Bobby Dalbec (BOS): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.
Are we going to see another monstrous second half from Bobby Barrels? You know, like in 2021, when Dalbec swatted 15 HRs in his final 195 plate appearances and sent the fantasy baseball world in a tizzy. Last night’s 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, and 5 RBI performance was undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
Until last night, he had been more like Bobby Bobbles. In 240 at-bats, Dalbec had only amassed eight HRs but 87(!!!) strikeouts. Indeed, the swing-and-miss in his profile isn’t going to be fixed overnight. And, with a glance at the 15-game rolling graph below, they likely aren’t going anywhere either.
Still, we can’t overlook his ability to deposit pitches into the bleachers. I mean, 43 HRs in 730 career at-bats is beastly. Furthermore, if you’re like me (and a ton of fantasy managers), HR power has been challenging to come by. With the lineup absence of Rafael Devers, Dalbec should remain a fixture in the Boston lineup. Can he turn back the clock and regain the second-half power from 2021? It’s possible and well worth taking the gamble on.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Wednesday.
Rowdy Tellez (MIL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, BB.
Tellez continued to flex his muscles and drove his HR total up to 18. Additionally, he’s been a tremendous source of RBI (64), which gives him the 5th most among first basemen. Also, let’s not forget that he’s doing this while striking out less than 20% of the time. The significant indication of his growth at the dish is the decrease in swinging outside the zone.
- 2019 O-Swing% – 39.3%
- 2020 O-Swing% – 37.3%
- 2021 O-Swing% – 35.2%
- 2022 O-Swing% – 31.6%
Ketel Marte (ARI): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Marte started the D-backs scoring with a solo shot off Logan Webb. Then, in his next at-bat, he doubled for the 29th time this season and crossed home plate to even up the score. While that would be the last explosions of his offensive night, it set the tone for Arizona’s 5-3 victory over the Giants. Marte has run (4 SB) a little more than expected but fewer HRs (10) than we hoped. Furthermore, due to his terrific approach at the plate, he’s not striking out much (16%) and touting a .270 batting average.
JJ Bleday (MIA): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
On July 23rd, we welcomed Bleday to the MLB rosters. Last night, JJ started his quest to stardom with his first major league HR, off Luis Castillo, nonetheless. Furthermore, some much-needed power is what Bleday brings to a Marlins squad that ranks 20th in the MLB. In his 302 MiLB at-bats, Bleday has 20 HRs and a beastly .241 ISO. The other area he excels in is drawing walks. He touted a 16.3% walk rate in the minors but also a 27% K-rate. If he can stay on trend, he could be a handy bat for a fantasy team looking for late-season pop.
Nolan Gorman (STL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.
Speaking of added pop, Gorman took Kevin Gausman deep in the 5th inning for his 10th HR. Furthermore, it wasn’t just fireworks as he swiped his first stolen base. He’s done a good enough job warding away the pesky strikeouts (32% K-rate) that many thought could hold his production back. Additionally, when you’re barrel rate is over 13%, and the ISO sits a tick north of .200, you’ll provide plenty of value to any lineup. While the batting average might be less than ideal, he could swat 20 HRs in less than 400 at-bats.
Albert Pujols (STL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Staying in St Louis, Pujols showed he isn’t done performing at an All-Star level. While three-hit nights aren’t the standard for the future Hall of Famer, he’s providing the Cardinals with a stable force we’ve come to know. The K-rate is under 20%, and he’s even taking walks at a 9% clip. Furthermore, a .179 ISO and .740 OPS are nothing to sneeze at these days. Given his age, he won’t play every day, but if you’re in a league with daily transactions and in a pinch, he could provide value. Currently, he’s available in 98% of Yahoo leagues.
Brandon Marsh (LAA): 2-4, 3B, R, RBI, SB.
Stepping into the huge hole left by Mike Trout is never easy, but Marsh did his best last night. Furthermore, when you glance at his surface stats (8 HR, 8 SB, and .229/.279/.351 slash line), you’re reminded of his flaws quickly. He struggles with poor plate discipline, as shown by the 36% K-rate and below-league average zone contact (79.2%). Still, there are enough tools to make him attractive in short bursts.
Jorge Mateo (BAL): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.
Mateo took Collin Poche deep in the top of the 9th inning and extended the game into extras. Sadly, his heroic late-inning efforts weren’t enough as Baltimore fell short. What makes for a more interesting discussion is Mateo carries a bottom-feeding 29.3% hard-hit rate and .277 wOBA. Both metrics point to a total lack of power. However, there are times he will square a pitch up just right. He’s showing a 6.8% barrel rate and league-average .155 ISO. Count on him for power? Absolutely not! Stick to rostering him for speed; he’s already got 24 stolen bases.
Matt Olson (ATL): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Olson’s two-run shot in the 6th inning bumped his season total to 20. Additionally, what seems like a quieter season than normal is anything but that. Indeed, the runs are down, and a back-to-back 100 runs/100 RBI season isn’t in the cards for Olson. But he’s providing the Braves with the added thump they need and driving in many RBI (66). Taking his current stats plus rest-of-season projections, Olson is slated to finish with 80 runs, 100-plus RBI, and 35ish HRs with a .250 batting average. That’s anything but quiet; that’s elite!
Brendan Rodgers (COL): 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB.
It almost appears that Rodgers is doing everything he can to live up the home/road splits quandary for Rockies batters. At home, he’s 13% better than league average in wRC+ but on the road, 32% worse than league average. Furthermore, he’s yet to hit an HR outside of Coors Field. Sighs. Until he can figure out how to fix these issues, he’s only streamable for stretches at home. The good news is Colorado stays at home for the rest of the week.
Donovan Solano (CIN): 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI.
Solano is a former-San Francisco Giant that was cast off and searching for a team to stick with. After a bevy of injuries, Solano was brought up to the big leagues on June 22nd. Since his arrival, he’s been a rather productive addition to an offense lacking any presence. In his 90 at-bats, he’s swatted a pair of dingers with nine runs and 12 RBI. On most days, Solano bats as a DH, but his defensive skills have him seeing time at 2B and 3B. In deeper leagues, he could provide some batting average and roster flexibility to your reserves.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)