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The Stash List Week 21: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2025

Top 10 pitching prospects to stash in redraft league

John Villavicencio
Dynasty 8/16/2025

The Pitcher Edition of the Stash List highlights the 10 best pitching 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. Last year, we saw more pitching prospects make their debut than ever before, and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2025. Keep reading to find out the top ten pitchers 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 and roster percentages will be updated weekly.
  • Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.

 

The Stash List

 

Graduates/Call-Ups

 

The following prospects got the call to the major leagues within the last week:

Cade Cavalli (WSH) flashed 100 mph on the radar gun as his arm health builds back up to 97+ mph from his pre-injury days. The movement is fairly average, but he is showing a four-pitch mix that should help ease him back into facing Major League lineups. Over 9.1 innings, Cavalli has nine strikeouts, four walks, and gave up all four earned runs in his last start.

Kai-Wei Teng (SFG) is assuming a starter role with Carson Whisenhunt being demoted. Teng throws five pitches with his four-seamer in the 93 mph range. The vertical and horizontal movement are average, but he does get a 110 Stuff+ rating on the curve. He has eight strikeouts and four walks over 8.1 innings, taking a step forward in the second start with five innings of shutout ball. Yet, he was subsequently blasted for a bunch of runs against the Padres and didn’t make it out of the second inning. Look for him to find another role in the bullpen or be optioned back to Sacramento.

Hurston Waldrep (ATL) has a splitter that is excelling within his five-pitch mix. The split-fingered fastball is humming in at 87 mph with minimal drop and break, but has a 192 Stuff+ mark. He has ten strikeouts and three walks over 11.2 innings and two victorious starts. Although the Braves are turning to a six-man rotation, Waldrep is a definite add.

Yoendrys Gómez (CHW) is a deep league add for the potential of continuing gains he has shown as a starter with the White Sox. Yet, the data from his August 12th start shows that his velocity was not remarkably changed at 93.5 mph. He was able to generate 16 whiffs and seven strikeouts over five innings. The slider or possibly sweeper posted a 120 Stuff+ mark for the game with 15 inches of break.

Nolan McLean (NYM) is getting the nod over Sproat for a Saturday start. Everyone is talking about the sweeper, and it’s 15 inches of break and 3,000+ rpm of spin, so let’s see how it fares against Major League hitters. His next three most-used pitches are different versions of the fastball, so he should be able to keep hitters off balance with their varied movement and velocity.

Luinder Avila (KCR) was recalled as bullpen depth to replace Hunter Harvey (15-day IL, right abductor strain). Avila had made four consecutive starts as an opener in Triple-A Omaha. After flashing potential in an 11-strikeout game in April, he has not done much else. He had one strikeout in one inning on August 13.

 

Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash

 

1. Mick Abel, RHP, Minnesota Twins

2025 AAA Stat line: 83.1 IP | 2.16 ERA | 27.3 K% | 11.1 BB% 

2025 MLB Stat line: 25.0 IP | 5.04 ERA | 19.4 K% | 8.3 BB%

 

The prevailing narrative is that Mick Abel will be summoned to join Minnesota’s rotation immediately, with a few open spots. Yet, Travis Adams got the first chance, and Jose Urena materialized out of thin air. With a closer inspection of the games started and innings pitched, those two pitchers are simply biding time for Abel and Taj Bradley with their short outings. Abel will need to demonstrate greater control before he gets a chance with his new organization. Over two St. Paul starts, he has returned some of the strikeout upside with 12 strikeouts over 9.1 innings. Yet, he has only a 60% strike rate while allowing six walks (16.6% walk rate). Finding the zone at a higher percentage of the time will be crucial as the 6’5″ righty approaches a career high in innings pitched (113.1 in 2023).

In Triple-A Lehigh Valley with Philadelphia, Abel used a four-seamer almost half of the time, followed by the slider, curveball, sinker, and changeup. He was averaging 95 mph with the fastballs, with the curveball being his best whiff pitch (36% whiffs). Over a small sample of two games, he has faded the sinker and used more changeups. Turns out that he has faced a lot of left-handed batters, and this pitch mix is what he does to keep lefties off balance. Nevertheless, the changeup (45% whiff) has joined his curveball (41% whiff) as the best whiff pitches in his arsenal. The trouble in his control appears to lie with the fastball, which has a 25% walk rate. In his August 10th start against Iowa, he allowed four walks, two of them on the fastball. Abel held the line, with none of his walks coming around to score. Although he put himself in a few difficult positions with multiple baserunners, he was able to get out of them with his 49% groundball rate, setting up two double plays.

