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The Stash List Week 24: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2025

Top 10 pitching prospects to stash in redraft league

John Villavicencio
Dynasty 9/6/2025

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:

Payton Tolle (BOS) broke out with eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings in his debut. He achieved a 16% swinging-strike rate through one game with the fastball and cutter. Everyone is debating whether or not to choose between Tolle and Tong, but why not both? Boston and New York both need starter help, so they should both stick with their teams down the stretch.

Jonah Tong (NYM) had a strong debut for the Mets, primarily on a fastball and changeup combo. Six strikeouts and no walks is a great sight, so all eyes will be on whether or not he can limit the hits.

Mitch Farris (LAA) had a 13-strikeout performance before his major league debut on September 2 against Kansas City. The velocity is low 90s, but the changeup does have 14 inches of break. He was generating 17% swinging strikes and limiting runs over his last 6 appearances in Double-A Rocket City before being called up.

Mason Barnett (ATH) gave up five earned runs on eight hits, including a home run. He used a five-pitch mix that is led by a 95 mph four-seamer. He gets a chance at redemption on Friday against the Angels.

AJ Blubaugh (HOU) is locked into a reliever role with the multitude of starters (Luis García Jr. and Spencer Arrighetti, who just returned to the injured list again) that have returned for the Astros. Blubaugh can hit 98 mph on the fastball with 18 inches of IVB. He backs that up with big moving changeups, curveballs, and sweepers. Seems like a perfect reliever.

Caden Dana (LAA) stayed in the minor leagues last week, when he gave up five earned runs on a home run and one walk. He appears likely to get a major league debut this week against Minnesota.

Andrew Alvarez (WSH) is a 6’3″ lefty who leaned on a slider, fastball, and curveball to get his first major league win against Miami. His slider was particularly effective with six whiffs. He will get another start in Chicago this weekend.

 

Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash

 

1. Robby Snelling, LHP, Miami Marlins

2025 AA, AAA Stat line: 125.0 IP | 2.66 ERA | 30.0 K% | 6.9 BB% 

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

 

Robby Snelling turned in a spectacular seven-inning “complete” game where he didn’t walk a single batter, produced 22 whiffs, and struck out 13 batters. It’s hard to complain when a pitcher gives up zero walks and produces 13 strikeouts, but we do need to dig a little deeper. In the first inning, he was bailed out twice by Joe Mack’s arm on two caught stolen base attempts.

Snelling also allowed multiple hits in the fourth and sixth innings, which fortunately, ended up bringing only one run across home plate. Unlike his last game, where there were a ton of balls put in play, Snelling only allowed two hard-hit balls over seven hits. This win brings his streak of pitching six or more innings to seven games, where he has a whopping 62 strikeouts to nine walks with a 1.24 ERA.

Although his fastball and curveball have great whiff rates, they do not have standout metrics. The four-seamer is sitting 95 mph with up to 20 inches of IVB from his three-quarters arm slot. His extension doesn’t earn high praise, but he does have a strong follow-through, even if it doesn’t push him much closer to home plate. His athletic delivery does allow him to have a lower-than-normal release point at 5.5 feet.

His curveball gets a little more praise because it floats 10 inches horizontally in addition to the big 50-inch drop. The spin rate is in the 75th percentile, but the movement has helped him get above a 47% whiff rate and a .250 wOBA on the pitch.

The next steps for Snelling will be to consistently carry a third pitch, whether it is the sinker, slider, or changeup. In this game, the slider was hit the hardest, while the sinker gave up more hits. The changeup did its job by generating two whiffs in seven pitches on almost 15 inches of armside break. The Marlins would benefit from giving Snelling a look against major league hitters, as this would provide meaningful feedback without significant consequences for the team’s standings.

 

2. Brandon Sproat, RHP, New York Mets

2025 AAA Stat line: 121.0 IP | 4.24 ERA | 22.1 K% | 10.4 BB% 

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

 

Anything can happen, but it is unlikely that the Mets will catch the Phillies for first place in the Eastern Division, so they will need to outpace Cincinnati, St. Louis, Arizona, and San Francisco for the third Wild Card spot. The Mets’ starters are flailing, so it would behoove them to tap into the potential of their other top prospect pitcher for their playoff push.

