Fantasy Baseball from Prospect361.com

Fantasy Baseball Live – September 14, 2025Microsoft Teams:PodcastSunday, September 14, 20253:00 PM - 4:30 PM1.The Angels fire Phil Nevin after deciding to not pick up his option for next season. The Angels are in a spiral and are just not getting better. Do you see that changing anytime soon?2.Connelly Early got the call this week for the Red Sox and shoved it against the Athletics. He pitched five shutout innings, striking out 11.a.Thoughts on him for the next few weeks to end the season.b.Payton Tolle has not been very good since he burst onto the scene two weeks ago. Could the same thing happen to Early?c.Jonah Tong also fell back to earth on his second outing against the Reds, giving up four runs in six innings with 6 strikeouts and four walks. And then, got annihilated over the weekend with six earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.d.Order these three young pitchers for the rest of the season and next season?3.Speaking of young pitchers, Cade Horton has been very good this season. He won his 10th game this week, posting a 2.70 ERA but is only striking out just over seven per nine – he has 89 strikeouts in 110 innings. How do you view him for next season? He’s a Top ___________ pitcher.4.First, it was Jasson Dominguez losing playing time for the Yankees, and now Anthony Volpe. Who do you feel more confident rostering for next season – Dominguez or Volpe?5.Kyle Tucker hits the IL at the worse time. Moises Ballesteros gets the call. Any interest?6.Rhys Hoskins is finally back but has only gotten one at-bat over his first two games. Is he going to play full-time or just be a guy off the bench with the recent play of Andrew Vaughn?7.Arizona Fall League Previewa.I wrote a large post on Thursday of all the ranked players attending. We will discuss some of the players and who you are looking forward to seeing how they do?8.Listener Questions:a.Mac - Hey Rich, I’d be interested in yalls thoughts on Elly De La Cruz second half of the season? While he has been known to be streaky player the lack of home runs and even his normal stealing pace (past week he has started to get some again) during the second half has been bit confusing. Thanks!b.Collins - Should the Dodgers let Ohtani just come in as a RP in the playoffs and be a shutdown backend bullpen arm? c.Collins - FYPD: Roki was the consensus top pick last year. Of course, I took him. The next two top picks a year ago were Condon and Bazzana. How’s that working out? Not great so far. With so many more top picks performing in the top round last year, how did a lot of us miss this, just bad luck or what? (Thinking of Kurtz, Burns, Cam, Cags, etc)d.David - Is O'Neil Cruz a bust at this point?e.Hoppy - Who's your favourite (and least favourite) fantasy baseball player of all time?f.Hoppy - find my interest levels go through natural ups and downs during the season, but no matter what happens in season I always seem come back with renewed vigour preseason, when prospect lists are published and drafts start again. Do you have the same experience and have you ever had thoughts about (gasp!) giving up fantasy baseball?g.Nick - When working a Dynasty League where you can keep anyone you want for any amount of time, what is the cut off of your rankings that you are willing to throw them back into the draft to see what else you can get? Top 300? Top 15 at position? And does that differ slightly on age, like willing to keep someone who is a lot younger or not so much older?i.Context: I am in a 12 team Dynasty league with normal roster positions, with a 15 person minor league roster in CBS. I find myself sometimes keeping too many players so I really only change over 1 or 2 on the active roster, then struggle to figure out who to cut when a prospect gets called up and wonder if I should cut more people out the gate to take some risks, to be willing to cut them for prospects.h.Tim - What are you doing with these last couple of faab periods to prepare your team for next year? 9.What one or two hitters are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?10.What one or two pitchers are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

The following players are discussed:Travis Bazzana (Cle)Kemp Alderman (Mia)Victor Bericoto (SF)Max Clark (Det)Jansel Luis (AZ)Aroon Escobar (Phi)Kendall George (LAD)Josue De Paula (LAD)Sean Keys (Tor)Caden Powell (Hou)Alfredo Duno (Cin)Dax Kilby (NYY)Ethan Holliday (Col)Roldy Brito (Col)Robby Snelling (Mia)Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (NYY)Carlos Lagrange (NYY)Ty Johnson (TB)Cam Caminiti (Atl)Juaron Watts-Brown (Bal)

Rich releases his final 2025 update of the Top 100 minor league prospects.

