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Our final trip around MLB's divisions to find the hidden treasure to help keep our fantasy hopes alive, takes us to the National League West. And while I love the view from the Rocky Mountains, where there may be some long lasting fits, the rest of the division might only have some of those daily or week to week fillers to help get you by. Let's take a look....

Arizona Diamondbacks

The desert is home to some of the most veteran Tersh, guys who were once fantasy staples, who we are now looking to get a good week or two from. When assessing the Diamondbacks' Tersh, it’s more about trying to unlock some past results from a handful of guys.  Nolan Arenado  (19% rostered) has had some weeks that have reminded us of his past glory, but he has not found much consistency. What you are looking for from the former stud is some contribution to the non SB counting stats. He does have double digit homers and has been serviceable with his run production. He is better used at home where he has hit .274 with an OPS of .787, significantly higher than his road marks. A hot week at the hot corner might be what your team needs in a pinch.Another blast from the past is Lourdes Gurriel Jr.  (2% rostered). While injuries have prevented him from really getting going this season, I’m looking more at his steady run production from years past. In his previous 3 seasons in Arizona he has been a solid run producer, with 82, 75, and 80 RBIs respectively. You just hope he can find weeks where he regains those run producing ways. Sticking with the veteran theme, Merrill Kelly (36% rostered) has had difficulty finding his form in 2026. The results have not been good, so he is not highly recommended right now. Again, I’m looking at track record, where he has been a consistent boost in the pitching ratios department, so if he can start to get back to his past results, pick him up. Brandon Pfaadt (6% rostered) has recently returned to the rotation and has reportedly changed his arm angle, with better results. In his two starts back versus divisional foes, he has pitched 10.1 innings giving up only 1 ER and striking out 9. He has not lived up to the potential from early in his career, but maybe he is finding something now.  

Colorado Rockies

There is a lot to get excited about with the young Rockies’ bats, especially when they play at Coors Field. This is the place to look for sustained success from Tersh, the guys who could stick around on your team for a while.  Mickey Moniak (46% rostered) has found a lot of success since his move to the mountain air. On the season, in just under 200 ABs he is hitting .279 with 15 HR and 38 RBIs and an OPS of .924, piggy backing off of his success last season. He is a guy you have to use carefully. If there is a week at Coors vs a heavy dose of RHP, he will be as good as your studs. He has an OPS over 1 at home and close to that number vs RHP. He has been rumored to be traded at the deadline, so monitor that because with his home/away splits, a move away from Coors would kill his value. Cole Carrigg (33% rostered) is a guy I have added, dropped, and traded on different teams this season. His minor league numbers were ridiculous and he has carried that success with him through his first 88 ABs in the bigs. He does a little of everything and has been hot, hitting .417 with 10 Runs and 10 RBIs in his last seven games. He is a switch hitter who hits for a little power and can swipe bags. He has the potential to be a 5 category contributor. He is a switch hitter who plays everyday vs LHP and steadily enough vs RHP. If the Rockies make some moves at the deadline, more at bats could be in store. Kyle Karros (19% rostered) is a guy I am super high on. He has quietly had a monster month for the Rockies at 3B. In his last 80 ABs he is Yahoo’s 24th ranked player, hitting .350 with an OPS over 1.100 to go along with 5 HR, 21 Runs and 14 RBIs. His splits are not as drastic as some of his teammates and the 23 year old has a clearer path to at bats given the logjam on Colorado’s outfield. I am all in on this kid. Troy Johnston (10% rostered) can also contribute on your fantasy team in a pinch. He might not have the long term appeal as Carrigg and Karros, but he has hit over .300 this season with 32 Runs and 39 RBIs with 1B and OF eligibility. I would not be afraid to stack young Rockies at home and use this Tersh monster to carry your team while they play at Coors. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

