The home stretch is upon us with September here and rosters expanding. Twins phenom Walker Jenkins got the call Friday, while Ethan Salas of the Padres and Lazaro Montes of the Mariners are expected to be promoted today. The expansion from 26 to 28 players on the active roster can add some stash appeal, but there's an important wrinkle to keep in mind when evaluating potential September call-ups.
To get ahead of it and avoid repeating myself with multiple players, prospects must be on the 40-man roster today to be eligible for the postseason. Therefore, if a team competing for a playoff spot didn't add a top prospect to its 40-man roster today, it could be an indication that a promotion isn't in the plans, as that player wouldn't be eligible for the postseason roster barring a petition to the Commissioner's Office. That doesn't rule out a September call-up, and I'm admittedly steering clear of the additional 40-man roster implications involving a potential lockout and prospects playing in the minors next season, but it's an important factor to keep in mind when evaluating the players below.
With all that being said, here are six stash options for fantasy managers in redraft leagues.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out in the comments or on X (@jerschneid14) with any questions or thoughts!
Stats updated through the morning of Sept. 1. For more prospect coverage, check out our Top 400 MLB Prospects as well as our Top 20 prospects for
The home stretch is upon us with September here and rosters expanding. Twins phenom Walker Jenkins got the call Friday, while Ethan Salas of the Padres and Lazaro Montes of the Mariners are expected to be promoted today. The expansion from 26 to 28 players on the active roster can add some stash appeal, but there's an important wrinkle to keep in mind when evaluating potential September call-ups.
To get ahead of it and avoid repeating myself with multiple players, prospects must be on the 40-man roster today to be eligible for the postseason. Therefore, if a team competing for a playoff spot didn't add a top prospect to its 40-man roster today, it could be an indication that a promotion isn't in the plans, as that player wouldn't be eligible for the postseason roster barring a petition to the Commissioner's Office. That doesn't rule out a September call-up, and I'm admittedly steering clear of the additional 40-man roster implications involving a potential lockout and prospects playing in the minors next season, but it's an important factor to keep in mind when evaluating the players below.
With all that being said, here are six stash options for fantasy managers in redraft leagues.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out in the comments or on X (@jerschneid14) with any questions or thoughts!
Stats updated through the morning of Sept. 1. For more prospect coverage, check out our Top 400 MLB Prospects as well as our Top 20 prospects for each team.
Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians (#9, #1 1B, #1 CLE)
Velazquez leapt back into the top 10 of James Anderson's updated rankings behind a monster August, during which he clubbed 15 homers and posted a 1.299 OPS in 23 games. At Triple-A Columbus, he's hitting .281/.364/.551 with 21 homers, 12 doubles, a triple, 58 RBI, 46 runs and a stolen base across 75 games since moving up from Double-A Akron in late May. The ball flies off the 21-year-old's bat often, as he's posted a 14.2 percent barrel rate (96th percentile) and 105.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (79th percentile) to pair with a 19.6 percent pulled-air rate (88th percentile). There's some swing and miss in Velazquez's game, shown by a 32.1 percent whiff rate (14th percentile) and 79.2 percent zone-contact rate (19th percentile), but he does a quality job of keeping the strikeouts in check with a 20.8 percent strikeout rate (58th percentile).
Cleveland has been hot and currently occupies the final wild-card spot, but the race is likely to come down to the wire. Nathaniel Lowe (.785 OPS) has been a bit disappointing with a .670 OPS since joining the Guardians at the trade deadline, though he continues to hold down a strong-side platoon role at the cold corner. Lowe is a veteran with a solid track record who could easily get back on track, but Velazquez is undeniably one of the hottest hitters on the planet. There are also potential avenues to get his bat into the lineup in left field or at designated hitter. Velazquez possesses immense power upside and could provide some extra thump for Cleveland's playoff push.
