Love Sosa
Lenyn Sosa (CHW): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
If you were unfamiliar with Lenyn Sosa’s work prior to his two HR game on Wednesday, the 25-year-old is in his fourth season with the White Sox and put up a very modest .254/.283/.359 in 351 at-bats in 2024. Sosa has improved a bit in 2025 at .277/.298/.416 with six HRs after his outburst yesterday, but he is still a guy who barely gets on base and only has mediocre power to make up for it. Wednesday’s performance was nice, but the infielder hasn’t done much to separate himself in the weak White Sox lineup, and it seems his two-homer game is more of an outlier than something to look for going forward.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Wednesday:
Kyle Teel (CHW): 3-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI.
Acquired from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade, Kyle Teel got the call-up to the majors on June 6 and has done a very solid job of adjusting to major league pitching. Although he has yet to hit a HR, the 23-year-old catcher does have an outstanding .408 OBP and is hitting .333 over the last week. Known for his defensive prowess behind the plate, if Teel can be a slightly above-average hitter at the plate, he will join the ranks of the exciting young catchers that are taking over baseball right now.
Josh Naylor (ARI): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
After sitting out Tuesday’s game with a shoulder injury, Josh Naylor returned to the lineup yesterday and gave Arizona an early lead with a two-run HR in the first inning, his 10th of the season. Naylor isn’t hitting quite as many HRs as last season, but he has improved his line drastically across the board at .307/.363/.479. Naylor has already tied a career-high with 10 stolen bases, and his 12.8 K% would be his lowest since the shortened 2020 season.
Travis d’Arnaud (LAA): 3-4, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI.
It is good to see that journeyman Travis d’Arnaud can still crank HRs with the best of them, as he followed up Jo Adell’s 433-foot bomb with a 394-foot shot of his own. He added a double and a single against the Red Sox, and the 36-year-old has turned it on of late, with three of his four HRs coming in the last 15 games.
Josh Jung (TEX): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
I am a believer in Josh Jung, and hopefully, Wednesday’s effort will help him break out of the dreadful slump the Rangers’ third baseman has been mired in for over a month. Jung’s HR yesterday was his first since May 16, and he is hitting .193/.258/.254 over his last 30 games.
Nick Kurtz (ATH): 3-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Someone who is definitely not in a slump is Nick Kurtz, who has been one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball over the last few weeks, carrying the Athletics‘ lineup. In his last seven games alone, Kurtz is hitting .346/.414/.846 with four HRs and nine RBI.
Juan Soto (NYM): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Remember when Juan Soto was a disappointment to Mets fans and his massive contract was already being denounced? Well, he now has 19 HRs after hitting a pair on Wednesday, including eight over his last 15 games with as many walks and strikeouts. Yeah, Soto is still good.
Trent Grisham (NYY): 4-6, 2 2B, R, RBI.
What a season Trent Grisham is having for the New York Yankees. The 28-year-old, who is a favorite of mine for not wearing batting gloves, is hitting .251/.351/.481 after not hitting above .200 since 2021. His 15 HRs are two shy of his career-best for an entire season, and the former Padre has increased his BB% and decreased his K% from his 2024 totals.
Jasson Domínguez (NYY): 4-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 SB.
Jasson Domínguez hasn’t quite lived up to the hype that Yankees fans placed on him coming into the season, so he can thank Trent Grisham for picking up the slack. The 22-year-old has shown some improvements lately and now has 12 steals after nabbing a pair on Wednesday.
Ian Happ (CHC): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Ian Happ jump-started the Cubs’ win on Wednesday with a leadoff HR in the first off Erik Fedde. Happ has been crushing HRs of late, as he now has eight in his last 58 at-bats.
Max Muncy (LAD): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.
Max Muncy with glasses may just be the best hitter in baseball, as he launched his second Grand Slam in the last three games to power the Dodgers to an 8-0 win in rainy Colorado. Over his last 30 games, Muncy is hitting .319/.448/.648 with nine HRs and an impressive 32 RBI.
Otto Lopez (MIA): 3-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB.
The Marlins pulled out an 8-5 extra-inning win over San Francisco on Wednesday night thanks in large part to a three-hit game from Otto Lopez. The 26-year-old middle infielder has shown flashes of his power/speed potential over the last two seasons, and Miami is hoping he can unlock all that talent and be a big piece of the team’s future.
Heriberto Hernández (MIA): 2-5, 2B, R, 4 RBI.
Former Rangers and Rays minor leaguer Heriberto Hernández also came through clutch for Miami, with four RBI, including a clutch two-run double in the 10th inning. The 25-year-old rookie has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, but he did hit 23 HRs across Double-A and Triple-A in the Tampa organization last season.
