Welcome to the 22nd edition of The Stash List for pitchers! New writer for this week’s edition, so plenty of movement inside the top ten. Make sure to check out the hitter edition of this list which comes out every Sunday and will have a new update tomorrow.
Ground Rules
- The Stash List is for your redraft leagues and does not consider impact beyond 2023
- Only current minor league players who are expected to make an impact this season are included
- Players who have already made their MLB debuts cannot have thrown more than 50 IP in MLB
- 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
Graduates
The most notable call-up this past week was Kyle Harrison. Harrison started the year as one of the game’s top pitching prospects but has struggled to throw strikes consistently in 2023. Harrison lasted only 3.1 innings in his Major League debut but struck out five batters. He has plenty of upside but is more of a streaming option than a must-add.
Kyle Harrison's first career strikeout 👏 pic.twitter.com/tPfijxXRZk
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 22, 2023
The second pitcher promoted this past week was Drew Rom. Rom came to St. Louis at the Trade Deadline as part of the Jack Flaherty deal and was excellent in two starts for Triple-A Memphis. Unfortunately for Rom, he got roughed up by Pittsburgh in his Major League debut allowing six earned runs in just 3.2 innings. Rom does not hold much value outside of NL-only leagues.
Top 10 Pitcher Prospects to Stash
1. Robert Gasser, MIL – ETA September (2)
Robert Gasser maintains his spot atop this Stash List. Gasser has been phenomenal lately racking up at least nine strikeouts in each of his previous three starts. Since June 18th, Gasser is striking out over 32% of the batters he has faced in Triple-A while keeping his walk rate under seven percent during that time. Over that time, Gasser has posted a 2.81 ERA with a 2.89 FIP while looking like the most dominant pitcher in Triple-A. He has earned an opportunity at the Major League level and it is only a matter of time before Milwaukee gives it to him.
At the Major League level, Gasser is primarily blocked by Adrian Houser. Houser has been fine this season but has an ERA over five since the All-Star Break. The Brewers have already shown a willingness to use Houser out of the bullpen this season and could do so again to open up a rotation spot for Gasser. If you are looking for pitching help down the stretch, go grab Gasser now before he gets the call to Milwaukee.
2. Joey Cantillo, CLE – ETA September (9)
Not enough attention is being paid to how well Joey Cantillo is pitching lately. After cruising through Double-A earlier this year, Cantillo ran into some troubles against the tougher hitters in Triple-A. Through his first six starts, Cantillo posted a 5.72 ERA with a 5.82 FIP and a walk rate over 14%. In the nine starts since Cantillo has a 3.18 ERA and has seen his strikeout rate bounce back to what we were seeing in Double-A. Even more impressive is the fact that in his last five starts, his ERA sits below two with a walk rate below ten percent.
Joey Cantillo was pumping gas! Up to 98 ⛽️throwing a curve with up to 66 inches of drop and a nasty change that just dies at the plate.
pic.twitter.com/VQ2EvCCpGq— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) July 9, 2023
Cantillo is showing the kind of progression that every Major League team and fantasy manager should look for. On top of his impressive performances, the Guardians can easily find room for Cantillo in their Major League rotation. Xzavion Curry is currently getting a chance to start although he has struggled in his limited opportunities as a starter. The team could also opt to limit the innings for any one of Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, and Tanner Bibee. With Cantillo already on the 40-man roster, it is exceedingly likely that we see him this year. he is a top stash option at this point.
3. Will Warren, NYY – ETA September (6)
Lately, Will Warren has looked much more like the pitcher we saw in Double-A earlier this season than the pitcher we have seen in Triple-A. Warren’s ERA over his last four starts sits at 3.43 and if you take away one blow-up against Toronto (nine runs in three innings), his ERA since June 16th is just 2.44. Warren pairs a plus fastball with an excellent sweeper that is especially effective against right-handed batters. His sweeper is generating a whiff on nearly 40% of its pitches and provides plenty of reason for fantasy managers to be excited.
The farther back the Yankees fall in the standings, the more likely it is that they give a pitcher like Warren a shot to prove what he can do at the Major League level. Jhony Brito has been a bit better lately, but still has an ERA of over five on the season. Warren is likely to get a chance at some point in September and is a worthy stash option.
4. Jared Jones, PIT – ETA September (3)
The name Jared Jones has started to gain some more notoriety in prospect circles, but he is still relatively unknown in your typical redraft league. The Pirates’ second-round pick from 2020 is on the cusp of a Major League promotion thanks to a breakout season. Although he has been struggling a bit at Triple-A, the strikeout number speak to his upside as a fantasy pitcher. Since the start of July, Jones is striking out 12.45 batters per nine while walking under 11 percent of batters he faces. Although his ERA sits at 6.12 during that span, his underlying metrics point to a pitcher who has been unlucky since his FIP sits down at 3.97.
The part that makes Jones such a valuable stash is his proximity to the Major Leagues and lack of competition ahead of him. Luis L. Ortiz was recently promoted to start the game this past Wednesday and struggled again. Ortiz now has a 7.45 ERA in his last four Major League starts and could find himself heading back to Triple-A soon. Jones has the strikeout upside we look for in a stash option and is worth rostering on your redraft teams.
