The Stash List Week 15: Top 10 Hitter Prospects to Stash in 2023
The Hitter Edition of The Stash List is back and updated for Week 15.
This Stash List highlights the 10 best-hitting prospects likely to make an impact during the 2023 season.
Prospects are often thought of as only holding value in dynasty formats. However, knowing which prospects hold value for the current season can help set you apart in redraft leagues. Several have a 2023 ETA and getting ahead of the curve on rostering these prospects is a key part of roster management. You can check out last week’s edition of the list here and keep reading to find out the latest updates.
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.
Upside, proximity, health, and opportunity are all weighed for each player.
The focus is on 12-team leagues with standard categories.
Rankings and rostership percentages will be updated weekly.
Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Friday’s games.
The Stash List
Graduates/Call-Ups
Two weeks in a row the Baltimore Orioles have had a top prospect featured in this section of the Stash List. Colton Cowser got the promotion after ranking number one last week and is settling into an everyday role in the Orioles’ lineup. Cowser profiles to be a doubles machine driving the ball to the gaps and providing plus speed on the base paths. He is a must-add player in all 12+ team leagues and is likely going to be a significant fantasy asset for the remainder of 2023 and beyond.
Colton Cowser notches his first MLB hit and RBI to get the @Orioles on the board. pic.twitter.com/orXgCeFGxy — MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2023
Top 10 Hitting Prospects to Stash
1. Ronny Mauricio, SS/2B New York Mets
This marks the second week in a row we have a new number-one prospect to stash. Ronny Mauricio moves into the top spot with both Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser earning promotions to the major leagues. Mauricio has been a model of consistency throughout the 2023 season. His batting average remains over .300 and his slugging remains over .500. If there was fantasy baseball for Triple-A, Mauricio would be contributing in all five categories. Amongst qualified shortstops in the International League, Mauricio ranks fifth in home runs, seventh in stolen bases, sixth in runs, third in RBI, and third in average. This kind of production is exactly why he ranks as the best stash option in baseball.
The most likely path to playing time continues to be replacing the platoon of Mark Canha and Daniel Vogelbach. Vogelbach is receiving the majority of at-bats at DH despite batting just .225 with five home runs on the year. Promoting Mauricio would allow the Mets the ability to get more regulars off their feet to play DH while improving their offensive lineup. Mauricio should be up with the club soon and he needs to be stashed.
2. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B Cincinnati Reds
Christian Encarnacion-Strand continues to move up this Stash List and it seems like only a matter of time before he is in Cincinnati. CES continues to demolish home runs and is now up to 18 on the year after this bomb:
Per usual, Christian Encarnacion-Strand left no doubt about this one. The 18th home run of the season for the @Reds' No. 6 prospect was a 109.6 mph MISSILE for the @LouisvilleBats: pic.twitter.com/w6kcgdC2Y1 — Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 2, 2023
I have said this before, but there really is nothing left for CES to prove at the minor league level. The Reds just have nowhere to put him. Upon promotion, CES has a chance to be a massive source of power although I expect his average to come down a good amount. Injuries or the impending trade deadline could open up room in the Reds’ lineup and now is the time to stash him before it is too late.
3. Sal Frelick, OF Milwaukee Brewers
I would not say that Sal Frelick is dominating Triple-A pitching. However, he is demonstrating elite contact skills and a mature understanding of the strike zone. Despite the disappointing results, Frelick’s profile comes with a smooth swing path, plus speed, great contact skills, and solid defense. This kind of player is useful to a major league club and holds fantasy value, especially in OBP leagues. Do not let the surface stats fool you, Frelick should be a top-priority stash at this point in the season.
The Brewers need to win, and they need to win now. With two-thirds of their starting outfield struggling, they likely turn to Frelick sooner rather than later. Blake Perkins has an 82 wRC+ since his promotion and Joey Wiemer has gone into a massive slump at the plate. Frelick is next in line for a shot with the major league club and he will be a useful fantasy asset once he gets it.
4. Endy Rodriguez, C Pittsburgh Pirates
The roller coaster continues for Endy Rodriguez. After starting the season as a priority stash to falling all the way off the Stash List a few weeks ago, Rodriguez is quickly rising back up. The promotion of Henry Davis seems to have lit a fire under him as he has really started to pick things up at the plate. Since June 23rd, Rodriguez is batting .333 while maintaining excellent walk-to-strikeout ratios. Although the home runs have slowed down this year, he looks much more like the player who hit .323 last season and it is important fantasy managers remember the kind of upside he possesses.
The Pirates continue to use Davis in the outfield signaling that they are keeping the catcher spot open for Rodriguez. Austin Hedges is not the long-term solution and he continues to be the worst offensive catcher in baseball. The Pirates have likely been waiting for Rodriguez to get comfortable with his swing before a promotion and now that looks like it is finally happening. I do not expect the Pirates to wait much longer before promoting Rodriguez and he is an excellent stash option if you are looking for an upgrade at catcher.
5. Kyle Manzardo, 1B Tampa Bay Rays
Kyle Manzardo’s BABIP since June 20th, sits down at .167. This number feels impossibly low for somebody who hits the ball as hard and with as many line drives as Manzardo. His batting average continues to fall which is lowering his value in the fantasy baseball community. Buy low. Manzardo’s sweet spot sits above 39%, his barrel rate is 9.9%, and his swinging strike is just 8.1%. This is an elite hitter who is experiencing some tough luck. This is not a player who has forgotten how to hit.