The following players are discussed:Justin Crawford (Phi)Carter Jensen (KC)Junior Perez (ATH)Aidan Miller (Phi)Jacob Reimer (NYM)Braden Montgomery (CHW)Walker Jenkins (Min)Ryan Waldschmidt (AZ)Jeral Perez (CHW)Jesus Made (Mil)Kendall George (LAD)Kane Kepley (CHC)John Gil (Atl)Alfredo Duno (Cin)Robby Snelling (Mia)Connelley Early (Bos)Jarin Susana (Was)Thomas White (Mia)Brody Hopkins (TB)Luis De Leon (Bal)

Take 10 with Tim – August 31, 2025 @ 3:00 pm – 1.5 hours

The following players are discussed:1. Ryan Clifford (NYM)2. Charlie Condon (Col)3. Jacob Reimer (NYM)4. Eduardo Tait (Min)5. Wehiaw Aloy (Bal)6. Payton Tolle (Bos)

Fantasy Baseball Live – August 24, 2025 @ 3:00 pmMicrosoft Teams:Segments 1 and 2 – Review of Weekend GamesAdditional Questions:1.Five young kids that we might see soon. Your thoughts for picking up:1)JJ Wetherholt (3B/2B/SS, STL) – The Cardinals have played him at third base seven times this month, and he’s been on and off second base this season.2)Spencer Jones (OF, NYY) – He’s tied for the lead in home runs in the minor leagues with 32.3)Jonah Tong (RHP, NYM) – Word coming out of New York is this might happen sooner rather than later.4)Payton Tolle (LHP, Bos) – Pitching to a 3.04 ERA across High, Double and Triple-A. He has 133 Ks and 23 walks in 92.1 IP. His fastball topped out at 99 MPH in Friday’s start.5)Robby Snelling (LHP, Mia) – Fastball is up to 97 MPH from the left side and is pitching to a 2.73 ERA across Double and Triple-A this season. 2.Nestor Cortes pitched a one-hitter against the Dodgers on Saturday. What? His fastball averaged 90.1 MPH (T 92). Old school baseball?. Really???3.The Mariners released Dylan Moore, who started the season strong (.290, 7 HRs, 13 SB) through mid-May, then cooled off, lost his spot, and now he's cut. Is there anything here if he gets picked up by another MLB team?a.Victor Robles gets reinstated after throwing his bat at a pitcher in a Triple-A game. He takes Moore’s spot on the roster. He was a sexy draft pick this season, but a shoulder injury has cost him most of the season, and then, of course, the issue in Triple-A.4. I know Nick Kurtz has the ROY award practically wrapped up in the American League, but will Colson Montgomery receive some votes? In just 41 games, he’s hit 12 home runs with 34 RBIs. The 12 home runs are fourth in baseball among all rookies, and the 34 RBIs rank 12th. The 11 players ahead of him have all played twice as many games, with some nearly three times as many. BTW, he’s hitting .229 with 44 strikeouts in 41 games (28% K-Rate, 7% BB-Rate) with a poor chase rate.5.What does going 4 for 15 in your first four professional games get you? An 8-year, $67 million contract. That’s what Samuel Basallo signed on Friday. It’s a deal similar to what Jackson Chourio signed before the start of the 2024 (8-year, $87 million or 30% more). A good deal of the Orioles? What about Basallo?a.Now that he should be up for good (although Kristian Campbell might disagree), how do the Orioles use him? b.Does he get enough at-bats at catcher to retain eligibility this season or at least get it in April of 2026?c.Would the Orioles consider trading Adley Rutschman? Segment 3 – Waiver WireSegments 4 – Closer ReportClose

