RADIO
Is Wei-En Lin the Next Athletics Prospect to Debut?
Athletics pitching prospect Wei-En Lin recently moved up to Triple-A and is positioning himself to compete for a second-half debut. While Gage Jump, the team's higher-ranked pitcher, earned the call earlier this season, Lin is waiting in the wings and could find himself high on the star radar in the coming weeks. Lin opened the 2026 regular season with Double-A Midland, where he was near-perfect, holding a 1.93 ERA with a stellar 0.84 WHIP. Over this 51 1/3-inning stint, Lin struck out 53 hitters while walking just 13. This strong start earned him a ticket to Triple-A, where he has encountered some growing pains. Over two outings (1 2/3 innings), Lin has allowed eight earned runs with a 1:4 K:BB. While it will take the No. 90-ranked prospect in baseball some time to adjust to the Triple-A hitters, he could climb the stash ranking in the second half, making him a top prospect to monitor in deeper leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
James Tibbs III Slugging His Way to Major-League Promotion
Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect James Tibbs III has been among the top power hitters at the Triple-A level this season and is making a strong case to join the MLB roster in the immediate future. On Thursday, Tibbs launched his 20th long ball of the campaign when he went 1-for-5 against Sacramento. Through 69 total games with Oklahoma City this season, the 23-year-old has held a .297/.413/.602 line with a dominant 1.015 OPS. This is even more impressive as Tibbs did not log a single bat at the Triple-A level prior to the 2026 campaign. Currently, the Dodgers have turned to fellow prospect Ryan Ward to replace the injured Teoscar Hernandez on the MLB roster. However, given Tibbs' current play and much higher upside, they could turn to the Florida State product to add a spark to their lineup. His path to at-bats and elite raw power upside makes him a top stash target among hitting prospects.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jacob Latz Continues to be a Top Priority Closer on the Waiver Wire
Texas Rangers left-hander Jacob Latz has been fantastic thus far in 2026, converting on 12 of his 14 save opportunities with an impressive 1.62 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 35 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched. Under the hood, he has a 2.23 xERA (99th percentile) and a .168 xBA (99th percentile) and is completely dominating the ninth inning of games. The only downfall for Latz is that the Rangers are sitting four games under .500, and have not earned him as many opportunities as some of the other top closers in the game. To put the 14 opportunities into perspective, Cade Smith of the Guardians, who leads the league, has 26 opportunities. While 14 isn't bad, it still leaves more to be desired for fantasy managers and Latz. That being said, the Rangers are still in the hunt in the AL West, as it's been one of the weaker divisions in baseball, with the Mariners leading the division at 39-37, meaning the Rangers should be motivated to make a push, considering they have guys like Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and Corey Seager as a veteran core. Due to the lack of consistent closers for fantasy baseball in 2026, Latz remains a top option if available on your waiver wire.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Jac Caglianone Continues to be a Priority Target on the Waiver Wire
The Kansas City Royals' 2024 first-round pick, first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone, has been heating up at the plate in June, slashing .356/.441/.610 with four home runs, 11 RBI, 12 runs, and seven walks. While his strikeouts remain an issue on the season (29.7 percent), his underlying data on how he is impacting the ball and his quality of contact remain elite. He has a 93.4 mph average exit velocity (96th percentile), 14.5 percent barrel rate (89th percentile), 56.5 percent hard-hit rate (98th percentile), and a 76.9 mph bat speed (96th percentile). On the season, Caglianone's slash line is up to .266/.338/.439 with nine home runs, three stolen bases, 30 runs scored, and 22 RBI. While the batting average looks nice, his counting stats are still down, mostly due to a lack of a power surge in April and May, and the Royals' offense not producing at a high level. Nonetheless, he is doing what he needs to do with how he's impacting the ball, and ultimately, that is all a player can control. He may have a second half where he can hit fifteen-plus home runs and drive up those numbers for fantasy managers. Caglianone has much more value in category formats than he does in points leagues due to his poor plate discipline.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Gage Jump is A Must-Add Player Coming Off Career-Best Effort Thursday
Athletics left-hander Gage Jump was lights-out on Thursday night at home against the Los Angeles Angels, throwing seven shutout innings of zero-run ball, racking up seven strikeouts, and allowing only one hit. This season, and in his career, Jump has now made five starts for the Athletics and has an excellent 2.37 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 30 ⅓ innings pitched (five starts), with a 22 percent strikeout rate. While his strikeout rate is lacking, he did have a 33.1 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A this season and a 28.4 percent strikeout rate in the Minors last year across Double-A and High-A, meaning there is more room for improvement at the Major League level. Nonetheless, he has been spectacular for the Athletics, and the 23-year-old has become a must-add player in all formats due to his production thus far and the upside he could show if he starts generating more whiffs and strikeouts, as he has at other levels of his professional career. Up next for Jump is a road game against the San Francisco Giants.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Hunter Greene a Must-Stash Ahead of Approaching Return
