The Daily Dugout Report - September 10, 2026

It's the final week of Double-A for the regular season, and the lower levels are in the playoffs. There is still plenty happening that is worth knowing, so we will still bring you top-notch coverage.

That does mean we might see some prospects get a bump from High-A to Double-A to get them an extra week of action and the possibility of more players going to Triple-A as they run an extra week beyond Triple-A.

Regardless, there are still things to be taken away from what happens over the final week of the season. Let’s dive in.

Exit Velocity Leaders(Prospects Only)

Whiff Leaders(Prospects Only)

The Prospect Report

🚀 Standout of The Day

Rainiel Rodriguez, C, St. Louis Cardinals (AA)

Line: 4/5 2B, HR

Why The Performance Matters:

Rodriguez has spent the majority of the year in Double-A and has handled business well. Coming on incredibly strong over the last month, he is up to 24 home runs in 512 plate appearances with a .316/.408/.553 slash line. He is still 19 years old and won’t even turn 20 until the calendar turns to 2027.

Since the All-Star Break, Rodriguez is slashing an insane .391/.455/.733 across 187 plate appearances with 13 home runs and 16 doubles. It’s all backed by improved contact rates and just a 10 percent strikeout rate over that span. The zone contact is up to 82.5 percent, and the overall mark sits at 78 percent over the torrid second half.

If you are looking for the next big power-hitting catcher, Rodriguez is him. The home run power is elite, but the underlying data was strong as well, as Rodriguez has a 90th percentile exit velocity already in the plus range for MLB standards, sitting north of 106 mph. The launch angles are solid, and he pulls the ball in the air at an above-average rate.

I’ve held Rodriguez back in rankings because of the catcher position, but also him DHing a decent bit this year. At this point, I don’t really care where he plays; the bat is elite. -CC

Bishop Letson, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (AA)

Line: 6.1 IP/4 H/1 ER/1 BB/9 K

Why The Performance Matters:

It has been an odd year for Letson, who struggled out of the gate but has had plenty of highs and some lows. After being blown up in late August for eight earned runs, he now has back-to-back nine-strikeout performances. You could argue last night’s start was the best of the year as he punched out nine and allowed just one run across 6.1 innings.

Letson generated 16 whiffs, good for a 41 percent mark to pair with a 45 percent CSW. He generated a ton of called strikes, but got hitters to chase out of the zone often as well.

The stuff is off the charts, and Letson has a deep arsenal of pitches. Throwing from a low 5’3” release height, Letson also creates nearly 7.5 feet of extension, which helps his pitches play up.

The fastball sits near 95 mph with above-average 16 inches of IVB from his low release. He also mixes in a sinker with 18 inches of arm-side run. The 85-87 mph changeup plays well off the sinker with late depth to keep hitters on their toes and the same amount of arm-side run as the sinker.

Letson’s sweeper is his most-used secondary, sitting in the low-80s with good depth and 14 inches of sweeping action. The 90 mph cutter has improved this year and been a strong secondary pitch for him.

If he throws strikes more consistently, which has been the case recently, he could establish himself as a strong prospect. Ending the season on a high note like this could go a long way. -CC

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