Brandon Sproat can help solidify a rotation that is relying on veterans who may be running on fumes. The perception is that Sproat is having a bad year, but his performance has improved greatly over the second half of the season. Before July 1, Sproat was carrying a 16.4% strikeout rate, an 11.7% walk rate, a 4-5 record, and a 5.43 ERA. After July 1, the strikeout rate has returned to 30%, while the walk rate is at 8.5%, and he has achieved a 4-1 record and a 2.72 ERA.

The poor control creeps up from time to time, but the strikeout stuff has returned along with his fastball velocity. The four-seamer is up a tick to 97 mph over the second half with a 28% whiff rate. Although his swinging strike rate has remained level (~11%) all year, the called strike rate is up from 15% to 18%. An improved sequencing of his six pitches would support the idea that he is doing a better job of keeping hitters guessing at what is coming.

The changeup has become his most-used secondary after July 1, with its 15 inches of armside break at 90 mph. The change has generated a 35% whiff rate and a .182 wOBA. Yet his most potent putaway pitch remains the sweeper and its 14.5 inches of break. Although he is using it less often, he seems to be coupling the 90 mph slider with the 85 mph sweeper that slides out further. The sweeper has a 66% strikeout rate in the second half with a strong .043 wOBA. Sproat didn’t have a great start to the 2025 season, but he has made the adjustments to make him a valuable option for the major league squad.

On what could be his final Triple-A start of the season, Sproat turned in a strong audition with seven scoreless innings. He only allowed three hits and two walks, while generating nine strikeouts on 14 whiffs. The sweeper was the star pitch with seven whiffs on over 16 inches of break. He was also pumping a few 99 mph fastballs, demonstrating that he is ready to finish 2025 with a flourish, hopefully in Flushing Meadows with fellow rising stars Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean. Sproat’s yearlong stats are hiding the true talent that lies within. Sproat appears to be getting his Major League debut on Sunday against the Reds.

 

3. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

2025 AA, AAA Stat line: 94.2 IP | 3.14 ERA | 41.5 K% | 10.4 BB% 

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

 

Hunting for extreme outliers in Statcast data will eventually bring you to Trey Yesavage. In the release height department, there is virtually no one higher than Yesavage, who touches the sky with his 7.2 feet release across his four-pitch arsenal. The fastball is his lowest release height, while the slider is his highest release at 7.33 feet. With that release point, he doesn’t achieve much extension on his throws.

Even though he doesn’t get much closer to the plate than most pitchers, his delivery is akin to a rocking chair, as he tips back far before launching forward on the landing foot. Averaging over twenty inches, Yesavage is also in the 99th percentile in terms of induced vertical break on the four-seamer. A fastball that is already high, getting even higher, must be a fun task for hitters to deal with. These two elements on his fastball help him overcome its mediocre 94 mph velocity.

Looking at his other notable pitch, the 2.6 feet dive on his splitter falls closer to the 90th percentile in terms of drop (Kenta Maeda averages over three feet!). Yet, Yesavage generates almost a foot of horizontal break, which brings the total movement of the pitch closer to the 99th percentile. After a few games in Triple-A, Yesavage is settling in, and his stuff is looking great with a 64% whiff rate on the splitter, a 47% whiff rate on the slider, and a 27% whiff rate on the four-seamer.

In a sign of a role change down the stretch, Yesavage came out of the bullpen to throw three innings of scoreless ball. He generated 15 whiffs that produced six strikeouts over his 54 pitches. His usage rates haven’t deviated much during his Triple-A time, with the four-seamer being one, followed by the splitter, and then the slider.

This three-pitch arsenal will suffice for a reliever role as Toronto makes that playoff push. The only area to watch is the low 39% ground-ball rate. The downward angle on most of his pitches could be a concern since it would be similar to how many major league hitters are tilting their bats these days. Nevertheless, Yesavage is a fine stash for those who need a Bubba Chandler-type long man on their bench in the last few weeks of September.

 

4. JR Ritchie, RHP, Atlanta Braves

2025 A+, AA, AAA Stat line: 122.2 IP | 2.64 ERA | 25.3 K% | 9.3 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 49.2 IP | 2.90 ERA | 27.3 K% | 8.3 BB% 

 

Welcome to the Stash List, JR Ritchie! Drafted out of high school in 2022, the 6’2″ righty had his first pro season stifled by Tommy John surgery in June 2023. Amazingly, he made it back to the mound in a year and was excelling in A+ with a 23% K-BB rate for two months. Entering 2025 at full strength has paid dividends as he has now moved three levels this season and finds himself on the precipice of major league action.

