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The Stash List Week 5: Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash in 2024

The top 10 hitting prospects to stash in redraft leagues.

The Hitter Edition of the Stash List is back for the 2024 season.

This Stash List highlights the ten best-hitting 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 prospects debut than ever, and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2024. Read to discover the top ten hitters 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 will be updated weekly
  • Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.

 

The Stash List

 

Graduates/Call-Ups

 

Last week’s #1 hitter to stash has returned to the Major Leagues. Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad received his call-up early this week. The 25-year-old outfielder was off to a red-hot start in AAA. He led the minors with 10 home runs and had a wRC+ of 188. Addison Barger got the call from the Toronto Blue Jays. Barger made the honorable mentions list in week one but hasn’t featured since. Barger can slide into either the infield or outfield and provides versatility the Blue Jays have been lacking. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Mervis return to the Cubs after Cody Bellinger hit the injured list. Mervis has been the better of the two so far. He had five home runs and a 152 wRC+ before he got the call. He’ll be looking to improve upon a pretty poor MLB audition in 2023. PCA has not been good at the plate in 2024. He struggled in AAA with a 54 wRC+ and a walk rate under 4%. Against the Astros, he showed why fans have been so excited about him. He crushed his first MLB deep into the Wrigley bleachers. His blast would have been a homer in every single Major League ballpark.

 

Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash

 

1. James Wood, OF – Washington Nationals

 

James Wood reaches the summit of the stash list for the first time this season. Many fans were hoping that his call-up would be the corresponding move for Lane Thomas going on the IL. Sadly, we will have to wait to see Wood at the Major League level, but it sure looks like he’s ready for it. The Nat’s top prospect had a quiet week by his standards, as his home run and stolen base totals are unchanged from last week. He hit just .182, striking out eight times. Despite the slower week, he’s proven he’s ready for a Major League audition.
There isn’t much to say about Wood that hasn’t already been said. He’s a freak athlete. Wood projects as a rare combination of home run power and elite speed. His exit velocities have been excellent so far, and he’s been solid defensively as well. Wood has the potential to be a piece that Washington can build around alongside CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews in the future. He will be on the Nationals’ roster at some point in 2024. Baseball fans should be hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

 

2. Junior Caminero, 3B – Tampa Bay Rays

 

Don’t read too much into Caminero dropping a spot this week. He is only at #2 because of the otherworldly performances by James Wood to start the season. In comparison, the Rays’ top prospect has been quiet. He’s only featured in nine games so far, missing time with an early season quad injury. He’s been good since returning but is yet to return to his 2023 form that earned him a call-up. He hit just .188 this week, dropping his season average by fifty points. Caminero will play a role for Tampa Bay this season, but his early struggles have delayed his timeline.

It’s the same old story at the big-league level. Isaac Paredes has been a consistent power threat in the middle of the order, and José Caballero continues to produce solid performances at shortstop. The Ray’s bench bats have been struggling though. Niko Goodrum (.167) and Austin Shenton (.143) have been cold. Tampa currently sits at 13-13, fifth in the AL East. They could use an offensive jolt, and Caminero has the highest ceiling to provide that boost.

 

3. Coby Mayo, 3B – Baltimore Orioles

 

Coby Mayo continues to light up AAA for the Norfolk Tides. He added two more home runs to his tally. His seven homers put him in the top ten among all minor-league hitters. His home run on April 20th was clocked at 106 miles per hour, and it got out of the ballpark in a hurry. Mayo has shown elite pop and has cut his strikeout rate to under 30% for the first time this season. The time is coming for Mayo to make an impact at the Major League level, the only question remaining is when.

The glaring issue for Mayo remains his ability to take walks. His sub-par walk rate is far from what the O’s would want from him before calling him up. His walk rates hovered around 15% last season between AA and AAA. Baltimore will likely wait to see if Mayo can get back to that level of patience before giving him a chance. Jackson Holliday continues to struggle at the Major League level. Mayo will be ready to step into the limelight should the O’s decide to let Holliday return to AAA.

 

4. Joey Loperfido, 1B – Houston Astros

 

Loperfido continues his red-hot start to the season. The 25-year-old added two more home runs this week, bringing his minor league-leading total to 12. That total is the most home runs in MiLB at this point in the season since Yordan Alvarez. That’s a pretty good company to be in for a guy trying to break into the Major Leagues. His homers haven’t been cheap shots. In his two home run performances on Wednesday, both round-trippers were hit 106+ miles per hour. His second homer was measured at 457 feet. Loperfido possesses elite power and should make an instant impact in Houston.
The only question that remains is when he will get the call. José Abreu continues to be a black hole in the Astros lineup. His -37 wRC+ is the worst in the MLB (min. 60 PA). I know he’s a veteran presence and has been a valuable asset for the ‘Stros, but it may be time to move on. Opening a roster spot for Loperfido will require some roster shuffling, but it should be worth it.

 

5. Kyle Manzardo, 1B – Cleveland Guardians

 

Leaving Manzardo off of the Stash List up until this point has been one of the biggest blunders in my writing career. When I submitted last week’s last, he had just one home run and six extra-base hits. That’s not a bad stat line, but it didn’t catch my eye. In the next three games, he caught fire. Manzardo hit .636 over the weekend, hitting three home runs and driving in four. The 23-year-old is banging on the door of the big league club, and Cleveland’s running out of reasons to not promote him.

