The Stash List Week 13: Top 10 Hitter Prospects to Stash in 2023

The Hitter Edition of The Stash List is back and updated for Week 13.

This stash list highlights the 10 best-hitting prospects likely to make an impact during the 2023 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 2023 ETA and getting ahead of the curve on rostering these prospects is a key part of roster management. You can check out last week’s edition of the list here and keep reading to find out the latest updates.

 

Ground Rules

• The StashList is for your redraft leagues and does not consider impact beyond 2023.
• 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 Friday’s games.

 

The Stash List

Graduates/Call-Ups

Prospects keep receiving the call to the Major Leagues. This past week we have seen four more notable players receive the call to The Show. Really, Samad Taylor was called up last week. Due to life and the timing of the graphic being made and this article being written, he was included in last week’s piece. Taylor is playing every day rotating between second base and left field. The surprising part has been his reluctance to run once he gets on. Base stealing was Taylor’s calling card in the Minor Leagues, but he has yet to attempt a steal. He loses fantasy relevance if he is not going to add to your team’s stolen bases.

The most notable call-up was Henry Davis. After starting the year in Double-A, the Pirates wasted no time pushing Davis through the Minor Leagues. The former first-overall pick is primarily a catcher but is splitting time between right field and DH early on. This could point to the team’s desire to keep Endy Rodriguez at catcher, or their satisfaction with the strong play from Jason Delay. Regardless, Davis gets the boost of playing every day with catcher eligibility and should be picked up in all 12+ team leagues.

The third promotion came in Boston with David Hamilton getting a promotion. Hamilton is primarily a shortstop who stole 27 bases in 52 games at Triple-A this year. With Pablo Reyes landing on the IL, Hamilton could get run as the team’s everyday shortstop. He is worth a flier in leagues where you are looking for a boost in speed.

Finally, the Pirates decided to call up another prospect toward the end of the week with Nick Gonzales. Gonzales was once upon my time one of my favorite prospects when I wrote about him for Prospects Worldwide. Since then, Gonzales has had issues with durability and strikeouts, but Pittsburgh is giving him a chance now. Gonzales is a viable option in deeper leagues where you need help at second base.

 

Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash

 

1. Jordan Westburg, 3B/SS/2B Baltimore Orioles

 

Week by week, we continue to wait for the Orioles to call up Jordan Westburg. Westburg has nothing left to prove in the Minor Leagues as he continues to demonstrate excellent power, a strong hit tool, and a strong understanding of the strike zone. Westburg has five-category potential and a skill set that should allow for a smooth transition to the Major Leagues.

Jordan Westburg CRUSHES this pitch 426 ft. to center! It's @jordan_cw21's 18th home run of the season!#RisingTide pic.twitter.com/AJDlQC6bKY

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) June 24, 2023

Speaking of the Major Leagues, Westburg’s versatility should only help his case for a promotion. Westburg can play all over the infield which is useful for fantasy and real-life. The most likely path for Westburg to take to the majors is to replace Jorge Mateo. Mateo has undeniably elite speed, but a 70 wRC+, a .227 average, and a .360 slugging percentage should not keep him in the lineup on a regular basis. The Orioles need to keep pace in the tough American League and should call on Westburg any day now. Make sure he is stashed and pick him up if he is not.

 

2. Colton Cowser, OF Baltimore Orioles

 

The Colton Cowser hype train has slowed a bit. The train slowing down has nothing to do with his performance. Cowser continues to dominate and look like one of, if not, the best hitter in Triple-A. He is batting .387 since returning from his brief IL stint and continues to post excellent exit velocities. So, why has the hype slowed down? Simply because Aaron Hicks has not provided Baltimore with a chance to call Cowser up. After many in baseball ridiculed Baltimore for signing Hicks, he has been one of the best hitters in baseball recently. That and the fact that Cedric Mullins is rehabbing and should not be on the IL for too much longer. With Mullins returning, and Austin Hays plus Anthony Santander locked into their roles, Cowser’s timeline for promotion has gotten a little bit cloudy.

