MLB Risers and Fallers

Which players stock is up and which players stock has dropped?

We have a brand new post coming your way every week as Baseball Scoops and I pick one rising position player and pitcher, while also picking one falling position player and pitcher. We will be focusing on trends, whether a player has a red hot week or has been on a steady run for a few weeks.

1 Rising Position Player: Sal Stewart

Photo Credit: Jeff Dean / Stringer / Getty Images

There are a lot of rookies to watch for, especially in the National League. Sal Stewart very much is one that can take the award and there is a case to be made that he is the Reds’ best hitter.

Stewart was the best hitter to end the season after his September call up. He brings enormous power, highlighted by his 52.1% hard hit rate. He brought the thunder in the Opening Day weekend, showcasing that raw power ability. Stewart went 7-10 with three doubles and hit the team’s first home run of the season. He concluded the series with a 2.069 OPS and 444 wRC+. Stewart is 9-16 with 2 HR and 3 doubles. Stewart also plays an efficient first base defense and it appears he is a great all around player.

Steward may quickly become the early favorite in the NL ROY.

1 Rising Pitching: Cam Schlittler

A rotation without Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole is a gut punch, but the Yankees have depth. In that depth, they have sophomore pitcher Cam Schlittler. Schlittler was the postseason hero a year ago, finally defeating the Red Sox in a playoff series for the first time since 2003. It’s only been one start, but Schlittler is showing that he belongs at the front of this rotation.

Schlittler held a Giants offense in check, giving up just one hit in his entire outing. Furthermore, he finished with eight strikeouts and zero walks. A 0.19 WHIP is as good as it can get in terms of limiting base traffic. What makes it fun is his arsenal.

The cutter has a new look as he changed his grip and with that has come improvements. The velocity jumped up from 92 MPH to 95 MPH. Also, he increased movement on the pitch, seeing it go from 4.9 IVB to 12.5 IVB. Sheesh that’s some great glove side movement. His four seam fastball already has great velocity and swing and miss with it. He’s currently working on a slider and if he does mix a good off-speed pitch into his mix, good luck to opposing hitters.

Buy stock now! He’s not going anywhere.

1 Falling Position Player: Josh Naylor

Photo Credit: Olivia Vanni / Contributor / Getty Images

Josh Naylor was one of the most important players on last year’s Mariners team that was one win away from the World Series. Naylor had a 139 OPS+ after being acquired around the Trade Deadline. Early in the off-season, Naylor re-signed with the Mariners for 5 / $92.5M.

Naylor is off to an absolutely dreadful start to 2026. He is 1-23 with just three walks. The silver lining is that he has only struck out four times so you have to believe that eventually he will right his swing and figure things out. However, the last two years have seen some inconsistencies. In 2024, Naylor hit .243 but with 31 home runs. Last year, he cut down the power (20 home runs) but he hit .295. Which version will the Mariners get this season?

Another small concern with Naylor is will he be the complete player he was last season. Naylor had 30 stolen bases last season. I wonder how much Naylor will be running in 2026 now that he is no longer in a contract year. His previous high was 10 steals before last year.

It’s early and typically with veteran players with a proven track record, you should be patient. While I am not out on Naylor, I think his stock has dropped slightly.

1 Falling Pitcher: Brandon Sproat

Brandon Sproat was one of the key pieces that the Brewers acquired when they traded away their ace, Freddy Peralta. Last season, Sproat was the 81st ranked prospect in baseball. Sproat made the Opening Day roster and got the nod to start the third game of the season. In his Sunday start against the White Sox, he got crushed. Sproat’s line was rough.

3 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 3 HR, 3 K

Sproat was able to get some swings and misses (9) however he was unable to put away the White Sox hitters (3 K). Sproat introduced a new pitch, a cutter, and it did not go well. Two of three home runs he gave up came on that pitch. The issue is the rest of his arsenal was not super effective. I think Sproat has a chance to be a good pitcher, but he may not be ready to be a permanent starter to start the season. Sproat only pitched 20 big league innings for the Mets last season.

Sproat is still learning how to get big league hitters out and it may take some time. If you own him in fantasy, he is someone that I would be very careful with depending on the matchup.

Your Thoughts

Who’s stock do you think is either rising for falling through the first week of the season?