Atlanta is out of the playoffs, and Ritchie represents a bright future for a rotation in flux, with health in question for a huge number of arms: Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Reynaldo López, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Chris Sale. There are even minor concerns for Spencer Strider, who has been inconsistent in his first season off the internal brace surgery. Therefore, Ritchie is a suitable candidate to earn service time in September as an audition for 2026. After his August 27 performance against Norfolk, he made it more appealing for Atlanta to make that transaction sooner rather than later.

Ritchie carries a legitimate six-pitch arsenal that is led by a 93 mph sinker and a big, loopy curveball. The curveball was his putaway pitch on six strikeouts, and it carries a 32% whiff rate on the year. The sinker has two-plane movement with 13 inches of horizontal break.

In his start on August 27th, he finished with a career best eleven strikeouts, while generating 14 whiffs. It was a scoreless six innings on one hit and two walks. The free passes have popped up as an area of concern from time to time. There are three games this year where he gave up five walks, and the 63% strike rate in Triple-A highlights the downside of what happens when a big curveball doesn’t earn strikes. In addition, the four-seamer doesn’t

 

5. Andrew Painter, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

2025 A, AAA Stat line: 109.0 IP | 5.45 ERA | 23.1 K% | 9.4 BB%

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

 

Given the horrendous results, it is difficult to recommend Andrew Painter in almost any fashion besides a longer-term stash. With this series of poor starts, he is at risk of falling completely off the prospect radar. This is the perfect time to buy in dynasty leagues, as his brand value is going the way of the Fyre Festival. We were promised gourmet food, luxurious accommodations, and selfie pics with Ja Rule in “July-ish”, but we got stuck with horrible splits, extremely hittable pitches, and a load of home runs allowed.

This negatively slanted analysis is not a full criticism of Painter himself as much as it is of Philadelphia’s pitching development since these outcomes have been consistent over this entire season. Whatever lessons they are trying to impart on him, they aren’t working and/or aren’t having a positive effect. One thing of note is that he is being left in the game for a long duration after it is quite evident that he is getting hit hard. One of the more positive interpretations is that Philadelphia is placing more emphasis on building a foundation of pitches and innings to better leverage his talent in 2026, regardless of how poorly he is performing.

On September 3, Painter continued his woes while doing that annoying thing of showing off his potential. His first inning began with multiple baserunners and a run allowed. While Painter was able to work into the sixth inning, he was rocked for ten hard-hit balls, including two home runs by left-handed batters. That brings his season SLG versus lefties to .514 (not much better versus righties at .483).

On the flip side, he did have three or more whiffs on three pitches, as his slider was leading the way with six whiffs. And in terms of stuff, the curveball is probably the only pitch with standout metrics due to its spin rate. Yet, there is not really a standout feature in his arsenal besides a 66% whiff rate on a changeup that has average movement. We can only hope that Philadelphia gives him some major league exposure down the stretch so that we can dream on a Bubba Chandler relief role that lights a fire in Painter. Against Toledo, Painter was able to strike out five Mud Hens and reach 97 pitches as he boosts his innings ceiling for 2026.

 

6. Quinn Mathews, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals

2025 AAA Stat line: 85.0 IP | 3.28 ERA | 27.5 K% | 16.3 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 143.1 IP | 2.76 ERA | 35.4 K% | 8.6 BB% 

 

Velo up, vibes up for Quinn Mathews as he looks to finish the 2025 season in full health. On August 30, Mathews “blew” away Oklahoma City with a 94 mph four-seamer that produced zero whiffs and a .525 wOBA. Ok, it didn’t fool many Comets’ hitters, but the increased speed was a good indicator of improved health for the 6’5″ lefty.

Mathews is definitely known more for his changeup, which generated nine whiffs in the game on 13 inches of arm-side break and was his putaway pitch on six strikeouts. The changeup has an amazing 57% whiff rate on the season and is a real stabilizer for his arsenal, as he has struggled with command all year. Mathews entered the season as a workhorse, but suffered a shoulder strain that has zapped much of his potential for the majority of the season. August has been a revelation for Mathews as he has reigned in the walks and beefed up the strikeouts.

In August, Mathews has a 30% strikeout rate, a 10% walk rate, a 62% strike rate, and an above-average 17% swinging-strike rate. As mentioned previously, he has seen these improvements despite low fastball velocity. The changeup, curveball, and slider have been instrumental to the turnaround in helping him get whiffs and strikeouts during a time with a diminished fastball. He made it into the sixth inning against the Comets, limiting them to two hard-hit balls, two hits, and zero runs. While Mathews struck out seven batters, he still allowed an unacceptable number of free passes, at four.

