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)
After almost two full years on the Stash List, Owen Caissie finally made his big league debut with the Cubs in his home country, against the Blue Jays, on Thursday. Caissie’s 145 wRC+ and .420 wOBA would be his best full-season marks since his 2021 campaign, in which his 150 wRC+ was buoyed by a 32 game stint in the Complex League. His batted ball metrics (92.1 AVG EV, 51.2% Hard Hit) aren’t quite “Basallo-good”, but they’re one tier below, which is still above average by MLB’s standards. Over a full big league season, Caissie could threaten 30+ homers despite a high K% limiting his AVG/OBP output.The Cubs need help, and fast. Tuesday’s loss to the Blue Jays marked the fifth time in the last seven games that the team has failed to score more than three runs. A team consisting of Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and first-half MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong have put together less offensive production than nine Eli White’s (.679 OPS) would have in that time. Caissie should help remedy some of those issues, but he’s far from a blanket fix.
The Orioles finally decided to add one of their top prospects to their Major League roster. He may not have the same ceiling as the other Oriole on this list, but Dylan Beavers‘ outstanding 2025 season has put him in pole position to lock down an everyday outfield spot for the last 1.5 months of this season and beyond. By Beavers’ standards, it’s been a slow August. By most players’ standards, it’d be a good two weeks. Beavers is hitting .265 with four homers, a 1.092 OPS and 182 wRC+ in the nine games since the start of the month. The batted ball numbers from that stretch are impressive too. Beavers’ average exit velocity of 93.3 miles an hour is almost four ticks higher than his season-long mark, and his 63% Hard Hit is up by more than 20%. If these improvements stick, Beavers’ ceiling goes from 15 home runs to 20-25+. That power potential, in tandem with his baserunning prowess (53 steals between ’24 and ’25), makes him a very desirable fantasy asset.
The Houston Astros brought in reinforcements to kick off the week, recalling Jacob Melton to their Major League roster. It’s the third time that the 25-year-old outfielder has been called upon to join the roster, and it yet to make a strong impression as of yet. Granted, he dealt with some injuries and has just 37 games between AAA and the Majors under his belt this season. Over the course of a full season, Melton is a threat for 20-25 homers and steals. However, with just over a month remaining in the regular season, and the risk of inconsistent playing time, Melton is a waiver wire add I’m wary of.
The Rays called up one of their trade deadline acquisitions, Everson Pereira, to make his debut with the team on Monday. The 24-year-old outfielder hit the ground running, going 2-5 against the A’s in Sacramento. Pereira made a compelling case to be called up before his trade, mashing 19 homers and stealing nine bases. In his short stint in the minors with the Rays, he was even better. Pereira hit two homers and drove in five runs in his first eight games. He’ll have to compete with Chandler Simpson for playing time in center field, but Pereira has a much more well-rounded offensive profile which should keep him in the lineup most nights. Pereira won’t put up insane numbers, but he’s a “safe floor” player as long as he gets at bats every night.
Whether or not he’s a prospect is a matter of opinion, but Tampa Bay called up Robert Seymour nonetheless. The 26-year-old first baseman has a clear calling card: his power. After mashing 28 homers with a 139 wRC+ last season between AA and AAA, he’s back to his slugging ways this season. Seymour has already eclipsed the 30-homer mark to go with a .881 OPS and 121 wRC+. With Jonathan Aranda on the shelf with a fractured wrist, Seymour should get a good run of playing time down the stretch. He won’t provide any OBP or steal upside, but he hits homers. If you need power, Seymour is a intriguing buy-low option (10% rostered on Fantrax).
