The trade deadline is looming. For a lot of teams, that means having to make a decision on buying, selling, or standing put. What all 30 teams will be doing the same this September is expanding their roster to 28 players.
The September call-up process has been a pivotal part of the season for teams trying to make a late playoff push, see what they have in future prospects, or give fans a reason to cheer in what may be a disappointing season. Prior to the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, the rule was that a team could call up as many minor league players as they wanted to, so long as they were on the 40-man roster. That rule has changed stating that a team may expand their 25-man roster to a 28-man roster for the month of September.
In this article, we'll go through all 30 teams and their best option for an impactful call-up in September based on need and talent.
AL Central:
Cleveland Guardians:
Joey Cantillo, LHP
The Guardians have faced struggles on the bump this season, especially from their starting pitching. An early Tommy John Diagnosis for Shane Bieber, and disappointing seasons from Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen have forced the Guardians to tax their bullpen thus far. You can expect the Guardians to make a move in some capacity at the upcoming trade deadline. Even if the Guardians make a splash for a premium arm such as Garrett Crochet or Jack Flaherty, they are still going to struggle eating innings down the line.
Joey Cantillo has been marinating in the minor leagues for almost seven full seasons and has been a high percentage strikeout guy for the duration of his career with flashes of dominance. This season he is averaging a little over 12 strikeouts per 9 innings but walking almost 6 hitters per 9 innings. He's posted a 2.79 ERA over seven starts at AAA Columbus this year and has gotten a strong control on his home run issues he faced last year. Is Joey Cantillo a guy that can pitch meaningful games in October? Maybe not. But he can surely be a guy who saves the arms of countless bullpen pieces down the stretch in September.
Minnesota Twins:
Emmanuel Rodriguez, CF
The Twins are by no means in need of dire assistance at the plate this season. They sit above league average in most team stats including Slugging, OBP, and Barrel Percentage. However, there is always room to improve. The Twins have long lacked the star power to make a deep postseason push. Am I insinuating that a September call-up who has never played in the big leagues is the answer to their drought? No. But what I am saying is it never hurts to try something new, especially when that something new has the potential to be really special
Rodriguez has lit AA on fire this season. In his 37 games, he has put up a slash line of .298/.479/.621 and a 199 wRC+ (100 being league average). He is a high strikeout guy who has made up for that deficiency by adding a more polished approach this season. This new approach includes adding a walk rate of over 25%, good for first in all of AA. His nagging hand issue is becoming more of a concern, but nothing to sound the alarm over quite yet.
Kansas City Royals:
Will Klein, RHP
The Kansas City Royals have been a fun surprise for all of Major League Baseball this year and have put themselves in a position to be a real contender for a playoff spot (hence the Hunter Harvey acquisition). The Royals have received incredible starting pitching but have struggled with their bullpen. I think the Harvey acquisition is just the start of a potentially busy deadline for Kansas City but is no such thing as having too many arms to choose from.
Will Klein had a short MLB stint towards the beginning of the season, allowing 4 runs in 5.2 innings. In his time at AAA, he has served as a closer, converting on only 9 of his 13 opportunities, but allowing only a .178 Batting Average Against. Klein at best will be a guy who can eat innings for a limited Kansas City bullpen staff. His fastball has proven to play at a major league level, collecting around 10 inches of vertical movement, but his off-speed pitches fail to create positive run value in his arsenal. If he can touch up some command issues during the next couple of months, he could be a nice role player in the royals 'pen.
Detroit Tigers:
Spencer Torkelson, 1B/DH
To transition to one of the more disappointing stories in baseball this season, Spencer Torkelson failed to be the player Tigers fans and management hoped he would be. He posted a slash line of .201/.266/.330 in 54 games to start the 2024 MLB Season before being optioned to AAA Toledo on June 3rd. During his time at Toledo, Torkelson is striking out 30% of the time (a 6% increase from his MLB time) and is still a below league average hitter putting up a 93 wRC+ in Toledo. The metrics are by no means a tool to look at when saying Torkelson should be one of this year's September call-ups, but he's proven to be too talented of a player to give up on at 24 years of age.
