FAAB Targets (Week of Sept. 14, 2026)

0:00Hello and welcome everybody to the Friday Waivers edition of the road wire fantasy baseball podcast Eric Holtman here with Jeremy Schneider for our penultimate waivers episode of the season I believe I think we're going to have two more shows together but the final week of the season. No point telling you to who to pick up for the final game. Sorry if you were looking for a podcast that hyper focused on the last two days of the season but we are really coming down to the end. So interesting to ask put it together the names for today's show. I mean most of the relevant players have been up for a while now. We're really digging into schedules. I don't know about you but when I was putting together my list looking at schedules even more than normal because next week schedule it comes for half the remaining games. It's a different type of game. We have to play this time of year right. Yeah because we're at the point where guys who have been up all year, the largely known commodities.

1:00We have a mix of some guys who have maybe put up huge numbers in a tiny sample size. It's awkward but of course this is when it counts you know the most you're playing for a championship this time of year. Yeah and if you can get somebody who has a friendly schedule for the next two series that's like having a friendly schedule for 81 games over the course of a full season. So pretty important to pay attention to that stuff this time of year but there are still one or two interesting players getting called up. So let's start with one of those for our first priority pick up of the week. We got a big Dodgers prospect who just got called up a couple days ago. Tell me about this guy Jeremy. Yeah I really thought we were done with the major prospects being called up but we were wrong absolutely with the Dodgers baking I would say a bombshell decision to promote. Hostway to Paula outfielder straight from double a Tulsa and when you see the numbers it's not one of those instances where to Paula hasn't earned the call he has been fantastic all year hitting 303 with a 948 OPS 27 home runs 37 doubles over 100 RBI's and runs scored about 31 stolen bases in 124 games.

2:11Those are just nutty numbers and I've seen some comparisons comparing to Paula to a more athletic yard on Alvarez which that's a comparison that's hard not to be excited about. Admittedly lofty to compare anyone to yard on Alvarez let alone with a caveat of something even better but there is merit to it. Paula has just absolutely crushed double a this year his contact numbers are elite at 15.5% with rate that's 98% tile 14.7% strikeout rate 89.6% zone contact rate. He limits his chase 24.3% in terms of what he's doing at such a young age bad and ball wise just making contact is huge. A lot of the data is more limited at double a compared to triple a but as I you know I mentioned that slash line largely speaks for itself a 143 WRC plus 18% pulled air rate and you know those counting stats again just absolutely massive do plenty to demonstrate what his power is as a batter I will say I think the 31 storm basis or maybe a little misleading for what he'll be in the big leagues.

3:2260th percentile sprint speed means that he could be a factor on the basis but I wouldn't expect him to be a you know full season 30 stolen base guy. De Paula I think the biggest reason that he wasn't really on the radar of a lot of prospect guys including myself to be a potential stash and call up is because there's just no room on this loaded Dodgers team when they're healthy there was nowhere to play you know in the outfield or anywhere else. Well when you have show hay otani your superstar going on the injured list that changes things so with otani going on the injured list playing time shouldn't be an obstacle at all. And while there's always risk of rookie struggling out of the gate you know we always highlight the top prospects getting caught up I think the you know viability of them varies in the ones we talked about. De Paula is truly one of the best of the best and this is kind of the exact example where there's always risk of rookie struggling out of the gate but if you saved up fab you know for for one final splash I think the Paula is the guy that you make the move on.

4:23Yeah as you said certainly might do absolutely nothing in his first couple weeks it often takes the prospect a couple weeks to adjust to the big leagues and we only have a couple weeks for De Paula to make an impact but. It's pretty hard to complain about his statistical record this season power speed contact he's got everything he is a lefty theoretically that could mean he's just in a strong side platoon role I guess it would be maybe Alex call who would be his platoon partner but I'm looking and i'm only seeing. I'm seeing four projected lefties remaining on the Dodger schedule so I think we could see to Paula play at least all but four games and maybe all but just one or two the rest of the way so it's a playing times there. And the team context is there the statistical profile the prospect pedigree it's all there for to Paula so I think the upside that you want if you're going to go big on a prospect who certainly has some downside I think the upside is absolutely there.

5:23Much more than well anybody else we're going to talk about today certainly much more I think then the next guy on the list i've got technically a call up as well though Anthony Volpe was called back up by the Yankees and hey he immediately hit a grand slam so I think he's good now I think that's what we could say. With jazz chisel hitting the I. L. with a sprained thumb we should have at least 10 days where Anthony Volpe is in lineup and maybe more than that this could well be a season ending injury for chisel more something very close to it a regular season ending I should say since there's not much more time than a 10 day I'll stand left. Volpe is somebody who we've seen for many years failed to take that step forward and i'm not saying he's suddenly going to do that in these last two weeks but if you need some speed he should be able to help out a bit there he did drop to 18 steals last season has eight in 57 games this year not not a burner but somebody who does contribute in that category.

6:28The contact is still there where it's been throughout his career 23% strikeout rate is fine the power numbers are down in his 57 major league games this year but if you look at Volpe at the miners this year 11 homers 12 steals in 46 games looks like somebody who's still got it all there just hasn't had. The chance to play every day and hasn't really done enough to take that job and run with it during the time that he's been with the big league club it's not a super inspiring addition here but particularly for people who need a little bit of speed. And I think for anyone else you get somebody who's going to be I think and every day player down the stretch here for the Yankees who is competent look even though Anthony Volpe has fallen. He does have 96 WRC plus this season actually that's better than he has in the past so maybe I'm wrong to say he's fallen by point is he's never been that bad so that's a ringing endorsement for a guy who's okay might help you a bit on the base pass and should certainly play a lot these final couple weeks and he's even out there in a decent number of deeper leagues where he definitely is appealing Joe here is asking in the chat.