That being said, Cowser is still one of the best stash options in Minor League baseball. He is incredibly talented and doing everything in his power to earn a promotion. An injury, or struggles from Ryan O’Hearn at the DH position, or even the possibility of a trade makes it extremely likely that Cowser will be in Baltimore before the end of the summer. Stash him now before it is too late.

 

3. Ronny Mauricio, SS/2B New York Mets

 

Ronny Mauricio is now up to 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases down in Triple-A while continuing to hit over .300. The biggest concern with Mauricio continues to be an aggressive approach at the plate. Mauricio is a free swinger who is making plenty of contact, but could run into problems with his chase rate. A low walk rate creates a slightly lower fantasy floor, but this has not been a problem for players like Bo Bichette. Mauricio has tons of raw power, plus speed, and is ready for his chance in the Major Leagues. There is a high probability he will have a significant fantasy impact upon his promotion.

Tommy Pham’s resurgence has created a little bit of an obstacle for Mauricio to overcome. Pham is getting regular playing time in the outfield, pushing Mark Canha and Daniel Vogelbach into a platoon. If the Mets are going to bring up Mauricio, they would likely want to get him everyday at-bats. As long as the platoon of Vogelbach and Canha is producing, Mauricio is likely to stay in Triple-A. I expect Mauricio will still make his debut in Queens at some point in July. He is too talented for the Mets to keep him in Triple-A and now is the perfect time to stash him.

 

4. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B Cincinnati Reds

 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand feels like the forgotten prospect in Cincinnati. Do you know the meme of SpongeBob and Patrick running around outside with Squidward looking out of the window depressed? That has to be how CES feels with Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz helping propel the Reds to the top of the NL Central. There is really nothing left for CES to accomplish in the Minor Leagues. He has incredible raw power, a strong hit tool, and plate discipline that has shown significant improvements as the season has moved along.

I was asked last week why CES is only labeled as proximity instead of upside + proximity. One issue is the concerning chase rate. CES is still chasing over 40% of the time, which can lead to serious struggles at the Major League level. Another is the fact I am unsure the Reds are going to play him every day. The team just got Joey Votto back. Will Benson and Spencer Steer have been very good, and I am afraid of CES not getting a chance to start full-time until 2024.

Regardless, CES needs to be stashed. Anybody putting up the kinds of numbers that he is in Triple-A deserves a promotion. He needs to be stashed in all leagues before that promotion comes.

 

5. Kyle Manzardo, 1B Tampa Bay Rays

 

Kyle Manzardo’s BABIP since the start of June sits down at .238. This, is despite a line drive rate on the season of over 30%. His season-long BABIP is the lowest of his career even though his line drive rate is the highest of his career. In previous seasons, the lowest BABIP Manzardo had ever posted is .333. Would we be viewing Manzardo’s season differently if his average sat 37 points higher? The difference between a .253 and a .290 hitter in the eyes of fantasy baseball players is drastic. Manzardo is the same player generating top-ten prospect hype before the season even if his current slash line is unspectacular.

Purely based on talent, Manzardo should be in the Major Leagues. Upon his promotion, I expect Manzardo to be at least a top-15 first baseman for fantasy baseball. He has the power, hit tool, and on-base skills that we look for in every first baseman. The issue continues to be the success of those currently in Tampa’s lineup. There is no clear opening for Manzardo at the Major League level. This however does not mean you should not keep him stashed. He has huge upside if a current Rays’ starter gets injured. He will also be a desired trade piece for other teams if the Rays go all in at the deadline. Keep Manzardo stashed even if the Rays do not have a clear spot for him.

 

6. Sal Frelick, OF Milwaukee Brewers

 

Sal Frelick is back and showing why he almost made the Brewers out of Spring Training. Since rejoining the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, Frelick is batting over .300 with a home run and two stolen bases. Overall on the season, he is walking almost as much as he is striking out with a swinging strike rate below five percent. Frelick’s contact skills rival those of Steven Kwan and should allow for a smooth transition to the Major Leagues.

