Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Gallen shocked the world a bit here by posting a 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K outing against the Dodgers. I say it's shocking because of how bad Gallen has been in 2025. The former ace is posting career worsts in xwOBACON (.405), K% (21.1%), and Barrel rate (10%). According to Fangraphs, the Stuff+ across his whole arsenal is at a career low of 92. I'm not expecting a big bounceback in 2026 mainly because his regression is so stuff-based.
Masataka Yoshida, DH, Boston Red Sox
Yoshida went 1-3 with R, BB on three hard hit balls. Yoshida got a late start to the season, only beginning in July. He has yet to catch on in August, slashing just .222/.301/.317. His .330 xwOBACON and 25.8% LA Sweet Spot are uninspiring, but his 22nd Percentile sprint speed is really the killer. Yoshida should be left on waivers for the rest of 2025, and at 32 years old, I'm not exactly reaching for him in 2026.
Josh Lowe, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Lowe went 0-4 with a K and one hard hit ball. Lowe put himself on the map with a 20 HR/32 SB season in only 501 PA's in 2023. He didn't play a full season in 2024, and didn't start this season until mid-May really. He was really hot to start the season in May, but has been unable to post an OPS over .700 in any other month. His 36.7% Chase rate simply needs to come down, and his 5.2% Barrel rate is nowhere near high enough to compensate for the lack of discipline and contact. Lowe should not be sniffing lineups now, nor will he sniff mine in 2026.
TJ Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Friedl went 0-4 with 2 BB, 2 K and no hard hit balls on a quiet day at the plate. Friedl has been cold in August, slashing just .242/.330/.264 with zero homers and only one stolen base in that span. He has a fairly weak impact profile, as the .306 xwOBACON and 86.8 EV are very uninspiring. Friedl's 10 homers and 11 SB are very light for someone who has been a full time player all season. He should not be on your radar, unless in very deep leagues.
Cade Horton, SP, Chicago Cubs
The rook went 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. He allowed ten hard hit balls and posted a 26% CSW. Horton is technically the odds favorite to win the NL ROY award. He has a 2.92 ERA in 98.2 IP across 18 starts. xFIP (4.30) and xERA (3.89) aren't as convinced of his abilities yet, and I tend to agree. His 20.1% K rate and 10.4% barrel rate really don't pair well together. He's a moderate groundball getter (68th Percentile), but I still think it's not enough given the low K rate. Falls into a Dustin May-type bucket. Very worried about how ERA holds up in a larger sample. I view Horton as a deep SP stash in 2026, but I'm not reaching for him.
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