7:42Volpe or Travis Bazzana that's an interesting one with Bazzana falling off a bit from what he did early in the year. I think if you gave them both the full season I would expect some pretty similar numbers would maybe go with Volpe down the stretch or would you stick with Bazzana. I think I like Bazzana Bazzana's actually been really hot the last five games or so I think is is a five game on base streak he's had RBI's in the past four or five so I think him heating up it's just hard to believe in Anthony Volpe and it's not entirely his fall a lot of it I think has to do with the way in which he's been portrayed with the Yankees it's just it's hard to hard to really stay invested I think you know you couldn't have asked for a better return to the big leagues yesterday. But in terms of how I would shape targeting Volpe it's someone that you add if you're in particular you know dire need of a short stop or speed in a pinch not an all formats no matter what add.

8:42Yeah fair enough I was just jealous of your exciting call up and one and one of my own let's go the few guys who have been here for a while and have been at least fine if not a little bit better and deserve a little bit more attention who is next on your list of hitters Jeremy. I think that was a great lead into TJ Rumpfield of the Colorado Rockies who has been you know the Rockies might not get a ton of love based on their lack of success albeit they have shown improvement this year. But Rumpfield has quietly just been a fantastic ad for them in his rookie year hitting 295 with an 841 OPS 15 home runs 67 RBI's in 142 games and he's been pretty consistent with it. Over his past 15 games those numbers of all ticked up he's in 360 with an OPS north of 1100 you know we can kind of sample size manipulative as we want but those overall numbers are very legit. And the way he doesn't does it is maybe not what you expect from a first base mean doesn't hit it super hard with a 5% barrel rate 28% hard hit rate but he makes the most of his contact just a 13.8% strikeout rate not to mention an 11.8% walk rate.

9:54And he pairs that with a 36.8% launch angle sweet spot rate which you know I think when you're talking about course field a lot of people think of oh you're hitting the long home runs of course field really plays well for a guy like Rumpfield who knows you know is able to hit it where they're not I guess kind of for lack of putting it better in such a spacious environment plenty of S.B. for success. Rumpfield I think maybe first off didn't come in with a lot of notoriety so I think that led to probably not a ton of fantasy interest he also was platoon to bet against lefties early on but he's a virtually every day player first base at this point and he has held his own against lefties hitting 271 with a 778 OPS against south boss although I will note he is out of the lineup tonight against the Tigers from revoled as speaking of that they have a three game set in Detroit Colorado does. But then the Rockies play 10 straight at home after that so Rumpfield I think overall I would say as a positive addies had a great year but if there was ever a time to add him ahead of a 10 game home stand now would be the time.

10:58Yeah for sure 10 of their last 13 games for the Rockies are at home let's do the math on what that translates to across 162 games that's like like playing 125 home games just in terms of percentage there I just think about how much higher you can play. Higher you would value every rocker Rockies hitter if I got to play 125 home games a year and Rumpfield has better numbers at home as you'd expect although he's held his own on the road so you don't necessarily have to drop him for that final series it's an 890 OPS at home a 790 OPS on the road just a solid professional hitter I'm very happy that I got him in the reserve rounds of doubt or is NL probably the best pick I've made in any of my leagues this year. TJ Rumpfield a totally solid addition to your lineup. Javier Sanoja is my next guy here Javier Sanoja is one of the best contact hitters in all of baseball he's striking out just 8% of the time he doesn't quite count as a qualified hitter he hasn't been in a everyday player throughout the whole season but if you lower the threshold to 400 played appearances he is second behind only Luis Sarayas.

12:13Luis Sarayas with an 8% strike out rate it's just ahead of Chandler Simpson Nico Horner Ernie Clement guys like that. Sanoja does have a pretty bad hard hit rate 32% though is at least not down in the 20s like some of these guys with single digit strike out rates so he's got some of the best back to ball skills in the league and not quite bottom tier power it's helped him to 8 homers in 427 played appearances this year only 9 steals as well he'll have a chance to get into double digits in both of those the lack of real fantasy juice there does keep his value a little bit muted but somebody puts the ball in play this often if you are trying to make up any ground at all in the game he's getting average and Sivir Sinoa is still out there I think he's one of the best options on the wire he's also been quite hot lately going back just his last 10 games he's hitting 415 and the striking out just 5% of the time I believe that's just a total of two strikeouts in those last 10 games so somebody puts the ball in play a time is doing so even more lately it's hard to move your batting average by much at all in a small sample like

13:27what we have remaining this year but Javier Sinoa could do it and he's eligible at second 3rd short and outfield so basically every single team that needs a batting average boost can find a spot for Javier Sinoa if he's out there back to you for another solid professional hitter yeah another first baseman in the NL West Thai France of the San Diego Padres who has really had a you know bit of a career renaissance this year came in as a non roster inviting making the team and becoming the primary first baseman with fantastic results hitting 294 with an 873 OPS on the air just got to 20 home runs and 20 doubles on with 63 RBI's and 52 runs in 120 games another example similar to rumfield where the production has been pretty consistent over his past 15 games France hasn't quite been to rumfield levels but 327 with a 938 OPS 5 extra base hits certainly does the trick

14:29he's had 4 multi hit efforts in 8 games in September France has been an interesting one where some of the underlying data doesn't support the full extent of this breakout at 335 X-Wolba is much lower than a 376 WOLBA but the results of stock and been consistent throughout the year to the point where maybe if you're looking at how you're going to draft next year you could kind of dog France for that but I don't really care about his actual but this point when looking for 2026 because the hard hit rate has been great at 48.7 38.7% launch angle sweet spot rate 9.7 barrel rate he's hitting the ball a lot harder and that's based on a philosophical change that he's made but conceding more whiffs with the 27.6% whiff rate 21.5% strike out rate you'll gladly have that trade off if it's going to be for more power it's benefited France it's benefited the podries and it's made him a viable fantasy option setting the combination of incredible body of work clear power upside there's something to be said about playing in meaningful games down the stretch France is in the thick of a wild card race oh and not to mention he's also starting a 4 game set at course field on Monday I would want high France on my fantasy team

