More on all three hitters in this week’s Dynasty Top 700 update, as well as the updated rankings.

More below.

In a contested race for your league’s title this year? Looking to maintain a significant lead at the top of the standings? Whatever the case may be, the goal of this Substack is to help you not only find success in your fantasy league, but win your league.

Become a paid subscriber today and get access to exclusive weekly content with tangible, league-winning insight as well as gain access to my exclusive chat where you can ask me any and all of your fantasy questions. No question is too specific.

Start/sit, waivers, strategy, dynasty, redraft, Roto or head-to-head, whatever the question may be, whatever format or scoring system your league uses, no question is too specific.

My goal here is to help you win your league.

Also? I’ve never used AI and I never will.

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Alex Bregman (#266, 31 trade value).

Bregman’s recent power surge (he has seven home runs and a .545 ISO in his last 49 plate appearances dating back to August 21) has been a welcome sign for those with the third baseman in their lineups, particularly in Roto leagues.

Bregman was always going to see plenty of run scoring and RBI opportunities in Chicago in a reasonably deep Cubs lineup long-term, but prior to the recent power production, he was hitting .255 with a .345 on-base percentage, 16 home runs, a .149 ISO, a .332 wOBA and a .315 xwOBA in 571 plate appearances.

The average and on-base percentage were both solid enough. So too were the 69 runs scored and 63 RBI.

Still, the recent home runs have been a welcome sign. They bring Bregman’s tally to 23 for the season. It’s also been an encouraging sign that the last four of them (including a three-home run game on August 31) have come at home.

Entering the 2026 season, Bregman had 228 career home runs. His expected home run tally in Chicago during that span? 228.

There’s still some long-term concern here for the 32-year-old’s dynasty ceiling. To a degree, at least. Even with the recent power surge, Bregman still has just a 5.6% barrel rate and a .317 xwOBA in 620 plate appearances this season. Still, the recent production has been encouraging.

Ethan Salas (#250, 31 trade value).

As you’ve probably seen my mention before, minor league production should be taken with a grain of salt. Particularly minor-league production in the Pacific Coast League.

Still, it’s worth noting that Ethan Salas, who started the year at Double-A, hit .326 with a .410 on-base percentage, three home runs, three stolen bases and a higher walk rate (13.3%) than strikeout rate (9.5%) in his first 105 plate appearances at Triple-A as a 20-year-old.

It’s a smaller sample size to be sure, but Salas is just one of eight players in the last decade to have a wRC+ at least 20 points over league average (Salas’ was 127) in Triple-A at 20 (or younger) with at least 100 plate appearances.

Six of the other hitters?

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr., Roman Anthony, Riley Greene, Samuel Basallo and Jackson Holliday.

Coby Mayo (#393, 27 trade value).

Mayo has just 706 plate appearances in the Majors so far, so he hasn’t had an overly significant plate appearance sample size so far. Case in point, his 366 plate appearances this year at the game’s highest level is a new career high.

And while Mayo is batting just .210 with a .285 on-base percentage during that stretch (his batting average and on-base percentage are .210 and .285 this year), he’s becoming a fairly consistent power threat at the plate.

The infielder is sporting a 12.9% barrel rate, a 48.8% hard-hit rate and a .446 xSLG so far this season in those aforementioned 366 plate appearances with a .438 xwOBAcon.

All but the xSLG rank in the 86^th percentile or higher this season. Mayo’s average bat speed (75.7 MPH, 89^th percentile) and max exit velocity (116.5 MPH, 99^th percentile) also both stack up pretty well, to put it plainly, when compared to the rest of the league.

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Overall, Mayo’s power production includes 15 home runs, a .322 average and a 216 wRC+ in 133 plate appearances against left-handed pitching this season.

He’s still swinging and missing at a reasonably high rate. The infielder owns a 32.2% strikeout rate (fourth percentile) and a 31.0% whiff rate (13^th percentile). His home ballpark probably could be a bit more hitter-friendly, and he has just a 40 wRC+ in 233 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers this season.

Still, the power production has been extremely encouraging moving forward for the 24-year-old’s long-term fantasy ceiling.

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With that in mind, we’re not looking at starters with fantasy eligibility as a reliever like Chase Burns, Braxton Ashcraft, Troy Melton and Kyle Harrison.

Those pitchers are probably already on most fantasy rosters.

That being said, the following six pitchers might be flying under the radar.

All of them bring fantasy eligibility as a relief pitcher. All of them might just be able to help you win your fantasy league this season.

These are those six pitchers.

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All of these pitchers can certainly help your fantasy team this year as well, though some might be more ancillary save or saves+hold league options.

Either way, these relievers could be among the league’s elite (fantasy) closers in the coming years.

Much like Louis Varland and Cade Smith in recent years, finding the right elite closer ahead of time can pay significant dividends from a roster construction standpoint.

Here are five relievers who could be elite fantasy closers in the future.

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Minor league production should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. And this is spoiling things a tiny bit, but there’s a lot to like about what Jenkins has done at the minors’ highest level.

More on all three batters after this week’s updated Top 500 list.

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In a contested race for your league’s title this year? Looking to maintain a significant lead at the top of the standings? Whatever the case may be, the goal of this Substack is to help you not only find success in your fantasy league, but win your league.

Become a paid subscriber today and get access to exclusive weekly content with tangible, league-winning insight as well as gain access to my exclusive chat where you can ask me any and all of your fantasy questions. No question is too specific.

Start/sit, waivers, strategy, dynasty, redraft, Roto or head-to-head, whatever the question may be, whatever format or scoring system your league uses, no question is too specific.

My goal here is to help you win your league.

Also? I’ve never used AI and I never will.

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Luis Robert Jr. (#243, 28 trade value).

We’ve seen this story before with Luis Robert Jr. making a notable impact from a fantasy counting stat standpoint, despite a lower batting average.

Robert Jr. hit just .223 with a .297 on-base percentage in 110 games and 431 plate appearances, but added 14 home runs, 33 stolen bases, 52 runs scored and 53 RBI during that stretch.

The 28-year-old outfielder collected 14 home runs, 23 stolen bases, 47 runs scored and 35 RBI in 425 plate appearances and 100 games back in 2024.

Robert Jr. has 10 home runs and a pair of stolen bases in 205 plate appearances this year. The New York Mets outfielder has also raised his ISO to .188, far higher than the .155 and .141 numbers he logged in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

And while the outfielder is batting .232 with a .312 on-base percentage this year, he’s been on a tear at the plate as of late.

He has a .345 xwOBA, a .272 ISO and a 125 wRC+ in 103 plate appearances since July 21, hitting eight home runs during that span.

