SS Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (68%)
How Winn isn’t owned in at least 80% of FanTrax leagues is beyond me. He is a 22-year-old hitting .301/.352/.441 with two homers and seven steals this season. He’s also riding a 12-game hitting streak with four doubles and three multi-hit performances in his last four games.
With an 86.3 mph average exit velocity and an almost non-existent barrel percentage, it’s understandable to wonder how Winn has been able to do as well as he has. However, he has historically had a very good contact rate, and although his expected stats suggest he is overperforming a bit, they also suggest that he can be at least a .270 hitter with great speed.
For this reason, he is especially appealing in batting average leagues but is currently hitting well enough to be rostered in all formats.
C David Fry, Cleveland Guardians (50%)
David Fry has sneakily been an excellent hitter all season, as he has a ridiculous .360/.500/.628 slash with six bombs and almost as many walks as strikeouts. Early on, the problem was that he needed to get more playing time. Well, he has been getting it over the past couple of weeks or so.
Cleveland is playing him in all different positions to get him the playing time he deserves. It’s working, as he has caught fire with four home runs and 9 RBI in his last ten games. He even stole two more bases at that time.
Fry has now seen twelve starts behind the dish but has also started at first base eight times and outfield nine times, so he should soon gain eligibility in those positions. He is definitely a hitter worth considering due to his success and the utility he can provide.
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3B Mark Vientos, New York Mets (36%)
Vientos is emerging as a potential post-hype breakout player this year. He was a former top prospect working on his craft for a while now in the minors. He was called up for three consecutive games earlier this season but was sent back down as the Mets didn’t have a way of working him into the lineup, with Bretty Baty also playing third base.
Vientos was called back up on May 15th, however, and has done so well over the past week that he now seems to be on the strong side of a platoon with Baty at third. Vientos has a long history of hitting the cover off of the ball, but in this small sample, he is finally showing the plate discipline he will need for sustained success.
It’s a good idea to snag Vientos now, as his ownership will skyrocket if he keeps playing like this.
2B Nick Gonzales, Pittsburgh Pirates (34%)
Gonzales, another former top prospect, has hits in twelve of his fifteen games this year and is rocking a mighty impressive .308/.383/.519 slash line with two bombs and steals.
Although he has only hit those two home runs thus far, his 14.6% barrel rate and 50% flyball rate, coupled with his 92 mph average exit velocity, suggest plenty more baseballs will leave the park off the barrel of his bat. On top of this, he is playing daily now and hitting in the heart of the Pirates’ order. He is a strong buy for me.
OF Jake Meyers, Houston Astros (33%)
Meyers is playing nearly every day for Houston now and has six home runs already. While he isn’t batting high in the order (currently 7th against righties and 9th against lefties), he has been doing enough damage to make him quite relevant for fantasy, and there is a good chance he continues to increase his value.
He is averaging 92 mph, and his peripheral stats completely support what he has done thus far. His main hang-up is that he doesn’t offer much speed, but Meyers’ arrow is pointed straight up, and he could be a sneaky source of power in deeper leagues.
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Honorable Mentions
RP (SP) Ryan Weathers, Miami Marlins (49%)
Has some upside despite a lackluster K rate so far. He is doing a better job of limiting walks.
2B Michael Massey, Kansas City Royals (39%)
Would have been on this week’s but landed on the IL with a back injury. Keep him in mind.
SP Cade Povich, Baltimore Orioles (34%)
The Orioles need starters badly, and Povich has been pitching very well in the minor league.
3B/SS Edmundo Sosa, Philadelphia Phillies (19%)
Has been filling in for Trea Turner admirably (.333/.418/.623, 3 homers & 2 steals).
OF Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants (19%)
Playing every day and hitting fairly well. A solid add in deeper leagues.
2B/OF Ji-Hwan Bae, Pittsburgh Pirates (18%)
Regarding steals, Bae is bae (someone we love).
