The Hitter Edition of The Stash List is back and updated for Week 21.
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 Stash List 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
Now that we are down to under 45 days remaining in the MLB schedule, teams are going to become more aggressive in their prospect promotions. The first domino to fall was Masyn Winn. Winn came in at number two on last week’s article and possesses excellent speed. He has been hitting for excellent power in Triple-A although it comes with a barrel rate below four percent. If you are in need of help at shortstop he is worth adding in 12+ team leagues.
In light of the Wander Franco news, the Rays were suddenly in desperate need of a shortstop. They turned to prospect Osleivis Basabe who was batting .296 in Triple-A. Basabe’s strength is his hit tool. He has consistently posted batting averages over .300 in the minor leagues and is a plus base stealer to go with it. The issue is the lack of power which lowers Basabe’s fantasy ceiling. He is not somebody I am looking to add at this point.
A second prospect who was not featured on the Stash List was called up in Nolan Schanuel. The Angels are perhaps the most aggressive team in baseball when it comes to prospect promotions and they wasted no time calling up their 2023 first-round draft pick. Schanuel has just 96 professional plate appearances. He has shown exceptional plate discipline albeit in the low levels of the minor leagues. In a small sample size, he has posted high ground ball rates and I believe there is a possibility he struggles with velocity up in the zone. He is a deep-league target, but not somebody you should rush to add.
A fourth and perhaps the most exciting player called up is Noelvi Marte. Marte ranks as a top-10 prospect for me and will join the already exciting young Reds roster. There is big-time power with sneaky speed in Marte’s profile. He should play on a regular basis perhaps over Stuart Fairchild. He is my favorite pick-up of the players promoted.
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. Jordan Lawlar, SS Arizona Diamondbacks
Jordan Lawlar is now just one step away from making his major league debut. Arizona decided to reward their top prospect for his outstanding performance in Double-A with a promotion to Triple-A. Lawlar promptly responded by smoking this home run out of the park:
Jordan Lawlar’s first Triple-A hit is a home run! pic.twitter.com/SJv25njhnX
— Milb Central (@milb_central) August 16, 2023
As mentioned in previous articles, Lawlar is my top prospect in baseball. The combination of speed and power gives Lawlar elite upside from a fantasy perspective. He now moves into the top spot on this list as the odds of a promotion to the major leagues in 2023 are becoming more and more likely. Arizona is currently rolling with a platoon at both shortstop and third base. Lawlar offers an offensive upgrade over all four players currently getting playing time and is a more than capable defender. The Diamondbacks need to win as many games as possible and you should be making Lawlar a top-priority stash.
2. Ronny Mauricio, SS/2B New York Mets
Despite being out of the playoff race, the Mets seem reluctant to give their young players a chance to play in the major leagues. Ronny Mauricio’s drop to third on this list has little to do with his overall performance, but rather the fact the Mets remain very unclear with their plans for the remainder of the season. There is a strong chance they are playing service time manipulation games with their prospects, but there is no reason Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio should be playing games in Triple-A at this point.
Mauricio is up to 19 home runs and 20 stolen bases on the year and has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games. At the major league level, players like Jonathan Araúz, DJ Stewart, and Rafael Ortega are getting regular playing time. Mauricio should be up this season and will have an instant fantasy impact once he is. He is worth stashing even if his priority has taken a bit of a hit.
3. Austin Wells, C New York Yankees
Austin Wells finally went deep in Triple-A and the wait was well worth it. Check out this majestic shot he hit to end his home run drought:
Austin Wells just hit his first Triple-A home run 473 FEET 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/R9WnEyd3ua
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 16, 2023
This is the kind of raw power that has me so excited about Wells as a prospect. He has an innate ability to pull the baseball which is going to pair perfectly with the short porch at Yankee Stadium. His strong understanding of the strike zone fueling a high walk rate should not go unnoticed if you are playing in an OBP League. The Yankees are hanging around in the playoff picture and are currently getting next to no offensive production from their catchers. They are in desperate need of a spark and Wells can provide that. He is a strong stash option if you are in need of help at catcher late this season.
4. Colton Cowser, OF Baltimore Orioles
After spending several weeks toward the top of this list, Colton Cowser returns here in week 21. His first stint in the major leagues did not go quite as well as he and many in the fantasy community had hoped. Battling through inconsistent playing time, Cowser hit a measly .115 with zero home runs and just one stolen base. Although the results were discouraging, it was not all bad. He still managed to walk over 16% of the time with a line drive rate of 25%. His results were partially impacted by a .175 BABIP and fantasy managers should not draw any rash conclusions based on a 26-game sample size.
Although the Orioles’ roster is seemingly full right now, Cowser is only one injury away from being back in the major leagues. Rosters also expand at the beginning of September at which point the team could bring Cowser back. This is an extremely talented player and fantasy managers should not be too quick to move on. He is a strong stash option if he was dropped in any leagues.
5. Everson Pereira, OF New York Yankees
| AVG | HR | SB | BB% | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .300 | 16 | 9 | 8.7% | 28.8% |
Everson Pereira’s Triple-A numbers have started to come back down to earth. After a scorching hot start, he has just one home run since the start of August and is batting .200 since August 5th. Even with the decline in recent performance, Pereira’s upside is obvious. He has tremendous raw power which has led to consistently high HR/FB percentages. Once in the major leagues, Pereira is an outfielder with 30 home run potential which makes him an instant fantasy asset.
