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Four top fantasy baseball prospects - Travis Bazzana, James Tibbs III, Elmer Rodriguez, Gabriel Hughes - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Welcome to Week 5 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 Travis Bazzana, James Tibbs III, Elmer Rodriguez, and Gabriel Hughes. 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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Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians
Availability: 28% rostered
2026 MLB Stats: 0-for-6, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 SB, .000 BABIP, -46 wRC+
The Guardians originally selected Bazzana with the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, giving him an $8.95 million signing bonus. The Oregon State product posted mixed results during his first pro season, and despite hitting just .238 at High-A that year, he kept his wRC+ above average at 126 thanks to his 13.9% walk rate.
He fared similarly last year, posting a modest total of nine home runs and 12 steals but walking at an impressive 17.6% clip. Bazzana's results at the plate in 2025 and the start of 2026 indicated that he's never going to be a major power threat, but he'll still make positive contributions at the plate between his contact skills and walk rate.
This is a result of Bazzana being selective at the plate, which is a trait that he has demonstrated dating back to his days at Oregon State. It has led to plenty of walks, but also a strikeout rate that's higher than we'd like to see for someone who doesn't have a ton of power.
"You're gonna have to wait a little longer for your first big league base hit"
- Richie Palacios to Travis Bazzana, probably pic.twitter.com/LcELjv6Z3K— Rays Radio (@RaysRadio) April 29, 2026
Given that Bazzana's contact quality is solid when he does swing the bat, we'd be intrigued to see the former No. 1 pick develop a more aggressive mindset at the plate. It might lower his walk rate, but he should also be able to cut down on strikeouts, record more hits, and even launch more doubles and homers.
Defensively, Bazzana is an athlete, but he will likely be penciled into second base for the remainder of his career. He's steady enough to play every day, but makes just enough mistakes such that he'll likely never be an award winner on the defensive side of the ball.
The exciting news for Bazanna, the Guardians, and fantasy managers is that he was called up to the majors last week. It's been a rough start as he's hitless through eight plate appearances, but his two walks and one strikeout are on brand. If his minor league results are any indication, he should start producing quality contact and stealing some bases while continuing to draw walks very soon.
Managers have a great opportunity to get in at the ground floor. Bazzana is still ranked just 29th among second basemen in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings, which means the buzz hasn't completely taken off yet. Plus, he's available in nearly three-quarters of all redraft leagues.
James Tibbs III, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Availability: 3% rostered
2026 Triple-A Stats: .321/.430/.723, 11 HR, 24 RBI, 30 R, 1 SB, 15.6% BB%, 28.9% K%, 185 wRC+
This isn't the first time managers have been advised to stash Tibbs, and it won't be the last. The 23-year-old continues to trend up as he makes a substantial impact at the Triple-A level for the Dodgers.
Tibbs' pro career started in the NL West, but not with the Dodgers. He was the Giants' first-round pick in 2024, fetching a $4.75 million signing bonus. He was dealt to Boston in last year's Rafael Devers trade, but the Red Sox shipped him off to Los Angeles in exchange for Dustin May shortly after.
That deal appears to have blown up in Boston's face, as Tibbs is arguably having one of the best minor league seasons in recent memory. His 8.1% home run rate is absurd, and he has also been walking at a high clip.
That's no fluke. The consensus opinion about Tibbs has long been that he's a power hitter who will consistently produce extremely high exit velocities, even against stronger MLB pitching. He hits both righties and lefties well, and he still has the discipline needed to work deep into counts and draw walks.
James Tibbs III has been RAKING at Triple-A for the Dodgers!
10 HR, 22 RBI, 1.106 OPS in 23 G
He's the first MiLB player to reach 10 homers ... and on pace for 65 HR 😉 pic.twitter.com/F1XbOV3EK1
— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2026
Most of Tibbs' experience has come in right field, but all three of his organizations have also used him at first base occasionally. The Dodgers are the frontrunners among that group, giving him 10 games (nine starts) at first base so far this season. That makes sense, as the Dodgers already have Kyle Tucker in right and would benefit from Tibbs boasting defensive versatility.
We all know that the Dodgers have a stacked roster, so they're presumably in no rush to call up someone like Tibbs. However, as soon as he does get that call to the show, he's going to be an extremely hot fantasy baseball commodity. Managers should get ahead of the rush and stash Tibbs, because we expect him to produce at a high level once he does make his MLB debut.
Elmer Rodriguez, SP, New York Yankees
Availability: 17% rostered
2026 MLB Stats: 1 G, 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 5.37 FIP, 6.75 K/9, 9.00 BB/9, .333 BABIP
The Red Sox selected Rodriguez in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and they shipped him off to the Yankees in a rare interteam trade prior to the 2025 MLB season. That swap worked out for the Sox, who fetched Carlos Narvaez, but it has also started to pay dividends for the Yankees.
Rodriguez had a 2.47 FIP with 10.56 K/9, 3.42 BB/9, and 0.18 HR/9 at Triple-A last year, and he posted similar results across four starts with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre early this season. That resulted in him being called up to make his MLB debut.
The right-hander throws his fastball more than 50% of the time. He consistently sits around 95 mph, and he mixes up whether he uses his four-seamer or sinker. The sinker is the stronger of the two offerings, as it generates around 16" of horizontal break and recorded a .189 xBA in the minors this year. His fastball is less ideal, boasting a deadzone profile with a .366 xSLG and 55.6% hard hit rate.
