The stretch run is the best time in fantasy baseball to find cheap rate-of-return upgrades. While teams don’t expand rosters like they once did, there is still plenty of opportunity with August 15th being a key date for minor league call-ups. Players called up after this time should retain rookie eligibility going into 2026 and provide an opportunity to gain draft picks for their teams with strong finishes in the Rookie of the Year voting. While teams might be looking to jump start their hot shot prospects, these same players might just be fantasy gold for the last month-plus. This week, our hitter profiles will dig into a 4-pack of hitters that are likely to get the call in short order. I pulled scouting notes, reviewed draft pedigree, and minor-league production so you can make roster moves with receipts, not guesses.
I haven’t had many poor weeks with streamers this season, but last week was one of them. Brady Singer crushed us against the Pirates, and Spencer Arrighetti looked atrocious in his debut. The good news is that the hitting streamers were solid, and that’s a little bonus in an otherwise disappointing week. Please, blog, may I have some more?
Note: Anyone promoted during the current season is ineligible for the stash list.
1. Orioles C Samuel Basallo (20, AAA)
I’ve given Baltimore a lot of guff in this space over the last few years for how they manage their roster, but this delayed promotion is easy to understand. Basallo turns 21 on August 13, so even though the bat was ready, and the roster had a clear need behind the plate, they had every incentive to hold Basallo back and give him a shot at rookie of the year in 2026. He’s got 23 home runs in just 72 Triple-A games and would be my pick for best fantasy rookie if selecting today.
As someone who works in accounting for my normie job, I know the fascination with deadlines and their ability to spur action. In the accounting world, that action is certainly derogatory and manifests in the form of much procrastination and subsequent scrambling. Please, blog, may I have some more?
Miami Marlins starting pitcher slash heartthrob Edward Cabrera soared high with his flying fish of Florida Friday night and this team got me hooked on E-Cab’s gorgeous line and filthy sinker. The full line was eight masterful innings, with just one run allowed, two hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts en route to his sixth win of the year and the Fish’s seventh win in their past 10 games. Please, blog, may I have some more?
Welcome back, my friends. It seems I just wrote about a player yesterday, not last week!
After diving into the dynasty value of some catchers the past few weeks, I am heading back into the field of play and taking a look at Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery.
He made his MLB debut on July 4, and over the last month plus a few days, he has been showing why he is an up-and-coming dynasty player.
Without further adieu, I present Colson Montgomery.
As you might’ve heard on our last podcast, August 15th is the target date for when teams can call up prospects and have just the right amount of service time manipulation. The Goldilocks of service time manipulation. See, prospects cannot exceed 45 days in the majors and be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award, which means teams can’t win extra draft picks. Please, blog, may I have some more?
Hello again, friends! Well, somehow we are suddenly a week into August, and if you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the fantasy crowd slowly but surely marching over to the land of fantasy football. It’s getting more difficult by the day to feel invested in a disappointing baseball team, real or pretend, as the days to help your team in a meaningful way are dwindling quickly. Please, blog, may I have some more?
It’s hard to believe it’s already early August. Seems like only yesterday that we got together with league mates to draft what we hoped would be a championship-caliber teams. Now, we’re just a few short weeks away from the playoffs.
If you’re currently in the playoff mix, odds are you’ve ridden a few arms to get there, some more surprising than others. Please, blog, may I have some more?
It’s interesting to me how different J. Lo, the four-time divorcee with six broken engagements, is from Ja-Lo, which is just me answering the phone with a funny voice. By the way, thinking about J. Lo’s most recent divorce, and does Ben Affleck know there’s women with a name other than Jennifer? Please, blog, may I have some more?
Middle infield hasn’t been the easiest place to find gems this season. While the SS player pool feels similar to its usual high quality with the top 10-12 at the position, its depth isn’t there in the same way we’ve seen in recent years. Conversely, while 2B doesn’t offer much ceiling this season, it seems to me a deeper position where I can find surprising help off the waiver wire to fill some stat needs. But it only goes so deep, and all of the usual suspects are widely rostered.