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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Ryan Mountcastle, Phil Maton and Bubba Chandler

FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS

Ryan Mountcastle (1B Orioles): Rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues

Bringing the left field wall back in some at Camden Yards this year was supposed to help Mountcastle most of all, but the results just weren’t any good early on and then Mountcastle suffered a hamstring strain on May 30 that’s cost him more than two months. He’s finally set to return this weekend after going 12-for-31 with three homers and four doubles in nine rehab games at Triple-A Norfolk.

Since homers to left were very tough to come by in Baltimore for a couple of years, Mountcastle retooled his approach at the plate, resulting in him spraying more balls to the opposite field and hitting additional grounders. This year, he figured it made sense to try to resume hitting like he did when he first came up and produced a 33-homer season in his first full year in the majors in 2021. Before getting hurt, he succeeded in getting his pull rate back up to where it was in his debut. However, he was still hitting too many grounders. It also seemed like he was fairly unlucky; Mountcastle hit .246/.280/.348 with two homers through 52 games, but he had 16 barrels and a 46.5% hard-hit rate. Statcast gave him an xBA of .270 and an xSLG of .441.

Mountcastle might have returned from injury as a part-time player had the Orioles gotten back into contention before the deadline, but that’s obviously not how things worked out. Barring a Samuel Basallo callup, he and Coby Mayo can both receive all of the playing time they can handle while splitting time between first base and DH, and while Baltimore’s pitching is obviously rough at the moment, the top half of the lineup remains pretty good at generating RBI opportunities. Mountcastle should be solid enough in terms of average and the power categories to help.

Phil Maton (RP Rangers): Rostered in 19% of Yahoo leagues

The Rangers seemed primed to add a true closer at the deadline, but the big names went elsewhere. In the end, they settled for Maton and lefty Danny Coulombe and instead made a bigger addition to their rotation in Merrill Kelly. Still, Maton, who has never had the chance to close since debuting with the Padres in 2017, seems like the team’s best option in the ninth.

Maton’s stock faded last year, though he posted a decent enough 3.66 ERA for the Rays and Mets. That his velocity eroded was the primary culprit; his fastball dipped from 90.9 mph in 2022 to 89.0 mph in 2023 and 88.7 mph last year, and his strikeout rate followed suit. This year, though, Maton is back up to 90.6 mph, and he’s throwing his curveball harder than he has since 2021. His current 30.4% K rate is a big improvement over his 2024 mark of 22.6% and his career rate of 25.9%.

Maton probably won’t get every save chance the Rangers generate. Robert Garcia still might factor in when lefties are due up in the ninth, and Chris Martin could emerge as a factor after returning from a strained calf next month. Still, Maton seems like a perfectly fine bet at this point. This is about as well as he’s thrown at any point of his career, and there’s nothing in his peripherals to suggest things are about to change.

Bubba Chandler (SP Pirates): Rostered in 23% of Yahoo leagues

Here’s my second go this year at including Chandler in a Waiver Wire column. It’s surely been done hundreds of times over dozens of websites by now, but maybe one more will make a difference. Or maybe, more likely, it’ll be the arrival of Aug. 15, the date on which prospects can be called up for the first time, spend the rest of the year on the roster and retain rookie eligibility for 2026. There are still at-bat and innings thresholds to think about there, but that’s more of an issue for the hitters; Chandler will not be topping 50 innings over the final quarter of the season.

The pressure was initially on the Pirates to promote Chandler in May, as he opened up with a 2.03 ERA and a 69/21 K/BB over 48 2/3 innings in his first 11 starts. When it never happened, Chandler went into a summer swoon, often struggling with walks. One can’t simply chalk up all of his struggles to boredom, but it has to be playing a role; if the Pirates were trying to win, he would have been up by June 1 at the latest.

Given the troubles with walks and his very limited win potential while pitching for a bad team and having his workload monitored, it’s probably best not to be overly excited for Chandler’s arrival, at least not for fantasy purposes. Still, he’ll definitely get strikeouts, and he could offer some value while certainly being more motivated than he has been of late.

Waiver Wire Quick Hits

- Baltimore’s Dylan Beavers is another guy who could prove ready for the majors on Aug. 15. Too bad he’s not right now, with the Orioles sporting a Chad Allen-Dylan Carlson-Ryan Noda outfield. Beavers, hitting .309/.423/.438 with 18 homers and 22 steals in Triple-A, will be very much worth adding if he gets the call.

- I thought I might be recommending Cristian Javier here after his first Triple-A rehab start following Tommy John saw him average 93.6 mph with his fastball. However, he was down to 92.5 mph last time out, and he’s walked 10 in 9 2/3 innings over his three turns. Something encouraging needs to happen soon for him to warrant a pickup or even a place in Houston’s rotation.

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Why Athletics' young starters are under microscope amid ‘important' stretch

Why Athletics' young starters are under microscope amid ‘important' stretch originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics are far out of the playoff race entering the final third of the MLB season, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to play for.

The team’s exciting lineup — one of the youngest in baseball — has continued to impress throughout most of the year, but the Athletics’ inexperienced crop of starting pitchers has had encouraging performances since the All-Star break as well.

Though starter J.T. Ginn picked up the loss Friday night against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, manager Mark Kotsay continued to be optimistic about his staff. He emphasized the importance of this stretch, particularly for his trio of emerging starters: Ginn, Jacob Lopez and Jack Perkins.

“Obviously, Lopez is ahead of them with the amount of starts he’s had and a little more innings this year,” Kotsay told reporters postgame. “As far as Ginn and Perkins, these are important weeks for them, and obviously, tonight wasn’t terrible. I mean, three runs in five innings. Our offense just couldn’t help him out.

“But for Perk tomorrow, it’s another young guy that’s going out there. He’ll be limited on the pitch count — probably into the 80s — but for him to go out and have a good start is important.”

Ginn struggled in the first inning, allowing back-to-back homers to Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle after nearly completing a 1-2-3 frame. But that would be all the Orioles could muster against Ginn and the A’s bullpen.

“Outside of that, I mean, he had nine strikeouts,” Kotsay said of the 26-year-old Ginn. “I thought he got back focused into the zone and really pounded it and did a good job from the second to the fifth.”

As a whole, this rotation has improved significantly in the second half of the season. Before the All-Star break, A’s starters managed just a 5.00 ERA; that mark was down to 3.65 entering Friday’s contest, according to Stathead.

Ginn arguably had the two best starts of his young career in late July, while Lopez hasn’t given up a run in his last two outings. Perkins, meanwhile, will make his second career start Saturday as the rookie looks to find his footing in the rotation.

If this up-and-coming group of starters can continue to perform at a similar level to their hitting counterparts, the Athletics could be a dangerous team sooner rather than later.

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Bakersfield Condors Sign Defenseman Mason Millman To AHL Contract

The Bakersfield Condors announced they have signed defenseman Mason Millman to a one-year, one-way AHL contract.

Millman recorded 14 points in 52 games for the Providence Bruins and six points in 10 games for the ECHL's Maine Mariners last season. He led the Bruins with a +20 rating. 

The 24-year-old has five goals and 22 points in 92 career AHL games with the Bruins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He has 102 points in 152 career ECHL games. 

A fourth round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019, Millman turned pro in 2020-21 after parts of three OHL seasons that saw him post 69 points in 130 games with the Saginaw Spirit. 

Millman was a solid defensive defenseman in his time with the Bruins and should have lots of opportunity to play a significant role with the Condors. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.   

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Chris Woakes may risk rehab over shoulder surgery in bid to be fit for Ashes

  • England bowler ‘waiting to see extent of the damage’ first

  • Recurrence a chance he’d be ‘willing to take’ to make tour

The England bowler Chris Woakes has not given up on playing in the Ashes this winter after he revealed rehabilitation rather than surgery on his dislocated shoulder is being considered.

Woakes produced an astonishing display of bravery in England’s six-run loss to India in the fifth Test of a thrilling series earlier this week when he decided to bat at No 11 with his arm in a sling after a dislocation of his left shoulder on day one of the match.

