Joey Jeremiah Jackson

Jeremiah Jackson (BAL): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 5 RBI.

With both Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg starting the year on the IL, 26-year-old Jeremiah Jackson wound up in an everyday role as the Baltimore Orioles‘ Opening Day second baseman. Jackson has picked up where he left off last season as a quietly productive bat at the bottom of the O’s lineup. Yesterday afternoon’s home run marked his sixth of 2026 and brought him up to 24 RBI in 29 games. Across all levels, Jackson tallied 20 homers last year while recording an average exit velocity north of 90 mph. This season’s 88.6 mph average exit velocity is a step back despite the production, but it’s come with a faster 73.0 mph bat speed (+1.1 mph).

The biggest concern with Jackson is if he’ll be able to continue to find playing time. Holliday and Westburg are both expected back by the end of May which should push Jackson off the keystone. However, it’s possible he could find a home in the outfield since Jackson actually played more games there last season than at second base. Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, and Tyler O’Neill have all had slow starts, so while the Orioles outfield is crowded, the team could wind up riding the hot hand with Jackson.

 

Let’s see how the rest of the hitters did Thursday:

Maikel Garcia (KCR): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.

After missing three games with an elbow injury last week, Maikel Garcia delivered a “Combo Meal” that put him back on the map. Garcia’s one to watch right now, as he’s done a much better job of getting underneath the ball this season, with a newfound 12.0 launch angle leading to a career-high 8.7% barrel rate and a career-low 38.9% groundball rate.

Starling Marte also went 3-for-4 with an RBI in this one. His 25.4 ft/s sprint speed is a career low, so don’t expect a proper bounce-back campaign. However, Marte’s .303/.314/.394 triple slash proves that he can still contribute even at 37 years old. Given the state of the Royals’ outfield, I’d take a flier here if your ratios need help.

 

Nathaniel Lowe (CIN): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

It took Nathaniel Lowe most of the offseason to find a new home in free agency despite hitting 18 home runs last season. However, it all worked out in the end as Lowe has recorded some of the best numbers of his career in Great American Ball Park. So far this season, Lowe has posted a career-high 91.8 average exit velocity, 13.6% barrel rate and 50.0% hard hit rate. He’s also lowered his strikeout rate to a career best 13.6%, backed by a 24.2% O-Swing.

Lowe’s combination of power, plate discipline, and park factor makes him an absolute must-add right now. This is a Top 20 hitter if he keeps this up.

 

MJ Melendez (NYM): 2-2, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Outfielder MJ Melendez has been one of the few bright spots for the New York Mets in 2026. In 11 games since being called up from Triple-A, Melendez now has two home runs, 6 RBI, and a .345/.406/.655/1.061 line. Those numbers should come back down to Earth slightly, given his .533 BABIP, but there’s still a lot to like here. Since arriving in Queens, Melendez has looked like one of baseball’s premier power hitters with a 97.2 average exit velocity, 16.7% barrel rate, and 66.7% hard hit rate. With the Mets intent on righting the ship, Melendez has carved out an everyday role at the top of the lineup and has a clear path to 600+ plate appearances. The team currently sits 30th with an 80 wRC+; they simply cannot afford to bench a bat like this.

 

JJ Wetherholt (STL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

JJ Wetherholt hit his seventh homer in the St. Louis Cardinals‘ win over the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. Wetherholt has already established himself as a candidate for NL Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old middle infielder has posted a 90.0 mph average exit velocity and 25.4 ft/s sprint speed to back up his seven homers and four steals. Most importantly, he’s shown excellent plate discipline during his first taste of major league action. A 22.5% chase rate, 114 Strikezone Judgement+, and 109 Decision Value+ (94 zDV/111 oDV) are all elite marks for a rookie bat.

 

Brandon Lowe (PIT): 2-5, 2B, HR, R, RBI.

Despite an offseason trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brandon Lowe has picked up where he left off last year. Lowe absolutely mashed his eighth home run yesterday with a 110.0 mph, 416-foot no-doubter. A welcome sign given that Lowe has seen a significant downtick in his average exit velocity, dropping from 91.1 to 88.4 mph. However, this could be some early small sample size noise, as his barrel rate, hard hit rate, and bat speed are all in line with his 31-homer campaign last season.

 

Tyler Freeman (COL): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Tyler Freeman has had a solid start to his sophomore year with the Colorado Rockies. However, a lot of that production is the result of Coors Field. Freeman hit his first home run of the season yesterday afternoon, but it was a rather meek one that clocked in at 97.1 mph and 357 feet. If Melendez hits bombs, Freeman’s was a sparkler that would’ve only been a home run in five other ballparks.

 

Justin Crawford (PHI): 3-4, RBI.

We’re getting into the speed/contact section now. Who needs power anyway? Justin Crawford doesn’t. Not with three consecutive seasons of 40+ stolen bases in the minors (this is going to sound familiar below). Crawford may only have two steals in the majors, but don’t be fooled, he’s currently the fourth-fastest player in the league with a 29.8 ft/s sprint speed. Yowza! Crawford also brings more to the table defensively than these next two players, as he’s locked in as the Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder. He doesn’t hit the ball very hard with an average exit velocity of 88.5 mph, but a 19.2% strikeout rate will help buoy his rate stats.

 

Tyler Black (MIL): 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB.

While Tyler Black is still searching for his first major league home run, he might finally be delivering on the prospect hype. After all, power was never a major part of his profile. Black is an on-base machine with three consecutive seasons of 20+ stolen bases in the minors. This is exactly what we’ve seen from him in his first five games with a .389/.421/.500/.921 slash line and a 28.1 ft/s sprint speed (77th percentile). Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Andrew Vaughn are all currently on the IL for the Milwaukee Brewers, so we could be getting an extended look at Black here. The Brewers have given him Yelich’s spot at DH in the middle of the order, so clearly the team has confidence in the 25-year-old. As long as Black continues to reward that confidence, he should be on your radar.

 

Dustin Harris (HOU): 1-4, R, 3 RBI.

The recent rash of injuries to the Houston Astros‘ lineup has opened up an everyday role in the outfield for Dustin Harris. Formerly one of the top prospects in the rival Texas Rangers‘ farm system, Harris is a speedster who has flashed a plus hit tool at times. Harris has posted three consecutive seasons of 30+ stolen bases in the minors and has now brought the same elite speed to the majors with a 28.5 ft/s sprint speed (88th percentile). Harris has struggled to show the same power and contact we saw in the minors, which has kept his stock low, but he may yet be a post-hype sleeper. For a player with a 102 DV+ and 120 Contact+, you’d expect more than the .194/.318/.278 line we’ve seen so far. I have to acknowledge that a part of his .226 BABIP has certainly been his inability to make hard contact, but he may still be due for some positive regression.