Welcome back to Buy & Sell, where we are well into September Call-up season as we’re barreling down the home stretch. I had my own September Call-up this week, who I just brought home from the hospital! But I still did my best to keep track of happenings, though I definitely am not sure if some of these guys are Saggese or Fugazi. That’s an old reference! On to the list!
BUY
10-team
Henry Bolte (OF, Athletics)
It’s time to get back on the Bolte Bus. Yes I know that’s a dated reference, since I think the company went under or something, but nevermind! I have been pro-Bolte all season, recommending him immediately as a 12-team must-add, and managed to scoop him off waivers for a few bucks in my 15-team TGFBI where he could win me the championship (neck-and-neck with Eno Sarris.) He’s been disappointing for long stretches this year, but for the past few weeks doing his best PCA impression, hitting .400 with 3 HR and 5 SB this week in 25 AB, with an impressive 7/8 BB/K ratio to go along with it. Not bad!
Of course, this could be very temporary, as he still has a 63% GB% that saps most of his tantalizing raw power’s effectiveness. But even with that, his top-of-the pops sprint speed means that many more of those grounders at least result in hits.And he managed to hit homers at a good clip despite similarly high GB% in Triple-A, and he’s actually hitting the ball slightly harder in his MLB sample, with a 47% HardHit% and a 114 mph MaxEV. With just a few weeks to go and all the runway he can handle, you gotta fly the coop for Hen-ry, because he has a cluck-ton of fantasy juice.
Honorable Mention: Carter Jensen (C, Kansas City Royals) – While he’s been a batting average sinkhole for much of the year, he’s finishing with a campaign reminiscent of his scintillating 2025 debut, hitting .318 with 5 homers, 10 RBI and 1 SB over the past 2 weeks. His .413 rolling 100 PA xwOBA is the 5th-biggest improvement in the MLB, and he’s been even hotter with a .453 xwOBA over his past 50 PA. Add in all formats.
12-team
Kody Clemens (2B/OF, Minnesota Twins)
I really hadn’t written him up enough, and he has shown no mercy. So I hope by including him now, he’ll grant me Kody Clemency. The son of HOF Roger, Kody was drafted at a post 300 ADP as most were skeptical his smaller sample 2025 power was real, and playing time concerns. The playing time concerns early were rather justified, but he’s not only improved the power, but launched into orbit, smashing 4 homers in the past 4 weeks to bring his homer total to 25 with a .238 AVG and 8 SB over 522 PA.
He’s maintained the same great 12% barrel% from last year over a larger sample (with less platooning, which is significant), but has improved his K% from 24% to a solid 22%, and is really crushing the ball with an elite 92.4 mph avg EV. Over the past 100 PA he is the 4th most improved hitter in the majors, with a .411 xwOBA over that span, and has cemented himself not only. as a full-time hitter but a heart-of-the-order slugger for a team with a more potent offense. Add in all leagues. except maybe 10-team OBP formats where you don’t need power, which is a pretty niche case.
Honorable Mention: Jake Burger (1B, Texas Rangers) – Burger looks like he’s reheating even with the Free Rangers grill powering down. Burger is suddenly surging with a .263 AVG and 2 HR to bring him up to .237 with 25 homers on the year, and this year he’s sporting a better OBP (.305), the best since his career year in 2023 (.309).
Honorable Mention: Coby Mayo (1B, Baltimore Orioles) – Speaking of tasty names, Mayo has been putting on a clinic with a .308 AVG and 4 homers with 10 RBI over the past 2 weeks. That brings him up to .223 with 21 homers, but the majority of his production has come in the seconds half… and mostly against lefties.
15-team
Teoscar Hernandez (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers)
He’s kicked off such an offensive stampede, no wonder why he’s known as Teo-Scar. He’s certainly had a massively disappointing season on the whole, but is apparently trying to make up for lost time with a ridonculous .542 AVG, 1 HR, 2 SB, and most notably, 10 RBI in just 24 AB. And most surprisingly, a 6/3 BB/K for Teoscar, which is one sixth of his walks for the entire season in jurt one week.
