Fresh Sheets

There are few better feelings in life than having fresh sheets on the bed. Going 6-8 with 1,186 feet of HRs over the course of weekend might top that, however. Padres 1B/OF Gavin Sheets has been absolutely on fire of late and San Diego manager Craig Stammen rewarded the 30-year old by moving him up to the three spot in the lineup ahead of Sunday’s game against George Kirby and the Mariners. Sheets responded by going 3-3 with 2 HRs, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI and 2 BB in the Padres’ 8-3 sweep of Seattle.

Sheets had himself a career year in 2025 in his first year with the Padres after four with the White Sox and he has followed it up with an even better second season with the ballclub. Superstars Fernando Tatis Jr., Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill are all hitting near the Mendoza line and Sheets has taken it upon himself to carry the load for a Padres team that is now 28-18, sitting just half a game back of the Dodgers in the NL West standings. The Wake Forest product is hitting .262/.340/.556 with 9 HR and 21 RBI on the season and his career-high 152 wRC+ is good for 11th in the National League. Sheets has been especially effective over his last seven games, hitting an outrageous .526/.667/1.211 with 4 HRs, 8 RBI and an 8/3 BB/K ratio.

There is nothing about Sheets’ game that is particularly elite and there’s a chance he never even makes an All-Star Game when his career is all said and done. But it is players like him that turn a good team like the Padres into a World Series contender. San Diego fans can sleep soundly right now knowing that Gavin Sheets is here to carry the lineup while there big-name bats try to wake up from their nightmarish start to 2026.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did on Sunday:

 

Gunnar Henderson (BAL): 4-5, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI,  SB.

The Orioles needed a big game from their offense on Sunday and Gunnar Henderson answered the call, with his tenth HR of the season among four hits and a stolen base in Baltimore’s 7-3 win over Washington. As it has been for most Orioles hitters, the 2026 season has not gotten off to the start Henderson was hoping for, as he is hitting just .214/.269/.423. His underlying metrics are a bit concerning as he is chasing more and creating much less hard contact than in previous seasons. No need to panic just yet as Henderson is a superstar talent and should improve as the weather heats up. However, Baltimore is hoping that he and the rest of the lineup can pick it up sooner rather than later, as the team sits five games under .500 and ten games back of the division-leading Rays.

 

Bryson Stott (PHI): 2-4, HR, 2B, R, 3 RBI.

The Phillies pulled off a road sweep of the Pirates this weekend by beating Paul Skenes on Sunday and Bryson Stott sealed the game late with two-run double in the sixth inning and a solo HR in the eighth. Despite the big game on Sunday, Stott just hasn’t done enough the past few seasons to justify rostering him in fantasy with his lack of power and on-base ability. However, if you are desperate for steals the 28-year old is nine-for-nine so far this season.

 

Austin Riley (ATL): 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Austin Riley got the scoring started early for Atlanta on Sunday, crushing a 431-foot three-run HR in the first inning as the Braves cruised to an 8-1 win over the Red Sox. After injuries limited Riley to just nine games in the second half of 2025, it has taken the 29-year old a little bit to get going to start this season. Luckily for Riley and Atlanta, it hasn’t mattered one bit as the rest of the lineup is cruising and the team is sitting pretty with the best record in baseball at 32-15.

 

Kyle Manzardo (CLE): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

That’s my Manz! Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo hit two of the team’s six HRs against Cincinnati on Sunday as they bashed their way to a 10-3 victory. The 25-year old has tantalized Cleveland fans and management the past few years with his ability at the plate and his 27 HRs in 2025 showed that the power is real. However he has not been able to match the outstanding BB/K numbers he produced in the minors and they are going in the wrong direction this season as he is up to a 30.8 K%. I have been a fan of Manzardo for a while now and I still think he has the potential to be a strong middle-of-the-order bat, but I am going to need to see significant improvements going forward before I consider rostering him in fantasy.

 

Jake Burger (TEX): 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI.

Jake Burger poked a pitch just over the right field wall to break a scoreless game in the fifth inning on Sunday and he added a two-run double two innings later to lead Texas to an 8-0 win over the Astros. The 30-year old Burger simply is who he is at this point in his career, a threat to go deep every time he steps in the box but someone who is never going to hit for a high average or get on-base at even a mediocre clip.

 

Salvador Perez (KC): 2-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.

Salvador Perez but all the washed up comments on hold for a day as he did all of the heavy lifting in Kansas City’s 2-0 win over St. Louis. A first inning sacrifice fly and a fourth inning solo homer, his seventh of the season, were all Stephen Kolek and the Royals needed to secure the victory. While Sunday’s performance was a nice blast from the past the reality is Perez’s bat speed is down, he is rarely squaring the ball up and he is chasing pitches out of the zone at the highest rate in baseball (46.4%).

 

Edgar Quero (CHW): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

White Sox catcher Edgar Quero hit arguably the biggest HR of his young career on Sunday, smashing a two-run walkoff shot to center to give the South Siders a 9-8 win over the crosstown rival Cubs. The 23-year old Quero has struggled mightily this season (.176/.265/.220) and Kyle Teel’s return looms large. However, let’s not forget Quero was a top prospect in his own right and with Teel leaving his most recent rehab game with knee discomfort, Quero could see futher opportunities to prove himself in Chicago.

 

Michael Conforto (CHC): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.

Playing time has been hard to come by in Chicago for Michael Conforto, but he has rewarded Cubs fans whenever he has found himself in the lineup. The veteran lefty’s three-run ninth inning HR off White Sox closer Seranthony Domínguez pushed the game into extras and brough Conforto’s line on the season to .345/.456/.655 in 55 at-bats. The 33-year old has certainly earned himself consistent at-bats going forward and could be worth a look in deep fantasy leagues if he can continue to produce in the Cubs strong lineup.

 

Luis Arraez (SF): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

Luis Arraez continued his hot hitting in the Giants 10-1 win over the Athletics with three hits, including a wind-aided 340-foot HR for his second of the season. He collected eight hits in the three-game series against the A’s and the savvy veteran hitter is now up to a .328/.370/.437 line on the season with 13 walks to just seven strikeouts.

 

Corbin Carroll (ARI): 2-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Corbin Carroll went off on Rockies pitching at Coors Field on Sunday, smashing a 431-foot two-run HR in the fourth inning and besting it with 448-foot solo shot in the sixth, as the Diamondbacks took the game 8-6. Carroll is currently boasting a career-high 158 wRC+ and he has shown a much improved approach at the plate as his 14.8 BB% is also easily a career-best.