Abel doesn’t have the same risk as other prospects who may be shut down for hitting an innings limit. He is also pitching for a decent team that is in a down year. Abel is a solid stash as a pitcher with a deep arsenal who could max out at a 20% K%-BB% in the stretch run of the season.

 

2. Robby Snelling, LHP, Miami Marlins

2025 AA, AAA Stat line: 106.0 IP | 2.89 ERA | 29.8 K% | 6.67 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 115.2 IP | 5.15 ERA | 22.6 K% | 8.9 BB%

 

While the trades never did happen, Robby Snelling has climbed up to the number two spot on the weekly stash list for his strikeout prowess and strong stuff. He has started six Triple-A games for Jacksonville, gaining strength over each subsequent appearance. Over this period, he has had two 11-strikeout games and stretched out to 100 pitches without any erosion of skills or performance. His walk rate (7% to 5%), strikeout rate (28% to 33%), strike rate (65% to 69%), swinging strike rate (13% to 15%), and groundball rate (52% to 42%) have all held their ground or improved from Double-A to Triple-A. With this sustained excellence, Snelling is on an exponential trajectory to a debut with Miami in September.

Over six Triple-A starts, Snelling has posted 43 strikeouts to seven strikeouts in 33.2 innings. Furthermore, he has reached six or more innings for four consecutive starts. In 2024, he accumulated 115.1 innings, so any concerns over a workload limit are put to rest with 106 innings in the books for 2025. A high walk rate was creeping up in 2024, but he has avoided that issue so far in 2025 with a new pitch mix. Previous scouting reports state that his stuff was viewed as basic with a below-average slider. This season, he has leaned on a fastball and curveball combination that has produced at least a 32% whiff rate and only a handful of walks.

Against Norfolk on August 13, this duo generated 11 of 13 total whiffs. The curve is breaking almost ten inches and falling 46 inches. He has brought his fastball velocity up to 98 mph, but it tends to sit at 95 mph with 16 inches of IVB. The changeup was also a strong pitch on the night with its 12 inches of cut and two whiffs. Either way, Snelling has not let up much hard contact, with only three home runs allowed and a .336 slugging percentage in his time with the Jumbo Shrimps. Snelling is soaring and ready to graduate from the small pond to the large seas with Miami as they make an improbable push to the playoffs.

 

3. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

2025 AAA Stat line: 96.2 IP | 3.82 ERA | 27.6 K% | 11.4 BB%

2024 MiLB Stat line: 119.2 IP | 3.08 ERA | 30.9 K% | 8.6 BB%

 

It is almost certain that Bubba Chandler has heard the chatter about his overhyped prospect status by now. He is a fierce competitor who must be working extra hard to demonstrate that his talents have not declined and that he remains one of the top pitchers in the Minor Leagues. He has not earned the call-up as expected a few weeks ago and has not pitched particularly well as of late to demand any consideration for that jump.

Yet, the stuff is still top-notch and will come together at some point, whether that happens this season or in 2026. Over the last seven games, he has been performing at a 50-50 level, just as his 3-3 record indicates. The good half includes the two six-inning shutout starts, 36 strikeouts (23% strikeout rate), 12% swinging strikes, two 20+ whiff games, and a 64% strike rate. The bad half weighs the good down with 15 walks (9.5% walk rate), 15 earned runs (4.58 ERA), .500 SLG, and a 68% fly ball rate that has led to five home runs. With the Triple-A season winding down by mid-September, we can safely assume that he is not going to be a major contributor to your fantasy teams in 2025.

Despite all the naysayers, Chandler still demonstrates elite-level velocity and movement on his two best pitches. The changeup movement, 16.4 inches of break, is in the 88th percentile of tracked Minor Leaguers who have thrown the pitch over 100 times, but it is in the 99th percentile for its 91.5 average velocity. Overall, his second most used pitch has a 32% whiff rate, a .233 average against, and .257 wOBA. The fastball is in the 86th percentile for its induced vertical break at 18 inches, but the 97th percentile for its 98 mph average velocity. The four-seamer is his most used pitch with a .219 average against, a .312 wOBA, and an above-average 33% whiff rate. Lately, though, the fastball has been more hittable, giving up a .359 wOBA that includes three home runs over the last seven games. It’s been showing a touch less movement and velocity, and also not hitting competitive spots around the zone.

In his most recent start against Omaha, the fastball showed out with a solid 47% zone rate, a robust ten whiffs, and a 37% CSW. He touched triple digits and averaged 98 mph over 49 throws. Nevertheless, his defense failed him on two miscues that cost the team runs, and it cost Chandler more pitches. He wasn’t able to reach the fifth inning for the third time out of those last seven games. His final line on the day was three earned runs allowed on six hits and two walks over four innings. The 14 whiffs helped produce only three strikeouts and weren’t enough to keep him in the game. It will take some convincing for some people, but Chandler is still among the top prospect arms to stash given his strikeout upside with two high-level pitches.

 

4. Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

2025 A, AAA Stat line: 87.2 IP | 5.24 ERA | 23.4 K% | 8.4 BB%

2024 AFL Stat line: 15.2 IP | 2.30 ERA | 30.5 K% | 6.7 BB%

 

These days, Andrew Painter is just “working on stuff” in his second full pro season as he doesn’t feel any added pressure given that he hasn’t made the “July-ish” debut. He is the most likely to face workload limitations on this list, with virtually no innings thrown in 2024. There is a risk-of-injury-pulling to reward-of-pushing dynamic playing out that likely tips in favor of preserving his arm for the 2026 season. This means that Painter is a bullpen risk a la Jackson Jobe in Detroit last postseason. This means his contribution to your fantasy team will be lighter than anticipated at the start of the season.

In addition to the inning concerns, his performance has tumbled each month. Since June 1, Painter has accumulated 57 strikeouts to 24 walks over 59.1 innings and 12 games. The most concerning area is the .540 slugging against him with 13 home runs allowed. He gave up two more home runs in his August 10th start against Scranton, raising his season total to 16. His stuff is flashing both bad and the potential for better outcomes. Despite having 19 whiffs in the game, he also allowed nine hits, nine hard-hit balls, and six extra-base hits. The velocity was still humming at 97 mph, but the four-seamer had two inches less of IVB. He faded the cutter in favor of the curveball and changeup. Those pitch mix shifts are likely due to the handedness of the opposition, but the curveball and changeup have been his better strikeout pitches anyway. The overall line was seven runs allowed on nine hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. He was able to salvage six strikeouts on a 64% strikeout rate.

In training for a long-distance triathlon, there is a concept of building one’s base for endurance. Athletes may spend 1-2 years doing cardiovascular training to establish a strong base in each of the three disciplines for the hours-long competition. Maybe this season was always going to be a foundation-building year for Painter, given his injury history and lack of innings. In the long view, this isn’t a horrible strategy, but it wasn’t what we were sold at the start of the year. The player shouldn’t have to suffer from our high hopes, but it would have been nice to get a more honest evaluation much earlier in the summer.

 

5. Quinn Mathews, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals

2025 AAA Stat line: 70.0 IP | 3.60 ERA | 27.8 K% | 16.9 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 143.1 IP | 2.76 ERA | 35.4 K% | 8.6 BB%

 

It was all puppy dogs and kittens for Quinn Mathews until sometime earlier this season when his shoulder started barking at him. He landed on the injured list for just over a month in April and May. He posted mediocre results as he worked back to full strength without any noteworthy results until August 1st, when he popped off for nine strikeouts and 22 whiffs over 6.2 innings. Quite easily, his best start of the year highlighted how elite the changeup can be, as the pitch generated ten whiffs with its 14 inches of armside break. He backed up that start with a seven-inning gem that included another nine strikeouts and 21 whiffs. Mathews was still snapping off changeups with 15 inches of movement in the last frame of that game when that pitch produced 13 whiffs. It was Quinn Mathews morphing back into the good version right before our eyes.

That was gravy all until this most recent game, when Mathews continued an undesirable trend with his fastball. Kareem, who writes about St. Louis Cardinals prospects, posted a graph of Mathews’ average fastball velocity by game in 2025. The line plot shows a red dot high up at 94.7 mph to start the season. Right before his stint on the injured list, the velocity fell to 92.6 mph before peaking upon his return at 94.9. From there, his velocity ping pongs between 92-93 before cratering at 91.4 mph in August. Graphs will always mean different things to different people, but throwing one’s fastball three less ticks than usual is objectively worse for one’s overall outcomes.

