9 mins agoLos Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto extended his hitting streak to six games with a single in Thursday's loss to the Kansas City Royals. Neto got off to a slow start but has recently begun to catch fire. Since April 29, the 23-year-old is sporting an impressive .343/.378/.543 line with two long balls and one stolen base. Neto is usually batting in the nine-hole but did move up to the two-hole twice last week and was in the seventh hole last night, suggesting that his recent performance could be rewarded with more at-bats and scoring opportunities. Neto remains an option for deeper leagues but should be considered in DFS this weekend due to his recent stretch.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
20 mins agoKansas Royals first baseman
Vinnie Pasquantino went 2-4 at the plate on Thursday and launched his fifth home run of the campaign. After getting off to a slow start to the season, Pasquantino looks to be rounding into form. Overall on the season, the 26-year-old has a solid .256/.340/.457 line, but it has been even better as of late. Since May 1, he is riding an incredible .429/.441/.714 line with 11 RBI and a 3:4 BB:K ratio. Hitting third in the Royals lineup every day presents him with significant opportunities to get on the scoresheet batting behind superstar
Bobby Witt Jr. and in front of backstop
Salvador Perez. Pasquantino is a solid play in any DFS matchup and should always remain in your fantasy lineup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
30 mins agoKansas City Royals starting pitcher
Michael Wacha tallied his second victory of the season against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday by tossing six innings of three-run ball (two earned). Wacha allowed just three hits but struggled with his control, giving up five free passes. He struck out six. This was a big bounce-back performance for the 32-year-old as he got chased out of his previous start on May 4 against the Texas Rangers, allowing seven earned runs in just three ⅔ innings. Wacha now sits with a 5.15 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with just 37 punchouts across 43 ⅔ innings. Wacha has done well with limiting hard contact with an excellent 35.0% hard-hit rate and sports a 4.08 xERA, suggesting he could be due for some positive regression. However, Wacha remains an option for deeper leagues and should only be deployed in favorable matchups.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
41 mins agoHouston Astros first baseman
Jon Singleton launched his fourth home run in the past nine games in Thursday's victory over the New York Yankees. The 32-year-old has started at first base in each of these nine games and is looking like the primary option at this position for Houston. In this stretch, Singleton has a .241/.343/.655 line, 10 RBI, and a strong 5:6 BB:K ratio. His metrics support his recent power production as he currently sits with a 9.3% barrel rate, which is above average. His recent production in the batter's box and clear role on the Houston depth chart make Singleton an intriguing add in most formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
Dylan Crews launched his third long ball of the season on Thursday, breaking his near-month home run drought. The second overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft has an overall .236/.317/.458 line with four stolen bases. Crews have begun to heat up at the plate with a .261/.357/.652 line through the first seven games of May. If Crews can continue this hot stretch, he should be prompted to Triple-A fairly soon which could provide him an opportunity to make his major league debut later this summer. The 22-year-old should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper leagues and could become relevant in redraft formats later this season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitching prospect
Nick Nastrini threw six ⅔ innings of one-run ball on Thursday and is on the verge of returning to the major leagues. Nastrini made his major league debut earlier in April but logged only two starts before being sent down. Since then, the 24-year-old has been pitching very well with Triple-A and could be back up with the major league team very soon. In May, he has a 1.42 ERA and 0.79 WHIP through 12 ⅔ innings. The White Sox do not have strong options in their rotation after
Garrett Crochet and
Erick Fedde, which makes Nastrini a worthy stash in deeper AL-only formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers third base prospect
Eric Bitonti posted his first career multi-hit game and launched his first professional home run on Thursday. The 18-year-old went 3-5 at the plate with one long ball and two singles. Through four games at the Arizona Complex League, the former third-round selection has a .222/.263/.389 line. MLB Pipeline ranks Bitonti as the 13th overall prospect in the Milwaukee system. Bitonti is still several seasons away from a major league debut; however, he could become a name to monitor in deeper dynasty leagues down the road if he can reach Single-A before the end of the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoColorado Rockies outfield prospect
