Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 5)

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 5 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The focus of this article is to highlight players who could be on the verge of a breakout, citing current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, isolated power (ISO), stolen bases, and more. […]

Enyel De Los Santos the Priority Closer to Roster in Houston?

Houston Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos continues to be the priority arm out of the Houston bullpen to roster in fantasy leagues. The right-hander has been mostly reliable so far this season, allowing runs in just two of his nine appearances, and despite giving up three earned runs in an outing on April 21, […]

Jeremiah Jackson's Power, Positional Versatility Provide Waiver-Wire Appeal

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson has filled in admirably this season for the injured Jackson Holliday (hand). The former second-round draft pick has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, currently riding a four-game hit streak, and for the season has produced a .295-5-19-9-1 stat line with a .362 wOBA and 131 […]

Louis Varland a Top Handcuff to Roster for Saves

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland could be in line to earn more save opportunities going forward, and along with his performance so far this season, the right-hander is emerging as a worthwhile waiver wire stash. The 6-foot-1 hurler has yet to allow an earned run through 12 appearances, and with a 0.85 WHIP and […]

Bryan Baker Running Away with Closer Job in Tampa Bay?

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker appears to be the preferred bullpen option for saves right now. The 6-foot-6 hurler was charged with a blown save his last time out, but he had come on to face the meat of the Pirates' order in the eighth in an attempt to preserve a win, so it […]

Mickey Moniak an Elite Power Option Worthy of High FAAB Bid

Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak is a hot bat worth scooping off the waiver wire. The former first-overall draft pick is in the midst of an eight-game hit streak that has pushed his season-long slash line to .324/.347/.750 with a .326 wOBA and 182 wRC+. The left-handed hitter has belted eight home runs so far […]

James Tibbs III Heating Up Again at Triple-A, Nearing MLB Debut?

After a 3-for-33 (.091) cold spell, Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect James Tibbs III is heating up again at Triple-A Oklahoma City. The former first-round draft pick has hit safely in five of his last six contests, tallying three doubles and two home runs over that stretch. The left-handed hitter is batting .293 with a […]

Colt Emerson Remains Out with a Wrist Injury, but Remains on the Stash Radar

Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson (wrist) has yet to play in any games this week at Triple-A Tacoma after suffering a wrist injury over the weekend. He's yet to be placed on the injured list and could return to the lineup this weekend, but it is worth monitoring. The Mariners declined to call him […]

Logan Henderson Shining at Triple-A, Closing in on Return to the Majors?

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Logan Henderson recently moved into the MLB.com top-100 prospects list, but more importantly, the right-hander has continued to pitch well at Triple-A Nashville to begin the season. The Brewers' sixth-ranked prospect owns a sterling 0.71 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and a 17:8 K:BB in 12 2/3 innings this season, and […]

Max Clark a High-End Stash with Multi-Category Potential

Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark continues to show off the tools that will eventually make him a fantasy asset this season. The Tigers' second-ranked prospect has cooled at Triple-A Toledo over the last four games, going 1-for-16 (.063) over that stretch, but still managed to draw a pair of walks and steal a base […]

Robby Snelling a High-End Pitching Stash for Strikeout Upside

Miami Marlins pitching prospect Robby Snelling remains one of the top prospect pitching stashes for fantasy baseball as the first month of the season draws nearer to a close. Outside of some control issues, the southpaw has been utterly dominant over his last two turns through the rotation, allowing zero earned runs on four hits […]

Charlie Condon Remains a Must-Stash for Home Run Potential

Colorado Rockies corner infield/outfield prospect Charlie Condon has continued to shine at Triple-A Albuquerque to begin 2026. In his latest game, the former third-overall draft pick cracked a double, hit a sacrifice fly, drew a walk for the fourth straight game, scored a run in his fourth straight, and stole his third base of the […]

Josh Naylor an Early-Season Disappointment, is There Hope for a Turnaround?

After an atrocious start to the season, Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor appears to be coming around. The left-handed hitter went 6-for-59 (.102) over the season's first 15 games without a single extra-base hit, however, over the last eight games, he is 9-for-29 (.310) with four extra-base hits (two doubles, two home runs). In […]

Victor Vodnik a Name to Consider for Saves

Colorado Rockies closer Victor Vodnik has been solid so far this season and is a name to consider when searching the waiver wire for saves. The right-hander blew his first save opportunity of the season back on March 29, but made seven straight scoreless appearances after that, during which time he tallied three saves. His […]

Freddy Peralta Underwhelming So Far, Can He Turn it Around?

