A lot goes into this list. Just know that as you read on. I spend a lot of time scouring the news about player availability for the coming weeks before putting this article out into the ether.

Since last week we’ve had some prominent graduations from this list, thankfully. Players like Kris Bryant, Brandon Woodruff, Wander Franco and Jeremy Pena have been activated since this time last week. So enjoy getting those impact players back into your lineups.

However, those graduations leave four gaping holes in my top-10 players to stash right now in fantasy baseball, so let’s get into it.

Top-10 Players to Stash Right Now

1 Mookie Betts (2B, OF – LAD)
2 Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B, SS – MIA)
3 Max Scherzer (P – NYM)
4 Jacob deGrom (P – NYM)
5 Tyler O’Neill (OF – STL)
6 Liam Hendriks (P – CWS)
7 Kenley Jansen (P – ATL)
8 Drew Rasmussen (P – TB)
9 Harrison Bader (OF – STL)
10 Ty France (1B, 2B – SEA)

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit the IL on Wednesday, after the bulk of this writing. He now slots into the second spot on the list. You’re clearly holding him everywhere, as it sounds like he’ll need around a minimum stay to rest his nagging back issue.

Catcher

1 Tyler Stephenson (C, 1B – CIN)
2 Danny Jansen (C – TOR)
3 Yasmani Grandal (C, 1B – CWS)
4 Salvador Perez (C – KC)
5 Luis Torrens (C, 1B – SEA)
6 Yadier Molina (C – STL)
7 Mike Zunino (C – TB)

Tyler Stephenson took live batting practice on Wednesday, nearing a rehab assignment. Danny Jansen sounds closer to returning than Yasmani Grandal and has been far more productive in far fewer at-bats.

Luis Torrens becomes an intriguing catcher stash given that Tom Murphy is out for the season, and it’s now Cal Raleigh atop the Mariners’ catcher depth chart. Torrens has been a league-average bat over the last two seasons (97 wRC+, 101 wRC+), and he popped 15 homers last year over 378 plate appearances. There’s a .245+ BA and double-digit pop here if he can work his way back into playing time. For all his power this year, Raleigh is slashing just .190/.278/.451 with a 30.9% strikeout rate.

First Base

1 Ty France (1B, 2B – SEA)
2 Frank Schwindel (1B – CHC)
3 Miguel Sano (1B – MIN)
4 Edwin Rios (1B, 3B – LAD)
5 Yoshi Tsutsugo (1B, OF – PIT)

There isn’t much here outside of Ty France. Frank Schwindel is more of a batting average bet than he is power, playing on a bad team. Miguel Sano is a power play but a liability in batting average, and he’d face an uphill battle for at-bats in a surprisingly potent Twins offense.

Second Base

1 Mookie Betts (2B, OF – LAD)
2 Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B, SS – MIA)
3 Ty France (1B, 2B – SEA)
4 Brandon Lowe (2B, OF – TB)
5 Enrique Hernandez (2B, OF – BOS)
6 Joey Wendle (2B, 3B, SS – MIA)
7 Ramon Urias (2B, 3B, SS – BAL)
8 Jean Segura (2B – PHI)
9 Ozzie Albies (2B – ATL)
10 Nick Madrigal (2B – CHC)

I still think the clear stash here is Enrique Hernandez, given that he could reclaim leadoff duties for the mighty Boston Red Sox offense – and that the four players ahead of him are probably still rostered in your league. Jean Segura and Ozzie Albies are obvious studs, but their timelines are far away, sometime in August.

Shortstop

1 Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B, SS – MIA)
2 Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS, OF – SD)
3 Brandon Crawford (SS – SF)
4 Joey Wendle (2B, 3B, SS – MIA)
5 Ramon Urias (2B, 3B, SS – BAL)

Last week’s estimation on Fernando Tatis Jr. was mid-July, and I said that felt too aggressive. This week, that timeline is now late July or early August. If you’re a believer, the window to “buy low” will close rapidly if the drumbeats continue to be positive.

Ramon Urias could be attractive when healthy, given the whopping 50.8% hard-hit rate he was displaying before getting injured.

