Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report: Joshua Baez Makes History in Debut

The season is winding down with a little over a month to go before the postseason begins. So we will start to see more teams call up their top prospects to see how they handle the big leagues. We will especially see this strategy in September, when rosters expand from 26 players to 28.

This week’s fantasy baseball rookie report is headlined by a player who did something that’s never been done before. In my report, I break offensive rookies into three categories based on last week’s performance: hot, mild, or cold. I also highlight how starting pitchers have performed all season. See where your favorite rookies fell on the list.

Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report: 3 Baez Bombs

Rookie Batters Who Had a Hot Week

Joshua Baez – OF, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 9 PA, .333/333/.1.333, 3 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB

You would have thought Joshua Baez hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw in his MLB debut would be the most impressive thing we’d see. In his next two at-bats, he upped the ante by hitting home runs in both, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit a home run in his first three MLB at-bats. He would go on to line out to left field in his fourth at-bat. However, the rival Wrigley Field crowd showed their appreciation for his historic feat by giving him a standing ovation.

Baez returned to earth on Sunday, going 0-for-5, but his historic first game can’t be forgotten. The top five in the Cardinals lineup of JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, and Baez, all of whom are younger than 28, are right up there with the best top five of a batting order in all of MLB. If they can carry this season’s production into 2027, this offense will be fun to watch.

Sal Stewart – 1B/2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds

2026 Stats – 532 PA, .259/.335/.47, 26 HR, 68 R, 91 RBI, 12 SB

I feel like I’m watching Finding Nemo with my son, and hearing Dory saying, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” because Sal Stewart keeps producing. He had a seven-game hitting streak going before going hitless Sunday. During the week, he added four runs, a homer, and four RBIs, while going 8-for-24 (.333). The Reds’ rookie is enjoying August, posting an .853 OPS before Sunday’s dud, which was his second-highest monthly rate, trailing his red-hot March/April .953.

Chase DeLauter – OF, Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 453 PA, .285/.358/.442, 13 HR, 49 R, 57 RBI, 9 SB

Chase DeLauter has been hot in August, with a .339/.422/.484 slash line. He had a five-game hit streak before exiting Sunday’s game in the third inning with mild hamstring tightness. He only had one plate appearance in the game, resulting in a pop-out to second base.

In August, DeLauter has a hit in 11 of 14 games. Last week, he went 10-for-24 (.416) with three runs, a homer, an RBI, and a stolen base. This has been the best month of DeLauter’s career in OPS (.904), other than a six-game March (1.122), contributing to the second-half tear he’s been on.

Sam Antonacci – 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox

2026 Stats – 411 PA, .275/.365/.404, 8 HR, 64 R, 3 RBI, 15 SB

August started slow for Sam Antonacci. He got four hits over the first eight games, though three of his hits came in one game. The utility player picked up last week, going 7-for-23 (.304) with five runs, two RBIs, and a stolen base. It’s a typical week’s production from Antonacci as he bats leadoff against righty starters and eighth against lefties.

Esmerlyn Valdez – 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Stats – 222 PA, .261/.374/.565, 14 HR, 33 R, 41 RBI, 0 SB

The beginning of August was brutal for Esmerlyn Valdez, with him only getting one hit in the first eight games. Last week, he flipped a switch, getting a hit in all six games, while going 9-for-23 (.391) with five runs and three RBIs. Strikeouts were an issue in the first eight games of the month, with 15. However, he cut his strikeouts to only six last week.

Henry Bolte – OF, Athletics

2026 Stats – 300 PA, .267/.339/.372, 6 HR, 30 R, 25 RBI, 14 SB

Henry Bolte struggled through July, with a .164 batting average. However, he’s hitting .314 in August. Last week, he continued his hot hitting, going 7-for-20 (.350), with four runs, a home run, three RBIs, and a stolen base. This offseason, plate discipline should be a focus as his 29% chase rate is at the top of the MLB average. He leads off against left-handed pitchers, so you’d expect more discipline from the batter at the top of your lineup.

Rookies Who Had a Mild Week

Munetaka Murakami – 1B, Chicago White Sox

2026 Stats – 383 PA, .235/.368/.543, 28 HR, 64 R, 57 RBI, 1 SB

A typical week for Munetaka Murakami as the contact was down, going 4-for-20 (.200), but he brought the power, hitting two home runs. He also added three runs and three RBIs. The Japanese slugger has a hit in 10 of 14 August games, but hasn’t had a multi-hit game. The power potential means you can’t sit Murakami, though; a few more hits would be nice.

