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Five Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash Outside The Top 100

By Richard Haake
Double-A Pitching Prospects MLB 2023

The newly expanded top 500 prospect rankings have dropped for Fantrax HQ! In this article, I will be giving you five prospects outside the top 100 who you should stash going into the 2024 season. Since the fantasy baseball prospect rankings have expanded from 400 to 500 I’m going to give you five prospects to watch or stash for every 100 on the list.

In doing so I believe dynasty managers in 10-12 team leagues can find prospects that fit their needs while the deeper dynasty formats such as 15-30 team leagues can have some “deep cut” prospects to watch. Let’s dive into five prospects to stash between 101 and 200 of the Fantrax HQ’s top 500 prospect rankings.

If you aren’t playing your dynasty leagues on Fantrax, you’re missing out on the deepest player pool and most customization around. Just starting out in a dynasty league? Then check out Rick Haake’s Top-500 Overall Fantasy Prospects and George Bissell’s Top-500 Dynasty League Rankings.

5 Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Stash

Sal Stewart, 3B CIN- Ranked 109

(117 GP, .275/.396/.416, 12 HR, 71 R, 71 RBI, 15 SB)

Moving up 87 spots in the top 500 prospect rankings is Sal Stewart. Across 117 games split between Low-A Daytona and High-A Dayton, Stewart excelled. The then 19-year-old Stewart slashed .269/.395/.424 with 10 home runs, 55 runs scored, 60 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 88 games in Daytona. Once he was promoted to Dayton, Stewart slashed .291/.397/.391 with two home runs, 16 runs scored, 11 RBIs, and swiped five bases in 29 games played. During the 2023 season, Stewart did not have a strikeout rate above 15.2% while not finishing a level under a 13.7% walk rate.

The advanced plate approach with Stewart’s walk and strikeout percentages stands out in a big way. Sal Stewart continues to hint at future plus power coming from his 6’3” and 215-pound frame going into his age 20 season. There is a strong chance Sal Stewart could finish the season in Double-A Chattanooga if he comes out hitting like we saw from him in High-A Dayton and as a result he will continue to climb the rankings.

Joey Ortiz, SS/2B MIL- Ranked 131

(88 GP, .321/.378/.507, 9 HR, 66 R, 58 RBI, 11 SB)

Most recently acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade, Joey Ortiz could be an insane value prospect outside the top 100. His MLB debut did not go as many would have hoped. The 24-year-old Ortiz slashed just .212/.206/.242 in 15 games played. It didn’t seem like Ortiz could get consistent enough playing time to get into a rhythm like what we saw in Triple-A Norfolk. Across 88 games played with the Tide, Joey Ortiz slashed .321/.378/.507 with nine home runs, 66 runs scored, 58 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. Ortiz displayed a solid plate approach walking 8.2% while only striking out 17.7% in 389 plate appearances.

Throughout his time in Norfolk, Ortiz hit the ball hard and racked up 43 extra-base hits out of his 112 total hits. With the move to Milwaukee, there should be a spot for Ortiz to carve out in the infield and I still believe Willy Adames might be moved before opening day. With Joey Ortiz, you get an elite defender that fits the Brewer’s strategy, while also offering above average to plus bat-to-ball skills. If you pair that with the extra base pop in the bat that could get to 15-20 home runs in that ballpark then count me in.

Noah Schultz, LHP CHW- Ranked 162

(10 GS, 27 IP, 38 K, 12.67 K/9, 1.33 ERA)

If you are looking for a pitching prospect who could skyrocket into the top 100 by mid-season then Noah Schultz should be on your radar. The 19-year-old had his innings limited in 2023 while in Low-A Kannapolis. Across 10 starts and 27 innings pitched, Schultz struck out 38 batters good for a 12.67 K/9 with a solid .175 batting average against and a 1.33 ERA. Schultz limited the walks to just six in 27 innings pitched and did a solid job of inducing ground balls.

With a four-seam fastball that already touches the high 90s and a big sweeping slider that profiles as a true double-plus pitch, it’s not hard to see why the upside is big with Noah Schultz. Speaking of big, Schultz stands at 6’9” and 220 pounds, making him an imposing pitcher on the mound. There is a possibility Schultz could start the season in High-A Winston Salem where I’m hopeful the White Sox will let him go with the innings restrictions and see him climb up the organization and rankings.

Alberto Rodriguez, OF SEA- Ranked 176

(118 GP, .300/.381/.504, 14 HR, 78 R, 85 RBI, 8 SB)

One of the major risers in the most recent rankings update was Alberto Rodriguez, who jumped from 347 up to 176, and for good reason. The Mariners split Rodriguez’s time between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2023. While in High-A, Rodriguez slashed .306/.393/.580 with 11 home runs, 61 runs scored, 58 RBIs, and three stolen bases while walking 9.6% of the time and striking out just 21.4% of his 322 total plate appearances. Alberto Rodriguez’s numbers were up across the board over the year prior, making it easy for the Mariners to promote him to Double-A Arkansas. Once he was with the Travelers, Rodriguez continued to hit, slashing .291/.361/.385 with three home runs, 17 runs scored, 27 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 46 games played.

The plate approach stayed consistent with Rodriguez as he walked 9.9% while only striking out 25.2% across his 202 plate appearances with the Double-A Travelers. Alberto Rodriguez has a strong build and can get to plus raw power if that can start translating into real game play we could see him move up to Triple-A Tacoma in short order. The bat-to-ball skills are solid and should be a .270 bat with solid OBP upside once at the major league level making him a solid target before the promotion rumblings start.

Mason Black, RHP SFG- Ranked 191

(29 GS, 123.2 IP, 155 K, 11.3 K/9, 3.71 ERA)

If you are in a “win now” situation with your team construction, keep your eye on Mason Black. With Black safely outside the top 100 at 191 he could be a value. Black has performed well and appears to be a solid starting pitcher across his two full seasons in the Giants organization. This solid production has gone largely under the radar in my opinion. While in Double-A Richmond, Black made 16 starts with the Flying Squirrels striking out 83 batters across 63 innings pitched good for an 11.86 K/9. Mason Black kept opposing batters to a .196 average against and finished with a solid 3.57 ERA. Once promoted to Triple-A Sacramento, Black remained solid, starting in 13 games while striking out 72 batters in 60.2 innings, good for a 10.68 K/9.

Currently, the Giants are piecing together the back end of the rotation with Keaton Winn and Tristan Beck holding down the fourth and fifth rotation spots. For Mason Black to get his opportunity he would need to have a solid start to the season in Triple-A and force his way onto the 40-man roster. The pitch mix for Mason Black is simple yet effective as he has a four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 99 MPH with carry that gives batters fits. Paired with a plus slider that sits in the mid 80’s with solid sweeping motion inducing weak contact and swing and miss out of the zone.

The change-up came along during the 2023 season and features a solid fade but it needs to get more consistent. Long term this is a solid SP-4 in dynasty for me with the upside to get to an SP-2 if the change-up continues to improve.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.

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