Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox
The day has finally come. After over two months of constant anticipation and absolute destruction of Triple-A pitching, Roman Anthony was called up to the Boston Red Sox. The number one overall prospect in baseball, he has the upside to make him both a real-life and fantasy superstar. Through 58 minor league games this year, he has slashed .288/.423/.491 with 10 home runs, 45 runs, 29 RBI, and three stolen bases. His most recent home run was a 497-foot grand slam, to show how much raw power he has. With a 19.2% walk rate compared to a 21.1% strikeout rate, he really is the full package when it comes to a hitting prospect. He went 0 for 4 with a walk in his debut Monday night, but he is a must-add in all fantasy leagues.
Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays
Alejandro Kirk had a monster day at the plate on Monday, going 4 for 5 with a home run, two doubles, one run, and two RBI. He's now slashing .316/.361/.421 with four home runs, 14 runs, and 29 RBI in 53 games. His underlying metrics look even better, featuring a .311 xBA (96th percentile), 56.3% hard-hit rate (97th percentile), 92.8 mph average exit velocity (91st percentile), and a 10.3% strikeout rate (97th percentile). These are all comparable or even better numbers than he posted in 2022, when he slashed .285/.372/.415 as one of the best catchers in fantasy. We could be seeing a second breakout from the 26-year-old, who finally got the starting catcher job all to himself this season with the departure of Danny Jansen. He's a must-own in two-catcher leagues, and is approaching must-add territory in one-catcher leagues, too.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Nick Kurtz returned from the injured list on Monday after being out since May 25 with a strained left hip flexor. He had an unexciting return to the lineup, going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. However, it finally looked like he was putting things together in the week before suffering his injury. He hit four home runs in his final five games before going down, and his underlying metrics looked pretty solid overall. The slugger posted a 13.1% barrel rate and 92 mph average exit velocity, which are both great marks for a rookie getting his first taste of the big leagues. He's a great add if you need power in roto leagues.
Chris Sale, SP, Braves
Chris Sale was dominant once again on Monday against the Brewers, striking out 11 over seven innings in a 7-1 victory. He allowed one run on five hits and two walks. This was his second straight double-digit strikeout performance and his fourth of the season. The reigning NL Cy Young champ has been as advertised in 2025, posting a 2.79 ERA with an elite 31.6% strikeout rate. Even if hitters do manage to evade his 31.4% whiff rate and make contact, it's unlikely to be hard, as the lefty also has an excellent hard-hit rate of 32.4%. The 36-year-old remains one of the best pitchers in baseball and a top-10 option for fantasy.
Otto Kemp, 3B, Phillies
Otto Kemp is a newcomer to the Phillies roster, being called up for his major league debut on Saturday. He collected not only his first major league hit on Monday, but tallied three in five at-bats. He came into the year ranked outside of the top 20 Phillies prospects, but was one of the best hitters in all of Triple-A so far this year. He slashed .313/.416/.594 with 14 home runs, 49 runs, 55 RBI, and 11 steals in 58 games. He also posted a great 9.3% walk rate and made consistent hard contact. The one glaring downside is his 25.3% strikeout rate, which has the potential to get even worse now that he's facing major league pitching. Still, the power and speed are both extremely intriguing tools that make him worth taking a chance on in fantasy. He should see consistent playing time as long as he hits well enough and Bryce Harper remains on the injured list.
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