If You Give a Mouse a Mookie

There’s the Mookie Betts we know and love.

Betts has been pretty underwhelming in 2026. Not at the level of players like Cal Raleigh and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but he’s been just an above-average offensive player who has seen a sharp decline in his baserunning value. His defense is great, but that’s not helping us in fantasy. Many drafted him high to be a consistent rock at shortstop, and for the most part, he’s played more like a back-of-the-drafts pickup.

Still, like the rest of his Dodger teammates who are maybe having down campaigns, he’s capable of showcasing why he has so much pedigree. Yesterday, he put up a stat line of 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB. It’s vintage Mookie, a player who hits for contact, can hit a couple out of the yard, and is willing and capable of taking a walk. Of course, adding to the Mookie-ness of the game was that he did it against the Dodgers’ arch-nemesis, the San Francisco Giants, a team he’s been dominating for years. So where will Mookie be drafted next season? It’s probably safe to say lower than in 2026, especially with shortstop being a position with even more talent joining its ranks. He has that Dodger boost, but it might be time to say that he’s more of a really good, well-rounded player instead of a major difference-maker in fantasy.

Mookie Betts (LAD): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Friday…

 

Hao-Yu Lee (DET): 4-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Well, this was a fun outing from a player who is rarely discussed in articles like this. This is Lee’s first season in the Majors, and he’s been pretty good in over a hundred games, at least at the plate. Yesterday he went four-for-five in a major offensive explosion for his squad against the White Sox, including two extra-base hits, one being a homer. He also drove in three runs, with two coming on the homer and the other coming on the double earlier in the game. Lee probably isn’t very fantasy-relevant due to not having a super strong offensive profile, even if the numbers are decent. There’s value in him being eligible for second and third base, but with only 8% rostership, it’s clear he’s just a play in very deep leagues.

Ben Rice (NYY): 2-3, 3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.

A final MVP push for Ben Rice? Probably not. He’s still in the AL home run leader race, even if Junior Caminero and Yordan Alvarez are building a slight cushion there. Rice didn’t stay as hot across the whole season as he started, but he’s pretty clearly established himself as the running mate for Aaron Judge and as a contender for the best first baseman in baseball.

Jackson Chourio (MIL): 2-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 SB.

Chourio had a combo meal yesterday, and I really wish it had ended up being a double combo meal, as he nabbed two bags but couldn’t get the second homer. I’ve mentioned Chourio a bunch lately, as he turned his season around and is ending with career-high marks in home runs, average, wRC+, and likely WAR. Some people may have been disappointed that he missed some time early and was a bit slow, especially those who drafted him super aggressively. With regular expectations, though, this ended up being a very satisfying season for a player who is still super young and growing. There are five tools there, and I expect to see even more of them next season.

Juan Soto (NYM): 3-5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Just Soto doing Soto things, nothing to see here. Well, actually, there’s a lot to see, as he’s one of the great hitters of this generation, and it’s a privilege to get to watch him while in his prime. For an injury-riddled season, you can view 2026 as a pretty good campaign. Well, that would be if this were any other player we are talking about, but Soto is one of the few who you can call a 146 wRC+ “disappointing”. If he stayed healthy for the whole year, you can assume that number would be higher.

Edmundo Sosa (PHI): 3-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.

What a great night for Sosa, who, while having a down year, has had a few excellent performances that have made many forget that he’s walking less than three percent of the time. This was one of those, as he finished the game a triple away from a cycle. Yes, that’s the most difficult one, but hey, Sosa was incredibly productive at the plate. Sosa isn’t someone you should consider rostering in fantasy due to the lack of on-base skills, but in real-life baseball he’s been a solid depth piece for this Phillies team looking to win it all.

Kevin McGonigle (DET): 2-5, 3B, R, 4 RBI, BB.

What a season for Kevin McGonigle, who I feel has weirdly gone under the radar despite already being one of the best players in baseball as a rookie. There have been few more polished-looking freshmen to enter the big leagues in quite some time, and we can see how advanced he is in games like yesterday’s. McGonigle is one of the most disciplined players in baseball already, with an absolutely absurd chase rate that could put him up there with Juan Soto in the seasons to come.

Matt Olson (ATL): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Olson is now one home run away from breaking the 40-homer precipice again, which would be his second time doing so. Surprisingly, he’s never had a season in the forty-homer range, as the one time he entered that air, he hit 54. Olson is one of the first names that would come to mind if I were asked who is the quintessential 40-bomb hitter, yet he’s never been at that threshold before. Either way, Olson is amazing, and this is just yet another standard Olson stat line.

Dylan Crews (WSN): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

It’s been a bit of a rocky start to Crews’s career, as the former top prospect has put up well-below-average offensive numbers in each of his first three campaigns. Still, he sometimes shows flashes of being the highly-touted youngster he once was, and yesterday’s game is a great example of that. What makes this performance especially promising is that he hit a single and a home run off right-handed starter Kyle Leahy. Crews has had particularly bad numbers against righties, so to see him come through against one is a step in the right direction.

Roman Anthony (BOS): 2-5, HR, R, 3 RBI.

It was abundantly clear yesterday that Roman Anthony was not messing around. He hit a home run in his first at-bat against Ian Seymour, and drove in two his next time up. Anthony had a difficult campaign, missing most of it due to injury, and when he did play, he graded out as a slightly below-average hitter. This is not going to stick, and should probably be viewed as an injury-driven fluke. Now is his chance to finish the season strong for his Red Sox squad, as this last week will certainly play a role in determining where he goes in drafts next season.

George Lombard Jr. (NYY): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Speaking of outstanding young pieces on AL East squads, how about the performance of George Lombard Jr. yesterday? Lombard started super hot but has definitely cooled down, which is something you often see from freshly called-up prospects. He’s gotten a lot of scrutiny, largely for being a Yankee and combining the cold