Fantasy Baseball Live – September 14, 2025
Microsoft Teams:
Podcast
Sunday, September 14, 2025
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
1.The Angels fire Phil Nevin after deciding to not pick up his option for next season. The Angels are in a spiral and are just not getting better. Do you see that changing anytime soon?

2.Connelly Early got the call this week for the Red Sox and shoved it against the Athletics. He pitched five shutout innings, striking out 11.
a.Thoughts on him for the next few weeks to end the season.
b.Payton Tolle has not been very good since he burst onto the scene two weeks ago. Could the same thing happen to Early?
c.Jonah Tong also fell back to earth on his second outing against the Reds, giving up four runs in six innings with 6 strikeouts and four walks. And then, got annihilated over the weekend with six earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.
d.Order these three young pitchers for the rest of the season and next season?

3.Speaking of young pitchers, Cade Horton has been very good this season. He won his 10th game this week, posting a 2.70 ERA but is only striking out just over seven per nine – he has 89 strikeouts in 110 innings. How do you view him for next season? He’s a Top ___________ pitcher.

4.First, it was Jasson Dominguez losing playing time for the Yankees, and now Anthony Volpe. Who do you feel more confident rostering for next season – Dominguez or Volpe?

5.Kyle Tucker hits the IL at the worse time. Moises Ballesteros gets the call. Any interest?

6.Rhys Hoskins is finally back but has only gotten one at-bat over his first two games. Is he going to play full-time or just be a guy off the bench with the recent play of Andrew Vaughn?


7.Arizona Fall League Preview
a.I wrote a large post on Thursday of all the ranked players attending. We will discuss some of the players and who you are looking forward to seeing how they do?

8.Listener Questions:
a.Mac - Hey Rich, I’d be interested in yalls thoughts on Elly De La Cruz second half of the season? While he has been known to be streaky player the lack of home runs and even his normal stealing pace (past week he has started to get some again) during the second half has been bit confusing. Thanks!
b.Collins - Should the Dodgers let Ohtani just come in as a RP in the playoffs and be a shutdown backend bullpen arm?
c.Collins - FYPD: Roki was the consensus top pick last year. Of course, I took him. The next two top picks a year ago were Condon and Bazzana. How’s that working out? Not great so far. With so many more top picks performing in the top round last year, how did a lot of us miss this, just bad luck or what? (Thinking of Kurtz, Burns, Cam, Cags, etc)
d.David - Is O'Neil Cruz a bust at this point?
e.Hoppy - Who's your favourite (and least favourite) fantasy baseball player of all time?
f.Hoppy - find my interest levels go through natural ups and downs during the season, but no matter what happens in season I always seem come back with renewed vigour preseason, when prospect lists are published and drafts start again. Do you have the same experience and have you ever had thoughts about (gasp!) giving up fantasy baseball?
g.Nick - When working a Dynasty League where you can keep anyone you want for any amount of time, what is the cut off of your rankings that you are willing to throw them back into the draft to see what else you can get? Top 300? Top 15 at position? And does that differ slightly on age, like willing to keep someone who is a lot younger or not so much older?
i.Context: I am in a 12 team Dynasty league with normal roster positions, with a 15 person minor league roster in CBS. I find myself sometimes keeping too many players so I really only change over 1 or 2 on the active roster, then struggle to figure out who to cut when a prospect gets called up and wonder if I should cut more people out the gate to take some risks, to be willing to cut them for prospects.
h.Tim - What are you doing with these last couple of faab periods to prepare your team for next year?

9.What one or two hitters are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

10.What one or two pitchers are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

The following players are discussed:

Travis Bazzana (Cle)

Kemp Alderman (Mia)

Victor Bericoto (SF)

Max Clark (Det)

Jansel Luis (AZ)

Aroon Escobar (Phi)

Kendall George (LAD)

Josue De Paula (LAD)

Sean Keys (Tor)

Caden Powell (Hou)

Alfredo Duno (Cin)

Dax Kilby (NYY)

Ethan Holliday (Col)

Roldy Brito (Col)

Robby Snelling (Mia)

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (NYY)

Carlos Lagrange (NYY)

Ty Johnson (TB)

Cam Caminiti (Atl)

Juaron Watts-Brown (Bal)

Rich releases his final 2025 update of the Top 100 minor league prospects.

The following players are discussed:

Justin Crawford (Phi)

Carter Jensen (KC)

Junior Perez (ATH)

Aidan Miller (Phi)

Jacob Reimer (NYM)

Braden Montgomery (CHW)

Walker Jenkins (Min)

Ryan Waldschmidt (AZ)

Jeral Perez (CHW)

Jesus Made (Mil)

Kendall George (LAD)

Kane Kepley (CHC)

John Gil (Atl)

Alfredo Duno (Cin)

Robby Snelling (Mia)

Connelley Early (Bos)

Jarin Susana (Was)

Thomas White (Mia)

Brody Hopkins (TB)

Luis De Leon (Bal)

Take 10 with Tim – August 31, 2025 @ 3:00 pm – 1.5 hours

The following players are discussed:
1. Ryan Clifford (NYM)
2. Charlie Condon (Col)
3. Jacob Reimer (NYM)
4. Eduardo Tait (Min)
5. Wehiaw Aloy (Bal)
6. Payton Tolle (Bos)

Fantasy Baseball Live – August 24, 2025 @ 3:00 pm

Microsoft Teams:

Segments 1 and 2 – Review of Weekend Games

Additional Questions:
1.Five young kids that we might see soon. Your thoughts for picking up:
1)JJ Wetherholt (3B/2B/SS, STL) – The Cardinals have played him at third base seven times this month, and he’s been on and off second base this season.
2)Spencer Jones (OF, NYY) – He’s tied for the lead in home runs in the minor leagues with 32.
3)Jonah Tong (RHP, NYM) – Word coming out of New York is this might happen sooner rather than later.
4)Payton Tolle (LHP, Bos) – Pitching to a 3.04 ERA across High, Double and Triple-A. He has 133 Ks and 23 walks in 92.1 IP. His fastball topped out at 99 MPH in Friday’s start.
5)Robby Snelling (LHP, Mia) – Fastball is up to 97 MPH from the left side and is pitching to a 2.73 ERA across Double and Triple-A this season.

2.Nestor Cortes pitched a one-hitter against the Dodgers on Saturday. What? His fastball averaged 90.1 MPH (T 92). Old school baseball?. Really???

3.The Mariners released Dylan Moore, who started the season strong (.290, 7 HRs, 13 SB) through mid-May, then cooled off, lost his spot, and now he's cut. Is there anything here if he gets picked up by another MLB team?
a.Victor Robles gets reinstated after throwing his bat at a pitcher in a Triple-A game. He takes Moore’s spot on the roster. He was a sexy draft pick this season, but a shoulder injury has cost him most of the season, and then, of course, the issue in Triple-A.

4. I know Nick Kurtz has the ROY award practically wrapped up in the American League, but will Colson Montgomery receive some votes? In just 41 games, he’s hit 12 home runs with 34 RBIs. The 12 home runs are fourth in baseball among all rookies, and the 34 RBIs rank 12th. The 11 players ahead of him have all played twice as many games, with some nearly three times as many. BTW, he’s hitting .229 with 44 strikeouts in 41 games (28% K-Rate, 7% BB-Rate) with a poor chase rate.

5.What does going 4 for 15 in your first four professional games get you? An 8-year, $67 million contract. That’s what Samuel Basallo signed on Friday. It’s a deal similar to what Jackson Chourio signed before the start of the 2024 (8-year, $87 million or 30% more). A good deal of the Orioles? What about Basallo?
a.Now that he should be up for good (although Kristian Campbell might disagree), how do the Orioles use him?
b.Does he get enough at-bats at catcher to retain eligibility this season or at least get it in April of 2026?
c.Would the Orioles consider trading Adley Rutschman?

