We Didn’t Stott The Fire
Bryson Stott did start the fire for the Phillies on Sunday, ripping a 395-foot, 105.7 mph homer off San Diego starter Michael King in the second inning to give his team an early 2-0 lead. He would later take the lead back with another two-run HR off King in the fourth inning and Philadelphia would go on to win 8-6 to complete the road sweep of the Padres.
While Stott hasn’t quite gotten off to the start that some of his teammates have (I see you Alec Bohm), let’s not forget about the 15 HR, 31 SB season he had in 2023. Suffering from a bit of bad luck (.242 BABIP), I think Stott actually could improve on his 2023 numbers, especially if this Philadelphia lineup continues to mash like they have been. 2B is not a particularly strong fantasy position and Stott’s all-around game makes him a valuable asset for fantasy managers.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Ryan Mountcastle (BAL): 3-4, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB.
Ryan Mountcastle has turned into one of my favorite lower-tier first basemen to target in fantasy over the last few years and I was both shocked and ecstatic when I was able to pick him up in several leagues this season. While his power has been down a bit since his 33 HR outburst in 2021, Mountcastle has improved on his BB and K rates in each of the last three seasons and now sits at a very respectable 9.7 BB% and 20.4 K%. It is obvious that Mountcastle could feel some of the pressure from the plethora of talented Orioles prospects pushing to take his roster spot as he has responded by slashing .319/.379/.527 so far in 2024 while finding himself hitting right in the heart of Baltimore’s loaded lineup.
With the highest wRC+ of any primary 1B in baseball, Mountcastle has certainly earned the right to continue playing over the Orioles’ heralded young prospects for the forseeable future.
Alejandro Kirk (TOR): 3-3, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI.
With Danny Jansen sidelined with an injury to begin the season, Alejandro Kirk had a golden opportunity to get off to a hot start with the bat and stake claim to the starting catcher job in Toronto. Unfortunately, like most of the Blue Jays lineup, he has been abysmal at the plate, slashing .206/.297/.270 so far, even after his big day at the plate against Michael Grove and the Dodgers. Now Jansen is back from the IL and Kirk will be relegated to the backup and occasional DH.
While I expect Toronto’s lineup as a whole to begin picking it up, Kirk is best left on the waiver wire for now unless he shows consistent improvement and Jansen winds up back on the IL.
Wenceel Pérez (DET): 2-4, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI.
Um who? That was my honest reaction when I saw the name Wenceel Pérez pop up for Detroit, but the 24-year-old prospect got the Tigers going with a two-run HR in the first inning on Sunday off Michael Wacha.
Known more for his speed than anything, Perez has shown good late discipline in the minors and a brief stint in the majors, but it is still a bit surprising to see him batting third in the lineup. He might have some intrigue as a SB threat, but for now, I am taking a wait-and-see approach on Detroit’s #12 ranked prospect, according to Pitcher List’s own Steve Dwyer.
Francisco Lindor (NYM): 1-3, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB.
If anybody reading this article overreacted to Francisco Lindor’s slow start and sold on him early, I am sorry but you are a fool. Coming off one of the best seasons of his career at the plate, Lindor is now slashing .298/.365/.617 with a 174 wRC+ over the last two weeks with four HRs and three SBs. His recent success has coincided with the Mets’ sudden turnaround to an over .500 team and I have no doubt Lindor will be among the top fantasy SS again at the end of the season.
Nick Senzel (WSH): 2-6, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.
Former top prospect Nick Senzel’s Major League Baseball tenure hasn’t exactly gone according to plan, but he is hoping a change of scenery in Washington will bring about a career renaissance.
After going for two HRs and five RBI off Marlins pitching on Sunday, I’d say the 28-year-old is worth taking a look at now. The former second overall pick is up to five HRs already in 39 plate appearances for the Nationals and I think there is room for more in the AVG and OBP departments. I’m always a sucker for second chances and it looks like Senzel is already taking advantage of his opportunity in Washington.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jr. (MIA): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB.
An all-or-nothing type of player, Jazz Chisholm Jr. went for it all in the first inning on Sunday, launching a grand slam off Nationals starter Patrick Corbin. The power/speed combo Chisholm provides will always be intriguing, but his strikeouts continue to prevent Chisholm from catapulting himself into the elite tier of hitters in baseball.
Isaac Paredes (TB): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI.
While the baseball community continues to underestimate Isaac Paredes, he just continues to go out there and mash baseballs. After hitting a career-high 31 HRs for Tampa Bay in 2023, Paredes has picked up right where he left off, hitting his seventh already in 2024 on Sunday.
Paredes may actually be on track for an even better season and has been one of the few bright spots in the Rays lineup.
Anthony Volpe (NYY): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB.
While he’s cooled off a little from his torrid start, Anthony Volpe’s three-run HR in the fifth inning on Sunday opened the flood gates for the Yankees offense on their way to a 15-5 shellacking of Milwaukee. I’ll admit I was a bit of a hater on Volpe coming into the season, but he has already exceeded expectations and is looking like he is growing into a stud of a SS who will hit at the top of the New York lineup for the decade to come.
Anthony Rizzo (NYY): 4-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB.
Team Anthony carried the Yankees on Sunday as Rizzo got on base five times in the win. The 34-year-old struggled with injuries in 2023, but it looks like he might be back to his 2022 form when he hit 32 HRs and drove in 75 RBI for the Bronx Bombers.
Wyatt Langford (TEX): 1-3, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI.
The first HR of Wyatt Langford’s much-anticipated career didn’t exactly go as planned, as the 22-year-old had to race around the bases after his long line drive to right-center careened off an angled wall to give him just enough time to make it home. With high expectations coming into the season for the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft, it shouldn’t really be a surprise to see Langford struggle in his first action against big-league pitching. The kid just has too much talent though, so just stay the course and eventually, you will be rewarded.
Jose Altuve (HOU): 2-4, HR, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB.
Here’s your weekly Jose Altuve report: the guy is really really good. Now up to seven HRs and four SBs after a big game on Sunday in Mexico City, Altuve is on pace for another All Star season and could tickle the 30-20 club if everything goes right.
Willi Castro (MIN): 3-5, 2B, 1 RBI.
Willi Castro was a guy I was very high on as a multi-position sleeper coming into 2024 and he got off to an atrocious start, causing many fantasy owners to abandon him on the waiver wire.
After Carlos Correa’s injury opened up a spot at SS however, Castro has turned it up a bit, hitting .419 over the last week with five runs and seven RBI. He still isn’t stealing bases like we thought he would, but Castro can provide a fair amount of value to fantasy managers if he continues to hit the ball well following a mini-breakout at the end of 2023.
Christian Walker (ARI): 2-4, HR, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI.
I put Christian Walker in the same perennial underrated camp as Isaac Paredes. All he’s done the last two season is hit 36 and 33 HRs and he even stole 11 bases in 2023. After smashing his fifth HR off Logan Gilbert on Sunday, Walker is slashing .271/.383/.439 and while he will never be considered among the elite 1B crowd like Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Bryce Harper, he is probably closer to those hitters than you would think.
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)
For the love of god, provide the batting line of the featured player in your write-ups.