More promotions are coming, and the stash pool isn't drying up anytime soon. Here are 10 players to keep on your radar. Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out in the comments or on X (@jerschneid14) with any questions or thoughts!
Editor's note: two of the players in this article have already been called up between the time it was written and the time it was published, as will be noted below. Stats are updated through the morning of August 19
Parker Messick, SP, Guardians (#210, #71 P, #12 CLE)
Note: Messick was called up by the Guardians on Wednesday for his debut start against the Diamondbacks.
Messick looks ready to break through to the majors, and the timing could not be better. The left-hander has impressed at every stop in his development, leaning on a deceptive changeup to generate swings-and-misses and freeze hitters. In Triple-A Columbus this season, he has posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, with 10.9 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 across 20 starts. The southpaw has been even sharper of late, working to a 2.93 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 10.6 K/9 and just 1.8 BB/9 in his last five outings.
What pushes Messick to the top of the stash list is the opportunity in Cleveland's rotation. With Joey Cantillo optioned and the Guardians still fighting in the playoff race, the back end of the staff has a clear opening. At 24 years old, Messick has little left to prove in the minors,
More promotions are coming, and the stash pool isn't drying up anytime soon. Here are 10 players to keep on your radar. Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out in the comments or on X (@jerschneid14) with any questions or thoughts!
Editor's note: two of the players in this article have already been called up between the time it was written and the time it was published, as will be noted below. Stats are updated through the morning of August 19
Parker Messick, SP, Guardians (#210, #71 P, #12 CLE)
Note: Messick was called up by the Guardians on Wednesday for his debut start against the Diamondbacks.
Messick looks ready to break through to the majors, and the timing could not be better. The left-hander has impressed at every stop in his development, leaning on a deceptive changeup to generate swings-and-misses and freeze hitters. In Triple-A Columbus this season, he has posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, with 10.9 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 across 20 starts. The southpaw has been even sharper of late, working to a 2.93 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 10.6 K/9 and just 1.8 BB/9 in his last five outings.
What pushes Messick to the top of the stash list is the opportunity in Cleveland's rotation. With Joey Cantillo optioned and the Guardians still fighting in the playoff race, the back end of the staff has a clear opening. At 24 years old, Messick has little left to prove in the minors, and with a rotation spot there for the taking, he's the type of arm fantasy managers should move quickly on before he's snapped up or officially promoted.
Mick Abel, SP, Twins (#114, #36 SP, #5 MIN)
Abel has hit the ground running with his new organization, posting a 1.76 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over three starts for Triple-A St. Paul. His latest outing was particularly impressive, as the right-hander struck out 11 without issuing a walk across six innings. Between his time with both Triple-A clubs this year, the 24-year-old has been stellar, logging a combined 2.22 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 16 starts and 89.1 innings.
Behind ace Joe Ryan, Minnesota's rotation has been stretched thin by injuries and shaky performances, leaving innings to be covered by depth arms such as Jose Urena and Thomas Hatch, who bring limited upside. Abel, on the other hand, was acquired to be more than a stopgap. He's viewed as a long-term rotation piece, and with his great success at Triple-A, there's little reason to think he'll remain in the minors for much longer.
Robby Snelling, SP, Marlins (#125, #43 P, #4 MIA)
His profile lacks the classic "prospect sizzle" of a high-octane fastball, yet Snelling has thrived thanks to vastly improved command and a slurve/sweeper that consistently generates whiffs and weak contact. The results speak for themselves: a 1.34 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 11.5 K/9 in 33.2 innings across six Triple-A starts. Notably, the southpaw has gone six or more innings in all four of his most recent starts.
Snelling's recent omission from stash lists had nothing to do with his performance but rather the Marlins' lack of roster movement on the pitching side. With him dealing as he is now and Cal Quantrill continuing to falter, the door to a 2025 debut is starting to look wide open for Snelling.
Sal Stewart, 2B, Reds (#17, #3 2B, #2 CIN)
Stewart's bat has remained scorching, with the young infielder racking up a 1.139 OPS with four extra-base hits and seven RBI in just five games since last week's update. Across 27 contests with Triple-A Louisville, the 21-year-old infielder is slashing .324/.397/.627 with 13 doubles, six homers, 22 RBI and three stolen bases. Questions remain about whether the power will hold up at the next level, but his bat-to-ball skills at such a young age are impossible to overlook.
The Reds' production at the keystone has been abysmal, with Matt McLain and Santiago Espinal struggling to generate any offense. That weakness could open the door for Stewart, even with his limited experience at the upper levels of the minors. A learning curve would be expected, but given the poor current output at second base, it's a risk Cincinnati should be willing to take.
Jordan Lawlar, SS, Diamondbacks (#28, #12 SS, #1 ARI)
Lawlar returned from a lengthy hamstring-related IL stint on Aug. 14 and hasn't missed a beat at Triple-A, going 4-for-13 with three extra-base hits, an RBI and a stolen base in his first three games back. While his struggles in the majors are well-documented, he's thrived at Triple-A Reno, slashing .319/.407/.585 with a 1.031 OPS, 21 doubles, five triples, 10 homers, 46 RBI and 19 steals in 56 contests.
