X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Hitters To Have A Big Second Half? Strikeout Rate Improvements for Fantasy Baseball

Rowdy Tellez - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, First Base Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

One good way to find hitters to help your fantasy team during the stretch run is to see which hitters have been striking out less as the year has gone by. The strikeout rate is far from the only thing to consider with a hitter, and it's probably not even the most important statistic - but it is a statistic that we can rely on over a relatively small sample size. If a player has cut their strikeout rate in half over a sample of 100 plate appearances or so, it's a pretty good bet that the change will be at least somewhat sustained moving forward.

We did this last season and found a few players that were really great down the stretch -- the names Hunter Renfroe and Jorge Soler come to mind! As with those two cases, it's much more interesting when the strikeout rate improvers also hit the ball with authority, so we will keep this in mind.

I'll highlight the most interesting names I have found, and then give you the full data table at the end. I have restricted this to only hitters that have at least 100 plate appearances in both samples (the halfway point of the season conveniently right now sits at May 31st, so we're comparing April and May to June and July).

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Sean Murphy, Oakland Athletics

Split K%
Apr-May 26.7%
Jun-Jul 15.8%

Season line: .245/.315/.429, 11 HR, 10.9% Brl%, 21.5% K%
Since June 1st: .296/.359/.486, 6 HR, 12.9% Brl%, 15.6% K%

He is a guy that could get moved at the trade deadline, which would be huge for his fantasy value given that he hits in one of the worst lineups in the league in a tough ballpark.

He would be upgrading in everything (except maybe where he hits in the lineup) with a trade. He has long shown us the ability to hit the long ball, and that's been happening a lot over the last two months as he's cut down his strikeout rate. Check out Murphy if you need a catcher.

 

Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins

Split K%
Apr-May 31.4%
Jun-Jul 21.5%

We saw Sanchez come out of the gate with a reduced strikeout rate and got pretty excited for him early on this season. Those gains didn't stick around as his K% eventually ended up above 30% again. However, since June 3rd, the K% has been below 30% and it continues to fall:

 

 

The problem we have here is that his barrel rate has been falling with it. This may be a conscious effort to strike out less, which could mean he's been swinging the bat less quickly on purpose to make more contact:


 

It's been a pretty bad year for Sanchez, and in this case, I don't see the gains in K% really helping him. He actually has a lower SLG in this second half with the lower K% (.395 vs. .365), so we can probably leave Sanchez alone for now - but keep an eye on him moving forward because he is a young, very talented hitter.

 

Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks

Split K%
Apr-May 20.1%
Jun-Jul 11.6%

This mainly has to do with the bad April he put up, but if we draw the line down the middle, we see that Ketel had a .404 SLG over his first 189 PAs, and now over the last 164, he has a huge .522 mark. The 9.2% barrel rate and 82.3% contact% are great marks to go with the insanely low 11.6% K%.

He's been a fantasy stud since June and the good times will probably keep going. Hold on tight to Marte if you roster him, and throw out some buy-high offers on him if you don't.

 

Rowdy Tellez, Milwaukee Brewers

Split K%
Apr-May 24.0%
Jun-Jul 16.1%

Rowdy didn't have much of a problem with the strikeout over the first two months, as you can see the decent 24% rate there. He pounded 10 homers in 175 PAs in that sample with a .500 SLG and a 15% barrel rate.

Over his last 180 plate appearances, he's lowered the strikeout rate to 16%, however, like Sanchez, everything else has gotten worse. He's hit just eight homers with a .219 batting average, a .406 SLG, and a 9.8% barrel rate.

His ground-ball rate has recently crossed 40%, and the hard-hit rate has also come down to a near season-low 44% right now. The 16% K% is encouraging for a guy of this stature (the raw power isn't in question), but the swing path doesn't seem to be working too well right now.

Rowdy might be a good guy to jump on if someone in your league drops him, but I think the best days of his season might be behind us.

 

Patrick Wisdom, Chicago Cubs

Split K%
Apr-May 38.3%
Jun-Jul 31.0%

Yes, it's pretty easy to improve your strikeout rate when it's currently sitting at 38%. But give credit where credit is due - Wisdom has done it.

He is yet another guy that hasn't directly gained in the box score due to the lower strikeout rate, with just seven homers over his last 209 plate appearances while slashing .220/.335/.407, but we know this guy has massive raw power and some stolen base ability too - so any strikeout rate near or below 30% makes him a fantasy asset.

