Fantasy Baseball Today - Waiver Wire MUST ADDS! Ranking the Shortstop Prospects! (08/10 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)
Episode Date: August 10, 2026Frank Stampfl and Chris Towers break down the waiver wire must adds from the weekend. How do we rank Kaelen Culpepper, George Lombard Jr. and Angel Genao? Jackson Jobe is back and Sean Manaea had a hu...ge start. Now is the time to stash Joe Musgrove. Who are the latest adds if you need saves?Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballTodaySign up for the newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters
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It was a big waiver-wire weekend.
Let's rank shortstop prospects.
Up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express.
Welcome into FBT Express on Monday, August 10th.
I am Frank Sample joined by Chris Towers,
and we have more prospects.
The twins called up Kalin Colpepper over the weekend,
who was having a great season in the minors.
He's got power, he's got speed.
He's 31% rostered.
He started two of three games.
Didn't start Sunday against a righty,
but they were also facing Jacob Mizirowski,
who is the best pitcher at all of baseball.
So, Chris, your thoughts on Kaelin Kohlpepper,
The Prospect, some expectations,
and then rank the three.
We have Kael and Kohlpiper, George Lombard Jr.,
and Anhe Nau, all called up in the same week.
Yeah, so I think the first thing that's worth noting
is if not for some injuries,
Kael Paupeper probably would have beat Anhele Hanow
and George Lombard to the majors by a couple of months, maybe.
It seemed like he was on the way
you know, back in June, and then I think he missed a lot of July with a glute injury and a hand
injury. And if not for that, he probably would have been up already. And he's a really good
prospect. You know, maybe in real life prospect rankings, he's not quite as highly ranked as
Lombard and now, but he's a top 50 prospect in his own right. I think if he's not ranked where
those other guys are, it's mostly like plate discipline stuff where his strikeout rates closer to
20%, theirs are closer to like 16%. He doesn't walk quite as much, though he still walks
plenty. He doesn't strike out that much.
I think his skill set might be more finely tuned for fantasy than these two guys, at least
in a five-by-five roto context, because in 133 games between double A and AAA over the last
two seasons, he has 25 homers and 27 stolen bases. I think he is likely to be a bigger stolen
base threat than Lombard and Hennow. And, you know, he might not have the raw power Lombard
does, but might be able to get to it more in games.
So I would take Lombard at the top just because as long as he holds his own, he's going
to be starting every single day for the Yankees.
I think there's no doubt about the playing time.
With Culpeper and Hennel, they should play every day, but I think they do have to earn it because
Cole Pepper, we got the day off on Sunday, the twins, you know, they've got guys who can
play shortstop if they aren't happy with him.
So there is some room there.
And then Hanao, it's a very crowded infield in Cleveland.
They've got Travis Bazzana playing D.H.
If it comes down to it, Bazaana's been pretty bad for a couple of months.
They might just pick Hanna over Bazauna, but he doesn't have a natural spot right now,
or at least a spot all of his own.
So I would rank them Lombard, Colpepper, and Hano,
but Lombard's like twice as rostered as Kaling Colpepper.
Yep.
And when Fab ran on Sunday,
it was Lombard who was getting the really big bids.
And Cole Pepper was kind of flying under the radar a little bit, relatively speaking.
And that's kind of what I expected.
Lombard has a lot more hype.
Playing for the Yankees will help.
And if you were, I think, you know, maybe you view Hano and Cole Pepper is kind of the consolation prizes.
I think these guys are all so even as prospects that I kind of just want whichever one is cheaper.
And that was probably Culpeper in most leagues.
Yeah.
And what makes it harder is that all three.
have looked pretty good so far, right?
They've all done something, and I totally
get that it's a really small sample size, but
Cole Pepper's first game up, he hits home run.
Lombard has only played five games.
He has homered twice already.
On Helha now, his first game, four hits,
and then he also homered over the weekend.
So these were top prospects, and they've
come up, and they're already making some noise.
But I do think I agree with your
ranking there of Lombard,
Cole Pepper, and then on hell now.
Welcome back to Jackson Job,
who looked good in his return at the Giants
five shutout innings with four strikeouts, and his velocity was up nearly two miles per hour
on his fastball in this first start compared to last year. He touched 100 miles per hour.
Chris, what did you see here from Jackson Job? And he is 47% rostered. Do you view him as a
must-ad player after this season debut? Definitely not must-ad. I look over at Pittsburgh and how
they've handled Jared Jones, and that would be the biggest concern that I would have with Jackson-Job
is one, the Tigers aren't totally out of it.
You know, if they get a good couple of months from Jackson Job,
maybe they can go on a run.
But I think on the whole, the team that just traded Terrick Scouble,
I don't think it's unfair to say.
They're not trying their hardest to make the playoffs right now.
And so, you know, I think we're going to see some limitations on Job.
I wouldn't be surprised if it's 85 pitch count the rest of the way.
And you have to be really good to matter in fantasy if you're that limited.
So I think there's some concern there.
And there's just some concern about Jackson Job as a pitcher.
When we saw him last before the injury, the stuff looked great.
It looked good on the stuff models and the jiffs, the pitching into jiffs looked great.
And then the results were not very good.
And he didn't miss nearly as many bats as you would expect.
He didn't get chases the way you would expect.
And so I still have that concern.
If he's throwing two miles an hour harder and the fastball can be more of a whiff pitch, that can help overcome some of
what he might be missing in terms of whiffs from the breaking balls.
But it's one start.
I don't want to overreact too much, including to the velocity,
because first start back, there's going to be some adrenaline.
I think there's a lot to like about Jackson Job.
I think there's a lot to be excited about.
Not close to a must-ad pitcher, though, I think.
All right, let's take a quick break.
We'll be back right after this.
Welcome back, Fantasy Baseball Today Express,
and we are taking a look at Waverwire ads from the weekend.
And a couple of other pitchers who have emerged here,
Sean Mania was awesome against the Pirates.
Seven innings of one-run ball, 11 strikeouts to zero walks.
His velocity was up.
His fastball was outstanding.
And Tyler Malley looked great in his Braves debut,
six shot-out innings, nine strikeouts.
He does have nine strikeouts and back-to-back starts.
And his last five outings, he has a 273 ERA and a 104 whip.
So, Chris, your thoughts here on Mania and Tyler Malley,
and then how would you rank all three?
Mania, Malley, and Jackson Joe.
I think I would go Manaya at the top.
And part of that is just we've seen stretches where he's been really, really good before,
including in 2024 in the final two months.
He changed his arm angle, changed his approach to pitching, went on more like a Chris Sale type approach,
and kind of pitched like Chris Sale for a couple of months.
I think it's unfair to expect him to do that, but he always misses a lot of bats.
He ditched his sinker in this one for his foreseamer.
that's probably a better move.
Neither is going to get a lot of weak contact,
so you might as well get the one that can at least miss some bats,
and his sweeper has been excellent.
So I think Sean Manaya,
just because of the likelihood of Joe being limited,
and I think similar-ish expectations,
I would put Sean Minaya at the top.
Malley, you know, it's first start with the new team,
so you always want to see what they did differently.
He kind of lowered his cutter usage through his four-seamer and splitter
a little more.
That's probably a good idea.
The Splitters is his best swing and miss pitch.
And Malley's a guy we've seen really good stretches from as well,
including all of last season when he had a sub three ERA.
He's got a sub three ERA over the past five starts.
Don't really buy it, but, you know,
little home team upgrade here with Atlanta.
Maybe he can get something going.
I don't think he's a 9K, 9Ks every six innings guy or anything close.
But I think Malley can be useful.
So if you're shooting for upside, I'll go Job ahead of him.
But I think all three are pretty good ads, but Mania is at the top.
What about a stash at starting pitcher?
Joe Musgrove threw 39 pitches in his first rehab start earlier in the week.
And then on Sunday, it was three and a third innings, two strikeouts,
a zero walks.
His fastball velocity was up 1.7 miles per hour from the last time we saw him.
He's 27% rostered, Chris.
What do you think about stashing Joe Musgrove right now?
Yeah, that velocity reading is pretty,
interesting.
One point seven miles per hour up over the last time we saw him.
As you said,
you know,
he only threw 39 pitches in this one.
It's been a very,
very rocky road back from Tommy John surgery,
I believe.
But if we can get him back in a couple of weeks,
it's a very good home ballpark.
We've seen a lot of success from him there.
I think it's worth considering it's just we're probably looking at at least two
more rehab starts,
maybe three,
before he's fully stretched out.
So that's the biggest thing.
You just don't have a lot of time left.
Your playoffs might start by then.
So I think Musgrove's a really interesting stash
if you're playing all the way through the end of September.
You know, could be fully ready to go by September
and could be really good.
But in some leagues, that may not matter.
Some relievers to add for saves,
we have Hogan Harris of the Athletics,
Brandon Garcia with the D-backs,
Dylan Smith with the Giants,
and then some combination of the Angels guys,
Sammy Natera Jr., and Ben Joyce,
Chris, how would you rank these four if you're in need of saves down the stretch?
Boy, I think I would go with Brandon Garcia at the top,
but I don't love that he came in in the seventh inning in his most recent appearance.
That's a little, just a little bit concerning.
I'm not going to say it blows it up because, look, sometimes the highest levered situation
is one out in a tie game with two runners on in the seventh inning, right?
Like that's not a crazy time to use your closer.
So I think you can excuse that.
But he is a lefty.
You never know if managers are going to be totally comfortable with that.
I think he's the best pitcher in the Diamondbacks bullpen, though.
And at this point, when you're talking about nobody being assured of a role,
I'll go with the guy I think is the best pitcher.
I think that's Brandon Garcia.
And honestly, Samin Tera might be the second choice for similar reasons.
I think he's probably the best pitcher in that.
Angels bullpen.
He's been really good this season.
He is a lefty.
Some concern there.
obviously don't know what the role is going to be.
I think he's only gotten the one save.
So that's concerning.
But I think he's just the best pitcher in that bullpen.
So I'll bet on that.
All right.
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