Top Prospects To Stash as the 2026 Season Settles In

The season remains young, but clubs are already making moves and promoting young talent to The Show, including Noah Schultz of the White Sox, who was featured in last week's installment and is now slated to make his big-league debut Tuesday. Without further ado, here are 10 prospects to keep on your stash radar in redraft leagues this season.

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Stats updated through April 13. For more prospect coverage, check out our Top 400 MLB Prospects as well as our Top 20 prospects for each team.

Didier Fuentes, SP, Braves (#66, #19 P, #1 ATL)

Fuentes is among the most talked-about pitching prospects early in 2026, and for good reason. After opening the year in the bullpen on the Braves' Opening Day roster and delivering four innings of one-run ball against the Royals on March 29, the right-hander has since been working as a starter with Triple-A Gwinnett. The results through two starts have been excellent, as the 20-year-old has yet to allow a run while striking out 15 across 9.2 innings. He has leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball (60.8 percent usage), which has averaged 97.1 mph in Gwinnett, while also mixing in a slider that owns a 52.4 percent whiff rate at a 32.9 percent usage clip.

Up in Atlanta, Martin Perez posted a 3.14 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 14.1 innings this season while stepping in as the fifth starter but was designated for assignment Sunday, potentially opening a spot in the rotation. The club could shift Jose Suarez or Osvaldo Bido from the bullpen into a starting role to fill the void, but Fuentes has built strong momentum and could earn a return to the big leagues as a starter as soon as this week.

JR Ritchie, SP, Braves (#80, #26 P, #2 ATL)

In addition to Fuentes, Ritchie is another notable young arm the Braves hold in high regard. Already off to a strong start to the 2026 season with Triple-A Gwinnett, the 22-year-old was excellent in his two starts last week, combining for 12.2 innings with one run allowed and a 12:4 K:BB over that span. Through four starts this year, he owns a 1.27 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with a 20:10 K:BB across 21.1 innings. While it will be difficult to maintain such a low ERA, and further refinement of his control (4.3 BB/9) would be beneficial, the results are great and build on the 3.02 ERA and 1.09 WHIP he posted across 59.2 innings at the Triple-A level last season.

As previously mentioned, Martin Perez being designated for assignment presumably opens a spot in Atlanta's starting rotation. Fuentes, with some big-league experience and a spot on the 40-man roster, likely has an edge in this call-up scenario over Ritchie, who is not yet on the 40-man roster, though nothing is guaranteed. Even if a promotion isn't imminent, Ritchie has put together an encouraging body of work to open the campaign and has positioned himself to make his big-league debut at some point in 2026.

Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Diamondbacks (#16, #4 OF, #1 ARI)

After putting up solid marks through the first two weeks of play, Waldschmidt exploded this past week, hitting .409/.480/.818 with two homers, a double, a triple, five RBI and a stolen base across six contests. Through 15 games, the 23-year-old is slashing .316/.426/.579 with two homers, five doubles, two triples and 12 RBI at Triple-A Reno. He's an incredibly well-rounded and disciplined presence at the plate, posting a 13.2 percent barrel rate (87th percentile) while chasing just 15.3 percent of pitches out of the zone (95th percentile).

The outfield outlook at the big-league level remains largely unchanged, as Corbin Carroll is entrenched in right field (though he has seen time at designated hitter recently following a minor hip issue), while the other options have provided little at the plate. Jorge Barrosa's .593 OPS is the highest among the group, beating even worse marks from Alek Thomas (.410) and Tim Tawa (.355), underscoring the unit's offensive struggles. It's understandable that the Diamondbacks would prefer to let Waldschmidt continue to develop at Triple-A after spending 2025 between High-A and Double-A, but his strong play combined with the lack of production from the current outfielders could prompt a promotion in the near future.

Bryce Eldridge, 1B/DH, Giants (#19, #1 DH, #1 SF)

Eldridge is another well-regarded bat who has been heating up of late, going 9-for-14 over his past three games. Through 13 games with Triple-A Sacramento, the Giants' top prospect is slashing .360/.492/.520, good for a 1.012 OPS despite just one home run. Don't let the lack of early power production be misleading, as the 21-year-old is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he combined for 25 homers and is currently producing elite contact, highlighted by a 58.1 percent hard-hit rate (96th percentile) and a 22.6 percent pulled air rate (70th percentile), suggesting more power is on the way. Strikeouts remain a notable part of his profile, as Eldridge has posted a 30.2 percent strikeout rate to begin the campaign, but that alone doesn't preclude him from finding success at the big-league level given the quality of his contact.

