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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - River Ryan, Kade Anderson, Yohandy Morales - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
So far, managers have been buying to see the importance of stashing prospects ahead of their MLB call-up. Players like Cole Carrigg, Gage Jump, and Payton Tolle have emerged as high-end fantasy assets as soon as they stepped on the MLB diamond this season.
Below, we will identify two of the top pitching prospects in the minor leagues and a sleeper hitting prospect making a case for an early promotion.
Should fantasy managers stash these high-end prospects? Let's dive in!
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River Ryan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 36 1/3 IP, 4.46 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 43 SO, 8 BB
Ryan missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in 2024, but has since returned to the bump and looks like his former self.
The right-hander was healthy in spring training, but the Dodgers opted to option him to Triple-A to further build up his workload. While he hit a brief roadblock early in the season with a brief stint on the 7-day injured list, Ryan is once again back in action at Triple-A and is looking sharper than ever before. He is now firmly knocking on the MLB door.
Since returning from the injured list on May 15, over Ryan's first five starts, Oklahoma City (25 innings) and posted an elite 2.16 ERA with a stellar 1.00 WHIP. During this stint, Ryan has struck out 30 hitters while walking just five hitters.
What makes this stretch even more impressive is that a rough four-run effort during this stretch significantly inflated his ratios. Removing this lone outlier showing from his box score, the No. 77-ranked prospect on MLB.com would have allowed just two total runs over 19 innings of work.
While his current progression has already put him at the top of the stash list, his path to joining the reigning two-time World Series champions is also very clear. Currently, the Dodgers rotation is dealing with several injuries, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both on the injured list.
In the short term, the Dodgers have turned to Eric Lauer to serve as their No. 6 option, but the 31-year-old does not have the longest track record of success this season. While he has a 3.22 ERA since joining the Dodgers, he carries a 5.37 ERA this season. If Lauer takes a step back (5.30 xERA), or if another Dodgers starter joins Snell or Glasnow on the shelf, Ryan will get the call.
Even though he took a step back on June 17, allowing a season-worst eight runs, managers should still view him as a top prospect to stash among pitchers.
River Ryan is in Jumbo Jack territory as he gets his 7th strikeout confirmed by ABS 🍔 pic.twitter.com/Xyr1vN0EMs
— Hyeseong Kim Muse 김혜성 (@HyeseongKimMuse) June 10, 2026
-Written by Andy Smith
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
Current Level: AA
Availability: 15% rostered
2026 AA Stats: 61 2/3 IP, 1.02 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, 90 SO, 8 BB
This week, a lot of news came out in Seattle regarding the future of its rotation. According to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, the Mariners will look to "piggyback" each of their starters throughout the All-Star break.
This means that each member of their organization will have a piggyback pitch behind them. This will not only keep all six starters involved but also maintain their spots in major roles on the MLB roster. As a result, the budding ace Anderson will have to wait longer to make his MLB debut.
Additionally, a report by Jude noted that the former LSU superstar is not in the team's "immediate" plan, which aligns with the team's rotation changes. While managers in shallower leagues should only stash Anderson if they have N/A spots, his upside on a per-start basis remains just as high.
Through his first 12 professional starts in the Seattle system, the former third overall pick has been nothing short of incredible. Across 61 1/3 innings at Double-A, the southpaw has posted a 1.02 ERA with a 0.65 WHIP. During this stretch, the lefty has racked up 90 punchouts while walking only eight total hitters.
Also, like Ryan, Anderson's ratios have been inflated by rough showing. Removing his five-run effort on May 15, the southpaw would have an incredible 0.31 ERA and a 86:8 K:BB over 57 2/3 innings. His path to the majors is not overly clear, but his upside is the highest among any names on this list.
Kade Anderson is awesome. Final line: 6.2IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 6K, 13 whiffs, 8 groundouts, 80 pitches, 55 strikes.
In 11 professional starts:
6-0, 1.13ERA, 55.2IP, 30H, 7BB, 82K. pic.twitter.com/f9IcBeLRKN— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) June 13, 2026
- Written by Andy Smith
Yohandy Morales, 1B/3B, Washington Nationals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 66 G, .320/.391/.560, 12 2B, 16 HR, 3 SB
I've highlighted Abimelec Ortiz a couple of times in this article. Now it's time to check out another Nationals' first baseman. Morales is a 24-year-old who is absolutely mashing in Triple-A, slashing .320/.391/.560 with 16 home runs in 281 plate appearances. He's trimmed his strikeout rate from 28.5% to 24.8%, which is an encouraging sign of development at the plate.
These are numbers that warrant a call-up sooner or later, especially with the Nationals having opportunities on their roster.
YOYO 🪀
down to their last out, Yohandy Morales ties the game with his 2nd homer of the night! pic.twitter.com/sTUltcSnH0
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) May 30, 2026
At 24 years old, there's not much left to prove for Morales. The Nationals are another team that has wildly exceeded expectations so far. They're shockingly 39-36, currently tied for the final wild card spot in the National League. But bringing up Morales can provide another boost to a lineup that has surprisingly been one of the best in baseball.
It's hard to say when Morales will be called up to the big leagues, but I'd guess August 1st makes sense as a potential date. By then, it's likely that the Nationals will have fallen off, since their pitching is still so weak. That would mean they'd need to see what they have in their younger players.
Morales has the power upside to make him worth a look, especially in deeper formats.
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 River Ryan, Kade Anderson, Yohandy Morales, Alex Lange, Elvis Alvarado, Jung Hoo Lee, Samad Taylor, Joe Mack, Grant Taylor, Dylan Crews, Willi Castro. 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 River Ryan, Kade Anderson, Yohandy Morales, Alex Lange, Elvis Alvarado, Jung Hoo Lee, Samad Taylor, Joe Mack, Grant Taylor, Dylan Crews, Willi Castro:
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