Segment 3 – Waiver Wire

Segments 4 – Closer Report

Close

Take 10 with Tim – August 22, 2025 @ 9:30 am – 60 minutes
Microsoft Teams:
1.Let’s review the standings
a.American League
b.National League

2.Wilyer Abreu hits the IL and the Red Sox are calling up Jhostynxon Garcia, 'the Password.' There’s some chase in his approach but big power ,potential. Are you interested?

3.The September callups continue – remember, after 8/15, they will, likely retain rookie eligibility. Here’s a list – Who are you bidding on? Rank these guys in who you want the rest of the season.
a.Bubba Chandler (RHP, Pit) – Reportedly coming in to pitch in relief (bummer)
b.Parker Messick (LHP, Cle) – Looked good in his debut on Wednesday
c.Carson Williams (SS, TB) – Scary strikeout rate (34%) but speed and power (23 HR, 22 SB)
d.Maximo Acosta (IF, Mia) – He’s 1 for 10, but the hit was a home run.

4.Rank these players that came up in the last couple of weeks of who you want to roster for the rest of the season
a.Owen Caissie (OF, CHC) – Already has a home run.
b.Samuel Basallo (C/1B, Bal) – He’s 3 for 10 in three games with some long outs
c.Dylan Beavers (OF, Bal) – Hasn’t done much in four games
d.Jakob Marsee (OF, Mia) – He ranks 3rd over the two weeks in outfield rankings. Just in front of the has-beens, Corbin Carroll and Juan Soto.

5.In researching the question above, I noticed that Brenton Doyle has been hot of late. In the last two weeks, he’s hit .372 with four home runs and two stolen bases.
a.Too little, too late? Or, will you take it?
b.What about next season? He’s a __________ outfielder for you.

6.Speaking of next season, which hitter or two are you hoping performs poorly over the last six weeks so they might be cheaper at the draft table?

7.What pitcher?

8.Shohei Ohtani has not looked good on the mound this season. Does he stay a two-way player?

9.What one hitter are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

10.What one pitcher are you targeting for this weekend’s FAAB?

The following players are discussed:
1. Jeferson Quero (Mil)
2. Ralphy Velazquez (Cle)
3. Kevin McGonigle (Det)
4. Jesus Made (Mil)
5. Robby Snelling (Mia)
6. Jarlin Susana (Was)

Fantasy Baseball Live – August 17, 2025
Microsoft Teams:
Podcast
Sunday, August 17, 2025
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
https://teams.live.com/meet/9394923586620?p=gQB4mcrdktGIPu9WCC

Segments 1 and 2 – Review the weekend games

Additional Questions:
1.We’ve had several call-ups this week. Give me your thoughts on each?
a.Owen Caisse (OF, CHC)
b.Nolan McClain (RHP, NYM)
c.Dylan Beavers (OF, Bal)
d.Sam Basallo (C/1B, Bal)

2.Josh Hader hits the IL with a shoulder injury and will not be back after his 15-day IL stint is up. This is not good for fantasy managers at all. Who gets the save opportunities?
a.We will discuss whether fantasy managers should have grabbed his backup. Did you?

3.Adolis Garcia hits the IL. Who gets his at-bats?

4.Kyle Stowers hits the IL and will be lost for several weeks. Jakob Marsee started off hot but has cooled over the past couple of games. Anyone else interest you in Miami?

5.Cade Cavalli. WOW!

6.Despite a great outing by Cavalli, elite pitchers are dropping like flies
a.Zack Wheeler hits the IL with an upper extremity blood clot. Yikes.
b.Chase Burns hits the IL with a flexor strain. Uh oh. This could cost him a lot of time and might lead to….I don’t want to say it.
c.Michael King was back for one start and back on the IL.

7.Hey, Aaron Nola pitches today…


Segment 3 – Waiver Wire

Segment 4 – Closer Report

Close