X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Home Run (HR) Risers for Fantasy Baseball - September Power Surgers

Wyatt Langford - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Jarod's 2025 fantasy baseball sleepers for home runs (HR) based on power surges in September. Targets these home run risers and values for fantasy baseball drafts.

If a player's final stat line for the year is ho-hum or their team doesn't make it to the playoffs, a strong September could go overlooked or forgotten when it comes time to draft fantasy teams the following season. This can lead managers to miss out on potential breakout candidates and/or players who will significantly outperform their ADP.

Why are we focusing on strong finishes? Well, when a player changes something in their swing that leads to a boost in power production, we, as fantasy managers, want to take notice. The player then has all of the offseason to refine that approach that made them so successful late in the year, and hopefully, they will carry that momentum into the next season.

The table below provides us with last September's HR leaders and their change in power metrics in September compared to their metrics through the end of August. In this article, we will look at five hitters who took a step forward with their power numbers in September, potentially providing us with sneaky home run-related value in our fantasy drafts.

 

Eugenio Suarez, Arizona Diamondbacks

September stats: .347/.385/.644, 9 HR, 18 RBI

Eugenio Suarez is no stranger to the long ball, having walloped as many as 49 back in 2019 and 31 in consecutive seasons between 2021 and 2022.

However, after hitting only 22 in 2023 as a 31-year-old and after a horrific start to 2024 in his age-32 season, it was fair for fantasy managers to wonder if his big power days were behind him.

The veteran third baseman slashed .196/.279/.312 with six home runs in 276 at-bats through the end of June, equivalent to 46 at-bats per home run (AB/HR).

The Venezuelan was rumored to be on the verge of losing his job at that point in the season, but he finally broke out and finished the year strong. The players we're focused on in this article had success in September, but Suarez's hot streak began in July.

He smacked 10 home runs in 90 AB (9.0 AB/HR) in July, took a breather in August with a 20.8 AB/HR rate, and then finished ablaze, blasting nine homers over his final 101 AB (11.2 AB/HR).

Despite the sluggish start, the former All-Star finished with 30 HR with a .256/.469/.788 slash line, .337 wOBA, and a 115 wRC+. The 72.8 percent Contact% even ended up being his highest since 2019.

What does that mean for 2025? Well, fantasy managers should be able to expect at least another 25-homer season, but with a decline in barrel rate for three consecutive seasons now, it's going to be a challenge to get back to the 30-homer plateau.

With his high career K% of 27.1%, there will be bouts of streakiness to deal with, too, but in the end, solid RBI and run-scoring should also be expected, making the 11-year pro a valuable fantasy asset.

 

Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves

September stats: .316/.344/.579, 8 HR, 18 RBI

Michael Harris II started off 2024 strong, slashing .304/.339/.452 with three home runs, 13 RBI, 16 runs scored, and five stolen bases over the first month of the season. However, his bat went cold in May before a hamstring strain in mid-June put him on the IL.

The IL stint caused the former NL Rookie of the Year to miss two months, finally making his return in mid-August. He announced the return with a grand slam in his first game back and gave us a preview of what was to come to end the year.

The left-handed hitter went on a torrid stretch in September, tallying 11 multi-hit efforts in the month, which included eight home runs, 18 RBI, and 21 runs scored.

While many hitters heat up as the weather gets warmer, it seems a bit more pronounced for Harris so far in his career, as seen in the table below (acknowledging it's a limited sample size, especially in March/April).

For whatever reason, the former third-round draft pick goes cold in May, warms up in June, and puts it all together in the final two months.

He hasn't played in more than 138 games in a season to this point, yet he's clearly a multi-category contributor for fantasy when he's in the lineup.

Imagine if he were to produce from start to finish and play in closer to 150 games! Maybe 2025 will be the year, especially given a full offseason to fine-tune the swing that made him so scorching hot this past September.

The 23-year-old already costs a late third/early fourth-round pick, but if there are players you want to "reach" on, it should be multi-category producers with upside like Harris.

 

Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers

September stats: .300/.386/.610, 8 HR, 20 RBI

Despite being his rookie season, Wyatt Langford had fantasy managers expecting big things in 2024 after hitting .365 with six home runs in 63 spring at-bats; however, he also reminded us that we can't put too much stock in spring results.

The 2023 first-round draft pick came out of the gates slow, slashing .222/.288/.286 with just a single home run over the first couple months of the season. Then Langford got hot, slashing .309/.368/.526 in June, but the power was still lacking as he went deep just three times that month.

The University of Florida product then went back into a midseason swoon, slashing .216/.293/.335 between July and August, popping only four more homers. But in September, the youngster finally put it all together, slashing .300/.386/.610 with eight home runs.

Of all the players in the first chart at the top of the page, Langford had the second-largest jump in HR/FB% in September compared to games played through the end of August (27.5%).

Not only that, we saw that when he is getting on base, he is a threat to run, stealing six bags in June and seven more in September, which accounted for 68% of his stolen base production on the season (19 total).

Langford missed some time in May, and despite some struggles, he was able to be a decent multi-category producer for fantasy, putting together a .253-16-74-74-19 line in 134 games. If the right-handed hitter can play more games in 2025, he should push for a 20/20 season.

But if he can also take a step forward -- he has the pedigree to do it -- then we could be talking about a strong fantasy producer across the board. The 23-year-old has an NFBC ADP of around 50 overall, so he's already a bit pricey, but he has the potential to outperform even that cost. Draft with confidence!

 

Lane Thomas, Cleveland Guardians

September stats: .264/.295/.560, 7 HR, 20 RBI

Despite hitting just .184 with two home runs in the first month of the 2024 season, Lane Thomas was able to keep his fantasy value afloat by swiping 11 bases during that time.

He missed most of May with an MCL sprain but bounced back with a hot June, slashing .276/.336/.524 with five home runs, 21 RBI, and 21 runs scored.

The former fifth-round draft pick had a better-than-average walk rate (9.4%) and strikeout rate (21.1%) through July 28 but was then traded to the Guardians.

The adjustment proved difficult, as the right-handed hitter saw his strikeout rate spike to 37.5% while his average dipped to .143 in a homer-less August.

Thomas was able to make some adjustments that led to an improved .264 average in September to go along with seven long balls (also six doubles) and 20 RBI. All in all, the six-year big leaguer finished 2024 with a .237-15-63-65-32 line.

Although it didn't stop there -- he had two postseason homers as well, his last one being a grand slam in the series-deciding victory over the Tigers, which came off eventual AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

If the 29-year-old can take that confidence and those September adjustments and leverage them throughout the 2025 campaign, a 20-homer season could be in the offing.

Not only that, he stole just four bases during the 53 games with Cleveland after totaling 28 in 77 games for the Nationals, so we could see an uptick in that department, too, now that he's comfortable with his new team.

If you miss out on the likes of Harris or Langford early, you can get similar production (albeit without the upside) for a much lower price later on if you grab Thomas.

 

Honorable Mention

Randal Grichuk, Arizona Diamondbacks

Perhaps it was a bit fluky, and maybe if he didn't miss so much time earlier in the season, there wouldn't be such a pronounced change in his power numbers, but it's worth at least pointing out Randal Grichuk's September power surge.

The former first-round draft pick had some of the biggest changes between the first part of the season and September while needing only seven at-bats per home run in the final month.

The 33-year-old will go undrafted in most leagues, but he's now back in Arizona on a one-year deal and could be worth a flier at the end of some drafts for power-needy managers.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF