September, the regular season's final month, is only days away. Come Sept. 1, teams can add two players to the roster (no more than one additional pitcher) to help get through the last few weeks as workloads climb and injuries mount. Teams used to be able to call up their entire 40-man roster in September, but that rule went away a few years ago. Now it's only two extra players.

The extra roster spots give contenders a chance to strengthen their bench and bullpen, and rebuilders a chance to get a prospect's feet wet. That is already happening, in fact. Within the last month, top prospects Kade Anderson (Mariners), Max Clark (Tigers), Kaelen Culpepper (Twins), George Lombard Jr. (Yankees), and others were summoned and thrown into the postseason race.

With that in mind, here are five prospects who could come up when rosters expand on Sept. 1, and potentially impact the division and wild-card races. Here are our preseason top 100 prospect rankings, for reference. Let's get to it now, shall we?

SS Franklin Arias, Red Sox

Preseason rank: No. 35

How they got him: Arias, 21 in November, signed as an international amateur free agent out of Venezuela in January 2023. At least 60 players received a larger signing bonus than Arias' $525,000 deal, though he is now arguably the best prospect in the minors.

His season to date: It has been a standout showing for the right-handed hitter. He reached Triple-A as a 20-year-old late last month and took a .314/.397/.564 batting line across Double-A and Triple-A into Wednesday. Arias has 23 home runs with an excellent 15.1% strikeout rate. Add in strong defense, and Arias has excelled on both sides of the ball this year. He's a star in the making.

How he fits: Thanks mostly to Andruw Monasterio, the Red Sox have received strong play from their shortstops this season. Trevor Story is expected back from hernia surgery soon, possibly this weekend, but Monasterio's versatility means there are other ways to get him into the lineup. This really boils down to Arias vs. Story, rookie vs. veteran. 

Now 33, Story has spent the last few years as a league-average-ish hitter with diminished mobility in the field. If nothing else, Arias would be a breath of fresh air as a live body with range and athleticism. Can he outperform Story over a month's time? The AL East race and/or top wild-card spot could come down to a game or two. One extra win could make all the difference.

Story is signed through next season and he criticized the decision to fire Alex Cora in May. He's not afraid to be outspoken when he doesn't like the way things are going. Would he do the same if Arias replaces him at shortstop in September? I don't know. Maybe. Bottom line, Arias is a sensational prospect and Story is on the back nine. Giving Arias the shortstop job may be in the cards.

OF Josue De Paula, Dodgers

Preseason rank: No. 12

How they got him: Although he was born in New York, De Paula spent his teenage years in the Dominican Republic, and was able to skip the draft and pick his team as an international amateur free agent. The Dodgers gave him a modest $397,500 signing bonus in January 2022. De Paula has since blossomed into one of the game's best offensive prospects.

His season to date: The Dodgers traded outfielder and consensus top 25 prospect Zyhir Hope for Tarik Skubal and they still have two of the best outfield prospects in the game sitting in Double-A in De Paula and Mike Sirota. Entering play Wednesday, De Paula was hitting .312/.408/.558 with 25 homers and nearly as many walks (72) as strikeouts (75) in a full season at Double-A.

How he fits: Still only 21, De Paula has gotten some Yordan Alvarez comps for his long-term offensive potential ... and also his defense, which is less of a compliment. With Shohei Ohtani entrenched at DH, De Paula only fits as a corner outfielder, which would mean sitting Kyle Tucker or (more likely) Teoscar Hernández. Both veterans are below-league-average hitters this year.

Working in De Paula's favor is the fact that the Dodgers have to put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft after the season. He has to go on the 40-man anyway, so there's no real harm in doing it a few weeks early in September, and calling him up. 40-man spots are finite and you'd rather not add a prospect before you have to. De Paula is going on soon, though.

Working against De Paula is the fact that the Dodgers aren't chasing every last win. They're well-positioned to win the NL West and potentially secure a Wild Card Series bye. It might be worth seeing if De Paula can be an upgrade over Hernández or Tucker going into the postseason, but it's not an urgent matter. The Dodgers may opt to live or die with their well-paid veterans. 

OF Walker Jenkins, Twins

Preseason rank: No. 15

How they got him: The lottery balls bounced Minnesota's way in the 2023 draft lottery. They moved up from the No. 13 pick to the No. 5 pick, which they used to select Jenkins. Paul Skenes (Pirates), Dylan Crews (Nationals), Max Clark (Tigers), and Wyatt Langford (Rangers) were the four players selected ahead of him. The Twins paid Jenkins a full slot $7,144,200 bonus.

His season to date: Injuries limited Jenkins, 21, to 82 games in 2024 and 84 games in 2025, and he's on pace for a similar total in 2026. This year, he crashed into the wall making a catch in May and missed close to six weeks with a shoulder injury. Jenkins has stayed on the field since returning in June and is hitting .305/.406/.521 with nearly as many walks (42) as strikeouts (47) in Triple-A.

How he fits: Jenkins is a left-handed-hitting outfielder, and the Twins are not short on left-handed-hitting outfielders. They have Trevor Larnach and Alan Roden in the majors, plus Kody Clemens has spent time in the outfield. In Triple-A, there's Jenkins, fellow top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Matt Wallner. If you need a lefty-hitting outfielder this winter, call Minnesota.

The thing is, though, that Jenkins is just better than those guys. Larnach has slumped badly in August and Roden hasn't earned more playing time. Clemens is needed at second base and Wallner has major strikeout issues. Jenkins is a potential five-tool player with contact skills, power, and strong defense. The only thing holding him back has been injuries, some of which were fluky.

The Twins are in the thick of the battle for the American League's woebegone third wild-card berth. Every win is enormous and Jenkins has a chance to really move the needle in September. Neither Larnach nor Roden (nor Wallner) should be an obstacle. Turning the left field job over to Jenkins for the season's final few weeks would be a very high upside play that could swing the third wild-card race.

RHP Jaxon Wiggins, Cubs

Preseason rank: Unranked

How they got him: Wiggins shows you how little teams value surface stats in college. He pitched to a 6.17 ERA in two years at Arkansas, yet the Cubs selected him with their second-round pick in 2023 (No. 68 overall) and paid him a $1,401,500 signing bonus. Chicago has since developed him into one of the game's better pitching prospects.

His season to date: Early elbow trouble threatened to derail Wiggins' season. He returned in mid-June and made his way to Triple-A in early July, and he's struggled badly at the level: 24 runs and 27 walks in 26 innings. In preparation for a potential September call-up, the Cubs put Wiggins in a one-inning relief role earlier this month. He's thrown four hitless and scoreless innings in that role.

How he fits: In the bullpen, clearly. Wiggins, 25 in October, is sitting 96-98 mph with his fastball in his one-inning bullpen role, and his above-average extension down the mound (he's 6-foot-6) puts it on hitters even earlier. His swing-and-miss rates on everything (fastball, cutter, changeup, curveball) are impressive, particularly in one-inning bursts. The stuff is very lively.

The strike-throwing is, obviously, an issue, but Wiggins may be able to out-stuff big-league hitters right now. The Cubs did just trade for Ryan Zeferjahn, who has one of the highest walk rates among relievers. If you bring Grade-A stuff, they'll tolerate walks. Wiggins could fit into the bullpen in that capacity in September, even as Chicago starts to get healthier on the pitching side.

RHP Gage Wood, Phillies

Preseason rank: No. 71

How they got him: Wood, 22, is the least seasoned player in this list. The Phillies selected him with the No. 26 pick in last summer's draft and gave him a $3 million signing bonus. That came just a few weeks after his historic 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series. 

His season to date: Expected to be a quick mover, Wood has climbed from High Class-A to Double-A this season, and pitched to a 4.11 ERA with 117 strikeouts in 81 innings. Impressively, he's walked only 27 batters, and no more than two in any of his last 15 starts. For now, Wood continues to work as a starter. He has not yet moved into a bullpen role like Wiggins.

How he fits: Andrew Painter's second-half surge has settled the No. 5 starter's spot. If the Phillies give Wood a look in September, it will be as a reliever, where there is a definite need. Brad Keller is done for the season following elbow surgery, Jonathan Bowlan has had a big workload under interim manager Don Mattingly, and stalwarts José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering have wobbled.

Wood has an electric fastball/curveball combination that passes the eye test and the analytical test. Those two pitches alone give him a chance to succeed in the big leagues right now. There's also a slider and a work-in-progress changeup, which are pitches Wood will need long-term as a starter. As a short reliever, though, he can pound fastball/curveball and miss bats aplenty.

Wood does not have to go on the 40-man roster until the 2028-29 offseason, so adding him now for a September look-see would tie up a 40-man spot years before it is necessary. The Phillies are a win-now team, though. If they think Wood can help as they push for the NL East title and the World Series, then he should come up. This isn't the time to let future 40-man space prevent moves.

Add CBS Sports on Google