Fantasy Baseball Prospect Report: Welcome to the show, Mason Miller

Another week, another laundry list of MLB debuts, as this season continues to be shaped by teams being more willing than ever to let their top prospects cut their teeth at the highest level. This time it was two intriguing young arms, Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics and Logan Allen of the Cleveland Guardians, who got the call — and showed out on the mound.

So who’s next? Which prospects should you have your eyes on in fantasy baseball leagues? Our weekly prospect report will give you everything you need to know.

Prospect report for Monday, April 17th

Brandon Pfaadt, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Everyone assumed that Pfaadt would be the next man up after Madison Bumgarner was designated for assignment, but alas, Tommy Henry got the call to start Monday due to being on regular rest when Bumgarner was next slated to pitch. Don’t worry though: Pfaadt’s time is coming very soon, and he’s done nothing to diminish the hype.

He’s a must-stash in just about every league, with his strikeout potential giving him real top-40/50 upside once he gets the call.

Michael Busch, 2B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

As I was writing this, word broke that Busch was getting the call up to the MLB roster as Max Muncy was going on the paternity list. Busch will probably be back down in Triple-A soon, but he’s worth rostering in all but the shallowest of leagues due to production that could look a lot like, well, Max Munch — 20-25 homers, great OBPs and an average that (hopefully) won’t kill you.

Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

Manzardo should by all accounts be at the very top of everyone’s stash list. He continues to crush Triple-A, with two more homers over the weekend. There’s just one problem: From Yandy Diaz to Isaac Paredes to Harold Ramirez, Tampa is chock full of red-hot corner bats right now, so there’s nowhere for Manzardo to go. He’ll get his chance at some point this year, but the ETA has taken a bit of a hit.

Gavin Stone, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Let’s keep it in the L.A. organization. Stone, the system’s best pitching prospect, had gotten off to a bumpy start this year in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but he righted the ship in his most recent start.

With all the injuries to the Dodgers’ rotation — and Tony Gonsolin not quite ready to return from his rehab assignment — Stone could get the call for a spot start as early as this week. There are still some concerns regarding his performance so far in 2023, but when he’s right he has a complete arsenal.

Eduoard Julien, 2B, Minnesota Twins

Julien’s taste of the Show was short-lived, as the infielder is back down in Triple-A thanks to Jorge Polanco’s return from injury. Julien acquitted himself well against MLB pitching, though, and he should be back at some point this summer to provide some solid average, sneaky pop and nice counting stats atop the order.

Justyn-Henry Malloy, OF, Detroit Tigers

A newcomer to the list this week, Malloy has gotten off to a torrid start at Triple-A — and with the Tigers’ moribund offense needing a spark from somewhere, he could be getting the call very soon. There’s nothing super flashy here — Malloy won’t wow with his raw power or speed — but he does just enough of everything to contribute to your fantasy team, especially if the Tigers play him at both third base and in the outfield. Figure something like 15 homers, five steals and a .275 average (with added value for those of you in OBP leagues.)

Elly de la Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds

Prospect-heads, rejoice: One of the most exciting players in all of baseball is finally back and doing, well, Elly de la Cruz sorts of things:

de la Cruz got a late start due to injury, but he’s back with Triple-A Louisville now and ready to bang on the door of the big-league club. A top-10 prospect just about everywhere, he oozes five-category potential and should be stashed in any league that carries a Minor League-specific roster spot. He might be too far away for shallower leagues — his ETA is some time mid-summer — but remember the name.

Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles

Finally. After a sluggish start in Triple-A, Cowser has resumed murdering baseballs at Triple-A:

The knock on Cowser has always been his swing-and-miss, but he’s cut that down dramatically this year. Over the last 10 days, Cowser is slashing .447/.533/.789 with six extra-base hits, three home runs, a steal and, most importantly, a 7/9 K/BB ratio. Cowser may wind up sitting against most lefties, but with Baltimore’s glaring hole in right field he should get the call sooner rather than later — and provide an instant source of power, OBP and even a few steals.

Sal Frelick, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Man, what terrible timing. Garrett Mitchell’s shoulder surgery should have opened up a spot on Milwaukee’s roster for Frelick, one of the top outfield prospects in baseball — if he hadn’t just sprained his thumb. The injury will probably only cost Frelick a couple of weeks, though, at which point we’ll probably see him patrolling center field for the Brew Crew. He doesn’t carry a ton of power, but if the hit tool holds up enough to post a .280-.290 average — and we think it will — he’ll be able to run wild on the bases and rack up plenty of steals and runs.

Top 25 prospects to stash for fantasy baseball