New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta had a phenomenal 2025 campaign with the Brewers, but he's been unable to replicate that success so far this season in Queens. The right-hander owns a 4.05 ERA through five starts, and his K% is down 3.2 percent from last year to 25.0 percent. On the bright side, […]

Colby Thomas Recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas

Athletics outfielder Colby Thomas was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, with Denzel Clarke (foot) heading to the injured list. The former third-round draft pick has been hitting well for the Aviators, slashing .309/.397/.574 with five home runs through 17 games. The right-handed slugger has also shown modest year-over-year improvements in strikeout (24.4 percent) […]

Bryce Eldridge a Power Bat to Stash for Home Run Upside

San Francisco Giants first base prospect Bryce Eldridge cooled over the weekend, going 0-for-8 at the plate in two games for Triple-A Sacramento. Prior to that, though, the Giants' top-ranked prospect had been on a heater, going 16-for-37 (.432) with three doubles and a pair of home runs over a nine-game stretch. All in all, […]

Kaelen Culpepper Becoming Stash-Worthy Amid Hit Streak

Minnesota Twins infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper is performing admirably in his first taste of Triple-A, currently riding a five-game hit streak that has pushed his batting average to .275. He's also drawing walks at an above-average rate of 10.0 percent, which has produced a strong .356 on-base percentage. The Twins' second-ranked prospect does not appear […]

Ryan Waldschmidt a High-End Stash with Multi-Category Potential

Arizona Diamondbacks outfield prospect Ryan Waldschmidt's MLB debut is drawing closer and closer with every multi-hit performance at Triple-A Reno. The D-backs' top-ranked prospect has eight multi-hit efforts in his last 15 contests and has reached base safely in 19 of the 20 games in which he's recorded at least two plate appearances. He's hitting […]

Jett Williams a Sneaky Stash Option with Positional Versatility

Milwaukee Brewers infield/outfield prospect Jett Williams' bat is showing signs of life as of late, with the Brewers' third-ranked prospect producing a three-hit game for Triple-A Nashville on April 14, and in the five games since then, the former first-rounder has recorded his first three extra-base hits of the season. Even when the bat has […]

Is Joshua Baez Still Worthy of Stashing Amid Slump at Triple-A?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez belted 20 home runs and stole 59 bases between High-A and Double-A a season ago, posting better-than-average strikeout and walk rates along the way, then parlayed that into a successful 2026 Grapefruit League showing that was capped off with home runs in three consecutive games. However, after a […]

Travis Bazzana a Top Offensive Stash as Bat Gets Hot at Triple-A

Cleveland Guardians second base prospect Travis Bazzana has become a top stash candidate among minor league hitters who could soon be making their MLB debuts. The former first-overall draft pick is 13-for-32 (.406) over his last eight games at Triple-A Columbus, with five multi-hit performances mixed in there. Not only that, the left-handed slugger is […]

Moises Ballesteros' Hot Bat Earning Waiver-Wire Consideration

Chicago Cubs catcher/designated hitter Moises Ballesteros is impressing in the early part of 2026, showing why his hit tool was so highly regarded before joining the big leagues. The Cubs' former top prospect has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, with five multi-hit performances mixed in there. It has raised the left-handed […]

Reid Detmers a Worthy Waiver-Wire Add With Strikeout Upside

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers has had a promising yet inconsistent start to the season, allowing a combined eight runs in two starts but just one earned run combined in the other two starts, including a nine-strikeout performance against the Yankees in his latest turn through the rotation. It has produced an acceptable […]

Shane McClanahan Unable to Regain Pre-Injury Form

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan lasted just 4 1/3 innings in his latest start on Sunday, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out five batters in a 6-3 loss to the Pirates. On the bright side, the lefty threw 72 percent of his pitches for strikes and did not walk […]

Is Lucas Erceg's Closer Seat Getting Warm After Blown Save?

Kansas City Royals closer Lucas Erceg had converted five straight save chances before his last appearance on Thursday this past week, when he allowed three earned runs on three hits and one walk, blowing the save opportunity and taking the loss to the Tigers. Before that, the right-hander had not allowed a run in six of […]

Cole Ragans Struggles Again on Sunday, Quickly Losing Fantasy Value

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans struggled mightily in Sunday's 7-0 loss to the Yankees, allowing seven earned runs while serving up three home runs for the second time this season and also walking a career-high eight batters in just 4 1/3 innings pitched. The southpaw managed to strike out six batters as well, […]

Payton Tolle a Top Name to Stash Following Recent Red Sox Injury

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Payton Tolle potentially became even more fantasy relevant after Boston starter Sonny Gray (hamstring) was removed from his outing on Monday against the Tigers in the third inning with what is being described as right hamstring tightness. Tolle hasn't pitched for Triple-A Worcester since April 12, so he could be […]

Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 4)

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 4 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The focus of this article is to highlight players who could be on the verge of a breakout, citing current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, isolated power (ISO), stolen bases, and more. […]

Roman Anthony Heating Up at the Plate After Slow Start

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony had a disappointing start to the season, slashing .200/.290/.309 with a .272 wOBA and 65 wRC+ over his first 14 games, but there are signs that perhaps he's about to turn it around. The 6-foot-3 slugger is 5-for-10 (.500) over his last three games, including a pair of doubles […]