Brass Muncy
It was a Max Muncy masterpiece last night. Not just that, he etched his name in the history books. Muncy is now third all-time in home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which is really an amazing feat. You probably wouldn’t ever guess that Muncy was even up there, but he has quietly been incredibly productive for the incredible Dodgers team. It’s a distinct possibility that he passes Eric Karros for that number one spot when all is said and done, which is insane to think about. This game’s stat line honestly is a marvel, as anybody who had Muncy was able to reap major rewards in most categories, except stolen bases. But who drafts Muncy for steals?
I had written this part up about Muncy in the bottom of the eighth, thinking that the Dodgers’ lead was secure and that he probably wouldn’t go up to bat. Instead, Edwin Díaz had an unexpected blowup, and the game was tied. Perhaps he did this just to give the hero his chance to put a bow on the night? Muncy ended the game by crushing a mistake slider and sending the ball into the stands. It was an epic conclusion to one of the best games of the year so far, and wow, the Dodgers just look like they are having so much fun right now. Muncy deserves this, as he was a key piece in that franchise becoming the evil empire they are today.
Jake Bauers (MIL): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Jake Bauers really feels like the ultimate Brewer. A reclamation project type who was once hyped as a prospect and now has a somewhat steady platoon role with the team. This was a game where he proved that value, as he scorched a 112mph shot 428 feet in the stands to bring three runs home. He also grabbed a walk and got a single as well, a combination that certainly would help in on-base leagues. Bauers is a guy who I would really like to see tap into some of his unused power, as he has an excellent bat speed and puts up solid exit velocities. He already has three home runs on the year, which is a solid pace and puts him ahead of some of the game’s prominent power hitters. Perhaps this could be his highest home run total season?
Ryan Jeffers (MIN): 3-3, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Ryan Jeffers has been low-key awesome this season. He’s OPSing over .850 and has seen a big spike in walk rate. He also has had some great individual performances that certainly have helped in fantasy, and this was one of them. Jeffers hit his first home run of the season off a cutter right down the heart of the plate from Patrick Corbin, bringing in three runs. This really looked to be a major boost of momentum for the Twins, but unfortunately for them, they ended up blowing that lead to another catcher who hit a home run, who might be discussed later… Anyway, I really like Jeffers in fantasy, and I like the profile overall. He’s walking more than he ever has, and he has the bat speed that gives him power potential.
Brandon Valenzuela (TOR): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Every Major League hitter remembers their first home run. Brandon Valenzuela will always remember his Friday, April 10, game as having that milestone moment. It wasn’t just a home run, it was a home run to take the lead after being behind, shifting the momentum and carrying the Jays to what would be a blowout win. The impressive part of this was that he smoked that ball; it was a missile hit at 111mph off the bat. He hasn’t been a prolific home run hitter in the minors, and it’s fair to say he probably won’t magically become one in the majors, but perhaps a full season of him could see double digits. It’s unfortunately unlikely he will get too much playing time, as Alejandro Kirk is clearly the catcher once he gets back, and they won’t DH him with Springer in the lineup.
Jung Hoo Lee (SFG): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
It hasn’t been the start that the “Grandson of the Wind” has hoped for, but luckily for him, fantasy managers and the Giants organization, it’s still early. Today’s game was a major step in the right direction, as he produced for his team. Lee is not much of a home run hitter; he profiles similarly to bats like Luis Arraez, Steven Kwan, and Chandler Simpson. Though he notably does have a fair bit more bat speed and overall pop compared to those hitters. Lee has one of the most aesthetically pleasing hacks of a swing when he hits home runs. Again, it’s designed for more of a contact approach, but I do find myself often going back to his (few) home runs and just watching in awe.
Davis Schneider (TOR): 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
We love a good mustache. We also love Davis Schneider, and when he performs well. Schneider was the last man to make the Blue Jays team out of Spring training, and in the limited sample size he’s gotten to play, he’s shown that to be a good decision. He doesn’t really have a permanent place in the field, and he can be streaky, but his walk rate is always impressive, even in the rough patches. I hope that we see Schneider getting some more playing time and that we can see him putting together some nights like these. Everyone was so excited when he first came up and it would be cool to see him live up to that hype.
Gavin Sheets (SDP): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Talk about quite the debut for the Padres’ new City Connect jerseys. They definitely seem to be a good omen, and at this rate, I can see Gavin Sheets asking management to let them wear them more. Sheets opened the scoring in the fifth with a 416-foot bomb that gave his team some momentum. This wasn’t good enough, though, as he knew he needed to be the hero, hitting a bomb over 430 feet to bring home the three runs needed to win the game. It was an epic ninth for the Padres in their new jerseys, and Sheets delivered. After being pretty underwhelming playing for the Southside, Sheets has found his way with the Padres, becoming a consistent, albeit not spectacular, performer. It’s also pretty crazy to have two walk-off bombs to cap off multi-homer games in the same night. It was definitely a great slate.
Jorge Soler (LAA) 2-5, 2B, HR, 2R, 4 RBI.
It was a weird week for Jorge Soler, who was at the center of a brawl with his former team, the one that cemented his legacy. He was suspended for seven games, the longest suspension for fighting in MLB history. He is currently appealing it, and that is the reason he was able to go 2-5 against the Reds, knocking in 4 RBI off the back of a grand slam. He also tallied 2 runs, scoring his other one after being driven home by a Yoán Moncada single after he doubled off a Chase Burns slider down and away. Shenanigans aside, this is an excellent start to the year for Soler, as he is firing on all cylinders. His underlying data shows that he is clearly not the hitter he once was. He’s hit home runs, though, which is what he’s being paid for. It’s always good to invest in Angels in your fantasy teams early, as it seems like they always go off to hot starts. This is very unscientific and unserious advice, but still, I am always excited for the yearly hot streak the Angels go on early, though notably it hasn’t really come this year. If it does, though, Soler will have a major role in that.
Josh Lowe (LAA): 2-5, HR, R, RBI.
Another Angel gets featured here, and that’s largely because this series means so much more for him than baseball. He’s facing his brother, Nathaniel Lowe, who I admittedly forgot signed with the Reds. This was their first meeting since their mother passed away, which was just devastating news for the baseball community. It’s inspiring to see Lowe succeed on what was likely an incredibly emotional evening. The homer he hit was kind of a funky one; it was definitely aided a bit by the ballpark’s dimensions, as it only would go out in seven parks. You can kind of see that he cracked a bit of a smile after hitting it, and I bet he will probably tease his brother about it later. It’s been a tough start for Lowe after a good opening weekend, but he still has the tools to contribute.
Randy Arozarena (SEA): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
This was a big game for a guy who is one of the most fun players in the game. It all began with a hit by pitch RBI, getting clipped by a funky Imai slider. He then singled, but unfortunately, his team wasn’t able to do anything with that. His highlight of the night, however, was his two-run shot that marked his first home run of the year, which is definitely going to be the first of many. When Randy Arozarena is on, he’s definitely a valuable fantasy piece. He combines speed and power with solid average, making him a player who will make lots of managers happy. Unfortunately, he’s always been prone to some rough patches and some ugly stat lines in games, but that is who he is.
