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The prospect wave didn’t stop this past week as another handful of youngsters made their major league debuts. While their roles have yet to be fully fleshed out and playing time is uncertain, there is still a short-term pathway to action as injury replacements.
Bryan Torres, 2B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals (1.9% rostered in ESPN leagues): Joshua Baez remains the jewel of the Cardinals system, but when they needed a replacement for Nathan Church, it was Torres who got the call. At 28 years old, he’s older than most prospects, due to his having played independent league ball in 2022 and 2023. His age slightly skews his minor league numbers since he’s been relatively old for the level by a couple of years.
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Torres posted an .897 OPS for Triple-A Memphis last season and was at .931 this season before his promotion. More importantly, he stole 28 bases in 2025 and already swiped 10 this year. Torres’ main asset is a discerning eye, as he walked 100 times while fanning only 82 in 140 Triple-A contests. In his first two games in the bigs, he drew two free passes while striking out just once. His ability to draw walks is useful in points leagues, especially since he has modest power, although he did hit a home run in his MLB debut.
Torres is replacing Church, who is on the 10-day IL due a sore shoulder. Torres should have at least a week to show he belongs in the majors, but Lars Nootbaar is on pace to return in early June, so it will come down to Torres or the struggling Victor Scott II for center field.
Esmerlyn Valdez, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (0.5% rostered): Valdez was the second Pirates’ call-up last week, with OF Jhostynxon Garcia beating him by a couple of days. Valdez is the better prospect and thus a better keeper/dynasty stash, though the short-term playing time isn’t clear. Lately, Garcia has been handling center field with Oneil Cruz serving as the DH, while Valdez has been playing right field with Ryan O’Hearn expected to remain on the IL until mid-June.
Valdez is just 22 years old, making his .887 OPS at Triple-A Indianapolis even more impressive. His main asset is power with solid plate discipline, striking out at a 21.1% clip and walking 17% of the time in 46 games before his call-up. How he translates that to the majors should dictate whether he stays with the team once O’Hearn returns. Unfortunately, Valdez is strictly a corner outfielder, so center is not an option.
A pair of former No. 1 overall draft picks made their 2026 debuts this week, one returning from injury and one getting the call after failing to make the team in spring training.
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Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles (36.8% rostered): The Orioles took it slow with Holliday’s recovery from hamate bone surgery, with Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll missing much less time following similar procedures. Holliday suffered a setback during his recovery, but he was going to be out longer regardless. He struggled during rehab, so this recommendation is based on pedigree as opposed to relying on current production.
Holliday appears to be settling in at third base, so the added future eligibility lends some appeal. Holliday was slow out of the gate with five hitless games in his first six appearances, but he did hit a home run in his third game back so perhaps there’s better days ahead.
Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals (6.1% rostered): Admittedly, this is mostly speculation, best suited for fantasy teams needing to catch lightning in a bottle. Crews struggled last season and again this spring. He posted a modest .258/.345/.452 line for Triple-A Rochester over 41 games to begin the season. Crews has the power-speed combo so useful for both rotisserie and points-league scoring, but until he shows better control of the strike zone, steals will be his primary contribution.
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Deep (12-team mixed): Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, Cincinnati Reds (2.4% rostered): We’re at the point of the season where platoon players are useful in 12-team mixed leagues. Plus, when he doesn’t start, Lowe usually gets an at-bat as a pinch-hitter. Since becoming a regular with righties on the hill, Lowe has posted a .279/.333/.616 line, hitting in the heart of the Reds order. Injuries have also helped his cause by taking away some of the Reds depth, clearing Lowe to serve as the DH.
Deeper (15-team mixed): Matt Vierling, OF, Detroit Tigers (0.5% rostered): Vierling often serves as the right-handed option of a platoon, but he’s productive enough to face right-handers when warranted. Since 2024, his OPS versus lefties is .743, as opposed to .691 against right-handers. Currently, Vierling has been playing center field with Javier Baez rehabbing from an ankle injury. Baez is beginning to ramp up activity, though his return is still unclear. However, both Vierling and Baez are versatile, and there are ample holes in the lineup to fit them both in. Chasing streaks often backfires, but the available inventory in 15-team leagues is weak, and Vierling has a .961 OPS over his last five games.
Deepest (AL/NL-only leagues): Mickey Gasper, C, Boston Red Sox (0.4% rostered): In both the AL and NL, there has been a recent rash of injuries, with Cal Raleigh, Ryan Jeffers, and Yainer Diaz all out in the junior circuit. Beyond that, Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong are both struggling for the Red Sox. Gasper is an athletic catcher, also capable of playing second base. He’s more of an on-base guy than someone who will fill up the scorecard with power and speed, but at this point, a replacement catcher who won’t hurt your batting average may be preferred to one who pops a few homers but is a batting average detriment. Gasper has often been batting second, which speaks to his plate approach and patience.
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