Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report: Sal Stewart makes History

In my fantasy baseball rookie report, we are starting to see the grind of the MLB season take its toll. Players who have been hot all season slowed down last week. Only a few weeks remain in the regular season, as we enter the final month. Rookies will be called up in September, with rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players. So be ready to see some new faces in the last few rookie reports.

Updated Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report

Rookie Batters Who Had a Hot Week

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

2026 Stats – 595 PA, .266/.338/.489, 31 HR, 79 R, 105 RBI, 12 SB

I called it last week; Stewart is now the leader in the NL Rookie of the Year race. He’s grabbed a commanding lead, but he should have passed Wetherholt a few weeks ago. My ride-or-die rookie pick in the preseason has put his name in the history books alongside some esteemed names. He’s the fifth rookie aged 22 or younger with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs, joining Albert Pujols (2001), Jose Canseco (1986), Ted Williams (1939), and Hal Trosky Jr. (1958). Stewart is the third rookie to be the first MLB player to reach 100 RBIs in a season, joining Canseco and Williams.

The Reds slugger also has the most RBIs by a rookie before September 1 in a season in MLB history, with his 105 runs knocked in surpassing Albert Pujols’ 103. Only two other rookies finished the season as the MLB RBI leader: Walt Dropo (1950) and Williams. Alec Burleson of the Cardinals is second in RBIs this season, at 100. So, we could see something that hasn’t been done in 76 years.

Regardless if Stewart reaches the feat, it’s been a great season for the corner infielder and gives the Reds an excellent power hitter for the future. Look to see him as a top pick in fantasy baseball drafts next season. Move over, Aaron Judge… there’s a new slugger in town.

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

2026 Stats – 543 PA, .230/.306/.447, 28 HR, 72 R, 78 RBI, 1 SB

Okamoto only had four hits in 17 at-bats (.235), but he scored four runs, hit two homers, and drove in four. It was a typical week for the Japanese slugger. He gets a few hits, but does damage with them. He’s still the lone power source in Toronto. However, the team is finding ways to win and has a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians this week, which could push them into the final Wild Card spot.

Brett Bateman – OF, Toronto Blue Jays

2026 Stats – 88 PA, .333/.384/.410, 0 HR, 10 R, 7 RBI, 3 SB

Bateman has been a spark to the Blue Jays lineup. He’s been an ideal leadoff hitter, getting on base and then ready to run when he’s there. He started an ongoing five-game hit streak last week, going 8-for-18 (.444) with five runs, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. He isn’t the whole reason the Blue Jays have turned their season around, but sometimes you need to just find a spark, which Bateman is.

Braden Montgomery – OF, Chicago White Sox

2026 Stats – 283 PA, .229/.318/.361, 5 HR, 38 R, 35 RBI, 1 SB

Montgomery hasn’t shown many flashes of being strong in the contact department, but he’s been able to be productive. Last week, he went 5-for-25 (.200) with six runs and three RBIs. Through August, he only had three multi-hit games. If Montgomery could string together more multi-hit games, he’d be a decent fantasy baseball contributor. For now, he’s mainly useful in unique league types or AL-only leagues.

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

2026 Stats – 463 PA, .269/.365/.394, 8 HR, 69 R, 40 RBI, 17 SB

Antonacci bounced back last week after a rough stretch where he went 4-for-30 (.133). That’s not ideal when your strengths are contact and getting on base. During the week, he went 6-for-21 (.285), with five runs, three RBIs, and a stolen base. This is the type of production we expect from the platoon leadoff hitter.

Carter Jensen – C, Kansas City Royals

2026 Stats – 512 PA, .221/.309/.409, 19 HR, 61 R, 61 RBI, 2 SB

August has been a rough month for Jensen, hitting only .129 before last week. Last week he bounced back, when he went 6-for-22 (.272), with four runs, two home runs, four RBIs, and a stolen base. Jensen has fallen off the fantasy baseball map since July began, as he has yet to finish July or August hitting above .190.

Kaelen Culpepper – SS, Minnesota Twins

2026 Stats – 74 PA, .313/.365/.478, 3 HR, 9 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB

Culpepper has hit the ground running since his call-up on August 7. He has a hit in 15 of his 19 games as a big leaguer. Last week, he went 8-for-22 (.363) with four runs, a homer, and three RBIs. He hasn’t even stolen a base yet, which is another strength of his, with 42 over the last two minor-league seasons. I’m sure that’ll be a focus over the offseason. Culpepper will be a popular five-tool player in next season’s draft.

Nathan Church – OF, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 382 PA, .239/.283/.366, 10 HR, 43 R, 46 RBI, 9 SB

It was a rare productive week for Church. He went 5-for-21 (.238), with two runs, a home run, four RBIs, and a stolen base. The number of hits wasn’t high, but he found a way to produce runs for the Cardinals. It’s been a lackluster start to Church’s career, but he’s found ways to produce enough to stay at the big-league level.

