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
No one from last week’s Stash List was promoted to the major leagues this week. Thomas Saggese is the lone notable hitting prospect promotion, taking the place of Nolan Gorman after he went on the IL.
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. Roman Anthony, OF – Boston Red Sox
Baseball’s top prospect yet to debut hasn’t set the world on fire to start the year, but the tools are still on display. His best game of the year so far came on March 30th, when he hit two homers and walked twice against the Syracuse Mets. Since then, he’s been ice cold. Anthony is 1-13 with six strikeouts over his last three games, although he did register a triple and a steal in that time.
Simply put, Anthony is just too talented to stay in the minors for much longer, despite the slump. With how competitive the AL East is going to be this year, the Red Sox need their best 26 players on the field every single day. Anthony is undoubtedly one of those 26, but his future role remains unclear. Wilyer Abreu (326 wRC+) has been one of the best players in baseball, and Jarren Duran isn’t leaving the lineup anytime soon. The most logical solution would be moving Duran to center field, where he had a 17 DRS last season, and promoting Anthony to be the everyday left fielder.
2. Marcelo Mayer, SS – Boston Red Sox
MLB’s top shortstop prospect retains his #2 spot on the Stash List this week after a productive first week of the season. Mayer was held to just two singles and a steal in the first two-game series of the season but broke out in the next set of games. Mayer hit homers on two consecutive days, racking up five RBI. The batting average and walk rate (4.5%) are both significantly lower than what we’ve come to expect from Mayer, but he’s still making an impact.
The data suggest that he’s only going to get better from here. 50% of Mayer’s balls in play have been hit hard, and his contact rate is up 6% from last season (79.5%). His ability to make contact in the zone (88.9% Z-Con) and hit the ball hard (93.2 AVG EV) will allow him to continue to generate production in the minors. The only barrier to Mayer’s imminent major league debut is the state of Boston’s infield. Kristian Campbell is one of the best hitters in baseball right now (276 wRC+), and Alex Bregman isn’t going anywhere soon. Trevor Story is off to a slow start (68 wRC+, 37.5 K%), so that’s the most likely path to the lineup for Mayer, and even that seems like a long shot. Mayer’s debut is coming this season, but it may not be as soon as Anthony’s.
3. Nick Kurtz, 1B – Athletics
If there was any doubt surrounding whether or not last year’s #4 overall pick could handle being fast-tracked to AAA, it’s surely gone now. Kurtz has hit a homer in three of his first five games, and his 307 wRC+ ranks second among all minor league hitters so far. He’s showcased plenty of power, averaging a 97.1 mph average exit velocity and 76.1% hard-hit rate, both of which would rank first among big league hitters right now.
It hasn’t been a perfect start, despite the success. His contact rate (68.8%) has dropped significantly compared to his 2024 rate (82.5%) and his whiff rate sits around 34%. His 90% zone-contact rate is encouraging, and the strikeout rate isn’t alarmingly high, so the contact drop-off shouldn’t be a barrier to a promotion. There isn’t a clear path to playing time with the big league club, as Tyler Soderstrom (190 wRC+) and Brent Rooker are locked into the first base and DH roles. If Kurtz’s bat continues to provide this level of production though, then the A’s will have to find a way to get him into the lineup.
4. Coby Mayo, 3B – Baltimore Orioles
The stat line says it all. 2025 has not been kind to Coby Mayo so far. The 23-year-old has gone hitless in five of his six games this season, striking out at least once in all of those appearances. His lone game with production was on March 30th, when he went 3-5 with a home run. Since then, he’s gone 0-13. Mayo’s 20 wRC+ puts him 136th out of 153 minor league hitters with at least 20 plate appearances this season.
It’s a small sample size, but there are concerning numbers to keep an eye on. Mayo’s BABIP (.133) is remarkably low compared to his 2024 mark (.343), and his average exit velocity is down three miles an hour (2024: 90.7, 2025: 87.7). That 30% strikeout rate is also significantly higher than it was last year (25.1%), despite his contact rate (72.9%) remaining consistent. Mayo will still likely play a role with the Orioles in 2025, but his early season performance has likely delayed his arrival in the major leagues.
5. Zac Veen, OF – Colorado Rockies
Zac Veen’s stellar spring performance has carried into the regular season to start 2025. His 155 wRC+ lands him solidly among the top 20 marks in Minor League Baseball in this young season. Veen already has two multi-hit games on the year and leads his team in doubles (2) and RBI (4). It’s a small sample size, but his strikeout rate is down 2% from last season, and his average exit velocity is up almost five miles an hour.
The Rockies are going to be bad in 2025, there’s no debate about that. The only source of excitement in Colorado this season will revolve around the performance of their young core. They’ve already shown their not hesitant to promote their top prospects. Chase Dollander got the call to the show this week and will look to establish his place at the top of the Rockies rotation this season. If this level of production continues, Veen shouldn’t be far behind.
6. Dalton Rushing, C/OF – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers’ top prospect yet to debut in the major leagues drops two spots this week because of a less-than-stellar start to his AAA campaign. He went 3-9 in his first two games but didn’t record a hit for almost a week after, striking out seven times in three games. The good news is that the underlying data looked encouraging, and it materialized in a breakout performance on Friday night. He went 4-5 with three runs and an RBI to break a 0-12 slump over the past six days. His contact rate (78.8%) is consistent with his career rates, and his whiff rate (34.1%) isn’t alarmingly high. Rushing’s average exit velocity is over 94 miles an hour, indicating that he’s been the victim of some bad luck so far. The strikeout rate is alarming for now, but he should return to normal production in the next few weeks.
As stated last week, Rushing would have to put together a really strong resume to force his way into the Dodgers lineup right now. Will Smith (.450 AVG) is red-hot offensively and leads the team with a 0.7 WAR in his first eight games. Michael Conforto (255 wRC+) is also fitting right in with his new squad and looks like he could lock down an everyday spot in the Dodgers’ lineup. Teoscar Hernández leads the team with 8 RBI and has two dingers, so his spot also seems safe for now. Regular playing time is far from a guarantee for Rushing should he be promoted, and he needs to step his game up another level before he even gets that opportunity.
7. Jordan Lawlar, SS – Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona’s top prospect drops one spot this week, but not due to anything in his control. The insane starts by Kurtz and Veen vaulted them above Lawlar, even though the shortstop has been pretty good to kick off 2025. After an 0-9 start to the campaign, he rebounded by going 1-3 with two steals and two walks. He played his best game of the young season on Thursday, going 3-5 with three RBI. He’s only managed one extra-base hit so far and has been held to one barreled ball this season, but his 90.7 average exit velocity suggests that more production is coming.
The path to playing time for Lawlar is far from clear as things stand. Geraldo Perdomo has been solid so far at shortstop for the Diamondbacks. He’s tied with Eugenio Suárez, who leads MLB with five homers, for the team lead in RBI (11). Both of those players are locked into their spots for now. The D-Backs also opted to promote Tim Tawa (31 HR in 2024) over Lawlar after Ketel Marte hit the injured list. Lawlar’s ready for the big leagues, but as things stand, there just isn’t enough space in the lineup to get him consistent opportunities.
8. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF – Minnesota Twins
MLB’s #36 prospect could have played his way onto the Twins’ major league roster in 2024, but injury ended his campaign early and limited him to just 47 games. Now fully healthy, Rodriguez could play his way into a promotion early this season. He possesses one of the most unique skill sets in all of baseball. He walks a ton (24.4% in 2024) and hits the ball incredibly hard (113.6 max EV, 40% hard-hit rate in ’25), but he also strikes out A LOT (29.7% in ’24). Rodriguez’s power and speed (49 career steals) combo make him a player to be excited about, but the strikeout issues do limit his ceiling going forward.
The Twins’ outfield is fine, but it could use some added offensive upside. Byron Buxton is off to a slow start (26.9 K%, 95 wRC+), but his talent is undeniable and Minnesota will keep him in center as long as he’s healthy. The corner outfielders both carry their fair share of question marks. Harrison Bader is crushing the ball right now (170 wRC+, 3 HR), but history suggests that level of production is not sustainable. Matt Wallner (.143 AVG) has not been good in the leadoff spot, and if he can’t get the bat going, the Twins may look elsewhere for offense. The vast majority of Rodriguez’s career has been spent in center field, but he may make the move to a corner spot to get into the lineup in the near future.
9. Carson Williams, SS – Tampa Bay Rays
The start of Williams’ season represents the manifestation of the drawbacks in his game, most notably the strikeouts. The 22-year-old shortstop has the potential to be a threat with the bat and on the basepaths, but his ceiling is limited by an inability to cut down on the strikeouts. In ten career games at AAA, he’s struck out 14 times in 40 plate appearances. Williams’ contact rate is down almost 20% between 2024 and now, and he’s whiffed on 50% of his swings so far. Those are not encouraging numbers for a player one level away from the big leagues.
When he has made contact this season, it hasn’t resulted in the level of damage we’ve come to expect from him. His hard-hit rate (23.1%) would be in the bottom 20 among major league hitters. Williams’ average exit velocity (88.7 mph) would rank in the bottom third of that group as well. It’s early in the year, and there’s plenty of time for Williams to right the ship, but right now he doesn’t look ready for a promotion. I still think that he’s going to play a big role for the Rays in 2025, but his promotion ETA is highly dependent on his performance over the next few weeks.
10. Kyle Teel, C – Chicago White Sox
This spot could have gone to two players in the same position with the White Sox’s AAA team. Both Teel and Edgar Quero have made very compelling cases as to who should be the next catcher.
The reason I give the edge to Teel right now is because he’s the better defender of the two. The 23-year-old has gunned down 2/4 of the runners attempting to steal on him so far. On top of that, his offensive game has been red-hot to start 2025. He went 6-14 with two homers in his first series of the season, including a six-RBI game on March 29th.
At some point, the White Sox are going to have to start integrating their young talent into the Major League core. Brooks Baldwin, Sean Burke, and Jonathan Cannon have all established their roles on the roster, and more reinforcements are on the way. Should Teel get the call to the majors in the near future, he should be given plenty of time to work through the adjustment to MLB-level pitching. If he sticks behind the plate, he could be an incredibly valuable asset as a catcher with 15-20 homer upside.
On The Bubble
Here are the next five hitters considered for inclusion on this week’s list in no particular order.
Stash List
Hey! Thanks for this — love your column every week. What happened to Bazzana? Seems like his first 2 games should have validated his being on the list last week?
I REALLY wanted to keep Bazzana on the list. Teel and Rodriguez getting off to hot starts in AAA makes me think they’re more likely to be in the Majors sooner rather than later, while Bazzana probably won’t be up until at least June/July. He’s going to be on the list a lot this year though, especially with the way he’s playing.
Not sure if he meets the criteria, but what’s your thoughts on post hype prospect Noelvi Marte, who is killing it in AAA, albeit SSS.
In my mind he doesn’t fit the definition of “prospect” for this list. Over 100 big league games in 2 seasons. Definitely someone to keep an eye on though, especially if CES and Canderlario keep struggling
Jace jung?