Lance McAlister, host of 700 WLW Sports Talk + Reds Inside Pitch, reported on Thursday that Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) topped out at 101 mph in his first rehab outing, and threw three innings, allowing two hits, zero earned runs, zero walks, and six strikeouts. He threw 45 pitches, 34 of which were strikes. It was an extremely sharp outing for Greene, who has been out all season due to recovering from a March 11 surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. Greene is slated to return from the injured list sometime over the next few weeks, and this is likely fantasy managers' last chance to capitalize on Greene potentially being on your waiver wire. Greene was a consensus top-20 starting pitcher coming into the 2026 season, due to his elite fastball and swing-and-miss upside. Last season, Greene had a 2.76 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with a 31.4 percent strikeout rate in 107 ⅔ innings pitched. Greene has a league-winning type of upside, and fantasy managers will want to take advantage of that if they can.
Source: LanceMcAlister
Source: LanceMcAlister
Brandon Valenzuela Still Worth Rostering With Blue Jays Starter Back?
Toronto Blue Jays rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela has impressed with his bat, glove, and arm in his first year in the big leagues in 2026. Offensively, Valenzuela has exceeded expectations with a .254/.338/.454 slash line, .792 OPS, seven home runs, 18 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a stolen base across his first 47 games and 149 plate appearances. The 25-year-old also has above-average arm strength behind the dish and has been solid defensively for the Jays while helping fill in after Alejandro Kirk fractured his thumb. The Mexican native has gone 9-for-28 (.321) at the plate with three home runs, two RBI, eight RBI, and four runs scored in nine games in June, but with Kirk now back from the injured list, Valenzuela's playing time is quickly drying up. Valenzuela definitely has earned more opportunities in his rookie season, but those chances might be fewer and further between with Kirk now healthy. He's currently rostered in 9% of leagues and is merely a catcher handcuff to keep stashed in deep two-catcher fantasy leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Lars Nootbaar a Waiver Option Despite Sitting Against Lefties?
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar didn't make his 2026 season debut until June 5 after having surgery on both of his heels in the offseason. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has appeared in 12 games and has gone 11-for-41 (.268) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in his 49 plate appearances. He has only had nine plate appearances against lefty pitchers, though, and he was out of the starting lineup again on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals for the third time that the Cardinals have faced a traditional southpaw starter. Nootbaar has teased multi-category upside in his first five seasons in the big leagues, but injuries have held him back, and he's never exceeded 14 home runs, 48 RBI, or 11 stolen bases for the Red Birds. The Cardinals are most likely easing Nootbaar in this year after his long absence, so he won't necessarily be in a strict platoon going into the second half of the season. With better health in both of his feet, Nootbaar could finally be ready to break out the rest of the way, making him worth a waiver flier in deeper mixed fantasy leagues. He's rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Braves Acquire Joey Bart From Pirates
The Atlanta Braves acquired catcher Joey Bart (foot) from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in exchange for right-hander Hunter Stratton, according to the team. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated catcher Sandy Leon for assignment. Bart has been on the injured list for over a month with a foot infection, but he is currently on a minor-league rehab assignment and looks ready to make his debut with Atlanta sooner rather than later. Drake Baldwin is the unquestioned starter for the Braves behind the dish, but Bart figures to serve as the team's backup with Sean Murphy (finger) still recovering from a broken finger that is expected to keep him out into the second half of the 2026 season. The move doesn't really make the 29-year-old Bart anymore attractive in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Bart hit a career-high 13 home runs and drove in 45 runs in 80 games in his first year with the Pirates in 2024 after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants, but he had just four homers and 30 RBI in 93 games last year. Before going on the IL with his foot injury this year, he was hitting .259/.290/.379 with two homers, six RBI, two walks, and 21 K's in 21 games played.
