As you may have noticed, we no longer allow comments on the site. I’m grateful to have been able to engage with you all here, and if you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Twitter (@ifthechufits), BlueSky (scottchu.pitcherlist.com), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire).
As a reminder, these rankings are geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, as that is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: Runs, RBI, Home Runs, Batting Average, and Stolen Bases.
I would recommend not paying super close attention to the specific ranks of each player, and honing in more on the respective tiers that they’re in. Each tier represents a grouping of players that I think could arguably perform at a similar level, and/or carry similar levels of risk in terms of injury concerns or playing time obstacles. If Player X is ranked at No. 55 and Player Y is ranked at No. 65, but they’re in the same tier, it means that I personally prefer Player X, but think there’s a valid argument to be made for Player Y performing just as well.
I take rankings like this as more of an art than a science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their own biases, strategic philosophies, determinations of risk, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. My way of evaluating and ranking players has worked out well for me over the years, but it might not be a great fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your league mates’ player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could, it’d be weird. In a bad way.
This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you hit me up on Twitter (@ifthechufits), BlueSky (scottchu.pitcherlist.com), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire).
I’m doing my best to use five starts or 10 appearances as the threshold for positional eligibility. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions, but once those eligibilities are earned, I’ll add them in. This is just a maintenance thing, and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!
Ranking Philosophy
To keep things in the same ilk, here are a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:
In 12-team formats, I just don’t see much value in guys who only provide stolen bases. It’s an important category, especially in Roto, but in shallower formats, there are too many other (and better) ways to get the steals you need without sacrificing production in the other categories.
If I want to get some insight on whether what I’m seeing is new or if it’s just normal fluctuation, I’d use my favorite tool—the rolling chart, which I’ll also reference as appropriate. You can also get rolling charts from sources like FanGraphs or Baseball Savant. If you have any questions about how to do that or how to read these charts, reach out to me!
No stat is an island, and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), lineup context, and the skills we can measure using tools such as our PLV Hitter Attributes (available for PL Pro members). I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators.
Positional eligibility, and specifically multi-eligibility, is neat, but also isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC, or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.), but even then, the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.
On a similar note, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
Anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 to 100 at-bats, regardless of true talent. Heck, it could even last over a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which of these will be true until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends can give us hints.
If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to reach out to me on the website formerly known as Twitter (@ifthechufits) or BlueSky (scottchu.pitcherlist.com), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire).
Read The Notes
These rankings talk about what I generally project for a player, but these rankings are not projections. They include projections but also take into account performance risk, injury risk, team context, ceiling, and floor.
Check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast featuring Scott Chu and Brett Ford, which also happened to be a finalist for Best Baseball Podcast of 2021 by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA)!
I also host an AMA in the r/fantasybaseball subreddit every Friday starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.
Tier 1
Shohei Ohtani stands alone until Aaron Judge returns, assuming this recent removal from his start due to cramps is mostly precautionary (as it appears to be at time of this writing).
Tier 2
Since June 1, Elly De La Cruz has a strikeout rate of just 19.7% with a walk rate of 12.7%, leading to a .319/.406/.535 line. The power and speed numbers are good, if a bit short of the elite expectations we have for him, but this improved contact ability is keeping the strikeouts down and the floor up.
Juan Soto seems to have avoided major injury and is expected back Friday.
Bobby Witt Jr. has reached safely in 25 of his last 27 games with five home runs and seven steals in that stretch. It’s not the explosive summer we’ve been waiting for yet, but it feels like a run is right around the corner as this offense continues to heat up.
Kyle Schwarber hit 12 home runs in July and drove in 29 runners, more than anyone else in baseball, while hitting .264/.368/.725. He’s just one home run away from the 38 he hit last season, and just 10 away from his career high of 47 he hit in 2023. This is shaping up to be a career year for Schwarber and 50 dingers is well within reach.
Corbin Carroll will be just fine, though the loss of two of the most consistent hitters in this lineup will hurt Carroll’s ability to score runs in a big way as just he, Marte, and Perdomo are left (and to a lesser extent, Gurriel Jr.). I do wonder if this will get Arizona to be more aggressive on the basepaths? I suppose that’s a minor silver lining to all of this for the offensive contributions for the remaining D-Backs.
