The Pitcher Edition of the 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 2024. 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
Last week, Cade Povich struggled in his MLB debut and we preached patience in hopes that the Orioles lefty would stick around and get a second start. That patience paid off with six strikeouts and no walks in six scoreless innings against the Braves.
Enter Hurston Waldrep, who bombed in his MLB debut last Sunday by giving up seven runs and four walks to the Nationals. The Braves righty is scheduled to make his second start this Sunday at Tampa Bay, so we’re again imploring restraint. The 22-year-old has better stuff than he showed last week and could still nail down a rotation spot in Atlanta.
The other pitching debut from last week was Adam Mazur, who allowed just two hits and one run in six innings. The Padres righty went the other direction in his follow-up, getting smashed for eight runs in three innings by the D’backs.
Drew Thorpe could be in the process of following Mazur’s lead, allowing just three hits and one run in five innings on Tuesday at Seattle. The White Sox right-hander is scheduled to make his second start at Arizona, so we’ll see if he can avoid the same fate that befell Mazur.
Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash
1. Jackson Jobe, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Previous Ranking: 1
2024 MiLB (AA) stat line: 16.2 IP | 2.16 ERA | 35.3 K% | 14.7 BB%
Jackson Jobe is scheduled to make a rehab start with High-A West Michigan on Tuesday as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain suffered on May 1 with Double-A Erie. The 21-year-old right-hander should only need one start in High-A before returning to Erie, then may not need more than a start or two in Double-A before getting a shot at Triple-A Toledo. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder didn’t allow a hit over his last two starts and has retired 32 of the last 34 batters he’s faced going back to his April 13 outing against Akron. He could be pushing for a spot in the Tigers rotation by the start of July.
2. Christian Scott, RHP, New York Mets
Previous Ranking: 2
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 34 IP | 2.91 ERA | 38.3 K% | 6.3 BB%
2024 MLB Stat line: 27.2 IP | 3.90 ERA | 22.3 K% | 5.4 BB%
The Mets are in the midst of playing just 16 games in 22 days thanks in part to the recently completed London trip, so Christian Scott may be stuck in Triple-A for a few more weeks. The Mets could insert Scott back into a six-man rotation on Tuesday in the middle of nine games in nine days, otherwise, it may not happen until the first week of July. With the Mets having a stretch of 17 games without a day off heading into the All-Star break, Scott should slot back into the rotation during a four-game series at Washington to start July. The 24-year-old righty was limited to just 60 pitches in his last outing, so the Mets are using this stretch to ease up a bit on the prospect’s workload. Scott has been doing his thing with a 13-2 K-BB in 8.2 innings for Syracuse since his demotion, but he’s also given up two long balls to put him at nine homers allowed in 34 Triple-A innings this season. That gives him something to work on as he likely makes two more starts for Syracuse before a return to New York.
3. Shane Baz, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Ranking: 4
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 31.1 IP | 4.60 ERA | 22.5 K% | 13.6 BB%
Shane Baz looked ready for a return to the majors almost two years since he last toed the rubber for the Rays, dominating for six innings with eight strikeouts on Friday for Triple-A Durham. The 24-year-old was up to averaging 96.5 mph on his fastball after 95.2 and 94.6 in his previous two starts, respectively. Baz topped out at 98.7 mph on Friday, showing that he could soon be back to the 97.1 he averaged in the majors in his first taste of the majors back in 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2022. The Rays could go to a six-man rotation in order to get Baz back in the bigs unless they want to move Zack Litell back to the bullpen to lighten the load on the 28-year-old reliever-turned-starter.
4. Max Meyer, RHP, Miami Marlins
Previous Ranking: 5
2024 MLB Stat line: 17 IP | 2.12 ERA | 21.5 K% | 4.6 BB%
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 30.2 IP | 6.46 ERA | 27.8 K% | 9.7 BB%
With Marlins manager Skip Schumaker having hinted that he expects Meyer to be back in the majors soon, it looked like the 25-year-old was still just saving bullets in Triple-A by throwing just 56 pitches on Friday. The 25-year-old struck out four and allowed two runs in four innings, lowering his ERA to 6.46 for Jacksonville after posting a 2.12 ERA over his first three starts for Miami this season. With Sixto Sanchez and Ryan Weathers hitting the IL in the past few weeks, there is room for Meyer in Miami any day now. The question is whether the Marlins will want to ramp him up more in a Triple-A start or just let him build up in Miami starting this coming week.
