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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Joshua Baez, Elmer Rodriguez, Kade Anderson - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Stashing high-end prospects during the second could be the difference between winning and falling just short in your fantasy baseball league.
In this piece, we will look to spotlight three of the top prospects in the sport, including one hitter who is on the verge of earning the call to the majors.
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: 100 G, .252/.324/.572, 22 2B, 33 HR, 18 SB
Earlier this week, the St. Louis Cardinals traded veteran outfielder Lars Nootbaar, creating a path to the majors for their No. 6 prospect, Joshua Baez.
Following the trade, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom was asked about Baez and replied, "His time is definitely coming."
Baez has been my top hitting prospect to stash for the past few months, and I expect his long-awaited call-up to come by the middle of August.
The 23-year-old right-handed hitter has little left to prove in the minors. In Triple-A this season, he's slashing .252/.374/.573 with 33 home runs and 18 stolen bases, good for a 120 wRC+.
The underlying metrics are just as encouraging. Baez owns a 20% barrel rate (97th percentile), a .513 expected slugging percentage (95th percentile), and a 52.3% hard-hit rate (94th percentile).
His 115.4 mph max exit velocity ranks in the 99th percentile. To put that into perspective, that would rank as the 17th-hardest-hit ball in the majors this season, ahead of sluggers like Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, and Kyle Schwarber.
Joshua Baez smokes a 115.4 MPH double, the hardest-hit ball of his career in Statcast-tracked games pic.twitter.com/a6XR3gDbl6
— Kareem Haq (@KareemSSN) August 2, 2026
The power isn't the only thing that stands out. Baez also possesses 94th-percentile sprint speed, giving him the tools to be a legitimate power-speed threat. The biggest concern, however, has always been his approach at the plate.
He owns a 29.8% strikeout rate, a 33.9% whiff rate, and a 34.4% chase rate, so improving his pitch recognition will be key to unlocking his full offensive potential and naturally lead to more walks.
While it's not a direct comparison, Alonso posted a 32% chase rate as a rookie and still led the majors with 53 home runs in 2019.
That's not to say Baez is headed for that kind of season, but the comparison shows that an aggressive approach doesn't automatically prevent a hitter from becoming an impact fantasy bat if the power is elite.
Baez has the tools to provide an immediate boost in home runs and stolen bases once he's promoted, and looking ahead to 2027, a 30-homer, 15-steal season is well within reach if the hit tool continues to develop.
- Written by Marty Tallman
Elmer Rodriguez, SP, New York Yankees
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AAA Stats: 85 1/3 IP, 2.85 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 87 SO, 45 BB
New York Yankees prospect Elmer Rodriguez has been lights out on the mound at Triple-A this season. The 22-year-old owns a 2.85 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts across 85 1/3 innings pitched with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He has allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, which included throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts against Triple-A Iowa back on July 31.
Fantasy managers have gotten to see a taste of Rodriguez in the big leagues. The results have been pretty mixed in his four starts for the Yankees this year, as he has a 4.76 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 17 innings pitched. His best start came against the New York Mets back on May 17 when he threw 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball with one strikeout.
Rodriguez isn't a must-stash in shallower leagues, but he should be on some radars in deeper formats. He had a very productive month of July on the mound (2.73 ERA across 26 1/3 innings pitched) and could be the next pitcher up if an injury occurs to the rotation. The Yankees' No. 3 prospect has the pedigree to succeed if he gets another shot.
-Written by Joey Pollizze
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
Current Level: AA
Availability: 5% rostered
2026 AA Stats: 87 2/3 IP, 1.13 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, 128 SO, 12 BB
Kade Anderson is the unquestioned top pitching prospect to stash this week. As a matter of fact, Anderson should be rostered in the majority of leagues at this point in the season because his time is coming very soon. The Mariners just paved the way for him to be called up soon after trading away Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline.
