8 Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers - Jake McCarthy, Logan Gilbert, Cody Bellinger, More

July 6, 2026

Kipp's fantasy baseball risers, fallers, breakouts for Week 15 of 2026. He analyzes hitters and pitchers performing well and poorly to determine future values.

Welcome, everyone, to another edition of RotoBaller’s Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers article series for Week 15 of the 2026 season! Today, I'll check in on players like Jake McCarthy, Logan Gilbert, Cody Bellinger, and more.

Keeping up with the latest hitter and pitcher trends is a key component of a successful season, and RotoBaller is here to help fantasy managers! Each week, I will select a few players who have performed well recently and a few who have not, and I will analyze their performances to determine how their future outcomes may be affected.

Following along here every week will give you an edge over your league mates and keep you up to date on who is firing on all cylinders and who is struggling to make ends meet. Every game matters, and there is no time to wait for regression. Let's get into some fantasy risers and fallers who may force some tough decisions.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Risers

Jake McCarthy, OF, Colorado Rockies

Jake McCarthy has been tearing it up for the Rockies over the previous two weeks, slashing .357/.379/.696 with four HR, 19 RBI, 10 R, and three SB. Additionally, he has posted just a 12% strikeout rate over that span. This has been good enough to rank him fourth overall in Yahoo! leagues.

Although this two-week stretch looks very solid, and it is, his metrics leave a bit to be desired. Overall, he is posting a 6.2% barrel rate and a hard-hit rate of just 26.7%, both of which rank him well below league average. That being said, McCarthy does have the advantage of playing his home games at Coors Field.

On the season, McCarthy has posted a .941 OPS at home compared to a .767 mark on the road. He has also hit seven of his nine total home runs at home this season. Keep plugging him into your lineups for homestands, and it is worth noting that he is still just 51% rostered in leagues, so feel free to add him if he is available in yours.

Jake McCarthy's second homer of the game is a GRAND SLAM!

He has 10 RBI over his last two games 😤 pic.twitter.com/FBvc1cRJLt

— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2026

Esmerlyn Valdez, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Esmerlyn Valdez was called up in late May and has not looked back. Over the previous two weeks, he has been slashing .487/.523/.949 with four HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, and four BB. This has been good enough to rank him eighth overall in Yahoo! leagues during that span.

While he does not qualify for Statcast metrics yet, he has posted a tremendous .389 xwOBA, .609 xSLG, 27.9% barrel rate, and 51.2% hard-hit rate. All of these would rank him well above the 80th percentile. He is still rostered in just 49% of leagues and is certainly worth adding to your roster if available.

This Pirates lineup in 2026 has been outstanding, so I would expect Valdez to continue to be a viable starting first baseman and outfielder for your roster for the foreseeable future.

Esmerlyn Valdez hits one 461 FEET!

Look at where this baseball lands 😳 pic.twitter.com/gHJcOznQAb

— MLB (@MLB) June 28, 2026

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Risers

Sonny Gray, Boston Red Sox 

Sonny Gray has been one of the few bright spots on this Red Sox roster, having posted a 0.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 27 Ks across the previous two weeks, which encompasses 20 1/3 IP. Additionally, he has racked up two wins and ranks 10th overall in Yahoo! leagues over that span.

Overall, Gray's metrics look pretty solid. He ranks in the 80th percentile or better in both chase rate and BB rate. He also ranks in the 77th percentile with a 47.8% groundball rate. Gray could be a trade candidate for the Red Sox at the deadline, which could increase his value depending on who he is traded to.

Even if he is not traded, he should continue to be a steady arm in your rotation for the remainder of the season.

Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners 

Logan Gilbert is the first of two pitchers for the Seattle Mariners on this list, and lucky for him, he is on the risers list this week. Over the previous two weeks, he has posted a 2.18 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and struck out 22 batters across 20 2/3 IP. He has also gone 2-1 over this span and ranks 17th overall in Yahoo! leagues.

Gilbert has long been a steady arm for the Mariners, and his metrics tell us this trend should continue. Overall, he ranks above the 80th percentile in all of chase rate, whiff rate, and BB rate. His 3.61 xERA also places him well above league average.

Gilbert has the benefit of pitching in a park that is very pitcher-friendly, so I do not see any reason he cannot continue this strong trend for the remainder of the season. He seems to have fully placed his slow start behind him at this juncture.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Fallers

Cody Bellinger, OF, New York Yankees 

Our first player on the fallers list this week is a big one in Cody Bellinger. Over the previous two weeks, he has been slashing an ugly .093/.220/.140 with zero HR, one RBI, zero R, and seven BB. In all honesty, that felt even worse typing out, and it has been bad enough to rank him 774th overall in Yahoo! leagues.

Quite frankly, a large part of Bellinger's struggles is directly linked to Aaron Judge being out of the lineup, as pitchers are clearly focusing on not letting him beat them. That being said, his metrics are still solid, and he should return to form once this lineup is at full health.

Overall, he ranks in the 80th percentile or better in xwOBA, xBA, whiff rate, K rate, and BB rate. I would not get too hung up on the struggles over the previous two weeks, as it is only a matter of time before Bellinger starts swinging a hot stick again.

Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS, Chicago White Sox 

Colson Montgomery is another hitter who has been struggling over the previous couple of weeks; however, after homering in two straight games on July 4th and 5th, he might be coming out of his funk. Over the previous two weeks, he has been slashing .204/.235/.388 with two HR, six RBI, five R, and two BB.

This stretch has been bad enough to rank him 509th overall in Yahoo! leagues. The fact that Montgomery has still hit two home runs over this stretch is worth noting, as the home runs are his bread and butter. He should not be expected to carry a fantasy roster with his average, but he is more than capable of mashing 40 home runs this season.

Overall, he ranks in the 88th percentile with a 14.5% barrel rate and is also solidly above league average with a 44% hard-hit rate. Look for the home runs to continue piling up for Montgomery for the remainder of the season.

Colson Montgomery loves the #4thOfJuly!

July 4th, 2025: MLB Debut
July 4th, 2026: Home Run pic.twitter.com/NDkyXzMyVj

— MLB (@MLB) July 5, 2026

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Fallers

Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners 

Bryan Woo is an easy one for me to peg this week. Over the previous two weeks, he has posted an ugly 6.10 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and struck out just nine batters across 10 1/3 IP. He is also 1-1 over that stretch and ranks 544th overall in Yahoo! leagues.

Woo's stats over the previous two weeks look so dreadful due to a road start at Pittsburgh, where he allowed five earned runs across just four IP. This has been a recurring theme for Woo, as he currently sits with a 6.38 road ERA and 10.0 HR/9 compared to a 2.10 ERA and 7.5 HR/9 at home.

While Woo has always struggled more on the road, the struggles have been much more pronounced in 2026, and he is someone I would certainly avoid starting on the road, especially against potent offenses.

Shane Baz, Baltimore Orioles 

Shane Baz has had his ups and downs in 2026 and is currently trending in the wrong direction. Over the previous two weeks, he has posted a 5.25 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and struck out 11 batters across 12 IP. He has also gone 0-1 over this span and ranks 668th overall in Yahoo! leagues.

Baz's metrics are also rather lackluster, as he ranks below the 50th percentile in every meaningful Statcast category. He was highly touted in the Rays' system, but Baz has never quite lived up to the hype. He is not someone I could depend on as we enter the second half of the season and push towards the playoffs.

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