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Fantasy baseball prospect breakouts, sleepers, waiver wire stash analysis for Week 18 of 2026 including Max Clark, Lazaro Montes, Luke Adams, Quinn Mathews, and more.
In the opening months of the season, fantasy managers have seen firsthand the importance of stashing and picking up high-end prospects ahead of their MLB breakout.
Below, we will look at nine prospects who have put themselves high on the stash radar in Week 18 of the fantasy season.
So, should fantasy managers stash these breakout prospects? Let's get to it!
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Lazaro Montes, OF, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes continues to flash high-end power at the Triple-A level and is making a strong case to earn the call to the big leagues. Since joining the top club in the system (14 games), the young slugger has looked quite comfortable, carrying a .254/.338/.525 line with a .863 OPS. During Saturday's contest, Montes went 2-for-5 with his third Triple-A long ball.
This was also his third straight game tallying at least two hits. Earlier in the season, the outfielder spent 79 games at the Double-A level, where he posted a .234/.369/.550 line with a .919 OPS and 25 home runs. Montes is solidifying himself as one of the top power bats in the minor leagues and is in prime position to earn the call as Seattle looks to secure its spot in the postseason.
-Written by Andy Smith
Luke Adams, INF, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Luke Adams has enjoyed a dominant stretch at Triple-A Nashville and is now firmly on the stash radar ahead of Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season. Over his last 20 games, the infielder has posted a stellar .323/.442/.581 line with a 1.022 OPS. During this stretch, the primary third baseman has hit five doubles, gone deep three times, and swiped three bases. \
On the season (49 games at Triple-A), Adams has held a .270/.413/.560 line with a .973 OPS, eight doubles, 12 home runs, and seven stolen bases. Currently in the majors, the Brewers have seen third baseman Joey Ortiz enjoy a recent surge at the plate himself, but Adams is emerging as the clear next-man-up in this infield. If he maintains this pace, he should earn a late-season taste of the big leagues.
- Written by Andy Smith
Quinn Mathews, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews turned in another stellar effort at Triple-A on Friday evening and is on the verge of reaching the major leagues. Facing Triple-A Durham, the southpaw struck out an impressive 10 hitters over seven innings of three-hit ball. He walked only three batters and allowed one unearned run.
Since May 28, the Stanford product has been among the most dominant pitchers at the top level in the minors and is making a strong case to join the Cardinals. During these noted 56 1/3 innings, the left-hander has posted a sharp 1.60 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP while holding a 67:22 K:BB. While there may not be a clear opening for the left-hander, his recent surge makes him a top prospect to stash among pitchers, as his debut could occur in early August.
- Written by Andy Smith
Cam Cannarella, OF, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella has yet to slow down since moving up to Triple-A Jacksonville and has put himself firmly on the stash radar in deeper redraft leagues. Cannarella earned the call to the team's top minor-league club last week and has continued to flash elite upside. Across six games with the Jumbo Shrimp, the young outfielder has held a .292/.393/.500 line with two doubles and a long ball.
Cannarella began the season with High-A but has progressed through his system at a very impressive rate. Across 52 games shared between High-A and Double-A, the Clemson product held a .365/.443/.599 line with 12 round-trippers and nine stolen bases. His impressive play and quick transition to Triple-A have made him a worthy stash target in deeper 12+ team leagues as a late-season MLB debut is within reach.
- Written by Andy Smith
Kaelen Culpepper, INF, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper has recovered from hand and glute injuries and returned to the lineup with Triple-A St. Paul over the past three games. He has two hits over his three games back after missing nearly a month with injuries. The No. 2 prospect for the Twins, Culpepper will likely need some time to work his way back to peak form and thus might be a long shot to make it to the big league club this season.
He has a 55-grade hit tool and a 50-grade run tool and boasts a well-rounded game. The Twins might wait to see that he is back to full health before giving him his big league debut this season. Unfortunately, the injuries set him back a bit, but he should still be on the talented prospect radar for fantasy managers. However, it's looking more like 2027 could be his debut year.
- Written by Brian Buckey
Andrew Fischer, INF, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Andrew Fischer continued his impressive power surge on Friday evening as he launched his 30th long ball of the MiLB season against Double-A Chattanooga. While Fischer has endured a bit of a skid at the plate, his power has remained a key part of his game as he has gone deep twice over the last eight contests.
The No. 8-ranked prospect in the system began the 2026 season at the High-A level, where he needed just 54 games to prove he was ready to join Double-A. With Wisconsin, Fischer hit 20 home runs with a sharp 1.118 OPS. Since moving to Double-A (29 games), Fischer has hit 10 home runs while holding a .253/.387/.636 line. While he will likely need to have a brief taste of Triple-A before being in serious contention to reach the majors, his elite power upside has kept the door open for a September call-up.
