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Jarod analyzes three top fantasy baseball prospects - Agustin Ramirez, Jonatan Clase, Owen Caissie - who could make big impacts this season. These MLB prospects are potential waiver wire pick-ups or stashes.
It's Week 21 of the MLB season, and some teams are positioning themselves for a deep postseason run while some are already prepping for next season. How do you prep for next season, you ask? Teams bring up top prospects in order to give them a taste of big-league pitching before thrusting them into full-time roles the following season.
With fantasy managers picking the waiver wire clean at this point in the season, prospect call-ups can be a fresh injection of offense, so it is important to know who might be on the way and what they can offer. I wanted to highlight three fantasy baseball prospects who could make notable impacts for their teams (and your fantasy teams) down the stretch.
These players are potential stash candidates if you don't want to miss out, especially in deeper leagues. I included the availability of each player in Yahoo leagues with each breakdown. Let's take a look at some of the hottest names in the minor leagues!
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Agustin Ramirez - C, Miami Marlins
Current Level: Triple-A Jacksonville
Availability: 1% rostered
2024 AA stats: 58 G, .289/.372/.570, 16 HR, 49 RBI, 46 R, 13 SB
2024 AAA stats: 37 G, .246/.344/.399, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R, 6 SB
Agustin Ramirez came over to the Marlins organization as part of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, slotting in as Miami's sixth-ranked prospect. Ramirez has plenty of pop in his bat, popping 18 home runs in 2023 as he ascended from High-A to Double-A. The 22-year-old began 2024 at Double-A, and after slashing .289/.372/.570, he earned a promotion to Triple-A. Between both levels, the Dominican blasted 20 home runs in 87 games before arriving in Miami. In eight games with Triple-A Jacksonville, Ramirez is 10-for-31 (.323) with three doubles and a homer.
Agustin Ramirez runs it back 🔁
The @Marlins' No. 6 prospect collects three hits in back-to-back games for the Triple-A @JaxShrimp: pic.twitter.com/OiIy1c2pp8
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 9, 2024
While sometimes hitters with power like Ramirez tend to strike out a ton, he owns a career 18.4% K% in the minors which is below average, plus an 11.2% BB% which would be considered above average. As a bonus, the backstop has sneaky wheels for a catcher, nabbing 12 stolen bases in 2023 and 19 so far in 2024, although that likely wouldn't be a big part of his game in the majors.
The current tandem of Ali Sanchez and Jhonny Pereda split catching duties at the moment, but Ramirez is a clear offensive upgrade over both. He may not be as polished behind the plate, but he can also play first base. Jonah Bride is manning first for Miami at the moment, however, most of his major league career has been spent at second and third.
This is the long way of saying that Ramirez is good and presents a younger, more potent offensive weapon than what the Marlins currently have on the field and that there should be multiple ways to get his bat in the lineup. The Marlins are going nowhere this season, so there is no risk involved in doing so. He's proven he can handle minor league pitching at the highest level, so be on the lookout for a late-season call-up, especially if you're looking for some pop from the catcher position with potential multi-position eligibility down the road.
Jonatan Clase - OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Current Level: Triple-A Buffalo
Availability: 1% rostered
2024 AAA stats: 84 G, .277/.371/.481, 11 HR, 38 RBI, 51 R, 28 SB
2024 MLB stats: 19 G, .195/.233/.220, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 3 SB
Like Ramirez above, Jonatan Clase is now part of a new organization as the result of a trade. Clase came to the Blue Jays when Yimi Garcia was traded to the Mariners. Clase brings a ton of speed to the Toronto farm system, but whether or not he'll be able to show that off at the major league level is another question.
In 2023, Clase stole 79 bags across 129 games at High-A and Double-A, and so far in 2024, he's swiped 28 in 66 games at Triple-A. The 22-year-old has a strong career OBP of .375 in the minors thanks in large part to his ability to draw walks, boasting a career walk rate of 14.1%. While a lot of power should not be expected of him, the switch-hitter belted 20 long balls in 2023 and another 11 thus far in 2024.
Unfortunately, in his first taste of big league pitching earlier this season, Clase did not see a ton of success. The Dominican struck out at a 32.6% rate and walked at just 4.7%. The speedster managed to steal just three bases as a result. If he can make more contact in his next go-round in the majors, Clase could become quite the fantasy contributor, especially in the speed department.
The first home run in the #BlueJays organization for Jonatan Clase! pic.twitter.com/jufLsMijZ9
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 7, 2024
The Jays have another five-foot-ten-inch switch-hitting outfielder with speed on the major league roster at the moment in Steward Berroa. Berroa has nabbed five stolen bases already in just 19 games, however, he's batting just .143 (3-for-21) and is striking out at a 33.3% clip. If he continues to do so, it seems Clase could get another shot. For managers in need of steals, you could take a flier on Clase and hope that he displays a refined approach the next time around, and he's available in nearly all Yahoo leagues.
Owen Caissie - OF, Chicago Cubs
Level: Triple-A Iowa
Availability: 1% rostered
2024 AAA stats: 93 G, .272/.365/.447, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 44 R, 6 SB
Coming off of a strong year at Double-A where he hit .289 with 22 home runs as a 20-year-old, Owen Caissie started a bit slow, hitting .244 with just one home run in 23 games in April. It was his first taste of Triple-A pitching though, so that should be expected. He has come around since then, however, as the 21-year-old has hit .266 with 11 homers in 67 games from May 1 and forward.
Owen Caissie tags home run No. 12 at Triple-A!
The @Cubs' No. 3 prospect has hit successfully in every game this month for the @IowaCubs. pic.twitter.com/rAcbSuJyLY
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 7, 2024
The Cubs were content letting Pete Crow-Armstrong (PCA) hit below .200 for a couple of months so long as he was playing good defense, and it appears their patience has paid off as PCA has gone 16-for-45 (.356) over his last 13 games. So the Cubs outfield is pretty crowded right now with PCA, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ, along with veteran Mike Tauchman coming off the bench. Nevertheless, with Caissie likely roaming the outfield in 2025, the Cubs will want to get him some at-bats down the stretch, especially if they fade further out of the playoff hunt.
Per MLB.com's scouting report, Caissie offers 35-40 home run potential, so the Cubs may accept a high strikeout rate. However, after posting a 31.1% K% at Double-A in 2023, the former second-round pick has dropped that to 27.8% at Triple-A this season, a welcome improvement to say the least. What's more is that he's continued to walk at a high rate, drawing a base on balls in 12.2% of his plate appearances this season. That's a skill that should translate to the majors whenever he does get the chance.
Caissie isn't a must-stash but managers in need of power should keep tabs on him and pounce whenever he does get the call as he could provide an instant boost as teams head into the fantasy playoffs. He's available in nearly all Yahoo leagues at this point.
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