Jesús Takes the Wheel
Jesús Sánchez (MIA): 3-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB.
Our featured player today comes from one of the most unexpected walk-offs of the season, as Jesús Sánchez ripped a triple down the line to plate two runs and steer the Marlins to victory against the Cubs. Even before the walk-off hit, Sánchez was having a productive night at the plate, hitting a leadoff home run and swiping his fifth bag of the season on his way to a line of 3-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB.
While this was the best night of the season for Sánchez, I’m not rushing to add him anywhere except for maybe in deep NL-only leagues, as there’s not a ton to get excited about in his profile, and while he does hit at the top of the order, it’s for one of the weakest offenses in the league. On the bright side, Sánchez is boasting the best strikeout rate (20.9%) and walk rate (11.3%) of his career, though it’s a small enough sample size for him this season that things could still stabilize to his career norms of 27% and 8.5%, respectively. Sánchez’s numbers may suggest he’s been a little unlucky thus far in 2025, but despite improving his whiff and chase rates at the plate, he isn’t hitting the ball as hard as he had in past seasons. In other words, his more patient approach at the plate may be hurting his fantasy production, as he’s swinging less and hitting the ball hard less often.
After missing some time due to injury, I see Sánchez’s production as finishing somewhere around 10 home runs and 15 steals with underwhelming counting stats thanks to the lineup around him. That’s not to say he isn’t worth streaming in daily leagues when he’s on a hot streak, as he is now — his pitching matchups the remainder of this week against the Cubs and Angels are not intimidating. Still, he’s not someone I would hang on to tightly, as his track record suggests replacement-level fantasy production at best. In leagues with three OF slots, there are simply too many options out there for Sánchez to be a permanent fixture in your roster.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Miguel Amaya (CHC): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.
The source of most of the Cubs’ offense on Monday, Miguel Amaya hit a three-run homer and a two-run double to tally five RBI, bringing his season total to an impressive 25. Amaya tends to contribute well when he plays, but unfortunately, that’s only about every other day, as the Cubs have Carson Kelly mixing in frequently behind the dish. Unless he earns more regular playing time with a Kelly injury or something similar, Amaya is a fill-in streamer in daily leagues at best.
Jake Meyers (HOU): 2-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB.
Jake Meyers is quietly putting together an excellent season at the plate, with his .301/.368/.426 slash line exceeding his career marks by orders of magnitude. Meyers doesn’t have a ton of pop, instead taking a more Jacob Wilson-esque approach by choosing his pitches well. As you’ll see in his Process+ chart below, his decision-making and contact ability have been excellent in May. Still, even without a ton of power, his speed complements his slap-hitting style well, as he’s already reached eight thefts on the year, just three short of his career high. He’s a source of streaming speed, especially since his playing time is a little more secure while Yordan Alvarez is out.
William Contreras (MIL): 4-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB.
This was an excellent game for William Contreras, as he reached base all five times he came to the plate to guide the Brewers to victory. Still, I’m a bit concerned about his fractured middle finger, as I believe it’s severely impacting his power ability this season. Contreras’ bat speed and power numbers are down considerably compared to 2024, and given that the fractured finger is on his catching hand, it’s not like he’s resting it to get it back to full health. I see this performance as a good chance to shop Contreras in your league and make a perceived downgrade at the position to upgrade elsewhere.
Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
It was a quiet night for Julio until he sent a first-pitch cutter over the left field wall for his first grand slam of the season. After a slow start to the season, Julio is heating up in May with an .804 OPS and four home runs through the first few weeks. Just a friendly reminder that this is who Julio is when he starts with an underwhelming April again next season.
Danny Jansen (TBR): 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Danny Jansen is a catcher streamer worth looking at in deeper or AL-only leagues. Over the past week, he’s slashing .313/.421/.688 with two home runs and continues to show elite plate discipline. Jansen and the rest of the Rays play the next few series at home in Steinbrenner Field, giving him a great chance to capitalize in a hitter-friendly environment.
Ramón Laureano (BAL): 3-4, HR, R, RBI.
Few players are hotter at the dish right now than Ramón Laureano, who has a whopping 10 hits in his last four games, something the Orioles’ lineup desperately needs. Laureano is up to six homers on the season, and while he hasn’t eclipsed 11 in a year since 2022, he has a great chance to continue producing in the short term with more playing time while Tyler O’Neill is on the mend. I’d be comfortable scooping and starting him through this weekend’s series in Fenway.
Mookie Betts (LAD): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
While I tend to avoid highlighting studs in this column every week, sometimes you need to give props where props are due, and Mookie Betts got his week off to a great start with a multi-homer performance on Monday. It was a great way to start this week’s matchup after he went 3-for-20 last week, though he still is third in the league with 39 runs scored behind only Aaron Judge (43) and Shohei Ohtani (51!!). Studs like Mookie always find a way to get the job done.
Nolan Schanuel (LAA): 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Another red-hot player is Nolan Schanuel, slashing .435/.519/.696 over the past week with seven multi-hit performances over his last 14 games. Schanuel won’t give you much in the world of speed or power, but he’s a decent source of ratios and runs hitting near the top of the Angels’ lineup. He’s at least worth scooping for the rest of the week, playing against the A’s in Sacramento and the Marlins at home.
Geraldo Perdomo (ARI): 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Geraldo Perdomo extended his hit streak to seven games with his sixth home run of the season on Monday night. Though he’s been hitting near the bottom of the order more often than not as of late, that’s not too much of a knock when you’re playing for one of baseball’s best offenses and have the likes of Corbin Carroll behind you to drive you in. Perdomo’s absurd plate discipline (10.8% K rate and 15.3% walk rate!) makes him an underrated yet entertaining asset in fantasy.
Ezequiel Tovar (COL): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Ezequiel Tovar missed a few weeks with a hip injury, but he’s been red-hot since coming off the IL, with two home runs supplying a 1.143 SLG in three games of action. It’s possible he was dropped in your league when he went on the IL, as he’s currently rostered in 64% of Yahoo! leagues. See if he’s on your waiver wire and scoop him up if you can.
