Soto Eclipse of the Heart

Juan Soto (NYY): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.

I’m sure every now and then Aaron Judge felt a little bit lonely in New York, as he was often the lone bright spot in the Yankees offense. I bet every now and then he got a little bit tired of listening to the tears of Yankee fans during a disappointing season. Thankfully, Juan Soto is here to add a boost to the Bronx, and they need him now tonight, perhaps more than ever, to bring things back to normal.

It’s pretty clear Soto wore his sunglasses while checking out the solar eclipse on Monday, as he was seeing the ball better than anyone else en route to a 7-0 shutout win over the Marlins. Soto had his best home game in pinstripes on the young season, launching a three-run shot to cap off a six-run fourth inning and adding a double and a walk throughout the game. Soto is off to a scorching hot start in 2024 and will continue plenty of counting stats in New York while also boasting his characteristic high-ratio stats. There’s a 40-homer AL MVP kind of upside here, especially if he can start to pull the ball more toward the short porch in right. He’s only on contract for a year, but if the Yankees hold him tight and extend him, they could be holding on forever.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

 

Brandon Nimmo (NYM): 4-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.

Coming into Monday night’s game, Brandon Nimmo was hitting a paltry .103/.316/.138 on the season with zero runs scored, zero home runs, and only three RBI as the Mets’ leadoff hitter. Nimmo’s performance is a perfect microcosm of the Mets’ season thus far, who have struggled to get much going offensively while falling behind in the standings early to the Braves and Phillies. Things took a 180 on Monday as Nimmo got on base all five times while notching four hits and smacking his first two home runs of the season. It was a much-needed night for Nimmo and the Mets, who held on to beat the Braves on the road 9-8 in the type of game we’ve seen the Mets lose time and time again over the past several seasons. Hopefully, Monday night’s performance is a sign of things turning around for the Mets and their leadoff man.

 

Elly De La Cruz (CIN): 3-4, 2 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, SB.

Oftentimes, the box score doesn’t tell the whole story, and Elly De La Cruz’s game on Monday night is no exception. You’ll be thrilled to see the two home runs on Elly’s line, but they could not have happened in two more different ways. Elly’s first home run of the night (and the season) was a 450-foot monster that hit off the top of the batter’s eye. The second was somehow more exciting–Elly hit a line drive to center that just snuck under the glove of a diving Sal Frelick, and then it was off to the races. De La Cruz scored with little issue and showed us why we hold the phenom through some of the rough stretches. A combo meal, a multi-homer game, or a golden sombrero–anything is possible with Elly on any night, and that’s why we love him.

 

Will Benson (CIN): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB.

If there’s one thing Will Benson does well, it’s hit the ball. Hard. Benson has a 61.1% hard-hit rate this season according to Baseball Savant, though if you’ll visit that page you’ll also notice his 40% strikeout rate. The upside is a game like this, in which Benson supplied a combo meal and a slew of counting stats as the Reds teed off on Aaron Ashby at home. Benson will hit near the bottom of the lineup and won’t do anything to help your ratios but could be a good plug-in source of power on short-schedule days in daily leagues or during Reds homestands in weekly leagues, especially in NL-only formats.

 

Brice Turang (MIL): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.

Turang or not Turang? That is the question. Most leagues seem to agree with the latter, as Brice Turang is available in over 75% of ESPN leagues. The Brewers’ second baseman may be making a case for a speculative add, however, as he’s slashing .379/.424/.586 on the year after hitting his first home run of the season Monday night. A word of caution – the .474 BABIP is unsustainable, so some regression to last year’s .216 average is due. Still, middle infield positions aren’t always easy to fill and the Brewers’ offense looks better than many thought it would be so far.

 

Charlie Blackmon (COL): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

“Chuck Nazty” isn’t just like Robin Williams in Jumanji, but he’s also making me feel like him as his 2024 stat line has me asking “What year is it?!” After a triple and home run on Monday, Charlie Blackmon is slashing .325/.372/.575 on the season and already has ten extra-base hits this year. Blackmon was limited to 96 games in 2023 but has always been a rock-solid ratios guy who can contribute a decent amount of runs and a sprinkle of power. Like many Rockies, he’s best as a stream when the Rockies are home, but he will come through for you more often than not during those stretches.

 

Trey Lipscomb (WSH): 3-5, R, RBI, 3 SB.

Trey Lipscomb was 0/11 in his last three games for the Washington Nationals but came through with a three-hit night during Monday’s win over the San Francisco Giants. The eye-popping stat here is the three stolen bases, giving Lipscomb four total this year. The Nationals are proving to be extremely aggressive on the basepaths this season, with CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas also having a game with a hat trick of steals in 2024. Should you find yourself in desperate need of a steal or two, Lipscomb is an option to consider.

 

Brandon Marsh (PHI): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.

Something clicked for Brandon Marsh when he was traded to the Phillies in exchange for Logan O’Hoppe, as he’s enjoyed a big boost to his OPS since arriving in Philadelphia. Marsh slashed .277/.372/.458 in 133 games last year and is off to a hot start this year with a slash line of .310/.323/.621 after hitting his third run of the season. Marsh has the upside to provide a 15/15 season as long as he stays healthy and can function as a decent injury fill-in or streaming option.

 

Anthony Rendon (LAA): 3-5, 2B, 3 R.

Anthony Rendon doubled his number of hits on the season on Monday, hitting two singles and a double while scoring three times in the Angels’ win over the Rays. Rendon got his first hit on Friday, his first two-bagger on Sunday, and now his first multi-hit game on Sunday night. The first homer has to be right around the corner, right? Right?! Please don’t fall for this, but maybe there’s something to be optimistic about in deep AL-only leagues. Hitting two spots ahead of Mike Trout (who hit his fifth homer last night) would provide a cushion of value to even the worst of hitters.

 

Manuel Margot (MIN): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.

He’s only logged a handful of plate appearances this year, but Manuel Margot functioned as the Minnesota Twins‘ leadoff hitter on Monday night and took advantage of the opportunity by contributing two hits, including his first homer of 2024. Margot may get more chances to hit in the leadoff spot with Edouard Julien struggling against lefties if he keeps seeing the ball well. It’s far from a sure thing but is a trend worth following when the Twins are up against a southpaw.

 

Iván Herrera (STL): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

With Willson Contreras day-to-day as he nurses a hand injury, Iván Herrera has filled in admirably as the Cardinals’ backstop, collecting three multi-hit games and two home runs over the past week of action. Contreras doesn’t seem likely to miss too much time, but Herrera has earned himself future consideration for additional starts if he continues to play well or if Contreras does end up needing some time off. Keep a close eye on this situation.

 

Photo courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Created by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X) | Adapted on Tuesdays by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)