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
No changes here. These are the top two hitters in the game and they are incredible.
Tier 2
I have expanded Tier 2, which hopefully provides a better picture as to how much talent there is in the top 15.
Let’s talk about Cal Raleigh. Cal is the poster boy right now for an all power approach. As you can see from the chart below, he’s not making good decisions right now (the purple bar being below the line means it’s at a below average level), and his contact ability has never been good (that’s the orange bars). This is not at all a unique profile, even for players who are performing well (Nick Kurtz and Pete Crow-Armstrong come to mind), though it is most commonly seen for the classic streaky power hitter.In July, Cal is hitting just .153 with a .282 OBP, though he also has six home runs and two steals in that stretch. Some of this streakiness stems from his skill set, as he relies almost entirely on raw power and so if his timing is off or he’s not seeing the ball well or something is fooling him, we should expect harsh drop-offs until it’s fixed.
Thankfully for Cal, he has fixed issues very quickly this season and even when the ratios dip, the power remains. Cal’s longest home run drought in 2025 is a mere eight games and the production everywhere except ratios has been steady. I anticipate hearing even more buzz regarding his rather unsustainable home run to fly ball rate and just regression to the mean in general, but I will continue to rank Cal Raleigh as the top catcher by far and I don’t see how a healthy Cal loses that spot without a historic collapse that happens very abruptly.
I still think Bobby Witt Jr. can explode at any time, but it doesn’t seem like it is exactly this time yet.
It’s still a goose egg in the stolen base column for Ronald Acuña Jr. in July, but nine extra-base hits in his last 10 games (including four home runs) takes the sting out of that lack of speed. It’s hard to speculate as to when or if the speed returns (I think it will, but will also be inconsistent), but even if it doesn’t, he could be a top-10 hitter the rest of the way just with his bat.
Tier 3
The Brewers can’t stop winning, and Jackson Chourio has played a big role in their success. Chourio is on a 17-game hitting streak where he’s posted a 1.005 OPS and has thrown in three home runs, three steals, and 29 combined runs and RBI. Chourio is turning into a star in his second season, and while the Chourio we’ve seen is not the type of star who can hit 35 or more home runs every season, his 25 home runs and 25 steals combined with a .270-.280 batting average should more than live up to the hype.Of course, Chourio is only 21 years old, and a change to his game that gets him to barrel the ball more consistently and/or pull the ball in the air more could unlock a new ceiling.
Any worries I had about Bryce Harper’s health have happily faded away.
On one hand, Fernando Tatis Jr. has a .420 OBP, almost as many walks as strikeouts, six stolen bases, and a 51.9% hard-hit rate in his last 20 games. On the other, he has just one home run, 10 runs scored, and five RBI in that stretch. I remain optimistic at the moment, though, as his Power+ has rebounded nicely after cratering earlier this summer. The Padres’ offense has struggled of late, but I expect these guys to turn it around and produce plenty of runs the rest of the way, starting at the top with Tatis.
The excellent contact ability and decision-making we saw from Pete Alonso in the first month-and-a-half of the season have faded to being merely average, though the power is as good as ever. That just means Pete will be more like the streaky version of himself. There’s nothing under the hood I’m concerned about despite the rough month or so of action.
Cody Bellinger recently hit home run number 18 on the season, tying his mark from 2024. Everything about his performance looks a lot like what we saw in his renaissance back in 2023, but with better under-the-hood numbers.
Tier 4
Riley Greene’s strikeout rate has spiked badly, coming in at 44.3% in July which has led to an ugly .182 batting average and .214 OBP. Still, the power has remained strong and I expect him to keep working through these strikeout spikes and hopefully finding lower peaks as he goes.
Eugenio Suárez is trying to end his career with a bang, apparently. He seems like a likely trade candidate for the Diamondbacks as they’re very much on the outside looking in to a shot at a wildcard. He might see a bit of additional value if he landed somewhere like the Bronx where the home run factor is very high for righties, but his power tends to send balls well over most fences so he’s not that reliant on a short porch or field dimensions to get his home runs.
