New World Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber is having yet another excellent season, and it feels like very few are talking about it.
Earlier this month, Schwarber set the record for the most leadoff home runs in a single season, tallying 14. Last night, he hit his 37th home run and knocked in his 100th RBI of the season. This hit is yet another piece of Phillies history, as he became the first Phillies player to put up back-to-back 100 RBI seasons since Ryan Howard in 2010-2011.
For many fantasy managers, Schwarber might be a bit of a frustrating player. He is the ultimate three true outcomes guy, both striking out and walking a ton. But the home runs and the on-base percentage make it worth it. Especially when his Phillies teammates are hitting as well as they have this year. Schwarber last night went two for five with a run and RBI courtesy of his third-inning home run. This was a bit of a revenge game for Schwarber, as he was part of the Cubs core that won it all many years ago, but was non-tendered after the 2020 season.
It’s safe to say that while yes he has a volatile profile, Schwarber has shown that he is a consistent power threat in Philly, and it seems like this consistency will boost his fantasy stock even more for next year.
Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 2-5, HR, R, RBI.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday
Matt Chapman (SFG): 2-4, 3B, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
It was Chapmania last night at Chase Field. Matt Chapman has had a really strong bounce-back year with the Giants, tallying 5.4 WAR and putting up a really solid wRC+ of 123. Last night was one of his best showings in the orange and black, as he put together a really exciting game. In the fourth inning, Chapman hit a bomb that ended up not quite going over the wall, so he had to improvise. Chapman sprinted around the bases and touched them all, collecting an inside-the-park home run. It really is funny to see Chase Field listed as a park where this homer wouldn’t count on Statcast, despite the fact that the home run did in fact count. He then hit a triple later in the game, showcasing the jets even more and knocking in one more run. Chapman isn’t always the player you think of as being the most exciting, but last night he was must-see television.
J.T. Realmuto (PHI): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Lost in the continued Schwarber dominance was the outstanding game that J.T. Realmuto put together last night. The Phillies’ backbone hasn’t had an incredible season this year (though his hitting bounced back a bit), but nights like these showcase why fantasy managers were right to put some faith into him. Realmuto got the scoring going with a very hard-hit home run in the second, bringing in two runs. With the Phillies approaching the postseason and hoping to go on another long run, they are going to need their guys like Realmuto to continue to step up and deliver, especially if the top of the order isn’t producing.
Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 3-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB.
Has this year been pretty for Julio Rodríguez? No, not really. But the JRod show is back in town just at the right time, as the Mariners are clawing and fighting for that final wild card spot with a bunch of other teams. Last night, he showed why the Mariners entrusted him with the franchise, as he hustled his way to three hits including a barrelled RBI double in the ninth. Perhaps the most impressive moment for JRod was his RBI single in an 0-2 count with 2 outs in the seventh inning, which allowed the Mariners to take a 2-0 lead. It’s kind of unfortunate that JRod wasn’t able to have another MVP-caliber season this year, as the talent is just so immense he should be competing for the honor every year.
Michael Conforto (SFG): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Michael Conforto’s season, and as a whole his Giants stint, has been a bit underwhelming. He has been a pretty average hitter all things considered, and he likely is only rostered in fairly deep leagues at this point in the season. But last night, he looked like the player who had the absurd 2020 shortened season with the Mets. Conforto went two for five, hitting an absolute monster solo home run in the fifth inning and a double in the seventh. It will be interesting to see where Conforto ends up next year, as it doesn’t seem like the Giants really want to retain his services. There’s a good player in there, and he may end up being someone who is an important piece of a fantasy team, depending on where he goes.
Jason Heyward (HOU): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.
Jason Heyward joining the Astros happened pretty quietly, as many might not have noticed that he joined a bitter rival of his former club in Los Angeles. Heyward has been pretty good though since donning the orange and navy and was the only bright spot in last night’s loss to the Mariners. Heyward hit a home run into right-center field to open the bottom of the eighth, giving some life to an Astros team that really didn’t seem to have much. The team around him responded by doing nothing, but hey, that’s how baseball operates some nights. It will be interesting to see how much of a role Heyward will get for the Astros in the postseason, as he may need to practice giving some more excellent motivational speeches if the Astros want to win it all.
Wilyer Abreu (BOS): 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB.
Wilyer Abreu kept the Red Sox alive last night, going two for three with a double, a run, a run batted in, and a walk. It was your standard “good game” for a player, but considering the context, it was pretty huge. The Red Sox really need everything they can get if they want to sneak into that last postseason spot, and getting a solid victory over the Jays is key to that. It will be interesting to see where Abreu will land in the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year, because while that race is nowhere near as intense as the National League version, there are a lot of players in that race. This was a great night for Abreu and the Red Sox, and we will see if he can finish the season on a high note.
Bryce Harper (PHI): 2-3, 2B, R, BB, SB.
Another Phillies game, another Bryce Harper masterclass. Harper is just so good. He is just baseball personified. Need a hit at a key time? Bryce has got you. Need someone to work a long at-bat and get to first base? Bryce is a master at walking. Need someone to put their body on the line to snag a stolen base? He doesn’t often but he did it last night! Harper has been a treat this year because he has taken that full-time first baseman role and has run with it. He is now one of the top first basemen who will be drafted in fantasy drafts for years to come, a trajectory I don’t think anybody would’ve expected when he first signed in Philly. Harper has been awesome this year, and he is one home run away from his first 30-homer campaign since 2021.
Jarren Duran (BOS): 2-5, 2B, 3B.
This is a fun statline! Jarren Duran had two hits last night and they were both extra-base hits. He had a nice double in the fourth and turned on the jets to turn a 105.1mph blast into a triple in his next at-bat in the sixth. Anybody who drafted Duran in one of the later rounds this year must be really, really happy as he has been nothing short of fantastic. The stolen base number is high, he’s had nearly 50 doubles and he has put up more home runs this year than he had every year of his career up to this point combined. If it wasn’t for some absolutely historic seasons in the American League, he would probably be getting some MVP press. But even without the hype, he’s been an All-Star and will probably finish the season with 7 WAR. What a great breakout campaign.
Randy Arozarena (SEA): 2-5, 2B, R, RBI.
The most clutch and exciting guy in baseball is being clutch and exciting down the stretch! As mentioned in the JRod blurb, the Mariners still fancy themselves in the race, and Randy Arozarena is not one to hang his head and give up until he hears the final bell. He went two-for-five last night, as he hit a soft groundball to join the single parade in the eighth, before blasting a double deep into Minute Maid Park in the ninth. Randy’s season started out about as poor as it could’ve, which may have been a product of his bulking up in the offseason. But after all has been said and done, Randy put together a great season. He had yet another 20-20 year and put up some great numbers for a Mariners offense that looked really poor all year.