The catching position continues to strengthen, plus the arrival of another top prospect – August 28, 2026
Carter Jensen (C – KC) – Jensen has been ice cold since the start of July, but he’s been much better this week against the Jays, going 4-9 with 5 BB, a HR, and a SB. I’m of the opinion that the swing has gotten a bit too “uppercutty” this year, as the 50.8% FB rate is far higher than his minor league average and has really helped depress the AVG. The plate discipline remains excellent and the contact ability is somewhere around average, which when combined with above-average power and good speed for a catcher makes him a very promising young player. This season has been a bit of a disappointment for the 23 year old, but he still ranks 6th in HR, 7th in R, and 8th in RBI among catchers. The sky is the limit here over the next few years in my opinion, and I’ll definitely be targeting him next season whenever we start playing baseball again.
Gabriel Moreno (C – ARI) – Moreno walked and homered (his 11th) Thursday against the Giants, and he’s now hitting 303/383/471 on the season. The 26 year old has really taken a step forward this year, bumping up his already excellent contact ability and showing a bit more of his average power thanks to a bit more pull%. Throw in a handful of steals and you’ve got arguably the most valuable C in fantasy baseball this year, although personally I’d rank him 4th or 5th. The possibility for a bit more power exists in the coming years as well if the LA/pull continue to increase….he should remain a top-5 C heading into 2027.
Keibert Ruiz (C – WAS) – Ruiz doubled and homered in the 7-1 win over Colorado on Thursday, bringing his line for the year up to 281/320/453. He’s been sizzling in August, hitting 346/424/423 coming into Thursday’s contest, and he ranks 4th among C in AVG and is top-15 in R and RBI. His typically poor chase rate and typically excellent contact rate are certainly in evidence again this year, and his power has finally gone from “near zero” to merely below-average this year at age 28, making him a reasonable 2nd catching option as needed. He gets a pretty sizable downgrade in formats that reward OBP though.
Walker Jenkins (OF – MIN) – Consensus top-50 (and arguably top-10) prospect Jenkins was called up to the Twins on Thursday and is expected to make his MLB debut Friday against the White Sox. The 21 year old OF is a well-rounded player with above-average power and speed plus good contact ability and plate discipline. He has the potential to be a 5-category player down the stretch, and should be a priority FA target in any league where he’s available. His upcoming schedule isn’t very intimidating at all either, with Kay/Burke/Martin projected for the White Sox followed by Anderson/Montero/Valdez for the Tigers. I’d pick him up and activate him immediately wherever possible.
Connor Norby (1B/2B/3B – COL) – Norby singled and walked on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, and he’s now playing virtually every day for the Rockies. The Rockies are home all week in 2 of the next 3 weeks, so he looks like a solid pickup for me for the stretch run. He still strikes out a ton, and between that and his extreme pull/FB tendencies the AVG is likely to be perpetually poor, but there’s a decent power/speed combo here plus Coors should mask the AVG issues quite a bit (plus he walks a lot to help the OBP). I’d use him as a home streamer in September as long as this level of playing time persists.