Baseball is a funny sport. I’ve probably led with that before, but in total honesty, I’m relatively new here. As a lifelong football fan, it took some time to adjust. In football—particularly in fantasy—it pays to act quickly, reacting and adapting to new information since the season is short. Baseball, however, has its ebbs and flows—its crests and troughs—that require patience. David Stearns and the New York Mets understand this well and have seemingly brought themselves back to life after two months of subpar play with an injection of youth into their pitching staff. Mets starters were heralded at the beginning of the campaign, but the rotation recently came under fire for a lack of length from its arms. With the promotions of two top prospects, Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean, those concerns suddenly seem forgotten.
McLean was brought up two weeks ago and has been nothing short of brilliant in three starts (3-0, 0.89 ERA, 0.69 WHIP). Tong made his debut on Friday (5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 6 K), nabbing a win in a lopsided Mets victory. Aside from things looking good in Queens, owners in need of pitching help will want to consider adding one or both to their rosters. McLean is likely already gone in your league (and is the more enticing option currently), but it doesn't hurt to look.
Fantasy managers were dealt another blow on Friday with the news that Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (appendicitis) was placed on the 10-day injured list. Seager will undergo an appendectomy, and while there's currently no timetable for his return, it hasn't been ruled out. In other unfortunate circumstances for the team, starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (shoulder) will miss the rest of the season with a rotator cuff strain. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young reported the news. It's a massively disappointing turn of events for Eovaldi, who led all starting pitchers with a microscopic 1.73 ERA.
Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Megill is dealing with a Grade 1 flexor strain in his elbow, although he's hoping for a brief stay on the injured list. Fantasy managers can scoop up teammate Abner Uribe in the meantime if they need saves. While Megill is expected back, Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. is in danger of missing the remainder of the season with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. It's poor timing considering he's been much better following the All-Star break (.298) than before (.190).
Lastly, Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez was pulled from his last start against the Seattle Mariners in the third inning due to forearm tightness and has been diagnosed with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow. Lopez may still return in 2025, but it doesn't seem likely, potentially derailing a true breakout season.
This column assumes point formats and highlights players with roughly 50% ownership or less on Yahoo! A player appears twice only if they continue their hot hitting from weeks prior. Happy hunting!
Waiver Adds
Jakob Marsee, OF - Miami Marlins (55% Owned)
At this point, it feels like more of a long shot than not that Jakob Marsee would be available on your waiver wire. Regardless, he's deserving of a look. Marsee has burst onto the scene since his call-up to kick off the month, slashing an elite .358/.421/.653 with 17 extra-base hits (ten doubles, four homers), 24 RBI, 14 runs scored, and eight steals in ten attempts. That's upper-echelon, five-category production.
With output like that, it's easy to overreact -- particularly with the improvements the Marlins' bats have shown overall this season. In total honesty, I'm having a difficult time not doing so myself. Sure, Marsee is out-producing his .317 xBA by a good margin, and a .435 BABIP is sure to crater, so some regression is expected. However, he's holding his Whiff (15.8%) and Chase rates (16.8%) in check and sports strong quality of contact metrics.
The former San Diego Padre will cool off from his scorching debut eventually. That said, he's shown more than enough -- even over a small sample -- to make me think he isn't just another guy.
Colson Montgomery, SS/3B - Chicago White Sox (34% Owned)
Colson Montgomery's overall line has come down some since his last feature here roughly a month ago. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be on our radar, though, as even top prospects need time to adjust. I'll admit, the 23-year-old's .167 (7-for-42) average against southpaws is an issue. It's worth noting that despite the poor showing, four of his seven hits against lefties have gone for two or more bases (three long balls).
Other than his dreadful hitting against left-handed pitching, the only knock I have against Montgomery is his consistency. A 27.3% strikeout rate isn't ideal, but he's been better than that over his last five starts (15%) -- an encouraging sign. Moreover, the 6-foot-3 shortstop launched four home runs during that span (nine RBI) -- one in each of his last four outings before a side strain knocked him out of the lineup for a few days.
Montgomery was back in the starting lineup on Friday (1-4, BB/K), suggesting the injury is minor and shouldn't affect his recent power surge. I'd like to see the rookie improve a bit more over the next month or so, but he's rising in my ranks ahead of 2026.
