Fantasy Baseball Prospect Risers - Rookies to Stash and Top Performers for Week 14 (2025)

Andy's fantasy baseball prospects sleepers and risers to know for Week 14 of 2025. He analyzes top MLB prospects and rookies to stash based on recent performances.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to my Week 14 edition of the top prospect performers. In this week's piece, we will look at two prospects who earned a brief taste of the major leagues earlier this season. On the pitching side, we will look at a rising arm in the Pittsburgh system, and no, it's not who you think it is.

In this weekly column, we analyze the top prospect performances of the week and determine if their performances truly matter for fantasy baseball. Should fantasy managers be stashing these prospects?

Adding the right prospect can fill the missing piece on your roster and set you up for a fantasy championship. This fantasy baseball prospects weekly series will examine a few key players in the minor leagues and assess whether they have a path to fantasy stardom in 2025.

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Moises Ballesteros, C, Chicago Cubs

Cubs No. 4 Prospect, Overall 60

The top backstop in the Cubs system has already had a taste of the major leagues and is quickly approaching another promotion. During his first taste of the major leagues, Ballesteros posted a modest .188/.278/.188 slash line with just three total hits. However, during this stretch, he generated a solid .265 xBA, which suggests he was a bit unlucky.

During this stint, he also showed an elite eye at the plate, drawing walks at an 11.1% rate and striking out at a 5.6% rate.

Moisés Ballesteros forgot his shoe in the batter’s box on his way to picking up his 1st career RBI pic.twitter.com/mZG5H5iEML

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 16, 2025

However, given the depth of their major league roster, the Cubs opted to send Ballesteros back to Triple-A Iowa to put the final touches on his development.

Since June 1, Ballesteros has continued to produce at an elite level with the Iowa Cubs, boasting a .310/.370/.535 slash line with seven doubles, three home runs, 17 RBI, and a 12:8 K:BB across a 19-game stint.

During his first 44 games of the Triple-A regular season, Ballesteros posted a similar .345/.403/.492 line with nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, two stolen bases, and a 22:18 K:BB.

The 21-year-old has proved he is ready for an extended look in the major leagues, but will he receive it?

Currently, the Cubs have an opening at catcher, and I am surprised that they have not given him the call. No. 2 backstop Miguel Amaya (oblique) is on the 10-day IL and just recently began a hitting program. He has been sidelined since the end of May and likely won't return until after the All-Star break.

This has opened a spot for veteran backstop Reese McGuire to be the No. 2 option behind Carson Kelly. While the Cubs will likely want Ballesteros to remain in a starting role, which has kept him at Iowa, he has proved that he does not need any further development.

If the Cubs go on a cold streak over the next week, don't be surprised if they turn to Ballesteros to provide a spark. He could easily find a role behind the plate and split opportunities with Kelly. Given his elite production at Triple-A, a larger role in the majors could set him up for a big second half.

Verdict: Stash in 12+ team leagues

Robert Hassell III, OF, Washington Nationals

Nationals No. 11

Another prospect who earned a taste of the majors this season is Robert Hassell III from the Washington Nationals. Hassell earned the call when both Dylan Crews and Jacob Young were on the IL. However, with Young back in action, the Nats opted to send Hassell back to Triple-A Rochester to continue his development.

Instead, they promoted fellow young prospect Daylen Lile to take his position in the outfield.

In the majors, Hassell was given a brief look like the name before him on this list, and performed quite similarly. Through this minor stint, Hassell posted a .218/.228/.269 line with a double, a home run, and a stolen base. However, unlike Ballesteros, Hassell struggled at the plate. He only drew one walk and struck out 21 times (26.6% rate).

He also generated a low .292 xwOBA and a 7.0% barrel rate.

However, since returning to Triple-A, Hassell has been very productive and is making quite a strong case to return to D.C.

During his first five games back at Triple-A, Hassell has tallied at least one hit in each of them. During this stretch, he has posted a remarkable .455/.556/.955 slash line with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, and three stolen bases. Across his first 43 games at Triple-A that season, he was still productive, posting a .288/.337/.405 line with seven doubles, four home runs, and nine stolen bases.

Will his recent surge convince the Nationals to give him a second look?

Robert Hassell is 10-for-21 with 3 homers since getting sent back down to the minors. pic.twitter.com/mLvlYJJV16

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) June 25, 2025

Currently, the Washington outfield has one triple opening in right field, as James Wood and Young are not in any danger of losing at-bats in left and center field. Currently, the right field is occupied by Lile, who took Hassell's spot on the roster. During his first 19 games in the majors, Lile has held a .180/.239/.328 line and has yet to impress.

If Hassell continues to produce and Crews remains on the IL with an oblique injury, fantasy managers should expect him to earn another opportunity soon.

Verdict: Stash in 14-team five-outfielder leagues

Hunter Barco, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates No. 5, Overall No. 92

The final player we will look at in this piece is Hunter Barco. While Bubba Chandler has typically earned most of the publicity in Pittsburgh following the graduation of Paul Skenes, he is beginning to stumble at Triple-A, and a 2025 MLB debut may not even be in the plan. However, while Chandler has begun to fall, Barco has started to rise.

The left-hander currently sits within the top 100 on MLB.com and is viewed as the No. 5 prospect in the system. Barco opened the season with Double-A and immediately caught eyes as he logged an impressive 25 2/3 straight shutout innings. During this stretch, Barco posted a near-perfect 0.70 WHIP with a 34:7 K:BB.

This was impressive as Barco only logged four innings at Double-A Altoona during the 2024 campaign.

This debut earned him an earlier-than-expected promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis. Through his first 25 2/3 innings at Triple-A, Barco has taken a bit of step back, holding a modest 4.21 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP.

However, he is coming off his strongest start at the level and could be approaching his MLB debut. On Tuesday evening, Barco tossed six shutout innings against Triple-A Omaha. In this outing, he allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out six. This was his second straight game tallying at least six punchouts, but this was his first game logging six innings in a start.

Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Barco's progression as he could carve out a role in the Pittsburgh rotation in the second half, especially if it opts to sell off some of its veterans at the deadline, like Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter.

Although given his lack of extended success at Triple-A, he should be left on the waiver wire in all formats.

Hunter Barco has dominated this season across Altoona and Indianapolis 😮‍💨

0.81 ERA ✔️
47 Strikeouts ✔️
.135 BAA ✔️ pic.twitter.com/8I1X6zfnWT

— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) June 3, 2025

Verdict: Continue to monitor, could contend for late-season MLB debut

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