Every weekend, I post about the minor leaguers you should be stashing on your team. These rankings are done solely for prospects with the potential to impact the 2019 season. Their ranks are predicated on when they will be called up and raw talent—we want to give you an edge in building your team throughout the year. Prospects are a great way to stay ahead of the curve once the most notable prospects are called up. Not all prospects need to be stashed in every league, as not all league compositions are made equally.
1. Keston Hiura, 2B, (Milwaukee Brewers) – ETA Late June
In an oversight, Keston Hiura omitted from last week’s Stash. After a strong stint in Milwaukee where he hit five home runs and batted .281 (although with a gaudy 33% strikeout rate), he was demoted to make room for Travis Shaw and is currently playing in Triple-A. Since returning to Triple-A, Hiura is hitting .333 with five home runs and a stolen base. Shaw has been underwhelming this season, batting .167 and with a hotly contested NL Central, Milwaukee will be better off with Hiura at second base and Mike Moustakas at third base.
2. Kyle Tucker, OF, (Houston Astros) – ETA Late July
Yordan Alvarez got the call this past week (and is wreaking havoc) leaving Kyle Tucker the odd man out in Triple-A. Continuing on from a torrid May and throughout June, Tucker has raised his average to .275 while hitting 21 home runs and stealing 15 bases this season. Unfortunately, there is no clear path for Tucker to play, with Alvarez shoring up designated hitter for now and Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick each hitting over .300. Tucker’s best case scenario to playing time would be a deadline trade or significant injuries to an MLB counterpart.
3. Luis Urias, 2B, (San Diego Padres) – ETA Late June
Luis Urias will be on his way back to the major league soon—likely by the end of June. Urias is slashing .337/.429/.673 in Triple-A this season with 15 home runs and six stolen bases. He should slot in at second base as a replacement for Ian Kinsler who is hitting a paltry .220 and one of many players San Diego will be looking to move at the deadline.
4. Bo Bichette, SS, (Toronto Blue Jays) – ETA Late June
Bo Bichette returned to Triple-A this week after a brief stint in High-A and has picked up where he left off, batting .450 with a home run in his first five games in back since breaking his hand in April. Toronto will be looking to call-up Bichette quickly as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is transitioned to the outfield and Toronto continues its streak of bringing up its youthful talent.
5. Carter Kieboom, 2B/SS, (Washington Nationals) – ETA Mid July
Despite a .301 batting average on the season, Carter Kieboom has been generally cold since returning to Triple-A in May, hitting .252 with five home runs and two stolen bases. This past week saw Kieboom heat up to the tune of .286, so better days may be ahead soon. If Kieboom were called up, it would be to replace the .228-hitting Brian Dozier. If Washington starts to sell off, Dozier would be a cheap piece for most teams further paving the way for a Kieboom promotion.
6. Jorge Mateo, SS/2B, (Oakland Athletics) – ETA Early July
Jorge Mateo ended a 15-game hit streak this past week and has hit safely in 21 of his last 24 games. Still, over that period he has struck out 27 times and walked only once given pause for concern how he will adjust in the majors as he gets by largely through his own speed. Mateo is now slashing .329/.359/.561 on the season with 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases.
7. Ian Miller, OF, (Seattle Mariners) – ETA Early June
Now into his second full season in Triple-A, Ian Miller has made consistent gains that should make him a fantasy-relevant outfielder. He is hitting .288 on the season with six home runs and 19 stolen bases; he also has 24 extra base hits in 226 at-bats. To replace Mitch Haniger, Seattle shifted Domingo Santana to right field and signed recently cut Mac Williamson to man left field. Williamson is only hitting .143 between San Francisco and Seattle this season, although he dominated Triple-A earlier this season. If Williamson continues to flounder, he will be an easy cut for Miller to step up.
8. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, (Tampa Bay Rays) – ETA Early July
After a slow return to Triple-A, Nathaniel Lowe is finally heating up, slashing .361/.511/.611 with three home runs so far in June. There is no clear space for Lowe to play yet, as Ji-Man Choi has been on fire this month, hitting .438, also with only three home runs. Yandy Diaz has been hitting equally well, limiting the available playing time in Tampa Bay. Now that Lowe is on the team’s 40-man roster, it will be easier for Tampa Bay to give Lowe a call if Diaz or Choi falters, but they have been more consistent than one would have expected at the start of the year.
9. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B/SS/3B, (Baltimore Orioles) – ETA Late July
Ryan Mountcastle added a home run and stolen base to his season line this week and is now hitting .307 on the season. Mountcastle has an aggressive approach at the plate and carries a poor 60:9 K:BB ratio, but has 12 home runs on the season and will play in Baltimore where his power numbers should inflate a little more.
10. Yadiel Hernandez, OF, (Washington Nationals) – ETA Late July
Yadiel Hernandez continues to be one of the best bats in Triple-A, slashing .360/.447/.660 with 16 home runs and six stolen bases. He is 31 years old, as he was a Cuban signing in 2017, but has been consistent in his production as he made it to Triple-A. Washington is stacked in their outfield, but at the deadline anything is possible and he may be able to get some playing time whether in Washington or elsewhere.
Graduated
Yordan Alvarez—God Bless. Go get him while he’s still only 50% owned. Three home runs in his first Four games so far.
Dropped Out
Jumped In
Nate Lowe
Graphic by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter).
FYI “gaudy” doesn’t mean high. You would probably only wanna use gaudy to describe good stats rather than bad ones.
How is Bobby Bradley still not on here?