Hurston Waldrep and 4 young stars putting themselves on the map for next season

The 2025 season has been one to forget for the Atlanta Braves, but Hurston Waldrep has this frustrated fan base at the very least feeling somewhat excited about 2026. He was called up out of sheer desperation with the Braves needing a pitcher to use in the Speedway Classic after rain pushed the game to the following day, and he hasn't looked back ever since.

Waldrep allowed one run in 5.2 innings in that start, and that's been along the lines of what he's done ever since. The right-hander has a 1.01 ERA in six appearances (five starts) overall, and he's pitched into the sixth inning in all six of his outings. He still has more to prove in September, but it's getting harder to envision a Braves rotation in 2026 without him, a thought many would've found crazy just a month or two ago.

The 23-year-old is one of several youngsters putting himself on the map by performing at an incredibly high level down the stretch. Here are four others.

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4) Luis Morales, Athletics

Their record isn't any good, but it isn't hard to see why Athletics fans might be excited for the future. A core consisting of the likes of Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson and even Leo De Vries in the Minor Leagues is one worthy of getting excited about. The problem is that all of these players listed are position players. There hasn't been much for A's fans to look forward to on the pitching front, especially after the Mason Miller trade, but Luis Morales is quickly changing that.

Morales made his MLB debut in early August in relief, but was quickly moved to the rotation, and the results have been nothing short of excellent. The right-hander has allowed a total of five runs in 28.1 innings of work, pitching to a 1.59 ERA in six appearances (five starts). Command has been an issue at times, as evidenced by his 11 walks, but for the most part, Morales has really opened some eyes.

He obviously won't be a 1.59 ERA guy long-term, but the makings are there for Morales to thrive at this level. He has a four-pitch mix, highlighted by a four-seamer which ranks in the 89th percentile, averaging 97.2 mph per Baseball Savant, and a sweeper which has generated a solid 32.3 percent whiff rate while holding the opposition to a .067 batting average.

The A's have a lot of work to do when it comes to building a postseason-caliber rotation, but the 22-year-old is looking like a guy whom they can build around in 2026 and beyond.

3) Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers

Many, myself included, wrote Jack Leiter off after a disastrous start to his professional career. The right-hander had a miserable time of it, particularly when it came to throwing strikes. He started to figure things out in Triple-A in 2024, but had an ERA just south of 9.00 in nine big-league appearances that year. Despite his struggles, the Texas Rangers included him in their Opening Day rotation. He's been in the bigs for most of the year, and the results have been great, particularly lately.

Leiter has a 3.77 ERA in 24 starts and 121.2 innings of work overall, but again, his production lately is really where he's begun to open some eyes. Leiter has a 2.88 ERA in his last 11 starts, and he's allowed three runs or fewer in all 11 of those outings, some of which have come against potent offenses. Sure, he still walks too many batters and has trouble getting deep into games consistently, but the numbers speak for themselves. Here's where he ranks among all qualified AL starters in this 11-start span in some key metrics.

Do I think Leiter is a top-10 pitcher in the AL? No, but an argument can certainly be made that he's pitched like one for two-plus months. He, at the very least, looks like a pitcher the Rangers can confidently slide into their rotation next season and expect to stick around.

Leiter was selected by the Rangers with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft for a reason. He might not ever live up to that billing, but there's clearly a lot of talent in his right arm. Watching him pitch as well as he has lately has been great, and he's only 25 years old. The best might still be to come, which is a great sign.

2) Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins

The best prospect that the Miami Marlins received in exchange for Luis Arraez was Dillon Head ... or so we thought. Jakob Marsee was also in that trade, and in his brief bi-gleague tenure, he already looks like a budding star.

In 31 games, Marsee has slashed .339/.416/.606 with four home runs, 25 RBI, 11 doubles and nine stolen bases. Oh yeah, he has already been worth three outs above average while playing primarily in center field. What can't he do? Here's a look at where Marsee ranks among his NL peers since his call-up on Aug. 1.

Marsee has a higher OPS than Freddie Freeman, more RBI than Rafael Devers, more stolen bases than Elly De La Cruz, a higher wRC+ than Shohei Ohtani and a higher fWAR than Juan Soto since the start of August. He's been that good.

A one-month sample size is rather small, but it isn't microscopic, and the eye test certainly comes close to matching up with the results. Marsee has looked like a true five-tool talent. Even if he isn't actually one of the best players in the National League, he looks like a player the Marlins will look to build around for 2026 and beyond. The 24-year-old has at the very least secured himself a starting job next season with the potential for so much more.

1) Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees

Look at these pitches and tell me why New York Yankees starter Cam Schlittler can't be an All-Star one day.

According to FanGraphs, Schlittler is tied with Spencer Schwellenbach for 11th among all starting pitchers with at least 40 innings this season with a 120 Stuff+. For reference, Jacob deGrom has a 121 Stuff+ and Zack Wheeler is at 123 Stuff+. No, Schlittler is not deGrom or Wheeler, nor do I think he ever will be, but he's got tremendous stuff. And based on how he's pitched, he looks like someone who will stick around in pinstripes for a while.

Schlittler has a 2.61 ERA in nine starts and 48.1 innings of work this season in his first taste of big-league action, posting a 27.4 percent strikeout rate as well. The 24-year-old has only been getting better as he's gotten more acclimated to the Majors, allowing two runs in his last four starts combined spanning 23.2 innings of work.

Many Yankees fans wanted Schlittler traded at the deadline for someone more proven, but now, he looks like a fixture in their rotation in 2026 and beyond.