July 4, 2025
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Jose Soriano was electric on Thursday, tossing seven scoreless frames against the Atlanta Braves and earning his sixth win of the season. Soriano scattered three hits and two walks while punching out seven in this one. Even more impressively, the Braves didn't even get a runner into scoring position against him. It was a much-needed bounce-back start for the 26-year-old, who had a tough outing against Washington last time out. Other than that, though, Soriano has been brilliant lately. He has quality starts in four of his last five outings and has struck out 39 in 31 ⅓ IP over that stretch. On the season, he has a 6-5 record with a 3.72 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 91 strikeouts over 104 IP. He will look to keep the good times rolling against the Texas Rangers at home next Tuesday. Soriano should be rostered in standard-size leagues at this point, and can be started next week with a favorable matchup on tap.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
July 4, 2025
Los Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto led the charge on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a homer, a double, a stolen base, and three runs scored in a 5-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. Neto was all over the scoresheet in this one, which was sorely needed after an 0-for-13 slump that dated back to when he jammed his shoulder on June 24. He hasn't looked quite right since then, but tonight he was back to his usual self. The 24-year-old is hitting .270 with 49 runs, 13 homers, 30 RBI, and 14 stolen bases while hitting at the top of a decent Angels lineup. His power/speed combo is perfect for fantasy, and it makes him a top-12 option at shortstop. He should be owned and started in virtually all fantasy formats.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
July 4, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman/outfielder
Addison Barger continued his breakout campaign on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a homer and two doubles in a 8-5 win over the New York Yankees. Barger hit an RBI double in the first, doubled again in the third, and then hit a solo shot in the fifth. He is now up to a .272 AVG with 34 runs, 11 homers, 32 RBI, and two steals in 213 at-bats. The 25-year-old has been a revelation for the Jays, and he is actually underperforming his statcast data. There may be something special here, and Barger is certainly worth picking up in case this breakout is for real. He is still out there in plenty of leagues, and he should be rostered in all but the shallowest of leagues at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
July 4, 2025
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Robbie Ray was at his best on Thursday, shutting down the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 7-2 win. Ray went the distance, allowing just two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out seven. Both runs came on solo homers, so he was able to minimize the damage. It was Ray's first complete game since 2017, as he usually isn't as efficient as he was tonight (102 pitches). Ray is now 9-3 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts over 107 ⅓ IP. It has been a great start to his Giants tenure, and he will look to keep it going next Tuesday when he takes on the Philadelphia Phillies in San Fran. He is a must-start pitcher regardless of matchup, so he should be in fantasy lineups even against a tough Phillies offense.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
July 4, 2025
Chicago White Sox pitching prospect
Noah Schultz allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four against Triple-A Jacksonville. The 6'10" lefty induced eight whiffs on 24 swings, but also allowed two home runs, with both of them coming off the bat of
Graham Pauley. Schultz has now made three starts since being promoted to Triple-A on June 18, and the results have been shaky at best with an 11.91 ERA, 2.29 WHIP, and a 13:8 K:BB in 11.1 innings. The 21-year-old has relied heavily on his great fastball up until this point in his development, and will need to develop his secondary offerings to reach the next level. Schultz is ranked as the White Sox's current number one prospect on MLB.com.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
July 4, 2025
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect
Owen Caissie went 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI, and an additional run scored in a 12-3 win against Triple-A Omaha. The slugging outfielder is coming off a scorching month of June, where he hit .316/.435/.605 with five homers in 76 at-bats. The 22-year-old's strikeout rate still sits north of 30 percent for the season, but he consistently hits the ball hard with the ability to lift it for power. He's displayed a disciplined approach for his age as well, and is only behind
Roman Anthony and
Harry Ford for the highest walk rate among hitters age 22 or younger at Triple-A this season. Caissie is currently ranked as the number one prospect in the Cubs system according to MLB.com.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
July 4, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect
Andrew Painter allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across five innings against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 6'7" right-hander racked up 16 whiffs on 52 swings for the night, but ran into some trouble in the fourth inning when he gave up all four runs. He filled up the strike zone, however, with 65 of his 95 pitches going for strikes. Painter hasn't been quite as dominant at Triple-A compared to some of the lower levels he mowed through, as he holds a 4.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and a 52:19 K:BB in 45.1 innings in 2025. The 22-year-old has great stuff while still developing his command. The Phillies' top pitching prospect could be called up to help reinforce the bullpen with the big league club later on in the season.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
July
4,
2025
The
San
Diego
Padres
would
like
to
upgrade
offensively
over
catchers
Elias
Diaz
and
Martin
Maldonado,
but
The
Athletic's
Ken
Rosenthal
writes
that
most
teams
with
depth
at
catcher
are
reluctant
to
compromise
read more...
