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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Andrew Painter, J.J. Wetherholt, Luke Keaschall - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Stashing the right prospect can provide your fantasy team with a high-impact boost. If you monitored Chandler Simpson's elite speed production and Nick Kurtz's immense power at Triple-A, you secured two high-end fantasy assets before they even reached the major leagues.
In this piece, we will look at a budding ace at Triple-A and two top hitters and determine if fantasy managers should consider stashing them during the stretch of the fantasy baseball season.
Should those players be left on the waiver wire, or should fantasy managers add them before their breakout? Let's dive in!
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Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 AAA Stats:68 IP, 4.50 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 67 SO, 25 BB
The Philadelphia right-hander has continued to progress at Triple-A and is on the verge of getting the call to join the major league roster for the stretch run. In his most recent start on July 30, the former first-round pick logged a season-high 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He allowed seven hits with just two walks. He struck out four.
In his previous outing, Painter also found success, allowing just two runs across six innings of work with just one hit and a 4:3 K:BB. However, before this recent two-game stretch, the right-hander was in danger of falling out of must-stash territory as he served up a hefty 16 runs and seven walks over his last 24 2/3 innings.
While his overall 4.50 ERA and 1.37 WHIP through 68 innings at Triple-A Lehigh Valley is not overly impressive, seeing him log two-straight games with six innings and quality starts suggests he is putting the final touches on his development. Earlier in the campaign, Painter looked quite strong during his brief rehab start with Low-A as he struck out 12 across 11 1/3 innings of work.
Before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Painter was a consensus top prospect as he posted an elite 1.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 155:25 K:BB through 103 2/3 innings during the 2022 campaign.
Painter has immense strikeout upside and is on the verge of joining a Philies team that will be playing in important games down the stretch. He is a must-stash in all leagues entering Week 19.
Andrew Painter was ON FIRE today.
He could find himself in a new organization by tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/6GWSQIjx9C
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) July 30, 2025
-Written by Andy Smith
J.J. Wetherholt, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 16 G, .344/.425/.754, 5 2B, 6 HR, 2 SB
While it's not quite Spencer Jones' levels, J.J. Wetherholt has been red hot at the plate over the last four weeks. In his last 17 games dating back to 7/6, Wetherholt is slashing .348/.423/.818 with five doubles, eight home runs, two steals, and more walks (nine) than strikeouts (eight). In his last 25 games, Wetherholt has reached base in 24 of them with a .302/.405/.667 slash line.
JJ Wetherholt continues to tear up Triple-A 😤
The @Cardinals' top prospect is 3-for-3 with a homer -- through four innings!
He's now batting .356 with a 1.217 OPS in 16 games with the @memphisredbirds. pic.twitter.com/wei1MxAn4x
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 3, 2025
In my August Top 500 prospect rankings update, Wetherholt slotted in at #10 thanks to his blend of contact, approach, power, and speed. In his roughly three and a half weeks in Triple-A, Wetherholt has posted an impressive 92 mph AVG EV, 52.7% hard-hit rate, and a 16.4% barrel rate with a 75.2% contact rate, 12.3% walk rate, and an 11% strikeout rate.
He also made his first start at third base on Sunday, which is something to keep an eye on.
With the Cardinals out of the playoff picture, fantasy managers should continue to monitor Wetherholt's progression at the top level of the St. Louis system. If he can contonue ot hit for high power while adjusting well to the hot corner, he should be in a prime position to debut in the big leagues later in the second half. Given his power upside, he is worth stashing in deeper formats for the time being,
- Written by Eric Cross
Luke Keaschall, 1B/2B/OF, Minnesota Twins
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MLB Stats: 7 G, .368/.538/.526, 3 2B, 5 SB
Rounding out this list will be infielder/outfielder Luke Keaschall from the Minnesota Twins. Unlike the two names above, the former second-round pick has already made his MLB debut and flashed immense upside, swiping an impressive five bases while holding a .368 AVG across a seven-game stint.
However, his debut was cut short due to a fractured right forearm. However, Keaschall was able to begin a lengthy rehab assignment in July and recently returned to action.
During his rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul, Keaschall posted a solid .265/.367/.327 line with one double, one triple, and an impressive seven singles bases across 14 games. To see him sprint to flash high speed even post-injury is a very positive sign for his fantasy outlook for the remainder of the campaign.
He spent the 2024 campaign split between time at High-A and Double-A. Through 102 total games, the No. 46-ranked prospect on MLB.com posted an impressive .303/.420/.483 slash line with 21 doubles, 15 home runs, and 23 stolen bases.
With the Twins trading utility infielder Willi Castro to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline, Keaschall should find ample opportunities to see consistent at-bats once he is cleared to return. Given his ability to hit for power and showcase elite speed upside on the basepaths, Keaschall is worth picking up in all standard leagues.
He has a viable path to steal double-digit bases while chipping in a high batting average over the final weeks of the season, which can push you over the edge in several categories. In his first game back in Minnesota, Keaschall launched a two-run shot. He is a must-target in all leagues.
Some Twins excitement: No. 3 prospect Luke Keaschall is likely headed back to the big leagues on Tuesday, per a report.
More: https://t.co/mIc7CflFDC pic.twitter.com/VaF4a4AZbI
— Bring Me The Sports (@BMTNSports) August 4, 2025
- Written by Andy Smith
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