Prospects are the name of the game on the fantasy baseball waiver wire front as we head into the final regular season week in ESPN head-to-head leagues.
As mentioned in this space last week, this past Friday marked 45 days remaining on the MLB regular season calendar. That corresponds to the maximum amount a prospect can accrue while still retaining rookie eligibility into the following season, meaning that anyone recalled on that date or later can remain a candidate for Rookie of the Year honors — with their teams reaping the rewards if they win it — in 2026. This is why you saw three prominent prospects recalled to mark their big-league debuts this past weekend, while you might see more promoted in the coming days.
All three players who debuted rank among the top pickups entering Week 21, listed across two different sections below:
Sam Basallo, C/1B, Baltimore Orioles (available in 93.3%): Kiley McDaniel’s No. 1 Orioles (and catcher) prospect at the time of his most recent update, and No. 13 overall in his mid-May top 50 overall update, Basallo has been one of the most ballyhooed prospects in fantasy leagues this season. Though the team didn’t summon him when they dealt with a rash of injuries to their catchers in June/July — over a 16-day stretch from June 21 to July 6, the team placed Adley Rutschman, Maverick Handley, Chadwick Tromp and Gary Sanchez on the IL, yet still didn’t promote him — Basallo’s delayed arrival makes sense if you consider his upside that makes him a legitimate candidate for a 2026 Rookie of the Year Award.
Basallo has already set a professional best with his 23 home runs for Triple-A Norfolk, and while his strikeout rate there has risen, his .589 slugging percentage and .319 isolated power illustrate how well he’s growing into his raw power. His left-handed swing is well suited to Baltimore’s Camden Yards, and he’s likely to see a good amount of playing time out of the designated hitter spot the rest of the year. Basallo might not appear enough at catcher to qualify there in ESPN leagues initially for 2026, and the Orioles are certain to cap his playing time at the 130 at-bat maximum to retain rookie eligibility, but there’s still enough potential in his bat to make him an immediate pickup in all formats. Most managers will use him at catcher, one of the game’s weakest positions, but his catcher/first base dual eligibility could come in handy.
Nolan McLean, DH/SP*, New York Mets (available in 86.3%): The debut that generated the most weekend buzz, McLean struck out eight of the 21 Seattle Mariners he faced while tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings on Saturday. In that game, he exhibited remarkably tough-to-hit breaking pitches in his sweeper and curveball, those two accounting for nine of his 11 overall swings and misses, along with a solid sinker that helped him generate a 56% ground ball rate. McLean has the repertoire that should keep him a productive fantasy starter for so long as the Mets are willing to grant him starts, making him a universal pickup as well.
As for that workload question, he totaled 33 1/3 innings between college ball and Class-A St. Lucie in 2023, then 109 2/3 between Class-A Brooklyn and Binghamton last season. McLean has 119 total innings between the minors and majors this year, meaning a 150-inning cap — that’d be enough to earn him another six or so starts — seems like a rational guess.
*Note: McLean carries both DH and SP eligibility (like Shohei Ohtani does) as he appeared in 35 games in the minors as a DH in 2024, which is enough to earn eligibility there per our rules. However, McLean hasn’t hit for any Mets minor league team since June 20, 2024. Therefore, it’s recommended that you slot him in only at pitcher in order to get those statistics.
Rotisserie-style player to add — though he’s really a universal pickup
Bryan Abreu, RP, Houston Astros (available in 70.8%): Josh Hader’s shoulder injury was disastrous news for the American League West-leading Astros, an ailment that is expected to cost him most, if not all, of the remainder of the regular season. Fortunately for Houston, they have one of the most talented next-in-line relievers behind Hader in Abreu. Since the beginning of 2022, Abreu’s 2.16 ERA ranks fifth (minimum 150 relief appearances), his 95 holds rank second and his 375 strikeouts lead all relievers.
While the Astros have given the appearance of a closer-by-committee in Hader’s stead, Abreu did save their Aug. 13 victory and has 3 2/3 shutout innings while striking out six of the 15 batters he’s faced since Hader’s last appearance. Abreu is likely to quickly emerge as the team’s full-time closer, and his stunning ratios therefore make him a pitcher who should be rostered in at least as large a percentage of ESPN leagues as he is currently available.
Two-start value pickup
Jacob Lopez, SP, Athletics (available in 70.5%): In what has been a breakthrough season for the left-hander, who was effectively a throw-in in the winter’s Jeffrey Springs trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, Lopez is riding a streak of four consecutive scoreless starts totaling 24 innings, with the most recent two resulting in 19 strikeouts compared to zero walks. Though he’s a soft-thrower, his four-seam fastball averaging only 90.7 mph, he does an excellent job of keeping hitters off balance with his diverse repertoire also including a slider, cutter, changeup and scarcely used sinker.
This week, he’ll face the remade Minnesota Twins offense, one that ranks among the weakest hitting teams against lefties since the trade deadline, and the Mariners, in a game that’ll be played at extreme pitchers’ park T-Mobile Park.
Deeper-league pickups
Dylan Beavers, OF, Baltimore Orioles (available in 97.5%): The other Baltimore debut of note, Beavers was the outfielder whose promotion had been much anticipated following the Orioles’ deadline trades. Though not a prospect with quite as high a ceiling as Basallo’s, Beavers brings a balanced skill set for rotisserie play, along with the plate discipline that appeals to managers in points-based leagues. There’s an avenue by which he might be the most impactful prospect of any of the three cited in today’s column, but for now, he’s a strong pickup in any league deeper than 12-team mixed. Beavers’ raw speed, illustrated by his 54 out of 62 success rate stealing bases in the minors between this and last season, should be his most useful fantasy skill initially.
Victor Vodnik, RP, Colorado Rockies (available in 98.4%): For the first time all season, the Rockies enjoyed a five-win week (defining those as Monday-Sunday), in which Vodnik served as their clear closer, saving four of those victories. In them, he combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings, striking out six out of 15 batters. Considering all the shakeup around the league at the trade deadline and in the few weeks since, saves are coming at a premium in fantasy leagues. Don’t expect the Rockies to win a large number of games the rest of the way, but Vodnik seems to have their closer role secured, making him a worthwhile 15-team mixed and NL-only pickup.