Using rookies on our fantasy baseball rosters is dangerous this time of year. As more and more are called up as teams throw in the towel on the 2024 season, we have a plethora of rookies with small sample sizes from which to debate. This past week was defined by Alex Call and his .463/.532/.634 line in his last 12 games. Sounds like someone we need, right? Well, those numbers are propped up by a .511 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) this season which is one of the more unsustainable numbers you will ever see.
Tread carefully out there.
Injuries and trades have hit teams like the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, and Cincinnati Reds, and they are bringing up prospects just to fill holes until their regulars are ready to go. In both situations, fantasy baseball managers are getting long glimpses of players who could have massive fantasy implications. We should be paying attention to all of them.
This weekly piece will track some of the notable performances from rookies during the 2024 season now that we have reached the All-Star break. In dynasty and keeper formats, most of these players will be long gone, but in seasonal leagues, is it worth clogging up a roster spot with a rookie? Diving into their performance this season will hopefully help us look into a little bit of their future.
Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report: Hitters
Jackson Chourio (OF, Milwaukee Brewers)
- .269/.315/.429, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 16 SB, 55 R
Jackson Chourio has decided to turn up an extra level of speed this month and he leads all rookies in steals with four in August. He is also hitting very well having busted out of a slump. Chourio is producing at a .325/.372/.475 clip this month.
David Hamilton (SS, Boston Red Sox)
- .256/.309/.400, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 29 SB, 39 R
David Hamilton has one home run and three steals in August, but is second in rookie OPS this month with a 1.059 rate thanks to a .409 on-base percentage. Hamilton was scuffling for a long time, but has kept running and is back to producing quality fantasy numbers on a regular basis.
Nolan Schanuel (1B, Los Angeles Angels)
- .248/.344/.372, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 4 SB, 48 R
Although his on-base percentage has stayed strong (.326 in August), Nolan Schanuel has hit only .194 with a .278 slugging percentage this month. As the Angels’ new leadoff man, he is getting plenty of plate appearances these days, but it has only amounted to a .604 OPS in August.
Michael Busch (1B, Chicago Cubs)
- .262/.349/.464, 16 HR, 45 RBI, 2 SB, 55 R
Michael Busch is second among all rookies in home runs this month and sports a .997 OPS as the second full week of August gets underway. He has also made some gains on his strikeout rate which has helped prop up his power numbers this month.
Joey Ortiz (3B, Milwaukee Brewers)
- .252/.349/.409, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 6 SB, 41 R
Only one home run and zero steals in August have taken some shine off of Joey Ortiz especially since there are other strong rookies just on his own team. He doesn’t have a steal this month but is still able to get on base around 35% of the time.
Colton Cowser (OF, Baltimore Orioles)
- .250/.328/.460, 18 HR, 54 RBI, 7 SB, 54 R
Colton Cowser continues to build his case for AL Rookie of the Year and has now opened up a sizable lead against Luis Gil as the betting favorite (-190). Cowser has slowed just a bit in August but still has a .452 slugging percentage for the month.
Ceddanne Rafaela (OF, Boston Red Sox)
- .263/.295/.418, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 16 SB, 60 R
Ceddanne Rafaela is going to end 2024 with a 15/20 season with a good average and more than 70 runs. We will look back on it in six months and realize what a strong fantasy season it was and it should propel him to a strong ranking and ADP heading into 2025.
Jackson Merrill (SS/OF, San Diego Padres)
- .291/.323/.483, 17 HR, 64 RBI, 13 SB, 59 R
Jackson Merrill is back to being the king of all offensive rookies after a start to August that includes a .344/.395/.844 line with four home runs, 10 RBI, and two steals in nine games. He has shown he has a knack for clutch hits and almost has as many walks as strikeouts in his last 10 games. If not for someone named Paul Skenes, this would be a runaway for the NL Rookie of the Year.
Wilyer Abreu (OF, Boston Red Sox)
- .266/.334/.496, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 7 SB, 46 R
Wilyer Abreu’s power has come back this month and he has three home runs and 10 RBI in August. Abreu’s issue is he continues to strikeout way too much, including 12 times in 27 at-bats in August.
Masyn Winn (SS, St. Louis Cardinals)
- .279/.330/.416, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 10 SB, 55 R
There may be nothing completely spectacular about Masyn Winn from a fantasy perspective, but he has become a solid, dependable leadoff man for St. Louis who has only sat out one game since July 10th. With two home runs and one steal in August, he is doing just enough to stay fantasy-relevant in deep leagues.
Jackson Holliday (2B, Baltimore Orioles)
- .162/.225/.378, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB, 15 R
Five home runs since he was called back up from AAA are starting to turn his numbers around. He became the youngest hitter in the American League since Ted Williams to hit home runs three games in a row. Despite a miserable game at the plate on Sunday, the arrow is pointing way up on baseball’s top hitting prospect.
