Leggo My Brego

Yes, Alex Bregman has burned fantasy owners this season with his disappointing performance at the plate, but I am not ready to give up on the three-time All-Star. The 32-year-old showed why he is still worth rostering in fantasy lineups on Sunday, going 3-5 with a HR, 2B, 2 R and 4 RBI in the Cubs 8-4 victory over Cincinnati. Bregman got the scoring started in the top of the first for Chicago, doubling home a run, and cemented the victory for the Cubbies with a three-run laser beam in the seventh for his ninth HR of the season.

While he is still rostered in 89% of fantasy baseball leagues according to Yahoo!, I personally have seen Bregman on the waiver wire in multiple leagues and it is easy to see why. After signing a 5-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs in January, Bregman is producing career-lows in batting average, slugging, ISO and wRC+ and has his worst K% since 2017. His bat speed, hard-hit% and barrel% are also at or near the worst of his career and his .695 OPS put him at seventh best just in the Cubs lineup from yesterday. But this is Alex Bregman we are talking about, a guy who has averaged 25 HRs and a 129 wRC+ over his last three full seasons. I am not ready to give up on Bregman just yet and I think his performance on Sunday was a harbinger of what to expect in a big second half for the Cubs third baseman.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did on Sunday:

 

Ryan O’Hearn (PIT): 2-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HBP.

While it wasn’t the historic three HR, ten RBI day he had last Tuesday, Ryan O’Hearn got on base in all four of his plate appearances in the Pirates 14-5 drubbing of the Brewers on Sunday. The 32-year-old was a little perturbed after being hit by a Milwaukee pitcher for the third consecutive game, but the 2025 All-Star deserves a little respect after posting an excellent .288/.351/.487 first half line for the Buccos with 16 HRs and 63 RBI.

 

Henry Davis (PIT): 2-4, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI.

Former first overall pick Henry Davis‘ struggles at the plate have continued this season with just 27 hits in 163 at-bats, but when he does hit the ball he makes it count. The Pirates catcher hit his eighth HR of the season and drove in three runs in the Pittsburgh win. He will look to make the most of his playing time as Paul Skenes‘ personal catcher and the Pirates are counting on more performances like Sunday’s if Endy Rodríguez continues to be sidelined with injuries in the second half.

 

Leodys Taveras (BAL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Leodys Taveras kept coming up with the answer on Sunday, hitting a go-ahead two-run HR in the second and a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth to push Baltimore to an 8-2 win over Kansas City. Known more for his outfield arm and baserunning than his abilities at the plate, the Orioles will take all they can get from the 27-year old former Ranger as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture.

 

James Wood (WSH): 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB.

James Wood hit his MLB-leading tenth leadoff HR of the season on Sunday and added two walks, however the Nationals fell to the Yankees 5-3. Wood is already up to 28 HRs after hitting 31 in his breakout 2025 season and he’s raised his BB% from 12.3% to 17.4%. The 23-year old has blossomed into a true superstar for Washington and will play in his second All-Star Game on Tuesday.

 

JP Crawford (SEA): 3-4, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB.

JP Crawford was huge for the Mariners on Sunday, getting on base four times and hitting a pair of doubles as Seattle snapped a five-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over Tamp Bay. With everyone not named Randy Arozarena seemingly having a down year for the Mariners, the team really needs Crawford to be a sparkplug at the top of the lineup if they are going to return to the AL Championship Series.

 

JT Realmuto (PHI): 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, HBP.

In a vaunted pitching matchup against Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler didn’t need much run support to secure the win and he got it from veteran JT Realmuto. The 35-year-old catcher put the game out of reach with a two-out, three-run double in the sixth inning as the Phillies took the series from Detroit.

 

Brayan Rocchio (CLE): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Brayan Rocchio finished an outstanding first half of the season with an RBI single in the first inning and his eighth HR of the season in the fifth as Cleveland finished a three-game sweep of the red-hot Marlins in Miami. Known more for his glove than his bat, Rocchio has been a revelation at the plate this season, already tying or setting career-highs in HRs and steals while boasting a .276/.343/.408 line.

 

Braden Montgomery (CHW): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

The first-place Chicago White Sox (yes you read that right) finished the first-half on a high note with a 9-1 win over the Athletics, thanks in large part to a four RBI day from rookie Braden Montgomery. The top prospect, who came over from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade, hit a three-run shot in the first inning off starter JT Ginn and followed it up with an RBI single in the fifth as the White Sox completed the sweep in Chicago.

 

Jake McCarthy (COL): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB, SB.

While it was a tough day at the plate for the rest of the Colorado lineup in their 3-1 loss to San Francisco, Jake McCarthy finished a strong first half with his tenth HR of the season and his 15th stolen base. In his first season with the Rockies, McCarthy has cemented himself as someone that should be rostered in almost all fantasy leagues, hitting .301/.347/.516 with a 121 wRC+ from the leadoff spot.