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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Joshua Baez, Abimelec Ortiz, Carlos Lagrange - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Through the early going, fantasy managers have seen many high-impact prospects earn the call and make an impact, such as A.J. Ewing, Henry Bolte, and Ryan Waldschmidt.
Below, we will look at two hitting prospects showcasing high upside at Triple-A and a pitcher who could be on the verge of a promotion since a change in his role.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 56 G, .276/.349/.587, 13 2B, 17 HR, 11 SB
Baez has been featured often in this column, which highlights how much I like him as a prospect. Remember, this is a hitter who put up 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases in 499 plate appearances across all minor league levels last season.
The biggest question mark is his ability to make contact, as he has a 30.8% strikeout rate so far this year. However, we saw Baez maintain a 20.6% strikeout rate in Double-A last season, so it's likely only a matter of time before he figures it out at Triple-A.
Joshua Báez, the @Cardinals' No. 3 prospect, crushes his 6th homer in the past 7 games and 17th of the season for the @memphisredbirds!
110.8 mph | 429 feet pic.twitter.com/zMbtsX5Ao0
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 3, 2026
Baez has been absolutely mashing of late, bringing his season-long slash line to .276/.349/.587 with 17 home runs and 11 stolen bases in only 252 plate appearances. This is the kind of fantasy-friendly profile that you want to bet on. There's just so much power and speed upside here.
That's what makes this dynamic outfielder the top hitting prospect stash right now.
-Written by Frank Ammirante
Abimelec Ortiz, 1B, Washington Nationals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 49 G, .263/.361/.514, 15 2B, 10 HR
Ortiz came over to the Nationals from the Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore trade. Ortiz was one of my favorite late-round targets in draft-and-hold formats, where you're looking for home runs on prospects with a path to playing time.
Ortiz has been quite solid for the Nationals at Triple-A, slashing .263/.361/.514 with 10 home runs in 208 plate appearances. You have to love the plate discipline skills, as highlighted by an 11.1% walk rate and a 19.5% strikeout rate.
#Nats No. 25 prospect Abimelec Ortiz collected 10 hits, including three homers and two doubles with 10 RBIs for @RocRedWings!
🏆: https://t.co/TLUttzKGVV pic.twitter.com/KXejUohOuC
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 1, 2026
Remember, Ortiz even put up a 134 wRC+ at Triple-A last year, so it's not like it's only this season where he broke out. Now 24 years old, there's really not much left for Ortiz to prove in the minors.
Even though the Nationals have exceeded expectations so far, they're still a rebuilding team. They may want to get a look at one of the key pieces of the Gore trade sooner rather than later.
We might have to wait until after the deadline, when the Nationals could ship Luis Garcia Jr. to a contender and have Ortiz replace him at first base. But there's some power upside here, especially for deeper leagues, so keep a close eye on this situation.
- Written by Frank Ammirante
Carlos Lagrange, SP/RP, New York Yankees
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 53 IP, 4.08 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 70 SO, 27 BB
Sliding into the next spot will be a budding firearm in the Yankee system. Even though Lagrange's path to the majors will likely be through the bullpen, fantasy managers in deeper leagues should continue to pay close attention to his status, as he could hold value in fantasy, even as a long reliever.
Lagrange currently stands as the team's No. 4-ranked prospect (No. 75 overall) and has endured some growing pains since moving up to Triple-A. Last summer, Lagrange split his time between High-A and Double-A and showed elite strikeout upside, totaling 168 over 120 frames of work. He logged 41 2/3 innings at High-A with a 4.10 ERA, but took a step forward at Double-A.
With Somerset, Lagrange held an improved 3.22 ERA with 104 strikeouts over 78 1/3 innings. However, his rather high 50 free passes kept his WHIP (1.29) high over this stint.
Given his overall success, the Yankees sent the right-hander to Triple-A to begin the 2026 season, where he has stumbled to a 4.41 ERA over 11 starts (49 innings) with a 63:25 K:BB. With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon both back in action, Lagrange's path to the majors as a full-time starter seemed to be dwindling as the season progressed.
However, Lagrange received some positive news (for his fantasy outlook) this week as the RailRiders will shift the 23-year-old to the bullpen to set him up for an early MLB debut. According to Jack Curry of YES, the Yankees "always believed" he would have a role in their bullpen this season, and this transition could open the door for a first-half debut.
In his first relief outing since this news, Lagrange looked dominant, logging four innings of one-hit ball (no runs) with a 7:2 K:BB.
While saves will be unlikely as David Bednar holds that job, Lagrange has a path to emerge as a high-end asset in saves+holds leagues given his strikeout potential.
Carlos Lagrange ⛽️
The @Yankees No. 2 prospect fanned 8 over 3 1/3 frames and flashed triple digits on 27 of his 38 heaters -- reaching 102.4 mph three times -- for the Triple-A @swbrailriders. pic.twitter.com/dvHY3eHOVU
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 11, 2026
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 | June |
| 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 Joshua Baez, Abimelec Ortiz, Carlos Lagrange, Edwin Arroyo, Jared Jones, Gage Jump, Tanner Scott, Jake Bauers, Carson Benge, Dylan Crews. 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 Joshua Baez, Abimelec Ortiz, Carlos Lagrange, Edwin Arroyo, Jared Jones, Gage Jump, Tanner Scott, Jake Bauers, Carson Benge, Dylan Crews, Joshua Baez, Abimelec Ortiz, Carlos Lagrange:
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