15:44yeah absolutely for those four games in Colorado and almost certainly beyond that as well career highs in barrel rate and hard hit rate he's one home or away from a career high despite being about 200 played appearances shy of his previous career high it's really interesting to see that trade of a little bit of contact for a lot more power you see that sometimes with hitters in their 30s who have been a little bit more contact than you expect I remember Joey Vato doing that for one random year late in his career where he suddenly started whipping way more but had a lot more power and the trade off turned out to be worth it not saying Thai France is Joey Vato but there is more potential for player development later in your career than you might have think or might have previously thought and Thai France is demonstrating that for sure I will move on to the priority hitters I do want to throw in this one from the chat here Uncle Ted said and Cole Carrig now a short stop for the Rockies also an outfielder he has been totally fine on the season not not bad numbers for a rookie in about half a season 77 games he's got a league average 100 WRC plus it in 262 seven homeers nine steals it adds up to production that leaves him definitely worth it in deeper leagues kind of fringian shallower leagues but I'm sure he's going to be a good player

17:11but with all those home games down the stretch I think Cole Carrig is exactly this sort of player who I would want to have in those three series at course field moving over though to our priority pictures I've got a very talented picture who I was surprised to see qualified for our thresholds for today's show we use guys who are available in over half of Yahoo leagues for this priority pickups section Jared Jones is the guy here Jared Jones of the pirates who returned from a long injury layoff earlier in the year we were hyping him up before he returned and things didn't really go well at the start in his first six starts of the year a five 76 ERA for Jones but that's really not unexpected as we talked about many times when guys immediately return from elbow surgery it doesn't always work right away but since then his last 12 starts Jones has a 341 ERA and if you look at just his last two he has a zero ERA he's giving up no runs on four hits in 13 in the work 17 K's just three walks over those last two outings

18:30like Jared Jones is really feeling it right now has found the groove again and with a two-start week I believe next week as well Jared Jones could swing some playoff matchups in shallower leagues he is expected to make two home starts Tuesday against the brewers and Sunday against the Royal so Jared Jones if you was on your radar and then you ignored him due to his poor starts and then maybe saw that his season long numbers remained poor for a while well check again because what we've seen of late from Jared Jones absolutely looks like good version this is somebody who we're going to be drafting pretty early next year so he needs to be on a roster in every single league for the fantasy playoffs you've got I believe a two-start picture of your own as well I believe so I got I'd have to pull back up the grid to confirm but Griffin jacks of the Tampa Bay raised who recently came back from right elbow discomfort he struggled in his first return start but was solid last time out Wednesday where he went five innings of one run ball on the year as a starter jacks began as a reliever and the results weren't great Tampa Bay shifted him into a starting role and the results definitely

19:49checked up to a 3.59 ERA 1.17 whip 93 to 26 strikeout to walk ratio with a 6 and 8 record in 90.1 innings the one part of me that I'm a little troubled with jacks in the two return starts is just three strikeouts but he does have a 24.9% strikeout rate on the season which is solid with that comes a 30% with rate 34.7% chase rate so all of the overall numbers with jacks in terms of generating punchouts are there the 9.5% barrel rate 41.1% hard hit rate that bad involved data isn't ideal and the peripherals are unspectacular but fine with a 458 XDA for a 4.5 372 Ciera really I think the best argument for jacks which I can pull back up the grid right now to see what the back end of it looks like but he has a very strong matchup Tuesday against the a's and luckily this is not on the road at the a's which makes any start potentially scary but this is at home against the a's a team that has you know struggled throughout the year one of the worst offenses against right handed pitching ranking 26th with a 95 WRC plus I think jacks on the year has always been you know even before the elbow discomfort he's been kind of fringy but if there's a time where you want to pick him up I think it will be now for Tuesday

21:14the second half of his to start week is against the red sucks which maybe isn't as perfect of a matchup but the red sucks overall in the year against righties do rank 20th by WRC plus so I think jacks especially if it's a you know a daily league where you can start on Tuesday against the a's no question about it and even with the red sucks on the back end I think matchup wise this is the sort of guy you target at the end. Yeah shout out to Griffin jacks for getting that season long year a back under four remember just how high it was at the start of the year I think it was 22 something at one point early in the year it was still north of six through the end of April but it's now 399 so Griffin jacks has been pitching pretty well for quite some time now and has a couple interesting matchups this week as you said I've got a two start picture again next up here really trying to give you as many points. I think it's possible shots as a win you know what I don't have a two start picture I miss remembering so I'm not trying to give you any possible shots at a win every other guy I have today I think is a two start picture which is why I have miss remembered that corner pre-lip may only have two remaining starts after this weekend but they are pretty decent at the angels and home against Texas corner pre-lip has had an up and down season the ERA is going to be a lot of time.

22:38It's now up to five 25 but is X fifth and CER are both at a pretty good 383 now we've seen several twins pictures I feel like in recent seasons with ERAs that trail their ERA estimators by a significant margin maybe that's a problem they have in Minnesota maybe it'll remain a problem for corner pre-lip but what's caught my eye about him is he's made a couple of pretty good appearances in his last two times on the mound just two total runs out in nine innings 10 strikeouts against one walk both of those outings came in bulk relief so if you are chasing some wins down the stretch pre-lip may not even need to go a full five innings to get you those wins the season long numbers are pretty good at 25% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate that will play and that should lead to an ERA at least in the high threes next season if he's able to repeat pretty similar numbers. We could be coming up on something of an innings limit but again I think that's manifesting itself in the fact that pre-lip is moving to bulk relief and pitching for an innings rather than six he has thrown.

