It’s hard to believe but the calendar is flipping to September which means that alas the sun is starting to set on the 2024 regular season.
However, before that happens, we will get a head start on next year’s baseball season as prized prospects debut in the majors. Whether you are looking for a boost to your fantasy lineup to finish out the year, or are looking toward next year, monitoring the prospects who are called up in September can give you a leg up on your competition next season. It also helps with early draft preparation for 2025.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some likely September call-ups and others that would be nice to see, and what to expect from them when they debut.
Good Chance at Promotion
Deyvison De Los Santos, Miami Marlins
As covered in this week’s Coffee Talk podcast episode, De Los Santos could be one of the biggest fantasy difference-makers among potential September call-ups and has a good chance to be promoted.
He was traded to the Marlins at this year’s trade deadline in the deal that moved A.J. Puk to the Diamondbacks, and he immediately slotted in as Miami’s number-five ranked prospect. De Los Santos has immense power and hit 22 home runs with 106 RBI in Arizona’s system in 2022. This year he leads the minor leagues with 35 home runs and 105 RBI and is slashing a stellar .310/.362/.605.
The Marlins are playing for the future at this point, and it makes sense to give De Los Santos an audition to see if he can stick in the major leagues. Miami is currently starting another recent prospect acquisition at 3B, Connor Norby, but De Los Santos can also slot in at 1B. If you have an open spot on your roster, you should also consider giving De Los Santos an audition.
He’s worth a speculative add due to his potential high ceiling as a slugger. I could see a Rece Hinds-like power spree that could carry your team down the stretch. Unfortunately, he’s also like Hinds in the sense that I am not sure he will stick full-time in the majors. He strikes out a lot and will likely never hit for a high average or get on base enough to be a full-time MLB starter.
AJ Smith-Shawver and/or Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves
The Braves are somehow still in contention despite their season being ravaged by key injuries (the current injured list includes Ozzie Albies, A.J. Minter, Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, and Ronald Acuña Jr.). As of August 28th, Atlanta holds the last NL Wild Card spot with a record of 72-60.
Most of the injuries have occurred to their lineup, but with the Braves still battling for the postseason, there’s a good chance they could strengthen the roster with some familiar pitching reinforcements. AJ Smith-Shawver jumped through the minor leagues quickly last season and debuted with the Braves in May 2023. He made six starts, finishing the year with a 1-0 record and a 4.26 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
This season he’s had an uneven year while batting an injury of his own. He landed on the IL with an oblique strain after making one emergency start in the bigs back in May and then struggling upon his return, compiling a 2-6 record with a 5.26 ERA in the minors. However, last week he had his strongest outing of the season, going six scoreless innings and striking out seven. Despite this year’s inconsistency, he sits as Atlanta’s number two prospect, and with some major league experience under his belt, it’s not hard to imagine the Braves elevating him for the last month of the season.
Waldrep sits one spot below Smith-Shawver on the Braves’ top prospect list on MLB.com but arguably has better top-end stuff. He was drafted in 2023 and was hit hard during his first taste of MLB action earlier this season. He went 3.2 innings in his first major league start in June, surrendering seven earned runs and four walks. In his second start, Waldrep lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing six earned runs and again issuing four free passes.
Despite these early hiccups, Waldrep could make both a real-life difference and a fantasy difference for the Braves in September. Possessing an elite splitter and a fastball that touches the upper-90s, Waldrep could bolster Atlanta’s bullpen and rack up some strikeouts. If he is still available, Waldrep would be the one to target in fantasy leagues.
Yoendrys Gómez, New York Yankees
Like the Braves, the Yankees have World Series aspirations and have every reason to improve their roster, even if it is with a smaller move such as an additional bullpen arm or bench utility bat. The Yankees recently shook up their bullpen when they designated Michael Tonkin for assignment and recalled Phil Bickford as his replacement. New York is also currently dealing with injuries to two starters, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. This could re-open the door for Yoendrys Gómez, the 24-year-old righthander currently with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now this isn’t as exciting as a Jasson Domínguez promotion but could be a smaller September move to shore up the bullpen.
Gómez has functioned as a multi-inning reliever a handful of times with the Yankees this season and has had some quality outings. In a June 21st game against the Braves, he went 4.2 scoreless innings with three hits and five strikeouts. On July 29th, he went two scoreless innings against another strong lineup in the Phillies.
Gómez has a balanced pitch mix that includes a mid-90s fastball, a sweeper, a slider, a changeup, and a curveball. In 19 games in Triple-A this season, he has a 3.97 ERA, a 1.22 ERA, and 71 strikeouts in 68 innings. At the major league level this season, he has compiled an exact same 3.97 ERA.
Not as Likely to Be Promoted, but We’d Love to See It!
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers
Standing at 6’7”, Misiorowski possesses a high-octane repertoire that could immediately make an impact for the Brew Crew if he were to be called up. In his July 6th start in Double-A, Misiorowski’s heat was on display as he struck out 10 over 6.1 IP. Players on both sides of the plate were struggling to catch up to his velocity.
In his next start, Misiorowski again struck out 10 over six innings pitched. However, since then, his longest outing has been just 3.2 innings.
Misiorowski moved to Triple-A in early August and started his first two outings, but then has been used in relief over his last five outings. He captured a two-inning save on August 20th and has pitched in the 7th and or 8th innings in his other outings. During that time, he has pitched a total of 7.2 innings, striking out nine and surrendering no hits and no runs. This could signal that the Brewers are preparing him for the bullpen if they were to call him up.
MLB.com gives him a 70-grade fastball, 60-grade curveball, and 70-grade slider. That’s two plus-plus pitches and an additional plus pitch that could equal an elite closer sometime. If he doesn’t crack the big leagues this season, I’d definitely keep him on your radar for next season.
Jordan Lawlar, Arizona Diamondbacks
Baseball’s number nine-ranked prospect has had an unlucky season while battling injuries. At the end of March, Lawlar underwent thumb surgery that sidelined him for two months. Upon his return, he injured his hamstring and has been out since mid-July. In total, Lawlar has only appeared in 13 games in 2024. In 49 total at-bats, the shortstop hit .327/.414/.531 with one home run, 16 RBI, and five steals.
In 2022, he hit .278/.378/.496 with 20 home runs and 36 steals and looked to be a potential five-tool future superstar to pair with the rest of the Diamondbacks’ young core. Lawlar made his big-league debut last September and then made Arizona’s playoff roster. He was expected to contend for the Diamondbacks’ starting shortstop position this season before the injuries derailed his season.
As he is still recovering from his thumb injury, and since Geraldo Perdomo and Kevin Newman have filled in admirably, he may not be as needed as prospects on other teams. If you have him in a dynasty league, you are probably eager to see him get extended time in the big leagues. In redraft leagues for the rest of this season, Lawlar is less desirable but is still someone to monitor.
Christian Moore, Los Angeles Angels
A little over two months ago Moore was still in college, winning the College World Series with Tennessee. A month-and-a-half ago, Moore was drafted by the Angels with the 8th overall pick. And now Moore is tearing up Double-A pitching leading to whispers about whether Moore can follow the path of Nolan Schanuel and debut in the same year he was drafted.
Moore can hit for power and slashed a ridiculous .375.451/.797 with 34 home runs and 74 RBI for the Volunteers in his final college season. Thus far in the minors, he has played 22 games and compiled a .330/.376/.575 slashline with 21 runs, six home runs, and 16 RBI.
The Angels are sitting at 55-79 and looking toward the future. They’ve already called up pitching prospects Samuel Aldegheri and Caden Dana so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Moore could reach the majors this season.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)