July 1, 2025
Athletics closer
Mason Miller picked up his 16th save of the season in Monday's 6-4 win over the Rays. Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a single, and ended the game by inducing a groundball double play. The 26-year-old flamethrower has converted all but three of his save opportunities with an elite 14.67 K/9 rate. However, he has had several blowup outings this season and has struggled with walks, leading to a lackluster 4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 innings of work. The good news is that he has allowed few hits, so his 1.14 WHIP is still solid despite a 4.40 BB/9 rate. Miller has some of the best strikeout stuff in baseball and has been electric and overall effective throughout his career, so fantasy managers may be wise to look beyond his bloated ERA for now.
--Connelly DoanSource: MLB.com
July 1, 2025
Cincinnati Reds outfielder
Austin Hays went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in his team's 13-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He also notched a two-run triple -- his fourth in 35 contests. The 29-year-old picked up his first multi-hit game and homer since returning from the injured list a few days ago due to a foot injury. Hays was hitting well before sustaining the ailment, and has already collected four RBI in four appearances since rejoining the squad. Overall, he's slashing a strong .295/.336/.568 with seven long balls, seven doubles, 29 RBI, and 26 runs scored. If he can stay healthy, he'll have plenty of RBI opportunities batting from the four-hole in Cincinnati's lineup. However, it's important to note he's outproducing his .256 xBA by a good margin.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Miami Marlins pitching prospect
Thomas White had a strong showing in his second start at Double-A Pensacola, tossing five shutout innings, yielding just two hits and a walk while striking out five in the outing. The Marlins' top prospect now owns a 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 22.9 percent K-BB% in 11 starts this season, nine of which came at High-A. The former 35th-overall draft pick could make some starts at Triple-A later in the year at this rate, and the 6-foot-5 hurler could be in the big leagues by next year, so dynasty managers should be keeping a close eye on his progression.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
July 1, 2025
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher
Shelby Miller picked up his 10th save of the season in Monday's 4-2 win over the Giants. Miller came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning up by one with two outs and the bases empty. He struck out
Heliot Ramos to end the inning and stayed on to pitch the ninth, turning in a 1-2-3 inning with another strikeout. The 34-year-old veteran has had some ups and downs but has settled in as the team's primary choice for save opportunities with both
Justin Martinez (elbow) and
A.J. Puk (elbow) on the injured list with elbow injuries. He has now converted 10 of 15 save opportunities with a 2.10 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 10.22 K/9 rate in 34 1/3 innings of work.
--Connelly DoanSource: MLB.com
July 1, 2025
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher
Garrett Crochet allowed five runs (four earned) over six innings of work in Monday's 13-6 home win over the Cincinnati Reds. He yielded seven hits, issued one free pass, and struck out nine. Cincinnati got to the 26-year-old in three consecutive frames, but his team had built up a seven-run lead at that point and never relinquished it. Despite the inflated run total, Crochet was efficient -- firing 63 of 89 pitches for strikes (31% CSW) to improve to 8-4 through 18 starts. He'll bring a stellar 2.26 ERA. 1.03 WHIP, and a 144:32 K:BB ratio into a road outing with the Washington Nationals this weekend.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Jorge Burgos was named the Eastern League Player of the Week after going 12-for-24 (.500), including four doubles, a triple, a home run, nine RBI, and five runs scored in six games at Double-A Akron. The 23-year-old got off to a slow start, so the recent hot streak has only pushed his slash line to .234/.311/.448, but he's tallied 11 home runs in 68 games. It's an improvement over the .127/.200/.309 line he posted in 15 games at Double-A last year, but he'll probably need to continue to produce if he's going to get a look at Triple-A later this year. For now, he's off the dynasty fantasy radar.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
June 30, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Max Scherzer allowed three hits and two earned runs over five innings pitched, but did not factor into his team's 5-4 win over the New York Yankees. He walked none and punched out seven. Scherzer fell victim to a
Jazz Chisholm Jr. two-run homer in the fourth inning, but was otherwise effective against a Yankees lineup that scored 12 runs the day prior. Still, it's worth mentioning that the veteran was pulled after just 71 pitches (47 strikes) while experiencing fatigue in his thumb. Blue Jays manager John Schneider reports he'll be evaluated in the next few days. Scherzer has been decent in two appearances since his return, but the 40-year-old's thumb will require some monitoring for the time being. He'll get the visiting Los Angeles Angels his next time out.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
June 30, 2025
Athletics outfield prospect
Carlos Cortes was named Pacific Coast League (PCL) Player of the Week after going 14-for-23 (.609) last week, including three doubles and four home runs, as well as 13 RBI, seven runs scored, and a 3:4 BB:K for Triple-A Las Vegas. The 28-year-old has yet to make a major league debut; however, this latest hot stretch has pushed his season-long slash line to .313/.404/.605 with 14 home runs and the second-best OPS in the PCL (1.010). The A's have brought up
Nick Kurtz and
Colby Thomas already this season, and with a glut of talent in the outfield, there likely isn't a need for a left-handed hitting bat in the lineup, but a major league debut before the season is out seems likely.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
June 30, 2025
