Danny, are you Okay?
Danny Jansen (TOR): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.
What a start to the season it’s been for Danny Jansen, who is up to a season slash line of .333/.397/.681 after posting a line of 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI on Monday night against the White Sox. What’s even more impressive is that he’s doing all of this after suffering a fracture in his right wrist during spring training, an injury that can easily have long-lasting effects on a hitter’s power. He returned to the Blue Jays lineup in mid-April and has been raking ever since as he splits time behind the plate with Alejandro Kirk.
So, amongst this hot start, we need to ask the age-old question: Danny, are you okay? Or is this start to the season just smoke and mirrors? One important thing to keep in mind is that we still have a small sample size for Jansen’s data–with only 78 plate appearances on the year so far, it’s hard to conclude whether he’s made actual adjustments that suggest this newfound hitting prowess is here to stay or if he’s just in the middle of a hot streak that’s bound to cool down. It’s important to note that his Statcast data largely backs up his performance thus far, with an xBA and xSLG of .310 and .594 being slightly below his actual values, but impressive nonetheless.
Perhaps the most important aspect of Jansen’s performance thus far is how little he’s striking out, with a strikeout rate of 11.5% showing he’s getting the ball in play at an above-average rate, and those batted balls are finding holes in the defense. Another important development yesterday was Jansen’s spot in the lineup–he batted second, meaning John Schneider has noticed his catcher’s performance thus far and rewarded him with more opportunities. Though Jansen will continue to split time behind the plate, he’s worth a pickup if you need a jolt at the Catcher position, especially if this trend of hitting higher in the lineup continues. Somebody has to jump-start this Blue Jays offense, after all. Should he continue to maintain a performance even close to what he’s done thus far, you might look like a Smooth Criminal to your league mates for scooping him off the wire.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Mauricio Dubón (HOU): 3-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Speaking of people who put the ball in play, we have Mauricio Dubón, who has one of the league’s best strikeout rates at 6.4% and one of the lowest walk rates at 2.8%. Dubón has solid numbers on the year thus far and always seems to perform when given the chance, but the utilityman is facing a crowded room in the Astros’ lineup, especially when Chas McCormick returns from injury shortly. He’s best viewed as a solid option in deep or AL-only leagues, but if room frees up in Houston’s lineup around the trade deadline (or if he gets an opportunity elsewhere), he could earn a larger role and be worth consideration in more leagues.
Paul DeJong (CHW): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB.
It’s no secret that the White Sox are having a tough season, but if there’s a silver lining it’s that some players can claim everyday roles they wouldn’t be able to elsewhere to showcase their abilities. One such beneficiary is Paul DeJong, who is having a solid season as the everyday shortstop for the South Siders. DeJong hit his seventh home run and recorded his second steal of the year for a combo meal on Monday, showing he’s still got some pop left in his bat. The 30-year-old still strikes out a ton but makes hard contact when he’s able to connect, meaning he’s got some value as a matchup-based streamer if things look bleak for your middle infield.
Michael Siani (STL): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, SB.
The other combo meal of the night came from DeJong’s former team in St. Louis, where Michael Siani hit his first career home run and stole his fifth bag of the season to help lift the Cardinals to victory. He’s playing well in May with a .341 average this month, but he doesn’t have a consistent enough role or strong enough track record to suggest picking up now. He’s best left on waivers unless he moves up in the order or starts to display more consistent power.
Michael Massey (KCR): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Though he’s been somewhat of a streaky player this season, Michael Massey appears to be in the midst of a hot streak right now, hitting his second home run in his last four games on Monday. It was also his third multi-hit performance in his past four contests. He continues to hit fifth in the lineup against righties, meaning he has ample opportunities to drive in runs most days. He’s a solid streaming option as well, but don’t hold on too tightly.
Kerry Carpenter (DET): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
We all know that Kerry Carpenter is stuck in a strict platoon where he sits against lefties, but he’s performed well this year whenever he’s in the lineup. Carpenter hit his sixth home run of the season on Monday and boasts an .893 OPS in 2024. All it takes is a little bit of foresight to see what pitchers he’ll face to make Carpenter an effective member of your roster. If your leaguemates can’t handle a strong-side platoon, he’s worth an add as long as you can stomach an off day or two throughout the week.
Nolan Schanuel (LAA): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Schanuel was a fantastic story last season as he was drafted in the middle of the summer and managed to crack the Angels’ big league roster before the season was over. He’s managed to maintain a near-everyday role hitting at the top of the Angels’ lineup, but he still has work to do before he’s worth picking up in most leagues. Given that he’s only 22 years old, he has plenty of time to learn and adjust to big-league hitting, but you should have better options at first base to consider for now.
Jesse Winker (WSN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
Amid a tough May, Jesse Winker has been a popular drop candidate over the past week or so, but he’s starting to heat back up, hitting home runs in back-to-back games with another long ball on Monday night. Winker was seeing the ball very poorly before this past weekend, going hitless for nearly ten days in the middle of the month, but he still owns a respectable .757 OPS on the season. His five steals on the season are also a career-high by four. Winker fits the streamer mold perfectly, as there will be hot and cold streaks throughout the season–just be wary if he’s about to face a bunch of lefties, as he struggles in those matchups.
Alex Verdugo (NYY): 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI.
Everybody is talking about how Aaron Judge has heated up over the past several weeks, but Alex Verdugo had a solid week in his own right. With three more RBI last night, Verdugo has seven in the past week and 24 on the season. His great plate discipline coupled with the fact that he hits behind Judge and Juan Soto means that he will have ample opportunities to drive in runs in this offense, as he’s functioned as the Yankees’ primary cleanup hitter recently.
Colt Keith (DET): 3-4, 2B, RBI.
Through the first month of the season, Colt Keith was one of the least productive hitters in the majors, but he’s now hitting .350 in May and .500 over the past week. He’s yet to record his first big-league home run, but it’s encouraging to see a young player make adjustments and improve through a rough patch. He’s not yet worth a pickup beyond acting as an off-day fill-in for one of your other bats in daily leagues, but keep an eye on this rookie.