The next top prospect call-up is here, as the Royals are expected to promote Jac Caglianone for his MLB debut Tuesday. And yes, he should be added in all Fantasy Baseball leagues. And we should probably also do what we can to keep expectations in check.
Aren’t those two things in conflict with one another? Not necessarily. In the likeliest scenario, Caglianone probably takes a bit of time before he gets his footing at the MLB level, the same way it took Nick Kurtz some time (before his injury). Hitting major-league pitching is hard, a lot harder than hitting Triple-A pitching, and there’s no amount of crushing Triple-A pitching that can make that transition any easier. MLB pitchers will exploit whatever weaknesses there are to exploit in Caglianone’s swing. They’re going to make his life as hard as they can.
But he still might succeed. He might be a star. And that’s what makes top prospects worth chasing for Fantasy, even as we watch names like Jordan Lawlar and Chandler Simpson get sent down in the past week and others like Kristian Campbell, Dylan Crews, and Jasson Dominguez struggle to keep their heads above water, let alone make an impact. Because, when you look at the waiver wire in a typical league, you aren’t going to see much upside. More often than not, you’ll just see has-beens and never-were’s on the wire, and you’ll add them because you need help at that specific position and they are currently hot right now. But in the long run, we probably know what they are.
But Jac Caglianone could be anyone! The 22-year-old was the sixth pick in last year’s draft, and after a rough first taste of pro ball has looked like an absolute superstar in the making this season. He torched Double-A and was even better in his brief call-up to Triple-A, ultimately hitting 15 homers in 49 games across both levels to open the season. If he can do anything like that with his plus-plus power, he could be a hugely impactful player off the wire, and those just don’t come around very often.
He probably won’t be. But, in all likelihood, neither will anyone else you add on the wire right now. At least Caglianone gives you a path to a difference-making player. That makes him someone you need to go after aggressively on waivers this week. Here’s who else we’re going to be looking to add, beginning with some high-upside pitchers you should know about.
Pitching stashes to target
Things tend to work in cycles on the waiver wire, especially for starting pitchers. We’ll have stretches where there are a handful of viable, high-upside pitchers worth chasing on the waiver wire at once, like when Ryan Weathers, Zebby Matthews, Will Warren, and AJ Smith-Shawver were all showing promising signs while being widely available a couple weeks ago. And then there will be times like this week, where most of the top targets on waivers are either streaming types or stash types.
And if you need streamers, go here to see Scott White’s top streamer pitchers, featuring names like Lance McCullers or Shane Smith, both of whom have two starts in Week 11, or the likes of Hayden Birdsong or Michael Wacha, who only have one start but should be worth using as well. They’re all fine, and there might even be a little bit of long-term upside mixed in there, especially with Birdsong, who had another solid start against the Marlins Sunday.
But if you’re looking for real upside, you aren’t going to find it there. Right now, you’re probably going to need to be patient in your hunt for upside. But if you can afford it, there are a few pitchers out there who could be true difference makers in the next few weeks, so before we get to the rest of the top waiver-wire options, let’s talk about five pitchers worth stashing from the IL or the minors:
- Bubba Chandler, Pirates (78%) – We’ve been telling you to stash Chandler for a while, and there aren’t many leagues left where he is even available. But he remains well worth waiting for, with a 2.03 ERA and 35% strikeout rate in 48.2 innings in Triple-A right now. The Pirates have to call him up soon, right? He’s arguably the top pitching prospect in the minors right now, and while the Pirates probably don’t have a real path to a playoff spot, they need some forward momentum at some point. Want those Paul Skenes‘ trade rumors to go away? Give him a running mate and show you’re serious about winning.
- Eury Perez, Marlins (69%) – It sounds like Perez might make only one more start on his rehab assignment before returning for his first MLB start in nearly two years. In case you forgot, Perez put up a 3.15 ERA and 10.6 K/9 in 19 starts in 2023, and he did that as a 20-year-old. As precocious as Chandler is, by comparison, he’s seven months older than Perez is right now. Perez has looked terrific in his rehab assignment, with his velocity sitting at pre-injury levels and his new curveball (it might be more of a sweeper) looking like another potential swing-and-miss pitch for him – though, with three different pitches with a whiff rate over 45% as a rookie, it’s not like he needed another weapon. Perez has “best pitcher in baseball” upside, and while we should expect some growing pains as he returns from Tommy John surgery, his upside is absolutely worth waiting on.