23:49126 and two thirds this season he was at 82 and two thirds last year. Less than that combined overall his previous time in the minors because he had quite a few injuries but. The ways pitching lately the role he's being used in and the matchups he has down the stretch I think corner pre-lip can help a few teams in the fantasy playoffs back to you for I don't know if this guy's the two started pitcher is he. No he he is at least as far as the it's hard to keep up these days I'm more confident that grant homes is not a two star pitcher and. And yeah I guess I cats out of the bag right talking about grant homes who has really been strong of late one of those guys that certainly falls in that fringe orange where you probably have him in a deeper league but the shallower leagues it's hard to necessarily buy in on a guy that hasn't always put it together as a starter but what he has done of late has been very notable scoreless showings in three of his past four outings in the second half alone a three

24:55two two area and a one two three whip in ten starts spanning 50 point one innings and really the overall numbers don't aren't that different than that a 3.46 year a 1.29 whip nine wins in 137.2 innings that being 28 outings homes isn't going to be the guy that you look at for strikeouts 18.9% strikeout rates not going to do a ton despite a solid 27.5% whiff rate. This isn't the case of someone where there's a ton super inspiring under the hood where a 474 x year a 4.6.5 4.6.9. Sierra not conventionally a fantasy target but kind of I was talking about it on the offensive end earlier about Thai France with his ex-wova but stock in peripherals this time of year should be fairly limited in terms of what they're doing this year it's a little bit what they've done it's who they are at least for the next two weeks homes is next lady take the ball Sunday against the fillies. This is the first time I've ever seen a guy who has a 91 WRC plus against right handed pitching 28th and Lake which is really every time we have a guy that matches up with the fillies the numbers feel like wow those are really bad but the fillies have been so good recently and are clearly a playoff team.

26:06I appreciate you pointing out just how bad the fillies are every chance you can get. I'm saying that I'm floored at that these numbers are bad because they are good is my point but what I can say a lot of a lot of low scoring wins. Well, because what what did happen was the last time Grant Holmes faced the fillies he spun six shut out innings that being on Monday so I think Holmes is a great example of a guy who has put together a pretty solid season even if you don't entirely believe it in the long run where you feel comfortable enough to try to kind of ride that high through the end. Yeah, Holmes had six shut out innings against the fillies in a game that the braves lost because his is a little though through nine shut out innings with just to it's allowed unfortunately you probably can pick up his is those are those so grand homes will have to do. i've got one final priority picture here and we are indeed back on the two start picture grind here that is Quinn Matthews of the Cardinals who has put together can we call it mixed results in his six big league starts so far overall a four 11 er is fine.

27:15He's given a 14 earned runs seven of which came against the fillies and their mighty offense back in late August his other five starts he's allowed a combined seven earned runs and in his last three starts it's just four so somebody who's mostly gotten the job done this year somebody who comes with can we say a lot of prospect pedigree Quinn Matthews had a lot of prospect pedigree at some point lost to a decent amount of it due to control. And this year he finally earned his promotion even though the control struggles were still there on the miners it was a 15% walk rate and a 29% strikeout rate he hasn't been able to miss as many bats at the big league level which is expected at a 20% strikeout rate in the majors so far not somebody who's totally put it all together and has looked completely convincing but somebody who. Certainly has mass specs to his game that scouts have liked for a long time and he has a pretty good to start week next week he gets to host the Giants one of the weaker offenses in the league and a team that has nothing to play for and he'll then get to host the Washington National so somebody keeps that Sunday start next week nationals have had a better offense although they traded away some pieces and not sure how much they'll be playing for down the street.

28:42So I like those two starts for Quinn Matthews not sure I'd keep around for a potential start at a brewer's team that might have something to play for in that final weekend maybe they'll be locked in to their seed but I do think that for this next week Quinn Matthews two shots that win two games where he could strike out five or six batters I think he'll help you out next week or he'll give up seven rounds in one start again we'll see. So we move on to the deep league options then Jeremy no ad read today so we can just jump right into it deep league pictures who is your first option. My first guy is Anthony Molina of the San Francisco Giants we've talked about a lot of different Giants both on the offensive and pitching in this year it's just kind of been one of those years for the Giants where a lot of guys in a lot of guys out kind of fits the mold of the deep league sections. Molina is a 24 year old who struggled mightily with an year around seven in 94 innings primarily as a reliever with the Rockies in 2024 and 2025 began this year in the Braves organization before coming over to the Giants at the trade deadline and with the Giants he's made three appearances in the big leagues with a 1.88 ERA a 0.7 whip 13 to 2 strike out to walk ratio picking up three wins in all of those opportunities spanning 14 and a third innings.

30:07The sample size is tiny you know I'm not trying to make any sort of grand you know grand statements on Molina but he's done a really good job of limiting hard contact a 33.9% hard hit rate 85.9 mile per hour average opposing exit velocity those are really strong numbers to pair with a minuscule 4.1% walk rate I think that's an incredibly positive note for fringy guys I think I say that every week where if they're fringy and they have positive control these year for me to buy in and yet on the fact that he's a fairly hard throw or fastball at 96.1 mile per hour on average uses it at 49.3% of the time I think there's enough there for some intrigue maybe not anything that I feel overly confident in with a incredibly small sample size and lack of track record of success the big league level matchup wise he's slated to start tonight against the podra is who ranked right in the middle with a 100 WRC plus 2.0 WRC plus 16th against righties then lines up for another start Wednesday on the road against the Cardinals who ranked 25th in that category with a 95 WRC plus there's a lot of unknown with Molina so I can understand the hesitation for a guy that maybe you have not even heard of until right now but he has the benefit of pitching in a good ballpark tonight and has generally solid matchups with these next two starts.

31:30Yeah looking at his control and that doesn't seem to be a new thing in his years with Colorado he had a 102 location plus both of those seasons of 106 this year and last year in 34 and 2 3rds innings for the Rockies while he did have any or a north of 7 and a whip of 167 he only walked 3.8% of opposing batter so it does seem like Anthony Molina has reliable control and it's just a matter of missing just a few minutes. So that's what he has done this season my deep league pitcher is a guy with an ERA north of 6 1 1 2 who pitches in the second worst park in baseball a really compelling argument here for you to go out and add Jack Perkins. Well how much more would you like Jack Perkins if he didn't have to pitch in Sacramento because this next week he is slated for two starts both of which are on the road at Tampa is not ideal that is a pretty good lineup but at least it's not in Sacramento and then at Cleveland seems fairly manageable the other reason to recommend Jack Perkins is if you ignore the ERA and whip he doesn't look that bad.

32:46This is the guy with a 25% strikeout rate a 10% walk rate is a little bit too high but it does all add up to a 392 Sierra which it's not a star but a pretty decent pitcher that is of course including some of his time in relief as well but on the whole Jack Perkins has missed bats this year he just has issued a future many walks and he's been hit far too hard but I do blame his home park for a lot of that I wish you could say that he was entering the next season. This week on a high he's not really he had three straight starts where he walked four or five batters and then his last start out he didn't walk anybody to give up four runs on seven hits so it hasn't been great recently and those ERA and whip are pretty tough to look at still two pretty manageable matchups I think this is one where if you're specifically chasing strikeouts and I think he'll give you a decent shot at strikeouts in these days.

33:46These two starts if you can go five innings get you five or six in each of them maybe one win across those two outings I think for a guy with an ERA north of six and a half and a whip north of one and a half it's about as good as it gets. Are you at all willing to put Jack Perkins in your lineup? I don't think I can do it. I know Perkins got some hyperliger this year he was in a relief role maybe he was going to be the closer than transition and the rotation and the results just haven't been there. I'm not naive to the fact that he's pitching at an incredibly challenging home ballpark all of the other ERA estimators of four nine seven five four eight X year a three nine two Sierra they're all much more in court encouraging than that six and a half mark. But it's just hard to give a ton of benefit of the doubt to a guy that doesn't have a lengthy track record of big league success walks too many guys in my opinion and just the nature of pitching predominantly at Sutter Health Park. You can definitely make the argument look we we've all played in very deep leagues where sometimes you know the options are slim and the fact that Perkins matchups are on the road makes it a little more palatable.

34:52But I just I have concerns about plugging Perkins into the lineup and things going very poorly in Tampa Bay so me personally I'd be a little nervous streaming Perkins but I think I think you outlined the path for him to be viable. All right so instead of recommending a guy with a 653 ERA on the year you've got a guy with a 642 ERA for his career way better who's that. Yeah I guess I kind of set myself up poorly in the arguments that I've made against Jack Perkins to then try to sell Jonatong of the New York Mets who in four appearances the big league level of 48 ERA with a 1.33 whip two and one record with a 14 to eight strike out to walk ratio in 15 innings. Tongue is someone that I'm sure if you've been plugged in you've heard about quite a bit over the last year or two because he rose very high in the prospect ranks just hasn't been able to really figure it out even at the AAA level the numbers are fairly pedestrian of four five ERA 1.37 whip and 23 starts in AAA Syracuse.

35:55The control issues are kind of most of what it's about in 11.8% walk rate the big league level 12.6% in AAA I think is last start against Miami kind of encapsulates where we're at with Tongue in a certain sense he actually limited the walks to just one of the five innings four runs four heads but seven strikeouts in a win at Miami and that's the sort of spot where you see Tongue I think there's major strikeout upside with a 27% strikeout rate in AAA. 25.3% in the small MLB sample size the seven strikeouts last time out is really what I'm looking at that gives me any sort of excitement versus the I let me correct myself was 25.3% in his sample size last year as opposed to 20.6% this year I think there is more strikeout upside than that 20% mark. And again with such a small sample size I don't want to data dive too much with the hard contact numbers have been pretty solid 31.1% hard hit rate 6.7% per hour rate 206 expected batting average it's really just keeping keeping away from free passes keeping the ball in the yard which you know not that long ago highly touted prospect you maybe give him a little more benefit of figuring that out but it's also so much easier said than done for my chair it's a lot easier to say walk fewer guys.

37:16Give up fewer home runs than it is to really put it together match up wise he is lined up for Monday against the Orioles ranked 12th in the league against right handed pitching by WRC plus then Sunday against the Phillies who as we mentioned ranked 28th with the 91 WRC plus all that per the road oh wire grid I think again I Tongue is someone where if you're looking for strikeout upside I'm a little more interested in Tongue the Niam Perkins. But there is a similar level of risk I'm not going to act like I'm overly confident in Tongue and to re emphasize this is the case where you're looking in in deep leagues this is the deep league section for a reason but end of the day if you need strikeouts I like Tongue a little bit more than Perkins. Yeah you mentioned he had a good strikeout day seven strikeouts in his last big league start his final seven starts in the minors before that promotion the average six strikeouts start so the whiffs have been there down the stretch for Jonah Tongue I've got another name but want to throw in one from the chat here on the topic of athletic starters Joe asking would you start Jacob Lopez at home versus Seattle this Sunday ordinarily.

38:29I would run far away from any a starter at home but Jacob Lopez has been on a very good run his last nine starts he has a 263 year a problem is the area estimators don't really back that up at all I think I would be too scared to do this but I think a lot of people wouldn't be he was on a quite a good run in terms of strikeouts until he whiffs just one better in his last three years. I think I'm a coward and would only do it if I was specifically trying to bulk as many innings as I could before the end of the year and therefore strikeouts so would you feel differently about this one Jeremy. I mean I wouldn't feel great about it but in the context of some of the guys that we're talking about as a potential ad Lopez has been pitching well and I think there's something to be said about just riding with the guy who has been doing well I it's certainly scary to be pitching at Sutter Health Park. But I think I'd be okay rolling the dice not with any sort of certain confidence but yeah fair enough let's go back to our list then I've got yet another two start picture Drew Anderson of the Tigers is currently scheduled to pitch next Tuesday at Toronto and next Sunday at the white socks Drew Anderson has been totally solid for the Tigers this year in a swing man role.

