Whether it’s moonshot home runs, clutch base hits, or multi-hit games that just won’t quit, these dawgs have been on absolute fire. We’re breaking down the hottest players at the plate from the past week—guys who’ve been raking, slugging, and turning heads with every swing. Let’s take a look at who tore it up and made noise last week around the league, in no particular order.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr., OF – San Diego Padres
Last Week’s Line: .375/.483/.958/1.441, 4 HR,7 RBI, 9 R,1 SB
Ladies and gentlemen, your National League Player of the Week, and for a great cause. Tatis was absolutely on fire, displaying the hit tool and the plate discipline that earned him the bag – hitting safely in all seven games, I might add. His Statcast page is on fire, so these results should surprise no one. I mean, over half of the balls he hits are above 95 MPH exit velocity. Smoke meets show.
2. Bryce Harper, 1B – Philadelphia Phillies
Last Week’s Line: .320/.469/.760/1.229, 3 HR,9 RBI, 8 R, 1SB
Jonathon Papelbon must be so proud! Besides using it to drop a gender reveal at the plate (it’s a boy!), Bryce used the lumber this week to absolutely crush at the plate. And it’s nice to see Harper doing it from Opening Day, shrugging off the slow start that’s plagued him each year in Philly. Bats and bags with a stolen base, Harper got it all done this week.
3. Austin Hays, OF – Cincinnati Reds
Last Week’s Line: .429/.467/.786/1.252, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, 0 SB
After opening the season on the IL due to a calf strain, Austin came out swinging in a big way this week! Hays was one of the most productive run producers on the week with three big flies to go along with 15 RBIs/Rs combined (highlighted by four ribeyes on Tuesday and four runs scored on Sunday). This absolutely isn’t his profile, but playing games in (now) pitcher-friendly parks will help.
4. Dylan Moore, UT – Seattle Mariners
Last Week’s Line: .385/.407/.769/1.177, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3 SB
Tell the truth – if I had asked who the best hitters were from last week, and told you one was a Mariner, you would not have guessed Moore (well, outside the 206 anyway). But here we are! The super-utility player had a super-offensive week, throwing in three swipes to boot. Playing at Cincinnati helped (third highest overall park factor, highest PF for HR) with two blasts and four driven in on Tuesday.
5. Cal Raleigh, C – Seattle Mariners
Last Week’s Line: .259/.355/.741/1.096, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB
Did you know? That Cal’s nickname – “Big Dumper” – has nothing to do with the size of his arse? I didn’t, actually – had to look it up. He was in a “Big Dumper Construction” commercial as a kid, and it’s just stuck. Super fun though, am I right? Oh, and your MLB leader in home runs smoked four more this week (thanks, Great American Ballpark – one of which would have only been a homer run in 10/30 ballparks). I absolutely love his batted ball profile, with a barrel rate in the 100th percentile. Translation – DIALED IN.
6. Rhys Hoskins, 1B – Milwaukee Brewers
Last Week’s Line: .450/.476/.900/1.376, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 1 SB
American Family Field, on the other hand, hasn’t been kind to batters this season, ranking near the bottom in terms of hitability, but Rhys gave zero you-know-whats about that last week, churning out a very productive stat line. He’s been an oddity to me for a few years, because his batted ball profile has been all over the place, but he squares up well and has great plate discipline. Yes ,I know he only walked once last week, but it was because he was busy hitting everything else.
7. Corbin Carroll, OF – Arizona Diamondbacks
Last Week’s Line: .300/.323/.533/0.856, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R, 3 SB
Here we are again. Corbin is going to smite me all season because I didn’t believe the shoulder was a thing. I guess it’s not a thing. Max exit velo in the top 2% of the league, average EV of 93+ MPH, elite bat speed (90th percentile), and sprint speed for dayyyyyys. One of MLB’s RBI leaders on the week (tied with Harper, Hays, and Tork), he just keeps mashing. His career average on batting average on balls in play (BABIP) suggests he’s on an unsustainable tear to start the season, so expect regression, but until then, enjoy the show.
8. Oneil Cruz, SS – Pittsburgh Pirates
Last Week’s Line: .280/.357/.680/1.037, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 2 SB
Oneil Cruz is an absolute masher, and his raw power is off the charts. In fact, only one player has hit a baseball harder than his 118.0 MPH on the year (Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 120.4). He is for reals must-watch baseball when he’s at the plate, and that makes me happy for Pittsburgh fans (who have a GORGEOUS ballpark, btw). Three straight games with a home run (including a 442-foot nuke off that bat at 114+), plus the bags (2SB) to go with it? Fantastic week for one of the league’s most fascinating young stars.
9. Pete Alonso, 1B – New York Mets
Last Week’s Line: .400/.500 /.840/1.340, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 0 SB
Pete The Bat. The Polar Bear. Daddy. Whatever you choose to call him, Pete is getting it done early in 2025. Buddy has 24 ribeyes on the year after adding six more this week, and the batted profile is butter – 90th percentile and above in every batted ball metric Statcast tracks (including 100th percentile in xwOBA and xSLG). Fun fact – Mr. The Bat hit a baseball 110+ MPH in nearly every game last week. CRUSHING IT.
10. Tyler Fitzgerald, UT – San Francisco Giants
Last Week’s Line: .400/.444 /0.800/1.244, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 7 R, 1 SB
Fitz feasted last week, thanks in large part to a super-tasty week at Citizens Bank Park – two three-hit games, two scuds, six runs scored. Tyler was such a fun player to watch to close out 2024, and it looks like he’s picked up where he left off. The numbers and the batted-ball profile don’t match up at all, but this game isn’t scored on metrics alone. He’s absolutely the kind of guy you want on your team – a scrappy little engine that could.
