{"id":117642,"date":"2026-04-03T00:57:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T04:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=117642"},"modified":"2026-04-03T00:57:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T04:57:17","slug":"fantasy-baseball-prospects-could-make-late-season-impact-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/04\/03\/fantasy-baseball-prospects-could-make-late-season-impact-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Baseball: Prospects Who Could Make a Late-Season Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

The #1 prospect in baseball, Konnor Griffin<\/a>, got the call<\/a> to the majors Thursday morning. The 19-year-old burgeoning superstar has a chance to make an immediate impact for a Pittsburgh Pirates team that badly needs it.<\/p>\n

The rookies are some of the biggest stories of the young season. Chase DeLauter<\/a> and Munetaka Murakami<\/a> both homered in their first three major-league games<\/a>. Kevin McGonigle<\/a> has been a hitting machine and moved into the 2-hole after just five games with the Detroit Tigers. JJ Wetherholt<\/a> celebrated his first home run and first walk-off hit within his first two games. On the pitching side, Andrew Painter<\/a> was dominant in his first major league start<\/a> for the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/p>\n

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There’s plenty more promising rookie starts around the league. It looks like the strongest rookie class the sport has seen in quite some time. Griffin’s debut series this weekend could make that case even stronger.<\/p>\n

Plus, every year, some prospects aren’t on the early-season timeline. Their organizations might want them to get half a season in the minors to iron out some wrinkles before getting the call. Some aren’t expected to land until next season, but will perform so well throughout the year that they’ll force their organization’s hand to bring them up this year.<\/p>\n

These late-season call-ups don’t always hit; see Jackson Holliday<\/a> in 2024 or Jac Caglianone<\/a> last year. But when they do, they can make a huge impact in the playoff push for professional teams and fantasy managers alike.<\/p>\n

These are the top prospects to watch, stash, and\/or add proactively before their likely debuts this year.<\/p>\n

Fantasy Baseball: Prospects to Watch For Later This Season<\/h2>\n

Travis Bazzana, Cleveland Guardians, 2B<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bazzana may be the next member of the top 20 prospects in baseball to get the call. The Guardians took him first overall in the 2024 draft after a dominant college career at Oregon State. An oblique injury held him back in his first professional season, but there’s an immediate path to playing time with a strong start to 2026.<\/p>\n

Bazzana has a similar profile to McGonigle. He’s very disciplined and rarely chases outside the zone. His swing is quick and compact, and he’s strong at making contact to all parts of the field. He has good pop and the ability to launch balls to his pull side. Speed is there as well, and a 20\/20 profile with potential for more is on the table right away.<\/p>\n

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A Travis Bazzana triple, anyone? \ud83e\udd29<\/p>\n

Bazz’s second hit of the night puts him in scoring position! pic.twitter.com\/ayiGPgLI2Z<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n