The Stash List Week 1: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2024

The Pitcher Edition of the Stash List is back for the 2024 season.

This Stash List highlights the 10 best-pitching prospects likely to make an impact during the 2024 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 2024 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 2025. 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 2024.
• 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 rostership percentages will be updated weekly.
• Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.

 

The Stash List

 

Graduates/Call-Ups

 

This section is routinely reserved for pitching prospects who have been promoted to the Major League roster in the past week. Since this is the first week, there are no notable call-ups, but it is worth noting that Jared Jones, Kyle Harrison, and Max Meyer are a few prospects who made the Opening Day roster.

 

Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash

 

1. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (FCL/A/A+) Stat line: 6.2 IP/5.40 ERA/35.7 K%/7.1 BB%

We start off the new season with last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick Paul Skenes as the top pitcher to stash. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-hander sure looked ready for the majors in striking out Orioles shortstop phenom Jackson Holliday in the Spring Breakout’s featured matchup. The LSU product features a 100-mph fastball that he pairs with a sweeping slider to rack up plenty of whiffs and strikeouts. Skenes could be a dynamic fantasy weapon right out of the gate, but the question is how long will the Pirates wait before bringing their prized pitcher up to Pittsburgh. Livvy Dunne’s boyfriend should take about a month to build up his pitch count and work on polishing a changeup that has plus potential before making a big fantasy splash. There’s plenty of room in the Pittsburgh rotation, so it’s up to Skenes to knock the door down to the Show.

 

Jackson Jobe came into his own last year after missing the first half of the season recovering from inflammation in his lower back. Once he got back on the mound, Jobe dominated across four levels, including a ridiculous 84 strikeouts against just 6 walks in 64 innings. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound righty has a deep arsenal with plus stuff and command, leading with a 95-97 mph four-seam fastball. Jobe has a plus-plus mid-80s slider, a plus mid-80s changeup with ride and fade, and an average cutter that he added last year.

As the potential future ace in Detroit, the Tigers will be very careful with the Mississippi high school product as they look to build him up from the 79.2 innings he tossed last year between the minors and Arizona Fall League. If the Tigers are hanging around as a contender in the AL Central come June, look for Jobe to possibly get a look. The Detroit rotation is crowded right now, but there would be room for such a talented hurler if he picks up where he left off last year in the minors.

 

3. AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP, Atlanta Braves

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (A+/AA/AAA) Stat line: 62 IP/2.76 ERA/31.3 K%/13.1 BB%

2024 MLB Stat line: 25.1 IP/4.26 ERA/19.0 K%/10.5 BB%

A year ago at this time, AJ Smith-Shawver was a talented but raw thrower looking to make his mark in High-A Rome. He didn’t allow a run until he reached Triple-A Durham and made his MLB debut on June 4. With how little Minor League experience Smith-Shawver had, it’s even more impressive that he managed a respectable 4.26 ERA with a glowing 1.11 WHIP for the Braves. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander was beat out by Reynaldo Lopez for the fifth spot in the Atlanta rotation, so he heads back to Triple-A to work on his fastball command and overall consistency.

Smith-Shawver averaged 94.6 mph on his fastball last year, but it can reach up to triple-digits with plus carry and around 19 inches of induced vertical break. Both his mid-80s sweeping slider and his upper-70s 11-to-5 curveball are plus offerings. He has developed a mid-80s split-changeup that he uses to attack lefties. The bet here is that Lopez is more of a placeholder to get them to whenever Smith-Shawver is ready to step into the Atlanta rotation. AJSS is still flying a bit under the radar due to his mixed results in Atlanta last year when he was rushed to the bigs, so don’t sleep on what is still a high ceiling.

 

4. Mick Abel, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (AA/AAA) Stat line: 113.1 IP/4.13 ERA/27.4 K%/13.5 BB%

If you saw Mick Abel starting for the NL in the Futures Game last summer, you probably weren’t thinking that he wouldn’t have yet reached Philadelphia. Abel struck out two in his one scoreless inning, pumping 98-mph gas past Mariners catching prospect Harry Ford. Abel’s command comes and goes, often from inning to inning, so he’ll need to work on his consistency with Triple-A Lehigh Valley before getting the call-up to the Phillies.

His four-seam fastball gets a plus-plus grade for its explosive life through the zone and he complements it with a two-seamer to attack righties inside. Abel has a plus low-80s curveball, but his slider has been a work in progress as he changed it from a gyro shape to a sweeper before settling on a hybrid. There’s even a plus changeup, so it’s easy to see that Abel has plenty of arsenal to get MLB hitters out with once he can reign in his command and control. The Phillies are beginning the season with Spencer Turnbull filling the fifth spot in the rotation while Taijuan Walker battles through a sore shoulder on the IL. If Turnbull falters and Walker can’t get fully healthy, Abel could be an option in Philadelphia by the end of April.

