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The Stash List Week 1: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026

Top 10 pitching prospects to stash in redraft league.

John Villavicencio
SP To Stash 3/28/2026

The Pitcher Edition of the Stash List highlights the 10 best pitching prospects likely to make an impact during the 2026 season.

Prospects are often thought of as only holding value in dynasty formats. However, knowing which prospects hold value for the current season can help set you apart in redraft leagues. Several have a 2026 ETA, and getting ahead of the curve on rostering these prospects is a key part of roster management. Last year, we saw more pitching prospects make their debut than ever before, and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2026. Keep reading to find out the top ten pitchers you should stash in your 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: Mick Abel over Zebby Matthews (Optioned to AAA) MIN, Drew Anderson DET, Chase Burns CIN, Cade Cavalli WSN, Bubba Chandler PIT (Unleash your 2025 Stash frustration), Connelly Early BOS (YES!!!), Didier Fuentes ATL (bullpen), Foster Griffin WSN, Tatsuya Imai HOU, Ryan Johnson LAA, Rhett Lowder CIN, Nolan McLean NYM, Andrew Painter PHI (FINALLY!), Brandon Sproat MIL, Walbert Ureña LAA (bullpen), and Ryan Weiss HOU.

 

Before we reveal the week 1 stash list for 2026, here is a trip down memory lane…Let’s aim for a better hit rate in 2026!

The Week 1 2025 Stash List

  1. Bubba Chandler 8.22.2025 debut
  2. Quinn Mathews No MLB action
  3. Brandon Sproat 9.7.2025 debut
  4. Jake Bloss No MLB action due to May 2025 UCL surgery
  5. Noah Schultz No MLB action
  6. Noah Cameron 4.30.2025 debut
  7. Andrew Painter No MLB action
  8. Chase Dollander 4.6.2025 debut
  9. Cam Schlittler 7.9.2025 debut
  10. Jonah Tong 8.29.2025 debut

 

Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash

 

1. Robby Snelling, LHP, Miami Marlins

2025 MiLB Stat line: 136 IP | 2.51 ERA | 30.3 K% | 7.1 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 8.1 IP | 7.56 ERA | 32.5 K% | 10.0 BB%

 

The Miami Marlins have demonstrated tremendous restraint by keeping their top pitching prospects in the Minor Leagues for the start of the season. In actuality, Thomas White didn’t have much of a shot after an oblique strain prevented him from throwing more than a single inning this spring. The late offseason arrival of Chris Paddack indicated that the Marlins are taking the long game in developing their rotation and would rather preserve Robby Snelling for some time down the road. Circle May 12-27 as a window for a Snelling debut. This period represents a stretch of 16 consecutive games for the Marlins, although Braxton Garrett would receive the first chance at any open spot.

Spring Training has revealed mixed results for Snelling, who has had the strikeouts, but also a lot of baserunners. More importantly, the velocity and underlying metrics show modest growth. A bit more vertical, horizontal break, and extension. He still relies on the fastball and curveball combo to control an at-bat, with the slider and changeup rounding out the strong four-pitch arsenal he uses against both sets of hitters.

Snelling has succeeded with a boosted swinging strike rate, a modest walk rate, and limiting hard contact. Furthermore, he had a stretch of seven consecutive starts of six innings or more at the end of the season to earn the workhorse status. There is not much left to prove in Triple-A, so he will have to maintain his focus and motivation until his opportunity opens up. The organization is a few small tweaks away from being a playoff contender in a strong division. Snelling would be an upgrade and make that possibility more likely.

Snelling is the Friday night starter for the 2025 Triple-A Champions, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, so check his pitch usage and results to see if this top billing is validated.

 

2. River Ryan, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

2025 MiLB Stat line: 119.2 IP | 3.08 ERA | 30.9 K% | 8.6 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 9.2 IP | 1.86 ERA | 33.3 K% | 11.1 BB%

 

With only twenty innings in the Major Leagues, River Ryan still qualifies as a prospect, and with his solid Spring Training performance, he becomes a worthy name for this stash list. The 2021 late-round draft pick is now 27 years old and missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. This spring, the Dodgers have built him as a starter, with his latest going four innings. The wealth of pitching continues for Los Angeles, who can now gradually continue the comeback for Ryan in Triple-A.