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. Samuel Basallo, C – Baltimore Orioles
As we get closer to the end of the season, the equation regarding stash value begins to change. For the first half of the season, proximity plays a major role in ranking prospects worth keeping on a bench spot, as there’s no point wasting a roster spot for 3+ months for one month of production. Now, with one month of the season remaining, that upside becomes immensely more valuable. Basallo is a rare case, because he is an example of both of these lines of thinking. The 21-year-old catcher has the most offensive upside in the Orioles organization, and arguably the most potential at his position compared to the rest of the minor leagues. Basallo leads all qualified MiLB catchers in SLG (.605) and ranks 3rd in OPS (.986) and wOBA (.420). He’s already set a new career-high in home runs, and could be the 4th catcher since 2006 to eclipse the 30 homer mark in the minors.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Basallo’s average exit velocity (94.3 mph) ranks second among AAA hitters this year, only behind Roman Anthony’s 95 mph mark set before his promotion. The other three names in the top five also have MLB service time under their belt. Basallo’s 57.1% hard hit rate would be fourth in the Majors, behind only Kyle Schwarber, Oneil Cruz and Shohei Ohtani. That’s pretty good company to keep despite being one of the youngest players in AAA. Should Basallo get called up, and all signs are pointing towards that being inevitable, he will be the 12th player 21 years old or younger to feature in MLB this year. In that group, which features Jackson Merrill, James Wood, and Junior Caminero, among others, Basallo has the potential to fit right in.
Author’s Note: Samuel Basallo was called up to the Majors on Sunday morning, after this article was submitted. He will join the “promotion” section next week and a new player will join the top ten.
2. Spencer Jones, OF – New York Yankees
As has been the case several times this season, the #1 and #2 spots on this list are separated by very little. The choice between Basallo and Spencer Jones was a choice between two players who have legitimate claims to hold the top spot, and is a true “1A or 1B” situation. They both carry immense offensive upside, but in very different ways. Basallo takes the top spot because of his more well-rounded offensive approach. He’s cut down his strikeout rate and increased his OBP, while maintaining 30-35 homer potential. Jones carries that same power, and could even exceed that projection and jump into the 40+ range over the course of a full season. However, he does that while carrying a strikeout rate near or above 30%, with his full-season mark from 2024 sitting closer to 40%. While he’s managed to get that mark down to 26% in 33 AAA games, that track record of whiff issues looms large, especially once he’s tasked with facing elite MLB pitching. Once you add in the crowded nature of New York’s roster and the lack of security in playing time, his 2025 value falls a tick below Basallo’s despite arguably possessing more offensive upside.
That upside has the potential to be truly special. His average exit velocity (94.1 mph) ranks in the top ten among AAA hitters (min. 300 pitches), and his 55.1% hard hit rate is in the same vicinity as Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Byron Buxton. Jones’ 36.7% whiff rate would be the worst in the Majors among qualified hitters, but his barrel rate (18.3%) would land himself in the top ten among that same group. He’s the epitome of a high-risk, high-reward player. If he was to be called up, the chances that Jones hits ten home runs in the final month of the season are about the same as the odds that he strikes out 50+% of the time. That said, it’s not impossible for high-strikeout hitters to break out once they get to the Majors. Colson Montgomery had a strikeout rate at 33% when he was promoted, and just mashed his 10th homer in 33 games. They’re two vastly different players, but the sentiment remains. Jones is a boom-or-bust addition. Should he bust, he’s a three-true-outcome hitter with more strikeouts than he’s worth for the rest of 2025. If he booms, he could be one of the most potent power threats in the league over the last few weeks of the year.
3. JJ Wetherholt, SS – St. Louis Cardinals
Are the Cardinals…not out of it yet? At the time of writing they’re 61-60 and just four games out of the last Wild Card spot. They’ve won six of their last ten, and just took series’ against the Cubs, Dodgers and (presumably) the Rockies. Despite being largely inactive at the deadline, St. Louis is still in a good position for 2025 and beyond. They traded away a large portion of their bullpen, but haven’t skipped a beat with Riley O’Brien and Matt Svanson emerging as solid pieces alongside Kyle Leahy and Jojo Romero. The offense may be inconsistent, but a core of Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, Iván Herrera is something to build around for this year and beyond. A big part of that “beyond” has flown through the minors in his first season of professional baseball, and is already knocking on the door of Busch Stadium for a 2025 debut.
Before the season, JJ Wetherholt was solidly inside most dynasty players’ top three in first-year player drafts, but his redraft value was significantly lower due to collegiate injury concerns and the long road through the minors. Now, just six months later, Wetherholt has the chance to be sixth player from the first round of the 2024 Draft to make his MLB debut. He’s one of 18 players 22 or younger to have at least 14 home runs and 16 stolen bases, and one of three players in that group to reach AAA. Wetherholt’s 1.032 OPS and .437 wOBA in 22 games would lead qualified AAA hitters, and his 155 season-long wRC+ ranks fifth among all minor leaguers. There’s no questions remaining about whether or not Wetherholt is ready for the Majors, and the roster spot is there for him. Nolan Arenado remains on the injured list, and while Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese have potential, they shouldn’t prevent St Louis from giving Wetherholt a shot. A debut is far from a certainty, but if he’s called up, run to the waiver wire and pick him up.
4. Bryce Eldridge, 1B – San Francisco Giants
In Basallo’s write up I discussed how upside is valued highly at this point of the season. Few players in AAA come close to the level of offensive potential present in Eldridge’s 6’7″ frame. It has not been a good week for Eldridge though, in the last five games, he has one hit (a home run on August 10th). He recorded multiple strikeouts in each of those games, totalling 11 in that span. Despite the struggles, Eldridge’s potential should be enough for fantasy managers to explore adding him to their rosters. The aforementioned homer is evidence of his upside. Eldridge was beat by an inside fastball, and hit what looked like a lazy fly ball to left field. A combination of the raw power that the lefty slugger possesses and the hitter friendly nature of Sutter Health Park helped to carry the ball over the left field fence for Eldridge’s 19th homer of the season.
The glaring issue that critics have with Eldridge are still the aforementioned strikeouts. His strikeout rate is hovering around 33% during his time in AAA, and pitchers have a clear game plan to retire the 21-year-old. The difference in whiff rates between fastballs (18%) and breaking balls (54.3%) is staggering. MLB pitchers will undoubtedly take notice of that discrepancy and avoid giving Eldridge any sort of fastball to hit. Thats the bad stuff covered. Now for the good news. Eldridge’s 95.5 mph AAA average exit velocity would rank 2nd among big league hitters, in between Oneil Cruz (96.4 mph) and Aaron Judge (94.8). His hard hit rate (58.9%) would also rank 2nd, only behind Kyle Schwarber among big leaguers. There’s improvements that need to be made, but that level of power warrants a speculative add should Eldridge get a chance to face MLB pitching this season.
5. Justin Crawford, OF – Philadelphia Phillies
Justin Crawford is entering rare territory that few Stash List regulars are ever unfortunate enough to venture into. He’s on the verge of “how in the world is he not on the MLB roster?” territory. At the time of writing, Crawford is on a ten-game hit streak, and registered multiple hits in four of those games. Of the 14 hits he recorded in that time, only three went for extra bases, and he only utilized his speed to the tune of three steals. Ideally, both of those numbers would be slightly higher, but Crawford also struck out just nine times, scoring 13 runs in the process. Crawford’s speed and bat-to-ball ability have the potential to change games, as he’s shown plenty of times in AAA. The time has come for him to make the same impact on the Major League stage.
In some cases, the underlying data doesn’t match the production on the field, which invites MLB organizations to balk at the chance to promote an exciting young talent. That’s not the case with Crawford. His average exit velocity (90 mph) and hard hit rate (41.7%) are both closer to the high-end of the rankings than they are to the bottom, and his 91.3% Z-Con rate is elite. The one blemish on Crawford’s resume is the 61.8% ground ball rate. With his speed, he can make up for that, but it’s easy to imagine what his production would look like if he could elevate the ball a little more. Despite the surplus of grounders, Crawford’s performance has warranted an audition on the Major League roster. Getting him playing time is far from a guarantee, but Crawford provides upside that his competitors currently on the roster do not possess.