5. Joey Estes, OAK – ETA September (NR)
The Athletics have given up a lot of talent in their recent trades with Atlanta. Joey Estes offers the team their best opportunity to show off how making those trades can make them a better team in the future. Estes has had a strong second season with Oakland pitching to a 3.28 ERA in Double-A before earning a promotion to Triple-A at the beginning of August. Estes has been especially impressive over his last two starts. He has fired 5.2 innings in each start allowing just one earned run with 11 strikeouts.
The Athletics have not been shy about calling up their prospects this season. We have already seen it on the offensive side and now it appears Estes is on the verge of breaking through. With Luis Medina on the IL, the Athletics are without a true fifth starter. Even in the four they do have, Kyle Muller has been a massive disappointment so far this year and the team could opt to replace him and see what they have in Estes. He is a valuable stash if you are looking to add to your fantasy rotation.
6. Gordon Graceffo, STL – ETA September (8)
After bursting onto the scene last year with a dominant season in High-A, expectations for Gordon Graceffo were high heading into 2023. The Cardinals decided he was ready for Triple-A sending him to Memphis to start the season. Unfortunately for Graceffo, he dealt with shoulder inflammation after just five starts which resulted in him losing nearly two months of the season. Upon returning, Graceffo never really looked right until recently. Over his last three starts, Graceffo has a 3.45 ERA and has seen his strikeout rate tick up over five percent compared to his season-long average.
With Graceffo pitching better recently, his odds of joining the Cardinals this year have increased significantly. The team has already given a chance to Drew Rom and likely wants to get a look at some of their other young arms. While the stat line has been disappointing this season, he has flashed plenty of upside as recently as last season. Graceffo is worth consideration as a stash option.
7. Connor Phillips, CIN – ETA September (2)
There has never been any doubt about Connor Phillips‘ stuff. Since joining the Reds’ organization, has struck out at least ten batters per nine innings at every level he has played. His repertoire consists of three-plus pitches creating plenty of upside. The issue has been inconsistent control leading to high walk rates. While at Double-A, Phillips appeared to have appeared to have solved some of his control issues walking a career-low 9.5% of batters. However, this seems like it may have had more to do with the sticky ball the MLB was testing out as his control has regressed since his promotion to Triple-A.
Over his last four starts, Phillips is walking more batters than he has struck out while seeing his Triple-A ERA rise to 4.09. Phillips’ fall down this list has nothing to do with his upside. He has as much upside as any prospect on this list. However, there is a significant chance he will not throw enough strikes to find success at the Major League level and his recent performance makes the odds of a promotion less likely. He is worth stashing based on upside alone, but there is plenty of risk to his profile
8. Mason Black, SFG – ETA September (10)
As mentioned earlier, the Giants have already promoted one of their top pitching prospects and it is possible we see another promotion soon. Mason Black is fresh off what could be his best start since joining Triple-A. He fired five scoreless innings surrendering just one hit while striking out eight batters. What separates Black from Kyle Harrison is Black’s ability to work deeper into games. He has pitched at least four innings in 15 straight starts and is striking out over 33% of batters during that time.
Even with the recent promotion of Harrison, the Giants only have three true starters. Sure, Sean Manaea and Alex Wood have an extensive history of starting games, but both have been used out of the bullpen for much of this year. There is a strong chance we see Black in San Francisco soon and he has plenty of upside that is worth stashing.
9. Allan Winans, ATL – ETA September (NR)
Allan Winans has already shown that he has what it takes to compete at the Major League level. In three starts for Atlanta this season, he has pitched better than his ERA indicates striking out 26.1% of batters with a walk rate under six percent. His 5.17 ERA comes with a solid 3.25 FIP and we could see Winans back in Atlanta sometime soon. In six starts since June 20th for Triple-A Gwinnett, Winans has pitched to a 2.41 ERA allowing one earned run or less in four of those starts.
With Yonny Chirinos landing on the IL, the Braves are down to four starters. They could call on Jared Shuster or Michael Soroka to make a start, but Winans offers a valuable stash option. He has been pitching well and Atlanta has a history of getting the most out of their young pitchers. Consider Winans when looking at the waiver wire.
10. Clayton Beeter, NYY – ETA September (5)
After an excellent start to the season in Double-A, Clayton Beeter has struggled a bit since arriving in Triple-A. The control issues that have plagued Beeter throughout his professional career have been rearing their ugly head since his promotion. In his last three starts, Beeter is walking over 20% of the batters he has faced. He still hangs onto the last spot on this list thanks to his upside. Although he has been walking a ton of batters recently, his strikeout rate over that period is over 34%.
Similarly to the previously mentioned Will Warren, it is likely the Yankees will want to take a look at some of their other young arms as the season winds down. From a fantasy perspective, Beeter has plenty of upside that makes him an intriguing stash option.
The Watchlist
In no specific order, here are the five players that were in closest consideration for this StashList article: Mike Vasil, Cade Povich, Ben Brown, Mason Montgomery, and Ty Madden
Special note on Mason Miller. Technically, Miller is on the Major League IL so he is not in consideration for this list although he would rank as the top stash option in all of baseball. Miller looked electric on the mound before landing on the IL and is currently rehabbing in Triple-A. He appears close to a return and is worth picking up if you are somebody who recently lost Shohei Ohtani on the mound.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)