The 6’2″ righty was known for having four above-average pitches before the injury and subsequent surgery in 2024. This spring, he has shown that not much has been lost during the time off, as he is showing five pitches with the slider being the strongest. The breaker is almost like a cutter, coming into the plate at 91 mph with pure horizontal movement. The four-seamer does not have favorable movement or angles, but Ryan gains some points for deception as he releases it from the same point as the slider. The fastball breaks to the arm side at a higher velocity. Speaking of a cutter, which he does have sitting at 93 mph, it is one of his primary weapons against left-handed batters. His curveball is another pitch that is being rated as above-average in the spring and represents his option to play with a hitter’s timing, as it is the only pitch below 90 mph.

The Dodgers’ rotation is crowded, but prone to constant tinkering by the brain trust. Ryan is not far off from getting his second Major League stint and could be someone who actualizes the promise he showed earlier in his career. He profiles a strikeout pitcher who will likely only go 4-5 innings, given that he missed so much time.

 

3. Payton Tolle, LHP, Boston Red Sox

2025 MiLB Stat line: 91.2 IP | 3.04 ERA | 36.5 K% | 6.3 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: 16.1 IP | 6.06 ERA | 25.7 K% | 10.8 BB%

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 10.2 IP | 2.53 ERA | 30.2 K% | 2.3 BB%

 

The Boston Red Sox spent a lot of the past eight months reworking their starting pitcher depth through trades, free agent signings, and the draft. Unfortunately, this put a lot of competition in the system for their star rookies, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Both of these prospects have shone brightly in Spring Training, demonstrating that some of those acquisitions were a tad excessive. Both of these pitchers also stood out for their high ranks on the Stuff+ lists. Tolle was one of a handful of starters to have above-average (>105) Stuff+ on four or more pitches (curve, four-seamer, cutter, changeup), while Early had above-average Pitching+ and Location+.  They have both solidified their spot on the 40-man roster with their September performance. Both have three options left, giving the organization a ton of flexibility. The Red Sox have given themselves numerous options to build their rotation, so we must be patient, as an opening will inevitably occur for both of these studs to stay up in the Major Leagues this season.

Payton Tolle will need to channel patience and focus as he waits his turn for a spot to open up in the Red Sox rotation this season. The 6’6″ lefty is behind roster mate Connelly Early on the pecking order, only due to his draft class, but not in terms of skills or performance. This spring, Tolle put to bed any doubt about his potential after an initial shaky start to his Major League career last September. Everyone could see past the 6.06 ERA and bloated home run to fly ball rate, directing their focus to metrics on his stuff.

However, digging around for skills to clean up is not really a bad thing. That fly ball rate could be an issue for a home ballpark with a short porch in right field. Tolle will have to pitch for the strikeout if he continues to allow nearly a 60% fly ball rate. The Minor League average against has been acceptable, and he has shown a history of keeping runners off the bases via the walk. If any of those items regress, then track how his pitches are performing to see if anything is down. Most of his Stuff+ value comes from his elite extension (over 7.4 feet), which he seems to get with minimal effort.

Yet, Tolle has shone brightly this spring over 10.2 innings with 13 strikeouts to one walk. He has a 58% fly ball rate, but only that one walk while generating 13% swinging strikes and a 37% chase rate. He does this with an elite trio of fastballs covering three velocity bands and movement patterns from a similar release point. He relied heavily on the four-seamer in his brief 2025 Major League stint, so the spring reduction in usage is good to see. The cutter and curveball usage is up, with the breaker catching more hitters off guard in the spring (46% whiff rate). Perhaps Tolle’s early Triple-A assignment will be to strengthen confidence in a new pitch mix.

Tolle will make his first 2026 start for realsies this Sunday at home for Worcester.

 

4. Logan Henderson, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers

2025 MiLB Stat line: 77.2 IP | 3.59 ERA | 27.9% K% | 7.7 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: 25.1 IP | 1.78 ERA | 33.3 K% | 8.1 BB%

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 6 IP | 1.50 ERA | 19.0 K% | 0.0 BB%

 

It was a glorious May for friends, family, and fans of Logan Henderson. During his second Major League stint, he had twenty strikeouts to five walks across fifteen innings and a 2-0 record added to his log. The fastball and changeup combo was crushing. Yet, a shift in the structure of the pitching staff by Milwaukee sent him back to Triple-A, before a lat strain eventually sidelined him from August onward. Assuredly, the Brewers would bring Henderson back to the rotation in 2026 after his successful pro results, right?

Well, the Brewers added more pitchers via trade (Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat) despite having a few vacancies open up spots due to injury (Quinn Priester) or pseudo-injury (Brandon Woodruff). Alas, Henderson will have to battle for a spot back in the best Minor League baseball city in the country, Nashville.

