No Church in the Wild
Nathan Church (STL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
It was expected to be a bit of a rebuilding year for the St. Louis Cardinals, especially after they traded veterans Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado away this offseason. However, despite losing some of their key players from a season ago, the Cardinals remain competitive with a young core, as evidenced by their 14-12 record.
One player of that young group is Nathan Church, who had a big game on Saturday in their 11-9 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Busch Stadium.
The 25-year-old former UC Irvine product went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored, and four RBI. That increased his home run total to four for the season, and he is hitting .254 with a .760 OPS in 70 PA this season. He also has 11 runs scored, 12 RBI, and three stolen bases on three attempts.
Church is an interesting player as he can play all three outfield positions for the Cardinals. He has a solid arm, with his 92 MPH arm strength ranking in the 91st percentile, according to Baseball Savant. That makes him a versatile player that St. Louis manager Oli Marmol can plug into different spots or lineups.
On the offensive end, his Statcast percentiles have been a little suspect. His 4.7% barrel rate and 34.9% hard-hit rate rank in the 24th percentile, and his 26.2% strikeout rate ranks in the 29th percentile, his 6.2% walk rate ranks in the 22nd percentile, and his 45% chase rate ranks in the second percentile. Thus, what Church is doing doesn’t feel sustainable, and it’s not a surprise that .268 xwOBA is 14 points lower than his actual wOBA.
That said, he does launch the ball well, as his 34.9% launch-angle sweet-spot rate is 1.6% higher than the league average. Church has also been solid this month after a slow start in March. In 54 plate appearances in April, he’s hitting .277 with an .886 OPS. Conversely, in 16 plate appearances in March, he hit .188 with a .376 OPS.
It’s unlikely that Church will be fantasy relevant, even in deep or NL-only leagues. However, Church’s two-home run day, against starter Bryan Woo, who’s been one of the better starters in baseball this year, makes him an intriguing sleeper. If he can build on this solid day, he could be a worthwhile waiver pickup for fantasy managers needing that spark that can boost a fantasy lineup.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Andruw Monasterio (BOS): 3-6, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.
It was a day of firsts for the Red Sox. The Red Sox scored 17 runs, the first time they’ve done that this season. Monasterio hit his first home run of 2026, as well as his first home run as a member of the Red Sox. Boston also fired manager Alex Cora, hitting coach Peter Fatse, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, and major-league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. Safe to say, it’s got to be a first for a team to fire a majority of their coaching staff after a 16-run win.
Sal Stewart (CIN): 3-4, HR, R, 5 RBI, BB.
After a seesaw comeback victory on Friday night (after a long rain delay), the Reds made it easier for the fans this time around, winning 9-2 against Detroit. Stewart led the way with three hits, a home run, and five RBI. For the season, Stewart is hitting .303 with a 1.024 OPS with nine home runs, seven stolen bases, 18 runs scored, and 30 RBI. Safe to say, he’s staking his early case for the NL Rookie of the Year award, at the very least.
Ty France (SDP): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Padres and Diamondbacks played in the hitter-friendly conditions of Mexico City, and it wasn’t Fernando Tatis Jr. or Manny Machado who went yard. Rather, it was France who hit two solo home runs in their 6-4 victory over Arizona. The 31-year-old San Diego State product has had a nice return to San Diego, as he is hitting .265 with an .865 OPS in 36 plate appearances. That includes three home runs, six runs scored, and three RBI. He’s definitely been a nice bottom-of-the-order bat for this Padres lineup.
Cole Young (SEA): 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, RBI.
The Mariners scored 11 runs on 19 hits, so many Seattle hitters could’ve been recognized for their performances at the plate. However, Young particularly stood out, thanks to his three hits, home run, three runs scored, and RBI. An eight hitter in the lineup today for the Mariners, Young is hitting .255 with a .740 OPS and three home runs in 111 plate appearances. The second baseman isn’t a great glove, as he produced a -9 OAA mark at the keystone in 2025. Thus, his bat will be key to a turnaround, and so far, he’s holding in his own on that end.
Casey Schmitt (SFG): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
The Giants bounced back on Saturday with a 6-2 win over the Marlins, and Schmitt was one of the key catalysts in their four-run victory. The San Francisco utility player had two hits today and a home run, his third of the season. For the year, he’s hitting .295 with an .854 OPS in 85 plate appearances. The defense has been a bit questionable from Schmitt this year, especially at first base. However, he’s brought much-needed consistency to the Giants’ lineup.
Carlos Correa (HOU): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
The Astros lost, again. That’s unsurprising for a team that is now 10-18 and may be in rebuilding mode. However, Correa had a nice game for Houston, collecting two hits, two runs, a home run, and an RBI. The Astros veteran and leadoff man has been a bright spot for this struggling Houston team, as he is hitting .287 with a .796 OPS and two home runs in 108 plate appearances. Those are all better marks than what he did a season ago. That said, will he stay in Houston for long, especially if they decide to push the reset button? That question is TBD for now.
Austin Wells (NYY): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
It’s been a slow start for Wells this year, as he is hitting just .188 with a .635 OPS in 82 plate appearances. However, on Saturday, he hit his second home run of the year and also collected two RBI, two walks, and a run scored. The Statcast percentiles aren’t bad, and his .330 xwOBA is significantly higher than his .252 wOBA. Thus, Wells may be on the way to positive correction soon, with Saturday’s game perhaps being the first step in that direction.
Kazuma Okamoto (TOR): 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
The Blue Jays got a much-needed victory over the Guardians, and Okamoto, in his first season with Toronto and in Major League Baseball, led the way. He had two hits and launched his fifth home run of the year. He also scored two runs, collected two RBI, and drew a walk. For the year, the 29-year-old third baseman is hitting .237 with a .743 OPS. He’s softening the blow for Blue Jays fans missing Bo Bichette.
Salvador Perez (KCR): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
It hasn’t been pretty for the Royals captain. The 36-year-old catcher is hitting .186 with a .555 OPS in 108 plate appearances this season. On Saturday, in their 12-1 win over the Angels (yes, that’s correct), Perez had three hits, two runs, two RBI, and launched his fourth home run of the year. After hitting 30 home runs a year ago, the Royals need Perez to get back on that 25+ HR track, especially if Kansas City wants to compete for a playoff spot within the AL Central division this season.
