All in a Day’s Bleday
JJ Bleday (CIN): 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a career so far for outfielder JJ Bleday.
The fourth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, Bleday seemed to be turning a corner in 2024. In 642 plate appearances that season with the Athletics, he hit 20 home runs and posted a .761 OPS in the final season in the Oakland Coliseum. It was expected that he would post monster numbers in Sacramento in 2025, especially considering Sutter Health Park’s hitter-friendly confines.
While he did hit 14 home runs, he only hit .212 with a .698 OPS in 344 plate appearances. As a result, he lost his spot with the Athletics, and they designated him for assignment this offseason.
The Reds signed him as a free agent in December, though he didn’t initially make the Opening Day roster. They recalled Bleday on April 25th after putting Eugenio Suárez on the IL, and the former Vandy product has been on fire since returning to the major leagues.
On Saturday, in their rough 17-7 loss to the Pirates, Bleday had a big day, with two hits, including a double and a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI. In 17 plate appearances this season, Bleday has two home runs, four runs scored, three RBI, a .308 average, and a 1.317 OPS.
It’s a small sample, but he looks confident at the plate and is hitting the ball with authority. He’s currently sporting a 12.5% barrel rate, a 50% hard-hit rate, and 75% launch-angle Sweet-Spot rate.
Thus, this isn’t just a lucky streak for Bleday. He’s legitimately looking like the player that he was back in 2024, when it seemed like he could be a long-term building block for the Athletics. Now, does that mean he’ll be a long-term piece for the Reds? That’s harder to say, especially with the Reds having so many outfielders with upside on the roster.
However, Bleday is doing all he can to prove that he at least belongs in this Cincinnati lineup on a regular basis.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Cody Bellinger (NYY): 4-4, 2B, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, SB.
Another game, another big performance from Bellinger. Against the rival Orioles, Bellinger collected four hits, including his fourth and fifth home runs of the year. He also stole his fourth base of the year, putting him nine away from his 13 stolen base mark in 2025. He will need to stay healthy, but Bellinger seems to be setting himself up for a possible 20-20 HR-SB season in his second season in the Bronx.
Shea Langeliers (ATH): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Langeliers is becoming a model of consistency for the Athletics. He had another multi-hit day on Saturday, even in their loss to Cleveland. In addition to three hits, he hit two home runs, bringing his home run total to 10 for the season. His 31 home runs last year were a career high. He may be on pace to surpass that in 2026, especially with Sutter Health Park being so hitter-friendly, especially in the summer months.
Drake Baldwin (ATL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.
Atlanta got after Colorado’s Chase Dollander, getting eight hits and six runs off the talented Rockies rookie pitcher. Baldwin led the charge for Atlanta, with three hits, four RBI, and a home run, his eighth of the season. In 156 plate appearances, Baldwin is hitting .312 with a .913 OPS and is making his case to be the starting catcher for the NL squad in the All-Star Game.
Ian Happ (CHC): 3-3, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
The Cubs only got five total hits in the game, and Happ had three of them. He also scored the Cubs’ only runs in their 2-0 win. One of those runs came on a home run, his eighth of the year. It’s been another banner year for Happ on Chicago’s North Side. In 142 plate appearances, he is hittin g.246 with an .890 OPS, 23 runs scored, and 15 RBI.
Marcell Ozuna (PIT): 3-5, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB.
It hasn’t been a good move to Pittsburgh for Ozuna, whom the Pirates signed in free agency this offseason. He’s hitting .185 with a .560 OPS, both major declines from what he was producing with Atlanta last season (.232 average and .755 OPS). However, he may have gotten on the right track on Saturday. Against the Reds, he had three hits, two doubles, three runs scored, and three RBI. Ozuna has a long way to go to prove that he can still be a productive DH for the Pirates, but it’s nice to see him show some signs of life at the plate.
Austin Hedges (CLE): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, RBI.
Hedges is known more for his defense behind the plate than his hitting at the plate. However, he was able to have a big day in the Guardians’ 14-6 win over the Athletics in Sacramento. The veteran catcher collected three hits, three runs scored, two doubles, and hit his first home run of the year. Hedges has been on fire to begin the year, as he is hitting .325 with an .864 OPS in 44 plate appearances. The small sample sizes hint that this isn’t sustainable for Hedges, but Cleveland fans will take his production without hesitation.
Brice Matthews (HOU): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
The Astros have an intriguing talent in Matthews, who hit his third home run of the season on Saturday in Houston’s 6-3 win over the Red Sox. The 24-year-old outfielder is hitting just .231, but his .727 OPS is much more tolerable, especially for a hitter at the bottom of the lineup. He could cut down the strikeouts (39.7% K%) and whiffs (38.8% whiff%). However, he knows how to launch the ball, as evidenced by his 38.9% LA Sweet-Spot percentage this year.
Dillon Dingler (DET): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Dingler came up big for the Tigers in their 5-1 win over the Rangers. In addition to two hits, he hit his sixth home run of the season, a three-run home run in the first inning off Texas starter Kumar Rocker. For the season, Dingler is hitting .257 with an .825 OPS, and his 16.7% barrel rate and 52.6% are not just career highs but also rank in the upper percentiles of the league. The former Ohio State Buckeye is proving that he can be a long-term solution for Michigan’s baseball team, even if his alma mater may elicit some grumblings among Tigers fans.
Lenyn Sosa (TOR): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
It’s been quiet for Sosa since coming over from the South Side of Chicago in mid-April. However, he started to break out a bit on Saturday in their 11-4 win over the Twins in Minneapolis. He hit his first home run of the season, and he also collected two hits and two RBI. Sosa is only hitting .257 with a .640 OPS, which is 87 points down from a year ago in the latter category. That said, he launches the ball well, and his first home run could help him get going at the plate. That is a development the Blue Jays would welcome, especially after George Springer got injured again on Saturday and is day-to-day.
