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Thunder Dan analyzes three top fantasy baseball prospects - Bubba Chandler, Coby Mayo, Jac Caglianone - who could make big impacts this season. These MLB prospects are potential waiver wire pick-ups or stashes.
It's only been a month, but teams are already calling up some of their young talent to help fill holes in their roster. Whether it's to help fill gaps in their starting rotation or lineup, MLB teams are less hesitant than in the past to promote young players early and give them experience at the big league level.
In this article, we will determine if fantasy managers should consider stashing highly-regarded prospects Bubba Chandler, Coby Mayo, and Jac Caglianone. All three prospects are oozing potential and could be sneaky pickups this early in the year if you want to get out ahead of the field and grab them early.
So, let's take a closer look at these three impact prospects to see which of them, if any, should be stashed off the waiver wire now before it's too late to add them.
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Bubba Chandler, SP - Pittsburgh Pirates
Current Level: Triple-A Indianapolis
Availability: 23% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 4 GS, 15.1 IP, 1.76 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 23 SO
Bubba Chandler continues to impress at the Triple-A level for the Pirates. Pittsburgh has kept him on a strict pitch limit, so he has yet to complete five innings in a start, but has been very effective on a per-inning basis so far.
Bubba Chandler was outstanding again 🔥
4.2IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 5 SO’s
69 pitches - 43 strikes
Fastball at 99mph, touching 100mph!
Might be the last pitch limit we see for him
Full strikeout recap here: pic.twitter.com/rxGdOUxCG9
— Christian ✞ (@CWolfPGH) April 19, 2025
Chandler is holding opposing hitters to a .120 AVG with 23 strikeouts to just six walks. He was regularly hitting 100 mph during spring training and has continued to showcase his impressive velocity at Indianapolis.
It appears that the Pirates are pretty comfortable taking their time in stretching out Chandler and allowing him to log more innings at the Triple-A level. Remember, Chandler pitched most of the 2024 season at the Double-A level before getting called up to Nashville for his final seven starts of the season. So, between the end of last season and the beginning of 2025, Chandler still only has 11 starts at Triple-A under his belt.
Chandler's promotion to the big leagues is coming, but it could be another month before the Pirates feel he's ready to debut. They will likely limit his innings this year in the same way that they limited Paul Skenes last season. But even half a season of Chandler at the MLB level could be worthwhile investing in for fantasy baseball. He's one of the most talented pitchers in the minor leagues, and the Pirates have no reason not to see what he can do this year, as they are not likely to compete for the postseason.
Chandler is rostered in 23 percent of leagues currently, so if you are in a competitive league and want a chance to roster Chandler when he does come up, you're going to have to act soon, as his rostered percentage is only going to grow as his promotion becomes more imminent.
Coby Mayo, 3B - Baltimore Orioles
Current Level: Triple-A Norfolk
Availability: 7% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 20 G, .230/.352/.459, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 12 R, 1 SB
After a hot start to his season at Norfolk, Mayo has cooled off and has seen his average dip down to .230. This could be just a short-lived cold stretch, but Mayo needs to keep hitting at the Triple-A level if he's going to force Baltimore's hand and work his way back up to the big leagues in 2025.
Mayo had a disappointing debut last season with the Orioles. He failed to get an extra base hit over 41 at-bats while striking out 22 times and walking just four times. He was sent back down to Triple-A after struggling so badly.
Coby Mayo raked against AAA Omaha Storm Chasers.
Mayo’s Final Line 4/16/2025:
5 AB | 3 Hits | 1 HR | 1 2B | 3 RBI’s
Mayo is the #13 prospect in all of Major League Baseball. pic.twitter.com/MmjFtaSmQ8
— Gavin Tippett (@gbucktipp) April 21, 2025
Mayo's larger body of work in the minors remains impressive, as he has hit .280 with 86 home runs since 2021. He has the physical tools, too, with a solid glove and big arm at third base. He stands 6-foot-4 with an imposing build and a powerful swing.
It appears that Mayo's biggest area for improvement is making contact and reducing strikeouts. If he can do that more consistently, he should get his average back up into the .275 to .290 range. He hit .293 last season and .290 in 2023, so we've seen him do it before.
As far as his fantasy value goes, it's very much in flux right now. The Orioles would love to have him on the hot corner when he's ready, but as a contending team, they also can't afford to bring him up and have him not hit either. After last year's debacle, they probably want to make sure he's as ready as possible before another call-up, which could mean that his 2025 debut is still months, not weeks, away.
He's a stash candidate for deeper leagues, but in standard formats, I don't think there is a need to add him now. So far, he's been a major bust based on his pedigree and track record, but he should get a chance sooner or later to prove that his 2024 debut was a fluke and not indicative of his true potential as a major-leaguer.
Jac Caglianone, 1B - Kansas City Royals
Level: Double-A Northwest Arkansas
Availability: 10% rostered
2025 AA stats: 16 G, .288/.367/.515, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 14 R, 1 SB
With the Royals' offense sputtering through the first month of the season, the calls for help from the minor league pipeline have grown stronger. The strong start that Caglianone is having to his season amplifies the situation, as many think his bat could add more power from the left side of the plate that KC badly lacks. Other than Vinnie Pasquantino (who has just two home runs this year), the Royals don't have another left-handed power hitter on the roster.
Jac Caglianone (@Royals) wallops his second pro grand slam!
MLB's No. 1 first-base prospect is up to 19 RBIs in 14 games this season for the Double-A @nwanaturals. pic.twitter.com/IPhhqnGeyY
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 20, 2025
The first-round pick isn't likely to debut soon, however. He played just 29 games at the Single-A level last season after being drafted and has only 16 games under his belt at the Double-A level this year. While the power has been impressive (four home runs), Caglianone will have to demonstrate he can also hit for average over a larger sample size before a promotion to Triple-A.
Even if the Royals move their top slugger up to the Triple-A level this season, there is no guarantee that he will get any MLB experience this year, outside perhaps a cup of coffee in September when rosters expand. Pasquantino is entrenched at first base, so Caglianone would have to be used as a designated hitter or get some reps in the outfield if the Royals want to get his bat into the lineup alongside Vinny P.
Cagliagone has massive potential as a fantasy baseball player, but it's more than likely that he doesn't make an impact until the 2026 season. He's best left on the waiver wire for now. If he gets the promotion to Triple-A soon and keeps hitting there, then he becomes a much more compelling stash candidate. Don't worry, we will be monitoring his development closely here at RotoBaller!
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