Rushing Waters
Drew Waters (KC): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Once a highly touted prospect for the Atlanta Braves, Drew Waters was jettisoned to Kansas City last summer as part of a package for the 35th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. As a prospect, Waters was regarded for his speed, defense, and hit tool and showed enough as part of the Royals’ farm system to garner significant playing time in 2023 with the big league club. Waters has started regularly since being called up at the end of May and has done enough to hold onto a roster spot through the All-Star Break (though competing against Edward Olivares and Kyle Isbel, the bar was relatively low).
Drew Waters (KC): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Waters flashed his power and speed on Sunday afternoon, finishing with a home run and a triple as the Royals defeated the Rays, 8-4. In the second inning, Waters smoked a triple to the center field fence to drive in a run. Waters opened the fourth inning with a 465-foot blast off of Yonny Chirinos, lifting a sinker into the right-center field stands for a solo shot. Waters recorded at least one hit in each of the Royals’ three games since the All-Star Break and has some prospect pedigree. A second-half breakout could happen with the opportunity he’ll be afforded in Kansas City.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Masataka Yoshida (BOS): 3-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.
Yoshida finished his day with three hits and a career-high six RBI as the Red Sox dispatched the Cubs, 11-5. Yoshida was retired in each of his first two at-bats but made an adjustment in his third at-bat. In the fifth inning, Yoshida waited on a 2-0 fastball and drove it deep to right field for a grand slam. In the seventh inning, he drove in two more runs with a triple on a full-count fastball. Yoshida reached 50 RBI for the season while raising his batting average to .317.
Alex Kirilloff (MIN): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Though Kiriloff has not flashed much power throughout his career, the Twins’ first baseman ripped his fifth home run of the season on Sunday to cap a four-RBI game as the Twins edged the Athletics, 5-4. Kirilloff sent a 1-2 fastball deep to left-center for a solo home run in the fifth inning. He added a three-run double in the seventh inning to give the Twins a 5-3 lead that they held for the remainder of the contest.
David Fry (CLE): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Fry nearly made the cut as the headliner, but I couldn’t think of a Futurama pun. Fry finished with a pair of hits, including his second home run of the season as the Guardians fell short of the Rangers, 6-5. Fry singled and scored in the second inning and then added a two-run home run in the eighth inning. Fry batted a torrid .444 in June but has cooled off since, going 5-for-19 in the month of July. He’s still a marginal add in deep two-catcher leagues.
Nolan Jones (COL): 2-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Trailing by two runs entering the bottom of the 11th, the Rockies needed a turn in momentum. Nolan Jones provided it for Colorado, leading off the 11th with a two-run home run to tie the game. Alan Trejo added a walk-off solo shot three batters later as the Rockies defeated the visiting Yankees, 8-7.
Henry Davis (PIT): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, SB.
Davis earned the start in right field once again for the Pirates and finished with his third-consecutive multi-hit game. Davis laced a double in the sixth inning and (most notably) stole third base for his third swipe since his call-up. He added a walk and an RBI single later in the game but the Pirates fell, 8-4, in extra innings.
Michael Toglia (COL): 1-5, HR, R, RBI.
Another young Rockie that had a good day at Coors Field on Sunday, Toglia finished with a solo home run. Toglia smacked a solo shot off of Gerrit Cole in the second inning, taking an up-and-in four-seamer deep to left field. Toglia has more than twice as many strikeouts as he does hits so far this year so he likely will not be fantasy relevant for the rest of the season.
Christian Yelich (MIL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Yelich continued his outstanding season with a three-hit day to lead the Brewers to what could be a huge win come October, defeating the Reds, 4-3, on Sunday. In the third inning, Yelich took a first-pitch curveball deep to right-center, a 439-foot solo shot to tie the game. He added an RBI single and a ninth-inning double as the Brewers took down the Reds. On pace for his best year since the 2019 MVP campaign, Yelich has 13 home runs and 21 stolen bases and has the Brewers atop the NL Central once again.
Nolan Gorman (STL): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Gorman finished with a three-hit day to lead the Cardinals past the Nationals, 8-4, on Sunday afternoon. Gorman led off the fourth inning with a single and came around to score a few batters later. In the fourth, Gorman took a 3-2 cutter 423 feet into the right field bleachers for a solo shot, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. He added an RBI single in the sixth as St. Louis rolled to the win.