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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Chase DeLauter, Jordan Lawlar, Chandler Simpson - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Adding the right prospect at the right time could provide a much-needed spark to your fantasy team. If you're falling behind in a specific category, a prospect with the proper skill set could help you climb your league standings.
In this piece, we will look at three prospects who are on the verge of earning a call to the majors. Two of these players have already earned a taste while one has yet to debut.
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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Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 19 G, .290/.410/.493, 5 2B, 3 HR, 14 BB, 10 SO
After a successful career at James Madison, the Guardians selected DeLauter with the 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft. While injuries have been a significant factor in his career, his performance was strong when DeLauter was on the field. Standing at 6-foot-3, DeLauter has one of the best combinations of athleticism and size in the minors.
The swing takes flak from some because it is compact and has a short follow-through, but that has not affected his ability to hit for power or make consistent contact. The barrel control is elite, and the swing creates a natural loft.
If you have questions about whether DeLauter’s swing can play, look under the hood. The power is easily plus based on the average and 90th percentile exit velocities. He lifts the ball with ease and posts ideal launch angles consistently, and when you run a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107 mph, you will get homers.
The contact is intense, and DeLauter has a zone contact rate of 84 percent with an overall contact rate of 78 percent. The plate discipline is also good, as he picks his spots well and chases just 13 percent of pitches out of the zone, putting the strike zone recognition at plus or better.
Cleveland has no reason to waste bullets. DeLauter is often injured and is heating up in Triple-A. It is time for a promotion, especially considering DeLauter has hits in eight of his last nine games and has 12 hits over that span. He has struck out just four times and walked seven.
Since June 8, the budding star in Cleveland has posted a remarkable .382/.488/.647 slash line with three doubles, two home runs, and a 2:7 K:BB.
Get him to Cleveland!
Back-to-back games!
Cleveland #Guardians 23yr old OF prospect Chase DeLauter hits a 2-run bomb in the 3rd inning for Columbus 391 feet and 103.1 mph off the bat!
DeLauter has now reached base in all 19 games with the Clippers hitting .299 with a .927 OPS.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/H3JgWAW6iS
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 19, 2025
-Written by Chris Clegg
Jordan Lawlar, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 52 G, .321/.411/.586, 19 2B, 10 HR, 18 SB, 30 BB, 60 SO
Jordan Lawlar has had two brutal short stints in the majors so far in his career, as he had a -5 WRC+ in 34 PAs in 2023 and a -52 WRC+ in 22 PAs earlier this season. Will the third time be the charm for Lawlar, allowing him to stay in the majors for good?
Lawlar has been great in Triple-A this season and does not have much left to prove in the minors. He has a 138 WRC+ with 10 HRs and 18 SBs. Through 52 games with the Reno Aces, he holds an impressive .321/.411/.586 slash line.
Back-to-back games with a jack for Jordan Lawlar 🚀
MLB's No. 4 prospect (@Dbacks) has 5 XBHs over his past 5 contests and a 1.135 OPS this month for the Triple-A @Aces. pic.twitter.com/tVWGypYlQK
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 18, 2025
It's understandable that fantasy managers might be skeptical of rostering Lawlar given his inability to produce at the MLB level multiple times. However, he'd be looked at as one of the top prospects in baseball if we had never seen him play in Arizona.
With Corbin Burnes out for the season and the Diamondbacks falling a bit behind the pace in the NL West, could they be soft sellers soon? If so, I imagine they'd like to make a deal that would open up regular playing time for Lawlar. If he gets another chance, he still has the upside to be a five-category contributor.
Even though his previous production in the major leagues has not been overly impressive, he has flashed immense upside at Triple-A and could be poised to take the next step, especially if he sees consistent playing time.
For now, he is worth stashing in all 12+ team formats. If Arizona needs a reinforcement in the infield, Lawlar will likely be given the call.
- Written by Kevin Luo
Chandler Simpson, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MLB stats: 35 G, .283/.315/.317, 4 2B, 0 HR, 19 SB, 6 BB, 14 SO
The final prospect we will look at this week is Chandler Simpson of the Rays. While Simpson has already received a taste of the big leagues, it was successful in comparison to Lawlar.
Through his first 35 MLB games, Simpson swiped an impressive 19 bags, which is still the fifth-highest total in the AL. While he does not hold much power upside, his elite speed makes him a viable fantasy asset, especially in category formats.
Through 31 games with Triple-A Durham this season, Simpson has shown elite bat-to-ball skills, posting a .319/.350/.370 line with three doubles, two triples, 15 stolen bases, and a 15:7 K:BB. Last summer, Simpson swiped an eye-catching 104 bags in just 110 MiLB games spread across High-A and Double-A.
While the current Rays outfield is quite crowded, Simpson remains a viable stash option in deep category formats, especially if you are falling behind in speed. You will not find another play with this much stolen base upside outside of Simpson.
Current center fielder Kameron Misner has tallied just two hits over his last eight games. If he continues to struggle and Tampa Bay remains in the Wild Card picture, they could opt to promote Simpson to cover center field for the remainder of the second half.
Between MLB & AAA, Chandler Simpson has 33-SB/76-H in 65 games. That's an 82-SB/189-H pace over 162 games
Kameron Misner it hitting .138 since April 24th
Can the Rays stop this madness and call Chandler back up? pic.twitter.com/SUybZtKoQB
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) June 19, 2025
- Written by Andy Smith
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