Regan's Rumblings: September Call-Ups

The 2015 season has already seen the debuts of some of the best young talent in the game. Carlos Correa is evoking comparisons to a young Nomar Garciaparra (in my mind at least), while Noah Syndergaard is making the R.A. Dickey deal look lopsided in the favor of the Mets. Kris Bryant, Joc Pederson, Kyle Schwarber, Miguel Sano – the list goes on and on. So who's left? Who is not only putting themselves in position for a September call-up, but who could also make an impact down the stretch? We'll look at one guy per team this week.

NL West

The big name for the Dodgers of course is Corey Seager, but Jimmy Rollins has hit .284 in August while Seager hit .203 in July for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Seager will get the call, but I'm not seeing the impact coming until 2016. One guy that could contribute this year is Julio Urias, the 19-year-old Mexican phenom. The Dodgers have issues in the bullpen and the back end of the rotation and could look to accelerate Urias' timeline. The club has not ruled out a September debut.

Aaron Blair is probably the Diamondbacks' top pitching prospect, and given he's 23 and has allowed just two runs in 18 innings in his last three starts for Triple-A Reno, he could get a look in September. SP Braden Shipley and 3B Brandon Drury are two other possibilities.

There's nothing too exciting at the upper levels of the Giants' minor league system, but they could recall OF Jarrett Parker at any point given the latest injury to Hunter Pence. Parker was 1-for-9 with five strikeouts in a brief MLB stint, but he has 18 HR and 16 SB for Triple-A Sacramento. The Giants could also give SP Clayton Blackburn (3.28 ERA, 7.2 K/9 in Triple-A) a look. He could eventually be the second best SP named "Clayton".

The Rockies could give SS Trevor Story a look next month as they consider what to do with Jose Reyes this winter. Story hasn't been as good in Triple-A as he was earlier in the season at the Double-A level, but his 18 HR and 20 SB are enticing to fantasy owners.

At .281/.380/.439 (11 HR, 15 SB), OF Rymer Liriano should get a look from the Padres. San Diego will likely lose Justin Upton to free agency and could move Wil Myers to first base, leaving at least one opening in the outfield.

NL Central

With OF Stephen Piscotty already on the 25-man roster, the Cardinals don't seem likely to promote any more impact prospects this year. Double-A SP Alex Reyes is their top prospect, but he has just five starts above Class-A. If pitching is needed, Marco Gonzales and Tim Cooney would likely get the call first.

I thought SP Tyler Glasnow would get the call for the Pirates in the wake of A.J. Burnett's elbow injury, but Glasnow stayed in Triple-A to continue refining his control. One of baseball's top five pitching prospects, Glasnow has a 2.22 ERA in 18 AA/AAA starts this year, though he's walked 12 batters in 15.2 innings over his last three starts. Prior to those three starts, Glasnow had a 2.7 BB/9, so this is nothing to worry about. He'll get the call.

The Brewers' best prospects are OF Brett Phillips and SS Orlando Arcia, but both are more 2016 guys at this point. Beyond that, perhaps they give another one of their new acquisitions, SP Zach Davies, a September look. Davies has a 3.07 ERA at the Triple-A level this year, though his ratios are nothing special – 7.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9.

Top prospect SP Robert Stephenson was likely in line for a call-up but given he's now on the minor league DL with a forearm strain, look for the Reds to announce soon that he's been shut down for the year. OF Jesse Winker has all but been ruled out as a potential call-up as well, but SP Brandon Finnegan should return soon. Finnegan had an ugly start (3.2 IP, 7 ER) for Triple-A Louisville recently, but turned it around in his next outing. With Anthony DeSclafani currently posing as the Reds' No. 1 starter, Finnegan should have no trouble cracking the rotation in September.

The Cubs have already promoted their impact bats this year, but SP Pierce Johnson is a guy who could get a look. The 24 year-old is probably the team's No. 1 pitching prospect right now and after missing the first part of the season with a back injury, Johnson has a 1.70 ERA in 12 Double-A starts. With a 7.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9, he profiles as a back end of the rotation starter. He'll probably get a look in September.

