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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Carson Williams, Logan Henderson, Andrew Painter - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Throughout the first half of the season, many high-end prospects have taken over the fantasy baseball landscape and have begun to be viewed as must-start options at their respective positions. For example, Kansas City Royals left-hander Noah Cameron has provided solid value, while Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson has become a must-start option given his immense speed upside.
In this piece, we will look at two top pitchers at the Triple-A level and an emerging shortstop and determine if they were worth stashing on our bench during Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season.
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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Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats:91 G, .216/.318/.439, 12 2B, 17 HR, 19 SB
An opportunity could be opening up soon for Carson Williams, but it's not because of a trade. Ha-Seong Kim has struggled with injuries all season, and he went back on the IL with a back injury on Friday. Brandon Lowe is also currently on the IL with a foot injury.
It was a bit confusing why the Rays didn't call up Carson Williams, as they're currently in a tight wild-card race and he offers them significantly more upside at shortstop than Taylor Walls, who is likely their shortstop of the future. I think if Kim or Lowe's injuries are a little more concerning, the Rays may have their hand forced.
Williams has not had the best season at the plate. He only has a 99 WRC+ and a 34.0 percent K-rate. However, he has 17 HRs and 18 SBs and is heating up a bit of late.
Carson Williams leaves the yard! 🫡
MLB's No. 29 prospect (@RaysBaseball) swats his 17th long ball of the year -- his 11th since the beginning of June -- for the Triple-A @DurhamBulls: pic.twitter.com/TXcY8epmDV
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 19, 2025
If Williams gets an opportunity to play in Tampa, he should provide some power and speed upside with a little bit of a questionable batting average.
-Written by Kevin Luo
Logan Henderson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 21 IP, 1.71 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 29 SO, 6 BB
Unlike the first two names on this list, Logan Henderson has already been given a look in the big leagues and was rather impressive. During his first four starts in the majors, the right-hander posted a stellar 1.71 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP across 21 innings. He struck out 29 hitters and served up walks at a solid 7.4% rate.
However, with Brandon Woodruff back in action and Jacob Misiorowski's ascendence, the Brewers opted to send Henderson back to Triple-A to preserve his innings for the stretch run.
Since returning to Triple-A, Henderson has continued to pitch well, tossing 38 2/3 innings with a solid 3.49 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. However, in his most recent outing on July 20, Henderson took a bit of a step back, allowing four runs, four walks, and five hits in just 3 2/3 innings against Indianapolis.
Despite this rough showing, Henderson has continued to flash high strikeout upside at Triple-A, tallying 82 in just 72 1/3 innings of work.
Given his success in the majors, he is worth stashing in deeper leagues. However, Henderson will likely need to wait for an injury to the MLB rotation to return, which makes him difficult to hold in shallower leagues.
Is Logan Henderson nearing a return to the majors? Should he be at the top of our stash list?
Check out the latest update:
(Via: @A_Smith_FS)https://t.co/IbslpG8zc4— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) July 27, 2025
- Written by Andy Smith
Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 61 2/3 IP, 4.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 63 SO, 23 BB
Rounding out this piece is Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter. Earlier in the campaign, Phillies manager Rob Thomson noted that July was the "targeted" date for Painter's eventual MLB debut. While he may not hit that date, fantasy managers should expect an early August debut to remain in play.
The right-hander is coming off one of his best starts at Triple-A. On Thursday evening, the top-ranked prospect in the Phillies system tossed six innings of two-run ball against the Norfolk Tides. In this start, he allowed just one hit with three walks. He struck out four.
This was a great sign for the former 13th overall pick as he posted a hefty 5.84 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP over his last 24 2/3 innings (five starts). While his overall 4.82 ERA, which he holds through 61 2/3 innings at Triple-A, is not overly impressive, Painter's primary concern is his workload. The right-hander missed the entry of the 2023 and 2024 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Seeing Painter log six innings of one-hit ball in his last start suggests that he can not only handle a starter's workload but can also find success over a longer start. Earlier in the campaign, Chander flashed immense upside at Low-A when he posted a 12:1 K:BB through 11 1/3 innings during his rehab stint.
With Mick Abel returned to Triple-A and Aaron Nola (ankle) still on the 60-day injured list, Painter should have a clear path to remain in the majors as soon as he gets the call. He should be viewed as a priority stash in all leagues heading into Week 18.
Andrew Painter may be on his way 👀 https://t.co/Mzv13i6ClX
— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) July 25, 2025
- Written by Andy Smith
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