Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners
Cal Raleigh broke out of his slump in a huge way on Monday, going 3-for-3 with three home runs, a walk, and four RBI. It's been a historically disappointing year in 2026 after the catcher launched 60 home runs last season, as his slash line sits at just .167/.282/.336 with 17 home runs in 98 games. He actually has fewer hits this season (58) than homers in 2025, which sums up just how bad he's been. The culprit has been his hard-hit rate tanking to 36.0% (27th percentile) while his strikeout rate went from bad to worse to a mark of 31.2%. His 15.7% squared-up rate ranks among the worst in the entire league, as he has just never been able to get it going this year. Most people expected some regression from his 60-homer season, but no one expected him to not even be a top-12 catcher this season. That at least provides some hope, as it's hard to believe someone can go from one of the best hitters to one of the worst in one offseason, so hopefully this big game is the start of Raleigh getting back on track to be a starting-caliber fantasy option.
Braxton Ashcraft, SP, Pirates
Braxton Ashcraft was excellent yet again on Monday against the Padres, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts over six innings. This continued an absolutely dominant run by the youngster, who also held his opponent to one run in each of his past two starts, with eight strong innings against the Tigers and a nine-inning complete game against the Marlins. What's most impressive is his efficiency, as both of those outings came in at under 90 total pitches. He was pulled at 91 pitches in this outing, as the Pirates seem to be trying to preserve his arm to some extent, since this is the first time he's touched 90 since July. It's been a massive breakout season for the 26-year-old, who holds a 3.59 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 161 strikeouts and 34 walks in 155.1 innings. His control is excellent, as his 5.5% walk rate ranks in the 92nd percentile, and he has also posted an elite chase rate of 36.9%, showing some serious deception. While most of the offseason hype for the Pirates centered around Paule Skenes and Bubba Chandler, Ashcraft has actually ended up the best of the bunch in 2026 and has cemented himself as a top-25 starting pitcher for fantasy.
George Klassen, SP, Angels
George Klassen had a modest outing on Monday against the Guardians, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 5.1 innings. This isn't quite the follow-up people were hoping for after his seven-inning shutout gem his last time out, but this wasn't a complete disaster either. The youngster has undeniably great stuff, with a nasty combo between his three primary pitches of a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. That allowed him to post an elite 33.3% whiff rate entering this start, although the control is a major issue. The prospect had an 11.6% walk rate in Triple-A this season, and it's only gotten worse at the major league level, now at a rate of 16.8%. It's gotten better in his most recent stint in the rotation, but still bad overall. Klassen has shown nice upside, and he can be worth streaming in the right matchups down the stretch, but be wary that your WHIP could take a significant hit if he doesn't have a feel for his stuff that day.
Daylen Lile, OF, Nationals
Daylen Lile had a huge game at the plate on Monday, as he went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a stolen base, two runs scored, and five RBI. The youngster is now slashing .246/.294/.411 with 66 runs, 16 home runs, 71 RBI, and 13 steals this season. While the power and speed are clearly still there, this has been a bit of a disappointing season for him after he hit nine home runs and stole eight bases in 91 games last season, most of it in the final two months when he caught fire at the plate. Many were hoping that could translate into a breakout season for him in 2026, but reaching 20/20 is likely asking for a lot with only five weeks left in the year. The batting average and on-base percentage are also low, as his 39.3% chase rate and 5.6% walk rate aren't ideal for getting on base. It's also surprising that he only has 13 steals, despite a 93rd percentile sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second. There's still time for the 23-year-old to take that next step, but it doesn't look like that will come in 2026.
Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins
Sandy Alcantara was solid on Monday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts over seven innings. This was the veteran's sixth straight quality start and his ninth quality start in his last nine outings. He's been a model of consistency and efficiency, as he's pitched at least seven innings in seven of those ten starts. This lowered his ERA to 3.38 and his WHIP to 1.18, as he continues to keep runs off the board. He'll never be a true ace for fantasy thanks to an 18% walk rate that ranks in just the 18th percentile, and he's a bit more volatile than before now that he doesn't feature an elite ground ball rate, but he's still managed to be a must-start pitcher regardless. With excellent control of a 6.5% walk rate and an 83rd-percentile barrel rate of 5.4%, it's no easy task for his opponents to do damage.
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