Gettin’ Jiggy Witt It
Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR): 4-5, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, SB.
Witt doubled his home run total for the season in one night, going deep twice to help the Royals completely dismantle the Houston Astros. His opening shot came during Kansas City’s nine-run first inning wherein Houston hurler Hunter Brown suffered a complete meltdown while recording just two outs. He was mercifully pulled early, but not before giving up nine runs on 11 hits and a walk. The Royals’ entire starting lineup got in on the fun, but none more than Witt, who is presenting himself as an MVP frontrunner.
Witt had a pair of 105.4 mph hits in just the first inning — starting with a single and then a 391-foot, two-run HR after the Royals’ lineup batted around. His second home run was a 103.2 mph blast in the seventh that drove in three more runs and chased Brown from the game. His hardest hit of the night was actually his only out — a 106.5 mph grounder. Suffice it to say, Witt had one hell of a night.
On the season, he is slashing an obscene .358/.414/.755 with 13 runs, 4 HR, 8 RBI, and 3 stolen bases. He leads the league with a 26.5% barrel rate, 70.6% hard-hit rate, and 99.4 mph average exit velocity. His xwOBA (.501) is second only to Yordan Alvarez (.545).
Let’s See How the Other Hitters Did Thursday
Colton Cowser (BAL): 3-5, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Cowser is a secondary lead for this article and needs to be added immediately in any leagues he is available. I feel like we need another pun to celebrate his performance—something like, “Holy Cowser!” The rookie outfielder was in the starting lineup for the third straight game and he clearly intends to stay there. His 113.6 mph home run in the 10th drove in three runs and is one of the top 20 hardest-hit balls of the season. He had three other balls in play over 100 mph, including a solo HR in the fifth. Coswer helped Baltimore sweep Boston, finishing the three-game series 6-for-13 with 3 runs, 2 HR, 10 RBI, and a stolen base.
Brandon Nimmo (NYM): 2-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Nimmo started the season 1-for-21 but has turned it around, going 9-for-22 over the past five games. In the second inning Thursday, he crushed an RBI double just over the out-stretched glove of centerfielder Michael Harris II who had to turn and sprint to even have a chance at making a play. Nimmo added an RBI triple in the eighth, finding the gap in left-center and getting into third standing up despite stumbling around first. Nimmo is a streaky hitter, but these are the good times. Enjoy it.
Seth Brown (OAK): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI.
Brown made all the difference Thursday night. His solo home run in the second inning was the only scoring in the game and one of just four hits in the game from the A’s. He turned on the second pitch from Jon Gray—an 88 mph changeup that Brown drove 378 feet at 102.1 mph. It was the first homer of the season for Brown who has struggled at the plate. He’s a high-power, low-average risk/reward play, but he provides huge value when he’s firing on all cylinders.
Vinnie Pasquantino (KCR): 3-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI.
Pasquantino led off the hitter recap yesterday after collecting three hits, including a home run and a double. He did most of that again Thursday, except for the home run. Like Witt, he got two plate appearances in the first inning. Both resulted in singles and he drove in another run with a double in the sixth. Fantasy managers had been waiting for Pasquantino to get going and back-to-back three-hit games are a great sign.
Yainer Diaz (HOU): 2-5, HR, R, RBI.
There was little to celebrate on the Houston side of the game, but Diaz stood out. He had an impressive 432-foot home run to lead off the fourth inning that left his bat at 107.3 mph. He had four hard-hit balls and looks like a rising star in his sophomore season. In 13 games, he’s slashing .333/.382/.549 with three home runs, 7 RBI, and 6 runs scored. The most important part of that line is 13 GP. It’s always great when our catcher-eligible players spend their off days at DH, especially when they’re as talented as Diaz.
Alec Bohm (PHI): 2-3, HR, R, RBI.
One of the biggest concerns with Bohm coming into the season was his plate appearances since he was slated to hit in the bottom third of a talented Phillies lineup. That has not been the case as Bohm has hit as high as third and never lower than fifth. He has strong on-base skills, slashing .267/.365/.422. He has hits in nine of his 13 games along with seven walks. Bohm hit his first home run of the season Thursday in the fourth to open the scoring. The power is still developing, but Bohm is shaping up to be a value pick wherever you drafted him.
Brandon Marsh (PHI): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Marsh has been the best surprise in the Phillies lineup. He already has moved into a semi-permanent role after starting the year off the bench. He’s on a four-game hitting streak and hit his fourth homer, which is already a third of the way to his total of 12 last year. Sure, the hit was a home run in just 14 of the 30 major league parks, but we take those. Some players are lucky, some are good, but Marsh has been both. His 93.4 average EV and bonkers 60.9% hard-hit rate are among the best in the league.
Jarren Duran (BOS): 2-5, 2 2B, R, RBI.
Duran has been a difference-maker in the speed department. His six stolen bases are second only to Milwaukee’s Brice Turang. But Duran has been more than a one-trick pony. He’s off to a torrid start with the bat and added two more hits Thursday. He bookended the game with powerful doubles—a 98.1 mph hit in the first inning and another at 102.8 mph in the 10th. Impressively, it was already the sixth multi-hit game for Duran, who is slashing .333/.377/.421. Is it sustainable? Probably not. He has a worrying 15:2 K:BB ratio that puts a cap on the upside, so enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Maikel Garcia (KCR): 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Garcia breakout season continued with two more hits Thursday. He went 0-for-10 over his previous three games but still provided category juice during that mini-slump with a run, RBI, and two stolen bases. Garcia’s 105.5 mph single opened the game and he drove the score up to 7-0 with a two-RBI hit later in the first inning. Garcia has been a lot of fun!