The all-star break is here, which means its the perfect time to review the current roster construction of the Kutty Katts. Overall, we are sitting in last place. I mainly have my pitching staff to blame, we had a few weeks were we had an unprecedented amount of injuries. It got so bad that I was starting players in the Minors hoping they got called up that week.
My team is trending up though, pitchers are getting healthy, young batters are starting to come into their own, and we have nothing to lose. My goal was to not get last during this rebuild year. It is going to take some work, but I feel confident we can get out of the basement with the team I have.
Below is all 28 players currently on the Kutty Katts. You will find a brief outlook on the player and also my future plans for them. I have already started thinking about what players are must keeps for next year and which players I can attempt to trade before having to drop down to 20 players.
Carter Jensen – A recent addition to my team that was acquired when trading Adley Rutchmann. At only 22 years old, he could end up being my catcher for many years to come. On the year he is batting 0.236 with 13 home runs, 49 RBIs, 41 runs, 1 stolen base, and has an OPS of 0.724. This is a player I am happy to keep around for awhile, and at my catcher position I am just looking for a guy to help me stat pad. It is hard to get a catcher who is truly elite in one of the scoring categories, so getting someone who can do a little bit of everything is ideal.
Alec Burleson – Still only 27 years old, Burleson can man first base for several years for the Kutty Katts. I am looking for Burleson to be my RBI and OPS guy. He has power, but his bat control and eye are so good that he won’t always be swinging for the fences, however he is tied for 5th in baseball for his RBI total, and is tied for 24th in OPS. Both of these are stellar for my goals with Burleson. The last few weeks he has been struggling at the plate, only batting 0.167 over his last 7 games. In the last series against the Braves he started looking better. I think the break will do good for him and allow him to lock in at the plate again.
Ceddanne Rafaela – Rafaela is still young, only 25 years old, which means he can still improve. His offensive numbers are good for playing second and for being on a struggling Red Sox team. He is batting 0.281, with 8 homers, 39 RBIs, 41 runs, and 12 stolen bases. If he was on a better team, I could see his numbers increasing as well. I am not fully sold on Rafaela, but as of right now he is a keeper. If the right trade package comes around I would be tempted to move him.
Nick Gonzales – A free agent pickup that has started for me every week since he was added. Currently 5th in the MLB in average, but his other numbers are not great for our scoring system. I would be more okay with this if he was starting at second for me instead of third. He does have eligibility for second and third, but my team construction doesn’t allow him to move over to second. I think on the right team he would be a great player, just on my team he is pretty mid. He is on my trade/drop list for the offseason, unless I can find a way to move him over to second base with some other moves.
Colt Emerson – Colt Emerson’s season has been mixed. Batting only 0.201 with an OPS of 0.671. His defense has been stellar which will keep him up, but he needs to figure out his batting. I wouldn’t be against the Mariners sending him back down to Triple-A to figure some things out for the rest of the season. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would let that affect him mentally. I plan on keeping Emerson around. I believe he can hit at this level, and I will keep letting him man short stop until I am p
Carson Benge – Benge started June off hot, and although he has since cooled off, he is doing much better than at the start of the year. He continues to impress with his defense and his offense abilities are growing each day. I plan on keeping Benge around for a long time, he will be a perennial 20-20 guy and I look forward to seeing him carry my team in the near future.
Braden Montgomery – The highs and lows of an MLB career can come at you quick, that is certainly true for Braden. Hitting a walk-off homer in his MLB debut has been his peak so far. He has been struggling at the plate lately, only batting 0.192 over his last 7 games, but I think he is using this call-up as a valuable learning experience. The White Sox are actually good too, giving him experience in tight-competitive games. Hopefully the all-star break lets him catch his breathe and improve for the second half.
Cam Smith – One of my most polarizing players. His advanced numbers for his bat speed and sprint speed are off the chart. He should be doing better than what he is. He is a demon on the bases when he does get on though, helping rack up steals and runs for my team. I am still unsure on if he will stick around as part of the Kutty Katts next year, he may be a player I drop and try to get back in the draft.
Henry Bolte – Those who read my draft posts may recognize the name. Bolte was a last round target for me, who I eventually dropped for another player, but he is back now. Only hitting 0.261 on the year, but he does have 11 stolen bases. He has earned the right to start for my squad the rest of the year to prove if he will be on the team going forward. I think he has a long MLB career ahead of him, but I am not sure his game transfers super well to our fantasy league.
