Tauch that Tauch, Man

Mike Tauchman (CHC): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.

The word “journeyman” gets thrown around a lot these days to describe a player who has played for several ball clubs during a long but (often) unremarkable career. Whether by trades, DFAs, or other shenanigans, Mike Tauchman fits the definition of journeyman better than most. Tauchman was drafted in the 10th round of the 2013 draft by the Colorado Rockies and made his debut with the big-league club in 2017, where he spent a couple of seasons before bouncing around the league with the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants with little success.

In 2022, Tauchman’s career took a different direction as he played for the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO and posted an effective .289/.366/.430 line. In 2023, the Chicago Cubs took a chance on Tauchman’s newfound success and were rewarded with a solid offensive season as a platoon outfielder. Tauchman’s greatest skill was his ability to get on base often (.363 OBP across 401 PAs), thanks largely to an impressive 14.0 BB%.

Thus far in 2024, Tauchman continues to display great plate discipline with an even higher .397 OBP across his first 63 PAs. Tauchman had his best game of the season on Tuesday night, hitting his first two home runs of the year to post a line of 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.

So, is Tauchman worth an add in your leagues? Unfortunately, for now, the answer is probably not, unless you’re playing in an NL-only league. Tauchman has appeared in every game since Seiya Suzuki landed on the IL, and Cody Bellinger may miss a day or two with a rib contusion, meaning that, at least in the short term, there could be some value for Tauchman. A word of caution would be that he does tend to hit in the bottom third of the order and doesn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball. Perhaps if you’re in specific need of a player that provides solid ratios (especially if your league counts OBP), Tauchman could be a short-term answer for a boost in those categories. He’s a great real-life player and probably overqualified as the team’s de facto fourth outfielder, but he won’t knock your socks off in the world of counting stats.

 

Let’s See how the other hitters did Tuesday:

 

Riley Greene (DET): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

With the Tigers’ bullpen performing so well, it’s great to see the offense starting to come around, and leadoff man Riley Greene has been a key component of this turnaround. Across the past seven days, Greene has an OPS of 1.279, which was boosted by the pair of home runs he hit on Tuesday night. Greene has lowered his strikeout rate from 27.4% to 24.5% in 2024 and also raised his BB% from 8.4% to a whopping 20.6%. Greene’s expected stats look solid as well, with an improved xSLG, wOBA, and xwOBA compared to years past. This could be a breakout season for the 23-year-old, and he’s still available in plenty of leagues.

 

Trevor Larnach (MIN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Larnach made his season debut on April 16th after beginning the season on the injured list and has done nothing but contribute since then for a struggling Twins offense. His second home run of the season brought his 2024 OPS up to 1.167 as he hit from the third spot in the order. Larnach saw little playing time against lefties in 2023, meaning he’s a matchup-based streaming option for now, especially with the struggling offense around him hurting his potential for counting stats.

 

Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.

Remember when we were all a little worried about the slow start to Elly’s season? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Safe to say those doubts have been quelled significantly in the past week, with De La Cruz amassing three home runs and five steals across that time frame to bring his season totals to seven and 12, respectively. Friendly reminder: despite a K rate above 30%, Elly can still win a matchup on any given week. Love him. Fear him. Just don’t doubt him.

 

Pavin Smith (ARI): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.

The Diamondbacks beat the brakes off of the Cardinals on their home turf last night, and Pavin Smith was a key contributor to the rout, posting a career-high 6 RBIs in the contest, the majority of which came from his sixth-inning grand slam. These were Smith’s first hits of the season since being recalled from the minor leagues. Smith is a part-time lefty bench bat, so he doesn’t see a ton of regular playing time but should stay on your radar if other injuries should befall Arizona’s outfield.

 

Brendan Rodgers (COL): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.

Speaking of grand slams, here we have Brendan Rodgers, who launched a fourth-inning homer off of Michael King to help secure the Rockies’ win on Tuesday night. This performance boosted Rodgers’ season line to a paltry .197/.230/.324. As with most Colorado hitters, Rodgers can be a worthwhile streaming option any time the Rockies are playing in Coors. Rodgers showed drastic improvement when playing at home in 2023 (.855 OPS vs a .532 mark when on the road), so keep an eye on that schedule when you consider adding him to your roster.

 

Cal Raleigh (SEA): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

One of the lone bright spots of the Seattle Mariners‘ lineup thus far in 2024, “Big Dumper” hit his sixth home run of the season on Tuesday, tying him with Salvador Perez for the most home runs amongst catchers this year. Raleigh is playing almost every day and continues to be one of the more underrated options at a surprisingly deep position in 2024. The .879 OPS would be a career-high by more than 100 points for Raleigh, meaning some regression may be due shortly, but just sit back and enjoy the ride for now.

 

Thairo Estrada (SFG): 2-3, 3B, 2 R, RBI.

It’s been a slow start to the season for Thairo Estrada, but things seem to be turning a corner as Tuesday’s performance was his second multi-hit game in the past three contests. Estrada’s strikeout rate has increased and his walk rate has dipped in 2024, meaning Estrada needs to improve his plate discipline and contact to be counted on in your lineups. He’s also yet to steal a bag after swiping at least 21 in each of his past two campaigns.

 

Adam Duvall (ATL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

The st0ry of the night for the Atlanta Braves was Max Fried’s CGSHO of the lowly Miami Marlins, but Adam Duvall provided some offensive pop to ensure his pitcher got the win during the team’s 5-0 victory. Duvall hit his second home run of the season on Tuesday, and while any bat with a little pop in Atlanta’s lineup will be intriguing, it’s important to note that these were Duvall’s first hits since April 14th. You can find better streaming options on the wire.

 

Lawrence Butler (OAK): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.

If you open up Lawrence Butler’s Statcast page, you’ll likely get excited by the sheer amount of red that hits you in the face at first glance. Yes, he hits the ball hard, as evidenced by him hitting his second home run on Tuesday, and his expected stats are much higher than his actual stat lines, but you’ll also need to take into account his 36.7% whiff rate and the fact that he’s not an everyday player for the Oakland Athletics. Keep an eye on Butler for now to see if he earns more consistent playing time and can improve his contact, but he’s best left on the waiver wire for now, even with an eye-catching Statcast.