Top-5 MLB Pitching Prospects To Stash For Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues - Week 15

July 3, 2026

Andy's top pitching fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 15 (2026). His MLB prospects to pick up and stash on your bench and N/A spots in redraft leagues.

Welcome back to our top starting pitcher fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 15 of the 2026 MLB season. It was another quiet week in terms of prospect promotions, but with the All-Star break quickly approaching, fantasy managers should not wait much longer to stash a potential second-half league-winner.

This week, we will continue to check in on three familiar names who have solidified themselves as top stash candidates while two new names have pushed themselves into the top-5.

Be sure to follow RotoBaller MLB on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @A_Smith_FS, for any questions! Additionally, be sure to use code SMITH at checkout for 50% off on all premium packages. Let's dive in!

Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

Currently at Double-A

Once again, sitting in the top spot and as the unanimous No. 1 pitching prospect to stash is Kade Anderson of the Seattle Mariners. Anderson continues to dominate in the minor leagues, and despite not having the clearest path to the majors, his upside is on another level compared to the names below him on this list.

Anderson joined the Mariners with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of LSU. The former College World Series MVP was not sent to a minor league affiliate following the draft but would be given the green light to make his professional debut at the Double-A level to begin the 2026 campaign. With Arkansas, the southpaw has looked more than comfortable and is not only on the verge of joining Triple-A, but potentially moving up to the big leagues.

Through his first 66 2/3 innings of work at the professional level, Anderson has posted a 1.22 ERA with a sparkling 0.71 WHIP. Across this stint, Anderson has racked up 99 strikeouts while showing near-perfect command, walking only 10 batters.

Over his 13 starts, Anderson has only allowed two or more runs in two games. Removing these two outings from his box score, Anderson would hold a 0.57 ERA across 62 2/3 innings with a 95:10 K:BB.

However, given Seattle's depth at the starting pitcher position, Anderson's debut will likely have to wait until later in the second half. Currently, the team has six capable MLB starters on the depth chart. This has prompted them to shift to a "piggyback" schedule to ensure that all six starters remain key pieces of the team's game plan and stay fresh for the remainder of their playoff push.

Even though the team has six starters, some of them have not had much success lately. Since June 1, Emerson Hancock has posted a 5.19 ERA over his last 26 innings while veteran Luis Castillo has held a 4.10 ERA over his last 48 1/3 innings of work.

While a debut is not imminent, if either Hancock or Castillo continues to struggle in relief, Anderson should be in strong contention to join the MLB bullpen as a long reliever. His innings will be capped, but when he does earn the call, he will hold value as an SP4/SP5 simply due to his elite strikeout upside and potential to boost your pitching ratios.

If your league has N/A spots, Anderson remains a priority stash.

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

Karson Milbrandt, Miami Marlins

Currently at Triple-A

Moving up to the No. 2 spot on our list is Miami's Karson Milbrandt. Milbrandt was far from the starting list to begin the 2026 regular season, but due not only to his dominance at the upper levels but also to numerous injuries in the Miami system, Milbrandt is now on the verge of earning the call.

The 22-year-old began the 2026 season at the Double-A level, where he tossed 47 innings to the tune of a 1.34 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. During this noted stretch, the former 85th overall pick totaled 70 strikeouts while walking 17 hitters. This impressive showing earned him a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville, where Milbrandt has since made four starts.

Over his first 19 1/3 innings with the top club in the minor leagues, Milbrandt has continued to enjoy success, carrying a 2.33 ERA with a modest 1.40 WHIP. While his strikeout totals have remained strong (19 punchouts), his command (17 walks) remains a weakness. However, since striking out just one hitter in his Triple-A debut, Milbrandt has totaled 18 over his last 13 1/3 innings, suggesting he continues to make steady progress.

Currently, the Marlins have an opening in the rotation with Janson Junk on the 15-day IL and the unproven Tyler Phillips and Ryan Gusto holding the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the rotation.

Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Milbrandt's progression at Triple-A as he could continue for a debut shortly after the All-Star break if he maintains this trajectory. His high-end strikeout upside makes him a worthy target in all 12+ team leagues with N/A spots.

Will Karson Milbrandt Debut Early in the Second Half? https://t.co/lWEP2UdPli

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) June 26, 2026

Quinn Mathews, St. Louis Cardinals

Currently at Triple-A

St. Louis' Quinn Mathews continues to impress at Triple-A and is knocking on the MLB door. Mathews was a popular stash target to begin the 2025 season, following his impressive 2024 debut season. However, injuries and growing pains at Triple-A put a significant hit on his prospect stock, which kept him off many draft boards heading into the 2026 season.

While those struggles persisted early in the 2026 campaign at Triple-A, the former Stanford graduate has slowly begun to find his footing at the top club of the minor leagues. To open the campaign, Mathews posted a rough 5.55 ERA with a 1.63 WHIP over his first 35 2/3 innings of the season. During this stretch, the southpaw walked 7.6 hitters per nine innings but did show solid strikeout potential, totaling 44.

