Cal Raleigh and Zack Wheeler for Fantasy Baseball

Okay, we have to talk about Cal Raleigh (3-for-3, 4 RBIs and his 15th, 16th and 17th homer). I should’ve told you to drop him April. Maybe that would’ve got him going earlier. When not accounting for injury, this season is the worst follow-up to a MVP-like year ever. I can’t think of many that even come close, to be honest. I’ve heard Brady Anderson thrown about in comparison, but he wasn’t that bad after his huge year. Cal went from a 9.1 WAR to 0.9 (as of yesterday). That’s insane. Only names I’ve heard that even come close are Joe Charboneau going from Rookie of the Year to trivia question in three years; Chris Davis from 53 homers and .286 to 26 HRs and .196, and Zoilo Versailles from MVP to “How’d he win MVP?” That’s it. I’m willing to hear more examples but that’s all I got. That’s not a great list to be on! In the preseason I said, Cal Raleigh was overrated and should not be drafted. I also said I wouldn’t write a full overrated post for him because what’s the point? He’s a catcher, don’t draft him, move on. Even I didn’t foresee a fall-off like this. He’s fallen off so hard I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s actually underrated next year. Figure he’s the same as he’s always been, 30 HRs, .230 hitter who was lucky in 2025 and unlucky in 2026. There’s value to that, just not at 20 overall in drafts. People really did lose their minds. Like when I bought all these 1980 Joe Charboneau rookie cards. Anyone interested? You just have to pay for shipping. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Bryce Miller – Revealed he’s been pitching through a lat injury for a month. Too bad the M’s didn’t have a prospect in the minors they could’ve called up to lift some of the pressure off Miller. Very cool that a guy with elbow concerns favors his other lat and that won’t cause more issues down the road. Nah! This is great! Everything’s great!

Cole Young – 1-for-4 and his 16th homer, hitting .251. I’ll let it go after this but Cole Young is having an okay season. Nothing incredible. Around 185 overall on the Player Rater. Cal Raleigh was 200 spots after that, prior to last night!

Julio Rodriguez – 2-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 20th homer. Does JRod know the 2nd half started about five weeks ago? Is he JRip Van Winkle? Does he plan on playing Winter Ball and being the MVP in Venezuela? I got questions, y’all!

Logan Gilbert – 5 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 3.36. When everyone is saying all the M’s are struggling this year, Randy Arozarena and Gilbert must be singing Kendrick’s Not Like Us.

Zack Wheeler – 4 IP, 8 ER, ERA at 3.40. Ya know who’s had a miserable last month? You’re gonna be awestruck when I tell you who it is. You literally will never guess–You guessed Wheeler? How’d you know? Was it because I was in this blurb? Okay, fair play, son! And five daughters. On the 30-day Player Rater, Wheeler’s been one of the worst pitchers in baseball with George Kirby, Paul Skenes and Jacob deGrom. Just as you threw it up.

J.T. Realmuto – 1-for-3 and his 9th homer. Jerry Tomato ketchup’d to that pitch!

Framber Valdez – 6 IP, 3 ER, 10 baserunners, zero Ks, ERA at 4.35. Being generous by saying Framber looked worse than the line. Let’s just say I can’t believe he only allowed three earned. I’m not a fan. Was, but no more. He burned me bad this year. A burn I don’t soon forget. Literally writing this word-for-word in my burn book.

Jonathan Aranda – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 16th homer. He has a solid amount of RBIs (78), so I went to look at the RBI leaders, and I figured Yordan would be on top. He is. Dot dot dot. For the AL. There’s four guys above Yordan for RBIs. Well, there was at least, yesterday early evening.

Drew Rasmussen – 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, zero walks, 5 Ks, ERA at 2.95. Not to be outdone by Brew Rasmussen, I see. Perhaps most impressively he threw 103 pitches. His season high.

Kevin Gausman – 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 6 Ks, ERA at 4.37. Oh, now he’s good! Wait, is he just roping us in for his next start? Gausdamnit!

Michael Conforto – 3-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 12th homer, 2nd homer in two games. Hot schmotato alert!

Ketel Marte – The Challenge’s Torey Lovullo said Marte would return next week. He was spotted at a casino the day he went on the IL. He was playing the Don’t come (to games) line.

Chase Burns – 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, ERA at 2.77. He’s one of those guys who’s been out-performing his pitching by so much with a low ERA that no one has questioned him at all, but he is pitching like a 3.70 ERA guy, which is not remotely what we thought he would be.

Willy Adames – Hit the IL with an elbow sprain. Willy? No, more like Won’t-he Adames.

