Author Archive: Mike Podhorzer

We continue my 2026 analysis review season! Today, let’s investigate the names that made my 2026 Preview: Potential Batter HR/FB Rate Surgers & Decliners list. I used Statcast’s xHR calculation to calculate the hitters that most underperformed and overperformed according to the formula and then implied that assuming all else was equal, a higher xHR total would mean a higher HR/FB rate and vice versa. Let’s find out how they ended up doing.

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Last December, I asked a question – Is Jordan Walker the Next Driveline Baseball Fueled Breakout? I’ve been obsessed with identifying which players have visited Driveline Baseball each offseason because we’ve witnessed a number of breakouts the following season. Obviously, a visit doesn’t guarantee anything and two of the three names that made my bold predictions thanks to their visits were total busts. But the mere acknowledgement a player makes by deciding to train there is important as it shows a willingness to improve. Walker was a fascinating name among the group of Driveline trainees last offseason given that he was a one-time top prospect who had disappointed, but had also already showcased some really intriguing skills.

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It’s bold prediction review time! Refresh your memory with my original theses driving these predictions.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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