Top Prospects to Stash Before August Ends

After months of waiting, the Mariners finally called up Kade Anderson last week, with the southpaw making his big-league debut Saturday at T-Mobile Park against the Cubs. With Anderson officially graduated from the list, here are eight stash candidates for fantasy managers in redraft leagues.

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Stats updated through the morning of Aug. 25. For more prospect coverage, check out our Top 400 MLB Prospects as well as our Top 20 prospects for each team.

Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins (#12, #4 OF, #1 MIN)

Jenkins ascends to the top spot after going 10-for-20 (.500) with four homers, including a pair of two-homer games, and three stolen bases across five appearances this past week. The 21-year-old's season line at Triple-A St. Paul sits at .306/.406/.525 with 11 homers, 17 doubles, three triples, 27 RBI, 48 runs and 16 stolen bases in 67 games. He has advanced contact tools, evidenced by a 17.4 percent whiff rate (87th percentile), 15.4 percent strikeout rate (84th percentile) and 92.5 percent zone-contact rate (92nd percentile). The outfielder's power production has really ticked up of late, as he's clubbed seven long balls in 16 August contests with a 9.6 percent barrel rate (82nd percentile), 48.1 percent hard-hit rate (85th percentile) and 46.2 percent launch-angle sweet-spot rate (93rd percentile) during this stretch.

The Twins are multiple games under .500, but in a weak American League, they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. Byron Buxton (.836 OPS) is healthy and entrenched in center field, while left fielder Trevor Larnach (.760 OPS) is hitting just .151 in 15 August games. Luke Keaschall (.751 OPS) has been red-hot at the plate, but his defensive fit in right field remains suspect. Injuries have been a regular concern for Jenkins, but he's currently healthy, firing on all cylinders offensively and making a compelling case to join the big-league roster.

Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians (#25, #1 1B, #1 CLE)

Velazquez homered in four of six games this past week, including a three-homer performance Saturday to bring his season total to 27 long balls, as he continues to torment opposing pitchers. Since moving up to Triple-A Columbus in late May, the 2023 first-round pick is hitting .280/.361/.559 with 20 homers, 11 doubles, a triple, 50 RBI, 44 runs and a stolen base across 69 contests. The 21-year-old has done plenty of damage when making contact, running a 14.8 percent barrel rate (94th percentile), 41.1 percent hard-hit rate (64th percentile) and 105.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (82nd percentile). His 31.8 percent whiff rate (24th percentile) and 79.1 percent zone-contact rate (29th percentile) aren't stellar, but a 20.4 percent strikeout rate (62nd percentile) is plenty palatable.

Roster fit is tricky for Velazquez in Cleveland, as trade-deadline acquisition Nathaniel Lowe (.796 OPS) is set up as the primary first baseman. RotoWire's No. 25 prospect has seen some action in left field, and that added versatility is a plus, but Jo Adell (.706 OPS) has been great since joining the Guardians and it's unclear if the club would feel comfortable with Velazquez in the outfield at this point. Some adjustments would need to be made to ensure steady playing time, but Velazquez is a major power bat who has figured out Triple-A and could add some thump to a pedestrian Cleveland offense.

Charlie Condon, 1B, Rockies (#46, #2 1B, #2 COL)

Condon's cold stretch has persisted, as he's slashing .182/.313/.318 through 17 games in August. Overall, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft is hitting .268/.386/.509 with 22 homers, 19 doubles, seven triples, 75 RBI, 88 runs and seven stolen bases across 107 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. Despite the slump, his season-long quality of contact remains strong with a 9.8 percent barrel rate (83rd percentile), 44.9 percent hard-hit rate (76th percentile) and 106.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (90th percentile). Condon is lauded for his plate discipline, evidenced by a 19.3 percent chase rate (91st percentile) and 13.1 percent walk rate (73rd percentile), but the 23-year-old does have some swing-and-miss concerns with a 29.5 percent whiff rate (33rd percentile), 25.3 percent strikeout rate (33rd percentile) and 79.1 percent zone-contact rate (30th percentile).