- Mick Abel, Phillies (34%) – Abel actually isn’t even a stash now, as the Phillies announced Sunday that he will be promoted from Triple-A to start Thursday of this week against the Blue Jays. He made one spot start a few weeks ago against the Pirates and looked dominant, striking out nine over six shutout innings. His command has been inconsistent throughout his minor-league career, so Abel is by no means a sure thing. But the upside we saw in that one start alone makes him worth a speculative add.
- Logan Henderson, Brewers (66%) – Here’s another guy with no obvious spot in the rotation right now, though we’ve said that before. Henderson was absolutely dominant in four starts with the Brewers so far, posting a 1.71 ERA and massive 35.8% strikeout rate. I don’t think he’s suddenly one of the best pitchers in baseball, or anything, but he showed preternatural command of his fastball/changeup combo, and that was more than enough to get the job done. The Brewers have a full rotation with Brandon Woodruff still on his way back, so Henderson will likely need a couple of injuries or poor performances to get a chance, but as we’re fond of saying around these parts: “Life finds a way.” I bet we see him again before the end of June.
- Andrew Painter, Phillies (52%) – Speaking of “best pitcher in baseball upside.” Painter nearly forced his way into the Phillies rotation back in 2023, when he was just 19, before elbow injuries cost him basically the entirety of the next two seasons. He’s been back since last fall, and we’re starting to get close to the point where the team expected him to be a factor in their rotation – before the season, they said “July-ish,” and what is June if not “July-ish.” I still think it’ll be at least a few more weeks before Painter is considered for a promotion – Abel will probably have to flop in order for Painter to get the call – but he could be an absolute difference maker. I don’t know if he’s quite on Paul Skenes’ level as a prospect, but he’s probably the closest thing in the minors to that right now, and he could be a superstar as soon as he’s promoted.
Here’s who else we’re looking to add ahead of Week 11 of the Fantasy Baseball season.
Week 11 Waiver Targets
Catchers
Tyler Stephenson, Reds (45%) – Stephenson is kind of getting lost in the shuffle amid all the catcher breakouts, because for a while, he’s kind of been the prototypical low-end No. 1 catcher – not much upside, but he certainly won’t hurt you. When we’re chasing the likes of Agustin Ramirez and Drake Baldwin, it can be easy to overlook someone like Stephenson, who usually tops out around “Pretty good.” But he’s on a little heater right now, with three homers and six RBI in his past six games, and his underlying numbers suggest he’s probably been a little unlucky with his “just fine” production so far. Stephenson has never hit the ball as well as he is right now.
Deep-league target: Henry Davis, Pirates (5%) – We’ve been here before, and it usually doesn’t work out too well. But with Joey Bart on the IL, Davis is getting a chance to play more lately, and I still have some hope that he’ll be able to emerge as a useful Fantasy option. He has struggled overall, but he does have a .362 xwOBA over his past 50 plate appearances entering play Sunday, so there could be something happening here as a short-term fill-in.
First Base
Deep-league target: Josh Bell, Nationals (9%) – Bell got off to an absolutely miserable start to the season, hitting .151/.246/.279 in April. Yeah, he does that sometimes. He’ll also get red hot and help carry a lineup for a few weeks at a time, and we might be at the start of one of those stretches – he is 8 for 17 over his past four games with three homers, and has a .480 expected wOBA over his past 50 plate appearances. Take advantage of these stretches while they’re happening.
Second base
Brett Baty, Mets (46%) – I still don’t quite buy it, but Baty seems to be following in Mark Vientos‘ footsteps from a year ago – and ironically, it could start to cost Vientos some playing time. Baty came back from Triple-A on May 7 and has hit .290/.333/.581 in that time, with a manageable 26% strikeout rate. He has started 16 of 21 games in that span, but has been a regular part of the lineup for the past couple of weeks, and if the Mets are going to play the hot hand, so can we, especially since he’s eligible at second and third base now.
