Top-5 MLB Pitching Prospects To Stash For Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues - Week 8 (2026)

May 14, 2026

Andy's top pitching fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 8 (2026). His MLB prospects to pick up and stash on your bench and N/A spots in redraft leagues.

Welcome back to our top starting pitcher fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 8 of the 2026 MLB season. This week, we saw our No. 1 stash option, Robby Snelling, earn the call to the majors, joining Payton Tolle and Noah Schultz as names referenced in this series who are now in the big leagues.

This week, we will spotlight a new No. 1 pitching prospect following Snelling's "graduation" and look at two pitchers in the Mets system who are quickly approaching the major leagues.

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Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

Currently at Double-A

Despite being the only pitcher on our stash list who currently resides at Double-A, Kade Anderson holds the No. 1 spot on our Week 8 stash list. Even though he is two spots away from Seattle and is set to join one of the deepest staffs in the major leagues, his upside is immense, especially when comparing him to the names below.

When looking for a true "league winner," Anderson fits the bill.

The Mariners selected Anderson with the third pick in last year's MLB Draft, and the former LSU superstar has done nothing short of impressing in his first taste of professional ball. During his final season with LSU (2025), the southpaw logged 119 innings to the tune of a 3.18 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and 180 punchouts. He concluded his college career by claiming the College World Series MVP.

Since joining Double-A, Anderson has looked even more impressive. Over his first six professional starts, the southpaw has struck out 47 hitters over 30 innings of work while holding a near-perfect 0.60 ERA with a 0.67 WHIP. He has walked only five total hitters and served up just one home run.

Over the last three games, Anderson has struck out at least eight hitters in each contest and walked only one batter.

Per the FanGraphs scouting report, Anderson boasts one of the most dominant fastballs in the minor leagues. Ahead of his professional debut, Anderson was graded with a 70 future score on this pitch and a 70 current grade, suggesting this pitch has already reached its true potential.

In terms of secondary, the southpaw has three pitches with a 60 futures score (slider, curveball, and changeup), with two of them (slider and changeup) holding 55 current scores.

As noted earlier, the only concern with Anderson's 2026 fantasy value is his path to the majors. The Mariners recently welcomed back Bryce Miller to the staff, and he will serve as a "piggyback" option alongside Luis Castillo, as Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Emerson Hancock are locked into the top four spots.

While Anderson will need an injury to one of those four to open a permanent spot, his upside is worth holding in an NA spot. Those in 12-team leagues with an open NA spot should prioritize Anderson, as he may not even need to make a start at Triple-A before earning the call.

The only prospect in the minor leagues who could have a "Nick Kurtz"-type impact in 2026 is Anderson, making him a must-stash candidate.

Kade Anderson dominated again yesterday.

Friday: 4.2 IP, H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Season: 18.2 IP, 9 H, ER, 4 BB, 30 K

Firmly in the #1 pitching prospect discussion.#TridentsUp   pic.twitter.com/Q5fO31x9Xh

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) April 25, 2026

Thomas White, Miami Marlins

Currently at Triple-A

With Snelling now up in Miami, Thomas White slides in as the top "prospect" to stash among Marlins pitchers. While veteran Braxton Garrett is still in the mix at Triple-A and will likely earn the call before White, given his many years of MLB experience, he is disqualified from this list. However, those looking for a solid NA stash option other than Anderson should prioritize Garrett.

Garrett was off to an outstanding start to the Triple-A season, logging 23 1/3 innings to the tune of a 0.77 ERA and a 0.51 WHIP. While he has allowed six runs over his last eight frames, the southpaw is likely next in line when the Marlins need additional pitching depth.

Even though Snelling got the call, which appeared to have blocked White in the short term, the Marlins shifted the southpaw to the 15-day IL, quickly opening his spot in the rotation.

With that being said, let's check in on White, who currently sits as MLB.com's No. 14 overall prospect (and Miami's No. 1). White joined the Marlins with the 35th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and has shown a strong strikeout potential while moving through the minor leagues. In 2024, he struck out 120 batters across 96 frames in the lower levels.

In 2025, White opened the campaign with High-A, moving up to Double-A and even earning a short Triple-A stint later in the second half. Through 80 1/3 innings at High-A and Double-A, White totaled 128 punchouts while carrying a 2.13 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

Following an oblique injury this April, White has since returned to Triple-A for his first "full" stint at the top of the minor leagues. The southpaw has made four starts and totaled 22 punchouts over 14 2/3 innings. He has carried a strong 3.07 ERA but a modest 1.23 WHIP.

He has walked at least three batters in two of his starts, which has inflated his WHIP. Command has been an issue for White at times, but if he can continue to lower his walk rate, the Marlins will likely give him the green light to join the MLB club.

His strikeout upside is among the best in the minor leagues, and he makes a similar impact as Payton Tolle is doing for the Red Sox right now. Garrett will likely be next in line, but with Snelling's new injury, White does not appear to be far behind.

Marlins MiLB leaders in strikeout rate (min. 40 BF)

1. William Kempner, 49.1%
2. Elier Morillo, 47.8%
3. Thomas White, 43.6%
4. Justin King, 42.9%
5. Nate Payne, 42.1% pic.twitter.com/TujKY3SzXx

— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) April 27, 2026

Hagen Smith, Chicago White Sox

Currently at Triple-A

With Triple-A teammate Tanner McDougal on the 7-day IL, Hagen Smith stands alone as the clear "next man up" on the South Side. Smith is viewed as the team's No. 4-ranked prospect on MLB.com. He joined the White Sox with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and is inching toward his MLB debut.

