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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Cam Schlittler, Spencer Jones, Jonah Tong - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
As we approach the second half of the fantasy baseball season, many top prospects are on the verge of getting the call and could make an immediate impact in the majors. In the first half, Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, and Logan Henderson were among the prospects to make an immediate impact.
In this piece, we will look at one pitcher who recently made his MLB debut and two prospects who could also be in the mix to debut in the second half. While one of these prospects currently resides at Double-A, he is quickly progressing through the minor leagues and could have a path to debut this summer.
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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Cam Schlittler, SP, New York Yankees
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 MiLB Stats: 76 2/3, 2.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 99 SO, 26 BB
Last Wednesday evening, Cam Schlittler received a call from the New York Yankees and made his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners. In this outing, the right-hander looked quite comfortable tossing 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Most of his damage came on the long ball as shortstop J.P. Crawford and infielder Jorge Polanco both took him deep. However, it was a very promising debut for the former seventh-round pick.
Earlier in the season, Schlittler was very impressive in the minor leagues. He opened the season with Double-A Somerset but needed just 53 innings to prove he was ready for a promotion. Through his first and only 23 2/3 innings with Triple-A, Schlittler struck out 35 hitters, allowing only nine walks, and held a 3.80 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.
Could we be witnessing a breakout campaign?
FanGraphs ranks the right-hander as the No. 5 prospect in the system, while MLB.com has him as their No. 10 best prospect. FanGraphs graded his four-seamer a solid 60, but his curveball and slider received 50 and 40 scores, respectively, suggesting they are slightly below average currently. However, the curveball is given a 60 future score, suggesting it does have promise and could continue to develop.
In his debut, he deployed his four-seamer 53.3% of the time and mixed in his slider 28.0% of the time. His top pitchers looked as advertised, as both boasted a .279 xwOBA and a .231 xwOBA, respectively. In addition, his four-seamer held a 28.6% whiff rate, while his slider generated a strong 36.4% whiff rate.
While his metrics are promising, he may not be given the longest look. Right-hander Luis Gil (lat) is expected to make his season debut later in July and will likely take his spot in the rotation. However, if Marcus Stroman or Will Warren struggle or suffer an injury, Schlittler would likely be the next man up.
Given his strong debut, he is worth adding in all 12+ team leagues this week, even if he only makes a few more starts before Gil returns. He is worth spending at least 10% of your FAAB budget on this weekend.
Cam Schlittler gets his first strikeout throwing 💯 and his family couldn't be more proud 🥹 pic.twitter.com/isf0Oag4nT
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2025
-Written by Andy Smith
Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 14 G, .362/.426/.776, 3 2B, 7 HR, 20 SO, 8 BB, 6 SB
Alright, we need to start this week by discussing the absolute tear that Spencer Jones has been on lately in Triple-A. In just 14 games since being bumped up from Double-A, Jones has already racked up seven home runs, six steals, 15 RBI, and 18 runs scored while slashing .362/.426/.776.
Earlier this season, Jones posted an impressive .274/.389/.594 slash line with 16 home runs across 49 games with Double-A Somerset. However, he struck out 70 times and drew just 32 walks.
There might not be a more polarizing prospect or a bigger boom or bust profile in the minors right now than Jones. The power upside is enormous, especially as a left-handed bat in Yankee Stadium. In his 14 Triple-A games, Jones has posted a 55% hard-hit rate, 94 mph AVG EV, and a 17.5% hard-hit rate.
However, even with all the sexy surface stats and quality of contact metrics, Jones is still running a 63% contact rate in Triple-A and sub-60% for the season with a 32.6% strikeout rate. That's the major problem with Jones. He'll probably have spurts where he looks like a league-winner for fantasy, but the valleys will likely be more prominent and more consistent than his peaks.
While his power upside is elite, he could be tough to roster in points leagues once he earns the call.
Spencer Jones is the most perplexing prospect in baseball pic.twitter.com/5H2VabyDSd
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) July 4, 2025
- Written by Eric Cross
Jonah Tong, SP, New York Mets
Current Level: AA
Availability: 1% rostered
2025 AA stats: 78 2/3 IP, 1.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 125 SO, 35 BB
When I saw Jonah Tong live late in 2024, I was impressed with the stuff, but never imagined he would ascend to being one of the 10 best pitching prospects in the game by the All-Star break this season. Tong has been a one-man wrecking ball down in Double-A this season, posting a stellar 1.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 40.8% strikeout rate across 15 starts and 78.2 innings pitched.
That 40.8% strikeout rate ranks second in the minors, trailing only Trey Yesavage's 41.1% mark.
Tong is slightly undersized, but his fastball is electric in the mid-90s with elite riding life. He'll also torment opposing hitters with one of the best curveballs in the minors, a mid-70s offering that falls off the table. Those two pitches are Tong's bread and butter, but he'll also mix in a serviceable slider and changeup.
The one concern here is the higher 11.4% walk rate, but as long as he can keep that rate close to 10%, Tong has the stuff to be an impact arm at the highest level.
Even though Sean Manaea has made his season debut, the Mets could opt to limit his innings down the stretch, which could open the door for Tong to debut in August. For now, he's worth keeping a close eye on. An early second-half promotion to Triple-A could put him in a good position to debut in the final weeks of the season.
Jonah Tong becomes the first player in Binghamton franchise history to win EL Pitcher of the Month in consecutive months 🎉
🎠 x #NeedForSteed x @MetsPlayerDev x @Mets pic.twitter.com/4w6x8PeX5y
— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 3, 2025
- Written by Eric Cross
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