Move the calendar up a bit to August 6 and Robert Jr. is batting .333 with a .387 on-base percentage, six home runs, a .415 xwOBA and a 186 wRC+ in 62 plate appearances during that span. He hasn’t logged a stolen base during that span, but even without the stolen bases, he’s capable of providing league-winning production down the stretch. Particularly if his strikeout rate (it’s 19.4% since August 6) stays this low.

Tristan Peters (#294, 26 trade value).

Is Tristan Peters’ season-long production somewhat unsustainable? Probably. He’s batting .282 in an even .400 plate appearances this season with a .346 on-base percentage, a .357 wOBA and 130 wRC+ to go along with 12 home runs and seven stolen bases.

He is striking out just 18.0% of the time, but has just a .316 xwOBA, a 32.0% hard-hit rate and a 5.8% barrel rate.

Is Tristan Peters’ recent run of form at the plate (he’s 10 for his last 21 with five home runs, including a home run in five straight games) unsustainable as well? Probably. See above barrel rate as well as a .345 xwOBAcon.

Should you add Tristan Peters to your team in the short term if he’s still available via waivers?

Also, probably yes.

Hitting a home run every game isn’t going to continue, but batters like Peters, who get hot at the plate down the stretch, can have an outsized fantasy impact this time of year.

Similarly, these four players could have a similar instant impact. You’ll want to add all four to your fantasy roster:

Walker Jenkins (#121, 43 trade value).

Continuing with today’s theme of outfielders, Walker Jenkins has reportedly been called up by the Minnesota Twins to make his Major League debut.

Minor league production should be taken with a grain of salt, but Jenkins has been excellent at Triple-A this year. The 21-year-old is batting .308 with a .407 on-base percentage, a 142 wRC+, 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 307 plate appearances for Minnesota’s top minor league club. He’s also sporting a 13.7% walk rate and just a 15.6% strikeout rate to go along with a .224 ISO.

Again, minor league numbers, particularly (in some cases) those in Triple-A, should be taken with a grain of salt.

And there’s no guarantee that any prospect, Jenkins included, will come up from the minor leagues and make an instant impact.

But there is a precedent here when looking at elite Triple-A numbers at just 21 and how it might translate to success in the Majors. Again, this isn’t incorporating all the batted ball data or many stats in general, and it doesn’t guarantee success in the Majors at all, but it’s worth noting that Jenkins is one of just 11 batters in the last 10 years to be 21 or younger and log at least 300 plate appearances and a wRC+ at least 20 points above average at Triple-A in the process.

The others? Kyle Tucker, Samuel Bassallo, Jackson Holliday, Luis Lara, Justin Crawford, Ralphy Velazquez, Ausitn Riley, Colt Keith, Carter Kieboom and Moises Ballestros.

Jenkins is just one of five batters to have a wRC+ of at least 140 in 300 or more Triple-A plate appearances in the last decade.

Limit the parameters to 300 plate appearances, at least a wRC+ of 140, a strikeout rate south of 20% and the list shrinks to three players: Jenkins, Tucker and Lara.

Jenkins is also the only player at Triple-A in the last 10 years to log an ISO north of .200 (it’s a .224) and strikeout less than 18% of the time.

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Whether that’s to secure a playoff spot, secure the top playoff seed (or an ideal seed) or to turn the tide in a weekly playoff matchup, getting the right production from the right players at the right times can be crucial.

Here are four players you should consider adding.

If any of the quartet are already on your fantasy roster, you’re in good shape moving forward.

Here’s why.

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Why Justin Martinez and Christian Scott are very much worth a look via trade during the offseason, or now if your league’s trade deadline hasn’t passed.

Plus, more on Walker Buehler’s bounce-back season and why he’s been much better than his surface-level numbers would indicate.

Much more on all three after this week’s updated Top 700 rankings.

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Justin Martinez (#458, 27 trade value).

If he’s still available in your league via waivers, now’s the time to go add Justin Martinez. Or, at worst, consider him as a potential under-the-radar trade option in the offseason if he is already on another roster.

Martinez just recently returned from the injured list after missing much of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery.

However, he was excellent in his last full season in 2024 and looked to be establishing himself as a key ninth-inning option for the Diamondbacks in 2025.

Moving back to ’24, Martinez finished with a 2.48 ERA and a 2.59 FIP in 64 appearances (and 72.2 innings), logging a 1.4 fWAR, five pitcher wins, eight saves and seven holds. Only 22 qualified relievers had a higher fWAR that year.

Martinez also finished in the 94^th percentile in hard-hit rate (31.8%) and while he walked 11.7% of the batters he faced, he also registered a 29.5% strikeout rate.

Moving forward to 2025 and Martinez registered five saves and four holds in 17 appearances before landing on the injured list.

And while he’s only made two appearances this season, he brings elite fantasy upside long-term in an Arizona bullpen that has struggled at times this season in the ninth inning. Juan Morrillo and Brandyn Garcia have had breakout years, and Jonathan Loaisiga has posted quality numbers, but the Diamondbacks still rank decidedly middle of the pack in bullpen fWAR. Former closer Paul Sewald had a 6.23 ERA and a 5.68 FIP in 39 innings before being designated for assignment.

Morillo, Garcia and AJ Puk give Arizona plenty of options long-term in constructing an excellent bullpen, but if Martinez can regain the closer’s role (as well as his past effectiveness), he’ll be a borderline top-10 fantasy option at his position.

Walker Buehler (#506, 26 trade value).

Walker Buehler hasn’t quite regained his past effectiveness on the mound. Well, in that after missing parts of the 2022 season and the 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, his strikeout rates have dropped from being closer to 30% (or, rather between 27% and 30%) earlier in his career to the last three years in which he’s yet to log a strikeout rate north of 21% in a full season.

The veteran is throwing his four-seamer less than ever and his cutter has taken over as his most utilized offering this year. Buehler’s sinker usage has also climbed incrementally in the last three seasons.

Overall, Buehler has logged a 4.63 ERA and a 4.20 FIP in 26 starts and 126.1 innings so far this season.

But, don’t let those numbers mislead you, Buehler has been much better than his run prevention numbers would indicate.

Both numbers are likely a bit inflated due to a here start stretch in July in which the veteran allowed 20 earned runs in just 11 innings, giving up nine walks, 17 hits and six home runs in the process (he struck out 10 batters combined in those three outings, just for reference).

Prior to those outings? Buehler sported a 3.81 ERA and a 3.41 FIP (78 innings).

Since those outings? Buehler has a 2.89 ERA and a 3.89 FIP (37.1 innings).

He’s a free agent after the season, per Spotrac, and while the prospect of leaving San Diego might seem unideal for his long-term fantasy success, Buehler has actually been noticeably better away from home this season.

