September call-ups in baseball aren't what they used to be. In the past, teams would call up most of their 40-man rosters, creating full dugouts and lots of guys who'd get their only major league service time and appearances.
Now, cost-conscious and service-time-conscious teams call up only a few players in the final month, often leaving major prospects in the minors rather than adding them to the 40-man roster before it's necessary or risking injury in a meaningless game.
If a prospect is truly ready and the team intends to recall him, the club won't necessarily wait for roster expansion, either. The Dodgers' Will Smith has been up since mid-July, Bo Bichette has been up with the Blue Jays since the end of July and Mitch Keller's third stint with the Pirates began in early August. We did see three midseason top-50 prospects recalled this week, with several more potential top 100 guys already recalled, so it's a better crop than we've had the past few years.
Here's look at some call-ups to watch:
Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 5 on my midseason update)
Lux's call-up was in doubt until the injury to Max Muncy created not just playing time, but an actual need for Lux, a natural shortstop who had played 36 games at second base between 2018 and 2019 prior to joining the big club. He's an elite hitter with a very strong eye at the plate and a plus runner who hasn't developed into much of a base stealer to this point. In the field, he should become at worst an above-average defender at second -- assuming he doesn't eventually go back to shortstop. The Dodgers keep filling voids on their roster with their own prospects, including catcher Smith (No. 26 midseason) and right-hander Dustin May (No. 13), without losing much if any production, all of which is a testament to their drafting and player development.
Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros (No. 19)
Tucker will have to earn playing time this month, even though Houston already has a playoff spot well in hand, because he didn't perform well in his previous stint in the majors and really didn't dominate Triple-A like he should have. Even though he was repeating the level and got to hit the major league ball (which flies farther than the minor league ball) in Triple-A, he hit .266/.344/.555, well off the top of the leaderboards in all three categories. He's also likely to land a bench spot with the team in October, so the Astros have some incentive to give him more reps at the same time. Tucker has power and plate discipline, and has made himself into a very good defensive outfielder, but it's now on him to show consistent effort and apply what he knows in the majors.
A.J. Puk, LHP, Oakland Athletics (No. 41)
Puk was lights out in spring training of 2018 and looked as though he'd make a significant impact in the majors that season, but his elbow gave out before he got going. After just 25 innings in the minors this summer, he's in the majors. Since his recall at the end of August, he's been averaging over 97 mph with a plus slider a shade under 90 mph; long term, he's still a potential high-end starter, but he should be a huge asset for A's manager Bob Melvin out of the bullpen.
Brusdar Graterol, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Graterol missed two months with a shoulder issue this year, and when he returned in late July, the Twins moved him to the bullpen and had him pitch only with at least two days off between outings. He has an 80 fastball, touching 100 mph in his debut the other night and even showing good life on the pitch at 98, along with a power slider that also should miss bats. It's a high-effort delivery, so while the Twins say they want him to start next season, I wonder if this call-up is a chance for them to consider a permanent move to a high-leverage relief role. Given his fastball and his surname, his nickname should be "Cheese," right?
Anthony Kay, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays
Acquired at the trade deadline in the Marcus Stroman deal, Kay dominated Double-A to start this season but has really struggled in Triple-A, which I assume is more about the different baseball than anything with Kay, whose stuff hasn't changed since the trade or promotion. A big fastball/changeup guy in college, Kay has been more of a fastball/curveball guy after Tommy John surgery and could stand to work on restoring his changeup, as he's had some trouble with right-handed batters in 2019. I'm still bullish despite his poor performance in Triple-A, but it might mean he has a longer adjustment period to get used to the major league ball than other prospects. The Jays also called up T.J. Zeuch, a right-handed starter who probably doesn't miss enough bats to be in the major league rotation.
Adbert Alzolay, RHP, Chicago Cubs
Alzolay returns to the Cubs after a strong August in Triple-A, although his issues with lefties -- who still get to his fastball and breaking ball, even with him throwing his changeup far more often -- persist. His ability to get left-handed batters out is the difference between him becoming a mid-rotation starter or a possible reliever.
Andrew Knizner, C, St. Louis Cardinals
With Carson Kelly now a Diamondback, Knizner is probably the heir apparent to 36-year-old Yadier Molina, and a pretty good solution to the problem of Molina's declining offense. Knizner is a very high-contact hitter, never striking out more than 13.4% of the time at any minor league stop, and has a career caught-stealing rate of 44%, nailing three of four runners so far in the majors. He doesn't project to hit for much power, but his high-contact approach and defensive skills make him a very likely everyday catcher when the Cardinals decide to turn over the position.
Anthony Banda, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Banda made three starts for the Rays in 2018 and then blew out his elbow, returning to Triple-A only right after this year's All-Star break. His stuff ticked up in his final minor league start, which was also his longest of the year (5 IP, 6 K, 1 BB), good enough that the Rays felt comfortable calling him and Brendan McKay up to help in September. Long term, Banda should be a back-end starter, lacking upside but with the three-pitch mix and command to stay in a rotation.
Ronald Bolaños, RHP, San Diego Padres
The Savage Detective made his major league debut this week, three years after signing as a free agent from Cuba. He'll sit 95 with an average slider, but his changeup, which was supposed to be a weapon for him when he first signed, has remained stubbornly below average, and he had a lot of trouble with lefties in the minors this year and in his debut.
Javy Guerra, RHP, San Diego Padres
Guerra was part of the Craig Kimbrel trade with the Red Sox, back when he was a highly touted and highly ranked shortstop, but his bat regressed almost immediately after the deal and the Padres ended up putting him on the mound this spring, where they saw him throwing 98 mph.