The 2024 Triple-A game log for Mathews hints at the start of control issues. He had been above 64% for each of his two minor league stops before making it to the Triple-A Memphis in late August 2024. Over his final four games, he had the following number of free passes: three, five, five, and one. This unsightly 17% walk rate is equivalent to his overall mark in 2025 (16.3%).

During that initial Triple-A run, Mathews threw 57% strikes, similar to his 56% strike rate in Triple-A this season. Although his 62% strike rate for the month is still too low, it is a fantastic turnaround from what he had been doing. His lack of control likely stems from a poorly located fastball. The pitch has a 28% walk rate on the year, which is also unacceptable as his most-used pitch. For Mathews to return to prospect prominence, he will need to locate the four-seamer, return some of its velocity, and maximize the full potential of his awesome changeup by strategically sequencing his secondaries. These August performances are showing that Mathews cannot be written off.

 

7. Robert Gasser, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers

2025 CPX, A+, AAA Stat line: 27.2 IP | 2.93 ERA | 27.9 K% | 8.1 BB% 

2024 MLB Stat line: 28.0 IP | 2.57 ERA | 14.0 K% | 0.9 BB% 

 

Robert Gasser remains on the stash list for raising expectations after a high strikeout game on August 29. Gasser finished five innings, having allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks. Yet, he also generated 14 whiffs and struck out nine Charlotte hitters.

The four-seamer was only sitting at 93 mph, but it got eight whiffs and was his putaway pitch on five strikeouts. It has two plane movement that is coming in at an above-average 6.6 feet of extension. He pairs the fastball with his standout pitch, the sweeper, which swings 15 inches to the glove side. The sinker is also notable for its 16 inches of armside break at 93 mph, giving him a solid three-pitch nucleus from which to build. These movement and velocity marks already match what he was doing in 2024. It appears that Gasser is feeling like himself and having confidence in the health of his arm. Although he allowed more runs than desired, the underlying data shows that this was his best game in 2025.

 

The Next Wave of Prospect Arms – A Mixed Bag

 

The next three players represent a potpourri of skills and proximity to major league action. 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. Johnny King, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays

2025 CPX, A Stat line: 57.0 IP | 2.68 ERA | 39.4 K% | 13.7 BB% 

 

There are always a few names that get repeated in prospect bubbles whose hype is amplified to lofty levels. Johnny King is being added to lists (Scout the Staline, Eric Cross, ESPN) after barely passing 50 innings pitched in the minor leagues, so the curiosity is definitely piqued. King was drafted as a 2024 third-round pick out of high school. His initial scouting report gives praise for the athleticism, but notes the risk with how he will progress given his youth. This explains the great enthusiasm for the 19-year-old lefty as he was crushing it in his seven games in Rookie ball earlier this year.

King struck out 42% of hitters, while only walking 7%. His swinging-strike rate was above 20% with a solid 64% strike rate (note: Rookie and Complex ball scorekeeping isn’t always accurate to pitch level data). According to on-site scouting, his sinker was sitting 94 mph on major two-plane with a big, loopy curveball and 81 mph slider. FanGraphs gave his arsenal average marks, so his early success led to recalculating of his potential and got the hype train going for his promotion to full-season ball.

The first three Single-A starts were a mixed bag. The strikeouts were still coming in at above a 40% clip, but the walks were trending up to 21% with a poor 58% strike rate. The best version of King finally emerged on August 2nd when he completed five innings for the first time, while striking out seven, allowing only two hits, and zero runs. There was the 94 mph sinker rising 18 inches and running 11 inches on hitters for six whiffs. He broke off curveballs with over 50 inches of drop on 2500+ rpm. The slider and four-seamer were serviceable, but the changeup was also making more frequent appearances.

He was now building the confidence around a five-pitch arsenal that was missing the zone and causing walks, but still striking out 37% of hitters. King is 19 years old and making strides to make all of the early career hype come to fruition.

His recent starts have been forgettable with consecutive four-walk games. King also surrendered two home runs in the same game, both off the sinker. He is not an indomitable force, but this is a rising star to track. It could be assumed that he will start 2026 in High-A with the chance to finish 2026 in Double-A. On an aggressive timeline, that would give him a late-2027 or 2028 ETA in the major leagues.

