3 Impact Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash - Bubba Chandler, Chase Burns, Quinn Mathews

June 20, 2025

Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Bubba Chandler, Chase Burns, Quinn Mathews - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.

Through the first three months of the season, several teams have begun to promote their top prospects to strengthen their MLB rosters. Boston has recently given the call to their top hitting prospects, while Chicago promoted right-handed pitcher Cade Horton.

In this piece, we will look at three players who are currently performing at an elite level at Triple-A and are quickly approaching their MLB debut.

Should those players be left on the waiver wire, or should fantasy managers add them before their breakout? Let's dive in!

Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Current Level: Triple-A
Availability: 35% rostered
2025 MiLB stats: 51 1/3 IP, 2.63 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 70 SO, 26 BB

While Bubba Chandler has not been the most impressive as of late, he still needs to be viewed as a top pitching stash. In his last outing on June 11, Chandler was unable to get out of the first inning as he earned just two outs with one run and four walks. In his previous outing, Chandler allowed three runs and four hits across two innings of work.

However, before this rough two-game skid, Chandler was one of the best pitchers in the minor leagues. During his first 48 2/3 innings this season, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the sport posted a strong 2.03 ERA with a stellar 1.07 WHIP. During this stretch, he struck out 69 batters and served up 21 free passes.

Bubba Chandler is wasting his time in AAA pic.twitter.com/B4zAoomswb

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) May 31, 2025

During his first taste of Triple-A last summer, Chandler held a 1.83 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP across 39 1/3 innings of work. Earlier in the 2024 campaign, Chandler flashed elite upside at the Double-A level, posting a 3.70 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and tallying 94 puncouts in 80 1/3 innings of work.

If Chandler can bounce back in his next start, he should be in high contention to earn the call to Pittsburgh. If any of your league mates cut ties this weekend, swoop in and grab a high-end starter for the second half.

-Written by Andy Smith

Chase Burns, SP, Cincinnati Reds

Current Level: Triple-A
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 59 IP, 1.83 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 82 SO, 13 BB

We have a new No. 2 name on the stash list. After nearly a month of Andrew Painter being neck-and-neck with Chandler, the Wake Forest prospect will take this spot on the list.

During his first professional season, Burns has done nothing short of impress. The 22-year-old began his professional career with High-A and tossed 11 2/3 innings to the tune of a 3.09 ERA with a 0.86 WHIP before moving up to Double-A. During this stint, Burns struck out 20 batters and allowed just five walks.

Then with Double-A, Burns took a step forward, posting a stellar 1.29 ERA with a 0.71 WHIP. During this stretch, the right-hander showed near-perfect control, allowing just four total walks with 55 punchouts.

Last Sunday, the Reds announced they were promoting their budding ace to Triple-A. After just over 50 innings with High-A and Double-A, Burns proved he was ready to make his Triple-A debut.

Of course, Burns continued to impress in his first taste of Triple-A action, striking out seven across 51/3 innings of two-run ball against the potent Iowa Cubs' offense.

Chase Burns (CIN) made his AAA debut!

My #1 Pitching prospect started off shaky as his control wasn't ideal, but he locked in after the 1st Inning and showcased his fantastic stuff and his elite bat missing arsenal. The growth of his changeup has been outstanding! pic.twitter.com/oNh2vDmW4T

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 12, 2025

The No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft is not slowing down and is on the fast track to Cincinnati. Currently, with Hunter Greene (groin) on the 15-day IL, veteran Wade Miley has taken the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Miley has not looked impressive through his first two starts, allowing seven runs and 11 hits in just seven innings of work.

Burns is a must-stash. He may only need a brief look at Triple-A before reaching the majors. If Cincinnati can remain in the wild card picture, they could give Burns the call much sooner than expected. He has the potential to take Bubba Chandler's spot as the top pitching prospect in the sport.

‼️CHASE BURNS STATCAST DATA‼️

After a rocky first inning, Chase Burns settled in, calmed his nerves, and absolutely dominated the rest of his outing. That's major-league stuff right there. Don’t expect him to stay in AAA for long! pic.twitter.com/OkQyarTp2w

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) June 12, 2025

- Written by Andy Smith

Quinn Mathews, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

Current Level: Triple-A
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MiLB stats: 26 IP, 3.81 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 29 SO, 22 BB

Quinn Mathews has continued to pitch well since returning from the Triple-A IL. Mathews was dealing with shoulder inflammation from mid-April through most of May. He returned to Triple-A on May 31 and has been quite sharp over his last three outings.

Over his last 10 2/3 innings (three starts), the southpaw has held a 3.38 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP. He has struck out 14 batters and allowed seven walks. In his most recent outing, the left-hander struck out five batters but served up four high walks.

While he has only reached the five-inning mark once over his last three outings, it is promising to see the No. 40-ranked prospect in baseball begin to slowly increase his workload.

Last season, the 24-year-old was one of the biggest risers in the minor leagues. He opened the campaign with Low-A and finished the season with Triple-A. Through 162 2/3 innings with Low-A, High-A, and Double-A, the left-hander posted an impressive 2.27 ERA with a stellar 0.85 WHIP. He only allowed 35 walks during this stretch while striking out 180 batters.

While he posted a hefty 6.48 ERA during his first taste of Triple-A last summer, Mathews is already showing improvement this season. Given his current pace, the top pitching prospect in St. Louis could get the call in July.

Currently, Andre Pallante holds the No. 5 spot in the St. Louis rotation. Since May 1, Pallante has posted a modest 5.36 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP. During this stretch, Pallante has only struck out 34 batters and served up 14 free passes. If he continues to struggle, the Cardinals will likely opt to promote their top pitching prospect, especially if they remain in the playoff picture.

Quinn Mathews turns in his best outing of 2025 for the Triple-A @memphisredbirds ⚡️

5 IP | 5 H | 1 R (0 ER) | 0 BB | 6 K

The @Cardinals' top-ranked pitching prospect has a 1.03 WHIP over his past four outings: pic.twitter.com/PFfdfDYxKg

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 7, 2025

- Written by Andy Smith

More Fantasy Baseball Prospects and Rookies