September is here, and that means a lot of new faces will be called up to the big leagues, with rosters expanding from 26 players to 28. You’ll see several of them already making their way into my fantasy baseball rookie report. Last week was a strong week for rookies, with the most names all season long earning their way into the “hot” section. If you are new to my rookie report series, you’ll find I break up the offensive rookies into three categories: hot, mild, cold, based on their performance the week prior.
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Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report
Rookie Batters Who Had a Hot Week
Joshua Baez – OF, St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 81 PA, .247/.309/.589, 7 HR, 14 R, 16 RBI, 2 SB
Baez made a monstrous splash, homering in three straight at-bats in his MLB debut on August 15. However, he finished the month extremely underwhelming. Turns out he just needed a month change. He brushed those struggles off and has been smashing in September. Last week, he went 9-for-19 (.474) with seven runs, two home runs, and six RBIs. Baez also has a six-game hitting streak ongoing. If the rookie can finish the season strong, he will be a sought-after five-tool potential player in fantasy drafts next season.
Leo Bernal – C, St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 27 PA, .333/.407/.500, 1 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB
Bernal has started his MLB debut red hot with a hit in all six of his first games. He was a September 1 call-up, but he’s been electric, going 8-for-24 (.300), with five runs, his first career home run, and six RBIs. He was having a strong season with Triple-A Memphis, posting an .836 OPS with 16 home runs, so a successful start in the majors was expected, but not this scorching hot. The Cardinals have shown that they’re loaded with rookie talent, making their rebuild short-lived.
Carter Jensen – C, Kansas City Royals
2026 Stats – 533 PA, .230/.315/.440, 22 HR, 67 R, 67 RBI, 2 SB
Jenson has started September strong, going 8-for-19 (.421) with six runs, three home runs, and six RBIs. He was even a single away from his first career cycle in Thursday, September 3’s game. He was slumping since June, hitting under .190 through each of the last two months. However, he flipped a switch at the start of September.
Brett Bateman – OF, Toronto Blue Jays
2026 Stats – 116 PA, .347/.412/.406, 0 HR, 16 R, 7 RBI, 3 SB
Bateman continues to be a surge at the top of the Blue Jays’ batting order. Last week, he went 9-for-23 (.391) with six runs. He doesn’t offer much power, so this is the type of week that fantasy managers should expect from the rookie. Bateman also drew three walks and was hit by a pitch, while posting a .500 on-base percentage over the six games. He’s getting on base and has shown a little aggressiveness on the bases since his call-up on August 7.
Sean Keys – 1B/3B, Toronto Blue Jays
2026 Stats – 46 PA, .205/.239/.364, 2 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Keys got recalled on September 2. He is playing a platoon role, starting in two of four games last week against a right-handed pitcher, with George Springer going to the bench. It’s a role that’s expected as he’s blocked by Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who are everyday corner infielders. Last week, Keys went 3-for-8 (.375) with two runs, a home run, and two RBIs.
He had one home run in his first trip to the majors, where he had 37 plate appearances. The power Keys showed in the minors was a major appeal, especially with that department being a major weakness for Toronto, but Keys struggled mightily in his debut. So, it’s refreshing to see the power on display early in his return.
Sal Stewart – 1B/2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds
2026 Stats – 621 PA, .268/.338/.483, 30 HR, 80 R, 107 RBI, 15 SB
Stewart was hot at the plate, 6-for-19 (.315), but he didn’t do much else. He added a run, two RBIs, and three stolen bases. On Sunday, September 5, he had his first career multi-stolen-base game. He stole second off lefty Kyle Harrison, and a few pitches later, he got a massive jump to steal third. Stewart has been on a tear in the second half of the season, which helped him lock up the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
Travis Bazzana – 2B, Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 449 PA, .244/.334/.380, 10 HR, 44 R, 47 RBI, 18 SB
Bazzana ended last week strong after going hitless in the first three games. Over the week, he went 6-for-15 (.400) with two runs, a homer, and five RBIs. He also had his first career walk-off hit to secure the second game of their doubleheader on Friday, September 4. With his recent offensive struggles, Bazzana has seen his playing time fluctuate in the final stretch of the season.
