We tend to focus on hitters over pitchers when discussing prospects likely to positively impact a fantasy baseball roster, because hitters are less prone to wild variance and workload restrictions and generally cannot hurt a fantasy team with awful statistics as much. Pitchers can do major damage. Just look at Texas Rangers RHP Jack Leiter (16.39 ERA in three starts) this season, or Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone (9.00 ERA in 31 IP) last year. Pirates RHP Paul Skenes, clearly, is different.
The San Diego Padres, after losing RHPs Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove to the injured list recently, promoted RHP Adam Mazur for Tuesday's start against the Angels. The 2022 second-round pick made six starts at Double-A San Antonio, posting a 1.95 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. That's good! He made four starts at Triple-A El Paso, delivering an inconvenient 7.11 ERA. With a plus slider and changeup complimenting his mid-90s fastball, Mazur may thrive Tuesday and stick in San Diego's rotation for years. Or he may be back in the minors soon. Do you feel lucky, fantasy managers?
Mazur is one of myriad intriguing, young, minor-league pitchers performing at a high level who warrant our attention. Excluding those who have pitched in the major leagues this season (New York Mets RHP Christian Scott, Atlanta Braves RHP AJ Smith-Shawver, etc.), here are other hurlers you may have noticed, because we may see them in the majors this season. After that, there are no guarantees, but know their names.
Jackson Jobe, RHP, Detroit Tigers: The No. 3 selection in the 2021 amateur draft, one spot after Leiter, Jobe missed more than half of last season with a back injury. When he pitched, however, he overpowered hitters with his mid-90s fastball and four other plus pitches. The Tigers are handling Jobe carefully at Double-A Erie, but he hasn't even permitted a base hit in his past two outings. He has whiffed 35% of hitters faced. If the Tigers are contending in September, we may see Jobe, and, of all the prospect pitchers, he may be closest to Skenes in ability and upside.
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Braves: The 24th pick of the 2023 draft, Waldrep came from University of Florida, unlike Jobe, who was a prep pitcher. Waldrep made nine starts at Double-A Mississippi, then struck out 11 in his Triple-A Gwinnett debut, overpowering the offensive juggernaut that is Baltimore's Norfolk team. Waldrep, 22, relies on an upper-90s fastball and wicked splitter. The contending Braves may not wait long to promote him, should a rotation spot open up. It always seems to.
Chayce McDermott, RHP, Baltimore Orioles: Speaking of World Series hopefuls, the Orioles should have a need at some point as well, and McDermott, a fourth-round pick by the Astros in 2021 (acquired in the Trey Mancini trade), leads Triple-A in strikeouts, strolling along at a 35% rate. Unfortunately, McDermott is also among the leaders in walks. Still, this is a big-league arm with strikeout upside, and we tend to covet these options. His Tides teammate LHP Cade Povich is having a noticeable season as well, and he should get a chance in 2024.
David Festa, RHP, Minnesota Twins: A 13th-round choice in the 2021 draft, Festa boasts multiple double-digit strikeout games, despite the fact his relative inefficiency has kept him to five or fewer innings in 11 of 12 starts at Triple-A St. Paul. Festa is 6-foot-6 and expected to be a durable, mid-rotation option, one armed with a strong changeup and slider to augment his mid-90s fastball. The Twins are built to win now, and Festa should get the call soon.
Logan Evans, RHP, Seattle Mariners: A 12th-round pick in the 2023 draft, Evans has surprised many by rising so quickly through the farm system. Once the Mariners got him, his stuff began to look much better. Evans added significant fastball velocity and learned a sweeper, and now he has a 1.23 ERA at Double-A Arkansas, having permitted nary an earned run in more than half his starts. The Mariners -- also a contender, of course -- had no issue pushing RHP Bryan Woo after three Triple-A starts. Evans could debut this season, and because it is the Mariners and they have done excellent work developing pitching, everyone should take notice.
Tink Hence, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals: A second-round pick from high school in 2020, Hence struggled at Double-A Springfield last season, but he is struggling no more in 2024 and should move up to Triple-A soon. Hence fanned 13 Tulsa hitters in a recent outing and has shown better command with his fastball and curveball this season. The Cardinals feature an old rotation mostly devoid of upside, and Hence should force his way in this season.
Drew Thorpe, RHP, Chicago White Sox: This 2022 second-round pick by the Yankees was traded twice this past offseason, first in the Juan Soto trade and then from the Padres to the White Sox in the Dylan Cease deal. Thorpe boasts a 1.33 ERA at Double-A Birmingham, having permitted only 32 hits over 54 innings. The White Sox are terrible and unlikely to promote Thorpe to the major leagues this season, but keep watching, dynasty managers. Thorpe and LHP Noah Schultz, a 2022 first-round pick, will top the rotation in a year.