Tristan H. CockcroftMay 11, 2026, 11:08 AM ETCloseTristan H. Cockcroft is senior writer for fantasy baseball and football at ESPN. Tristan is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He is also a two-time LABR and three-time Tout Wars champion.Follow on XMultiple Authors
The prospect parade continued over the past week, as a pair of rookies making their MLB debuts emerged as prime pickups in fantasy baseball leagues of all stripes.
First off, we have outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks, currently rostered in just 6.3% of ESPN leagues. After getting the fourth-worst wOBA from their center fielders (.251) over the season’s first six weeks, the Diamondbacks finally recalled their No. 1 prospect on Thursday.
Waldschmidt had a legitimate chance to break camp with the team after batting .302/.348/.488 across 48 spring-training trips to the plate, making it all the way to the final round of cuts. Instead, he reported to Triple-A Reno, where he hit .289/.400/.477 in 34 games while displaying the same approach he has through parts of his three seasons as a pro — line drives, high OBP, aggressive on the basepaths.
Jordan Lawlar, Arizona’s Opening Day left fielder, is on the 60-day IL recovering from a broken right wrist, an injury that is expected to keep him out until at least the beginning of June. Alek Thomas, the team’s initial center fielder, was designated for assignment to pave the way for Waldschmidt’s promotion. This isn’t a mere audition for Waldschmidt, à la Spencer Jones with the New York Yankees, but rather a multi-week chance to nail down a permanent role with the big club.
Waldschmidt should settle in as the team’s regular center fielder and, after Lawlar’s return, he’ll be a matchups-driven starter shuttling between center and left field. His five-category ability should be as attractive to rotisserie league managers as his polished approach at the plate should appeal to those in standard points leagues.
Next up is starting pitcher Robby Snelling of the Miami Marlins (12.0% rostered). The Marlins’ decision to designate Chris Paddack for assignment last Tuesday (he was subsequently released) paved the way for Snelling, the team’s No. 2 pitching prospect (behind Thomas White), to join the team on Friday.
It’s a light week for two-start streaming options, but Ryan Weathers was moved back to Monday in the Yankees rotation after being scratched from last Thursday’s scheduled start due to his having lost nine pounds while dealing with a viral infection. This places him high on the list of available options.
Rostered in only 41.7% of leagues, Weathers has scored at least 15 fantasy points in three of his last five starts, including 15 in his most recent turn against Monday’s opponent, the Baltimore Orioles. That game is at Camden Yards, against a team with better numbers against righties than lefties. He’ll then conclude his week with a road start against the crosstown rival Mets, who have struggled to hit all season.
While Weathers’ rotation spot isn’t assured beyond the point of Gerrit Cole’s projected return (presumed to be towards the end of the month) the lefty’s 28.5% strikeout rate, fully backed by his sweeper generating a 48.5% whiff rate, makes him a worthy starter in all formats until then.
While Snelling’s MLB debut was largely forgettable — he went five innings allowing three runs on five hits and four walks striking out two Washington Nationals — the left-hander’s potential makes him well worth the speculative pickup in all formats. He has struck out 30.9% of the hitters he has faced between the Double- and Triple-A levels since being traded to the Marlins in the July 2024 Tanner Scott deal. His curveball and changeup both generated at least 30% whiff rates in his debut, as anticipated.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ closer picture appears to have changed, as Gregory Soto (31.9% rostered) has emerged as the team’s go-to option in the ninth inning. He has both of the team’s last two successful save conversions. More importantly, he has five consecutive scoreless, hitless appearances while following Dennis Santana, the Pirates’ most logical alternative, in two of his last three outings. Soto’s increased sweeper usage — a pitch which has generated a 45.2% whiff rate and is responsible for 17 of his 26 total strikeouts for the season — has made him a much tougher competitor at the back end of the bullpen. He’s a worthy add in all formats.
It’s hard to imagine that this right-hander, who had a 6.28 career MLB ERA over 74 games entering the season, could reach the level of fantasy relevance … but here we are. Lambert was excellent while tossing seven shutout innings of three-hit baseball against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday, displaying excellent command of both his changeup and slider. He’ll need to improve his overall control in order to become a trusted, every-start option in leagues smaller than this format, but he has done enough to stick in the Astros rotation and warrant matchups consideration for now.
Tristan H. CockcroftMay 11, 2026, 11:08 AM ETCloseTristan H. Cockcroft is senior writer for fantasy baseball and football at ESPN. Tristan is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He is also a two-time LABR and three-time Tout Wars champion.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseTristan H. Cockcroft is senior writer for fantasy baseball and football at ESPN. Tristan is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He is also a two-time LABR and three-time Tout Wars champion.Follow on X
Deep (12-team mixed): Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners (16.0% rostered)
Deeper (15-team mixed): Peter Lambert, SP, Houston Astros (12.7% rostered)
Deepest (AL- and NL-only leagues): Jesus Rodriguez, C, San Francisco Giants (2.7% rostered)