Updated Monday, August 31, 2026. Rosters expand at the start of September.
Two roster spots per club. One of them can be a pitcher. That is the entire canvas, and it means the call-ups worth watching are not always the biggest names — they are the ones who fit.
Gage Wood, Phillies
Why he matters: The No. 26 pick in the 2025 draft has a fastball-curveball combination that already passes both the eye test and the analytical one. Those two pitches are enough to succeed in a major league bullpen right now.
The role: Reliever. Andrew Painter’s second-half surge settled Philadelphia’s rotation, so Wood’s path is short relief — where the Phillies genuinely need help. He still needs a slider and a changeup to start long term, but he does not need them to get outs in September.
Why it counts: Philadelphia is tied with the Cubs for the top National League wild card. The difference between first and second is home field for a best-of-three.
Josue De Paula, Dodgers
Why he matters: Baseball’s No. 6 overall prospect, still only 21, hitting .315 at Triple-A Tulsa with 25 home runs. The offensive comparisons have been extravagant.
The role: Complicated. With Shohei Ohtani occupying designated hitter, De Paula fits only as a corner outfielder, which means sitting an established veteran. His defence is not the selling point.
Why it counts: Los Angeles is chasing Milwaukee for the National League’s top seed and the bye that comes with it. A bat that changes a lineup is worth more than a bench piece.
Ethan Salas, Padres
Why he matters: Turned 20 in June and is hitting .292/.368/.448 with nine home runs, recently promoted to Triple-A. An elite defensive catcher with a genuine offensive profile is a rare thing.
The role: Third catcher — the most common September addition in baseball. Carrying one lets a manager pinch-hit for his starting catcher late in a tied game without risking being caught short.
Why it counts: San Diego sits half a game outside the final National League wild card. Every late-inning decision matters at that margin.
Patrick Clohisy, Braves
Why he matters: Hitting .357/.440/.512 in 37 Triple-A games with 13 extra-base hits and 21 steals. He began the year ranked 29th in a thin Atlanta system and has forced his way into the conversation.
The role: The classic September bench piece. Speed, the ability to cover all three outfield spots, and no need for regular at-bats. A pinch-runner who can finish the game defensively wins more games than his statistics suggest.
Why it counts: Atlanta leads the National League East and is three games off the league’s best record.
Demetrio Crisantes, Diamondbacks
Why he matters: Twenty-one and hitting well enough to demand a look.
The role: Awkward. Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado occupy his natural positions, so he arrives as a bench bat rather than a solution.
Why it counts: Arizona holds the final National League wild card by half a game, with one fewer game remaining than San Diego. They cannot afford a passenger, which may be the argument against promoting him at all.
The Names That Came Early
Several players who would have headlined this list are already in the majors. Kevin McGonigle has been among Detroit’s best players. Munetaka Murakami and Sam Antonacci have driven the White Sox to a division lead nobody predicted. Cleveland’s Parker Messick, Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter have helped hold the American League’s final wild card.
That is the modern pattern. The best prospects debut in June and July, when a club has time to evaluate them, rather than in a September window that lasts four weeks.
What to Actually Watch For
The tell is usage, not the name. A contender that promotes a reliever and immediately uses him in the seventh inning of a one-run game is auditioning him for October. One who appears only in blowouts is not.
Last season Trey Yesavage in Toronto and Connelly Early in Boston both debuted in September and both started playoff games. Neither looked like a postseason piece on September 1.
Our September call-ups tracker logs promotions as they happen, and the playoff race page covers which races two roster spots could actually decide.
The Bottom Line
Gage Wood is the call-up most likely to pitch a meaningful inning in October. Ethan Salas is the most likely to fill the role September was designed for. Josue De Paula is the best player on the list and the least likely to find regular at-bats. Watch how they are used, not whether they are promoted.