Welcome back, prospectors. We already have some solid wins from the last article as Jackson Holliday and Jack Leiter have both received their call to the majors. Below I’ve got the top-10 fantasy baseball prospects to prioritize on your stash list. There is a combination of talent versus proximity in these ranks. Christian Scott over Ricky Tidemann is an example of this. I do believe Tiedemann long term is the better pitcher, but Christian Scott has been pitching so well, and his timeline looks to hit before Tiedemann. Take a look at your roster and league to decide when to start stashing, but they are the top-10 guys I’d trigger finger for.
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Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Stash
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Junior Caminero (3B – TB )
Caminero is arguably the top prospect still in the minors. After spending almost two weeks on the MiLB IL, he returned in his first game to hit a towering home run. He’s got a .300/.400/.600 slash in triple-a. The Rays seemed to pour water on an early call-up, but the Rays need for more offense might push up the timeline. Caminero will be a FAAB buster once he’s up, so getting him now is not a bad idea.
James Wood (OF – WAS )
There are not many hotter bats in the minors than James Wood. He’s hitting .340 with two home runs and eight of his first 17 hits being of the extra base variety. The most surprising elements of his game are the five stolen bases in 50 at-bats from the 6’7 almost 240-pound outfielder, and the dramatically lower strikeout rate. Wood will be a must-own once called-up, and is worth stashing now.
Paul Skenes (SP – PIT)
Skenes struck out eight in his last three-inning outing. He now has an over 50% K-BB percentage and an elite 20% swinging strike percentage. He’s the best pitching prospect in baseball who’s been handled with care to start the year. The Pirates should be ready to play with their new toy very soon. If May 1st comes around and he’s in the minors, I would be shocked.
Heston Kjerstad (OF – BAL )
Like most of the Orioles triple-a roster, Kjerstad has put up video game numbers. Through his first 16 games, he’s hit seven home runs, which is near the league lead, and an absurd 27 RBI. Kjerstad is explosive to the ball, and is most likely the next Oriole prospect to get a call-up, assuming its a bat/corner outfield/DH need. I’d expect to see Kjerstad within the next month.
Joey Loperfido (OF – HOU)
When you talk about higher minor-league bats, Joey Loperfido is thrown into every discussion. He started the year off a little slow on the average, but it took him only 15 games to get his average over .300 and more importantly, lead MiLB in home runs as the first to reach double-digits at 10. I think he could struggle with his batting average when he’s up, but the minor league start is going to give him an opportunity soon.
Coby Mayo (3B – BAL )
Long term, I value Mayo over Kjerstad, but there is always the chance they play it a little bit slower, especially after the early struggles of Jackson Holliday. You can be excited as the 22-year old already has five early home runs with three stolen bases. If I thought he’d be up before Kjerstad, he would rank higher on this list.
Christian Scott (SP – NYM )
Scott’s last start he struck out 10 over five innings. On the year, he has a 4.00 ERA, with a sub-one WHIP and 19 strikeouts over 9 innings. Scott’s power fastball and slider are complimented by a splitter which should be the next call from the Mets, be it a spot-start or to permanently take over an open rotation spot.
Ricky Tiedemann (SP – TOR )
We’ve seen some early-season struggles in the minors from Ricky. He’s struck out 10 over eight innings with an over-five ERA. Walks have been a bit of an issue, as his ability to reach upper nineties with command. He almost made the team out of camp, and they may just be waiting for a good start or two before he’s up. Command at the majors is the red flag here, but he will be a heavy strikeout option when he’s up.
Kyle Manzardo (1B – CLE )
His stats aren’t lighting up the scoreboard, but he’s quietly doing the right things. He’s walking as much as he’s striking out (10/10). He’s got a hundred-point higher OBP than his .250 batting average, and the power will be coming soon. He’s 1B only, so the team will have to be comfortable putting one of him or Josh Naylor as DH before the move can be done. An Injury or an offensive boost will most likely facilitate the move.
Jordan Beck (OF – COL )
Beck is a carry over from the previous report. He’s hitting just under .300 with an almost .400 OBP, four home runs one stolen base. The Rockies have been dreadful to start the year, and with Beck performing and playing in triple-a, he should get the call when they finally decide to mix things up. You may be able to wait until May before putting him higher on your watch list, or actually stashing him.
Put on Your Watchlist
- Cade Povich (SP – BAL )
- Drew Thorpe (SP – CHW )
- Brooks Lee (SS – MIN )
- Owen Caissie (OF – CHC )
- Carson Whisenhunt (SP – SF )
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Looking for more prospects for fantasy? Follow me on Twitter @isitthewelsh and check out my fantasy prospect show “Prospect One.”