Jake McCarthy – A surprising player that was dropped to waivers. He immediately found a home with the Katts. Batting over 0.300 on the year with 10 homers and 15 stolen bases, he is an all-around player that the Katts need. At his current pace, and the fact he gets to hit in Colorado, McCarthy has earned a spot in the final 20 for next year. I am excited to see what he can do in the second half of the year and hopefully build a solid foundation for next year.
Seaver King – A recent edition to the squad. He was killing it in the minors and with rumors swirling on the Nationals potentially moving off of C.J. Abrams, King could make his MLB debut this year. He has been constantly moving up the top prospect boards but does have Eli Willits on his tails, which is why I am sure people are hesitant on him. I plan on keeping him around at least through the off-season to see what the Nationals plan on doing next year.
Jett Williams – A very slow start to the year for Williams probably prevented him from getting called up to the Brewers, instead they opted to call up Cooper Pratt. Over the last 10 games though Jett is batting 0.351 with 6 stolen bases in triple A. Pratt is not looking stunning at the MLB level, which means the door is still open for Williams to contribute this year. The Brewers have had him playing a bit of everywhere in Triple A, his primary position was short stop in the Mets organization, but with Jesus Made on his tails, Jett needed a new position. His versatility could lead him to being an exciting call up in the dog days of August. Right now, he is on the fence of the top 20 for me, if he continues to expand his role and prove he needs to be called up, he will stay, if he plays like he did at the start of the year, he may be in the draft.
Josue De Paula – According to MLB, Josue De Paula, is the top prospect on me team. His numbers back that up. Over his last 30 games he is batting 0.318 with 9 stolen bases and 7 homers. Being on the Dodgers means he won’t get rushed up, they have enough talent at the big league level and plenty of older outfield prospects in the minors. He will get to fully come into his own in the minors this year and then hopefully play well in Spring Training next year to get a starting spot. I plan on keeping him around long-term, I would be dumb not to, but I do worry about when he will actually get a shot on this stacked Dodgers team.
Shane Bieber – Bieber recently came back from starting the season on the Injured List. During his rehab starts he had mixed results. Some starts he looked good, and others he looked washed. I want to be a Bieleber, but he is making it hard to with his performance. His last start before the All-Star break was decent, but I expect more out of him. He is currently on my trade block and not a player I am looking at keeping next year, even though it pains me to say so.
Sean Burke – At one point earlier this year, I tried to trade Burke, thinking his value had maxed out. Since that point he has been incredible. Over his last 7 games, he has pitched 40.1 innings, struck out 55 batters, has a 2.90 ERA, and is 4-1. He started 5 of those 7 games, with the other 2 coming after an opener. Havin an opener for him is a little sad, since I can’t get a point for a Quality Start, but he is still dealing. His last 3 starts he has given up 4 runs over 18.1 innings with 28 strike outs. At one point, Burke wasn’t going to be apart of my future plans, but he has worked his way in.
Noah Cameron – Acquired in a trade package with hopes of him bouncing back. He has been better since I acquired him, but he is still struggling, especially lately. He has shown flashes of being the pitcher he was last year, but has also shown some low lows. I am going to let him ride the year out on the squad, and evaluate him at the end of the year for a potential spot on the roster.
Bubba Chandler – In hindsight, I had the better Pirates starter with Ashcraft before trading him, but I am still high on Chandler. He has shown some progress his last few starts and I think this year will do a lot for his confidence going forward. He is a guy who will be on the team next year, barring a major injury. The only concerns I have come from the Pirates’ radio team. They mentioned that Bubba would be an excellent candidate for an opener. They mentioned his struggles in the first inning and how he settles down afterwards. That would hurt his value in our league, but help him overall. If his mindset is “I need to save my stuff so I can go deeper,” I would think it would be worth trying to make him an elite closer. He has the stuff and name for it.
Rhett Lowder – Before the all-star break, the Reds transitioned Lowder to the bullpen. This was a result of Hunter Greene coming back. This tanked his stock, but the Reds mentioned it was always the plan to have him start again after the break. Nick Lodolo going on the Injured List solidified that though, as Rhett Lowder will take his spot in the rotation. Lowder was very effective out of the bullpen. He is another player who I could see being transitioned to a top-end late inning reliever. He has the hair for it for sure. Lowder is currently on the verge of being dropped. I need to see how the Reds are going to play him going forward, but for now his roster spot is safe.
