Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend. I dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.
Endy’s Game this year is apparently power.
On the Agenda:
Writing about red hot chili players can be fun. When an otherwise mediocre Curtis Mead starts slamming the ball, that is objectively entertaining. Especially for the fantasy manager, players who are far exceeding their draft price or FAAB cost just give us a bit of extra enjoyment when they perform well.
Junior Caminero is certainly red hot. And considering the 45 home runs he hit last year, in his first full season, which he finished as a 22-year-old, this really shouldn’t be a surprise.
Sure, the fact that he’s hit bombs in six consecutive games, and that the stretch in question started with a three-homer game, is wildly impressive. But it’s easy to forget there were some who doubted the phenom third baseman.
O’Neill! Oh, Canada!
Now where has this power been all season?
On the Agenda:
We’re officially past the halfway point of the 2026 season! Here’s the latest significant playing time changes for hitters for the past two weeks, with remaining plate appearances prorated to 78 remaining games per team, on average.
| Name | Team | Positions | Old PT% | New PT % | PT Change | Old PA | New PA | PA Change | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Ingle | CLE | C, LF, DH | 4% | 41% | 37% | 13 | 138 | 134 | Called up to try to help banged-up offense |
| Jake Cronenworth | SDP | 2B, SS, 1B, DH | 49% | 85% | 36% | 165 | 286 | 131 | Back from IL |
| Kahlil Watson | CLE | RF, LF | 2% | 34% | 32% | 7 | 115 | 116 | Hitting well in first taste of the big leagues |
| Cameron Cauley | TEX | CF, 3B, SS | 4% | 34% | 30% | 13 | 115 | 109 | Called up, and could stick around thanks to versatility |
| Denzer Guzman | LAA | 3B, SS | 33% | 62% | 29% | 111 | 209 | 105 | Grabbing strong hold of 3B job |
| Heliot Ramos | SFG | LF, DH | 60% | 87% | 27% | 202 | 293 | 98 | Back from IL |
| Endy Rodríguez | PIT | C, 1B | 28% | 53% | 25% | 94 | 179 | 91 | Getting more and more of the reps at C |
| Max Kepler | ARI | LF, DH, RF | 36% | 57% | 21% | 121 | 192 | 76 | Back from suspension, should be everyday guy against RHP |
| Graham Pauley | MIA | 3B, 1B, DH | 17% | 37% | 20% | 57 | 125 | 73 | Called up, took 3B from Norby |
| Jase Bowen | SDP | RF, LF, CF | 42% | 21% | -21% | 142 | 71 | -76 | Has settled into bench/defense/pinch running role |
| Carlos Cortes | ATH | RF, DH, LF | 60% | 38% | -22% | 202 | 128 | -80 | Losing playing time to hot-hitting Jonah Heim |
| Jeremiah Jackson | BAL | 2B, 3B, RF | 35% | 12% | -23% | 118 | 40 | -83 | Optioned to minors |
| Josh Smith | TEX | 2B, SS, 3B, 1B | 61% | 38% | -23% | 206 | 128 | -83 | Optioned to minors |
| Connor Norby | MIA | 1B, 3B, DH | 68% | 45% | -23% | 229 | 152 | -83 | Optioned to minors |
| Edgar Quero | CHW | C, DH | 43% | 19% | -24% | 145 | 64 | -87 | Optioned to minors |
| Jordan Lawlar | ARI | CF, LF, DH | 72% | 48% | -24% | 243 | 162 | -87 | Hamstring strain just when he got back from IL |
| Marcelo Mayer | BOS | SS, 2B | 69% | 41% | -28% | 233 | 138 | -102 | Stress reaction in forearm |
| Angel Martínez | CLE | LF, RF, CF, 3B, SS, 2B | 81% | 50% | -31% | 273 | 169 | -113 | More clarity on injury timeframe, out 4-6 weeks |
| Wenceel Pérez | DET | RF, CF | 55% | 23% | -32% | 185 | 78 | -116 | Orbital fracture |
| Mickey Gasper | BOS | C, DH, 1B | 44% | 12% | -32% | 148 | 40 | -116 | Optioned to minors |
| Marcus Semien | NYM | 2B | 91% | 50% | -41% | 307 | 169 | -149 | Grade 3 hip flexor strain, out 4-6 weeks at minimum |
Yesterday, I discussed seven recent hitter callups that have all been given starting job. Obviously, these names are going to be the priorities, particularly in deeper leagues where a recall fills a positional need. Today, let’s flip over to five more players who have recently been called up, but are currently serving in a bench role.
Every Monday, this column will break down the most popular waiver wire and free agent acquisitions of the weekend. I dig into the top adds on the ever-popular Fantrax and in the NFBC Online Championship (OC), a national mid-stakes contest with 240 total leagues of 12 and a six-figure grand prize. Reviewing player adds between the two should provide us with a well-rounded perspective and barometer of the fantasy baseball marketplace.
Trying to follow all the transactions on a daily basis can be head-spinning. Usually, it’s just a middle reliever, or a hitter expected to fill a bench role, that gets recalled from the minors. But that’s not always the case. So it pays to keep up with promotions on the chance that you just found yourself a replacement for that glaring hole you have at second base, for example. Let’s review seven of these recent hitter call-ups that look to have regular jobs.
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Angels
• Denzer Guzman (.748 OPS) hit second over the last two games.
• Jose Siri (.858 OPS) started in seven of the last eight games. Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve covered several rookie-eligible starting pitchers and hitters throughout the past few months. Now, we’re examining five more rookies with small samples and tools. When we say tools, we’re usually talking about power and speed. As usual, we’ll provide recommendations for keeper or dynasty leagues based on the current data.