5. Chayce McDermott, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Previous Ranking: 6
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 64.2 IP | 3.62 ERA | 32.4 K% | 14.3 BB%
After starting May with his often-shaky control dialed in — just five walks in 21.2 innings over four starts — Cade Povich has taken a step back with 14 walks in the exact same stretch in Triple-A. The 25-year-old’s last outing was the worst of the bunch, allowing four walks and four runs (three earned) in 6.2 innings with just three strikeouts against Memphis. Things are getting crowded in Baltimore with Dean Kremer nearing a return from a strained triceps while Povich is currently in a six-man rotation. If McDermott can get his control locked back in then he could push for a spot in the rotation over Cole Irvin and Albert Suarez. With the Orioles playing games on all but one day in June, McDermott and his strikeout stuff could still be needed soon despite all the other options.
6. David Festa, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Previous Ranking: 7
2024 MiLB (AAA) stat line: 54 IP | 3.50 ERA | 36.8 K% | 10.1 BB%
David Festa was so efficient on Friday for Triple-A St. Paul that he only needed 74 pitches to rack up 10 strikeouts in six innings. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has been cranking out 80+ pitches, so this could be the type of tremendous outing that gets Festa called up to Minnesota. The Twins are in the middle of a particularly busy part of their schedule, so there’s a chance that Festa will make his MLB debut on his next turn. Minnesota could squeeze Festa in as a sixth starter unless it wants to give a slumping Bailey Ober a break from the rotation.
7. Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, San Francisco Giants
Previous Ranking: 10
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 56.2 IP | 5.24 ERA | 29.4 K% | 12.2 BB%
Giants pitching prospects have an intriguing setup going from the hitter-friendly PCL to the pitcher’s paradise that is Oracle Park. At least their Triple-A pitchers get to pitch half of their games in Sacramento, home to one of the toughest parks to score runs in the PCL (keep that in mind for the next three years when the A’s will be playing their home games in Sutter Health Park). So it comes as no surprise that Carson Whisenhunt has a 3.31 ERA in eight starts in Sacramento this season while posting a 7.88 ERA over six road starts. The 23-year-old southpaw has been holding his own lately with a 2.53 ERA and a 20-9 K-BB in 21.1 IP over his last four starts (two each at home and on the road). The Giants have journeyman Spencer Howard holding down a spot in the rotation while Blake Snell works his way back from a groin injury, so there could easily be an opportunity for Whisenhunt in San Francisco soon. Don’t be thrown off by the uninspiring results in Triple-A as Whisenhunt is a legit top-100 prospect who could soon be pitching half his games in the hardest ballpark to hit homers in MLB.
8. Cade Horton, RHP, Chicago Cubs
Previous Ranking: 8
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 16.1 IP | 1.10 ERA | 29.0 K% | 3.2 BB%
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 18 IP | 7.50 ERA | 27.2% | 13.6 BB%
Cade Horton left his May 29 start in Triple-A after just one inning with lat soreness, which was then diagnosed as a subscapular strain that will shut him down from throwing for about a month. The 22-year-old right-hander could be back on the mound in early July and could be an option to make his MLB debut soon after the All-Star break. Horton is among the very best pitching prospects, so he can still be stashed on teams that can afford to wait.
9. Brandon Sproat, RHP, New York Mets
Previous Ranking: N/R
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 29.2 IP | 1.52 ERA | 35.5 K% | 6.4 BB%
2024 MiLB (A+) Stat line: 25.1 IP | 1.07 ERA | 32.4 K% | 15.7 BB%
One of the biggest breakout pitching prospects this season has been Brandon Sproat, who has utterly dominated at both High-A and Double-A with triple-digit heat and a wipeout slider. The Mets are giving the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder a bit of a break after his 10-strikeout, seven-inning gem on June 2, first by skipping a turn and then by limiting him to 70 pitches over 3.2 innings on Friday (when he still racked up eight strikeouts). Mets fans could use something to get excited about in the dog days of summer and Sproat could give it to them by bullying his way to New York. I’m betting that Mets management will want to get Sproat to the bigs before eventually needing to cap his innings, so a stash here is for the chance at what could be 40-50 stellar innings in New York that could happen as soon as July.
10. Hayden Birdsong, RHP, San Francisco Giants
Previous Ranking: N/R
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 48.1 IP | 2.05 ERA | 30.7 K% | 10.1 BB%
Hayden Birdsong is one of the most overlooked pitching prospects around, posting a career 2.91 ERA in the minors and earning a promotion to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder features a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball to go with a solid slider and a show-me changeup. A sixth-round pick out of Eastern Illinois in 2022, Birdsong had a 61-20 K-BB in 48.1 innings with a 1.10 WHIP for Double-A Richmond this season. Now that he’s up in Triple-A, he’s closing in on a shot in San Francisco. Considering that Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison will likely have their innings capped before too long, there should be a chance for Birdsong to make his MLB debut as early as July.
On The Bubble
Here are the next five pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list: Ricky Tiedemann, TOR; Caden Dana, LAA; Zebby Matthews, MIN; Tink Hence, STL; Jacob Misiorowski, MIL