Now, generally speaking, chasing RBI is about as wise a trying to chase wins. But this is the Dodgers, and even though his performance could definitely have him benched, his playing time has benefited from the health struggles of DH Ohtani and the far worse struggles of supposed star Kyle Tucker. And while the sample is small, his recent surge was supported by Statcast, as his .491 rolling xwOBA over his past 50 PA is excellent and the biggest improvement in the MLB. There’s probably only 50 PA for most regular hitters to go for the rest of the season, and given the fact that he hits in one of the NL’s best lineups, AND the fact he actually was active on the basepaths for once, you gotta look past the season numbers. Add in all 15-teamers and 12-team AVG 5 OF formats, because he’s on a roll, so get him some Butters as Professor Teos.
Honorable Mention: Thomas Saggese (2B, St. Louis Cardinals) – He’s been one of the hottest adds in the main event, and I get that we have to chase smaller samples at the end of the year, but I still wouldn’t get carried away and add him in 12-teamers. That said, he’s been electric since his return, hitting .485 with 3 HR and 2 SB in 33 AB, so he should be added in all 15-team formats, since the 24-year-old does have a solid bat.
Honorable Mention: Richie Palacios (2B/3B, Tampa Bay Rays) – My autocorrect did get something right… his recent hot streak has made Richie Salacious. 4 dingers for the slap hitter in one week should help him hold onto playing time over Vilade and other down the homestretch.
Deep Leagues
Michael Arroyo (2B, Seattle Mariners)
We I checked and no, he is not Bronson’s son, which would understand why he doesn’t have his own rock band… yet. Remember that? His cover of Dirty Water was pretty solid. Anyway, Michael has been called up to try to stop the backslide of a team whose playoff hopes are fading fast… or maybe they already threw in the towel and are just letting the kids play.
Speaking of kids, Arroyo, while young at 21, is also nearly the same age as Cole Young, who I assume will be riding the pine more to make room, though Arroyo’s role really might just be part-time, and in his debut game, went 0-for-4 with 2 Ks. But he did hit .287 with 18 HR and 17 SB between Double-A and Triple-A, which is very impressive given his age-to-level. Maybe he could be a 15-team league add, but I think between the September playing time uncertainty and the pitcher-friendly ballpark, I think it’s best to try to acquire him more cheaply.
Honorable Mention: Brett Baty (2B/3B, New York Mets) – It’s been a year to forget, but after hitting .385 with 2 HR this week, he finally hit double-digit dingers (10) and could be seeing more playing time… if his tweaked knee proves healthy enough.
Honorable Mention: Christian Koss (2B/3B/SS, San Francisco Giants) – Down the homestretch, playing time is key, and Koss has the third base gig locked up. Most of that time, his offense has dragged badly, but suddenly he’s hitting .304 with 3 HRs and just 2 Ks in 23 ABs, so maybe he’s on a legit heater.
SELL
10-team
Cole Young (2B, Seattle Mariners)
He was having a red-hot July, but he picked a bad time to get ice-cole. He’s hit a dismal .161 with just 1 HR over the past 3 weeks, and while he has improved somewhat, with a .263 AVG this week, it dosen’t change the fact that his power has evaporated, and so has the previously-excellent run production. He has only 1 RBI over the past 2 weeks and 2 RBI over the past 3, since the entire Mariners offense has sputtered around him.
While he is young and proven he can be a major league regular, it’s also important to remember that going into this year, he was expected to be surpassed by the pwrospect crop, and while Colt Emerson was ineffective and then hurt, it seems Arroyo could steal some of his playing time, and he needs volue to be valuable. 2B can be a rough position, but you need to pick a keystone stock with fewer headwinds.
Dishonorable Mention: Max Clark (OF, Detroit Tigers) – He certainly has been cromulent, hitting .254 with 2 HR and 3 SB in 141 PA since his highly-anticipated debut. But I just don’t think it’s enough to help you in 10-team redraft, especially with his pitiful 1% barrel% limiting his power upside.
