The Hitter Edition of the Stash List is updated for the first time in the 2024 season.

This Stash List highlights the ten 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 make their debut than ever before, and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2024. Read to discover the top ten 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
• Starting next week, stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.

 

The Stash List

 

Graduates/Call-Ups

 

The only major graduation in the past week was Justin Foscue getting the call to the Rangers’ big league roster. The 25-year-old narrowly missed out on last week’s list. I valued Foscue but thought that the infield trio of Semien/Seager/Jung was just too good. Therefore Foscue wouldn’t be needed. This all changed when Josh Jung entered the IL with a fractured wrist. The infielder is coming off a 2023 season where he hit 18 homers and walked more than he struck out. He may not get regular playing time right away, as incumbent Josh H. Smith will have first dibs on the hot corner. With some time, Foscue will slide into the bottom half of the Rangers’ loaded lineup.

There was lots of movement in the top ten this week. Let’s dive right in.

 

Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash

 

2. Heston Kjerstad, OF – Baltimore Orioles

 

Kjerstad has earned the reputation of being the odd man out in the Orioles outfield, but he is doing everything in his power to change that. In his first five games in Norfolk, he mashed four home runs and drove in 18 runs. His wRC+ of 349 is unsustainable for an entire season but is still evidence of an incredible start. Not convinced? On April 3rd, Kjerstad drove in 10 runs in one game. Yes, you read that right, TEN runs. He went 5-7 with two homers and two doubles, and neither homer was a cheap shot. I know the Orioles already have outfield depth at the big-league level, but I don’t think there’s a hitter more deserving of a call-up.

The one knock on Kjerstad so far is that he hasn’t taken many walks yet, but he also hasn’t struck out a ton and has been making solid contact, so I’m not concerned yet. Kjerstad falls into the category of Orioles prospects who deserve a call-up but are blocked by solid options in the majors. Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander aren’t going anywhere, and Colton Cowser will likely stay in the show for a while. The one spot Kjerstad could take right now is Austin Hays‘ spot. The incumbent outfielder is hitting just .111 to start the season. The Orioles aren’t desperate for help, but if Hays keeps struggling they have a really good option waiting in Norfolk.

 

3. Junior Caminero, 3B – Tampa Bay Rays

 

I may have been slightly harsh in my decision to drop Caminero two spots, but the two men above him have been on fire while he’s been sidelined. The Rays’ #1 prospect was placed on the 7-day disabled list after a quad strain over the weekend. Before that, he was mashing baseballs. He hit his first home run of the season off an established MLB starter in John Means and has a 1.012 OPS in his three games so far. The Rays will hope that his quad strain is not a major issue, but it’s hard to rank Caminero above the pair of Orioles who have started the year on fire.

At the MLB level, little has changed in terms of players blocking Caminero. Isaac Paredes has been okay to start the year. His average leaves some to be desired but the power is evident. The third baseman has two home runs in six games, and will likely be the #1 option at the corner this season. New signing José Caballero has been quietly solid so far, batting .316 with 3 steals. Caminero is listed as a shortstop, but there are questions about his glove and Caballero has proven hard to take out of the lineup. It’ll be interesting to see how the Rays maneuver their roster when Caminero is ready, but for now, it seems like that’s some time away.

 

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

 

It’s the same old story when it comes to Malloy. He’s performing at the AAA level, and there are vulnerable spots in Detroit’s lineup, but he just hasn’t received the call yet. The Tigers have started the year on fire, going 5-1. The third basemen on the roster have been hitting well to start the year too. Gio Urshela (.462 AVG),  Zach McKinstry (.308) and Andy Ibañez (.300) have all taken advantage of the opportunities they’ve received. Considering the question marks about Malloy’s defensive home, it will be a challenge for him to break into the hot corner at the major league level.

So far this season, Malloy has been deployed solely as an outfielder. He’s played three games in left field, one in right, and one as the designated hitter. This could be indicative of the Tigers’ plan for the 24-year-old going forward. Detroit’s outfield is still pretty solid, but there are some vulnerable spots. Matt Vierling (.067 AVG) should be a little nervous about his spot if Malloy continues to hit. Malloy’s bat has been great in AAA. Through five games he has a 206 wRC+ and has reached base safely in every game. He’s walked just as many times as he’s struck out and has been a threat on the basepaths. It’s only a matter of time before Malloy has a fantasy impact this season.

 

5. James Wood, OF – Washington Nationals

 

I’ll admit that I heavily questioned my own decision to include Wood in last week’s list. His start to the AAA season showed that I might have had a point. The batting average above speaks for itself, granted it is from a very small sample size. A 1.100 OPS to start a season is nothing to scoff at. That number may be unsustainable for a full season, but it’s indicative of the massive talent that Wood has. His “light-tower” power and speed combo at his size are rare in the Majors, and the Nationals should do anything they can to get him to the show.

The Nationals outfield right now is less than inspiring. Washington’s outfielders have combined to hit just .174 to start the season. Jesse Winker has been the sole contributor so far, hitting .429. Again, these numbers are based on a very small sample size. The Nationals as a whole have been struggling, dropping games to the Reds and Pirates. Why not bring up a top prospect with the potential to be special to bring some excitement to the team?

