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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Joshua Baez, Zyhir Hope, Hector Rodriguez - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
During the opening months of the campaign, managers have seen many prospects live up to their draft capital in the majors. Players like JJ Wetherholt, Konnor Griffin, and Payton Tolle have all provided high-end value for those who targeted them.
Below, we will look at three of the top hitting prospects in the sport, including two who are making a statement at the Triple-A level as they approach their MLB debut.
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: 82 G, .250/.321/.573, 16 2B, 28 HR, 14 SB
Just when we thought Joshua Baez was going to mash his way into the St. Louis lineup, he goes ice cold. After back-to-back games with two hits and a home run on 6/21 and 6/24, Baez has hit just .111 (6/54) over his last 14 games with two home runs. Both of those home runs came on 7/2, which was also the game where he picked up three of his six hits during this cold stretch.
And unfortunately, Baez's strikeout rate has ticked back up, sitting at 31.7% over these 14 games.
Baez has been prone to notable peaks and valleys throughout his professional career. We know this. This is probably going to be the case for Baez moving forward as well. However, what it does is probably delay his MLB ETA until he gets hot again in Triple-A.
If upside is the main driving factor in why you personally will stash a prospect in redraft leagues, then I'd continue to stash Baez if you have room. Because only Max Clark and Walker Jenkins can match Baez's level of upside and proximity right now.
- Written by Eric Cross
Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 82 G, .287/.368/.517. 15 2B, 19 HR, 14 SB
Speaking of elite outfield prospects buried in the Dodgers’ organizational depth chart, Zyhir Hope is right there with De Paula and Mike Sirota in their Double-A outfield. He’s ranked 19th overall in baseball according to MLB.com, and he’s been the hottest of the bunch, with six home runs in his past eight games.
Since the start of July, he’s batting .474, including a two-homer game and two four-hit performances. For the season as a whole, he’s slashing .287/.368/.517 with 19 home runs and 14 stolen bases. The 21-year-old does have a bit of a strikeout problem, with a rate of 24.6%, so he’ll have to keep that in check as he rises to Triple-A and eventually the major leagues.
Zyhir Hope cannot be stopped 💪
MLB's No. 19 prospect (@Dodgers) mashes his sixth home run in his past seven games for the Double-A @TulsaDrillers: pic.twitter.com/tnmuHoZLpI
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 10, 2026
Still, he has above-average speed and exceptional raw power that results in great exit velocities, as one of his most recent homers was clocked at 114 miles per hour. He also excels at keeping the ball in the air, with a 37.1% groundball rate, along with a 40.9% pull rate that allows him to truly maximize his power.
The number of balls he pulls in the air allows him to do the most damage when he does make contact, which makes the strikeout rate less of an issue.
The big question remaining is when will he get promoted? As noted previously, the Dodgers are already set at the major league level, so there’s no real urgency here to rush Hope to the majors. Whether he gets a chance late this season or not, the youngster is someone you’ll want to keep an eye on moving forward, along with the previously mentioned outfielders.
-Written by Jeremy Heist
Hector Rodriguez, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 89 G, .284/.364/.564, 14 2B, 23 HR, 6 SB
As I was tinkering with my Top 500 prospect rankings the other day, I ended up bumping Hector Rodriguez up inside my Top 50 overall. He deserves it.
In 89 Triple-A games this season, Rodriguez is slashing .284/.364/.546 with 41 extra-base hits, 23 home runs, six steals, and 41 walks. Rodriguez and Josue De Paula are the only two prospects in baseball under age 23 to have at least 40 extra-base hits, 40 walks, a .280 or higher average, and a strikeout rate below 21%.
Héctor Rodríguez is swinging a hot bat at Triple-A 🔥
The @Reds' No. 5 prospect has two HRs today and three in his past four games for the @LouisvilleBats: pic.twitter.com/juonFt2hoK
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 7, 2026
Rodriguez's blend of contact, power, and approach makes him an exciting prospect in general, and adding Great American Ball Park on top is just a bonus. It's a matter of when, not if, Rodriguez gets called up to Cincinnati. And when he does, I really think he'll be able to surprise some people with the level of fantasy production he puts up.
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: Owen Murphy (ATL), Ryan Waldschmidt (ARI), Luis Lara (MIL)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Jonathon Long (CHC), James Triantos (CHC), Max Anderson (DET), Zach Ehrhard (LAD), Kemp Alderman (MIA), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Yohandy Morales (WAS), Abimelec Ortiz (WAS), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Ward (LAD)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): George Klassen (LAA), Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT), Brody Hopkins (TBR), Jonah Tong (NYM)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners |
| 2 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies |
| 3 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals |
| 4 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins |
| 5 | Max Clark | OF | Tigers |
| 6 | Hector Rodriguez | OF | Reds |
| 7 | Zac Veen | OF | Rockies |
| 8 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins |
| 9 | Seaver King | SS/2B | Nationals |
| 10 | Karson Milbrandt | SP | Marlins |
| 11 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians |
| 12 | Angel Genao | INF | Guardians |
| 13 | Luke Adams | 1B/3B | Brewers |
| 14 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers |
| 15 | Cooper Ingle | C/OF | Guardians |
| 16 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | Pirates |
| 17 | Hagen Smith | SP | White Sox |
| 18 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers |
| 19 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | Yankees |
| 20 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees |
| 21 | Quinn Mathews | SP | Cardinals |
| 22 | River Ryan | SP | Dodgers |
| 23 | Jacob Melton | OF | Rays |
| 24 | Lazaro Montes | OF | Mariners |
| 25 | Jaxon Wiggins | SP | Cubs |
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, Zyhir Hope, Hector Rodriguez, Luis Lara, Ryan Jeffers, Merrill Kelly, Luis Robert Jr., Cade Cavalli, Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Eldridge, Bailey Ober. 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, Zyhir Hope, Hector Rodriguez, Luis Lara, Ryan Jeffers, Merrill Kelly, Cade Cavalli, Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Eldridge, Bailey Ober:
No matching players.More Fantasy Baseball Analysis
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