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Pitching help and outfield decisions happening soon for Phillies

Pitching help and outfield decisions happening soon for Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Rob Thomson has had a long career in the major leagues, so there probably aren’t too many situations that he hasn’t been through. But the recent amount of film-watching he’s done and reports that he’s read concerning players that are either rehabbing or just amping themselves up to get back to the big club is, no doubt, dizzying.

Now is a good time for the manager, as just about all is positive right now and it seems as though the Phillies might be getting some welcomed reinforcements shortly to help them with their stretch run.

“There’s a lot of them,” Thomson said from his office before his team took on the Texas Rangers in the first of a three-game series.

So, let’s start with the pitchers. Aaron Nola pitched Wednesday for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs and went 3.2 innings, gave up four hits, one run, walked two and struck out four. He threw 69 pitches, 40 for strikes.

“I watched all the tape and command was really good,” Thomson said. “He had a rough first inning, 28 pitches in the first inning, something like that. But he bounced back really well. I thought he threw the ball really well.”

Nola will start again Tuesday for Lehigh Valley and then possibly be back up with the Phillies the following Sunday. “I think so, yeah. I mean there’s a chance,” Thomson said.

Relievers José Alvarado and David Robertson also put in time with the Iron Pigs recently, as Alvarado pitched an inning on Thursday and Robertson pitched both Wednesday and Thursday.

“Back-to-back,” Thomson said of the right-handed Robertson. “15 pitches two days ago, five (Thursday) just to clean up an inning so we checked just about every box we needed to check. If he feels good, we’ll activate him on Sunday.”

As for Alvarado, Thomson seemed blown away by his performance on Thursday. “And Alvarado was unbelievable. 97, 98, I thought I saw a 99 in there. 15 pitches, I believe, and he just looked right. Cutter was fantastic.” Alvarado pitched the one inning, gave up a hit and struck out two. Eight of his 12 pitches were strikes. He can pitch again in the majors beginning August 19th.

Starter Zack Wheeler, originally slated to pitch Friday against the Rangers, was pushed back to Sunday as Thomson revealed earlier this week his ace was dealing with shoulder soreness for a few weeks now. In his four starts since throwing a one-hit, complete game on July 6, Wheeler has allowed 27 hits, including six home runs and 13 earned runs in 23.2 innings for an ERA of 4.94. Very un-Wheeler like numbers. But after an MRI showed no damage, it seems it’s business as usual for him.

“He had a bullpen today as long as he comes in fine tomorrow he’s starting Sunday,” said Thomson. And there you have it.

Outfield questions

Following the trade deadline last week – which brought in outfielder Harrison Bader, along with closer Jhoan Duran – Thomson said that he would be platooning his outfielders for “the next six games,” in order to get a better feel of who he would be using and when. Well his time is about up, but it appears the manager is giving himself some extra time.

“Yeah, I’m going to try and mix it up a little bit in the next couple of days because I want to find out who’s hot, who’s not and go from there,” he said. (Max) Kepler had a good day the other day (home run and double on Wednesday) and is swinging the bat pretty well lately. I really like Bader. (Brandon) Marsh is a guy, (Nick Castellanos) Casty’s an everyday guy, so I got to figure it out.” Friday’s outfield consisted of Kepler in left, Marsh in center and Castellanos in right against righthander Merrill Kelly. “Bader is going to play tomorrow and that’s all I’m going to give you,” Thomson said.

Bohm plans soon to come

Third baseman Alec Bohm is going to start playing on Sunday for Lehigh Valley, Thomson said. Otto Kemp was at third on Friday, but he has also played some left field since being called up in early June, further complicating the outfield decision. We should find out shortly what the game plan is.

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Sabres Prospect Profile – Yevgeni Prokhorov

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Bryan Rust

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

#35 - Yevgeni Prokhorov - Goalie (Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk - MHL) 

 The Sabres continued their practice of selecting players with longer development windows, since they do not have to sign them within two years. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, players drafted out of the KHL development system have their rights retained by their NHL club until 27 years old,  because there is no transfer agreement between the KHL and NHL.   

With the first of two seventh-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Sabres selected Belarusian goalie Yevgeni Prokhorov. The 18-year-old played 28 games in the junior-level MHL last season for Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk, and posted a 2.19 GAA, and .903 save percentage, and went 3-3, with a 1.95 GAA and .943 save percentage in six playoff games. 

With Belarus subject to the ban from the IIHF along with Russia due to the war in Ukraine, Prokhorov will not get any international experience like playing in the World Junior, and will likely play in the MHL again next season, but could see some time in the second-level VHL or KHL depending on his performance. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

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NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No.10 New York Rangers

The Hockey News’ exclusive summer splash series evaluating the off-seasons of every NHL team is into the final stretch. To put these rankings together, we’ve focused the spotlight on every franchise’s off-season additions, departures, hirings and firings. And we’ve labelled each team as belonging to one of three categories – teams that have improved, teams that essentially stayed the same, and teams that have regressed. 

We’re now in the top part of these rankings, but Team No. 10 in our summer splash list – the New York Rangers – are still in a tier where they’re one of the slightly better teams, but otherwise stayed the same. So let’s take an in-depth look at how the Rangers’ off-season has developed, and the direction the Rangers are likely to be headed next season:

Additions

Mike Sullivan (Coach), Vladislav Gavrikov (D), Scott Morrow (D), Taylor Raddysh (RW), Justin Dowling (C)    

The Breakdown: The Rangers had the 12th-best offense in the league last season with an average of 3.12 goals-for per game. Unfortunately, they had the same average goals-against, ranking 19th overall in that department – and every team below them, with the exception of the Montreal Canadiens, was a non-playoff team last year.

Thus, Rangers GM Chris Drury set out to improve his team’s defense, and he hit a home run with the signing of former L.A. Kings D-man Vladislav Gavrikov. And now, the Blueshirts’ pairing of Gavrikov and star blueliner Adam Fox gives the Rangers one of the very best first defense pairings in the NHL.

Meanwhile, the Rangers made a major change behind the bench with the hiring of former Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins bench boss Mike Sullivan, who could’ve had his pick of a slew of teams but chose the Blueshirts. Sullivan’s structure and accountability demands are likely to make the Rangers better as well.

After that, the only additions Drury made were depth players on defense (Scott Morrow) and up front (Taylor Raddysh, Justin Dowling). But let’s face it – the reason the Rangers were a top-10 summer splash team was because they hired Sullivan and signed Gavrikov – and they signed Gavrikov to a very reasonable $7-million per season contract. Gavrikov could’ve easily signed for more money, but his choice and Sullivan’s choice of the Rangers are endorsements of where this team is headed.

New York Rangers (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)

Departures

Peter Laviolette (coach), K’Andre Miller (D), Chris Kreider (LW), Zac Jones (D), Arthur Kaliyev (RW), Calvin de Haan (D), Chad Ruhwedel (D). Nicolas Aube-Kubel (RW) 

The Breakdown: Drury did not have a ton of salary cap space to go out and make big moves, so it was necessary to purge some veteran salary this summer. That included trading RFA defenseman and longtime Ranger K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes for a first-round draft pick and a second-rounder. But if we’re talking trade-offs, adding Gavrikov in exchange for Miller is a net positive for the Rangers.

That said, the other key Rangers departure is greybeard winger and Rangers fixture Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks. Kreider had spent his entire 14-year career with the Rangers, but his $6.5-million salary (and the two years remaining on his contract) was too rich for Drury to keep around. And veteran coach Peter Laviolette paid the price for the Rangers missing the post-season last year, getting fired after only two years on the job.

Otherwise, Drury allowed fringe players Arthur Kaliyev, Zac Jones, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Calvin de Haan and Chad Ruhwedel to leave via free agency. With due respect to those five players, the Rangers aren’t going to be in trouble because they’re gone. The big issue that needed addressing was the Blueshirts’ defense corps, and all things considered, the Rangers are better as a whole.