• Walker Buehler home 2026 splits: 17.5 K%, 8.4 BB%, 1.25 WHIP, .276 BABIP, 4.40 FIP, 69.1 IP

• Walker Buehler road 2026 splits: 23.0 K%, 9.9 BB%, 1.47 WHIP, .321 BABIP, 3.96 FIP, 57.0 IP

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Christian Scott (#304, 28 trade value).

Speaking of starting pitchers who might be flying under the radar, potentially lost amidst all the Mets struggles this season is Christian Scott’s breakout campaign.

The veteran has made 19 starts so far, and while he has just four pitcher wins and ranks in the sixth percentile league-wide with a 32.9% ground ball rate, he’s also sporting a 3.73 ERA, a 3.67 FIP and a 28.5% strikeout rate in an 89.1 inning sample size. Opponents have also managed just a 34.2% hard-hit rate against the Mets’ 27-year-old starter.

Since making his 2026 debut for the Mets on April 23, Scott is tied with the White Sox’ Sean Burke for the league’s 13^th-best strikeout rate, ranking ahead of the likes of Cade Cavalli, Cristopher Sanchez, Gerrit Cole and Logan Gilbert.

This is a list of starters with a higher FIP during that span: Zack Wheeler, Joe Ryan, George Kirby, Davis Martin, Gilbert, Troy Melton, Emerson Hancock, Kevin Gausman, Walbert Urena, Braxton Ashcraft and Nolan McLean.

Like Martinez, Scott is an intriguing trade option (who might be flying under the radar) heading into the offseason.

Ok, want one more Christian Scott fun fact?

Here are the other full-time starters to rank in both the 80^th percentile or better in both strikeout rate and hard-hit rate:

• Jesus Luzardo

• Christian Scott

• Jacob Misiorowski

• Dylan Cease

• Shohei Ohtani

• Payton Tolle

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In a contested race for your league’s title this year? Looking to maintain a significant lead at the top of the standings? Whatever the case may be, the goal of this Substack is to help you not only find success in your fantasy league, but win your league.

Become a paid subscriber today and get access to exclusive weekly content with tangible, league-winning insight as well as gain access to my exclusive chat where you can ask me any and all of your fantasy questions. No question is too specific.

Start/sit, waivers, strategy, dynasty, redraft, Roto or head-to-head, whatever the question may be, whatever format or scoring system your league uses, no question is too specific.

My goal here is to help you win your league.

Also? I’ve never used AI and I never will.

Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

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More on Anderson, as well as a look at George Lombard Jr.’s early production in the Majors and more on Brayan Bello, Eric Lauer, Eduardo Valencia and Brett Sullivan in today’s redraft Top 500 update.

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Kade Anderson (#131, 41 trade value).

Anderson will reportedly be called up by the Mariners to make his Major League debut on Sunday, per a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday.

And he immediately moves into the top 135 here.

One of the sport’s best young pitching prospects, the 21-year-old has been dominant at Double-A so far this year. The 22-year-old owns a 1.06 ERA and a 1.78 FIP in 18 starts and 93.1 innings of work.

His strikeout rate sits at 40.5% with just a 3.9% walk rate. Anderson has also surrendered just 0.39 homers per nine frames.

Obviously, minor league stats should be taken with a grain of salt, but Anderson’s dominance is notable. He seems well positioned to find plenty of early success in the Majors, what with four plus pitches and a fairly fantasy-friendly environment.

The Mariners have struggled to score runs this year, it’s true. But Seattle’s home ballpark is one of the most pitcher-friendly locales in the sport.

The American League West club’s road schedule isn’t without potential pitfalls to finish the year. Seattle still has to travel to Boston to finish the month and a mid-September road trip to play the Athletics, Angels and Rockies away from home is certainly not ideal.

But, Anderson looks like an immediate impact fantasy starter. With the exception of those Athletics or Rockies road games (should he start there), start him with confidence in fantasy lineups moving forward. The rest of the way this season, really.

George Lombard Jr. (#262, 26 trade value).

Another top prospect with impact potential the rest of the way, George Lombard Jr. has gotten off to, well, an impact start so far in the Majors.

The 21-year-old is hitting .318 with a .380 on-base percentage, two home runs and a stolen base in his first 50 plate appearances so far.

He started his time in the Majors mostly hitting seventh or eighth for his first three games, but has seen starts hitting as high up in the order as sixth (twice) or fifth for New York.

From the small sample size so far, the hitting for contact production looks legit. Lombard has struck out just 22.0% of the time, has a 26.2% chase rate and is sporting a strong .279 xBA.

He might not be a lock to maintain an .857 OPS the rest of the season, but as long as his barrel rate (it’s currently 9.1%) stays in a reasonably similar ballpark, quality fantasy production should continue to follow.

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Brayan Bello (#488, 10 trade value).

Pitching after an opener (or just simply in long relief) seems to not only be doing wonders for Brayan Bello’s production but for his fantasy impact as well.

Since July 12, Bellow has thrown 27.1 innings, pitching between 2.0 and 5.1 frames in each outing. He’s logged a 0.99 ERA and a 2.65 FIP during that span and has been particularly excellent at limiting loud contact.

During that stretch, opposing batters have managed just two barrels on 73 batted ball events (if you’re doing the math at home, that’s a 2.7% barrel rate) and a 37.0% hard-hit rate.

Bello’s strikeout rate numbers (22.3%) during that stretch aren’t necessarily decidedly above average by any stretch, but with his ability to limit mistakes, as well as walks (Bello has a 3.9% walk rate since July 12), he’s provided quality fantasy production.

What’s more, with Boston continuing to reel off wins, Bello has three pitcher wins in his last seven outings, as well as a save.

His lower strikeout rate and lower innings totals (Bellow has thrown 4.0 or fewer innings four times during that recent stretch) limit his fantasy ceiling to more of a deeper league option.

However, he’s a potentially shrewd addition for those looking to add innings and wins in leagues where relief innings don’t count towards any sort of innings limit per week for starters.

Additional Notes

Eric Lauer: It remains to be seen what Lauer’s role will be for the Dodgers moving forward, particularly with Tyler Glasnow coming back. And the veteran does have a 5.03 FIP in a Dodgers uniform. But, he’s a quality streaming option in the right matchups when he’s pitching out of the rotation. The FIP is obviously more telling, but Lauer has a 3.76 ERA in 67 innings for Los Angeles with seven (!) pitcher wins in 12 appearances (11 starts).

Eduardo Valencia: Valencia just continues to obliterate baseballs in the Majors. He’s batting .356 with a .377 on-base percentage, a 1.140 OPS and six home runs in 61 plate appearances with a .349 xwOBA, a .547 xSLG (!) and a 23.8% barrel rate (!) as well as a 52.4% hard-hit rate. He has league-winning upside in most leagues and has seen each of his last four starts come as either Detroit’s fifth hitter or cleanup hitter.

