The Pitcher Edition of the Stash List highlights the 10 best pitching 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 pitching prospects make their debut than ever before and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2024. 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 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 and rostership percentages will be updated weekly.
- Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.
The Stash List
Graduates/Call-Ups
Jack Leiter stumbled again on Wednesday in his fourth career start for the Rangers, giving up six hits and two runs in four innings against the White Sox. The 24-year-old was coming off 20 strikeouts in his last 9.1 innings in Triple-A, but he has a 12.83 ERA with a 2.40 WHIP in 13.1 frames for Texas. Leiter was sent back to Round Rock after the start, but he is expected to return to join the Rangers rotation for the month of September. He may not look like even a streaming option at this point, but Leiter could still be a fantasy asset down the stretch and could be held onto in deep leagues.
Samuel Aldegheri was victimized by a two-out error by Angels shortstop Zach Neto in the first inning of his MLB debut on Friday, leading to five unearned runs. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound lefty became the first pitcher born and raised in Italy, settling down to last for five innings with two unearned runs allowed. Aldeheri came over from the Phillies in the Carlos Estevez deal at the trade deadline. Aldegheri put up big strikeout totals in the minors between High-A and Double-A, combining for a 134-41 K-BB in 95.1 IP.
Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash
1. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Ranking: 1
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 23 IP | 1.17 ERA | 31.1 K% | 6.7 BB%
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 80.1 IP | 3.70 ERA | 29.4 K% | 8.1 BB%
Bubba Chandler lowered his Triple-A ERA to 1.17 on Wednesday, allowing one unearned run in five innings with five strikeouts against Louisville. The 21-year-old righty isn’t slowing down, averaging 97.1 mph on his four-seam fastball after averaging 95.7 mph in his previous start. Chandler continued to tweak his pitch mix, scrapping his curveball and leaning heavily on his fastball in his latest start.
Chandler is at 103.1 innings this season after 111 frames last year, so there could be about 30 innings left in his arm this season. The Pirates could give their fans something to spend the offseason getting excited about if they could see Chandler, Paul Skenes, and Jared Jones fronting their rotation down the stretch.
2. Jackson Jobe, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Previous Ranking: 2
2024 MiLB (AA) stat line: 59 IP | 2.14 ERA | 27.1 K% | 13.3 BB%
2024 MiLB (A+) stat line: 9 IP | 2.00 ERA | 24.2 K% | 6.1 BB%
Jackson Jobe lasted just 1.2 innings on Friday, coming out of the game due to reaching his one-inning pitch limit with 32 offerings in the second against Richmond. Jobe left with the bases loaded, but since the bullpen got out of the inning, the 22-year-old did not allow a run. The silver lining is that the 22-year-old only issued one walk after handing out 19 free passes over his previous 32.1 innings.
With time running out during the fantasy season, it does not look like the Tigers are in a hurry to get Jobe up to the majors. Jobe is at 75.2 innings after compiling 79.2 IP last year between the minors and the Arizona Fall League, so there still could be around 35 innings left in his right arm. The Tigers may want some of those to come in Detroit, so Jobe is still a top stash if you can stand the chance that he doesn’t even touch the majors this season. There’s Paul Skenes-type upside here, so Jobe is still worth stashing as a possible difference-maker down the stretch.
3. Yilber Diaz, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Ranking: N/R
2024 MLB Stat line: 20 IP | 4.05 ERA | 16.9 K% | 9.6 BB%
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 44.1 IP | 3.05 ERA | 31.5 K% | 7.2 BB%
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 54 IP | 4.33 ERA | 34.2 K% | 12.9 BB%
Yilber Diaz sliced and diced his way to 13 strikeouts in 6.2 innings on Tuesday in Triple-A, allowing one just earned run in the PCL’s version of Coors Field – Albuquerque’s Isotopes Park. It was the 24-year-old’s second 13-strikeout gem of the season with the previous time coming on July 1, precipitating his first promotion to Arizona. Diaz made four starts for the D’backs with one stinker (3 IP, 7 ER) stuck in between three solid outings (17 IP, 2 ER) before getting sent back to Reno. Diaz has a 2.82 ERA with a 29-4 K-BB in 22.1 innings since returning to the minors.