NL East

The Braves paid a hefty price to get 3B Hector Olivera from the Dodgers, so he'll certainly be up in short order. Olivera is currently 0-for-11 in Low-A rehabbing a hamstring injury, but he should be in the Braves lineup by the end of the month at the latest. The 30-year-old is a bit of a mystery, but he can be an impact bat at the major league level. Speculate on him in all but the shallowest of leagues.

Sorry Marlins fans, but not only do you have to endure an awful major league lineup, there really isn't much in the way of big league help on the way. First round picks SP Tyler Kolek and 1B Josh Naylor are years away from a potential impact, leaving little to hope for in September 2015. Perhaps the Marlins reach down to Double-A for another first rounder, 3B Zack Cox, he of the .321/.393/.422 slash line. Cox's power hasn't developed as hoped, but given he's red-hot (12 hits in his last four games), they could give him a look next month.

The Mets have already graduated Michael Conforto, Noah Syndergaard, and the injured Steven Matz, so the cupboard is pretty bare in terms of potential additional September impact. Matz should be back early September, but expect reinforcements from the farm system to be less than impact type guys. OF Brandon Nimmo is a possibility, but he's had just 19 games at the Triple-A level and he's also managed just three home runs in 321 at-bats.

Along with SS prospect J.P. Crawford (mid-2016 ETA) and OF Nick Williams (late-2016 ETA), guys like SP Aaron Nola and 3B Maikel Franco provide some hope for the future. The Cole Hamels deal also went a long way in adding young talent, but as for this September, there won't be much to see – perhaps SP Phillippe Aumont and other uninspiring guys like OF Jordan Danks.

Given he has just four starts above A-ball, I wouldn't expect the Nationals to promote Lucas Giolito this year. He's probably my No. 2 pitching prospect behind Julio Urias, but I don't think he's ready. SS Trea Turner is a much stronger possibility, as he's already in Triple-A and he's surprisingly been playing some second base recently. Overall, split between Double-A and Triple-A, Turner is batting .317/.367/.451 with eight homers and 29 stolen bases. He could have an immediate impact once he's called up.

AL West

The Astros have either graduated or traded a lot of talent already, but the cupboard is far from bare. Vincent Velasquez will be back in September to work out of the bullpen, though he probably won't find too many save opportunities. I really like 22-year-old first baseman A.J. Reed, though Reed has just 34 games above A-ball. He's unlikely to be a 2015 call-up. SP Mark Appel has been way too inconsistent, so don't expect to see him. 1B Jon Singleton will likely return, but he's hitting .212 this month for Triple-A Fresno. Most likely, the Astros will continue to roll with the guys they have, and those guys are pretty good.

The Angels' farm system is among the worst in the game, but they could get decent contributions from 3B Kaleb Cowart and SP Nick Tropeano the rest of the way. Additional call-ups won't be anything spectacular, but 29-year-old catcher Efren Navarro is hitting .338 in Triple-A and could help. That's really about it though.

In Texas, 3B Joey Gallo should return in September, though there is no real place to put him right now and he's hitting .218/.306/.448 in Triple-A. I've written in the past that while Gallo's power is real, I think he flames out given a K-rate that currently sits at 44 percent in Triple-A. He's still just 22, but the Rangers may eventually be looking at a .210 type hitter. The real interesting guy for me is OF Nomar Mazara. Just 20, Mazara was recently promoted to Triple-A and could get a September look. Expecting significant 2015 contributions from him, however, seems foolish.

The A's were sellers again this year, but most of the haul centered on guys that aren't expected to be ready until next year and beyond. We could see a return of Barry Zito assuming his minor shoulder injury is truly minor. The A's best prospects though are looking at 2016/2017 ETA's. Other guys will likely include Quad-A types like Ryan Roberts.

In what seems like a trend, two of the Mariners' shiniest prospects have had awful seasons. D.J. Peterson was expected to be holding down first base by June, but he hit just .223 with seven home runs in Triple-A, and is now out for the year with an Achilles injury. OF Alex Jackson was demoted to rookie ball, further adding to the flame-out of the organization's top position prospects – Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin, Justin Smoak, etc. Perhaps Ketel Marte will reverse that troubling trend, as there is really no one else on the immediate horizon worth considering.

