Mike Podhorzer’s 2026 Bold Prediction Recap
October 6, 2026
It’s bold prediction review time! Refresh your memory with my original theses driving these predictions.
Author Archive: Mike Podhorzer
How I Won 2026 AL Tout Wars
October 5, 2026
It was a nail-biter, to say the least, but when the last out of the regular season was recorded, I won my fourth Tout Wars title, and third in the AL league. So how did I accomplish such a feat? It was a combination of some shrewd in-season pickups, along with a massive, massive sprinkling of good fortune. Now, nearly every league winner requires some dose of luck, whether it’s avoiding injuries, hitting on breakouts, etc., but this league was different. Let me allow this screenshot to do the talking:
Final Week Short-Side Platoon Beneficiaries
September 22, 2026
The final week is tough for fantasy owners, as veterans on teams knocked out of the playoff hunt might be benched in favor of younger players, while starting rotations are up in the air. Any starter could be shut down and just not make a start this week, and you might not know until the day of. Anyway, let’s talk about the hitters on teams currently projected to face the most number of left-handed starters this week. This could give players on the short-side of platoons (right-handed hitters who generally only start against lefties) an opportunity for increased playing time this week. The caveat here is that the probables grid is the most unpredictable it’s been all year, so ensure your short-side platoon pickup actually ends up facing the lefty he was originally forecasted to oppose.
4 Recent Minor League Recalls For Final Week
September 21, 2026
It’s the final week of the regular season! It’s now extremely important to accumulate PAs to give you the best chance of racking up the counting stats. So let’s discuss four hitters who have recently been recalled from the minors and now find themselves in a strong playing time situation.
Facing Southpaws — Who Gains & Who Loses
September 15, 2026
With just two weeks left in the season, we need to take advantage of every possible edge. On the hitting side, one of those potential edges is looking at the opposing pitcher’s handedness. With so many hitters stuck in platoons, it’s insightful to learn which teams are expect to face the most number of left-handed starters and which hitters on those teams that schedule is likely to impact. So let’s share those teams and which players gain and lose from the plethora of southpaws.
4 More Minor League Recalls For Final 2 Weeks
September 14, 2026
If you thought all the top prospects had already been recalled after rosters expanded earlier in the month, you would be wrong. There have been another four promotions over the past week, and this group includes two names all keeper leaguers are very well aware of. Let’s dive in.
Roster Expansion Fun — Discussing 8 Hitter Recalls
September 8, 2026
I love roster expansion day because the flurry of minor league callups really give deep leaguers multiple opportunities to fill holes. And hey, some of the callups might actually be intriguing enough to give shallow leaguers some players to consider as well. Let’s discuss eight hitters who have been recently recalled to assess their potential impact.
Another 5 Hitter Callups to Consider
September 1, 2026
As I type this, we’re just a day away from roster expansion day, when we get a flurry of minor league callups. This is always an exciting time for fantasy leaguers, especially keeper leaguers who could speculate on some of these players at minimal cost in the hopes they open next season with a starting job. But although rosters haven’t expanded yet, there are still five recent promotions worth discussing. Let’s get to it.
Trading Over the Final 4 Weeks
August 31, 2026
We’re just one day away from the final month of the season! As we head into the final four weeks, the impact that any individual player will have on your place in the standings, particularly the ratios, will continue to diminish. We’re also likely going up against imminent trade deadlines, so your chances to dramatically improve your team is quickly dwindling.
Desperate For Steals? 9 Names To Watch
August 25, 2026
Stolen bases is one of the easier categories to quickly ascend. In the past, all you had to do was acquire Juan Pierre, Dee Strange-Gordon, or Michael Bourn, among many similar hitters, and within weeks, likely gained a couple of stolen base points. In general, we have far fewer of these types of hitters nowadays, but there are certainly two that stand out this year, both of whom will be discussed below. Let’s now review nine names to either consider acquiring or watch for an opportunity.