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Welcome back to our top starting pitcher fantasy baseball prospects to stash for Week 23 of the 2024 MLB season. Today, we'll be taking a look at top MLB pitching prospects, including a handful of pitchers who are settling in at Triple-A.
Several of the sport's top pitching prospects who have been recurring members of this column, such as Zebby Matthews, Max Meyer, and David Festa, have begun to settle in at the major league level and are no longer "stash" options. As a result, we have a few new faces making this column for the first time.
As the baseball season progresses, top prospects can have the opportunity to replace an injured player and immediately become valuable in fantasy. Below are five pitching prospects worth stashing in redraft leagues in Week 23.
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Top Fantasy Baseball Prospect Stashes
Bubba Chandler - Pittsburgh Pirates (Currently At Triple-A, 2% rostered)
The top pitching prospect in the Steel City (finally) surrendered his first earned run at Triple-A. The southpaw logged 13 straight scoreless frames through his first two starts while posting a 3:17 BB:K ratio.
However, in his most recent outing on August 22, Chandler tossed five innings of three-run ball while striking out six and only giving up one free pass. While his scoreless streak ended, Chandler still has posted stellar numbers at Triple-A and is in contention for a late-season major league debut.
Bubba Chandler with another solid start today in AAA:
5 IP 5 H 3 R 1 BB 6 K
15 swing and missesChange up looked very good!
pic.twitter.com/PpWuyts0Vc— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) August 23, 2024
With his elite strikeout upside, Chandler is worth stashing in all 12-team formats. Given his ability to generate elite swing-and-miss production, he could be a valuable fantasy asset down the stretch.
Brandon Sproat - New York Mets (Currently At Triple-A, 1% rostered)
While Chandler's transition to Triple-A may have gone smoothly, it has been a bit of a learning curve for the Mets right-hander. The Florida product has logged three starts with a disappointing 9.24 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, and a 5:6 BB:K ratio.
Sproat made his professional debut this summer and remarkably moved through High and Double-A, leaving the door open for a late-season promotion. At these levels, he boasted a 2.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 31:110 BB:K ratio in 87 ⅔ innings of work.
The Mets recently placed starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (hand) on the 15-day IL with a right-hand contusion, which now opens a spot in the rotation. While Tylor Megill is likely the short-term solution, the Mets may want to give one of their top young arms a chance, especially if they hang around the Wild Card race.
Jack Leiter - Texas Rangers (Currently At Triple-A, 10% rostered)
The former number-two overall pick has had trouble adjusting to the top level of the minors and struggled heavily in his brief taste of the big leagues this summer. However, Leiter has begun to find his footing at Triple-A Round Rock and could be nearing a return to the majors.
Since the start of July, the Vanderbilt product holds a strong 3.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a 9:36 BB:K ratio. In his past two starts, the right-hander sits with a 1.93 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a near-perfect 2:20 BB:K ratio.
Jack Leiter ……. Crankin’ in Salt Lake City ⚓️⬇️ #VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/NzfzoCqvnA
— GSH (@gman416) August 22, 2024
The 24-year-old got a brief look at the majors earlier this summer and got hit quite hard as he posted a 16.39 ERA through a nine-inning stint.
With Tyler Mahle (shoulder) recently hitting the 15-day IL, the Rangers could look to one of their top arms to fill the void for the season's final month.
AJ Smith-Shawver - Atlanta Braves (Currently At Triple-A, 3% rostered)
The top prospect in Atlanta posted one of his best starts of the season at Triple-A this past week and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. In this outing, the right-hander tossed six shutout frames with just three hits, one free pass, and struck out seven.
11th whiff for AJ Smith-Shawver comes on this 83 MPH changeup, his 6th K.
5IP 3H 0R 1BB 6K pic.twitter.com/dzjrc4K3vW
— Gaurav (@gvedak) August 22, 2024
In his previous 20 innings at Triple-A, Smith-Shawver held a modest 4.87 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP.
The former seventh-round pick made his major league debut last summer and held his own with a 4.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through a 25-inning stint. This summer, he has been limited by an oblique injury, but his recent start shows he may have finally turned the corner.
Currently, the Braves have five stable options in their rotation, but Smith-Shawver will likely be the first name called upon for a spot start down the stretch. With the Braves in the heat of the Wild Card race, they would prefer to save their bullpen as much as possible, and an occasional spot start for their top prospect would be a great way to do so.
Jackson Jobe - Detroit Tigers (Currently At Double-A, 9% rostered)
Rounding out this list again is the top pitching prospect in baseball. In his most recent start on August 2, Jobe logged six innings of one-run ball with three walks and five punchouts.
While his walk rate has been unstable at Double-A lately, he has continued to showcase high-strikeout potential while limiting runners from crossing home plate.
The Tigers recently promoted another pitching prospect, Ty Madden, to make a spot start on Monday, August 26. While this may frustrate managers who are stashing Jobe on their roster, it could suggest that the No. 8-ranked prospect in the sport is next in line.
He has the highest potential out of everyone on this list, even if he only sees two starts in the final weeks of the summer.
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