The Bottom Line

The Rangers missed the playoffs last year after being the NHL’s best regular-season team in 2023-24. That was extremely frustrating for Rangers fans who were anticipating the Rangers being a better playoff team, not missing the playoffs altogether. 

But Drury got a vote of confidence in a contract extension of his own, and he went to work to use all but $777,976 of his cap space to make his team more balanced and better in its own zone. And he moved heaven and earth to ensure he hired Sullivan to run things behind the Rangers’ bench.

We’re not prepared to say the Rangers got notably better – at least, not yet. And certainly, they didn’t get better than the nine teams ahead of them in our summer splash rankings. The Rangers should be in contention for a playoff spot this coming year, but the competition for a playoff berth in the Metropolitan Division will be fierce, and there’s no assurance the Rangers can fend off Metro teams, including the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets, to lock up a playoff spot.

The Rangers’ core of Artemi Panarin, Fox, Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller is solid. But the defense corps isn’t especially deep, nor is the wing position for the Rangers. It’s going to take a lot of effort, some good luck on the injury front, and terrific play from star goalie Igor Shesterkin for the Rangers to bounce back. But their moves this summer give them a better chance at bouncing back – and ultimately, we believe only nine teams had a better off-season than the Blueshirts did. 

Summer Splash Rankings

10. New York Rangers

11. Detroit Red Wings

12. New Jersey Devils

13. St. Louis Blues

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

15. Colorado Avalanche

16. Ottawa Senators

17. Boston Bruins

18. Edmonton Oilers

19. Minnesota Wild

20. Seattle Kraken

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

22. Washington Capitals

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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'Straight grinder.' How new Dodger Alex Call became one of MLB's toughest at-bats

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 6, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Call (12) runs out of the batters box after hitting a double against St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) in the third inning at Dodger Stadium on August 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers outfielder Alex Call, above doubling against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, has not struck out since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

At the end of the 2019 minor-league season, Alex Call looked at his hitting numbers, then looked himself in the mirror.

A former third-round draft pick who had already changed organizations once, he knew he had just had the kind of year that typically portends a short professional career.

As a 24-year-old outfielder at the double-A level in the Cleveland Guardians organization, Call had taken 325 plate appearances that year with the Akron RubberDucks. In 93 of them — a rate of nearly 30% — he recorded a strikeout.

It wasn’t the only ugly stat in a season that saw Call bat just .205, reach base at a .266 clip and hit only five home runs. But it was the biggest sign of a fundamental flaw plaguing the right-handed hitter’s game.

“That,” he recalled recently, while reflecting on what became a turning point moment in his career, “just wasn't gonna get it done.”

Read more:Shohei Ohtani's Ruthian feats are not enough as bullpen melts down against Cardinals

Six years later, Call joined the Dodgers as a trade deadline addition last week with a polar opposite reputation. Now, the defensively versatile outfielder is one of the harder outs in all the majors. Since the start of last season, his .297 batting average ranks eighth among MLB hitters with at least 350 plate appearances. More important, over that same span, he ranks top 60 in strikeout rate and walk rate (with a 55-to-39 ratio overall), and 22nd in chase rate; consistently putting together some of the better at-bats in all the sport.

“This guy’s just a straight grinder, works at-bats,” general manager Brandon Gomes said after the Dodgers acquired Call from the Washington Nationals in exchange for two pitching prospects. “Playing against him, he’s always incredibly frustrating to try to game plan for and get out.”

“I’ve faced Alex a few times,” added future Hall of Fame left-hander Clayton Kershaw. “He’s tough against lefties, a great defender. A good add, for sure.”

The Dodgers, of course, could have made splashier adds at the deadline. They were linked to All-Star caliber names, including Steven Kwan of the Guardians, but didn’t splurge to pay such inflated deadline prices.

Instead, they settled for Call, who was a smaller name but came with team control through 2029. They put their faith in his overhauled offensive skill set, hopeful a personal transformation more than half-a-decade in the making will make him a key piece in their pursuit of a second straight World Series title.

“That is my whole game,” Call said on the day he arrived with the club. “I am going to grind out at-bats, put the ball in play, take my walks, make it tough on the pitcher, lengthen out the lineup.”

The origins of that mindset date to that 2019 season, and the pandemic-altered year that followed.

Entering 2020, Call committed to a change at the plate. In what was a crowded pipeline of outfielders in the Guardians system — highlighted at that time by Kwan, who has since blossomed into one of the best left fielders in the game — he recognized he needed a new identity. If he was going to reach the majors, it was going to start with simply working better at-bats.

“It’s a bad feeling,” he said, “having a cloud hanging over your head after a season like that.”

The only problem: COVID-19 came, the 2020 minor league season was canceled, and Call (like so many other minor-league long shots clinging to big-league dreams) was left effectively on his own.

So, he found different ways to improve his bat.

As the baseball world shut down, Call bought a portable Junior Hack Attack hitting machine with a self-feeding ball dispenser. And everywhere he went that year — from spring training housing in Phoenix to his childhood home in Wisconsin to his family’s offseason residence in Indiana — he sought out any place “I could find a hitting cage and an outlet” to use it, he said laughing.

His focus was simple. Work on hitting fastballs up in the strike zone. Eliminate what had been one of the biggest holes in his swing.

“For me, it's just about having that mentality to where, it doesn't matter if I have two strikes or if it's an 0-0 count,” he said. “Believe I'm comfortable in every situation. I'm going to put the ball in play.”

By that winter, Call sought out a more advanced piece of training technology as well.

Over the previous couple years, a company called Win Reality had begun manufacturing virtual reality hitting goggles — using data-driven models, actual video and computer-generated images to recreate virtual at-bats against real pitchers from a hitter’s point of view inside Oculus-style headsets.

A handful of MLB teams, including the Dodgers, had invested in the system for their teams. In the months leading up to the 2021 season, Call decided to do the same for himself, buying the $300 product (and paying for its annual $200 software program) to help couple his new swing with a more discerning approach.

“[I was] just really practicing the zone,” Call said. “Knowing what pitches are my strengths and what pitches I don't want to swing at until two strikes. Developing that plan and developing that approach.”

The training paid off.

At the start of the 2021 season, Call was sent back to double-A Akron. When he arrived, he was informed by manager Rouglas Odor that he would only be slated to play 2-3 games per week — a quick reminder of how far down the organization depth chart he’d fallen.

“I remember him being very disappointed,” Odor, now the Guardians’ big-league third-base coach, recalled this week. “But he took ownership of his career, and didn’t let what I told him affect him.”

Call’s chance arrived that May, after Kwan went down with a hamstring injury. And almost immediately, his COVID-year changes took effect. Over 180 plate appearances, Call hit .310, drew 21 walks and — just as he’d hoped — cut his strikeout rate by half, punching out only 26 times.

“He was a totally different hitter,” said Odor, who had also been Call’s manager during his dismal 2019 campaign. “Defensively, he was already to play in the big leagues. He made some unbelievable plays … But offensively, he found his stroke. His plate discipline was more consistent. And he had an unbelievable season.”

By the end of the season, Call had been promoted to triple-A. The next July, he earned a promotion to the majors.

The ascent from there wasn’t linear. In August 2022, he was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Nationals. In 2023, he played in 128 big-league games but hit only .200, sending him back to triple-A for most of last year.

Alex Call bats against the Houston Astros on July 28 as a member of the Washington Nationals.
Alex Call bats against the Houston Astros on July 28 as a member of the Washington Nationals. (Karen Warren / Associated Press)

Still, his plate discipline didn’t waver (he struck out only 78 times in his 439 plate appearances in 2023, an 18% rate, while also drawing 53 walks). His VR routine only became more ingrained, seeing upward of 54,000 simulated pitches (or, essentially 25 seasons’ worth of throws) through his headset each year, as he told the Washington Post last month.

It all has clicked over the last calendar year, with Call following up a productive return to the majors at the end of 2024 with his best full-season performance this term.

“The type of player that I am, I can hit the ball over the fence, but it's not really my full game,” Call said. “So for me, it was about trying to create as many opportunities to get on base as possible … I have to be able to hit the ball at good angles.”

Call is one of only four players with at least 200 plate appearances this season (along with Kyle Tucker, Gleyber Torres and Geraldo Perdomo) who strikes out less than 15% of the time, chases less than 20% of the time and whiffs less than 20% of the time. He has hit .236 with two strikes (better than everyone else on the Dodgers except Hyeseong Kim).

He had his first standout game with the Dodgers on Wednesday, when he singled, doubled and made a catch while crashing into the left-field wall to save an extra-base hit.

Read more:Hernández: Mookie Betts sounds depressed, but he isn't giving up on snapping his hitting slump

Eight at-bats into his Dodgers career entering Friday's game, he has also yet to strike out once.

“I’m always proud of players like Alex, because he wasn’t this big prospect, but he became an everyday big-league player,” Odor said. “He had the urgency to make something happen in order to reach his goal, and his dream.”

And now, Call is aiming to take his career one step further — to be not just a productive big-league bat, but one capable of playing an impactful role on a title-contending club in Los Angeles.

“I always knew that I could do it and be an established major leaguer,” Call said. “It’s just, sometimes it takes a little bit of time. And I'm grateful that I was given that time, and just continued to get better.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Minnesota Wild Potential PTO Candidate: Victor Olofsson

Jan 12, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Victor Olofsson (95) skates against the Minnesota Wild during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images.

The 2025-26 season is just a few months away. Training camp for the Minnesota Wild will begin in just over a month from now. Wild hockey will be here before we know it.

This means it is time for some players to sign professional tryouts with NHL teams to join them in camp. There are a few good NHL players who are still unsigned right now that could be PTO candidates if they go unsigned. 

Victor Olofsson is one of them. The 5-foot-11 winger spent the 2024-25 season with the Vegas Golden Knights. He was on a one-year contract worth $1,075,000. In 56 games with the VGK, Olofsson recorded 15 goals, 14 assists and 29 points.

He was in and out of the lineup of Vegas' because of how good the Golden Knights' depth was. He recorded six goals on the power play last season.

Olofsson, 30, has spent seven seasons in the NHL and has three 20-goal seasons. His career high was 28 with the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23. He is a top power play kind of guy who scored 11 power-play goals during the 2019-20 season. He finished that year with 20 goals. 

In his career, Olofsson has recorded 105 goals, 106 assists, 211 points, 41 power-play goals and 28 power play assists in 370 games. 

He has played in nine playoff games in his career. They all came last season with the Golden Knights. In four playoff games against the Wild, Olofsson had a power-play assist. It was a primary assist on Shea Theodore's opening goal in Game 6 which eliminated the Wild from the playoffs.

It is weird to think Olofsson is not signed yet and if he still isn't by training camp, he should be an option as a PTO for the Wild.

Other Wild News

Where Wild's Kirill Kaprizov Ranks Among Wingers In The NHLWhere Wild's Kirill Kaprizov Ranks Among Wingers In The NHLThe NHL Network is putting together some lists of the top players in the NHL among different positions before the 2025-26 season starts. They just dropped the top-20 wingers in the NHL list. Minnesota Wild's Matt Boldy Ranked As Top-20 Winger In NHLMinnesota Wild's Matt Boldy Ranked As Top-20 Winger In NHLThe NHL Network is putting together some lists of the top players in the NHL among different positions before the 2025-26 season starts. They just dropped the top-20 wingers in the NHL list.  Wild's Marco Rossi Continues To Have A Big Offseason, Up 14 PoundsWild's Marco Rossi Continues To Have A Big Offseason, Up 14 PoundsMinnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi is known for his work ethic. He has already had a big offseason by training with Hall of Fame center Joe Thornton.
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24 Nashville Predators in 24 days: Adam Wilsby

Is it October yet? 

Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 1, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player. 

Today's player profile is defenseman Adam Wilsby. 

As an NHL Prospect 

Wilsby was drafted by the Nashville Predators 101st overall in the 2020 draft out of Skellefteå AIK in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden's second-highest hockey league. In his draft year, he scored 30 points in 41 games. 

He was one of three defensemen selected in that year's draft which included Luke Prokop (73rd overall) and Luke Reid (166th overall). 

Professional career 

Milwaukee Admirals defenseman Adam Wilsby (58) carries the puck up the ice toward the goal in a shootout during a Milwaukee Admirals practice open to season ticket holders Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After getting drafted by the Predators, Wilsby spent two more seasons with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish League. His numbers declined slightly from when he was playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, tallying 18 points in the 2020-21 season and 17 points in the 2021-22 season. 

At the end of the 2021-22 season, he joined the Milwaukee Admirals, playing in three playoff games.

Wilsby was specifically in Milwaukee until last season, when he made his debut with the Predators against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 27. He scored his first NHL point against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 4.  

Last season he totaled five points in 23 games logging six penalty minutes. 

What role will he play this season 

Dec 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Wilsby's training camp will be crucial in determining whether the Predators want to keep him in Nashville.

He seemed like he was becoming a regular last season after getting called up in November, but suffered an upper-body injury that ended his season. Wilsby had a plus/minus of three, the best on the roster last year, but really wasn't producing much. 

However, it seemed like the Predators liked what they saw from Wilsby as he spent three months up in Nashville. Coaching staff could have a preset place for him ahead of camp. 

Considering the additions of Nic Hague and Nick Perbix, the only likely openings on the defense are going to be in the third pairing. 

 

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Red Sox claim catcher Ali Sanchez off waivers from Blue Jays

Red Sox claim catcher Ali Sanchez off waivers from Blue Jays originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox made a roster move on Friday, claiming catcher Ali Sanchez off waivers from Toronto. The move puts the Red Sox’ 40-man roster at the full 40 players, filling the vacancy left by Jorge Alcala being designated for assignment earlier this week.

Sanchez, 28, made his MLB debut in the 2020 season, though he’s played just 46 games at the big league level. Overall, he’s hitting just .186 with a .461 OPS in 131 plate appearances. This season, albeit in a limited sample size of eight games, he’s hit .238 with a .571 OPS for Toronto.

At the Triple-A level this year, he’s hit .279 with a .766 OPS, with six home runs, seven doubles and 28 RBIs.

What this addition means for the Red Sox’ catching tandem was not immediately evident.

Sanchez has no minor league options, so the Red Sox made the acquisition knowing that a corresponding move would be necessary to make room on the active roster. That move will almost assuredly come at the catcher position.

The team has primarily utilized rookie Carlos Narvaez behind the plate, as he’s started 79 of Boston’s 116 games this season. Narvaez has had a breakout campaign, with a .729 OPS and 27 starts as the team’s cleanup hitter.

The flip side of Narvaez’s excellent season has been the downfall of Connor Wong. The 29-year-old is posting career lows across the board, including a .160 batting average and .179 slugging percentage. In 106 at-bats, he’s produced just two extra-base hits, and he’s driven in just two runs.

He’s carved out a role as Brayan Bello’s primary catcher, but the offensive abyss when Wong is in the lineup has certainly been a difficult issue for manager Alex Cora to navigate all season long.

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WNBA Trade Deadline winners and losers roundtable

The WNBA trade deadline passed at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, closing out one of the most active deadline's in recent memory.

The reason for this? In previous years, 12 teams for eight playoff spots meant that teams had ample chances to try to squeeze into those final couple of spots. Teams that probably should have folded their playoff chances and became sellers didn’t because they still believed could go on a late season playoff push.

Also, it was often difficult for certain trades to go through because the WNBA operates on a hard salary cap rather than a softer one, which is the status quo in other professional leagues. Three years ago the Phoenix Mercury were trying to trade Skylar Diggins after there were tensions between her, Diana Taurasi and their head coach at the time, Vanessa Nygaard. Trading Diggins never went through because the math didn’t work and general managers around the WNBA didn’t manage their caps as intentionally as they do now in 2025.

This season, however, trades were much more intentional with clear buyers and sellers. Franchises like the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics embraced their roles as sellers stacking their assets for the future, especially leading up to a 2026 free agency period where around 80 percent of the WNBA will be unrestricted free agents.

While this year’s deadline resulted in four different trades, including one that came in late June, it still didn’t match the typical excitement that often comes on deadline day in the NBA or MLB. This could change as soon as next season. The current iteration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on October 31 and a well-reported goal of the players association is to bargain for a softer salary cap.

How much did the sellers like the Mystics and the Wings accomplish their goals? And what about teams like the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm who were clearly buying at the deadline? Our staff answers some of those questions in the roundtable discussion below.

Which player should benefit the most from their change of scenery?

Raphielle Johnson: DiJonai Carrington. After winning Most Improved Player honors last season, the move to Dallas did her no favors from a development standpoint. She may be coming off the bench with the Lynx, but there's a clearly defined role and she's on a team that's the favorite of many to win the WNBA title. And we've already seen what Carrington is capable of doing, as she was excellent down the stretch in her Lynx debut against the Storm on Tuesday. The move to Minnesota should do wonders for Carrington as the Lynx look to win a ring.

Cole Huff: The answer has to be Aaliyah Edwards, right? She was a starter for the Mystics just a year ago as a rookie with plenty of potential, but was demoted to the bench as a sophomore in favor of a 2025 lottery pick that plays the same position. But now, Edwards heads back to Connecticut, where she enjoyed major success and earned plenty of fans as a UConn Husky, to potentially start in the frontcourt for a Sun team playing the rest of this season without many expectations from a wins and losses standpoint. She may have a chance to log heavy minutes in a stress-free environment, giving her a chance to get her career back on track.

Jackie Powell: Diamond Miller is going to get a huge opportunity to play minutes on a Dallas team that has a lot of young talent. Miller has been through the ringer when it came to injuries, missing around half of her sophomore season in 2024. But another challenge Miller had to endure playing for the Lynx was her playing time. She lost her starting role to the more experienced Bridget Carlton after she had begun her WNBA career averaging over 12 points per game during her rookie season in 2023.

Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve alluded to the Lynx having a longer developmental timeline for Miller than Miller herself wanted in her career. Miller wanted to contribute and playing in Dallas will allow her to do that immediately with much lower stakes. Miller provided a spark every time she came off the bench for the Lynx. She shot over 50 percent from three in 26 total attempts, but Reeve didn’t have enough trust in her yet to allow her to play freely in critical situations.

“I think… most of us came from places where we’ve felt undervalued,” Miller told reporters prior to her first game for the Wings this past Tuesday night. “Now it’s time where we can expand our game so it’s really exciting.”

To be clear, Miller is thankful for her time in Minnesota as she learned what excellent looks and sounds like. But in Dallas she’ll be able to play meaningful minutes, something that the former No. 2 overall pick has been longing for ever since she got healthy.

Which team helped itself most regarding competing for a championship this season?

Johnson: Minnesota (DiJonai Carrington) and New York (Emma Meeseman) made important additions to their rosters, whether it was via trade or free agent signing. But, I think Seattle adding Brittney Sykes gives them a better chance of competing for a title, and it was much-needed. The Storm entered Thursday 12th out of 13 teams in bench scoring, and they've asked a lot of their starters, most especially Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Gabby Williams. Adding Sykes bolsters the bench even if she starts, as that would likely push Erica Wheeler back into a reserve role. Also, rookie Dominique Malonga has made strides in her development, and her playing time has increased. Including Alysha Clark in the deal frees up opportunities for Malonga, even if they don't share similar skill sets or positions on the court.

Huff: Seattle. While I agree that Minnesota and New York improved by adding depth, it feels like those two teams’ additions serve more as luxury pieces that may or may not consistently play big enough roles to make a drastic difference on already-loaded teams. With Sykes heading to the Pacific Northwest, I get the notion that Seattle will really lean on her. Will she start alongside Diggins or play a sixth-player role? Remains to be seen. But Sykes' two-way ability for a team relatively thin outside its starting five should allow her to carve out a big role and potentially raise Seattle’s floor and ceiling in a significant way.

Powell: New York. While adding Belgian superstar Emma Meesseman technically wasn’t a move made via a trade, it still was a transaction before the deadline, so I guess it still counts. Meesseman also arrived in New York at such an opportune time when the Liberty are without the third member of their big three in Breanna Stewart. Meesseman has been called an ultra-processor and while she’s a superstar, she’s also a player who can adapt to a myriad of situations because she’s wired as a team player in the body of a superstar. Integrating Meesseman with Stewart, Kennedy Burke and Nyara Sabally, all Liberty front court players who have been injured since Meesseman’s arrival, will come with its challenges, but Meesseman is the ideal player you want in this position where the Liberty need her to adapt quickly.

I have a lot of questions about how both Carrington is going to add to the Lynx’s offense especially when she’s been so inconsistent this year. (She’s shot 36.6% from the field and 27.5% from three this season in over 51 attempts.) But will playing for a coach that demands so much respect in Cheryl Reeve help Carrington return to her Most Improved Player form that she reached last season? It’s possible especially when she has former Sun teammates on roster in Courtney Williams, and Natisha Hiedeman. And then there’s Alanna Smith, who she played with in college at Stanford. The Storm added the second most talented player behind Meesseman, but their offensive math doesn’t change all that much, which makes me question if they are really a team that can make it past the first or second round of the playoffs.

New York Liberty vs Minnesota Lynx
2025 WNBA Power Rankings (Week 10): Lynx Lead, Liberty linger; Dream, Fever and Sparks are hot
Lynx are comfortably on top, but the Dream and Fever gain ground on the Liberty and Mercury.

How clear is the Washington Mystics’ vision based on the moves they made?

Johnson: Regarding the immediate future, the Mystics' vision is very clear. Trades involving Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards netted the team two additional 2026 first-round picks. While the swap with Connecticut may not result in a high first, as the teams are swapping picks initially held by Minnesota (Washington) and New York (Connecticut) respectively, the Mystics have two more pieces of draft capital to work with as they build around Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. And the decision to move Sykes puts the team on a collision course with the draft lottery, which was the preseason expectation.

Huff: Although the Mystics replaced one of their veterans (Sykes) with an even more experienced player (Alysha Clark), their vision to build around their young core is even clearer than it already was prior to the deadline. Before her departure, Sykes was leading Washington in points, assists and field goal attempts per game — her high involvement in the offense being removed will open doors for Citron, Iriafen and potentially Shakira Austin to take on and continue blossoming in greater roles. And while the Mystics shipped off a young player with potential in Edwards, there was a logjam in the frontcourt, and her exodus brought back a future first-round pick, as did the Sykes trade.

Powell: Respect is due for how clear the Mystics’ vision is. This is a franchise that aims to build through some of the most pro-ready draft classes the league has ever seen. There are some teams, namely the Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks that chose not to take advantage of the circumstances that the Mystics have. As a result the Sky are 11th place and they won’t have control over what will be a 2026 lottery pick due to a pre-draft trade they made this year to make sure they could draft Hailey Van Lith. And the Sparks are clawing tooth and nail to get into one of the last two playoff spots. But just because the Mystics' vision is clear, doesn’t mean they’ve hit a home run on all of their moves. Edwards is a talent who could have become part of the Mystics young core, but because of the Mystics’ poor roster construction she ended up in an unfavorable spot in the rotation leading to a trade request. Did no one want Stefanie Dolson instead around the league? That’s for sure possible. But also, the inexperience of Mystics’ front office came back to bite them earlier this season when they missed the deadline to pick up 22 year-old point guard Jade Melbourne’s option, extending her rookie scale deal through 2026. As a rebuilding franchise that should have control over as many young players as possible, this was a missed opportunity. So while this vision is clear, it’s far from flawless.

Which team do you believe is the biggest threat to the current favorite, Minnesota, to win the title?

Johnson: It's New York, under the assumption that their frontcourt will return to full strength well ahead of the playoffs. Not having Breanna Stewart, Nyara Sabally and Kennedy Burke due to injury is huge, as it's left the Liberty light on frontcourt depth. Adding Emma Meeseman to the fold was a significant move, as she was the best player not in the WNBA at the time of her signing. Meeseman's offensive versatility will be a major asset for Sandy Brondello, especially as the veteran forward continues to get more comfortable with her new teammates and the system. Plus, they still have Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud on the perimeter.

Huff: Like Raphielle said,New York is Minnesota’s biggest threat, if healthy. The Liberty were off to a similarly fast start to the season as the Lynx were before Jonquel Jones’ ankle injury jumpstarted a series of injuries to follow for the Liberty, who are very banged up at the time of this writing. Health provided, in addition to the acquisition of Meeseman, there’s a real argument to be made that the defending champions have a better roster than they did a season ago. That being said, the injuries are a concern and good health come postseason is far from guaranteed.

Powell: I have two answers. The obvious one is the New York Liberty which both Raphielle and Cole alluded to. But what about the Atlanta Dream, a team that’s currently third in the standings and third in net rating behind the Lynx and the Liberty. The Lynx have struggled with the Dream’s size this season as Alanna Smith has had to take the brunt of guarding the Dream’s large and strong centers in Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. To be clear Smith deals with this mismatch when she guards Jonquel Jones in New York, but in Atlanta there are two players of that stature that she really has to worry about.

In two games played against the Dream this season, the Lynx have a net rating of zero, and their defensive and offensive ratings are both at 107.7. The Lynx’s base defensive rating of 95.4 drops by over 12% when they play against the Dream. While Carrington will be able to contain Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard when she returns better than Kayla McBride previously could, I still question how much the mismatch in the front court will matter for the Lynx. Although if the standings remain the same by the final day of the regular season, the Lynx might get lucky and might not have to face the Dream in the postseason at all.

Do you believe the Connecticut Sun should have gone “all-in” on a rebuild by being more active at the deadline?

Johnson: I'm somewhat surprised that the Sun did not look to move another of their veterans, either for a young prospect to evaluate for the rest of the season or in exchange for added draft capital. Then again, maybe the fact that nearly 80 percent of the league's players will be free agents after this season factored into Connecticut not doing more before the trade deadline. Adding Edwards via trade was a good move, but Connecticut not looking to move another post to free up minutes for the 2024 first-round pick was somewhat confusing. If there's anything to watch down the stretch for Rachid Meziane's team, it's the playing time that Edwards and rookies Leïla Lacan, Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow receive (Rayah Marshall can be included, but she's been out of the rotation on most nights). This isn't going to be a playoff team, so the focus should be on evaluating those young players.

Huff: Yes, considering the Sun’s spot in the standings at this point in the season. With the worst record in the league and the playoffs likely unrealistic, the starting roles that Connecticut’s veteran players occupy are preventing the young players from receiving important developmental reps; this potentially becomes even more of a hindrance with Aaliyah Edwards in town and needing minutes. Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles are a couple of veterans slated to become unrestricted free agents after this season, which will provide the Sun even more cap space to be active in free agency this upcoming offseason. Perhaps they are waiting until then to go “all in.”

Powell: To be clear the Sun were forced to rebuild unlike the Mystics who leaned more into it after changing hands once they fired Mike and Eric Thibault. The writing had been on the wall for so long that the late 2010s and early 2020s Sun coached by Curt Miller and then Stephanie White was going to come to a dramatic end. That success wasn’t going to be continued mostly because the Sun franchise arguably has the least player friendly facilities in the league and is located in the most middle of nowhere place in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun as they stand aren’t a place for free agents as they once were.

There are many reasons as to why the Sun weren’t more active, but the most obvious one is the current battle for the franchise itself. There is an ownership group in Boston willing to put up $325 Million for the franchise and move it to Boston. The proposal, however, hasn’t been accepted by the board of governors and multiple reports suggest that the league could force the Sun to sell to a buyer of the league’s choosing rather than Connecticut's.

There are also other questions about how much trade value 37-year-old Tina Charles and recently-hurt guard Marina Mabrey had. Jacy Sheldon, who they did trade, is a very good rotation two-way guard and she will balance out a Mystics roster that was never balanced. 2026 will present a blank slate for many WNBA teams, and that includes the Connecticut Sun.

Between the Lynx and the Storm, who improves more as a result of the moves they made at the deadline?

Johnson: While Seattle adding Sykes may have addressed a slightly more pressing need, adding a defender of Carrington's caliber is why Minnesota receives the nod for me. The Lynx were able to go small at times on Tuesday, playing three wings with Bridget Carleton shifting down due to Alanna Smith being in foul trouble. And the move worked, with Minnesota making its run and going on to beat the Storm in Seattle. It isn't difficult to envision lineups where it's Napheesa Collier serving as the five once she returns from her sprained ankle. Minnesota has been the best team all season, and the Carrington additions should make them even better, especially once Collier returns.

Huff: I somewhat alluded to this in an earlier response, but I’ll rephrase it here: I think the Lynx entered and exited the trade deadline as an A+ team, while the Storm upgraded from probably a B-level team to something greater. Alysha Clark’s role had diminished throughout the season and she wasn’t consistently playing meaningful minutes by the end of her second stint in Seattle. Now, the Storm gets deeper with the addition of Sykes and gains another defender, but one with real game-changing ability on the offensive end and player capable of closing games. Between their starting five, the rookie Dominique Malonga, and now Sykes, Seattle has a very strong seven-player rotation.

Powell: I agree with Cole on this one. The Storm improved more because they added a better all around player, but I’m not sure how much adding Sykes is going to help them make a deep playoff run and make it into the WNBA Finals. Basketball is about math and I agree with Nekias Duncan at Bleacher Report when he says that the Sykes trade “reinforces” who the Storm are rather than " solves what they aren’t”. While Sykes has improved her three-point clip over the years, she’s still not the perimeter spacing threat that the Storm need in order to put more pressure on defenses.

To be clear, I saw the fit for Sykes much more in Minnesota. The Lynx didn’t just need another perimeter defender, but they needed someone who can reliably create offense in high pressure situations when offensive actions get blown up by excellent defenses presumably in the postseason. Napheesa Collier is the Lynx’s only consistent creator of offense in clutch and crunch time situations. She can be handed the basketball and can make something happen with it. While there’s some argument to be made that Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride have the potential to take on those types of responsibilities, Sykes has been excellent at drawing contact and getting to the line, which regardless of officiating, the Lynx struggled to do in situations when it mattered most. As of now the Lynx are 11th in the league when it comes to free throws attempted per game.

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Two-start pitchers: Garrett Crochet leads the dazzling options for the week of August 11

Hello and welcome to the 19th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.

I'll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.

Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.

This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along.

Before we get into it, we'll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:

Once again, we’ll get no two-start week from the Dodgers this week as they’re continuing to roll with a six-man starting rotation and they only play six games on the week. Even with one start though, most of their options are worth using on a weekly basis.

Taijuan Walker is technically lined up for two starts for the Phillies next week (@ Reds, @ Nationals), but Aaron Nola is nearing his return from the injured list and could slot into the Phillies’ rotation for that second start against the Nationals on Saturday. We’ll keep an eye on this situation through the weekend.

We aren’t sure yet what the Cubs are going to do for the upcoming week. They moved Shota Imanaga up to Sunday and have an off-day on Monday. It sounds like Ben Brown could make another start (or bulk relief appearance on Tuesday – in which case he would get the two-start week (@ Braves, vs. Pirates). It’s also possible they skip that spot entirely, keeping Cade Horton on regular rest and giving him the two-start week. Either way, fantasy managers should have interest. We’ll monitor this one through the weekend and let you know if anything changes.

The expectation is that Shinnosuke Ogasawara will make two starts for the Nationals next week (@ Royals, vs. Phillies), though it has yet to be confirmed. Even if he does though, there isn’t much to like here from a fantasy perspective. Even in 15-team leagues, there are better options. We’ll update this situation if we get more clarity in the coming days.

Without further ado, let's dig into the options for the week of August 11.

Going Twice…

Note: Probable pitchers as of August 8, and are subject to change.

American League

Strong Plays

Garrett Crochet, Red Sox, LHP (@ Astros, vs. Marlins)

The Red Sox’ ace has been a dominant force on the mound this season, going 13-4 with a minuscule 2.24 ERA, 1.07 WHIP while recording a league-leading 183 strikeouts over 148 1/3 innings of work. The first matchup against the Astros in Houston isn’t a cake walk and the Marlins have been playing very good baseball of late, but there’s zero reason that any fantasy manager should ever consider benching Crochet, especially in a two-start week. He's one of the top overall options on the board.

Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers, RHP (vs. Diamondbacks, @ Blue Jays)

Eovaldi has been an absolute monster for fantasy purposes this season, registering a scintillating 1.38 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and a 111/20 K/BB ratio over 111 innings while picking up 10 victories. He’s going to lead many fantasy managers to titles this season with his epic production. Look for that to continue this week with matchups at home against the Diamondbacks and against the Jays in Toronto. He should be an automatic start in 100 percent of all leagues at this point.

George Kirby, Mariners, RHP (@ Orioles, @ Mets)

After struggling a bit to find consistency in his return from the injured list, Kirby has now settled back into being that upper-echelon fantasy contributor that we have all come to know and love over the years. He holds a 4.04 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and an 83/20 K/BB ratio over 78 frames on the season and those ratios are only going to get better from there. That’ll start this week with road starts against the Orioles and Mets. Expect strong ratios, around 12 strikeouts and for Kirby to notch his eighth victory of the season. Enjoy the production.

Jeffrey Springs, Athletics, LHP (vs. Rays, vs. Angels)

As the season has gone on and Springs has shaken off the rust, he has looked more and more like the reliable fantasy asset that managers came to expect when he was with the Rays. He now sports a solid 3.89 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 107/40 K/BB ratio across 132 innings on the season while notching 10 victories. He has allowed four runs total over his last three starts and rolls into quality matchups against the Rays and Angels at home this week. Springs should be started with confidence in all leagues this coming week.

Jack Flaherty, Tigers, RHP (@ White Sox, @ Twins)

Flaherty had looked like he had turned things around with a pair of very strong starts before getting hit hard in a loss against the Twins his last time out. The strikeouts have been there in bunches this season, with 147 punchouts over 120 1/3 innings. On paper the matchups look terrific this week, though there has been no rhyme or reason to the starts in which Flaherty has struggled this season. Fantasy managers have to keep the faith and make sure to roll with him for this strong two-start week.

Ryan Pepiot, Rays, RHP (@ Athletics, @ Giants)

Pepiot is quietly turning in another very strong season in the Rays’ rotation. Through his first 24 starts he holds a strong 3.77 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and a 134/47 K/BB ratio across 136 innings while notching seven victories. There’s a good chance he picks up his eighth this week with a battle against the A’s to kick things off before finishing the week with a showdown against the Giants in San Francisco. He should be an every-week starter in most formats already, so he’s definitely someone that should be started for this two-start week.

Decent Plays

Chris Paddack, Tigers, RHP (@ White Sox, @ Twins)

Poor outing against the Twins his last time out non-withstanding, Paddack sees a major bump to his fantasy value pitching for one of the strongest teams in the American League. He has actually done a nice job overall this season, with a couple of complete disasters bringing down his overall line. Matchups on the road against the White Sox and the aforementioned Twins are unlikely to sink you this week while Paddack has a terrific shot at picking up a victory or two with plenty of strikeouts. He makes for a nice play in all league sizes this week.

José Berríos, Blue Jays, RHP (vs. Cubs, vs. Rangers)

While not delivering elite production, Berríos has been as solid as ever for the Jays and for fantasy managers this season – registering a 3.89 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 116/45 K/BB ratio over 126 2/3 innings of work through his 24 starts. The matchups aren’t the best this week, but both of them will be at home and with the way that the Blue Jays have been playing he’s a threat to earn a victory every time that he takes the hill. There’s no reason that fantasy managers should be trying to sit him for this two-start week, make sure he’s active.

Logan Allen, Guardians, LHP (vs. Marlins, vs. Braves)

Allen has performed about as expected this season, providing a decent ERA, an elevated WHIP and a below-average strikeout rate while picking up the occasional victory. This makes him a viable streaming option in two-start weeks when the matchups are in his favor. That looks to be the case this week as he draws two starts at home against the Marlins and Braves. It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Allen notch a victory this week and punch out eight batters over his two starts. He makes for an attractive streaming option in leagues where he’s available.

Bailey Falter, Royals, LHP (vs. Nationals, vs. White Sox)

It had looked as though Ryan Bergert would draw the two-start week for the Royals, but they decided to flip he and Falter in their rotation so now Bergert will pitch on Sunday instead, leaving the two-start week to Falter. He was crushed his in Royals’ debut this past week, but that’s no reason to shy away from him this time around. The matchups couldn’t be much better – getting to take on the bottom-feeding Nationals and White Sox, both at home. Falter has done a nice job overall this season and actually makes for a very strong streaming option. I’d be actively looking to acquire him in any leagues where he may still be available.

Jose Soriano, Angels, RHP (vs. Dodgers, @ Athletics)

Soriano has been a bit of an enigma this season, alternating brilliant performances with clunkers with little indication on when those blowups are coming. He had surrendered six runs total over 25 innings over four consecutive starts heading into last week’s matchup against the Rays and then gave up seven runs in a brutal loss there. The matchups are tough this week, having to battle the Dodgers at home before taking on the A’s at Sutter Health Park, and Soriano is likely to hurt your WHIP even if he does manage to limit the run scoring. He’s fine if you’re looking for strikeouts and are trying to score a victory, just understand that he could inflict further ratio damage.

Zebby Matthews, Twins, RHP (@ Yankees, vs. Tigers)

Matthews hasn’t quite lived up to the hype through his first eight starts this season, but he has shown flashes of brilliance. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in two of his last three starts, though he has also been shelled for five runs each in two of his last four outings. The matchups aren’t ideal – having to battle the Yankees in New York before taking on the Tigers in Minneapolis, though he just tamed the Tigers in a strong performance his last time out. If you feel like gambling, at least there’s talent here. Just understand that one of these starts could go the wrong way quickly, leaving your ratios exposed.

Will Warren, Yankees, RHP (vs. Twins, @ Cardinals)

While his overall numbers on the season have been inconsistent, Warren has been dialed in over his last three starts – allowing just three runs over 16 2/3 innings while striking out 16 batters. He also gets the benefit of a pair of favorable matchups, taking on the struggling Twins and Cardinals. He’s in a terrific spot to secure a victory this week and it would be surprising if he didn’t eclipse double digit strikeouts over his two starts. Fire him up in all formats.

At Your Own Risk

Dean Kremer, Orioles, RHP (vs. Mariners, @ Astros)

Once again, Kremer always seems to be the type of player that is available in most leagues to stream for his two-start week if you’re daring enough to try it. The matchups aren’t great, having to battle the hard-hitting Mariners at home before finishing the week with a matchup against the Astros in Houston. My worry is that he’s coming in off of a tough stretch, allowing 12 runs over 17 innings in his last three starts. He should be able to approach double digit strikeouts over the week, but he’ll probably be an underdog to earn a victory in both starts and his ratios could land anywhere between helpful and very damaging. This one all depends on your risk tolerance.

Jonathan Cannon, White Sox, RHP (vs. Tigers, @ Royals)

To say that Cannon’s 2025 season has been a struggled would be a major understatement. The 25-year-old hurler holds a disappointing 4-9 record with a horrendous 5.34 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and a 76/35 K/BB ratio over 96 innings. The White Sox’ offense isn’t going to provide much support, so wins are going to be hard to come by and without the strikeouts, where’s the appeal for fantasy purposes? If you absolutely need volume and don’t care about your ratios in deeper leagues, you could try it. I just fail to see any upside in this one.