His best pitch is the curveball, which generates significant movement and grades out incredibly well in most Stuff+ models. It resulted in a staggering .404 xwOBA at the Triple-A level this year, but it also induced a 38.1% whiff and 14.3% hard hit rate. The expected hitting metrics should cool down over a larger sample size.
Rodriguez's changeup has been hit hard so far, but it has a decent shape with 2.2" of induced vertical break and 12.4" of horizontal break. Averaging a spin rate lower than 1300 rpm, the changeup has the potential to miss bats if he can gain additional feel for it.
He rounds out his repertoire with a slider and a cutter. The former yielded very impressive expected metrics at Triple-A, but both are tertiary offerings right now and would need to be thrown with greater frequency before we gain more confidence in either pitch.
Elmer Rodríguez, 80mph Frisbee Slider. 🥏
22 inches of horizontal break. pic.twitter.com/Btl72bXFSI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 29, 2026
Rodriguez has been one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in baseball for over a year now, so it was exciting to see him make his MLB debut on Wednesday. It could have gone a little better — he allowed two runs and four walks over four innings — but he presumably pitched well enough to stay in the rotation, where he should remain long-term.
As Rodriguez gets acclimated to major league action, he'll be able to pitch deeper into games and develop a better feel for using his arsenal against top-tier hitters. His breaking balls have tremendous swing-and-miss appeal, leading to the potential for him to rack up strikeouts and, subsequently, fantasy points. Managers should stash him before it's too late, as he's currently rostered in a modest 17% of leagues.
Gabriel Hughes, SP, Colorado Rockies
Availability: Less than 1% rostered
2026 Triple-A Stats: 6 G, 4 GS, 0-1, 25.0 IP, 8.64 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 11.52 K/9, 2.16 BB/9, 0.72 HR/9, .455 BABIP
The Rockies selected Hughes with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The Gonzaga product fetched a signing bonus of exactly $4 million, and he has gradually progressed throughout the minors ever since. Now, he's knocking on the door of Major League Baseball.
It's been a rough start to the year for Hughes in terms of ERA, but his FIP is significantly better, and we're very impressed by his strikeout, walk, and home run rates.
Hughes has now thrown 86.2 innings at Triple-A between last year and this year, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him make his MLB debut sooner rather than later. We're very intrigued by how his pitch mix will play at the next level.
Hughes headlines his repertoire with his fastballs. Together, he throws either the four-seamer or sinker more than 50% of the time. Neither grades out particularly well in Stuff+ models, but the four-seamer has a better shape while the sinker takes on a deadzone profile.
The 24-year-old incorporates plenty of horizontal movement into his pitching plans with a sweeper and a curveball. The curveball has maintained a very low .091 xwOBA and a respectable 28.6% hard hit rate so far in Triple-A this year.
Gabriel Hughes fans Kristian Robinson to tie a career-high with eight strikeouts in a game! pic.twitter.com/EpxIdAtgta
— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) April 1, 2026
He rounds out his repertoire with a changeup (5.7% usage). The pitch has low spin rates, typically sitting below 1600 rpm, and it gets good depth at 3.8" of vertical break. We'd like to see it generate a little more horizontal break, too, but there's still a high potential for whiff.
It will be interesting to see how much the Rockies factor Hughes' ERA into their plans for his promotion. If it's a major factor, then he'll need to string together some good starts first. However, if Colorado goes by more of his underlying metrics — such as the FIP and even the home run rate — he's an intriguing name that should be considered for the major league rotation right away.
Managers in deeper leagues should begin to stash Hughes. His low Triple-A home run rate likely prepared him well for pitching at Coors Field; he has the advanced arsenal necessary for a successful starting pitcher, and his breaking balls profile as pitches that can rack up plenty of strikeouts (and, therefore, fantasy points).
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 | Trey Yesavage | SP | TOR | This Week |
| 2 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | CLE | This Week |
| 3 | Robby Snelling | SP | MIA | May |
| 4 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | ARI | May |
| 5 | Max Clark | OF | DET | June |
| 6 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | May |
| 7 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | NYY | This Week |
| 8 | Didier Fuentes | SP | ATL | May |
| 9 | Bryce Eldridge | 1B | SFG | May |
| 10 | Charlie Condon | 1B | COL | May |
| 11 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | MIN | May |
| 12 | Walker Jenkins | OF | MIN | June |
| 13 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | OF | MIN | July |
| 14 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | July |
| 15 | Luis Lara | OF | MIL | June |
| 16 | Kevin Alcantara | OF | CHC | June |
| 17 | A.J. Ewing | OF | NYM | July |
| 18 | Jonah Tong | SP | NYM | June |
| 19 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | MIL | May |
| 20 | Aidan Miller | SS | PHI | July |
| 21 | Thomas White | SP | MIA | July |
| 22 | Spencer Jones | OF | NYY | July |
| 23 | Carson Williams | SS | TBR | May |
| 24 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | PIT | June |
| 25 | Pedro Ramirez | 2B/3B | CHC | 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:
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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Travis Bazzana, James Tibbs III, Elmer Rodriguez, and Gabriel Hughes. 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 Travis Bazzana, James Tibbs III, Elmer Rodriguez, and Gabriel Hughes:
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