James Wood is in a bit of a funk, with the strikeout rate spiking dramatically to 48% over his last 75 plate appearances. I have full confidence that Wood will work through this drop in decision-making, and the power has not wavered. This is a buying opportunity if someone is desperate or impatient.
Kyle Tucker walked about twice as often as he struck out in July, though outside of the walks he did precious little for fantasy squads (one home run, three steals, and just 23 combined runs and RBI in 23 games). This should improve, though my previous hopes for 30 home runs and 100 RBI seem like more of a stretch than a lock at this moment.
Tier 3
Hopefully we see Jackson Chourio again soon. At the moment, the news seems mostly positive and he should be back by next week, if not over the weekend.
Julio Rodriguez continues his second-half surge, albeit with a few more strikeouts than we saw earlier in the year. It’s a small price to pay, though for the eight home runs and five steals in his last 16 games with a .318/.375/.727 line.
Cody Bellinger has been on fire for about a month and a half now, striking out just 9.2% of the time in his last 30 games with 10 home runs (20 XBH total) and 48 combined runs and RBI. The counting stats may slow down a little with Judge out of the lineup for a little while, but not enough for me to be worried in any way.
Tier 4
Gunnar Henderson still isn’t showing us much home run power, but everything else has been good enough for us not to complain. He has as many walks as strikeouts since the Break, and has scored at least one run in each of his last six stats (11 runs total). Henderson has plenty of doubles despite the lack of home runs, which might turn to home runs if he converts some of the abundant line drives into balls hit higher in the air.
Riley Greene seems to be turning things back around of late, and if true, represents yet another relatively short slump before rebounding. If true, it would be an amazing sign for his long-term consistency.
There’s a lot to love about what CJ Abrams is doing this season. I had been a little concerned about the lack of steals, but a pair of three-steal games will turn that around in a hurry. Steals have a high variance from month to month, and for Abrams it’s doubly so.
I know, I know. You want me to feature Nick Kurtz and put him in the top 10 right now. I get it. I kind of want it too. He’s had one of the best months we’ve ever seen from a rookie and the underlying data suggests it’s mostly talent-driven, not luck (there’s SOME luck in the 40.7% home run to fly ball rate and 30.4% line drive rate, but even when you take that away there’s a plenty left over). I love that his slumps thus far have been short-lived and that he has consistently put the ball in the air. The longer Kurtz keeps doing that, the higher he can climb. I still have some concerns about his contact issues, particularly in the zone, though Kurtz has been better at this of late compared to his debut.
Francisco Lindor has walked just once since the start of the second half and is striking out over 30% of the time. I’m sure things will get better soon, though the depth of talent at the top of the player pool pushes him down a few spots.
Eugenio Suárez joins his D-Backs teammate Naylor in Seattle, and while one of Suarez’s worst seasons was in Seattle back in 2023, he’s hit plenty of home runs in that park (29 in 166 games) and it was roughly the same pace he had in adjacent years before this breakout in Arizona that started near the middle of 2024.
Tier 5
Oneil Cruz has slowly brought the strikeout rate down and in return has found a lot more success. I’d like to see him walking more like he did in the beginning of the season as it helps raise those stolen base totals, but hey, I’m just glad he’s making more contact.
Randy Arozarena’s slow May has been totally offset and then some by two rock-solid months. He still is prone to prolonged slumps, but hot streaks like this make it worth it as Arozarena is just two home runs shy of his career high (23) and has a shot at also clearing his stolen base record as well (32).
Josh Naylor could see some solid RBI totals with the offense being assembled around him in Seattle, and overall his outlook remains the same as it did before being traded.
Welcome back, Austin Riley! It was nice to see back-to-back games with a home run as we’ve been waiting for Riley’s breakout all season.
Tier 6
Salvador Perez finally slowed down for a bit, and here’s to hoping it’s merely a speed bump, as another prolonged slump would be a big bummer.