Manzardo’s promotion remains dependent on somebody on the Rays’ roster going down with an injury. There is also the possibility of the Rays trading Manzardo which would also get him into the major leagues. Regardless of how he gets there, Manzardo remains somebody who should be stashed and will be an instant fantasy contributor.
6. Austin Wells, C New York Yankees
I am becoming increasingly confident that the Yankees are going to let Austin Wells skip Triple-A. Maybe my gut feeling is wrong, but Wells is really putting everything together at the minor league level. In addition, the Yankees are in dire need of an offensive spark from the catcher position. Wells has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games while slugging .491 over that time. His swinging strike rate of 12.4% is passable when paired with the power Wells has. Catcher is a fickle position in fantasy baseball which is another reason why Wells is such a great stash.
Jose Trevino hit his first home run since May 1st last week, but even with that he has still been terrible offensively. Since the start of June he has a 59 wRC+, and since June 20th that number rises only to 71. The Yankees should not be relying on him as their primary catcher especially with Wells playing well in the minor leagues. The upside is here for Wells to be a significant fantasy asset making him well worth the stash.
7. Tyler Soderstrom, C/1B Oakland Athletics
Tyler Soderstrom has been on an absolute tear over the past three weeks. Since June 18th, Soderstrom has hit six home runs with an average of .278. The only concerning thing with his profile continues to be a high strikeout rate. On the season, he is striking out over 27% of the time which has been a consistent theme throughout his professional career. The flaw here is a relatively high chase rate which Oakland might like to see improve before giving him a call. Outside of the strikeout rate, Soderstrom has 35 home run potential in his bat. That kind of power and catcher eligibility is reminiscent of how we viewed Francisco Alvarez earlier this season. He profiles to have an instant fantasy impact as soon as he is promoted. The Athletics have plenty of room in the lineup to fit his bat in and could open up even more after the trade deadline. Stash Soderstrom now before it is too late.
8. Justin Foscue, 2B Texas Rangers
If you are stashing Justin Foscue, you should not be expecting a promotion until the Rangers make a trade, Foscue is ready for the major leagues with little left to prove at the minor league level. He has the hit tool to hit over .275, enough power to hit 15-20 home runs, and the speed to steal 10-15 bases. Add in the extra value he holds in OBP leagues and he is a valuable stash.
The Rangers are loaded in the middle infield at the major league level. Corey Seager has a history of injuries, but Foscue has no experience playing shortstop. He is reliant on an injury to Josh Jung or ironman Marcus Semien. He is a prime candidate to be a part of a trade and is worth stashing now just in case a trade happens. His value could skyrocket and you want to beat the rush.
9. Oswald Peraza, SS New York Yankees
AAA Stats:
Oswald Peraza continues to find success at the minor league level. This story is nothing new as Peraza has not posted a wRC+ below 100 in the minor leagues since Low-A back in 2019. This season, it seems like Peraza is playing with a chip on his shoulder after a brief stint in the major leagues. He is hitting for power, speed, and maintaining a solid batting average. He figures to be the next man up in the event of an injury to any of the current Yankees’ players but could force the team to call him up even without an injury.
His strong play puts pressure on the combination of Josh Donaldson and DJ LeMahieu to perform. LeMahieu is batting .133 since June 18th and Donaldson is batting just .155 since returning from the IL on June 2nd. The Yankees do not have time to waste giving these veterans consistent playing time and will not be afraid to get Peraza’s bat into the lineup. Peraza should be up with the club soon making now the perfect time to stash him.
10. Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks
If you keep up with the dynasty team at Pitcher List, you know my love for Jordan Lawlar. There is a reason that he is my top prospect in all of baseball and now he makes it onto the Stash List. The reason you stash prospects is because of upside and Lawlar has as much upside as anybody. After a slow start to the season (primarily caused by poor luck), Lawlar is batting .318/.392/.576 since May 25th. Over that period, he is striking out under 15% of the time with seven home runs and 15 stolen bases.
Make that two home runs in three days for Jordan Lawlar. The top @Dbacks prospect launches his 12th jack of the year for the @sodpoodles: pic.twitter.com/ByMD8WPhEj — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 6, 2023
Lawlar has power, speed, and is showing off an advanced feel for hitting as the season moves along. Top prospects rarely get promoted late in the season (outside of a small cup of coffee at the very end). Typically, teams want to maintain control and manipulate service time. Well, Arizona is in first place in the NL West. They are the second-best team record-wise in the National League and are going to want to win as many games as possible. Geraldo Perdomo was a nice story to start the year but is batting under .200 since June 20th. His .206 xBA and .276 xSLG are not starter-worthy numbers and Lawlar would offer an instant offensive upgrade.
This stash is purely based on upside. However, if Arizona is serious about winning this season, they will give Lawlar a shot at the major league level. Stash him now to potentially reap a massive reward later on.
On The Bubble
In no particular order, the top five hitters that were in consideration for inclusion to this list were: Justyn-Henry Malloy (#10 Week 13), Curtis Mead (#9 Week 1), Connor Norby, Colt Keith, and Michael Busch.
Stash List
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
Source: Pitcher List
