We are right around the corner from Opening Day. Literally, it’s just a few days away, giving us another marathon season ahead of us.
Most drafts have wrapped up by now, and while those are the most fun part of any fantasy league, it’s not the most important part.
In fact, in-season management plays a huge role in the success of a fantasy team, and one of the ways to do that is by tracking prospects who can make a difference between you being sent home empty-handed or raising the trophy at the end of the season.
Earlier this week, we highlighted the 15 prospects who will make a difference for fantasy managers this year.
I’m going to take it a step further because the players I highlighted in that piece are guys I expect to make an impact right away.
But if you have the patience – and roster space – to stash some players, you can beat the potential rush to them later.
- Fitz’s Positional Primers
- Justin Mason’s Draft Day Cheat Sheet
- Players the Experts Draft
- Latest Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Stash (2023)
- Brandon Pfaadt (SP – ARI) – The spot for the No. 5 starter for Arizona came down to the final week of Spring Training, and it went to Ryne Nelson, who is a good rookie pitcher in his own right. Pfaadt is a future No. 2, though, and he should get the call in May/June for Arizona.
- Sal Frelick (OF – MIL) – This is a roto-based pickup only, as Frelick lacks serious power. What he does have, though, is fantastic speed, which managers always need.
- Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM) – The Mets also have Mark Vientos knocking on the door, but Alvarez is the clear stud of the farm system. It’s just, they don’t have anywhere for him in their regular lineup. At worst, we should see him as the DH soon.
- Andrew Painter (SP – PHI) – Painter would have made the other list had it not been for his scary injury in the spring. The Phillies seem hopeful that he’ll avoid going under the knife, but he’s a high-risk, high-reward pitching prospect to stash.
- Ricky Tiedemann (SP – TOR) – Tiedemann is out of the woods for a serious injury for now, too, after injuring his shoulder in spring. He’s on track to start the season in Double-A, and he should make his Toronto debut later this year.
- Matt Mervis (1B – CHC) – It’s frustrating that the Cubs signed Eric Hosmer when Mash Mervis was sitting right there.
- Edouard Julien (2B – MIN) – He has no true defensive position, which hurts his outlook, but Julien has fantastic plate discipline and sneaky power. His bat is big-league ready.
- Eury Perez (SP – MIA) – When all else fails, trust Miami pitchers. His stock is down slightly but it’s more prospect fatigue than anything.
- Elly De La Cruz (3B/SS – CIN) – Once the other prospects graduate, he’s going to be the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Crazy ceiling with his power and speed. Kevin Newman should look over his shoulder.
- Logan O’Hoppe (C – LAA) – Catchers are hard to trust in general, but rookie catchers are doubly so. But offense is O’Hoppe’s calling card.
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand (3B – CIN) – I like Spencer Steer, but he’s just keeping the seat warm for Encarnacion-Strand. A May call-up is possible.
- Drey Jameson (SP – ARI) – The other one of the big three pitching prospects may be my favorite, even if he doesn’t possess the same upside as Pfaadt. I trust his floor more.
- Joey Ortiz (SS – BAL) – Jorge Mateo is just not the guy in Baltimore. Ortiz plays good defense and also has a good hit tool with added power.
- Gavin Stone (SP – LAD) – I thought we were going to get stone in the Opening Day rotation, but Ryan Pepiot took the job instead.
- Curtis Mead (3B – TB) – He’s another player without a position, but he has fantastic power and all-fields approach that should find him at-bats. He’s in the perfect system for maximizing his abilities.
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.