Go West, Young Burg

Jordan Westburg (BAL): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.

It was the beginning of a busy eight-game week yesterday for the Baltimore Orioles, who split a doubleheader with the Toronto Blue Jays. There are plenty of Orioles we could give shoutouts to for having solid performances yesterday, but we want to give a shoutout to Jordan Westburg, who went a combined 5-8, HR, 3 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB across both games on Monday.

Westburg’s season may be slightly overshadowed by teammates Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander, but the youngster is putting together an excellent campaign in his own right. With 18 home runs, 25 doubles, and an .825 OPS, Westburg is showing he belongs as a mainstay for Baltimore’s lineup, even with plenty of talent still waiting in the wings in Triple-A Norfolk.

Many of you probably grabbed Westburg off of waivers earlier this season or drafted him in the last few rounds of your draft and are ecstatic about it. Westburg’s value in Dynasty and Keeper leagues has shot up this season, and he’ll be going much earlier in drafts in 2025. For now, continue to enjoy the steady production from just one of the Orioles’ many rising stars.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Chisholm’s first game was relatively quiet with the Yankees, but he went off in his second game by hitting two home runs while hitting sixth. Chisholm also made a start at third base for the first time this season, meaning there’s potential for his positional versatility to increase in the later weeks of this season. Even though he’s no longer hitting leadoff, Chisholm’s fantasy value and potential are higher in the Yankees lineup than it ever was when he was playing for Miami.

 

Masataka Yoshida (BOS): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.

Masataka Yoshida got off to a slow start to the season but has been much more consistent since returning from the injured list in the middle of June. Yoshida has 20 RBI over his past 20 games while slashing .347 over that span. While the power might not be quite what you were hoping for, Yoshida has shown steady ratios and RBI production over the past month-plus and functions as a solid fourth outfielder or utility option in most leagues.

 

Willy Adames (MIL): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

A surprising season for a surprising team, Willy Adames is tied for ninth in the MLB with 71 RBI on the season. In a contract year, Adames is showing he’s one of the better offensive shortstops in the game and could push for somewhere between 25 and 30 home runs for Milwaukee. Adames is an unrestricted free agent after this season, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Brewers bring back this heavy-hitting shortstop after this season’s performance. He’s proving to be one of the better value options at the position this season and should continue to help your teams through the fantasy playoffs.

 

Addison Barger (TOR): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Congratulations to Addison Barger on hitting his first career home run in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader! Barger entered the game after Justin Turner was traded to Seattle and made his mark despite a loss. Despite Turner’s departure, Barger did not start game two of the doubleheader and should be left on waivers until he shows some more consistency in the lineup and at the plate.

 

Jackson Chourio (MIL): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Jackson Chourio went through some growing pains in the early months of the season, but the rookie has turned things around in the summer months and justified the Brewers’ optimistic extension they offered him before he took a major league at-bat. Chourio hit his 12th home run of the season on Monday and now has an 1.182 OPS after the All-Star break. Make sure you add this hot-hitting rookie if he’s available in your league.

 

Corbin Carroll (ARI): 1-1, HR, R, 2 RBI.

It’s no secret that it’s been a disappointing season for Corbin Carroll, but if you kept him in your lineup despite sitting against a lefty you were rewarded with his sixth home run over his past sixteen games. Carroll is slowly but surely heating up, and if you’ve held on to him this long, you’re not moving on from him at this point. As long as he can score runs and steal bags, there may be some value to salvage from this first-round bust.

 

Michael Busch (CHC): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.

It’s still not clear whether the Cubs are acting as ill-advised buyers or simply retooling at the trade deadline, but Michael Busch is too busy acting as one of the Cubs’ only bright spots this season to care. Busch has 13 long balls and an .804 OPS while acting as one of the lone bright spots this season for a disappointing Cubs offense. Busch should have a role with the big-league club for the foreseeable future as long as he keeps things up and has room to grow if he can cut the 31% strikeout rate.

 

TJ Friedl (CIN): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.

TJ Friedl broke the game open in the fifth inning by hitting a three-run shot off Jameson Taillon to give the Reds a six-run lead. Friedl’s season has been defined by injuries, though he does have five home runs in 30 games of action. I wouldn’t rush to pick up Friedl just yet, as there are plenty of solid and more reliable outfield options available across the league.

 

Luis Robert Jr. (CHW): 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, SB.

Barring a shocking development, it appears that Luis Robert Jr. will be staying put on the South Side of Chicago through Tuesday’s trade deadline. It’s disappointing given that a player of Robert’s talent would receive a huge boost playing with a better supporting cast around him, but he should still provide plenty of value for your squads through the end of this season.