Brett Sullivan: Sullivan is making a bunch of contact, which is good. The 32-year-old has a 16.8% strikeout rate and an 18.1% whiff rate in 184 plate appearances for the Rockies so far. That’ll play particularly well, in theory, at home in Colorado. Sullivan actually has just a 46 wRC+ (as well as a 15.6% strikeout rate and a .261 BABIP) at home. He’s batting .235 with a .298 on-base percentage, an .804 OPS, a .271 ISO, a .342 wOBA and a 116 wRC+ on the road.

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In a contested race for your league’s title this year? Looking to maintain a significant lead at the top of the standings? Whatever the case may be, the goal of this Substack is to help you not only find success in your fantasy league, but win your league.

Become a paid subscriber today and get access to exclusive weekly content with tangible, league-winning insight as well as gain access to my exclusive chat where you can ask me any and all of your fantasy questions. No question is too specific.

Start/sit, waivers, strategy, dynasty, redraft, Roto or head-to-head, whatever the question may be, whatever format or scoring system your league uses, no question is too specific.

My goal here is to help you win your league.

Also? I’ve never used AI and I never will.

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And, a slugging outfielder who can singlehandedly lead your fantasy team to weekly wins in leagues with head-to-head matchups.

They’re all league winners.

You should trade for all three.

Here’s why.

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Plus, a look at two setup relievers with significant fantasy ceilings in Drew Sommers and Tanner Scott.

More on all of that after this week’s updated Top 700 rankings.

In a contested race for your league’s title this year? Looking to maintain a significant lead at the top of the standings? Whatever the case may be, the goal of this Substack is to help you not only find success in your fantasy league, but win your league.

Subscribe now

Become a paid subscriber today and get access to exclusive weekly content with tangible, league-winning insight as well as gain access to my exclusive chat where you can ask me any and all of your fantasy questions. No question is too specific.

Start/sit, waivers, strategy, dynasty, redraft, Roto or head to head, whatever the question may be, whatever format or scoring system your league uses, no question is too specific.

My goal here is to help you win your league.

Also? I’ve never used AI and I never will.

Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.

Cole Carrigg (#600, 23 trade value).

First, the good news.

Carrigg has enjoyed a fairly productive first season with the Colorado Rockies so far. The outfielder entered play on Tuesday batting .286 with a .371 on-base percentage, five home runs and seven stolen bases in 222 plate appearances.

His wRC+ (117) sits 17 points above league average, and the outfielder has struck out just 20.3% of the time with a 10.8% walk rate.

All off that is good.

So too is his .337 batting average in 101 plate appearances at home, as well as his .375 average, .421 on-base percentage, 1.171 OPS and 185 wRC+ (58 plate appearances) with runners in scoring position.

Among batters with at least 50 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, only Nick Kurtz, Yordan Alvarez, Matt Chapman, Aaron Judge, Esmerlyn Valdez, Ryan Jeffers, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jake Bauers have a higher wRC+ so far this season.

That’s all good.

What’s not so good, at least from a fantasy ceiling standpoint, is that the 24-year-old (even with all those home games in Colorado) has just a 31.5% hard-hit rate for the season. His barrel rate is only 4.7%. Elsewhere, he has just a .316 xwOBA against fastballs so far.

The outfielder does have a 25.5% Pull AIR% so far, which is encouraging, as well as above-average bat speed (73.7 MPH), but he has just a .368 xwOBAcon and a pop-up rate (6.7%) that isn’t overly egregious.

The other bit of good news here is that Carrigg is 24 and just now settling into a regular role for a team with one of the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks.

There’s promise with the underlying power numbers so far, but this is sort of a wait-and-see type of deal in terms of Carrigg’s eventual fantasy ceiling. His floor, for now, looks like a solid bet for batting average, RBI and runs scored production playing for the Rockies.

If the bat speed and Pull AIR% start to positively impact his power production, he’ll move up these rankings considerably.

Drew Sommers (#661, 23 trade value).

Sommers was mentioned in the 50 relievers of note column earlier this month. You can read a lot more about him there (at the link below).

But one key stat to note here with the Tigers left-hander is… Ok, well maybe two stats. Or two groups of stats, rather.

The first group of stats:

Sommers in 15 innings pitched since July 5 has a 1.80 ERA, a 1.95 FIP, five holds, a 40.0% strikeout rate and a 10.0% walk rate. He’s limited opposing batters to just a 26.7% hard-hit rate and hasn’t given up a barrel in that span

He’s a must-add in leagues where holds are part of the scoring.

The other group of stats? Outside of Sommers’ walk rate (which is 10.8% for the season), he’s been pretty much elite across the board at everything else in a 23.2 inning sample size.

A 2.20 xERA, a .174 xBA, an 83.5 MPH average exit velocity, a 37.6% chase rate, a 34.0% whiff rate, a 36.3% strikeout rate, just a 1.9% barrel rate, only a 22.6% hard-hit rate and a 58.5% ground ball rate.

Tanner Scott (#306, 28 trade value).

Sticking with relief pitchers, Tanner Scott maintains a spot well within the top 350 on this list and ahead of players and prospects like Riley O’Brien, Liam Hicks, Trevor Rogers, Michael Busch and others due to his role in the Dodgers bullpen.

Would it be better for Scott’s fantasy ceiling if he was the full-time closer in Los Angeles? Sure.

But as the top setup option after Edwin Diaz, Scott arguably bring smore fantasy upside than any other setup reliever in the sport.

So far this season, he’s pitched to a 2.20 ERA and a 2.35 FIP in 53 appearances and 49 innings for the National League West club, adding a pitcher win, 16 saves and 12 holds so far.

He’s also done so while drastically cutting down on walks and improving his swing and miss numbers.

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Scott’s 5.9% walk rate is on track to be a new career low after it was 7.2% (his previous career low, for reference) last season.

His strikeout rate (33.0%) is just percentage points off his past career best (33.9%), thanks in part due to a 36.8% whiff rate that, if the season were to end today, would be Scott’s best in a full season since 2021 and equal a career best.

With Edwin Diaz now back on the injured list, Scott not only has league-winning upside for the rest of this season, but he’s a potentially shrewd long-term fantasy addition, regardless of if you’re in need of saves or not.

Obviously, I should clarify, Diaz doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere as the Dodgers closer long-term, but if you have the roster space, it’s rare to find a player with Scott’s fantasy ceiling potentially on waivers at this point.

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Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.

More on all of them as well as Jarred Kelenic, Griffin Conine (he could be a league winner!) and Hunter Fedducia after this week’s updated Top 500 rankings.

Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.

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Carlos Correa (#415, 21 trade value).

If Correa can return later this season, he’d immediately be a potential impact option in fantasy lineups.

