Matt Wallner (MIN): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
The Perks of Being a Wallner
The Minnesota Twins partook in a fire sale at the trade deadline, but the movement of players like Carlos Correa and Willi Castro has opened the door for other Twins to see more regular at-bats in the heart of the order, including lefty Matt Wallner. Though Wallner has scuffled in the second half and sat in two of the past five games, he was the only member of the Twins to get to Max Scherzer in a 10-4 loss, posting a line of 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Wallner’s profile is not an unfamiliar one to baseball fans–he has a ton of power, but also plenty of swing and miss in his approach. Still, his 29.0% strikeout rate is an improvement from previous seasons, and he boasts a .964 OPS in post-ASB action (110 plate appearances). When Wallner hits the ball, he hits it hard, as seen in his two no-doubters off the future Hall of Famer on Monday.
Many of you reading this are likely trying to navigate the fantasy playoffs and find your way to a championship or the top of your rotisserie leagues. Wallner is a rare player who has started at every spot in the lineup this season, but his highest OPS (.978) comes in the cleanup spot, where he hit on Monday. Wallner is a high-upside player with the potential to contribute in homers and RBIs the rest of the season, as long as you don’t mind the occasional hit to your hitting ratios. He should supply plenty of power in the last month of the regular season.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Junior Caminero (TBR): 4-5, 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, SB.
I’ve said this before in my writeups, but I think Junior Caminero is a top-36 pick in next year’s fantasy drafts. His bat speed, power, and hot streaks can single-handedly win you weeks, especially when timed with the fantasy playoffs. Today’s performance is just another example in a long list of excellent games.
Luis Torrens (NYM): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.
This was an excellent game for the veteran catcher, but he’s still slashing just .221/.282/.324 on the season. The injury to Francisco Alvarez isn’t enough to consider Torrens for your lineups.
Andrés Giménez (TOR): 2-3, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB.
#StorylineWatch: It was Andrés Giménez’s bobblehead night, and he contributed in every area of the box score as well as on defense. Giménez has still had a rough go at the plate this season, and I wouldn’t recommend adding him unless you really need to stream someone with SB potential.
Alec Burleson (STL): 4-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Had I not already submitted today’s pun title for Wallner, Alec Burleson would have been the subject of this morning’s article. The hefty lefty crushed a walkoff homer 409 feet with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cardinals a much-needed victory. Burleson’s season started slow, but he’s having another productive campaign at the plate – a slash line of .291/.341/.461 with 16 homers is nothing to sneeze at. He continues to be an underrated option with dual eligibility at first base and in the outfield.
Colton Cowser (BAL): 3-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Colton Cowser has hits in seven of his eight games since being reinstated from the injured list about a week ago. With the lineup in Baltimore depleted after the trade deadline, Cowser has a great chance to earn plenty of ABs and contribute across the board. He’s a solid add for the fantasy playoff push.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (ARI): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Another player swinging a hot bat is Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who clubbed his third homer in five games on Monday night. Gurriel is knocking guys in at an unprecedented rate, with 32 RBI in the month of August alone. He’s another underrated player who is shining following the departures of teammates Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez at the trade deadline.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
It looks like we’re in the midst of another hot streak for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who hit his third home run in the past two games last night. Despite being a frustrating player to own, Jazz has an outside chance to reach a 30/30 season with about 30 games left in the 2025 campaign.
Andy Pages (LAD): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Andy Pages feels like a little bit of an unsung hero this year, with 23 home runs and 13 steals being an extremely productive season for someone who was grabbed off of waivers in most leagues. He has the potential to close in on 100 RBI, hitting in the middle of the Dodgers’ order.
Shea Langeliers (ATH): 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
This guy just cannot be stopped. I need to give a shoutout to Cal Raleigh for hitting his 50th (!!) homer of the season last night, but the hottest catcher in baseball is undoubtedly Shea Langeliers. His grand slam off of Tarik Skubal of all people was the play of the night for the Athletics. Raleigh should be the first catcher off of all draft boards in 2026, but it will certainly be interesting to see where “Bangeliers” goes as well.
