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As the baseball season progresses, top prospects can have the opportunity to replace an injured player and immediately become valuable in fantasy.
Several of the sport's top pitching prospects have already made their major league debut earlier this season but have been optioned to Triple-A for several reasons, such as an innings limit or even a minor injury.
Below are five pitching prospects worth stashing in redraft leagues in Week 15. A few of these pitchers just made their major league debut this week, and some have already had an impact in the majors earlier this season and could return to the big leagues very shortly.
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Top Fantasy Baseball Prospect Stashes
Christian Scott - New York Mets
New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott is nearing a return to the majors. The Florida product made his major league debut earlier this season and held his own with a 3.90 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Through this small sample size, he maintained a stellar 5.4% walk rate, which placed him in the 84th percentile among all pitchers.
Christian Scott looked very good in his MLB debut!!
94 pitches
6.2 IP 5 H 1 R 1 BB 6 K
18 whiffs and 35 CSW%Queens might have found their new ace👀
pic.twitter.com/TuzGOrscbz— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) May 5, 2024
On June 25, Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza told the media that he expects that Scott has a “good chance” of rejoining the major league roster during the team’s dreaded 17-game stretch that kicks off on Friday, June 28.
At Triple-A Syracuse this season, the 25-year-old flashed elite strikeout potential with 55 K’s in just 42 ⅓ frames, which resulted in a career-best 33.5% K rate. Overall, he posted a strong 2.76 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. The home run did inflate his ratios, with a hefty 2.13 HR/9, which is quite alarming. If he could keep the ball in the yard, Scott could make a case for being one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.
Nonetheless, Scott could be given another opportunity in the majors fairly soon, and is worth adding on his strikeout potential alone.
Shane Baz - Tampa Bay Rays
It’s been a long journey for Shane Baz. Baz has faced several injury setbacks, including a recent recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in 2022.
Through 40 ⅓ innings at the major league level between 2021 and 2022, the 25-year-old held a 4.02 ERA,1.12 WHIP, and a 12:48 BB:K ratio.
In Triple-A during this period, Baz held at least a 36.0% K rate with 84 total strikeouts in 59 frames. While Baz currently sits with an unappealing 4.12 ERA and 1.58 WHIP at Triple-A this season, there is much more to his box score that makes him worth stashing.
In his past 23 innings (five starts), he posted a 1.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 10:35 BB:K ratio. The former first-round pick has finally begun to get himself settled once again at the top level of the minor leagues and should be rejoining the major league roster next month.
The only concern with Baz is whether Tampa Bay will set up a six-man rotation so that Baz can get starts at the major league level. We will have to wait and see, but Baz’s potential is unlike any other on most waiver wires.
Max Meyer - Miami Marlins
The former number three overall pick made the major league roster out of Spring Training but was optioned back to Triple-A after three starts due to concerns regarding an innings limit.
Marlins manager Skip Schumaker told the media that he expects the number two prospect to return to the big leagues “soon.” He said this during the first week of June, so Meyer should be back in the bigs any day now.
Through his three starts this season, Meyer proved he was more than capable of earning an extended look at the majors with a 2.12 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and a 3:14 BB:K ratio. His best outing was his last when he tossed six innings of one-run ball against an uber-talented Braves lineup who, at the time, had Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and Michael Harris II (hamstring) both in their starting nine.
Max Meyer held his own today against one of the best lineups in baseball.
6 IP 6 H 1 R 0 BB 7 K
Induced 23 whiffs🔥 and 36 CSW%Former top Marlins prospect should be owned everywhere!
pic.twitter.com/ptPazKzMmq— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) April 13, 2024
The Miami rotation is decimated, as six starters are currently on the injured list. When given the call, Meyer can easily slot in as the top option in this rotation.
Hayden Birdsong - San Francisco Giants
Two arms who made their MLB debuts this week round out this week's list. Hayden Birdsong, the number six prospect in the Giants system on MLB.com, tossed four ⅔ innings of three-run ball against the Chicago Cubs. He struck out five and allowed three walks and six hits. While this debut was not amazing, Birdsong took advantage of a good matchup and showcased his potential for elite strikeout production.
Hayden Birdsong's 2Ks in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/kUhaOTQHn1
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 27, 2024
The right-hander was moved to Triple-A earlier this month and needed just nine innings at that level to prove he was ready for the minors. In both Double and Triple-A this season, Birdsong held a 2.51 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He had a 30.7% K rate at Double-A and an even better 33.3% K rate at Triple-A.
With Blake Snell (groin), Kyle Harrison (ankle), and Keaton Winn (elbow) all on the injured list, Birdsong should get a few more opportunities at the amateur league level and is worth adding to all standard leagues.
David Festa - Minnesota Twins
The other pitching debut this week came out of Minnesota by way of David Festa. On Thursday, Festa earned his first career victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks by pitching five innings of five-run ball.
Festa got through the first three innings quite well and only allowed one base-runner. He ran into some trouble in the fourth and fifth frames but was given a large cushion in run support, which allowed him to qualify as the winning pitcher.
In the minors this season, Festa posted a 3.77 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 24:87 BB:K ratio in 59 ⅔ innings. However, his ratios are a bit inflated due to the rough June he had, where he gave up 13 earned runs in just four starts. Removing those outlying performances, Festa carries a much better 2.93 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.
In addition, he has showcased high strikeout potential, with three games with double-digit strikeouts and two games with eight strikeouts. With Chris Paddack (forearm) on the 15-day injured list, Festa may have an opportunity to grab a solid hold on the fifth spot in the Twins rotation going forward.
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