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
I don’t think this counts as a graduation but it would feel wrong not to mention this player considering he’s been in the top three of the list since Week 1. Last week’s #1 player, Junior Caminero went down with a quad strain that will keep him out of action for four to six weeks. I wrote last week’s write-up on him several days before the injury and didn’t update the list before it was published. That error falls squarely on my shoulders and I apologize for any confusion that my mistake caused.
Coby Mayo missed out this week for a similar reason. His prolonged absence from play means that his call-up to the majors has been significantly delayed. Mayo’s talent is undeniable, but his value in a redraft league has heavily diminished, at least for the near future.
On a happier note, Justyn-Henry Malloy finally got the call to the Detroit Tigers after featuring prominently on the list all season. Malloy was among the top leaderboards in nearly every offensive category in the Tigers system. Among players at levels higher than Single-A, he led the organization in OBP and OPS and was second in wRC+ with 133. He was the designated hitter in his big league debut (0-3, 2 strikeouts) but it will be interesting to see if he spends some time in the outfield.
Connor Norby finally got the call-up to Baltimore after a stellar start to his AAA campaign. Norby is the third Oriole to feature on the list this season who has received the call, despite not making the list in previous weeks. Like Holliday and Kjerstad before him, he may struggle to find consistent playing time in the loaded Orioles lineup. His 30% strikeout rate in AAA this season also raised my eyebrow enough to exclude him in previous weeks. So far, he’s taken on the second base spot for the O’s and mashed his first home run in his second MLB game against the Blue Jays.
Joey Loperfido will get a second chance with the Houston Astros after being recalled on Saturday. He featured prominently in earlier versions of the list, but a quick demotion followed by a slump in AAA had me worried. He was great in his first stint with Houston, hitting .333 in 14 games, however, there may have been some luck involved (.571 BABIP, 39.5 K%). Loperfido will fill in for the injured Kyle Tucker until the Astros’ star is back to full health.
Tyler Locklear was slated to once again be this week’s #9 prospect to stash, but an injury to Ty France has accelerated his timeline to the major leagues. He was called up to the majors late on Saturday. The 23-year-old infielder started the year in AA, but a strong start to the season earned him a promotion to AAA. Locklear has eight home runs on the year so far and will look to replace the potent bat that France possesses in the Mariners’ lineup.
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. James Wood, OF – Washington Nationals
James Wood returns to the summit of the Stash List following Caminero’s unfortunate injury. The Rochester Red Wings player of the month hasn’t played since May 23rd but is still making headlines because of his play before his injury. His hamstring issue has delayed his promotion timeline, but Dave Martinez lacks reasons not to promote him. A strong return from the injured list should warrant a call-up to the Major Leagues, but a slow start may delay his timeline by a couple of weeks.
At 27-32, the Nationals are out of the hunt for the division title. The Phillies and the Braves are too strong for any other team in the NL East to catch. However, they find themselves just 1.5 games out of the final Wildcard spot in the National League. The Nationals could use an influx of power into their lineup. Washington ranks 27th in the league in home runs. CJ Abrams is enjoying a breakout season with 10 dingers, but Eddie Rosario (.181 AVG) ranks second with seven. The Nationals aren’t out of the playoff hunt yet, but they could use a power bat like James Wood to ignite their offense once he returns to action.
Jace Jung is now the lone Tiger on the list following the graduation of Justyn-Henry Malloy. I don’t expect Jung to be far behind him though. Jung’s stat line up until this point has been similar to Malloy’s. Malloy had the best OBP in the system (among hitters at Single-A or above), and Jung ranked 4th. Their OPS are separated by just 12 points. Jung isn’t quite as disciplined at the plate as Malloy is, but his hit tool makes up for that gap. Last week’s featured player has had a pedestrian last six games, hitting .286, but half of those hits were for extra bases. One of those extra-base hits was a 432-foot blast that left the ballpark in a hurry.
Colt Keith has been much better since May 1st. Before that date, he was hitting just .160 and had a wRC+ of 17. Since then, he’s hitting .298 with a wRC+ of 120. That’s a good sign for the Tigers’ top prospect, but the dreadful stretch to start the season still worries me. Detroit has shown that they are willing to shake things up roster-wise this season, sending down former #1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson. Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry are both hitting below .200 on the season. It is likely much easier to remove the latter from the roster than the former, but a move might be necessary. Calling up Jung will bolster the Tigers lineup and could propel the team into the thick of the Wildcard hunt.
3. Orelvis Martinez, 2B – Toronto Blue Jays
Once Cavan Biggio was designated for assignment on Thursday, I held out hope that the corresponding move would be to call up Martinez. It was not, and Spencer Horwitz will join up with Toronto instead. Martinez has been good, but not outstanding during his time in AAA this season so far. He’s struggled in June though, which has likely delayed his chances for promotion. He’s hitting just .136 this month so far. He has showcased his power though, adding two more homers. His 15 home runs lead Toronto’s organization by a comfortable amount. His wRC+ of 109 is a pedestrian 22nd best in the organization, but that can be partially attributed to a BABIP nearly 40 points lower than his 2023 mark. Since hitting eight home runs in 14 games earlier this season, the power has cooled off, but it’s still there. His home runs have left the park with exit velocities well over 110 miles per hour. He would provide a power surge in a position where the Jays could use one.
