The Stash List Week 2: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026
The Pitcher Edition of the Stash List highlights the 10 best pitching prospects likely to make an impact during the 2026 season. Personally, I think that this list is a treasure trove of potential, and I'm excited to dive into the details of each prospect and explore why they're worth stashing in your redraft leagues. What makes this particularly fascinating is the mix of young talents who are poised to take the MLB by storm. From the Braves' Didier Fuentes to the White Sox's Tanner McDougal, each prospect brings something unique to the table. In my opinion, this list is a must-read for any fantasy baseball enthusiast looking to gain an edge in their redraft leagues.
Ground Rules
- The Stash List is for your redraft leagues and does not consider impact beyond 2026.
- Only current minor league players who are expected to make an impact this season are included.
- Upside, proximity, health, and opportunity are all weighed for each player.
- The focus is on 12-team leagues with standard categories.
- Rankings and roster percentages will be updated weekly.
- Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.
The Stash List
Graduates/Call-Ups
The following prospects are poised to join their squads straight out of spring training: Luinder Avila, KCR (Likely sent back down after he had his 2026 debut postponed on Friday), and Blade Tidwell, SFG (Bullpen).
Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash
- Didier Fuentes, RHP, Atlanta Braves
Didier Fuentes is a prospect who has already made waves in the MLB. After initially making the Major League roster, Fuentes was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to be "stretched out" as a starter. In my opinion, this move is a bit questionable, considering he already logged four innings in relief. However, I believe that the organization wants him to rebuild confidence in his secondary pitches before his next opportunity in the majors. Fuentes' 2026 debut was impressive: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, with a fastball that touched 97.7 mph and averaged 95.8. Looking ahead, the Braves' April schedule includes enough off days to limit the need for a traditional fifth starter. There’s no immediate scheduling pressure to force a call-up unless performance or injuries dictate it.
- Robby Snelling, LHP, Miami Marlins
Robby Snelling is a left-handed pitcher who is off to a slow start after a mild opener for 2026. He managed to throw 66 pitches over four innings in an uneventful start. Snelling really controlled the bottom of the strike zone with his four-pitch mix, which led to a lot of chases by hitters on the curveball, slider, and changeup. With a return to the higher velocity on the four-seamer in subsequent starts, we would expect to see Snelling raise the eye level of hitters by landing that pitch on the upper regions of the plate.
- Payton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox
Payton Tolle was squeezed out of the Major League rotation, and this outcome would seem to support that roster move. In support of his future success, Tolle was the unlucky victim of two 2-RBI hits with two outs, poor defensive play, and a few ill-timed walks. Nothing to be overly concerned about as we wait for Johan Oviedo to implode and create an opening for Tolle to grab.
- Logan Henderson, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Logan Henderson made his 2026 Minor League debut in relief work for the Nashville Sounds on Wednesday. This appearance reveals the likely plan to slow-play his innings, as he only had 103 regular-season innings in 2025. The velocity and movement were up a tick, and did so much damage that he barely even threw the changeup. It will be interesting to see if he gets a natural start in his next appearance, but expect the Brewers to build him up slowly.
- Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Chicago Cubs
Jaxon Wiggins is inching closer to starter material for the Cubs to consider after making his 2026 debut for Triple-A Iowa this past weekend. In this game, he had a more balanced approach, which signals a strategic decision to make his mix more starter-friendly. Wiggins is not on the 40-man roster, so he will need to really shine to be considered for a call-up in the near term.
- Carlos Lagrange, RHP, New York Yankees
Carlos Lagrange uses a short stride, posting only 6 feet of extension. The knee lift is casual, allowing him to stay fairly balanced as he falls down the mound. The arm slot is fairly high, and given the minimal extension, leads to a high release point. This gives him a high downward angle on most pitches. On Sunday, Lagrange battled through a challenging outing. He allowed plenty of hard contact and posted a below-average 57% strike rate. The encouraging takeaway: he didn’t issue a walk—a key stat fantasy managers will be watching closely all season.
- Tanner McDougal, RHP, Chicago White Sox
Tanner McDougal is a pitcher who I’m rooting for to be better first over Brody Hopkins. It’s partially due to my interest in seeing the Chicago White Sox succeed, but it’s also due to McDougal’s skills and easy velocity. McDougal turned in the stronger box score in their Triple-A debuts. He racked up eight strikeouts on 16 whiffs, allowing just one earned run on two hits and four walks.
- Brody Hopkins, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Brody Hopkins and Tanner McDougal look like natural comparisons—and they may be for a while. Hopkins stands 6’4”, McDougal 6’5”, and both feature similar pitch mixes, with Hopkins adding a changeup. Hopkins leans on a 90 mph cutter, while McDougal counters with an 89 mph slider. Each has shown the ability to miss bats at a high rate, though both can run into stretches of elevated walk totals.
- JR Ritchie, RHP, Atlanta Braves
JR Ritchie profiles as a groundball-oriented starter, armed with a deep six-pitch mix in an organization that could use more rotation depth. Ritchie throws from a low 22-degree arm angle, but doesn’t feature standout extension or velocity. His 93 mph four-seam fastball benefits from a low release height that enhances its vertical break, though it leaves little margin for error. Encouragingly, the pitch also shows 10 inches of horizontal break, and he commands it well.
- Noah Schultz, LHP, Chicago White Sox
Noah Schultz is a left-handed pitcher who ended 2025 on the injured list, but is back with Triple-A Charlotte and already off to the promising start we expected last year. Make it two brilliantly efficient outings for Noah Schultz to start the 2026 season. A healthy knee is helping him to repeat consistent mechanics. Over these first two games, he has thrown at least 70% strikes and created matching pitch charts that have a diagonal array of dots. Furthermore, Schultz is bringing the heat, pumping 98 mph in the fifth inning of his latest game.
On The Bubble
Here are the next several pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list: Daniel Eagen, ARI, Robert Gasser, MIL (Had an impressive 11 K, but will wait for a repeat performance before stronger consideration), Quinn Mathews, STL, Chase Petty, CIN (Was absolutely shredded in more recent outing, he needs a full month of consistency before being a strong consideration), Connor Prielipp, MIN, Elmer Rodríguez, NYY, Kendry Rojas, MIN, Hagen Smith, CHW, Jonah Tong, NYM (Really bad start on April 2 forced him off the top 10), Miguel Ullola, HOU, Jack Wenninger, NYM, and Thomas White, MIA (Threw 44 pitches over 2.1 innings in a Single-A rehab start on April 2 after missing time with an oblique injury).
Pitcher Stash List
Stash List Key
Stash now! Upside + Proximity
Upside Stash
Proximity Stash
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Featured Image by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Bsky/Twitter)
