RADIO
Jacob Melton Producing in Injury-Shortened Season
Tampa Bay Rays prospect Jacob Melton is working his way back from a left ankle sprain and has produced in limited action between the FCL Rays and Triple-A Durham. Melton has had limited at bats (125) but has five homers and 24 RBI with 28 runs scored and 22 steals while hitting .296. The No. 6 prospect in the Rays system, Melton has shown good signs in his age 25 season when healthy. He boasts 60 grades on the scouting scale in power and speed. Melton came over to the Rays in a December trade with the Houston Astros after he was a second round pick by Houston out of Oregon State. He played 32 games with the Astros at the big league level before his time was cut short by an injury. He showed off his speed with seven steals in 70 at bats with Houston and could easily bring the same threat on the bases to Tampa Bay. Melton looks like a sneaky stash as someone who could produce for the Rays as soon as this season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Riley O'Brien Unavailable Sunday Due to Illness
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (illness) was unavailable for Sunday's 5-3 extra-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds. George Soriano instead worked the ninth inning of a 2-2 game, allowing one hit and striking out two in a scoreless frame. Matt Svanson entered in the 10th and was charged with three runs, two earned, on two hits while recording one out as Cincinnati pulled ahead for good. O'Brien should be considered day-to-day ahead of Monday's series opener against the Chicago Cubs. He remains St. Louis' primary closer after recording his 26th save Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels. The Cardinals are also without JoJo Romero, who is on the 15-day injured list following an emergency appendectomy. If O'Brien remains unavailable, Soriano or Ryne Stanek could receive the next save opportunity.
Source: Roundtable
Source: Roundtable
Cam Cannarella Looking Like Good Dynasty League Stash
Miami Marlins outfield prospect Cam Cannarella has made his way through three levels of the minor leagues this season and has produced in his latest promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville. In eight games with Jacksonville, Cannarella has one homer and two RBI with five runs scored and four stolen bases while hitting .290. Cannarella checks in as the No. 6 prospect in the Miami system and boasts a 55-grade hit tool and a 60-grade run tool. The left-handed hitter out of Clemson is a promising prospect, but having just made it to Triple-A might mean that he is a ways off from debuting for the Marlins. The 22-year-old is hitting .353 across three minor league levels to show off his promise, and he has added 14 steals. But the Marlins outfield has a lot of depth at the big league level, and the club might take a slower approach with Cannarella, meaning he might not debut until 2027 or 2028. He has a great skill set for fantasy, but he might be more of a dynasty league stash for now.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Bryson Stott Shows Signs of Life in Sunday's Win Over Yankees
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott had a much-needed big game at the plate in Sunday's 11-4 win over the visiting New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park. Stott went 3-for-4 at the plate with a solo home run, a double, and a season-high five RBI. The 28-year-old entered Sunday's series finale with a .268 average (19-for-71) with no home runs, four doubles, two triples, two RBI, eight runs scored, one stolen base, four walks, and 18 strikeouts in 19 games and 76 plate appearances in the month of July. The former 14th overall selection in the 2019 MLB draft out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is now slashing .252/.307/.405 with a .712 OPS, only eight home runs, 47 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 41 runs scored in 100 games and 386 plate appearances in 2026 in his fifth year in the majors with the Phillies. Power has never been a big part of Stott's game, but he does continue to have fantasy value for his speed on the base paths. Fantasy managers will hope that Stott will fare better at the plate for the rest of July and going into August this weekend.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Ronald Acuna Jr. Reinstated From Injured List
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Monday after missing more than six weeks with a Grade 1 left-hamstring strain. Acuna went 6-for-26 with one home run across nine rehab games between the Florida Complex League and Triple-A Gwinnett. He had been sidelined since aggravating the same hamstring on June 9, marking his second IL stint for the injury this season. Acuna returns batting .251 with seven home runs, 22 RBI, 31 runs, and 15 stolen bases through 53 games. Fantasy managers can activate him immediately, though his repeated hamstring trouble remains the main concern. Atlanta optioned outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding move, removing Hicklen from the active roster and eliminating any short-term redraft value he had gained during Acuna's absence.