Wisdom is what Wisdom is, a guy that will go insanely, insanely cold for stretches - but also a guy who can win you a week by himself. I'm taking the 31% K% since June 1st as a positive sign, and I might be willing to start him in leagues where I have a decent batting average core.

 

Ji-Man Choi, Tampa Bay Rays

Split K%
Apr-May 32.5%
Jun-Jul 24.5%

Choi is having the best season of his career with a .266/.370/.428 line, but he's still hardly rostered. He's not quite an everyday player for the Rays, and the .428 SLG leaves a lot to be desired (he has hit just seven homers this season). He also doesn't steal any bases, so he's a borderline fantasy asset at best.

That said, the strikeout rate gains are encouraging, and he's a pretty interesting hitter for deep leagues - and a pretty good guy to stream in against righties (career 129 wRC+ against RHP).

Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves

Split K%
Apr-May 30.2%
Jun-Jul 23.4%

On April 24th, Swanson sat with a 40.6% K% and was dropped in plenty of fantasy leagues. All he's done since then is hit .311/.366/.503 with 15 homers in 347 plate appearances, being one of the most valuable fantasy bats in the game.

That elite production has followed the strikeout rate gains, and his 23.4% K% since June 1st is right there at league average while his power production is well above.

He has been promoted to the top of the Braves lineup and the counting stats are coming in bunches. Congrats to you if you acquired Swanson for cheap this year.

Here is the full interactive data table, it shows all hitters with 100 plate appearances in both samples, and it shows everybody. You can search or sort your heart out, enjoy!

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Rodgers10 mins ago

Signs "Pointing" Toward Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers
Brock Purdy18 mins ago

49ers Optimistic On Getting Extension Done With Brock Purdy
Sam Hilliard57 mins ago

Outrighted To Triple-A Albuquerque
Trea Turner1 hour ago

Appears As Pinch-Hitter On Monday
Dominic Smith1 hour ago

Returning To Yankees On Minor-League Deal
Lance Lynn1 hour ago

Announces His Retirement
Michael Petersen1 hour ago

Angels Designate Michael Petersen For Assignment
Devin Williams1 hour ago

Yankees Place Devin Williams On Paternity List
Hogan Harris1 hour ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jordan Spieth2 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Yu-Min Lin2 hours ago

Set To Participate In Extended Spring Training
Joe Elbis2 hours ago

Opening Season On Double-A Injured List
Jake Knapp2 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole3 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Randy Arozarena3 hours ago

Smashes Second Homer Of The Season
Luke Raley4 hours ago

Goes Yard In Mariners Loss
Michael Busch4 hours ago

Homers And Picks Up Four RBI On Monday
Cole Anthony4 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Kyle Tucker4 hours ago

Homers In Third Straight Game
Jerami Grant4 hours ago

Likely To Miss Another Game Tuesday
Carson Kelly4 hours ago

Completes Cycle To Carry Cubs
Anfernee Simons4 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday's Game
Garrett Crochet4 hours ago

Agrees To Six-Year Extension With The Red Sox
Scoot Henderson4 hours ago

Unavailable Tuesday
Deandre Ayton4 hours ago

Out Against Hawks
AJ Green4 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Tuesday
Thomas Harrington5 hours ago

Making MLB Debut On Tuesday
Kyle Lowry5 hours ago

Picks Up A Questionable Tag
Tyrese Maxey5 hours ago

Remains Out Against Knicks
Quentin Grimes5 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Teoscar Hernández5 hours ago

Teoscar Hernandez Goes Deep On Monday
Gavin Sheets5 hours ago

Tallies Four RBI In Monday's Victory
Wilmer Flores5 hours ago

Hits Home Run, Tallies Four RBI In Victory
Dansby Swanson6 hours ago

Goes Deep Again On Monday
Christian McGowan6 hours ago

Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Casey DeSmith6 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment6 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka6 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov7 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov7 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes7 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens15 hours ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA16 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Ochai Agbaji16 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday
RJ Barrett16 hours ago

To Be Rested Tuesday Night
Immanuel Quickley16 hours ago

Returning To Action Against Bulls
Jakob Poeltl16 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga16 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game
Christian Braun16 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Meeting With Timberwolves
Aaron Gordon16 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Tuesday
Jamal Murray16 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
LeBron James17 hours ago

Ready To Play Against Rockets
Nikola Jokić17 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play Against Timberwolves
Trae Young17 hours ago

