Kade Anderson (SP-SEA) is expected to get the call to make his big-league debut against the Cubs on Saturday. The 22 year-old southpaw has been awesome with Double-A Arkansas this year, recording a 1.06 ERA, 13 K/9, 1.3 BB/9, and 2.60 xFIP. Widely ranked as a top-5 prospect in all of baseball, Anderson is only in his first year of professional ball after he was drafted 3rd overall out of LSU in 2025. Armed with a low-mid 90s heater that plays up because of its carry up in the zone as well as a strong repertoire of a plus curve, slider, and change (yes, all plus pitches) as well as plus control, Anderson should be added immediately in all fantasy leagues. He misses lots of bats (18.5% swinging-strike rate and 63.5% overall contact rate in Double-A this season) while inducing some grounders (45.5%) and limiting the free passes.
Troy Melton (SP-DET) took the loss in Kansas City on Friday as he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3 over 5.2 IP. The 25 year-old righty yielded a pair of dingers while firing 58 of his 94 offerings for strikes in the outing. View it as a bit of correction to the mean for Melton, who now owns a 1.80 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and 4.00 xFIP through 90 IP this season. More regression seems likely given the opposition's .222 BABIP against Melton as well as his 91% strand rate. He does do a good job of limiting loud contact (5% barrel, 35% hard-hit, and average exit velo of 88 mph), but his 7.5% walk rate, 25% whiff rate, and 22% strikeout rate are all pretty average. It will be interesting to see what he does against the Rays at home on Wednesday.
Trevor Rogers (SP-BAL) picked up a W against the visiting Rays on Friday, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk while recording 6 punchouts over 7 IP. The 28 year-old LHP yielded one big fly while tossing 75 of his 103 pitches for strikes in the outing. After a slow start to the campaign, Rogers has turned things around and now claims a 4.14 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 4.17 xFIP over 132.2 IP. He's really been a different pitcher since the calendar flipped to June as he entered Friday's contest with a 2.45 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 2 BB/9, and 3.80 xFIP over his last 77 IP. During that span, he's posted an improved 11.5% swinging-strike rate while getting opposing hitters to chase often (36.5%). In his last 14 starts, he's been incredibly consistent (in a good way), allowing more than 3 runs in an outing only once, and that was a total of 4 back on July 29th. He'll look to keep rolling in St. Louis on Thursday.
Jesus Luzardo (SP-PHI) did not get out of the 6th against the Cardinals on Friday, yielding 4 runs on 6 hits and a walk while racking up 9 punchouts over 5.2 IP. The 28 year-old southpaw was done in by a pair of 2-run homers as he fired 67 of his 110 pitches for strikes in the contest. Overall, it's been another quality campaign for Luzardo, who now owns a 3.35 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 2.92 xFIP through 156 IP. His 13.5% swinging-strike rate is in line with his career norm, but his 33.5% chase rate is a career best while the opposition's overall contact rate of 70.5% is slightly better than his career average (71%). The two longballs on Friday evening were a bit of an outlier as Luzardo had yielded 12 in 25 starts going into the contest, doing a good job of limiting loud contact (average exit velocity of 87 mph, 6% barrel rate, and 32% hard-hit rate. He'll look to get back on track when he takes the hill against the visiting Mariners on Wednesday.
Joshua Baez (OF-STL) went 1-3 with a 2-run blast and a pair of punchouts as he hit cleanup in Philadelphia on Friday. The 23 year-old had been fairly quiet since bursting onto the MLB scene with 3 dingers in his first big-league game, recording just 1 hit in 26 PA since then while fanning at a 31% clip. The young slugger's minor-league track record indicates some batting average risk as he struck out at a 29.5% rate in Triple-A this season on the back of a 16.5% swinging-strike rate, 67.5% overall contact rate, 77.5% in-zone contact rate, and 34.5% chase rate. The plus-plus pop is certainly exciting, but fantasy owners should not be surprised by droughts such as the one he was in heading into Friday's action.
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