The 31-year-old logged 141 plate appearances prior to landing on the injured list, hitting .279 with a .369 on-base percentage, three home runs and a stolen base.

And while Correa’s three home runs and .139 ISO certainly don’t jump off the page, his early-season power production didn’t tell the entire story. The veteran had a 10.3% barrel rate and a .459 xSLG and a .403 xwOBAcon earlier in the season.

In fact, his xwOBAcon is higher than it was in any of the past three seasons. Correa’s xwOBA was on track to be his highest in a full season since 2021. His barrel rate? His best since 2022 and the third-best of his career.

Elsewhere, Correa’s 12.8% walk rate would’ve been the best of his career if it happened in a full-season sample size, with his 18.4% strikeout rate approaching his career low (16.6%) in the statistical category.

Add in fantasy eligibility at both third base and shortstop and Correa has plenty of fantasy upside. If you have the extra injured list space, now’s the time to add Correa.

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Abimelic Ortiz (#272, 26 trade value).

The Washington Nationals traded a breakout first baseman with impressive power metrics in Luis Garcia Jr.

We’re not even two weeks removed from the trade deadline and the Nationals lineup regularly features… another breakout first baseman with impressive power numbers.

It’s a small sample size to be sure, but the 24-year-old Ortiz is batting .296 in his first 28 plate appearances with a .321 on-base percentage and a .988 OPS.

Some of his quality of contact numbers might seem unsustainable so far, notably a .418 xwOBA, but Ortiz has shown decidedly above-average bat speed (76.3 MPH) and is striking out 18.5% of the time so far.

He’s also already amassed four barrels on only 21 batted ball events.

Again, we’re dealing with a tiny sample size here, but if you’re looking for the next breakout slugger to add via waivers, it might just be Ortiz.

Griffin Conine (#135, 35 trade value).

It’s a reasonably similar story in Miami.

Well, ok maybe not that similar.

The Marlins didn’t trade a similarly productive hitter to open up playing time. They did trade Liam Hicks to the Rays, but Hicks had more excellent plate discipline metrics than loud contact numbers.

It’s similar in that Conine’s production (although in a smaller sample size) is reminiscent of another Marlins slugger. Or rather, another Marlins slugger in a recent season (last season, to be exact).

Last year Kyle Stowers enjoyed a breakout season by hitting .288 with a .368 on-base percentage, 25 home runs and five stolen base sin 457 plate appearances. He finished in the 94^th percentile or better in hard-hit rate, barrel rate, xwOBA and xSLG while finishing in the 88^th percentile in bat speed (75.0 MPH) with a solid walk rate (10.5%).

Conine has logged 177 plate appearances so far this season, but his batted ball numbers are decidedly similar to Stowers’ last season.

Kyle Stowers in 2025:

• .375 xwOBA

• .265 xBA

• .537 xSLG

• 19.1% barrel rate

• 52.0% hard-hit rate

• 75.0 MPH average bat speed

• 27.9% chase rate

• 32.5% whiff rate

• 27.4% strikeout rate

• 10.5% walk rate

Griffin Conine in 2026:

• .399 xwOBA

• .278 xBA

• .562 xSLG

• 18.0% barrel rate

• 56.0% hard-hit rate

• 74.3 MPH average bat speed

• 29.5% chase rate

• 37.3% whiff rate

• 29.7% strikeout rate

• 12.0% walk rate

Not all batted ball data is identical, obviously, and we’re probably at a point in the season where Conine likely isn’t going to reach the same plate appearance total that Stowers did last year, but the elite power upside here is hard to ignore.

He’s a potential league winner the rest of the way.

And oh yeah, he and the Marlins get to play in Cincinnati for their next series.

Tyler Holton (#453, 13 trade value).

The Tigers reliever is once again playing a key role for Detroit. For the season, at least entering play today (Holton recorded five outs in entering in relief of starter Keider Montero and setting up closer Kenley Jansen), the left-hander was sporting a 2.77 ERA and a 3.77 FIP in 51 appearances and 55.1 innings of work. He’s also accumulated 11 holds, two saves and a win.

Particularly with eligibility as both a starter and a reliever, Holton is a borderline must-add for fantasy managers in leagues where holds are part of the scoring.

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He’s been even better as of late with a 1.23 ERA, a 3.25 FIP, seven holds, both saves and the pitcher win in 29.1 innings since the start of June.

With Will Vest on the 60-day injured list and Montero back in the rotation, Holton might be the Tigers’ most trusted reliever at the moment, speculatively speaking.

Of course, that’s once again all entirely speculative on my part, and while the left-hander has never logged high strikeout rates (his strikeout rate hasn’t been above 23% in a full season), he’s once again been somewhere between really, really good o elite at limiting walks (5.2% walk rate, 94^th percentile), inducing grounders (51.5 GB%, 87^th percentile) and limiting barrels (5.4% barrel rate, 83^rd percentile).

One more note? Since the start of June, Holton has limited opposing batters to just a 3.4% walk rate, 0.61 homers per nine frames, only a 4.4% barrel rate and a 34.4% barrel rate.

Hunter Fedducia (#470, 10 trade value).

Fedducia is more of a short-term addition for those in deeper leagues, but the 29-year-old is hitting .267 with a .313 on-base percentage, a home run, a .455 xwOBA and a 129 wRC+ in his first 16 plate appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.

Obviously, that’s a rather miniscule sample size, and Feduccia does have an 87 wRC+ overall for the season in 176 plate appearences but the former Rays catcher has a reasonably consistent role in a Dodgers lineup that is ninth in the league in plate appearances with runners in scoring position.

As long as Will Smith and Dalton Rushing are on the injured list, Feduccia is very much worth a look in deeper leagues or as a second catcher in two-catcher fantasy formats.

Jarred Kelenic (#484, nine trade value).

Back in the Majors with the Rangers, Jarred Kelenic is another deeper league fantasy option.

He’s hit just .212 with a .297 on-base percentage in 74 plate appearances, adding a home run in the process. Like with Feduccia, it’s a limited sample size, and Kelenic is striking out 36.5% of the time with a 40.0% whiff rate. But the 27-year-old has made plenty of loud contact when he has made, well, contact.

His xSLG sits at .451 and his barrel rate at 20.5% with a 48.7% hard-hit rate.

He’s probably only an AL-only option at the moment, or someone to consider in deep leagues, but there’s the potential for him to hit way into a regular role if those loud contact numbers (not to mention a .334 xwOBA) continue as is.

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Add enough players like that who outperform expectations, and it does the opposite of creating roster problems for you moving forward. You benefit from the fantasy production and have a deeper roster from which to make further trades from.

This week’s League Winners column looks at three under-the-radar players who fit the bill in that regard and could help you improve your roster considerably moving forward.