At the big-league level, Casey Schmitt avoided a stint on the injured list after dealing with a nagging back issue and has been red-hot, going 8-for-16 (.500) with five extra-base hits over his past four appearances. Schmitt has primarily played first base this season but has experience at second and could shift to the keystone if Luis Arraez (wrist) is sidelined. Jerar Encarnacion, who has also seen time at first base and designated hitter, has logged some innings in the outfield but has struggled to produce, posting a .500 OPS. Rafael Devers is off to a slow start but remains a fixture in the lineup. Overall, Eldridge has little left to prove at Triple-A, and a return to the majors in the near future appears likely, though it may depend on the club finding a path to consistent playing time rather than deploying him in a part-time role.

Max Clark, OF, Tigers (#24, #7 OF, #2 DET)

The first new addition to this week's list, Clark is a long-time, well-regarded prospect who has raked early this season. After hitting .271/.403/.432 with 14 homers, 17 doubles, five triples, 67 RBI and 19 stolen bases across 111 games between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie in 2025, the 21-year-old has opened 2026 slashing .352/.439/.537 with eight doubles, a triple, seven RBI and six stolen bases through 14 games at Triple-A Toledo. He has yet to blast his first homer of the campaign, but his lauded hit tool and well-rounded skill set help offset any lack of early power. Clark's contact ability has stood out in the early going, as he's struck out at a minuscule 7.6 percent clip and already recorded eight multi-hit performances.

Beyond Riley Greene entrenched in left field, the Tigers' outfield has been something of a carousel. With Parker Meadows (arm/concussion) sidelined, Javier Baez and Matt Vierling have seen time in center field, though the latter has struggled to a .469 OPS at the plate. Wenceel Perez has provided stretches of adequate play at the big-league level and was recalled following Meadows' injury, but he has yet to reach base through seven plate appearances and lacks the long-term upside that Clark offers. Detroit would likely prefer to give its prized prospect more time to develop, as he has just 57 games above High-A, but with the big-league club off to a slow start in a season with high expectations, a call-up to provide a spark in center field at Comerica Park could come sooner rather than later.

Joshua Baez, OF, Cardinals (#11, #1 OF, #2 STL)

The next new addition to the list, Baez parlayed a monster 2025 — during which he hit .287/.384/.500 with 20 homers, 23 doubles, 79 RBI and 54 stolen bases across 117 games between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield — into becoming one of the top outfield prospects in the sport. The 2021 second-round pick owns a respectable, if unspectacular, .744 OPS through 12 games with Triple-A Memphis, but he's been heating up with a 1.023 OPS, two homers, a double and seven RBI over his past five contests. The 22-year-old pummels the ball when he makes contact, and when paired with above-average speed, it's easy to envision him developing into a 30-30 threat at the MLB level.

Former top prospect Jordan Walker is off to an impressive start in 2026, solidifying his role as the regular right fielder in St. Louis, but production from the rest of the outfield has been limited. Thomas Saggese has struggled to consistently hit big-league pitching, while Nathan Church has also scuffled in a smaller sample, and Jose Fermin has done little in limited opportunities. Victor Scott offers speed and defense in center field but has yet to prove much at the plate. Add in the fact that Lars Nootbaar (heels) is on the injured list, and there's a clear path for Baez to earn a look with the Cardinals. It may not come immediately as he continues to adjust to Triple-A pitching, but RotoWire's No. 11 prospect is well positioned to reach the majors and see regular opportunities when the time comes.

Robby Snelling, SP, Marlins (#30, #5 P, #1 MIA)

It's been more of the same outstanding work for Snelling, who delivered five shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in his most recent start Friday. After posting a remarkable 1.27 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over 11 starts and 63.2 innings to close last season at Triple-A Jacksonville, the southpaw owns a 2.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through three outings (13 innings) to open 2026. His walks are up, as he's issued eight free passes (5.54 BB/9), but his strikeout rate has surged with 22 punchouts (15.2 K/9) in the early going. The sample size remains small, though both figures are worth monitoring moving forward.