Deep-league target: Thairo Estrada, Rockies (15%) – We’ve done the “mediocre player should get a boost at Coors Field” thing in the past, and it doesn’t always work out. Maybe it won’t here. But Estrada is still on the right side of 30 and was a very useful Fantasy player as recently as 2023, so I’m hoping we can get a useful batting average and some steals from Estrada, if nothing else.
Third base
Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox (62%) – Mayer has looked a bit overwhelmed so far, striking out in 31% of his trips to the plate while hitting .200/.250/.267 after Sunday’s 0-for-4 showing. Among the Red Sox’s Big Three prospects, he was the one I was least convinced would make an immediate impact, so I can’t say I’m totally shocked by his slow start. On the other hand, it’s only eight games, and the Red Sox probably need to give him a pretty long leash in the wake of Alex Bregman‘s injury, so I’m not going to give up on him either, especially now that he’s already multi-position eligible, which will help keep him in your lineup somewhere.
Deep-league target: Shay Whitcomb, Astros (3%) – Man, Whitcomb has been a terror to Triple-A pitching. In 161 games over the past two seasons, he has 45 homers and 32 stolen bases at the level, and in 2025, he cut his strikeout rate to a very manageable 21.3%. Whitcomb is 26 and has been at Triple-A since 2023, so he might just end up as a Quad-A player in the long run. But he’s back with the big-league team and is worth a look in deeper leagues.
Shortstop
Cole Young, Mariners (16%) – Young was talked about as a possible choice for the Mariners Opening Day roster, but he went back down to Triple-A when rosters were and handled himself very well in his first look at the level, hitting .277/.392/.461 in 54 games. Young has a tremendous approach at the plate, routinely putting walk rates up in the mid-teens, with strikeout rates typically right around the same level. After a wrist injury sapped some of his power in 2024, he has a .184 ISO in 2025, a nice bounceback> There probably isn’t a ton of over-the-fence power here – his career high is 11, albeit as a 19-year-old – but Young’s approach at the plate should make for a soft landing, and there’s a bit of speed here, too. He’ll be eligible at 2B in short order, which should make him an even more attractive dice roll.
Deep-league targets: Chase Meidroth, White Sox (38%) – I suppose Young is the “deep-league” option, but I probably would prioritize him ahead of Meidroth in any league. The overall impact might be fairly similar, though, and Meidroth has already proven himself in the majors, so I’m not saying I would drop him for Young. Meidroth has been really solid this season, and it would be even easier to get excited about him if the White Sox actually had a lineup that could knock him in occasionally – despite batting at the top of the lineup and getting on base at a .361 clip, Meidroth has just 17 runs in 36 games. But the eight steals have been a nice surprise, and have made him relevant in basically all categories leagues.
Outfield
Miguel Vargas, White Sox (62%) – Vargas finished up May with a .263/.333/.566 line, by far the best month of his MLB career. He’ll likely slow down some from here, but it’s worth noting that his production doesn’t really seem like a fluke right now – over the past 100 PA, he has a .377 expected wOBA, thanks to a combination of plus contact skills and above-average quality of contact. Vargas’ overall MLB numbers still look pretty bad – .193/.285/.345 in 822 PA since 2022 – but maybe he’s just a late bloomer? Skepticism is reasonable, but he’s still available in enough leagues that the upside he’s shown over the past month is worth chasing.
Tyler O’Neill, Orioles (52%) – I’m pretty surprised O’Neill’s roster rate has dropped this low. It’s been a tough season for O’Neill, who has missed his typical time with injuries but has also hit just one homer since Opening Day. He’s always run hot and cold, but it’s not like we have a long track record of him being a must-start player – 2024 and 2021 are the only seasons in O’Neill’s career with an OPS north of .715. Which is to say, dropping him may not be the wrong move. But he has tons of upside as a power hitter when he locks in, and I’ll take a flier on that upside if he’s available.
Matt Wallner, Twins (33%) – Wallner didn’t wait long to make his impact felt, as he homered in his very first game back from a month-and-half long absence on Saturday. He’s going to continue to hit leadoff for the Twins (at least against righties) and brings rare power and plenty of on-base ability to the table. The ceiling is limited by his platoon status and the fact that he strikes out so much, but Wallner’s spot at the top of the order when he plays helps mitigate that somewhat.
