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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Jack Perkins, Tristin English, Ryan Johnson - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Stashing the right prospect can boost your fantasy team's production, especially in the second half of the campaign. Last season, many high-impact prospects were viewed as must-start options, such as Paul Skenes and James Wood.
In this piece, we will examine two prospects who have recently earned the call and one who was given a brief taste of the big leagues before returning to the minor leagues.
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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Jack Perkins, SP/RP, Athletics
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 Stats: 9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 10 K, 2 BB, 2 SV
Perkins was recalled with little fanfare, but he looks the part. What I like is that it seems he would be able to slip into a starting role should the Athletics lose a starter or decide to make a change in their rotation. Perkins has pitched in three games thus far, and he has saves in two of them, both multiple-inning saves.
He could also fit at the back end of the bullpen should the organization sell off current closer Mason Miller to the highest bidder.
Perkins features a four-seam fastball and a sweeper/slider, but also mixes in a cutter and a changeup. The four-seamer has good velocity at over 95 miles per hour (higher in relief than in starting), but the sweeper appears to be his true "out" pitch; he threw it over 40% of the time in his last outing on July 4th.
While he has typically been a long reliever in the majors, Perkins enjoyed high success as a starter with Triple-A Las Vegas. Earlier this season, Perkins posted an impressive 2.86 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, with a 68:20 K:BB through 44 innings of work.
Watch his usage in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see how the team and manager Mark Kotsay use Perkins in the second half. Even if Perkins remains in a long relief role, he will have value in deeper formats given his high strikeout potential.
If Miller were to be moved at the deadline or the Athletics opt to trade starter Luis Severino, Perkins could have a viable path to either being their go-to ninth-inning option or having a spot at the back of their rotation.
BACK-TO-BACK DOMINANCE.
Jack Perkins has been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week 👏
On June 12 vs. Salt Lake:
🔥 6.1 IP
🔥 2 H, 1 R
🔥 12 K
🔥 Took a no-hitter into the 7th22 K over his last 11.1 IP. Just filthy.
presented by… pic.twitter.com/GM5EqfcoV0
— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) June 16, 2025
-Written by Mike Carter
Tristin English, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 Stats: 272 PA, .336/.387/.563, 41 R, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 0 SB
English was recalled last week in a flurry of moves that saw Pavin Smith go to the IL and Tim Tawa optioned back to Triple-A. At 28, it would seem that English is no longer a prospect, but this is a player who could be a useful piece to a struggling Arizona team.
English can hit; his .336 batting average was among minor league leaders. He is not a big home run hitter (his career high is 24, and he has 11 this year) and doesn't steal bases. But his OBP in 2025 is .387, so he gets on base at a high clip.
Earlier this season with Triple-A Reno, English was one of the most productive bats at the top level of the minor leagues, boasting a .338/.388/.549 line. Through 58 games, he knocked 23 doubles while holding a .950 OPS.
English has experience playing the corners both in the infield and the outfield. Given Jake McCarthy's struggles to hit this season, English could see some playing time, as the only outfield fixtures are Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas. It will be interesting to see if manager Torey Lovullo gives him a chance here.
If he begins to see consistent playing time, he could be worth a bench stash in deeper 14+ team formats. He has shown a high ability to produce at Triple-A, which could put him in a position to find success during the second half if given opportunities in Arizona.
Tristin English TO THE SHOW! ⭐️
English played with the Sod Poodles during the 2022 & 2023 seasons. The infielder played in 80 games during his time here, with a combined 48 runs, 85 hits, 12 home runs & 49 RBIs.
Congrats Tristin! pic.twitter.com/PMaSopEmHZ
— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) July 6, 2025
- Written by Mike Carter
Ryan Johnson, SP, Los Angeles Angels
Current Level: High-A
Availability: 10% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 14 2/3 IP, 7.36 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, 16 SO, 5 BB
Ryan Johnson has quickly become a dynasty buy. Remember the name? The Angels shocked the world, well sorta, by putting Johnson on the Opening Day roster without throwing a pitch in the minors, things did not go well. In 14.2 relief innings, Johnson posted a 7.36 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP.
Johnson has been a force as a starter in High-A and has now completed at least seven innings in each of his last four starts. On Saturday, Johnson was nearly flawless. He threw a complete game and allowed just one hit and zero walks while striking out 12 batters. He struck out 12 batters and generated an insane 25 whiffs.
Since June 1, Johnson has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the minor leagues, boasting a 1.62 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP. During this stretch, the No. 7-ranked prospect in Los Angeles tallied 44 punchouts.
Johnson has a deep arsenal of pitches and has worked on his pitch mix in the minors. Being in High-A is probably not much of a challenge for Johnson after facing MLB hitters for over a month. A promotion to Double-A Rocket City could be in order soon. He now looks like a potential solid starting pitcher, and it would not be shocking if next year he were back in the Angels rotation.
He should cost you nothing right now in dynasty and keeper formats. However, given that he will face an uphill battle to return to the big leagues this season, he is best to leave on your redraft waiver wire for the time being.
Ryan Johnson ONE-HITTER
9 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 0 ER | 0 BB | 12 K
102 pitches pic.twitter.com/UD31Vsxg67
— AngelsMiLB (@AngelsMiLB) July 6, 2025
- Written by Chris Clegg
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