Teoscar Hernández is breaking through the funk he had for a few weeks, as has always been expected.
George Springer is banged up, as he has been many times in his career, and the home runs have slowed down a bit, but the hits keep falling and the runs keep piling up as the Toronto offense continues to rake.
Matt Chapman is striking out a boatload in the second half, but it’s an easy thing to accept when he’s slugging .609. These strikeout spikes aren’t abnormal for him in his career and I don’t expect it to last terribly long.
Tier 7
It’s great to see Vinnie Pasquantino find that power stroke again. It’s been an uneven campaign for Vinnie P in 2025, but he currently is a top-70 hitter per the Fangraphs Player Rater on the season and with Kansas City showing more life at the plate of late I’m hoping we see Vinnie P stay in the top-80 hitters all season. I previously was concerned that 20-22 home runs were a bit of a ceiling for Pasquantino, but this season has me reconsidering.
Before dropping Ceddanne Rafaela too far down the list for this recent slump, I want to see if it can be quickly corrected, which as I’ve said many times is the mark of a player making the jump to a more consistent producer.
Willy Adames indeed seems to be doing it again, another second-half explosion. I don’t much believe in first half/second half splits much, as historically these trends rarely last more than two or three seasons, but here we are.
Tier 8
Gleyber Torres gets the feature here as he continues to hit the ball hard in the second half. Sure, the results are lackluster so far, as many of these balls are up the middle, but a 51.3% hard-hit rate and a 93.2 mph average exit velocity is soon to turn into better results. Combine that with a Tigers team that is finding its groove again at the plate, and you’ve got a buy-low window that is rapidly closing (if it hasn’t closed already). Gleyber is fairly dependent on the offense around him for production as his home run ceiling is something just short of 20 home runs, but I believe he can clear 80 runs and 80 RBI despite most projections being skeptical on this.(Also, the legendary J.R. Caines has been on vacation for the last few weeks and Torres is basically the last of the six or seven guys we queued up who hasn’t hit the IL.)
Michael Busch continues to slump after that insane heater, with the strikeout rate climbing, the walk rate staying stagnant at around 7%. He’s leading off, which is interesting, and this 48 wRC+ over his last 10 games is hopefully as bad as it gets.
Welcome back, Brandon Lowe! Injuries will continue to be a significant concern but getting reinforcements back at the challenging second base spot is incredibly welcome news.
Don’t get me wrong, Mike Trout’s .400 OBP in July is awesome, but outside of the walks we haven’t gotten what we’ve hoped for from Trout, and the strikeouts have spiked over the last two weeks. Still, he’s healthy, so he’s a must-hold in all formats. I do wonder, though, how much longer I can keep him in the top-100 without seeing anything many stretches of top-100 results.
C’mon Jo Adell. Don’t do this to us again, with the high strikeouts with no walks. I’m hoping the two straight games without a strikeout is the start of a rebound but we might see another tumble in the ranks if the reduced strikeouts don’t stick around.
Tier 9
Steven Kwan is heating back up, and while he’s a hot name on the trade market, I don’t see a realistic destination that changes his fantasy outlook. Singles and doubles are his primary game, and unless he goes to a team that is VERY aggressive on the basepaths, all expectations will be basically the same as they are today.
Tier 10
Jackson Merrill still has just two home runs in his last 48 games, and they both came in the same game. How did the power evaporate so suddenly?
Shea Langeliers is streaky and this is what the good times look like.
Marcus Semien was so good in June, but my concern was that he’d hit a wall again and be average (or worse) for far too long. Five hits in his last two games are nice, but it’s not enough for me to shake the .213/.303/.394 line he posted in July. I’d be selling if possible as you still might be able to get someone ranked above him despite the bad month.
Roman Anthony seems to have bucked that short slump with eight hits in his last five games. You love to see it from a top prospect like this.
Trevor Story is back to striking out in bunches (strikeout rate of 34% since the Break), but back-to-back games with a double and a home run is enough for me to pump the breaks on a tumble in the ranks for now.
