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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Joshua Baez, Kaelen Culpepper, Carlos Lagrange - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Every season, fantasy managers see high-impact prospects earn the call and immediately become must-start fantasy players. Last season, the headliner was Nick Kurtz, and so far, players like Gage Jump, Bryce Eldridge, and Henry Bolte are quickly entering the "must-start" territory.
In this piece, we will spotlight two of the top hitting prospects to stash in the minors and an emerging reliever who is quickly approaching his MLB debut.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 66 G, .272/.342/.615, 13 2B, 24 HR, 12 SB
We continue to eagerly await the day when Baez is called up to the Cardinals, as we've highlighted him quite often throughout the season. But it's always good to check back in on how a prospect is doing.
Right now, Baez holds a .272/.342/.615 line with 24 home runs and 12 stolen bases in 298 plate appearances. While strikeouts remain an issue (30.8%), that kind of power and speed upside is tantalizing in fantasy baseball.
The Cardinals' outfielder has been absolutely mashing at the plate lately, homering four times in a recent game and five times for the full week.
111.1 mph off the bat on Joshua Báez's fifth homer this week 🔥
MLB's No. 64 prospect ranks second in all of @MiLB with 24 roundtrippers this season for the Triple-A @memphisredbirds.@Cardinals | @CardsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/fev8aIrljj
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 19, 2026
The Cardinals came into the year projected by many to finish last in the NL Central, but they're currently in 2nd with a 40-33 record, showing no signs of slowing down. This is a rebuilding team that has wildly exceeded expectations. On the one hand, that could mean that they may be patient with Baez. On the other hand, you could argue that Baez has the type of upside that would immediately add to this offense.
I'm on the more optimistic side of the argument. I'm expecting Baez to be called up soon, especially since he's been red-hot in the minors. We're starting to see the Cardinals bring up their young players from the minors, with Jimmy Crooks and Jordan called up recently.
If I have to put a date on it, I'd say that we'd see Baez called up by the All-Star break at the latest. When that happens, he'll immediately become a priority pickup in all formats.
-Written by Frank Ammirante
Kaelen Culpepper, INF, Minnesota Twins
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 10% rostered
2026 AA Stats: 61 G, .273/.377/.498, 11 2B, 14 HR, 15 SB
Like Baez, Culpepper is another familiar name on this list. To be honest, it's pretty surprising that the Twins haven't given him an opportunity in the big leagues yet. The 23-year-old shortstop is currently slashing .273/.377/.498 with 14 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 289 plate appearances. You have to love the plate discipline metrics, including a 12.8% walk rate and a 17.3% strikeout rate.
Simply put, there's not much left for Culpepper to prove in the minors.
Kaelen Culpepper hit another home run yesterday,
His 14th of the season and 5th in the last 12 games.#MNTwinspic.twitter.com/LEebWmvwFb
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 6, 2026
The Twins are a rebuilding team, but they've actually played some good baseball lately, winning four in a row to put them at 36-40. They're now only 1.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the final wild card spot in the American League. But even with that, bringing up Culpepper could inject some life into their offense.
With Luke Keaschall having a disappointing season, it makes sense for the Twins to see what they have in Culpepper. I know I sound like a broken record here, as I've said this several times over the year, but it's only a matter of time before Culpepper is called up.
Even though Culpepper recently hit the 7-day IL at St. Paul with a hip strain, managers in deeper 12+ team leagues with multiple NA spots should still view him as a high-end prospect to stash, given his clear path to MLB at-bats.
- Written by Frank Ammirante
Carlos Lagrange, SP/RP, New York Yankees
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 61 1/3 IP, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 80 SO, 31 BB
The next name we will spotlight will not be deployed as a traditional starter in the majors, but he is still worth closely monitoring as he approaches his promotion to the big leagues.
Carlos Lagrange opened the 2026 season at Triple-A, operating as a typical starter, but did not enjoy the most sustained success. Across 40 innings of work, the hard-throwing right-hander posted a modest 4.41 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. While he totaled 63 punchouts, he walked a rather high 25 hitters (4.6 BB/9).
However, following this slow start, Lagrange was moved to the bullpen not only to assist in his transition to Triple-A, but also to create a clear path for him to join a Yankees rotation that is quite deep to them often, especially with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon both back in action. Since moving to the bullpen in a long-relief role, Lagrange has looked far more comfortable.
Through his first three "relief" showings, the No. 73-ranked prospect has posted a 2.38 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. Over this stretch, Lagrange has struck out 15 punchouts while walking on only five (over 11 1/3 innings).
Last summer, splitting time across High-A and Double-A, Lagrange racked up 168 punchouts over just 120 innings.
If he maintains this pace, Lagrange could realistically be in before the All-Star break. While managers in standard "saves only" leagues should look elsewhere, those in holds (or SOLDS) should monitor their status. Lagrange could easily carve into a high-leverage spot, sharing the seventh and eighth innings with Fernando Cruz.
His elite whiff potential could quickly push him up the SOLDS rankings if he were to pitch in high-leverage positions.
Carlos Lagrange was stellar as he makes the transition to the bullpen with the @swbrailriders:
4 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 2 BB | 7 K
The @Yankees' No. 4 prospect touched 101.4 in the relief appearance with is fastball sitting 98.5 mph. pic.twitter.com/dzhYNwayCt
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 3, 2026
2026 Prospect Fantasy Baseball Redraft Stash Rankings
Who are the top fantasy baseball prospects to know? Check out our latest 2026 prospect fantasy baseball rankings which are updated regularly by Eric Cross:
Promoted Last Week: Braden Montgomery (CHW), Cole Carrigg (COL), Blaze Jordan (STL), Cooper Pratt (MIL), Denzer Guzman (LAA)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Lazaro Montes (SEA), Harry Ford (WAS), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Jacob Melton (TBR), Michael Arroyo (SEA), Jonathon Long (CHC), Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (ATH), Zach Ehrhard (LAD)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT), Owen Murphy (ATL), Quinn Mathews (STL), George Klassen (LAA)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | ETA |
| 1 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins | June |
| 2 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals | July |
| 3 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners | July |
| 4 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies | July |
| 5 | River Ryan | SP | Dodgers | June |
| 6 | Max Clark | OF | Tigers | August |
| 7 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | Diamondbacks | July |
| 8 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins | August |
| 9 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers | June |
| 10 | Karson Milbrandt | SP | Marlins | August |
| 11 | Luis Lara | OF | Brewers | June |
| 12 | Zac Veen | OF | Rockies | July |
| 13 | Hector Rodriguez | OF | Reds | August |
| 14 | Yohandy Morales | 1B/3B | Nationals | June |
| 15 | Hagen Smith | SP | White Sox | July |
| 16 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers | July |
| 17 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians | August |
| 18 | Jonah Tong | SP | Mets | July |
| 19 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees | July |
| 20 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | Yankees | July |
| 21 | Jaxon Wiggins | SP | Cubs | July |
| 22 | Kemp Alderman | OF | Marlins | July |
| 23 | Abimelec Ortiz | 1B | Nationals | July |
| 24 | Brody Hopkins | SP | Rays | July |
| 25 | Wei-En Lin | SP | Athletics | August |
Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Joshua Baez, Kaelen Culpepper, Carlos Lagrange, Cole Carrigg, Henry Bolte, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Braden Montgomery, Edwin Arroyo. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Looking to pick up someone else instead? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Joshua Baez, Kaelen Culpepper, Carlos Lagrange, Cole Carrigg, Henry Bolte, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Braden Montgomery, Edwin Arroyo:
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