The Hitter Edition of the Stash List is back for the 2024 season.
This Stash List highlights the 10 best-hitting 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 prospects debut than ever, and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2024. Read to discover the top 10 hitters 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 will be updated weekly.
- Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.
The Stash List
Graduates/Call Ups
It was another slow week for prospect promotions. Ryan Bliss got the call for the Seattle Mariners and has been off to a hot start. Outside of him though, there hasn’t been much movement on the prospect front this week. Pete Crow-Armstrong returned to the Cubs roster on Thursday after a red-hot stint in AAA but was unable to propel the Cubs to victory.
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. Junior Caminero, 3B – Tampa Bay Rays
Junior Caminero retains his #1 spot on the stash list for the second week. It’s been a fun battle between him and James Wood this season, but the latter’s recent injury temporarily postpones the competition. Caminero continues to play like a future superstar with Durham in AAA. On Sunday, he hit a ball off the wall that clocked in at 117 miles per hour. That speed would rank him comfortably within the top ten exit velocities in the Major Leagues, alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yordan Alvarez. His call-up has been delayed by a cold stretch though. Since May 15th he’s recorded just three hits in 44 plate appearances. There’s no doubt that Caminero has the talent to succeed in the Majors, but some consistency at the plate would give the Rays more confidence in making the call.
The Rays could use another consistent bat in their lineup. So far this season, they only have four qualified hitters, and just two have a wRC+ over 100. As has been the case all season, Isaac Paredes and José Caballero have been good. Caminero likely won’t be displaced either, but he could fill spots at second base and DH. The Rays offense is 28th in slugging and OPS and is 29th in home runs. A power surge is necessary, and Caminero could be the man to provide that.
2. James Wood, OF – Washington Nationals
I am once again concerned that I’m an injury jinx. James Wood has been placed on the AAA injury list with a hamstring issue. It’s a major blow for the 21-year-old outfielder on track to be promoted shortly. The Nationals haven’t set a timeline for Wood’s return, so his promotion ETA is currently in limbo. That said, there is no question that Wood will have the talent to make the jump once he’s healthy.
I feel like a broken record every time I write about Wood. His power and speed tools with his frame are a scout’s dream. He is undeniably one of the most exciting prospects yet to make their major league debut. The Nationals have begun to fall out of contention in the NL East race. A transition towards their youth would excite the fanbase, and there are few prospects in the minors more exciting than James Wood.
3. Orelvis Martinez, 3B – Toronto Blue Jays
Orelvis Martinez is hitting again! From the beginning of the month to the 19th, Martinez hit just .145. Since May 19th he’s hitting .269 with three home runs and eight runs batted in. On Tuesday, he laced a home run to left field that got out at 113.8 miles per hour. That was the highlight of a 3-5 performance in which he also drove in three runs. Martinez has hit .400 over his last four games and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He’s showcasing the power that has made him a consensus top prospect, and the time is nearing for him to show it off in the Major Leagues.
The Blue Jays need to start ringing the alarm bells. They sit at the bottom of an AL East division that will be competitive until the end of the season. At this point, it’s unlikely that they’ll catch the Yankees or the Orioles, but their core is good enough to make a run at a Wildcard spot with the right supplementary moves. While I wouldn’t consider calling up Martinez a supplementary move, it is necessary if the Blue Jays want to stay in the playoff hunt.
Jung has been red hot recently. The second baseman has registered a hit in nine of his last ten outings. For the month of May, he’s hitting .299 with four homers and 12 runs scored. That combination of power and on-base ability screams “lead-off ability”. Jung has been on the fringes of the big league roster for a couple of weeks now and should earn a major league debut soon.
The Tigers infield could use an extra bat. Colt Keith’s struggles in his first MLB action have been well documented, but his youth and upside warrant keeping him in the lineup. Neither of those factors applies to Javier Báez, who continues to struggle since signing a long-term deal with Detroit. “El Mago” has not been showcasing the magic, and his 2024 season is his worst as a major leaguer. Bringing Jung into the fray will either increase the offensive output of the unit or cause the players in front of him to step up.
Malloy is in a similar position to Jung. He’s more than talented enough to make an impact on the Tigers’ roster, but he’s stuck behind some intriguing options at the big-league level. Malloy has been deployed primarily in the outfield, where Riley Greene and Wenceel Pérez have been solid options. Still, there are guys on the bench that Malloy would be an upgrade from, so there’s little reason that Malloy should still be in the minors.
He’s proved everything that’s been asked of him. He’s shown that he can hit for power, get on base, and be a solid option in the field. His 146 wRC+ is the highest in the organization among batters in full-season ball. He’s also made just one error in over 280 innings in the outfield so far. The Tigers are still in the midst of their rebuild, so giving players like Malloy a chance to prove their worth should be a priority.
6. Owen Caissie, OF – Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are in a spot of bother. Last week, there was a power outage on the North Side. Before Ian Happ homered against the Cardinals in a 4-3 loss on Sunday, the Cubs hadn’t hit a home run in six games, their longest stretch since 2011. They followed up that defeat with a one-run output against the Milwaukee Brewers. They ended a 5-game losing streak on Wednesday but relied on extra-inning heroics by Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ to grab the victory. At 28-30, the Cubs are far from out of it, but they need an injection of offensive output to stand a chance in the division.