It's been another disappointing season in Motor City this year, and any victory going into 2025 can be massive for the morale and development of these Tigers players. That includes a bounce back from a former first overall pick and 30 homer talent.
Chicago White Sox:
Jairo Iriarte, RHP
The White Sox will be shaking things up in the coming week with the likely departure of Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert Jr. Erik Fedde, Tommy Pham, and more in what could be one of the best sellers' markets in years. The White Sox are on pace to lose 112 games this season and will be looking for anything positive to build off in the midst of what seems to be another long rebuild. The White Sox development of pitchers has been phenomenal, and I think they will test the waters on young righty Jairo Iriarte.
Iriarte, a key piece of the Dylan Cease Blockbuster earlier this year, is currently ranked as the organization's 5th best prospect and has demonstrated a really strong fastball-slider combination at the AA level. When effective, those pitches are hard to hit. Where he has struggled is with his command, walking almost 4 hitters per 9 innings. He has run into some batted ball luck, allowing a .307 BABIP while only allowing 0.52 Home Runs per 9 innings and a .231 Batting Average Against. When he gets in the lab with MLB pitching coaches, I see no reason why he can't be a positive building block ahead of potentially another dreadful 2025 season on the Southside.
AL East:
Baltimore Orioles:
Jackson Holliday, SS/2B
The obvious choice for a meaningful September call-up would be Jackson Holliday as long as he isn't involved in any blockbuster trades come July 30th. The Orioles have seemingly the least flaws on their active roster. They will surely be active at the deadline to upgrade the back end of their bullpen as well as potentially add another starter to a top-heavy rotation.
Holliday has posted a 150 wRC+ at AAA and although he struggled in his brief stint with the major league club earlier in the season, he can be a valuable bat down the stretch while guys need rest for the postseason. Who knows, maybe he'll even manage to find his way onto the postseason roster, though I feel like that is more likely to happen next season. There's been a concerning trend building since Holliday's inaugural campaign in 2022. His line drive percentage is down almost 8 points while his ground ball percentage is up by about 11 points. A trend scouts would be looking for the inverse of. Elevation is the name of today's game and Holiday has shown a lack of being able to do so at more competitive levels. While Holliday has climbed the ranks quite quickly, there are some concerns on my end what his production looks like in Baltimore, especially with their roster as loaded as it is.
New York Yankees:
Jorbit Vivas, 2B
Gleyber Torres is simply not playing at a level competitive enough for the Yankees standards at the moment, and if that trend continues, it begs the question what the Yankees future plans are for Torres at the position. While it seems like the Yankees plan is to move forward with Torres for the rest of the season, it seems logical that the Yankees will let Torres walk at the end of the season, given he is a free agent.
Vivas doesn't blow you away with incredible bat-to-ball skills, speed, or power, but he does have an incredibly polished and professional approach to the game as a 23-year-old. This is his first season with the Yankees after being involved in a deal that sent Trey Sweeney to the Dodgers, Vivas has posted a .373 OBP across three minor league levels including his jump over AA to AAA after just 8 games at A level. He's served primarily as a DH this season but has shown he is more than capable of handling business at Second Base if the future calls for it.
Boston Red Sox:
Nick Yorke, 2B
The Red Sox have catapulted themselves into contention in the past few weeks and will be looking to make small additions as the season moves along, whether that be internally or through the trade deadline, they'll be looking to improve.
Yorke is a former first round draft pick in 2020 and has put up quality numbers in his four seasons of professional baseball. He is one of the few prospects we can see get better at each level. He can work all sides of the field and is learning to elevate the ball better than he did as a younger prospect. He has a chase rate of just under 24%, and on balls he does chase, he still manages to put up a 65% contact rate on them. For being just 22 years of age, it is worth the call up this September to give him meaningful at-bats while expediting his development, which seems to be almost finished. He is not currently on the 40-man roster but would be an easy guy to make room for.
