Whirling Eddie

Eddie Rosario (ATL): 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.

Whirling around the bases Monday night, Eddie Rosario joined in on Atlanta’s hitting spree. Atlanta is scoring at an absurd rate, and Rosario contributed, hitting 7th in the order with two RBI knocks on the night. Rosario capitalized with a great hit with 2-strikes and advanced to 2nd base on the throw:

Eddie 🤝 Orlando 🤝 Nicky#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/DvyZjviZIO

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 15, 2023

If you’ve had any piece of this Braves lineup this season, you’ve likely reaped the reward of this lineup’s ability to produce. Rosario added his 17th home run on the season on a middle-middle pitch from Albert Abreu:

A two-run blast by Eddie Rosario puts the @Braves up 11-2! 💥@Casamigos | #MLBNShowcase | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/Givw9NwLG2

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 15, 2023

Eddie Rosario (ATL): 3-5, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI

Rosario has been an inconsistent bat this year and doesn’t add much value with stolen bases, but like a few other players I’ll mention here, if you catch him during a hot streak, he could bring some winning production from an unlikely source. If Atlanta keeps scoring like this, and you’re in a deep OF league, there’s no reason to let Rosario sit on the waivers. Currently, they have scored the most runs in MLB and have by far the most home runs. So, if you’re in a position to get in on the action, might as well take a flyer on this everyday player.

Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:

Marcus Semien (TEX): 2-5, HR, R, 5 RBI, BB, SB.

This Ranger offense keeps adding more double-digit run performances to their 2023 season. They won 12-0 against the Angels at home, and Semien knocked a 3-run home run which was part of a 5-run inning. The crooked numbers keep rolling into the box score for the Rangers, and they’ve outmatched the Astros so far in August and met the challenge once they started nipping at their heels. While Semien’s exit-velo sits in the bottom third of MLB, he notched another home run towards 20 on the season, which was the fourth of August. Semien is currently 5th in MLB in hits and is top-10 in WAR.

Paul Goldschmidt (STL): 2-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB.

Goldy has had a down year for his standards but will continue to be a great summer bat as he has been his whole career. The power has been down the last few weeks, as Goldschmidt hit his first home run of the month, and has not been able to produce many R or RBI in a frustrating season. But, as Goldschmidt has done time and time again, it’s reasonable to expect a surge from him at any time.

Salvador Perez (KC): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.

We love it when Salvy is hot! Perez tallied his second 4 RBI performance in the last three games, and the Royals needed every bit of it as they snuck out a win against Seattle with a 2-run 9th inning. While the year has been riddled with big losing streaks, the Royals are in the midst of a nice stretch of games and have been putting up some decent run totals as a team over the past few weeks.

Christian Walker (ARI): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.

The Diamondbacks have had issues scoring, but not due to Walker’s efforts. An RBI double and 2-run home run led to a great night from Walker and continued a strong run of production in the last week. As a local Phoenician, the story around town for Walker’s season has been mixed, but he has now solidified another 25 home run season and will clip away towards 90 plus RBI.

Josh Bell (MIA): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.

It has been a great August so far for Bell, who has tallied his 4th HR of the month. Bell extended his hit streak to eight games as part of a home run barrage from the Marlins in the 8th inning. In what was a 2-1 game, the Marlins went back-to-back-to-back. Jorge Soler, Luis Arraez, and finally, Josh Bell capped off a great win against the surging Astros. Bell hit in the middle of the order, and if the Marlins can continue to get on base, he will have plenty of opportunities in high-leverage situations.

Jordan Walker (STL): 2-3, 3B, R, 3 RBI, BB, SB.

A top prospect coming into the season, Walker has had some ups and downs in a tough season for the Cardinals. It was an exciting effort on Monday when Walker cleared the bases with a 3 RBI triple to put the Cardinals ahead by 2 runs in the 7th inning against Oakland. The 21-year-old has shown all the upside and will continue to be a buzz name in dynasty leagues for years to come.

Ezequiel Tovar (COL): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.

Tovar has put together a strong season for Colorado and was a huge problem for the Diamondbacks on Monday night. Tovar put on the pressure in the 8th inning, which was part of an eventual 4-run knockout blow to Arizona. Tovar now has 27 doubles and 13 home runs on the season, with consistent production becoming more frequent as of late.

Daniel Vogelbach (NYM): 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB.

The precarious nature of a streaking power hitter. Vogelbach caught some good wood with a solo shot against the Pirates. Unfortunately, the inconsistent at-bats don’t help Vogelbach’s fantasy prospects, and his low average doesn’t do him any favors either. It may be worth keeping an eye out as August unfolds for the Mets. If Vogelbach continues to get more playing time, he could be a sneaky pick-up in deep leagues.

Jose Altuve (HOU): 3-4, 2B, RBI, BB, SB.

Altuve has been red hot since his return from the IL in late July and has now recorded multi-hit games in five of his last six games. Monday, Altuve had Houston’s only RBI with a 7th-inning double. In what has been an injury riddle season for Altuve, all is tracking well towards another strong finish into a playoff run.