The Detroit Tigers formally turned the page to 2027 over the weekend, first by trading staff ace and two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Their second signal, however, was recalling one of the game's top prospects, who is a universal pickup candidate in fantasy baseball leagues.
Max Clark, OF, Tigers (31.8% rostered): Kiley McDaniel's No. 8 prospect entering the season, Clark (at the time of his recall) was in the midst of another strong minor league season as a 21-year-old in Triple-A ball. He had a .276/.368/.434 hitting line with 11 home runs and 21 stolen bases (in 23 tries, which brings his pro-career success rate to 89.2%), but he has really excelled since the beginning of June, batting .294/.402/.506 with nine of his homers in 40 games over that time.
Clark's strengths are his plate approach, as he has 14.6% walk and 78.8% contact rates in his minor league career, and his aforementioned speed, which sounds like a more rotisserie-angled prospect until you consider the walks. Clark had 15 plate appearances during his first weekend in the majors and, on the nine balls he put into play, five were hard hit and one cleared the fence. He had a mere 13.3% miss rate -- another testament to his potentially-elite plate approach.
What's puzzling about the promotion is the timing. Clark wasn't on the Tigers' 40-man roster at the time and promoting him at all this season erases the possibility he could get reps in the minors next year in the event of a work stoppage. Additionally, the move came in advance of the Aug. 14 date after which a prospect can't accrue the requisite time to expire his rookie eligibility. The Tigers now have almost no chance at earning prospect incentives per the rules for Clark's performance, other than if they somehow demote him in the coming weeks.
Considering his opening-weekend returns, that seems unlikely. In fact, it stresses that he's probably here to stay as an everyday player, and a universal add.
Clark isn't the only young outfielder whose recent performance has put him on the pickup radar. A fellow AL youngster, but one whose skills contrast greatly to Clark's, should also top your list for this week.
Spencer Jones, OF, New York Yankees (8.5% rostered): He had been promoted three times previously by the Yankees this season but it's recall No. 4 during which Jones appears to be putting things together. Over the final five games of the Yankees' seven-game road trip against Chicago's two teams, Jones came to the plate 18 times and put the ball in play 12 times, eight of which were hard hits and three of which cleared the fence. Even more promising for this prospect with huge holes in his swing was his decreased, 26.5% whiff rate in that same time (to compare, his number in his first 91 MLB plate appearances was 42.1%).
It's a precariously small sample, but any signals from Jones that his top-shelf power potential is present at this level is promising. As I noted on Sunday with Luis Garcia Jr.'s acquisition, if the Yankees' moves signal that Bellinger and/or Aaron Judge are further from a healthy return than expected, Jones could factor as a regular corner outfielder and middle-of-the-order hitter, with a good share of start-worthy fantasy matchups.
Two-start pickup
Joey Cantillo, SP, Guardians (23.7% rostered)
It's a tricky week for trusting two-start pitchers, being that the trade deadline fallout will shake up numerous teams' rotations, with all that potentially happening within minutes of the start of the week (and, with it, the deadline for your weekly pickups). However, Cantillo pitches for a team that's likely locked into its current rotation order, he's widely available in ESPN leagues and he has a pair of matchups that make him one of the better options. He'll first face the New York Mets, who rank 27th in runs per game for the season (4.04) and are deadline sellers, before hitting the road to face the Chicago White Sox, who have struggled against lefties of late (.279 wOBA and 24.3% strikeout rate in their past 20 games dating back to July 9).
Deeper-league pickups
Deep (12-team mixed): Clay Holmes, SP, New York Mets (18.6% rostered)
Speaking of trade candidates, Holmes is one of the surest things to be traded, considering what he could bring to his new team as well as the Mets' seller status. Holmes' rostership is relatively high, signaling he might already be on teams in these formats.
Holmes has a 3.26 ERA in 40 starts and two relief appearances since signing with the Mets last season, transitioning nearly seamlessly to the rotation, and reports on his minor league rehabilitation from a fractured right fibula have been positive. He's more than a streaming candidate, especially if he lands with a team in a neutral-or-better environment.
Deeper (15-team mixed): Jackson Jobe, SP, Tigers (2.4% rostered)
Speaking of pitchers on the mend, Jobe is on the way back from June 2025 Tommy John surgery. Over five minor league rehabilitation starts he has a 1.76 ERA and a 26.2% strikeout rate. His most recent was a four-inning, 70-pitch outing for Class A West Michigan and his 30-day rehab window expires on Aug. 5, after which point the Tigers will need to make a decision on activating him to the big-league team or reassigning him to the minors.
Considering there's an easy rotation spot into which he can now be activated, Jobe makes a lot of sense as a Skubal replacement. And, considering Jobe's once-sky-high fantasy potential, he's well worth a stash in 15-teamers and perhaps even in leagues smaller than that.
Deepest (AL- and NL-only leagues): Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies (5.3% rostered)
Care to really speculate? Painter was downright awful during his first stint with the Phillies, posting a 7.06 ERA across 12 starts and two relief appearances, with six of those starts worth minus-5 fantasy points or worse. That said, he was highly regarded at the time of his March 31 MLB debut and one failed test shouldn't define the pitcher.
Painter posted a 4.56 ERA in his five-start stint for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but that was largely because he had one horrible outing (2 2/3 IP, 7 ER, on July 10 against Columbus) sandwiched by four others that were decent-to-good. He also had a quality start in his return outing with the Phillies. Painter's potential is too great to leave him out here in "only" leagues.