Tampa Bay Rays:
Junior Caminero, SS/3B
It can be argued that Junior Caminero is the best prospect in baseball. His raw power, speed, and feel for the game are hard to quantify. The Rays have found themselves in a disappointing season for the first time in a while and will be looking to the future to right the ship. This upcoming deadline has the potential to see key pieces like Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena shipped away.
Junior, only 21 years old, has shown the tremendous ability to drive the ball to all parts of the ballpark and is elevating the ball at an above average level at such a young age with so much time to grow and so much untapped potential to harness. The Rays development of prospects is one of the best in the game, and they will be back on top of the baseball world in no time, especially when it's time for Mr. Caminero to be playing Shortstop every day at hopefully the new and improved home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto Blue Jays:
T.J. Brock, RHP
It is no secret the Blue Jays won't be playing meaningful games in August and September. My philosophy for those teams is to use the September call-up as an opportunity to expedite raw and potentially elite talent and get those guys a look at MLB competition so that when it is time to compete and play in those meaningful games, the guys you want to be a key part of it have already been on the big stage.
Brock is a 24-year-old pitching in AA with a 60-grade fastball and 70-grade slider that plays in the upper 80s. His two-pitch mix makes him more of a fit for the back end of the bullpen rather than the starting rotation, but if you can assist in the development of a prospect who has elite setup man/closer potential, you have an asset that a lot of teams lose due to volatility in relief pitching. Brock is not currently on the 40-man roster.
AL West:
Houston Astros:
Jacob Amaya, SS
Truly one of the more developed bats in the minors, Amaya is making contact with 90% of pitches he swings at in the zone, and a whopping 80% of pitches outside the zone. Combining this with a low chase rate and ability to take his walks, it is easy to see Amaya turn into a serviceable middle infielder for years to come. The power isn't quite there, but he's shown flashes of being capable of hitting 10-15 home runs at the major league level. If he can get more barrel to the ball and increase his exit velocity, we're looking at one of the more difficult outs in baseball. His defense also plays at the major league level.
Seattle Mariners:
Cole Young, SS
The Mariners are quickly watching the division lead slip out of their hands, forcing them to make a move for a premier bat at the deadline if they want to stay afloat and compete this year. The Mariners have a deep and talented farm with players of an ETA of 2027-2028 for the most part. So, the question becomes, do they make a splash and try and win now, or do they roll the dice on their current squad and re-evaluate for next year?
Regardless, it is likely even if the Mariners don't make any major upgrades come the end of the month, their pitching staff can carry them to playing meaningful games deep into September, and Cole Young can be the irrational and exciting piece this young team needs. With the recent news of Julio Rodriguez out for at least a short period of time, this offense will fall behind. Young posted above a .400 OBP in his 2022 and 2023 campaigns while posting a .358 OBP this season at AA. The power has diminished as Young has climbed through the tanks, but his approach at 20 years old and his ability to work counts could be exactly what Seattle needs come September. Young is not currently on the 40-man roster.
Texas Rangers:
Jack Leiter, RHP
It has been over two full months since Jack Leiter got sent down to AAA after a disappointing first three starts to his big-league career. There are two different Jack Leiter's. One of them is the Jack Leiter who struck out 8 over 7 innings of shutout ball against the Sacramento River Cats, and the other Jack allowed 6 over 1.2 innings against El Paso.
Texas is in a position where if they don't win a lot of games before the deadline, they'll be in a position to sell, per their GM Chris Young. This could be the perfect opportunity for Leiter to pitch in low leverage situations and work on his craft with the major league staff. His fastball was the worst pitch in his arsenal during his three-start big-league stint, maybe they can play around with his pitch sequencing and usage to find an effective way to use his five-pitch mix.