So far in spring, Henderson has exhibited many of the same pitch characteristics that helped him succeed back in May 2025. Henderson is known for his low arm slot, which helps him cheat a few ticks of induced vertical break on the fastball due to his low release height. In March, the four-seamer isn’t breaking to the arm-side as much as it did last season, but his principal weapon, the changeup, is still getting over 18 inches of break.

It’s hard to gather much intel from his six innings of work in the Grapefruit League, but it’s good to see him healthy and building up innings again. The next step in his development will be greater functional use of either the cutter or the slider. They are both show-me pitches at the moment, giving him a different look at the top and bottom of the zone. The slider is something to monitor, given that over two pitches in the spring, it has a larger bite with much less spin.

 

5.  Carlos Lagrange, RHP, New York Yankees

2025 MiLB Stat line: 120.0 IP | 3.53 ERA | 33.4 K% | 12.3 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: None

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 16.1 IP | 4.96 ERA | 24.6 K% | 8.7 BB%

 

Out of the eye-popping stats from the 2026 Spring Training, Carlos Lagrange has many of the highlights. He has thrown his four-seamer 100 mph or faster on 47 pitches out of 83 total. The two-plane movement of this fastball has generated a 33% whiff rate, but it’s the slider that he throws with a similar release point that is the real star, with a 50% whiff rate. That combination mimics what Mason Miller is doing, but we hope to see Lagrange stick as a starter. From that starting point, he can rev the velo down with a sweeper or rev up with a 92 mph changeup. Lagrange is hulking on the mound like a reliever, but this solid four-pitch arsenal gives him the weapons to easily go through a lineup two or three times.

In addition, Lagrange built up to 120 innings pitched in 2025 across 23 starts (24 games appeared). He didn’t have a consistent run of starts over five innings, similar to Snelling, but he maintained his health all the way to the end of the season. The 6’7″ righty will need to rein in the usage of his fastball and its wavering location, but his Spring Training stats have shown that he is ready to take his skills to the next level. Furthermore, he is achieving the velo and stuff pop with minimal extension. Efficient movement will be instrumental if he wants to remain a starting pitcher over 150+ innings who averages 100 mph on their fastball, a mark that is usually reserved for relief pitchers.

Lagrange made such a major statement that he likely forced the Yankees to consider his place on their roster much sooner in 2026. Given his Spring Training performance and his outlier skill set, he is a strong stash, but he may only see action as a reliever to start with the number of injured pitchers ready to return to the Major League club over the next few months.

Get a free look at Lagrange on the MiLB app this Sunday against Buffalo at 10:05 am Pacific.

 

6.  Tanner McDougal, RHP, Chicago White Sox

2025 MiLB Stat line: 113.1 IP | 3.26 ERA | 28.3 K% | 10.2 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 8 IP | 2.25 ERA | 21.9 K% | 0.0 BB%

 

I am going to regurgitate my analysis from the prospect draft recap about our next stash list player.

Tanner McDougal is one of three Chicago White Sox starters who could leap in 2026. Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, and McDougal all have Major League stuff, but display inconsistent control. McDougal actually dialled up the command as the season wore on, going from a 13% walk rate to under 8% during his time in Double-A. He has easy 100 mph gas on the fastball, while serving up high spins with the curveball and slider. The batted ball data looks good, with a 45% ground ball rate and no major differences between how he performs against both sets of hitters. The next challenge will be to extend the solid command during longer stints against higher-level competition.

During Spring Training, McDougal has amped up the control in his brief appearances. Zero walks is a beautiful thing for McDougal, especially when paired with a 54% ground ball rate and a .226 average against. The extension was solid, but not above-average, so his 99+ mph fastball is likely more of a secondary weapon as opposed to a primary one. The slider earned a 50% whiff rate while registering over 2900 rpm of spin and a drop of 58 inches.

After being added to the 40-man roster, McDougal has set himself up to be considered one of the first White Sox pitcher call-ups. He was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, where he will form a formidable starting staff with Schultz and Smith.

 

7. Brody Hopkins, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

2025 MiLB Stat line: 116 IP | 2.72 ERA | 28.7 K% | 12.2 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 2 IP | 0.00 ERA | 20.0 K% | 30.0 BB%

 

Another fun fastball freak is Brody Hopkins. The 6’4″ righty spent all of his age-24 season at Double-A Montgomery across 25 starts. The volume he put up for the Biscuits is actually refreshing, but it did represent a plateau. He put up a similar innings count in 2024 as he did in 2025. Nevertheless, Hopkins averaged 77 pitches per game while keeping the ball in the yard and mostly on the ground. The walks did tick up, but he was able to neutralize runners with a good 12% swinging strike rate and 29% strikeout rate.

The 97 mph four-seamer is the most used pitch, but the cutter is a close second. The fastball is also rising 19 inches of induced vertical break, which offers a great contrast to the 50 inches of drop from the curveball, with a similar release point. It could be expected with greater Statcast data in Triple-A Durham, his likely starting point this season, that we could see the curveball become a solid 1-2 punch for Hopkins. Not to be forgotten, he also utilizes an above-average sweeper that is balanced to his arm-side by a 90 mph changeup.

The main obstacle holding back enthusiasm for Hopkins is its previous history with how the organization promotes its prospects. The Rays seem content to allow their prospects to stay down for longer. However, this is also the same team with two below-average starters, Nick Martinez and Steven Matz, who are likely going to eat some innings, but for how long will that strategy be necessary?

 

8. Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Chicago Cubs

2025 MiLB Stat line: 78 IP | 2.19 ERA | 31.0 K% | 11.5 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 3.1 IP | 13.50 ERA | 29.4 K% | 5.9 BB%

 

The Chicago Cubs have spent many of the past few seasons looking outside of the organization for pitching depth. Outside of Justin Steele and Cade Horton, the fruit has not come to bear. Enter Jaxon Wiggins with a dominant fastball, who has been percolating in the Minor Leagues since he was drafted in 2023 in the first round. The Cubs have been deliberate with his progression, pausing his action in the middle of the season so he wouldn’t exceed an innings limit. Given that Wiggins only reached 78 innings and averaged 67 pitches per game in 2025, it is hard to fathom that he surges way past this limit, say more than 120 innings, especially given that he throws a 98 mph fastball over 60% of the time each game.

Building a case for him to make it to the Major Leagues shines a spotlight on a path to the bullpen. Daniel Palencia and Hunter Harvey are the only relievers with a fastball over 94 mph, so Wiggins would be an immediate upgrade. Yet, he has a strong arsenal that features a four-seamer, cutter, and curveball sharing a similar release point, but with much different movement patterns and velocities. Above all else, though, Wiggins must maintain the solid control he has demonstrated thus far in Spring Training. If he is to be considered a starter post promotion, the 50% zone rates and moderate walk rates need to become the norm, especially the second time through the order.

In summary, Wiggins is a high-quality dynasty piece to your roster and a lukewarm speculative add as a starter for the 2026 season. However, efficient outings and early dominance with Triple-A Iowa could signal that he is turning a corner to become the next best homegrown starter.

 

9.  Jonah Tong, RHP, New York Mets

2025 MiLB Stat line: 113.2 IP | 1.43 ERA | 40.5 K% | 10.6 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: 18.2 IP | 7.71 ERA | 25.3 K% | 10.3 BB%

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 7 IP | 7.71 ERA | 21.9 K% | 3.1 BB%

 

It’s somewhat strange, but I feel bad for Jonah Tong. He absolutely dominated Minor League Baseball in 2025. Strikeout leader. Leader in average against. WHIP below 1.00. A FIP and xFIP that are very similar. Only two home runs allowed. In almost every way, Tong was ready for the Major League debut, until he wasn’t. The elite extension, vertical break, and unique arm slot didn’t surprise pro hitters as expected. He made five starts and gave up 20 twenty runs on 24 hits. The overall numbers look bad, but was he a bust?

On the flip side, Tong did have three starts with 6+ strikeouts, two with one earned run or less, and three starts with two or fewer walks. We will say that he was a victim of the short sample economy, cast aside for the next best thing, given the abundant supply of prospect pitchers. Over those five starts, his movement and velocity dipped only slightly, while his arm angle stayed the same. In his two most successful games, his fastball usage was over 60%, representing a back-to-basics approach for a rookie. Fast forward to this spring, Tong has brought in more horizontal movement via a new cutter, which simultaneously brings down the usage of the four-seamer. That cutter isn’t really breaking too much, so he will likely rely on the changeup to draw hitters’ eyes to the side until he figures out how to work that new pitch. The action in Triple-A will allow him to nudge his mechanics and strategy back to a point where a 17% swinging strike rate instead of single digits.

Tong is on the 40-man roster and assuredly the first arm off the Minor League bench if Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, or David Peterson falter. There is another obstacle in Christian Scott, who is returning from Tommy John surgery and has thrown six innings this spring. It’s hard to imagine Scott eating up a huge chunk of innings, but Tong will have to demonstrate consistency and a new attack plan to stay ahead of Scott on the rungs of the organizational ladder.

