Last week was a rough one offensively for MLB rookies. It’s evident they struggled, as this week’s fantasy baseball rookie report contains the most players on my “cold” list. This is the second week in a row that the cold list has seen its most players all season. Maybe the grind of a full MLB season is wearing on them, or the decline is showing that pitchers are figuring out the rookie hitters.
In my rookie report, I break down the offensive rookies in three different categories: hot, mild, or cold, based on how they performed last week. I also highlight how starting pitchers have performed all season. See where your favorite rookies fell on the list.
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Updated Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report
Rookie Batters Who Had a Hot Week
Kevin McGonigle – SS/3B, Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 515 PA, .286/.390/.431, 11 HR, 71 R, 45 RBI, 11 SB
Kevin McGonigle continues to be a reliable bat at the top of the Tigers’ lineup. He was a popular preseason pick to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and he has backed those accolades up phenomenally. Last week he continued his superb season, going 7-for-26 (.269), scoring five times, homering once, and driving in four runs. He had a 0-for-12 streak over three games from Aug 2-5, but McGonigle recovered exceptionally well to finish last week strong.
Carson Benge – OF, New York Mets
2026 Stats – 476 PA, .272/.332/.412, 13 HR, 61 R, 47 RBI, 18 SB
The All-Star break was good to Carson Benge, as he’s been hot at the plate since the return with a hit in 15 of 19 games. The issue with him was that he didn’t produce much with his hits. He only had three runs and four RBIs over 14 of those games before last week.
Since then, though, Benge has exploded, going 9-for-22 (.409) with six runs, two home runs, and six RBIs. He had an RBI in every game during the week, and scored a run in all of them except Sunday’s matchup. This is the type of production you expect from a cleanup hitter in a lineup. It’s been quite the roller coaster season for the Mets outfielder, but he’s going to be a vital bat in the heart of the Mets’ lineup for many years.
Sal Stewart – 1B/2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds
2026 Stats – 506 PA, .255/.332/.475, 25 HR, 64 R, 87 RBI, 12 SB
Sal Stewart is returning to early-season form, getting on base consistently with a hit in 14 of his last 17 games. Last week, he went 6-for-22 (.272) with five runs, a home run, and two RBIs. He didn’t have many chances to drive in guys during the week, but he has 22 RBIs since the All-Star break. Stewart is continuing to inch closer each week to JJ Wetherholt for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, and could take the lead in the next week or two, as Wetherholt’s season has been sputtering lately.
Munetaka Murakami – 1B, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 359 PA, .237/.370/.539, 26 HR, 61 R, 54 RBI, 1 SB
Munetaka Murakami had an 11-game hit streak come to an end on August 5, but has an active 25-game on-base streak dating back to his return from the IL on July 10. He has a hit in six of eight August games, but hasn’t had a multi-hit game. However, he did hit two home runs last week, but they were both solo shots.
The White Sox started off August slowly, losing five of six games, including their first four-game losing streak this season. However, they bounced back to win on Saturday and Sunday last week. The Chicago Southsiders are enjoying Murakami’s current streak, but they need to get more guys on base ahead of him.
George Lombard Jr. – SS, New York Yankees
2026 Stats – 20 PA, .294/.400/.647, 2 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB
The New York Yankees may have finally found their answer at shortstop in their 2023 first-round draft pick, George Lombard Jr. Anthony Volpe has been a disappointment both on offense and defense, and Jose Caballero was never a long-term answer. Lombard Jr. made his MLB debut on August 4 and homered in his second plate appearance.
Throughout last week, he got a hit in four of five games, going 5-for-17 (.294), with four runs, two home runs, and two RBIs. He’s also displayed great plate vision, walking three times but striking out only five times. Shortstop in the majors is usually one of the weaker positions in home runs, so Lombard Jr. will be a popular target in fantasy baseball drafts if he can continue to display power.
He also showed a little bit of speed in the minor leagues, nabbing 39 and 35 bases in 2024 and 2025, respectively, but was only 14-for-23 this season before his call-up. If he can add consistent aggressiveness on the base paths, his popularity would skyrocket next season.
A.J. Ewing – 2B/OF, New York Mets
2026 Stats – 320 PA, .262/.334/.397, 7 HR, 36 R, 28 RBI, 15 SB
There’s not much to be excited about this season for the Queens, New York baseball team. However, they have young pieces in place with a glimpse of a bright future, including Benge and A.J. Ewing. Ewing is a prototypical leadoff batter, finding ways to get on base. He’s done a better job limiting his strikeouts in August (12.9% rate), after posting a 29.2% strikeout rate in July.
Ewing went 6-for-23 (.260) at the plate last week with four runs, three RBIs, and a stolen base. This is a typical week’s worth of production to expect from the rookie, as he doesn’t have much power potential. Making his seven homers a pleasant reward for fantasy managers who have Ewing rostered.
