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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - River Ryan, Ben Ross, Seaver King - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Every season, fantasy managers see high-end prospects earn the call to the majors and make a high impact for fantasy. Last summer, Nick Kurtz stole most of the headlines as he went on to be a league-winner for those who stashed him.
In this piece, we will look at two emerging infield prospects and one of the top pitching prospects to stash, who is quickly approaching a return to the big leagues.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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River Ryan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 15% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 11 IP, 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 14 SO, 3 BB
Even with a plethora of starting pitching talent and depth entering the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers' depth chart is already getting a bit thin. Tyler Glasnow was pitching well, but landed on the IL with lower back spasms, and Blake Snell returned to the IL with loose bodies in his elbow, which is apparently the new injury the kids are having this season.
Justin Wrobleski has already been called upon to pitch notable innings, and River Ryan likely will as well.
After missing all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, Ryan missed additional time this season due to a hamstring strain, but returned to the mound on Saturday. In four innings, Ryan allowed two hits, one walk, and one earned run while striking out four. He also hit 100 mph in the outing and averaged 98.6 mph on his four-seam fastball.
Given the Dodgers' propensity to use a six-man rotation at times, along with the durability concerns in the current rotation, it wouldn't shock me to see Ryan get the call in the coming weeks. When that happens, Ryan has the upside to push top-60 SP value for the rest of the season. Assuming he stays up, that is.
-Written by Eric Cross
Ben Ross, SS, Minnesota Twins
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 19 G, .270/.418/.492, 8 2B, 2 HR, 2 SB
Shortstop Ben Ross has been promoted from Double-A Wichita to Triple-A St. Paul.
Ross has hit .424 with 5 homers, 16 RBI, and a 1.325 OPS in 16 games with the Wind Surge to start 2026.
— Theodore Tollefson (@TheodoreTollef1) April 24, 2026
Ross is currently slashing .355/.478/.664 with seven home runs and 10 stolen bases in 136 plate appearances at Double-A and Triple-A this season. Throughout both stops, Ross has combined for a 16.9% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate, showing a lot of polish at the plate. We all know that Kaelen Culpepper gets the headlines, but what if Ross is the one who gets the call first?
He's already 24 years old, and his strong performance has moved him up to Triple-A. If he continues to mash, there's a chance that he can be up with the Twins at some point this season. Minnesota is a rebuilding team that would be wise to see what its young talent can do, especially those with not much left to prove in the minors.
Continue to monitor Ross' progress at Triple-A. With Royce Lewis starting to fall out of favor due to injuries and poor performance, maybe Ross gets the call.
- Written by Frank Ammirante
Seaver King, SS, Washington Nationals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 20% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 35 G, .336/.427/.562, 10 2B, 5 HR, 5 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 River Ryan, Ben Ross, Seaver King, Louie Varland, Tanner Scott, Bryce Eldridge, Roki Sasaki, Cade Cavalli, Hunter Greene, JJ Bleday. 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 River Ryan, Ben Ross, Seaver King, Louie Varland, Tanner Scott, Bryce Eldridge, Roki Sasaki, Cade Cavalli, Hunter Greene, JJ Bleday:
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