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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Jonah Tong, Edwin Arroyo, Luis Lara - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Even though the 2026 season is only a quarter way through, managers have seen many high-end prospects not only earn the call to the majors, but make an immediate impact, such as Payton Tolle, A.J. Ewing, Henry Bolte, and Konnor Griffin.
Below, we will spotlight two of the hottest hitters at the Triple-A level who are quickly knocking on the MLB door and a top pitching prospect who could be nearing his second stint in the big leagues.
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: 38 IP, 5.68 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 55 SO, 24 BB
The only name on this list with prior MLB experience is Jonah Tong. Tong made his MLB debut during the second half of the 2025 campaign and endured some massive growing pains in Queens, holding a 7.71 ERA over his first 18 2/3 MLB frames. He managed to tally only 22 punchouts while holding a 1.77 WHIP.
While his MLB production may deter you from stashing the young right-hander, Tong has been among the best pitchers in the upper minors since the start of the 2025 campaign. Tong opened the 2025 season with Double-A and logged 102 innings to the tune of a 1.59 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. During this dominant stint, Tong struck out 162 hits while serving 44 walks.
At this time, Tong was viewed in the same light as Nolan McLean in the system, and some even considered Tong the better prospect. After this stretch at Double-A, Tong was moved up to Triple-A, where he made only two starts (11 2/3 shutout frames) before joining the Mets. Even though he was unable to carry this momentum into the big leagues, his raw upside is still prominent.
This spring, Tong was in the mix to begin the campaign with the major league roster, but given his struggles, he was viewed as the unlikely candidate. As expected, he was sent to Syracuse in April, where he has remained since. After posting a rough 7.04 ERA over his first four outings of the season, many managers who were stashing Tong early on likely cut ties.
However, after this slow start, Tong has begun to rekindle his form from 2025. In his last four starts, Tong has logged at least five innings in all but one and held a strong 2.57 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. Through these 21 frames, Tong has struck out 29 hitters while walking 11.
He still needs to show this success over a long period, but seeing him not only begin to take on a starter's workload but round into form is a great sign. With the Mets lacking depth at the back of their rotation and David Peterson struggling mightily, Tong could return to Queens before the end of May.
8 strikeout day for Jonah Tong 8️⃣ pic.twitter.com/Jdy4bXdO46
— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) May 9, 2026
-Written by Andy Smith
Edwin Arroyo, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 43 G, .345/.409/.592, 8 2B, 9 HR, 8 SB
Edwin Arroyo didn't enter the season with a ton of hype after slashing .284/.345/.371 with three home runs and 12 stolen bases in 120 games in Double-A last season, but he has looked like a changed player so far in 2026.
That's especially true over his past seven games, where he's launched five homers with five multi-hit games, including a three-game stretch where he collected 11 hits and 24 total bases from May 7 to May 9.
Edwin Arroyo with a 428-foot BLAST 💥
The @RedsOnTheRise No. 7 prospect has been one of the best hitters in the International League so far this season.
He entered the night slashing .338/.405/.573 with a .979 OPS at Triple-A.
(🎥@LouisvilleBats) pic.twitter.com/rBmRMgNjE8
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 12, 2026
On the season, he is slashing .347/.414/.605 with nine home runs, 30 RBI, 35 runs, and seven steals for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate, where he's seemingly made a huge power breakthrough while also already stealing more than half of the bases he did a year ago.
The recent success has allowed him to crack the top 100 prospects list on MLB.com, and Cincinnati doesn't have superstar talent blocking his path in the infield besides Elly De La Cruz.
I wouldn't say a promotion is evident, but it wouldn't be surprising if it turned to the 22-year-old at some point this season if Ke'Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain continue to disappoint. The youngster would provide exciting power and speed in one of baseball's most hitter-friendly environments, which could easily lead to fantasy relevance down the line.
- Written by Jeremy Heist
Luis Lara, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 10% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 43 G, .333/.445/.503, 4 2B, 7 HR, 16 SB
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: Colt Emerson (SEA)
Promoted Last Week: Henry Bolte (ATH), A.J. Ewing (NYM), Carson Williams (TBR)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Lazaro Montes (SEA), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Gabriel Gonzalez (MIN), Zac Veen (COL), Deyvison De Los Santos (MIA), Hector Rodriguez (CIN), Blaze Jordan (STL), Jacob Melton (TBR), James Tibbs (LAD), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Jonathon Long (CHC), Jacob Gonzalez (CHW), Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH), Aidan Miller (PHI), Pedro Ramirez (CHC)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): Hagen Smith (CHW), Jaxon Wiggins (CHC), Brody Hopkins (TBR), Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | Now |
| 2 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | PIT | Now |
| 3 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | MIN | June |
| 4 | Kade Anderson | SP | SEA | July |
| 5 | Edwin Arroyo | 2B/SS | CIN | May |
| 6 | River Ryan | SP | LAD | June |
| 7 | Braden Montgomery | OF | CHW | July |
| 8 | Max Clark | OF | DET | July |
| 9 | Charlie Condon | 1B | COL | June |
| 10 | Luis Lara | OF | MIL | June |
| 11 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | MIL | June |
| 12 | Cooper Pratt | SS | MIL | July |
| 13 | Walker Jenkins | OF | MIN | June |
| 14 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | OF | MIN | June |
| 15 | Thomas White | SP | MIA | July |
| 16 | Esmerlyn Valdez | OF | PIT | July |
| 17 | Cole Carrigg | OF | COL | June |
| 18 | Yohandy Morales | 1B/3B | WAS | June |
| 19 | Jordan Lawlar | INF/OF | ARI | July |
| 20 | Carlos Lagrange | SP | NYY | July |
| 21 | Kemp Alderman | OF | MIA | July |
| 22 | Gage Jump | SP | ATH | July |
| 23 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | July |
| 24 | Kevin Alcantara | OF | CHC | July |
| 25 | Jonah Tong | SP | NYM | 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, Edwin Arroyo, Luis Lara, Josh Jung, Ryne Nelson, Ben Brown, Caleb Kilian, Jack Perkins, Jared Jones, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Steer. 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, Edwin Arroyo, Luis Lara, Josh Jung, Ryne Nelson, Ben Brown, Caleb Kilian, Jack Perkins, Jared Jones, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Steer:
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