3 Impact Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash - Samuel Basallo, Nolan McLean, J.J. Wetherholt

After the Mets moved Frankie Montas to the bullpen, McLean was given the starting nod on Saturday and did not disappoint. Despite showing issues with control at times, he has walked just 10.6 percent of batters. Since the start of July, the number has dropped, and McLean has struck out 33.3 percent of batters.

After being a two-way player at Oklahoma State, McLean got a chance to hit and pitch in pro ball. While the present power was there, the contact skills always held him back. McLean did not hit in a game after June 20, 2024, and focusing solely on pitching is paying off.

The numbers have been awe-inspiring this year as McLean has a 2.45 ERA with a 27 percent strikeout rate in 113.2 innings. In 18 of his 21 starts, McLean has allowed two earned runs or fewer. Walks have been an issue at times, but McLean does a good job of limiting the damage when he does put runners on base.

McLean’s fastball sits in the mid-90s with a heavy armside run. He throws from a 5’4” release height, which helps the pitch play at the top of the zone and has a rising effect despite the IVB not being overwhelming. With 10 or more inches of horizontal movement regularly, McLean has shown bat-missing ability with the offering.

The slider has around 10 mph of velocity separation from the fastball, sitting in the mid-80s with heavy sweeping action. It has late horizontal movement, which deceives hitters, largely due to its extremely high spin rates, which have been up to 3200 rpm. Watching the pitch, it is easily plus or better, and the metrics back it up.

McLean will mix a cutter and a curveball on occasion and has worked on a changeup. McLean has been using the cutter more often, and it worked at 91 mph last night. An upper-70s curveball has also been a nice addition to the arsenal. If the control holds, McLean is going to be a very good mid-rotation starter for the Mets and stick in the majors even after his first start.

Wetherholt just keeps hitting. Through June, Wetherholt has been one of the most consistent hitters in the minors, though it was not flashy. Since the move to Triple-A, Wetherholt has had a huge power outburst and has been even better than he was in Double-A. He now has 14 home runs and 35 extra-base hits in 374 plate appearances.

Wetherholt is hitting the cover off the ball with an average exit velocity north of 90 mph and has raised his 90th-percentile exit velocity on the season to near 105 mph. While Wetherholt does not post super high-end exit velocities, he consistently squares up baseballs and creates plenty of barrels. The Triple-A barrel rate is an incredible 15 percent mark as Wetherholt has continued to launch balls at ideal angles.

When you talk about consistency, Wetherholt is who comes to mind. Wetherholt has hits in two-thirds of his games and has been on base in 72 of 84 games played this year.

JJ Wetherholt has hit the ground running in AAA with 9 HR in his first 25 games. His ability to make consistently hard contact while laying off bad pitches makes him a dangerous threat.

He is one of the best prospects in baseball! pic.twitter.com/rRjcJiA9FV

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 17, 2025

The feel for the barrel is fantastic, and his approach is so sound. Currently, Wetherholt has an 84 percent overall contact with an in-zone contact rate that jumps in the upper-80 percent range. He does not expand the zone and has walked more often than he has struck out. While the contact numbers have dipped a bit in Triple-A, the power has come out, even under the hood.

Expect Wetherholt to get a cup of coffee in September to get his feet wet and make a run at Rookie of the Year in 2026. It is possible he is called up quite soon and can make an impact for fantasy teams down the stretch. For now, he is worth rostering in all 12+ team leagues.