Byron Buxton (MIN): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Feeling Like a Million Bux
The Minnesota Twins certainly did their part to make the trade deadline interesting, shipping off their entire bullpen and a few bats as they look ahead to the future. At least for the present, Twins fans have a few players to be excited about on offense, namely rookie Luke Keaschall (whose career-long hit streak ended Monday!) and standout veteran Byron Buxton.
The story with Buxton’s career has been a seemingly never-ending string of “what ifs” and injuries. At 86 games played thus far in 2024, Buxton is on pace to play 100 games in a season for just the third time in his career (and more than 102 for just the second!). At 31 years old, Buxton is no spring chicken, but he’s putting together arguably his best major league season in his 11-year career. With a line of 1-4, HR, R, RBI last night, he now has 24 home runs on the season, just four shy of his career high, and the 17 steals (thanks to his 99th percentile sprint speed!) are the most he’s had in a campaign since 2019. When you couple that with a .909 OPS, Buxton has been a contributor in all five categories while also playing solid defense in center field.
If you drafted Buxton this year, you likely grabbed him somewhere around pick 200 and are reaping the benefits of one of the best values in the draft. It’s a great reminder to always shoot for upside in that stage of your fantasy drafts, even if the injury risks are high. No other advanced stats here–sometimes it’s just fun to give a great player props for finally enjoying a fully healthy season and living up to their potential.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Zach Neto (LAA): 3-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
Another pick 200-ish value many of you grabbed in your drafts was Zach Neto, who reached base all five times last night and powered the Angels to a victory over the crosstown rival Dodgers. Neto led off the game with a solo shot off of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and added another solo homer in the sixth to bring his season total to 19 long balls. After reaching 23 homers and 30 steals in 155 games in 2024, Neto has a strong chance to beat those numbers in fewer games after missing the first month of the 2024 season.
Ramón Urías (HOU): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
A trade deadline acquisition from Baltimore, Ramón Urías is swinging a hot bat (.333/.400/.611) in limited playing time since coming to Houston. Urías performs better against lefties, but it’s worth noting his home run came against righty Jordan Hicks instead of starter Garrett Crochet. He won’t be an everyday player, but could be a decent streaming option at home in daily leagues with the Crawford Boxes in left field.
Junior Caminero (TBR): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
How high does Junior Caminero go in drafts next year? The phenom is second in home runs among third basemen with 33, just four behind Eugenio Suárez and ten clear of third place (José Ramírez). Sure, the ups and downs can be tough to bear at times, but when he’s hot, he’s one of the best hitters in baseball.
Max Muncy (LAD): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Goggles Muncy continues to defy all logic. Maybe there was a chance his IL stint would slow him down, but instead, Muncy is hitting .421 with four homers in seven games since returning to the Dodger lineup. Visit your optometrist, folks.
Shea Langeliers (ATH): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Shea Langeliers is still one of the hottest hitters in baseball, recording his second three-hit game with a home run in his past three contests. One of the biggest improvements for Langeliers this season has been his strikeout rate–he’s cut it from 27.2% in 2024 to 18.2% this season. When strong dudes make contact often, good things tend to happen. Here’s to Bangeliers continuing to rake in the hot Sacramento summer.
Roman Anthony (BOS): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
If you haven’t been watching many Red Sox games, I encourage you to tune in sometime soon and watch Roman Anthony take a few at-bats. The rookie looks like a veteran at the plate, with his 13.1% walk rate supporting manager Alex Cora’s decision to move him to the leadoff spot. Though he has just three home runs so far, he’s bound to run into a few more when pitchers start to realize they actually have to throw him strikes to keep him off the bases. Anthony has an impressive .283/.394/.433 slash line in his first major league season and looks every bit the part of a top-caliber player.
Tyler Soderstrom (ATH): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
After a hot start to the season, Tyler Soderstrom slowed down in the early summer months, but has re-broken out over the past few weeks, posting 1.054 OPS in August so far. The hitter-friendly home park and dual 1B/OF eligibility certainly help his case as a key contributor over the home stretch of the fantasy season.
Brandon Lowe (TBR): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Brandon Lowe missed some time in July with a pair of short-term IL stints, but it looks like his power stroke is alive and well, as the second baseman has four homers in his last six contests. Provided he can stay on the field, Lowe has the potential to be a top-five 2B for the remainder of the season.
Tyler Locklear (ARI): 2-5, HR, R, RBI.
Part of the return in the Eugenio Suárez trade, Tyler Locklear hasn’t exactly lit Arizona on fire since becoming the club’s everyday first baseman. Though he hit his second homer on Monday, Locklear is slashing just .189/.302/.351 in his time with the Diamondbacks, and the impending return of Pavin Smith muddies the playing time waters. He should remain on waivers for now.
