Cal of the Wild
Cal Raleigh (SEA): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.
MLB’s leading HR hitter for catchers increased his total with a 2-run blast off Luis Severino in the 5th inning and game-breaking 3-run HR off Adam Ottavino in the 6th inning. Raleigh is now up to 6 HRs in his last 15 games and has proven to be one of the most valuable fantasy catchers in the game hitting in the heart of the Seattle lineup.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday:
Jeremy Peña (HOU): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB.
Jeremy Peña officially became a member of the 10/10 club this season when he hit his 10th HR off Red Sox reliever Luis Garcia in the 6th inning. Pena also added his 13th steal. The Astros could really use a productive last couple months out of the 26-year-old if they are going to hold onto the AL West division lead.
Juan Soto (NYY): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, RBI.
Juan Soto flexed his hitting prowess in a big way on Sunday, homering twice off Rangers lefties. He is now up to 30 HRs on the season, including 9 against LHP, and it is clear that Soto does not discriminate with which pitchers he dominates.
Aaron Judge (NYY): 3-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB.
Aaron Judge followed up Soto’s 2nd HR of the day with his 42nd of 2024 and even added in his 6th stolen base for good measure. Judge looks primed to win his 2nd AL MVP and it is just a treasure to watch the man play baseball.
JJ Bleday (OAK): 3-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Despite their overall struggles, the Oakland A’s continue to be a strong offensive team and on Sunday they were led by former 4th overall pick JJ Bleday. The 26-year-old hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him as a prospect but he has proven to be a nice lefty compliment to righty slugger Brent Rooker.
Jake Burger (MIA): 3-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Jake Burger would’ve been an excellent pickup for any playoff contender but instead he is ripping the cover off the ball for the last place Marlins. Over his last 30 games, Burger is hitting .330/.395/.739 with 14 HRs and makes for an excellent waiver add in fantasy if he is still out there.
Byron Buxton (MIN): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Byron Buxton did all of the work for the Twins in their 5-3 loss to Cleveland on Sunday. His 2 HRs raised his season total to 16 and his 2024 line of .278/.337/.533 would be his best since 2021. With 89 games under his belt this season, hopefully Buxton will be able to eclipse the 100-game mark for the first time since 2017, when he played in 140.
Jorge Soler (ATL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
Moving from San Francisco to Atlanta at the trade deadline, Soler is back with the team he won a World Series MVP for in 2021. It is interesting that the Braves are placing Soler’s power bat in the leadoff spot, but if he continues to hit like he did on Sunday then they might as well keep him there.
Jake McCarthy (ARI): 3-5, 3B, R, 4 RBI.
You might be surprised to know that Jake McCarthy’s season-long slash line is .303/.375/.451, helped by his 5 hits and 13 total bases in the last two games. With Ketel Marte a little banged up and Corbin Carroll still struggling to regain his Rookie of the Year form, McCarthy has really helped fuel the excellent post All-Star Break run Arizona is on.
Andrew McCutchen (PIT): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
It has been a brutal couple of weeks for the now last place Pirates, but it was still nice to see Andrew McCutchen look like his old MVP self with a 2 HR performance. At 37 years old, McCutchen still has a bit left in the tank and is a fringe fantasy option batting in the leadoff spot for Pittsburgh.