Top-5 MLB Pitching Prospects To Stash For Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues - Week 21 (2025)

August 22, 2025

Andy's top pitching fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 21 (2025). His MLB prospects to pick up and stash on your bench and N/A spots in redraft leagues.

Welcome back to our top starting pitcher fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 21 of the 2025 MLB season. This past week, we saw longtime stash list participant Nolan McLean make his long-awaited MLB debut on Saturday afternoon. I hope you stashed him because he looked quite sharp this weekend.

In this week's edition, we will check in on some familiar names and welcome a new name from Minnesota, who will replace McLean.

Below are the top pitching prospects to stash leading up to Week 21 of the 2025 MLB season.

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Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies

Currently At Triple-A
15% rostered

After a rough stretch through most of August, the top pitching prospect was able to bounce back nicely this past weekend. On Saturday, August 16, facing Triple-A Buffalo, the top prospect in Philadelphia tossed five innings of three-run ball (two earned runs). In this outing, Painter allowed only four hits and walked three. He stuck out five.

While his overall box score is not too impressive, this was a much-needed bounce-back for Painter as he allowed seven runs in his previous outing and five runs in his start before that.

Before this rough two-game skid, Painter showed flashes at times but was rarely consistent with his production. Over his last 42 innings (from June 15 through July 30), the former 13th overall pick posted a 4.07 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP. During this stretch, Painter racked up 38 punchouts and walked 14 batters. During this stretch, Painter allowed three runs or fewer in all but two of these eight outings.

His two blow-up outings during this stint significantly inflated his ratios.

Since joining Triple-A this season, the right-hander has carried a 5.31 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP across 81 1/3 innings of work. While his inconsistencies may have lowered his short-term stock, with Zack Wheeler shifting to the IL with a blood clot, Painter will remain a must-stash pitching prospect heading into Week 21 of the fantasy baseball season.

Andrew Painter’s final line tonight in Buffalo:

5.0 IP | 4 H | 2 ER | 3 BB | 5 K | 83 Pitches pic.twitter.com/8PCdLdqxuE

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) August 17, 2025

Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates

Currently At Triple-A
20% rostered

While Painter was able to bounce back this weekend, the Pittsburgh budding ace did not have the same results. In his most recent outing on August 16, Chandler allowed six hits and four earned runs across 3 1/3 innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In this outing, he allowed five walks and struck out five hitters.

Since July 18 (26 2/3 IP), Chandler has been in a rough skid, posting a 7.42 ERA and a 1.99 WHIP. Throughout these six outings, the right-hander has walked 16 batters and struck out only 28 hitters.

While this skid has tanked his short-term value, fantasy managers should still consider holding onto Chandler in deeper 12+ team leagues. Before this skid, Chandler held a stellar 0.59 ERA over his last three outings. During his first two months of the regular season at Triple-A, the top pitching prospect in the Steel City looked like the next budding ace, as he held a 2.03 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 69:21 K:BB through 48 2/3 innings.

The 22-year-old made his Triple-A debut last season and flashed impressive upside as such, posting a 1.83 ERA and a strong 1.04 WHIP across 39 1/3 innings.

While his recent production may make it look difficult for him to reach the majors this season, given his previous success, he is still worthy of a spot on your bench in 12+ team leagues.

Bubba Chandler has been fairly inconsistent this year, but having your top pitching prospect make THIRTY starts in Triple-A spanning 53 calendar weeks is just insane...

He made his Triple-A debut on 8/9/24. https://t.co/VFMVyjK2t6

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) August 16, 2025

Mick Abel, Minnesota Twins

Currently At Triple-A
1% rostered

The former 15th overall pick made it to MLB earlier this season with the Philadelphia Phillies. During his first look in the big leagues, Abel had mixed results, logging 25 innings to the tune of a 5.04 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. During this stint, Abel struck out 21 batters and served up walks at a modest 8.3% rate.

However, Abel was one of the top names that was shipped to Minnesota in a deal that brought high-end closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies.

Since joining the Minnesota organization, the Twins have opted to keep Abel at Triple-A, and this decision appears to be benefiting him greatly. Through his first three starts with St. Paul (25 IP), Abel has posted a strong 1.76 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. During this stint, Abel has tallied 23 punchouts and walked only six batters.

