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As more teams are incentivized to push their top prospects up the pecking order, fantasy baseball players should be excited to see many talented pitchers get their first starts this year.
With many of the league's best young pitching talents having already made their major-league debuts, there's an expectation that the remaining pool is absent of impact pitchers. But with close to half the season left, plenty of impact pitchers are still left to appear this season. And with the expectation to immediately perform, there are plenty of talented pitchers still in the minors.
These are five fantasy baseball pitching prospects worth stashing in redraft leagues in week 15. Many of these pitchers should be up in time for the fantasy playoffs, so stashing them while their rostered rates are relatively low can be the decision that takes you to the top.
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Top Fantasy Baseball Prospect Stashes
Grayson Rodriguez - Baltimore Orioles
Orioles pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez was hyped as the best pitching prospect in redraft leagues, but the surface results were not as advertised. In 10 starts, Rodriguez held a 7.35 ERA, a 10% walk rate, and a 53% hard-hit rate. After allowing six hits and nine runs against the Rangers, the Orioles hit their breaking point with their top pitching prospect and demoted him on May 27.
But Rodriguez's poor initial major-league performance shouldn't worry you. While the 7.35 ERA is an eyesore, the 4.07 SIERA and 26.5% strikeout rate are marks of a solid major-league pitcher.
He's on a tear since being demoted to Triple-A, with four wins, a 2.51 ERA, and a 30.8% strikeout rate. Grayson Rodriguez will get a recall soon enough, and he should be on your roster well before that happens.
Kyle Harrison - San Francisco Giants
Despite being rocked for 13 hits and 10 runs in his past two starts, Kyle Harrison remains one of the best remaining stashable starting pitching options.
From April 14 to June 9, Harrison held a 2.72 ERA with a 39.6% strikeout rate. There are very few starting pitchers in the minors who are capable of putting up those numbers over two months.
Harrison's stuff is undeniably impressive, and it will play incredibly well at the major-league level if he can regain control. With the Giants having a semi-favorable playoff schedule and a few unsettled rotation spots, Harrison's high strikeout ceiling can be incredibly impactful down the stretch.
Quinn Priester - Pittsburgh Pirates
Much like Pittsburgh's major-league team, top pitching prospect Quinn Priester has had a very up-and-down season. Priester sports a solid 3.74 FIP and a 23.5% strikeout rate, but he has failed to get past the second inning twice this season, ballooning his ERA to 4.36.
He's coming off his best start of the season, allowing no runs, just three hits, and racking up 18 whiffs and 11 strikeouts.
With Luis L. Ortiz sporting a 5.49 SIERA through over 50 innings this season, Priester should get the call-up with another successful start or another Ortiz falter. Despite the occasional flare-up, Priester has been solid and has the opportunity to continue that if he's called up.
Ben Brown - Chicago Cubs
Ben Brown is another pitcher who has had an unmistakably up-and-down season. In his first six starts of the season, he held a 0.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a 39.5% strikeout rate. But in his most recent start, Brown allowed six runs, three hits, and three walks before being pulled with just two outs in the first inning.
Ben Brown's stuff is undeniable, but he's a loose cannon vying for a spot in a relatively stable major-league rotation. However, the fast-approaching trade deadline has the potential to shake things up in the rotation of a Cubs team that ranks fourth in the NL Central. If Brown can recenter himself in his upcoming starts, he can force himself onto the major-league squad and into Chicago's rotation.
Will Warren - New York Yankees
Will Warren has been among the more impressive starting pitching prospects this season. Warren began the season with Double-A Somerset, holding a 1.87 FIP and 32.2% strikeout rate in six starts. He was quickly promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
He took some time to adjust to Triple-A, surrendering four runs each to the Triple-A squads of Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore in eight-and-one-thirds innings combined.
But he is coming off of his best starts yet. He allowed just one run in four innings in a start against Rochester. In his most recent start, he allowed just three hits and racked up five strikeouts in five scoreless innings against the Syracuse Mets. His elite sweeper/slider was on full display against Syracuse, generating nine whiffs on 19 swings.
If he can put more solid starts together, the Yankees prospect will be on the fast track to The Bronx.
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