This week’s collaborative article focuses on some prospects that season-long fantasy baseball players should consider stashing. For the purpose of this article we purposely asked our writers NOT to list Wander Franco or Jarred Kelenic, as they’re the two easiest answers to the question we asked.
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Alex Kirilloff (OF – MIN)
Kirilloff was optioned to the minors at the end of the spring, but he is definitely a top-three outfielder in the Twins organization. He figures to be up sometime in late-April or early-May, and I expect him to take the starting left field job and never look back. The Twins have been trotting Luis Arraez and Brent Rooker out to left in the interim, and Kirilloff has a better overall game than both of them. As good as Byron Buxton has been in the early going, we know that he is injury prone. Assuming that Kirilloff gets called up in that time frame, I’m expecting 10-15 homers, 110 combined runs and RBI, 5-10 steals, and a .255 average. That will certainly play as an OF4/5 for the rest of the year.
– Carmen Maiorano (@carmsclubhouse)
Bobby Witt Jr. (SS – KC)
Outside of Wander Franco and Jarred Kelenic, it feels like the obvious answer is Alex Kiriloff. However, let’s go with Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals. Some speculated that Witt would make the team out of spring training, but they assigned him to Low-A Columbia and he’ll get some reps in the outfield. Even with Adalberto Mondesi hitting the injured list, some thought Witt would receive the call-up yet KC brought up Nicky Lopez instead. In spring training, Witt hit three home runs, one of which he crushed for 484-feet, with a .289 batting average in 38 at-bats. The Royals have shown in the past they’re willing to call up guys when they see fit such as Mondesi, so stash Witt if you can with his plus power and speed.
– Corbin Young (@Corbin_Young21)
Jo Adell (OF – LAA)
Wander Franco and Jarred Kelenic are the top-hitting stashes in redraft formats, but chances are both are probably rostered in your league. My top prospect to stash after those two is Jo Adell. The Angels’ top prospect began the 2021 campaign in the minors as “he needs more time” to develop, per Angels manager Joe Madden. The Angels acquired OF Dexter Fowler over the winter, and the veteran is expected to start alongside Mike Trout and Justin Upton, making Adell the odd man out. Adell struggled in the majors last season, slashing .161/.212/.266 across 132 plate appearances. He looked over matched against major league pitching but has all the tools to develop into a fantasy superstar. The 21-year-old will continue his development in the minors and is worth stashing in redraft formats.
– Brad Camara (@Beerad30)
Sam Huff (C – TEX)
There are several fairly obvious choices out there, so I’ll remind everyone about Huff. The 6’5″ behemoth catcher has light-tower power that he put on display in a 10-game cup of coffee last season. Over 33 plate appearances, Huff crushed three homers to go along with three doubles, leading to a .355 BA and 1.136 OPS. He hit 28 home runs in the minors in 2019 and even stole a few bags. He is currently on the IL nursing a hamstring injury that he sustained back in February, so it shouldn’t be long until his return. There isn’t a whole lot blocking him from becoming the Rangers’ everyday starter. Look to add Huff sooner than later.
– Austin Lowell
Heliot Ramos (OF – SF)
Ramos isn’t close to knocking down the door and emerging as an everyday player with the San Francisco Giants, but he’s the type of stash that could pay dividends down the road. Ramos had a brief stint with the big league club during spring training, and he responded by hitting .410 with three home runs. Again, we’re looking long-term with a “stash,” but Ramos is the type of hitter who can impact a fantasy lineup whenever his name is eventually called.
– Mario Mergola (@MarioMergola)
Daulton Jefferies (SP – OAK)
For a pitcher prospect to stash, let’s talk about a sneakier guy in Jefferies. In spring training, Jefferies pitched well with a 1.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, six walks, and 24 strikeouts across 18 innings. However, the Athletics optioned Jefferies to their alternate site. Throughout his minor league career, Jefferies dealt with injuries like Tommy John surgery in 2017 and a biceps strain in February 2020. In 2019 at Double-A, Jefferies posted a 3.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 27.5% K%, and 2.7% BB% in 64 innings pitched. In his minor league career and brief 2020 MLB debut, Jefferies totaled 122 strikeouts and 14 walks in 101.1 innings as one of the rare command/control pitching prospects. His two best pitches involve his fastball and changeup while he mixes in a slider/cutter as well. If he receives the call and remains healthy, he’s an underrated pitcher prospect to stash.
– Corbin Young (@Corbin_Young21)
Jefferies is my favorite pitching stash to start the season. Not only does he undoubtedly pass the eye test, but his numbers and pure stuff project well at the Major League level. After putting together an extremely impressive spring where he produced a 1.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts over 18 innings, Oakland somewhat surprisingly chose to option him to their alternative site. With Cole Irvin earning a spot and Mike Fiers likely set to return in a few weeks, there isn’t a clear path for Jefferies to join the MLB staff any time soon. But as any fantasy player knows, injuries can strike at any time, and Jefferies should be the first in line to get the call. I’ve already got him stashed as an NA in my Yahoo leagues that allow it and you should do the same.
– Austin Lowell
MacKenzie Gore (SP – SD)
As soon as Gore is even hinted at joining the San Diego Padres, he’s going to be added in almost every fantasy league. If you want to get ahead of the curve, grab Gore now. The reality is that he has no place in the Padres’ starting rotation as of now, and almost certainly won’t have a clear “home” before the end of the season. However, San Diego has been building properly for the past few years. They will likely want to get Gore some exposure, even if it isn’t for months. He has all the makings of a front line ace, both for the Padres and your fantasy team. If you have a roster spot that can be dedicated to a player who won’t deliver for a long time, then fill it with Gore.
– Mario Mergola (@MarioMergola)
Gore is considered the best pitching prospect in baseball. He has struck out an impressive 243 batters across 188 innings in the minor leagues. The top pitching prospect struggled with his command over his last five Cactus League outings. Gore allowed seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits and eight walks across 11 innings. The 22-year-old is a top candidate to be called up but will need to be able to locate his pitches and dominate the minor leagues once again in 2021. Gore has all the tools to be a bona fide ace if he is able to improve his command and put it all together. Gore has massive upside and is worth stashing in all league formats.
– Brad Camara (@Beerad30)
Spencer Howard (SP – PHI)
Mackenzie Gore will make undoubtedly make an appearance on this list, but I’ll go in a different direction with Spencer Howard. I’ll admit, Howard’s seasonal outlook has been dimmed with the news that he won’t start many games, and won’t go deep when he does start. However, the back end of the Phillies rotation is devoid of talent. Yes, you’re correct in saying that I’m not a big believer in Matt Moore or Chase Anderson. If there are injuries in the rotation and the Phillies are still in the playoff hunt, I still expect Howard to pitch at least 80 innings. With his talent, we could get a sub-4 ERA with an above-average strikeout rate. In this season where pitcher innings will be lower than what we are accustomed to, that’s the equivalent of holding a solid middle reliever (like Chad Green) with the potential for more.
– Carmen Maiorano (@carmsclubhouse)
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