Fantasy Baseball Prospects Stash List: Ready to Make a Splash for Redraft Leagues (Week 21)

McLean is ready to roll for his MLB debut. After the Mets moved Frankie Montas to the bullpen, McLean is expected to be the one to grab his start on Saturday. Despite showing issues with control at times, he has walked just 10.6 percent of batters. Since the start of July, the number has dropped, and McLean has struck out 33.3 percent of batters.

After being a two-way player at Oklahoma State, McLean got a chance to hit and pitch in pro ball. While the present power was there, the contact skills always held him back. McLean did not hit in a game after June 20, 2024, and focusing solely on pitching is paying off.

The numbers have been awe-inspiring this year as McLean has a 2.45 ERA with a 27 percent strikeout rate in 113.2 innings. In 18 of his 21 starts, McLean has allowed two earned runs or fewer. Walks have been an issue at times, but McLean does a good job of limiting the damage when he does put runners on base.

McLean’s fastball sits in the mid-90s with a heavy armside run. He throws from a 5’4” release height, which helps the pitch play at the top of the zone and has a rising effect despite the IVB not being overwhelming. With 10 or more inches of horizontal movement regularly, McLean has shown bat-missing ability with the offering.

The slider has around 10 mph of velocity separation from the fastball, sitting in the mid-80s with heavy sweeping action. It has late horizontal movement, which deceives hitters, largely due to its extremely high spin rates, which have been up to 3200 rpm. Watching the pitch, it is easily plus or better, and the metrics back it up.

McLean will mix a cutter and a curveball on occasion and has worked on a changeup. McLean has been using the cutter more often, and it worked at 91 mph last night. An upper-70s curveball has also been a nice addition to the arsenal. If the control holds, McLean is going to be a very good mid-rotation starter for the Mets and stick in the majors even after his first start.

Abel took a massive step forward with command this year and saw his fastball velocity tick back up. Across 83.1 Triple-A innings, Abel has a 2.16 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP, a substantial difference from the 6.46 ERA we saw in 2024. Abel also made his MLB debut with the Phillies before being traded to Minnesota at the 2025 deadline for Jhoan Duran.

Abel’s fastball is averaging 96 mph this year and has topped at 99 mph with solid traits. The bat-missing has ticked up on the pitch, and Abel is creating more than 16 inches of IVB from a 5'6" release height. The flat VAA stands out in a big way, and Abel also creates eight inches of horizontal movement while having exceptional spin rates and active spin. The sinker plays well off it, giving him the ability to get groundball outs when needed.

The slider averages around 87 mph with a gyro shape, but is almost close to bullet spin. While it has missed plenty of bats, it is the curve that has been the best breaking pitch of the two breakers. The curveball shows excellent depth and a two-plane break, sitting around 82 mph.

Abel has not used the changeup much, but the upper-80s offering does have good fading action to it and respectable whiff rates. The improvements in the arsenal and command this year have been notable. Having a more open opportunity in Minnesota, don't be surprised if we see Abel in the Twins rotation in the next two weeks. Stash now!

Stewart left the Futures Game and All-Star break a member of Triple-A Louisville. He has done nothing but hit and showcase newfound power as well, hitting a homer at 112.6 mph.

The Reds find themselves in playoff contention, just two games out of a wild-card spot at the time of this writing, and there is a need for a bat like Stewart's in the lineup. McLain has been bad offensively, having a 73 wRC+ and a .632 OPS over his last 148 plate appearances. Enter Sal Stewart, who is getting more reps at second base.

Seeing Stewart live for the first time at the Futures Game, I came away very impressed by the physicality. There is power in the tank to pair with a very impressive feel to hit. From a contact standpoint, Stewart has posted a mark of 80 percent or better overall at every stop throughout his minor league career. This year, he has continued to make contact against more advanced pitching and has not missed a beat.

Stewart is not a power-hitting data darling, but don't tell him that, as the numbers look better than ever in Triple-A. Rocking a 91.5 mph average exit velocity there and a 113.7 mph max, the numbers look good. Stewart is running a 90th-percentile exit velocity near 108 mph, all while maintaining strong contact rates and a good approach. He hits the ball at ideal angles, which has led to a 15 percent barrel, and Stewart is getting the ball in the air and to the pull side often.

Given his 6’3” frame, Stewart looks the part and is coming into his own. The contact and approach have been a steady part of his game his entire career. Now, the power breaking through completes the profile and shows he is major league ready. Stewart is up to 15 home runs this year with a .308/.372/.504 slash line between Double-A and Triple-A. Don't be shocked if the Reds call him up soon.

Wetherholt just keeps hitting. Through June, Wetherholt has been one of the most consistent hitters in the minors, though it was not flashy. Since the move to Triple-A, Wetherholt has had a huge power outburst and has been even better than he was in Double-A. He now has 14 home runs and 35 extra-base hits in 374 plate appearances.

Wetherholt is hitting the cover off the ball with an average exit velocity north of 90 mph and has raised his 90th-percentile exit velocity on the season to near 105 mph. While Wetherholt does not post super high-end exit velocities, he consistently squares up baseballs and creates plenty of barrels. The Triple-A barrel rate is an incredible 15 percent mark as Wetherholt has continued to launch balls at ideal angles.

When you talk about consistency, Wetherholt is who comes to mind. Wetherholt has hits in two-thirds of his games and has been on base in 72 of 84 games played this year.

The feel for the barrel is fantastic, and his approach is so sound. Currently, Wetherholt has an 84 percent overall contact with an in-zone contact rate that jumps in the upper-80 percent range. He does not expand the zone and has walked more often than he has struck out. While the contact numbers have dipped a bit in Triple-A, the power has come out, even under the hood.

Expect Wetherholt to get a cup of coffee in September to get his feet wet and make a run at Rookie of the Year in 2026. It is possible he is called up quite soon and can make an impact for fantasy teams down the stretch.