The secondary theme of this week’s column? Players who have been much better than their season-long numbers would indicate. To the point that said season-long numbers might make them somewhat overlooked (at least relatively speaking) in fantasy leagues via waivers and in trade negotiations.

These are those three players.

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More on both players after this week’s updated Top 700 rankings.

Whatever the league size or scoring format, whatever the unique league setting, my goal here is to help you win your league. Subscribe now for exclusive articles and access to the paid subscriber only exclusive chat to get the questions answered by me about your team. No question is too specific! Also? I never use AI and never will.

Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.

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Parker Messick (#109, 44 trade value) and Randy Arozarena (#151, 35 trade value).

Both might be flying under the radar in terms of just how impactful they’ve been this season.

We’ll start with Arozarena.

And while he’s seen his barrel drop from 11.5% last year to 8.0% this year (Arozarena’s hard-hit rate and xwOBAcon have both dropped as well), he’s having one of his best offensive seasons in years.

Randy Arozarena in 2025:

11.5% barrel rate, .395 xwOBAcon, 50.6% hard-hit rate

Randy Arozarena in 2026:

8.0% barrel rate, .392 xwOBAcon, 42.7% hard-hit rate

Really, it might arguably be Arozarena’s best full season at the plate of his career. At least if he keeps this up. He’s hitting .276 with a .369 on-base percentage, 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 111 games and 474 plate appearances entering play on Tuesday.

All of that is well and good. Great, really, from a fantasy perspective, but Arozarena is also sporting a .352 xwOBA, a number that both ranks in the 82^nd percentile league-wide and would be a new career best in a full season for the outfielder if the season ended today.

In fact, if the season were to end today, it’d be Arozarena’s best season from a hitting for contact standpoint.

The veteran is sporting a .268 xBA on the season, a marked improvement on last season’s .227 number. It’d be on track to be Arozarena’s highest xBA in season since his .248 number in 2020. Take that shortened season out of the equation and Arozarena’s previous career best in xBA is just .234.

But it’s not just the xBA.

Despite the drop off in hard-hit rate, xwOBAcon and barrel rate numbers, the veteran’s xSLG (.427) is his highest since 2023 and the second-best in a full season for the outfielder’s career.

The run-scoring ability of the Mariners lineup could certainly be better. Seattle entered play Tuesday with the fewest runs scored in the league, but a more middle-of the-pack wRC+. However, Arozarena looks like a surefire bet to reach at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season for the sixth consecutive season.

A free agent after the season per Spotrac, if Arozarena were to depart Seattle, he’d immediately see a significant boost to his fantasy ceiling moving forward. That’s not just due to the fact that he’d potentially depart perhaps the league’s most pitcher-friendly ballpark, but also because he’s thrived on the road.

Randy Arozarena on the road in 2026:

• 206 PA

• 157 wRC+

• .316 average

• .403 on-base percentage

• .903 OPS

• .184 ISO

• .395 wOBA

• 10.1 BB%

• 22.7 K%

And now we switch to Messick. If he’s on your team, you’ve probably seen how much he’s thrived this season, particularly for fantasy managers.

The 25-year-old has made 23 starts and totaled 136.2 innings of work. He’s amassed nine pitcher wins and nine quality starts along the way.

He’s sporting a 2.57 ERA along the way in what has been a superb breakout season.

And it’s not just the ERA either.

Messick has a 3.19 FIP so far and ranks in the 84^th percentile or better in barrel rate (5.2%, 84^th percentile) and hard-hit rate (33.0%, 86^th percentile) with a quality walk rate (7.0%, 73^rd percentile) and more than enough strikeouts (25.1% strikeout rate, 68th percentile).

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The only other full-time starters to rank in the 84^th percentile or better in both barrel rate and hard-hit rate? Max Fried, Dylan Cease and Landen Roupp.

Messick also ranks in the top 10 in the league in fWAR (he has a 3.5 number) and FIP.

Put slightly differently, Messick has a higher fWAR than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bryan Woo and Logan Webb. He has a lower FIP than Yamamoto, Chase Burns, Gavin Williams and Joe Ryan.

In fact, here’s Messick’s numbers side by side with Yamamoto’s and a few other elite starters:

Parker Messick in 2026: 136.2 IP, 2.57 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 8.96 K/9, 2.50 BB/9, 0.86 HR/9

Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2026: 139.1 IP, 2.65 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 8.20 K/9, 2.07 BB/9, 0.97 HR/9

Logan Gilbert in 2026: 139.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 9.37 K/9, 2.07 BB/9, 1.23 HR/9

George Kirby in 2026: 132 IP, 3.68 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 7.64 K/9, 1.91 BB/9, 1.09 HR/9

Logan Webb in 2026: 133 IP, 3.59 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 6.97 K/9, 2.17 BB/9, 0.61 HR/9

Cleveland’s ballpark should help Messick in continuing to thrive from a fantasy scoring standpoint long-term. The Guardians’ home field has the ninth-lowest overall park factor in the last three years per Statcast.

That Cleveland has the league’s fourth-lowest wRC+ this season and the fifth-lowest collective number in the sport since the start of 2024 certainly isn’t ideal for the left-hander’s pitcher win potential, but even still, the 25-year-old is a borderline top-100 overall pitcher moving forward, particularly in leagues where quality starts are used instead of wins.

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Read More, Including More on What the Recent Trade Deadline Means For Fantasy Managers Moving Forward

Today’s column will cover Gleyber Torres’ rest of season fantasy ceiling (spoiler alert, but he’s a top-10 player at his position moving forward in 2026). Plus a look at why trades to Boston and Toronto, respectively, might not have been ideal for the fantasy production of both Adley Rutschman and Jose Soriano.

More on all three players after this week’s updated Top 500 rankings.

Whatever the league size or scoring format, whatever the unique league setting, my goal here is to help you win your league. Subscribe now for exlusive articles and access to the paid subscriber only exclusive chat to get the questions answered by me about your team. No question is too specific! Also? I never use AI and never will.

Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.

Gleyber Torres (#95, 71 trade value).

Torres has missed time on the injured list this season, but has generally been productive when in the lineup.

The veteran is batting .268 with a .387 on-base percentage, seven home runs and a 129 wRC+. Torres has walked 15.4% of the time (97^th percentile) and has yet to hit below third in the Tigers lineup.

That last bit is crucial here for fantasy managers, because while the Tigers did trade away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, the team kept their lineup intact, and actually added to it more or less with Max Clark being promoted, providing the team with significantly more lineup depth, particularly when paired with Colt Keith’s resurgent numbers.

Since the start of June, the Tigers have a 118 wRC+ and 91 home runs. The former is the second-best in the league during that stretch. The latter is the most in the league during said stretch.

Torres, meanwhile, is batting .298 with a .400 on-base percentage, six home runs and a 155 wRC+ in 135 plate appearances since April 26.

