Top-5 MLB Pitching Prospects To Stash For Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues - Week 22

August 20, 2026

Marty Tallman's top pitching fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 22 (2026). His MLB prospects to pick up and stash on your bench and N/A spots in redraft leagues.

Welcome back to our list of top starting-pitcher prospects to stash for Week 22 of the 2026 MLB season. With the season winding down, several top pitching prospects could be close to getting the call.

A few of these arms could make a real difference for fantasy teams over the final few weeks, so if you have room on your roster, now is the time to stash them. As always, if you have any questions, you can find me on X at @Marty_Tallman.

With that said, let's take a look at the top five starting pitcher prospects fantasy managers should be stashing for Week 22.

Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners

Currently at Double-A

Kade Anderson is coming off another stellar start, and with the way Bryce Miller has been pitching, it’s possible we won’t have to wait much longer to see Anderson in the big leagues.

Kade Anderson doesn’t allow a run for the 13th time in 18 starts. He was awesome tonight. Final line: 5.2IP, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 7K, 8 groundouts, 12 whiffs, 79 pitches, 53 strikes. pic.twitter.com/aOhwCLI9Lo

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) August 15, 2026

Across 93 1/3 Double-A innings, Anderson owns a 1.06 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 0.64 WHIP, 40.5% strikeout rate, and 3.9% walk rate. Overall, hitters are batting just .147 against him, which is pretty remarkable.

On the flip side, Miller has struggled over his last seven starts for the Mariners, posting a 6.57 ERA and 1.57 WHIP with just 25 strikeouts and 13 walks. His swinging strike rate during that span is only 10% over 37 innings.

Looking at the schedule, Miller is lined up to pitch Sunday at home against the Chicago Cubs. It wouldn’t surprise me too much if the Mariners delayed Anderson’s Friday start at Double-A Arkansas and called him up to take Miller’s spot.

As of August 19, FanGraphs projects the Mariners to have a 30% chance of making the playoffs. If Seattle is serious about making another run at the postseason, the 22-year-old lefty deserves to be on the MLB roster.

Therefore, pay close attention this week to see if the Mariners hold Anderson out of his scheduled start. If they do, it’s more than likely he’ll be heading to Seattle to make his long-awaited major league debut. Anderson should be stashed in all leagues.

River Ryan, Detroit Tigers

Currently at Triple-A

River Ryan is an interesting name to watch down the stretch after the Tigers acquired him in the trade that sent two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers.

At 27-years-old, Ryan is older than your typical prospect, but he showed plenty in his MLB debut with Los Angeles in 2024, posting a 1.33 ERA, 3.84 xERA, 22.2% strikeout rate, and 1.18 WHIP over 20 1/3 innings.

An elbow injury ended that season and led to Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss all of 2025. He returned this year and has flashed the stuff that once made him an elite prospect.

At Triple-A this season, Ryan has a a 4.46 ERA, 4.25 xERA, 27.2% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate, and 1.29 WHIP over 36 1/3 innings.

Most importantly, Ryan has a major league-ready arsenal.He can reach 100 mph with his fastball, and his slider sits in the low-90s with sharp break. He can throw it for strikes or bury it when he needs a swing-and-miss.

His sinker is more of a secondary offering, helping him get ahead, generate ground balls, and keep hitters from sitting on the four-seamer. The curveball gives him another look at 82-85 mph with more depth than the slider.

Ryan also has a mid-90s cutter that falls between his fastball and slider, while his upper-80s changeup has some sink and has flashed as an above-average pitch. He doesn't need to use it much with the rest of his arsenal.

There is plenty to like here, especially with Ryan now in a Tigers organization that has done a good job developing pitchers.

The biggest question is his health. He's working back from his second hamstring injury of the season, which has kept him out since June 17.

The good news is he's already throwing bullpen sessions and is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Lakeland soon.

If he gets healthy, I wouldn't be shocked to see Ryan make a few starts in September. He's worth stashing in 15-team leagues now, and if he returns to the majors, the strikeout upside could make him useful in every format.

Gage Wood, Philadelphia Phillies

Currently at Double-A

The Phillies' window to win a championship is just about to close. With an aging roster, this could be their last real opportunity to make a deep playoff run, which is why the Phillies' No. 1 prospect, Gage Wood, has a chance to make his major league debut soon.

Wood has been dominant in the minors this season, posting a 3.14 xFIP, 35% strikeout rate, and 7.8% walk rate across 76 innings between Low-A and Double-A.

All six strikeouts tonight from the @Phillies top prospect Gage Wood! #GoFightins pic.twitter.com/9N5XwFJbFc

— Reading Fightin Phils (@ReadingFightins) August 15, 2026

The 22-year-old was selected 26th overall in the 2025 draft and has already made his way up to Double-A.

