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Three top fantasy baseball prospects - Spencer Jones, J.J. Wetherholt, Andrew Painter - that can make big impacts. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pickups or stashes.
During the first half of the season, many top prospects earned the call to their respective MLB clubs and established themselves as immediate fantasy stars. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has showcased high power upside, while Tampa Bay's Chandler Simpson has flashed elite speed on the basepaths.
In this piece, we will look at one of the top power hitters in the minor leagues, a budding star in St. Louis, and one of the top pitchers, and determine if fantasy managers should look to stash them on their bench.
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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Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 AAA Stats:38 G, .296/..371/.618, 7 2B, 14 HR, 15 SB, 51 SO, 17 BB
The roller coaster ride named Jones continues. After being in the top spot for a few weeks in these rankings, Jones fell several spots this week as he's gone into a funk at the plate. Jones has channeled his inner Babe Ruth when he first arrived in Triple-A, but has slashed just .145/.247/.210 over his last 16 games with two extra-base hits, one home run, and a 34.3% strikeout rate.
Does this mean Jones won't get called up this year? Not necessarily. There's still a chance of that, especially if the Yankees look to spice things up and hope that Jones can provide a spark to their offense. The upside here is absolutely massive, which is why I still believe we need to keep a close eye on Jones right now.
We've seen that massive upside at various points this season where it looked like he was a future early-round fantasy asset in the making. But as we've also seen, the downside is also enormous due to his contact skills and strikeout woes. Both were trending in the right direction in July during his hot stretch, which is why I pushed him to #1 in these stash rankings.
Even though it appears the Yankee outfield is quite crowded, given their offensive inconsistencies this month, do not be surprised if the Yankees look to give Jones a taste of the majors to give their current MLB roster a much-needed spark.
Spencer Jones is the most perplexing prospect in baseball pic.twitter.com/5H2VabyDSd
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) July 4, 2025
-Written by Eric Cross
J.J. Wetherholt, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 5% rostered
2025 AAA Stats: 26 G, .310/.403/.670, 7 2B, 9 HR, 3 SB, 19 SO, 15 BB
Another week has passed, and Wetherholt still hasn't slowed down in Triple-A. In 26 games at the level, Wetherholt is slashing .310/.403/.670 with seven doubles, nine home runs, three steals, and nearly as many walks (15) as strikeouts (19). His quality of contact metrics under the hood has been equally impressive, with a 91.2 mph AVG EV, 50% hard-hit rate, and a 15.9% barrel rate.
JJ Wetherholt destroys his 16th homer of the year, 9th in 25 games for the Triple-A @memphisredbirds 💥
The @Cardinals' top-ranked prospect has a 1.058 OPS since being promoted. pic.twitter.com/jKG4azBm4k
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 17, 2025
Over his last 11 games, Wetherholt has made five starts at third base, four at shortstop, and two at second base. Masyn Winn isn't in danger of being kicked out of the starting lineup given his defensive prowess, but the keystone and the hot corner are currently being occupied by Thomas Saggese and Nolan Gorman, respectively, both of whom are far from locked in at their respective positions.
Gorman is hitting just .220 over his last 28 games, while Saggese is slashing just .232/.284/.2920 over his last 23 games with four extra-base hits and a 24/4 K/BB ratio. My guess is that Saggese would get the boot first if Wetherholt gets called up.
Given his elite production in the minor leagues this season, Wetherholt should be viewed as a top prospect to stash in all 12+ team leagues this week. When he gets the call, he will have high value in all formats given his strong contact skills and elite eye at the plate.
- Written by Eric Cross
Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Current Level: AAA
Availability: 15% rostered
2025 AAA Stats:81 1/3 IP, 5.31 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 82 SO, 34 BB
After a rough stretch through most of August, the top pitching prospect was able to bounce back nicely this past weekend. On Saturday, August 16, facing Triple-A Buffalo, the top prospect in Philadelphia tossed five innings of three-run ball (two earned runs). In this outing, Painter allowed only four hits and walked three. He stuck out five.
While his overall box score is not too impressive, this was a much-needed bounce-back for Painter as he allowed seven runs in his previous outing and five runs in his start before that.
Before this rough two-game skid, Painter showed flashes at times but was rarely consistent with his production. Over his last 42 innings (from June 15 through July 30), the former 13th overall pick posted a 4.07 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP. During this stretch, Painter racked up 38 punchouts and walked 14 batters. During this stretch, Painter allowed three runs or fewer in all but two of these eight outings.
His two blow-up outings during this stint significantly inflated his ratios.
Since joining Triple-A this season, the right-hander has carried a 5.31 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP across 81 1/3 innings of work. While his inconsistencies may have lowered his short-term stock, with Zack Wheeler shifting to the IL with a blood clot, Painter will remain a must-stash pitching prospect heading into Week 21 of the fantasy baseball season.
He should continue to be viewed as the top pitcher to stash in all leagues this week as he continues ot have a clear path to joining the Philadelphia rotation in the near future.
Andrew Painter’s final line tonight in Buffalo:
5.0 IP | 4 H | 2 ER | 3 BB | 5 K | 83 Pitches pic.twitter.com/8PCdLdqxuE
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) August 17, 2025
-Written by Andy Smith
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