Josh Naylor has been excellent at first for the Guardians. He’s hitting .321 with six home runs to start the year. He’s likely locked his spot down for the remainder of the season. The DH spot remains a question mark in the batting order though. Estevan Florial, Will Brennan, and David Fry have spent the most time there this season. They’ve been solid, but Manzardo offers a higher offensive ceiling. When Manzardo gets the call, he’ll join José Ramirez and Josh Naylor in the heart of the order.

 

6. Connor Norby, 2B – BAL

 

Norby remains one of the more underrated bats in the minors. He has flown under the radar due to the other elite bats in the Orioles’ farm system. Baltimore’s infield is already crowded, but it would be a disservice to Norby to keep him in AAA where he’s been dominant. He struggled with strikeouts this week, going down on strikes eight times. He made up for it though with two extra-base hits and scored five runs.
I feel like a broken record when I talk about the Orioles’ roster situation. Gunnar Henderson isn’t going anywhere. Jordan Westburg has become one of the most consistent hitters in the lineup, and the outfield bats have been good. The problem for Mayo and Norby alike is that there just isn’t room on the big league roster for all of the talent Baltimore has. Norby is a bat to keep an eye on, even if his immediate impact is delayed.

 

7. Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B/OF – Detroit Tigers

 

Malloy continues to slide down the list after a slow start to 2024. He hasn’t been awful by any means. Despite his low average, he still holds a 103 wRC+, in addition to driving in ten runs. His walk rate ranks 4th in AAA (min. 90 PA) and he’s cut his strikeout rate by five points. On paper, it makes sense to call him up, but the Tigers may not need to. Detroit’s been off to a stellar start to 2024, sitting third in the AL Central at 14-11. The pitching staff has been the main catalyst for their success. Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal have been lights out, and Jason Foley is emerging into an All-Star in the bullpen.

The hitting core has been less impressive. Mark Canha leads the team with 166 wRC+, with Riley Greene just nine points behind. Kerry Carpenter has been solid, posting three homers and 13 RBIs. Outside of those three though, there hasn’t been much to be excited about. Malloy can plug into either corner outfield spot, or at third base.  The Tigers need an offensive jolt at the bottom of their order, and Malloy can provide that.

 

8. Matt Shaw, INF – Chicago Cubs

 

Matt Shaw is the best-hitting prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization. Sure, you can argue that Pete Crow-Armstrong hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. You can say Kevin Alcántara and Owen Caissie are promising, but none have the potential that Shaw possesses. The Maryland product has built an aura of excellence in his short time in the minors. The Cubs were aggressive with him, promoting him to AA to start in 2024, less than a year after he was drafted. He’s responded by hitting three homers and stealing seven bases so far. His call-up to AAA is inevitable, and it won’t be long before he’s performing at the Friendly Confines.

The Cubs have been wrecked by injuries. Seiya Suzuki remains on the injured list. Their big free agent splash, Cody Bellinger, joined him this week after fracturing a rib. Ian Happ is just returning from injury and finds himself in the middle of a depleted lineup. Christopher Morel has been solid at third so far, but he has flaws. His average is hovering around .200, and his glove has been less than reliable so far. The Cubs are preparing Shaw to take over the everyday role at the hot corner, meaning Morel can focus on hitting in the DH spot.

 

9. Orelvis Martinez, 3B – Toronto Blue Jays

 

Like Manzardo, leaving Martinez off of the list may become one of my bigger blunders. The 23-year-old infielder may have taken his omission personally. He hit three home runs, drove in seven runs, and hit at a .353 clip this week. He’s put himself firmly in the conversation to get called up to Toronto. His violent, yet controlled, swing from the right side generates a ton of power, which he’s taken advantage of this season.
The options blocking him in Toronto aren’t necessarily inspiring. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is currently holding down third base for the Blue Jays. He’s been solid, but he’s not an everyday caliber player for a team looking to compete. If the Blue Jays want to be a factor in the loaded AL East, they need their best bats in the lineup. Orelvis Martinez is proving that he’s one of those bats.

 

10. Jordan Beck, OF – Colorado Rockies

 

Despite a quiet week, Jordan Beck retains his spot on the list. The case for Beck hasn’t changed. Colorado’s options at the plate are less than inspiring, and Beck’s been off to a great start. His numbers speak for themselves. His five home runs, three steals, and 138 wRC+ would be a welcome addition for a struggling Rockies team.

Beck has played every outfield position so far in 2024. Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones will likely retain their spots in center and left respectively. That leaves right field as a possible landing spot for Beck. Sean Bouchard is currently getting the bulk of the action in that spot. He’s been okay so far but he doesn’t offer nearly as much offensive upside as Beck. If Beck continues to hit at a high level in AAA the Rockies will be forced to make a move.

 

On The Bubble

 

Here are the next five hitters that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list in no particular order:

Jacob Wilson

Emmanuel Rodriguez

Jace Jung

Tyler Black

Chase DeLauter

 

Stash List

 

Jack Mueller

Jack Mueller is an incoming graduate student at Miami University studying Sport Management. Before joining PitcherList, Jack worked for the Orleans Firebirds (Cape Cod Baseball League) and the Chicago Dogs (American Association) as an advance scout and data analyst.

One response to “The Stash List Week 5: Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash in 2024”

  1. Carl says:

    Where is Jackson Holliday? Jordan Walker?

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