Gold Rush
The uncharacteristic early season struggles of Paul Goldschmidt have run parallel to the uncharacteristic struggles of the St. Louis Cardinals. Both player and team are hoping Sunday’s performance is a sign that things are starting to turn around after Goldy went 2-for-5 with a solo HR and a game-tying RBI single to boost the Cardinals 4-3 comeback win over the Brewers. Despite the win, St. Louis still sits in last place in the NL Central and the 36-year-old Goldschmidt is hitting .197/.280/.279 with just 3 HRs.
While Father time may have finally caught up to the seven-time All-Star, I am still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. We are only two years removed from his .317/.404/.578 MVP season. Goldschmidt’s roster percentage on ESPN has dropped all the way down to 79.4% and I’d be picking him up if I had the chance. If he continues to struggle through May and June then you can comfortably ship him back to the waiver wire. But we have seen this tale before and if he picks it back up to typical Goldy-levels then you are going to be kicking yourself for not being the one to buy low on him now.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Patrick Wisdom (CHC): 3-4, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, SB.
Patrick Wisdom will never be mistaken for being a superstar in this league but he has been an extremely useful player for the Cubs over the last few years. The 32-year-old has averaged just over 25 HRs over the last three seasons in just 404 plate appearances and has been especially effective as a platoon option against lefties. He might be worth rostering in some deeper leagues but Wisdom’s true value could be in daily fantasy where he can put up some big numbers on the right day. Sunday was one of those days as he had three hits, including an extra-inning HR off powerful LHP Aroldis Chapman to help seal the win for Chicago.
Connor Joe (PIT): 2-4, HR, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB.
That is now back-to-back games with a HR for Connor Joe, who has been one of the few bright spots in the Pittsburgh lineup in 2024. Originally tabbed as a platoon option against LHP, Joe has taken on an important everyday role in the middle of the Pirates lineup and has rewarded the team with a .292/.366/.500 line. Like Wisdom, there may be better fantasy options out there on the waiver wire going forward but there is no arguing Joe has had an excellent first couple months at the plate.
Jake McCarthy (ARI): 1-4, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI.
Speaking of platoon options, Jake McCarthy got the start on Sunday against RHP Dean Kremer and rewarded the Diamondbacks with a two-run HR in the 6th inning of the team’s 9-2 win over Baltimore. McCarthy has displayed some intriguing tools during his relatively brief time in the Majors, headlined by his speed on the basepaths, and his splits actually have shown that he hits lefties just as well as righties. If he were to get everyday playing time he could be an intriguing fantasy option, although that could prove difficult on a talented Arizona roster.
Eddie Rosario (WAS): 1-2, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB.
More platoon players! Eddie Rosario has really struggled to hit the ball in 2024 as evidenced by his .174 batting average but he has been picking it up as of late. In his last five games, Rosario is hitting .467/.600/1.133 with 3 HRs and 3 SBs. I’m not jumping to grab him off the waiver wire just yet, but Rosario’s track record as a guy who can hit HRs in bunches should at least pique some interest from fantasy managers.
Carlos Santana (MIN): 2-4, HR, 1 R, 3 RBI.
Alek Manoah was cruising along on Sunday until Carlos Santana reached out and yanked a 2-0 fastball with two outs for a go-ahead three-run HR to give the Twins the lead. While Santana has shown solid power this season, his usually stellar walk rate has dropped down to just 7.5% in 2024. If he can get the walk rate back up to his usual mid-teens level, Santana could have value in some leagues but until then there are probably better options available.
Kyle Tucker (HOU): 1-3, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
I think it is time to acknowledge that Kyle Tucker has taken the title of best hitter on the Astros from Yordan Alvarez after he hit his 13th HR of the season off Jack Flaherty on Sunday. He now sports a .271/.397/.590 line with 6 SBs and perhaps the most impressive part of his season so far is his 17.1% walk rate, up from a career-high 11.9% in 2023. A 40/30 season could certainly be in the cards for Tucker and he currently looks like an early front-runner for AL MVP.
Josh Bell (MIA): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
The Miami Marlins lineup usually does not have much to celebrate, but Josh Bell’s three-run HR on Sunday led a surprising charge against arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Miami was able to score six runs off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler and in the end were able to hold on for a 7-6 extra-inning win. Bell is borderline rosterable even in deeper leagues, but if he plays well over the next couple months we could see him get traded to a more favorable situation at the deadline.
Jose Trevino (NYY): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
We have seen Jose Trevino put up big games before and Sunday was one of his best as the 31-year-old catcher hit two HRs in the Yankees’ 10-6 win over Tampa Bay. While he doesn’t have much value in season-long fantasy, Trevino does make for a solid low-priced dart throw in daily fantasy.
David Fry (CLE): 1-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
How about the season David Fry is having so far for the Cleveland Guardians? The 28-year-old catcher/first baseman has seemingly come out of nowhere and is hitting a robust .309/.437/.515 after he cranked his third HR of the season off Mike Soroka. With the depth at the catcher position in fantasy this season I don’t think you need to rush to the waiver wire to scoop him up, but if Fry continues to rake at this level fantasy managers will have no choice but to get him on their rosters.
Ezequiel Tovar (COL): 1-4, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI.
Another long season of losing awaits the Colorado Rockies, but there are a few bright spots on the roster, including SS Ezequiel Tovar who hit a two-run 1st inning HR to give his team a lead they would not relinquish. The 22-year-old had a solid rookie season for the Rockies with a .253/.287/.408 line, 15 HRs and 11 SBs and he has improved a bit on those numbers to start 2024. While there is not much to be excited about in Colorado right now, Tovar is one player I will be keeping an eye on this season.
LaMonte Wade (SF): 1-3, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
When you look up “professional hitter” in the dictionary, you will see LaMonte Wade’s picture there. All this dude does is hit and his game-tying two-run HR off Frankie Montas was a big one for the Giants. He is now up to an absurd .340/.480/.457 line on the season and while he has never been a huge power hitter, Wade did hit 17 HRs in 2023. I am shocked that he is still available in 94% of fantasy leagues on ESPN as I find it hard to believe that there are any teams out there that couldn’t use a hitter of his caliber on the roster.
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)