Braden Montgomery – OF, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 204 PA, .235/.324/.380, 4 HR, 27 R, 24 RBI, 0 SB
Braden Montgomery hasn’t been a flashy call-up that lights up the stat sheet, but has been a relatively consistent contributor here and there throughout his rookie season. Last week, he only went 4-for-20 (.200), but he added five runs, a homer, and three RBIs. Before his home run on August 7, he had a 19-game homerless streak. He didn’t display much power or speed in the minors, so a week like last week may be as good a week as fantasy managers can expect from Montgomery.
Henry Bolte – OF, Athletics
2026 Stats – 275 PA, .256/.333/.355, 5 HR, 26 R, 22 RBI, 13 SB
Henry Bolte had been in a bit of a slump at the end of July, going 4-for-28 (.142) over the last 11 games of the month. However, he’s picked it up in August, going 10-for-32 (.313) with two home runs, six runs, four RBIs, and a stolen base. Bolte hits leadoff against left-handed pitchers, but he strikes out more than you’d like out of a leadoff hitter with a 28.1% strikeout rate.
Justin Crawford – OF, Philadelphia Phillies
2026 Stats – 348 PA, .266/.316/.354, 2 HR, 36 R, 30 RBI, 16 SB
Justin Crawford is not rostered in fantasy leagues, besides unique formats, because he doesn’t provide consistent production, but last week he produced across the board. He went 6-for-16 (.375) with three runs, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. His six runs and seven RBIs thus far in August are already more than he had all of July. The Phillies can’t ask for more from a bat in the bottom-third of their lineup.
Rookies Who Had a Mild Week
Max Clark, OF – Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 42 PA, .297/.381/.486, 1 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Max Clark was a highlight in my previous rookie report, going 6-for-12 with four runs, a homer and three RBIs over three games. However, he slowly came back down to earth last week, hitting 5-for-25 (.200), adding a run and four RBIs to his season totals. He also hit his first MLB triple against the San Francisco Giants. Clark joins a talented Tigers lineup, and hitting behind the top half will continue to give the rookie ample opportunities to contribute for fantasy managers.
JJ Wetherholt – 2B/3B/SS, St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 507 PA, .249/.353/.387, 16 HR, 74 R, 45 RBI, 12 SB
TJ Rumfield – 1B, Colorado Rockies
2026 Stats – 464 PA, .295/.373/.459, 13 HR, 50 R, 59 RBI, 0 SB
Chase DeLauter – OF, Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 429 PA, .277/.354/.433, 12 HR, 46 R, 56 RBI, 7 SB
Cole Carrigg – OF, Colorado Rockies
2026 Stats – 196 PA, .297/.385/.503, 5 HR, 35 R, 30 RBI, 5 SB
Nathan Church – OF, St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 329 PA, .238/.284/.363, 9 HR, 38 R, 37 RBI, 7 SB
Rookie Batters Who Had a Cold Week
Esmerlyn Valdez – 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 197 PA, .242/.371/.571, 14 HR, 28 R, 38 RBI, 0 SB
Esmerlyn Valdez was one of the hottest hitters in all of MLB in the first half of July. He slowed down for the rest of the month, but in August he’s been ice-cold. Regression was to be expected for the rookie, though 1-for-21 (.048) is a drastic decline. Valdez can’t be trusted down the stretch in any format until he rights the ship.
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B/1B, Toronto Blue Jays
2026 Stats – 475 PA, .225/.299/.429, 24 HR, 61 R, 70 RBI, 1 SB
August has not been friendly to Kazuma Okamoto, going 6-for-37 (.162), which fantasy managers have come to expect from his below-average contact, though this is below par for Okamoto. The shocking part is that he only has one RBI all month, which makes it surprising that the Blue Jays have won all three of their August series, given that Okamoto is the main contributor in the power department. Okamoto is finally getting help from the other stars in that lineup, but it came a little too late to make an impact on the season.
Brett Bateman – OF, Toronto Blue Jays
2026 Stats – 16 PA, .214/.313/.286, 0 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Brett Bateman was a part of the package that came from the Chicago Cubs for Kevin Gausman at the trade deadline. He was blocked in the Cubs organization from getting called up sooner by the outfield depth they had despite the strong season the prospect delivered at the Triple-A level. However, it only took a few days for Bateman to receive his call-up in the Blue Jays system.
He doesn’t offer much pop in his bat, but he’s an on-base, speed player. Something the Blue Jays lacked the last three seasons, finishing 25th or worse in stolen bases. The team has nothing to lose by giving Bateman a shot the remainder of the season, but fantasy managers can leave him on the waiver wire until he starts stealing bases and getting on base more often.
