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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Jonah Tong, Colby Thomas, Jacob Melton - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Finding high-end prospects in the minor leagues who can make a major impact for fantasy is one of the keys to building a successful roster. Last season, managers saw many prospects earn the call to the big leagues and make a massive impact, such as Nolan McLean and Cam Schlittler.
In this piece, we will spotlight three prospects who are emerging as sneaky stash candidates in Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Jonah Tong, SP, New York Mets
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 10% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 10 2/3 IP, 5.06 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 13 SO, 7 BB
While Jonah Tong's rotation appears to be filled at the moment, he is still viable as an option in deeper 12+ team leagues with N/A spots. Last summer, Tong was one of the most dominant pitchers in the minor leagues and is already enjoying the same success in the early going of the 2026 campaign.
After falling short of the MLB roster in spring training, the Mets opted to send the young right-hander to Triple-A Syracuse, where he has spent the opening month. Over three outings, Tong has posted a 5.06 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. While his face-value statistics do not look very impressive, a single poor outcome on April 2 significantly skews them.
In this start, he lasted just 1 2/3 innings and allowed a hefty four runs. Fortunately, Tong bounced back in a big way in his most recent outing. On April 8, the right-hander shut down Triple-A Buffalo, logging a season-high five innings of two-run ball with only one hit, two walks, and seven punchouts.
Before reaching the big leagues last season, Tong flashed impressive upside in the Mets system and was even viewed as the higher-end prospect over Nolan McLean. Tong opened the campaign with Double-A, where he tossed 102 innings to the tune of an incredible 1.68 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. During this stint, Tong racked up 162 strikeouts.
He was then bumped up to Triple-A, where he needed only two outings before heading into Queens. With Triple-A, Tong did not allow a run (over 11 2/3 innings) while carrying a 0.98 WHIP. While his first stint with the Mets did not go as planned, as he allowed 16 earned runs over 18 2/3 innings, Tong is still very young and was likely not big-league ready.
Even though the Mets do not have a clear opening in the rotation at the moment, if Tong continues this trajectory at Triple-A, the team will not hesitate to promote him as an injury replacement.
After a rocky 1st inning, Jonah Tong absolutely DOMINATED Buffalo hitters in a gutsy outing!
5.0 IP | 7 K | 2 ER | 2 R | 1 H | 2 BB pic.twitter.com/OMvdTo6AJj
— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) April 8, 2026
-Written by Andy Smith
Colby Thomas, OF, Athletics
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 10 G, .317/.404/.634, 1 2B, 4 HR, 13 SO, 4 BB
Another day, another Colby Thomas long ball! ✌️
The @Athletics' No. 5 prospect boosts his OPS to .836 through his first 48 at-bats in The Show: pic.twitter.com/zmtMRmDavH
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 17, 2025
Colby Thomas is a bit older than others on this list at 25, but he only has 132 career plate appearances in the big leagues, so he qualifies to be on this list. What's intriguing here is that Thomas is off to a terrific start at Triple-A, slashing .371/.436/.743 with four home runs in 39 plate appearances.
Remember, this is a player who hit 31 homers with 15 steals across all minor-league levels back in 2024, so there's some upside in his profile. Young players who get to hit at the bandbox that is Sutter Health Park always have some intrigue in fantasy baseball. Just look at how Max Muncy has been mashing for the A's to start the season.
When you look at the A's depth chart, you see Denzel Clarke (an elite defender) struggling at the plate (44.4 K%), while Brent Rooker left Thursday's game with an injury. There's the possibility that if Rooker is forced to miss extended time, the A's can call up Thomas to get some at-bats. It would make sense with how well Thomas is swinging the bat in Triple-A.
If you're in a deeper league, keep an eye out for Thomas, since he could have some value as a streamer whenever the A's are at home.
- Written by Frank Ammirante
Jacob Melton, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 14 G, .182/.309/.341, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 SB
Jacob Melton (Rays #3 prospect) hits his first home run as a Durham Bull‼️#RaysUp | #DurhamBulls pic.twitter.com/Rq8IvEJ0Hp
— Rays MiLB Updates ⚾️ (@RaysMiLB) April 4, 2026
Jacob Melton is unlike others on this list in that he's actually struggling in the minors right now, slashing .167/.333/.333 with an atrocious 43.6% strikeout rate at Triple-A. But here's where he's intriguing: speed. Melton already stole seven bases in his first 39 plate appearances in the minors.
Unlike teammate Chandler Simpson, who is a speedster with zero power, Melton has the upside to eclipse 20 homers, since he's done that in the minors. You have 40+ stolen base potential with Melton.
If he were to eventually get called up, it's likely that Melton would only play against righties, since he's a left-handed hitter. But the home run and stolen base combination is a profile that we always target in fantasy. Back in 2023, Melton put up 23 homers and 46 steals in 450 plate appearances across all minor league levels, so that's enticing.
We also have to acknowledge that there are opportunities with the Rays. Currently, they have veteran Jake Fraley as a strong-side platoon in right field. If he struggles or if the Rays want to see what they have in Melton, we could see them make the switch here. It'll likely take some time, though, especially due to Melton's current struggles at the plate.
But if you're in a deeper league with a need for speed, you want to add Melton to your watch list.
- 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 Jonah Tong, JR Ritchie, Colt Emerson, Payton Tolle, Bryce Eldridge, Carter Jensen, Parker Messick, Moises Ballesteros, Justin Crawford. 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 Jonah Tong, JR Ritchie, Colt Emerson, Payton Tolle, Bryce Eldridge, Carter Jensen, Parker Messick, Moises Ballesteros, Justin Crawford:
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