He’s batting .280 with a .385 on-base percentage, a 150 wRC+ and five home runs in 109 plate appearances during that stretch since the start of June.

Hitting in the top third of Detroit’s lineup will continue to guarantee plate appearances near Dillon Dingler (141 wRC+), Kevin McGonigle (133 wRC+) and Riley Greene (131 wRC+), something that should only help the veteran’s fantasy scoring numbers.

He’s a surefire top-10 fantasy second baseman the rest of the way.

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Adley Rutschman (#184, 30 trade value).

Traded from Baltimore to Boston at the deadline, Adley Rutschman is currently on the injured list.

Once healthy, though, it’s possible that his fantasy ceiling is a bit diminished the rest of the way with his new team.

Which is reasonably notable considering the 28-year-old is batting .251 with a .331 on-base percentage, a .764 OPS, a .348 xwOBA, a .274 xBA, a .432 xSLG and mostly, decidedly very good plate discipline numbers.

Rutschman entered play on Thursday with just a 14.1% strikeout rate (87^th percentile), a 15.8% whiff rate (91^st percentile), a 25.1% chase rate (79^th percentile) and a 10.6% walk rate (69^th percentile).

Sure, the RBI and runs scored opportunities should be there for a hitter joining a team that has the league’s fourth-best wRC+ (116) since the start of July, but Rutschman’s power numbers could take somewhat of a hit.

At least, his home run numbers.

The now-former Orioles catcher has hit 69 career home runs since making his Major League debut during the 2022 campaign.

His expected home run number in Boston? 53.

That 53 number is also tied for the lowest expected home run number of any ballpark for the veteran catcher.

His lifetime batting line in Boston, in a 129 plate appearance sample size, includes a .239 batting average, a .326 on-base percentage, three home runs and a .697 OPS.

Jose Soriano (#143, 43 trade value).

Speaking of players who might have diminished fantasy potential the rest of the way this season, that might just be the case with Jose Soriano.

Certainly, Soriano figures to be in a better spot heading into next season, assuming the Blue Jays are more aggressive in upgrading their roster in general around Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk, Louis Varland and Dylan Cease.

Still, for this season, he’s joining a Blue Jays roster that has the league’s second-lowest wRC+ in the sport with a 91 number, and that was before Toronto traded Daulton Varsho to Houston ahead of the trade deadline.

So while Soriano has won nine of his 22 starts so far, more pitcher wins might not exactly follow with regularity over the season’s final few months.

Overall, Soriano has a 3.29 ERA and a 3.78 FIP in those 22 outings (123 innings) with a 24.9% strikeout rate and an 11.2% walk rate. The walk rate ranks in the 18^th percentile league-wide. And while Soriano is sporting a strong 31.4% whiff rate (89^th percentile) and a solid strikeout rate (67^th percentile), his barrel and hard-hit rates sit at 8.1% and 37.5%, respectively.

Despite the struggles with walks and loud contact at times, he’s bounced back nicely over the last month and change after struggling in June and May. Soriano had identical 5.34 ERA numbers in both months (he also threw 28.2 innings exactly in each month). However, including a June 30 start, Soriano has a 2.38 FIP in his last 28 innings. He’s allowed just two earned runs in his last 12 innings.

It’s been an encouraging stretch after Soriano struggled following an excellent start to the campaign.

Expect quality run prevention numbers the rest of the way, but the diminished pitcher win potential here certainly lowers the right-hander’s fantasy ceiling for the rest of 2026 compared to similar fantasy starters.

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Read More Trade Deadline Fantasy Coverage

Also:

Three hitters who could provide league-winning impact the rest of the way this season.

Two of the three batters have fantasy eligibility at the catcher position.

Two have fantasy eligibility at multiple positions in general.

All three could even be available in your league via the waiver wire.

Either way, you’ll want all three on your fantasy roster for the rest of the season.

Here’s why:

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• 15 Players I Would Trade for Right Now In Fantasy

• 10 Deeper League Players To Trade For

• 11 Dynasty Trade Targets

• 10 Players to Trade Away In Dynasty (In the Right Deal)

• 15 Players Whose Fantasy Ceiling Benefited From Trade Deadline Deals Their Team Made

• Eight Players Whose Fantasy Ceiling Benefited From Not Being Traded at the Deadline

More on all of that below.

Think of this as yet another trade resource to help you navigate trade season in your fantasy league.

It also doubles as a recap (in places and of sorts) of the trade deadline.

Read more

Two are potential closers, with three of the hurlers bringing elite swing and miss and strikeout numbers.

All four are underrated. All four are very much worth a look for your fantasy team.

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Plus, a look at Francisco Alvarez’s 2026 numbers and why he could very well be a top-10 fantasy option at his position moving forward.

More on both players after this week’s Top 700 dynasty rankings update.

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That’s the main goal of this Substack.

This year and all the years.

Consider becoming a paid subscriber today and get instant access to league-winning articles. Plus, get all of your fantasy questions answered in the chat so you can win your league this year and for years to come.

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Mickey Moniak (#304, 28 trade value).

Mickey Moniak recently signed a two-year extension in Colorado, which is probably a good thing for Moniak’s fantasy ceiling.

The outfielder thrived last year with the Rockies in a breakout season that saw him hit .270 with a .306 on-base percentage, 24 home runs and nine stolen bases in 135 games and 461 plate appearances.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the outfielder was excellent at home, batting .303 with 15 home runs in 253 plate appearances with a 130 wRC+ that was nearly 50 points higher than it was on the road (83).

He’s been excellent once again this year from a power standpoint. Really, his 2026 numbers are eerily reminiscent of his 2025 numbers, this time, with even more power production.

Mickey Moniak in 2025: 461 PA, 24 HR, 9 SB, .270 average, .306 OBP, 110 wRC+, 4.8 BB%, 23.9 K%

Mickey Moniak in 2026: 283 PA, 18 HR, 1 SB, .277 average, .318 OBP, 122 wRC+, 5.3 BB%, 24.7 K%

Moniak still isn’t hitting all that well on the road this year. His wRC+ (86), OPS (.690) and ISO (.170) all could be better. Furthermore, his strikeout rate is 33.6% away from home compared to an 18.6% number in Colorado.

You’re probably not going to want to start him when the Rockies are on the road, but if you can get away with only starting him when the team is in Colorado, that’s probably the way to go with the league-winning upside when he’s hitting at home.

Still, if someone in your league takes the news of the extension as locking in Moniak as an impact fantasy player, now might be the time to work out a trade.

That’s not to say that he won’t be, and Moniak will be productive, but probably more just when he’s at home. If you can trade Moniak with prospect capital for another outfielder like say Kyle Tucker, or a veteran hitter like Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, now might be the time to start working out a trade.