6. Kristian Campbell, 2B – Boston Red Sox
Campbell’s breakout run was broken up by a three-game hitless drought, but that did little to diminish the 23-year-olds production in recent weeks. He responded by going on another streak, this time for four games. Since August 10th, he’s hitting .500 with two home runs and five RBI’s, and has only struck out twice. This recent streak has boosted his AAA OPS to .867, almost 200 points higher than his mark in the Majors before his demotion (.664). His wRC+ of 136 would lead all qualified second basemen this season, although Campbell has played all over the diamond this season. His batted ball data (83.7 AVG EV, 27.9% Hard Hit) remains a tier below where it was in the Majors, and that hasn’t changed despite the improved production. In those last four games, his hard hit rate still sits at 21%, and his AVG EV remains low, at 84 mph.
The one area that he has notably improved is in his plate approach. Campbell’s whiff numbers are down dramatically this month. From 30% in June, to under 20% now, Campbell’s whiff rate has steadily declined as he’s become more comfortable in AAA. After having a strikeout rate near 33% in his first month in the minors, that mark is now sitting at a much more respectable 25.4%. Those whiffs will likely go up once he’s faced with big league arms again, but it’s encouraging to see the strikeout numbers come down. Campbell has a spot waiting for him in the Majors, as his return would allow Ceddanne Rafaela to lock down center field every day with his stellar defense. That would displace one of Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony in the outfield, but the odd man out could take over the DH spot from Masataka Yoshida. Campbell’s improving, but he’s far from the sure thing many thought he would be at the start of the year.
7. Travis Bazzana, 2B – Cleveland Guardians
2024’s #1 overall pick will likely become the third member of the Guardians organization to feature prominently on the Stash List this season. After DeLauter’s injury and Kayfus’ promotion, Bazzana is the next top prospect in the organization to play himself into promotion talks. After being promoted on August 10th, the former Oregon State standout is now at his third MiLB level of the season, and is a serious candidate to join the MLB team when the rosters expand at the end of the month. It’s only been two games, but Bazzana is showing glimpses of his potential (and his drawbacks) that have made him the #15 prospect in baseball. His plate discipline was on full display in his Columbus debut, drawing three walks before registering his first hit and RBI the next night. During his 1-7 start, he’s struck out five times, which can be attributed to exposure to a higher echelon of pitching. If that continues, the concerns will grow, but his ~25% strikeout rate in High-A and AA indicate that his 50% mark in AAA so far will regress to the mean.
The two-game sample size isn’t enough to evaluate his Statcast data, but his batted ball numbers from the lower levels are encouraging. He pulls the ball over 50% of the time, and 35% of his batted balls are hit in the air. That’s a good combination in terms of power potential. Bazzana only had five home runs during his time in Akron, but he has the swing and the power to mash many more than that in the future. His closed to open swing generated some impressive homers in AA, and it will be intriguing to see how pitchers attack him for the rest of the season. If the 23-year-old can prove he can produce offense with the Clippers, there’s no reason for Cleveland not to give him a shot to earn the starting second base role for the last month of the season and for many seasons beyond 2025.
8. Sal Stewart, 3B – Cincinnati Reds
Despite an underwhelming offense and a pitching staff that’s dealt with injuries all season, the Cincinnati Reds are still 64-58 and are right in the midst of the playoff hunt. The talents of Elly De La Cruz and an elite starting pitching group have thrust the Reds into a dogfight for October. Considering their competition (San Diego, New York and Chicago especially), they’re going to need as much offense as they can get. Ke’Bryan Hayes’ glove is stellar, but his 55 wRC+ is a black hole in the lineup that Cincinnati just cannot afford in a season where every out matters. Lucky for the Reds, they have a slugger at that position who has been tearing up every level of the minor leagues. Sal Stewart was ranked as the organization’s #1 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s most recent update, and he’s now the #31 prospect in the sport.