Take 10 with Tim – August 22, 2025 @ 9:30 am – 60 minutesMicrosoft Teams:1.Let’s review the standingsa.American Leagueb.National League2.Wilyer Abreu hits the IL and the Red Sox are calling up Jhostynxon Garcia, 'the Password.' There’s some chase in his approach but big power ,potential. Are you interested?3.The September callups continue – remember, after 8/15, they will, likely retain rookie eligibility. Here’s a list – Who are you bidding on? Rank these guys in who you want the rest of the season.a.Bubba Chandler (RHP, Pit) – Reportedly coming in to pitch in relief (bummer)b.Parker Messick (LHP, Cle) – Looked good in his debut on Wednesdayc.Carson Williams (SS, TB) – Scary strikeout rate (34%) but speed and power (23 HR, 22 SB)d.Maximo Acosta (IF, Mia) – He’s 1 for 10, but the hit was a home run.4.Rank these players that came up in the last couple of weeks of who you want to roster for the rest of the seasona.Owen Caissie (OF, CHC) – Already has a home run.b.Samuel Basallo (C/1B, Bal) – He’s 3 for 10 in three games with some long outsc.Dylan Beavers (OF, Bal) – Hasn’t done much in four gamesd.Jakob Marsee (OF, Mia) – He ranks 3rd over the two weeks in outfield rankings. Just in front of the has-beens, Corbin Carroll and Juan Soto.5.In researching the question above, I noticed that Brenton Doyle has been hot of late. In the last two weeks, he’s hit .372 with four home runs and two stolen bases.a.Too little, too late? Or, will you take it?b.What about next season? He’s a __________ outfielder for you.6.Speaking of next season, which hitter or two are you hoping performs poorly over the last six weeks so they might be cheaper at the draft table?7.What pitcher?8.Shohei Ohtani has not looked good on the mound this season. Does he stay a two-way player?9.What one hitter are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?10.What one pitcher are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

The following players are discussed:1. Jeferson Quero (Mil)2. Ralphy Velazquez (Cle)3. Kevin McGonigle (Det)4. Jesus Made (Mil)5. Robby Snelling (Mia)6. Jarlin Susana (Was)

Fantasy Baseball Live – August 17, 2025Microsoft Teams:PodcastSunday, August 17, 20253:00 PM - 4:30 PMhttps://teams.live.com/meet/9394923586620?p=gQB4mcrdktGIPu9WCCSegments 1 and 2 – Review the weekend gamesAdditional Questions:1.We’ve had several call-ups this week. Give me your thoughts on each?a.Owen Caisse (OF, CHC)b.Nolan McClain (RHP, NYM)c.Dylan Beavers (OF, Bal)d.Sam Basallo (C/1B, Bal)2.Josh Hader hits the IL with a shoulder injury and will not be back after his 15-day IL stint is up. This is not good for fantasy managers at all. Who gets the save opportunities? a.We will discuss whether fantasy managers should have grabbed his backup. Did you?3.Adolis Garcia hits the IL. Who gets his at-bats?4.Kyle Stowers hits the IL and will be lost for several weeks. Jakob Marsee started off hot but has cooled over the past couple of games. Anyone else interest you in Miami?5.Cade Cavalli. WOW!6.Despite a great outing by Cavalli, elite pitchers are dropping like fliesa.Zack Wheeler hits the IL with an upper extremity blood clot. Yikes.b.Chase Burns hits the IL with a flexor strain. Uh oh. This could cost him a lot of time and might lead to….I don’t want to say it.c.Michael King was back for one start and back on the IL.7.Hey, Aaron Nola pitches today…Segment 3 – Waiver WireSegment 4 – Closer ReportClose

The following players are discussed:Sam Bassalo (Bal)Denzer Guzman (LAA)Abimelec Ortiz (Tex)Aidan Miller (Phi)Patrick Clohsy (Atl)Carson Roccaforte (KC)Home Bush (TB)Konnor Griffin (Pit)Devin Saltiban (Phi)Jeral Perez (CHW)Elian Perez (NYM)Cristian Arguelles (Col)Robby Snelling (Mia)Quinn Mathews (Stl)Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (NYY)Trey Gibson (Bal)Miguel Mendez (SD)Luis De Leon (Bal)Alex Clemmey (Was)Cam Caminiti (Atl)

