Gotta Go To Mo’s
Moisés Ballesteros (CHC): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
One of this season’s early breakouts, Randy Vásquez, nearly escaped a bases-loaded jam, but he hung a belt-high slider that resulted in the first grand slam from the man they call Mo Baller in Cubs land; the 404-foot shot to deep right (103.4 EV) instantly reversed a 3-1 Padres lead.
At 5-foot-8 and 195 pounds, Ballesteros is not blessed with a prototypical frame that scouts adore. Nor is he a surefire defender behind the plate. But one thing has become infinitely clear so far: he can hit. Through 69 PAs, he’s slashing .387/ .435/ .710 with an 18.2% K rate. He has been a somewhat aggressive hitter, with a chase rate five and a half ticks above the league average, so perhaps pitchers might try to catch him fishing.
For now, though, he’s thriving, and his production in the minor leagues, including a .316 average and .858 OPS last season with Triple-A Iowa, indicates it’s no fluke. The only immediate stick in the mud is playing time; the Cubs have curtailed his at-bats against left-handers, and he’s also started just twice behind the dish, leaving him dependent on DH at-bats. Still, his sweet swing has given the Cubs some much-needed punch in their lineup, and you have to figure he has earned a longer runway. Just 23% rostered on Yahoo, Ballesteros looks like a very interesting add in standard leagues for any manager who doesn’t have a slam-dunk top-five catcher.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Daniel Schneemann (CLE): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Hitting seventh, Schneeman started the scoring in Cleveland by going oppo on a first-pitch slider from Steven Matz (385 feet, 102.8 EV). The 29-year-old lefty is hitting .314 with a .978 OPS. His 79 PAs aren’t the greatest sample size in the world, and past performance indicates this is most likely a mirage. Still, if you’re looking for credence behind his success, look no further than his 124 Power. Regardless, those in deep leagues will gladly ride this out. His 2B, 3B, SS, OF eligibility on Yahoo is pretty useful.
Ty France (SDP): 2-3, 2B, 3B, R, 4 RBI, BB, SB.
Deep leaguers might want to keep France on their watchlists; he’s hitting .297 with a .999 OPS across 37 PAs. The Cubs started Matt Boyd last night, but France had previously started two straight games against right-handers on Thursday and Saturday. France could earn himself some more at-bats if he keeps clicking. His primary competition is Miguel Andújar, who has been decent, hitting .311 with a .787 OPS.
Jakob Marsee (MIA): 2-3, 2B, R, 2 BB.
Despite hitting just .191, Marsee has clung on to Miami’s leadoff spot thanks to a 12.7% BB rate backed by a 94th percentile chase rate and a swing rate ten ticks below the league norm. His penchant for pulled flyballs is a little like Trent Grisham, who is also hitting below the Menodza line. However, Marsee doesn’t have Judge behind him, and his 78 Power doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Let’s just hope he keeps stealing bases.
Kody Clemens (MIN): 2-5, HR, R, 5 RBI.
The Rocket’s son made it a 5-0 ballgame in the fifth by sending a 1-1 fastball from Luis Castillo into the right field seats (379 feet, 101.6 EV), which were nearly vacant on a chilly, rainy night at Target Field. Last season, Clemens quietly took advantage of a career-high 386 PAs by hitting 19 home runs. His 30.8% K rate will keep his average down. Nonetheless, his 121 power could make him useful as a desperation MI play in deep, daily lineup leagues, where you can deploy him against suspect righties.
Munetaka Murakami (CHW): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The 26-year-old turned a 2-2 pitch from Drew Pomeranz into a go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth. It wasn’t the longest home run (382 feet), nor was it hit particularly hard (95.8), but it was an absolute sky-scraper with a 48-degree launch angle. So that’s 12 for Murakami, pushing him past Alvarez as the only player in baseball with a dozen home runs. He has been a quintessential three-true-outcome hitter, with a 33.6% K rate and an 18% BB rate.
Liam Hicks (MIA): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The Marlins were oh so close to handing the Dodgers their tenth loss of the season, thanks to their DH, Hicks, who tucked a 1-2 splitter from Yamamoto just inside the right field foul pole for a three-run tater in the fifth (348 feet, 101. 9 EV). That’s six for Hicks, matching what he did last year in 290 fewer PAs. It also comes with a .311 batting average backed by a 6.3% K rate, second-lowest among qualified hitters behind only, yep, you guessed it, Luis Arraez.
JJ Wetherholt (STL): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
With one down in the ninth and the Pirates clinging to a 2-1 lead, Dennis Santana challenged Wetherholt with a 3-2 fastball down the middle that I’m guessing he wants back. The game-tying home run was his lone hit of the night. However, he’s gone yard in three straight games. The seventh overall pick out of West Virginia two summers ago, Wetherholt is slashing .238/ .359/ .429. Last year, he banged 17 home runs and stole 23 bases across 109 games with Triple-A Memphis, illustrating his upside at a painfully thin position.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Chisholm made it 4-0 Yankees in the fourth by catapulting a first-pitch slider from Jack Leiter into the seats in right (406 feet, 106.7 EV). His first three home runs of the year have come over the past five nights. However, his 71 Power, which is about two standard deviations below average, indicates that the slow start was warranted. He also carries a bottom-fifth percentile xBA and xwOBA. That’s not what you want.
Jonathan Aranda (TBR): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Aranda had just one hit, and it was a game-tying home run against Cleveland’s setup man, Hunter Gaddis (372 feet, 103.6 EV). The 27-year-old lefty is slashing .228/ .347/.475, down from last year’s .316/ .393/ .489. His hard-hit rate is also down about ten ticks from last season.
Marcelo Mayer (BOS): 2-3, R, RBI, BB.
The fourth overall pick from back in 2021, Mayer hasn’t shown much power, yet, at least, with one home run. In the meantime, he is riding a modest six-game hitting streak, and he has maintained a trim 17.1% K rate. Given the lack of 2B options, it might not hurt to put the big lefty, whom the Red Sox refused to part ways with this past offseason in a potential deal for Ketel Marte, on your watch list.
Featured image by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X) and adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
