We've said September call-ups are often over-anticipated -- mostly because their talents and prospect status exceed their role down the stretch. This does not apply to new Yankees No. 5 starter Ian Kennedy.
And he has been the most anticipated CBSSports.com database edition all year.
After months of inquiries on him from our readers, we finally added the 2006 draftee Monday, and he was acquired on waivers in numerous leagues Thursday morning. Already 13 percent of our leagues have taken the flier on him. Once this story hits the website, Kennedy's ownership will rise to over 25 percent. Even if he's marginally effective in his debut, he will be owned in over 50 percent.
Hopefully you didn't, or don't, miss out.
If you still see him on waivers, get him now and have him sit on your roster through his debut Saturday. Joba Chamberlain's spectacular success in middle relief is reason enough to think Kennedy can make a huge impact immediately.
That potent Yankees offense certainly will help, too.
"He's got great mound presence," said follow Yankees rookie Chamberlain, who considers Kennedy his best friend. "He understands how to pitch and how to get outs. He's going to come up and do a great job. It's going to be exciting to see."
Kennedy, a first-round draft pick last year, will get a nice matchup against the last-place Devil Rays in the middle of a pennant race on Saturday. Kennedy, who pitched for Scranton last Saturday, is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts at Triple-A. The 22-year-old right-hander played college ball at Southern California, a school that once produced Mark Prior and then recently hot Rookie of the Year candidate Brian Bannister.
Kennedy, who relies on good control, will stay in the rotation as long as he pitches well. But that's some team to be getting starts for down the stretch and a far greater role than any other September call-up as we see it.
September call-up notes
Here is a team-by-team breakdown of players that might be called up in the next week or so:
Arizona Diamondbacks: LH SP Dana Eveland is getting the call for a spot start Saturday. He's not a prospect anymore, but he has the potential to earn starts for a contender down the stretch. He will go on a start-to-start basis. ... SP Max Scherzer could be an option, but he will need to perform well in his final start, because when the Double-A season ends, he won't have anywhere to stay pitching. ... OF Carlos Gonzalez is an interesting one, but he wouldn't get anything more than reserve at-bats. ... UTL Alberto Callaspo is scorching hot and a potential reserve option -- unless the D-Backs want to punish him for his off-field troubles earlier this year.
Atlanta Braves: UTL Willy Aybar might be a bench option, as will 2B Martin Prado. ... RP Royce Ring can do some left-handed work.
Baltimore Orioles: SP Garrett Olson will be making a spot start for Erik Bedard (oblique) on Saturday and a six-man rotation, which includes 100-mph power man Radhames Liz, is possible. ... SP Hayden Penn (shoulder) has looked great in recent starts and should get some spot starts, too, in preparation of him competing for a rotation spot next spring. ... Jaret Wright (shoulder) is hardly breaking 90 mph now and will try to return in September as a reliever. That's his long-term future -- well, that or retirement. ... OFs Jeff Fiorentino and Adam Stern might be brought up as reserves.
Boston Red Sox: SP Jon Lester is returning to the rotation this weekend. ... SP Clay Buchholz might get some spot starts down the stretch. ... OF Jacoby Ellsbury will be a reserve outfielder with the speed to steal some bags for deeper AL-only Rotisserie leagues. ... C George Kottaras has lost his prospect luster, but he could be a candidate to give veteran Jason Varitek's knees some rest.
Chicago Cubs: SS Ronny Cedeno, 2B/LF Eric Patterson and 3B Scott Moore will be bench options. ... SP Neal Cotts could be used as a lefty out of the bullpen.
Chicago White Sox: UTL Alex Cintron (bereavement) could get regular starts at third once activated, especially since Josh Fields has made a move to left field. ... Recently hot OF Brian Anderson (four homers in past four games) and OF Ryan Sweeney should return and get looks. Consider them in deeper AL-only leagues if they're going well. ... SP Gio Gonzalez is a pitcher we would have thought might have gotten a look, so perhaps it could come next week. ... Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger and former Rule-5 pick Andrew Sisco are also options for the lowly Sox.
Cincinnati Reds: OF Jay Bruce might be held back, unfortunately. ... 1B Joey Votto is more likely to arrive and might even be handed regular at-bats. He might be one of the better fliers to take in non-keeper leagues. ... SP Homer Bailey (leg) started in Class A recently and could be working his way back. He was beat up, though, and the Reds might be wary of bringing him back to watch him struggle again.
