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Four top fantasy baseball prospects - Kaelen Culpepper, Max Clark, Kade Anderson, and Ralphy Velazquez - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Welcome to Week 10 and RotoBaller's Redraft Fantasy Baseball Prospects Report for the 2026 MLB season, looking at prospect risers and fallers in redraft fantasy baseball leagues.
As we advance deeper into the regular season, we'll take a closer look at Kaelen Culpepper, Max Clark, Kade Anderson, and Ralphy Velazquez. Each is a top talent in their team's farm system who has either already debuted early this season or is knocking on the door of receiving a call to the show.
We’ll dive into their early performances, analyze what’s working (and what’s not), and offer insights on what fantasy baseball managers can expect as we get deeper into the 2026 season.
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Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Minnesota Twins
Availability: 2% rostered
2026 Triple-A Stats: 53 G, .265/.368/.488, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 13 SB, 12.6% BB%, 19.0% K%, 119 wRC+
The Twins selected Culpepper, a Kansas State product, in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He signed for just shy of $4 million, and so far, he's been worth every penny. The 23-year-old has lived up to the hype and is now a top prospect inching closer to making his MLB debut.
Culpepper, who is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, has an impressive blend of power and speed that should set him up for plenty of success in fantasy baseball. He had 20 homers and 25 steals last year, and he's already up to 13 homers and 13 steals this year. He has the potential to be a member of the 20/20 club (20 homers and 20 steals) in the majors.
In addition to the counting stats, his underlying metrics are quite encouraging. He's an impact bat with a 95.1 mph EV50 (91st percentile) and 50.6% hard-hit rate (89th percentile). His ability to hit the ball hard in the minors should allow him to maintain his power once he reaches the majors.
Furthermore, Culpepper's swing decisions aren't anything special, but he makes consistent contact. His 22.6% whiff rate ranks in the 71st percentile, while his 89.15% zone contact rate is in the 86th percentile. He can get a little overaggressive and chase from time to time, but we know that he's still a decent bet to make solid contact.
Culpepper seems like a strong candidate to make his MLB debut in June. When he does get called up, he should see his roster share skyrocket as fantasy managers take notice of the upside behind his power and speed. He's available in 98% of leagues, and he ranks #2 among shortstop prospects in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings.
Kaelen Culpepper with his SIXTH leadoff homer of the season!
The @Twins' No. 2 prospect has gone deep 13 times and owns an .853 OPS for the Triple-A @StPaulSaints: pic.twitter.com/Woshl7W7UJ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 3, 2026
Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 Triple-A Stats: 52 G, .263/.350/.518, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 12 SB, 11.3% BB%, 15.0 K%, 104 wRC+
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 52 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
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
Availability: 6% rostered
2026 Triple-A Stats: 9 GS, 4-0, 44.0 IP, 1.43 ERA, 1.81 FIP, 13.70 K/9, 1.43 BB/9, 0.41 HR/9, 45.2% GB%
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
Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Cleveland Guardians
Availability: 1% rostered
2026 Triple-A Stats: 47 G, .298/.389/.521, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 1 SB, 11.6% BB%, 19.9% K%, 142 wRC+
The Guardians used their 2023 first-round pick on Velazquez, selecting him 23rd overall and giving him a $2.5 million signing bonus. At the time, he was a very talented prep prospect, and he has maintained that same level of upside throughout the minors and into Triple-A.
Body concerns could lead Velazquez to more designated hitter reps and fewer first base reps long-term, but the bat is good enough to get in the lineup every day. He's a prototypical middle-of-the-order power bat with 22 homers last year and seven so far this year. There's essentially no speed here, but his 20+ home run potential gets him on the radar in fantasy baseball leagues.
Velazquez's top advanced metric so far this season is his 91.6 mph average exit velocity, which ranks in the 86th percentile. Before he reaches the majors, we'd like to see him improve on his swing decisions and contact results, as he owns an ugly 36.76% chase rate and 36.5% whiff rate so far. (Both rank in the 12th percentile.)
Despite some contact and whiff concerns, Velazquez's power numbers speak for themselves, and we expect his exit velos to remain high once he gets called up to the majors, likely in August or so. He's available in 99% of leagues and currently ranks as the No. 17 prospect in RotoBaller expert Eric Cross' 2026 Prospect Fantasy Baseball Redraft Stash Rankings.
Cleveland #Guardians 21yr old (1B) prospect Ralphy Velazquez collects his 2nd XBH of the night on his 4th triple of the season in the 8th inning for Columbus. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/AH9854CLxl
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 4, 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.
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Edwin Arroyo | 2B/SS | Reds | Now |
| 2 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins | June |
| 3 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners | July |
| 4 | River Ryan | SP | Dodgers | June |
| 5 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals | July |
| 6 | Max Clark | OF | Tigers | August |
| 7 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies | July |
| 8 | Braden Montgomery | OF | White Sox | July |
| 9 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers | July |
| 10 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers | June |
| 11 | Luis Lara | OF | Brewers | June |
| 12 | Cooper Pratt | SS | Brewers | July |
| 13 | Cole Carrigg | OF | Rockies | June |
| 14 | Yohandy Morales | 1B/3B | Nationals | June |
| 15 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins | August |
| 16 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees | July |
| 17 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians | August |
| 18 | Thomas White | SP | Marlins | July |
| 19 | Carlos Lagrange | SP | Yankees | July |
| 20 | Spencer Jones | OF | Yankees | July |
| 21 | Aidan Miller | SS | Phillies | August |
| 22 | Abimelec Ortiz | 1B | Nationals | July |
| 23 | Jaxon Wiggins | SP | Cubs | July |
| 24 | Kemp Alderman | OF | Marlins | July |
| 25 | Jordan Lawlar | INF/OF | Diamondbacks | 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 Kaelen Culpepper, Max Clark, Charlie Condon, Jacob Latz, Gage Jump, Edwin Arroyo, Noelvi Marte, Payton Tolle, Hogan Harris, Kade Anderson, and Ralphy Velazquez. 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 Kaelen Culpepper, Max Clark, Charlie Condon, Jacob Latz, Gage Jump, Edwin Arroyo, Noelvi Marte, Payton Tolle, Hogan Harris, Kade Anderson, Ralphy Velazquez:
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