Arizona’s five-man rotation is currently full since the emergence of Ryne Nelson and the return of veterans Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly from IL stints. Kelly has a 6.75 ERA over four starts since returning to Arizona while Rodriguez has a 5.06 ERA in his first four outings of the season for the D’backs. With the D’backs currently clinging to one of the three NL wild-card spots while chasing after the Dodgers in the NL West, they can’t afford to wait on their veterans to get it going in the rotation when they have a dynamic arm ready to step up from down on the farm.
4. Kumar Rocker, RHP, Texas Rangers
Previous Ranking: N/R
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 5 IP | 0.00 ERA | 62.5 K% | 0.0 BB%
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 19.2 IP | 0.46 ERA | 40.8 K% | 4.2 BB%
2024 MiLB (Complex) Stat line: 7 IP | 6.43 ERA | 24.2 K% | 3.0 BB%
Kumar Rocker has been tearing through the minors since returning in July from Tommy John surgery, terrorizing Double-A with a 29-3 K-BB in 19.2 IP before striking out 10 in five scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut on Wednesday. After spending three years battling through injuries and surgeries on his pitching shoulder and elbow, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound righty finally looks like the guy who was dominating college baseball from 2019-21 for Vanderbilt. Rocker averaged 98.2 mph on his four-seam fastball and topped out a 99.9 on Wednesday. And his devastating slider was on full display, generating 11 whiffs and five called strikes on 26 pitches.
The Rangers may not want to push Rocker too hard, but since he’s ramped up to 67 pitches in his last start and has totaled just 31.2 innings on the season, there’s a chance he bullies his way to the majors for a few starts down the stretch. For those fantasy managers who’ve been stashing Jacob deGrom for the chance that he squeezes in a few dominant starts before the end of the season, Rocker offers a similar ceiling.
5. Caden Dana, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
Previous Ranking: 10
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 135.2 IP | 2.52 ERA | 27.4 K% | 7.3 BB%
Caden Dana is getting the call from Double-A Rocket City to make his MLB debut on Sunday against the Mariners at Angel Stadium. The 20-year-old righty has been on an incredible run over his last six starts, posting a minuscule 0.89 ERA with a 42-8 K-BB in 40.1 IP. The question now is how many more innings will the Angels want to pile on their prized pitching prospect or could this just be a one-start treat for Angels fans who have suffered through a miserable season in Anaheim?
Dana is up to 135.2 innings after reaching just 68.1 innings last year. If the Angels are hoping to get a full season out of Dana in their rotation next year, they may want to get him to the 150-160 range so that he’d be prepped for an even bigger workload. With a matchup against Seattle’s lowly offense on tap, Dana can at least be streamed for his first start, and fantasy managers can then see if he’ll keep getting starts in L.A.
6. Quinn Mathews, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Ranking: 5
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 4 IP | 6.75 ERA | 34.5 K% | 14.2 BB%
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 52.1 IP | 2.41 ERA | 32.9 K% | 7.3 BB%
2024 MiLB (A+) Stat line: 43.2 IP | 2.68 ERA | 34.7 K% | 5.4 BB%
2024 MiLB (A) Stat line: 30.2 IP | 1.47 ERA | 44.4 K% | 9.4 BB%
Quinn Mathews made his Triple-A debut on Friday, reaching his fourth level of the season in his pro debut. Mathews posted seven strikeouts in four innings but allowed three runs and three walks at Iowa. The 6-foot-5 southpaw was rolling at Double-A in August, posting a 40-4 K-BB with a 0.70 ERA in 25.2 innings over four starts. The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2023 out of Stanford, where he made a name for himself by striking out 16 in throwing a 156-pitch complete game in a super regional win over Texas.
Mathews has added a couple of ticks to his fastball since college, putting him on a whole other level since he was drafted. The Cardinals could really use more juice at the back of their rotation, where Miles Mikolas has been struggling badly and Andre Pallante has been serviceable. Mathews is up to 130.2 innings after going 124.2 innings last year, so he could have around 25 innings left in the tank depending on how much the Cardinals want to push it. The strikeout upside is so high that he still makes for an interesting lottery ticket stash just in case St. Louis wants to get him a taste of the majors sometime in September.
