RADIO
JJ Bleday Still Worth Rostering Amid Cold Spell in June?
Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday, who was the fourth overall pick by the Miami Marlins in 2019 out of Vanderbilt University, was a first-round bust in his first four years in the big leagues with the Fish and the Athletics, but he has found a home in Cincinnati and is in the midst of the best year of his young MLB career. Through 45 contests with the Reds in 2026, Bleday is hitting .265/.367/.572 with a .940 OPS, 13 home runs, 35 RBI, 27 runs scored, and two stolen bases across his 196 plate appearances. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder is well on pace to set a new career high in home runs, and his resurgence at the plate has led to him being a popular waiver-wire pickup in the first half of the season. Four of Bleday's 13 homers have come in June, but he's gone 11-for-57 (.193) during the month with two doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, a steal, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts in 15 games. While he may have cooled off a bit in June, Bleday has an expected batting average of .274 and an xwOBA of .388, with his underlying metrics backing his strong start to the 2026 campaign. If you need power off the waiver wire, Bleday is a widely available asset and is currently rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
