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Well, with the 45-day threshold passing this past week, we saw a nice wave of prospect promotions over the last several days including Noelvi Marte, Masyn Winn, Parker Meadows, Everson Pereira, and Kyle Harrison. We're probably going to several more in the coming days as well.
With the season now having fewer than 45 days remaining, this means teams can call up prospects and not have them exhaust their rookie eligibility for 2024, assuming they don't exceed 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched. Which at this point of the season would be difficult to do anyway.
This is usually the paragraph where I say, "prospect stashing should be done strategically", blah, blah, blah. That all goes out the window now. If you're reading this article, it probably means you're still in contention in your fantasy league. If that's the case, go for gold and stash the upside plays.
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Top 25 Prospects to Stash for Fantasy Baseball
Notes on plenty of prospects can be found below the rankings table. And remember, these rankings are for 2023 redraft value only. These are MLB prospects to potentially make a rest-of-season fantasy baseball impact in 2023.
As prospects are called up, they are removed from the rankings. You can also see our top fantasy baseball dynasty prospects for long-term outlooks.
Honorable Mentions: Dominic Fletcher (ARI), Pedro Leon (HOU), Austin Wells (NYY), Darell Hernaiz (OAK), Jared Jones (PIT), Ben Brown (CHC), Connor Phillips (CIN), Lyon Richardson (CIN)
| Rank | Name | Position | Team | Last Wk |
| 1 | Pete Crow-Armstrong | OF | CHC | 4 |
| 2 | Ceddanne Rafaela | OF | BOS | 3 |
| 3 | Jordan Lawlar | SS | ARI | 7 |
| 4 | Colt Keith | 3B | DET | 2 |
| 5 | Matt Mervis | 1B | CHC | 8 |
| 6 | Ronny Mauricio | SS | NYM | 5 |
| 7 | Michael Busch | 2B | LAD | 6 |
| 8 | Heston Kjerstad | OF | BAL | 9 |
| 9 | Coby Mayo | 3B | BAL | 10 |
| 10 | Xavier Edwards | MI | MIA | 11 |
| 11 | Colton Cowser | OF | BAL | NR |
| 12 | Jackson Chourio | OF | MIL | 20 |
| 13 | Kyle Manzardo | 1B | CLE | 12 |
| 14 | Marco Luciano | SS | SFG | 13 |
| 15 | Justyn-Henry Malloy | OF | DET | 24 |
| 16 | Connor Norby | 2B | BAL | 15 |
| 17 | Troy Johnston | 1B | MIA | 18 |
| 18 | Joey Loperfido | OF | HOU | 16 |
| 19 | Robert Gasser | P | MIL | 23 |
| 20 | Austin Shenton | 3B | TBR | NR |
| 21 | Gavin Stone | P | LAD | 17 |
| 22 | Joey Ortiz | SS | BAL | 19 |
| 23 | Wilyer Abreu | OF | BOS | NR |
| 24 | Orelvis Martinez | SS | TOR | NR |
| 25 | Spencer Horwitz | 1B | TOR | 25 |
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings Analysis
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
It's been a few weeks since Pete Crow-Armstrong was promoted to Triple-A Iowa and the 21-year-old outfielder hasn't stopped hitting. After going hitless in his first two games at the level, Crow-Armstrong has processed to go on a 14-game hitting streak in which he's slashing .328/.414/.623 with four doubles, four home runs, and four steals. With the promotion of Masyn Winn, PCA now moves into the #1 spot here this week given his power/speed blend and proximity to the Majors.
Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox
Luckily, it sounds like Jarren Duran avoided serious injury and is simply day-to-day with a toe contusion. However, if he were to miss time, Ceddanne Rafaela would be one of the leading candidates to step into regular playing time. First and foremost, Rafaela's great defense in center field would instantly benefit Boston, and he's been red-hot in Triple-A on top of that. In 42 games at the level, Rafaela has smacked 13 home runs and 11 doubles with a .314/.367/.640 slash line. Yes, Rafaela is aggressive, but his pull-side power and plus speed would make him highly intriguing for fantasy purposes once he gets the call to Boston.
Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks
We're officially on Jordan Lawlar watch. Is it a guarantee that he'll be up this year? No. But few players in the minors match his offensive upside, especially players that have a realistic shot at making the Major League debut this season. Lawlar is slashing .328/.417/.590 in 72 August plate appearances and .313/.404/.556 with 12 home runs and 24 steals in 282 plate appearances since May 25th.
Matt Mervis, Chicago Cubs
Not to be outdone by his Iowa teammate, Matt Mervis is also swinging a hot stick over the last couple of weeks. In his last 11 games, Mervis has cranked four home runs with a .289/.407/.600 slash line. However, that does come with a 33.3% strikeout rate which has been an issue at times this season, both in the Majors and minors. If and when he gets recalled, Mervis could provide a nice power boost.
Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox
If Rafaela doesn't get the call, it's likely because Wilyer Abreu did. Acquired from Houston at the trade deadline last season, Abreu was having an uninspiring season in 2023, slashing .238/.357/.438 at the end of July. But since the calendar flipped to August, Abreu has flipped the switch in a big way. In 17 games this month, Abreu is slashing .424/.528/.949 with four doubles, nine home runs, and more walks (12) than strikeouts (10). There have been questions surrounding his ability to hit for average, but Abreu brings an above-average power/speed blend to the table and could have value in deeper leagues.
Justyn-Henry Malloy, Detroit Tigers
With Parker Meadows now up with Detroit, you have to imagine that Justyn-Henry Malloy isn't too far behind. Over the last 30 days, Malloy is slashing .299/.470/.460 in 115 plate appearances, with three home runs and more walks (28) than strikeouts (23). He's played both third base and outfield this season and could easily slot into the third base spot currently occupied by Matt Vierling who doesn't have a home run since June.
Robert Gasser, Milwaukee Brewers
Over his last three starts, Robert Gasser has dominated to the tune of a 2.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 41.4% strikeout rate. Neither Wade Miley nor Adrian Houser are pitching poorly enough to lose their rotation spot, but Gasser should be the next man up if Milwaukee needs another starter down the stretch. Gasser has missed bats at a high clip over the last two seasons, posting a combined 29.4% strikeout rate between 2022 and 2023, and even leads all of the minor leagues in strikeouts this season.
Austin Shenton, Tampa Bay Rays
A new addition to the rankings this week, Austin Shenton has been quietly raking in the upper minors this season. In 106 games overall, Shenton is slashing .306/.408/.591 with 36 doubles and 24 home runs. That includes a .327/.407/.684 mark over the last 30 days with 14 doubles and seven home runs. He's displaying a solid blend of contact, approach, and power, and could get the call if Tampa Bay needs a replacement at one of the infield corners down the stretch.
If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.
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