Top-5 MLB Pitching Prospects To Stash For Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues - Week 16

July 9, 2026

Andy's top pitching fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 16 (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 16 of the 2026 MLB season. After a few quiet weeks in the prospect world, the Brewers added some excitement by promoting top outfielder Luis Lara ahead of Tuesday's contest.

As always, we will spotlight the top-5 pitching prospects to stash ahead of Week 16 of the fantasy season and name a few honorable mentions who sit just outside the current rankings. Be sure to follow RotoBaller MLB on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @A_Smith_FS, for any questions!

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Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

Currently at Double-A

Even though Kade Anderson took a brief step back (by his standards) at Double-A this past week, the budding ace remains the clear No. 1 stash target among pitching prospects. On July 3, Anderson allowed two runs (for the second straight game) over six innings, walking none and punching out eight.

Over his last two outings (11 innings), the southpaw has now allowed four runs while posting an incredible 18:2 K:BB. Despite this brief step back, the southpaw continues to boast ridiculous numbers during his first professional season.

Overall, over his first 14 starts as a professional (all at Double-A), the former LSU superstar has posted a 1.36 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP. During this noted stretch, the left-hander has struck out 108 hitters with solid elite command, walking only 10 batters. He has kept the ball in the yard quite well, allowing just four total long balls.

Additionally, among these 14 starts, Anderson has allowed more than two runs in only one start, a career-worst five-run effort against North Arkansas on May 15.

While his upside remains the highest among any pitchers on this list, his path to the majors makes him a frustrating pitcher to roster for fantasy. While those in formats with N/A spots should continue to leave him there for the remainder of the season, those needing to use a bench spot should think twice before picking up the lefty.

Currently, the Mariners are operating in a five-man rotation on the MLB roster with one of their six "starters" serving as a bulk reliever. This has kept all six pitchers thoroughly involved in the team's game plan and has not created any path for Anderson to debut.

Back in June, a report also stated that the former No. 3 overall pick is still not in the team's "immediate" plans, further putting his ETA into question. While he will need to wait for an injury (and likely two), Anderson needs to remain above the names on this list when looking at upside.

Even if he were to make only a handful of starts (or bulk outings), he could very well post near-perfect ratios with elite strikeout numbers and become a must-start pitcher.

Kade Anderson has made 14 starts this season.

8+ Strikeouts : 10 of 14 starts
2 ER or less. 13 of 14 starts

This is one of the best seasons by a pitching prospect that we've ever seen.#TridentsUppic.twitter.com/SQHHs208Uf

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 4, 2026

Quinn Mathews, St. Louis Cardinals

Currently at Triple-A

After a stellar debut season back in 2024, the southpaw from Stanford appeared to be the next budding ace in the minor leagues. However, following an injury-riddled 2025 season, the left-hander fell substantially in prospect rankings ahead of the 2026 season.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old saw his 2026 season start similarly to his 2025 season, posting a modest 5.55 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP over his first 35 2/3 innings. During this stretch, the former 122nd overall pick struck out 44 hitters but also served up a high 30 free passes.

However, since that cold start, Mathews has slowly been working his way back into form and looks far more like his 2024 self than his 2025 self. Since May 28 (his last 36 1/3 innings), the southpaw has posted a much-improved 2.23 ERA and a sharp 0.91 WHIP.

During this noted stretch, Mathews has maintained his strikeout upside, totaling 46 strikeouts. More importantly, he has improved his command. While he has still served up 4.0 BB/9 (16 total), it is a noteworthy improvement over the 7.6 BB/9 he posted at the start of the season.

Additionally, since the start of June, Mathews has continued to increase his workload, which is a great sign and suggests he could be fully approaching his MLB debut. Since June 1, Mathews has logged at least six innings of work in three outings (out of six) and has reached at least five innings in all but one.

Remember, this is a pitcher who began his professional career in 2024 at Low-A and finished the season at Triple-A Memphis. During this season, he logged a high 143 1/3 innings with a 202:49 K:BB and a 2.76 ERA.

The upside was never in question. Seeing him continue to build up his workload and improve his command is exactly what managers should be looking for. A promotion shortly after the All-Star break should be considered.

Quinn Mathews is your Triple-A pitcher of the month and Mason Molina is your Double-A pitcher of the month for the Cardinals' farm system. Check out the latest episode of Birds on the Farm for the full list!

Watch here: https://t.co/5PNyneVCVB pic.twitter.com/bJrss8t7Iv

— Birds on the Farm (@birdsonthefarm) July 8, 2026

Karson Milbrandt, Miami Marlins

Currently at Triple-A

Before we discuss Miami's next up-and-coming pitcher, let's check in on a non-prospect in Braxton Garrett. Garrett had a short stint in the majors this season (and posted a rough 14.54 ERA) but has enjoyed an amazing run at Triple-A over the past month. Since June 1, Garrett has held a 0.31 ERA with a 32:7 K:BB.

Braxton Garrett Emerging as a Top Stash Candidate Amid Torrid Triple-A Stretch https://t.co/ckgj8oUiqM

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) July 7, 2026

Given Garrett's experience (and Milbrandt's recent struggles), the Marlins will likely turn to him first. If you are looking to stash a Marlins pitcher, I'd suggest targeting Garrett ahead of Milbrandt. However, for the sake of this piece and spotlighting "true" prospects, let's take a look at MLB.com's No. 76 prospect.