Frelick has limited power in his profile, but he stole 24 bases last year and has already stolen six so far in 2023. He has plus speed and a great hit tool that makes him relevant in all fantasy formats. At the Major League level, Jesse Winker is back from the IL and receiving fairly regular playing time despite his 63 wRC+. The team is also handing Raimel Tapia consistent at-bats. Frelick is a candidate to replace either one of these players in Milwaukee’s lineup. With the Brewers trying to keep pace with the red-hot Reds, they will not waste time adding talent to the Major League roster. Frelick should be up soon and is a valuable stash target.

 

7. Oswald Peraza, SS New York Yankees

AAA Stats:

8. Austin Wells, C New York Yankees

 

Back-to-back Yankees here on the StashList. Austin Wells is the Yankees’ first-round pick from back in 2020 who has done nothing but hit since joining the organization. He posted a 135 wRC+ in 2021, a 145 wRC+ in 2022, and currently has a 124 wRC+ so far in 2023. Wells began the season on the IL and has hit 10 home runs in 42 games since returning. Wells loves to tap into his pull-side power which will pair perfectly with the short-porch in Yankee Stadium.

He’s WELLS💣

Austin Wells crushes a three-run blast for his 10th of the year, extending our lead to 11-1 in the 6th😤 pic.twitter.com/hwMgFYGgSo

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) June 24, 2023

Catcher is a position of weakness for many fantasy teams and being able to find a reliable starter mid-season is rare. Getting in on Wells before he receives a promotion to the Major Leagues is a wise decision. The Yankees like Jose Trevino, but he has a 57 wRC+ on the season, which is just slightly worse than Kyle Higashioka’s 68 wRC+. The Yankees need a spark offensively, and Wells offers just that. I expect the team to call him up at some point in late July or early August. He will have a significant impact from a fantasy perspective especially in OBP leagues. Stash Wells now.

 

9. Justin Foscue, 2B Texas Rangers

 

I have mentioned the upcoming trade deadline a couple of times already in this article, but this is where I really want to make a point. On the surface, Justin Foscue has no path to the Major Leagues. He might honestly be more blocked than Kyle Manzardo. Foscue is primarily a second baseman which is blocked by some guy named Marcus Semien. He also has spent time at third base which is occupied by Josh Jung. The Rangers have been playing Ezequiel Duran at DH thanks to his impressive play, leaving no room for Foscue. Meanwhile, down in Triple-A, Foscue is walking more than he is striking out while showing a strong hit tool. He also has eight home runs and seven stolen bases. I hit on his profile in a previous second-base performance report, which you can check out here.

The Rangers are going to be in the market for pitching at the deadline. Dane Dunning has been nice, but his 4.82 xFIP points to serious regression looming. They also could use help in the bullpen, which ranks 23rd in baseball in terms of ERA. While Texas has plenty of prospects, moving Foscue makes too much sense. Landing in a place like Chicago where he could slot in as the immediate starter at second base would be the best-case scenario. The chance of this happening makes now the best time to stash Foscue. He especially needs to be stashed in OBP leagues. The closer the deadline gets, the higher Foscue’s value will rise.

10. Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B/OF Detroit Tigers

 

Very quietly, Justyn-Henry Malloy has hit safely in eight of nine games down in Triple-A. Eight games is nothing to write home about, but for a player who was in a massive slump at the plate, this is an encouraging sign. JHM possesses plus power and is up to 11 home runs on the year. He remains a strong stash option in all formats, but especially in OBP leagues where his plate discipline adds value.

The production the Tigers have gotten out of Zach McKinstry and Zack Short has been surprising, but the team continues to rely on Nick Maton in an everyday role. Maton has a 67 wRC+ on the year with a batting average down at .156. The American League Central is wide open and while nobody is picking Detroit to win it, the longer they hang around, the more important fielding the best current-day roster becomes. JHM offers an instant offensive upgrade to Maton and should be with the team in the next month.

On The Bubble

In no particular order, the top five hitters that were in consideration for inclusion to this list were: Endy Rodriguez, Curtis Mead (#9 Week 1), Jordan Lawlar, Brayan Rocchio, and Connor Norby.