Tier 5
The home run pace remains lackluster for Gunnar Henderson but he’s putting a ton of balls in play and hitting them hard. That’s obviously a good sign.
Alex Bregman has sat twice in the last four games and has a 54 wRC+ since coming off the IL, but I think this is more of a speedbump than a sign that something is amiss.
Tier 6
Oneil Cruz has steadily brought down his rolling strikeout rate after it peaked around 40% in late May and over his last 18 games has an average exit velocity of 97.1% while also swiping six bases. Both the good and the bad come in waves for Cruz but the storms are well worth weathering.
I’m sure you want me to raise Nick Kurtz higher as he can’t stop hitting home runs, but that contact ability is still in the bottom-tenth percentile in the league and, as I mentioned with Raleigh above, that can lead to volatility.
Tier 7
Taylor Ward has been on fire lately but doesn’t move in these rankings much because he’s just insanely streaky and has been all year.
Salvador Perez continues to surge, swatting his ninth home run in his last 13 games on Wednesday. Hot Sal is as good a hitter as there is in baseball, even at age 35, though it remains to be seen how long this lasts and whether his next slump is as long as the last stretch.
Tier 8
Ceddanne Rafaela continues to avoid strikeouts and that’s what I love to see. Rafaela hasn’t struck out multiple times in a game in almost a month, and since he rarely walks that reduced strikeout rate means a lot more to him than it might to someone else (though a rolling strikeout rate around 10-12% is a great thing for just about anyone).
Geraldo Perdomo might not clear 15 home runs this season even with the head start he got, but a final line around 13 home runs and 220 or more steals mixed with 90+ runs scored and 90+ RBI is more than we ever asked for coming into the season. I accept that I might still be a bit low on Perdomo, as he’s been a top-40 hitter so far this season, though I do worry a little about the elevated line drive rate driving some of the recent success (it’s at 36.1% in July and almost 50% in the small sample since the Break) and whether the stolen base numbers will stay down like they have so far during the summer.
Andy Pages drops a few spots but does seem to be turning things around. That said, the strikeout rate is still elevated and one factor in the big push up the list was the huge strikeout rate reduction earlier this summer.
Yes, I am worried about Jackson Merrill’s power. That’s the thing that surprised us and made us so excited as it developed in 2024. Without it, he’s got a much lower ceiling (though the floor remains strong from a long-term perspective).
Tier 9
Wyatt Langford’s strikeout rate is spiking of late, though his power and speed numbers through 82 games are totally legit (15 home runs and 15 steals). I am not dropping him anywhere as I think what we are seeing is the floor, not the go-forward expectations.
Spencer Torkelson takes another small tumble here though the decision-making is still strong so I’m still very much on board. Something has put the Tiger offense in a severe funk and it’s only a matter of time before they break out of it.
Tier 10
Is Willy Adames doing this second-half breakout again? I mean, I don’t usually put much stock in half-season splits but it’s certainly an easy narrative to attach right now.
Jackson Holliday is close to a breakthrough, I can feel it. Yes, I know I say it every week but eventually it’s going to be right.
Ian Happ’s streakiness will drive you nuts since you probably thought you were getting steady production. You see, you ARE getting steady production from a roto perspective (assuming you just leave him in there all season) as he’s solid form year to year. Month to month, however, there’s a huge variance.
Of course the day I am dropping Steven Kwan down this list he hits two home runs. Still, the floor has looked much lower than I thought at times this season.
Tier 11
Kyle Stowers has been one of the best hitters in baseball for about a month now, rocking a 256 wRC+ in his last 100 trips to the plate with an incredible .512 ISO. This isn’t being driven by luck, as since June 22 he has a 29.3% barrel rate and is pulling a ton of balls in the air. That said, his zone contact rate is still well below 80% on the season and expecting a player to keep a 20% barrel rate for a whole season is a huge ask, as only three players accomplished that last season (Judge, Ohtani, and Stanton) and only 13 has a number north of 15%. It’s clear Stowers is good, I’m still just trying to get a feel for what a full-season ceiling actually looks like.
