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Fantasy baseball prospect breakouts, sleepers, waiver wire stash analysis for Week 9 of 2026 including Kade Anderson, James Tibbs III, Luis Lara, Cole Carrigg, Edwin Arroyo, Walker Jenkins.
Finding high-end prospects on the waiver wire can provide your fantasy team with a massive advantage. Those who have already tested players like Payton Tolle and A.J. Ewing have weekly options with high-end upside across several categories.
Below, we will look at six of the top stash candidates and determine if managers should look to pick them up ahead of their looming MLB debuts.
Should fantasy managers stash these breakout prospects? Let's dive in!
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James Tibbs III, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect James Tibbs III has been a streaky hitter so far in 2026, and right now, he's on a hot streak. The Dodgers' 10th-ranked prospect is 10-for-21 (.476) with a pair of doubles and a triple over his last six games. The former first-rounder has also shown an incredible eye during this stretch, collecting a whopping 11 walks compared to just three strikeouts, raising his walk rate to a strong 16.4 percent on the year.
The left-handed slugger is now slashing .311/.425/.605 for the season with 11 home runs, a .450 wOBA, and a 159 wRC+. The patient approach combined with the ability to hit for extra bases should push him to the majors at some point this season, although there is no opening in the Dodger outfield at the moment. That could change quickly, though, and with the potential to be hitting in a potent lineup, the 23-year-old remains one of fantasy's top hitters to stash in deep 12-team mixed leagues
-Written by Jarod Rupp
Luis Lara, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect Luis Lara stayed hot on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base for Triple-A Nashville. He's now produced five multi-hit efforts in his last eight games, going 13-for-29 (.448) during that time, with more walks (10) than strikeouts (six) and four steals to boot. It has raised the switch-hitter's season slash line to .337/.449/.503 with seven home runs, 17 steals, and a 31:25 BB:K through 44 games.
The power output is a welcome addition to his fantasy profile after he produced only two home runs in 136 games at Double-A in 2025, and along with strong contact ability (4.7 percent swinging-strike rate) and speed (40-plus steals in '23 and '24), the diminutive Venezuelan looks primed for an MLB debut in the coming weeks. With multi-category potential, the 21-year-old has quickly become a top hitter to stash in most fantasy leagues.
- Written by Jarod Rupp
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson was the third-overall selection in last year's MLB Draft, which comes with some high expectations, but the southpaw has exceeded even that lofty outlook early on. The LSU product has struck out 51 batters in just 34 innings pitched (13.5 K/9), walking only 4.0 percent of batters he's faced (37.1 percent K-BB%), and producing a sterling 1.85 ERA through his first seven starts to his professional career at Double-A Arkansas.
That pristine ERA even includes the five earned runs he yielded in his latest start; he allowed only two earned over his first six starts. Despite the rough outing, the Mariners' second-ranked prospect remains one of the top pitchers to stash in fantasy leagues. A promotion to Triple-A should not be far off, and with the expectation that the lefty will be able to compete at that level, an MLB debut should be in the cards later this season.
There is not an opening in the current Seattle rotation anyway, which should give the 21-year-old some additional time to develop, but given how quickly he could get the hook to the majors and his ability to pile up the strikeouts, he should be viewed as a high-end pitcher to stash right now.
- Written by Jarod Rupp
Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins (shoulder) is currently on the injured list, but he remains an intriguing option to stash in fantasy baseball as he approaches his return to action. Jenkins was a first-round pick out of high school in 2023, and he has quickly ascended to the upper tier of the minors. Across 25 games prior to his injury, he was slashing .256/.396/.389 with two home runs, five steals, a 17.1% walk rate, a 16.2% strikeout rate, and 111 wRC+.
Jenkins isn't a major power threat, as he only went yard 10 times last year. However, his speed and on-base skills still make him a very intriguing prospect to stash in fantasy baseball. Assuming he returns to game action by the end of May, we wouldn't be shocked to see Jenkins get called up to the majors in June. He currently ranks as the #3 outfield prospect in our latest redraft rankings.
- Written by Andersen Pickard
Cole Carrigg, OF, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Cole Carrigg is now firmly on the stash radar in Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season. Carrigg opened the 2026 season by making his Triple-A debut and has shown minimal growing pains when facing the top pitching of the minor leagues. Over his first 42 games at the top club of the Colorado system, Carrigg has posted a dominant .355/.415/.538 slash line with nine doubles, five triples, four home runs, and an eye-catching 26 stolen bases.
During this stint, he has also shown a strong eye at the dish, striking out just 25 times and drawing 16 walks. In 2025, the San Diego State product spent his entire season at Double-A but posted a much lower .237 AVG. Given that Brenton Doyle and several corner outfielders on the MLB roster have not put together strong starts, Carrigg could be in the mix for a debut in the immediate future. His high-end speed makes him a top option to stash in all 12-team leagues.
- Written by Andy Smith
Edwin Arroyo, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo continues to hit the ball incredibly well at Triple-A, and he's worth stashing in fantasy baseball ahead of his eventual MLB debut. While there's no clear timeline for his promotion to the majors, the fact that he's slashing .345/.409/.592 across 43 Triple-A games suggest he could be called up sooner rather than later.
He's showing off a nice blend of power and speed with nine homers and eight steals. Furthermore, we're impressed by his 8.8% walk rate, 14.6% strikeout rate, and 156 wRC+. He also has a 18.6% whiff rate, which ranks in the 85th percentile at Triple-A. All in all, the underlying metrics indicate that Arroyo should continue to have plenty of success in the majors, when his time comes. Managers should stash him now, because there's a good chance someone else will roster him before his MLB debut.
Right on schedule pic.twitter.com/ogumAoahPn
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) May 14, 2026
- Written by Andersen Pickard
Top 25 Prospects to Stash in Redraft Leagues
Check our Eric Cross' updated top-25 prospects to stash below. These rankings are for 2026 redraft value only, not dynasty. These are MLB prospects who could potentially make a fantasy baseball impact in 2026.
Promoted This Week: Colt Emerson (SEA), Jhostynxon Garcia (PIT)
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:
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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Kaelen Culpepper, Kade Anderson, Max Clark, Cole Carrigg, Edwin Arroyo, Jett Williams, Colt Emerson, A.J. Ewing, Bryce Eldridge, Henry Bolte. 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, Kade Anderson, Max Clark, Cole Carrigg, Edwin Arroyo, Jett Williams, Colt Emerson, A.J. Ewing, Bryce Eldridge, Henry Bolte:
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