Source: Atlanta Braves
Source: Atlanta Braves
Juan Soto Stays Hot With Two-Homer Game Against Phillies
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has been red-hot at the plate recently, and it continued in the team's 6-4 win on the road in Philadelphia on Thursday night against the division-rival Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Soto went 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and a walk to boost his season average to .300 and his OPS to .980. The 27-year-old Dominican hit both of his home runs in his first two at-bats of the game to set the tone for the Metropolitans. It was his second multi-homer game of the season. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner missed time this year with a calf injury, but other than that, he's been excellent despite the Mets' terrible season. Soto is now hitting .300/.398/.582 with 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 249 plate appearances. And in his last eight games, he's been even better, going 14-for-29 (.483) with three long balls. As always, Soto is a must-start in all fantasy lineups as long as he's healthy.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Joc Pederson is Gaining Deep-League Value
Texas Rangers outfielder Joc Pederson has been putting together a solid stretch of play lately. Over the last week. Pederson is slashing .357/.438/.571 with one home run and two RBI. He owns a .984 OPS over the last month of action. At this point in his career, Pederson is strictly a platoon bat, but that doesn't mean he can't offer fantasy value. He has blasted nine homers this season with 25 RBI and 28 walks in 68 games. The 34-year-old has enough pop in his bat to warrant looking at in deep leagues right now. His nine long balls have already matched his season total from a year ago. Fantasy managers should scoop him up while he's hot at the plate.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Jose Soriano is Set to Start on Friday
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (chest) was scratched ahead of his scheduled start against the Athletics on Thursday. Soriano is dealing with chest tightness and leg soreness, so the team will give him another day to rest. Angels' manager Kurt Suzuki confirmed on Thursday that Soriano will take the ball against the Athletics on Friday. It looks like they wanted to give Soriano an extra day to get 100 percent healthy. Soriano was unhittable to begin the season, but he has come back down to Earth. Over the last nine starts, Soriano has a 4.74 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 43:26 K:BB ratio. Fantasy managers should get him back in their lineups ahead of Friday's game.
Source: Rhett Bollinger
Source: Rhett Bollinger
Bobby Witt Jr. Leaves with Knee Discomfort
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Witt appears to have suffered a right knee injury when he landed awkwardly while trying to make a play in the fourth inning. He was replaced by Tyler Tolbert shortly after that. Before leaving the game, Witt went 2-for-2 at the plate with a home run and two RBI. The team is calling it right knee discomfort, which means Witt should be considered day-to-day right now. The Royals could have Witt undergo further testing. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Friday, but Tolbert could see more action at shortstop for a few days. UPDATE: Manager Matt Quatraro told reporters after the game that Witt went for additional testing on his injured right knee, according to Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star.
Source: Kansas City Royals
Source: Kansas City Royals
Hunter Greene Begins Rehab Assignment
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (elbow) is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Thursday. Greene has yet to pitch this season after having surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He has finally been cleared to begin a rehab assignment after a few successful bullpen sessions. The right-hander will likely need several rehab starts before rejoining the Reds' rotation. Greene is heading in the right direction, but likely won't make his MLB debut until some point in July.
Source: Mike Petraglia
Source: Mike Petraglia
Moises Ballesteros Optioned to Triple-A
Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. The struggling slugger will head to the minor leagues and hopefully work out some kinks. This season, Ballesteros is slashing .231/.303/.385 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 17 walks in 59 games. Over the last 34 games, Ballesteros is hitting .128 with one homer and seven RBI, so a reset could be needed. The Cubs haven't made a corresponding move, but will need to do that ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The expectation is that the Cubs will likely mix in different options at designated hitter with Ballesteros in Triple-A.
Source: Jon Becker
Source: Jon Becker