39:57A three 80 year with a 366 Sierra a little bit better there. This is somebody who was not much of anything for several years in the majors had a 650 year a across parts of five seasons then he went to Japan for two years in Korea for two more and really dominant in Korea particularly his most recent season last year for the SSG landers at a 35% strikeout rate with a 7% walk rate back here in the majors it's a 25% strike average so still above average with a walk rate just shy of 10% missing a few too many bats but he has taken to the rotation pretty well since joining in early August it's a 297 ERA in seven starts he is getting a bit lucky according to the ERA estimators so not somebody who I would fully endorse as you know a 297 ERA picture going forward but somebody who is getting the job done who's overall body of work is pretty good I think through Anderson with two starts next week should give you two shots at a win and two chances that about five strikeouts or so per outing there I think he's one of several pictures who are good enough to do a job if you're trying to rack up as many innings as possible next week.

41:25So I think I do Anderson to me falls under the category of not super exciting but serviceable maybe the walks are a little higher than you'd like if you're nitpicking but you know 9.9% you can deal with for a guy that is heavy on the ground balls at 49% and honestly I didn't realize that he has done a very strong job with the strikeout rate bringing it over at 25.3% I think this you know a very sensible ad for deep league managers. All right we've got yet another two start pictures this guy sensible to or no. That's a it's a yes and no I would say on Ryan Johnson of the Los Angeles Angels who you can really break this down into a lot of different pieces the overall numbers for Johnson have been very poor 512 VRA 136 whip with a 63 to 39 strikeout to walk ratio and a 4 and 8 record in 19 appearances spanning eight before in a third innings but he's been on a huge eater since the beginning of August a 2 11 year a 110 whip picking up to wins during that stretch.

42:35I'm just I'm not sure that I believe what has happened in the past seven starts because of a 26 to 19 strikeout to walk ratio during that stretch and upon looking at it at 542 510s to agree with my assessment. Because Johnson is a guy that especially when you watch him pitch he's a soft tossing albeit funky right hander and that kind of guy it's hard to have you know consistency staying power that sort of profile especially one who comes in with a 93 stuff plus and 92 location plus those guys aren't exactly hot commodities. He's also you know he does have the two start week which for certain people just the nature of having to start is important but the matchups aren't great facing off against the mariners Tuesday who ranked 6 against righties with a 107 WRC plus then Sunday against the twins who are just a tick better at 108 WRC plus in fifth again I don't think these matchups are particularly great and if I haven't made the skepticism on this run clear I'm skeptical of it but I figure that at this time of year.

43:41I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention how strong his results have been to the point where maybe he's able to just string a few more together I'm not making the case that Johnson is someone that I feel good about taking this stretch into saying I'm going to draft him next year but look seven starts or seven starts if he can get it done two more times that could be a very significant boost so I don't I don't think you'll be right if we love Johnson out of this section. Yeah I'm going to give you one more reason to go for Ryan Johnson and that is that the angels change their pitch and coach right around the start of that seven start window actually Mike Manics was still there for the first of those but if you look at just his last six starts which does coincide with the change in regime there has been a real pitch mix change he was throwing his cutter. At just 30% of the time since then he's throwing the cutter 50% of the time he's throwing far fewer splitters far fewer sinkers as well he's also up the usage of his slider so more sliders more cutters do you want to guess what his two pitches are that stuff plus likes the most I'll give you a hint it's the cutter in the slider I was going to say.

44:56You know your stuff they're very sharp over there this is something you'll often see a new regime comes in and they say hey you're good pitches you should throw those more. You just gotten into a routine with the old regime where they must have wanted a more balanced approach we're hearing this about a few different angels pitches I think Walbert arena may have I think it would say dropped his four seamer and through his other pitches more there there's changes across this angels pitching staff and Even though as you said not all the underlying numbers are amazing over this good run from Johnson the fact that there is a pitch mix change gives me reason to believe that there's something here with that cutter and slider that he's throwing more often pitches that it's probably tough to get the barrel on with all that movement We should also mention that Ryan Johnson is one of those angels who has had the extremely weird career path that the angels love to give their young players He was drafted in the second round in 2024

45:58He did not throw a professional pitch that year and his first professional pitch came in the majors He was called up to the big league roster to open the 2025 season despite never having pitched in the minors It didn't go well and he spent most of that year back in the minors But this is somebody who really has not been given a chance to develop normally So the fact that the angels finally are under more competent management and their You know introducing such genius ideas as throw your good pitches more than your bad ones and this could be somebody who Could be on the verge of a breakout breakout to what I'm not sure But I think this is a new Ryan Johnson that we're seeing here I've got one bonus pitcher for you I was trying to find relievers I just am not seeing many compelling save options for you down the stretch But I did find somebody interesting that you could look to add that is Hagen Smith Of the cubs

46:58This is somebody who was a starting pitcher in the minors, but had major major control issues He had a 18 percent walk rate last year 16 percent this year strike average above 30 percent closer to 35 percent both seasons. That's why he was still a prospect of some note The one hundred and eleven thrang prospect here at rotowire. He has been up as a reliever Or an opener technically his last appearance was a start But he hasn't faced more than nine batters in any of his appearances What he has done is pitched very very well in 18 innings Hagen Smith has allowed one run or one earned run I should say two total runs on seven hits 26 strikeouts in 18 innings as well This is somebody who's likely to pitch two or three times and go at least two innings in both of those So he's going to get you a starts worth of innings and he's going to get you quite a lot of strikeouts And maybe some good ratios as well

