There are usually a few points in the season where you can count on prospects to be promoted. Opening Day is the big one, obviously, and then there's another period a few weeks later; the vague Super Two "deadline" is another one, and then it'll tend to slow to a trickle for most of the summer until Sept. 1 rolls around and rosters expand, bringing another crop. But injuries will always play a role, as will changing team priorities, and both conspired to lead to another couple of hyped prospect promotions this weekend.
The first was Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula, who was called up Friday after Shohei Ohtani was placed on the IL. De Paula is a top-five prospect in baseball, making the leap directly from Double-A, where he showed a rare combination of elite plate discipline (14% walk rate, 15% strikeout rate), power (27 homers) and athleticism (31 stolen bases). In any other organization, he might have been promoted to Triple-A early in the summer and gotten the call at any point after that, but on a team like the Dodgers, it took multiple injuries for him to get the opportunity.
But the opportunity is here, and he's very much worth getting excited about. He's a premium prospect with big tools, and he put them on display in a breakout game Sunday, hitting a 102-mph double and then a 108.2-mph homer, the latter of Eury Perez, a pretty good pitcher. De Paula has the potential to be a legitimate five-category contributor for Fantasy, and while there are still some questions about where the long-term playing time will come from – DH is locked up when Shohei Ohtani is healthy, and both Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker are under contract for 2027 (at least). But De Paula has the kind of upside where he could force the Dodgers into some tough decisions, and if he lives up to expectations the rest of the way (and into the playoffs), he'll probably have an Opening Day job waiting for him next season one way or the other.
The other big-time prospect to get the call managed to make an impact even quicker than De Paula did, as Emmanuel Rodriguez was promoted by the Twins Saturday and homered in his very first game. Like De Paula, Rodriguez brings a well-rounded skill set with him to the majors, though the chances of him being a true five-category contributor are limited by consistent strikeout issues. He overcomes that with an extremely patient and discerning approach at the plate, with plus power and even some athleticism.
Rodriguez hit .257/.420/.455 with 18 homers and 16 steals in 108 career games at Triple-A, and he did that despite missing significant time basically every season of his career with injuries. That's a long-term issue for sure, but Rodriguez is healthy now and figures to play pretty much every day down the stretch for the Twins as they look ahead to next season. And, assuming he doesn't look totally overmatched, he should be well positioned to be on the Opening Day roster next year, too.
Rodriguez is both the lesser prospect of the two and the one with the bigger red flags, so if you're putting in your bids, De Paula should definitely be the priority here. But Rodriguez is a very interesting prospect in his own right, and you could see some "Max Muncy with speed" type outcomes for him on the high end. Given the skill sets and upsides on offer here, both should be considered candidates to make an impact over the final two weeks, even understanding that there could be an adjustment period.
Here's who else we're looking to add heading into Week 26.
Week 26 Waiver Targets
Catcher
Shea Langeliers, Athletics (68%)
I don't necessarily love the long-term implications of Langeliers rushing back from knee surgery in a lost season, but hey, he's back. There will be some days off here and there (which is fine for a catcher), and he'll be limited to DH duties from what it sounds like, but if you're still playing and Langeliers is available in your league, there obviously aren't many catchers with more upside out there.
Deep league option: Leonardo Bernal, Cardinals (10%) – Bernal hit .278/.363/.468 in Triple-A and he's been better across the board so far in the majors. It probably won't last, but there's talent here and plenty of playing time so treating him like a solid No. 2 catcher down the stretch makes sense.
First Base
Ryan O'Hearn, Pirates (57%)
A lengthy IL stint aside, O'Hearn's first season in Pittsburgh has gone remarkably well, and he still may set new career-best numbers across the board despite being under 100 games played so far. That doesn't mean he's a superstar, but he's a viable option in all leagues now that he's back.
Deep-league option: Yohandy Morales, Nationals (10%) – The question when he got called up was whether Morales would play enough to matter. After his two-hit effort Sunday against the Angels he has started seven of 10 games since his promotion. That's less than ideal, but in deeper leagues, it's enough that Morales might offer some cheap pop down the stretch.
Second Base
Cole Young, Mariners (46%)
Young is putting the finishing touches on a nice little breakout season, and he's been at his best lately, with a .908 OPS in the month of September. He isn't a superstar (and isn't likely to develop into one), but Young has a solid blend of contact skills and pop that make him a viable middle infielder or low-end 2B. locked into an everyday role.
Deep league option: Connor Norby, Rockies (17%) – Norby is hitting .287/.380/.457 since joining the Rockies, and he's set for a full week at Coors Field, with three more the following week at home. With eligibility at either first, second, or third base, you can probably find a spot for him with the schedule setting up that well.
Third Base
Kyle Karros, Rockies (28%)
The case here is the same as for Norby: 10 straight games at Coors Field. Karros is actually having a solid season, hitting .258/.352/.419, and he predictably has a .100-point higher OPS at home than on the road. The Rockies tend to switch their lineup a lot, but Karros was in there for his first five games back from the IL before getting a rest Sunday. You should probably expect him to be in the lineup for most of this week's games, and it sets up well for him to make an impact.
Deep league option: Thomas Saggese, Cardinals (24%) – Saggese is still playing pretty much every day, swapping to second/third base since Masyn Winn's return from the IL. And he's hitting .409 with a 1.133 OPS in 13 games since returning from the minors, so why not ride the hot hand the same way the Cardinals are? He's eligible at every position except first base and catcher, which makes him a nice bench piece to have around for the final few weeks to cover up for any injuries.
