Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Bleday
JJ Bleday (OAK): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, SB.
Well, have yourself a Bleday! JJ continued his red-hot second half last night going 3-for-5 with a “Combo Meal” that included a 102.7 mph grand slam.
As you can see Bleday has been up and down this season but since mid-May he has clearly been an above-average hitter. Buoyed by his borderline-elite Decision Value, Bleday has been making solid contact and is finally starting to see his power showing up as well. He’s dropped his K rate down to 18.0% on the season to go with a 10.6% BB rate.
Since the All-Star break, Bleday has hit for a .329/.402/.573/.975 slash line with four home runs and a stolen base. While power has always been Bleday’s calling card rather than contact, his ability to consistently make good decisions both inside (107 zDV, 102 since the All-Star break) and outside of the zone (108 oDV, 110 since the All-Star break) coupled with a career-high 36.0% HardHit rate and a career-low 24.0% Whiff rate may be signs of a mini-breakout.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:
Weston Wilson (PHI): 4-5, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 R, RBI.
The 29-year-old rookie hit for the cycle last night. I can confidently say that’s the first time I’ve ever written that sentence!
Wilson has looked sharp since being called up from Triple-A, aside from a 2.5% BB rate that results in a fun .342/.350/.684/1.034 slash line in 40 PA. There’s room for optimism that this is more than just small sample size noise too as Wilson has already picked up 18 HRs and 14 SBs in Triple-A this year after putting up 31 HRs and 32 SBs with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs last season.
With the Phillies’ entire outfield hitting in the bottom half of the order, if Wilson can keep this up the team may have no choice but to start giving him more playing time.
Mark Vientos (NYM): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
I’ve written about Mark Vientos before, but it’s hard to ignore when an undervalued player barrels back-to-back home runs.
Since June 1st, Vientos is tied for 11th in home runs (16) alongside Yordan Alvarez and Austin Riley. Pretty solid company to be in when you’re trying to prove yourself as one of the premier power hitters in the game.
Brice Turang (MIL): 2-3, 2B, R, BB, 2 SB.
After a strong first half that saw him swipe 30 SBs, Brice Turang has finally come down to Earth. Turang has posted only six steals and a .173/.218/.247/.465 slash line in the second half. The speed is undeniable but Turang’s contact has been streaky so far throughout his career and his batted-ball skills leave much to be desired. It can be hard to cut bait after early production like this but in most formats he can safely be dropped until he shows signs of life.
Wilyer Abreu (BOS): 2-3, HR, R, RBI.
One of the frontrunners for AL Rookie of the Year, Wilyer Abreu has flown under the radar in a lot of leagues despite solid production across the board. Abreu absolutely destroyed his 14th homer of the year at 106.3 mph and with a 91.4 mph Avg EV, 12.9% Barrel rate, and 50.2% HardHit rate he could easily hit twice as many with regular playing time in Fenway Park.
Power like this isn’t often available on the waiver wire and Abreu is somehow still only 69% rostered in Fantrax leagues. He’s a must-add in all formats right now. Check your wires as he could be a league-winner, especially if you’re looking for power past your league’s trade deadline.
Victor Robles (SEA): 1-4, 2B, SB.
After making quite the post-hype splash with the Seattle Mariners, Victor Robles has started to cool off. Coming into August with a .317 batting average and nine steals since landing in the Emerald City, Robles has a .149 batting average so far this month although he’s still managed to pick up four steals somehow.
The dip is undeniable, so the question becomes a battle of small sample sizes. Locked in as the everyday centre fielder and leadoff hitter for a team with playoff aspirations, I’m not quite ready to drop Robles but he’s definitely going to be under a microscope while riding the pine for my teams right now.
Grant McCray (SFG): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Giants rookie Grant McCray hit his first major league base hit in the first inning last night and followed up with his first career homer in the sixth. His 94.0 mph Avg EV is being carried by a 102.1 mph bomb last night so don’t read too much into his debut. While there is some legitimate pop here, his speed is the main attraction as McCray stole 52 bases in High-A last season and has now sped through the minors to make his big league debut.
If you missed out on his teammate Tyler Fitzgerald (who had a pair of steals himself last night), McCray is certainly worth a look. Stashing him for the next week or so to see what McCray can do could pay off in the long run.
Johan Rojas (PHI): 2-5, R, 3 RBI.
It’s rare to write about Tyler Fitzgerald in an article and be able to say that he wasn’t the fastest player mentioned but Johan Rojas currently has him beat. Rojas is tied for third in the majors in sprint speed (30.1 ft/s) alongside Elly De La Cruz and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Since the All-Star break, Rojas has a .310 batting average over 47 PA and he appears to have recaptured the magic he had when he made his major league debut late last season.
While he’s unlikely to continue this level of RBI production, the Phillies’ offense should give him plenty of opportunities to contribute in runs and stolen bases and Rojas’ glove will ensure that he continues to get regular playing time.
Gavin Lux (LAD): 2-3, 2 R, RBI, BB.
As you can likely tell by now I tend to zig when others zag, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Gavin Lux here. Lux is hitting .364/.438/.623/1.061 so far in the second half and smoked a pair of singles at 99.5 and 103.7 mph yesterday.
If he could elevate the ball more Lux could add some real power to his profile, but with rate stats like these who needs power?
Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)