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Chase Burns yielded five hits and seven runs (five earned) in a third of an inning in his team's 13-6 road loss to the Boston Red Sox. He issued two free passes and struck out none. The former second-overall pick of last year's draft pitched well in his big-league debut last week, but wasn't as fortunate against Boston on Monday, recording a lone out and tossing 33 pitches before getting yanked. It was a disaster for Burns and an outing to forget as he attempts to build confidence in his MLB tenure. He figures to get at least one more chance at toeing the rubber with teammate
Hunter Greene (back, groin) still shelved with various injuries. That projects to come against a formidable Philadelphia Phillies lineup on the road later this week.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
June 30, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Wilyer Abreu went 2-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in Monday's 13-6 win against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. The Venezuelan native was electric in the lopsided win, though he severely misjudged his first home run of the game. In the bottom of the fifth, Abreu led off the inning with a bomb to the deepest part of the park. It was clear he thought it left the yard, evidenced by his slow start out of the box, but quickly turned on the jets after it bounced off the top of the wall. Fortunately,
TJ Friedl misjudged it, too, falling to the warning track to allow the 26-year-old to book it home. Then, in the eighth, Abreu cleared the bases with his first career grand slam. He appears to be heating up again, logging three home runs over the last three days
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
June 30, 2025
The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen suggests that Detroit Tigers infielder
Colt Keith, who has played back-to-back games at third base and seven appearances overall at the hot corner this year, could stick at third base more permanently moving forward. Keith played third in the minors before a shoulder injury hurt his throwing arm, and it's been a way to keep his bat in the lineup with
Gleyber Torres at second and
Spencer Torkelson at first. With Keith and
Matt Vierling now options at third, the Tigers may be less inclined to acquire another infielder at the trade deadline this summer. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter should continue to start at third against right-handers, which means he should regain third-base eligibility for fantasy managers. Keith is currently slashing .247/.331/.402 with six homers, 25 RBI and 35 runs scored in 219 at-bats in his second year in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
June 30, 2025
Detroit Tigers outfielder
Parker Meadows has yet to lock it in since returning from the injured list with a nerve issue in his throwing arm on June 2. He has homered twice in 75 at-bats, but The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen writes that Meadows has looked more like the hitter who was optioned to the minors early last season than the one who had an .840 OPS in August and September. He is currently hitting .187 (14-for-75) and has struck out over 35 percent of the time on breaking balls. The good news is that the 25-year-old has gone 8-for-30 (.267) with a homer, double, four RBI and five runs scored of late in his last nine games. Fantasy managers that continue to hang onto him have to hope that he's just starting slow for a second straight season. If he continues to struggle, though, the Tigers could hold him out against lefties in center field in favor of
Matt Vierling.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
June 30, 2025
Cleveland Guardians infield prospect
Angel Genao went 2-for-3 with two walks and a pair of singles on Sunday for Double-A Akron, his fifth consecutive game with two hits, during which time he's gone 10-for-17 (.588) with a double, a triple, four RBI, five runs scored, two steals, and a 4:1 BB:K. The Guardians' fourth-ranked prospect dealt with a shoulder injury that kept him out until June 9, but since that time, he's slashing .306/.363/.431 in 19 games for the RubberDucks. The 21-year-old has good contact skills, striking out at just a 13.8 percent rate this season at Double-A, and is coming off a 25-steal campaign in 2024, so there is some speed as well. With such a delay to his season, he may spend the rest of the year at Double-A, but if he continues to collect multi-hit games, a taste of Triple-A before the season is out would be prudent.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
June 30, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Andrew Heaney did not allow a run over 6 2/3 innings in his team's 7-0 home win against the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran scattered three hits, walked one, and struck out seven to notch his fourth victory (4-7) in 17 starts. Heaney had a no-hitter going through five innings and allowed no runs in an outing for the third time this season, but first since Apr. 23. It was a nice bounce-back effort after letting 15 runs cross the plate over his last two appearances. He was due for some regression, and it hit him hard, considering he held a 2.91 ERA at the end of May. Heaney sits at 4.16 now, to go along with a 1.20 WHIP. He'll carry those metrics into his next trip to the mound -- a road meeting with the Seattle Mariners this weekend.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
June 30, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler was masterful on Monday, striking out 10 over eight scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Padres. He picked up his eighth win of the season, allowing six hits and no walks. This was the 35-year-old's third double-digit strikeout performance of the season, and his fourth-straight start of at least eight punchouts. During that span, he's allowed just one earned run over 25 innings. The veteran remains one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and will carry a 2.36 ERA with 136 strikeouts and 25 walks into his next outing, which is currently set to be against the Reds.
--Jeremy HeistSource: MLB.com
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