Francisco Alvarez (#248, 31 trade value).

Lost in the fact that the New York Mets traded a significant number of players at the trade deadline and have struggled to consistently string together wins is that Francisco Alvarez is quietly establishing himself as a borderline top-10 fantasy catcher.

His 2026 numbers look fairly identical to his 2025 numbers so far.

Francisco Alvarez in 2025: 277 PA, 11 HR, .256 average, .339 OBP, .786 OPS, .191 ISO

Francisco Alvarez in 2026: 282 PA, 12 HR, .255 average, .339 OBP, .776 OPS, .185 ISO

Those numbers in a vacuum are fairly solid, particularly at the catcher position for fantasy managers.

But, what’s perhaps more crucial than repeating similarly solid surface-level stats is that Alvarez has upped his barrel rate from 12.1% to 17.0% from 2025 to 2026 while increasing his xwOBAcon from .398 to .432.

Among players with at least 200 plate appearances and fantasy eligibility at catcher, only Hunter Goodman, Ben Rice, Drake Baldwin, Dillon Dingler and Dalton Rushing have a higher xwOBAcon so far.

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Among all batters with at least 200 plate appearances, just Aaron Judge, James Wood, Munetaka Murakami, Yordan Alvarez, Nick Kurtz, Kyle Schwarber, Byron Buxton and Mike Trout have a higher barrel rate. That’s it. That’s the list.

For reference, here are Alvarez’s numbers this season compared to Seiya Suzuki’s numbers last season. Suzuki, for reference, hit .245 with a .326 on-base percentage and 32 home runs in 651 plate appearances while adding 75 runs scored and 103 RBI.

Obviously, those last two metrics are a bit dependent on Suzuki’s lineup, but Alvarez should be hitting in a lineup alongside Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Carson Benge and potentially Bo Bichette long term.

Francisco Alvarez in 2026: .348 xwOBA, .432 xwOBAcon, 17.0% barrel rate, 26.3 K%, 10.4 BB%, 44.4% hard-hit rate.

Seiya Suzuki in 2025: .352 xwOBA, .433 xwOBAcon, 16.6% barrel rate, 25.2 K%, 10.9 BB%, 59.2% hard-hit rate.

Read More Trade Deadline Coverage:

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More trades will surely follow, and more analysis here about them. But based on what has happened so far, here’s a look at three players who have seen their fantasy upside for the rest of the season improve thanks to these deals.

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Plus, more on two underrated starters in Chicago’s Sean Burke and Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft.

Burke has been elite as of late, while Ashcraft is very much someone to trade for despite an ERA north of 4.00 and a recent unideal start on his resume.

More on all three after this week’s significantly updated Top 500 rankings.

A quick note: if you’re having trouble reading the table in full in the Substack app, it can be viewed in full either in the email or in a web browser.

If you have any specific questions about players to target in fantasy trades, specific strategies, start/sit advice or in-depth waiver wire help, becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to my daily fantasy help chat where I’ll be answering all of your fantasy baseball questions every weekday.

Regardless of the league size, regardless of the scoring format, I’m here to answer all of your fantasy baseball questions with the ultimate goal of helping you win your league. And win your league every season. That’s the goal.

Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.

Max Clark (#91, 75 trade value).

The Tigers are reportedly calling up outfield prospect Max Clark, per a report from Baseball America’s Emily Waldon on Thursday.

The 21-year-old was hitting .276 with a .368 on-base percentage, 11 home runs, 21 stolen bases and a 116 wRC+ at Triple-A, the first time he’d played at the level. Five of his home runs have come in the last 19 games, a stretch that’s seen him hit .338 (24 for 88) with the five home runs, five doubles, 16 walks, 16 RBI, a .282 ISO and a 187 wRC+.

He immediately moves into the top 100 overall for the rest of the season with the potential to move up even more if he hits the ground running.

And while it remains to be seen just what exactly the Tigers will do at the deadline, the team’s lineup (headlined by Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene), which ranks eighth in ISO in the league, should largely stay the same.

All three of Dingler, McGonigle and Greene have wRC+ numbers of 130 or better so far this season.

Prospects, even elite ones like Clark, aren’t a surefire guarantee to hit the ground running. And not all prospects are the same. Still, given Clark’s potential to hit for power and average while stealing bases, he has impact, league-winning potential.

It shouldn’t hurt his fantasy scoring numbers that his first three games with Detroit are on the road against the Athletics.

Sean Burke (#189, 30 trade value).

Realistically, Sean Burke probably belongs in a League Winners column.

That’ll happen when you have a higher strikeout rate than Logan Gilbert, a lower FIP than Logan Webb and Joe Ryan and a better K-BB% number than Chase Burns and Bryan Woo.

Entering play on Thursday, Burke was sporting a 3.19 ERA and a 3.43 FIP in 21 appearances (17 starts) and 118.1 innings.

Burke has seven pitcher wins in that span with a 27.0% strikeout rate against just a 7.3% walk rate.

Among the starters with a lower strikeout rate than the White Sox hurler include Gilbert, Braxton Ashcraft, Max Meyer, Cade Cavalli, Parker Messick, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Woo.

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Entering play on Thursday, in seven starts since June 18, Burke had struck out at least eight batters five different times. His overall numbers during that stretch? A 33.7% strikeout rate, a 4.1% walk rate, 1.61 ERA and a 2.39 FIP in 44.2 innings of work.

Burke is tied with Gilbert for the third-best fWAR in the sport among starters during that stretch.

Braxton Ashcraft (#90, 75 trade value).

Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft has enjoyed a breakout season so far, pitching to a 4.05 ERA in 122.1 innings.

And while that number might not jump off the page, particularly considering he allowed nine hits, eight runs, seven earned runs, a pair of home runs and a walk in three innings just two starts, Ashcraft is sporting a 3.49 FIP and ranks in the 76^th percentile in strikeout rate (26.6%) and the 86^th percentile in walk rate (5.9%).

The only full-time starters to rank in at least the 75^th percentile in both metrics besides Ashcraft this season? Ryan Weathers, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Brandon Woodruff, Jacob deGrom, Chris Sale, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Cam Schlittler and Zack Wheeler.

If a fantasy manager in your league isn’t as high on Ashcraft due to the ERA or the most recent start, now’s the time to start trade negotiations, especially with fantasy trade deadlines not too far off.

Also of note? Ashcraft struck out five in his latest start after that Yankees outing. He allowed seven hits and four earned runs, good for a 6.00 ERA for the outing. His FIP for the start? 2.44.

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Ben Rosener's Fantasy Baseball Help Substack

Helping you win your fantasy baseball leagues and trades with: Ongoing chat/Q&A where you can get your fantasy questions answered all season and offseason long. Regularly updated top 700 dynasty & redraft trade value charts and a lot more.