Zac Veen went 4-5 at the plate and launched his fifth long ball of the season and second in as many days on Thursday. He also swiped his eighth bag of the season. Overall, Veen has a .342/.441/.633 line through 23 games at Double-A this season. Veen has been in Double-A for the past three seasons but has finally been able to turn things around. In 2022, he posted a .177/.262/.234 line, and last season, he had a slightly improved .209/.303/.308 line. The former ninth overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft should be promoted to Triple-A fairly soon which can potentially set up for a late-season major league debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitching prospect
Caden Dana threw seven innings of one-run ball and struck out five en route to his second victory of the season on Thursday. Dana allowed just four hits and one free pass. This outing brings the 20-year-old to a dominant 1.69 ERA and 0.72 WHIP through 37 ⅓ innings in his first taste of Double-A. He has tallied 32 total strikeouts. After posting a modest 4.22 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 53 ⅓ innings at High-A last season, Dana looks to have found a second gear that has allowed him to succeed against stronger competition. The second-ranked prospect in the Angels system on MLB Pipeline is not projected to reach the majors until 2026, but seeing how well he is performing at Double-A, he could force his way to Triple-A by the end of the summer, which opens the door for a 2025 debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
2 hours agoTampa Bay Rays first base prospect
Xavier Isaac launched two long balls in the nightcap of Thursday's doubleheader. Isaac tallied just one hit in the first game but hit his fourth and fifth home runs of the season in the second game to power Bowling Green to a victory. On the season, the 20-year-old has a .250/.346/.478 line with five swiped bags, 27 RBI through 25 games at High-A. The former first-round selection of the 2022 MLB Draft played in Single-A primarily but did see time at the end of the summer with High-A. With his strong start to the season, Isaac could very well be moved up to Double-A fairly soon. Dynasty managers should monitor Isaac for now, as he is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2026.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
8 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks closer
Paul Sewald notched his first save of the season on Thursday, closing the door on the Cincinnati Reds in a 5-4 win. Sewald struck out a pair and didn't allow a baserunner in his inning of work. The 33-year-old veteran was making just his second appearance of the season after recovering from an oblique strain that put him out of action for all of April and the first week of May. After being used in a non-save situation in his first appearance on Tuesday, Sewald was put right back into the fire on Thursday and looked great, putting fantasy manager's worries at ease. He should continue to be the D-backs primary closer if he can stay healthy.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
8 hours agoChicago White Sox relief pitcher
Michael Kopech picked up his fourth save of the season on Thursday, shutting down the Cleveland Guardians in a 3-2 win. Kopech got the final four outs of this one, allowing just a hit while striking out one. Although the White Sox aren't likely to get many save chances, it appears Kopech is the go-to guy when the opportunity arises. He now has four of the team's seven saves and has saves in back-to-back games as well. It might be time to consider picking him up in leagues where saves are sparse.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Erick Fedde had a solid outing against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, tossing six innings of shutout ball and earning the win in a 3-2 victory. Fedde allowed six hits while walking none and striking out three. Although the whiffs weren't there for the righty in this one, he was able to control his pitches much better than last outing, where he walked five. It was a step in the right direction for Fedde, but he will have to continue to have these strong performances to become a must-start fantasy option.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoColorado Rockies outfielder
Brenton Doyle went 2-for-4 with a double and a homer on Thursday, helping the team pick up a 9-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. Doyle added two runs scored and three RBI to round out his stat line. The 25-year-old got off to a hot start at the dish and was a popular waiver wire add in fantasy, but coming into this game since May 1, he was slashing a dismal .111/.143/.185 with just one extra-base hit. He still has solid season numbers, but he is much less appealing in fantasy outside of deeper leagues, especially since he has moved down in the Rockies lineup.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9 hours agoKansas City Royals outfielder
Dairon Blanco showed up big on Thursday, leading his team to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Blanco went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, two RBI, a homer, and two stolen bases. It was a full stat line for Blanco, but unfortunately the 31-year-old hasn't done much to warrant being rostered in fantasy outside of this game. He will steal the occasional base, with 10 on the season, but he hardly starts games and is usually used as a late-game pinch-runner. He might see more at-bats now, but he shouldn't be rostered unless steals are at a premium.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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