1. Mariners LHP Kade Anderson (22, AA)
I have no idea what’s happening here. Raise your hand if you have no idea what’s happening here? Okay, so I’m kidding; I have an inkling of an idea. Seattle wanted to save Anderson’s first major league innings for when they’d matter most, but the major league team hasn’t cooperated with the plan. Nonetheless, they remain in the playoff chase because their division is the baseball’s weakest all at the moment, while Anderson has allowed zero runs in his last four starts covering 20.2 innings.
2. Red Sox SS Franklin Arias (20, AAA)
Boston is four-and-six over its last ten games, so the mid-season magic has melted away in the late-summer haze. The Red Sox still have the third-best record in the American League, but that’s only good enough for the second wild card spot at the moment. It might feel unfair to Arias to lift him into the middle of this pennant race, but the club is starting Nick Sogard and Andrew Monasterio up the middle, so . . . the writing is on the monster. Arias is not on the 40-man roster, and Kristian Campbell is, so take that for what it’s Werth. In 15 Triple-A games, Arias is slashing .313/.384/.563 with four home runs and a 19.2 percent strikeout rate, in case you were wondering. Is it rare to see two league-altering talents in the minors on August 15th? Perhaps I’m leaning into the beauty of selective memory here, but you could declare that Anderson and Arias are baseball’s top two prospects right now, period, and I don’t think any serious people would blink. They’d blink eventually, of course, but they certainly wouldn’t be surprised by your claim. Both teams are in contention, too. This isn’t a George Springer scenario. Is this CBA stuff? What’re we doing? What’s going on? (I’m mostly kidding in regards to Arias, who is young enough in both years and baseball that it’s easy to make a case for keeping him Triple-A.)
3. Guardians 1B Ralphy Velazquez (21, AAA)
This spot feels a little off because I don’t actually think Velazquez will get his chance before the next stash list, but that’s not his fault at all. He’s been going nuclear in Columbus, launching 10 home runs in his last 14 games while striking out just 19.7 percent of the time. If Cleveland hadn’t landed Nathaniel Lowe at the deadline, might be in the majors right now.
4. Nationals SS Seaver King (23, AAA)
The organization revealed this week that it plans to move CJ Abrams over to second base, a decision which coincides with 2024 first-round pick SS Seaver King slashing .296/.368/.486 with eight home runs and six stolen bases in 45 Triple-A games.
5. Rockies 1B/OF Charlie Condon (23, AAA)
If Kade Anderson scores a ten out of ten on the WTF-Is-Happening scale, Condon is something like an eight. Not because he’s been dominating his level to that extent but because Colorado has given so many at bats to players who don’t really figure into their future. Through 100 (!!) games at the Triple-A level, he’s slashing .273/.390/.529 with 22 home runs and six stolen bases.
6. Twins OF Walker Jenkins (21, AAA)
Jenkins is also an eight on the WTFIH scale partly because his health and production has lineup with their team needs a couple times already this year only for Minnesota to select someone else. He’s hitting .400 with three home runs through nine games in August.
7. Dodgers OF James Tibbs III (23, AAA)
Slashing .348/.448/.739 with three home runs, five strikeouts and five walks over his last six games. He’s got nothing left to prove in the minors, and Los Angeles is looking a little old in the dog days of August. Starting left fielder Teoscar Hernandez will be 34 in October, and he’s under contract through 2027, but they could take some of the load off his plate to help him rest before the playoffs.
8. Dodgers OF Zach Ehrhard (24, AAA)
If not Tibbs III, the Dodgers could try Ehrhard, who’s a little better defender and slashing .296/.406/.488 with 17 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 106 Triple-A games this year.
9. Royals OF Gavin Cross (25, AAA)
Enjoying his best summer as a professional, slashing .337/.390/.639 with 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases over his last 43 games. Kansas City is playing John Rave and Kyle Isbel just about every day.
10. Red Sox 2B Kristian Campbell (24, AAA)
Okay, so Campbell’s not technically a prospect anymore, but he’s slashing .394/.494/.652 with three home runs, eight doubles and two stolen bases over his last 20 games and looking like a major league option for the first time in a while.
Thanks for reading!