Luis Lara – OF, Milwaukee Brewers

2026 Stats – 140 PA, .272/.343/.376, 1 HR, 17 R, 19 RBI, 3 SB

Lara has had a decent season since being called up on July 7. Last week, he hit 6-for-17 (.352), while scoring twice, driving in three, and stealing a base. He was a great relief while Sal Frelick was out with a shoulder injury. With Frelick returning, Lara’s everyday playing time is gone, but as a switch-hitter, Lara can provide a platoon for either Frelick or Garrett Mitchell, both left-handed hitters.

Dylan Beavers – OF, Baltimore Orioles

2026 Stats – 270 PA, .248/.331/.387, 6 HR, 31 R, 32 RBI, 5 SB

After not making it into my “players with a hot week” section all season, Beavers is here on back-to-back weeks. Last week, he went 6-for-18 (.333) with four runs and four RBIs. He’s shown a sense of patience at the plate after five of his eight walks in August came last week. Beavers is turning it on late to try and get the Orioles a postseason berth.

Bryce Eldridge – 1B, San Francisco Giants

2026 Stats – 374 PA, .261/.353/.451, 15 HR, 43 R, 42 RBI, 1 SB

Eldridge missed the Cincinnati series to begin last week because a family member passed away. He returned from the bereavement list, tearing the hide off the ball. He went 7-for-16 (.437) with two runs, a home run, and seven RBIs. Not bad for a four-game series. He had a six-game hit streak snapped during the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, but he followed that up with a 4-for-5 nightcap.

July was a rough month for the rookie, slashing .207/.318/.402. However, he bounced back in August, hitting .291/.365/.465. This performance is more an indication of how Eldridge’s season has gone. If he gets more support around him, the Giants offense could have a decent 2027 season.

Rookies Who Had a Mild Week

Carson Benge – OF, New York Mets

2026 Stats – 538 PA, .278/.338/.425, 16 HR, 69 R, 54 RBI, 19 SB

Chase DeLauter – OF, Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 480 PA, .293/.365/.454, 13 HR, 55 R, 60 RBI, 9 SB

Travis Bazzana – 2B, Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 32 PA, .238/.329/.366, 9 HR, 42 R, 42 RBI, 18 SB

Spencer Jones – OF, New York Yankees

2026 Stats – 197 PA, .232/.305/.412, 7 HR, 22 R, 24 RBI, 8 SB

Joshua Baez – OF, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 58 PA, .170/.224/.449, 5 HR, 7 R, 10 RBI, 2 SB

Esmerlyn Valdez – 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Stats – 259 PA, .244/.355/.535, 16 HR, 37 R, 44 RBI, 0 SB

Henry Bolte – OF, Athletics

2026 Stats – 360 PA, .273/.346/.373, 6 HR, 39 R, 26 RBI, 14 SB

Justin Crawford – OF, Philadelphia Phillies

2026 Stats – 400 PA, .266/.316/.352, 2 HR, 43 R, 44 RBI, 16 SB

Max Clark – OF, Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 104 PA, .245/.304/.415, 2 HR, 11 R, 13 RBI, 1 SB

TJ Rumfield – 1B, Colorado Rockies

2026 Stats – 539 PA, .289/.380/.437, 13 HR, 55 R, 61 RBI, 0 SB

Cole Carrigg – OF, Colorado Rockies

2026 Stats – 270 PA, .261/.342/.440, 6 HR, 38 R, 36 RBI, 8 SB

Tommy White – 3B, Athletics

2026 Stats – 151 PA, .260/.278/.336, 2 HR, 16 R, 8 RBI, 0 SB

Ryan Waldschmidt – OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 Stats – 249 PA, .267/.329/.385, 3 HR, 27 R, 22 RBI, 7 SB

Rookie Batters Who Had a Cold Week

Kevin McGonigle – SS/3B, Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 592 PA, .277/.378/.420, 14 HR, 84 R, 58 RBI, 12 SB

It was a down week for the AL Rookie of the Year heavy favorite. He went 3-for-23 (.130) with a run and two RBIs. It’s a rare stinker of a week for McGonigle, who has been a steady contributor all season long. Look for a bounce back this week.

