7 New Lineup Regulars For the Final Week

Are you fighting for a prize finish and have a hole or two on offense you’re dying to plug in the final week? These seven hitters have recently earned regular playing time and could be worth speculating on, particularly in deep leagues.

Denzer Guzman | LAA SS

Zach Neto’s injury that knocked him out for the season opened up a spot at shortstop, which the Angels have given to Guzman. He has started all eight games since his recall. The 21-year-old was last ranked as the organization’s 10th best prospect with scouting trads that suggest potential stolen base contributions and perhaps a glove that could keep him in the lineup through slumps.

He has posted remarkably consistent walks, strikeout, and SwStk% rates throughout his minor league career. This season split between Double-A and Triple-A, he recorded the highest walk rate of his career at 11.5%, and it was even higher over his 153 PAs at Triple-A, where he posted a 13.7% mark. That’s impressive for any minor leaguer, let alone one at his age at that level. He does swing and miss, but not at alarming rates, and given his patience, it’s okay.

Before this season, his power was underwhelming. This year, that power spiked, as his HR/FB rate jumped into double digits for the first time, including a 19.4% mark at Triple-A. Unfortunately, his HardHit% and maxEV were weak, so there’s almost no chance he could repeat that HR/FB rate in the Majors with those poor Statcast metrics. So it’s anyone’s guess how real this power burst actually was. On the speed side, he stole 14 bases in 17 tries, but he hasn’t attempted one in the Majors yet, perhaps because he has only collected two singles and a walk to go alone with two home runs.

Given the mediocre BABIP marks and elevated strikeout rates for someone with limited power, it’s doubtful he contributes in batting average, but he should earn more in OBP formats given the walk rate. That is, unless pitchers just keep throwing him strikes given the lack of power. Whatever the case, he’s worthy of a roster spot in an AL-Only league simply given his regular playing time and his potential for a steal and maybe a third homer.

Moisés Ballesteros | CHC C

The team’s fourth best prospect was up twice earlier in the season, first in mid-May, and then at the end of July when he got into just one game before being demoted. He’s back up again and seeing more consistent playing time now. The left-hander appears to be in a strict strong side platoon role at DH, while batting in the middle of the lineup, which is pretty darn good for someone who’s catcher eligible.

With scouting grades no higher than 50, it wouldn’t appear that there’s any real fantasy appeal here. You would be wrong. At Triple-A this season, he dramatically cut down on his strikeout rate, posting just a 13.2% mark, while still walking in the high single digits. He also posted a .342 BABIP, driven by a high LD% and low FB%. That combination of low strikeout rate and high BABIP gives him serious batting average contribution potential, especially given the low baseline for catchers.

He also showed pretty good power. Though he continued to post a mid-teen HR/FB rate and his ISO fell to jut .157, his Statcast metrics this season suggested much better power output. Even better, he has already slightly exceeded his Triple-A maxEV in just 45 MLB at-bats. He’ll need to push his FB% back above 30% though to deliver on the power upside, though that could also suppress his BABIP.

With power upside and potential for a good batting average, he’s an easy start in most leagues. Of course, you’ll have to check the projected starters to ensure he won’t be sitting against a number of left-handed starters.

Bryce Eldridge | SF 1B

It was kind of bizarre that the fourth place Giants were using Dominic Smith as their regular first baseman, but once he hit the IL, they have mixed it up at the spot and opened up a slot to recall their top prospect ranked 11th overall. Sadly, the 20-year-old is already stuck in a strong side platoon role, which makes little sense for a team that isn’t making the playoffs.

With 45/70 Game and 60/80 Raw Power grades, this is the type of hitters fantasy owners dream about. I have actually never seen such large gaps between current and future power grades, which reminds us that he’s just 20 years old and is still developing.

In the minors this year, he posted numbers you probably could have guessed. Lots of strikeouts, an above average walk rate, and big power. But it’s not enough to talk in generalities because I really like what I’m seeing.

