July 6, 2025
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton continued his outstanding first half of the season Sunday with a multi-hit game in a 7-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Buxton smashed a solo homer, his 20th of the year, and finished 2-for-5 with a stolen base and an additional run scored. The 31-year-old has already reached the 20-HR mark for the second time in his career and remains on pace for his first season of 30 or more. With 16 steals so far, Buxton's first 20/20 or 30/30 season is also within reach. Named to his second American League All-Star team Sunday, Buxton has batted .270/.334/.544 with 53 RBI and 57 runs scored over 314 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays closer
Pete Fairbanks (4-2) earned his fourth win of the season in a 7-5 decision against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Fairbanks entered with one out and a runner on first in a 4-4 game in the bottom of the eighth. He retired both hitters he faced, striking out one, and stayed in for the ninth. Fairbanks didn't encounter much trouble in a scoreless frame, only allowing a single to
Christian Vazquez. The Rays then scored three times in the top of the 10th, putting Fairbanks in position to nab the win. Rays reliever
Eric Orze converted his third save in the bottom of the inning. After throwing a spotless 1 2/3 innings on Sunday, Fairbanks' ERA dropped to 2.34 with 30:14 K:BB, a 1.10 WHIP, and 15 saves in 34 2/3 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Colorado Rockies outfielder
Mickey Moniak led the team to a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday with an excellent offensive showing. Moniak got off to an auspicious start with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning against White Sox starter
Shane Smith. The 27-year-old later added a single and a triple to finish 3-for-4 with three RBI and a stolen base. Moniak has been on a torrid run for over a month, having hit .354 (23-for-65) with eight homers, five doubles, two triples, and 17 RBI since June 1. Thanks to his recent stretch of success, the former No. 1 overall pick is slashing a solid .257/.303/.532 with 13 homers, 32 RBI, 30 runs, five steals, and a career-best 24.4% strikeout rate in 234 plate appearances. Unsurprisingly, Moniak has done most of his damage at hitter-friendly Coors Field. He has a .900 OPS at home and a .692 mark on the road.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Colorado Rockies reliever
Seth Halvorsen picked up his eighth save of the year in a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Halvorsen allowed a two-out walk to
Chase Meidroth, but he retired the other three hitters he faced in a 12-pitch frame. While save opportunities are rare for the last-place Rockies, Halvorsen is their top choice in that department. The 25-year-old right-hander has pitched to a 4.04 ERA with 32:16 K:BB and a 1.43 WHIP in 35 2/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Right-handed reliever
Luis Garcia has agreed to a Major League contract with the Washington Nationals, pending a physical, according to Andrew Golden of the Washington Post. Garcia, not to be confused with Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., became available when the Los Angeles Dodgers released him earlier this week. The 38-year-old recorded a rough 5.27 ERA with 24 strikeouts, 16 walks, and a 1.83 WHIP in 27 1/3 innings with the Dodgers, leading the club to go in another direction. The nomadic Garcia has pitched in the majors for seven different teams since debuting with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013. He carries a career 4.20 ERA with 8.48 K/9, 4.00 BB/9, and a 1.44 WHIP across 555 1/3 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: Andrew Golden - The Washington Post
July 6, 2025
Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder
Jose Altuve had a big game at the plate Sunday in a 5-1 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Altuve went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer to help the Astros finish off a three-game sweep of the reigning World Series champions. The nine-time All-Star has started July on a tear, going 10-for-24 with three homers, 10 RBI, two doubles, a triple, nine runs scored, and four walks in six games. While Altuve's overall production isn't approaching an MVP level anymore, this has still been the latest in a long line of quality seasons for the 36-year-old. Altuve is slashing .272/.332/.457 with 16 HRs, 46 RBI, 48 runs, and six steals in 371 trips to the plate.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers closer
Trevor Megill pitched a perfect ninth inning Sunday to earn his 20th save in a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins. Megill picked up a pair of strikeouts and needed just 12 pitches to finish off Miami. The 31-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.56 with 38:15 K:BB and a 1.23 WHIP over 31 2/3 innings. Megill ranks sixth in the league in saves and has converted 87% percent of his opportunities this year.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Seattle Mariners closer
Andres Munoz slammed the door on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday to earn his 21st save in a 1-0 victory. Munoz threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning with one strikeout on 14 pitches to log his third straight perfect appearance. He has now gone nine outings in a row without allowing an earned run. Just named to his second American League All-Star team, the 26-year-old has pitched to a jaw-dropping 1.06 ERA with a 0.82 WHIP and 45:13 K:BB in 34 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Kansas City Royals right-hander
Michael Lorenzen (5-8) delivered one of his best outings of the season on Sunday, shutting down the Arizona Diamondbacks over seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory. Lorenzen allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out seven, generating an impressive 17 whiffs and reaching 96.3 mph on the radar gun. The veteran now owns a 4.61 ERA with seven quality starts on the year. Sunday's performance was a welcome sign for fantasy managers after Lorenzen failed to complete six innings in each of his previous three outings. While his season-long numbers remain shaky, Lorenzen's upside makes him a worthwhile streaming option or deep-league flyer heading into the second half. The 33-year-old will look to build off his impressive outing in his next scheduled start Saturday against the New York Mets.