Yet, you, the intelligent and experienced fantasy baseball general manager, will remain curious and ask other questions about what happened during these games with the diminished velocity. In his shortened start on August 13, Mathews had two high-stress innings where he threw 25 and 31 pitches. The final line was ugly, but the scoring summary shows that he had six strikeouts through two innings and, in fact, was working on a scoreless start after two outs in the third. During that third inning, he was still firing off changeups with 15 inches of break, but the fastball velocity began dipping to 90. His final three four-seamers that came after the Dominic Fletcher three-run home run were 90.9, 88.8, and 90.1. It is possible that the 88 mph pitch was miscategorized, but it turns out that it was a “get-it-in” fastball on a 3-0 count, thus weighing heavily on his overall average velocity.

Mathews didn’t appear injured or holding back, so it’s safe to say that he just didn’t have the same level of polish as he had in those other two starts. The more concerning factor was the reduced effectiveness of his changeup. It only had four whiffs. His final line was three earned runs on six hits, including the three-run home run. He also allowed three walks, but balanced that out with seven strikeouts out of the 17 batters faced. Let’s see how Mathews responds in his next start before casting him out based on the reduced fastball velocity.

 

6. Brandon Sproat, RHP, New York Mets

2025 AAA Stat line: 104.1 IP | 4.40 ERA | 20.7 K% | 10.8 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 116.1 IP | 3.40 ERA | 28.3 K% | 9.1 BB%

 

After a brutal start to the season, Brandon Sproat spent the last two months signalling with his performance that he was justified in being tabbed as the number one Mets pitching prospect entering 2025. For the seven-game stretch before his August 14th start, Sproat had a 4-0 record with 43 strikeouts, 13 walks, five earned runs, and only one home run allowed. It was a great stretch where the changeup had a 46% whiff rate, the sweeper (not as renowned as McLean’s) was at 34% whiffs, and the 97 mph was at a 31% whiff rate. Sproat wasn’t allowing many runners, and when he did give up a hit, they tended to be weak contact with a .214 slugging over the seven games.

In his Thursday night start against Rochester, his earned run total matched that dominant stretch as he was punished for allowing any free passes. All three runners who got on via the walk came around to score. Sproat only gave up one extra base hit and three hard-hit balls overall, but the lack of control was what ended up getting him evicted from the game. Throwing 55% strikes will seldom get the job done. Overall, he finished 3.1 innings with six runs allowed, five earned, on three hits and three walks. He had six strikeouts on 12 whiffs.

The exciting thing about both McLean and Sproat is that they can be effective with all of their wide 5-pitch arsenal. I had deemed Sproat as the more likely prospect to get the first look because of his pre-season ranking, his higher fastball velocity, and improved performance over the last two months. No matter how good the stuff is, it won’t matter if he can’t locate it in competitive spaces in and around the zone. Although Sproat was passed over this weekend, we should expect him to get a look in the New York bullpen. I will look for better outcomes from the changeup (16 inches of armside break) and the curveball (12 inches of gloveside break) to lead his path to a Major League call-up.

 

7. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

2025 AA, AAA Stat line: 82.1 IP | 3.17 ERA | 41.9 K% | 10.4 BB% 

2024 NCAA Stat line: 93.1 IP | 2.03 ERA | 40.4 K% | 8.9 BB%

 

The player with the highest release point tracked in Minor League Baseball is Trey Yesavage. He is averaging a 7.2-foot release point across his four-pitch mix. (Truth be told, AJ Blubaugh has a single eephus pitch listed at 7.93 feet, but that is an extreme outlier.) The 6’4″ righty was recently promoted to Triple-A Buffalo and has a high probability of making it to the Major Leagues in September. That would mean that he moved through all five levels of professional baseball in one season, a tremendous feat achieved after his draft year. Although there have been a few minor hiccups with a high walk rate, Yesavage has beasted his way to a 42% strikeout rate after posting a 43% in Single-A, 47% in High-A, 38% in Double-A. We are excited to see what he will do against stiffer competition as a prelude to what he can do with the Blue Jays.