While the nearly 30% strikeout rate seems high, it’s now crazy given the power, and it comes with a mid-teen SwStk%, which doesn’t sound off alarm bells. It’s worse than average, yes, but not egregiously so to think he’ll never succeed in the Majors. His batted ball profile surprises me as it looks like that of a “pure hitter” rather than one who strikes out a lot with big power. He has consistently posted high LD% marks and low IFFB% marks, with FB% marks that you probably do want to see a bit higher. The strong batted ball profile only resulted in a .316 BABIP in the minors this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do better.

Alright, let’s get to the power already. He posted a 27.5% HR/FB rate in the minors this year, including a 31.6% mark at Triple-A. That’s great! What’s even cooler though is the Statcast metrics behind it. He posted a ridiculous 62.7% HardHit% and a near elite 114.6 MPH maxEV. Finally Statcast metrics totally supporting the power output.

Unfortunately, as much as I’m intrigued by this skill set, there’s an elephant in the room — his home park. Oracle Park is tied for the second lowest left-handed park factor in baseball, and sports the third lowest home run factor. That’s bad. So Eldridge ended up on the wrong team for his power, which is going to really cap his upside. Since he doesn’t steal bases and won’t hit for average, we need the homers. This has been a popular stat for some time now, but it’s worth repeating — the last left-handed hitter not named Barry Bonds to hit 30+ homers in a season for the Giants came all the way back in 1987, and since 1980, only two players (again, not named Bonds) have done it. Although the team has played at two different parks, the weather effects must have been similar, so that really tells you how difficult it is for lefties there. Soooo, that has deflated my enthusiasm here.

Nick Yorke | PIT 2B

The Pirates seventh best prospect was recalled at the beginning of September, but has recently earned everyday at-bats. He has now started eight straight games after getting random days off previously.

At Triple-A this season, it was a mixed bag. He continued to hit for a high BABIP given his propensity to hit line drives and grounders, but the balls in play didn’t do a whole lot of damage. He posted his lowest HR/FB rate over a full season and first in single digits, though just barely, while his ISO fell to just .120.

The Statcast metrics were interesting. Last year, he posted mid-to-high 40% HardHit% marks at Triple-A, but this year that fell to the mid-30% range. However, his maxEV surged to 112.9 MPH, which is quite good. It’s not often you see a middling HardHit%, but high maxEV. He did showcase his speed, swiping 17 bases, after 21 last year, but was caught six times.

Overall, this is a deep league play only. He bats in the bottom of a weak lineup, hasn’t shown much power, and doesn’t steal enough bases to significantly move the needle and offset the lack of everything else.

Blaine Crim | COL 1B

Leave it to the Rockies to pick up Crim off waivers from the Rangers, and then in just his third start for the team, install him as their cleanup hitter. Crim has now started every game since his recall, which means he’s been one of the rare hitters without some random days off.

The 28-year-old isn’t a prospect, but was last included in the Rangers top 40 prospects article in July 2024 as a “27th Man Type”. He first played at Triple-A back in late 2022, and has been playing full-time at the level since. While he hasn’t improved any, he has been quite consistent with some strong offensive results.

This year, he once again posted a double digit walk rate and sub-20% strikeout rate, backed by a single digit SwStk%. His batted ball profile was almost pristine, as it’s high in line drives, with slightly higher GB% marks than FB% marks, but his IFFB% has been a bit elevated. That, plus a lack of speed have likely resulted in averageish BABIP marks.

His power has been fine, definitely above average, but not anything to get too excited about. He has been posting mid-to-high teen HR/FB rates and ISO marks hovering around .200, which is alright, but doesn’t scream callup when you’re a right-handed first baseman. The Statcast metrics tell a similar story, as the HardHit% and maxEV marks are definitely above average, but he needs better to really intrigue.

