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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Max Clark, Kade Anderson, River Ryan - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Every season, fantasy managers see high-upside prospects earn the call and make an immediate impact in the majors. So far, players like Colt Emerson and Payton Tolle have entered must-start status since earning their promotions.
Below, we will look at three of the top prospects in the minor leagues, including two pitchers who are on the verge of a promotion.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 54 G, .257/.341/.390, 13 2B, 4 HR, 12 SB
Clark was the third overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, signing for more than $7.6 million out of high school. Ever since he was drafted, we've known that he's not a five-tool player, but that hasn't stopped him from ranking as one of the top prospects in Minor League Baseball. A pure athlete with tremendous upside, Clark is a very intriguing stash in fantasy baseball leagues.
The biggest hole in Clark's profile is his power, as he launched a modest 14 home runs last year and has regressed to just four homers across 54 Triple-A games in 2026. However, he makes up for it with his speed and ability to put balls in play. Clark has a dozen steals this season, putting him on pace to eclipse his previous career-high mark of 29.
Clark's swing decisions have also been fair this season. While we don't love that he's swinging on less than 62% of pitches in-zone, he has shown discipline on pitches out of the zone with a 21.37% chase rate (82nd percentile). He's very capable of putting bat on ball, maintaining an elite 13.9% whiff rate (95th percentile) and 92.50% zone contact rate (93rd percentile).
Even though there isn't a ton of power in Clark's offensive profile, his swing decisions, contact results, and speed are enough to justify stashing him in many fantasy baseball leagues. With each passing day, he gets closer to making his MLB debut. The 21-year-old is currently available in 95% of fantasy leagues, and he ranks as the #2 outfield prospect in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings.
Max Clark has homered in back-to-back games!
This homer was...
108 mph EV
420 Feet#DNMWpic.twitter.com/i9B4K56ojz— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 3, 2026
-Written by Andersen Pickard
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
Current Level: AA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 49 IP, 1.29 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 76 SO, 7 BB
Anderson is a remarkable young pitcher who has emerged as one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Less than one year ago, the southpaw was a superstar at LSU. Now, after being drafted No. 3 in the 2025 MLB Draft with an $8.8 million signing bonus, he's on the fantasy radar as a high-upside arm who could start racking up fantasy points in the majors this season.
The talented 21-year-old has four plus pitches in his repertoire, anchored by a fastball that reaches 97 mph and induces plenty of whiffs with incredible ride. He has a great feel for his slider, and his changeup is proven to miss plenty of bats with a significant tunneling effect. He rounds out his repertoire with a curveball.
Anderson sits near the top of the Double-A leaderboard in just about every advanced metric. His walk and strikeout rates are both 97th percentile or better. Meanwhile, he has a 38.3% whiff rate (97th percentile), 33.0% out-of-zone swing rate (82nd percentile), and 68.5% zone contact rate (99th percentile).
Capable of missing bats and getting chase out of the zone, it's no surprise that Anderson has emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. Even though he's still in Double-A, he's a pro-ready arm who could be fast-tracked to the majors this season, joining an already strong Mariners rotation.
As it stands, Anderson ranks as the No. 3 prospect in RotoBaller expert Eric Cross' 2026 Prospect Fantasy Baseball Redraft Stash Rankings. He's still available in 94% of leagues, giving fantasy managers an opportunity to stash him before his anticipated MLB debut this year.
Kade Anderson dominated again yesterday.
The top pitching prospect discussion is only him and Seth Hernandez. That's it.pic.twitter.com/Zs4iI2BCk2
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) May 30, 2026
- Written by Andesen Pickard
River Ryan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 28 IP, 2.89 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 33 SO, 6 BB
As he has for the past few weeks, River Ryan sits comfortably in the No.1 spot on our pitching prospects to stash list. Ryan has not only shown elite upside at the Triple-A level but also has a clear path to the majors, given Los Angeles' numerous injuries to their MLB pitching staff.
Ryan battled some injuries early in the season at Triple-A but has since returned to action and is looking as sharp as ever. Since returning from the 7-day injured list on May 15, the right-hander has made four starts and been near-perfect (in three of them), logging 15 innings to the tune of a 0.60 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP. During this stretch, Ryan has posted a 19:1 K:BB while allowing just two runs (one earned).
More importantly, on May 28, Ryan logged a season-high six innings for Oklahoma City with eight punchouts and no walks. While the other names below him on our list have yet to reach the majors, Ryan comes with an advantage, as he has already had a stint with the Dodgers.
Ryan took the mound again on Thursday evening and hit a bit of a bump in the road, allowing four runs over six innings. However, seeing that he continued to increase his workload is a very positive sign for his outlook.
During the 2024 campaign, the No. 79-ranked prospect on MLB.com made four starts for the MLB club (20 1/3 innings) and posted a 1.33 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. While he only struck out 18 hitters in this stint, given that he is showcasing far more strikeout upside this season, fantasy managers should not be overly concerned.
Ryan would likely have been given a longer stint in the majors in 2025, but unfortunately, he missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2024.
Currently, the Dodgers are without two of their frontline starters, Blake Snell (who is on the 60-day IL) and Tyler Glasnow. While Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski have looked very comfortable in the rotation, Ryan stands as the clear "next man up" and would provide this pitching staff with some much-needed depth.
While veteran Eric Lauer was given the short-term role in the rotation, he has not enjoyed much sustained success, and given Ryan's recent production, he would provide this pitching staff with far more upside. He is a top stash target in all standard leagues ahead of Week 11.
River Ryan was 🔥🔥🔥 tonight!
6.0 IP | 4 H | 1 R | 0 ER | 0 BB | 8 K
Set a new career high in innings while matching his best in strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/41vXerJeiq
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 29, 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 Max Clark, Kade Anderson, River Ryan, Alex Lange, Rico Garcia, Gregory Soto, Jacob Latz, Bryce Miller, Josh Jung, Curtis Mead. 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 Max Clark, Kade Anderson, River Ryan, Alex Lange, Rico Garcia, Gregory Soto, Jacob Latz, Bryce Miller, Josh Jung, Curtis Mead:
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