Martinez has been deployed primarily as a second baseman this season, while also spending time at third base sporadically. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa has been one of the better bats in the lineup. His .267 average ranks third on the roster, and his OPS+ of 104 is 5th best among qualified Blue Jay hitters. Addison Barger will likely be the next to get the call to the majors, but wasn’t great in his first audition. Toronto sits five games back of a Wildcard spot, and there is more than enough talent on the roster to start a run back into contention. Adding Orelvis Martinez to the lineup would add some offensive firepower to the Blue Jays.
4. Owen Caissie, OF – Chicago Cubs
I cannot emphasize this enough: The Chicago Cubs need bats. After spending heavily in the offseason to bring back Cody Bellinger and add Shota Imanaga, the Cubs front office has to be disappointed with the on-field product so far. The games against the Reds this week proved that the Cubs simply do not have the offensive firepower to win the majority of games. They got one win after a four-hour rain delay and had to rely on a grand slam from Seiya Suzuki and a home run by Dansby Swanson to stay in the game. In the other two games though, they lacked the clutch hit to get over the hump. Owen Caissie may just have that clutch gene.
On June 1st, Caissie hit a 443-foot homer that broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth. His all-around game has been great as well. Since May 27th, he’s hitting .391 with a home run, two doubles, and three runs batted in. On June 4th, he crushed another towering blast that got out of the ballpark in a hurry. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but the Cubs are entering desperation mode. His size and stance at the plate remind me of Bellinger, even if Caissie’s swing is more “tomahawk”-esque. It’s a simple equation. The Cubs need more offensive firepower in their clubhouse, and Caissie has been on a tear in AAA. The Cubs have room to make a change. Several roster spots are currently held by underperforming veterans (Madrigal, Wisdom, Bote). I don’t expect Jed Hoyer to wait very long to give Caissie his first taste of major league action.
Hey, look! Jackson Holliday’s back on the list. To be honest, I’m still not fully back in on Holliday. His woeful stretch in the majors worries me. That said, he was, on average, seven to eight years younger than his competition, so being overmatched isn’t too surprising. His recent form has me paying attention though. In his last nine games at the time of writing, he’s hitting .345 with five extra-base hits. Once again, he is proving that he’s talented enough to dominate at AAA, but can he make the jump to the major leagues successfully?
He wasn’t the only top prospect to struggle to make an impact. Jackson Chourio has posted a 71 wRC+ since making the Brewers roster out of spring ball. Wyatt Langford has returned to the majors after Evan Carter’s injury. He was hitting just .230 with one home run before being sent back to AAA. These are different players in different situations, but it goes to show how hard it is to assimilate to MLB-level competition right now. There’s also the playing time concern that seems to linger with every O’s prospect. Heston Kjerstad struggled to get at-bats during his time in the show this season. I’ve said in previous weeks that I’m skeptical about how much of an impact Connor Norby can make if he’s not in the lineup consistently. Holliday has more than enough talent to stick and become a regular for Baltimore, and I think he will get a second chance later this summer.
6. Matt Shaw, INF – Chicago Cubs
Mark my words: Matt Shaw will be the Cubs’ everyday third baseman by the end of the 2024 season. It just makes too much sense for it not to happen. If you can’t tell already, Matt Shaw is one of the prospects I am highest on throughout professional baseball. His slump throughout April and May had me worried that his debut would be delayed, but he has completely turned it around. Since May 27th, he’s hitting .300 with two home runs and has twelve hits in his last ten games. Those are the signs of a guy ready to make a jump to the next level. I know he’s still in AA, but if he keeps up this pace once he gets promoted, it won’t be long until he’s the Cubs’ answer at the hot corner.
As I said regarding Owen Caissie, the Cubs are in dire need of offensive production. Christopher Morel entered the season as a breakout candidate. He has the talent to hit 40+ home runs, but he doesn’t make contact enough to warrant putting him in the cleanup role every day. Morel’s glove has also been a liability all season. He has a -9 outs above average rating and a -7 fielding run value. Morel holds value with his bat, so I don’t expect him to go anywhere. Nick Madrigal should be very nervous though. If Jed Hoyer does make a move, I expect Madrigal to be the one to get the boot. Matt Shaw would provide an all-around upgrade to both of these players once he’s 100% ready for MLB action.
7. Jordan Lawlar, SS – Arizona Diamondbacks
For the first time this season, a member of the Diamondbacks organization will feature on the stash list, and there are two this week! I strongly considered putting Deyvison De Los Santos on the list a couple of weeks ago, but he had to settle for the honorable mentions. Jordan Lawlar though does not. Arizona’s top prospect finally returned to action after he ruptured a tendon in his thumb in March. In the Complex League, he has five hits in five games. The Diamondbacks will be cautious with Lawlar, but CBS reported on Tuesday that he is “expected to be activated” in the coming days.