Tier 11
OK, maybe Maikel Garcia still has some pop left. He has six extra-base hits in his last six games (two doubles, two triples, and two home runs) and as I mentioned with the rest of the Royals on this list, the offense is heating up.
Welcome back, Adley Rutschman. I have no idea where to rank him, frankly, but it was nice to see him rope a trio of doubles in his first two games back. I get many of you have moved on to players like Agustín Ramírez or the flavor of the week at catcher, but the Adley we saw in 2023 and even 2024 (though really just the first half of 2024) is just leagues better than most backstops and I hold out hope we see him again. The underlying data looks a lot like the Adley from 2023, frankly, even if the results don’t look terribly similar.
Logan O’Hoppe is maddening to roster due to the highs and lows, but the end result remains a top-100 overall hitter (so far).
Tier 12
Welcome back, Kerry Carpenter! He was heating up before the hit the IL and has five hits already in three games back, so you can confidently fire him back up.
Welcome back, Sal Frelick! It’s good to see the Brewers plug him back into the leadoff spot, but I remain skeptical that he’s more than a runs and steals guy with good ratios (which, you know, is still fairly valuable).
Austin Hays is taking a LOT more walks than usual and I’m mildly intrigued by it.
Tier 13
No, I still have no idea what to make of Ramón Laureano.
I still think this is a good time to try and scoop Jesus Sanchez on the cheap if at all possible. Sure, the decision-making is bad, but the surging contact ability and strong power metrics make that more than workable.
Andrew Vaughn is benefitting a lot from not playing for the White Sox improved decision-making and contact. If that holds, he could be a roster mainstay in fantasy.
Jurickson Profar is walking more and striking out less, but the loss of Ronald Acuña Jr. hurts this offense everywhere. Unless we see Olson and Riley perform like the guys they were in years past, this offense looks quite mediocre, if not bad.
When Tyler O’Neill is hot, he’s scorching. When he’s cold, he’s roster poison. In between those times, he’s hurt. Roll the dice at your own risk. Yes, this IS the note I had for him in the Taxi Squad because it is still, in my opinion, the right analysis here.
Gavin Sheets has returned to his roots of being a streaky lefty slugger. It doesn’t make me happy.
Thairo Estrada brings some short-term help to all those in need of a second baseman as the Rockies head to Coors for a week.
Miguel Vargas is also second-base eligible and is hitting a little again. Why not take another flyer (assuming it’s free)?
Josh Jung is striking out more than I’d like but he does have a hit in every game since being brought back from triple-A.
Michael Harris II is moving to the heart of the order and is hitting a bit. He’s done some late-season surges in the past, so maybe that’s happening again? It’s not terribly likely, but it’s enough to catch the back of this list.
Tommy Pham had eye issues again, apparently, and it was what was holding him back early in the season. Or at least that’s the current narrative out of Pittsburgh. I think it’s a little too convenient for a 37-year-old outfielder, but he just had one of the best Julys of any Pirate ever so what do I know.
