Later-Round Fantasy Baseball Prospect Sleepers - Rookies To Stash (2026)

February 23, 2026

Andy's later-round fantasy baseball prospect sleepers and stashes for 2026. His upside rookie draft targets include Kevin McGonigle, Jonah Tong, Thomas White, more

While draft season is in full swing, it is never too early to begin looking at high upside prospects to stash. In the final rounds of your draft, managers often select high-upside prospects who have a path to an early MLB debut. Last season, those who either drafted Nick Kurtz or stashed him early in the season were rewarded with a league winner. While it is very rare for a prospect to make that much of an impact, they can often produce solid value and become lineup staples for most of the summer.

In this piece, we will highlight five prospects who are not expected to make the Opening Day roster but could earn the call quite early in the season. However, every prospect mentioned has an ADP past 250 on NFBC drafts, which will exclude Pittsburgh's top prospect, Konnor Griffin. He would be a priority stash over these names if he does not crack the Opening Day roster. Additionally, Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt is all but guaranteed to make the Opening Day roster, which excludes him from this piece.

Be sure to also check out Eric Cross' prospect ETA predictions to see other budding stars who may be worthy of a late-round selection. Also, follow RotoBallerMLB on X for all of our baseball content, and feel free to hit me up with any questions @A_Smith_FS. Let's dive in!

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Thomas White, SP, Miami Marlins

Thomas White appeared to be in the running to break camp with the MLB roster, but recent reports suggest the budding southpaw will have to report to Triple-A to begin the season. White joined the Marlins in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Phillips Academy and has quickly ascended prospect boards.

Per MLB Pipeline, the young lefty enters the 2026 season as Miami's top prospect and the overall No. 22 in the sport.

Last summer, he opened the campaign with High-A Beloit and looked quite strong. Through 35 innings, White logged an elite 2.83 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. During this stretch, White struck out 53 batters while allowing 17 free passes. He then moved up to Double-A Pensacola, where he took another step forward, logging 45 1/3 frames to the tune of a 1.59 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 75:24 K:BB.

This dominant showing earned White a ticket to Triple-A Jacksonville late in the regular season. Overa brief 9 1/3 inning stint, White allowed five runs (four earned) with a 17:10 K:BB.

Per FanGraphs' scouting report, White has three pitches (fastball, slider, changeup) that all have a 60 or higher futures grade, suggesting he has the talent to develop into the game's top pitchers. His slider holds a 60 current grade but has a dominant 70 future score, suggesting it can develop into an elite whiff pitch once he reaches the big leagues. His four-seamer and changeup both hold 60 future grades, further showcasing the elite ceiling he could possess once he earns the call to Miami.

Thomas White's first strikeout victim tonight was former Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz.#Marlins pic.twitter.com/hmpncemTMB

— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) September 24, 2025

However, with Chris Paddack already being named to the rotation, and Max Meyer and Braxton Garrett both fully healthy, White now projects to be the No. 6/No.7 option in the rotation, alongside fellow prospect Robby Snelling. Since Snelling has already had a longer stint at Triple-A, White figures to be significantly behind him in overall development.

Despite this, White's high strikeout profile makes him a worthy stash candidate early in the season. Miami's current starters have been no strangers to IL stints, which could open a spot for White much sooner than expected.

Verdict - stash in 12+ team leagues

Aidan Miller, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Aidan Miller is a rising star in the Phillies pipeline, but given their current roster construction, it appears the young infielder will not make the Opening Day roster. Additionally, according to earlier reports by Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, Miller is not "expected" to make the Opening Day roster, but should be in the mix for an early promotion, making him a prime stash candidate.

Aidan Miller Unlikely to Break Camp with MLB Roster? https://t.co/IgfP5CBYyv

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) January 31, 2026

Miller, the former 27th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft, spent most of the 2025 season at Double-A and flashed immense upside. Over 108 games, Miller posted a .259/.382/.427 line with a .809 OPS. During this stint, Miller tallied 25 doubles, hit 13 home runs, and swiped an elite 52 bags.

He earned a brief eight-game stint in Triple-A, where he continued to hit, posting a .333/.514/.519 line with one home run and an eye-catching seven stolen bases. Miller will likely be the first name called if Alec Bohm, Trea Turner, or Bryson Stott miss time early in this season.

Miller has immense stolen base upside with some sneaky power that is worth stashing in deeper category formats. Miller earned a 60 futures grade in Raw Power according to FanGraphs, which opens the door for a double-digit home run season paired with elite stolen base production.

Verdict - stash in 12-team leagues

Braden Montgomery, OF, Chicago White Sox

Even though Braden Montgomery has yet to step on the Triple-A diamond, the young outfielder has the benefit of playing on a White Sox team that lacks much depth in the outfield, which could open the door for a much sooner than expected MLB promotion.

Montgomery joined the White Sox with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 Draft out of Texas A&M and has quickly progressed through their system. The young outfielder made his professional debut at the start of the 2025 campaign with Low-A but was able to finish the season at Double-A.

Through 87 games shared between Low-A and High-A, Montgomery held a .269/.360/.455 line with an .815 OPS, 21 doubles, 11 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. Over his first 34 games with Double-A, Montgomery continued to perform, posting a .272/.364/.416 line. During this stint, the 22-year-old hit only one long ball but added 14 doubles with three swiped bags.

