cubs offense.

 

Marcelo Mayer, SS, Boston Red Sox

Level: Boston Red Sox
Availability: 20% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 43 G, .271/.347/.471, 9 HRs, 43 RBI, 31 R, 2 SB
2025 MLB stats: 8 G, .188/.257/.250, 6 H, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K

When star third baseman Alex Bregman went down with a significant quad injury, the Red Sox decided to call up one of their top prospects on May 24. Mayer had been tearing it up at Triple-A to start the season and was definitely deserving of a promotion. MLB Pipeline's No. 8 overall prospect hit .271 with nine home runs and 43 RBI across 43 games.

That strong start comes after Mayer posted solid all-around numbers in his 2024 minor league campaign. He slashed .307/.370/.480 with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 77 games at Double-A Portland last year. As a result, the 22-year-old had the potential to be a solid fantasy option right away in the pros.

Unfortunately, Mayer has struggled in his first few games since being called up. He has just six hits across 32 at-bats (.188 batting average) to begin his major league career and has struck out in 10 of those plate appearances. On top of that, his expected batting average (.243), squared-up rate (19%), whiff rate (32.4%), and walk rate (6.3%) all rank poorly.

Therefore, some fantasy managers might be concerned with Mayer's long-term fantasy outlook. There haven't been many positives from him so far, and the 22-year-old is striking out at an extremely high rate (31.3% strikeout rate). That makes him only an add in deeper leagues or AL-only formats in Week 10 of the fantasy baseball season.

While fantasy managers should expect Mayer to eventually pick things up offensively, he might not be a fantasy star in his first season. He has the chance to hit for a solid average and steal double-digit bases. However, the Red Sox infielder won't hit for much power and likely won't drive in many runs toward the bottom of that Boston lineup.

In points leagues, Mayer should also only be added in deeper formats. There's no doubt that the top-10 prospect will post better numbers moving forward, but he doesn't really warrant an add in most leagues right now. There are better prospects to add/stash, including Caglianone, Shaw, Bubba Chandler, and Andrew Painter.

More Fantasy Baseball Prospects and Rookies



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Will Shipley

in the Running to be Eagles RB2
Kenneth Gainwell

Involved in Pittsburgh Passing Game
NBA

Thomas Bryant Set to Move to Greece
Cam Thomas

Nets Far Apart in Contract Talks
Kristaps Porzingis

Feeling "Great" Ahead of New Season
Chris Paul

Hints He Could Extend His Career Beyond the 2025-26 Season
Emeka Egbuka

Drawing Praise by Striving For Perfection
Brandon Miller

Close to 100 Percent
Bucky Irving

Might be Limited This Season as Bucs Try to Keep Him Fresh
DJ Giddens

Looks Like RB2
George Springer

"Doing All Right" After Hit-By-Pitch Monday
Parris Campbell

Suffers MCL Sprain
Bernhard Raimann

Colts Extend Bernhard Raimann
Tommy Edman

Could Be Headed for Injured List Stint
Salvador Perez

X-Rays Negative On Salvador Perez's Elbow After Hit-By-Pitch
Eugenio Suárez

X-Rays Negative on Eugenio Suarez After Hit by Pitch
Alex Freeland

to Join Dodgers
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Exits After Hit By Pitch
Tyler Guyton

Out 4-6 Weeks With Bone Fracture
Tyler Bass

Dealing With Pelvis Injury
Rashawn Slater

Returns to Practice on Monday
Tyler Guyton

Feared to Have Suffered Torn ACL
David Walker

to Miss Rookie Season After Suffering Torn ACL
William Contreras

in Danger of Missing Rest of the Season?
Kris Bubic

Done for the Season
Danny Jansen

Traded to Brewers
Dallas Cowboys

Robert Jones Expected to Miss 2-3 Months
New York Jets

Sauce Gardner May Cover No. 1 Receivers More Often
Reese Olson

Out for Rest of Regular Season
Christian Gonzalez

Injured on Monday
Darren Waller

in "Tremendous Shape"
Alec Pierce

Out on Monday With Blister on his Foot
Jaydon Blue

Impressing Early in Training Camp
Khalil Shakir

Looking to Create More Separation
Jayden Struble

Canadiens Lock Up Jayden Struble for Two Years
Robert Whittaker

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Drew Sanders

Out 4-6 Weeks With Foot Injury
Reinier de Ridder

Gets Split-Decision Win
Denver Broncos

Alex Singleton to Miss 7-8 Days With Broken Thumb
Conor Timmins

Avoids Salary Arbitration with Two-Year Deal
Marcus McGhee

Drops Decision At UFC Abu Dhabi
Colin Castleton

Waived by Raptors on Monday
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista to be Out for"Weeks Not Days"
Petr Yan