Charlie Condon, 1B, Rockies (#115, #7 1B, #3 COL)
Condon tumbled outside the top 100 behind a lackluster August, though he closed the month on a stronger note by going 7-for-20 (.350) across six games this past week. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft is slashing .271/.390/.506 with 22 homers, 21 doubles, seven triples, 79 RBI, 94 runs and seven stolen bases over 113 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. The 23-year-old knows the zone, evidenced by a 19.6 percent chase rate (97th percentile), and makes quality contact when he connects, posting a 9.2 percent barrel rate (79th percentile), 43.6 percent hard-hit rate (73rd percentile) and 105.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (83rd percentile). Condon's struggles often come as a result of inconsistent contact, as illustrated by a 29.5 percent whiff rate (25th percentile), 24.6 percent strikeout rate (33rd percentile) and 79.3 percent zone-contact rate (20th percentile).
The Rockies are far from the playoff picture but have gotten surprisingly strong production out of TJ Rumfield (.817 OPS) at first base. Condon also has plenty of experience in the outfield and could provide an upgrade as a right-handed hitter over Jordan Beck (.574 OPS), though finding regular playing time could be tricky with the left-handed-hitting Jake McCarthy (.803 OPS), Mickey Moniak (.800 OPS), Zac Veen (.766 OPS) and Troy Johnston (.766 OPS) rotating through the corner spots in strong-side matchups. Condon's potential power output at Coors Field renders him a high-upside stash option, though the roster fit and quiet August might push his big-league debut to 2027.
Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox (#14, #5 SS, #1 BOS)
Arias continues to hold his own at Triple-A Worcester, slashing .290/.350/.467 with four homers, seven doubles, 24 RBI, 15 runs and a stolen base in 28 games since being promoted. His overall season line, split between Double-A Portland and Worcester, sits at .310/.392/.554 with 23 homers, 24 doubles, a triple, 76 RBI, 65 runs and six stolen bases across 103 contests. The shortstop's bat-to-ball skills have been on full display in Triple-A, as he's posted a 20.0 percent whiff rate (85th percentile), 17.4 percent strikeout rate (79th percentile) and 90.2 percent zone-contact rate (93rd percentile). The exit velocities don't jump off the page, but Arias is running a respectable 6.8 percent barrel rate (64th percentile) and 42.0 percent hard-hit rate (68th percentile). I have little concern about the 20-year-old's overall hitting profile, though he doesn't project as a factor on the bases with his 25th percentile sprint speed.
Boston's shortstop situation just shifted, as Trevor Story (.579 OPS) returned from a sports hernia Sunday to supplant Andruw Monasterio (.708 OPS). Arias has seen action at second base too, but the club may be content with Nick Sogard (.783 OPS) seeing the majority of the reps at the keystone until Curtis Mead (wrist) returns. There's no denying Arias' long-term star potential, and if the Red Sox believe he's ready to help the big-league club down the stretch, they can carve out a role for him. However, a debut in 2027 feels much more likely.
Seaver King, SS, Nationals (#58, #23 SS, #3 WSH)
King put together a monster August, slashing .330/.417/.640 with nine homers, two doubles, a triple, 17 RBI, 24 runs and five stolen bases across 24 games. His overall showing with Triple-A Rochester has been excellent, as he's hit .304/.378/.536 with 14 homers, nine doubles, two triples, 43 RBI, 44 runs and nine stolen bases in 59 games at the level. The batted-ball data for the 23-year-old backs up his great surface stats, as he's posted a 51.7 percent hard-hit rate (97th percentile), 10.1 percent barrel rate (86th percentile) and 90.4 mph average exit velocity (87th percentile). King is a free swinger who needs to cut down on a 34.2 percent chase rate (13th percentile), but his swing-and-miss metrics – 25.4 percent whiff rate (54th percentile) and 22.0 percent strikeout rate (50th percentile) – are palatable.
