Welcome to the sixth edition of The Stash List for pitchers! We had three more pitchers make their MLB debuts last week and graduate from this list. That doesn’t even include Bryce Miller, who I had incorrectly assumed would need more time in the upper minors before debuting.
Therefore, a few more new names enter the back half of the list this week. However, I don’t have as much time this week to dive into every player so the content will be much more concise. Feel free to comment on this post or reach out to me directly via Twitter and I will be happy to answer any questions about the guys I have listed below!
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 can not 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 ownership percentages will be updated weekly
Graduates
This section of the column highlights the pitchers that were on the previous week’s list but have since made their MLB debuts and are no longer considered stashes because they’re still on their team’s active roster.
Brandon Pfaadt, ARI (Prev. 1)
Pfinally. Brandon Pfaadt made his MLB debut for the DBacks this week, but he gave up four home runs in a disappointing outing. The good news is that he didn’t have a home run problem in the Minor Leagues – he gave up a little less than one HR per game in the homer-happy Pacific Coast league. I’m holding on tight for the ride.
Gavin Stone, LAD (5)
Gavin Stone also had a lackluster MLB debut, as he was dragged down by a 7.8% SwStr% and a 21% CSW%. As advertised, he threw his changeup almost as often as he threw his fastball, but hitters were able to lay off of it when it dove out of the zone. His changeup was the pitch that was also hit the hardest (91.5 average exit velocity), so there’s some room for concern as the changeup has always been viewed as his best pitch in the Minors.
Louie Varland, MIN (6)
While Louie Varland wasn’t making his MLB debut like the other two players above, he was able to step in and take advantage of the opening in the rotation that I mentioned here last week. It’s just too bad that he also put up a poor pitching line in the opportunity. But Varland had the most encouraging numbers under the hood of these three graduates.
He posted a 40% CSW%, 34% O-Swing%, and a 17.2% SwStr%. All three of those numbers are well above league average and they point to his ability to miss bats often while maintaining command of his pitches. Furthermore, he has three pitches in his arsenal that are about a full standard deviation above league average by Stuff+ at Fangraphs. If you still have the opportunity, buy into him.
Top 10 Pitcher Prospects to Stash
In lieu of the normal listing procedure, here are some general notes and observations about the players listed above:
Matthew Liberatore, Luis Ortiz, Gavin Williams, and Andrew Abbot have continued their dominant ways in AAA. Libby and Ortiz are closest to the Majors, and Ortiz will likely get a chance sooner than later now that Vince Velazquez is on the IL with elbow inflammation.
Bobby Miller debuts on The Stash all the way up at number 3 now that he’s made two starts in his return from injury. His results so far don’t look great but he was getting back into the swing of things in his first start, and his second start was torpedoed by poor defense and bad luck. I expect him to bounce back quickly and be ready for the call before the end of June.
Ben Brown, Quinn Priester, and Royber Salinas are the newest additions to The Stash. Brown is facing the tall task of adjusting to a completely different ball in AAA than the experimental one he used in the AA Southern League, so his command has been spotty so far. Priester is quietly 6th in the AAA International League in K-BB% and 5th in xFIP. Salinas is the pitcher that stands out the most to me of all the AA high-performers right now because of his 70-grade fastball (Fangraphs) and the opportunities for advancement in Oakland’s system.
The joke was on me last week, as I wondering why DL Hall had disappeared from the AAA rotation and the Orioles were calling him up for a bulk relief appearance. He’s right back in Norfolk now and has since made another start. It’s still concerning that the O’s use him out of the bullpen on the MLB team, and we might have to wait until 2024 to see him get the chance to take the ball every fifth day in Baltimore.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)