- Written by Andy Smith
Charlie Condon, OF, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect Charlie Condon has consistently produced at Triple-A Albuquerque this season, including a nice month of July. In 56 July at-bats, Condon has two homers and six RBI with eight runs scored and a .321 batting average. Altogether, Condon has hit 20 homers and driven in 62 runs this season with 77 runs scored, all while hitting .292.
The No. 3 prospect for Colorado, Condon, the right-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder, is a valuable stash as a Rockies call-up could lead to promising numbers. If he plays his home games at Coors Field, he could show off even more statistically. Fantasy managers will want to get ahead of the game and add Condon from the waiver wire if he is not already added. He is a premium prospect who could shine soon in the big leagues.
- Written by Brian Buckey
Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark has had a nice month of July at Triple-A Toledo, posting three homers and six RBI while hitting .333 with 13 runs scored and four stolen bases. As Clark continues to hit, he continues to make his case for a big league promotion. As the top prospect in the Tigers system, Clark is the main name to watch as the Tigers roster continues to take shape as the trade deadline nears.
Clark has a 60-grade hit tool and a 70-grade run tool and has racked up 21 stolen bases at Toledo this year. At just 21 years old, the Tigers will have to make a decision on how they want Clark's career to progress. He has shown the capability to hit at a high level at Triple-A and the next step could be Detroit, but do the Tigers want to bring up Clark at such a young age? It's worth taking a chance in fantasy by stashing Clark and waiting for a promotion, especially if the Tigers are active at the trade deadline.
Update - Clark has been promoted to the major leagues. He is a top waiver wire target in all formats.
- Written by Brian Buckey
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners top pitching prospect Kade Anderson has seen his value as a stash candidate greatly increase over the past week. Per reports, the Mariners have expressed interest in potentially trading right-handed starting pitcher Emerson Hancock to bolster their lineup for the stretch run. This move would directly open a path for Anderson to make an impact at the MLB level down the stretch.
Additionally, Anderson is coming off potentially his best start of the season and has been nothing short of dominant with Double-A. On Friday night, he tossed five perfect frames with seven punchouts. Overall, he holds a 1.27 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP across 77 2/3 innings of work. With a potential path to MLB innings, Anderson has elite stash upside as the clear top prospect to target across all positions ahead of Week 18.
- Written by Andy Smith
Top 25 Prospects to Stash in Redraft Leagues
Check out 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 Last Week: James Triantos (CHC)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Jonathon Long (CHC), Max Anderson (DET), Zach Ehrhard (LAD), Kemp Alderman (MIA), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Yohandy Morales (WAS), Abimelec Ortiz (WAS), Lazaro Montes (SEA), Ryan Ward (LAD), Gavin Cross (KCR), Parks Harber (SFG), Jacob Melton (TBR)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): George Klassen (LAA), Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT), Brody Hopkins (TBR), Jonah Tong (NYM), Jaxon Wiggins (CHC)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners |
| 2 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins |
| 3 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals |
| 4 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies |
| 5 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins |
| 6 | Max Clark | OF | Tigers |
| 7 | Hector Rodriguez | OF | Reds |
| 8 | Seaver King | SS/2B | Nationals |
| 9 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | Yankees |
| 10 | Franklin Arias | SS | Red Sox |
| 11 | Angel Genao | INF | Guardians |
| 12 | Cam Cannarella | OF | Marlins |
| 13 | Zac Veen | OF | Rockies |
| 14 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians |
| 15 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | Pirates |
| 16 | Cooper Ingle | C/OF | Guardians |
| 17 | Karson Milbrandt | SP | Marlins |
| 18 | Quinn Mathews | SP | Cardinals |
| 19 | Luke Adams | 1B/3B | Brewers |
| 20 | Michael Arroyo | 2B | Mariners |
| 21 | Hagen Smith | SP | White Sox |
| 22 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers |
| 23 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees |
| 24 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers |
| 25 | River Ryan | SP | Dodgers |
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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Max Clark, Lazaro Montes, Luke Adams, Quinn Mathews, Kaelen Culpepper, Cam Cannarella, Andrew Fischier, Kade Anderson, Charlie Condon, Joshua Baez, Walker Jenkins. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
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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 Max Clark, Lazaro Montes, Luke Adams, Quinn Mathews, Kaelen Culpepper, Cam Cannarella, Andrew Fischier, Kade Anderson, Charlie Condon, Joshua Baez, Walker Jenkins:
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