Abel enjoyed success at Triple-A in Lehigh Valley this season, holding a 2.31 ERA and 1.116 WHIP across 74 innings of work. Abel flashed a similar stroke upside, tallying 81, but he lacked consistency in his command, as he allowed 32 free passes.

Seeing Abel continue to lower his walk rate with his new club is an auspicious sign.

Currently, the Twins have three pitchers on their injured list: Pablo Lopez (shoulder), Simeon Woods Richardson (illness), and David Festa (shoulder). This situation could open the door for Abel to return to the majors in the future. With the Twins far out of the playoff picture, giving Abel another taste of the majors could put him in a good position to take the next step in 2026.

He is a solid stash option in all 12+ team leagues this weekend.

Mick Abel in his third start with the @Twins organization 🎤

6 IP / 2 H / 2 R / 0 BB / 11 K

He had a 43% whiff rate on all his pitches, including a 50%+ whiff rate on his secondary pitches⚔️#MNTwins

pic.twitter.com/lmG2aG5k03

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) August 17, 2025

Robby Snelling, Miami Marlins

Currently At Triple-A
10% rostered

The Miami southpaw made his first appearance on this list last weekend, and he has continued to find high success at Triple-A. In his most recent outing at Triple-A Jacksonville (on August 13), Snelling racked up nine punchouts across six innings of two-run ball (zero earned) with only two free passes.

Since joining Triple-A earlier in July, the left-hander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the minors. Through his first 33 2/3 innings at the top level of the Miami system this season (six starts), Snelling has posted an eye-catching 1.34 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. During this stretch, Snelling struck out 43 hitters and served up only nine walks.

Earlier in the campaign, Snelling was not as productive at Double-A Pensacola, logging 72 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.61 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.

Unlike Abel, Snelling does not have the clearest path to a potential debut soon. Currently, the Marlins have five locked-in starting pitchers who do not appear to be in danger of losing their positions. Cal Quantrill has allowed seven runs in two of his last three outings and could be the name to shift to the relief role to open a spot for Snelling.

For the time being, Snelling remains at the stash option reserved for deeper leagues, despite his elite strikeout potential.

Robby Snelling (@Marlins) delivers his fifth start of the year with at least 9 strikeouts ⛽️

MLB's No. 8 LHP prospect in his 6 starts for the Triple-A @JaxShrimp:

• 1.34 ERA
• 11.5 K/9
• 0.95 WHIP pic.twitter.com/TvtmK0696j

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 14, 2025

Brandon Sproat, New York Mets

Currently At Triple-A
1% rostered

Moving down to the No. 5 spot is Brandon Sproat of the New York Mets. With McLean getting the call first, the path for Sproat to reach the majors has become much less clear. In addition, his most recent outing does not suggest the Mets will look to give him a taste soon.

On August 14, Sproat allowed three hits and six runs (five earned) to Rochester. However, before this rough outing, Sproat looked like one of the most dominant pitchers at the Triple-A level.

Over his last 39 innings of work before this recent game (seven starts), the Florida product posted an elite 1.15 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and a 43:13 K:BB. During this dominant run, Sproat allowed runs in just two of the games.

Overall, Sproat has held a 4.40 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP through 104 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A this season. However, his first-half struggles have vastly inflated his ratios.

With McLean getting the call first, Sproat is best to leave you our waiver wire overview of deep NL-only formats. If Clay Holmes were to continue to struggle, Sproat could eventually take his spot in the organization or serve as a long-term relief option to Holmes.

Stash List Watch

Brandon Sproat
AAA Syracuse NYM

8.7 v Charlotte
6 IP 3H 3ER 1HR 2BB 4K
8whiffs/84pitches

Next man up as Montas goes to bullpen? Overall line not as good as McLean but better lately.

Last 6: 33 IP 37K 10BB 1HR 65%strikes 1.36ERA

FF 97
CH 15”break
ST 34%whiff pic.twitter.com/JCFCfsTkYA

— YGM Fantasy Baseball (@YGMfantasy) August 13, 2025

Other Prospects To Consider Stashing

• Hunter Barco, PIT
• Trey Yesavage, TOR
• Quinn Mathews, STL

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