Sam Antonacci – 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 386 PA, .27/.366/.402, 8 HR, 59 R, 34 RBI, 14 SB
Travis Bazzana – 2B, Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 370 PA, .241/.338/.386, 9 HR, 37 R, 36 RBI, 17 SB
Carter Jensen – C, Kansas City Royals
2026 Stats – 436 PA, .227/.303/.419, 16 HR, 53 R, 55 RBI, 1 SB
Luis Lara – OF, Milwaukee Brewers
2026 Stats – 77 PA, .231/.338/.338, 0 HR, 8 R, 11 RBI, 2 SB
Ben Malgeri – OF, Detroit Tigers
2026 Stats – 52 PA, .286/.404/.405, 1 HR,7 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Jacob Gonzalez – 1B/2B/SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 153 PA, .236/.289/.386, 5 HR, 16 R, 26 RBI, 1 SB
Dylan Beavers – OF, Baltimore Orioles
2026 Stats – 217 PA, .241/.324/.335, 2 HR, 23 R, 19 RBI, 5 SB
Cam Cauley – 2B/SS, Texas Rangers
2026 Stats -61 PA, .218/.295/.364, 1 HR, 9 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Jim Jarvis – SS, Atlanta Braves
2026 Stats – 103 PA, .234/.280/.340, 1 HR, 9 R, 11 RBI, 0 SB
Jase Bowen – OF, San Diego Padres
2026 Stats – 77 PA, .151/.195/.219, 1 HR, 10 R, 6 RBI, 4 SB
Blaze Jordan – 1B/3B, St. Louis Cardinals
2026 Stats – 147 PA, .255/.279/.372, 1 HR, 12 R, 22 RBI, 0 SB
Colt Emerson – SS, Seattle Mariners
2026 Stats – 234 PA, .196/.253/.346, 8 HR, 24 R, 23 RBI, 3 SB
Sung-Mun Song – 2B/3B, San Diego Padres
2026 Stats – 127 PA, .213/.320/.278, 1 HR, 18 R, 15 RBI, 11 SB
Drew Cavanaugh – C, San Francisco Giants
2026 Stats – 71 PA, .241/.362/.259, 0 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 0 SB
Tommy White – 3B, Athletics
2026 Stats – 85 PA, .253/.271/.277, 0 HR, 8 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Jhostynxon Garcia, OF – Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 49 PA, .170/.204/.191, 0 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB
Owen Caissie – OF, Miami Marlins
2026 Stats – 269 PA, .231/.294/.433, 12 HR, 35 R, 51 RBI, 4 SB
Moises Ballesteros – C, Los Angeles Angels
2026 Stats – 198 PA, .225/.293/.360, 6 HR, 16 R, 23 RBI, 1 SB
Rookie Starting Pitchers
Nolan McLean – New York Mets
2026 Stats – 23 GS, 8-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 156 SO, 48 BB
Parker Messick – Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 23 GS, 9-6, 2.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 136 SO, 38 BB
Bubba Chandler – Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats – 22 GS (1 relief), 5-8, 4.26 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 103 SO, 62 BB
Payton Tolle – Boston Red Sox
2026 Stats – 19 GS, 7-6, 3.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 124 SO, 29 BB
Foster Griffin – Cleveland Guardians
2026 Stats – 23 GS, 12-4, 3.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 122 SO, 32 BB
Tatsuya Imai – Houston Astros
2026 Stats – 15 GS (1 relief), 6-4, 5.55 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 77 SO, 40 BB
Gage Jump – Athletics
2026 Stats – 14 GS, 5-7, 4.46 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 84 SO, 33 BB
Rhett Lowder – Cincinnati Reds
2026 Stats – 14 GS (3 relief), 4-7, 5.26 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 73 SO, 39 BB
Noah Schultz – Chicago White Sox
2026 Stats – 14 GS (1 relief), 3-9, 6.06 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 59 SO, 31 BB
Jake Bennett – Boston Red Sox
2026 Stats – 13 GS, 7-5, 3.17 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 55 SO, 16 BB
Mitch Bratt – Arizona Diamondbacks
2026 Stats – 6 GS, 1-1, 3.90 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 21 SO, 18 BB
Ryan Johnson – Los Angeles Angels
2026 Stats – 13 GS (3 relief), 2-6, 7.11 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 38 SO, 25 BB
Connor Prielipp – SP, Minnesota Twins
2026 Stats – 16 GS, 3-5, 4.79 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 88 SO, 32 BB
Carson Whisenhunt – San Francisco Giants
2026 Stats – 5 GS, 2-3, 7.25 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 20 SO, 15 BB
Zac Thornton – New York Mets
2026 Stats – 7 GS, 3-2, 2.52 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 27 SO, 12 BB
Newest Rookie Injuries/Demotions
Trey Yesavage – Toronto Blue Jays
2026 Stats – 18 GS, 5-5, 3.65 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 91 SO, 46 BB
Placed on the 15-day IL with a torn meniscus
Brandon Sproat – Milwaukee Brewers
2026 Stats – 19 GS (2 relief), 3-7, 5.27 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 100 SO, 48 BB
Optioned to Triple-A
Gabriel Rincones Jr. – OF, Philadelphia Phillies
2026 Stats – 89 PA, .167/.202/.286, 2 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Optioned to Triple-A
Lucas Spence – OF, Houston Astros
2026 Stats – 41 PA, .162/.244/.189, 0 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB
Optioned to Triple-A
Cooper Pratt – SS, Milwaukee Brewers
2026 Stats – 139 PA, .291/.381/.393, 2 HR, 18 R, 16 RBI, 10 SB
Placed on the 10-day IL with a strained hamstring
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