Shortstop
Kaelen Culpepper, Twins (40%)
A shoulder contusion that forced Culpepper out of Saturday's game is something to keep an eye on here, but assuming it isn't a long-term issue, he remains the most interesting widely available shortstop in Fantasy. He hasn't been a superstar in the first 30 games of his career, but he has been pretty good, hitting .283/.342/.415 with three homers – it would look even better if he had more than just the one stolen base so far, but I expect to be a part of his tool kit in the long run. For now, he looks like a solid shortstop, with the potential to be spectacular eventually.
Deep-league option: Anthony Volpe, Yankees (14%) - Volpe probably isn't a brand new player all of a sudden. In fact, since his grand slam in his first game back, he has one hit in 10 trips to the plate. But he was hitting very well down at Triple-A and has a bit of runway here with Jazz Chisholm on the IL and will gain second base eligibility this week, making it even easier to find a spot for him.
Outfield
Henry Bolte, Athletics (53%)
Bolte is going to be a fascinating player to rank for 2027, given his combination of real strengths (plus-plus athleticism and bat speed) and limitations (pretty bad plate discipline, big swing-and-miss issues, and a propensity to hit way too many ground balls). I suspect I'll be a bit more skeptical about what his late-season breakout means for his prospects next season, but for now it seems reasonable enough to just ride the hot hand the rest of the way and enjoy the hot streak.
Spencer Jones, Yankees (68%)
Everything I said for Bolte applies to Jones, though his offensive game is probably a bit more refined at this point. Which also means his limitations might be more set in stone. That being said, he's exceeded most reasonable expectations and continues to put up solid production despite what would be a debilitating strikeout rate for more other players. In the long run, I suspect that's going to hold him back in the long run, but he's locked in with two more multi-hit games this weekend and remains a solid play the rest of the way.
Heriberto Hernandez, Marlins (44%)
Hernandez is a streaky hitter who has slowed down a bit over the past week or so. But he still has a .390 xwOBA over his past 100 plate appearances, an excellent mark, and is still putting up a 30-plus-homer pace since the All-Star break. If you can stomach an iffy batting average at times, he's a productive addition to any lineup.
Smith is going to be a very popular breakout candidate for 2027 – get ready for endless "This year's Jordan Walker" posts next spring. He has a long way to go before he's actually worthy of that kind of talk, but he does have an OPS near .790 since the start of August, which is good enough to matter in five-outfielder leagues, at least.
Starting Pitcher
Jared Jones, Pirates (66%)
At this point in the season, matchups are mostly going to determine which waiver-wire pitchers are actually worth adding – if you're not going to use someone this week, what's the point of adding them with only two weeks left? In Jones' case, however, he has the upside to be the kind of pitcher for whom matchups just don't matter, and he's showing it off lately. He struck out nine batters in six shutout innings against the Angels two starts ago and followed that up with eight strikeouts in seven shutout innings against the White Sox the next time out. He has found the feel for his slider and is dominating with it, and while a matchup against the Brewers Wednesday is hardly ideal, he'll close out the season with the Cardinals and Tigers, which are much more palatable. And, if he pitches like he has been recently, even the Brewers matchup might be survivable.
Walbert Urena, Angels (72%)
Urena doesn't have the strikeout skills of Jones, but he limits hard contact about as well as any pitcher in baseball, which is how he has a 2.88 ERA this deep into the season. His control is shaky at best, which can lead to some ugly WHIP numbers, but even his 1.24 mark is fine. He'll get the Twins and A's in his final two starts and is a fine option for either.
Emmett Sheehan, Dodgers (47%)
Injuries have pushed Sheehan back into the Dodgers rotation plans, and he has responded by allowing just one run in 11.2 innings since his return, with 15 strikeouts to just two walks. The Dodgers will likely have a short leash with him, which will tend to limit the upside he can bring to the table, but when he's locked in he can still be productive in spit of that On the other hand, he struck out 10 in his first start back, so it's not like there's no upside here when he's pitching well. If he stays on schedule, he should face the Giants in his final two starts of the season, and with Rafael Devers on the IL, that's an even more beatable matchup.
Quinn Mathews, Cardinals (41%)
Mathews hasn't quite put it all together, mostly because his control remains a real limiting factor. But if you're looking to stream for this week alone, he's set up for matchups against the Giants and Nationals, both of which are eminently beatable. He has some bat-missing upside and if he can keep the walks low enough, there's a chance for Mathews to come out of this week with a couple of big wins.
Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks (57%)
I don't really think Burnes is likely to make much of an impact for Fantasy down the stretch. He did surprise me by throwing 57 pitches in his first start of the season, and you could extrapolate that to see him maybe getting close to 80 pitches or so in his next one, which could translate to five or six good innings. But there's a very slim margin for error with that kind of pitch count – one long inning could lead to an early hook, after all. Still, it's a big name I'm sure plenty of you are looking at, so I figured I'd address it and register my skepticism that he'll end up mattering much.
Relief Pitcher
Kodai Senga, Mets (39%)
There's still a chance Devin Williams could return from his shoulder injury this season, and it'll be interesting to see if the Mets ultimately decide to stick with Senga as the closer if Williams does come back. But while there's progress for Williams, who threw a bullpen session earlier in the week, his return doesn't exactly seem imminent, so I'd bet on Senga remaining the closer for at least one more week.
Jordan Romano, Rockies (19%)
You're skeptical of Romano's success as the Rockies' closer. Good. You should be. Romano isn't an especially good pitcher, the Rockies are a bad team, and they're about to play a full week at Coors Field. It could go disastrously. But you should know by this point whether you need a couple of saves more than you need to preserve your ratios. If you do, this is the time to put Romano in your lineup.
