Most fantasy players are already well aware of which prospects are expected to make the biggest impact from the outset of the 2024 MLB season. Names such as Jackson Holliday, Evan Carter, Jackson Chourio, Noelvi Marte, etc. are already being touted, for good reason, among the top Rookie of the Year contenders in their respective leagues. Those are not the type of young roster locks that this article will highlight, however, as the focus turns to late-round stashes.
The following hitters and pitchers, all currently outside the top 200 in FantasyPros’ consensus average draft position (ADP), likely need to refine their skills a bit more at the minor-league level. Maybe they’re ready to roll now and there simply is not a clear open spot for them with their big-league club just yet. Both situations could be true. In any case, all of these prospects have notable upside and should get a real opportunity to produce for fantasy managers at some point this year.
2024 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Stashes
Hitters
How talented were the national champion LSU Tigers last year? Well, the program produced the top two picks in the MLB Draft. Dylan Crews was No. 2. The first-overall selection will come later in this article. After joining the Nationals’ organization, Crews breezed through Single-A, hammering his way to a .355 AVG with five homers over 14 games. That led to a quick promotion to Double-A, where he didn’t fare quite as well, hitting just .208 with no homers, five doubles and three steals (six attempts) over 20 games.
Even though he didn’t immediately click in Double-A ball, Crews is on a fast trajectory to the bigs. No player on the Nationals’ roster is going to slow his ascent. It’s really up to how quickly Crews progresses against higher-level pitching. Signed to a $9-million bonus, the Nats certainly believe in him. Crews possesses an excellent hit tool, solid pop, good speed and the athleticism to cover center field. Once he gets the call from D.C., it’ll either be too late or the fantasy bidding war will be on.
Heston Kjerstad (OF, DH – BAL)
Heston Kjerstad got his first cup of coffee at the show last September, going 7-for-30 with a couple of homers and 10 strikeouts across 33 plate appearances for the Orioles. He can hold his own in the corner-outfield spots but he got most of his playing time at DH, and that seems like the most likely spot he could soon fill in Baltimore. With all due respect to Ryan O’Hearn and his surprising contributions to the Orioles’ division title, it’s doubtful he will hold off Kjerstad very far into the 2024 campaign.
Already 25, Kjerstad was originally selected by the Orioles with the second pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Arkansas. He put everyone on notice with a stellar season between Double-A and Triple-A last year, slashing .303/.376/.528 with 58 extra-base hits across 543 plate appearances before being called up. Kjerstad can slash line drives all over the field as well as crank baseballs out of the yard with regularity. The Orioles’ deep lineup will also supply him with a plethora of chances to drive in runs once he joins it.
Heston Kjerstad’s first career hit is a Home Run ? ?
(Via @Orioles)
pic.twitter.com/DUKjjOoDmY— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 16, 2023
Luisangel Acuna (2B, SS – NYM)
Speed is coveted by virtually all fantasy managers and Luisangel Acuna has wheels that rival those of his big brother Ronald. Acuna swiped 57 bags on 67 attempts at the Double-A level in 2023, not allowing a mid-season switch from the Rangers to the Mets organization slow him down in the least. His bat did take a downturn following the trade but he still completed the campaign with a .294/.359/.410 slash line, nine homers, 28 doubles and 93 runs scored over 121 games.
With Francisco Lindor entrenched at shortstop in New York, Acuna started receiving more time at second base after moving to the Mets’ system. There has also been talk of him possibly seeing significant reps at center field early this year, too. His 2024 season will likely begin at Triple-A, but, if Acuna takes off there, a quick move to the Big Apple could be in store. Mets fans will be clamoring to see what they got in exchange for Max Scherzer in last summer’s sell-off.
Pitchers
It would be pretty incredible if Paul Skenes began the season in the Pirates’ rotation. It would probably also be unwise since he only threw 6 2/3 innings in the minors after being selected with the top pick in last year’s draft. He did work 122 2/3 innings for LSU last year, so stamina should not be a concern for the physically imposing righty.
Skenes should be ready to make a run at 150 frames this year. The question is how much of that will come in the majors? Given the weakness of their rotation as currently constructed, the Pirates have to be thinking the sooner the better. A May call-up certainly seems possible for the game’s top pitching prospect (per MLB.com).
Skenes turned in ridiculous numbers in his final collegiate season, including a 1.69 ERA and 209-to-20 K/BB ratio. His triple-digit heat had scouts everywhere salivating last year. It is accompanied by a high-80s slider and power changeup that should make him an immediate force on the mound in Pittsburgh.
Paul Skenes today:
7.2 IP
5 H
1 ER
1 BB
12 KsAll the talk has been about Dylan Crews going number 1, but Paul Skenes has a real chance. And he could be in the majors by the end of the year.pic.twitter.com/MhbqTHmmC7
— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) June 18, 2023
Ricky Tiedemann will be in Spring Training with the Blue Jays and he’s another one to watch. The hard-throwing lefty has racked up a whopping 199 punchouts across 122 innings at various levels of the Blue Jays’ farm system over the last two years. There were legitimate concerns regarding Tiedemann’s health in 2023, as he logged only 44 frames over 15 outings. He quieted some of that by recording a 2.50 ERA and 31.5 K% in 18 frames in the Arizona Fall League.
Tiedemann should be set to take a step forward in workload this year and his talent could dictate a significant amount of those innings coming with the Jays. Even if he only ends up throwing 50 or so frames in the bigs this year, Tiedemann’s strikeout potential alone makes him worthy of a late-round stash.
More Fantasy Baseball Prospects
- Welsh’s Top 150 Prospect Rankings
- Top 150 Fantasy Baseball Prospects Scouting Reports
- Top 25 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prospects to Target in Redraft Leagues
- Top 30 First-Year Player Draft Rankings
- 5 Prospects to Trade in Dynasty Leagues
- 10 Undervalued Dynasty Prospects
- Top Prospect Rankings By Position:
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Nate Miller is a featured writer at FantasyPros and a 9-year veteran of the fantasy sports industry. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @Miller_RotoDad.