Spencer Jones – OF, New York Yankees
2026 Stats – 223 PA, .246/.320/.447, 9 HR, 29 R, 31 RBI, 9 SB
Since August 12, Jones has a hit in 17 of his last 23 games. His season was pretty underwhelming before that, after all the hype that surrounded him. However, he is beginning to live up to the hype. Last week, he went 6-for-18 (.333) with four runs, two homers, six RBIs, and a stolen base. He’s turning into an elite five-tool player.
TJ Rumfield – 1B, Colorado Rockies
2026 Stats – 565 PA, .299/.389/.460, 15 HR, 61 R, 67 RBI, 0 SB
Rumfield has an active 11-game hit streak. He also scored a run in four of five September games and drove in a run in each game. He’s been a productive rookie all season. He also had an impressive week last week, hitting 11-for-22 (.500) with six runs, two home runs, and six RBIs. The homers were Rumfield’s first since July 18, which is surprising given that he is playing his home games at Coors Field. You can’t beat having a week with a .545 on-base percentage.
Cole Carrigg – OF, Colorado Rockies
2026 Stats – 293 PA, .268/.342/.445, 7 HR, 42 R, 39 RBI, 8 SB
Carrigg was slumping through the last half of August, going 4-for-36 (.111). However, he flipped a switch in September, hitting 8-for-23 (.347) with four runs, a home run, three RBIs, and a stolen base. It’s nice to see Carrigg get back to being productive.
Henry Bolte – OF, Athletics
2026 Stats – 394 PA, .274/.352/.386, 8 HR, 43 R, 31 RBI, 16 SB
Despite a slow July, Bolte has been a consistent producer for the Athletics throughout his rookie season. Last week, he went 8-for-28 (.285) with four runs, two home runs, four RBIs, and two stolen bases. Bolte has been a reliable leadoff hitter for the Athletics, giving them a weapon next year in front of Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Shea Langeliers, who are all out for the rest of this season.
Max Clark, OF – Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 130 PA, .256/.320/.419, 2 HR, 14 R, 16 RBI, 2 SB
Clark has had a pretty inconsistent rookie season that started on July 31. For a contact hitter, he struggled to get multiple hits in a game, pulling off the feat in only three games in August. However, he started September well with three hits in two of three games before going hitless in the last two. Last week, he went 7-for-22 (.318) with three runs, three RBIs, and a stolen base. It was a productive week for Clark, but fantasy managers need to expect some inconsistency if you have him rostered.
A.J. Ewing – 2B/OF, New York Mets
2026 Stats – 416 PA, .242/.316/.359, 8 HR, 46 R, 30 RBI, 22 SB
August was a rough month for Ewing, slashing .171/.243/.219. However, he bounced back last week, hitting 6-for-17 (.352) with four runs, a home run, and three RBIs. It was his first homer since July 8, but power isn’t his strong suit. He’s shown he can produce everywhere else, though.
Ben Malgeri – OF, Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 108 PA, .250/.352/.380, 3 HR, 12 R, 14 RBI, 4 SB
Malgeri hasn’t been on the fantasy baseball radar since his MLB debut on June 23. He’s been playing a reserve role due to his struggles. He only had five hits in August over 38 plate appearances. However, he’s started September hot, going 7-for-17 (.411) with three runs, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. With Malgeri’s lack of consistent playing time, he can’t be trusted in any fantasy format.
Nathan Church – OF, St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 382 PA, .239/.283/.368, 10 HR, 43 R, 46 RBI, 9 SB
Church has an active five-game hit streak, going 6-for-18 with five runs, an RBI, and a stolen base last week. He hasn’t been consistently producing for fantasy managers all season, but he’s been solid over the last two weeks.