Milbrandt turned in a relatively strong start to the 2026 season at Double-A, earning him an early call-up to Triple-A. At Pensacola, the right-hander was near-perfect, posting a 1.34 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 70:17 K:BB over 47 frames. While his time at Triple-A followed a similar pattern, he has recently begun to endure some expected growing pains.

Over his first three starts (15 innings), Milbrandt posted a 1.20 ERA but showed weak command, walking 11 and striking out just 15. Unfortunately, the weak command has begun to hurt him in the box score as he has allowed eight runs over his last 6 2/3 innings (two starts) with a 4:9 K:BB.

Growing pains are expected, especially given how quickly he has moved through the upper minors this season. If Milbrandt can improve his command, an early August promotion will remain in play.

However, given his recent struggles and Garrett's recent resurgence, managers looking for a short-term solution should target the veteran lefty at Triple-A over the budding right-hander.

Karson Milbrandt should be on more than Marlins fans' radar 👀

The righthander makes BA's list of prospects ready to play in the show in 2026 ⤵️

MLB prospects ready for a call up:https://t.co/PjUpkwBL2a pic.twitter.com/aOIrGUgPbZ

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 7, 2026

Jaxon Wiggins, Chicago Cubs

Currently at Triple-A

Despite being on the injured list, this pitcher is one managers should pay close attention to. Chicago's top pitching prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, may well have already been in the majors if not for his early season elbow injury. The No. 93-ranked prospect in the sport (per MLB.com) has been on the Triple-A injured list since early April.

However, Wiggins has begun a rehab assignment and should be in the mix to return to Iowa shortly after the All-Star break. Wiggins began his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on June 15 and has since been bumped up to High-A.

With High-A, Wiggins has made three abbreviated starts and logged 7 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.45 ERA and a sharp 0.95 WHIP. During this brief rehab assignment, Wiggins has struck out seven hitters while walking only two.

Last summer, Wiggins began his season with High-A but would eventually make his Iowa debut late in the second half. With High-A, he tossed 26 1/3 innings with a 1.71 ERA before moving up to Double-A, where he looked just as sharp. Over 42 frames with Knoxville, Wiggins posted a strong 1.93 ERA and 0.93 WHIP, with a 52:17 K:BB.

While he would post a modest 4.66 ERA over a brief 9 2/3 innings stint with Triple-A, the upside Wiggins showed earlier is quite noteworthy.

Given that Chicago's pitching depth has been hit with many injuries this season, including Cade Horton and Justin Steele's recent setback, Wiggins may not have to show much more in the majors once he returns from the injured list. Managers in deeper leagues should continue to pay close attention to the 24-year-old, as he could enter must-start territory once he is activated from the injured list.

Jaxon Wiggins Climbing Stash Rankings Amid Productive Rehab Assignment https://t.co/DWzgpik2Hp

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) July 6, 2026

Jack Wenninger, New York Mets

Currently at Triple-A

Rounding out our top five will be a new addition to the list. Last week, Chicago's Hagen Smith held the bottom spot. Given that there has not been any major update on his status, we will turn our attention to a pitcher in the Mets system who is coming off the best start of his Triple-A season.

Wenninger was in this column back in April following his dominant start, but hit a rough roadblock in May, which pushed him to the honorable mentions. However, on July 4, Wenninger logged seven one-hit innings (with no runs) and a 5:3 K:BB against Worcester, his best showing of the season.

Before this outing, Wenninger carried a rough 6.40 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP over his last 32 1/3 innings. During this noted rough patch, the right-hander struck out just 29 hitters and struggled to command his pitches, serving up a high of 17 free passes.

Despite this, Wenninger was quite impressive earlier in the season, as noted above. From April 1 through May 17 (his first 35 2/3 innings of the season), the 24-year-old posted a sharp 1,51 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. While his strikeout upside was not overly high (39 punchouts), his command remained an issue (5.6 BB/9), which eventually caught up to him in mid-May.

Like Wiggins, Wenninger is a name to closely monitor. With the Mets likely to be one of the most active sellers at the deadline, the team's No. 5-ranked prospect may face minimal competition for MLB innings in August.

Currently, pitchers such as Freddy Peralta and the injured Clay Holmes have been heavily linked in trade talks, which would allow Wenninger to emerge as the next man up to fill a spot.

If he can continue to improve his command, he could find himself on the same level as Milbrandt and Wiggins following the All-Star break.

Recasting Captain America as Jack Wenninger... 🇺🇸

7.0 IP | 0 R | 0 ER | 5 K | 1 H | 3 BB pic.twitter.com/KU9iZi9qQa

— Syracuse Mets (@SyracuseMets) July 5, 2026

Other Prospects To Consider Stashing

• Hagen Smith, CWS (on 7-Day IL)
• Carlos Lagrange, NYY (on 7-Day IL)
• River Ryan, LAD (on 7-Day IL)
• Ty Johnson, TB
• Owen Murphy, ATL (had a brief MLB debut but was sent back to Triple-A)
• Elmer Rodriguez, NYY

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