Anderson has been phenomenal in his first professional season. He has a 1.13 ERA, 0.65 WHIP, and 128 strikeouts across 87 1/3 innings pitched at Double-A Arkansas this year. He has allowed zero runs in seven of his last nine starts and threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits, two walks, and four strikeouts in his most recent outing on July 31.
Kade Anderson moves into 2nd place on the @MiLB strikeout leaderboard (99) following a 9-K outing for the Double-A @ARTravs 💎
The @Mariners' No. 2 prospect leads the Minors with a 1.22 ERA this season: pic.twitter.com/OVZ2ZptSgH
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 27, 2026
Seattle will have no choice but to call up Anderson very soon. General manager Justin Hollander told reporters that he is "definitely in the mix" to be called up soon. Once he does get the call, the 22-year-old southpaw has the tools to be an elite fantasy option down the stretch. He has a 1.90 FIP, 40.5% strikeout rate, 4.1% walk rate, 37.9% whiff rate, 72.3% zone-contact rate, 18.6% swinging strike rate, and a .184 wOBA.
Anderson should absolutely be stashed in all fantasy formats right now. The former third-overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft has been untouchable at Double-A this season and should get his shot in the big leagues sometime in the near future. His 22% rostership in Yahoo! leagues is too low.
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: Hector Rodriguez (CIN), Max Clark (DET), Quinn Mathews (STL)
Promoted This Week: George Lombard Jr. (NYY)
Honorable Mentions (Hitters): Zach Ehrhard (LAD), Kemp Alderman (MIA), Ryan Clifford (NYM), Yohandy Morales (WAS), Lazaro Montes (SEA), Ryan Ward (LAD), Gavin Cross (KCR), Parks Harber (SFG), Jacob Melton (TBR), Gavin Cross (KCR)
Honorable Mentions (Pitchers): George Klassen (LAA), Jack Wenninger (NYM), Hunter Barco (PIT), Brody Hopkins (TBR), Jaxon Wiggins (CHC)
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | Kade Anderson | SP | Mariners |
| 2 | Joshua Baez | OF | Cardinals |
| 3 | Walker Jenkins | OF | Twins |
| 4 | Charlie Condon | 1B | Rockies |
| 5 | Kaelen Culpepper | SS | Twins |
| 6 | Franklin Arias | SS | Red Sox |
| 7 | Seaver King | SS/2B | Nationals |
| 8 | Michael Arroyo | 2B | Mariners |
| 9 | Angel Genao **Promoted | INF | Guardians |
| 10 | Jonathon Long | 1B | Marlins |
| 11 | Cooper Ingle | C/OF | Guardians |
| 12 | Cam Cannarella | OF | Marlins |
| 13 | Zac Veen | OF | Rockies |
| 14 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | Guardians |
| 15 | Jhostynxon Garcia | OF | Pirates |
| 16 | Jonah Tong | SP | Mets |
| 17 | Jett Williams | SS/OF | Brewers |
| 18 | Elmer Rodriguez | SP | Yankees |
| 19 | Luke Adams | 1B/3B | Brewers |
| 20 | Hagen Smith | SP | White Sox |
| 21 | River Ryan | SP | Tigers |
| 22 | James Tibbs III | OF | Dodgers |
| 23 | Karson Milbrandt | SP | Marlins |
| 24 | Michael Forret | SP | Orioles |
| 25 | Max Anderson | 2B/3B | Tigers |
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, Elmer Rodriguez, Kade Anderson, Christian Scott, Walbert Urena, Cole Carrigg, Ty France, Royce Lewis, Samuel Basallo, Kyle Karros, Cole Young, Gleyber Torres, Chase Meidroth. 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, Elmer Rodriguez, Kade Anderson, Christian Scott, Walbert Urena, Cole Carrigg, Ty France, Royce Lewis, Samuel Basallo, Kyle Karros, Cole Young, Gleyber Torres, Chase Meidroth:
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