Vientos Waits for You
Mark Vientos (NYM): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Slow down, you crazy child! With Tuesday's performance of 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, Mark Vientos continues to mash the ball since getting the call-up earlier this season, as his slash line in 2024 is now up to .297/.349/.576. For those of you keeping score at home, he's up to nine home runs in just 129 plate appearances this season after he tagged Gerrit Cole for two long balls last night.
Of course, the 129 PA's does mean we have a small sample size for Vientos' performance this year, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the third baseman's performance. He's cut his strikeout rate from around 30% in his first two seasons to just 21.3% this year, showing increased plate discipline. His expected stats are also far higher than in years past, showing that he's making a better quality of contact and overall improved his approach as he matures as a hitter.
It's unlikely that Vientos will continue this torrid pace for the rest of the season. For now, however, he's a solid addition to your squad with some power upside as long as he's seeing things well and maintaining this approach. He's available in over 90% of ESPN leagues, so go get him—Vientos waits for you.
Let's see how the other hitters did Tuesday
Ben Rortvedt (TBR): 2-3, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.
Ben Rortvedt primarily sees his work as Tampa Bay's catcher against right-handed pitching, as the lefty only has 15 at-bats against lefties so far this season. He added his third home run of the year on Tuesday, but it was his second of the past week. Rortvedt has been swinging a hot bat lately, as he's slashing .500/.526/1.000 over the past seven days. If you need an emergency fill-in at catcher, you could certainly do worse than Rortvedt—just be sure to check he's facing right-handed pitching before you grab him.
Jonathan India (CIN): 2-2, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SB.
Jonathan India filled up the stat sheet on Tuesday, reaching base in all five of his at-bats (he was also hit by a pitch in the third) and adding a pair of steals and three runs. India boasts a 13.3% walk rate on the season, so he's well-suited to serve as the Reds' leadoff man and can score runs in droves with Elly De La Cruz and Jeimer Candelario hitting behind him.
Bo Naylor (CLE): 3-4, 2B, 3B, 3 R, RBI.
Another catcher that's seeing the ball well lately is Bo Naylor, who extended his hitting streak to five games while falling a home run short of the cycle on Tuesday. After a slow start to the season, Naylor is having a nice June with an .878 OPS this month so far. He plays in a slightly better offense, so he might be an even better add than Rortvedt for the time being, with the same caveat that he doesn't often play against lefties.
Byron Buxton (MIN): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
What does one do with Byron Buxton? He's still got some pop in his bat, as evidenced by his 1.121 OPS over the past fifteen days, but injury concerns are always lingering in the back of one's head when rostering him. His .737 season OPS would be a good amount lower than his career highs, but he's also on track to play more than 100 games in a season for the first time since 2017. If you need an outfielder, go grab him, but be ready to pivot at a moment's notice.
Jurickson Profar (SDP): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Jurickson Profar's age-31 breakout is one of the more underrated storylines this year, and the outfielder has continued his hot hitting well into June, even after a brief injury scare over the weekend. Profar notched only one hit on Tuesday night, but it was a big one, as the grand slam put the Padres ahead for good in their victory over the Nationals. I can support almost any strategy with Profar right now—sell high? Sure, go get yourself a name with a more proven track record. Buy high? Why not—the sample size is large enough to show his early season streak wasn't just a fluke. Hold him? That might be the best strategy of all if you were lucky enough to grab him early in 2024.
Richie Palacios (TBR): 2-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB.
Richie Palacios has seven hits in his past four games, with two steals and five runs scored in that stretch. He's my official "Speed Demon Streamer of the Day," with his 12 steals on the year showing he can provide speed in a pinch if you find yourself needing help in that category. Beyond that, though, he doesn't bring too much to the table, especially in a Tampa Bay offense that platoons almost their entire lineup to a certain extent.
Rafael Devers (BOS): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
That's five hits and two home runs to get this week's matchup started for Rafael Devers. Devers now sits at 16 home runs this season and has a career-best .927 OPS through the first half of 2024. There's not much to say about Devers that we don't already know—he supplies great stats across the board everywhere besides steals—but sometimes we need to give our studs a little shoutout in this column as well.
Ryan Jeffers (MIN): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
It might be hard to imagine, but Ryan Jeffers is riding a six-game hitting streak after hitting his 13th home run last night. Jeffers was one of the best fantasy catchers to begin the season, but after slumping in late May and early June, he's found himself in a 50/50 timeshare with Christian Vázquez behind the plate. Jeffers needs to assume a stronger side of that platoon before becoming more fantasy-relevant again, but we know the potential is there.
Bryan Reynolds (PIT): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Bryan Reynolds is having yet another ho-hum .800ish OPS season for the Pirates. Reynolds seems perennially underrated in the fantasy community, as he doesn't do anything eye-popping but contributes well across the board in several categories. He's once again in line for somewhere around 25 homers and 10 steals while providing solid ratios all season long. Reynolds is more of a floor play than ceiling play, but sometimes those are the kinds of players you need to stabilize your lineup during a playoff push.
