Top-5 Hitter Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash For Week 18 - Redraft Leagues (2026)

July 24, 2026

Marty Tallman's hitter fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 18 (2026). His MLB prospects to pick up and stash on your bench and N/A spots in redraft leagues.

The trade deadline is only a few weeks away, which means we should see several top prospects called up soon to fill roster gaps and provide a boost for teams making a playoff push.

We should also expect another wave of prospect debuts around mid-August, when hitters can be promoted while still maintaining their rookie eligibility for 2027. As always, this week we'll highlight the top five hitting prospects to stash in redraft leagues.

Every player featured is available in at least 80% of Yahoo! leagues. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on X at @Marty_Tallman. Now let's dive in!

Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

At the risk of sounding redundant, Joshua Baez is still the No. 1 hitting prospect to stash in redraft leagues. While he has cooled off a bit recently, he's still slashing .241/.315/.555 with 29 home runs and 15 stolen bases across 391 plate appearances.

The strikeout rate is still higher than you'd like to see, but when he makes contact, it's a sight to behold. The underlying metrics are just as impressive.

Baez is barreling the ball 19.4% of the time, and his 114.1 mph max exit velocity would rank among the 35 hardest-hit balls in the majors this season. So when should we expect his promotion?

Mid-August feels like the latest, but there's a good chance it happens even sooner. FanGraphs currently gives the Cardinals just a 19.8% chance of making the playoffs, which puts them in position to be sellers at the trade deadline.

There aren't many obvious position players to move, but veteran outfielder Lars Nootbaar continues to pop up in trade rumors. Nolan Gorman is another name that could be dealt.

Even if Baez isn't promoted by the Aug. 3 trade deadline, he should be up just a few weeks later as long as he stays healthy.

He's worth stashing in all 15-team leagues right now, and once he's called up, he'll be close to a must-roster player in every fantasy format.

Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins

If Baez is the No. 1 hitting prospect to stash, then Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins is No. 1B. However, his injury history is a little scary.

Jenkins has landed on the injured list twice this season with a hamstring strain and an AC joint sprain, but he's back on the field and appears fully healthy.

Since rejoining Triple-A St. Paul on June 23, he has been on a heater.

Walker Jenkins since returning to the lineup for the @StPaulSaints on June 23rd...

72 PA
.308 AVG
.375 OBP
.554 SLG
10 XBH
2 HR
4 SB
7 BB
9 K#MNTwinspic.twitter.com/3flVYesGie

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 21, 2026

The 21-year-old owns a 70-grade hit tool, and unlike many young prospects, he already controls the strike zone at an advanced level.

He consistently squares up both fastballs and secondary pitches, giving him one of the highest batting average floors in the minors. It wouldn't be surprising if he eventually develops into a .300 hitter.

Jenkins doesn't have elite raw power, but it's comfortably above average, and he's also an above-average runner. If everything clicks, he has the upside to produce 25 home runs with 15 stolen bases.

That's the profile of a top-20 fantasy outfielder. Jenkins should join the Twins by mid-August, and once he's promoted, he'll deserve a roster spot in every fantasy format.

Until then, he's worth stashing in all 15-team leagues and any 12-team league with a minor league roster spot.

Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies

Rockies first baseman Charlie Condon should already be in Colorado, but it looks like the team will hold him down until mid-August to preserve his rookie eligibility for 2027.

Condon possesses 70-grade raw power, which should play extremely well at Coors Field. Looking ahead to 2027, he has a legitimate chance to compete for NL Rookie of the Year honors.

So far this season, Condon is slashing .289/.409/.566 with 20 home runs and six stolen bases while walking nearly 14% of the time. His 24.7% strikeout rate is more than acceptable for a young power hitter who is still developing.

The underlying numbers are even more impressive. Here is a breakdown of his Triple-A Statcast data this season.

The 23-year-old first-round pick has posted a .425 expected slugging percentage with a 10.8% barrel rate, and he rarely chases pitches outside the strike zone.

He could even chip in a few stolen bases from the first base position, which would be a major fantasy boost. After being named to his second consecutive All-Star Futures Game, there is little left for Condon to prove in the minors.

He should primarily play first base in the majors, though he can also fill in at the corner outfield spots.

If you're looking for power, Condon is one of the best stashes available. He's worth rostering in all 15-team leagues right now and should be added everywhere once he receives the call to Colorado.

Max Clark OF, Detroit Tigers

After a somewhat slow start to his Triple-A career, Tigers No. 1 prospect outfielder Max Clark has started to break out in a big way.

Max Clark sizzles a leadoff homer for the Triple-A @MudHens 🔥

The @tigers' top prospect is slashing .304/.429/.587 during the month of July: pic.twitter.com/PmgblSSosB

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 21, 2026

As a team, the Tigers continue to hang around the Wild Card race, making it difficult to predict whether they will be buyers or sellers over the next few weeks.

While most of the speculation has centered around ace Tarik Skubal and whether he could be moved, position players have remained much more under the radar.

Regardless of their deadline plans, the Tigers cannot continue relying on James Outman (40 wRC+) and Matt Vierling (62 wRC+) as their primary center field options if they want to make a playoff push.

Both are below-average defenders, and neither has consistently provided enough offensive production. Austin Meadows is still recovering from a broken arm, while Javier Baez has only recently started a rehab assignment.

However, moving Baez back to center field after a significant ankle injury probably isn't the best plan. That opens the door for Clark to make his major league debut by the middle of August.

Clark brings an intriguing fantasy profile with 70-grade speed, strong contact skills, and developing power. Across 394 Triple-A plate appearances, he is hitting .265/.353/.410 with nine home runs and 20 stolen bases, good for a 105 wRC+.

More importantly, the 21-year-old has shown excellent plate discipline with a 15.2% strikeout rate and an 11.4% walk rate.

The Tigers need a center fielder with a mature approach at the plate, the speed to cover ground, and the instincts to handle one of the largest outfields in baseball.

Clark fits that profile perfectly. He should be stashed in 15-team leagues with a minor league roster spot, and once he reaches Detroit, he will be worth adding in 12-team leagues, especially for fantasy managers looking for stolen bases down the stretch.

Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Minnesota Twins

Kaelen Culpepper is another Twins prospect who looks ready for the majors, but his biggest obstacle has been staying healthy. Culpepper first strained his left hip in June and then aggravated the injury again in July.

He was also hit on the left hand by a pitch, and he is currently on the 7-day injured list with a glute strain. Sandwiched between those injuries, however, was some impressive production.

The Twins' No. 3 prospect has slashed .272/.376/.492 with 14 home runs and 15 stolen bases while maintaining a strong 17.3% strikeout rate and an excellent 12.5% walk rate.

The underlying metrics are just as encouraging. Culpepper owns a .269 expected batting average, a 7.5% barrel rate, a 47.5% hard-hit rate, and a 110.2 mph max exit velocity.

Despite dealing with multiple lower-body injuries, his speed remains a weapon, ranking in the 84th percentile.

Unlike the other prospects we've discussed this week, there is a real possibility that Culpepper does not make his major league debut until 2027.

However, his upside makes him worth stashing in 15-team leagues with a minor league roster spot. For now, the biggest thing to monitor is when he returns to the field and whether he can stay healthy down the stretch.

Five Other Prospects to Consider Stashing 

• Hector Rodriguez, OF, Cincinnati Reds
• Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Cleveland Guardians
• Seaver King, SS/2B, Washington Nationals
• Luke Adams, 1B/3B, Milwaukee Brewers
• George Lombard Jr., SS, New York Yankees

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