When you build a super team like the Dodgers, there is not much room for Tersh. They have had to rely on a few guys while key cogs like Mookie and Teoscar were shelved, but at full strength, the pickings are slim.  Tommy Edman (22% rostered) is my favorite of the Dodgers' Tersh. Finally healthy, he is a great little spark plug to fill a lineup void. Eligible at 2B and OF in most leagues and even 3B in some, he fills categories. In his first 57 ABs he has hit .351 with a long ball, 9 Runs, 9 RBIs, and 2 bags without permission. I love this type of player. Just set it and forget it. He can be streaky so ride the hot streak he is on to start his 2026 campaign. Everyone’s favorite villain Dalton Rushing (21% rostered) started the year on an unreal heater and since veteran Will Smith went down with a neck injury, he has seen steady run behind the plate. He’s on another heater and has hit .421 over his past seven games with 6 Runs and 5 RBIs. On the season he has 10 roundtrippers and an .839 OPS. He has been gold in 2 catcher leagues and as the main catcher in a potent offense, is an excellent contributor. We are still waiting for Roki Sasaki (35% rostered) to be the pitcher we expected when he came to the States last season. Much like fellow countrymate Tatsuya Imai, you see the stuff but are often frustrated by the results. He’s still very young and raw, and has struggled to stay ahead with his fastball to capitalize on his lethal splitter. He has shown promise at times this season. He had a dominant run through May and early June and has faded since. He did throw pretty well last night and on the season has 80 Ks in 81 innings. He has the stuff, so he is the type of Tersh you pick up, hope for the best and try to capitalize on the long game hoping he breaks out and gives you a potential ace. I’m just not sure that will happen this season. A surprising addition to this list is Eric Lauer (18% rostered). Since joining the Dodgers rotation, Lauer has 3 Ws to go along with a 3.12 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, and opponents are hitting only .226 against him.  River Ryan stock owners like myself keep waiting for the run to end, but he has not given his new organization any reason to yank him from the rotation. 

San Diego Padres

Honestly, there is not a lot to choose from in San Diego these days. It has been a tough go for most of the Padres lineup offensively this season, so the Tersh players in San Diego are most likely brief fill-ins for daily lineup leagues, because I am not sure you are getting the sustained hot streak.  Xander Bogaerts (36% rostered) has been okay but not great. He doesn’t kill you with counting stats (36 Runs and 33 RBIs), can run into one every now and again (8 HR) and has shown off the wheels a bit (11 SB). Those just aren’t numbers you want to see with the salary he gets. He is good to use when hot though.  Gavin Sheets (12% rostered) was great early, and carried this offense into May. He has since cooled but he sees regular ABs and does have 14 HR and 39 RBIs. You could do worse. We saw classic Walker Buehler (17% rostered) in late May and through June. In that stretch he threw 31.2 innings giving up 7 runs and limited traffic, with a WHIP close to 1.00. He even had a K per inning in that time. Then July started. If he can find it again, he is highly streamable. I would wait to see it first before tempting fate.

San Francisco Giants

The best of the bunch by the bay is the streaky Heliot Ramos (46% rostered). He is currently on one right now. Over his past two weeks he is hitting .325 with 4 HR, 10 Runs and 8 RBIs. He goes nuts every now and again and he looks great under the hood. Maybe this is the time he sustains it and sticks around rosters for the long haul. I would grab him and see. He is only 26 years old and hits the ball hard. These are the guys worth the risk.

Jung Hoo-Lee (44% rostered) did his best Ichiro impression through the first three months as he was seemingly racking up 2 to 3 hits per night. His batting average remains over .300 despite cooling off in late June and early July. He does have 46 Runs and has a little pop and a little speed. He is a steady contributor and hits in the middle of the Giants lineup, so the opportunity for counting stats remains solid. Victor Bericoto (2% rostered) has had a nice little start to his big league career. Through 55 at bats he has hit .309 with 4 HR, 7 Runs and 9 RBIs. He hit well in AAA with a hard hit percentage of 50.4 and xwOBA of .357. Take advantage of the hot start until the league catches up with him. Landen Roupp (42% rostered) has had a very disjointed year, but can be of use if you have needs in your rotation. He has had ten excellent starts and five disasters. Overall that has led to 104 Ks in 97 innings with an ERA of 4.27 and WHIP of 1.31. Those ratios are inflated because like I said, when he is off, he is really off. I’ll look at the glass being half full. 

That was the last of our trips around MLB's divisions in search of Tersh. During the All Star break the series will continue with a focused category by category look at the unsung heroes to help fuel your second half run!

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