Third Base

1 Ty France (1B, 2B – SEA)
2 Joey Wendle (2B, 3B, SS – MIA)
3 Ramon Urias (2B, 3B, SS – BAL)
4 Edwin Rios (1B, 3B – LAD)
5 Matt Duffy (1B, 2B, 3B – LAA)

France (left elbow) is working hard to rehab when first eligible on July 4. Working in his favor, I assume, is that the injury is to his non-throwing arm.

Outfield

1 Mookie Betts (2B, OF – LAD)
2 Tyler O’Neill (OF – STL)
3 Harrison Bader (OF – STL)
4 Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS, OF – SD)
5 Eloy Jimenez (DH, OF – CWS)
6 Bryce Harper (OF – PHI)
7 Seiya Suzuki (OF – CHC)
8 Brandon Lowe (2B, OF – TB)
9 Hunter Renfroe (OF – MIL)
10 Eddie Rosario (OF – ATL)
11 Michael Brantley (OF – HOU)
12 Mitch Haniger (DH, OF – SEA)
13 Kyle Lewis (OF – SEA)
14 Luis Gonzalez (OF – SF)
15 Austin Meadows (DH, OF – DET)
16 Enrique Hernandez (2B, OF – BOS)
17 Tyler Naquin (OF, DH – CIN)
18 Kevin Kiermaier (OF – TB)
19 Manuel Margot (OF – TB)
20 Trevor Larnach (OF – MIN)

Mookie Betts is resuming baseball activities this week, while Tyler O’Neill is slated for rehab games early next week. You’ll have to pry Harrison Bader away from my cold, dead hands. I’m not dropping him in any format.

Bryce Harper had surgery on his fractured left thumb yesterday, but the timeline with him is still mid-August. This is a crushing blow for all of us, as Harper was amid one of the best seasons of his impressive career.

It’s rapidly turning into a lost season for Austin Meadows, who suffered strains to both his left and right Achilles tendons while ramping up during his time on the COVID-19 IL. I’d take a chance on the upside of youth instead, mainly in the form of Luis Gonzalez of the San Francisco Giants.

Pitcher

1 Max Scherzer (P – NYM)
2 Jacob deGrom (P – NYM)
3 Liam Hendriks (P – CWS)
4 Kenley Jansen (P – ATL)
5 Drew Rasmussen (P – TB)
6 Chris Sale (P – BOS)
7 Aaron Ashby (P – MIL)
8 Garrett Whitlock (P – BOS)
9 Aroldis Chapman (P – NYY)
10 Bailey Ober (P – MIN)
11 Marcus Stroman (P – CHC)
12 Edward Cabrera (P – MIA)
13 Nathan Eovaldi (P – BOS)
14 Steven Matz (P – STL)
15 Zach Eflin (P – PHI)
16 Nick Lodolo (P – CIN)
17 Jakob Junis (P – SF)
18 Lance McCullers Jr. (P – HOU)
19 Dustin May (P – LAD)
20 Freddy Peralta (P – MIL)
21 Dany Jimenez (P – OAK)
22 Tylor Megill (P – NYM)
23 Jesus Luzardo (P – MIA)
24 Mike Soroka (P – ATL)
25 Andrew Heaney (P – LAD)

Max Scherzer is on track to return on Monday of next week, making him the clear starting pitcher stash right now. Not that you could add him from waivers in your league, anyway. White Sox closer Liam Hendriks should return sometime next week, assuming this Friday’s simulated game goes well. Kenley Jansen (irregular heartbeat) was placed on the IL this week, but the plan is for him to throw bullpens while on the IL. This doesn’t sound as serious as it looks, so let us hope that remains the case and Jansen is activated when able, in early July.

Aaron Ashby is throwing bullpens and traveling with the team. It sounds like he could skip a rehab assignment and return to MLB game action as soon as this weekend.

Nope, I didn’t list Jack Flaherty. If I did, he’d have been dead last. Tell me who I missed, gamers. Who are you stashing right now in fantasy baseball?

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