Bryce Eldridge – 1B, San Francisco Giants
2026 Stats – 407 PA, .262/.359/.447, 15 HR, 46 R, 45 RBI, 1 SB
Eldridge went on a tear in August, slashing .297/.366/.463 with eight runs, four home runs, and 17 RBIs. He’s continued his hot hitting and on-base play to start September. Last week, he went 7-for-25 (.280) with three runs and three RBIs. He also drew seven walks to help lead to an impressive .429 on-base percentage in the month.
Jonah Cox – OF, San Francisco Giants
2026 Stats – 91 PA, .289/.330/.508, 4 HR, 18, 10 RBI, 9 SB
Yohandy Morales – 1B, Washington Nationals
2026 Stats – 11 PA, .455/.455/.909, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Rookies Who Had a Mild Week
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B/1B, Toronto Blue Jays
2026 Stats – 564 PA, .231/.303/.442, 28 HR, 73 R, 81 RBI, 1 SB
Okamoto had a rare contact explosion on Friday, September 5, getting four hits. It’s only the second time all season he collected more than two hits in a game. Through the week, he went 6-for-21 (.286) with a run and three RBIs. The contact was nice to see, but it’s a rare occurrence that likely won’t repeat often.
Kevin McGonigle – SS/3B, Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 622 PA, .271/.373/.409, 14 HR, 87 R, 59 RBI, 12 SB
Carson Benge – OF, New York Mets
2026 Stats – 566 PA, .276/.334/.416, 16 HR, 71 R, 54 RBI, 20 SB
Chase DeLauter – OF, Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 499 PA, .294/.365/.458, 13 HR, 56 R, 60 RBI, 10 SB
Tristan Peters – OF, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 435 PA, .285/.348/.474, 12 HR, 58 R, 53 RBI, 8 SB
Sam Antonacci – 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 463 PA, .269/.365/.394, 8 HR, 69 R, 40 RBI, 17 SB
Luis Lara – OF, Milwaukee Brewers
2026 Stats – 159 PA, .262/.340/.362, 1 HR, 20 R, 21 RBI, 3 SB
Kaelen Culpepper – SS, Minnesota Twins
2026 Stats – 100 PA, .297/.350/.451, 3 HR, 14 R, 10 RBI, 1 SB
Jacob Gonzalez – 1B/2B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 206 PA, .221/.273/.363, 6 HR, 20 R, 30 RBI, 2 SB
Owen Caissie – OF, Miami Marlins
2026 Stats – 317 PA, .220/.284/.408, 13 HR, 41 R, 55 RBI, 5 SB
Lazaro Montes – OF, Seattle Mariners
2026 Stats – 15 PA, .214/.267/.429, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB
Moises Ballesteros – C, Los Angeles Angels
2026 Stats – 291 PA, .208/.271/.321, 7 HR, 22 R, 30 RBI, 1 SB
Brock Rodden – 2B, Seattle Mariners
2026 Stats – 58 PA, .224/.328/.306, 0 HR, 6 R, 4 RBI, 0 SB
John Peck – SS, Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 21 PA, .211/.286/.263, 0 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Batters Who Had a Cold Week
Konnor Griffin – SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 257 PA, .264/.319/.387, 5 HR, 36 R, 25 RBI, 20 SB
Griffin returned from the IL on September 4. He has been out for two months with a torn ligament in his left ring finger. He was heating up before his exit, but it’s been a slow return, going 0-for-10 with a run. Griffin’s rookie season has been plagued with injuries, as he also missed nearly four weeks in June with a left forearm strain. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be a popular fantasy pick, as he offers five-tool potential at a normally weak position.
Braden Montgomery – OF, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 283 PA, .229/.318/.361, 5 HR, 38 R, 35 RBI, 1 SB
Munetaka Murakami – 1B, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 442 PA, .218/.357/.497, 29 HR, 71 R, 58 RBI, 1 SB
Dylan Beavers – OF, Baltimore Orioles
2026 Stats – 291 PA, .244/.324/.380, 6 HR, 32 R, 32 RBI, 5 SB
Samuel Basallo – C, Baltimore Orioles
2026 Stats – 363 PA, .226/.295/.418, 17 HR, 36 R, 50 RBI, 0 SB
Esmerlyn Valdez – 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 276 PA, .233/.344/.504, 16 HR, 38 R, 45 RBI, 0 SB
George Lombard Jr. – SS, New York Yankees
2026 Stats – 98 PA, .239/.296/.352, 2 HR, 12 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Justin Crawford – OF, Philadelphia Phillies
2026 Stats – 411 PA, .264/.313/.347, 2 HR, 44 R, 35 RBI, 16 SB
Ryan Waldschmidt – OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
2026 Stats – 263 PA, .266/.331/.378, 3 HR, 27 R, 22 RBI, 7 SB
Tommy White – 3B, Athletics
2026 Stats – 154 PA, .255/.273/.329, 2 HR, 16 R, 8 RBI, 0 SB
Jase Bowen – OF, San Diego Padres
2026 Stats – 88 PA, .167/.205/.286, 2 HR, 14 R, 7 RBI, 6 SB
Sung-Mun Song – 2B/3B, San Diego Padres
2026 Stats – 143 PA, .190/.293/.248, 1 HR, 19 R, 16 RBI, 13 SB
Drew Cavanaugh – C, San Francisco Giants
2026 Stats – 135 PA, .246/.331/.271, 0 HR, 6 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB
Brett Callahan – OF, Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 43 PA, .231/.279/.385, 1 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB
Walker Jenkins – OF, Minnesota Twins
2026 Stats – 28 PA, .130/.286/.304, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB
Nick Morabito – OF, New York Mets
2026 Stats – 22 PA, .105/.227/.158, 0 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Starting Pitchers
Nolan McLean – New York Mets
2026 Stats – 28 GS, 11-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 179 SO, 65 BB
Parker Messick – Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 28 GS, 11-9, 2.53 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 173 SO, 45 BB
Bubba Chandler – Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 26 GS (1 relief), 6-9, 4.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 121 SO, 71 BB
Payton Tolle – Boston Red Sox
2026 Stats – 24 GS, 8-6, 3.15 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 159 SO, 37 BB
Jake Bennett – Boston Red Sox
2026 Stats – 17 GS, 9-6, 3.34 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 81 SO, 18 BB
Foster Griffin – Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats –28 GS, 15-4, 3.26 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 142 SO, 41 BB
Tatsuya Imai – Houston Astros
2026 Stats – 15 GS (4 relief), 6-4, 5.35 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 88 SO, 47 BB
Gage Jump – Athletics
2026 Stats – 19 GS, 6-9, 5.12 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 106 SO, 45 BB
Rhett Lowder – Cincinnati Reds
2026 Stats – 22 GS (3 relief), 6-9, 5.43 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 90 SO, 47 BB
Ryan Johnson – Los Angeles Angels
2026 Stats – 15 GS (3 relief), 3-8, 5.17 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 58 SO, 38 BB
Connor Prielipp – Minnesota Twins
2026 Stats – 20 GS, 4-7, 5.28 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 111 SO, 40 BB
Zac Thornton – New York Mets
2026 Stats – 12 GS, 3-5, 3.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 51 SO, 15 BB
Andrew Painter – Philadelphia Phillies
2026 Stats – 19 GS (2 relief), 3-8, 5.55 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 91 SO, 37 BB
Matt Wilkinson – SP, San Francisco Giants
2026 Stats – 4 GS, 0-3, 6.14 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 8 SO, 4 BB
Kade Anderson – Seattle Mariners
2026 Stats – 3 GS, 0-1, 5.40 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11 SO, 7 BB
Ethan Pecko – Houston Astros
2026 Stats – 4 GS, 1-0, 5.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 11 SO, 10 BB
Quinn Matthews – St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 5 GS, 1-3, 5.03 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 24 SO, 12 BB
Jackson Kent – Washington Nationals
2026 Stats – 5 GS, 1-3, 5.55 ERA, 1.68 ERA, 21 SO, 19 BB
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