James Wood (OF, Washington Nationals)
- .263/.355/.429, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 6 SB, 20 R
Here he comes. August has been very good to Wood as he is hitting .314/.415/.629 with two home runs, nine RBI, and four steals in 10 games. The power/speed combo that is developing before our eyes was exactly the reason he was such a highly-regarded prospect before his call-up.
Colt Keith (2B, Detroit Tigers)
- .251/.305/.384, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 6 SB, 41 R
The late-season struggles have really continued for Colt Keith and he is now at just .214/.250/.238 for the month. He has the second-lowest OPS among all rookies in August and has seen his power fall off completely after a hot few weeks at the end of July.
Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report: Pitchers
Spencer Schwellenbach (SP, Atlanta Braves)
- 12 Starts, 70.2 IP, 4 W, 3.95 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 77 Ks
No rookie pitcher has more than Spencer Schwellenbach’s 36 strikeouts since mid-July and he has done it in just 26 innings. He is just 1-1 in four starts across that span, but the strikeouts, ERA (3.12), and WHIP (0.88) have been immaculate.
Shota Imanaga (SP, Chicago Cubs)
- 21 Starts, 123.1 IP, 9 W, 3.06 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 128 Ks
Shota Imanaga has started giving up a few too many home runs and it has started to marginally impact his performances. He has allowed five bombs since the All Star Break, which have led to a 3.42 ERA since that time. On the surface, that’s not horrible, but this was a pitcher who had an ERA under 2.00 just about the entire first half.
Spencer Arrighetti (SP, Houston Astros)
- 21 Starts, 105.0 IP, 5 W, 5.14 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 129 Ks
It was another start and another career-high in strikeouts for Arrighetti this weekend. This time it was against Boston and he struck out 13 batters in a masterful game over the weekend. Don’t look now but Arrighetti (129 Ks) trails only Luis Gil for the strikeout lead among all AL rookies in 2024.
Paul Skenes (SP, Pittsburgh Pirates)
- 15 Starts, 92 IP, 6 W, 2.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 115 Ks
Paul Skenes has been just “excellent” as opposed to “superhuman” over his last four starts. He has no wins and a 3.16 ERA in that span. Skenes still has 26 strikeouts in 25 innings plus a 1.05 WHIP, but he has been tagged for a few home runs and nine earned in that span as well. He is still, however, the overwhelming favorite to be NL Rookie of the Year (-1000 on many sportsbooks).
Simeon Woods Richardson (SP, Minnesota Twins)
- 20 Starts, 102.1 IP, 3 W, 3.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 91 Ks
The tough luck tour for Simeon Woods Richardson continues. Woods Richardson may have a pristine ERA and WHIP, but he only has three wins in 20 starts to show for it, and his last win came all the way back on June 26. Apart from one bump in the road on July 29th, Woods Richardson has allowed three earned runs or less in seven straight starts.
Luis Gil (SP, New York Yankees)
- 22 Starts, 117.2 IP, 12 W, 3.06 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 138 Ks
Luis Gil is making a bid to get back into the AL Rookie of the Year race as he has gone 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 20 punch-outs in 15 innings since the All-Star Break. His resurgence has helped the lead the Yankees into a tie for the AL East, and if they can take that crown, Gil might just pass Colton Cowser for the rookie award.
Tobias Myers (SP, Milwaukee Brewers)
- 17 Starts, 93.2 IP, 6 W, 2.79 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 84 Ks
No rookie can match the 1.66 ERA that Tobias Myers has since the All-Star Break. He also just notched a career-high nine strikeouts in one game this week but somehow has zero wins in four starts since the break because the fantasy baseball gods are cruel. In that time frame has also has a 22:4 strikeout to walk ratio.
Who’s Next?
This section will look at any noteworthy rookies who have just debuted, are on the verge of debuting, or might be on their way up soon, and whether they are worth the roster position on your fantasy squads.
Andres Chaparro (INF, Washington Nationals) – The youth movement continues in Washington as they will call up infielder Andres Chaparro this week after he demolished AAA this year. Across two organizations, Chaparro hit .330/.406/.577 with 23 home runs. Chaparro will get some time at third base, although he is not a plus defender. Hit bat is what will keep him in the lineup every day if he continues hitting. Considering the lost season in Washington, look for him to get a long look moving forward.
Adrian Del Castillo (C, Arizona Diamondbacks) – The first three games or Adrian Del Castillo could not have gone better as he is slashing .583/.615/1.000 through 12 plate appearances. He has a pair of three-hit games and a home run already as the Diamondbacks appear ready to give the starting catcher job to him at least while Gabriel Moreno is on the IL. If you are in a need of a catcher or are in a two-catcher league with playoffs looming, Del Castillo is a nice speculative add.