1 day agoChicago Cubs second baseman
Nico Hoerner put together a solid three-hit performance during Thursday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Hoerner kicked off the scoring with a two-run blast off right-hander
Jordan Hicks in the third inning to give Chicago a 2-0 lead. The 27-year-old went 3-for-5 at the plate with a homer and a stolen base in the win. Hoerner is off to a slow start to the season but the hand injury could've contributed to that. We'll see if he can turn it around in the second half.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
1 day agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Cedric Mullins was hot at the plate during Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. The veteran outfielder went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the blowout. The fourth inning blast by Mullins marked his fourth home run of the season. Mullins has been off to a slow start to the season but hopefully this is a sign of good things to come for him.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: mlb.com
1 day agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Gordon Graceffo is reportedly being called up on Friday. The right-hander will provide some much-needed depth to the bullpen ahead of Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The Cards are expected to start
Andre Pallante and have Graceffo could out of the bullpen behind him. Graceffo holds a 3.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 70/29 K/BB ratio in 14 starts in Triple-A this season. There isn't a ton of fantasy value with Graceffo coming out of the bullpen but he could have value if he does end up in the rotation.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo
1 day agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect
Coby Mayo went 3-for-5 in the batter's box Thursday evening with a single, a double, and his third long ball in as many days. He also has tallied at least one hit in every game since recovering from his fractured rib on June 13. Though 50 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season, the number 18th ranked overall prospect in baseball on MLB.com holds a stellar .314/.382/.652 slash line with 17 home runs, 47 RBI, three stolen bases, and a 21:56 BB:K ratio. Mayo is on the verge of making his major league debut and should be rostered in all leagues, as he could provide immediate power production when given the call.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
1 day agoMiami Marlins catching prospect
Will Banfield went 2-for-4 with a home run on Thursday to extend his current hitting streak to six games. In addition, this was the third consecutive game where Banfield hit a home run. Prior to this stretch, the 24-year-old went hitless in his previous ten games. Overall, through his first look at Triple-A ball, the 24-year-old holds a .232/.289/.405 slash line with seven home runs, 26 RBI, and a 15:60 BB:K ratio. While his batting average has taken a tip at Triple-A, his power production has remained relatively stable, which is a good sign going forward. The number 30 ranked prospect in the Miami system on MLB Pipeline is projected to make his major league debut sometime this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
1 day agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo hit his first home run since returning to Triple-A on June 18. This home run also extended his current hitting streak to six games. Manzardo made his major league debut in May and held a .207/.241/.329 line with seven RBI and no home runs in his first 30 games. In 36 total games with Triple-A Columbus, Manzardo has posted an excellent .293/.384/.602 line with 10 long balls, 26 RBI, and a 21:28 BB:K ratio. The number 36th ranked prospect on MLB.com has a strong chance of returning to the majors later this season and is worth holding onto in deeper AL-only redraft leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
1 day agoNew York Mets shortstop prospect
Colin Houck launched his first home run in 11 games on Thursday evening. The former 32nd overall pick in last year's MLB Draft has had trouble finding consistency in his first look at Single-A ball. Through 61 games this season, Houck has posted a .202/.302/.325 line with just three home runs, 28 RBI, seven swiped bags, and a poor 28:93 BB:K ratio. Houck appeared in nine games in the Rookie League late last season and tallied seven hits with one triple during the stint. The 19-year-old will have to find more consistency in his game at Single-A before earning a promotion. Dynasty managers should continue to monitor Houck's performance as he is considered one of the top prospects in the Mets system on MLB.com.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
1 day agoMinnesota Twins second base prospect
Luke Keaschall has been doing very well at Double-A since his promotion last month. Through 28 total games, the former second-round pick has posted a .308/.402/.449 line with two home runs, 12 RBI, three stolen bases, and a 15:29 BB:K ratio. However, in his past 14 games, the Arizona State product has been riding a stellar .327/.400/.509 line with a .909 OPS. Keaschall opened the season with his second look at High-A ball and needed only 44 more games at that level to prove he was ready for Double-A. In 52 cumulative games at High-A Cedar Rapids in the past two seasons, he was just as productive with a .332/.442/.547 line. The number nine ranked prospect in the Minnesota system on MLB Pipeline is projected to make his major league debut in 2026, but due to how well he has looked at Double-A, a 2025 debut is not out of reach.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
1 day agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon got shelled again on Thursday, allowing eight runs over five innings in a 9-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Rodon gave up 10 hits, including two homers (both to
George Springer) and walked one while striking out eight. Although the swing-and-miss stuff was there, he just couldn't locate well enough to stay out of trouble in this one. He has now allowed 20 earned runs in his last three starts (13 ⅔ IP), a stretch that has seen his ERA climb from 2.93 to 4.42. He can't be started in fantasy until he figures things out, and in shallower formats it wouldn't be unreasonable to consider dropping him, although he could turn it on again at any point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoCincinnati Reds infielder
Noelvi Marte made his return in style on Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base in an 11-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Marte was making his return from a PED suspension handed down before the season started. After a shaky run in the minors before his return to the majors, it seemed like it would take some time for Marte to get back to form. Well, so far so good on that front, as the 22-year-old continued right where he left off last year. Marte can provide all five categories for fantasy owners if everything clicks, so he should be rostered in most leagues, especially categories.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoToronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his hot stretch on Thursday, going 2-for-5 with a double and a homer. He scored twice and had two RBI to round out a solid stat line. Vladdy has been awesome for the last week, going 11-for-27 (.407) with four homers and 12 RBI in six games. This is the Vlad that fantasy managers were hoping for when they drafted him in the top 30. It seems that all he had to do was cut his hair.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Heston Kjerstad had a nice day at the plate on Thursday, going 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs, a homer, and three RBI. Kjerstad hit a two-run homer off
Jon Gray in the third after singling home a run in the first. It's been a tough go for the rookie at the major league level this season, as he just hasn't been able to find his footing. To be fair to him, it's been a lot of up-and-down and he's never really had the chance to settle in, but maybe now can be his chance to do so. He doesn't need to be added in fantasy, but he could be a decent flier in deeper leagues in the hopes he can break out.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton had another great game on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in a 13-6 thumping of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Buxton added three runs scored to round out his impressive line. The 30-year-old now has three homers in the last four games and has hit safely in 13 of his last 16 games. His overall numbers don't look so bad either, with a .261 AVG to go along with 32 runs, seven homers, 30 RBI, and five steals in 207 at-bats. He should be in all category leagues at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoChicago Cubs relief pitcher
Porter Hodge picked up his first MLB save on Thursday, locking down a 5-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. Hodge was tasked with working the 10th inning after the Cubs scored a pair of runs in the top half of the inning. The 23-year-old allowed one hit and struck out one to get the job done. The Cubs closer situation is an absolute mess right now, but it should be noted that
Hector Neris pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to earn the win in this one. It is likely that Neris gets most of the Cubs save opportunities from now on, but if he falters again it could be Hodge who gets the next shot.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Davis Daniel dominated the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, throwing eight innings of shutout ball in his first major league start. Daniel allowed only four hits and walked none while striking out eight in a sensational performance. This start wasn't a fluke either, as Daniel generated soft contact and plenty of whiffs. All that said, he wasn't a well known prospect and didn't have great results in the minors, so he will need to have more than one good start to become fantasy relevant. Still, it is worth keeping an eye on the 27-year-old.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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