With the prospect of a postseason berth fading fast, the Nationals could shake some things up in September. Shortstop Nasim Nunez (.546 OPS) is a quality defender but a well-below-average hitter who ideally isn't an everyday player on a successful team. Production at third base hasn't been special either, with Brady House (.705 OPS) primarily manning the position, though King recently made his professional debut at the hot corner and the set-to-be-promoted Yohandy Morales could also see looks there. It was reported a few weeks ago that Washington doesn't intend to promote King this season, but he's absolutely crushing it on the farm and could benefit from a taste of The Show.
Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins (#98, #33 OF, #4 MIN)
Rodriguez is a new addition thanks to strong results since returning from a three-plus-month absence due to left thumb surgery. In 40 games with Triple-A St. Paul, the outfielder is slashing .254/.414/.515 with 10 homers, five doubles, 28 RBI, 26 runs and seven stolen bases. He's an extreme power-over-hit prospect, boasting a 14.6 percent barrel rate (97th percentile), 55.1 percent hard-hit rate (98th percentile) and 110.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity (100th percentile). Making consistent contact is the obvious concern, as Rodriguez has posted a 34.7 percent whiff rate (sixth percentile), 27.0 percent strikeout rate (21st percentile) and 76.1 percent zone-contact rate (10th percentile). His plate discipline is elite, however, evidenced by a 20.1 percent walk rate (99th percentile) and 20.8 percent chase rate (91st percentile). Injuries have been a constant issue for the 23-year-old, as he's yet to play 100 games in a season during his professional career.
Rodriguez's path to the big leagues differs from many of the others on this list, as he's already on Minnesota's 40-man roster. Byron Buxton (hip) landed back on the injured list Sunday, but Walker Jenkins is positioned to take over for him in center field, while Trevor Larnach (.769 OPS) and Luke Keaschall (.762 OPS) fill out the corners in Minnesota's outfield. There isn't a clear path to playing time as things currently stand, but Rodriguez has performed well of late and his presence on the 40-man roster makes RotoWire's No. 98 prospect a more viable promotion option than many other minor-leaguers around baseball should an opportunity emerge with the big-league club.
Bo Davidson, OF, Giants (#82, #29 OF, #5 SF)
Davidson rounds out this week's group after putting together a five-RBI performance Sunday. After starting the year with Double-A Richmond, the 24-year-old moved up to Triple-A Sacramento following the All-Star break and has performed well, slashing .290/.374/.497 with seven homers, 11 doubles, 32 RBI, 27 runs and five stolen bases across 39 games. He boasts a well-rounded profile from the left-handed batter's box, producing a 50.4 percent hard-hit rate (94th percentile) and 8.0 percent barrel rate (74th percentile) while posting a 21.1 percent whiff rate (80th percentile) and 16.8 percent strikeout rate (81st percentile). A former undrafted free agent, Davidson possesses respectable speed in the 58th percentile but likely won't be a major stolen-base threat at the MLB level.
The Giants have endured a brutal 2026 and are limping toward the finish line with a slew of injuries. Center fielder Drew Gilbert (.708 OPS) has looked better over the past month and Jung Hoo Lee (.750 OPS) is the primary right fielder, but left field could be ripe for the taking. With Victor Bericoto (knee) sidelined, Turner Hill (.790 OPS) has performed well in a small sample size, though he's a 27-year-old rookie without much pedigree. In a lost season, it would make plenty of sense for San Francisco to give Davidson some big-league playing time down the stretch to gauge whether he can be a contributor in 2027 and beyond.
Honorable Mentions/Other Names to Consider
Jonah Tong, SP, Mets (#196, #55 P, #6 NYM)
River Ryan, SP, Tigers (#107, #21 P, #4 DET)
Michael Arroyo, OF, Mariners (#189, #57 OF, #7 SEA)
Cam Cannarella, OF, Marlins (#28, #9 OF, #1 MIA)
James Tibbs, OF, Dodgers (#101, #34 OF, #7 LAD)
Jamie Arnold, SP, Athletics (#73, #11 P, #3 ATH)
