3B Jose Miranda, Minnesota Twins (70%)
Who is this man, and what has he done with Jose Miranda?! After a recent 5-hit game followed by a 4-hit game the following day with a home run, Miranda has brought his season line up to an incredible .328/.370/.531 with 9 home runs and good counting stats.
While his peripherals indicate, some regression is likely in order (.350 BABIP this year after .235 last year), most of what he is doing appears legitimate. Whoever this new Jose Miranda is, he is certainly an improvement on last year’s Miranda, and I think it’s fair to say we want this guy to stay.
He’s now owned in most leagues after a big jump in ownership recently, but it’s worth checking to see if he’s available.
SS Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins (65%)
Before his call-up, Lee spent most of his time this year at the AAA level, where he hit .329/.394/.635 with 7 home runs. Since his call-up, Lee is hitting a blistering hot .467/.471/.733 with hits in over half of his at bats, a home run and 6 RBI in just four games. The top prospect is well-known for his hit tool and plate discipline, and he’s also got a good amount of power in his bat. So far, he has come just as advertised and is worth adding in all formats.
SP Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers (63%)
Heaney started the season with a rough 6.26 ERA in April but has settled in since, with an impressive 3.41 ERA, 1.107 WHIP and 10.22 K/9 in June. He may never be as good as fantasy owners hoped after his brief but elite 2022 season with the Dodgers, but he still has a good bit of upside.
His 2.34 BB/9 this year is particularly encouraging, and he’s done a great job of limiting runs, though he still needs to improve his pitch efficiency. Heaney makes for a good scoop right now in anticipation of what could be a great second half for the left-hander.
*RP Yimi Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays (45%)
Yimi was on this list in Week 12 but got injured. He will return from the IL soon and will likely be the Jays’ closer for the rest of the year. Make sure to scoop him up now if you want him!
1B Rowdy Tellez, Pittsburgh Pirates (23%)
Just when everyone (myself included) was ready to write Rowdy Tellez off entirely, he has been reminding us all that somewhere in there is the same guy who smacked 35 homers in 2022. Over the past eight games, Tellez has hit five of his seven home runs this season. In fairness, he had started showing signs of life since the beginning of June, but this past week or so is catching the eyes of fantasy owners (his ownership is up 5.4% since last week).
So, has Tellez successfully risen from the ashes of his failures, which ironically date way back to the beginning of June or so last season, or is this just a brief apparition of the hitter Tellez used to be? It’s anyone’s guess, but he is available in nearly 80% of leagues right now, and it likely won’t cost too much to find out.
2B Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins (16%)
Edwards had an excellent season last year at AAA, hitting .351/.429/.457 with 7 homers and 32 steals and performed reasonably well after his call-up, hitting .295/.329/.333 with 5 steals over 78 at bats. He was recently called up this year and has hit an encouraging .286/.375/.357 with a hit in seven straight games (he’s played eight).
Most importantly, he shows good patience at the plate and has four walks despite striking out seven times. Although he hasn’t stolen a base yet (he was caught stealing yesterday), this plate discipline should allow him to get to his speed sooner rather than later. He’s worth adding in deeper formats if you need speed.
Honorable Mentions
OF Michael Conforto, San Francisco Giants (56%)
He could be heating up with some walks and hits to start July.
OF Alek Thomas, Arizona Diamondbacks (39%)
He is back to start the new month and already has a grand slam and a steal.
SP Yariel Rodriguez, Toronto Blue Jays (36%)
Two quality starts in a row now, and his arrow is pointing back up.
SP Joey Estes, Oakland Athletics (27%)
They just pitched a complete game shutout. Worth keeping an eye on.
1B/2B/3B Donovan Solano, San Diego Padres (11%)
Triple eligibility and solid ratios but no power or speed. Luis Arraez archetype.