50/50 Rafaela

Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.

So you need speed. And you need power. But is it possible to have both? Well, with Ceddanne Rafaela’s skillset, you’ve got a 50/50 shot at getting one of those on any given day. Last night, Rafaela lit Fenway Park on fire with a line of 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI. It was Rafaela’s second multi-homer game of the season, meaning those two games account for more than 50% of his longballs this year.

According to recent reports, Rafaela is trying to keep his hands lower in his batting stance to cut down on strikeouts. The K’s are perhaps one of Rafaela’s greatest weak points, but a 26.1% strikeout rate is still an improvement over his rookie campaign. While Rafaela’s best asset may be his defensive flexibility – he’s spent time primarily at shortstop and second base in 2024 – Friday’s performance shows some of the offensive upside that Rafaela can contribute on any given day.

From purely a hitting perspective, Rafaela is still a pretty risky add for the season in redraft leagues. His .214 xBA and .352 xSLG aren’t anything particularly impressive, so it’s likely there are more reliable or higher-upside players on your waiver wire. However, in dynasty leagues, he could be worth a speculative add, if only for his positional flexibility. Rafaela does need to make better and more consistent contact to be a reliable starter in your lineup, but he is still only 23 years old with less than 100 career games under his belt. The upside is there, and you could hit the lottery if you’re patient with him.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Friday

 

Christian Yelich (MIL): 5-6, 2 2B, R, 5 RBI, SB.

This was Yelich’s first five-hit performance in nearly five years as the Brewers’ outfielder was a one-man wrecking crew against the White Sox on Friday night. While Yelich hasn’t displayed his early-season power since returning from the IL – he has just one home run since his return to the lineup – he is performing admirably with a season slash line of .325/.406/.564. As long as Yelich can stay on the field, this could be his best season since his MVP campaign.

 

Jesús Sánchez (MIA): 3-3, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Jesús Sánchez is swinging a hot bat right now, slashing .400/.429/.800 over the past week as he hit his second home run in as many games on Friday. The homer brought Sánchez to four longballs on the season. Sánchez is a Statcast darling, with his xBA being nearly 50 points higher than his season average, so perhaps there’s a gear that he hasn’t quite unlocked yet. Either way, the Marlins are not a great source of counting stats, so even if Sánchez can get some good fortune to break his way, it’s not very likely he’ll add a ton more value in category leagues. He deserves credit for a career-low 20% strikeout rate, though, so he could be worth a plunge in points leagues.

 

Joc Pederson (ARI): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB.

Is it possible we’re overlooking Joc Pederson? I think we might be. With Friday night’s home run (his seventh of the season), Pederson is slashing an impressive .308/.406/.546 on the season across 48 games. The biggest knock against him is that he doesn’t play against left-handed pitching, but his performance against righties has been so good this year that I think he deserves a pass in that regard. If you need an outfielder, Pederson could be a sneaky add, especially in leagues with daily lineup changes – he’s available in nearly 95% of ESPN leagues.

 

Ty France (SEA): 3-3, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.

It’s no secret that the Mariners offense has struggled this year, and they made a surprising move on Friday by firing their bench coach before yesterday’s game. Ty France appeared to be one of the most immediate beneficiaries of this move, as he reached base four times and hit his seventh home run of the season on Friday night. France is swinging a hot bat right now, hitting .435 over the past week, so he may be worth an add as long as this hot streak continues, especially if Seattle can continue to show offensive improvements.

 

Sal Frelick (MIL): 3-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB.

Sal Frelick feels like the stereotypical Milwaukee Brewers player in that he finds ways to contribute every single night without being a household name. Frelick’s performance on Friday was his second straight multi-hit game, and while he frequently sits against lefties, his strong-side platoon role could be valuable in the short term if you need some help with your ratios. Frelick provides decent speed as well, with seven steals on the campaign thus far.

 

Ezequiel Tovar (COL): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.

The Rockies’ leadoff man is quietly putting together an impressive season, with his performance on Friday boosting his season slash line to .294/.328/.481. As with most Rockies hitters, Tovar is at his best when he’s playing at home in Coors Field, but he still boasts a respectable .757 OPS in away games this year, so you shouldn’t be afraid of keeping him in your lineup while he’s playing outside of Colorado.

 

Jo Adell (LAA): 1-1, HR, R, 4 RBI.

The pinch-hit grand slam was Adell’s first hit in a week and his 11th home run on the season. Those of you who picked up Adell during his hot streak earlier in the year may be tempted to keep him after his clutch home run last night, but he’s dipped back to his old ways of striking out in bunches in recent games. I personally recommend finding another bat for the time being until Adell can curb the swings and misses.

 

Steven Kwan (CLE): 3-4, 2 R, RBI, BB.

Hey, look who’s back! It’s great to see Steven Kwan back in the leadoff spot for the Guardians, and he didn’t miss a beat, hitting three singles in his return to action. There’s not much else to say here – Kwan is a super consistent ratios-and-runs play and should immediately be slotted back into your lineups.

 

Luis Rengifo (LAA): 0-4.

Today’s crowdsourced addition to Batter’s Box goes to Luis Rengifo, who didn’t contribute offensively last night but is still putting together a solid campaign. Rengifo’s super-multi-positional eligibility is his greatest strength, and he’s contributed strong ratios all season long, meaning he’s a great fill-in on your roster, especially in points leagues. Playing for the Angels means he gets a slight knock in categories leagues, though, as the opportunities for counting stats aren’t as frequent.