August 12-18, 2025

The players covered in this column are only those who still have rookie status as determined by MLB, and who have not already been written up earlier in 2025. Find previous Call-up profiles on the Content tab of the player's PlayerLink page. 

Contributing writers: Jeremy Deloney, Nick Richards, Matthew St-Germain, and Jesse Severe
 
 

August 18, 2025

Samuel Basallo (C, BAL)
Another of MLB’s top prospects finds his way to the big this week with the hard-hitting Basallo. 6’4”, 180 lbs, the left-handed Basallo did everything that could have been expected of him repeating AAA this year. A .270/.377/.589 batting line with 23 HR gave him the third-highest wRC+ in the International League, one spot below fellow recent Orioles promotee Dylan Beavers. Basallo has massive power and makes hard contact. While the profile comes with swing and miss concerns, Basallo has kept his strikeout rates under control in the minors and has consistently drawn walks. The 2021 signee from the Dominican Republic just turned 21 this month. With Adley Rutschman entrenched as Baltimore’s catcher of the present and future, Basallo’s time has been evenly split between C, 1B, and DH in AAA. The Orioles brought him up to hit at DH for now as Coby Mayo holds down first. Baltimore’s catching depth has been a sore spot all year long. Expect the Orioles to find different ways to get a potential star bat into the lineup. 
STATS: Basallo Baseball-Reference page
OTHER COVERAGE: No. 2 on BAL Org Report, No. 11 on HQ100
CURRENT ROLE: starting DH
POTENTIAL ROLE: starting 1B
RATING: 8B

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August 17, 2025

Dylan Beavers (OF, BAL)
The Orioles have decided to give a long look to one of their top prospects and have recalled the 24-year-old from Triple-A. Beavers was hitting .304/.420/.515 with 16 HR, 23 SB and a 68/76 BB/K ratio in Triple-A. The left-handed hitter has been consistent all year long and didn’t appear to miss a beat when he missed time with a sprained shoulder. He has made swing adjustments over each of the past two seasons which have allowed him to hit for more power while making more consistent contact. He has been one of the game’s top performers at the minor league’s highest level. He has combined a better walk rate, improved strikeout rate, more power, and a much higher BA to elevate this already strong prospect status this year. Beavers has also shown a greater proficiency in hitting left-handed pitching. Because of his 6’5” height and long arms, there will always be some swing-and-miss to his game. However, he has identified spin much better and is getting to his above average natural power by getting the barrel of the bat to the ball more consistently. Though he draws his fair share of walks, Beavers is aggressive within the strike zone. He has found success against high velocity while maintaining his swing mechanics to use all fields in his approach. On the basepaths, he is a solid runner with a high baseball IQ which allows him to take an extra bag and also steal bases. Beavers has played all outfield positions in his career and may fit best in RF due to his strong arm. This is a prospect with 25 HR/25 SB upside and should be able to provide at least an average BA and above average OBP. For his career, Beavers is a .278/.383/.459 hitter with a high of 18 HR (2025) and 31 SB (2024). 
STATS: Beavers Baseball-Reference page
OTHER COVERAGE: No. 3 on BAL Org Report
CURRENT ROLE: Starting OF
POTENTIAL ROLE: Starting OF
RATING: 8C

 

August 16, 2025

Nolan McLean (RHP, NYM)
The Mets are promoting the 24-year-old to make his major league debut when he starts against the Mariners on Saturday, August 16. McLean was a 3^rd round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2023 and has quickly ascended the organizational depth chart with a spectacular 2025 campaign. He was good in his first full season as a pro in 2024 when he split time between High-A and Double-A. He returned to Double-A to begin 2025 but was promoted to Triple-A after starting 5 games thru early May. He has been terrific at both levels. On the season, McLean has a 2.45 ERA with 127 strikeouts and a .192 oppBA in 113.2 innings. With a strong, durable frame, he’s provided innings in each full season and hasn’t missed any time due to injury. Though his repertoire isn’t considered plus, he works well with a solid sinker / slider combination. He throws from a low ¾ slot which enhances his sinker which induces a ton of groundballs. His sinker operates mostly in the 92-96 mph range and he’ll mix in a harder four-seamer in the 93-97 mph range. McLean’s best pitch is a sweeping slider that is thrown with a ton of spin and features great action. It is a weapon against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. Other pitches in his mix include a hard cutter, slower curveball and below average change-up. From a control and command standpoint, he could use some refinement. On the one hand, his sinker can be difficult for hitters to barrel, but it can also be challenging to command. For his career, McLean has a 3.11 ERA, 9.8% walk rate and 25.7% strikeout rate. 
STATS: McLean Baseball-Reference page
OTHER COVERAGE: No. 6 on NYM Org Report; No. 47 on HQ’s midseason Top50; Eyes Have It (2024)
CURRENT ROLE: Starter
POTENTIAL ROLE: #3 starter
RATING: 8D

Bob Seymour (1B, TAM)
The Rays are shuffling their roster and they’ve recalled the 26-year-old slugger from Triple-A. The 6’3” 250-pounder was leading the International League in HR and RBI prior to his promotion. In 399 AB at that level, Seymour was batting .263/.327/.553 with 30 HR. He was easily leading the league in HR, with the next-highest player at 23. The left-handed hitter has done a better job this season of making contact, though he still fits the stereotypical profile of a lumbering masher. He continually exceeds 100+ strikeouts annually and this year was no exception. He takes aggressive hacks at all pitches and often misses balls within the strike zone. As he’s advanced through the minors, Seymour’s walk rate has also declined. He was a 13^th round selection in the 2021 draft and has spent his entire career in the Rays organization. They covet him for his pop, obviously, but he has proven to be effective with BA. An added highlight in 2025 is his success against left-handed pitching, previously a sore spot. In 86 AB against lefties in 2025, he is hitting .291 with 6 HR. Seymour is a well below average runner and is more of a fringy defender at 1B. He lacks the footspeed and quickness to play other positions. With 58 HR over the last two seasons, he could carve out a role on the big league roster if he continues to supply the pop. He could see time against RHP at both 1B and DH. For his career, Seymour is a .286/.361/.522 hitter.
STATS: Seymour Baseball-Reference page
CURRENT ROLE: Will see lot of AB against RHP
POTENTIAL ROLE: Platoon 1B/DH
RATING: 7E