Kevin McGonigle – SS/3B, Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 541 PA, .281/.386/.418, 12 HR, 80 R, 48 RBI, 12 SB

Kevin McGonigle keeps being productive nearly every week. Last week, the contact was lower than usual, going 4-for-22 (.181), but he had four runs, three RBIs, and a stolen base. He usually hits in either of the top two spots in the lineup, but after Riley Greene went on the IL on August 11, McGonigle moved to the three- or four-hole in each of the next four games. Surprisingly, the lineup move came in games against a southpaw. The rookie has a firm grasp on the AL Rookie of the Year Award, which would take an epic collapse to lose this late in the season.

Carson Benge – OF, New York Mets

2026 Stats – 492 PA, .272/.335/.415, 14 HR, 63 R, 49 RBI, 18 SB

Carson Benge has been steady at the plate with a hit in nine of his last 11 games. However, he didn’t do much other than go 6-for-21 (.285) at the plate. He did homer, but he only totaled two runs and two RBIs throughout the week. Not what you want to see from a batter hitting in the heart of the batting order, but it’s more a critique of the guys around him not getting on base or driving Benge in.

Braden Montgomery – OF, Chicago White Sox

2026 Stats – 231 PA, .238/.329/.376, 4 HR, 30 R, 28 RBI, 0 SB

Braden Montgomery has been a man of consistency, ending each of the last two months in the .230s in batting average. He’s on pace for that again, though; he went 5-for-23 (.217) with three runs and four RBIs last week. He’s the least talked about of the three White Sox rookies, but he’s quietly putting together a decent season.

Spencer Jones – OF, New York Yankees

2026 Stats – 155 PA, .210/.297/.384, 5 HR, 13 R, 18 RBI, 6 SB

Spencer Jones was a highly-touted prospect, but it’s been a lackluster MLB debut. He’s been up-and-down a couple of times between Triple-A and the big leagues. Last week, though, was one of his best in the majors, with him producing across the board. However, we’ve grown accustomed to contact not being his strong suit so far. Jones went 4-for-20 (.200) with two runs, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. He can’t be relied on by fantasy managers except for extremely unique leagues.

Kazuma Okamoto – 3B/1B, Toronto Blue Jays

2026 Stats – 493 PA, .227/.300/.428, 24 HR, 65 R, 71 RBI, 1 SB

Brett Bateman – OF, Toronto Blue Jays

2026 Stats – 42 PA, .282/.333/.333, 0 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB

George Lombard Jr. – SS, New York Yankees

2026 Stats – 42 PA, .270/.357/.459, 2 HR, 7 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB

Dylan Beavers – OF, Baltimore Orioles

2026 Stats – 232 PA, .238/.316/.340, 3 HR, 24 R, 22 RBI, 5 SB

Ben Malgeri – OF, Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 68 PA, .268/.382/.464, 3 HR, 15 R, 10 RBI, 0 SB

Blaze Jordan – 1B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 161 PA, .252/.273/.377, 2 HR, 14 R, 24 RBI, 0 SB

Cole Carrigg – OF, Colorado Rockies

2026 Stats – 218 PA, .292/.378/.486, 5 HR, 35 R, 33 RBI, 7 SB

Jacob Gonzalez – 1B/2B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Stats – 168 PA, .234/.287/.396, 6 HR, 19 R, 28 RBI, 2 SB

Brock Rodden – 2B, Seattle Mariners

2026 Stats – 8 PA, .250/.417/.500, 0 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB

Rookie Batters Who Had a Cold Week

JJ Wetherholt – 2B/3B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 535 PA, .243/.350/.376, 16 HR, 81 R, 46 RBI, 13 SB

The second half of the season has been a struggle for Wetherholt. He’s hit .189 since the All-Star break. However, he’s still found ways to get on base with a .317 OBP, thanks to a 14:7 walk-to-strikeout rate. Last week, he went just 3-for-23 (.130), but he scored seven runs, drove in a run, and stole a base. He got two of his hits on Sunday, so hopefully that’ll give Wetherholt a kick going into this week. Wetherholt’s NL lead in the Rookie of the Year race is slim, but his defense and strong on-base skills are holding Stewart off.