We all love the strikeout numbers, but eventually, we need to discuss the walks. Guess what?! Yesavage hasn’t solved the problem, but he has greatly improved his control this season while managing a solid 65% strike rate. Notably, over his last three outings, he has not allowed a walk and achieved a 67% strike rate. Furthermore, he has not reached his 2024 innings total yet, having reached 93.1 innings at East Carolina University. Toronto can legitimately call him up and expect a substantial workload without dramatically taxing him. Over his last three games in Double-A, he has 23 strikeouts to zero walks, while allowing three earned runs on eight hits and one home run. The long ball could be an issue for him in Triple-A and the Major Leagues, as his fly ball rate has ballooned to 63% in Double-A over appearances. The downward angle of his pitches may lend itself more to the upward trajectory of hitters’ swing paths. He seems to have confronted that likelihood by mixing in more cutters and changeups. As expected with all prospects, he may experience a few growing pains in the first few games before making his adjustments to the new environment.

It is evident that Toronto is priming Yesavage for a call-up. The organization has until midnight on August 31 to add him to the 40-man roster for the most straightforward way to make sure he can be a part of their postseason. He didn’t have a good debut with four walks over 1.2 innings, but we will give him more scrutiny in the next start. Say yes to Yesavage on your stash list!

 

The Next Wave of Prospect Arms

 

The next three players have significant upside in 2026, having demonstrated consistent strikeout skill while managing an acceptable walk rate. In addition, they are each at least 6’5″, which is becoming more commonplace across mounds in the Minor Leagues, as everyone seems to be eating a lot of Wheaties with whole milk these days. Although you may not play in a dynasty league, fantasy managers in redraft leagues should familiarize themselves with the next big wave of pitching prospects who could start the season on their big league club.

 

8. Thomas White, LHP, Miami Marlins

2025 AA Stat line: 65.2 IP | 2.47 ERA | 37.5 K% | 11.4 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 96.0 IP | 2.81 ERA | 29.2 K% | 9.2 BB%

 

The Miami Marlins have done a splendid job developing pitching talent, but they need to work on keeping those arms healthy for an entire season. With injuries to Max Meyer, Ryan Weathers, and Braxton Garrett, it is hard to picture where the open spots are. The organization has done well to restock with additions like Robby Snelling, but they have another standout arm that could be a fast riser in Double-A with Thomas White.

White is another one of these stocky pitchers who is excelling with a one-two combo of the fastball and slider. The fastball is around 95 mph with great location. It does seem to add another tick or two when he snaps his wrist a bit more. It usually works well in partnership with a strong sweeping slider that he locates well low in the zone, but high enough to tease a swing and miss. The delivery is smooth with no awkward hitches, getting average extension on each throw. Obviously, he will need to strengthen any third offering, which may come in the form of a changeup. White was already a hyped prospect, but his 14-strikeout performance on June 26 versus Knoxville solidified his place among the prospect pitchers hierarchy. In addition to the 20 whiffs, he did not walk a single batter and barely allowed any balls in play. His strikeout strength is supported by a 17% swinging strike rate on the season. Besides improving his control, the fly ball rate has trended upwards to 41%, something that has not translated into home runs as of yet.

For an organization with a history of early call-ups, White could easily follow in Eury Perez’s path to a Major League debut in his age-21 season in 2026. This assumes he develops more confidence in a third pitch and brings down the walk rate closer to 10%. Over his last four games, White has already demonstrated this ability with 33 strikeouts (44% strikeout rate) to six walks (7.5% walk rate).

 

9. Ty Johnson, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

2025 AA Stat line: 86.2 IP | 2.60 ERA | 34.0 K% | 9.7 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 84.0 IP | 2.79 ERA | 36.0 K% | 7.8 BB%

 

Ty Johnson is the tallest out of this trio of Minor League arms, but he acts like he is even taller than that. His windup begins with flexed knees like he is trying to fit through a low doorway, before he launches into his motion. He has a strong pushoff that gets above-average extension. Johnson finishes his pitches with a short arm action and low release point. With all of those long levers, he sometimes finishes in an awkward position, but is athletic enough to make plays around the mound. Like White, he uses a fastball and slider combination to keep hitters off balance. He often attempts to locate the 95 mph fastball with pinpoint accuracy in the shadows of the zone. This strategy appears to help him nibble with the slider. He is throwing enough strikes (66% strike rate) and controlling the walks (9.7% walk rate) to make this attack plan for now. The question will be what happens with tougher competition and greater inclusion of a third pitch.

