Eury Perez, SP, Marlins
Eury Perez was masterful on Friday against the Braves, throwing a complete-game shutout. He only allowed one run and a walk over the nine scoreless innings, and he struck out eight. This was a huge bounceback after a series of rough outings, as the young pitcher had allowed 24 runs over his past 22.1 innings. He finishes the season with a 3.91 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, which is certainly disappointing for anyone who drafted him as a breakout candidate, but it's upside moments like this one that keep the hope alive. Generally, Perez just gives up too much hard contact, as his 10.5% barrel rate ranks in the 8th percentile. His poor control inflated his WHIP, as his 10.6% walk rate isn't what you want to see out of a potential fantasy ace. He still throws the ball very hard and gets a good amount of swing-and-miss, with a 28.7% whiff rate and 25.7% strikeout rate, but he'll need to improve his consistency to be a standout fantasy option in 2027. His huge upside will still push him up draft boards to some extent, but you'll at least be able to get him cheaper next year than this season, when he was going as a top-20 starting pitcher.
Munetaka Murakami, 1B, White Sox
Munetaka Murakami went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI on Friday against the Rockies, adding to his huge rookie season in the major leagues. He's now slashing .209/.351/.483 with 81 runs, 35 home runs, and 77 RBI with only a couple of games left to play in the regular season, although he'll look to carry this momentum into the postseason. Murakami headed into this season with big strikeout concerns, as fantasy players and major league teams both feared he'd strike out too much to be effective. He proved those doubters wrong, having one of the best rookie seasons from a power standpoint in MLB history. People were right about the strikeouts, as his 35.6% strikeout rate was the worst of all qualified hitters. However, he counteracted that with the best walk rate of anyone in the majors, with a clip of 17.0%. He is the definition of the three-true-outcome approach at the plate, as his 19.2% barrel rate and 56% hard-hit rate ensured he did major damage when he would put the ball in play. This all makes him one of the most format-dependent players in fantasy. In leagues where strikeouts net negative points, he probably still won't be the best bet in 2027. However, in leagues that use OBP instead of batting average or leagues that reward walks, Murakami gains significant value. He'll likely be a very streaky player, but if you miss out on big power bats early on in your draft, Murakami could be a savior in the middle rounds.
Pete Alonso, 1B, Orioles
Pete Alonso had a great game at the plate in game one of a doubleheader on Friday, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. He followed that up with a 1-for-3 performance with two walks in game two, bringing his slash line up to .267/.363/.522 with 100 runs, 43 home runs, and 113 RBI. Alonso remains one of the most reliable sluggers in baseball, as his .557 xSLG, 15.0% barrel rate, and 56.3% hard-hit rate all rank among the best in the league. He's been the most valuable first baseman in fantasy over the second half of the season and a top-six hitter overall in 5x5 Roto value. He has 40+ home runs (or a 40+ home run 162-game pace in the shortened 2020 season) in five of his eight career seasons, and he's fallen below 35 homers only once (besides 2020). There's no reason to doubt Alonso anymore, who will once again be drafted as an elite first baseman next year.
Carter Jensen, C, Royals
Carter Jensen had a huge game at the dish on Friday, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI. This continues a great month of September for the backstop, who is now up to eight home runs in the month. In the season as a whole, the youngster is slashing .237/.321/.463 with 79 runs, 27 home runs, and 81 RBI. Jensen started off the year hot but fell into a slump in the middle of the season, but this late resurgence suddenly has him looking like the breakout catcher that many drafted him to be. Hitting 27 home runs is no small feat, as even with the catcher position seeing an offensive explosion in recent years, that still ties for third at the position in 2027. His 11.5% barrel rate and 44.4% hard-hit rate are both well above average, and his 10.8% walk rate gives him a nice boost in OBP and points leagues. Jensen is making his case to be a top-10 option in 2027 in what's shaping up to be a loaded position for fantasy.
Freddy Peralta, SP, Rays
Freddy Peralta was solid against the Phillies on Friday, tossing 5.1 scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and three walks and struck out four. He's finally shown signs of turning it around as of late, as he's now gone six straight starts without allowing more than one earned run. Over that span, he has struck out 27 batters over 34 innings. While that's not quite the strikeout upside we're used to seeing from him, it's hard to be upset while he's keeping runs off the board. He'll end the season with an ugly 4.42 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, which is especially jarring coming off of a career-best year in 2025. Things just weren't going his way on the Mets, but his recent success with his change of scenery on the Rays provides hope for a big bounceback in 2027. He will be a free agent after this season, so if he signs in a favorable environment, he'll be worth taking a chance on at a discount in next year's drafts.
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