Noot Like Us

Lars Nootbaar (STL): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI.

After missing the start of the season recovering from offseason heel surgery, Lars Nootbaar has come back with a vengeance. Noot has now recorded five RBI and four extra-base hits, including two home runs, over his first six games of the year. Yesterday’s homer was a 445-foot, 109.2 mph no-doubter that he followed up with a 112.8 mph double an inning later. The double was not only the hardest hit ball of the day, but just shy of his career 113.5 mph maximum exit velocity.

That’s the type of velocity we usually have to dream about players reaching after returning from a long IL stint.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:

Brett Sullivan (COL): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Colorado Rockies backup catcher Brett Sullivan hit his second and third home runs of the season last night. The 32-year-old has had the best season of his career in Coors Field, although that isn’t saying much given that he just set career highs in games played (34), plate appearances (98), and barrels (3). Woof.

It wouldn’t be a proper Batter’s Box if I ignored this performance entirely, but I wouldn’t expect more like this moving forward unless a Hunter Goodman trade opens up a full-time role. And even then, Sullivan’s defense doesn’t guarantee regular playing time for him.

 

Colt Keith (DET): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB.

It took 63 games, but Colt Keith finally hit his first home run of 2026. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s an even longer drought to start the season than Fernando Tatis Jr. (56 games). To be fair, Keith’s power is nowhere near as prolific as Tatis’, which is why the lack of power has garnered far less attention. The homer gave Keith a “Combo Meal” and put him into double-digit RBI with 10 on the year.

 

Cole Young (SEA): 3-4, HR, R, RBI.

Yesterday’s home run has Cole Young officially outpacing last year’s rookie campaign in every major category, albeit in 23 more plate appearances. Young’s homer was a blistering 105.3 mph solo shot in the first inning that put the Mariners on the board early.

The second baseman is only 22 years old, but his 5’10”, 180 lb frame makes it unlikely we’ll see much improvement on his 87.6 mph average exit velocity. Young appears to be the classic example of a player who’s better in real life than he is in your fantasy leagues.

 

Jared Young (NYM): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Canadian Jared Young may not be as young as the Young above, but the older Young is outpacing the younger Young everywhere except being— youthful. The 30-year-old first baseman flexed his power with a 105.6 mph solo shot in the first inning. Sound familiar? Unlike his counterpart, Young has some serious pop in his bat with a 91.8 mph average exit velocity, 14.9% barrel rate, and 51.1% hard hit rate. His production has earned him the cleanup spot in the New York Mets‘ lineup, slotting right in as Pete Alonso’s replacement.

Sure, it’s only 71 plate appearances, but if a 22-year-old were in the same position, he’d be one of the most popular waiver wire adds of the season. Not to mention, Jared Young has been on fire since returning from the KBO. Across those three seasons of Triple-A action, he’s recorded 99 runs, 28 homers, 86 RBI, 14 steals, and a .292/.399/.529/.928 line in 624 plate appearances.

 

Rafael Flores Jr. (PIT): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.

An unheralded piece of the David Bednar trade with the New York Yankees last summer, Rafael Flores Jr. hit his first big league homer in his first start of the season last night. It was one to remember, too, as he absolutely crushed a 440-foot, 108.7 mph bomb in the fifth to help the Pittsburgh Pirates attempt a rally against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Since he arrived at the deadline, Flores has now posted 11 homers, 40 runs, 57 RBI, and a .240/.342/.393 triple slash in 397 plate appearances between Triple-A and the majors. The Pirates have a logjam at catcher that could force Flores back down to Triple-A to keep him playing regularly, but if they intend to make a playoff run, he should rejoin the offense as an impact bat at some point this summer.

 

Cole Carrigg (COL): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.

Well, that didn’t take long. Cole Carrigg hit his first major league home run in only his third game. The 24-year-old outfielder has started his Rockies career going 3-for-11 and has enough power to do serious damage in Coors Field. He’s also coming off back-to-back seasons of 45+ stolen bases in the minors and already has 30 steals in Triple-A this season. While Colorado has several outfielders currently on the IL, he could still lock down an everyday role as the Rockies continue to sell off pieces in their perennial rebuild. Carrigg won’t fly under the radar for much longer.

 

Jimmy Crooks (STL): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Yet another youngster getting a cup of coffee, Jimmy Crooks also hit his first home run of the season. While Crooks’ homer was just shy of a barrel at 97.5 mph, he managed to notch a barrel in the sixth to tease the 92.0 mph average exit velocity he posted in Triple-A. The 24-year-old was one of the hottest hitters in Triple-A before getting the call with 13 homers, 35 runs, 29 RBI, and a .262/.412/.567/.980 line. With Ivan Herrera settling into his future at DH, the Cardinals may give an extended look to one of the organization’s top prospects.

 

Luke Raley (SEA): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Luke Raley hit his 14th home run of 2026 last night as the bounce-back campaign continues. Now, let’s be clear. Raley’s approach mirrors mine in MLB The Show; swing as hard as you can at every single pitch. It works for Raley, though, as he’s currently on pace for a career-high 30+ home runs. Just because Raley’s approach isn’t the most efficient doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the resulting production.

 

Jac Caglianone (KCR): 2-4, R.

Since the calendar flipped to June, Jac Caglianone has been on an absolute hot streak. Caglianone has gone 16-for-30 with three homers, two steals, and eight RBI over nine games, despite also missing a pair of games with shoulder discomfort. Most importantly, his strikeout rate this month is only 18.8%.

Even if there’s some regression to the norm here, Caglianone has one of the loudest raw power tools this side of a young Aaron Judge. As someone who’s witnessed many of Judge’s homers in the Skydome, I don’t say that lightly either. Caglianone’s 93.9 mph average exit velocity (96th percentile), 15.9% barrel rate (94th percentile), 58.7% hard hit rate (99th percentile), and 76.7 mph bat speed (95th percentile) suggest there are plenty more Jac Jams in store this season.

 

LuJames Groover (ARI): 1-4.

One of the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ top prospects, LuJames Groover, notched his fourth consecutive game with a hit yesterday. Yes, I’m being an optimist here, talking about a player who has yet to record an extra-base hit in the majors. The 24-year-old corner infielder has the pedigree to make an impact, though, with a career minor league .302/.392/.443/.835 line that climbed steadily at each stop.