5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith put together a dominant day at the plate in the teams 15-2 victory against the Texas Rangers. Smith started his day with a three-run homer off
Dane Dunning in the bottom of the first inning and that alone would be enough for the Dodgers to earn their 42nd victory of the season. Smith would finish the day with three hits in four at-bats with a walk and two runs scored to go along with his three-run homer. Smith was in a mini slump entering the contest, but has continued to put together a strong season behind the dish with a .296 batting average to go along with 10 homers and 42 RBI. Smith remains one of the best catchers in the league and a must-start when he is starting.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani put together a big performance in Tuesday's 13-run victory against the Texas Rangers. Ohtani went 1-for-2 on the evening with two walks, one stolen base and a two-run homer. Ohtani's homer was blasted with an exit velocity of 114.2 MPH that landed 433 feet from home plate. The two-way superstar has only swung the bat with his new club, but he hasn't missed a beat since signing with the Dodgers this offseason. On the year, Ohtani is now hitting .312 with 16 homers, 43 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He remains one of the best options in all formats moving forward.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Ronel Blanco put together another strong outing to earn his sixth victory of the season on Tuesday versus the San Francisco Giants. Blanco earned a quality start with six innings of one-run ball, in which he allowed three hits, one walk and struck out eight on the evening. After allowing eight runs in his first two starts off his suspension for an illegal use of a substance, Blanco put together his best outing since his return. Despite his suspension, Blanco has come out of nowhere this season and will carry a cool 2.67 ERA into his next outing in a very favorable matchup against the Chicago White Sox.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoDespite pitching well in his big-league debut, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher
Drew Thorpe earned a tough luck no-decision. Thorpe threw five scoreless innings before being pulled and allowed three hits, two runs (one earned), two walks and recorded four strikeouts versus the Seattle Mariners. The 23-year-old looked impressive, but poor defense and a bad performance out of the bullpen spoiled his chance at a victory. Thorpe was one of the pieces the White Sox received back from the San Diego Padres for
Dylan Cease this offseason and with the White Sox appearing to be committed to throwing in the towel on this season, it stands to reason that Thorpe should remain in the rotation for the immediate future, which makes him worth a look in deeper mixed leagues. Thorpe is lined up to face a middle of the pact Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and is worthy of consideration in that matchup.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros relief pitcher
Ryan Pressly earned his second save of the season in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Giants. Pressly entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by two and turned in a 1-2-3 performance with two strikeouts. Closer
Josh Hader had pitched each of the last two days for the Astros, so Pressly was called upon to reprise his old role. The 25-year-old has had an uncharacteristically poor season, converting just two of seven save opportunities with seven holds, a 5.19 ERA, and a 12.12 K/9 rate in 26 innings pitched. While Hader was the team's big off-season signing, he has only seen three more save opportunities than Pressly, who served as the team's lockdown closer from 2021-23. He is still worth a roster spot in deeper roto leagues given his history and role as next-in-line, but his ERA will need to continue to improve before he returns to a true fantasy option.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoAfter blowing his last save opportunity in London, Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher
Jose Alvarado picked up his 12th save of the season in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox. Alvarado entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He got the first out on a ground-out, allowed a single, and got the final two outs on a pop-out and strikeout. The 29-year-old has seen the most save opportunities of the team this season and has pitched well overall, converting all but two opportunities with a 3.41 ERA, a 9.93 K/9 rate, and a 3.72 BB/9 rate.