In Colorado, first baseman TJ Rumfield (.807 OPS) has cooled off a bit but has still put together a nice rookie campaign. The corner outfield spots are clogged with Mickey Moniak (.832 OPS), Jake McCarthy (.817 OPS) and Zac Veen (.740 OPS), though they're all left-handed hitters as opposed to the right-handed-hitting Condon. Recent struggles have slowed the momentum behind a call-up, but Condon has impressive power potential and a ton of stash upside if given an opportunity at Coors Field.

Ethan Salas, C, Padres (#36, #4 C, #1 SD)

Salas' sheer dominance at the plate came to a halt, as he went 3-for-19 (.158) with no extra-base hits in five tilts this past week. Still, the 20-year-old is slashing .319/.393/.556 with three homers, six doubles, a triple, 20 RBI, 11 runs and a stolen base in 19 games since being promoted to Triple-A El Paso. He's been making exceptionally consistent contact, registering a 7.8 percent whiff rate (98th percentile), 9.5 percent strikeout rate (95th percentile) and 94.8 percent zone-contact rate (95th percentile) to pair with a 48.4 percent hard-hit rate (86th percentile) and 42.2 percent launch-angle sweet-spot rate (86th percentile). Salas was active on the bases at Double-A San Antonio with 14 steals but hasn't been as aggressive in Triple-A, and his 51st percentile sprint speed is fairly modest.

For a surging San Diego team, Luis Campusano (.879 OPS) has been outstanding offensively, though his defense remains poor. The opposite is true for Freddy Fermin (.588 OPS), who has a positive reputation behind the plate but offers little as a hitter. Adding Salas to the big-league roster would be incredibly aggressive, especially considering that he'd need to be added to the 40-man roster by Sept. 1 to be playoff eligible, but Padres general manager AJ Preller has never been shy about making bold moves. A promotion is far from a guarantee, but Salas' performance in Triple-A has at least given San Diego reason to consider accelerating his timeline.

Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox (#16, #6 SS, #1 BOS)

Arias had a tame 4-for-15 (.267) showing with a double and three RBI across five appearances this past week. At Triple-A Worcester, the shortstop is slashing .292/.363/.483 with four homers, five doubles, 22 RBI and 12 runs in 23 tilts after posting a .993 OPS in 75 games with Double-A Portland. At just 20 years old, he's looked the part at Triple-A with both his hit tool, posting a 20.6 percent whiff rate (78th percentile), 19.4 percent strikeout rate (67th percentile) and 89.5 percent zone-contact rate (84th percentile), and his power, with an 8.5 percent barrel rate (77th percentile) and 42.3 percent hard-hit rate (68th percentile). Arias could stand to be a little more aggressive with a 59.3 percent zone-swing rate (14th percentile) and has some chase in his game with a 28.7 percent chase rate (44th percentile), though his overall offensive profile and potential are incredibly exciting.

Andruw Monasterio (.727 OPS) has been a serviceable fill-in at shortstop, though Trevor Story (sports hernia) is on the verge of returning to the active roster. Arias has seen some action at second base, but the Red Sox may be content with the under-the-radar duo of Nick Sogard (.812 OPS) and Anthony Seigler (.740 OPS) at the keystone until Curtis Mead (wrist) is ready to return. All that is to say, the path for Arias isn't clear-cut and a 2027 debut may be more likely, but I wouldn't fully rule out Boston giving its top prospect a taste of The Show.

Seaver King, SS, Nationals (#86, #28 SS, #3 WSH)

King can't stop hitting, going 11-for-25 (.440) with four homers, 10 RBI, nine runs and three stolen bases over six games this past week. An incredible month of August has brought the 23-year-old's slash line up to .318/.398/.564 with 13 homers, nine doubles, two triples, 42 RBI, 42 runs and nine stolen bases across 53 contests at Triple-A Rochester. Loud contact is a constant with King, who owns a 10.9 percent barrel rate (86th percentile), 51.3 percent hard-hit rate (91st percentile) and 105.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (81st percentile). His aggressive approach, demonstrated by a 33.1 percent chase rate (21st percentile), could use some refinement to maximize his success at the major-league level, but the 2024 first-round pick has broken out offensively in 2026.

