RADIO
Andersen looks at the top fantasy baseball prospects risers, sleepers for Week 5 in April 2026. These MLB prospects may become strong waiver wire stashes or pickups.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! We've hit the end of April, which means the start of baseball season is flying by. There have been plenty of major storylines and big games in the majors already, but we should also acknowledge all the standout performances across levels of affiliated ball in the minors.
Monitoring the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far is imperative. The players listed here are coming off dominant weeks and have significant long-term upside. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big league level soon.
Savvy fantasy managers looking for an edge in their leagues should watch these players over the long haul, as they may soon be excellent additions.
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Braylon Payne, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Level: High-A
2026 stats: 14 G, .367/.492/.796, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 16 R, 6 SB, 18.0% BB%, 24.6% K%, .429 BABIP, .550 wOBA, 213 wRC+
Payne was Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2024. They selected him out of high school and gave him a hefty $3.44 million signing bonus. Given that he's still a teenager, the Brewers have been patient with his development. That's why he's still in High-A — although he could be knocking on the door of Double-A very soon.
The 19-year-old offers a blend of discipline and power that scouts love. It's not often you'll find a player with an 18% walk rate and 9.8% home run rate (which will surely cool down over a smaller sample size). With that being said, he also strikes out more than we'd like to see, and there are questions about whether his impressive contact metrics will translate at the higher levels.
For now, though, his approach has led to direct results. He went 9-for-20 across five games last week, adding four home runs, seven RBI, four walks, four strikeouts, and two stolen bases. His discipline, power, and speed give him a tremendously high ceiling, even if his floor is low. He should get the call to Double-A soon.
Braylon Payne cannot be stopped! 🔥
The @Brewers' No. 13 prospect has 5 homers and six multi-hit efforts in his past nine games for the High-A @TimberRattlers. pic.twitter.com/LlUnkdyNfM
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 26, 2026
Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Level: Single-A
2025 stats: 4 G, 4 GS, 2-0, 17.0 IP, 0.53 ERA, 1.04 FIP, 16.94 K/9, 2.65 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 52.4% GB%, .182 BABIP
The Pirates selected Hernandez with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft last summer. In my opinion, they got a steal. The prep righty was my No. 1-ranked prospect in last year's draft, and I think there could be multiple Cy Young awards in his future.
Hernandez has an advanced pitch mix, and it's very polished for someone his age (19 years old). He can lead with the fastball, which has routinely touched 100 mph. The changeup — his best pitch — pairs nicely with the heater. It generates dramatic tailing action to miss bats, and it tunnels nicely off his fastball. He also throws a slider, which, despite grading out lower than the fastball and changeup, is still a plus offering that generates whiffs.
Hernandez spun another gem last Friday, going five shutout innings with one hit, two walks, and nine strikeouts. Over his last three games (14 innings), he has zero earned runs and 24 strikeouts. In total, this season, he has just one earned run and 32 strikeouts across 17 innings of work. These are otherworldly numbers, even for Single-A standards. A promotion to High-A is in his future.
Sheer dominance from Seth Hernandez in his 4th pro start for Single-A @The_Marauders 💎
5 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 2 BB | 9 K
The @Pirates' 2025 first-rounder is up to 32 strikeouts in 17 IP, with an 0.53 ERA on the year: pic.twitter.com/ssIRjqpxto
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 25, 2026
Eric Hartman, OF, Atlanta Braves
Level: High-A
2025 stats: 19 G, .316/.388/.711, 8 HR, 16 RBI, 20 R, 8 SB, 8.2% BB%, 27.1% K%, .356 BABIP, .470 wOBA, 185 wRC+
Hartman was selected in the 20th and final round of the 2024 MLB Draft. At the time, he was a prep outfield prospect from Canada who had just recently turned 18 years old. He didn't make his pro debut until 2025, and he spent most of the year in Single-A.
Hartman's carrying trait is speed, which he puts on display often. He stole 48 bags across just 89 games last year, and he's stealing bases at a meteoric rate again this year. The hit tool is the biggest question mark, as he posted a modest .699 OPS with a 23.2% strikeout rate in the minors last year.
With that being said, we were impressed by what we saw from Hartman's bat last week. Across five games, he went 11-for-23 with five home runs, 10 RBI, four walks, and six strikeouts. He also stole two bases on three attempts. If he can continue to at least produce average-at-worst results at the plate and in the field, the speed should do enough to earn him promotions in the minors.
1st inning: Eric Hartman homer.
3rd inning: Eric Hartman homer!
9th inning: ERIC HARTMAN HOMER!The @Braves prospect delivers @GoEmperors' first 3-homer game in at least two decades 🐧 pic.twitter.com/FwpOo6DBEA
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 22, 2026
Jamie Hitt, LHP, San Diego Padres
Level: High-A
2026 stats: 4 G, 3 GS, 0-1, 13.1 IP, 4.05 ERA, 2.39 FIP, 11.48 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 57.6% GB%, .353 BABIP
Hitt is on the somewhat older side for a High-A prospect, checking in at 23 years old (almost 24). He was an eighth-round pick in last summer's draft, settling for a $10K signing bonus because he lacked negotiating leverage as an outgoing senior from Oklahoma.
He's been shuttled between bullpen and rotation roles throughout college and his early taste of the pros, but for now, he's being stretched out as a starter. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s, and he throws an effective cutter. Adding a third above-average pitch could allow him to remain in the rotation long-term while progressing through the farm system.
Hitt had his fourth and best outing of the season last Saturday. He went five full innings, allowing zero runs, two hits, and zero walks with eight strikeouts. It was an important bounce-back outing for the lefty after he allowed six runs over 2.1 innings in his previous outing. It's far too early to invest in Hitt as a potential dynasty standout, but he's at least worth monitoring over the rest of the season.
Jamie Hitt ➡️ SPOTLESS
5 IP
2H
0 R
0 BB
8 K (Career-High)What a day for the @OU_Baseball grad pic.twitter.com/wtuKz7ZQNs
— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 25, 2026
Ryan Wideman, OF, San Diego Padres
Level: Single-A
2025 stats: 21 G, .317/.424/.561, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 19 R, 16 SB, 11.1% BB%, 16.2% K%, .359 BABIP, .439 wOBA, 151 wRC+
Wideman was selected 99th overall in the third round of last summer's draft. A small-school prospect from Western Kentucky, he fetched a $650,000 signing bonus and has spent all 47 of his pro games at Single-A.
Wideman is a toolsy player with the necessary bat speed to produce high exit velocities. He pulls the baseball often, producing line drives and fly balls. There's decent power here, but he's more of a gap-finder with the speed to leg out extra-base hits. Defensively, he has more than enough range to patrol center field long-term, and both the glove and arm are solid.
Across six games last week, Wideman went 11-for-23 with two home runs, four doubles, one triple, and eight RBI. He also drew five walks, struck out three times, and stole bases at a whopping 8-for-9 clip. The 22-year-old's hit tool and speed should earn him a promotion to High-A sooner rather than later, and he could make a real impact in dynasty fantasy leagues within a few years.
Ryan Wideman stock⬆️⬆️
2 HR last night for the Padres 2025 3rd round pick, including this inside-the-park homer. He's currently slashing .292/.373/.523 with an .896 OPS, 3 HR, & 8 SB.
He's put his ++ speed on display multiple times already this season! pic.twitter.com/agjPDiAfmM
— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) April 22, 2026
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