LAB REPORTS

With some prospects it's about proximity to the big leagues, with others it's about impact they make to your fantasy team when they arrive.

Kade Anderson

There are lots of back and forth on social media going on about who to prioritize as a Stash candidate. But Kade Anderson seems to be in every question. And for good reason. He is doing things in Double-A that none of the other stud Mariners pitchers did. There is no spot for him in the rotation, and yet everyone is thinking the same thing. How do I get this guy onto my roster? If you wait, someone else will likely scoop him up. His promotion is not imminent, through no fault of his own. He needs either Luis Castillo to be permanently moved to the bullpen, or someone else in the rotation to get hurt, in order to have a chance to be promoted. And even though, they would still have 5 other options at SP, so perhaps Kade would be in a piggyback or 6-man rotation. All of that is to say, that in his case, his appeal as a Stash is 100% about the impact he will make when he ultimately arrives. And I expect it to be huge. That is why I am stashing him over this next guy.

LFX Prospect Rating: 98 (3rd Overall in Prospects)

River Ryan

The other player I am constantly asked about is River Ryan, often in a head-to-head vs. Kade. I like both quite a bit, and River is likely close to be promoted, so his appeal is more proximity, if that's what you are looking for in your Stash slot. I am not sure how many innings or how deep into games the Dodgers let him go, so that holds him back some. But he is dominant in his own regard in the minors, and he seems stretched out enough to be promoted tomorrow. But I've been saying that for 3 weeks. The longer this goes on without a promotion, the less confidence I have in River being a huge part of the Dodgers second half. I expect him to be someone you want to play in your active lineup before long, so he is clearly worth using a roster spot on in a majority of leagues.

LFX Prospect Rating: 57 (75th Overall in Prospects)

Kaelen Culpepper

Another guy who seemed closer to being promoted a few weeks ago, when Royce Lewis was demoted to Triple-A. Well, Royce is back in the majors, and Kaelen Culpepper is still waiting. That could change at any moment, so I'd still hold unless it's for one of the above arms.

LFX Prospect Rating: 83 (29th Overall in Prospects)

Max Clark

Another impact over proximity guy, Max Clark is not particularly close at the moment, but he's a high ranked prospect (5th Overall in LFX Prospects). When the time comes, he should be someone everyone rushes to the wire to add. You can avoid all that by stashing him, sooner rather than later.

LFX Prospect Rating: 97 (5th Overall in Prospects)

Joshua Baez

He's mashing this year in the minors and is ready to rock. The batting average won't be perfect, he's a somewhat flawed hitter. But the power is likely to translate. I will say he could be frustratingly streaky.

LFX Prospect Rating: 81 (33rd Overall in Prospects)

Hagen Smith

I'm big on pitching prospects as fantasy impact guys, for 2 reasons. First, you know relatively quickly if the stuff and command are going to work (2-3 starts). Second, when it does work out, it's often a huge impact. I could rattle off a list of all of last years rookie arms, but you already know their names. Hagen Smith is unlikely to join that tier, but he's worth a shot because you never know which ones are going to take off. Cam Schlittler comes to mind as someone that nobody was counting on to show up the way he did. Is Hagen the next Cam? Definitively no. But he could still surprise.

LFX Prospect Rating: 58 (73rd Overall in Prospects)

Karson Milbrandt

He's rising fast up boards in part due to his own results but also due to the unfortunate injuries to both Robby Snelling and Thomas White. Karson Milbrandt is now one of the next most likely options for the Marlins the next time they need a starter.

LFX Prospect Rating: 61 (68th Overall in Prospects)

Charlie Condon

Condon's power is his calling card at this point. He runs hot and cold, and this season it's been a bit of both. His overall fantasy impact ability is high though because fantasy values power heavily. And you always love the ballpark.

LFX Prospect Rating: 69 (54th Overall in Prospects)

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