For Whom the Belli Tolls
Cody Bellinger (NYY): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.
Though Cody Bellinger had kicked off the 2026 season with fairly modest offensive production by his standards, he turned things around in a big way yesterday by going 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB against the Royals.
It’s a nice reminder of how early we still are in the season that a hitter can still add 28 points to their batting average and over 100 points to their slugging percentage in a single day. Bellinger is something of a poster child for getting the most out of what are usually very uninspiring batted ball metrics. And this year is no different so far, as he’s still rocking a very pedestrian 37.3% hard-hit rate, and the lowest Max EV of his career. Still, he’s walking more than ever, and his strikeout rate is still hovering around 14%. And with him playing half his games in Yankee Stadium, he should continue to get the most out of his skill set going forward.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Corbin Carroll (ARI): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, SB.
Our lone combo meal of the day belongs to Arizona’s star outfielder, whose grand slam was the difference-maker in this game. Corbin went to the opposite field off closer Jeff Hoffman and continues to flash the elite 88th-percentile bat speed we’ve come to expect from Carroll to this point. Another 30/30 season definitely seems to be in the cards.
Brice Turang (MIL): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
There was a lot of debate in the preseason whether Turang’s 7.9% barrel rate from 2025 was a fluke. Considering it had more than tripled from the 2.4% rate he sported in 2024, some skepticism seemed valid. Well, with nearly 50 batted balls under his belt this year, Turang has casually ramped the power up even further, rocking a 10.9% barrel rate on the season. If that holds, Turang has an outside shot at a 30/30 season. But even if he falls short on that front, he’s displayed a clear ability to transform his profile as a hitter year-over-year, and is clearly one of the more dynamic second basemen in baseball right now.
Nick Kurtz (ATH): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, 3 BB.
Kurtz’s white-hot hitting continued yesterday, as he’s now up to 10 RBI over the last week with a .318/.531/.636 slashline to boot. The 62.9% hard-hit rate is comically good, though he clearly has not shaken the concerns over his contact ability, as he’s rocking a 35% strikeout rate and 38% whiff rate so far. There’s no doubt he’s the premier power hitter in baseball at the moment, but he’ll likely continue to walk a fine line in terms of his offensive potential if his overall ability to make contact continues to backslide.
Carter Jensen (KCR): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Jensen made the most of the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium, popping a 357-foot homer for his fifth longball of the season. Though the overall slash of .237/.303/.508 has been decent, his strikeout rate has nearly doubled from what it was last year, and now sits at 32.3%. He’s getting plenty of playing time, bouncing between DH and catcher, and clearly has the talent to be a serious offensive threat. But the wheels could also fall off here at any moment.
Ryan O’Hearn (PIT): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
O’Hearn continues to show that he was one of the most undervalued hitters in drafts this season. He’s now slashing .329/.417/.543 on the year, and backing it up with a .400 xwOBA while driving in a ton of runs in the Pirates’ revamped lineup. He’s legit.
Troy Johnston (COL): 3-4, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB.
Johnston’s put together an impressive start to the season with a .305/.359/.492 line. And considering he posted some perfectly cromulent seasons in the minors, you may be wondering if there’s anything here. Unfortunately, the quality-of-contact numbers have been pretty pedestrian, and he’ll likely continue to ride the bench against lefties for the foreseeable future, so he’s likely not worth your time in anything shallower than a 14-teamer.
Luke Raley (SEA): 1-3, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB.
Luke Raley cannot be contained. Taking a page from Nick Kurtz’s book, he’s currently rocking a 96th-percentile barrel rate (21.1%), a 96th-percentile xwOBA (.429), and an 89th-percentile hard-hit rate—all while striking out nearly 37% of the time. Between his all-or-nothing approach and his historical issues hitting lefties, it’s not a stretch to say this will fall apart soon. But don’t be afraid to enjoy it while it lasts if he’s on your roster.
Munetaka Murakami (CHW): 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 3 BB.
All of Murakami’s home runs had been off of fastballs to this point, so he decided to change things up and swat his first dinger off a curveball in this game. This was Murakami’s seventh homer of the year, and while there are still serious concerns about his contact ability—his 42% whiff rate is one of the worst in baseball—there’s no doubt his power is elite. Let’s hope he’s able to make some adjustments as the season goes on.
Josh Jung (TEX): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.
There’s a 30-homer bat in Josh Jung. The question has always been if he can stay on the field long enough to realize that potential. So far, so good this year, as Jung has really gotten into a groove the last two weeks, slashing .370/.433/.611 over that span.
Marcell Ozuna (PIT): 2-6, HR, R, 2 RBI.
There are still serious questions about whether the 35-year-old Ozuna has another top-tier offensive season in him. The good news? His average bat speed is still close to what it was in 2024, when he hit 39 home runs. The bad news? Just about everything else in terms of quality-of-contact is almost at a career-worst for him. Still, he’s shown some signs of life this past week, popping two homers and hitting .333. Likely worth a flier in deeper formats.