I considered several names that could help the Cubs, but they fall into two distinct categories. #1: “They had their shot and haven’t performed yet” (Matt Mervis and Pete Crow-Armstrong) or #2 “They’re good but aren’t ready yet” (Kevin Alcántara and James Triantos). Enter Owen Caissie. He is one of the top-100 hitting prospects in the Cubs system that doesn’t fit into either category (More on the other at #10). Caissie’s hitting .300 in May with two home runs. He’s also played solid defense in right field. The Cubs have a roster logjam, and displacing Happ or Suzuki won’t solve the problem. They could however move one of those two to the designated hitter role and allow Caissie a shot to prove himself in the outfield. Whatever the Cubs decide to do, Owen Caissie deserves an MLB audition.
7. Niko Kavadas, 1B – Boston Red Sox
The story remains the same for Nik0 Kavadas. He’s arguably more talented than both of the options at first base in the Majors for Boston, but replacing them will require the release or designation of one or both of them. Kavadas came out of nowhere to start 2024, jumping out to an electric start. His 153 wRC+ ranks fourth in the Red Sox organization. He would provide an offensive boost at first base, but getting him to the Majors might prove to be a challenge.
Kavadas has been a bona-fide power threat since his Notre Dame days. He’s continued to be a legitimate bat in his professional career. Since entering the minor leagues in 2021, he’s hit 60 home runs. His career low for wRC+ was 101 during a 48-game stint in Worcester last season, which he’s shown he’s able to dominate now. Kavadas deserves an MLB audition, and it should come sooner rather than later.
8. Coby Mayo, 3B – Baltimore Orioles
Coby Mayo drops two more spots in this week’s list purely due to injury. There isn’t much to say about Mayo that I didn’t say last week. He’s still more than talented enough to contribute to a Major League roster. The power that he possesses is still elite, and he’s made improvements with his patience at the plate. We just have to play the waiting game to see when he returns, and how he performs coming off a prolonged absence.
CBS Sports reported on Wednesday that Mayo is expected to start taking swings again “next week”. That’s encouraging news for the Orioles organization. Still, with how the team is performing in the Majors, there isn’t a need to rush his return. Baltimore will likely ease Mayo back in slowly, before evaluating his performance upon his return to AAA. If all goes well, Mayo will likely be promoted later this summer.
9. Tyler Locklear, 1B – Seattle Mariners
When I first started the Stash List in March, Tyler Locklear was on the original list of names in consideration for Week 1. I decided to leave him off because I felt that he was too far away from the Majors to warrant a stash. Well, he’s proving me wrong by the day. After a blisteringly hot start to 2024, Tyler Locklear was promoted to AAA this week. He’s got plus power, a decent glove, and has shown a solid ability to take walks so far in his professional career. His 154 wRC+ is second-best in the Mariners organization among players at levels higher than Single-A, trailing only Brock Rodden (155).
The Mariners lack depth at first base. Ty France is the only player on Seattle’s roster who can play the position with any consistency. He’s been okay this year so far. A 101 wRC+ and six home runs are solid, but not the ideal output for a guy in a position associated with power. France has been less than stellar with the glove. He currently has a -4 outs above average rating, tied for worst in MLB alongside Spencer Torkelson. Locklear’s glove isn’t going to win him any awards, but his offensive upside makes giving him a shot worth it. The other options in the minors aren’t inspiring either, clearing a path for Locklear to get the call.
10. Matt Shaw, INF – Chicago Cubs
Ladies and gentlemen, Matt Shaw is back. Between the 1st and 15th of May, he hit .192. Since then, he’s hit .250 with two home runs. One of those homers was an impressive fly ball to the opposite field. While this is a far cry from the lofty expectations placed on him at the beginning of the year, it is an indication of progress. There were about a half-dozen names I considered for this spot, but Shaw’s path to the Major Leagues is the clearest out of any of them. As I said in the Caissie write-up, the Cubs desperately need bats. Matt Shaw isn’t just a bat though. He has a track record of dominating at the plate wherever he plays. From Cape Cod League MVP in 2022, to Big Ten POY in 2023, he’s been among the elite at every level.
Yes, the slump he went through worried me, and he’s still a ways away from the Majors in AA. That said, his walk rates and strikeout rates have been solid for a player one year removed from being drafted. He’s hit for average and power and has been a threat on the bases at every level so far. He’s being built up to be the Cub’s long-term option at the hot corner, a role I expect him to take on by the end of this season.
On The Bubble
Here are the next five hitters considered for inclusion on this week’s list in no particular order.
Stash List
Dude. Come on. Junior is out for 4-6 weeks. No mention?
Pretty wild to mail it in this heavily bro. Almost impressive. ETA of May is a nice touch
Thanks for the write-up! Thoughts on Jordan Lawlar?
Caminero injured placed on IL and expected to be out 4-6 weeks FOUR days before this is published. Brutal look…
Kjerstad just dead now?