Show No Murphy
Sean Murphy (ATL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
After starting the season on the IL, Sean Murphy has brought a much-needed boost to an Atlanta team that has struggled out of the gate, as evidenced by their 4-10 record, which is suitable for last season in the NL East.
On Saturday, the Atlanta catcher went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and a walk. His big day brought his average to .333 and OPS to 1.377 in 18 plate appearances. He also has three home runs for the season, six RBI, and four runs scored. Even though he has just started his 2025 campaign, Murphy is already proving to be one of the more valuable catchers in fantasy.
That is huge for a player trying to put a rough 2024 behind him.
Fantasy managers could argue that Murphy was unrosterable last year, especially in redraft leagues. Injuries limited him to 72 games and 264 plate appearances, and he didn’t do much in that limited time either. Murphy hit .193, posted a .284 OBP, and collected only 10 home runs and 25 RBI. That was a far cry from his 2023 All-Star season, in which he hit .251 with a .365 OBP, launched 21 home runs, and collected 68 RBI.
Atlanta needs Murphy to stabilize its lineup, especially if it wants to rebound and get back into the NL East race. Michael Harris II and Matt Olson are both posting sub-.700 OPS marks while Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz have marks under .600. A healthy, motivated, and locked-in Murphy at the plate will help Atlanta stay competitive while those four figure it out at the plate.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday.
Michael Busch (CHC): 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
The Cubs piled on plenty of runs, scoring 16 against the defending World Series champions on Saturday night. However, Busch stuck out the most, with his home run coming in the second inning against Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. The 27-year-old Cubs first baseman is off to a stellar start this year. He is hitting .300 with a .926 OPS and has two home runs and eight runs scored in 54 plate appearances.
Jonathan Aranda (TBR): 3-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
The Rays gave away the game, but Tampa fans can’t blame Aranda, who had three hits and launched his second home run of the year. Aranda has been a hitting machine, evidenced by his .378 average and 1.158 OPS in 44 plate appearances. After inconsistent playing time in his first three years in the majors, he should be a mainstay in the Rays’ lineup for the remainder of the season.
Wilmer Flores (SFG): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Flores has found the “fountain of youth” this year with the Giants. On Saturday, he hit his sixth home run of the year and is currently hitting .275 with a .929 OPS in 53 plate appearances. The 33-year-old doesn’t see much time in the field, as he only plays first base when he’s not DH’ing. However, his bat has been key in the Giants’ 10-4 start to the year, and the Giants will continue to utilize him in the lineup to give the end of the batting order a much-needed boost.
Gabriel Arias (CLE): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
After three years of underperforming from 2022 to 2024, Arias is finally living up to his prospect hype. In 48 plate appearances, he is hitting .286 with an .878 OPS and three home runs. He has also collected seven RBI and scored six runs as a utility infielder for the Guardians. Granted, most of Arias’ damage has been against the Royals this year, as all three of his homers have come against Kansas City. Still, Cleveland fans are more than okay with Arias’ “team-specific” performance, especially as this series has helped the Guardians gain an early advantage in the season series.
Spencer Torkelson (DET): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Is Torkelson going to be the “Comeback Player of the Year”? So far, the early data suggests that he should be the favorite. In 62 plate appearances, he is hitting .314 with a 1.066 OPS. Furthermore, he collected his fourth home run of the year on Saturday and raised his RBI total to 10 after a three-RBI performance against the Twins. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had Torkelson hitting in the No. 3 spot in the batting order today, a sign that the Tigers believe that this turnaround from Torkelson is for real.
Luis Robert Jr. (CHW): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.
The numbers this year are brutal for Robert. He’s hitting .178 with a .536 OPS in 54 plate appearances. On a positive note, he hit his first home run of the year in the White Sox’s 3-2 win over the Red Sox on Saturday, and his 10% barrel rate is higher than his mark a season ago (9.9% in 2024). The surface-level metrics from Robert are ugly. However, this home run could help him get in a groove, making him a tradeable asset later in the season.
Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
De La Cruz only garnered one hit on Saturday, but it was one of the “biggest” hits of the day. In the third inning, the 23-year-old shortstop hit a grand slam that gave the Reds a 4-0 lead and helped them ease into a 5-2 victory over the rival Pirates. De La Cruz’s numbers aren’t “star-esque” by any means. He is hitting .237 with a .727 OPS in 63 plate appearances. However, he has three home runs for the year, and perhaps his latest could help him get back to superstar play at the plate.
Alexander Canario (PIT): 1-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB.
After getting released by the Cubs and Mets, Canario found himself in Pittsburgh, where he had an opportunity to prove that he could be a regular at the MLB level. The early numbers aren’t significant, as he is hitting .125 with a .576 OPS in 19 plate appearances. That said, he showed off his power potential on Saturday, launching a 402-foot home run. The talent and tools have been there, but Canario hasn’t put it all together at 24. Maybe the rebuilding environment in Pittsburgh will help.
Vinnie Pasquantino (KCR): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.
The Royals expected Pasquantino to be one of the leading run producers in the Royals lineup, which is a benefit of hitting behind Bobby Witt Jr. in the batting order. On Saturday, the Royals’ first baseman did his job in Kansas City’s 6-3 loss, as he hit a home run and scored two of the Royals’ three runs. It’s been an inconsistent start for Pasquantino as he has 11 RBI but is only hitting .212 in 58 plate appearances. Perhaps this home run can help him get on a hitting streak, something the Royals desperately need right now.
