Top-5 Hitter Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash For Week 1 - Redraft Leagues (2026)

March 28, 2026

Frank Ammirante's top hitter fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 1 (2026). His MLB prospects to pick up and stash on your bench and N/A spots in redraft leagues.

The 2026 MLB season is finally here. Even though we just finished drafting, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be proactive in improving your rosters. One way to do so is to find a prospect to stash on your team, especially if your league has an "NA" designation, which allows you to carry a minor league player without wasting a roster spot.

By hoarding a prospect on your roster, you can reap the rewards if they're able to hit their ceiling later in the year. Just look at Nick Kurtz last season. For this article, do note that we're going to avoid obvious choices like Konnor Griffin.

So, without further ado, let's dive into five prospects to stash for Week 1 of the fantasy baseball season.

Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners

Colt Emerson is a talented infielder who put up excellent numbers in the minors last year. Across all levels, Emerson slashed .285/.383/.458 with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 600 plate appearances.

With J.P. Crawford on the injured list with a shoulder injury, there's an opportunity here. Even though Crawford is only expected to miss a couple of weeks, you also have second base as an option, with fellow rookie Cole Young currently holding down the fort.

So here we have two "outs" for Emerson to gain playing time. The first scenario involves Crawford missing more time than expected. The second is if Young struggles at second base and the Mariners look for a spark on offense.

Even if those scenarios don't happen, Emerson is still worth stashing on your team because he's a polished bat who should make his big-league debut this season. You have to love how he put up an 11.8% walk rate and a 17.5% strikeout rate last season. There's a good chance that he's pro-ready right now.

Playing in a stacked Mariners lineup, Emerson would have the upside to be a difference-maker if he gets the call this season. There's a 20-20 ceiling with a respectable batting average and solid on-base percentage in this profile.

Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox

Payton Tolle is a talented lefty who was terrific in the minors last season, putting up a 3.04 ERA (2.52 xFIP) with a 36.5% strikeout rate and a 6.3% walk rate. That's the kind of strikeout-to-walk ratio that should have your mouth watering.

While the Red Sox have a deep rotation that includes Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, and Sonny Gray, there is a path to playing time here. One involves Connelly Early struggling to hold down the No. 5 spot in this group. Another involves Johan Oviedo failing to meet expectations.

Beyond that, there's always the chance that one of the starters misses time due to injury, opening the door for Tolle. After all, it's hard to count on an entire rotation staying fully healthy for the entire year.

If Tolle were to get called up, he'd have a high strikeout upside while playing for a contending team. That's exactly the type of combination that you want to target when rounding out your rotation.

We also saw Tolle look fantastic this spring, where he registered a 2.53 ERA with a 27.9 K-BB%. Stash Tolle now if you have room, but if not, make sure to add him to your watch list.

Joshua Baez, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Joshua Báez goes WAY DEEP in Spring Breakout! 💣 pic.twitter.com/dAKnHjFbwZ

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 19, 2026

Joshua Baez has a fantasy-friendly profile, having put up 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases in 499 plate appearances across all minor-league levels last season. That's the type of power-speed combination that can really add some juice to your lineup.

What's good about the situation here is that the Cardinals are rebuilding, so they're willing to let their young players have a chance to show what they can do. Even though Baez was sent down out of camp, he showed that he belonged during spring training, homering three times with a .762 slugging percentage.

If Jordan Walker fails to show improvement in the early going, or if Nathan Church struggles as Lars Nootbaar's injury replacement, Baez could get the call. There's also the chance that Baez could simply hit so well in the minors that it would force his way into the lineup. Then, you have to consider that Nootbaar could be a trade candidate later in the season.

Given the fact that the Cardinals are rebuilding, you're going to see Baez soon. When that happens, the power and speed are tantalizing.

Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Ryan Waldschmidt's first Cactus League batted ball had an exit velocity of 115.6 mph.

For reference, none of Gabriel Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, Nolan Arenado, Carlos Santana or Pavin Smith have ever hit a ball 115+ mph in a regular season game.

— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) February 20, 2026

Ryan Waldschmidt is a polished hitter who put up a .289/.419/.473 slash with 18 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 601 plate appearances across all minor-league levels last season. You have to love what he showed throughout spring training as well, featuring a pair of homers and a steal.

The D-Backs have a lot of opportunities in their outfield. If Jordan Lawlar fails to show any development once again, there could be an open spot for Waldschmidt to take over. There's also Alek Thomas in center field, a good defensive player, but someone who hasn't done enough at the plate.

If the D-Backs need some extra thump in their lineup, I could absolutely see them replacing Thomas with Waldschmidt. As the season progresses, the chances of Waldschmidt getting called up will increase, as long as he's performing well in the minors. After all, the D-Backs would be wise to see what they have in this young outfielder.

Once called up, there's 20-20 upside in this bat, with enough plate discipline to ensure that he's not going to kill you in batting average. While Waldschmidt doesn't have the same upside as Baez, there's a higher floor here.

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

Bryce Eldridge is a power hitter who slashed .260/.333/.510 with 25 home runs in only 433 plate appearances last season. While he put up a 35.1% strikeout rate in 37 plate appearances in a brief stint in the big leagues, he's worth a stash if you need power. Just remember to acknowledge that he's likely going to hurt you in batting average.

But if you built your roster to be able to withstand any harm to your batting average by prioritizing the category earlier in drafts, Eldridge would make a lot of sense as a stash. After all, it's hard to find this type of power lingering on your waiver wire.

Then you have to consider that the Giants have a clear need for another power bat. We just saw them use Casey Schmitt at first base in the opening loss to the Yankees. That's not going to cut it for a team that has playoff aspirations.

All we need is Eldridge to hit as he did in the minors last year, and we'll see him up with the Giants. While this hitting prospect is more specific to team building, the power is there to make an impact for you.

Three Other Prospects to Consider Stashing

• Leo De Vries, SS, ATH
• Aidan Miller, SS, PHI
• Max Clark, OF, DET

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