Likely To Face Portland
Bradley Beal17 hours ago

Could Return On Tuesday
Denny McCarthy17 hours ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman18 hours ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov19 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl20 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Garnet Hathaway20 hours ago

Rejoins Flyers Lineup
Erik Johnson20 hours ago

Available Monday
Rasmus Ristolainen20 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Ryan Preece20 hours ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
Colton Sissons20 hours ago

Likely Out For Rest Of The Season
NASCAR20 hours ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Jonathan Marchessault20 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Todd Gilliland20 hours ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno20 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg21 hours ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober21 hours ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres21 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall21 hours ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos21 hours ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara21 hours ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox21 hours ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez21 hours ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton21 hours ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales21 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.22 hours ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets22 hours ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Saimon Oliveira22 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez22 hours ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams22 hours ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Kevin Borjas22 hours ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk22 hours ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez22 hours ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen23 hours ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman23 hours ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki23 hours ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy23 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim23 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler23 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley23 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns23 hours ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger23 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Keenan Allen1 day ago

Chargers Not Ruling Out Reuniting With Keenan Allen
Breece Hall1 day ago

Could Be Part Of Committee In 2025
James Cook1 day ago

Bills Not Close To Extension With James Cook
Tyreek Hill1 day ago

Dolphins Planning On Tyreek Hill Being Part Of Their Future
Baltimore Ravens1 day ago

Ravens Expected To Draft A Kicker
Mark Andrews1 day ago

Ravens Expect Mark Andrews Back In 2025
Lamar Jackson1 day ago

Ravens Have Had Early Extension Talks With Lamar Jackson
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano1 day ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Joseph Woll1 day ago

Stands Tall On Sunday
UTA1 day ago

Alex Kerfoot Leads The Way In Sunday's Victory
Tristan Jarry1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Ottawa On Sunday
Sebastian Aho1 day ago

Busy In Sunday's Victory
Anze Kopitar1 day ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Sunday
Troy Terry1 day ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe1 day ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones1 day ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Still Views Himself As A Starter
New York Giants2 days ago

Victor Dimukeje Signs With Giants
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Brian Schottenheimer Optimistic About Deal With Micah Parsons
Lane Hutson2 days ago

Continues Special Campaign With Hat Trick Of Assists
Nick Suzuki2 days ago

Notches Three Points In Sunday's Win
Justin Fields2 days ago

Aaron Glenn Thinks Justin Fields Is Ready To Break Out
Dak Prescott2 days ago

"Doing Great" In Rehab From Hamstring Surgery
Jacksonville Jaguars2 days ago

Fred Johnson Signs With Jacksonville
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]


Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, Jordan Mason

One year ago, we discussed the futures of Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Aaron Jones as those free agents found new homes. This year's headliners are Najee Harris, Rico Dowdle, and Jordan Mason. Not quite the same. Still, with every transaction come implications for dynasty fantasy football rosters across the globe. Below, we […]


Romeo Doubs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFC Draft Targets

While the 2025 fantasy football redraft season is still several months away, there is no such thing as being too prepared for your fantasy draft. Fantasy football is year-round, even for those who only play in redraft leagues. The landscape of fantasy football will change between today and the start of redraft season, with the […]


Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

2025 Fantasy Football IDP Sleepers: Five Draft Targets

It's notably difficult to identify sleepers in fantasy football IDP leagues. The skill of the players in question is very important, but situation also plays a large factor, as does a recent history of injuries. Rather than bucketing them into groups, it's better to analyze each one individually, look at where they are in terms […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Ashton Jeanty's Top Potential Landing Spots For 2025: Fantasy Football NFL Draft Outlook

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the best prospects in the class. Jeanty just ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns across 14 games this past college season. Those 2,601 rush yards were the second-most of all-time in FBS history, only behind Barry Sanders's 2,628 rush yards […]


Bhaysul Tuten - NFL Draft Prospects, Rookie Rankings

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Single QB

The 2025 NFL Combine has now been completed, so it's worth doing another mock draft to see where everyone stands after the league's pre-draft testing event. Overall, there were a few surprises, but the order of many players will remain the same. The mental domain of the original rankings, which have been fairly set in […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Later-Career Breakout Candidates

Typically, most NFL players break out in the early parts of their careers. Between the ages of 20 and 25 is when you expect to see the majority of players have their first big season. Some waste no time and put together excellent years while they're rookies, while some need more time to develop. These […]