Jeff Hoffman has seen eight save opportunities and has also pitched very well this season. Both players are worth a look in roto leagues, but Alvarado has provided more universal fantasy value.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler continued his stellar season in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Red Sox. Wheeler pitched seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The 34-year-old has rebounded after a relatively pedestrian 2023 season and is now 8-3 with a 2.16 ERA, a 9.75 K/9 rate, and a 2.77 BB/9 rate in 14 starts and 87 2/3 IP. Wheeler's ability to pitch deep into games and rack up strikeouts has made him a top fantasy option once again while being backed by one of baseball's best offenses. He will face a tough matchup in his next projected start at the Orioles but continues to be a must-start fantasy option.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton continued his improved offensive June in Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Royals. Stanton went 2-for-4 with a single, a solo home run, two RBI, and a strikeout. He was also hit by a pitch. The 34-year-old veteran's season batting average sits at a disappointing .229, but he has put together his best month of the season to this point. Stanton is slashing .250/.341/.528 with three HR and nine RBI in 36 June at-bats. He is still hitting the ball extremely hard despite his age and now has 16 HR and 38 RBI on the season. He may not be the fantasy contributor he once was, but Stanton is worth a roster spot in at least roto leagues where he should provide HR, runs, and RBI hitting in the middle of a strong Yankees lineup.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees catcher
Austin Wells got in on the offensive action in Tuesday's 10-1 drubbing of the Royals. Wells went 2-for-4 with a single, a three-run home run, and a strikeout. The 24-year-old hit a fourth-inning
Brady Singer fastball just over the center-field wall. Wells has been disappointing from a fantasy perspective this season, slashing just .211/.295/.325 with two HR and 10 RBI in 132 plate appearances. He showed power promise last season in limited action, but that has not carried over into 2024. He is also getting out-hit by his batterymate,
Jose Trevino. Wells has plenty of time in dynasty leagues to develop further as a hitter, but he currently offers little fantasy value in re-draft leagues.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoColorado Rockies relief pitcher
Tyler Kinley escaped with his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Twins. Kinley entered the game to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff double, got the first two outs on a line-out and a strikeout, allowed a two-run home run, and ended the game with another strikeout. The 33-year-old has picked up a save in each of his last three appearances. However, his 8.10 ERA, 4.73 BB/9 rate, and 2.36 HR/9 rate do not instill confidence. It seems like Kinley may be the preferred late-inning arm for the Rockies at the moment, but his other numbers make it difficult for fantasy managers to roster him except perhaps in the deepest of roto leagues.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays relief pitcher
Yimi Garcia put the effort in to earn his fifth save of the season in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Brewers. Garcia entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning up by two with two outs and runners on first and second. He got the third out with a strikeout and stayed on to pitch the ninth, delivering a 1-2-3 inning with two more strikeouts. The 33-year-old has served as the team's interim closer throughout the season while
Jordan Romano (elbow) has served stints on the injured list. Garcia has now converted five of six save opportunities with a 1.98 ERA and a 12.18 K/9 rate in 27 1/3 innings of work. Garcia is the fantasy arm to roster from the Blue Jays' bullpen while Romano is on the IL.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins first baseman
Carlos Santana was 2-for-2 with a two-run home run after entering Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. The veteran slugger has been out of the starting lineup a few times over the past couple weeks. Santana endured a pretty underwhelming start to the season, but he is hitting .308 with two homers and six RBI over his past seven games. His season slash line still sits at an unsightly .221/.302/.404 to go along with 10 homers and 29 RBI. The 38-year-old can provide the occasional spark in the power department, but it seems like Santana's best fantasy days are behind him.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI during Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. It was the third straight game with a homer for Judge and helped raise his June batting average to a remarkable .533. The towering superstar is up to a league-leading 25 homers on the year. He is also slashing a stellar .309/.437/.712 with 62 RBI, 52 runs scored, five stolen bases and a 24.4 K%, which would be the lowest mark of his career. Judge is a fantasy godsend so far this season and has shown no signs of slowing down. Lock him into your lineups and throw away the key.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoColorado Rockies shortstop
Ezequiel Tovar was 1-for-4 with a three-run home run during Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. Tovar has hit three homers over his past four games and is batting .318 over his last thirty games. The 22-year-old has started to come into his own this season as he is slashing a healthy .292/.323/.491 with 11 homers, 31 RBI, 36 runs scored and four stolen bases. He could start approaching the top-15 fantasy shortstops conversation if he can pick things up a little more on the basepath. Tovar should be owned in the majority of fantasy formats.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago Cubs third baseman
Christopher Morel was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. It was Morel's third home run and second multi-hit performance of June. The 24-year-old has been his typical streaky self this season. He has 13 home runs, 40 RBI and six stolen bases across 66 games but is slashing a modest .208/.318/.403. He has shown more consistency at the plate lately and should continue to see steady playing time because of it. Morel is a top-15 option at third base moving forward.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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