Since May 28, the 25-year-old has not only looked like his 2024 self but has put together one of the most impressive stretches of his entire career. Over his last 30 1/3 innings (six starts), Mathews has held a dominant 2.08 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP. His strikeout upside has remained just as high (39), but the most important improvement has been his command.

In this noted stretch, Mathews has walked only 4.7 hitters per nine innings, which is still rather high but a drastic improvement over his early-season production. If Mathews can continue to lower this number, he could claim the No. 2 spot on our list.

With Dustin May exiting his start on Thursday evening early, the Cardinals may need to turn to their Triple-A staff to take his spot in the rotation.

After falling behind 2-0, Quinn Mathews works his way back to strikeout the third batter that he faces on the night, striking the side out in order.
He gets Kam Misner with the curve. pic.twitter.com/XPcdCXKDNO

— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) May 28, 2026

Jaxon Wiggins, Chicago Cubs

Currently at Triple-A

The final two players on our list are currently on the injured list but remain worthy candidates for those in deeper leagues. The first injured pitcher we will spotlight on our list is Jaxon Wiggins of the Chicago Cubs. Even though Wiggins is on the shelf, his path to the major leagues is one of the earliest among the names on this list.

Currently, the Cubs have a long list of injuries in both their starting rotation and bullpen, which will give Wiggins a clear path to the big leagues once he is cleared to return to Triple-A in the second half. Currently, the Cubs are without Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton, Ben Brown and Justin Steele, leaving a clear path for their No. 3-ranked prospect.

During the 2025 season, Wiggins began the campaign in High-A but reached Triple-A late in the second half. With High-A and Double-A (68 1/3 innings), the right-hander posted a stellar 1.84 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a sharp 83:30 K:BB. However, during his first taste of action with Triple-A Iowa, Wiggins took a step back, allowing five runs over 9 2/3 innings.

In 2026, Wiggins made just two starts with Iowa before moving to the 7-day injured list with an elbow injury. While he was on the shelf for nearly two months, Wiggins has since begun a rehab assignment in the lower levels and was recently bumped up to High-A, where he has logged 6 1/3 innings with a 7:2 K:BB.

While he will not reach the majors until August, Wiggins has a path to becoming a high-impact option late in the season, given his clear path to MLB innings on a team that has its sights set on competing down the stretch. Those in formers with multiple IL spots should continue to keep a close eye on the Arkansas product.

Touted pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins could be called up to help the Cubs later in the season, but he won't be ready in the near term as he continues his rehab work and buildup right now, @MLBBruceLevine told @mullyhaugh. pic.twitter.com/JZYdQFXIR5

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) June 30, 2026

Hagen Smith, Chicago White Sox

Currently at Triple-A

Rounding out this week's edition was a familiar name to those who followed this series earlier in the first half. Chicago's top pitching prospect Hagen Smith appeared to be on the doorstep of the big leagues but suffered a shoulder injury in mid-June, which shifted him to the 7-day IL.

However, prior to his rough 7-run showing on June 13, the southpaw was enjoying a dominant stretch at Triple-A and was putting the final touches on his development. From May 15 through June 7, the former fifth overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft logged 26 1/3 innings to the tune of a sharp 3.42 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 44:16 K:BB.

Not only was his strikeout upside impressive, but his improving command was a great sign that Smith was making the necessary adjustments to avoid high counts against Triple-A hitters. Prior to this noted stretch, the left-hander served up 18 walks over his first 26 1/3 innings with a modest 4.10 ERA.

During the 2025 season, Smith spent his entire time with Double-A, where he totaled an eye-catching 108 strikeouts over 75 2/3 innings but allowed a hefty 56 free passes, which tainted his ratios.

As noted with Wiggins, Smith's path to the majors also makes him a worthy addition to this list. Currently, the White Sox remain in the heat of the American League playoff race and will likely turn to their top prospect to give them a spark in the second half. Even with Noah Schultz returning from the 15-day injured list, the White Sox could use a strong option in the back of their rotation as their current No. 5 starter, Erick Fedde, holds a 4.41 ERA over 79 2/3 innings.

Like Wiggins, the southpaw is a top option to monitor for those in deeper leagues, with several IL and N/A spots. If Smith can return to the bump in mid-July, he should be in contention to earn the call in mid-to-late August.

Hagen Smith likely done after 4 innings, 66 pitches. Fastball down 2 ticks to 93 mph but still effective in getting strikeout #6 on the night. Slider and cutter looked great all night. Final line: 1 hit (HR), 2 ER, 3 walks. Action in Knights’ pen.@FutureSox pic.twitter.com/JhqRNS60FE

— jeff cohen (@TripleAJeff) April 28, 2026

Other Prospects To Consider Stashing

• Carlos Lagrange, NYY (on 7-Day IL)
• River Ryan, LAD ( on 7-Day IL)
• Elmer Rodriguez, NYY
• Owen Murphy, ATL
• Brody Hopkins, TB

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