Extends Win Streak
Marc-Andre Barriault

Suffers Decision Loss
Shara Magomedov

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jose Ochoa

Dominated At UFC Abu Dhabi
MMA

Asu Almbayev Dominates At UFC Abu Dhabi
Nikita Krylov

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Chris Paddack

Tigers Acquire Chris Paddack From Twins
Bogdan Guskov

Scores Knockout Win
Adley Rutschman

Reinstated From Injured List
Eugenio Suárez

Tigers Making a Play to Trade for Eugenio Suarez?
Emmanuel Clase

Placed on Paid Leave as Part of Gambling Investigation
Kyle Larson

Falls Short of Back-To-Back Victories at Indianapolis
Denny Hamlin

Rallies Into Third Place At Indianapolis
Chase Briscoe

Pit Strategies End up Failing Chase Briscoe at Indianapolis
Ty Gibbs

Wins NASCAR's Inaugural In-Season Challenge Tournament
Ryan Preece

Finishes Fourth but Loses Ground to Playoff Cutline
Brad Keselowski

Has Good Strategy, but Not Enough to Win
Ryan Blaney

Bails from Hail Mary Strategy Attempt but Recovers to Finish Seventh
Tyler Reddick

Eliminated from Brickyard 400 in Crash After Top Five Run
Seth Lugo

Agrees to Contract Extension
Emmanuel Clase

Drawing Trade Interest, Guardians Unlikely to Deal
Kris Bubic

Heads to 15-Day Injured List
Adley Rutschman

Expected to Return Monday
Byron Buxton

Sitting on Sunday
Jacob Wilson

Out on Sunday
Chicago Bulls

Billy Donovan Agrees to Contract Extension with Chicago
Erik Jones

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Indianapolis This Week?
Carson Hocevar

Is Carson Hocevar Worth Rostering For Indianapolis DFS Lineups?
NASCAR

Could A.J. Allmendinger be A Solid Tournament DFS Option?
Zane Smith

Is a Respectable Value Option for Indianapolis Despite Low Experience
Cole Custer

Is A Solid Value Option for Indianapolis DFS Lineups
Riley Herbst

Is an Unfavorable DFS Option for Indianapolis Lineups
Zeev Buium

Aims for Big Role Next Season
NHL

Conor Sheary Signs Tryout Deal with Rangers
Denny Hamlin

an Easy DFS Target After Wreck in Qualifying
Arvid Soderblom

Agrees to Two-Year Deal with Blackhawks
Kyle Larson

Will Start 13th to Defend Brickyard 400 Crown
Chase Briscoe

on Pole for Brickyard as Momentum Continues to Build
Ryan Blaney

Learned a Lot in Practice at Indianapolis
Brad Keselowski

Should Be Very Strong at Indianapolis
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Challenge for a Brickyard 400 Win on Sunday?
Ryan Preece

Don't Forget About Ryan Preece at Indianapolis
Philadelphia 76ers

Ricky Council IV Waived by Philadelphia
Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors "Haven't Gained Any Traction" on Sign-and-Trade Deal for Jonathan Kuminga
Brett Berard

Played Through Shoulder Injury Last Season
Maxim Tsyplakov

Islanders Re-Sign Maxim Tsyplakov on Two-Year Deal
Jackson Blake

Inks Eight-Year Extension with Hurricanes
Robert Whittaker

Returns At UFC Abu Dhabi
Reinier de Ridder

Set For Main Event
Petr Yan

Set For Co-Main Event
Marcus McGhee

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Marc-Andre Barriault

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Shara Magomedov

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Asu Almbayev Looks To Return To The Win Column
Jose Ochoa

Set For His Third UFC Bout
Bogdan Guskov

Set To Open Up UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card
Nikita Krylov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Taelon Peter

Signs Deal With Pacers
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Withdraw Qualifying Offer for Enrique Freeman
Jared Butler

Moves to Phoenix
Antonio Reeves

Joins Hornets on Two-Way Contract
Jordan Goodwin

Claimed by Suns
Colby Jones

Signs Two-Way Deal With Pistons
NYI

Matthew Schaefer Eager to Make Islanders Roster for Opening Night
NHL

Daniel Sprong Heads to Russia
Kaapo Kakko

Agrees to Three-Year Deal with Kraken
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Commits to Play in EuroBasket 2025
Ethan Thompson

Waived by Orlando
Lindy Waters III

Joins San Antonio
Thorbjorn Olesen

a Low-Risk, Low-Reward Play at 3M Open
Kurt Kitayama

Riding Momentum Into 3M Open
Maverick McNealy

a High-Upside Option at 3M Open
Jake Knapp

Riding Hot Putter Into 3M Open
PGA

Sungjae Im's Ball-Striking Must Wake Up at 3M Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF