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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - James Tibbs III, Zac Veen, Yohandy Morales - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Every season, fantasy managers see top prospects earn the call and emerge as top fantasy assets. So far, players like Gage Jump, Payton Tolle, and Colt Emerson have all flashed high upside after moving up to the big leagues.
Below, we will look at three of the top hitting prospects at the Triple-A level and determine if managers should consider stashing them ahead of a potential promotion.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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James Tibbs III, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 62 G, .313/.424/.621, 16 2B, 18 HR, 3 SB
James Tibbs III was featured many times in this column and has yet to slow down at Triple-A.
The 23-year-old launched five home runs in a four-game span from May 28th to May 31st, and tacked on another this Friday. On the season, the youngster is slashing .313/.424/.621 with 18 home runs, 55 RBI, 60 runs, and three steals in 62 games. Calling it an improvement from last season would be an understatement, as he hit just 20 homers in 123 games in 2025.
James Tibbs III ropes his 18th homer of the year for the @OKC_Comets, the second-most at Triple-A 🚀
The @Dodgers’ No. 10 prospect has seven long balls in his past 10 games: pic.twitter.com/zfx4VXFyT0
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 6, 2026
It’s no surprise that his quality of contact metrics is off the charts, with a 20.3% barrel rate and 56.9% hard-hit rate, and he also has a very promising 15.6% walk rate. This caliber of prospect placed into the loaded Dodgers’ lineup could do some serious damage for fantasy.
The biggest factor stopping Tibbs from debuting has always been the lack of a spot at the major league level. However, with Teoscar Hernandez expected to miss a month with a hamstring injury, that opens up a spot. The Dodgers are currently filling it with Ryan Ward and Alex Call, but it’s only a matter of time until they give Tibbs a shot if he keeps hitting like this.
One other slight issue is that the prospect has been dealing with an arm injury that kept him confined as the designated hitter for an extended period of time. However, he's started the past few games at first base, so he may be nearing a return to the outfield. Either way, his experience in the infield could also open up some more major league playing time down the road, in case Freddie Freeman is ever forced to miss some games.
-Written by Jeremy Heist
Zac Veen, OF, Colorado Rockies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 55 G, .317/.418/.527, 13 2B, 8 HR, 13 SB
Zac Veen’s journey as a prospect has been long and full of challenges, ever since being taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft. He has always been considered a toolsy player, with more projected to come than what was ever displayed on the field. A lot of that was due to injuries, as he’s struggled with wrist, back, and thumb problems along the way.
In his peak as a prospect, the youngster hit 12 homers and stole 55 bases between High-A and Double-A in 2022. However, after undergoing wrist surgery in 2023, he hit .258 with 11 homers and 21 steals in 65 games in 2024, with his strikeout rate rising to over 26% at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
He did get his strikeout rate down to 20.3% in the minors last season, but 11 total home runs were still less than desired. The 24-year-old was determined to change that heading into 2026, showing up to spring training having added a noticeable amount of muscle, while also stating he cut out distractions in his life, such as alcohol.
So far, it looks like it’s paying off, as he is slashing .317/.418/.527 with eight home runs and 13 stolen bases in 55 Triple-A games. The outfielder has been especially hot as of late, entering Saturday on a nine-game hitting streak with three home runs and eight total extra-base hits in that span. Besides the power and speed shining through, he’s also displaying a career-best walk rate of 15.2%.
Zac Veen puts us in front with a two-run dinger, his third-straight game with a homer!
B7: Isotopes 6, Chihuahuas 4 pic.twitter.com/ANRb3hZdtE
— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) May 31, 2026
The other positive is that he’s already been promoted to the major leagues before, playing 12 games there in 2025. This means he’s already on the 40-man roster and experienced that transition to some degree, so there’s no reason for the Rockies to be overly hesitant to promote him. It doesn’t take much to be worth adding in fantasy for a player who will play half their games in Coors Field, so Veen will be a priority waiver wire target once that time comes.
- Written by Jeremy Heist
Yohandy Morales, 1B, Washington Nationals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 57 G, .341/.417/.592, 11 2B, 14 HR, 2 SB
One of the hottest hitters over the last month of minor league action has been Washington's Yohandy Morales. The 2023 second-round selection is slashing .380/.430/.728 with eight doubles and nine home runs in 100 plate appearances over the last 21 games while keeping the strikeout rate in check at 22.0% during this timeframe.
yoyo 🫨
that's 1️⃣3️⃣ HR on the season for yohandy morales! pic.twitter.com/SeBTsBCqP3
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) June 2, 2026
Morales has been pounding the ball all season in Triple-A, posting a 92.6 mph AVG EV, a 53.7% hard-hit rate, and a 12.9% barrel rate. However, his contact rates have been below average at 74.1% in the zone and 68.4% overall. But with Morales' level of quality of contact, those contact rates can play.
With all of that said, the path to playing time isn't currently there for Morales. He's spent time at first base, third base, and designated hitter so far this season. In Washington, those spots are occupied by Luis Garcia, Curtis Mead, and James Wood, respectively, who have been the top third of the Nationals' order recently. It looks like it will take an injury or poor performance from Garcia or Mead for Morales to work his way into the Major League lineup on a regular basis.
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 James Tibbs III, Zac Veen, Yohandy Morales, Rico Garcia, Alex Lange, Jacob Latz, Henry Bolte, 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 James Tibbs III, Zac Veen, Yohandy Morales, Rico Garcia, Alex Lange, Jacob Latz, Henry Bolte, Colt Emerson, Ryan Waldschmidt, Bryce Eldridge:
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