While his power production was not as high at Double-A, he did lower his ground-ball rate by two points (compared to High-A) and raise his line-drive rate from 22.3% to 32.5% despite facing tougher pitching.

With a lack of depth in the Chicago outfield, Montgomery seems all but ticketed to open these seasons at Triple-A, but has a wide-open path to joining the White Sox in the early months.

Verdict - stash in 12+ team, five-outfielder leagues

Jonah Tong, SP, New York Mets

Jonah Tong was a popular stash candidate throughout most of the 2025 season but was unable to make much of an impact when he reached the big leagues. Over his first 18 2/3 innings in Queens, the 22-year-old stumbled, posting a 7.71 ERA with a 1.77 WHIP. During this stint, Tong struck out only 22 hitters and allowed walks at a high 10.3% rate.

However, when progressing through the New York pipeline, Tong was flashing impressive upside and was quickly established as one of the top pitching prospects in the game. After logging just 9 1/3 innings at Double-A in 2024, Tong was given the green light to begin the 2025 season there and did not disappoint.

The young right-hander tossed 102 innings with an elite 1.59 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 162:44 K:BB. He was then moved up to Triple-A Syracuse, where he needed to log only 11 2/3 innings (two starts) before earning the call to the big leagues. At Triple-A, Tong did not allow a run and posted a 17:3 K:BB.

At Double-A, Tong generated an impressive 29.0% fly-ball rate with a 53.6% ground-ball rate, both of which were the highest marks of his career among MiLB stints of 40+ innings. Over 113 2/3 total MiLB innings last summer, Tong posted a dominant 29.9% K-BB%, the highest of his career.

Tong is credited with having an elite fastball and potentially one of the best in the minor leagues. According to the FanGraphs scouting report, Tong's fastball earned a 70 current score and a 70 futures score, suggesting the massive impact it has already had on his success. However, his secondaries do not possess similar upside, which led to his rough MLB debut.

According to the FanGraphs Scouting Report, only one of his pitches (his changeup) has a futures score of greater than 50.

With Freddy Peralta joining the Mets and a healthy Kodai Senga, Tong does not figure to earn a position in the Opening Day roster. Managers should closely monitor his production at Triple-A to begin the season. If he can further develop one of his secondaries, Tong can become an elite strikeout pitcher during his second stint in the big leagues.

Six pitching prospects had an xFIP under 3.00 and a strikeout rate above 30% over 100+ innings in 2025.

Jonah Tong (NYM)
Robby Snelling (MIA)
Connelly Early (BOS)
Trey Gibson (BAL) 🎥
Ty Johnson (TBR)
Ben Hess (NYY)pic.twitter.com/9TGSzpIFIQ

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) February 8, 2026

Verdict - stash in 12-team leagues

Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers

Rounding out this list will be one of the top prospects in the sport. While Kevin McGonigle is in the mix to crack the Opening Day roster, and likely has the best chance of the players on this list to do so, he is facing an uphill battle and will be better suited for an early-first-half debut.

Per MLB.com, McGonigle enters the 2026 campaign as the sport's No. 2 overall prospect, behind only Pittsburgh's Griffin.

Last season, McGonigle began the season with High-A but was able to spend most of the second half with Double-A Erie. With High-A West Michigan, McGonigle held an elite .372/.462/.648 slash line with 19 doubles, seven home runs, and three stolen bases across a 36-game stint. He held a strong 19:23 K::BB as well.

In his first taste of Double-A, McGonigle continued this trajectory, holding a .254/.369/.550 line with 10 doubles, 12 long balls, seven stolen bases, and a 26:33 K:BB over a slightly larger 46-game stint.

Under the hood, McGonigle raised his BB% by 2.5% (13.5% - 16.0%) at Double-A and saw his K% only slightly increase (11.1% - 12.6%). More importantly, at Double-A, the 21-year-old posted a career-best 46.5% fly-ball rate with a solid 36.1% ground-ball rate.

In camp, the Tigers have opted to move McGonigle all around the diamond, but he is expected to remain a shortstop for the long term. While he could claim a role over Zach McKinstry or Javier Baez, the Tigers will likely want to provide him a brief taste of Triple-A in April before moving up to the majors shortly after.

He is a prime stash candidate who would possess five-category upside as soon as he earns the call. If he performs well in spring training, eager managers may not have to wait long before putting McGonigle into their starting lineup.

Among the names on this list, McGonigle appears to be in the best situation to break camp with the MLB roster and should be drafted in all standard leagues as a high-end stash candidate.

Kevin McGonigle SMOKES a triple to left.

105.6 mph EV pic.twitter.com/drNIJbKTQd

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) November 7, 2025

Verdict - stash in all leagues

Other prospects to stash:

• Robby Snelling, MIA - stash in 12-team leagues
• Colt Emerson, SEA - stash in 12-team leagues
• Brandon Sproat, MIL - stash in 12+ team leagues
• Walker Jenkins, MIN - stash in 12+ team, five-outfielder leagues
• Gage Jump, ATH - stash in 12+ team leagues

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