Smith spent the entire 2025 campaign with Double-A Birmingham, where he logged just 75 2/3 innings with a 3.57 ERA. He totaled an impressive 108 punchouts, but his command was a major issue, as he served up 56 free passes.

However, seeing the White Sox immediately push White to the upper minors, despite him logging only 7 2/3 professional innings after the 2024 draft, suggests they believe he is already nearing the end of his development.

At the start of the 2026 season, the White Sox moved Smith up to Triple-A Charlotte despite his shaky command. With Charlotte, the southpaw has racked up 35 punchouts over 26 1/3 innings while holding a slightly higher 4.10 ERA.

However, his ERA became inflated by his four-run performance on May 9. Removing this lone tart, Smith would carry a much stronger 2.82 ERA over his first 22 1/3 Triple-A frames.

Command was an issue last summer, and it is rearing its head once again. After walking only 3.5 hitters per nine in his first four games, Smith has seen this mark jump to 8.8 BB/9 over his last four games. The former Arkansas standout will need to lower this number significantly before being in serious competition for his MLB debut.

For now, like the other names below him, the 22-year-old is a far tier drop below White and Anderson and remains an option for those in 12+ team leagues with several NA spots.

Hagen Smith ends the third inning with a nasty slider and his fourth strikeout of the night. He is at 48 pitches and Noah Schultz is warming in the bullpen. He has been really crisp since his first-inning struggles.@FutureSox pic.twitter.com/4gPN4I91o0

— jeff cohen (@TripleAJeff) March 27, 2026

Jonah Tong, New York Mets

Currently at Triple-A

The only name on this list with prior MLB experience is Jonah Tong. Tong made his MLB debut during the second half of the 2025 campaign and endured some massive growing pains in Queens, holding a 7.71 ERA over his first 18 2/3 MLB frames. He managed to tally only 22 punchouts while holding a 1.77 WHIP.

While his MLB production may deter you from stashing the young right-hander, Tong has been among the best pitchers in the upper minors since the start of the 2025 campaign. Tong opened the 2025 season with Double-A and logged 102 innings to the tune of a 1.59 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. During this dominant stint, Tong struck out 162 hits while serving 44 walks.

At this time, Tong was viewed in the same light as Nolan McLean in the system, and some even considered Tong the better prospect. After this stretch at Double-A, Tong was moved up to Triple-A, where he made only two starts (11 2/3 shutout frames) before joining the Mets. Even though he was unable to carry this momentum into the big leagues, his raw upside is still prominent.

This spring, Tong was in the mix to begin the campaign with the major league roster, but given his struggles, he was viewed as the unlikely candidate. As expected, he was sent to Syracuse in April, where he has remained since. After posting a rough 7.04 ERA over his first four outings of the season, many managers who were stashing Tong early on likely cut ties.

However, after this slow start, Tong has begun to rekindle his form from 2025. In his last four starts, Tong has logged at least five innings in all but one and held a strong 2.57 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. Through these 21 frames, Tong has struck out 29 hitters while walking 11.

He still needs to show this success over a long period, but seeing him not only begin to take on a starter's workload but round into form is a great sign. With the Mets lacking depth at the back of their rotation and David Peterson struggling mightily, Tong could return to Queens before the end of May.

8 strikeout day for Jonah Tong 8️⃣ pic.twitter.com/Jdy4bXdO46

— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) May 9, 2026

Jack Wenninger, New York Mets

Currently at Triple-A

Rounding out our list will be another name from the Mets system. Even though Tong will likely earn the call before Wenninger, given the team's current rotation depth, he may not be far behind. While Tong may have more experience both in the upper minors and the majors, Wenninger has actually been far more effective this season.

Through 33 1/3 innings with Triple-A (his first stint at Syracuse), Wenninger has been nothing short of dominant, holding a 1.08 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. During this stint, Wenninger has struck out 38 hitters while serving up 13 free passes. In his last three outings, Wenninger has not allowed a run while striking out 19 hitters over 16 2/3 innings.

While his current 4.9 BB/9 (12.9% BB%) is a concern, Wenninger has been able to not only tally strikeouts at a high rate but also limit nearly all of this damage in the box score, as evidenced by his low ERA.

Last summer, the former sixth-round pick out of Illinois spent his entire campaign at the Double-A level, where he posted a strong 2.92 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP over 135 2/3 innings. He flashed just as much strikeout potential at Double-A, totaling 147 (26.4% K%), but walks were somewhat of an issue there as well, as he allowed 42 (7.6% BB%).

If Wenninger can continue to extend this scoreless streak, there is a chance that the Mets will turn to him before Tong. Last week in Miami, it appeared that Garrett would be the "favorite" to earn the position ahead of Snelling, but instead the team turned to the inexperienced rookie. The same could occur for the Mets, especially since Wenninger has been the far better pitcher in 2026.

Like his current Triple-A teammate, he is a fine stash option in all 12+ team leagues with multiple N/A spots.

Jack Wenninger fires a 1-2-3 inning 🔥

(via @Cardinals) pic.twitter.com/fcdKMauwm3

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 7, 2026

Other Prospects To Consider Stashing

• River Ryan, LAD (currently on 7-day IL)
• Gage Jump, ATH
• Brody Hopkins, TB

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