A major misstep in the Diamondbacks' handling of Lawlar has been the inconsistent playing time he's received during his big-league stints. Those came while Arizona was contending, but with Eugenio Suarez now traded, current infield options like Blaze Alexander and Ildemaro Vargas shouldn't keep him from at least semi-regular slots in the lineup. Opportunities at third base or second base (when Ketel Marte shifts to designated hitter) should be created for Lawlar, even if shortstop remains blocked by Geraldo Perdomo.
JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals (#10, #7 SS, #1 STL)
Wetherholt, shocker of all shockers, hasn't stopped hitting. He's riding a five-game hitting streak, with five of his eight knocks in that stretch going for extra bases. The West Virginia product somehow keeps raising the bar, as his 1.073 OPS in 26 games with Triple-A Memphis is more than 100 points better than the already-great .891 mark he posted in 62 games with Double-A Springfield. He's the total package, blending elite bat-to-ball skills with real power and sneaky wheels.
Cardinals executive John Mozeliak recently hinted that Wetherholt might not see the majors this season, but that's hardly set in stone. Since then, Brendan Donovan (groin) has joined Nolan Arenado (shoulder) on the injured list, leaving Nolan Gorman to hold down the fort while the rest of the infield depth — Thomas Saggese, Jose Fermin and Garrett Hampson — offers little upside. It's entirely possible St. Louis leaves Wetherholt in Triple-A to finish the year, but the truth is he belongs in the majors, and fantasy managers should be ready for when the call finally comes.
Bubba Chandler, SP, Pirates (#19, #4 SP, #2 PIT)
Note: Chandler was called up by the Pirates on Wednesday but will pitch in a long-relief role for now.
Chandler's struggles have lingered, as he's pitched to a 7.42 ERA and 1.99 WHIP over 63.1 innings across his past six starts. The rough stretch has inflated his season ERA to 4.05, though his 3.49 FIP suggests better underlying performance. Even so, the 22-year-old still possesses the high-90s fastball and swing-and-miss secondaries that make him such an enticing prospect.
Confidence in a 2025 debut is fading, but the door hasn't fully closed. Beyond Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh's rotation lacks stability, with back-end options like Braxton Ashcraft and Carmen Mlodzinski neither carrying a starter's workload nor carrying significant prospect pedigree. Another arm entering the mix feels likely before season's end, leaving the question of whether Chandler earns that opportunity.
Hunter Barco, SP, Pirates (#204, #67 P, #8 PIT)
If Bubba Chandler doesn't get the chance to start in 2025, Barco could be the next arm to debut in Pittsburgh before season's end. The lanky left-hander has put together back-to-back scoreless starts, issuing only one walk across those outings. After beginning the year with 25.2 straight scoreless innings at Double-A Altoona, Barco has now logged 15 starts and 58.1 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 3.70 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. Opposing hitters haven't done much damage against the 24-year-old, though a 5.1 BB/9 has held him back at times.
While his Triple-A outings haven't always been lengthy, Barco is still better suited to provide bulk innings for the Pirates than options like Carmen Mlodzinski. Given his strikeout upside and Pittsburgh's rotation questions, the southpaw could be worth a speculative stash down the stretch.
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians (#16, #2 2B, #1 CLE)
Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has wasted little time climbing through the Guardians' system. At Double-A Akron, he slashed .256/.364/.426 with a .790 OPS, 12 doubles, three triples, five homers, 23 RBI and nine stolen bases in 51 games before earning a promotion to Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 10. The second baseman has had an intriguing start at the new level, slashing .214/.542/.357 with a .899 OPS in five games. He's already shown off his elite plate discipline, drawing nearly as many walks (10) as he has at-bats (14), though he's collected only three hits so far.
Cleveland's production at second base has been underwhelming, with Brayan Rocchio and his .637 OPS getting the bulk of the work while Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martinez have offered little more and often shift to the outfield. Bazzana might benefit from a longer run at Triple-A, but with the keystone offering so little, it'd be foolish to rule out the Guardians turning to their top prospect as the spark plug they need to ignite a playoff push.
Nelson Rada, OF, Angels (#286, #68 OF, #7 LAA)
For the third straight week, this article ends with an under-the-radar Angels prospect — though unlike George Klassen and Sam Aldegheri, this one roams the outfield rather than takes the mound. Rada's .718 OPS in 93 games at Double-A Rocket City doesn't jump off the page, but his promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 1 has brought a surge. At just 19 years old, he's slashing .354/.483/.479 with a .962 OPS, a double, triple, homer, seven RBI and nine stolen bases in 13 games. The sample is small and it comes in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but his improved contact skills are encouraging, and his speed (132 stolen bases in 344 MiLB games) remains a constant weapon.
In Anaheim, a rash of injuries has stretched the Angels' outfield depth thin. Bryce Teodosio has held down center field in the meantime, but without much production or upside. Is it likely that Rada, still a teenager until Aug. 24, gets the call? Probably not. But given the injury situation, the lack of impact bats, and the organization's well-documented aggressiveness, it's not impossible to imagine Rada speeding his way to Angel Stadium before 2025 is over.