--Shaun AlbinSource: ESPN.com
July 6, 2025
Baltimore Orioles second baseman
Jackson Holliday led the O's to a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday with a flawless day at the plate. Holliday knocked in both of the Orioles' runs on a two-run homer off right-hander
Grant Holmes in the third inning. He collected three more hits, including a double, in a 4-for-4 afternoon. Holliday entered the day in a 2-for-17 skid in his first four games of July, but he did his best to make up for it in one fell swoop. The 21-year-old is now batting .260/.309/.415 with 11 homers, 36 RBI, 36 runs, and nine steals across 346 plate appearances. That's a vast improvement over the .189/.255/.311 line he put up in a 60-game debut last year. Holliday has slashed his strikeout percentage from 33.2 to 24.9 since then, and it has paid dividends.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Paul Skenes turned in another stellar start on Sunday in a 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Skenes did not factor into the decision, but he left after amassing a season-high 10 strikeouts and holding the Mariners to five hits across five scoreless innings. The two-time All-Star lowered his ERA to a National League-best 1.94 with 125 strikeouts, 30 walks, and an elite 0.92 WHIP in 116 innings. Although Skenes has allowed two earned runs or fewer in an incredible 16 of 19 starts, he's just 4-7 because of a lack of run support. The Pirates' offensive ineptitude cost him again Sunday.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
New York Mets right-hander
Paul Blackburn (shoulder) continues to progress toward his return from a right shoulder impingement, playing catch up to 75 feet on flat ground Sunday. The 31-year-old landed on the injured list July 3 and is aiming for a return before the end of the month. Blackburn has struggled mightily in 2025, going (0-3) with a 7.71 ERA and a 16.1% strikeout rate, his lowest mark since 2021. Blackburn faces long odds of reclaiming a rotation spot. Fantasy managers can avoid Blackburn in all but the deepest NL-only formats for now.
--Shaun AlbinSource: MLB.com
July 6, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander
Brandon Woodruff (1-0) made his first major league start since 2023 on Sunday and earned the win in a 3-1 decision against the Miami Marlins. The day couldn't have gone much better for Woodruff, who fired six innings of one-run, two-hit ball with eight strikeouts and no walks. He threw 70 pitches (53 for strikes) in his long-awaited return. The 32-year-old missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery, and he battled elbow and ankle issues during his rehab this season. To the delight of the Brewers and fantasy managers, Woodruff showed no signs of rust despite the missed time. He could make one more start before the All-Star break against the Washington Nationals next weekend.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 6, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Emmet Sheehan impressed in his return to the rotation on Sunday, tossing five strong innings of one-run ball against the Houston Astros. Sheehan did not factor into the decision in the Dodgers' 5-1 loss. The 25-year-old righty scattered five hits and a walk while striking out five on 80 pitches. The 25-year-old has lowered his ERA to a sharp 2.00 through two starts. His current 10:1 K:BB ratio highlights improved command from his 10.5% walk rate last season. Sheehan is rostered in just 34% of Yahoo leagues and makes for a strong speculative add, given the run support and win potential the Dodgers' offense offers. Fantasy managers seeking second-half pitching depth should take a serious look at Sheehan as a valuable upside play. Sheehan's next start will be on the road Sunday against the San Francisco Giants.
--Shaun AlbinSource: ESPN.com
July 6, 2025
New York Yankees closer
Devin Williams shut down the New York Mets in the ninth inning to wrap up a 6-4 win on Sunday. The right-hander went 1-2-3 and fanned two, including a game-ending strikeout of
Francisco Lindor, to record his 12th save in 13 tries. It was an encouraging rebound for Williams, who took the loss against Toronto on Wednesday after surrendering two earned runs in one inning. For the most part, the 30-year-old has settled down since an ugly first month of the season. Williams' ERA, which was over 10.00 in early May, has fallen to 5.01 across 32 1/3 innings. The two-time All-Star has also posted quality strikeout and walk numbers (41:14) and a 1.21 WHIP.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
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