Andres Gimenez, 2B - Toronto Blue Jays (31% Owned)
Revised Version:
There's no getting around it -- Andres Gimenez just hasn't been very good this year. He's a glove-first guy who batted a solid .251 over the past two campaigns and swiped 30 bags in each of them. In 2025, however, Gimenez is sitting at a woeful .220 with seven homers and 15 steals. It feels like every time he gets hot, he falls victim to injury.
The Venezuelan native's most recent ailment (ankle) sidelined him for more than a month, but he's back now and looks to be heating up again. Gimenez is vastly under-producing his .267 xBA, which would be a career-high and right in line with his .262 xBA in 2023. He's shown some power recently, leaving the yard twice and picking up a double over a three-game stretch earlier in the week while recording two hits in two of those contests.
It's fair to wonder how active he'll be on the basepaths after ankle and quad injuries, but the 26-year-old registered two thefts earlier this week, suggesting he may be nearing full health. He's the one I'm least excited about of this bunch, but presents as one of the better options if you need speed and a batting average increase.
Jared Triolo, 1B/2B/3B/SS - Pittsburgh Pirates (29% Owned)
Jared Triolo has benefited from ex-teammate Ke’Bryan Hayes’ recent move to Cincinnati, taking over as Pittsburgh’s regular third baseman since being recalled on Aug. 1. In 84 at-bats since then, the University of Houston product has tallied 28 hits (.333) with a stellar .929 OPS and .429 OBP—a stark contrast to the sub-.212 line he posted earlier this season.
Triolo has been valuable for both fantasy managers and the Pirates, but his production has spiked even further over his last 10 games. During that stretch, the right-handed infielder has batted .424, highlighted by five straight multi-hit performances, three doubles, a triple, and two home runs.
The New Hampshire native’s hot streak hasn’t gone unnoticed. Pittsburgh has recently moved him into the leadoff spot, where he’s started three straight games and four of his last six. Meanwhile, the Pirates have quietly put together a run of their own, winning nine of their last 14 contests.
Josh Jung, 3B - Texas Rangers (27% Owned)
Like his Texas teammate Evan Carter (wrist), I was expecting a tremendous season from Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. Alas, it's another lost year for the duo amid multiple stints on the injured list. Carter is still out with a wrist issue, but Jung is showing signs of life at the dish.
The former first-round pick was recently benched, sitting out four of the team's five games as he battled through an abysmal stretch. It seems that time riding the pine changed something for Jung, as he's amidst a six-game hit streak with four multi-hit efforts, including back-to-back three-hit outings. Perhaps even more impressively, he's struck out just once in his last 14 at-bats, lowering an ugly 28.4% strikeout rate in August.
I've been waiting for Jung to return to his 2023 form (.266/23 homers in 122 games) and even build on that for what seems like forever. This isn't a call to that level, but it is a reminder of the upside he possesses.
Two-Start Pitchers
Parker Messick, LHP - Cleveland Guardians (19%/43% Yahoo!/CBS)
The Guardians called up their No. 10 overall prospect, Parker Messick, late last week, and the youngster has been impressive. In two starts against the Diamondbacks and Rays, he's completed at least 6 2/3 innings, yielded just one earned run, and boasts a stellar 12:1 K:BB ratio. Messick is 1-0 with an ERA (0.66) lower than his WHIP (0.88).
It's quite the debut for the second-round pick out of Florida State. His fastball averages 93 MPH and garners a 33.3% Whiff rate (41.2 PutAway%). That pitch mostly resides in the top of the zone and has slightly more rise than the league average. Messick pairs his four-seamer with a filthy changeup -- notably against right-handed batters (47.6 Whiff%) -- that has sharp, arm-side movement. The former Seminole uses a slider against lefties, although that isn't as developed as the other two pitches. Additionally, he throws a curveball and a sinker, but his fastball and changeup account for 67% of the southpaw's usage.
Messick will get Tampa Bay again this week -- this time on the road -- after a meeting with the hosting Boston Red Sox. They're two of the worst matchups on a given week, but this is a bet on talent. The 24-year-old is known for his control (career 2.0 BB%) and hasn't seemed fazed by big-league bats, even when facing trouble (which hasn't come often).
Thanks for reading, and good luck in your matchups next week!