Munetaka Murakami – 1B, Chicago White Sox

2026 Stats – 442 PA, .218/.357/.497, 29 HR, 71 R, 58 RBI, 1 SB

George Lombard Jr. – SS, New York Yankees

2026 Stats – 87 PA, .253/.310/.367, 2 HR, 12 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB

A.J. Ewing – 2B/OF, New York Mets

2026 Stats – 393 PA, .235/.306/.347, 7 HR, 41 R, 28 RBI, 21 SB

Ben Malgeri – OF, Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 86 PA, .222/.337/.375, 3 HR, 9 R, 11 RBI, 1 SB

Samuel Basallo – C, Baltimore Orioles

2026 Stats – 344 PA, .230/.294/.428, 17 HR, 36 R, 48 RBI, 0 SB

Brock Rodden – 2B, Seattle Mariners

2026 Stats – 46 PA, .150/.239/.250, 0 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB

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

2026 Stats – 193 PA, .212/.260/.352, 6 HR, 19 R, 29 RBI, 2 SB

Owen Caissie – OF, Miami Marlins

2026 Stats – 304 PA, .222/.286/.419, 13 HR, 39 R, 52 RBI, 5 SB

Moises Ballesteros – C, Los Angeles Angels

2026 Stats – 268 PA, .210/.276/.321, 6 HR, 20 R, 27 RBI, 1 SB

Jase Bowen – OF, San Diego Padres

2026 Stats – 84 PA, .163/.202/.263, 2 HR, 14 R, 7 RBI, 6 SB

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

2026 Stats – 138 PA, .198/.304/.259, 1 HR, 19 R, 16 RBI, 13SB

Drew Cavanaugh – C, San Francisco Giants

2026 Stats – 119 PA, .225/.325/.235, 0 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI, 1 SB

Brett Callahan – OF, Detroit Tigers

2026 Stats – 30 PA, .259/.300/.481, 1 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB

Walker Jenkins – OF, Minnesota Twins

2026 Stats – 10 PA, .222/.300/.333, 0 HR, 0 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Rookie Starting Pitchers

Nolan McLean – New York Mets

2026 Stats – 27 GS, 10-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 172 SO, 61 BB

Parker Messick – Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats – 27 GS, 11-8, 2.46 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 161 SO, 43 BB

Bubba Chandler – Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Stats – 25 GS (1 relief), 6-9, 4.26 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 117 SO, 68 BB

Payton Tolle – Boston Red Sox

2026 Stats – 22 GS, 8-6, 3.09 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 141 SO, 35 BB

Jake Bennett – Boston Red Sox

2026 Stats – 16 GS, 9-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 74 SO, 18 BB

Foster Griffin – Cleveland Guardians

2026 Stats –27 GS, 15-4, 3.21 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 139 SO, 39 BB

Tatsuya Imai – Houston Astros

2026 Stats – 15 GS (3 relief), 6-4, 5.32 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 83 SO, 44 BB

Gage Jump – Athletics

2026 Stats – 17 GS, 6-8, 4.69 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 97 SO, 42 BB

Rhett Lowder – Cincinnati Reds

2026 Stats – 21 GS (3 relief), 6-8, 5.14 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 88 SO, 43 BB

Ryan Johnson – Los Angeles Angels

2026 Stats – 14 GS (3 relief), 3-7, 5.47 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 52 SO, 36 BB

Connor Prielipp – SP, Minnesota Twins

2026 Stats – 19 GS, 3-7, 5.55 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 106 SO, 39 BB

Zac Thornton – New York Mets

2026 Stats – 11 GS, 3-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 45 SO, 14 BB

Andrew Painter – SP, Philadelphia Phillies

2026 Stats – 18 GS (2 relief), 3-8, 5.95 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 85 SO, 37 BB

Matt Wilkinson – SP, San Francisco Giants

2026 Stats – 2 GS, 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 2 SO, 0 BB

Kade Anderson – SP, Seattle Mariners

2026 Stats – 2 GS, 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8 SO, 5 BB

Ethan Pecko – SP, Houston Astros

2026 Stats – 3 GS, 1-0, 6.23 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 9 SO, 9 BB

Quinn Matthews – SP, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Stats – 4 GS, 1-2, 5.03 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 20 SO, 8 BB

Newest Rookie Injuries/Demotions

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

2026 Stats – 586 PA, .242/.343/.370, 17 HR, 88 R, 48 RBI, 14 SB

Placed on the 10-day IL with right wrist tendinitis

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

2026 Stats – 199 PA, .247/.276/.382, 3 HR, 16 R, 28 RBI, 0 SB

Placed on the 10-day IL with a left ankle sprain

Carson Whisenhunt – San Francisco Giants

2026 Stats – 8 GS, 3-4, 6.49 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 26 SO, 21 BB

Placed on the 60-day IL with a torn UCL

Mitch Bratt – Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 Stats – 10 GS, 1-3, 4.70 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 30 SO, 27 BB

Optioned to Triple-A

Jim Jarvis – SS, Atlanta Braves

2026 Stats – 124 PA, .207/.267/.297, 1 HR, 10 R, 11 RBI, 0 SB