 

6. Coby Mayo, 3B – Baltimore Orioles

 

Like Holliday and Kjerstad, Mayo could be an MLB contributor right now if he wasn’t on the Orioles. The O’s #3 prospect is ready for the big leagues but finds himself blocked by solid MLB options on Baltimore’s roster. The impending promotion of Jackson Holliday only makes Mayo’s situation more unclear. When Holliday gets the call, All-Star Gunnar Henderson likely moves to the hot corner. Mayo doesn’t have the defensive versatility to plug into any spot on the infield, so being blocked by Henderson limits his immediate fantasy value.

Mayo has the talent to hit in the top half of many MLB teams. The bat is nothing short of special. In six games he’s already hit two homers, including one on Thursday that left the ballpark. According to MLB Pipeline, the long ball was clocked at 106 miles an hour, which is his second (!!) hardest-hit home run of the year. His first left the yard at 111 miles an hour and went an estimated 421 feet. If he was playing anywhere else that wasn’t Baltimore, he’d be in the majors already.

 

7. Matt Mervis, 1B – Chicago Cubs

 

Mervis drops two spots due to the performances of the bats above him, not because of anything in his control. Michael Busch and Garrett Cooper have started the year well for the Cubs. They will likely retain their spots for the foreseeable future. Cooper especially has been a pleasant surprise. The Cubs have had a cycle of journeyman first basemen over the past two years, and Cooper may be able to break that streak. Busch’s versatility around the infield and his solid bat will keep him in the show, which leaves Mervis without a roster spot. The Cubs have a horde of prospects waiting in AAA to come up and make an impact which will impact Mervis’ call-up.

That said, he’s started the year in Iowa well. In six games he’s walked five times and has three extra-base hits. He already has two multi-hit games and has struck out just six times. The sample size is still small, but a hot start could be critical in his pursuit of an MLB opportunity.  While the power numbers haven’t come through so far this year, there are encouraging signs that Mervis is ready for a second chance.

 

8. Connor Norby, 2B – BAL

 

Well, would you look at that, another Oriole? I don’t want to be basic and just stock the list with Orioles prospects every week, but they make it hard not to. Connor Norby didn’t make the list last week because I questioned when he would get the call. He’s behind Holliday and Mayo in the infield pecking order, but he’s playing like a man who doesn’t want to wait for his MLB audition.

Three home runs in six games is impressive enough, but add in three doubles and nine RBI and his stat line looks a little ridiculous. His 1.259 OPS somehow only ranks third on the O’s AAA team (behind Kjerstad and Kyle Stowers). Norby projects as a second baseman going forward, which is currently occupied by Jordan Westburg. Like Mayo, his MLB ETA is affected by how the Orioles handle Holliday’s promotion. I don’t see the O’s moving Westburg out of the lineup unless he goes ice cold or gets injured, so Norby’s fantasy impact for this year still has some question marks.

 

9. Tyler Black, 3B – Milwaukee Brewers

 

Out of all of the players on this list, Black has the most pedestrian start. By no means does that mean he’s been bad, but he’s been in the news less than the others. He made some noise on Thursday night, recording his first three-hit game of the season. His 123 wRC+ to kick off 2024 doesn’t raise eyebrows like some of the other names on this list, but it should be enough to keep him in the MLB conversation.

The Brewers’ hot corner has been struggling at the plate. New acquisition Joey Ortiz has been okay, hitting .222, but hasn’t locked down the spot. Oliver Dunn and Andruw Monasterio don’t have the offensive ceiling that Black does. Milwaukee has been good to start the year, so they aren’t desperate to make a move. The Brew Crew have won close, low-scoring games so far, which may not be sustainable. If the Brewers get to the end of the month and find that their offense needs a spark, Black should be the first to get a call.

 

10. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF – Chicago Cubs

 

Crow-Armstrong narrowly missed out on being mentioned last week. I predicted that his struggles late last season into this spring would prevent him from being in consideration for a call-up anytime soon. He proved me wrong incredibly fast. Crow-Armstrong has started his AAA campaign on fire. On Thursday he hit a monster home run, then scored from second on a passed ball. That sort of electricity in a player is something the Cubs have been sorely missing since they traded Javier Báez. My main concern with PCA was that his bat wouldn’t provide enough value as a fantasy asset. However, if he continues to hit over .300 with a power stroke in the minors, there’s no reason not to take a chance on him.

The only reason he remains low on this list is his proximity to the show. I think the Cubs can afford to be patient with Crow-Armstrong. They don’t want a repeat of last year’s stint in the majors. Chicago has the luxury of a solid outfield already, and the offense has been good enough to win games so far. Mervis will likely get the call before PCA, due to the question marks that remain at first base.

Adding PCA to the Cubs roster would have all sorts of secondary effects. If the Cubs hand over center field to their top prospect, it will likely move Cody Bellinger to first base. Suddenly that leaves Michael Busch and Garrett Cooper on the outside looking in. Busch could be moved over to third, as Christopher Morel hasn’t been stellar defensively in that spot. The Cubs have plenty of options for how they want to build their roster, and before long Crow-Armstrong should factor into that equation.

 

On The Bubble

 

Here are the next five hitters that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list in no particular order:

Kyle Manzardo

Kyle Teel

Jace Jung

Jordan Beck

Chase DeLauter