Los Angeles Angels:
Caden Dana, RHP
The Angels feel like they have been in an endless cycle of rebuilding for quite some time now, and they will be in the midst of another sell off this coming deadline. With Tyler Anderson, Carlos Estevez, and Luis Garcia poised to be dealt, there will be a noticeable gaping hole in the pitching staff.
Reid Detmers could be considered a name to look for in this mix, but considering he's posted an ERA above 7 since his demotion to AAA and showcasing a severe Home Run problem (2.61 per 9 innings), that option seems less likely. Caden Dana is a hard-throwing righty with a four-pitch mix and a devastating slider. He is regarded by many as Los Angeles' best prospect. At 20 years of age, this might be an aggressive call-up, but due to the nature of the Angels' season, it seems like a low-risk high-reward decision that gets a young arm some exposure before his best years. Dana is not currently on the 40-man roster.
Oakland Athletics:
Royber Salinas, RHP
After the recent call-up of top prospect Jacob Wilson, who unfortunately exited the game with a hamstring injury, it seems the Athletics are entering a youth movement. Mason Miller is proving to be a dominant relief pitcher and Brent Rooker is having a career year. Amidst relocation struggles and outside noise, young pieces have kept their head down and strung together respectable seasons. That includes Shea Langeliers, JJ Bleday, and hopefully Jacob Wilson.
The A's have dominated finding talent along the margins for decades now and continue to do so with the development of Royber Salinas. Salinas was included in a package deal centered around Freddy Tarnok that sent former Oakland catcher Sean Murphy to Atlanta. Since then, Salinas has developed into a top five Oakland prospect with an impressive off-speed repertoire and dazzling command. In what has the potential to be another 100-loss finish in Oakland, it seems feasible we could see Salinas try and create something to build off for 2025.
NL Central:
Milwaukee Brewers:
Tyler Black, 1B
It seems like no matter what adversity the Brewers face; they bounce back to put up a 90-win season. Given, the NL Central has been weak for quite some time, but with teams like the Cubs and Reds rumored to take over the Central this year, the Brewers are putting up yet another quality season after losing their star manager and their ace in Craig Counsell and Corbin Burnes, respectively.
Tyler Black is not your prototypical First Baseman; a model other teams are starting to follow. Scouts rate Black as having 60-grade speed and a 50-grade hit tool with not a lot of power. Black has been a fast climber in the Brewers' system and received a 12-game call-up where he slashed .235/.316/.294. While these aren't ideal big-league numbers, Black has hit .296 since he was optioned back down to AAA. He hits the ball on the ground a lot and averages an exit velocity of 84.6 MPH, but he has the tools to be an on-base machine for Milwaukee later this season.
St. Louis Cardinals:
Jordan Walker, RF
Jordan Walker struggled mightily at the plate this season before his demotion to AAA, slashing .155/.239/.259. He isn't doing much better in Memphis where he has a 72 wRC+. There isn't much to say about Jordan Walker other than the fact we've seen the special talent he is on the diamond, and although his defense can be a career-long issue, I still believe there is a 40-homer hitter in Jordan Walker and all it takes is someone to believe in him.
In what I've attempted to make an analytical discussion, this call-up to me feels more about getting a proven ballplayer back in the right head space more than anything else, similar to the Spencer Torkelson situation. And of course, just to throw some data at the situation, he had a barrel percentage almost a full five points higher than his last season, an average exit velocity of over 2 points higher than last season and had a BABIP of .214. In a relatively small sample size, he seems to have been getting unlucky, but a lack of results and a team that isn't performing is a sure way to get optioned, and hopefully he can have a nice redemption tour come September.