 

5. Christian Scott, RHP, New York Mets

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (A/A+/AA) Stat line: 87.2 IP/2.57 ERA/31.9 K%/3.6 BB%

Christian Scott tore through the minors last year, combining for a sparkling 0.86 WHIP over three levels, but he is finally getting the attention he deserves this spring. It took a dominant outing against the Marlins on March 20 when he generated 11 whiffs and 7 strikeouts on 59 pitches. Just a fifth-round pick in 2021 out of Florida, where he was a reliever, Scott was shifted to a starter in 2022 before taking off last season.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander has a plus fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 with plus ride and horizontal life. His mid-80s slider is quickly becoming a plus offering, just ask the flailing Marlins batters last week. Scott also gets plenty of whiffs with a mid-80s split-changeup. Scott’s best attribute is his control, as evidenced by just 12 walks in 87.2 innings last year. The Mets’ uninspiring rotation has Tylor Megill filling in for injured Kodai Senga and boring Adrian Houser in the fifth spot, so Scott could push his way to New York with a strong April for Triple-A Syracuse.

 

6. Ricky Tiedemann, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (FCL/A/AA/AAA) Stat line: 44 IP/3.68 ERA/44.1 K%/12.4 BB%

If you’re looking for the highest-ceiling stash, it may just be Ricky Tiedemann, thanks to his video-game-like 44.1 K% in the minors last year. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound lefty has three plus pitches with a mid-90s fastball, a low-80s slider with sweep and ride, and a changeup with heavy tumble and fade. The problem has been that he has been battling through injuries over the past year, which has in turn affected his consistency and control. Tiedemann was slowed by a hamstring issue in spring training, but he made a run at the Toronto rotation by the end of camp. Toronto wound up going with Bowden Francis to start the season, but Tiedemann could blast his way into the Blue Jays rotation with a hot start for Triple-A Buffalo.

 

7. Cade Horton, RHP, Chicago Cubs

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (A/A+/AA) Stat line: 88.1 IP/2.65 ERA/33.5 K%/7.7 BB%

Cade Horton went to Oklahoma to play both football and baseball, but after having Tommy John surgery as a freshman he turned his focus to baseball. He led the Sooners to the College World Series and was taken No. 7 overall in 2022 as a draft-eligible sophomore. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound righty blazed through three levels last year, finishing with a 1.33 ERA in six dominant starts for Double-A Tennessee. Horton features a plus mid-90s fastball that touches 98 with cut and ride. He also has a plus mid-80s slider with hard depth to go with solid curveball and an improving changeup. The Cubs, like the Tigers with Jobe, will be especially careful with Horton, but by June he could be knocking on the door to join a Chicago rotation lacking in playoff-caliber arms.

 

8. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (A/A+/AA) Stat line: 71.1 IP/3.41 ERA/35.0 K%/13.4 BB%

The showstopper at last summer’s Futures Game was Jacob Misiorowski. The 6-foot-7, 190-pound right-hander lit up the radar gun, breaking 100 mph on 10 of his 11 fastballs in the all-star game. Misiorowski could wind up pitching out of the Brewers bullpen by mid-summer, but he also could bully his way into the Milwaukee rotation. Keep an eye on his walk totals and pitch counts as he starts the season with Double-A Biloxi.

 

9. Chayce McDermott, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (AA/AAA) Stat line: 119 IP/3.10 ERA/30.9 K%/13.8 BB%

The Orioles wound up going with Cole Irvin in the back of the rotation while they wait for John Means and Kyle Bradish to get healthy. But Chayce McDermott made it a tough decision by posting a 2.53 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 10.2 spring training innings. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound right-hander came to the Orioles from the Astros in the Trey Mancini trade in 2022. McDermott seemed to figure things out last season upon reaching Triple-A Norfolk, posting a 2.49 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP in 51 innings. His control will be what determines his long-term future and he cut his walk rate from 15.3% in Double-A to 11.7% in Triple-A last year. If Irvin falters and Means is slow to come back, a hot start for Norfolk could land McDermott in Baltimore by the end of April.

 

10. Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Atlanta Braves

 

Previous Ranking: N/A

2024 MiLB (A/A+/AA/AAA) Stat line: 29.1 IP/1.53 ERA/33.3 K%/13.0 BB%

Hurston Waldrep is another talented arm who could wind up helping more in the bullpen if things don’t work out as a starter. The Braves will have Waldrep start the season for Triple-A Durham stretching out in the rotation, where he could become an option for Atlanta if he outpitches Smith-Shawver. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound righty was selected 24th overall in last year’s draft out of Florida and ripped through four levels by September. Waldrep’s best pitch is a devastating upper-80s splitter, but he has to get ahead more with his upper-90s fastball. Waldrep is another pitcher to watch how he starts the season in the minors, as he has the stuff to find a role in Atlanta soon.

 

On The Bubble

Here are the next five pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list: Chase Hampton, NYY; Will Warren, NYY; Ty Madden, DET; Randy Vasquez, SD; Tekoah Roby, SL