Luis Arraez is stringing together more hits and getting more counting stats of late. It’s a matter of time before he puts together a month where he hits .400.
Welcome back (again), Ezequiel Tovar. Stay healthy please.
Xavier Edwards still isn’t running like he did last season, but it’s been about six weeks since he went back-to-back games without a hit and this offense has picked up enough to turn those hits into runs more often than it had previously.
Trevor Story’s production has fallen off sharply over the last few weeks and I’m more than a little concerned about how far it will fall before bouncing back.
Xander Bogaerts isn’t going to be exciting, but perhaps his brand of boring might be better than it looked earlier this season.
Tier 12
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is the hitter version of José Berríos.
Alec Burelson’s production has slowed down for the last week or so but he’s playing every day, hitting in the heart of the order, and walking a ton.
Tyler Soderstrom has all but stopped walking and has now sat against two consecutive lefties. If he could just give us one more stretch of the good stuff that lasts longer than a week or so, we could get excited again.
Tier 13
Josh Lowe is streaky and somewhat prone to injury. I don’t like it, but it’s what I’ve seen since he debuted two years ago. He’s a fine player over all, but he gets a LOT of buzz around him when he’s hot and it makes him a guy I like to dangle in trade offers.
I just can’t get that in to Jurickson Profar. I think he’s a fine back-end outfielder but I never really bought what he did in 2024 as a repeatable thing.
Still clinging to the hope that Anthony Volpe can make his way into the top-100 again.
Austin Wells has a solid ceiling for the Yankees but the production is still too inconsistent.
Alright, Luis Robert Jr., I’m ready to be hurt again. No one has been better in fantasy since the Break and it’s not like we didn’t think he had these kinds of tools, it had just been SO long since we last saw them.
Tier 14
Cam Smith keeps showing signs that he’s ready for the next step, then falls just short. One of these times he’ll make it over that hill, but in shallow formats you don’t have to hold him while he gets there.
Signs of life from Bryan Reynolds, or just the universe punishing my Tigers for their prior string of good fortune by letting the Pirates heat up? I’m not sure yet.
Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy are a lot more interesting with Marcell Ozuna hitting the pine as they are trading DH duties. I like Baldwin a bit more, though I wonder if Murphy will get traded at some point.
Austin Hays has rebuked my talk of him being a streaky player by being hot a lot more often than he has been cold. I still don’t think there’s a long-term staple here in 12-teamers but he’s better than he was in past seasons, that much seems certain.
Jesus Sanchez has been surprisingly solid the last month or so and this hot offense is worth buying into for the time being.
Sure, Royce Lewis! If I’m letting Luis Robert Jr. back on board, why not you?
Ramón Laureano is playing as well as he ever has over the course of his long, injury-riddled career and that’s really cool. Luck isn’t driving this profile, but I suspect this is just heat.
What’s the difference? Luck is when a guy isn’t playing much better than usual but is getting better outcomes due to certain variances in stats like line drive rate or home run to fly ball rate. Heat is when a guy is truly playing better than usual, but is also performing far above what we should reasonably expect for an extended period.
Am I actually a big believer in Mickey Moniak? Well, I very much was not, but then I saw his zone contact rate has been much better than prior seasons. I refuse to believe that the Rockies have purposefully made someone better than they were before so I remain skeptical that these changes stick. Still, he’s on the road for a week which might make him more available just in time for his next homestand.
Angel Martínez’s recent outburst feels very unsustainable as it’s being driven by a line drive rate over 35%. Still, he’s eligible at second and is hitting near the top of the order. He’d be very easy to rank a tier higher in points leagues.
Spencer Horwitz was excellent against my Tigers and could be finding that groove that made him so interesting last season.