7. Ian Seymour, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Ranking: 7
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 38 IP | 2.37 ERA | 29.0 K% | 8.0 BB%
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 91.1 IP | 2.36 ERA | 28.3 K% | 6.3 BB%
Ian Seymour has been maybe the most consistent pitching prospect all season, posting nearly identical stats for Triple-A Durham and Double-A Montgomery. He has allowed more than three runs in a start just once, all the way back on May 7 in Montgomery. Seymour struck out nine in six innings on Thursday to finish with a 2.22 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 28.1 IP in August. The 25-year-old southpaw gets by with a lot of funk and deception, so he has flown under the radar. But we’ve all seen plenty of middling talents have success in Tampa Bay, à la Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen.
The Rays have room in the back of their rotation with Tyler Alexander taking the bulk role behind Rasmussen as an opener. Tampa Bay’s wild-card chances continue to fade, so the Rays may want to see what they have in Seymour. In his last start on Thursday, Seymour’s changeup generated 10 whiffs on 26 pitches to go with a combined 14 called strikes on his four-seamer and cutter. This is a crafty soft-tossing lefty that could be a sneaky stash for September.
8. Thomas Harrington, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Ranking: 9
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 28.1 IP | 3.81 ERA | 22.4 K% | 3.7 BB%
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 68.1 IP | 2.24 ERA | 27.4 K% | 3.7 BB%
2024 MiLB (A) Stat line: 3 IP | 0.00 ERA | 27.1 K% | 10.5 BB%
Thomas Harrington struck out seven in five innings on Thursday in Triple-A, improving to 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA over his last three starts. The 23-year-old right-hander led with his changeup, getting five whiffs on 30 offerings. Harrington could get a shot to test his five-pitch arsenal in Pittsburgh in September.
Harrington doesn’t wow you with his low-90s velocity, but he has stellar command as evidenced by his 101-15 K-BB in 99.2 innings. After throwing 127.1 innings last year, the Pirates will likely keep Harrington going in Pittsburgh after the Triple-A season ends if he doesn’t get the call sooner.
9. AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP, Atlanta Braves
Previous Ranking: 4
2024 MLB Stat line: 4.1 IP | 0.00 ERA | 22.2 K% | 11.1 BB%
2024 MiLB (AAA) Stat line: 57.1 IP | 5.02 ERA | 28.2 K% | 12.1 BB%
2024 MiLB (A+) Stat line: 2 IP | 4.50 ERA | 57.1 K% | 0.0 BB%
AJ Smith-Shawver took a big step back on Tuesday, giving up five runs and four walks in 5.2 innings coming off his best start all season for Gwinnett. Smith-Shawver has been working his way back to Atlanta after missing six weeks following a strained oblique on May 23. Smith-Shawver’s four-seam fastball was a mess, not getting any whiffs on 37 pitches and ranging in velocity from 97.8 mph all the way down to 90.9 and averaging 93.9.
The Braves currently have a full rotation, but Reynaldo López has made just two starts since coming off the IL with a forearm strain. Lopez is up to 115.2 innings after not going past 66 innings in a season since 2019, so the Braves could look to move him to the bullpen to preserve his arm. Smith-Shawver is competing with Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder for who could get starts for Atlanta in September, so he is worth stashing, especially for fantasy managers looking for win potential.
10. Logan Evans, RHP, Seattle Mariners
Previous Ranking: N/R
2024 MiLB (AA) Stat line: 94.2 IP | 3.04 ERA | 21.9 K% | 8.4 BB%
Logan Evans makes a return to the stash list after a June detour to the bullpen interrupted what had been a breakout season for the first two months (1.23 ERA in 10 starts). After posting a 6.10 ERA over 10 relief outings in June, Evans returned to starting but spent July ramping back up. Things have been hit and miss in August, featuring six perfect innings in between two stinkers to begin the month and finishing with two solid starts.
Considering that the Mariners like to skip their top pitching prospects over Triple-A, Evans could be an option for a stint in Seattle in September to build up his workload. It would likely take an injury or the Mariners falling out of contention in the AL wild-card race, but considering the success rate of starting pitchers in Seattle, there could be a big reward with a stash of Evans. The M’s finish the season with 12 of their last 18 games coming in Seattle, making for potentially excellent matchups.
On The Bubble
Here are the next five pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list: Landon Knack, LAD; Justin Wrobleski, LAD; Adam Mazur, SD; Hurston Waldrep, ATL; Brandon Sproat, NYM