Max Clark, OF – Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 63 PA, .259/.317/.414, 1 HR, 7 R, 8 RBI, 0 SB

A.J. Ewing – 2B/OF, New York Mets

2026 Stats – 346 PA, .249/.324/.377, 7 HR, 38 R, 28 RBI, 16 SB

TJ Rumfield – 1B, Colorado Rockies

2026 Stats – 483 PA, .291/.371/.448, 13 HR, 51 R, 59 RBI, 0 SB

Travis Bazzana – 2B, Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 389 PA, .235/.332/.372, 9 HR, 37 R, 36 RBI, 17 SB

Justin Crawford – OF, Philadelphia Phillies

2026 Stats – 365 PA, .265/.312/.354, 2 HR, 37 R, 30 RBI, 16 SB

Nathan Church – OF, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 346 PA, .233/.278/.355, 9 HR, 38 R, 39 RBI, 7 SB

Carter Jensen – C, Kansas City Royals

2026 Stats – 459 PA, .219/.298/.401, 16 HR, 54 R, 56 RBI, 1 SB

Luis Lara – OF, Milwaukee Brewers

2026 Stats – 98 PA, .224/.316/.318, 0 HR, 11 R, 11 RBI, 2 SB

Owen Caissie – OF, Miami Marlins

2026 Stats – 283 PA, .228/.293/.436, 13 HR, 38 R, 52 RBI, 5 SB

Jim Jarvis – SS, Atlanta Braves

2026 Stats – 114 PA, .223/.273/.320, 1 HR, 10 R, 11 RBI, 0 SB

Jase Bowen – OF, San Diego Padres

2026 Stats – 80 PA, .158/.200/.263, 2 HR, 12 R, 7 RBI, 5 SB

Sung-Mun Song – 2B/3B, San Diego Padres

2026 Stats – 131 PA, .207/.313/.270, 1 HR, 19 R, 15 RBI, 12 SB

Drew Cavanaugh – C, San Francisco Giants

2026 Stats – 91 PA, .250/.360/.263, 0 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB

Tommy White – 3B, Athletics

2026 Stats – 101 PA, .265/.287/.316, 1 HR, 11 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB

Moises Ballesteros – C, Los Angeles Angels

2026 Stats – 222 PA, .211/.284/.332, 6 HR, 17 R, 23 RBI, 1 SB

Kaelen Culpepper – SS, Minnesota Twins

2026 Stats – 26 PA, .250/.345/.417, 1 HR, 6 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB

Rookie Starting Pitchers

Nolan McLean – New York Mets

2026 Stats – 24 GS, 8-8, 3.42 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 159 SO, 50 BB

Parker Messick – Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 24 GS, 9-7, 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 142 SO, 40 BB

Bubba Chandler – Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Stats – 23 GS (1 relief), 6-8, 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 108 SO, 64 BB

Payton Tolle – Boston Red Sox

2026 Stats – 20 GS, 8-6, 2.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 128 SO, 31 BB

Jake Bennett – Boston Red Sox

2026 Stats – 14 GS, 7-6, 3.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 61 SO, 17 BB

Foster Griffin – Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 24 GS, 13-4, 3.25 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 125 SO, 33 BB

Tatsuya Imai – Houston Astros

2026 Stats – 15 GS (2 relief), 6-4, 5.29 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 80 SO, 420 BB

Gage Jump – Athletics

2026 Stats – 15 GS, 5-7, 4.50 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 85 SO, 37 BB

Rhett Lowder – Cincinnati Reds

2026 Stats – 18 GS (3 relief), 4-8, 5.15 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 77 SO, 40 BB

Mitch Bratt – Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 Stats – 7 GS, 1-1, 3.74 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 25 SO, 19 BB

Ryan Johnson – Los Angeles Angels

2026 Stats – 11 GS (3 relief), 2-6, 6.71 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 43 SO, 27 BB

Connor Prielipp – SP, Minnesota Twins

2026 Stats – 17 GS, 3-6, 5.34 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 94 SO, 36 BB

Carson Whisenhunt – San Francisco Giants

2026 Stats – 6 GS, 3-3, 6.11 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 22 SO, 18 BB

Zac Thornton – New York Mets

2026 Stats – 8 GS, 3-3, 2.78 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 29 SO, 13 BB

Newest Rookie Injuries/Demotions

Colt Emerson – SS, Seattle Mariners

2026 Stats – 241 PA, .190/.246/.335, 8 HR, 24 R, 23 RBI, 3 SB

Placed on the 10-day IL with left wrist tendon inflammation

Jhostynxon Garcia, OF – Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Stats – 50 PA, .167/.200/.188, 0 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB

Optioned to Triple-A

Cam Cauley – 2B/SS, Texas Rangers

2026 Stats -65 PA, .207/.281/.345, 1 HR, 9 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB