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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Justin Crawford, Hunter Barco, Chase DeLauter - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
Through the first half of the regular season, fantasy managers have seen several prospects get the call and make an immediate impact. Over the past month, two top pitchers, Jacob Misiorowski and Chase Burns, have reached the majors and made a significant impact.
In this piece, we will look at three of the top performers at the Triple-A level and determine if fantasy managers should stash them on their fantasy team.
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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Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 71 G, .337/.412/.441, 18 2B, 2 HR, 28 SB
I've said this before about him, but Justin Crawford has the profile you'd expect Carl Crawford's son to have. He has a very solid approach at the plate, a lot of speed, and an unwillingness to hit the ball in the air.
Crawford has a 131 WRC+ with 28 SBs this season at Triple-A. He is walking 11.0 percent of the time, while striking out only 17.8 percent of the time.
While he won't hit for much power, he can still provide some juice to the Phillies' offense that is looking for a spark. If the Phillies aren't interested in calling him up, could Crawford be headed elsewhere? The Phillies will also be extremely aggressive at this deadline, and Crawford could fetch them a high-end reliever plus more.
When Crawford gets called up by the Phillies or another team, he could provide a good average and speed to your fantasy team. He won't post cartoonish steal numbers like Chandler Simpson, but a similar impact could be achieved. If you're looking to stash for speed, he's probably the best current option in the upper minors.
Currently, the Phillies have lacked stable production in left and center field, as Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, and Johan Rojas have yet to produce consistently at the plate. When Crawford gets the call, he will carry high batting and speed upside that will hold value in all standard leagues. If you need speed, consider Crawford a top stash option.
Justin Crawford has been fantastic so far:
.342 BA with an .851 OPS is great, but pair it with a 90.7% Z-Contact%, .414 OBP and 24 SB in 57 games, and now you have a great leadoff profile.
63% GB% remains extremely high, but:
- More line drives ✅
- 41.9% Hard-Hit% ✅
- All… pic.twitter.com/KnRyEXaPWl— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) June 20, 2025
-Written by Kevin Luo
Hunter Barco, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 MiLB Stats: 63 1/3 IP, 1.85 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 81 SO, 28 BB
While Bubba Chandler has typically stolen the spotlight in the Pittsburgh pitching pipeline, Hunter Barco has been rather impressive himself. The 24-year-old southpaw opened the campaign with Double-A and dominated, tossing 25 2/3-straight shutout innings.
During this stint, Barco struck out 34 hitters and served up just seven walks.
This incredible start earned him a call to Triple-A Indianapolis. Through his first taste of the top level of the minor leagues, Barco has held his own and is making a strong case to reach the majors before Chandler. Through 37 2/3 total innings, Barco has posted a strong 3.11 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP. He has struck out 47 hitters and allowed 21 walks.
Barco has been exceptionally impressive over his last two outings. In these starts, Barco has tallied at least seven punchouts in each outing and allowed just two total hits and one earned run.
Given his fast progression, Barco should be in the mix to reach the majors before the end of July. He should have a clear path, especially if the Pirates opt to trade veteran pitchers Bailey Falter or Andrew Heaney at the deadline.
Hunter Barco matched a Triple-A best with seven strikeouts across 6.0 shutout frames. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/x7ZeLlujrD
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) July 6, 2025
- Written by Andy Smith
Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 10% rostered
2025 AAA stats: 33 G, .279/.386/.475, 7 2B, 5 HR, 0 SB
So can the Guardians do us all a favor and promote Chase DeLauter? Following their ALCS run last season, the Guardians are having a pretty disappointing season and will likely be sellers at this upcoming trade deadline.
Chase DeLauter shouldn't need a trade to open up playing time, as the Guardians have had revolving doors of mediocrity in center and right field. Lane Thomas has seen most of the opportunities and currently carries a pedestrian .160/.246/.272 slash line.
The Cleveland offense has been one of the worst in baseball, and they're getting very little production across the board from everyone other than Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez.
Whether they intend to contend this season or not, the Guardians should do what they can to give their offense a boost, and DeLauter could do just that.
DeLauter only has a 131 WRC+ in Triple-A this season with five HRs, but what makes him special is his incredible approach at the plate. He has a remarkable 15.2 percent BB-rate and 15.9 percent K-rate.
412 feet / 108.9 mph 🤯
Cleveland #Guardians 23yr old OF prospect Chase DeLauter blasts a 2-run HR in the 1st inning for Columbus vs Louisville!
DeLauter has now reached base safely in all 33 games played with the Clippers on the season.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/FLCfZBsfRZ
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 9, 2025
I wonder if the Guardians would call DeLauter and fellow top first base prospect C.J. Keyfus up together. That would be a real treat for Guardians fans. Both guys make for interesting stashes. Given DeLauter's elite eye on the plate, he is expected to hold slightly more value in points formats when he gets the call to the major leagues.
DeLauter should be viewed as a top hitter to stash in all leagues heading into the All-Star break.
- Written by Kevin Luo
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