Lawlar is more of a long-term stash if you have the roster space. He’s coming off of a long-term injury, and Geraldo Perdomo will be back at short in the majors long before Lawlar is ready to come up. That said, there is no doubt that Lawlar is the #1 long-term option for the team at shortstop, and a strong return may force their hand in giving him another shot. Fans of the D-Backs will be hoping for a return to 2023 form, when Lawlar hit 20 home runs and batted .358 in AAA. Sure, his 4-34 stint in the majors was disappointing, but that’s the new normal for top prospects in today’s game. I expect Lawlar to be called up later this summer, especially if the reigning NL Champions get desperate in their pursuit of a playoff return.
8. Brooks Lee, SS – Minnesota Twins
Full disclosure: Up until the middle of this week, this spot was going to be kept by Niko Kavadas. Then he went on a brutal seven-game stretch, hitting just .167 and striking out 13 times. The Red Sox also called up Bobby Dalbec, alleviating some of the need for an extra first baseman on the MLB roster. Instead, Brooks Lee makes his stash list debut. He’s in a similar situation to Lawlar. Lee was sidelined until May 20th with a herniated disc but has started his rehab assignments and looks to pick up where he left off. In twelve games in the minors, he’s got a wRC+ of 142. Yes, Lee was in AAA last year so he’s likely not challenged at these levels, but it’s encouraging to see him performing at a high level after a long-term absence. Lee offers the Twins a little bit of everything. He’s shown solid pop, the ability to take walks, and avoids striking out.
The main reason Lee makes the list over some of the other names is because of the injury history of the Twins infielders. Royce Lewis made his first appearance since Opening Day on June 4th, but with his injury history, there is always the risk that he will miss more time. Carlos Correa missed seventeen days in April with an intercostal strain, and his past injuries are well documented. The Twins do have Edouard Julien, Austin Martin, and Yunior Severino on the 40-man if an injury does occur. That said, Lee is the organization’s best prospect, and Minnesota should give their heir apparent a chance in the majors should a spot open up.
9. Jasson Dominguez, OF – New York Yankees
Until the last possible minute, this spot was occupied by Tyler Locklear. Instead, Jasson Dominguez makes his debut on this list this season. Eagle-eyed baseball fans noticed that Dominguez was removed from his AAA game shortly after Juan Soto left the Yankees game with an injury. Many speculated that Dominguez would be on his way to New York to replace Soto, but that theory was quickly quashed. His removal was instead a planned aspect of his rehab assignment as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. Despite the lack of playing time this season, Dominguez provides upside that many prospects on the verge of a call-up do not possess.
“The Martian” has flown through the minor leagues since being activated. He spent just four games at Single-A, hitting .385. He then continued to dominate at AA, hitting four home runs in ten games. In his three games so far in AAA, he’s hitting .364 with a .545 SLG. His 170 wRC+ ranks first in the organization (min. 60 plate appearances) among hitters outside of the Complex League. Soto’s injury, although it doesn’t seem serious, leaves the Yankees’ outfield vulnerable. Should a spot open up in the near future, Dominguez could return to the Bronx.
10. Adrian Del Castillo, C – Arizona Diamondbacks
Del Castillo is the second Diamondback to feature this week. Once again, there were about six or seven names in contention to make the list this week, but Del Castillo has been hard to ignore. He had a stellar 2023 between AA and AAA, hitting .263 with 14 home runs, but his 2024 season has been nothing short of amazing. In 51 games he’s hit 10 home runs. His 142 wRC+ ranks fourth in the D-Backs system. He’s also solid behind the plate, throwing out ten runners this year and only allowing two passed balls. His walk rate is slightly low, but he cut his strikeout rate from his first stint in AAA by 11%. At 24 years old, the time is now for him to prove that he can make an impact on an MLB roster.
This is purely an upside stash since Gabriel Moreno is undoubtedly the number-one catcher on Arizona’s roster. That said, he hasn’t been amazing offensively. Since May 1st, he’s hitting .247 and has an average exit velocity of 88.6 miles per hour (39th percentile in MLB). Moreno’s defense is indispensable though, and will keep him as the #1 for the foreseeable future. As a lefty hitter, Del Castillo would provide a platoon option for Moreno. Tucker Barnhart is currently the second catcher on the roster for Arizona, but his value as a backstop has rapidly decreased. I envision a Willson Contreras/Ivan Herrera-esque tandem in Arizona, in which both catchers provide offensive upside. In leagues with two catchers, it may be worth taking a chance on Del Castillo if you’re lacking production in that position. Calling him up may cost the Diamondbacks a veteran in the locker room, but Del Castillo has proven that he’s ready for a run at the Show.
On The Bubble
Here are the next five hitters considered for inclusion on this week’s list in no particular order.
Brennen Davis
Stash List
Madrigal was optioned last Sunday (and now is on the minor league IL).
I was referring to his 40-man roster spot which would likely need to be cleared to add Caissie/Shaw. Sorry for the confusion.
Is Noelvi Marte a candidate for the list?
If he starts his return well in AAA he will be. I didn’t want to put a guy on the list who hasn’t played all season coming off a suspension.