Díaz of Thunder
Elias Díaz (SDP): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
The Padres have not gotten much production from their catching position in 2025.
According to Fangraphs, San Diego catchers have the third-worst wRC+ (65) and fourth-worst ISO (.109) in baseball. To make matters worse, their -0.6 fWAR is second-worst in baseball, demonstrating that the Padres aren’t just getting little offensively, but overall as well.
Thus, it’s not a surprise that the Padres were aggressive at the Trade Deadline to improve at the position, as illustrated by their acquisition of Freddy Fermin from Kansas City. In 21 games and 74 plate appearances with the Padres, Fermin is hitting .246 with a .613 OPS and one home run.
San Diego needs an offensive boost from other catchers on the Padres roster, and perhaps Elias Díaz can provide that in September.
On Saturday against the Twins, the 2023 All-Star hit two home runs and collected three RBI in San Diego’s 12-3 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis. The overall stats aren’t great for Diaz. In 259 plate appearances, he has eight home runs and is hitting .202 with a .606 OPS.
On a positive note, his barrel rate (6.7%) is two percent higher than a year ago, and his hard-hit rate is 3.1% percent higher. Therefore, he has shown a bit of a bounce back in 2025 with the Padres at the plate, even if the stats aren’t impressive by a tremendous measure.
Is that enough to make him fantasy relevant in the fantasy baseball postseason? Probably not. However, for a Padres team looking to make a run in the postseason? A surging Díaz would be huge, especially against the rival Dodgers.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Juan Soto (NYM): 2-2, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB.
The Mets lost 11-8 to the Marlins, but Soto had a banner fantasy day. He launched two home runs, collected three RBI, and had two stolen bases. The average and OPS are a bit down from a year ago when he was in the Bronx. However, he has 35 home runs and 25 stolen bases, the latter a career high.
Josh Lowe (TBR): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
It’s been a disappointing season for Lowe, as he is hitting .236 with a .688 OPS in 346 plate appearances. On Saturday, he had a standout game, with two home runs and four RBI. Unfortunately, his two-homer day only brought his HR total to nine for the year, another sign of the declining power for Lowe the past two seasons after he hit 20 home runs in 2023.
Jeremiah Jackson (BAL): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
The Orioles beat the Giants 11-1 with Jackson leading the way with a homer, two hits, and four RBI. In his rookie debut, Jackson is hitting .330 with a .852 OPS in 91 plate appearances. The rookie infielder doesn’t walk much (3.5% walk rate) and probably strikes out too much (23.3% strikeout rate). That said, he has a decent barrel rate (7.9%) and he hits the ball consistently hard (50.8% hard-hit rate). Orioles should continue to give Jackson more at-bats, especially during a disappointing year.
Trea Turner (PHI): 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB.
Turner has had another quietly effective year for the Phillies. He’s hitting .300 with an .805 OPS in 609 plate appearances, and he has 14 home runs and 34 stolen bases, his latest two coming on Saturday against Atlanta. He may not win the MVP or get as much hype as teammate Kyle Schwarber, but Turner has been essential to the Phillies’ success in 2025.
Christian Yelich (MIL): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Yelich was part of the back-to-back home run fest in the top of the ninth that propelled the Brewers to a 4-1 win in Toronto. It’s been a banner year for Yelich in terms of power, as his 27 home runs are the highest total since 2019. That season, he hit 44 home runs and made the NL All-Star team and the All-MLB team as well. With the Brewers clearly in first in the division, Yelich may get All-MLB consideration once again.
Byron Buxton (MIN): 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
The Padres beat down the Twins, but at least Buxton had a good day from a fantasy perspective. He hit his 28th home run of the year and collected two RBI, bringing his total to 68, a career high. With 21 stolen bases as well, Buxton has been one of the top fantasy outfielders this season, which is encouraging to see after he’s seen so many seasons cut short due to injury.
Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Rodriguez nearly willed the Mariners to a win in Cleveland, as he had two hits and collected his 26th home run of the season. It’s been another hot second half for Rodriguez, as he has 12 home runs and is hitting .294 with an .898 OPS in 171 plate appearances after the All-Star break. With Seattle in a tight playoff race, they will need Rodriguez to continue this hot second half for at least one more month.
Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
While Rodriguez’s home run didn’t make a difference in the win column for Seattle, the inverse was true for Witt and the Royals. Witt hit his 20th homer of the year, an 8th-inning deep drive over the center field wall that gave the Royals the lead and eventually the win. He also extended his hitting streak to 18 games and is now hitting .299 with 34 stolen bases and an .860 OPS.
Carlos Narváez (BOS): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
The Red Sox lost, but Narvaez came up clutch with his 12th home run of the season. Even though he was seen as a bit of an afterthought in fantasy at the beginning of the year, Narvaez has become one of the better values at fantasy, thanks to his power and OPS combo (.730 OPS). He may not be Jason Varitek, but Narvaez is a Boston catcher worth paying attention (and could be key in their run to the postseason this year).