Pittsburgh Pirates:
Braxton Ashcraft, RHP
With the deserving hype that has surrounded Pirates stud right-handers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, some of the Pirates other pieces have flown under the radar. Braxton Ashcraft is a true ground ball pitcher with the propensity to work out of jams, shown by his 94.4% LOB rate (Left On Base). Oh, and he's also posting a wicked 0.49 ERA in 18.1 innings since his promotion to AAA Indianapolis. He does this featuring a 70-grade slider accompanied by an above average fastball and curveball. He has proven capable of being a high strikeout guy, but since arriving at AAA, his strikeouts per 9 innings have dropped from 10.57 to 6.38. He allows an average exit velocity of 87.9 MPH and is allowing a .200 Batting Average Against.
The Pirates have played their cards right this year and if they can stay hot, assuming they won't make any major deadline transactions, Braxton Ashcraft can be the inning eater and future Starting Pitcher the Pirates need to build a top five rotation in baseball, with more prospects coming.
Cincinatti Reds:
Livan Soto, SS
The Reds have been plagued by injuries this season in what was supposed to be a step forward for this young and exciting Cincinatti ballclub. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Matt McClain finding themselves on the 60-Day IL and missing a large chunk of the season has been a tough break to bounce back from for the Reds offense.
Livian Soto has been a fun story to look out for this season. He was designated for assignment early in mid-April by the Orioles, who claimed him off waivers themselves just five days prior from the Angels. Since being given a chance to settle in with the Reds, he has put up a .768 OPS in Louisville and hitting .295 in over 200 at bats. A mid to late August return for Matt McClain means there may not be much room for Soto to develop but given the uncertainty of his injury and that he did receive surgery, nothing is for sure on McClain's timetable for this season, creating a potential opportunity for Soto to get meaningful at bats in a wildcard race in September.
Chicago Cubs:
Owen Caissie, RF
The Cubs season has been disappointing. After finishing within striking distance of a Wild Card spot last season, they brought in Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell on a five-year $40 million deal. Considering the Cubs finished with a +96 run differential last season, this move was seen as one to help the Cubs win along the margins. Unfortunately, they experienced regression in a lot of their key players, leading to a decision to sell as announced by their President of Baseball Ops Jed Hoyer.
Finding the silver lining in this, the Cubs have a stellar farm system with tons of guys ready to play at the major league level. One of these guys is outfielder Owen Caissie. Caissie was acquired in the deal that sent Yu Darvish to San Diego at the end of 2020. Caissie is one of the best power bat prospects in all of Major League Baseball. He was given an 80-grade on raw power and a 65-grade on in-game power, but he does not come without his flaws. This year he is striking out in almost 28% of his at bats. The undeniable power can make up for this though, and he is driving the ball to all parts of the field this year. Calling up some of these exciting new prospects can be a way for management and fans to look forward to the future.
NL East:
Philadelphia Phillies:
Buddy Kennedy, 2B/3B
The Phillies are in a position where a September call-up won't serve much of a purpose beyond depth and much needed rest for the team's starters. They have some questions in the outfield that have linked them to players like Luis Robert Jr. and Brent Rooker, but recent reports say that they are likely out on big name outfielders. While these reports could be nothing but a smoke screen, this tells us that Philadelphia might be looking for incremental ways to improve their roster down the stretch. They are perhaps the most complete team in the National League at the moment, and don't want to deplete an already mediocre farm system on an acquisition that may be unnecessary.
Enter Buddy Kennedy. The 25-year-old has bounced around a little bit in the past three seasons, seeing brief stints in Arizona and Detroit. Serving in his seventh year of minor league baseball, he has a 171 wRC+ and 1.045 OPS to show for his 117 at bats with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs since being traded from Detroit for cash. He holds a 1:1 strikeout to walk ratio (first on his team) and has the fourth lowest whiff percentage on his team. At best Kennedy is the first utility bat off the bench, and at the worst he is a AAAA player, but posting his best season at age 25 in the minors is something that cannot be ignored.