The results from Miami's rotation have been middling beyond Sandy Alcantara, who has largely pitched to his peak form despite a rough outing Sunday and is a likely trade candidate ahead of the deadline. Chris Paddack turned in a quality start in his most recent outing, and Janson Junk has been serviceable if unimpressive with a 4.32 ERA through three starts. Neither projects as a long-term factor for the Marlins and shouldn't stand in the way of Snelling earning a call-up, making it more a question of when the club chooses to reward its top prospect with a big-league opportunity.

Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, Pirates (#105, #24 OF, #5 PIT)

Valdez is a fast riser who's off to a strong start in 2026. In 2025, the outfielder dominated High-A Greensboro with a .977 OPS in 72 games before being promoted to Double-A Altoona, where he posted a solid but unspectacular .772 OPS with a .409 slugging percentage across 51 contests. Beginning this season in Double-A to further develop his power would have made sense, but the Pirates instead pushed the 22-year-old to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he has displayed that power early, slashing .256/.458/.512 with three homers, two doubles and six RBI through 14 games. His approach has also taken a significant step forward, as he's drawn 15 walks (25.4 percent) against just 11 strikeouts (18.6 percent) so far.

Pittsburgh is off to a solid start, with regular outfielders Ryan O'Hearn, Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds all performing well. The same cannot be said for designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who is slashing .070/.167/.070 through 48 plate appearances. Despite signing a one-year deal with a mutual option, Ozuna's struggles have already begun to cost him some playing time. With Jake Mangum and Billy Cook offering limited offensive upside as reserve outfielders, there is a potential path for Valdez to earn a call-up, especially given his spot on the 40-man roster. While a promotion may not be imminent, continued production as the spring turns into summer could put him in position to make his big-league debut later in 2026.

Charlie Condon, 1B, Rockies (#85, #6 1B, #1 COL)

Condon returned from a brief absence at Triple-A Albuquerque following the removal of an unspecified cyst and quickly resumed producing at the plate, posting a .976 OPS with two homers across five games this past week. He's hitting .325/.438/.675 with four homers, two doubles and nine RBI through 10 games this season. While the Pacific Coast League is known to be hitter friendly, a 176 wRC+ underscores just how dominant the Georgia product has been. After hitting .235 across 55 games at Double-A Hartford last season, Condon showing improvement in the batting average department at a higher level is an encouraging development, though the sample size remains too small to significantly alter his hit tool evaluation.

Defensively, Condon has seen action at both first base and right field in 2026, and his positional versatility could boost his chances of earning a promotion. In Colorado, TJ Rumfield has cooled off after a hot start but still owns an .843 OPS at first base. Troy Johnston, who has seen time at first base and in the outfield, is also off to a productive start with an .805 OPS, while Jordan Beck has struggled to a .315 OPS and has seen his playing time decrease of late. The Rockies have little reason to rush a promotion for Condon and may prefer to keep him in Triple-A, where he can receive regular at-bats rather than a potential part-time or platoon role in the majors. Regardless, Condon's early success in Albuquerque is a major positive and, provided he stays healthy and continues to perform, should lead to his big-league debut at some point in 2026.

Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics (#54, #13 OF, #2 ATH)

It's been a somewhat lukewarm start to the season for Bolte, who went 2-for-18 in Triple-A Las Vegas' most recent four-game series against Sacramento. Through 13 games, he's slashing .212/.339/.404 with two homers, two triples, seven RBI and six stolen bases. While the early results haven't been impressive, the 22-year-old's approach has remained solid, as he owns a 16.1 percent walk rate (75th percentile) and a 22.1 percent chase rate (78th percentile) to pair with his elite speed, which has him second in the PCL in stolen bases. He posted an .837 OPS in 34 games at Triple-A last season after opening the year at Double-A Midland, so there's reason to believe he can produce at the level once he finds his rhythm.

Health permitting, the outfield and designated hitter situation for the Athletics is fairly settled, though Brent Rooker's (oblique) injury adds some uncertainty. Carlos Cortes has been the primary beneficiary, starting at designated hitter in each of the past three games. Given Cortes' early-season success (1.011 OPS in 25 plate appearances), he should continue to see regular playing time until he cools off or Rooker returns, though an oblique strain could sideline Rooker for four to six weeks. Strong play from Bolte at Triple-A in the coming weeks would improve his chances of earning a call-up, but his outlook remains more of a long-term stash option rather than someone likely to make an immediate impact.