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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Nick Kurtz, Noah Cameron, Grant Taylor - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Adding the right prospect at the right time could provide a much-needed spark to your fantasy team. Last season, both Paul Skenes and James Wood became must-start fantasy assets by June and likely helped lead you to a fantasy championship.
In this piece, we will look at three top prospects who made their MLB debuts early this season and are still valuable in most formats.
Should those players be left on the waiver wire, or should fantasy managers add them before their breakout? Let's dive in!
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Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 30% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 36 G, .252/.305/.496 5 2B, 8 HR, 11 BB, 45 SO
The fourth overall pick in last year's draft quickly progressed through the minor leagues and earned the call to the big leagues earlier this season. Kurtz began the campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas and needed just 20 games to prove he was ready to move up to the big leagues. Through these 20 games, the Wake Forest product posted a stellar .321/.385/.655 slasjh line with seven doubles and seven home runs.
Kurtz made his MLB debut on April 23 but struggled during his first taste. Through the first 23 contests, the top prospect in the system posted a modest .208/.259/.299 slash line with two doubles, a triple, and a home run.
However, on May 20, Kurtz flipped the script. Over his next five games, he would launch four home runs and post an incredible 1.639 OPS. Unfortunately, this hot surge would be cut short by a minor hip injury.
Fortunately, Kurtz missed much time as he was cleared to return rather quickly on June 9. Over his last eight games, Kurtz has posted a .273/.273/.636 slash line with three doubles and three round-trippers.
Under the hood, Kurtz has generated an elite .506 xSLG, 14.1% barrel rate, 49.4% hard-hit rate, and a 77.8 mph bat speed, which are all well above the average marks. Do not let Kurtz's slow start fool you. He is a budding star who has generated elite metrics.
He should be viewed as a must-add this weekend.
Nick Kurtz, certified BEAST.#Athletics pic.twitter.com/SfRrdrkIzx
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 19, 2025
-Written by Andy Smith
Noah Cameron, SP, Kansas City Royals
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 50% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 42 1/3 IP, 1.91 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 0.898 WHIP, 32 K
No one knew what to expect from Cameron when the Royals called him up toward the end of April. The left-hander broke out in the minors in 2024, and he continued to post strong all-around numbers at Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2025 season. So, fantasy managers were excited to see how the 25-year-old would look in the majors.
It's safe to say that Cameron has exceeded all expectations to begin his major league career. He threw 6 1/3 shutout innings with one hit, five walks, and three strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays in a spot start on April 30. Although the Royals sent him back down following that outing, the southpaw would get another opportunity a few weeks later.
He tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts in his second outing on May 17. With Kansas City dealing with some injuries to Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo at that time, Cameron earned a few more turns in the rotation. The Royals' No. 5 prospect has now allowed one run or fewer in six of his first seven starts and just threw five shutout innings in his most recent outing against the Athletics on Sunday.
Noah Cameron is the 2nd pitcher since 1893 with 6.1+ IP and 1 run or less in his first 4 MLB starts 🤯
(H/T @EliasSports) pic.twitter.com/5x4tDTRlrd
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2025
It's easy to see why Cameron continues to be added in most fantasy leagues. He has a 1.91 ERA and a 0.898 WHIP across seven starts, and his off-speed pitches have become a real weapon on the mound. Opposing hitters are batting .139 against his changeup, .167 against his slider, and .071 against his curveball.
All three of those pitches are why Cameron has had success to begin his MLB career. The left-hander has allowed just two extra-base hits (one double and one home run) on those three pitches, and 29 of his 32 strikeouts have come via the changeup, slider, or curveball. With a five-pitch arsenal, he's doing a good job of mixing his pitches on the mound.
Some regression could be coming Cameron's way. His FIP (3.64) is 173 points higher than his actual ERA (1.91), and his hard-hit rate (40.3%), strikeout rate (19.6%), and average exit velocity (89.7%) all don't particularly rank well. Even though fantasy managers should expect his ERA to drop over the next few weeks, he should be rostered in every league.
Cameron has pitched well so far, and his five-pitch mix should help him succeed in 2025 and beyond. With a 5% barrel rate and a .224 expected batting average against, the southpaw appears to be for real. His off-speed stuff should continue to carry him on the mound.
He should be viewed as a must-add pitcher this weekend.
- Written by Joey Pollizze
Grant Taylor, RP, Chicago White Sox
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 3 IP, 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 4 SO, 1 BB
Taylor is an interesting story if you are unfamiliar with him. While at LSU, he was considered its top starter until this guy named Paul Skenes showed up. Taylor then had to have Tommy John surgery. The White Sox selected him in the second round of the draft even while knowing that he faced a long rehabilitation from the elbow injury. This season, they moved him to the bullpen.
The organization has a history of doing this with top prospects before unleashing them in the rotation; they have followed similar pathways with Mark Buehrle, Chris Sale, and Garrett Crochet. Taylor could be in the closing mix before too long on a White Sox team that is developing talent at the major league level.
Through his first two MLB appearances, Taylor did not allow a run and allowed just two hits. However, in his third appearance, Taylor surrendered his first two MLB runs to the Texas Rangers.
Earlier this season, Taylor spent time with Double-A and tossed 26 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.01 ERA and a stellar 0.86 WHIP. Taylor appeared in 15 games and started six. During this stretch, he struck out 37 batters and allowed just 11 walks.
Given his elite strikeout upside and lack of a true ninth-inning option in Chicago, Taylor should be poised to earn this role throughout the summer. For the time being, Taylor is worth adding in all 12+ team leagues if you are falling behind in saves. While he may not receive many save opportunities, he could still find value due to his high strikeout potential.
- Written by Mike Carter
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