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Chris's fantasy baseball prospects to stash list for Week 2 of 2025. HIs top MLB prospects and rookie sleepers to make fantasy impacts this year when called up.
Welcome friends to the 2025 MLB season, and my weekly article about fantasy baseball prospects to stash heading into Week 2. This week's article discusses prospects like Roman Anthony, Jake Bloss, Nick Kurtz and more who are ready to make a splash in redraft leagues this year.
Winning in a fantasy baseball redraft league requires a nice blend of high-floor players and upside shots. While prospects do present more risk in a one-year setting like a redraft league, if they hit, they pay big dividends. The reward could be huge if these players get adequate playing time and perform.
Throughout the season, there will be plenty of prospects who will get promoted and make an impact on their respective MLB teams and fantasy teams. Getting ahead of the curve on these players can pay huge dividends when it comes to FAAB bids. You can save money and have your league mates question how you are already in on that player so far in advance. Here are this week's fantasy baseball prospects to stash. These players can make a splash in redraft leagues for the rest of the 2025 season and will debut in the big leagues soon.
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Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
In 119 games in 2024 between Double-A and Triple-A, Anthony slashed .291/.396/.498 with 18 home runs and 54 extra-base hits. The combination of contact, plate discipline, power, speed, and defense make him a true five-category asset. Anthony is still 20 years old and still checks every box you need to see for him to make his MLB debut.
Given the bat speed, the power metrics are off the charts, though, as Anthony posted a 90th percentile exit velocity near 109 mph. Topping out north of 116 mph and showing solid average exit velocities, Anthony easily shows plus or better power. The biggest flaw with the power is a ground ball rate shy of 48 percent which is something to watch.
The plate discipline skills are impressive, and Anthony knows the strike zone as well as anyone. He chased just 21 percent of pitches out of the zone. The contact skills follow along with the discipline, as Anthony posted a 75 percent overall contact rate with an 83 percent in-zone mark last year.
We are talking about a small sample to this point in 2025, but the early results have been strong as Anthony has blasted two home runs in 19 trips to the plate and has a .474 OBP. For the Red Sox to be eligible for a PPI pick, if Anthony were to win Rookie of the Year, he would need to be called up by April 10. They would be wise to do so.
Jake Bloss, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Bloss was one of the more impressive arms I saw during the five Spring Breakout games I saw live. He struck out four batters across two scoreless innings with seven whiffs and an 85 percent strike rate.
The fastball averaged 96 mph and topped at 98 mph, with over 17 inches of IVB from his 6-foot-0 release and a rather flat VAA. It graded out extremely well and missed bats. The slider sat around 86 mph with five inches of glove-side movement and close to zero IVB. Bloss spun it efficiently and generated whiffs on 50 percent of his swings.
Bloss threw three 90 mph changeups with good fade and two 79 mph curveballs with strong depth. The arsenal was impressive, and Bloss located his pitches extremely well. Now, with Max Scherzer on the shelf, the organization can either stretch out Yariel Rodriguez from the bullpen or decide to go with Bloss.
While Bloss' first Triple-A start did not go well, it would not be surprising to see him up soon.
Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Thomas Harrington got the call to start against the Rays on Tuesday. We will soon see Chandler added to the fold of young, talented arms in the Pirates' rotation. Jared Jones is on the shelf, and I would be shocked if he pitches in 2025. With Harrington set to stick in the rotation, we could see Carmen Mlodzinski move back to the bullpen after a disastrous first start. That leaves Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney in the rotation in the final two spots. Could you see Chandler taking one of those spots soon? I think so.
In 2024, Chandler tossed a dominant 119.2 innings with a 3.08 ERA, backed by a 3.10 FIP. Chandler struck out over 30 percent of the batters he faced and walked just 8.6 percent. The most notable improvement Chandler has made over the last year has been with his command and strike-throwing ability. Landing 65 percent of his pitches for strikes, Chandler misses plenty of bats and also showed the ability to land pitches for called strikes as the season wore on.
From an arsenal standpoint, Chandler is highly impressive, featuring a fastball that routinely sits 97-98 mph with 18 inches of IVB and ten or more inches of run. Considering the 5-foot-8 release height, Chandler’s fastball is a borderline 70-grade offering.
He pairs it with a changeup that tunnels well off the fastball and has excellent fading action, sitting in the upper 80s. It averages 17 inches of arm-side fade with a late tumbling action.
The slider could end up being a 70-grade pitch if he harnesses the command of it some, as it sits anywhere from 87-90 with a strong gyro shape. Few pitchers have three pitches as strong as Chandler’s arsenal. He is my top pitching prospect for a reason.
Chandler has been scheduled to make Triple-A starts twice this year and both have been rained out.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Kurtz will be a fast-mover through the minors after being selected fourth overall in 2024. The 2024 pro debut checked every box you want to see, even in a small sample. Reaching Double-A, Kurtz slashed .368/.520/.763 with more walks than strikeouts and seven extra-base hits. The contact skills carried over to pro ball, and Kurtz's hard-hit numbers with wood were also strong, having a 90th percentile exit velocity north of 109 mph. So far, in Triple-A, the results have been quite good.
In all three seasons at Wake Forest, Kurtz has hit and hit some more. He finished his college career with 61 home runs in 164 games, including 22 this season in 54 games. Having a strong eye at the plate, Kurtz finished his Wake career with a .510 OBP and 189 walks to just 130 strikeouts over 784 plate appearances.
The pressure on the bat to play first base is a high threshold to reach. Just look at other highly drafted first basemen over the years. It is one reason teams shy away from this demographic. However, Kurtz has all the intangibles needed to be successful. He hits the ball extremely hard, makes excellent swing decisions, makes plenty of contact, and has done so for his entire college career.
The lefty's average exit velocity of 94 mph ranked in the 98th percentile among college hitters, and his 111 mph 90th percentile exit velocity ranked in the 100th percentile. He makes plenty of contact, posting an overall mark near 80 percent and an in-zone rate near 87.
Tyler Soderstrom is off to a hot start while playing first base for the Athletics, having three home runs in his first five games. Kurtz has matched him, blasting his third home run in five games on Wednesday night. Both can co-exist in this lineup. Where is the current fit? That is the question. But if Kurtz keeps hitting, he is going to force his way into that lineup very soon in Sacramento.
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