Jason Alexander, Astros, RHP (vs. Red Sox, vs. Orioles)

Has Jason Aleander pitched well this season? No, he holds a 5.97 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and a 26/15 K/BB ratio across 31 2/3 innings of work. Is there any reason to expect that he’ll pitch well this week? Maybe. He had a decent start against the Nationals two weeks ago and then was brilliant his last time out in a victory over the Marlins in Miami where he struck out six batters over six shutout innings. The matchups are decent enough and they’re both at home, which could give some viability to deeper league managers scouring the bottom of the barrel for streaming options. I may consider rolling the dice here.

Pierson Ohl, Twins, RHP (@ Yankees, vs. Tigers)

Ohl has been knocked around to the tune of a 9.35 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and a 9/2 K/BB ratio over 8 2/3 innings in his first three appearances (two starts) with the Twins. Now they’re asking him to potentially take on the Yankees in New York before battling a Tigers’ team that hit him hard during his last start. I can’t find any legitimate reason that fantasy managers would want to look here this week. He’s an easy avoid for me.

National League

Strong Plays

Freddy Peralta, Brewers, RHP (vs. Pirates, @ Reds)

Peralta has been an absolute stud atop the Brewers’ rotation this season, going 13-5 with a 3.03 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 141/49 K/BB ratio over 130 2/3 innings through his first 24 starts. He’s a threat to earn a victory every time he takes the hill and a matchup against the Pirates to start the week looks ripe for the picking. He should be locked into fantasy lineups each and every week and has established himself as one of the upper-echelon options in the fantasy game.

Logan Webb, Giants, RHP (vs. Padres, vs. Rays)

Webb continues to give the Giants a tremendous one-two punch with Robbie Ray at the top of their rotation. The 28-year-old hurler has gone 10-8 with a 3.24 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 165/34 K/BB ratio across 147 1/3 innings through his first 24 starts. He now gets the added benefit of a two-start week with both matchups coming at home, though the showdown against the Padres is tougher than we’re usually looking for. He has earned the right to be an every week starter in all formats, so fantasy managers are surely using him for this juicy two-step.

Andrew Abbott, Reds, LHP (vs. Phillies, vs. Braves)

The 26-year-old southpaw has been exceptional through his first 20 starts on the season, compiling a 2.34 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 99/35 K/BB ratio across his 115 1/3 innings of work. He should be a fixture in fantasy lineups every week regardless of matchups, and this coming two-start week is no exception. The Phillies are a tough draw, but Abbott pitching from the left side at least somewhat neutralizes the power threats of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Continue rolling with him and enjoy the added volume of the extra start this week.

Ranger Suarez, Phillies, LHP (@ Reds, @ Nationals)

When healthy this season, Suarez has continued to deliver strong fantasy production across the board. There's no reason to expect that to change during this upcoming two-start week. Pitching against the Reds in Cincinnatti isn't an ideal draw, but the matchup is evened out by a strong draw against the Nationals to finish out the week. Suarez should be able to earn a victory in one of those starts while delivering plenty of strikeouts and quality ratios. He should be used in all leagues.

Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks, RHP (@ Rangers, @ Rockies)

Nelson has been a stabilizing force in the Diamondbacks’ rotation this season and has delivered quality production for fantasy managers – posting a 3.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and an 89/30 K/BB ratio through his first 101 1/3 innings. Expect the strong results to continue this week with a pair of road starts. We aren’t shying away from the matchup at Coors Field, as he’ll be a favorite to win in that game. Nelson represents a strong option and should be started in all leagues for the upcoming week.

Spencer Strider, Braves, RHP (@ Mets, @ Guardians)

Sure, it seems like Strider has been a massive disappointment this season – especially relative to his massive expectations – but he still holds a respectable 4.04 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 98/33 K/BB ratio over 82 1/3 innings and had been on a roll before getting knocked around by the Brewers his last time out. The matchups aren’t perfect this week, but there’s no way that fantasy managers should be sitting the prized right-hander for a two-start week. Even when he has struggled, the strikeouts have been there this season and will continue to be this week. He should be started in all leagues.

Clay Holmes, Mets, RHP (vs. Braves, vs. Mariners)

We’re getting to the point of the season where the Mets – and fantasy managers – should start to worry about Holmes’ workload during his full-time transition back to the starting rotation as he has already logged 122 1/3 innings over his first 23 starts after pitching just 63 innings last season. The Mets have been careful to curtail his innings when possible, so don’t expect him to work deeper than five innings in either of these starts. That being said, the production has still been there and especially in a two-start week he should be able to come through once again. He’s an easy start in all leagues for me.

Decent Plays

Anthony DeSclafani, Diamondbacks, RHP (@ Rangers, @ Rockies)

The 35-year-old right-hander has pitched well during his time with the Diamondbacks, posting a 4.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 28/9 K/BB ratio across 30 frames over 10 appearances (three starts). He went 4 1/3 innings and threw 71 pitches his last time out so he should be able to work at least five innings against the Rangers and should be in a strong position to score a victory against the Rockies over the weekend. He can probably be scooped up on waivers for little to no cost and makes for a decent streaming option for his two-start week.

Janson Junk, Marlins, RHP (@ Guardians, @ Red Sox)

Junk has quietly done a very nice job for the Marlins this season, going 6-2 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 50/8 K/BB ratio over 70 1/3 innings in 14 appearances (nine starts). His ratios have taken a bit of a hit over the past three weeks – though he had to run through the gauntlet of the Brewers, Yankees and Astros during that stretch. Fantasy managers should keep the faith and roll with him for what looks to be a much softer two-start week this time around. I’d be comfortable using him in both 15 and 12-team formats.

Yu Darvish, Padres, RHP (vs. Giants, @ Dodgers)

The Padres are hopeful that they can get Darvish back on track before the postseason begins, but it has been a major struggle for him through his first six starts this season. We did see glimpses of greatness two starts ago though as he shut out the Mets for seven innings while striking out seven batters. He also defeated the Diamondbacks his last time out. I’d like to trust the track record and what we have seen recently, but that matchup against the Dodgers in Los Angeles to finish the week is terrifying. I’d probably roll with him in 15-teamers and try to find a better option if I could in 12’s.

At Your Own Risk

Andrew Heaney, Pirates, LHP (@ Brewers, @ Cubs)

Heaney has really started to see his season crumble since mid-June, registering a 7.85 ERA over 36 2/3 innings in his last nine starts. Yikes. He has given up seven or more earned runs three times during that stretch and has made it through five innings just twice. Now he gets to take on two of the top offenses in the National League, both on the road in hitter’s parks. Good luck. I wouldn’t go anywhere near this two-start week and any fantasy manager that does is simply clinging to the strong numbers that he posted through the first couple of months of the season. That Andrew Heaney is gone.

Kyle Freeland, Rockies, LHP (@ Cardinals, vs. Diamondbacks)

Never Rockies. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. Freeland hasn’t shown us anything to think that he can keep your ratios in line over a two-start week, even with one of those starts coming on the road against the Cardinals. You’re asking for trouble if you decide to play with fire here. You have been warned.

Anthony Molina, Rockies, RHP (@ Cardinals, vs. Diamondbacks)

If we’re not even considering Kyle Freeland, then Anthony Molina should be considered among the worst overall options on the week. He’s not even guaranteed to start here, and if he does make that first start he isn’t assured of getting a second one. Just say no.

Miles Mikolas, Cardinals, RHP (vs. Rockies, vs. Yankees)

Every time Mikolas has a good start or two, some unassuming fantasy manager takes a shot on using him and it winds up in disaster. Overall he holds a 5.11 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 76/24 K/BB ratio over 111 innings through his first 22 starts. If you think that he can dance through the rain drops against the Yankees to finish the week, there’s some appeal to that single start at home against the Rockies. It’s certainly not one for the risk-averse manager though.

Mitchell Parker Nationals, LHP (@ Royals, vs. Phillies)

Parker has sprinkled in some good starts over the course of the season, but it’s been mostly bad to terrible outings. Overall he holds an uninspiring 5.43 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and an 81/46 K/BB ratio over 122 2/3 innings of work. It’s not like he’s even delivering strong strikeout totals, which could have been a reason for those with poor ratios to consider streaming him. I’d simply stay away.