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Six Prospective September Call-Ups Who Could Swing MLB Playoff Races

Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.

In past Septembers, MLB teams could call up as many players as they pleased from their 40-man rosters, which served as an opportunity to drastically lengthen benches, bullpens and even the occasional rotation. This season, however, is the first under a new policy that allows for only two more players to be added to each team’s regular 26-man roster. There will accordingly be far fewer September call-ups than usual this year.

That’s a shame for several reasons—fewer feel-good stories about career minor leaguers getting their shot in the bigs, less rest for players in advance of the playoffs in an era with more pitcher injuries than ever—but that’s a debate for another time.