47:58There will only be certain teams where that's valuable But I think for those teams Hagen Smith as a multi-inning Strike out weapon. I think there could be something there right Team specific but a talented young pitcher Very team specific falls under the category of someone that is plainly pitching well That might not necessarily work in every single fantasy category But yeah, it's been fun to see Smith who had you know had some pedigree and it has had you know Pedigree with the white dogs the way that they've deployed him very curious to see how it'll work out I assume they'll try to stretch him back out into a starter at some point We'll see if the command will stick for it but fun to see him succeed in the short term We had a couple other questions about Sunday streamers before we move on to our deep league hitters here Troy Melton versus the blue jays is an option. I like that a lot better than Jacob Lopez at home Troy Melton doesn't have great strikeout numbers this season 20% So I don't fully believe that 242 ERA the ERA estimators

48:58In the low fours, but I think he's a perfectly competent pitcher And I wouldn't be too scared of the blue jays I would like that Troy Melton start as a stream certainly wherever he's available right I agree And cal control also as a potential streamer A less talented pitcher, but is that start at home? He has a Sunday start at ERA Zona Doable probably cal control just does not miss very many bats at all By the way his teammate Cody Bradford has a two-start week next week I really thought about including him on today's list but his Already low strike out rate has reached Undenably low level so I don't know if I'm touching Cody Bradford this season, but I think cal control Uh, man his his ratios are way better than I thought they were 289 ERA 106 whip I don't know how that's happening given the rest of his profile But I think that's a viable streamer as well, right? Yeah, he cal control just keeps on getting the job done I'm not entirely sure But he keeps on putting up quality starts so why not I think I'd feel honestly

50:02Way better about him than you would think just based on the name itself Yeah, that 19% strike out rate is the highest it's been in five years And I guess that's good enough if you're cal control But moving on to the final section of today's show our deep league hitters I'm gonna kick things off with Victor Mesa Jr. of the Tampa Bay race Now am I mentioning him only so I can talk about the fact that his dad is named Victor Mesa And his brother is named Victor Victor Mesa maybe but also Victor Mesa Jr. is a pretty useful player I think certainly for deeper formats He returned at the start of September from a strained hamstring And he plays pretty regularly for the raise and mostly against righties as a left-handed hitter by Bolivia The occasional start against lefties as well on the whole in 65 games this year Victor Mesa Jr. has 12 homers and eight steals

51:06If you pro-rate those numbers for 600 play-to-beerances, we're talking 34 homers and 23 steals. I'm not sure there's that kind of fantasy juice here But the smallest sample numbers are pretty good strike out rate of 20% is a little bit better than league average A 40% hard hit rate that's right around the average with 11% barrel rate is Above league average by a good bit because he is an extreme flyball guy a 57% flyball rate to go the 32% ground ball rate That does mean that the batting average isn't particularly high just 242 But that's not bad when you make an above average amount of contact usually the batting average isn't gonna bottom out So somebody who seems to do a little bit of everything at the plate and on the base pass And is gonna play in the majority of games down the stretch for a pretty good offense I think Victor Mesa Jr. is the name that we should be getting to know. I think he's a pretty viable deep league player Probably the platoon situation keeps him for deep leagues only

52:09But I think this is a pretty competent player who doesn't get talked about much would you agree? Yeah, I mean look he's hitting 419 with 4 extra base hits and 9 games since returning from the injured less I think those numbers can speak for themselves I'd say ad mesa as soon as possible if your league allows You know varying based on format as the rays are looking at the road I regret projected to face four straight righties next four games before six straight lefties So you know, it's silly seasons So we'll see if that entirely comes to fruition correct me if I'm wrong on that So that I'd say be my only drawback on mesa certain formats might render him a little less valuable with that String of lefties, but purely in terms of the player. I support this endorsement. Yes, so maybe actually somebody more valuable in Shallower daily moves leagues because he can just dump him again once that run of lefties hits He did face off against McKenzie Gore who's a lefty earlier this week, but he was on the bench again smart team Perez yesterday

53:09So a little bit more than a platoon role. I would say four victor mesa Jr Your next guy in the slush Jeremy might be my favorite name on today's show other than I guess hoseway de paula I thought about including this guy in the priority section, but make the case for a young rocky Yeah, Adele Amador of the Colorado Rockies the second baseman who You know was once a very highly thought of prospect that just wasn't able to to hang at the big league level He had a couple of opportunities in mid august before being sent back down He was recalled with rosters expanding On september 1st and has taken advantage of the opportunity Sleshing 346 376 15. That's good for a 986 ops two home runs for ribbies five runs in seven september games Amador is getting regular looks at second base and even with conor norbe also in the mix Amador started at the h yesterday

54:10In terms of what to do with such goddy numbers in a small sample size I would point to the 436 woeba versus 268 x woeba and the 346 babbip So I'm not not here to state the case that he's having a you know a long term sustainable true post prospect type breakout But he's making contact often with a 15.2 percent wave rate Just a 17.1 percent strikeout rate and he has ran into some barrels with a 10 percent rate in a very Small sample size. I'll re emphasize the lack of track record in the big league level But Amador gets a particular boost because of the benefit of playing at course field We already talked about that earlier And I think that could ring even more true for guys that are Fringe year in terms of it for sure that they're good or not He gets to play at a at a very favorable course field So with that backdrop on top of this good little run I'd be willing to take a chance on this hot stretch particularly in extended formats Yeah, my favorite skill four players who get to play half their games at course field is a low strikeout rate