Rank
Hitter
Position
Change
1Shohei OhtaniT1DH-2José RamírezT23B+13Elly De La CruzSS+14Juan SotoOF+25Kyle SchwarberOF, DH+46Bobby Witt Jr.SS+57Corbin CarrollOF-28Cal RaleighC+29James WoodOF-110Pete Crow-ArmstrongOF+311Kyle TuckerOF-412Jackson ChourioT3OF+213Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1B, 3B+214Bryce Harper1B+215Fernando Tatis Jr.OF+216Manny Machado3B+317Trea TurnerSS+318Julio RodríguezOF+619Pete Alonso1B-120Junior Caminero3B+121Cody Bellinger1B, OF+522Corey SeagerSS-23Ketel Marte2B+224Gunnar HendersonT4SS+1025Rafael Devers3B+326Will SmithC+427Riley GreeneOF-28CJ AbramsSS+1029Nick Kurtz1B+1730Matt Olson1B-131Francisco LindorSS-832Brent RookerOF, DH-133Christian YelichOF+234Eugenio Suárez3B-235Alex Bregman3B+436Jazz Chisholm Jr.2B, 3B, OF-37Zach NetoT5SS+338Oneil CruzSS, OF+339Jarren DuranOF+340Seiya SuzukiOF-341Randy ArozarenaOF+1342Willson ContrerasC+143Josh Naylor1B+244Freddie Freeman1B-45Austin Riley3B+UR46Salvador PerezT6C, 1B+647Taylor WardOF+148Teoscar HernándezOF+349Jose Altuve2B-50Hunter GoodmanC, OF+351George SpringerOF+452Matt Chapman3B+553Geraldo PerdomoT7SS+554Vinnie Pasquantino1B+1155Yandy Díaz1B+456Brandon NimmoOF+1057Jonathan Aranda1B, 2B+1058Ceddanne RafaelaSS, OF-259Willy AdamesSS+1960Gleyber TorresT82B+961Michael Busch1B-1462Andy PagesOF-63Wyatt LangfordOF+564Brandon Lowe2B+UR65Mike TroutOF-1566William ContrerasC-667Bo BichetteSS+1068Spencer Torkelson1B+569Mookie Betts2B, SS, OF-670Agustín RamírezC-71Nico Hoerner2B, SS+372Brice Turang2B-173Jo AdellOF-1274Dansby SwansonT9SS-275Lawrence ButlerOF+176Yainer DiazC+377Addison Barger3B, OF+378Steven KwanOF+779Nick CastellanosOF+380Ian HappOF+381Heliot RamosOF+382Kyle StowersT10OF+483Jordan Westburg2B, 3B+784Luis Arraez1B, 2B+585Jasson DomínguezOF+286Jackson MerrillOF-2287Shea LangeliersC+1388Jackson Holliday2B-789Marcus Semien2B-1490Chandler SimpsonOF+291Ezequiel TovarSS+292Xavier Edwards2B, SS+293Brendan Donovan2B, 3B, OF-594Roman AnthonyOF+195Trevor Story2B+196Adolis GarcíaOF-597Iván HerreraC+198TJ FriedlT11OF+499Maikel Garcia2B, 3B+13100Giancarlo StantonDH+4101Alec Burleson1B, OF+6102Adley RutschmanC+UR103Wilyer AbreuOF+2104Nathaniel Lowe1B+4105Xander Bogaerts2B, SS-4106Nolan Schanuel1B+3107Luis García Jr.2B+3108Otto Lopez2B-2109Tyler Soderstrom1B+4110Lourdes Gurriel Jr.OF-7111Masyn WinnSS+3112Logan O’HoppeC-13113J.T. RealmutoC+2114Matt McLain2B, SS+2115Victor Scott IIOF+2116Josh LoweT12OF+3117Kerry CarpenterOF+UR118Christian Walker1B+7119Sal FrelickOF+UR120Luis Robert Jr.OF+9121Cedric MullinsOF+10122Anthony VolpeSS-123Alejandro KirkC-12124Josh SmithOF-1125Austin HaysOF+13126Austin WellsC-2127Jordan BeckOF-1128Jorge PolancoT132B, 3B+5129Bryan ReynoldsOF+5130Ramón LaureanoOF+11131Jesús SánchezOF+8132Zach McKinstry2B, 3B, SS, OF+3133Royce Lewis3B+7134Andrew Vaughn1B, OF+UR135Bryson Stott2B+7136Colton CowserOF+7137Jurickson ProfarOF-17138Matt Shaw3B+6139Mickey MoniakOF+6140Tyler O’NeillOF+UR141Gavin Sheets1B, OF-14142Cam Smith3B, OF-10143Spencer Horwitz1B, 2B+5144Thairo Estrada2B+UR145Miguel Vargas2B, 3B+UR146Josh Jung3B+UR147Drake BaldwinC-11148Michael Harris II2B, OF+UR149Tommy PhamOF+UR150Dillon DinglerC+UR
Taxi Squad
Players are listed in no particular order. This list is not every interesting guy out there, but a running list of players who either almost made the list or have been topics of interesting conversation.
NEW FEATURE: I will put blurbs in bold if they are new to the Taxi Squad or if there’s a significant update to their note.