Overall, this is a perfectly solid skill set that might represent replacement level in a shallow mixed league. Calling Coors Field home would provide a big boost, except that the Rockies end the season on a road trip over the final week. That makes him just an NL-Only guy.

Carter Jensen | KC C

Gosh, a second catcher out of seven names on this list?! Who knew so many potentially exciting catcher eligible names would debut this year?! The team’s top prospect, ranked 66th overall, was recalled at the beginning of September. But with Salvador Perez firmly entrenched behind the plate and a rotation at DH that rarely included him, he only netted two starts in the first 11 games he was up with the team.

Something changed recently though, as he has now started eight straight games, rotating between catcher and DH. The Royals haven’t faced a left-handed started that entire stretch, so it’s anyone’s guess if he’s going to end up platooned over the final week or not.

Jensen is quite exciting as a catcher eligible name. Between Double-A and Triple-A this season, he walked at a double digit clip and kept his SwStk% in the low double digits, suggesting there’s no real risk of his strikeout rate getting out of control, even if it was elevated at Triple-A.

His batted ball profile has been real good, which surprisingly continues to theme on this list. He’s been a line drive hitter, and posted similar GB% and FB% marks this year, with an IFFB% right around league average. The strong profile led to an inflated .361 BABIP, which isn’t going to be repeated in the Majors, but suggests he could do significantly better than even the most bullish BABIP forecast from OOPSY at .303.

Next up is his power. He has typically posted low double digit HR/FB rates, but he went ballistic when he got to Triple-A this year, posting an absurd 35% mark. That compared to just an 8.3% mark at Double-A before his promotion! His ISO also surged, from .128 at Double-A this year to .359, which is just crazy. A 58.8% HardHit% justifies the power explosion, though his 110 MPH maxEV was less impressive. Either way, he clearly owns above average power.

What could be more exciting than power from a catcher? Steals! He swiped 10 bases this year, after 17 last season, and has been quite successful when attempting a stolen base. Hopefully that means he’ll continue to run in the Majors, and he’s certainly on a team willing to.

This is an exciting fantasy name who should hopefully enjoy more playing time security next year, though unless Perez is going somewhere or retires, he’s going to settle in as the DH, which adds to the risk. If he slumps, anyone could take over, so keep that in mind. For now, he’s a must add for the final week.

Will Robertson | CHW OF

Robertson was acquired from the Blue Jays back in July and was recalled by the White Sox in late August. He had played sporadically since then, stringing together four straight starts at some point before finding himself back on the bench for two straight games. Now, he’s back seeing starts again, as he has started four straight once again, while veteran Andrew Benintendi hits the bench. Has Andrew Benintendi lost his job or is there some physical ailment we aren’t aware of and he’ll be right back in the lineup this week, pushing Robertson back to the bench?

Like Crim above, Robertson isn’t a prospect and is already 27 years old. But he did earned 60/60 Raw Power grades back in…2021. What’s exciting here is what he did at Triple-A this season. He hasn’t played there nearly as much as Crim, so we don’t need to take these numbers with as many grains of salt. He posted a career best 13.6% walk rate, dramatically reduced his strikeout rate to a career best, backed by a career low SwStk%. He also posted a strong BABIP, backed by an above average batted ball profile. Then, there’s the power.

He posted a career best 27.8% HR/FB rate and .282 ISO and his high 40% HardHit% and 114.8 MPH maxEV support the big power numbers. With 20 home runs during his time at Triple-A, he was on a 34-homer pace over 600 PAs. That’s intriguing enough for the team with the second worst record in baseball to see what they have.

Of course, things haven’t exactly gone well over his 63 MLB PAs so far, as he sports a poor 3.2% walk rate and 36.5% strikeout rate combo with a high SwStk%. He hasn’t hit for the same kind of power when he does put the ball in play, and he’s still searching for his first home run. So perhaps we have a Quadruple-A type guy here, but the only real way to find out is by giving him an extended look.