Cleveland Indians: They are in the driver's seat in the AL Central, so assuming SP Jeremy Sowers or SP Cliff Lee don't get spot starts, they won't give much of a look to young players. ... 3B Andy Marte, OF Ben Francisco, 1B Michael Aubrey and perhaps OF Shin-Soo Choo are options as bench bats.
Colorado Rockies: Most of their top talents are already up, but SP Franklin Morales should return as a No. 5 starter candidate. ... 1B Joe Koshansky could get a look, but he will get nothing more than token at-bats.
Detroit Tigers: SP Virgil Vasquez -- and maybe Jordan Tata -- could get chances for spot starts, perhaps -- although Kenny Rogers (elbow) is still hoping to return. ... UTL Omar Infante, 1B Chris Shelton and OF Brent Clevlen are options as bats off the bench.
Florida Marlins: The potential spot-start pitchers are more intriguing than the bats on the 40-man roster. Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Logan Kensing and Ricky Nolasco might all be candidates. ... SP Chris Volstad is not on the 40-man roster, but he would be the most intriguing option if he were to get a look.
Houston Astros: SP Troy Patton is already up, but he could be joined by SPs Felipe Paulino or Miguel Ascencio to get spot starts. .. SP Brandon Backe is hoping to return from Tommy John surgery and his rehab assignment. ... OF Jason Lane will return, but we've already seen enough of him to know we won't be wowed.
Kansas City Royals: DH Mike Sweeney (knee) is hoping to return from his rehab assignment and could impact deeper leagues with his power. ... SP Brandon Duckworth (shoulder) is returning from his rehab assignment to start Saturday. Avoid him in all leagues. He's dangerous. The Royals might go with a six-man rotation as they separate the men from the boys for 2008. ... OF Mitch Maier and 1B Ryan Shealy should be brought back and could get hot enough to impact deeper AL-only leagues. ... No. 1 pick Luke Hochevar has struggled of late and is less likely be a candidate for spot starts.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: OF Juan Rivera could return from his season-long absence off a rehab assignment. ... OF Terry Evans could provide some pop as a bench player. ... SP Bartolo Colon is working on a rehab assignment, hopeful to return to the rotation ... 3B Brandon Wood will return, but as nothing more than an extra bat to provide pop off the bench.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 3B Andy LaRoche, UTL Tony Abreu and Delwyn Young are decent options for deeper NL-only leagues when they return. LaRoche and Young have very good bats with pop if the get at-bats in the final weeks. LaRoche might even take over full time at third if he proves healthy and productive.
Milwaukee Brewers: OF Tony Gwynn is perhaps the most significant of the possible bullpen or bench options as call-ups. Gwynn could steal some bags off the bench for the deepest of NL-only Rotisserie leagues.
Minnesota Twins: SP Glen Perkins (shoulder) is not doing well on his rehab assignment, making it more likely SP Kevin Slowey gets the first crack at spot starts. ... SP Anthony Swarzak might also be an option. ... 2B Luis O. Rodriguez, OF Lew Ford and OF Denard Span are bench options. Span is a stolen-base threat if he gets at-bats.
New York Mets: SP Mike Pelfrey is getting the start Saturday and the next time he takes a turn, it will likely go to Pedro Martinez coming off his rehab assignment. ... SP Phil Humber has been pitching better than Pelfrey of late, so he could be another spot start option intriguing for deeper leagues. ... OF Carlos Gomez can steal bags for deeper NL-only leagues coming off his rehab assignment. ... RP Joe Smith (biceps) is on the Triple-A DL, but the Mets still hope to get him back before the end of the year.
New York Yankees: We already mentioned Kennedy above, but SPs Chase Wright, Tyler Clippard, Jeff Karstens, Matt DeSalvo and Kei Igawa could all be brought up as relievers or spot-start options. They're all high risk. There are no intriguing bats ready to come up.
Oakland Athletics: SP Dallas Braden fanned 17 batters in his past Triple-A start and could return to the rotation in the coming days.
Philadelphia Phillies: C Rod Barajas is expected to return from his rehab assignment as a reserve catcher with pop. ... SP Freddy Garcia (shoulder) attempted to return via rehab but needed season-ending shoulder surgery. ... SP Scott Mathieson (elbow) likely won't return either. ... If not for the Phillies' recent depth in the rotation, top SP prospect Carlos Carrasco could be a candidate to return. He has been finally pitching well since his promotion to Double-A.
Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Zach Duke (elbow) will try to return from a rehab assignment to return to the rotation before the end of the year. ... LHP Sean Burnett (elbow) likely will not and might even need offseason elbow surgery again. ... C/1B/OF Ryan Doumit should return at some point, albeit as a part-time starter. ... Sps Bryan Bullington and John Van Benschoten might be late spot starters. ... 1B Steven Pearce has played some outfield and has a great bat if the Pirates decide to give him a look. He could be a sleeper in deeper NL-only leagues.
San Francisco Giants: SP Jonathan Sanchez will get a spot start in place of rookie Tim Lincecum on Saturday. The Giants might go with a six-man rotation to give their young starters some extra rest. ... C Eliezer Alfonzo can return as a reserve. ... 1B Travis Ishikawa and OF Nate Schierholtz can get looks, too.
Seattle Mariners: OF Wladimir Balentien, OF Jeremy Reed and UTL Mike Morse could be bench bat options, but they won't play enough to be true Fantasy options -- especially since Adam Jones has already come up to do very little. ... SP Cha Seung Baek could return from a rehab assignment to challenge for Horacio Ramirez's rotation spot. ... SP Ryan Feierabend is another spot start option.
St. Louis Cardinals: OF Colby Rasmus would be interesting, but their outfield is already too crowded. ... SP Blake Hawksworth has had a disappointing season and won't be a spot starter candidate.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 3B Evan Longoria reportedly won't be among the call-ups, which would put a damper on him having a shot at the everyday 3B job next spring. ... SPs Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot and J.P. Howell could be candidates for spot starts, but it's the Devil Rays. Niemann was once an elite prospect, but he has fallen behind a slew of other intriguing arms in the system (see below).
Texas Rangers: SP Edinson Volquez apparently didn't oversleep for his past bullpen session and will actually get the call this time. He is slated to go Saturday. ... SP prospects Eric Hurley and Kasey Kiker are two more options for a look in spot starts down the stretch. ... OF Victor Diaz should be back to get some at-bats in a crowded outfield. Diaz's bat is as good as any of the other Rangers outfielder in spurts.
Toronto Blue Jays: OF/1B Adam Lind will return and could impact deeper leagues this year like he did a year ago down the stretch.
Washington Nationals: OF/3B Kory Casto could get some at-bats. ... SP Matt Chico and John Lannan deserve some spot starts down the stretch, but this is the Nationals and they won't have much value outside of long-term keeper leagues.
On the verge
Here are some of our favorite prospects who are in the minor leagues and are worth tracking closely. With the minor league season ending before next week, barring playoffs, this will be the final time we outline the top prospects (stats through Aug. 29):
| Minor league hotlist | ||
| Position, player, team | Minor league stats | |
| 1 | SP Ian Kennedy, NYY | A-AA-Triple-A: (12-3), 1.91 ERA, 163 K, 0.964 WHIP |
| You've seen what Chamberlain can do; Kennedy can be a winner. | ||
| 2 | 3B Evan Longoria, TB | AA-Triple-A: .303 AVG, 25 HR, 92 RBI, 94 R, 4 SB |
| Devil Rays now saying they might not give him September call-up. | ||
| 3 | OF Jay Bruce, CIN | A-AA-Triple-A: .317-25-88-85-8 |
| 20-year-old has got chance at minor-league player of year honors. | ||
| 4 | 1B Joey Votto, CIN | Triple-A: .295-22-90-71-17 |
| Recent slump comes at bad time when he's gunning for a look. | ||
| 5 | SP Edinson Volquez, TEX | A-AA-Triple-A: (14-6)-3.67-166-1.092 |
| Great second half culminates with recall to TEX rotation Saturday. | ||