12-team
Caleb Durbin (2B/3B, Boston Red Sox)
If you checked out the past month and assumed he would remain a red-hot hitter because of Aaron Judge’s hitting coach or something, waking up to the reality may be Caleb Disturbin. I held firm that even amidst his crazy streak that it was likely to crash since there was no statistical argument for improvement, with still-terrible contact quality and pullair%. Well, the past few weeks he’s made me look good, hitting just .183 with 0 HR and 1 RBI in 60 ABs. And no stolen bases, either. I guess he hadn’t hired Rickey Henderson’s running coach to tach him how to steal 1st.
Royce Lewis (3B, Minnesota Twins)
One thing about a Rolls Royce is that while the reputation is fancy, they’re not built for longevity without repairs. ..At least I think so, I’m really not a car guy. Anyway, we assumed once Lewis was finally be healthy for awhile that he’d be excellent offensively, but he looks much worse than the hitter we dreamed on starting a half-decade ago. Lewis is hitting just .191 with 1 HR and 3 SB over the past 3 weeks, and just .167 with 0 HR this week. Statcast agrees at his decline noting his lousy .285 rolling 100 PA xwOBA.
Dishonorable Mention: Lawrence Butler (OF, Athletics) – He was added in some leagueas as a hot ticket, but with 12 Ks just this week, I think he’s lost whatever mojo he had to be better than waiver wire bat.
15-team
Spencer Torkelson (1B, Detroit Tigers)
The way he’s been whiffing is simply not going to workelson. Tork has managed to uncork two dingers this week, but it came with a .182 AVG, and over the past 3 weeks has been hitting just .157 with those 2 dingers over 51 AB, with 23 Ks. That’s a 45% K% for those of you playing at home. Maybe if he was showing Kyle Schwarbian power, you could forgive this massive cold snaps, but over nearly a full season, he only has a 22 HR with a dreadful .219 AVG over 480 AB. It’s also worth noting that he was starting to sit last week, and that could definitely happen again. It might seem wild to advocate cutting a player with this reputation in 15-teamers, but don’t forget that the position is loaded, and I’d probably rather roll with certain C/1B types like Rafael Flores Jr. or even Mickey Gasper for now.
Brandon Marsh (OF, Philadelphia Phillies)
I imagine that the only explanation for how he’s played is that he’s been handcuffed and roughed up while shouting “I thought this was America!” Because he’s Brandy Marsh. Hopefully I didn’t have to tell you how bad he’s been. But I will anyway. He’s hit just .154 with 0 HRs and 0 SB over the past two weeks, and this cold stretch has lasted two months. And maybe if his early-season success wasn’t completely based on a crazy high BABIP, I’d see better days ahead
Deep Leagues
Taylor Ward (OF, Seattle Mariners)
I am still absolutely baffled by his high roster rate, when he’s been terrible all year, never had a reliable track record, and hasn’t given any reason for new optimism. Well now, he’s a short-side platoon bat. So really he’s cuttable in AL-only formats as well. I initially had him as a 15-team cut because his roster rate is still so high, despite hitting .000 this week and .088 with 0 HR over 44 ABs over the past 3 weeks. But then I realized, other owners being lazy and silly shouldn’t change what he’s worth, which is bupkes. The evil spirits, we must Ward away.
Eduardo Valencia (C, Detroit Tigers)
Hey, he still had that one awesome week, right guys? I’ll admit blindly chasing the hype. That said, I also don’t get why they can’t give him more reps given his intriguing small-sample numbers over the slumping Torkelson, or the also slumping Dingler (who has been one of the biggest decliners over the past month in xwOBA. But the point is, Valencia is not playing, and the few times that he has, hasn’t done anything to help his case. A bit past time to move on, especially given the alternatives.
Ethan Salas (C, San Diego Padres)
I’m really happy for the former extremely young top prospect for making an impressive comeback after nearly falling off the map, which is why I say he’s the oldest 20-year-old prospect. Now he’s earned his call-up, and name value will likely have him picked up in many places. But the team has basically admitted that it’s mostly just to familiarize himself with the majors, and won’t be taking on a meaningful playing time share, so don’t get suckered into thinking he has any redraft value.