Tong earns Friday night honors as he opens up the season for Triple-A Syracuse.

 

10. JR Ritchie, RHP, Atlanta Braves

2025 MiLB Stat line: 140 IP | 2.64 ERA | 24.8 K% | 9.6 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 12 IP | 2.025 ERA | 32.6 K% | 11.6 BB%

 

Opportunity is knocking on the doors of all prospect pitchers in the Braves system. Didier Fuentes took hold of the first opening, and JR Ritchie is closely trailing behind him to grab the next available spot. I’ve long viewed the Braves as an organization unafraid to push their prospects aggressively, and this year may force their hand. With Spencer Schwellenbach sidelined for most of the season, Atlanta could accelerate its timeline. One of their top pitching prospects, JR Ritchie, earned a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett on July 19 and nearly reached 60 innings at the level. That’s already more Triple-A experience than several current Braves starters had before debuting, making a strong case that Ritchie is close to major-league ready.

Still, there’s room for refinement—particularly with his most-used pitch, the sinker. The two-seamer averages 93 mph with roughly a 2200 RPM spin rate and a solid 6.5 feet of extension. It generates an impressive 14 inches of horizontal movement but only about 9 inches of vertical break. Given his already low arm slot, there may not be much room to chase additional vertical movement by dropping lower. Interestingly, his pitch movement chart shows two distinct clusters, suggesting he may have already made a meaningful tweak to the offering.

Even so, the sinker remains his least effective pitch despite being his primary one. If it’s going to anchor his approach as a groundball weapon, it has to take a step forward. He may not be able to squeeze out more movement, but the slight velocity bump in Spring Training (94 mph) could give it sharper depth and improve its effectiveness against major-league hitters. If he can turn that pitch from a liability into a dependable foundation, the leap to Atlanta becomes much more realistic.

 

11. Ryan Sloan, RHP, Seattle Mariners

2025 MiLB Stat line: 82 IP | 2.19 ERA | 27.0 K% | 4.5 BB%

2025 MLB Stat line: none

2026 Spring Training Stat line: 1 IP | 0.00 ERA | 33.3 K% | 0 BB%

 

Ok, don’t go stashing this selection in your NFBC twelve-team FAAB leagues. However, Ryan Sloan is looking like one of the top prospect pitchers in the game after being heralded as such in the offseason. His Spring Breakout performance was perfect, retiring all nine batters he faced, including three strikeouts on six whiffs. Positive outcomes weren’t going to win him a rotation spot out of the gate, but it might have bought him trust and confidence to see a quicker path to the Major League roster.

Sloan had a strong 67% strike rate across 82 innings in 2025, finishing in High-A. Command is the name of the game for him, as he walked less than 6% of batters on the season. Given his placement of pitches in the zone, his average against is higher than one would like, so he may need to work pitch counts in his favor with a purposeful ball outside from time to time.

One thing that may hold him back is the lack of a premium fastball. The package is very strong, but the four-seamer is just okay. It sounds silly to write that a 98 mph fastball may not be good enough, but 15 inches of induced vertical break that sits dead center with no horizontal wiggle may be smacked around by the pros. Fortunately, he has four other pitches that encompass a variety of velocity bands and movement patterns. Three fastballs, a sweeper, and a splitter will keep hitters guessing enough that the fastball can be blown by them as a surprise strike, especially given his pinpoint command.

Sloan is not an imminent call-up, but rather an investment in someone who should be a major piece of dynasty rosters for years to come. Think Jonah Tong’s ascendance, where he was not on anyone’s radar early until he went out and absolutely dominated across two levels.

 

On The Bubble

Here are the next several pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list: Spencer Arrighetti HOU (No longer a prospect, but worthy of tracking in AAA. Pitches for Sugar Land on Sunday), Daniel Eagen ARI, Jose Franco CIN, Robert Gasser MIL, Trey Gibson BAL (Opening Day starter for Norfolk), Quinn Mathews STL, Chase Petty CIN (Opening Day starter for Louisville), Connor Prielipp MIN (Opening Day starter for St. Paul), Elmer Rodríguez NYY, Kendry Rojas MIN, Hagen Smith CHW, Noah Schultz CHW, Jack Wenninger NYM, Zack Wheeler PHI (Obviously not a prospect, but scheduled to appear for Lehigh Valley on Saturday), and Thomas White MIA.

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