A shortstop by trade, King made his professional debut at third base Wednesday to increase his flexibility around the infield. Brady House (.691 OPS) and Jorbit Vivas (.644 OPS) haven't shown much at the hot corner, while Nasim Nunez (.555 OPS) is a strong defender at shortstop but a well-below-average hitter. Reports have indicated that the Nationals don't plan to promote King before the end of the season, but given the extent to which he's raking, RotoWire's No. 86 prospect is making a major statement in favor of a big-league opportunity.

Lazaro Montes, OF, Mariners (#67, #25 OF, #3 SEA)

Montes went deep twice this past week, bringing his overall homer total to 37, second only to Andrew Fischer's 38 across all of MiLB. In 38 games since moving up to Triple-A Tacoma, the outfielder is hitting .286/.369/.597 with 12 homers, 12 doubles, 27 RBI, 29 runs and a stolen base. His batted-ball data speaks for itself: a 14.7 percent barrel rate (94th percentile), 56.9 percent hard-hit rate (96th percentile), 108.8 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (98th percentile) and 116.3 mph max exit velocity (99th percentile). The power is undeniable, but the 21-year-old has some serious work to do in the contact department, as he's currently sporting a 38.2 percent whiff rate (seventh percentile), 29.8 percent strikeout rate (19th percentile) and 64.5 percent zone-contact rate (second percentile). Cut from a similar cloth as Joshua Baez at the plate, Montes has a very high ceiling to go along with an admittedly low floor.

It's been a highly disappointing 2026 campaign for the Mariners, but the club still has a chance to make the postseason because of a weak AL West and wild-card pool. Taylor Ward (.698 OPS) ultimately avoided a stint on the injured list due to quadriceps soreness, but he's struggled since joining Seattle and has seemingly been sapped of all his power this season. Randy Arozarena (.836 OPS) and Julio Rodriguez (.725 OPS) are entrenched in left field and center field, respectively, and, health permitting, the Mariners are likely to continue giving Ward chances to find his rhythm. Still, Montes is a major power threat who could provide a spark for a team that desperately needs one to make a push for the playoffs.

Michael Arroyo, OF, Mariners (#113, #37 OF, #6 SEA)

Another player in the Mariners' system, Arroyo hasn't been as hot at the plate as the aforementioned Montes, slashing .200/.301/.388 through 20 games in August. Still, Arroyo has put together respectable numbers at Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .270/.341/.472 with seven homers, nine doubles, a triple, 31 RBI, 29 runs and two stolen bases across 38 contests. The 21-year-old makes plenty of contact, posting a 22.1 percent whiff rate (71st percentile), 16.9 percent strikeout rate (77th percentile) and 86.2 percent zone-contact rate (68th percentile). He's shown power in the past, though his quality of contact in Tacoma has been fairly pedestrian with a 5.3 percent barrel rate (52nd percentile), 34.8 percent hard-hit rate (37th percentile) and 103.2 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (56th percentile). With 67th percentile speed, Arroyo isn't a burner but is capable of swiping some bags.

While Montes is limited to the outfield, Arroyo has seen action at both second base and left field, giving Seattle more avenues to get his bat into the lineup. Cole Young (.703 OPS) has been serviceable, if unspectacular, at the keystone, while Brendan Donovan (concussion) being sidelined has created another potential opening in the infield. Arroyo has never played third base professionally, however, so he isn't a natural fit for the hot corner. A 2027 debut remains more likely, but Arroyo is just one step away from The Show, and with the Mariners running out of time to make a postseason push, he's worth keeping on the stash radar.

Honorable Mentions/Other Names to Consider

River Ryan, SP, Tigers (#142, #31 P, #5 DET)

Bo Davidson, OF, Giants (#105, #36 OF, #6 SF)

Yohandy Morales, 1B, Nationals (#295, #15 1B, #13 WSH) 

Cam Cannarella, OF, Marlins (#26, #9 OF, #1 MIA) 

James Tibbs, OF, Dodgers (#143, #49 OF, #9 LAD)