 

9. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP, New York Yankees

2025  A, A+ Stat line: 135.0 IP | 2.47 ERA | 29.0 K% | 9.7 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 89.2 IP | 2.91 ERA | 27.2 K% | 11.5 BB%

 

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz has logged a lot of innings and thrown a lot of pitches this year. He is earning a workhorse label by getting in at least 88 pitches per appearance with 129 innings on the season. This large body of work encompasses two stops where his numbers show a lot of good attributes.

With such a large sample, you can really buy into what he is doing with a K-BB rate around 19%, a 14% swinging-strike rate, a 55% ground-ball rate, only three home runs allowed, and a 2.61 FIP that mirrors his 2.58 ERA. Elmer is putting it all together after showing some of this promise during his second stint in Single-A in 2024 when he had a 28.5% strikeout rate and a 9.8% walk rate with a 2.51 ERA. A ground ball pitcher who can also get strikeouts in Yankee Stadium will be a very good thing indeed.

Rodriguez-Cruz works with a sinker, changeup, cutter, and curveball. He has been able to locate the sinker in the shadows of the strike zone extremely well. He can follow up that faster movement with a changeup to keep hitters off balance. The curveball and cutter help him draw the hitter’s attention to his glove side. He has also increased his strike rate to 65% in Double-A, something that has translated into a lower walk rate (10.9% to 8.1%).

FanGraphs gave his arsenal average grades, so there is the potential that his stuff could slip upon the next promotion, but we will reassess when he moves there. The fact that the 6’3″ lefty is repeating his delivery extremely well through a massive amount of innings demonstrates that his talent isn’t fake. Nevertheless, he will experience the usual hiccups from time to time.

Before his August 28th start, Rodriguez-Cruz had reached at least six innings in six out of seven Double-A games. He was facing off with Binghamton for the third time in a month after getting them for 15 strikeouts in the previous two games. Yet, the Rumble Ponies tagged him for five earned runs on four hits and two walks over 2.2 innings. He was “cruz-ing” through two innings on three strikeouts, but got too wild in the third inning.

He had been painting corners with a beautiful changeup, but the fastball let him down in the end. Rodriguez-Cruz missed a few targets, and the hitters took advantage for five earned runs after he had two outs down. It was an unfortunate inning, so we shall see how he bounces back. It was the third time he had allowed five or more runs. In each of the next two starts, ERC had a scoreless appearance.

 

10. Wellington Aracena, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

2025 A, A+ Stat line: 92.0 IP | 2.25 ERA | 30.3 K% | 13.6 BB% 

2024 MiLB Stat line: 40.2 IP | 7.30 ERA | 26.9 K% | 20.2 BB%

 

The standard question with prospect arms and pitchers, in general, is “Do they have a third pitch?” Well, meet Wellington Aracena, the newly acquired Orioles righty who possesses three pitches with above-average grades. The downside is in the poor command that has pushed his walk rate to 20% in High-A and over 14% for the season. In 2025, Aracena is showing his strikeout abilities with a solid 15% swinging-strike rate, despite the poor 60% strike rate.

Unfortunately, the move to the Baltimore organization has not led to any improvements in the command area, as he is throwing 59% strikes with a 17% walk rate. Yet, he is still has a decent 14% swinging-strike rate and a 30% strikeout rate, while also remaining as one of the few minor league pitchers who have yet to give up a home run. The tipping point will be where he can get enough strikes to not be hittable, while maintaining that strikeout upside.

The four-pitch arsenal features a 97 mph four-seamer that has touched 101 at times this year. Aracena utilizes a high arm angle, so there isn’t much room left for induced vertical break, but he does counter that with a 92 mph cutter that has a similar release point. Although he was using mainly those two fastballs over 80% of the time, his other noteworthy pitch is an 87 mph slider that was carrying a 62% whiff rate over 64 tracked pitches in the Florida League.

Although the changeup and curveball were used sparingly, they represent two pitches that bring him to four distinct velocity bands from 85 to 101 mph. That presentation of pitches must make for a difficult time facing him at the plate. His main task will be reigning in the command of the fastball, whether it comes from throwing it less often or with less velocity. Nevertheless, he is approaching his first season with over 100 innings pitched, so he has much more time to develop before being anywhere near a completed project.

 

On The Bubble

 

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

Dylan Ray (ARI), Henry Baez (ATH), Shane Drohan (BOS), Miguel Ullola (HOU), Jackson Wolf (SDP), Blade Tidwell (SFG), Joe Boyle (TBR), & Forrest Whitley (TBR).

 

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