July 4, 2025
According to sources briefed on their thinking, the Kansas City Royals are interested in acquiring Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder
Bryan Reynolds. However, talks between the two teams haven't commenced in earnest. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal points out that the Royals are last in the league in runs per game. If the 30-year-old Reynolds is still the above-average offensive player he was from 2021-24, then he's underpaid relative to the free-agent market. But if he continues to struggle like he has in the first half of this year, the $74 million he's owed from 2026-30 could become a problem. Reynolds' OPS has slowly improved with the weather heating up, but his defensive metrics are poor, and it's unclear exactly how much the Pirates would ask for him. His advanced metrics paint an optimistic picture, as his xBA (.283) is well above his actual average (.237), and he's in the 82nd percentile in hard-hit rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
July 4, 2025
New York Mets pitching prospect
Nolan McLean allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out 10 over five innings against Triple-A Worcester. McLean picked up the win on Thursday as he set a season high for strikeouts in a game this season. He generated 11 whiffs on 37 swings as he distributed his arsenal quite evenly in this outing, throwing five pitches at least 12 times but none thrown more than 19 times. The 23-year-old has performed well at the highest level of the minors for the season with a 2.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 55:23 K:BB in 54.2 innings. The injuries are piling up in the Mets' rotation, and given McLean's quality of stuff, the right-hander could join the big league rotation soon. He'd be a solid speculative add and worth rostering in 15-team formats.
--Kyle McCarthySource: MiLB.com
July 3, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
George Springer's red-hot run continued in an 8-5 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. Springer belted a pair of two-run homers, his 14th and 15th of the season, in a 3-for-4 night. He also drew a walk and scored an additional run as Toronto finished off a four-game sweep of New York. Springer had a dream series against the Yankees, going 8-for-14 with four HRs, 11 RBI, seven runs, and four walks. After a down 2024, the 35-year-old has returned to his past star-caliber form during the first half of this season. He's hitting an outstanding .281/.378/.513 with 51 RBI, 49 runs, 10 steals, and a career-high 13.1% walk rate in 321 trips to the plate.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Washington Nationals outfielder
James Wood delivered a spectacular performance Thursday to help lead the Nats to an 11-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers. The budding superstar went 5-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBI, and three runs scored in one of the best games of his young career. Wood, named as a Home Run Derby participant on Thursday, has clubbed 23 HRs and slashed .294/.395/.563 with 67 RBI, 58 runs, and 12 steals in 387 plate appearances. Along with those superb numbers, Wood ranks in the top 4% of hitters in xwOBA, xSLG, and average exit velocity, among other batted-ball metrics. He already looks like an elite offensive player at the age of 22.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Houston Astros outfielder
Cam Smith posted another productive performance in a 7-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. The 22-year-old rookie finished a home run short of the cycle in a 3-for-5, three-RBI game. He now has three straight multi-hit games and six in his past seven contests. Smith understandably got off to a slow start over the first few weeks of the season as he adjusted to the bigs. Now, just one year removed from going in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Smith has established himself as a quality regular. He's slashing .291/.359/.445 with seven homers, 38 RBI, 34 runs scored, and four steals in 281 trips to the plate. Smith ranks in the top 25 percent of hitters in xwOBA and xBA, making his output all the more impressive.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Colorado Rockies reliever
Seth Halvorsen got four outs to log his seventh save in the team's 7-6 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday. Halvorsen inherited runners on the corners in a 7-5 game in the top of the eighth, but he retired
Isaac Paredes to escape the trouble. The ninth was trickier for Halvorsen, who gave up three hits (including a leadoff triple to
Jake Meyers) and a run before getting
Cooper Hummel to fly out to end the game. Halvorsen threw 26 pitches and struck out one in the outing. The 25-year-old right-hander has recorded a 4.15 ERA with 32 strikeouts, 15 walks, and a 1.44 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings. Between those unspectacular numbers and the lack of save opportunities that come with pitching for the last-place Rockies, Halvorsen is not much of a fantasy asset.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Miami Marlins reliever
Ronny Henriquez earned his fifth save of the year in a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. Henriquez threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning on 15 pitches and struck out one. The 23-year-old right-hander has emerged as the favorite for saves in Miami, which had mostly used
Calvin Faucher in the closer role until the past couple of weeks. Faucher threw a scoreless eighth inning on Thursday for his fifth hold. Henriquez, meanwhile, has converted all four of his save opportunities since June 22. He now owns a 2.79 ERA with 58 strikeouts, 16 walks, and a 1.19 WHIP in 42 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
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