 

August 15, 2025

Owen Caissie (OF, CHC)
On most teams, Caissie would have been called up long ago. A Cubs outfield of Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ, however, is quite a nut to crack. Caissie earns his promotion after a AAA line of .289/.389/.566 with 22 HR in 404 PA. A left-handed high school draftee out of Canada in 2020, Caissie turned 23 this summer. He is listed as 6’3”, 190 lbs. One of the many bats San Diego has traded over recent years for pro upgrades, Caissie made his way to the Cubs system way back in the Yu Darvish trade. One might reasonably suspect a .370 BABIP rate would portend lesser times ahead, but Caissie has a .382 BABIP over five minor league seasons despite only 33 SB in that time. 28.2% strikeouts and 13.1% walks coupled with that high slugging percentage suggests some Three True Outcomes possibility (or risk, depending on your perspective). Caissie is a good, not great, corner outfielder. Power will need to push him into the lineup, not the glove. Overall, this is one of the top MLB prospect bats likely to be called up for the rest of the year. If Craig Counsell decides the red-hot hitting of Caissie will pull the Cubs out of their mid-summer malaise, or Caissie otherwise finds himself in playing time, he could hit for power in weeks ahead. Don’t be surprised if he never goes back to AAA-Iowa.
STATS: Caissie Baseball-Reference page 
OTHER COVERAGE: No. 43 on HQ100; No. 4 on CHC Org Report
CURRENT ROLE: Backup OF
POTENTIAL ROLE: Starting OF
RATING: 8D

 

August 14, 2025

No call-ups.

 

August 13, 2025

No call-ups.

 

August 12, 2025

Everson Pereira (OF, TAM)
The Tampa Bay Rays called up Pereira and started him batting fifth and playing CF on Monday August 11, after his deadline trade from the Yankees. The 24-year-old played 27 games for the Yankees in 2023, then missed much of 2024 to injury before returning to Triple-A to start this season. There the 5’11”, 200-lb outfielder put up a typical Pereira season: 21 HR but with a .256 BA and 100 SO in 348 PA. He can provide some stolen bases, and the power is real, and he will draw enough walks to get a decent OBP, but the BA is likely to be light.  He is susceptible to holes in his strike zone coverage, and thus the strikeouts that come along with with package. The main thing is he was healthy this year, and it’s been a long road to get to this point. He has enough skills to hold down a starting outfield spot. Unlike 2024, he hit better against LHP this year, so he might get starts against both types. He started his first game against a lefty, and we shall see how he is used.
STATS: Pereira Baseball-Reference page 
OTHER COVERAGE: No. 14 on NYY Org Report
CURRENT ROLE: Starting OF
POTENTIAL: Starting OF
RATING: 7C

Luinder Avila (RHP, KC)
The Kansas City Royals called up Avila to make his major league debut out of their bullpen. A 6’3”, 195-lb righty, Avila spent most of this season in Triple-A Omaha as a starter. But he landed on the IL in late May with a shoulder issue, and only recently started his rehab. He made four appearances, pitching just one, two, three, and two-and-two-thirds innings in those appearances. He is likely to be used in long relief initially. Of his 212 batters faced this year, he struck out 29% of them while walking 10%. A 19% K-BB rate will do fine in whatever role they use him. He throws four pitches, leading with a low-to-mid 90s plus FB with good spin and run. His low-90s cutter, his upper-70s curve and his low-80s slider give him enough of a pitch mix to become a back of rotation starter. But with only his FB as plus, that is likely to be his ceiling. 
STATS: Avila Baseball-Reference page 
CURRENT ROLE: Middle reliever
POTENTIAL: #5 starter/swingman
RATING: 6C

Jose Espada (RHP, BAL)
The Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of 28-year-old Espada to join their bullpen. Last seen in the majors in 2023 with the Padres, Espada spent 2024 in Japan, before returning this year and moving to Baltimore. Between Double-A and two Triple-A teams, the 6’0”, 170-lb righty has faced 178 batters while striking out 37% and walking 12% out of their pens. He throws three pitches, starting with his mid-90s four-seam fastball, which is an improvement over the low-90s he showed in 2023. He throws a low-90s sinker, and a mid-80s slider. It’s enough to get the strikeouts increased over his 2023 minor league numbers, but the walks are too high for him to dominate. If he could reign that in just a bit, he could become a useful middle reliever.  
STATS: Espada Baseball-Reference page 
CURRENT ROLE: Middle reliever
POTENTIAL: Middle reliever
RATING: 5C

 

PLAYER POTENTIAL RATING
Scale of (1-10) representing a player’s upside potential
10 - Hall of Fame-type player
9 - Elite player
8 - Solid regular
7 - Average regular
6 - Platoon player
5 - Major League reserve player
4 - Top minor league player
3 - Average minor league player
2 - Minor league reserve player
1 - Minor league roster filler

PROBABILITY RATING
Scale of (A-E) representing the player’s realistic chances of achieving their potential
A - 90% probability of reaching potential
B - 70% probability of reaching potential
C - 50% probability of reaching potential
D - 30% probability of reaching potential
E - 10% probability of reaching potential

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