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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Andrew Painter, Kristian Campbell, Samuel Basallo - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
During the long fantasy baseball season, several high-end prospects reach the majors and make an immediate impact. In this piece, we will look at one prospect who was poised to be an early-season AL ROY favorite but has taken a step back and was optioned to Triple-A.
We will also look at two of the top prospects in the sport and determine if fantasy managers should view the majors as the most-stated options of the future as they approach their eventual MLB debut.
Should those players be left on the waiver wire, or should fantasy managers add them before their breakout? Let's dive in!
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Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 31 IP, 4.35 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 35 SO, 13 BB
The Philadelphia Phillies selected starting pitcher Andrew Painter with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. The right-hander then went on to have a strong minor league season in 2022, posting a 1.56 ERA and 155 strikeouts between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A. Unfortunately, Painter couldn't build off that campaign.
He injured his elbow during spring training in 2023 and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery later that summer. That caused him to miss each of the past two seasons. However, Painter is back to being fully healthy on the mound.
It has been a long road back for Painter. MLB Pipeline's No. 5 overall prospect hasn't pitched in many games over the past few years, so it's not a complete surprise to see him struggle a bit on the mound. He allowed four runs across four innings on June 4 and six runs across five frames on June 10.
Those two rough outings gave Painter a 5.19 ERA across his first 10 starts. The 22-year-old bounced back in his most recent start, though, throwing five shutout innings with six strikeouts against Triple-A Worcester. That type of performance is why the Phillies were so high on the pitcher coming out of high school.
Andrew Painter is back on track!
Pitching on four days' rest for the first time since 2021, MLB's No. 5 prospect (@Phillies) shakes off a tough outing with a gem for the Triple-A @IronPigs:
5 IP
1 H
0 R
2 BB
6 K pic.twitter.com/U0WxReGB05— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 15, 2025
He has a mean fastball that could touch 100 mph to go with an above-average changeup. Those two pitches have been on full display for Painter in his return to the minors this season. The right-hander has a 4.25 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 11 starts between Single-A and Triple-A in 2025.
There's no doubt that Painter will make his MLB debut at some point this season. However, fantasy managers shouldn't expect that to come until after the All-Star break. The Phillies plan to allow their top prospect to get more reps at Triple-A before calling him up sometime in the second half of the season.
When asked in late May about when we could expect Painter in the big leagues, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he doesn't think the right-hander will be promoted before the All-Star break. That means fantasy managers could potentially see him in the majors sometime toward the end of July.
Hard to believe the Phillies won’t have the best rotation in baseball once Andrew Painter arrives in Philadelphia!
His stuff is world-class! pic.twitter.com/pKeLPJcfBA
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) May 29, 2025
As a result, he should be stashed in almost all 12-plus team leagues in Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season. Painter is currently the second-best pitching prospect in baseball and has the tools to be a solid fantasy option right away. With his MLB debut possibly a month away, now would be the perfect time to add him.
-Written by Joey Pollizze
Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF, Boston Red Sox
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 67 G, .223/.319/.345, 10 2B, 6 HR, 2 SB, 29 BB, 72 SO
Kristian Campbell was able to break camp with the MLB roster and wasted little time to make an impact. Through his first 29 games, Campbell posted a strong .301/.407/.495 slash line with eight doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, two stolen bases, and a 32:19 K:BB. However, since May 1, Campbell has taken a significant step back.
During this 39-game stretch, the former top prospect posted a modest .159/.243/.222 line with just two doubles, two home runs, and a 40:10 K:BB. On June 19, the Red Sox announced that they will be sending Campbell back to Triple-A to work out of this slump.
The Boston Red Sox are sending infielder Kristian Campbell to Triple-A, sources tell ESPN. Campbell, who signed an eight-year, $60 million contract this spring, was hitting .301/.407/.495 at the end of April but is .159/.243/.222 since. He'll get a chance to reset in Worcester.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 19, 2025
While prospects typically take time to adjust to the major leagues, fantasy managers should not overreact to this demotion. Campbell showed promise in the majors and may only need a short stint at Triple-A to get back on track.
Through 19 career games at Triple-A, Campbell held a .286/.412/.486 line.
Fantasy managers in 12+ team leagues should continue to stash Campbell while he is in Worcester. He may only need a few weeks to fine-tune his swing.
431 FT and 112.2 MPH off the bat 🔥
Kristian Campbell sent this ball packing for his first career home run! pic.twitter.com/1uPvvamJjC
— MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2025
- Written by Andy Smith
Samuel Basallo, C, Baltimore Orioles
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 45 G, .266/.377/.597, 6 2B, 15 HR, 27 BB, 45 SO
You looked away? Samuel Basallo just hit another homer in Triple-A. One of the best hitters in the minor leagues is truly slamming the door down to the majors.
Long-time time STS darling and current #1 overall prospect SLAMMiN' Samuel Basallo is simply 🔥 ON FIRE 🔥
Tonight he launched ANOTHER home run, and as of now is slashing .270/.385/.605.
Is he somehow...underrated? Time for a promotion? ⏳️
pic.twitter.com/Rn9UMb1YII— Scout the Statline (@StatlineScout) June 18, 2025
Basallo has a 154 WRC+ with 15 HRs in only 44 games. Hitting for that much power while not having a major strikeout problem (24.6%) is an incredible feat for a prospect at any level, but for a guy who is only 20 at Triple-A, you can't say enough about Basallo.
The Orioles are getting healthier, but they are in the basement of the AL East without strong prospects of moving up the standings. It's time for them to commit to letting their young prospects play at the big league level, and part of that is calling up Basallo.
When he gets the call, you can slot him in as a top 10 catcher right away with upside to be top five soon.
Another day, another bomba for Samuel Basallo!💣
It's his 14th home run of the season, tying him for the International League lead. pic.twitter.com/ioS2F5YLJt
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) June 12, 2025
- Written by Kevin Luo
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