Catcher
Carlos Narváez (C, BOS) — Streaming catcher with a little bit of upside.
Ryan Jeffers (C, MIN) — Hitting first or second lately, but sitting more.
Dalton Rushing (C, LAD) — Dynasty only.
Carson Kelly (C, CHC) — Heating up a little but just a streamer.
Tyler Stephenson (C, CIN) — The strikeouts make him feel more like a streamer than a fantasy lineup regular in single-catcher leagues.
Ben Rice (C/1B, NYY) — The batted ball quality and decision-making remain top-notch but the results are simply not there. Oddly, this phenomenon also happened to Rice last season. I have no idea how to explain it. If he gets back to playing four or more times a week, he’d be an enticing pick-up.
Kyle Teel (C, CWS) — There’s just enough power and plate discipline to stream him in deeper formats but not enough upside to get excited in 12-teamers.
Adrian Del Castillo (C, ARI) — Lots of pop for a backstop, though it seems he won’t play against lefties at all.
Edgar Quero (C, CWS) — He’s been strong against lefties but playing time is spotty against righties.
First Base
Carlos Santana (1B, CLE) — OBP streamer who somehow still has something in the tank. What a career.
Kyle Manzardo (1B, CLE) — Hitting better but still in a platoon.
Michael Toglia (1B, COL) — Can’t be used on the road, but fine to stream at home.
Ernie Clement (1B/2B/3B/SS, TOR) — Versatile and viable in points leagues, but the power, speed, and counting stats are just too light in category formats.
Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF, BAL) — I’m sure he’ll heat up again at some point, but until then, he’s just a speculative stream against bad right-handed pitching.
Romy González (1B/2B, BOS) — Sat several times against righties and playing time will only get tighter with Bregman’s return.
Jake Cronenworth (1B/2B, SDP) — Replacement-level fill-in.
Colt Keith (1B/2B, DET) — We’ve seen some intriguing flashes of power but the consistency isn’t there at all.
Tommy Edman (2B/OF) — Slashing just .211/.269/.316 since coming back from the IL on May 18.
Paul Goldschmidt (1B, NYY) — As of now, I can’t rank either Yankee first baseman.
Spencer Steer (1B/OF, CIN) — Should be a lot better with the opportunity he’s been given.
Josh Bell (1B, WSN) — Replacement-level first baseman, slightly better in points and OBP.
Warming Bernabel (1B, COL) — Wasn’t doing anything all that interesting in the minors but seems to have a hot bat and is rolling into a homestand in Coors so deep leaguers might get something out of this.
Tyler Locklear (1B, ARI) — Should get some looks at first base for the D-Backs and was strong in the minors (though his small sample of MLB results were not good). Has some pop and speed and will take walks, but the hit tool is suspect.
Second Base
Hyeseong Kim (2B, LAD) — It will be very exciting when he has anything close to a regular role.
Jonathan India (2B/3B/OF, KCR) — Deep points league only.
Gavin Lux (2B/OF, CIN) — Points league streamer.
José Caballero (2B/3B/SS/OF, TBR) —May sit a lot more with Kim’s return.
Ronny Mauricio (2B/3B, NYM) — Likely loses some time with Vientos’s return.
Brett Baty (2B/3B, NYM) — This hot streak is fun but it’s not being driven by an uptick in balls in the air so it’s likely just a streak.
Kristian Campbell (2B, BOS) — Still a promising player in dynasty, but no need to torture yourself in redraft.
Ozzie Albies (2B, ATL) — You can scoop him as a streamer but I’m not really buying this mini-outburst coming out of the Break.
Davis Schneider (2B/OF, TOR) — Only playing against lefties.
Lenyn Sosa (2B/3B, CWS) — He doesn’t walk or run but he’s good at making contact with a smidge of pop and will go streaking now and again.
Jeff McNeil (2B/OF, NYM) — Just a reminder that if he smacks a few home runs out of nowhere, it’s just a flash in the pan.
Chase Meidroth (2B/SS, CWS) — Points league streamer.
Angel Martínez (2B/OF, CLE) — The line drives slowed down and the production abruptly halted.