Parker Meadows, Tigers (28%) – Meadows played all nine innings in rehab games at Triple-A Friday and Saturday, which should be one of the final hurdles to get him back to the majors. He’s been out since the spring with a nerve issue in his arm, and we really don’t have any idea how that is going to impact his play. But if he can recapture what he did in the second half last season, he can be a difference maker – Meadows hit .293/.340/.500 with six homers and five steals in 46 games in the second half of last season. We’ll take a 20-20 threat, with upside beyond that.
Dane Myers, Marlins (15%) – Myers has a tendency to put himself in harm’s way in the outfield, but when he’s in the batter’s box, he’s been doing some damage. Since the start of last season, he is hitting .290/.347/.448 with 11 stolen bases and six homers in 202 PA. Pace that out over 600 PA and you can get some pretty impressive numbers from Myers, and the underlying data largely backs it up, too – his average exit velocity is actually up to 92.3 mph this season, and he has cut his strikeout rate to a totally manageable 23.4%. Myers might be legitimately useful in categories leagues!
Starting pitcher
Zebby Matthews, Twins (44%) – Matthews hasn’t been perfect. His first start back from the minors lasted just three innings, and he has allowed four runs in two of his first three starts. And yet, I remain extremely optimistic about his chances of being a very useful Fantasy option this season. He has 21 strikeouts to five walks in 14 innings of work, with a 3.62 expected ERA that is nearly three runs lower than his actual mark. I’m not saying Matthews is perfect, or will be an ace moving forward. BUt I think he’s been a lot more impressive than his actual numbers so far, and we’ll see that moving forward.
Kyle Harrison, Giants (17%) – If Harrison is going to throw his four-seamer 60% of the time or more, he needs that pitch to be a difference maker for him. It hasn’t been in the past, but since his return from the minors this season, that fastball has been sitting at 95 mph and peaking at 97, and from the left side, that’ll work. He has generated a whiff on 33% of swings against the four-seamer, and the slurve and changeup are playing better so far, too. He has nine strikeouts to three walks in nine innings over two mostly successful starts so far, so let’s see if he can build on this and live up to the hype he once had.
Slade Cecconi, Guardians (16%) – I’m mostly willing to give Cecconi a pass for his struggles in Saturday’s start against the Angels, given that he had his previous start skipped due to a minor injury. Before that, he had 14 strikeouts in 11 innings over his first two starts and was looking pretty interesting thanks to an arsenal filled with swing-and-miss pitches to supplement an iffy fastball. I’ll use him against the Astros this week.
Edward Cabrera, Marlins (24%) – We’ve been fooled by Cabrera many times before, so I’m not suddenly buying that he’s making an ace turn. But he is coming off one of the best months of his career, as he held a 2.00 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over five starts in May, with 28 strikeouts in 27 innings. True, he failed to finish six innings in any of those starts, but he also failed to walk more than three, and actually has a sub-10% walk rate for the season for the first time in his career. Cabrera is a frustrating pitcher, historically, but maybe he’s finally starting to figure some things out – his increased sinker usage may help in that regard, if he can continue to command it better than his four-seamer. I’ll start him against the Rays and Pirates in his next two starts, though I probably don’t want him in my lineup for the Phillies in a couple of weeks.
Relief pitcher
Camilo Doval, Giants (66%) – The Giants officially moved Doval back into the closer’s role earlier this week, and he responded with two multi-inning saves this weekend against the Marlins. It wasn’t easy in either case – especially Sunday, when he walked two and allowed a hit – but he got the job done and now has a 1.04 ERA for the season. Doval may lose the job like he did last season, but with his xERA down to 2.15, it’s not like there’s much reason to think he’s a ticking time bomb or anything. I think the likeliest outcome is Doval is just the closer for a playoff contender the rest of the way, and that makes him a must-roster reliever.
Daniel Palencia, Cubs (53%) – Palencia is doing a very solid job since being elevated to the closer role for the Cubs, securing five saves in five chances, with six strikeouts to zero walks in five innings in that span. He’s been good all season long while others have faltered, and while I’m not sure Palencia is good enough to just run away with this job forever, he’s showing no signs of losing it right now, making him worth adding in all leagues where you need saves.