Atlanta Braves:
AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP
The Braves lost Spencer Strider early in the season to elbow damage and have experienced significant regression from left-hander Bryce Elder, yet somehow have found a way to become an even better pitching team than last season after revitalizing the careers of Reynaldo Lopez and Chris Sale. Their team ERA of 3.46, good enough for second best in all of baseball (just behind the Mariners), has kept the team afloat in what has been a lackluster year on offense. This of course has a lot to do with losing Ronald Acuña Jr. to yet another ACL injury earlier this year. In a lot of ways, it has been a tough season for Atlanta, yet they still find themselves in possession of the first wild card spot.
As the season moves along, there will need to be support in the arm department considering Charlie Morton (40 years old), Chris Sale (35 years old), and Reynaldo López (30 years old and hasn't been a 30-game starter in 5 seasons) don't have the stamina to keep pitching at their current pace all year. This is where Atlanta can get creative and choose from any of their depth in the pitching department in their farm. Smith-Shawver seems like the best option considering he is a top prospect and the only one not currently on the active roster out of their other key pitching prospects. Smith-Shawver pitched well in his one start at the big-league level, allowing zero runs in 4.1 innings at Wrigley Field. He is giving up a lot of hard contact at AAA Gwinnett and is struggling with walks, but his stuff has been incredible. If he can work on his command for the next few months, he can be a reliable innings eater before postseason play ensues.
New York Mets:
Luisangel Acuña, CF
The Mets have put themselves in a unique situation come July 30th. They built this team to sell and used this season as a chance to rebuild, but unlikely heroics and overall clean baseball have put them in the mix for a playoff spot. The bullpen has been lackluster, and that will surely be addressed so long as the Mets continue to play above average baseball in the next week.
However, the Mets could also use another bat, and while Luisangel Acuña hasn't been an overwhelming hitter this season (actually below average), this September could be a great way to start the major league development of such a young and highly touted prospect. He's been a ground ball hitter for all of his professional career (54.3% this year). Considering he is only 22, I think he has plenty of time to figure out how to elevate the ball for power a little bit better as his development continues. This call-up could serve as a great way to give Nimmo an off day every now and then while developing a prized prospect in your system.
Washington Nationals:
Dylan Crews, CF
The Nationals are entering a youth movement, and with likely little to celebrate in September, the team is given an opportunity to create their own excitement. There are tons of talent to choose from in Washington's seventh ranked farm system, a nice problem to have while the rebuild accelerates.
Dylan Crews was the second overall pick in last season's MLB Draft and also the second LSU player off the board, behind All-Star Pitcher Paul Skenes. He historically has a great opposite field approach and can sprinkle the ball to all parts of the field, but a main reason for his average season has been his inability to do this, pulling the ball almost 25% more than he was just last season. He is also hitting about 5% less line drives and 12% more ground balls. This could likely be an outlier in hopefully a long career, but something to keep an eye on to be tweaked either at the minor league level or during a potential September call-up, which seems likely. Crews is not currently on the 40-man roster.
Miami Marlins:
Victor Mesa Jr., CF
The Marlins have had a predicted regression this season. They made the playoffs last season with a -57 run differential (though not for long) and as a result were deemed one of the luckiest teams in baseball. They have a bottom five farm in all of baseball, but some really intriguing assets to part ways with at the deadline. New GM, Peter Bendix will likely want to get his fingerprints on the organization and build something from scratch. The remainder of this season will be "feel it out" year and I think that will include seeing what they have in certain prospects.
Victor Mesa Jr. has added a fair amount of power, a skill scouts didn't necessarily see coming. This season he is slugging a career high .450 and is on pace to break his home run record of 18 (currently has 13). The biggest translation in Mesa's power numbers comes from being able to convert more of his fly balls into home runs, something he has struggled with mightily in the past. The Marlins are sure to have a lack of talent in the outfield after the trade deadline, and Mesa is a guy who can fill games and possibly get 90 at bats in the month of September in an incredibly low stakes environment.