Johnson is displaying excellent strikeout skills consistently throughout 2025. He has surpassed a 30% strikeout rate each month, while alleviating any concerns over control with lower and lower walk rates each month. At 17.9% swinging strikes for the season, Johnson is showing that the 1-2 punch is fooling a lot of Double-A hitters. At 23 years old, he may be aging out of the level, so a Triple-A promotion is impending. His batted ball profile does show a recent increase in the fly ball rate, but that has yet to turn into home runs or blow-up starts. Over his last seven games, he has allowed two home runs, yet has easily made up for it with 51 strikeouts against ten walks.

With Travis Sykora going down to injury, Johnson is the next player to pin lofty dreams upon for what he could do once he harnesses all the length from his 6’6″ frame. It will be curious to see how Tampa helps Johnson develop as a pitcher and whether or not they keep him as a starter.

 

10. Trey Gibson, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

2025 A+,AA,AAA Stat line: 96.0 IP | 2.91 ERA | 36.2 K% | 8.2 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 92.0 IP | 3.72 ERA | 30.3 K% | 10.0 BB%

 

The Orioles are in desperate need of starting pitching to balance a hitting-heavy active roster. At the 2025 trade deadline, Baltimore did well to acquire a few standout arms in Wellington Aracena, Juaron Watts-Brown, and Boston Bateman, along with a handful of other pitchers. Restocking the farm system with talent was a vital move after experiencing injury setbacks to Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, and Chayce McDermott, along with Double-A rising star Braxton Bragg. The Orioles were supposed to be in the middle of their competitive window, but are lagging because they cannot maintain a healthy rotation. Enter the sturdy Trey Gibson, 6’5″ 240 240-pound righty, who is averaging 75 pitches per appearance over 19 games with a solid 65 strike rate. Gibson is a must-have development for a Major League roster with big holes, having a strike-throwing, strikeout-inducing arm that is demonstrating consistency over the entire season.

Gibson gets hitters with a solid slider and curveball combination. The curve gets a higher grade with its big vertical drop and variety of landing spots, both high and low in the zone. The slider picks up the side-to-side movement that is not present in the curveball. His fastball sits mid-90s with tailing action. He also gets high marks for his elite extension. Overall, the mix has proven reliable with a 66% strike rate on the season, yet he does misfire pitches at times and has seen his strike rate decrease to 64% in ten Double-A games. Nevertheless, his walk rate has not changed, even with two four-walk games on his resume. The walk rate has remained steady at 8.5% through two levels, while the strikeouts have come down from their 40% level in Single-A. Gibson is eliciting a 13% swinging strike from Double-A hitters and keeping a strong 32% strikeout rate. Furthermore, he is turning on the whiff power over the last four games with 32 strikeouts (39% strikeout rate), heavily outweighing three walks (3.7% walk rate) against 82 batters faced. There was concern early in the season as the home runs were mounting in High-A, but Gibson has found an antidote within his pitch mix that has limited the long ball to only one that occurred in his Double-A debut. The batted ball profile has remained steady around 49% groundballs, lending credence that the early-season home run woes were a small-sample anomaly.

Gibson is blossoming into a steady contributor who has a strikeout pedigree. The obvious next step is to see how his talents work with Triple-A Norfolk after being promoted on August 11. His debut was solid with six strikeouts over five scoreless innings. The extension was above-average, around 6.8 feet, for his entire arsenal, and he averaged 95.6 mph on the fastball. There may have been a few classification issues, as some cutters may have been sliders and some sinkers may have been four-seamers, so assessing the full mix will need to wait until he throws more pitches. For an organization desperately in need of his abilities, he is a rapid riser on your watch list for 2026.

 

On The Bubble

 

Here are the next several pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list:

Henry Baez (ATH), Didier Fuentes would be here, but was placed on the 7-day IL for an undisclosed injury (ATL), Payton Tolle (BOS), Chase Petty gets a spot with Chase Burns landing on the 15-day IL (CIN), Parker Messick (CLE), George Klassen (LAA), Jonah Tong promoted to AAA (NYM), & Blade Tidwell (SFG).

 

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