Source: Atlanta Braves
Source: Atlanta Braves
Jeremy Pena has Homered Five Times in his Last Six Games
Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena continued his power surge in Sunday's 12-3 blowout loss on the road against the Chicago White Sox, going 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with two solo home runs, both against White Sox starter Erick Fedde. The 28-year-old shortstop now has five home runs in his last six games to boost his overall slash line in 2026 to .319/.373/.504 with an .878 OPS, 11 home runs, 30 RBI, 47 runs scored, and eight stolen bases across his 226 at-bats. In his last six games, the Dominican shortstop has gone 13-for-26 (.500) with five dingers, eight RBI, and 10 runs scored. Pena isn't known as a huge power option at the position, but his fantasy managers will take it, especially since he has missed valuable time in 2026 with several different injuries. In a small sample size of 11 games and 47 plate appearances so far in July, Pena is hitting a red-hot .419 (18-for-43) with five home runs, nine RBI, and 13 runs scored for the Astros. He's obviously a must-start in all traditional fantasy baseball leagues while he's rolling offensively.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Kade Anderson Twirls Five-Inning Gem at Double-A Arkansas
Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson dealt five scoreless innings in his latest start with seven strikeouts and no hits or walks in his perfect outing at Double-A Arkansas. It was the latest gem from the talented left-hander as he moved his season mark at Arkansas to 9-1 with a 1.27 ERA and 0.64 WHIP with 115 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings pitched. The video game-like numbers suggest that Anderson has moved beyond Double-A in regards to his skill and development. Triple-A is the next logical step and the Mariners need to make a decision on how they want to deal with their minor-league star. Anderson is now the top ranked Seattle prospect but he might not make the step from Double-A straight to the majors. The Mariners might opt for some time at Triple-A Tacoma. A dynasty league gem, Anderson is a bit of a risky stash for redraft leagues just because he lacks Triple-A experience at this point and his big league debut could be delayed until 2027.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Joshua Baez Continuing to Mash at Triple-A Memphis
St. Louis Cardinals prospect Joshua Baez has surpassed the 30 homer plateau this year at Triple-A Memphis as he continues to make a case for promotion to the big league club. Baez now has 31 homers and 77 homers in 360 at bats while hitting .244 with 69 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. The overall numbers for the former second-round pick are outstanding and now might be the time to stash the right-handed power hitter. In his past two games, Baez has hit homers, making it now or never to make a waiver wire move on the minor-league stud. The batting average in July is only .167 for Baez, but the power numbers have more than made up for it. The Cardinals could use a power boost and Baez can easily provide that given the call. He will have to improve the overall hitting but the power will play at the next level.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Munetaka Murakami Snaps Skid With Two Homers Against Astros
Chicago White Sox corner infielder Munetaka Murakami broke out of a funk at the plate in a big way in Sunday's 12-3 blowout win over the visiting Houston Astros. Murakami went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, six RBI, and three runs scored to boost his season batting average to .239 and his OPS to .921. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting Japanese slugger was hitting .184 (7-for-38) in 11 games in July since coming off the injured list before his big performance in Sunday's series finale. He's now slashing .239/.378/.543 in his first major-league season with 22 home runs, 48 RBI, 53 runs scored, and a stolen base in 69 games across 299 plate appearances. Murakami has recorded hits in each of his last three games, so fantasy managers are hoping that he is ready to turn things around as we head into August. His power looks to be for real, and he's also walking 18.1% of the time, but he will not be a reliable source of batting average with his 32.4% strikeout rate. He has also struggled mightily against southpaws, batting .194 (14-for-72) against them with only four of his 22 homers and a 33:16 K:BB.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
CJ Abrams has Seven Home Runs in his Last Seven Games
Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams became the first Nationals player since Kyle Schwarber in 2021 to hit seven home runs in a span of seven games after his second multi-homer performance of the season on Sunday in the 10-7 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. Abrams went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .297 and his OPS to .940. The 25-year-old now has four career multi-homer games. In what has been a career year for Abrams, he's now hitting .297/.367/.573 with a career-high 27 home runs, 82 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored in 102 games across 436 plate appearances in 2026 in his fourth full year in D.C. The former first-rounder in 2019 by the San Diego Padres has been nearly unstoppable in 18 games in July, batting .397 (29-for-73) with a 1.255 OPS, nine home runs, five doubles, 22 RBI, 14 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 81 plate appearances. In his seven-game stretch with seven dingers, Abrams has gone 17-for-30 (.567) with 14 RBI.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
James Wood Hits Two Homers on Sunday for First Multi-Homer Performance in 2026