Roki Sasaki – A new addition to the Katts. Roki was dropped a few weeks back and I quickly picked him up. He is not having a great year, but is still only 24 years old, and lets not forget, when he came out of the bullpen in the postseason he was lights out. He has the ability to start, but has proven he is a dominant closer. I hope the Dodgers re-evaluate him this offseason. If they don’t make him a closer, I hope he figures out his stuff as a starter. Roki has a spot on the roster going into next year for now.
Noah Schultz – After spending awhile on the Injured List Schultz returned and has looked better in his starts before the break. He still is wild. He walks a ton of batters and just can’t seem to find the zone at times. He is a strike out machine though. Schultz is a player who will be on the team next year. Once he figures out his command, he will be a dangerous pitcher. The White Sox, should keep him up the rest of the year to let him get experience and see what works. Then in the offseason they need to have him work with someone on getting his mechanics down and throwing strikes.
Seth Hernandez – The hype at the start of the year for Hernandez as definitely died down. He is still striking out players at a ridiculous rate, but he is getting hit harder after moving up a level. His stuff still plays though, he just needs to get the experience and finish his pitches. Seth probably won’t make the big leagues until 2028, but you can bet that he will be on the Katts when he does. It would take a large trade package for me to move of him at this point.
Cade Horton – Cade will be on the team next year. I am high on him and I think he will come back strong from his Tommy John surgery. There is no point of me trading him as his value is low, I could drop him and draft him if I think I could get him for lower than has 7 salary, but even then the risk isn’t worth it. Watch out for Horton hearing what the Kutty Katts are saying next year.
Karson Milbrandt – Probably the surprising minor league player of the year. He has been a stud for the Marlins minor league teams this year. He keeps getting promoted and continues to dominant. I expect he will get called up at some point this year, but the Marlins may hold him back until next season. Regardless, I expect him to walk into Spring Training fighting for a rotation spot in 2027.
Spencer Schwellenbach – A trade piece acquired during this season. He has yet to make a start in 2026 (for the Braves or the Katts), but is eyeing an August return. This year will be about him getting stronger and ready for next season. Even though the Braves are in a playoff race, I don’t see them over using their young arm. They will ease him back into the rotation and make sure he is ready for a full workload next season. Scwellenback will be back strong for the Braves and Katts next year.
Hagen Smith – Smith almost got a spot start a few weeks ago, but was left in Triple A. He has had mixed results this season, at times he looks like he is ready for the big leagues, and other times he looks like he needs to spend the year in Triple A. What has been consistent is his ability to miss bats. Hagen Smith was one of my top targets in the draft last year, he won’t be this year, but that will be because he will be on the Katts, waiting for his moment to come.
Blake Snell – Just this past Saturday, Snell threw live BP. He looked and felt good enough to make a rehab start coming up. He should be fully back by August. Snell has not gotten to pitch much this year, dealing with various injuries, he has been sitting on my trade black since I got him. I am hoping he comes back and looks good enough that I can flip him for another young prospect. He is just too good for me to consider dropping this year. If I can’t find a trade partner before the deadline, I will try to deal Snell in the offseason. I can’t promise much with this team, but I can promise that Snell will not be on the Katts in 2027.
Thomas White – White is now out for the season. He was looking good at Triple A and was potentially going to get make a spot start here and there for the Marlins this year. Now we will have to wait until next year to see if White gets to compete for a starting spot in the Marlins rotation. He will probably be relegated back to Triple A to start the year and have to prove himself. He is a guy who will be on the roster next year, unless a good trade package comes in.
Jonah Tong – Jonah Tong is currently taking up the 28th spot on the Katts roster, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make the top 20 in the season though. He is the Mets top prospect and when asked to pitch in the bigs this year, has looked okay. The Mets could be sellers at the deadline, opening up some roster spots for their young players, Tong included. Hopefully, he picks it up right where he left off. He is in a weird position because if the season ended today, he would be in my top 20, but if I needed to pick up a player now, Tong would probably be the one who got dropped.
The Kutty Katt's Thoughts 