Rank
Hitter
Position
Change
1Shohei OhtaniT1DH-2Aaron JudgeOF-3José RamírezT23B-4Elly De La CruzSS-5Corbin CarrollOF-6Juan SotoOF-7Kyle TuckerOF-8James WoodOF-9Kyle SchwarberOF, DH+210Cal RaleighC-11Bobby Witt Jr.SS-212Ronald Acuña Jr.OF-13Pete Crow-ArmstrongOF+114Jackson ChourioT3OF+315Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1B, 3B+116Bryce Harper1B+517Fernando Tatis Jr.OF-218Pete Alonso1B-519Manny Machado3B+120Trea TurnerSS-221Junior Caminero3B+322Corey SeagerSS+123Francisco LindorSS-424Julio RodríguezOF+325Ketel Marte2B-326Cody Bellinger1B, OF+527Riley GreeneT4OF-228Rafael Devers3B+129Matt Olson1B-330Will SmithC-231Brent RookerOF, DH-132Eugenio Suárez3B+933Byron BuxtonT5OF+534Gunnar HendersonSS-35Christian YelichOF-236Jazz Chisholm Jr.2B, 3B, OF+137Seiya SuzukiOF-538CJ AbramsSS-339Alex Bregman3B-340Zach NetoT6SS+341Oneil CruzSS, OF+442Jarren DuranOF+443Willson ContrerasC+544Freddie Freeman1B-445Josh Naylor1B-646Nick Kurtz1B+1747Michael Busch1B-348Taylor WardT7OF+249Jose Altuve2B+350Mike TroutOF+351Teoscar HernándezOF-52Salvador PerezC, 1B+1353Hunter GoodmanC, OF+554Randy ArozarenaT8OF+555George SpringerOF+556Ceddanne RafaelaSS, OF+1957Matt Chapman3B-58Geraldo PerdomoSS+2059Yandy Díaz1B+860William ContrerasC-1161Jo AdellOF+162Andy PagesOF-663Mookie Betts2B, SS, OF-964Jackson MerrillOF-2265Vinnie Pasquantino1B+566Brandon NimmoOF-267Jonathan Aranda1B-1268Wyatt LangfordT9OF-769Gleyber Torres2B+770Agustín RamírezC+171Brice Turang2B+172Dansby SwansonSS+573Spencer Torkelson1B-774Nico Hoerner2B, SS+575Marcus Semien2B+576Lawrence ButlerOF-777Bo BichetteT10SS+578Willy AdamesSS+1179Yainer DiazC+580Addison Barger3B, OF+881Jackson Holliday2B+482Nick CastellanosOF+183Ian HappOF-984Heliot RamosOF+885Steven KwanOF-1286Kyle StowersT11OF+4387Jasson DomínguezOF+688Brendan Donovan2B, 3B, OF+689Luis Arraez1B, 2B+1290Jordan Westburg2B, 3B+791Adolis GarcíaOF+892Chandler SimpsonOF+1393Ezequiel TovarSS+UR94Xavier Edwards2B, SS+1995Roman AnthonyOF-596Trevor Story2B-997Jacob WilsonSS-1698Iván HerreraC-1299Logan O’HoppeC+7100Shea LangeliersC+7101Xander Bogaerts2B, SS+14102TJ FriedlT12OF+6103Lourdes Gurriel Jr.OF-12104Giancarlo StantonDH+13105Wilyer AbreuOF-3106Otto Lopez2B+8107Alec Burleson1B, OF+9108Nathaniel Lowe1B-8109Nolan Schanuel1B+1110Luis García Jr.2B-1111Alejandro KirkC-8112Maikel Garcia2B, 3B-8113Tyler Soderstrom1B-15114Masyn WinnSS+7115J.T. RealmutoC+11116Matt McLain2B, SS+6117Victor Scott IIOF+10118Caleb Durbin2B, 3B+10119Josh LoweT13OF-120Jurickson ProfarOF-8121J.P. CrawfordSS+9122Anthony VolpeSS+9123Josh SmithOF+9124Austin WellsC-29125Christian Walker1B+9126Jordan BeckOF-6127Gavin Sheets1B, OF+9128Noelvi Marte3B+10129Luis Robert Jr.OF+UR130Willi Castro2B, 3B, SS, OF+10131Cedric MullinsOF+11132Cam SmithT143B, OF-21133Jorge Polanco2B, 3B+12134Bryan ReynoldsOF+13135Zach McKinstry2B, 3B, OF-10136Drake BaldwinC+UR137Sean MurphyC+UR138Austin HaysOF+UR139Jesús SánchezOF+UR140Royce Lewis3B+UR141Ramón LaureanoOF+UR142Bryson Stott2B-7143Colton CowserOF-25144Matt Shaw3B+UR145Mickey MoniakOF+UR146Josh Bell1B+UR147Angel Martínez2B, OF+UR148Spencer Horwitz1B, 2B+UR149Evan CarterOF-8150Spencer Steer1B, OF-17
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.