Fantasy Baseball Live – August 10, 2025 @ 1 pmMicrosoft Teams:Segments 1 and 2 – Review of the weekend’s gamesAdditional Topics1.James Wood woke up on Saturday and finally hit a home run. It was his first home run since July 9.2.Roki Sasaki is finally pitching again and will make a rehab this week in Oklahoma City. Any chance he’ll be relevant down the stretch?3.Luis Morales starts Sunday against the Orioles. 4.Hurston Waldrep looked great in his second start of the season. Thoughts on picking him up?5.Mookie Betts must have heard our discussion on Friday as he hit a home run that evening.6.I started Zac Gallen on Friday and he got a win against the Rockies. Yay. Back to the bench?7.Speaking of the Rockies, they called up Kyle Karros. He went 1 for 3 on Saturday with a walk and a double.Segment 3 – Waiver WireSegment 4 – Closer ReportClose

Take 10 with Tim – August 8, 2025 @ 9:30/8:30 ETTwo questions are long, so I cut back the total number of topics. We still might not get to the review of the standings.Microsoft Teams:1.Let’s draft the first round for 20251)Bobby Witt Jr. – Tim2)Shohei Ohtani – Rich3)Tarik Skubal – Tim4)Elly De La Cruz – Rich5)Kyle Tucker – Tim6)Jose Ramirez – Rich7)Juan Soto – Tim8)Jackson Chourio – Rich9)Vlad Guerrero – Tim10)Paul Skenes – Rich11)Pete Crow-Armstrong – Tim12)Ronald Acuna – Rich13)Junior Caminero – Tim14)Julio Rodriguez – Rich15)Kyle Schwarber - Tim2.The Yankees acquire all that bullpen help, and now they are struggling…wait for it…in the bullpen. Handicap who is most likely to get save opportunities in NY.3.The Red Sox decided to strengthen their future further by signing Roman Anthony for 8 years and $130 million, with a club option for his ninth year. If everything goes smoothly, he can still land a mega contract at age 31, but he will have security.a.The Red Sox now have Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela (2029), and Kristian Campbell (2034) all signed to team-friendly deals. Is this the way organizations should be building their teams?b.Campbell has improved a lot since being sent down. Do you think the potential is still high here?4.Michael King is set to return from the IL on Sunday to face the Red Sox. Are you planning to start him?5.Cade Cavalli looked very sharp in his highly anticipated return to the Major Leagues. 4.1 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 6K/1BB. He also performed well in his rehab games. Should he be on your waiver wire?a.BTW, he did earn service time while on the IL for three years, but still has three years of team control left.6.Let’s take a look at the standings for the season.a.American Leagueb.National League7.What one hitter are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?8.What one hitter are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

The following players are discussed:1. Spencer Jones (NYY)2. Carson Benge (NYM)3. Braylon Payne (Mil)4. Edward Florentine (Pit)5. Brandon Sproat (NYM)6. Kyle Carr (NYY)

Fantasy Baseball Live – August 3, 2025 @ 3 pmMicrosoft Teams: Segment 1 and 2 – Review the weekend gamesAdditional Questions1.CJ Kayfus gets the call and makes his MLB Debut on Saturday. There’s a bit more swing and miss in his game as he got to the upper levels of the minor leagues with above-average power. a.Any interest?2.Jeremiah Jackson also makes his debut with the Orioles. I’ve been writing about him since he hit 23 home runs in the Complex League in 2019. He never bested that total. a.Any interest?3.Tyler Locklear is back in the Majors with the Diamondbacks after being traded at the deadline. He’s revamped his swing to add leveragea.Any interestb.Unfortunately, Jordan Lawlar is hurt or he would be getting a shot.4.Jakob Marsee also gets the call for the Marlins. Tremendous speed and can hit a little. Any interest?Luis Gil is starting this afternoon – his first start of the season5.Eury Perez will be drafted as a top ______________ starter next season?6.While it looks like Nick Kurtz has wrapped up the AL ROY, it looks like it’s down to Agustin Ramirez and Drake Baldwin in the National League. Who do you have?7.Much to my surprise, Colson Montgomery has been great since getting the call. He hit his sixth home run yesterday. His strikeouts are creeping up though.a.Is this just a hot streak or is the 2025’s version of Trey Sweeney?8.Aaron Boone says he expects Aaron Judge to return to the lineup when first eligible on Tuesday, but at DH. Is Stanton a bench player? Would they play him in the outfield?Segment 3: Closer ReportSegment 4: Waiver WireClose

Rich and Tim discuss yesterday's trades and their baseball and fantasy baseball implications.