NL West:
Los Angeles Dodgers:
Hunter Feduccia, C
Not the Dodgers Catcher you probably expected to see on the list I bet. The reality of baseball is it's a results-driven industry. Diego Cartaya has been a highly touted prospect for Dodgers fans for a while and hasn't shown true power and run production singe High-A ball.
Hunter Feduccia, not even a top 20 prospect in his own farm system, has performed at AAA for back-to-back seasons now. At 27 years old, he isn't exactly a young prodigy, but we all develop at different rates. He is putting up his best career numbers at the highest level of competition he has faced and is only improving with each year. This is one of those situations where you want to see what you have and have nothing to lose. I'll be excited to follow Feduccia's progress leading up to September.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
Jordan Lawlar, SS
It wasn't long ago mechanical issues became a big concern for the Diamondbacks front office. He struggled to find the barrel to the ball and went 6 for 54 during his time in AA last season to start the year. A lot of major minor league baseball analysts said Lawlar didn't have what it took to elevate his game to the next level.
He's faced his fair share of injuries this year but has performed well when healthy. He is currently serving on the IL for the second time this season. Assuming his rehab goes well, the time has come for Jordan Lawlar to be given regular at bats at the big-league level with the expectation of him to be the starting Shortstop in 2025. The power is there, and it will be exciting to see him healthy and at his best.
San Diego Padres:
Tirso Ornelas, LF
The Padres aren't exactly in need of outfield depth at the moment with Jurickson Profar and Jackson Merrill playing like superstars, but I like to believe there's no such thing as too much of a good thing. The Padres are trending in the right direction and have proved more than willing to make an aggressive trade if the circumstances call for it. Well, the Padres are in the midst of a chaotic race to the finish for a wild card spot and will probably upgrade in the necessary areas like their rotation and bullpen.
Ornelas has been in the Padres system since he was 17 years old and is experiencing arguably his greatest season yet at age 24 in AAA El Paso, where he is slugging a career high .514. The main increase in his power has stemmed from his ability to pull the ball for more power, an ideology that may not be sustainable at the major league level when fastball velocities tick up but has worked out well for him thus-far. He is also posting a career high 18.1% Home Run to Fly Ball Ratio, which likely stems from the pull-side power in some capacity. Ornelas can serve as a nice depth piece down the stretch.
San Francisco Giants:
Marco Luciano, SS
The Giants may be one of the teams who stand pat at the deadline, given their lack of movable players, and let their current roster construction perform and evaluate the future this offseason. If that ends up being their move, it will likely try and find internal answers to the struggles they have faced this season.
Marco Luciano put up solid numbers in 27 MLB plate appearances, but a hamstring injury sent Luciano to the IL, then a rehab assignment to AAA Sacramento, where he has stayed since. The AAA season has been average for Luciano, posting a 96 wRC+. He is however walking more than he has in his entire career (17%) and has a .381 OBP to show for it. His matured approach is something positive to look at and something to build off for his future career development. I'd say it is likely we need Luciano in the bay area before the season concludes.
Colorado Rockies:
Yanquiel Fernandez, RF
The Rockies have found themselves in another disappointing season. It seems like they are struggling to find an identity and their course of action moving forward seems unclear. They do have some enticing pieces in their pipeline to check out this September before a potentially eventful and calculated off-season.
Yanquiel Fernandez is one of the best raw power bat prospects in all of baseball. His 60 home runs in four years of minor league service serves as a testament to that evaluation. He primarily serves as a DH at the moment, and that likely wouldn't change if he received a call-up to one of the more difficult ballparks to play the outfield in. The most relieving news this season from Fernandez is the serious slash he did to his strikeout percentage. Last season, his 32.9 strikeout percentage was the 34th worst in all of AA (min. 225 PAs). This season, he is sitting at a much more respectable 19.1%. It's hard to tell what his ceiling is as an MLB player, but worth the call in September.
All data retrieved from Fangraphs, Baseball Savant, and Baseball Prospectus
Jul 24