Chicken Soup for the Cole
Zach Cole Jr. (HOU): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Zach Cole Jr.’s MLB debut yesterday was the type of game that players dream of as they move through the minors.
Cole homered off the very first pitch of his big league career. And this wasn’t a weak flyball either. Cole hit a towering 114.3 mph, 423-foot bomb off Hurston Waldrep in the top of the third inning to open up the scoring for the Houston Astros. The 25-year-old outfielder followed it up with a pair of RBI singles in the next two innings.
Cole was not the most hyped prospect, as he ranked 19th in the Astros’ farm system according to MLB.com, but he’s been on a rocket ship this season. He put up 19 home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a .279/.377/.539/.917 in the minors this season, including recently going 18-for-51 with five homers and three steals in a quick 15-game stop at Triple-A.
With a 90.8 mph average exit velocity and 44.1% hard hit rate in Triple-A, and at least 15 stolen bases every season since being drafted in 2022, there’s an intriguing power/speed combo here. There’s just over two weeks left in the regular season, so it’s unlikely we’ll see another bat with as much upside as Cole the rest of the way. Stash him while you still can!
Let’s see how the other hitters did Friday:
Kody Clemens (MIN): 4-4, 2B, 3 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI.
On another night, Kody Clemens‘ hat trick would’ve earned him the featured player spot here. All four of Clemens’ extra-base hits last night were barrels, with his third homer of the game being a 109.7 mph moonshot in the ninth. The 29-year-old has had a career year with the Minnesota Twins, now up to 19 home runs, a .217/.285/.468 triple slash, and a 104 wRC+. Consistent playing time has certainly been a big factor in Clemens’ emergence, especially since Ty France was traded to the Blue Jays at the deadline, giving him the strong-side platoon at first base. He’s also putting up a career-high 92.3 mph average exit velocity, 11.3% barrel rate, and 50.2% hard hit rate this season.
Carlos Cortes (ATH): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Athletics outfielder Carlos Cortes has been quietly making an impact since his major league debut, but made some noise by barreling a pair of home runs last night. Power has been Cortes’s carrying tool throughout his minor league career, as he put up his third consecutive season of 15+ homers in Triple-A this year. His contact skills have also taken a major step forward in 2025 with a .322/.414/.603 line in Triple-A and .328/.343/.582 line in 31 games with the A’s.
This jump is almost a full tick higher than his minor league career batting average, however, and coupled with a .396 BABIP and 33.9% chase rate in the majors, I’m watching from a distance at this point.
Ian Happ (CHC): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Ian Happ hit a pair of barrels last night, including his 21st home run of the season. Happ has been on a hot streak of late with three home runs, a stolen base, and a .333/.435/.615/1.050 slashline since the start of September. But we already know Happ’s a stud. Why mention it here? Somehow, Happ is still only 86% rostered in Yahoo leagues. If you’re in the lucky 14% go out and get him now. I’ll wait.
Geraldo Perdomo (ARI): 1-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.
The Arizona Diamondbacks had a pair of noteworthy “Combo Meals” last night. Geraldo Perdomo has been the breakout star of 2025, setting career highs across the board en route to emerging as a Top 20 bat. Perdomo is finishing strong, too, going 10-for-36 with four home runs, two steals, and eight RBI in 10 games so far in September.
Gabriel Moreno (ARI): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, SB.
Gabriel Moreno had the other “Combo Meal” in Arizona yesterday as he gets back on track to set a series of career highs of his own in home runs, runs, batting average and wRC+. Since coming off of the IL on August 22nd, Moreno has four homers, one steal, 16 RBI, and a .351/.415/.614/1.029 line in 17 games. Last night’s 99.1 mph home run wasn’t his hardest hit ball of the season, but it was still a barrel and put him up to a 10.9% barrel rate since his return.
Spencer Horwitz (PIT): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Yesterday was Spencer Horwitz’s ninth home run of the year, and the needle has been pointing almost straight up for him in the second half. Horwitz has recorded seven homers, a .287/.364/.482/.846 line, and a 135 wRC+ since the All-Star break. If you’ve missed out on the names ahead of him on this list, you should check your waiver wire for Spencer Horwitz. Only 6% rostered in Yahoo leagues, he’s still widely available and is more than capable of being a key contributor in your fantasy playoffs.
Christopher Morel (TBR): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Christopher Morel has struggled to return to the power-hitting ways he showed with the Chicago Cubs. Yesterday’s dinger against his former team was the 11th of the year for Morel. His 91.6 mph average exit velocity, 15.0% barrel rate, and 49.0% hard hit rate are actually all higher than last season, so the power is definitely still here. A career-high 36.2% strikeout rate and 19.7% swinging strike rate could be contributing to some of the drop in production.
If you’re still holding onto Morel in a redraft league, you can safely drop him as this is an issue the Rays will have to work on in the offseason.
Blaine Crim (COL): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Blaine Crim hit a 107.9 mph bomb for his first major league home run last night to put the Colorado Rockies on the board and ultimately give them the win. Not bad for his first game in a Rockies jersey. Crim was claimed off waivers in August and should earn an extended look at first base with Warming Bernabel on the IL with a concussion. While his first cup of coffee with Texas earlier didn’t go so well, going 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in five games, Crim has hit 21 homers in Triple-A this year and held a 17.7% strikeout rate during his minor league career. The Rockies are hardly afraid of strikeout-prone, power hitters, so even if he can’t maintain a sub-20% strikeout rate in the majors, Crime should provide a boost for the worst offense in baseball.
Dylan Moore (TEX): 1-1, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Dylan Moore came in to pinch-hit for Joc Pederson in the seventh inning yesterday and picked up his 11th homer of the year. While this was only his second after being claimed off waivers by Texas, he’s gone 5-for-16 with six RBI and a stolen base in 10 games since. It’ll be hard for Moore to find consistent playing time in this offense, but his position versatility should keep him from sitting on the bench for too long, especially if he keeps this up.
