Top 25 Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Stash (Redraft): Eric Cross' Rookie Rankings for Week 1

April 1, 2025

Eric Cross' top 25 fantasy baseball prospects to stash in redraft for Week 1 (2025). His updated MLB rookie rankings for prospect call-ups to make 2025 impacts.

Welcome back to another season of discussing fantasy baseball prospects to stash in redraft leagues. Prospects can make or break your fantasy baseball season depending on how much you invest in them, so it's important to approach them the right away in your 2025 fantasy leagues.

That's exactly what I'm going to try and assist with each week here on RotoBaller with my regularly-updated top-25 prospects to stash rankings. We've already seen the Triple-A season start, and the rest of the full-season levels are coming up as well.

These prospect rankings are for 2025 redraft value only. These are MLB prospects who could potentially make a fantasy baseball impact in 2025 redraft leagues.  You can also see our top fantasy baseball dynasty prospects rankings for longer-term outlooks and our 2025 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard for all other league formats.

Top 25 Prospects to Stash in Redraft Leagues

My prospect write-ups are below the rankings. These rankings are for 2025 redraft value only, not dynasty. These are MLB prospects who could potentially make a fantasy baseball impact in 2025.

Honorable Mentions (Hitters):

Bryce Eldridge (SFG), Jac Caglianone (KCR), Luke Keaschall (MIN), Jett Williams (NYM), Kevin Alcantara (CHC), Owen Caissie (CHC), Moises Ballesteros (CHC), Adael Amador (COL), Brady House (WAS), Chase Meidroth (CHW), Tyler Black (MIL), Shay Whitcomb (HOU), Jacob Melton (HOU), Thomas Saggese (STL), Spencer Jones (NYY), Adrian Del Castillo (ARI), Carson Williams (TBR)

Honorable Mentions (Pitchers):

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), Noah Schultz (CHW), Cade Horton (CHC), Tink Hence (STL)

Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings Analysis

Roman Anthony (OF - BOS)

My No. 1 overall prospect has already made his presence felt in Triple-A this season with a two-homer game on Sunday in Worcester. Don't expect Roman Anthony to stay in Worcester for long, though, as he's Major League ready and realistically could get the call any day now to give Boston two frontrunners for the American League Rookie of the Year award this season.

No. Doubt. pic.twitter.com/OloPue1ORA

— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) March 30, 2025

Anthony finished 2024 with a .291/.396/.498 slash line in 119 games with 18 home runs, 21 steals, and a 14.6% walk rate. With plus or better power, above-average speed, and above-average contact rates (77.5%), Anthony has the skills to be a five-category contributor from day one, and Boston will find a way to get him into the lineup sooner rather than later. I don't envision this becoming a 2024 Coby Mayo situation.

Coby Mayo (3B - BAL)

Speaking of Coby Mayo, he's once again back at Triple-A to start the 2025 season and already cranked his first home run over the weekend. Unfortunately, the situation in Baltimore for Mayo hasn't changed. We all want Baltimore to put the darn Mayo on the lineup sandwich, but we keep hearing the words "Hold the Mayo!" which keeps the slugging third base prospect down in Triple-A Norfolk.

The path for Mayo is either an injury or Jackson Holliday struggling at second base, which could open up the hot corner if Westburg slides over to the keystone. The power upside is the reason why Mayo still ranks in the upper half of this list. Yes, we don't know when he'll be up, but this is a 30-35 homer bat in the making and one who should hit for a respectable average as well, given his 82% zone and 72% overall contact rates.

Nick Kurtz (1B - ATH)

One of my bold predictions here on RotoBaller a few weeks ago was that Nick Kurtz would debut with the Athletics by the end of May and hit 25 home runs this season at the Major League level. That was one of my predictions that I felt the most confident about, too. Kurtz opened the 2025 season in Triple-A and is off to a red-hot start, reaching base seven times in his first three games, including two doubles and a home run.

Nick Kurtz's first Triple-A homer was scorched for @AviatorsLV 🔥

108.8 mph | 418 ft

MLB's No. 38 prospect (@Athletics) has hits in 12 of his 14 career Minor League games. pic.twitter.com/FEshutfPd7

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 30, 2025

The first base/DH situation is currently a bit clogged at the moment, but expect Kurtz to become a maximum strength bottle of Liquid Plummer and burst that clog free once the Athletics deem him ready. There aren't many prospects who can match Kurtz's blend of contact (82.5% last season), power, and approach.

Chandler Simpson (OF - TBR)

Do you feel the need? The need for speed? I mean, who doesn't feel the need for speed in our fantasy baseball world? Especially when that player providing the speed is a potential category-winner and arguably the fastest player in baseball. In case you forgot or missed it, Chandler Simpson stole a ridiculous 104 bags in 2024, along with a .355/.410/.397 slash line across 505 total plate appearances.

You're not going to receive any power from him, and he'll be a zero in the RBI department as well, but Simpson's speed is a game-changer, and he's one of the best contact hitters in the minors as well. Simpson posted a 93% contact rate overall last season with a 2.9% SwStr rate and more walks than strikeouts. Given the state of Tampa Bay's outfield and the fact that Josh Lowe is once again injured, I'm banking on Simpson getting the call sooner rather than later.

Bubba Chandler (SP - PIT)

I'm sure many of us were hoping that Bubba Chandler would break camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but that didn't end up happening, as Chandler will head to Triple-A Indianapolis to open the season. The 2021 third-rounder had a great 2024 season, finishing with a 3.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 22.3% K-BB rate across 119.2 innings, including seven starts in Triple-A.

Top @Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler picks up his fourth strikeout of the day on a 100 MPH pitch 🔥 #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/18Odh7YPkK

— MLB (@MLB) March 14, 2025

I'm not expecting Chandler to make more than a handful of starts with Triple-A Indianapolis, and he's comfortably my No. 1 pitching prospect to stash in redraft leagues. The upside is on par with any pitching prospect in baseball right now thanks to an elite fastball, above-average to plus changeup and slider, and above-average command and control over his entire arsenal. I'd bank on at least 20 starts and 120 innings from Chandler at the Major League level this season.

Andrew Painter (SP - PHI)
I know we all want Andrew Painter up now, but building his endurance back up in the upper minors is the right call for his short-term health and long-term development. When I saw Painter last November in the Arizona Fall League, he flashed his immense upside, but there was definitely some rust there. I'd rather him shake any remaining rust off in the minor leagues, where it won't impact our fantasy team's ratios.

Stashing him really comes down to the depth of your bench. The Phillies have already come out and said he won't be up until mid-season, so July feels like a safe ETA to throw next to his name at this time. Can you afford to use a bench spot for two to three months on Painter to potentially cash in on the upside if he has a dominant second half? If any pitcher were to even come remotely close to a Paul Skenes' type of debut, it'd be Painter, but that's far from a guarantee.

The upside is phenomenal, but Painter is a tough one to stash outside of deeper redraft leagues, given the ETA. However, he could provide Top-25 SP value over the second half of the season.

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