The biggest weapon in Wood's arsenal is a 70-grade fastball, which gives him the kind of velocity that can miss bats at any level. He also has a 55-grade curveball, 50-grade slider, and 40-grade changeup, while continuing to work on his command.

There isn't an obvious opening in Philadelphia's rotation right now, but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't a path for Wood.

I could see him eventually taking over for veteran starter Aaron Nola or rookie hurler Andrew Painter.

Nola has struggled this season, posting a 5.33 ERA and career-low 16.2% K-BB% over 130 innings, while Painter has been dreadful. The rookie right-hander owns a 6.43 ERA, 9.7% K-BB%, and 1.55 WHIP across 85 1/3 innings.

Even if Wood doesn't immediately join the rotation, the Phillies could use him to piggyback Nola or Painter when they inevitably get into trouble.

If that's the case and Wood is allowed to throw four or more innings, he'd have plenty of opportunities to rack up strikeouts and potentially pick up wins.

Wood is worth stashing in 15-team leagues with a minor-league roster spot. If he does get the call, his strikeout upside makes him worth a look in deeper 12-team leagues.

Elmer Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Currently at Triple-A

New York Yankees right-hander Elmer Rodriguez is coming off one of the best starts in his professional career. But will that be enough to get Rodriguez back to the majors?

Elmer Rodriguez put together one of his best starts of the year tonight, tossing 7 scoreless innings!!

Final Line: 7.0 IP/3 H/0 R/1 BB/7 Ks (94 pitches)

Great to see for Elmer!

1st and Last K of his night⬇️🔥 pic.twitter.com/dz7Iehl9Gc

— Cai Rogers (@cai_rogers7) August 14, 2026

With the way Will Warren has pitched lately, I think it should be. Since the start of July, Warren has posted a 6.09 ERA with fewer than a strikeout per inning and looks like he's starting to run out of gas.

It would make a lot of sense if the Yankees brought Rodriguez back up to take Warren's spot for a couple of turns through the rotation.

Rodriguez isn't going to overpower hitters with elite velocity, but he does a good job keeping them off balance. The 23-year-old has six pitches to work with: a sinker, four-seam fastball, sweeper, curveball, changeup, and cutter.

Rodriguez got his first taste of the majors in April, but it didn't go well. He finished with a 4.76 ERA, 5.86 xERA, 1.76 WHIP, and -1.5% K-BB% over 17 innings.

Since returning to Triple-A, though, he's been much better. Across 97 1/3 innings, Rodriguez has a 2.59 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate, and 54.4% ground-ball rate while allowing just five home runs.

The ground-ball rate will be especially important at Yankee Stadium, where keeping the ball in the park is key.

I'm not expecting Rodriguez to become a strikeout machine, but if he can throw strikes, generate grounders, and mix his six pitches effectively, there's a path to him being a useful starter.

He's worth stashing in 15-team leagues with a minor-league spot, but I'd take a wait-and-see approach once he's called up. He's matchup-dependent, so I'd like to see a start or two before putting him in my lineup.

Anthony Eyanson, Baltimore Orioles

Currently at Double-A

The Orioles made a huge splash at the trade deadline, sending catcher Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox in a deal headlined by pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson.

After joining Baltimore, Eyanson quickly became the organization's No. 1 prospect, and it's easy to see why.

The 21-year-old right-hander has been dominant across High-A and Double-A this season, posting a 1.60 ERA, 2.99 xFIP, 36.7% strikeout rate, and 10.3% walk rate over 78 2/3 innings.

The slider is his best pitch and has the kind of late movement that can give hitters fits. It sits in the mid-80s and can be used early in the count before becoming a putaway pitch when he gets ahead.

Anthony Eyanson has fanned four in three shutout frames!

Watch Free: https://t.co/LlzyeGDaNp pic.twitter.com/gNJw6OJAVy

— Chesapeake Baysox (@BaysoxOfficial) August 14, 2026

The curveball gives him another breaking ball to work with. It's slower than the slider and gives hitters a different look, so they can't sit on his slider.

His fastball has also taken a big step forward. Coming out of LSU, Eyanson wasn't known for having overwhelming velocity, but that has changed. He's now sitting in the mid-90s and has even touched 100 mph.

Lastly, Eyanson also has a splitter that he can mix in, although it's more of a fourth option right now.

There is a good chance Eyanson doesn't make his MLB debut in 2026, but I could see a scenario where the Orioles bring him up for a few starts in September just to see what he can do.

If that happens, he's someone I'd want rostered in 12-team leagues and deeper head-to-head leagues. For now, Eyanson is a solid stash in 15-team leagues if you have a minor-league roster spot to spare.

Other Prospects To Consider Stashing

• Karson Milbrandt, MIA
• Jack Wenninger, NYM
• Ty Johnson, TB
• Brody Hopkins, TB

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis