Rumfield Punch
TJ Rumfield (COL): 4-5, HR, R, 4 RBI.
It may be time for fantasy baseball fans to talk about TJ Rumfield, who’s becoming the next big Rockies success story.
On Saturday, the Colorado first baseman had another banner day, going four-for-five with a home run, run scored, and four RBI. His home run was his 13th of the year, and he is now hitting .302 with an .869 OPS in 393 plate appearances. He is making his case for the NL Rookie of the Year, and on an offensive end, he certainly merits a case based on his balanced overall profile.
A 12th-round pick out of Virginia Tech in the 2021 MLB Draft, Rumfield has come a bit out of nowhere to impress in his first stint in the Mile High City. He was initially drafted by the Phillies and was traded later in 2021 to the New York Yankees in a multi-player deal. From then on, he languished in the Yankees’ system, blocked at first base by bigger names like Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice. This offseason, the Yankees traded him to the Rockies in exchange for pitcher Angel Chivili.
The 26-year-old outfielder always hit well in Triple-A, but it was nothing spectacular. In his last season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he hit .285 with an .825 OPS in 587 plate appearances. That included 16 home runs and 87 RBI. It was good, but Triple-A numbers like that aren’t overly impressive, especially considering the favorable hitting environments of the level.
However, the former Hokie has transitioned that Triple-A performance to the Major League level. He’s three home runs away from his 2025 MINOR LEAGUE total. His average and OPS are both up. Typically, there’s negative regression in the first transition from Triple-A to the Major Leagues. It’s been the opposite for Rumfield in Colorado.
The thing about Rumfield is that he’s not just a Coors Field Wonder. He has a .905 OPS at home, but his OPS is .834 on the road. Thus, he’s been a productive hitter for Colorado, and someone the Rockies can build around for 2027 and beyond.
Of course, we have seen Rockies hitters like this have great starts, but fade fast. Michael Toglia and Nolan Jones are two prime examples. However, Rumfield has a walk rate in the 66th percentile, a whiff rate in the 68th percentile, and a strikeout rate in the 86th percentile. While the bat speed (12th percentile) and hard-hit rate (7th percentile) are not good, his plate discipline suggests his success could stick, which could help him avoid a major regression like Toglia’s or Jones’s.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday.
Wilyer Abreu (BOS): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
Boston can’t be stopped, as they are now over .500 at 49-48 after their win over the Rays. Abreu was a key force in this one with two home runs and three RBI in their 7-6 win. The Red Sox Venezuelan outfielder continues to carry this lineup with a .266 average and .800 OPS, as well as 15 home runs in 413 plate appearances this season.
Jose Trevino (CIN): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Reds got smoked, losing 10-3 to the Rockies. However, Trevino stood out as the only hitter with multiple hits in this one. That included two home runs, both solo jobs. With a .268 average and .715 OPS, the 33-year-old catcher has been a serviceable play in deep two-catcher league formats, even without the power upside (three total for the year).
Trea Turner (PHI): 3-4, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB.
Turner has been bad this year (.241 average and .663 OPS), but he’s turning a corner in July. In 53 plate appearances this month, he has three home runs and is hitting .271 with an .800 OPS. That’s an improvement from .693 OPS in June and .528 OPS in May. He’s been hitting in the leadoff spot recently for the Phillies, so maybe manager Don Mattingly truly believes in Turner’s breakout, which is good news for fantasy managers who roster him.
Kody Clemens (MIN): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Twins missed a chance to go over .500 by losing to the Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley. But at 49-50, they’ve surpassed meager preseason expectations. Clemens has been a big part of their success, hitting .243 with a .797 OPS this season. He also has 18 home runs, with 17 and 18 coming on Saturday. He likely will surpass the 19-HR mark he set a season ago.
Evan Carter (TEX): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
The Rangers got a surprising win in Atlanta, and Carter was one of the driving forces in the win. The once-promising but oft-injured outfielder had two hits and launched his eighth home run of the year. The overall numbers are still bad, as he is hitting .193 with a .653 OPS. That said, Saturday showed what he can do when he’s locked in.
Lane Thomas (KCR): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The Royals need to trade some assets to get things turned around in 2027. Thomas may be the key, as he has been on a heater since moving into the everyday center fielder job after Kyle Isbel’s injury. He is now hitting .243 with a .765 OPS, and he launched his ninth home run of the year on Saturday after hitting his eighth on Friday. Thomas won’t be a Royal for long, but he can thank Kansas City for help resurrecting his career.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SDP): 1-2, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB, SB.
After hitting .318 with an .865 OPS in June, Tatis is hitting .273 with a .755 OPS in July. It’s a regression, but it’s still good enough, and the numbers look better now (.282 average and .732 OPS) than they did back in April. The Padres didn’t do anything offensively, as Tatis’ home run was the lone run scored by San Diego in a five-run loss.
Cole Young (SEA): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Young had a nice game against the Giants, launching his 12th home run of the year and collecting two hits. He also accounted for three of the Mariners’ runs. The 22-year-old infielder is not a big basher, but he doesn’t whiff or strike out, and that’s not a bad profile to have at the bottom of the Mariners lineup.
Jacob Gonzalez (PIT): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
In game one of a doubleheader against Cleveland, the Pirates won 7-1. New Pirate Gonzalez had a solid day, going two-for-four and hitting his third home run of the year (first with the Pirates). Since coming over to Pittsburgh from the South Side of Chicago, Gonzalez is hitting .400 with a 1.400 OPS. Granted, it’s only been five plate appearances, but he’s making a nice first impression on the Bucco faithful.
