The Hitter Edition of the Stash List is back for the 2025 season.
This Stash List highlights the 10 best hitting prospects likely to make an impact during the 2025 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 2025 ETA, and getting ahead of the curve on rostering these prospects is a key part of roster management. 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 2025.
- 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 (and Injuries)
Stash List frequent flyer Alex Freeland got the call to the big leagues early this week, as the Dodgers added him to their active roster on Tuesday. Freeland has flown under the radar as a prospect due to the elite talent blocking him on the roster in L.A. Now, he’ll have a chance to break into that core and cement himself into the lineup. Freeland’s production (.799 OPS, 108 wRC+) hasn’t quite reached his marks from last season (.829, 135), but he should slide in nicely to the back-end of the Dodgers’ batting order. Whether he remains with the team after Hyeseong Kim returns from injury is dependent on the amount of playing time he’s afforded and his performance in that time. If he plays every day, he could be a threat in the home run (12 this year), steal (17), and OBP departments (.377). Freeland’s ability to switch hit should also help his cause, although his production against lefties (.704 OPS) isn’t as strong as his ability against righties (.835). Freeland is a high-floor option to stash if you need infield help, but he could be back in AAA soon.
Another stash list regular was also recalled early in the week, but it wasn’t the one many thought it would be. The Cubs recalled Moisés Ballesteros after designating Vidal Bruján for assignment. It’s a curious move for Chicago, as Owen Caissie (also on the 40-man) seemed to be the more natural fit to serve as the backup outfielder. Ballesteros’ bat is legitimate, and if the Cubs can get him consistent playing time, he could be a threat to hit .280 with 8-10+ home runs down the stretch. The problem remains that playing time though, as Ballesteros’ time with the Cubs was short-lived. His return to AAA and blockage at catcher and DH limits his value for the rest of 2025.
C.J. Kayfus was called up to join the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. Read about his potential impact in this week’s #5 spot.
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. Spencer Jones, OF – New York Yankees
Prospects were traded this deadline season, just not the ones most thought would. All of last week’s top hitters to stash remained with their original teams through the deadline. As a result, Spencer Jones now takes the mantle of the #1 spot after remaining with the Yankees, despite New York being one of the most active teams at the deadline. His path has become slightly more unclear, though, as his team acquired Austin Slater, Amed Rosario, and José Caballero to solidify the bench. Do any of these options have the same ceiling that Jones does? Absolutely not, but they all provide defensive versatility and a safe offensive floor. They’ve also all seen big league pitching before, so there is no adjustment period like there may be with Jones.
That said, if the production Jones is generating continues, it’ll be hard to keep him in the minor leagues. His stats since joining the Yankees’ AAA team look like something out of MLB The Show. In 23 games, he’s mashed 13 home runs and stolen eight bases. He kicked off a five-game hit streak on July 24th with a three-homer game, bringing his total to just under 30 for the season. His near-95-mile-an-hour average exit velocity and 60% hard hit rate are elite numbers for the level and would rank in the upper echelons among MLB players. Jones remains strikeout-heavy and will likely walk back to the dugout over 30% of the time in the Majors. That said, the game-changing power he possesses in his bat warrants giving him as many chances as possible to get into the Yankees lineup in 2025.
2. Justin Crawford, OF – Philadelphia Phillies
I’ll hold my hands up. I was adamant that Crawford would be with a new team after the deadline. Instead, the Phillies were able to land one of the top relief arms on the market while keeping one of their top prospects. They paid a heavy price, with flamethrower Mick Abel and talented catcher Eduardo Tait going the other way, but it could have been way worse. Considering some of the actions of the rest of the National League (looking at you, San Diego), Dave Dombrowski needed to make moves, and he did. Philadelphia also made one of the more underrated moves of the deadline, snagging Harrison Bader from the Twins’ firesale. Bader’s 127 wRC+ and stellar glove will fit in perfectly with the Phillies’ roster. Unfortunately, that now makes Crawford’s path to the Majors slightly more unclear.
That new reality is not the fault of Crawford, though. He’s one of two prospects in baseball with a .320 AVG, 120+ wRC+, and 30 stolen bases. The other name on that list? The #1 prospect in the sport, Konnor Griffin. At the time of writing, he’s in the midst of a five-game hit streak and hasn’t struck out in his last seven plate appearances. Crawford’s skill set could be an X-factor for the Phillies in the second half. His speed is game-changing on its own, and his value would go up significantly in a postseason situation when every run matters. When combined with the above-average power (for a speed-first prospect), it makes him even more valuable for a postseason team. Crawford’s a speed threat that doesn’t compromise a spot in the lineup. He may not ever reach 10 homers in a season, but his legs and contact ability ensure that he provides value in terms of OBP and steals. Crawford’s chances of a big league debut may have diminished slightly, but if he’s called up, he could be a game-changer for Philly in the second half.
3. Samuel Basallo, C – Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore’s direction post-deadline is now crystal clear. 2025 will go down as a disappointment. Now is the time to identify what went wrong and address that next season. To their credit, it wasn’t necessarily the offense. Yes, it took a step back from last year, but the young core led by Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, and hopefully Samuel Basallo soon, is exciting enough to keep the faith in seeing success with this group. The main issue is pitching, which will have to be addressed. For now, the Orioles should be giving their young talent as much exposure to big league pitching as they can. Even if they struggle, what do they have to lose? We’ve seen prospects struggle in their first attempt at facing MLB arms, then come back up and perform. The next few months should be built around giving Baltimore’s young talent a chance to go through the struggles of facing the best of the best for the first time.
Of that young talent, most of the money would be on Basallo to be the most likely to succeed. The 20-year-old backstop has shown why he’s been one of the most talked-about prospects this season. He leads all minor league catchers (min. 250 PA’s) with a .984 OPS, and is second with a 154 wRC+ (behind Detroit’s Josue Briceño). The batted ball data is just as impressive. His highest exit velocity (115.9 mph) ranks above Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, and Ronald Acuña Jr. this season, and his 55.4% hard hit rate would rank 6th among all big league hitters. Those numbers may fall off at the next level, but he’s already putting up production among the elite hitters in the sport. Basallo will undoubtedly be a big part of Baltimore’s plans in 2026, so it makes sense for him to be exposed to big league pitching this year.
4. Dylan Beavers, OF – Baltimore Orioles
As of July 30th, four players (min. 300 AB’s) have a walk rate above 15%, a strikeout rate under 20%, and a wRC+ above 140. Two of those players are top 100 prospects in baseball (M. Clark – #10, C. Benge – #68), and the third is the #6 prospect in Cleveland’s system (C. Ingle). The fourth? Dylan Beavers. The 2022 first-round pick has broken out in a big way in 2025. He’s on track for career highs in home runs and steals, to go with his best full-season AVG and wRC+ since 2022. Beavers may not have one standout tool or trait, but he does everything well. The contact (89.3% Z-Con) and power (110.5 max. EV) numbers are solid, and he’s stolen 52 bases in just over 200 games.
Defensively, Fangraphs has him as a 40-grade player in the outfield, which seems fair. Beavers has five errors in 77 games in the outfield this season, splitting time across all three spots. Going forward, he will likely land in a corner outfield role, but he could take the place of Cedric Mullins after the deadline. Beavers’ outlook is heavily dependent on Baltimore’s activity over the next 28 hours (at the time of writing). If a role opens up, the O’s should prioritize seeing what value their young talent can provide next season. Beavers should get that opportunity shortly after Baltimore’s roster situation becomes clearer.
5. CJ Kayfus, 1B/OF – Cleveland Guardians
The rollercoaster of a season continues on the shores of Lake Erie. The MLB investigation into two members of the Guardians’ pitching staff has drastically affected their ability to compete this season. The added attention to the organization is one thing, but when one of the players involved is the team’s biggest trade asset, it only adds fuel to the fire. Cleveland remains only 3.5 games out of the final Wildcard spot, but has just a 12.6% chance to make the postseason. Despite the actions of some other members of their league (cough Los Angeles cough), that shouldn’t be seen as an indication for the club to go for it. Instead, it is time to regroup and evaluate their young talent for the value they can provide for the rest of 2025 and beyond.
One of the players evaluated will be Kayfus. His performance this season makes it clear why. Kayfus is one of 17 players (min. 300 PAs) in the minors 23 or younger with a wRC+ above 150. Among those players, he’s one of two to make it to AAA this season (hint: the other player is #10 on this list). Kayfus, like several other players on this list, is good at everything despite not necessarily having a standout tool. Kayfus has 20+ homer pop, to go with plus discipline and the ability to get on base ~40% of the time. Whether he reaches that level remains to be seen, but there is no harm for the Guardians to get a glimpse of that talent over the course of the last few months of the season.
Note: Kayfus was called up after I had a chance to fully update the list. I want to ensure that each prospect is written about with the highest level of attention and detail I can give. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts made it impossible to fully replace Kayfus’ spot in time. He will join the promotion category next week, and a new player will be in his place.
6. Owen Caissie, OF – Chicago Cubs
Well, Chicago made moves at the deadline, just not the ones we thought they were going to make. The Cubs gave up significant prospect capital for Michael Soroka, then hesitated to make a move for a true leverage reliever or a front-of-rotation starter. Granted, both of those markets proved to be in favor of the sellers, but it’s not like the Cubs don’t have the prospect capital to spare. Owen Caissie could have been the centerpiece in a landmark deal to bring a controllable starter to Wrigley Field. Instead, he remains with the Cubs, and his 2025 value now has a very large question mark revolving around it. The Cubs could have called him up when they designated Vidal Bruján for assignment, but they opted to promote Ballesteros instead. With Willi Castro also in the fray now, the opportunities for Caissie to get onto the roster are even more limited.
That’s a shame, because Caissie has been stellar this season. The 23-year-old has a .941 OPS and 138 wRC+ in 84 games in Iowa this season. In over 200 games in AAA, Caissie has a .389 wOBA and 124 wRC+. If that doesn’t warrant a call-up, I don’t know what does. It’s no fluke either. Caissie’s power potential (92 AVG EV, 50.9% hard hit) will play at the next level, and he should consistently threaten the 25-homer mark. The one red flag is still the near-30% strikeout rate, but the impact he can have when he makes contact outweighs the risk of him going down on strikes. Cubs fans are starting to get uneasy with Milwaukee now leading the division. Promoting Caissie would ease some of that tension, and provide Craig Counsell with another potential impact bat off the bench.
7. Bryce Eldridge, 1B – San Francisco Giants
In the last few days, the direction of the Giants shifted. At 54-54, San Francisco remained nine games out of the division lead, and five out of the Wildcard. Despite trading for Rafael Devers and possessing an exciting core of bats, the Giants seemingly don’t have the firepower to keep up with the other juggernauts in their division. The trade that sent Tyler Rogers to New York symbolized the organization’s “punt” to 2026. Posey and co. did an excellent job in bringing back meaningful talent in Gilbert and Tidwell, but they’re clearly additions aimed at helping the 2026 Giants. Since that’s the direction the Giants have opted to go with, they now find themselves in a similar situation to Cleveland: regroup and see what works for next season.
A big piece of that 2026 team could very well be Bryce Eldridge, and his performance over the next few weeks should serve as a glimpse of his future with the team. Since returning from injury, Eldridge is hitting .262 with a .905 OPS and 122 wRC+. He’s added four homers and five walks, as opposed to 12 strikeouts in that period. That sample size is indicative of what Eldridge will be at the next level. His 6’7″ frame generates plus pop (95.8 AVG EV, 59.1% hard hit), but he’s going to strike out a fair amount (69.1% contact, 28.1% CSW). Eldridge’s future should still be at first base, with Devers holding down the DH spot, but the two can rotate depending on San Francisco’s roster makeup. If Eldridge keeps slugging, the Giants could benefit from giving him a taste of big league pitching before making another run at the playoffs next season.
8. Kristian Campbell, 2B – Boston Red Sox
Campbell is finally starting to break out. After an underwhelming start to the season and lackluster performances after being demoted, he’s on a tear. Campbell has a hit in nine straight games and has four consecutive multi-hit outings at the time of writing. Over those nine games, he has 15 hits and five walks compared to just eight strikeouts. Campbell’s also starting to hit the ball harder. Four of his last eight balls in play have been hit over 100 miles an hour, a significant jump from his 84 average exit speed over the course of his AAA stint. His hard hit rate still has a ways to go (31.3%), but the signs of a return to top form are there.
His breakout is coming at a perfect time for the Red Sox. After some turbulent stretches, Boston has rebounded and now finds itself within five games of the division lead. Toronto and New York have both already made major additions to their roster at the deadline, and it’s likely Boston will too, albeit probably not at second base. That spot is Campbell’s to claim. Marcelo Mayer is on the IL with a sprained wrist, which has moved Ceddanne Rafaela into the infield. If Campbell can force his way back onto the roster, he should reclaim that spot and put Rafaela back in his best spot, as a center fielder.
9. Sal Stewart, 3B – Cincinnati Reds
Stewart’s only been in AAA for ten games, but when you post a .950 OPS in that time, and have a 146 wRC+ in 80 games at the previous level, it warrants a debut in the top ten. Stewart has been red hot as of late, going 7-12 in his last three games (as of Wednesday), with three home runs. Before his promotion, Stewart had reached double digits in both homers and steals, one of just four players 21 or younger to achieve those marks (S. Walcott – TEX, J. Williams – NYM, L. Bernal – STL). The batted ball (89.7 AVG EV, 41.2% hard hit) data indicates that this may not be sustainable. However, the contact numbers are impressive (75.8% O-Con, 78% Z-Con). Stewart’s putting together a season with career highs in OPS (.863), wOBA (.401), and wRC+ (145), which may see him rewarded with an MLB debut later this summer.
At the start of 2025, I would have never thought that Sal Stewart would crack the list this early in the season. Noelvi Marte (0.7 WAR) and Santiago Espinal (0.2) have been good, but the Reds could use some more firepower in their lineup. They added Ke’Bryan Hayes to add more defense and multi-year control, but that still doesn’t solve the problem. Stewart’s bat should still get into the Reds’ lineup, and his offensive potential is high enough to warrant displacing one of Cincinnati’s infielders to get him onto the lineup card. Even if that proves challenging, the DH spot could open up with some defensive maneuvering from Terry Francona. If Stewart keeps up the hot streak, he’ll be with the Reds before the rosters expand.
10. JJ Wetherholt, SS – St. Louis Cardinals
The third of the NL Central trio of prospects to be featured this week is arguably the safest prospect bet of anyone on this list. If this piece were more 2026 and beyond focused, Wetherholt would be comfortably inside the top five. However, despite Wetherholt’s rapid ascent through the minor league system, the depth that St. Louis possesses on the big league roster gave me enough pause to keep him at the #10 spot. Stewart, Campbell, and Beavers have much clearer paths to the big leagues in 2025, even if they don’t have as high a ceiling as Wetherholt does. Brendan Donovan has been elite (119 wRC+, T-2nd among qualified 2B), and while Nolan Arenado has struggled, he’s likely not moving off third base. Shortstop could be an option, but I doubt the Cardinals will interrupt Masyn Winn’s mini-breakout season (3.2 WAR, 7th among qualified SS).
Take nothing away from Wetherholt, though. The 23-year-old has been excellent across all levels of the minors this season. In 12 games with the Memphis Redbirds, Wetherholt has mashed five homers, scored 13 runs, and posted a 1.172 OPS. Those first two marks rank 7th and 15th respectively, despite him playing a fraction of the amount of games as most of the roster. The batted ball data is just as impressive too. 50% of Wetherholt’s balls in play have been hard hit, and his average exit velocity sits over 90 miles an hour. His patience and plate discipline haven’t regressed so far either (23.6% O-Swing, 79.4% Z-Con in AAA). At 55-54 in one of the more competitive divisions in the sport, the Cardinals are not out of it yet. Adding Wetherholt could provide another spark to St. Louis’ young core.
On The Bubble
Stash List
