Dansby’s Swan Song
It feels like we’ve featured a lot of Cubs on these hitting recaps lately, and that is for good reason. They have the third-highest wRC+ of any team in September (behind Arizona and Seattle??) and have scored the second-most runs since the month began. While unfortunately for them, it appears that making the Wild Card will be a tall ask, the Cubs can at least hold their heads high knowing they’re ending the season playing their best baseball of the year.
Dansby Swanson hasn’t had the season he probably envisioned himself having at the plate this year. Pretty much every stat for him is way down, including average, on-base, slugging, and home run pace. He provides plenty of value in the field (enough for a 4-WAR pace), but he probably isn’t somebody who has helped many fantasy teams this year. However, like the rest of his team, he has gone on a bit of a tear in September, putting up a 147 wRC+ since the month’s beginning. Last night was an example of this, as he went 2-5, including an early three-run bomb in the second inning and an RBI single late in the game to give him four runs knocked in on the night.
With the rest of the Cubs lineup looking merciless right now, those who have managed to hold onto Dansby in their leagues surely must be happy with his performance during what is the most crucial time in the fantasy baseball calendar.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday
Andrew Benintendi (CHW): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB.
Very few people have talked about this, but Andrew Benintendi has been really, really good these past couple of months. His start to the year was about as bad as it could be, so many wrote him off. However, since August, he has been one of the game’s hottest bats. Benintendi since August 1 has more home runs than he did from March to July, and has shown significant improvement in virtually every other stat. Last night was a great example of this, as he hit two homers, walked twice, and plated four runs against the Angels in Anaheim. Many would be hesitant to bring in a player who has struggled as much as Benintendi onto their fantasy teams as a last-minute gamble, but he is proving that he is more than capable of being a high performer in a lineup.
Bobby Witt Jr.(KCR): 2-4, HR, R, 5 RBI, SB.
With a soft dribbler and a mad dash to first in the fifth inning, Bobby Witt Jr. became the third Royals player to record 200 hits in a season at age 24 or younger. Witt also had a first-inning grand slam, which made it seem like the Royals had the game in the bag early. This was not the case, as the Tigers did come back, but it was to no fault of Witt, who ended the game with five RBI. We all expected Witt to be good, even great. However, him being this good, this early really is impressive, as it’s incredibly rare to find a player with this combination of speed, contact, and power. If you’ve had him on your fantasy team this year, you surely are a happy manager.
Jurickson Profar (SDP): 4-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
With the season now wrapping up, it’s safe to say that Jurickson Profar has done it. He has finally had a season worthy of that top prospect status he had over a decade ago. Last night was perhaps one of Profar’s best games of this career year, as he did most of his team’s damage in a low-scoring game. Profar went 4-4, including a first-inning double that was plated by a Manny Machado double and a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning to ice the game. The Profar renaissance has been really fun, and it will be exciting to see if this is the moment that turns his career around.
Kyle Manzardo (CLE): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Manzardo power!!! Kyle Manzardo only had one hit yesterday, but it was a pretty impactful two-run bomb that ended up winning his team the game to the delight of the home fans. Manzardo is an interesting player, a former Rays prospect at first base who has been more known for his contact abilities and launch-angle management than for his pure power. Contact-heavy first basemen are seemingly becoming rare these days, though Manzardo has shown in his time with the Guardians that he has some boom in the bat. He really seems like he could be a dark horse late pick in your fantasy drafts next year, as while he hasn’t shown consistency yet in a small sample size, his skillset allows his floor to be pretty high for a younger first baseman. Games like this show Cleveland fans what they could be seeing for years to come.
Brent Rooker (OAK): 2-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
It’s getting pretty safe to say that despite playing for a team that doesn’t get a lot of press, Brent Rooker deserves to be viewed as one of the best sluggers in the game. He has been outstanding this year, going from an All-Star caliber in 2023 to a superstar caliber 2024. While the Athletics proved to not be much of a match for a red-hot Cubs lineup, Rooker did what he does best and smashed a two-run shot into right-center field. It will be interesting to see how high Rooker goes in next year’s fantasy drafts. He strikes out a lot, but his power is legit and he’s been doing it in an environment that isn’t the most run-heavy. Let’s see if Rooker can hit the 40-home run mark, he’s almost there!
Freddie Freeman (LAD): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Freddie Freeman is one of the most consistent players we’ve seen in a long time. He just shows up to the ballpark and performs. As fantasy managers, rarely will you see frustrating stretches from Freeman. If Freeman goes cold for a stretch, expect a long hot streak on the horizon. Freeman’s impact has gotten lost in the glitz and glamour of Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts‘ torrid streaks this year, but he still has been a really strong impact player. Last night against his former team in Atlanta he put up a very Freddie Freeman statline, going one-for-three with a three-run bomb and a walk to go along with it. Classic Freddie.
Brandon Marsh (PHI): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI.
The Phillies didn’t have their best against the Brewers, but there still was one player who had an excellent game: Brandon Marsh. Marsh hit a home run in the fifth to cut the deficit to two and he later had a softly hit double in the ninth to apply pressure onto Colin Rea, who came in for a nearly three-inning save. Marsh is interesting as he definitely has a lot of the tools to be a great fantasy addition. He is great at launch-angle management and has been an above-average hitter who can slot in at an outfield slot. The issue for Marsh is that he strikes out quite a lot, but with games like this, you can definitely see why some have picked him up as a replacement player for injured outfielders.
Jackson Merrill (SDP): 2-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
It’s Merrill Madness! Jackson Merrill has just continued to show why he is a strong, strong contender for Rookie of the Year. Padres fans should be excited, as this guy looks to be a core piece of a great team for a long time. Last night was just another great Merrill game, as he hit a solo home run 413 feet into center field to put his team up two early in the game. Merrill also walked and singled later in the game to apply more pressure to the Astros, although these didn’t impact the final score. With all the talk of the Jackson Chourio and Jackson Holliday, it appears that Merrill has taken the young Jackson crown… At least for now.
Blake Perkins (MIL): 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB.
This was a fun little scrappy game for Blake Perkins, who was one of many Brewers who contributed to a solid win over the Phillies. Perkins hit two singles, neither particularly hard, and was able to reach home twice. He also was a menace on the basepaths, as he stole second for his 21st stolen base of the year in the bottom of the seventh. He immediately stole third (his 22nd steal) right after as part of a double steal with William Contreras, a great move, as he scored on a Gary Sánchez sacrifice fly shortly after. Perkins might not be a common player to roster in fantasy squads, but that stolen base potential definitely is intriguing, as it looks to be a big part of his game considering his elite sprint speed numbers.