Dillon Dingler (C, DET) — Slumping.
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.
First Base
Carlos Santana (1B, CLE) — OBP streamer who somehow still has something in the tank. What a career.
Kyle Manzardo (1B, CLE) — Has lost most of the playing time against lefties.
Michael Toglia (1B, COL) — Can’t be used on the road, but fine to stream at home.
Jac Caglianone (1B, KCR) — Makes bad decisions and isn’t good at contact. One of those (almost certainly the former) will need to change.
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.
Miguel Vargas (1B/3B/OF, CWS) — Streamable, but I don’t think this hot streak is any more than a hot streak.
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.
Andrew Vaughn (1B, MIL) — He’ll get the bulk of the time while Rhys is out, and in a deeper format he’s worth a flyer in the event the Brew Crew can get more out of him than the White Sox.
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.
Luke Keaschall (2B, MIN) — Looks healthy in triple-A and is a solid add at second base if you’re looking for a spark.
Chase Meidroth (2B/SS, CWS) — Points league streamer
Third Base
Joey Ortiz (3B/SS, MIL) — That little power outburst was fun but he can go back to the wire now.
Marcelo Mayer (3B/SS, BOS) — Nothing is clicking right now. Per our Hitter Ability metrics, Mayer is one of, if not the worst in-zone decision-maker in the league, and of late is one of the worst decision-makers overall despite an improvement when it comes to pitches out of the zone.
Mark Vientos (3B, NYM) — Playing most days now, but not very well.
Ke’Bryan Hayes (3B, PIT) — Lack of power makes him more of a deep points streamer, but he’s also in several rumors to go to the Yankees (which still would be irrelevant in 12-teamers but at least it’s interesting).
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, COL) — He’s decent at home.
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.
Outfield/DH
Isaac Collins (OF, MIL) — Out of the platoon but might go back in one when Frelick returns.
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.
Michael Harris II (OF, ATL) — There was a bit of a flash of production, but it continues to vanish as quickly as it appears.
Masataka Yoshida (DH, BOS) — Deep points league streamer.
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.
Tyler O’Neill (OF, BAL) — When he’s 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.r
Tommy Pham (OF, PIT) — I thought for sure he was going to get released. This seems like a random stretch that I wouldn’t chase in mixed leagues.
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) — Played just once in the last week and it’s not because of injury. I was waiting for something to put me over the edge and this was it.
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.
On the IL
Players are listed by position and not by projected value.
Adley Rutschman (C, BAL) — Should be back right after the Break.
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) — We haven’t been given much of a timetable. If he’s going to miss five or fewer weeks, I might hold. Any longer, and he’s probably a cut.
Andrés Giménez (2B, TOR) — Not a player I’m holding.
Brandon Lowe (2B, TBR) — Injuries have been an issue for his entire career.
Max Muncy (2B/3B, ATH) — Not a player I’m holding.
Jeremy Peña (SS, HOU) — Won’t be activated Friday, but probably by next week.
Austin Riley (3B, ATL) — Looks like he will return Friday.
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.
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) — Dealing with inflammation, apparently. I’m hoping we get a timeline over the break after seeing how he reacts to recent treatment by a specialist. Do not drop him.
Dylan Crews (OF, WAS) — Hoping he’s back after the Break.
Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR) — Should be back a little after the Break.
Anthony Santander (OF, TOR) — He’ll be back sometime in August.
Kerry Carpenter (OF, DET) — Just as he started to heat up, he hit the IL with a hammy issue.
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.
Sal Frelick (OF, MIL) — Should be back Friday.
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