X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Hitters - A September To Remember

Julio Rodriguez - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB DFS Picks, Betting Picks

Jamie Steed looks at hitters who finished the 2024 season strongly. A productive September might just be noise to ignore but in the case of this trio, it warrants a closer look. They could carry that form into the 2025 season and prove to be draft day bargains.

There aren't many things more frustrating in fantasy baseball than seeing one of your players have a big September after struggling for most of the season. Health, bad luck, and a bad situation are just some of the many reasons a player might struggle for so long only to get things together in the final month.

A big finish to 2024 might not have been enough to help your teams this year, but it isn't something that should just be discredited. Here, we're looking at hitters who saved their biggest month of the season for September and should be targeted in 2025 drafts.

While this trio will all be taken in drafts, many may ignore their September, leaving them as draft day bargains. Don't forget to follow RotoBaller on X to get notified when articles drop. The team will be bringing you all the preseason baseball stuff you need. Without further ado, let's get into this.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Julio Rodriguez - OF, Seattle Mariners

Season numbers: 20 HR, 68 RBI, 76 R, 24 SB, .273 AVG
September numbers: 7 HR, 22 RBI, 24 R, 6 SB, .328 AVG

Those of us who used an early first-round pick on Julio Rodriguez will have likely not had a successful fantasy season. A big September helped the outfielder to a third consecutive 20/20 season in the Majors. But it merely papered over the cracks after 32 homers and 37 steals in 2023.

Having suffered a sprained ankle in late July, Rodriguez missed three weeks. He hit .167/.250/.222 in the 14 games after returning from the IL. Something then clicked with Rodriguez, hitting nine homers in his final 29 games of the season, while putting up a 181 wRC+ to close out 2024.

Across the entirety of 2024, it was a familiar story for Rodriguez. His quality of contact was excellent and he had elite numbers across many metrics. His Statcast Profile (below) is similar to his previous two seasons. The problem once again was the lack of contact.

Among the 129 qualified hitters, Rodriguez's 71.4% Contact% ranked 115th. Among that group, Rodriguez's 38.5% Zone% (the percentage of pitches seen inside the strike zone) was the seventh-fewest. A testament to scouting reports identifying that Rodriguez chases too many pitches.

His 37.4% Chase% ranking in the sixth percentile is further evidence of that. It's not something that will change with Rodriguez but he has had success previously with that lack of plate discipline. And that is why I'm not too concerned by it but am buoyed by his September.

It's also worth noting that Rodriguez didn't have much protection in the lineup. J.P. Crawford couldn't build on his breakout 2023, Jorge Polanco struggled, and Luke Raley couldn't hit left-handed pitching (LHP). The acquisitions of Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner didn't do much good either.

That's not to exonerate Rodriguez from his struggles. But it's fair to believe the Mariners will look to improve their offense significantly this offseason. Especially to support their elite pitching staff. If they can do that, Rodriguez should get to see more pitches in the strike zone.

Rodriguez won't be a consensus first-round pick in 2025. He's likely going to be taken early in the second round in most drafts. But if you have a late first-round pick, you should seriously consider taking Rodriguez with it. If 2024 was the floor, September should have acted as a reminder of his talent.

 

Wyatt Langford - OF, Texas Rangers

Season numbers: 16 HR, 74 RBI, 74 R, 19 SB, .253 AVG
September numbers: 8 HR, 20 RBI, 25 R, 7 SB, .300 AVG

Wyatt Langford was one of the hottest names in drafts this year. High expectations were put on the rookie which led to him being taken in the first half of drafts as Opening Day grew nearer. In an unsurprising turn of events, the rookie struggled to start the year and then injured his hamstring in early May.

At the time of the injury, Langford was hitting .224/.295/.293 with one home run, 11 RBI, 13 runs, and one stolen base. He had a 68 wRC+ in his first 31 games. Langford returned on May 28 and hit the ground running. In June, Langford hit .309/.368/.526 before things once again turned south.

If we look at Langford's numbers each month, we can see why fantasy managers had lost patience with the rookie as the season went on.

Month PA HR RBI R SB AVG OBP SLG wRC+
April 118 1 11 13 1 .238 .314 .314 80
May 21 0 2 1 0 .143 .143 .143 -28
June 106 3 22 11 6 .309 .368 .526 151
July 107 2 9 12 2 .216 .280 .351 76
August 91 2 10 12 3 .215 .308 .316 82
September 114 8 20 25 7 .300 .386 .610 180

Rookie struggles shouldn't be a shock to anyone, even rookies as highly touted as Langford. And if we look at his season as a whole, Langford ended up four homers and one steal shy of a 20/20 season. That's after struggling for most of the year and missing more than three weeks.

Ordinarily, half of your homers in a season coming in one month isn't ideal. And hitting eight home runs in a month isn't something we should expect to be a regular occurrence. But it does suggest that Langford was finding his feet in the Majors and becoming more accomplished as a hitter.

Langford will likely be drafted around 20th among outfielders in 2025. Assuming he stays healthy, Langford should have no problem in providing value at that position. If he can build on his September and improve with a full year in the Majors under his belt, Langford could end up top-10 at the position.

 

Nathaniel Lowe - 1B, Texas Rangers

Season numbers: 16 HR, 69 RBI, 62 R, 2 SB, .265 AVG
September numbers: 5 HR, 20 RBI, 11 R, 0 SB, .310 AVG

Having played 475 games across the previous three seasons, the one thing Nathaniel Lowe was going to bring fantasy managers in 2024 was reliability. Even that was tested this year when Lowe suffered an oblique injury during spring. He ultimately missed 21 games, returning for the Rangers on April 19.

Lowe went on to play 140 games. A testament to his durability, although his bat took time to get going. By the end of June, Lowe was hitting .265/.349/.370 with four homers (63 games). A productive July (five homers and a .282/.408/.471 slash line) was followed by a dismal August.

After hitting .211/.292/.305 with two homers in the penultimate month of the season, fantasy managers had already moved on from Lowe. To reward anyone who stuck with him that long, Lowe went on to have his best month of the season in September and remind fantasy managers of his potential production.

The bullish sentiment for Lowe shouldn't just be because of his September. After a productive July, his August numbers appear to be a bit more of an outlier. What was most noticeable for Lowe in September was how hard he was hitting the ball. His HardHit% had a significant uptick.

Oblique issues can linger so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that the further removed Lowe was from the injury, the better he got. On the surface, Lowe's 2024 season looks eerily similar to 2023 and 2021. With his 27 homers and .302/.358/.492 slash line in 2022 looking like an anomaly.

However, if we look at Lowe's numbers from July 1 onwards, he hit .266/.371/.427 with 12 homers, 40 RBI, 35 runs, and no steals in 77 games. That's a 162-game pace of 25 homers, 84 RBI, 74 runs and no steals. These numbers are certainly worthy of drafting as your first baseman in 2025.

Given the injury to start the season and how much Lowe improved as the year wore on, his September should help alleviate concerns about taking Lowe in drafts next year. If you wait for a first baseman, nabbing Lowe in the later rounds makes a lot of sense.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP