The 2024 MLB season has seen several big-name pitching prospects get called up to the Majors, including Drew Thorpe, Cade Povich, and DJ Herz. All of those names, for what it’s worth, have come up over the last few weeks. And, there are others in the Minors who are trending upward. Here’s a look at five pitching prospects humming along as the end of June 2024 approaches, all of whom are names to watch in fantasy baseball for the rest of this year and beyond.
Jairo Iriarte
We’ll start our June pitching prospects watch list with Jairo Iriarte, acquired by the White Sox in the Dylan Cease trade. Iriarte is a hard-throwing righty who can lose his command at times; he walked 45 batters over 90.1 IP last season and 31 over 71 IP in 2024. However, Iriarte can miss bats, as he’s struck out 77 this season after picking up 128 in 2023.
Iriarte’s near his career-high in innings — 91.1 IP in 2022 — and it’s only June, something to watch. But on a rebuilding squad, one that already promoted righty Drew Thorpe to the Majors straight from Double-A, Iriarte is a name to consider for later in 2024 but likely in 2025.
Chayce McDermott
The Orioles promoted lefty Cade Povich at the beginning of June. Povich was one of two notable O’s pitching prospects on the Tides before his promotion, the other being Chayce McDermott. McDermott leads the International League and all of Triple-A in strikeouts (93). However, the walks, 41 over 64.2 IP, also stand out.
McDermott will be a name to watch for the Orioles, who’ve already lost Tyler Wells, John Means, and Kyle Bradish for the year.
Ian Seymour
It’s been a slow rise for Rays lefty Ian Seymour, although that’s had little to do with performance. Tommy John surgery recovery kept Seymour out for most of 2022 and some of 2023. But in 2024, the former second-round pick’s been sensational. Seymour has struck out 79 over 70.2 IP this season and walked just 17 and opposing hitters are batting just .159 off the Virginia Tech product.
Seymour can paint with his fastball but also give hitters different looks with his changeup and breaking stuff. Like Iriarte, Seymour is in Double-A and may not be a factor for the Rays in 2024, especially since Tampa’s getting healthy. But, 2025 is a realistic ETA for Seymour.
Noah Schultz
White Sox pitching prospect Noah Schultz is in the midst of a breakout campaign. The 2022 White Sox first-round pick made just 10 starts last season thanks to several injuries. But in 2024, the 6’9” lefty has been excellent, as Schultz has 63 strikeouts over 43 innings this season across two levels. And since his promotion to Birmingham, Schultz has 21 strikeouts over four starts and has yet to walk a batter in Double-A.
Schultz likely won’t be a Major Leaguer this year, although it’s hard to completely rule that possibility out. The lefty has ace potential thanks to his stuff, as he can hit 97 MPH and fool hitters with his slider and changeup. But, Schultz is 20 years of age and a key piece of Chicago’s rebuild. Keep in mind for 2025 and beyond.
Carson Whisenhunt
While Chayce McDermott is the overall leader in strikeouts among Triple-A pitchers, Carson Whisenhunt is second with 82. Whisenhunt, a product of the East Carolina pitching factory, already set a career-high this season for most innings thrown (61 IP) as a pro and he’s been rather effective despite seeing his opponent’s average rise to .265 in the PCL.
Whisenhunt can beat hitters with his fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s, along with one of the best changeups in the Minors. The lefty, provided he stays healthy, could be an option for the Giants in the second half.