AL Central

2B Micah Johnson could return in September, as he's a potential impact player at second base given his Triple-A numbers: .328/.383/.487 with 26 steals in 66 games. SP Frankie Montas could also see a few starts down the stretch, and given his 2.64 ERA and 8.5 K/9 he has some fantasy upside, though the rotation as it exists now is full.

One my new favorite prospects is Cleveland OF Bradley Zimmer, he of the 16 home runs, 39 steals, and .398 OBP. He's unlikely to see the big leagues until 2016 however. OF Tyler Naquin was the organization's first round pick in 2012 and given he has a .296/.376/.444 slash between Double-A and Triple-A he could get a look, but outside of AL-only leagues, he's unlikely to be an impact regular.

The David Price and Yoenis Cespedes trades have helped restock a depleted Tigers farm system. Still, there's not much in the way of upper-level talent coming next month. One guy to possibly watch for is SP Michael Fulmer, acquired from the Mets. He's currently pitching in Double-A where he's made 18 of his 19 overall starts this year with great success – 1.97 ERA, 107:27 K:BB in 109.2 innings. Likely though, Fulmer is more of a 2016 guy. OF Steven Moya could get a look and would be intriguing for his power, but Moya has already racked up 146 strikeouts this year.

The Royals are headed to the playoffs, so they won't be looking at handing too much playing time to rookies, at least for now. Guys like 1B Casey Kotchman (yep, that guy), 3B Cheslor Cuthbert, and OF Moises Sierra could be recalled for depth purposes, but the real KC prospect talent is a bit further off.

For the Twins, OF Byron Buxton is back patrolling center field, and SS Jorge Polanco should return in September but in a reserve role. Buxton has been a bit of a disappointment who has had trouble staying healthy, but remember, he was drafted No. 2 overall for a reason. The big name to watch outside of Buxton would be RHP Jose Berrios, who really has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. Berrios would immediately help solidify a rotation full of question marks.

AL East

RHP Dylan Bundy has now made a total of 17 starts in three years due to elbow and shoulder injuries. He's out for the year. As for the rest of the Orioles' minor league system, it's not a pretty sight, so don't expect much of an impact from the team's September call-ups.

The Red Sox have mixed in several good young players in the past year, and the well is far from dry. That said, the top guys are a least a year or two away from making a big league debut, most notably 2B Yoan Moncada and OF Manuel Margot. OF Allen Craig will likely return from Triple-A exile to a bench role with the Red Sox. RHP Brian Johnson could get an extended audition, but it may be late-2016 before the next wave of young talent arrives.

The Yankees have recently recalled 1B Greg Bird, and while I'm not sure he's the next Lou Gehrig, I like his swing and think he can be a solid player for the next 10 years. We'll just have to see how things play out once Mark Teixeira (leg) is healthy. Teixeira is signed through 2016. In terms of other prospects, RHP Luis Severino looks like a foundational piece, and the team's top prospect still in the minors, OF Aaron Judge could get a look this year. He has four home runs in his last 10 games and has his Triple-A OPS up to .819. Judge would need an injury to one of the Yankees' starter to get more than a handful of September at-bats however.

The Blue Jays have dealt away a chunk of their farm system to make a push deep into the playoffs, but they still have OF Dalton Pompey who should be back up on or around Sept. 1. Pompey hit just .193 in 23 games for the Blue Jays earlier this season before being demoted from Toronto to Triple-A, and eventually down to Double-A. He turned things around there and is now back in Triple-A, where since the All-Star break, he's batting .331/.424/.421. He doesn't possess much power, but he has a good batting eye and the ability to steal 30-plus bases. Current CF Kevin Pillar isn't exactly an impact player, leaving the possibility that Pompey could steal playing time come September, if not earlier.

The one guy to watch in Tampa Bay is left-handed SP Blake Snell. Snell has already been promoted twice this year and currently sits in Triple-A Durham. Combined in 119 innings, Snell sports a minute 1.29 ERA with a 148:48 K:BB. We'd love to see his 3.6 BB/9 come down, and it appears to be doing so already given his 2.5 mark in Triple-A. Snell tallied 115.2 innings last year, so he probably has a few more starts left in his arm for 2015, but where those starts end up occurring is TBD.