One of the best months of the MLB calendar is officially here. Not only is September the final month of the regular season, but active rosters expand from 26 players to 28. Each MLB team gets to add a position player and a pitcher to its active roster, which makes September 1 an exciting day for fans of MLB teams competing and out of postseason contention.
While not every call-up will be a top prospect, and not every call-up will be historically great, there are several intriguing players getting a chance to compete in September. Who knows, they might even end up impacting the playoff race.
Here's a look at each team's first September call-ups.
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Every MLB team's September call-ups
Team | Position Player Call-Up | Pitcher Call-Up |
|---|---|---|
Arizona Diamondbacks | OF Jorge Barrosa | RHP Ryan Thompson |
Athletics | INF/OF Max Schuemann | RHP Scott McGough |
Atlanta Braves | INF Luke Williams | RHP Roddery Muñoz |
Baltimore Orioles | C Maverick Handley | RHP Albert Suarez |
Boston Red Sox | C Ali Sanchez | RHP Zack Kelly |
Chicago Cubs | OF Kevin Alcantara | RHP Aaron Civale |
Chicago White Sox | 3B Bryan Ramos | LHP Fraser Ellard |
Cincinnati Reds | INF Sal Stewart | RHP Yosver Zulueta |
Cleveland Guardians | OF George Valera | RHP Zak Kent |
Colorado Rockies | C Drew Romo | LHP Ryan Rolison |
Detroit Tigers | OF Justyn-Henry Malloy | RHP Chase Lee |
Houston Astros | OF Taylor Trammell | RHP Luis Garcia |
Kansas City Royals | C Carter Jensen | RHP Luinder Avila |
Los Angeles Angels | INF Scott Kingery | LHP Mitch Farris |
Los Angeles Dodgers | INF/OF Hyeseong Kim | RHP Michael Kopech |
Miami Marlins | C Brian Navarreto | RHP Luarbert Arias |
Milwaukee Brewers | INF Joey Ortiz | RHP Craig Yoho |
Minnesota Twins | DaShawn Keirsey Jr. | RHP Noah Davis |
New York Mets | SS/2B Luisangel Acuña | RHP Justin Hagenman |
New York Yankees | C J.C. Escarra | LHP Ryan Yarbrough |
Philadelphia Phillies | C Garrett Stubbs | LHP Tim Mayza |
Pittsburgh Pirates | INF Nick Yorke | RHP Cam Sanders |
San Diego Padres | OF Jackson Merrill | RHP Sean Reynolds |
San Francisco Giants | OF Grant McCray | RHP JT Brubaker |
Seattle Mariners | C Harry Ford | RHP Luke Jackson |
St. Louis Cardinals | OF Victor Scott III | RHP Chris Roycroft |
Tampa Bay Rays | INF/OF Richie Palacios | RHP Kevin Kelly |
Texas Rangers | INF Jake Burger | RHP Chris Martin |
Toronto Blue Jays | INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa | RHP Dillon Tate |
Washington Nationals | SS Nasim Nuñez | LHP Andrew Alvarez |
This story will be updated as more call-ups are revealed.
Mariners begin Harry Ford era with September call-up
A moment Seattle Mariners have waited a while for has finally arrived. Harry Ford, one of their top prospects for a while now, is up in the majors for the first time. This is a very exciting move for Seattle.
No, this doesn't mean that Cal Raleigh is hurt or going anywhere. Raleigh is still going to catch most days, and DH on days that he isn't catching. What this move allows the Mariners to do, though, is start Ford behind the dish on days Raleigh isn't catching, and play him at DH and potentially even in the outfield on days that he is.
The Mariners promoted Ford for his bat. Ford is slashing .283/.408/.460 with 16 home runs and 74 RBI while playing all 97 games this season for Triple-A Tacoma. Ford has been MLB-ready for a while, and he's looking to make an impact for a Mariners team currently occupying a Wild Card spot.
Reds recall top prospect for playoff push
The Cincinnati Reds have lost eight of their last 10, even after their win on Sunday, yet they sit just 4.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the NL. With a postseason berth still within realistic reach, the team has promoted its top prospect, Sal Stewart, to the majors.
This is a well-deserved promotion for Stewart, who has slashed .309/.383/.524 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 118 games, the last 38 of which have come for Triple-A Louisville. The Reds hope Stewart adds a spark to what's been an inconsistent offense all year.
The question with Stewart has long been where he'd play in the majors. Well, with Ke'Bryan Hayes at third base and Matt McLain manning the keystone, Stewart has recently learned how to play first base. He'll slot there when he makes his MLB debut on Monday for Cincinnati.
Blue Jays bolster depth with Isiah Kiner-Falefa reunion
The Toronto Blue Jays were active on the waiver wire, claiming Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday and activating him on Monday with the expanded rosters. Kiner-Falefa played 83 games for the Blue Jays in 2023 before getting traded to the Pirates at that year's trade deadline, so this is a reunion.
While it always makes sense to stack up on depth, the question of what Kiner-Falefa's role is happens to be a good one. Ultimately, it feels like Kiner-Falefa is just an extra right-handed bat the Jays have at their disposal, allowing manager John Schneider to use guys like Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider off the bench more aggressively, knowing he has a veteran who can play everywhere as insurance.
Kiner-Falefa might not play too much down the stretch, but hey, at least he's on a contending team now.
Padres activate Jackson Merrill off IL ahead of division push
The San Diego Padres enter Monday's action just 2.0 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, and they've bolstered their odds of coming back by activating Jackson Merrill off the IL.
Merrill hasn't quite had the sophomore season he was hoping for, but he's still been one of the best hitters in an underperforming Padres lineup, and he should help them in a major way down the stretch. When he's at his best, he's as good as any outfielder in the game. The Padres hope he can be that in September and into October.