The part that makes Pereira such a valuable stash is the lack of outfield options for the Yankees at the major league level. The team remains without a true left fielder and the options they are trotting out there on a nightly basis are simply not getting the job done. Pereira has already started 11 games in left down in Triple-A as the Yankees continue to prepare him for a major league promotion. He will need to pick things back up at the plate to earn a promotion, but he is worth stashing if you are looking for outfield help.
6. Colt Keith, 3B Detroit Tigers
Colt Keith slides down a spot in this week’s update although he still remains a valuable stash option. Keith hit home runs in back-to-back games on August 11th and 12th and is slugging over .500 since the start of the month. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Keith is up to 19 home runs on the season and has the raw power for 25+ home runs despite playing his future home games in Comerica Park.
The Tigers are not going to the playoffs in 2023, but that does not mean they do not have anything to play for. With third base, designated hitter, and two-thirds of the outfield up for grabs in 2024, the team is going to take a close look at their top prospects in the month of September. Keith is the highest-ranked prospect in Detroit’s system and is worth a stash on your fantasy teams.
7. Jackson Chourio, OF Milwaukee Brewers
The closer we get to the end of the season, the more likely it becomes that the Brewers promote Jackson Chourio. Chourio is one of the game’s top prospects and is currently dominating Double-A. To maintain rookie eligibility in 2024, Chourio cannot eclipse 130 at-bats this season. At this point, we are drawing close to a prospect being able to come up and play full-time without exceeding that threshold. The Brewers will not want to promote Chourio to have him sit on the bench and pretty soon he will be able to play every day. Although the team may opt to wait until 2024, Chourio has as much upside as any prospect on this list. He has five-category potential making him a stash consideration.
Tyrone Taylor is currently getting the majority of playing time in the outfield for Milwaukee. He has been playing well recently although he does not have a long track record of success at the major league level. Mark Canha has also picked things up at the plate recently. Those players represent the most likely spots for Chourio to break through. If both players sustain their strong play, the team is likely to wait until next season to take a look at Chourio.
8. Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B/OF Detroit Tigers
| AVG | HR | SB | BB% | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .280 | 18 | 4 | 18.0% | 23.4% |
Although Justyn-Henry Malloy is struggling a bit lately in the average department, his on-base skills have been on full display. Since the start of August, Malloy has been walking over 25% of the time bringing his season-long OBP up to .412. At this point, it is fair to question if Malloy is simply too advanced to still be in Triple-A. His zone understanding is amongst the best in all of minor league baseball. Oh, and do not forget about his power which was on full display with this home run:
Justyn-Henry Malloy has a home run and 2 doubles tonight. OBP over .400 for the season. It’s time for him to get a chance in Detroit.#RepDetroit
pic.twitter.com/5ltxKHksNl— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) August 16, 2023
Malloy has played both third base and right field this season down in Triple-A. There is a clear hole in Detroit’s lineup in both the outfield and third base for Malloy to break through with the major league club. He is a prime stash candidate and somebody who gets a major boost if you are playing in an OBP league.
9. Tyler Gentry, OF Kansas City Royals
Tyler Gentry holds onto the ninth spot on this week’s list. After playing extremely well early on in the second half, Gentry has cooled off a bit at the plate. Since August 8th, Gentry has been batting under .200 with a strikeout rate of over 30%. This being said, Gentry should not be judged on such a small sample. Every hitter is entitled to cold stretches and hopefully, Gentry can snap out of it soon. When things are going well, he is a player who can deposit balls into the gaps with solid power and excellent on-base skills.
Even with Nelson Velázquez playing well at the major league level, there is still plenty of room for Gentry in the Royals lineup. Kyle Isbel has been over 30% worse than the league average offensively this season and Drew Waters has not been much better. Gentry is already 24 years old and the Royals will surely want to take a look at him this season. He is a strong stash option for the remainder of this season.
10. Jackson Merrill, SS San Diego Padres
Wait. Timeout. Another 19-year-old is cracking the Stash List? Yes, Jackson Merrill is the newest member to join this list of players to consider stashing for this season. While the idea might sound outlandish, the Padres apparently are heavily considering adding their top prospect to the roster. The thing is, we have seen them do this before. Fernando Tatis Jr. made his major league debut before many expected and then they did the same with CJ Abrams before dealing him to Washington.
For the first time all season, Merrill was playing the outfield this past week signalling a potential effort to find an opening for him on San Diego’s roster. If San Diego can hang around the playoff race, they could look to promote Merrill, and fantasy managers need to be ready.
Merrill has rare contact skills for a player his age and between High-A and Double-A he is striking out under 12% of the time. He also has been working to get more launch on the ball as the season has moved along. He has seen his slugging percentage increase throughout the season as a result of this and is batting .338 since June 30th. You should be stashing prospects based on upside. Merrill has as much as anybody on this list. He is a strong stash option as long as San Diego is in the race.
On The Bubble
In no particular order, the top five hitters that were in consideration for inclusion to this list were: Parker Meadows, Addison Barger, Darell Hernaiz, Yonathan Perlaza, and Kyle Manzardo.
What do you think about the returns of Xavier Edwards and Matt Mervis, both in terms of impact and proximity?
Mervis I think could come up in September and have some impact although I am skeptical he gets regular at-bats. Same with Edwards although I do not think Edwards will have much fantasy impact.