Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves
Riley went 2-4 with 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, on one hard hit ball. Today was a glimmer of hope for a young hitter that was once not only promising, but a true performer. Riley has 15 homers on the year, and it likely ends up being his third year in a row of failing to eclipse 20 homers, after doing it three years in a row the three years prior. This year, Riley has truly regressed in every aspect. His 12.5 Barrel %, .213 xBA, .399 xSLG, .302 xwOBA, .399 xwOBACON, 46 % HH, and 31.5% K rate are all his worst in the last five years. His 77.4% Z-Contact is his worst rate since his rookie year in 2019. I was once a stan, but I'm looking at well too much bad data to be able to defend Riley. I'm out for 2027.
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
Okamoto went 2-5 with R, HR, 2B, RBI, K on three hard hit balls. Okamoto now has 26 homers on the season as a rookie, but I'm really worried fantasy managers are going to overvalue this in 2027 drafts. Okamoto is still punching out at 31% and whiffing at 34%, which is leading to a .214 xBA. His 12% barrel rate is strong but not elite, the same with his 43% HH rate. Okamoto is a one-trick pony that will never hit for average with the present set of displayed contact skills, and I'm still not even sure if the power is enough to warrant that there is a true fantasy difference maker here. I'm also pessimistic about the contact getting better due to his age at 30 years old. I appreciate the homers, but if he comes with any kind of price in 2027, I'll be out.
Matt McLain, SS, Cincinnati Reds
McLain went 1-4 with 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB on three hard hit balls. McLain has largely been a disappointment this season and has certainly been unplayable. His .200/.298/.358 slash line keeps him on waivers. But August has been his best month of the season, as he's slashing .237/.324/.508 with 4 HR and 4 SB. He does bring some juice to the plate (10% Barrel, .391 xwOBACON) and he can run. He has 12 HR and 15 SB on the season so far, so he's on a 20-20 pace for a full season. He's been at this type of pace before, the average has just never come around. That being said, the ability to accrue HR and SB makes him a high target for me in the event he is ever able to get that average up to .250. But that's a big if. I won't be paying for him in 2027.
Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Mitchell went 3-4 with 2 R, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K on three hard hit balls. It's largely been the same story for Mitchell all year. The poor contact rates (32% K, 74.7% Z-Contact) really put a ceiling on the ratios, but Mitchell is an elite runner (29.9) who hits the ball hard (51.3%), but doesn't hit the ball in the air (1.9 LA). The homers won't come, there are simply not enough fly balls. And honestly, for such a fast runner, 12 SB on the season is very light. I can see Mitchell as a type of guy who gets preseason hype in the fantasy space for 2027, but I'm in buyer-beware territory.
Other News...
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
The Mariners will be promoting Kade Anderson to the bigs. Anderson has easily been the best pitcher in the minor leagues this season. Across 93.1 IP in AA, Anderson has a 40% K rate, 4% BB rate, 1.78 FIP, and is even getting groundballs at 45%. He's posting a 19% SwStr against and 37% CSW. It's very very difficult to poke a hole in this profile. Anderson's profile is carried by a swing and miss fastball at the foundation, with quality secondary offerings. He is a complete pitcher and complete prospect. Anderson is a must-add for me due to his ability to, at minimum, throw strikes, punchout hitters, and keep the ball on the ground.
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