Fantasy Baseball Live – July 27, 2025 @ 3 pm ETMicrosoft Teams:PodcastSunday, July 27, 20253:00 PM - 4:30 PMSegments 1 and 2 – Review the weekend gamesAdditional Topics:1.The Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon from the Rockies for RHP LHP Griffin Herring and RHP Josh Grosz2.The Mets acquired Gregory Soto from the Orioles for RHP Cameron Foster and RHP Wellington Aracena3.If Nick Kurtz didn’t already have the AL ROY award wrapped up, his 6-for-6 game on Friday night with four home runs surely did it. He now has 23 home runs this season and is batting .305.a.Now the question is, where does he go in fantasy drafts next season?4.Aaron Judge’s elbow is sore. One manager in every fantasy league is holding their breath.5.Zebby had a dominant performance on Friday, against the Nationals, mind you, but 6.0 shutout innings with seven strikeouts and no walks was still impressive. Thoughts?Segment 3 – Waiver WireSegment 4 – Closer ReportClose

Take 10 with Tim – July 25, 2025Taj Bradley and the trade last night. Josh Naylor.1.Give me three hitters that have exceeded your expectations this seasona.Otto Lopez, Kyle Stowers, Jo Adel.2.Give me two pitchers that have exceeded your expectations this seasona.Nick Pivetta, Cristopher Sanchez3.Who is your biggest disappointment?a.Hitter – Yordan Alvarez, Maysn Winnb.Pitcher – Zac Gallen, Tanner Bibee, Baily Ober, and Walker Buehler 4.Give me a player or two who you like to bounce back in the second half?a.Bryce Harperb.Adolis Garciac.Brenton Doyled.Brandon Pfaddt5.Do you have a sell-high candidate that has been great in the first half, but you are expecting to regress in the second half?a.Emilo Pagan6.Who do you like for next season, based on what they’ve done this season?a.Bryan Bello, Nick Kurt, Quinn Preister, Jackson Holliday, Jung Ho Lee7.Felix Bautista hits the IL with a sore shoulder. It’ll be interesting to see what the Orioles do as Dominguez, Cano, et.al could all be moved.a.Who do you like to get the save opportunities with Bautista on the shelf?8.Give me a hitter that you will be targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?9.Give me a hitter that you will be targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

The following players are discussed:Spencer Jones (NYY)Charlie Condon (Col)George Lombard Jr. (NYY)Walker Jenkins (Min)Dauri Fernandez (Cle)Paulino Santana (Tex)Luis Cova (Mia)Brandon Sproat (NYM)George Klassen (LAA)Jackson Ferris (LAD)TJ Nichols (TB)Jostin Florentino (CHC)

Fantasy Baseball Live – July 20, 2025 @ 3pmMicrosoft TeamsSegment 1 – Review of the Weekend GamesSegment 2 – Tim’s Review of his first half fantasy All-Stars.Segment 3 – Additional Questions (May overlap some of Segment 2)1.Give me three hitters that have exceeded your expectations this season2.Give me two pitchers that have exceeded your expectations this season3.Who is your biggest disappointment?a.Hitterb.Pitcher4.Give me a player or two who you like to bounce back in the second half?a.Bryce Harperb.Adolis Garcia5.Do you have a sell-high candidate that has been great in the first half, but you are expecting to regress in the second half?6.Who do you like for next season, based on what they’ve done this season? Segment 4 – Waiver Wire and Closer Report•Anything you have – not expecting an articleSegment 5 – Top 500 Prospects in Baseball1.Give me two numbers between 1 and 100 and I’ll talk about those players2.Give me two numbers between 101 and 200, and I’ll talk about those players3.Give me a number between 201 and 400, and I’ll talk about that playerClose