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Dylan Beavers, OF, Orioles: After a very impressive start to his MLB career, Beavers has gone through a bit of a slump. He is only hitting .190 this month, but he's continued to get on base and he also is showing solid power.

On Thursday, Beavers hit a game-winning solo home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth to beat the Rays 6-5. It was a no-doubter as he lifted the ball 417 feet toward the warehouses beyond the right field stands.

Beavers is hitting .245/.389/.431 for the Orioles. Even in his "slump" this month, he's walking nearly as much as he's striking out (15 walks, 16 strikeouts). He's been a very useful addition to the Orioles' outfield mix and is making a clear claim on a spot in the lineup for 2026.

Adam Mazur, RHP, Marlins: Mazur pitched five scoreless innings to key Triple-A Jacksonville to a win in Game 3 of the International League championship series. Jacksonville won its first Triple-A title as a Marlins affiliate, defeating the Yankees-affiliated Scranton Wilkes-Barre two games to one. Mazur allowed three hits in his five innings, striking out three and walking two. In 107.1 innings during the regular season, Mazur recorded a 4.36 ERA with 100 strikeouts and 30 walks.

In Game 3, Jacksonville DH Matthew Etzel helped the Shrimp build an early five-run lead by hitting a two-run double in the first inning as part of 2-for-4 night with three RBIs. Jacksonville will now face A’s affiliate Triple-A Las Vegas in this weekend’s National Championship.

C.J. Kayfus, 1B, Guardians: In his first month in the major leagues, Kayfus hit .176/.247/.338 with 25 strikeouts in 82 plate appearances (30.4%). But as the Guardians have come alive for their playoff push, Kayfus has found his groove as well.

Kayfus was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles for the Guardians on Thursday. He is now hitting .318/.380/.591 in semi-regular playing time this month with a 22% strikeout rate, raising his overall slash line to .229/.298/.432. Kayfus has bounced back and forth between right field and first base.

Sam Antonacci, 3B/2B, White Sox: Antonacci piled up the hits in 2025, and that continued in Double-A Birmingham's Southern League-clinching win over Montgomery on Thursday. The third baseman went 3-for-5 with a double. Antonacci's advanced contact skills caught the attention of Baseball America's Geoff Pontes in late August and the 22-year-old finished his year by slashing .291/.433/.409 with nearly as many walks (69) as strikeouts (73) and quite similar production between High-A and Double-A in his first full professional season. He doesn't have much power, but Antonacci's combination of contact skills and speed (48 steals) has put him on the radar in the White Sox system.

Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets: McLean wasn't perfect on Thursday, but with the Mets' season hanging in the balance, their newfound ace once again put them in position to win. The 24-year-old righthander struck out a career-high 11 batters over 5.1 innings and, despite allowing five earned runs, picked up the win as Mets hitters blitzed Shota Imanaga in an 8-5 win. McLean's 11 strikeouts were the most by a Mets starting pitcher this season. New York (82-77) maintained its one game lead over the Reds in the NL wild card entering the weekend. McLean has certainly done his part to keep them afloat. He's now 5-1, 2.06 with 57 strikeouts in 48 innings.

Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox: It was an up-and-down season for White Sox lefthander Hagen Smith, but the way he finished should help propel him into 2026.

Smith threw five scoreless innings to help Birmingham beat Chattanooga in the first round of the Southern League playoffs, and he threw four solid innings to help Birmingham claim the title in the deciding Game 3 of the championship series.

Smith threw on Wednesday night, allowing two hits and two runs in four innings. He walked five and struck out six. Rain delayed the game's completion, and it didn't go final until Thursday afternoon (and not until there was a second rain delay).

Smith continues to battle some control problems, but he allowed only six runs over his final five starts between the regular season and postseason. He was 3-3, 3.58 with 58 walks and 108 strikeouts in 75.2 innings during the regular season.

Editor’s Picks

Kevin McGonigle’s Remarkable Season: Though Konnor Griffin took home BA’s POY plaque, Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle was still mighty impressive in 2025. Read more…

Underrated College Prospects: Peter Flaherty is back with another deep dive into some under-the-radar college draft names for 2026. Read more…

Quick Hits

Prospect news and notes from around baseball…

• Yankees RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz couldn’t get out of the first inning in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s loss to Jacksonville. He allowed five earned runs on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts while recording just two outs.

• Brayden Taylor’s 2025 season was quite disappointing, but he did homer in his final game of the season for Double-A Montgomery.

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