Benson Burner
Will Benson (CIN): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Will Benson got tired of hitting one homer every day and decided to hit two on Sunday, leading to a final line of 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI. That’s four games in a row with a homer, and five in the last four. The man is en fuego, and he is rightly earning more playing time in Cincinnati. What about more playing time for your fantasy team? Is Benson deserving of a waiver wire pick-up, or is he simply on a lucky hot streak that will eventually sizzle out?
Benson had a solid first season with the Reds in 2023 after a brief cup of coffee in 2022 with the Guardians. His 2023 slash line was .275/.365/.498, with 11 home runs and 19 steals in 329 PA, which highlighted his power, speed, and his ability to get on base, and he did most of his damage off of right-handed pitchers. 2024 was supposed to be a year of growth, but it was anything but. Benson’s disaster of a 2024 season stemmed mostly from his inability to not strike out. His 39.7% K rate was in the bottom one percent of the league, and while he stayed on the major league roster the entire season, he only managed to get 388 PA in 2024, hitting .187/.274/.376, with 14 HR and 16 SB. The power and speed potential was still there, but the strikeouts were wrecking his game.
Turn the page to 2025. Benson started off the season in the minors, but earned another longer look in the bigs with a strong line of .289/.377/.521 in Triple-A. Yes, he’s hitting way over his head right now, with a whopping 23.5% Barrel rate and 58.1% HardHit rate, but the strikeouts are back down to a more manageable 31%, in line with his 2022 and 2023 K%. The key is working to keep the Ks down and get on base, even when his bloated Barrel and HardHit rates are sure to drop.
I imagine Benson has earned a pretty long leash in the Reds’ roster carousel, given his current HR streak and injuries plaguing the Cincinnati lineup. Still, Benson is best left on the wire in shallower leagues, but is worth a pickup as a bench/replacement bat, especially in leagues with daily roster moves. Start/stream him against righties, especially when playing at home. But don’t expect a homer every night.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday:
Cody Bellinger (NYY): 3-3, 2B, HR, R, 6 RBI, 2 BB.
Bellinger had a night to remember, helping Yankees fans around the world forget for a few moments that Juan Soto now plays across town for the rival Mets. Bellinger has been red hot at the plate in May after an ice-cold April. He has a 13-game hitting streak going, and is slashing .345/.415/.621 over his last 15 games. Still, box scores can be deceiving. Belli’s two-run double was a grounder just out of the reach of the first baseman, and the grand slam was only a 356-foot short porch HR, just out of the reach of the aforementioned Soto. While Bellinger got a little lucky tonight, his Barrel rate, HardHit rate, and Max EV in 2025 are all the best they’ve been since 2020. However, it’s his contact skills that have been the most impressive part of his recent surge.
CJ Abrams (WSN): 3-5, 2B, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
It was a double-dinger Sunday for Washington shortstop CJ Abrams, closing his fantasy week with four home runs. Abrams is having a breakout 2025 season after both on-the-field and off-the-field issues derailed the promising young player’s 2024 season. The Nationals’ leadoff hitter is back, locked in, and winning you fantasy matchups, with an xBA of over .300 and an xSLG of over .500.
Dylan Crews (WSN): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Another young Nationals player had a solid day at the plate, with Crews hitting a three-run shot, his fifth of the season. The former second-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft has a bright future ahead of him for the rebuilding Washington Nationals, but 2025 may not have been the best season to invest in him in redraft leagues. He’s languishing in the nine-hole with a 28.7% K rate. He’s also not very consistent, with a good chunk of his counting stats coming in a game at Coors on April 19. Inconsistency is normal for young players adjusting to MLB-level pitching, but it is terrible in fantasy. I’d sell low in redrafts but buy the dip in keeper and dynasty leagues.
Rafael Devers (BOS): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Devers came up to the plate in the bottom of the third with the bases juiced and no outs against Spencer Schwellenbach. The Red Sox were down 3-0, but Devers flipped the script with one swing of the bat, a 442-foot grand slam to center field. That’s MVP-worthy stuff, even though Boston went on to eventually lose the game. Devers has been lights out for both Boston and your fantasy team, no matter which position you and they slot him in the lineup.
Marcell Ozuna (ATL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
Marcell Ozuna was one of the reasons that Atlanta survived Devers’ slam. Ozuna hit his second homer in two games, and third in a week, to help the Braves earn their comeback W. Ozuna has been a solid play for fantasy lineups in 2025, even for those who are stuck with him in the UTIL spot, and especially for those who play in OBP leagues. While Ozuna’s SLG has dropped off from .546 in 2024 to .467 in 2025 (though his xSLG is .520), his OBP has jumped from the stellar .378 to a godly .420, thanks to his league-leading 20.7% Walk rate. His Statcast charts are bright red, and with Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return around the corner, Ozuna could become even more dangerous in this lineup. Take a look at this glorious Process+ rolling chart:
Will Smith (LAD): 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
Smith is quietly having another solid season in Los Angeles behind the plate. Always an OBP king, Smith had a down year last season, but he’s back on the basepaths with a vengeance in 2025. Smith has an eye-opening .449 OBP, thanks to his xwOBA of .396 (top nine percent) and his 16.1% Walk rate, which is almost as good as Ozuna’s, coming in fifth overall in the league. As Smith ages, he’ll take more days off, but that’s not always a bad thing, as it keeps him fresh, so don’t be afraid if Dalton Rushing gets a couple of starts per week.
Otto Lopez (MIA): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Otto Lopez is back off the IL and reminded people everywhere that he’s the starting second baseman for the Marlins by hitting a three-run homer on Sunday. A homer is pretty impressive for Lopez, since his 26.1% HardHit rate is in the bottom three percent of the league. The only fantasy value Lopez might have is an empty BA in deep leagues. And I mean deep. He’s currently batting .230, but batted .270 last year, and his xBA this season is .294, and he rarely strikes out. I wouldn’t chase the steals here.
Isaac Paredes (HOU): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
With Yordan Alvarez on the shelf and Jose Altuve struggling, Isaac Paredes has decided lately to put the Astros on his back, hitting his third homer of the week, putting the Astros on top of the Rangers for good with an eighth-inning rally. Paredes is hitting .259/.372/.434 on the season, and racking up the counting stats, with seven homers, 24 RBI, and 22 runs. The solid K% and BB% make up for his inability to hit the ball hard, though he seems to keep finding ways to pull balls and deposit them over the left field wall even without blistering exit velocities.
Ketel Marte (ARI): 2-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
Boy, did fantasy managers miss this man. Marte was on the IL for a bit and took a few extra days off as he got back to game speed, but Arizona fans and fantasy players can finally rejoice. Over the last four games, Marte is hitting .375 with three HR, five RBI, and six runs scored. He’s back!
