MLB

SECRET WEAPONS

You may not know them, but they could win the pennant races.

Francisco Rodríguez and Joba Chamberlain started their careers as late-season call-ups who pitched their teams to the playoffs. Here are five guys who might have what it takes to do the same.

DAVID PRICE Rays, LHP
The marquee name among potential call-ups, Price has been dominant in his first season in the minors, ripping through three levels in four months, with a 2.24 ERA and almost a strikeout per inning. The 23-year-old lefty has a mid-90s fastball, and he complements it with a sharp slider. The Rays have a tough decision to make when they promote Price, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2007 draft: Use him as a starter—the role he's excelled in—or put him in the bullpen to keep down his workload. Due to injuries, the pen is where he's most needed.

MAX SCHERZER Diamondbacks, RHP
Scherzer was called up in late April and caused a stir when he struck out seven Astros in 4 perfect innings in his big league debut. He settled in as a reliable reliever before going down with a sore shoulder in June. A history of shoulder trouble, coupled with his violent delivery, points to a bullpen role. That's fine with the D-backs because they've been getting inconsistent performances from Brandon Lyon and Chad Qualls. Scherzer, who's 24, is biding his time at Triple-A Tucson, where his 97 mph fastball has been the force behind his 72 K's in 47 µ IPs.

JOSÉ CEDA Cubs, RHP
The Cubs seem to have an endless supply of power arms. In July they called up Jeff Samardzija to join flamethrowers Carlos Mármol and Kerry Wood in the pen. And behind Samardzija is Ceda, whose stuff is just as good. The 21-year-old Dominican boasts a fastball that's reached 99 mph and a nasty slider that's gaining consistency. And at 6'4", 275 pounds, he has an intimidating mound presence. Control remains his weakness, but that foible didn't stop the Cubs from promoting Samardzija, who had 58 BBs in 113 minor league innings this year.

CARLOS CARRASCO Phillies, RHP
The Phillies wouldn't part with Carrasco in a midseason deal, even though he would have helped them land a better starter than Joe Blanton. Carrasco, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, throws a lively fastball that sits in the low 90s on his best nights, and his changeup has good sink. The red flag here is that he missed a start in early July, complaining of arm soreness. But he seems to have overcome it, and he has since earned a promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. That's only 50 miles from Philly.

JASON MOTTE Cardinals, RHP
Drafted out of Iona College as a catcher in 2003, Motte had a career .190 average when the Cardinals decided to move him to the mound three years later. Good call. Motte has a 98 mph fastball that misses bats despite lacking movement; he's fanning 14.8 batters per nine innings at Triple-A Memphis. His slider is underwhelming, but that's not surprising for a guy in only his third season as a pitcher. The St. Louis bullpen has been problematic all season, so it's puzzling that the 26-year-old flamethrower hasn't already gotten a chance.

MAN ON A MISSION

-JORGE ARANGURÉ JR.

In the fall of 2005, an unlikely figure began appearing at the Orioles' Dominican training complex in San Pedro de Macorís. And it was there, working out with teenage prospects, that Fernando Tatís began his journey back to the majors.

An ailing left knee had led him to retire at age 29, after he hit .194 for the Expos in 2003.

"I couldn't do the things people expected of me, and the game stopped being fun," he says. Five years later, Tatís has been reborn with the Mets, hitting .359 with runners in scoring position while filling in, at various points, for injured outfielders Moises Alou and Ryan Church.

After sitting out 2004 and '05, Tatís told Orioles Dominican scout Carlos Bernhardt that he wanted another shot. Jim Duquette, Baltimore's VP at the time, met with Tatís and decided he was serious, because he kept showing up to practice despite initially struggling against players half his age. The Orioles gave Tatís—who's most famous for being the only player to hit two grand slams in one inning—a minor league deal, and he was called up briefly in July 2006.

Tatís signed with the Mets that off-season and spent last year at Triple-A New Orleans, where he hit .276 with 21 homers. By hitting .297 this season, he's been the Mets' outfield savior. He's also been a godsend back home. Part of the reason he returned to baseball was to raise funds to build a new church in San Pedro. He knew it could take a long time if he didn't make it to the majors, but earlier this year, with Tatís' help, Jerusalem Primera church opened.

With some well-timed hits, Tatís has renewed the faith of a town … and a team.

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