10 Burning Questions: Week 12 (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

Welcome to our weekly fantasy baseball burning questions article. Each week, I’ll dive into 10 key questions that are popular within the fantasy community.

These will be carefully chosen to ensure that only the most polarizing topics and players are featured. Let’s get into my 10 burning questions.

Fantasy Baseball 10 Burning Questions

1. How good is Samuel Basallo?

Samuel Basallo is currently slashing .259/.322/.459 with 10 home runs in 227 plate appearances. He’s put up a respectable 8.8% walk rate and a 25.1% strikeout rate.

Basallo is also hitting the ball relatively hard, as highlighted by a 12% barrel rate. And he’s only 21. Simply put, Basallo is a budding star. I’m expecting a huge second half.

2. Who is a good buy-low pitcher right now?

I recommend buying low on Eury Perez. I had high hopes for him coming into the season. He looked like he was coming around before getting injured in his last start.

Perez was expected to miss several weeks, but he’s already in his rehab assignment. Looks like he’s going to crush his return timetable. Buy now before it’s too late.

3. Who will trade for Aroldis Chapman?

The Red Sox have been a massive disappointment. It’s a lost season for them. They’re widely expected to trade Aroldis Chapman to a contender at the deadline.

There won’t be a shortage of candidates for Chapman, who is still a terrific closer. He’d make a lot of sense on the A’s if they want to push for a playoff berth. They’re currently in a Wild Card spot and desperately need a closer.

4. When is Joshua Baez getting called up?

It’s surprising to see that Joshua Baez hasn’t been called up yet, as he’s absolutely mashing in Triple-A. He can produce at a 25-home run, 40-steal pace whenever he’s called up.

It’s only a matter of time before Baez is up with the Cardinals. I expect him to be up around the All-Star break. When that happens, he’s a priority add in all formats.

5. When is Kade Anderson getting called up?

Kade Anderson has arguably been the most dominant pitcher in the minors this year. If he were on any other team, he’d likely be up by now. But he’s on the Mariners, who have an embarrassment of riches in their rotation.

Barring an injury to one of their starters, you likely won’t see Anderson in the Majors until September, when rosters expand.

6. When is Munetaka Murakami coming back?

Munetaka Murakami was exceeding expectations in a major way before his hamstring injury. My best guess for Murakami’s return date is around the All-Star break.

That would give Murakami about six weeks of rest, which is close to the original timeline. Once Murakami returns, temper your expectations. He may need some time to get back on track.

7. What do we make of Zack Gelof?

Zack Gelof has been phenomenal this season, slashing .286/.336/.508 with 11 home runs and eight stolen bases in 216 plate appearances.

What’s most impressive is that he’s cut his strikeout rate to 25%, down from 45% last season. This looks like a breakout season, with 25-25 upside. Congratulations if you got him off the waiver wire.

8. Is Gage Jump legit?

Gage Jump is a touted prospect who has shown terrific stuff and velocity since being called up. He’s coming off a dominant outing against the Angels.

This is an encouraging development for the Athletics, who have been looking for a young, stud pitcher for a while now. For this season, we could see an innings limit, but the future is bright for Jump.

9. When is Roman Anthony coming back?

Roman Anthony continues to deal with a finger injury. He still hasn’t swung a bat yet. There’s currently no timeline for his return.

With the Red Sox struggling and falling even further behind a playoff spot, you can bet that they’ll be cautious with their talented young player. My prediction for when Anthony returns is around August 1st.

10. When is Garrett Crochet coming back?

Garrett Crochet is still in the first step of his throwing program, as he tries to work his way back from a shoulder/lat injury. As with Roman Anthony, we’ll see the Red Sox take a conservative approach with Crochet.

The last thing they want is for him to get more seriously injured in a lost season. I’d say August feels like a good estimate for when Crochet is back.