The Daily Dugout Report - September 2, 2026

We have reached the final week of the 2026 Minor League Baseball season, at least on the Single-A and High-A side of things. Playoffs will happen next week for some teams, but the majority of teams wrap up this week.

That does mean we might see some prospsects 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

Angel Cepeda, INF, Chicago Cubs (A+)

Line: 3/4 2 HR

Why The Performance Matters:

Cepeda has always been a prospects that fascinates me. He has had an up and down career, and is prone to running hot and cold streaks, but he always seems to finish out seasons well. Last year he had a hot stretch to end 2025, and after two home runs last night Cepeda has five in his last six games.

While he missed much of the 2026 season, Cepeda has 12 home runs, eight doubles, and two triples in 307 plate appearances. He has a slash of .246/.371/.437.

I don’t think this is a profile that is going to take off as the contact rates are well-below average and even the approach. Despite a higher walk rate, Cepeda does not run a low chase rate and he is not aggressive in the zone.

At the end of the day, he is a solid add in deeper leagues and one to watch moving forward into 2027. -CC

Tanner Franklin, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (AA)

Line: 6 IP/3 H/2 ER/3 BB/9 K

Why The Performance Matters:

Franklin has had an up-and-down season but has electric stuff. He has struck out nearly 30 percent of the batters he has faced, and the walk rate has trended down near 10 percent. The stuff is electric for sure and after a nine strikeout performance on Tuesday, Franklin has 125 total in 99 innings pitched this year and the ERA is down to 4.09.

Franklin’s fastball sits 96 mph and touches 101 mph with strong traits. He creates 17 inches of IVB and generated a -4.3 VAA from a 5’3” release height. Franklin mixes in a 90 mph cutter as well as an upper-80s changeup and mid-80s slider. The cutter plays exceptionally well and his slider has good depth with negative IVB and 13 inches of sweep. The 89 mph changeup has 15 inches of fade with late drop.

While Franklin could be a bullpen arm, he has shown flashes of being a mid-rotation starter thanks to the stuff. If the 62 percent strike rate and 51 percent zone rate stick that he has shown in Double-A, Franklin is cooking with strong starter stuff. He is still a good buy in dynasty leagues. -CC

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