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood continued his surge at the plate in July, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout in Sunday's 10-7 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in D.C. It was Wood's first multi-homer game of the 2026 season and the fifth of his career. The 23-year-old All-Star left-handed slugger is now leading the league in walks (82), runs scored (96), plate appearances (498), OPS (.953), and total bases (228) in 106 games played for the Nats in his third year in the league. He is also slashing .271/.396/.557 with 30 home runs, 72 RBI, and 15 stolen bases as one of the best all-around bats in baseball. Wood has been especially productive in 19 games (93 plate appearances) so far in July, going 23-for-74 (.311) with a 1.198 OPS, nine home runs, four doubles, a triple, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored, and two stolen bases. He's an emerging five-category superstar for Washington and is a must-start in all fantasy formats when he's active. Wood has held his own against lefties as well, hitting .265 (40-for-151) against them with nine of his 30 long balls.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jacob Misiorowski Strikes Out 12 in Five Innings on Sunday
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski didn't go long in Sunday's 11-2 blowout victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies, but he was still as dominant as ever. Misiorowski allowed just a solo home run with no walks and 12 strikeouts in five innings for his 11th win of the season. The hard-throwing 24-year-old dealt with right-arm fatigue to close out the first half of the regular season, prompting the Brewers to hold him back entering the second half. As he quickly approaches his career high in innings, Milwaukee figures to continue looking for ways to manage the Miz's innings so that he can be of use and at full strength for the postseason in October. The former second-rounder in 2022 from Crowder College threw 59 of his 83 pitches for strikeouts in what was the ninth time in 2026 in which he's recorded double-digit strikeouts. On the season, he has a dominant 1.58 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 185:28 K:BB in 120 innings across 20 starts. Misiorowski is still a must-start every time he takes the hill, but his workload restrictions will inevitably lower his fantasy ceiling going forward.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Mickey Moniak Still Worth a Waiver Look for his Power
Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak went through a little power slump in July after hitting homers in the first two games of the month, but he's still a viable power option off the waiver wire in mixed leagues, especially at hitter-friendly Coors Field. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder is slashing .277/.322/.553 on the year with an .875 OPS, 16 home runs, 43 RBI, 35 runs scored, and a stolen base in 69 games across 255 plate appearances in his seventh year in the big leagues and second in Denver. After returning from an injury that caused him to miss most of June, Moniak is batting .323 (20-for-62) with an .876 OPS, three home runs, two doubles, a triple, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored in 18 games and 67 plate appearances. Moniak isn't perfect by any means, though, as he's hitting just .227 (22-for-97) with three of his 16 homers on the road and .222 (10-for-45) with two of his long balls against left-handed pitchers. In addition, his .225 expected batting average, .301 xwOBA, and fourth percentile chase rate don't bode well for him down the stretch in the second half.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Hogan Harris Pulling Away in A's Closer Committee, Worth a Waiver-Wire Look
Athletics left-handed reliever Hogan Harris appears to be pulling away as the team's preferred option for saves after earning his eighth save on Friday in the 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. Since Harris' last blown save on June 21 against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, he has allowed only one earned run on six hits while walking four and striking out 18 in 9 2/3 innings pitched across 10 appearances, adding two saves. The 29-year-old southpaw has two saves already in his four appearances in the second half of the season and has been pretty reliable for most of the season with a 3-0 record, 3.15 ERA (4.03 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP with 61 strikeouts and 28 walks in 45 2/3 innings across his career-high 49 relief appearances. Chasing a pitcher technically in a closer committee on a struggling team well below .500 on the year isn't ideal, but Harris is certainly worth a league in deeper leagues for fantasy managers who are desperate for saves. Harris is currently rostered in 10% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Raisel Iglesias Charged With Blown Save as Struggles Linger
Atlanta Braves right-handed closer Raisel Iglesias continued to struggle on Sunday in the team's 3-2 extra-inning win over the hosting Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards and was charged with his second blown save of the season. In his inning of work, Iglesias allowed an unearned run with a walk and a strikeout. The blown save was aided by an error from second baseman Ozzie Albies, but this was Iglesias' second blown save in his last eight outings after he locked down his first 17 save chances of the year. The 36-year-old veteran from Cuba is 0-2 on the season with a 2.43 ERA (2.84 FIP), 1.08 WHIP, 21 saves, 43 strikeouts, and eight walks in 37 relief innings in 2026 in his 12th year in the big leagues. Iglesias definitely hasn't been as sharp in 9 2/3 innings in 10 outings in July, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits (three homers) while walking two and striking out 13, but he probably isn't in any imminent danger of being demoted from the closer role, especially with top setup man Robert Suarez (elbow) currently on the injured list.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