Jordan Lawlar (2B/SS, ARI) — He’s been out for about a month with a hamstring issue but should get another shot at the majors once healthy.
Willi Castro (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIN) — Replacement-level contributor at many positions.
Third Base
Joey Ortiz (3B/SS, MIL) — That little power outburst was fun but he can go back to the wire now.
Mark Vientos (3B, NYM) — Playing most days now, but not very well.
Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B, CIN) — Going to Great American Ball Park does help his HR totals but not enough for them to be meaningful. Remains a deep-league streamer. Perhaps steals a few more bases, but again, only enough for deep leagues to even consider watching.
Yoán Moncada (3B, LAA) — Looked fine before the injury, but no thanks.
Josh Jung (3B, TEX) — Jung has been recalled, but it’s not because he was tearing it up in the minors.
Nolan Arenado (3B, STL) — I just don’t see the ceiling anymore.
Brady House (3B, WAS) — An aggressive power hitter who is keeping the strikeout rate down more than I expected. Still, he’s rarely barreling the ball and struggles to get it in the air so he’s just a desperate replacement streamer in 12-teamers right now.
Ryan McMahon (3B, NYY) — Should keep playing every day as a Yankee, but doesn’t improve his overall outlook much.
Noelvi Marte (3B, CIN) — He’s a start away from outfield eligibility in Yahoo leagues, though he’d be a platoon bat out there while Jake Fraley is healthy and Hayes looks to be the new everyday man at the hot corner due to his excellent glove.
Miguel Andujar (3B/OF, ATH) — Injuries and spotty playing time aside, he’s swinging a smokin’ hot bat right now.
Caleb Durbin (3B, MIL) — His glove will keep him in the lineup most days, but there’s not enough offensive juice to keep rostering him in fantasy.
Shortstop
Brooks Lee (2B/3B/SS, MIN) — Might lose even more time with Keaschall returning.
Javier Báez (2B/3B/SS/OF, DET) — He’s as streaky as ever.
Ha-Seong Kim (2B/3B/SS, TBR) — Speed streamer.
Casey Schmitt (1B/2B/3B/SS, SFG) — He was hot before the injury, though it appears mostly driven by a fortuitous number of line drives. The power is legit, but the ratios will likely take a deep dive.
Carlos Correa (SS, MIN) — Walking more and striking out less but the power is still too limited.
Colson Montgomery (3B/SS, CWS) — Takes walks but could be a bumpy ride due to limited contact ability.
J.P. Crawford (SS, SEA) — Might still be ranked in points, but not enough upside to hold through prolonged slumps.
Outfield/DH
Isaac Collins (OF, MIL) — Not platooning, which is good.
Emmanuel Rodriguez (OF, MIN) — Strikes out way too much because he’s far too passive, but if he cleans that up, watch out.
Mike Yastrzemski (OF, SFG) — Platooned.
Denzel Clarke (OF, ATH) — Speed streamer.
Brenton Doyle (OF, COL) — Streamer at home.
Parker Meadows (OF, DET) — Lost playing time and hits at the bottom of the order. Droppable.
Jesse Winker (OF, NYM) — He’ll likely sit against lefties but is capable of getting hot and hitting for some average with a bit of pop and plenty of walks.
Wenceel Pérez (OF, DET) — I was worried it was merely a hot streak, and that may just be the case.
Jake Mangum (OF, TBR) — Points league extraordinaire.
Mike Tauchman (OF, CWS) — Leads off and slaps the ball around from time to time, but won’t play against most lefties.
Trevor Larnach (OF, MIN) — Strikeout rate is climbing, walk rate is falling, and outside of Buxton, no one in this offense has shown any consistency.
Trent Grisham (OF, NYY) — If he played more I’d be interested.
Chase DeLauter (OF, CLE) — Injuries keep popping up that have delayed his promotion, but he’ll get a look sometime this summer.
Jordan Walker (OF, STL) — If he drops the strikeouts and grounders I might get excited, but probably not.
Tyler Freeman (OF, COL) — Leading off at home is cool, but on the road the ceiling is too low as the offense around him can’t support him.
Marcell Ozuna (DH, ATL) — Playing more and hit some home runs, but nothing tells me anything has truly changed here.
Jung Hoo Lee (OF, SFG) — Got some looks at leadoff again but isn’t doing anything.
Nathan Lukes (OF, TOR) — Lukes is in a full platoon and the impending return of Varsho means it’s time to look for a replacement.
Jacob Young (OF, WAS) — Speed streamer with some extra viability in points leagues if he keeps the strikeout rate under 15% as he has so far. His strong defense will keep him in the lineup most days even when he’s not hitting.
John Rave (OF, KCR) — This power is something we didn’t see much of until he hit triple-A at age 26 last season. Might be a late bloomer, but for now I’m looking at him as a deep league streamer if I need speed.
Evan Carter (OF, TEX) — Sitting against all lefties.
Joey Loperfido (OF, TOR) — Swinging a hot bat and has legitimate home run pop, but won’t play against lefties and might lose time when Varsho returns.
On the IL
Players are listed by position and not by projected value.
Keibert Ruiz (C, WSN) — Not a hold unless your IL is wide open.
Gabriel Moreno (C, ARZ) — Borderline hold in 12-teamers if your IL is full. Catcher is deep enough that you can probably stream.
Miguel Amaya (C, CHC) — Cubs say he’s still a long ways off.
Gary Sánchez (C, BAL) — Not a guy I’m holding if my IL is already full. He was just a streamer.
Ryan Mountcastle (1B, BAL) — Expected back once eligible on July 30.
Rhys Hoskins (1B, MIL) — He should be back by September, but one month of unsteady production isn’t worth holding in mixed leagues.
Pavin Smith (1B/OF, ARI) — Not a player I’m holding.
Jake Burger (1B/3B, TEX) — Between the unsteady performance and the missed time and being buried in the order when healthy, I’m out in 12-teamers.
Isaac Paredes (1B/3B, HOU) — Out for the year.
Jac Caglianone (1B, KCR) — Not a player I’m holding in redraft, but still think there’s a good long-term outlook if he gets the decision-making in check.
Andrés Giménez (2B, TOR) — Not a player I’m holding.
Luke Keaschall (2B, MIN) — Could be back any minute. Scoop if still available.
Max Muncy (2B/3B, ATH) — Not a player I’m holding.
Jeremy Peña (SS, HOU) — Projected back this weekend.
Marcelo Mayer (3B/SS, BOS) — No need to hold in redraft, still has plenty of dynasty upside.
Alec Bohm (3B, PHI) — Expect him to miss three or four weeks.
Connor Norby (2B/3B, MIA) — Not a guy I’m holding if my IL is already full.
Nolan Gorman (3B, STL) — Not a player I’m holding.
Jacob Wilson (SS, ATH) — He should be back for most of September, but if your IL is tight he might not make the cut.
Victor Robles (OF, SEA) — Out until September, but keep an eye out just in case, as Robles is capable of dizzying highs when he’s grooving.
Yordan Alvarez (OF, HOU) — They’re saying mid-August, which would be awesome.
Dylan Crews (OF, WAS) — Should be back within a few days now that he’s on a rehab.
Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR) — Anticipated to return this weekend.
Anthony Santander (OF, TOR) — He’ll be back sometime in August.
Lane Thomas (OF, CLE) — Not a guy I’m holding.
Lars Nootbaar (OF, STL) — This core injury comes at a bad time as he was getting pushed down in the order already and was hitting .183/.299/.321 since June 1. Not a required hold in standard 12-teamers (he’s more valuable in OBP), though he should be on your watch list if dropped in the event he somehow retakes that leadoff role.
Aaron Judge (OF, NYY) — Plenty of cautious optimism as it seems he avoided the worst. If you’re wondering, no I would not trade him.
Jorge Soler (OF, LAA) — No need to hold.
Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF, ATL) — Bummer. Must hold. Trading him away would not be advisable.
Byron Buxton (OF, MIN) — Should come back in mid-August, might be just a minimum stay.
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