Rafael Devers – 2-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and his 27th homer. Devers delivers!

Parker Messick – 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 baserunners, 4 Ks, ERA at 2.50. To use a pitcher who I just mentioned as a comparison, Messick over Burns. Not sure if anyone would’ve said that a few months ago. Or even now.

George Klassen – 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 9 baserunners, 3 Ks, ERA at 3.67. Doing one of the most batshizz crazy streams in a while, as I have Klassen in a two-start week. It feels so nuts that a 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER start feels like victory number one. Just one more!

Endy Rodriguez – Might need surgery on his hip. Boyz II Men, “Come to the Endy of the road…”

Esmerlyn Valdez – 1-for-3 and his 15th homer, hitting .249. Hey, it’s Mr. Four Weeks Ago! Hey, Mr. Four Weeks Ago, say hello to your mother for me!

Braxton Ashcraft – 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 baserunners, 2 Ks, ERA at 3.59. Ashcraft took the life out of the Padres, who yesterday introduced their new owner, Kwanza and Jose Feliciano, which sounds like answers on the $25,000 Pyramid for Things Heard In December.

Robbie Ray – 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 3.21. Wonder if Kwanza got a gander at Robbie’s pants. That’s a ‘chile’ I can imagine being said.

Zebby Matthews – 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 4.86. If you started Zebby in Bing Bong, I know you’re not wearing Robbie Ray’s pants ‘chile,’ because your grapes ain’t fitting in there.

Kaelen Culpepper – 4-for-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, hitting .340. He’s having a nice little first month. Cust kayin’.

Cade Cavalli – 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 3.21. I love him, but this was against the Suckies. Wait, hold on, checking something. Yes, I’m being told, that vs. the Suckies on the road counts. Streamonator, by the by, loves all starters vs. the road Suckies, as it should.

Daylen Lile – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 5 RBIs and a slam (16) and legs (13). I had him for months on my RCL team so I know how boring he can be, but he’s also a top 25 outfielder this year. Assuming teams in your league carry more than two outfielders, he’s rosterable, easily.

Willi Castro – 1-for-4 and his 15th homer. He has more than twice as many homers as Vlad Jr. It’s the end of August! Time travel back to March and tell someone that and they’ll punch you so hard in the mouth that you traveled all the way back to March and the only information you have for them is Vlad Jr. and Willi Castro’s power output.

Ezequiel Tovar – 2-for-2, and his 10th homer, hitting .209. Guessing this was the most homers for the Suckies in a road game ever. It’s merely a guess! Don’t hold me to it.

Jake Burger – 2-for-3, 2 RBIs and his 22nd homer. That was his first hit since last Tuesday and he’s barely hitting above .200 in August with three homers and a steal. He hit .174 in July. He hit .170 in April. So, May and June were the months to grab a Burger.

Wyatt Langford – 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs and his 15th homer, hitting .253. There’s a blast from the past. Where’s he been? Hitting .167 in August? Oh, that’s where he’s been.

Kumar Rocker – 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 8 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 4.41. Streamonator says he gets the Brewers at home next time, and I say I hope you have better options.

Tristan Peters – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 10th homer, 3rd homer in three games. Yesterday, I said hot schmotato alert. I also picked him up in one league. Today, I’m saying same same.

Ranger Suarez – 5 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners (4 BBs), 4 Ks, ERA at 3.35. Um, four walks is disturbing. Yes, disturbing. Like when your wife says she has an appointment for a massage. In her car. Disturbing.

Sandy Alcantara – 7 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 6 Ks, ERA at 3.38. He’s made himself a nice little niche — the reliable starter who could luck into 15 wins and a 3.20 ERA, throwing 200 IP. It’s not nothing, even though I do often make like it is. I do think it’s slightly overrated, but reliability in the days of “120 innings sounds excellent” is a good thing.

Pete Fairbanks – Left the game with a trainer. Did he leave because the trainer had him in a league and he wanted him out of the game because it was a non-save chance? Maybe? Please? No? Okay. Fairbanks has a nerve issue, that’s bothered him in the past, so he’s going to need an IL stint, likely. I guess Calvin Faucher, but that shouldn’t sound like a ringing endorsement because it’s not. It’s barely me whispering the word ‘endorsement’ into a bottle and tossing it into the sea.

Kyle Stowers – 1-for-4 as he was activated from the IL. He has 16 homers and one steal in 400+ plate appearances. In other words, you don’t need to pick him up or play him if you’re in a shallow league. In related Marlins news, they fired their entire scouting department. That must’ve been what it felt like to get fired as a janitor at Enron. You might’ve been in charge of cleaning up a mess, but not *the* mess.