55:16And that's what Amador has just 17 percent. That's kind of the only tool that I really trust at this point I think you laid out the case that his expected numbers are nowhere near as good as the actual numbers Also you'd expect a middle infielder with good contact skills to be fast But according to sprints speed He is the opposite of fast 18th percentile sprints speed this year In his brief Big league time the last couple seasons he never ran tire than the 27th percentile has 11 steals in 18 attempts The miners this year so I wish I could say he could help you out in average and stolen bases I don't think that's the case But with over three quarters of the Rockies games at course field starting next Monday Somebody puts the ball and play this often. I think it's going to be a pretty nice ad for your batting average I have a middle infielder who does offer you some speed up next that is Jorge Mateo Who is now a Tampa Bay ray in case you've lost track of that one and he's now

56:20The rays starting shortstop with Taylor walls on the iL with a hit flexor strain Maybe walls makes it back for the last week of the season or so But we should get at least another week or so of Jorge Mateo as The primary shortstop for the rays Which is great news for anybody who needs steals Jorge Mateo. I know Can run. I don't know if he can do anything else, but 17 steals and 192 played appearances this year 15 and 83 played appearances the year before that Back when he was a full-time player. He was a back-to-back 30 steel guy This is somebody who has some of the best speed in the league even at age 31 He might not have a bat at all is the problem in in 20 games for the rays. He has a wrc plus of eight Which is not very good a hard hit rate of 16% with his new team as well I wish I could tell you

57:21Something optimistic about how I believe his bat is about to bounce back in a big way But I do not believe that however If he's playing nearly every day for the rays for the next week or so and you need speed I think there are going to be few better options out there for that late speed boost I don't think there's many players on the wire who have the potential to steal what Five six more bases the rest of this season if Jorge Mateo is penciled in the lineup every day the rest of the year There's every chance he leads the league in steals the rest of the way so Seven steals in 20 games for the rays That's more than one in three games. That's more than a 50 steel base over the course of the full season And that's with him coming off the bench in many of those games as well So very much a category specific target here about Jorge Mateo now that that playing time is open Could really help you on the base pass in these final two and a half weeks You've got one more deep league infielder for us. Who is that?

58:22Yeah Christian cost of the San Francisco giants Who has really turned things up in September hitting 355 with three home runs five Arby eyes and ten runs in nine September games Those numbers are much more favorable than his season long marks with a 227 batting average 808 op s just nine extra base hits and nine rbis in 167 plate appearances This is kind of the ultimate guy where his overall overall profile is I guess to put it simply bad Across the board and support the overall struggles But when you look at what he's done during this stretch in particular He's slashed his strikeout rate from a season long mark of 24% to under 10% The exit velocities haven't drastically improved but he's making a lot more contact Which is gonna give you a better chance to get on track that itself isn't exactly rocket science And what he's done with the contact has been productive of 50% launch angle sweet spot rate in this

59:25Small sample size to go along with the 28.6% pulled air rate those are positives again very small sample size But if we're looking for someone that is you know doing things right at the right time that's cost Reverting back to his previous form is very much on the table But the point of this time of year is sometimes you got to take out that rhyme a reason I think cost is probably who he is in the long term But if he's playing every day at shortstop with Willie Thomas hurt with an elbow injury On top of the fact that there's some stolen base upside 89th percentile sprint speed Even though he's only logged three stolen bases in 56 games Costress fits in the category of you don't have to believe him in the long term But he's hot right now gonna have the opportunity to play every day So if there if there's an opportunity in a deep league You need something across the infield because he does have position eligibility at second short and third I would consider out consider writing hot with costs again. Maybe not with any sort of

1:00:26Confidence, but that is September baseball 14s like the giants where guys get the opportunity to play Maybe something sticks for a little bit Yes, somebody with pretty good bet to ball skills at the very least just two strikeouts in his last eight games Had extremely limited action in the minors this season was hardly striking out at all and typically has strike out rates that are just a bit better than league average If you put the ball in blank good things might happen for Christian costs My final name here is Leo Bernal who is now the starting catcher for the cardinals This is somebody who is the number three 36 ranked prospect here at Rotowire. So Definitely not an elite prospect, but somebody who should have a big league future and indeed a big league present In his nine games for the cardinals he has an eight 22 OPS is hit a pair of homers So it's also attempted to steal he does have non-zero speed for a catcher

1:01:26Which is something nine steals in the minors this year 13 last year It's also caught seven times this year. So I'm not sure how long they'll let him keep running In the minors this season in 101 games at the triple A level it was 16 homers For Bernal with a 278 average a strikeout rate of 20 percent somebody who seems to have basically average contactability and Similar levels of power for a catcher. That's pretty good uh I think that could be good enough to make him at least a mid tier catcher two in two catcher leagues going forward as long as the playing time is there And I think it should be the cardinals haven't wanted even her area to catch too many games this season He's only caught 50 and five of the last six games. It has been Bernal So I think that's what we're going to see down the stretch and I think Bernal Despite being not an elite prospect. I think he's a perfectly fine option Given the lower standards of offense at the catcher positions. I think he'll be a serviceable

1:02:28Uh second catcher for a lot of teams down the stretch. I think that's going to do it for us though We are all out of names. Hopefully there's enough for you all again a whole bunch of two start pictures Who are reasonably compelling for next week anybody chasing those pitching counter stat counting stats You have some options at least really tough choices this time of year though Are you going to protect your ratios? Are you going to chase those extra strikeouts by throwing jack parkins out there Best of luck for everybody who has to make those difficult decisions We will be back next week. I think we'll have two more shows me and Jeremy. I will have one For your final weeks worth of waiver additions and I think we'll probably do some sort of looking back on the best waiver Pickups of the year or something like that in the final week of the season So good luck to everybody in your playoff matchups or in your last couple weeks here Thank you to everybody who hung out in the chat You wrote a wire fantasy baseball podcast will be back Sunday night with Jeff and Scott going over this weekend's fab results

1:03:36Bye