| Honorable mentions: SP Carlos Carrasco, PHI; SP Kevin Slowey, MIN; SP Mike Pelfrey, NYM; SP Jeremy Sowers, CLE; SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD; SP Clay Buchholz, BOS; OF Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS; 3B Andy LaRoche, LAD; OF Colby Rasmus, STL; SS Reid Brignac, TB; SP Homer Bailey, CIN; SP Gio Gonzalez, CHW; 1B Daric Barton, OAK; SP Max Scherzer, ARI; OF Brandon Jones, ATL; SP Eric Hurley, TEX; OF Wladimir Balentien, SEA; DH/C Taylor Teagarden, TEX; SP William Inman, SD; SP Jeff Niemann, TB; 3B Neil Walker, PIT; C Landon Powell, OAK; 1B Joe Koshansky, COL; SP Philip Humber, NYM; OF Brandon Moss, BOS; SS Jed Lowrie, BOS; OF Terry Evans, LAA; OF Travis Snider, TOR; SP Chris Mason, TB; SP Wade Townsend, TB; SP Wade Davis, TB; 1B Steven Pearce, PIT; SP Mark Holliman, CHC; 3B Chase Headley, SD; C Jeff Clement, SEA; SP Chuck Lofgren, CLE; SP Justin Masterson, BOS; SP Johnny Cueto, CIN; 2B Matthew Antonelli, SD. | ||
Rookie watch
Here are the top rookies in Fantasy to date (stats through Aug. 29):
| Top 5 AL Fantasy Rookies | ||
| Position, player, team | Rotisserie stats to date | |
| 1 | SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS | 13-11, 3.88 ERA, 174 K, 1.276 WHIP, 0 SV |
| Homers have plagued him, especially against rival Yankees. | ||
| 2 | SP Brian Bannister, KC | (11-7)-3.27-71-1.176-0 |
| The red-hot Royal is 6-2 with a 2.69 ERA in the second half. | ||
| 3 | OF Delmon Young, TB | .289 AVG, 10 HR, 68 RBI, 55 R, 7 SB |
| Has finally gotten hot again, but he's been full-year presence. | ||
| 4 | SP Jeremy Guthrie, BAL | (7-4)-3.46-104-1.128-0 |
| Has tamed bad second half with back-to-back quality starts. | ||
| 5 | 3B Josh Fields, CHW | .239-17-51-33-1 |
| LF move makes it very likely he will have starting job in '08. | ||
| Honorable mentions: OF Reggie Willits, LAA; 2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS; SP Jesse Litsch, TOR; 1B Billy Butler, KC; OF Travis Buck, OAK; C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, TEX; SP Matt Garza, MIN; RP Joba Chamberlain, NYY; SP Andrew Miller, DET; SP Kason Gabbard, TEX; SP Jair Jurrjens, DET; RP Eric O'Flaherty, SEA; 3B Akinori Iwamura, TB; RP Hideki Okajima, BOS; RP Joakim Soria, KC; 3B Alex Gordon, KC; OF Jerry Owens, CHW; SP John Danks, CHW. | ||
| Top 5 NL Fantasy Rookies | ||
| Position, player, team | Rotisserie stats | |
| 1 | 3B Ryan Braun, MIL | .332 AVG, 25 HR, 68 RBI, 63 R, 11 SB |
| Even Brewers summer swoon won't keep him from winning ROY. | ||
| 2 | OF Chris Young, ARI | .234-28-52-70-21 |
| The 28 HRs are impressive, but just 31 walks out of a leadoff man? | ||
| 3 | SS Troy Tulowitzki, COL | .292-18-72-77-7 |
| Rockie leads all MLB rookies with 72 RBI, not bad for a shortstop. | ||
| 4 | SP Tim Lincecum, SF | (7-4), 3.94 ERA, 137 Ks, 1.212 WHIP, 0 SV |
| This weekend's probable skipping likely tortures numerous owners. | ||
| 5 | OF Hunter Pence, HOU | .323-12-47-45-8 |
| It'll be interesting if he beats out Hamilton's feel-good ROY story. | ||
| Honorable mentions: OF Josh Hamilton, CIN; 3B Mark Reynolds, ARI; SP Kyle Kendrick, PHI; 2B Yunel Escobar, ATL; SP Micah Owings, ARI; OF Rajai Davis, SF; SP Ubaldo Jimenez, COL; SP Yovani Gallardo, MIL; 1B James Loney, LAD; SP Kyle Kendrick, PHI; C Carlos Ruiz, PHI; 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, SD; 2B Mike Fontenot, CHC; OF Norris Hopper, CIN; OF Justin Upton, ARI. | ||
Baby talk
Scott French: I'm currently in a heated race for first place and currently have Frank Catalanotto and Franklin Gutierrez in my outfield. Cameron Maybin is available but none of these three would be keepers. Who will have the biggest impact for the remainder of the season? Would you drop either Cat or Gut for Maybin?
Emack: Maybin should be playing more regularly than those other two. He also has arguably the best supporting cast -- when Gary Sheffield returns to health -- and has the most upside of all.
You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Prospects Report in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we do not guarantee personal responses to all questions.