Stewart’s performance since being promoted to AAA makes it clear to see why he holds those rankings. In 23 games in Louisville so far, he’s mashed six home runs, stolen three bases and has a 1.074 OPS. The latter number, and his 175 wRC+, would both be far and away the best marks at that level this season, albeit from a small sample size. Stewart possesses a mix of power (92.4 AVG EV, 48.7 Hard Hit %) plate discipline (29.5% Chase) and bat-to-ball ability (84.7% Z-Con, 21.7% Whiff). With corner infield prospects, usually at least one of those traits is below average. That’s not the case with Stewart. He has the potential to put up 25-30 home runs with double digit steals without compromising his OBP. Going forward, Stewart should slide in behind Elly De La Cruz in the Reds’ lineup and provide some extra pop to a lineup that could really use it (133 HR, 18th in MLB).
9. Jonathon Long, INF – Chicago Cubs
Simply put, times are getting desperate on the North Side of Chicago. Since the start of August, the stars that propelled the Cubs into World Series conversations have dimmed considerably. Kyle Tucker is hitting .140 in 49 plate appearances, and Pete Crow-Armstrong has a -1 wRC+. That’s not good enough production from a supposedly elite offense. Chicago’s lone offensive deadline addition, Willi Castro, provides defensive versatility, but a .161 AVG this month has done little to calm fans’ fears. Surprisingly, the best Cubs hitter this month has been Justin Turner (.465 wOBA, 206 wRC+), albeit in nine plate appearances. Chicago needs offensive production to come from somewhere. They’ve already called up one top performer in Owen Caissie. It might be time for them to call up another.
The biggest challenge in giving Jonathon Long a call up will be finding him a place to play. The concerns around Matt Shaw’s production have quieted since the former first rounder’s breakout second half (4 HR, 186 wRC+ in August), and Michael Busch has been remarkably consistent in a lineup that hasn’t been. Take nothing away from Long though, his performance this season more than warrants a call up to the Majors. Long’s 17 homers are evidence of his power, and his batted ball numbers have been solid (91.3 AVG EV, 48.9% Hard Hit). When you pair that with an 87% Z-Con rate and a 25.3% chase rate, it demonstrates that Long makes quality contact, and avoids expanding the zone. Those traits are something the Cubs desperately need (73 wRC+ in August, 29th in MLB), and they should do everything in their power to get Long onto the roster.
10. Jhostynxon Garcia, OF – Boston Red Sox
Boston’s farm system continues to bear fruit. By “fruit” I mean productive Major League hitters. The emergence of Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, on top of Kristian Campbell’s eventual rebound, has given the Red Sox a legitimate young core to build around for the next decade plus. Every good core needs their supporting cast, and the “big three” have an excellent candidate to be a part of that waiting for his chance in AAA. “The Password” broke onto the prospect scene last season with a 23 homer, 17 steal campaign over three minor league levels. Garcia started this season where he finished the last, in AA, but spent just 33 games there (118 wRC+) before earning a call-up to AAA. Since his promotion, he’s been even better. Garcia has 16 home runs in 61 games, posting a .924 OPS and .400 wOBA in that time. His 138 wRC+ with Worcester is the second-best on the team this season (min. 100 PA’s), behind only Anthony.
Garcia’s not a perfect prospect though. His walk rate (8.9%) has decreased significantly from his AA mark (13.0%), and his strikeout rate (27.3%) has jumped by 6% between the two levels. His AAA contact rate is below average (69.2%), and Garcia’s chase rate sits at around 35%. These aren’t dealbreakers, as we’ve seen prospects with similar profiles be successful against MLB pitching, but they’re numbers to be aware of. Those issues, alongside the lack of clear path to MLB at bat’s, keeps Garcia towards the bottom of this list. The Red Sox’s outfield is deep, and productive. Jarren Duran might be a trade candidate in the offseason, but his 113 wRC+ bat isn’t leaving the lineup now. Neither is Wilyer Abreu’s or Anthony’s. That leaves Garcia without a defensive home. Boston could call him up to man the DH spot or be a bench bat, but that would require some major roster moves. If Garcia is called up in 2025 and gets consistent playing time, he’s a good source of power. Otherwise, there are other options for fantasy managers to keep an eye on.
On The Bubble
Stash List
