Eagle-Eye Chourio

Jackson Chourio (MIL): 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.

There was no save tonight as the Milwaukee Brewers staged a 16 – 7 blowout win over Atlanta and Jackson Chourio led the way with a pair of home runs. Chourio’s 13th and 14th homers clocked in at 101.1 and 101.8 mph, respectively, and he added a 99.3 mph groundout later in the game for good measure.

After being comatose in the arms of slumber to start the season, the rookie outfielder may finally be putting it all together. Since June 1st, Chourio has recorded seven homers and eight steals with a .328/.371/.506 triple slash over 194 PA. All while dropping his strikeout rate down to 16.5%.

In fact, by using PL’s new Process+ rolling charts we can easily see the adjustment.

 

While there’s no doubt Chourio’s making better contact and the power is certainly trending in the right direction, it’s his decision value that will ultimately determine whether this is a young superstar amid a delayed breakout or merely us wishing it was. Specifically, his decision-making ability on pitches outside of the zone. A brisk 89 oDV and 32.4% Chase rate warrant some worried eyes but it isn’t uncommon for a 20-year-old rookie to get overeager like this. Chourio isn’t even the only 20-year-old rookie named Jackson on a potential division-winning club struggling with swinging the long way around at the plate.

Last night’s featured player has been marginally better with a 95 oDV and 27.6% Chase rate but given the fact that these two prospects are better than most, I think there’s no reason not to buy in on a positive trend. It won’t be long before facing off against Chourio will be like trying to close Pandora’s Box.

Are you still having fun?

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:

Tyler Fitzgerald (SFG): 2-5, 2B, 2 R, BB, 3 SB.

 

Tyler Fitzgerald put his 99th percentile 30.1 ft/s Sprint Speed to work, nabbing three stolen bases. The hit tool will eventually come down to Earth, however, as a .391 BABIP is unsustainable and an 85 Contact+ hints that he is indeed playing over his head at the moment. The power/speed combo is legit though so if you expect regression in the AVG/OBP column, he could still be a productive player for you down the stretch.

 

Luis García Jr. (WSN): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB.

 

Luis Garcia Jr.’s 93.4 mph home run was actually his softest hit ball of the day after hitting a 95.2 mph flyout and 95.6 mph single earlier in the game.

Tonight’s “combo meal” was only García’s fifth so far this season, but it’s the second in the past week and while the power isn’t quite as elite as the other top 2B, he’ll give you some of the most well-rounded production at the position.

 

Joey Bart (PIT): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

 

Joey Bart clobbered his ninth home run of the year at 104.8 mph, as well as hitting a 97.3 mph double and 106.8 mph groundout later in the game.

Bart won’t give you much more other than power but with the Pirates’ struggles behind the dish this season, he will continue to serve as the primary catcher down the stretch and has recently been hitting in the cleanup spot. If you need help at catcher, Bart should be a cheap source of power for your team.

 

Mark Vientos (NYM): 1-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.

 

Few players are hitting the ball quite as hard as Mark Vientos this season. Vientos’ 17th homer was a 103.5 mph, 425 ft bomb and he recorded 102.6 and 96.6 mph flyouts as well. Don’t go thinking this is just Coors Field either, as this type of power is perfectly in line with his 90.5 mph Avg Exit Velo and 16.3% Barrel rate on the season.

This power coupled with an improvement to his plate discipline as his strikeout rate has dropped to 25.7% and his walk rate is up to 7.5%, should put him firmly in the conversation as a top-five third baseman in 2025.

 

Eugenio Suárez (ARI): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

 

Eugenio Suarez also picked up his 17th homer yesterday on one of the hardest-hit balls of the night at 109.5 mph. This Power+ chart should say it all:

Since the All-Star break, Suárez has a 119 Power+ and 121 Process+. If you can still get your hands on him, do so now.

 

Parker Meadows (DET): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI.

 

If you fear small sample sizes, beware! Since being called back up from Triple-A on August 3rd, Parker Meadows has done nothing but hit with four consecutive multi-hit games. Over that span, his Process+ has jumped to a whopping 133, alongside an above-average 126 Power+.

Look, sometimes you have to roll the dice if you want the next big hot streak before it ends. Why not roll the dice with a player whose tools are this loud?

 

Cedric Mullins (BAL): 1-4, 2B, R, RBI.

 

Sticking with that idea, it appears as though Cedric Mullins is back. While Colton Cowser has taken over the bulk of the CF role in Baltimore, Mullins is still seeing a decent share of playing time and if you can stomach him sitting against lefties, he can still fill the boxscore.

The needle is pointing straight up right now as Mullins has put up two homers, three steals, and a .239/.364/.457 triple slash in the second half. This could be the start of a hot streak.

 

Dylan Carlson (TBR): 1-3, 2 RBI.

 

Dylan Carlson has quietly been off to a hot start in Tampa Bay and it continued last night with a 104.3 mph single that allowed a pair of runners to score. He’s now recorded a hit in four out of five games since going to the Rays.

Believe me, I’m as baffled as you are that I’m talking about Dylan Carlson right now, but just look at what a change in scenery has done for fellow post-hype sleeper Victor Robles.

 

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)