Schmitt’s Creek
Casey Schmitt (SFG): 4-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
The San Francisco Giants‘ offense has not been good this year, to put it kindly. They rank 28th in home runs, 29th in OPS, and 30th in OBP and runs scored. Safe to say, it’s not quite the start new manager Tony Vitello imagined when he came over from the University of Tennessee this offseason.
However, one bright spot for the Giants has been Casey Schmitt, who’s become a super utility player capable of playing multiple infield positions (1B, 2B, and 3B eligibility on Yahoo). In 152 plate appearances this year, the 27-year-old San Diego State product has been one of the Giants’ most productive hitters, with a .293 batting average and an .878 OPS. That includes eight home runs, 19 runs scored, 21 RBI, and three stolen bases.
On Saturday, Schmitt had one of his best performances of the season. Against their Northern California rival (for now), he had four hits, including his seventh and eighth home runs of the year. He also scored two runs and collected three RBI in the Giants’ strong outing against the Athletics on Saturday night.
Vitello seems to be a fan of Schmitt and is open to trying him in new positions to ensure that his bat is regularly in the San Francisco lineup. He recently saw some time in left field, albeit for just three innings. Nonetheless, more outfield time could give Schmitt outfield eligibility in fantasy, making him an even more valuable fantasy baseball asset this year.
All signs point to this year being legit. He had 12 home runs and a .706 OPS last year in 348 plate appearances, and Schmitt seems to be on pace to surpass that and then some. His barrel rate of 14.6% ranks in the 85th percentile, and his 48.1% hard-hit rate ranks in the 85th percentile as well. Thus, Schmitt’s power should continue to last throughout the 2026 season, barring injury.
While Oracle Park doesn’t do him any favors (it’s one of the tougher parks for hitters in terms of Park Factors), Schmitt could be a sneaky 20+ HR candidate for fantasy managers who roster him this year.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Keibert Ruiz (WSN): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, SB.
Games like this bring fantasy baseball managers back to the days when Ruiz seemed to be on the cusp of being the next “big impact” fantasy catcher. Three hits, a home run, five RBI, and a stolen base in a single day are welcome, especially from a catcher. However, these kinds of days have not been frequent enough for Ruiz, and his .230 average and .715 OPS this year illustrate that.
Munetaka Murakami (CHW): 2-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB.
It’s one thing for Murakami to hit two bombs in a single game. It’s another thing to do it at Rate Field against the Cubs from up north. The White Sox have played little brother to their northside neighbors for a while now. However, the presence of Murakami, who now has 17 home runs and a .943 OPS, makes the White Sox a team to be followed in Chicago, especially with their record now 23-22.
Angel Martínez (CLE): 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Against Ohio rivals Cincinnati, Martínez had two hits and launched his eighth home run of the year. That’s only three fewer home runs from his mark a season ago in just 153 plate appearances (he had 484 plate appearances last year). Going into this year, Martínez has been known more for his glove than his bat. However, his OPS is .809, 181 points better than a season ago. Thus, Martínez may be a cornerstone for this Guardians offense for years to come.
Bryce Harper (PHI): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
Harper only had one hit on Saturday, but it was a big home run against Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler, one of the prized young pitchers in their organization. Harper’s three-run home run got things going in the top of the first and sucked the energy from Pirates fans at PNC Park. With 11 home runs and a .926 OPS, the 33-year-old slugger seems poised to surpass his 27-homer mark and .844 OPS from a season ago.
Drake Baldwin (ATL): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
A catcher at leadoff? Well, he wasn’t catching tonight (he was at DH), but it makes sense that Atlanta wants him at the top of the lineup, especially with him hitting .304 this year. The decision paid off, as Baldwin had two hits, two RBI, and launched his 13th home run of the year. He has gotten to that mark in 208 plate appearances, which puts him on pace to surpass the 19 home runs he had in 446 plate appearances in 2025. Baldwin is not only a sure-fire All-Star but a dark horse NL MVP candidate.
Jackson Chourio (MIL): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI.
It was a tight game between the Upper Midwest rivals, as the Brewers won 2-1. Chourio’s first home run of the year proved to be key, as he hit his home run in the top of the sixth off Minnesota’s Connor Prielipp that gave the Brewers the lead for good. Chourio missed the start of the year due to an injury suffered in the World Baseball Classic. However, since returning from the IL, he’s hitting .318 with an .862 OPS in 47 plate appearances.
Willson Contreras (BOS): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Not a lot has gone right for the Red Sox this year, as illustrated by their 19-26 record. However, they got some good fortune with a 3-2 win against Atlanta. They were able to pull the game off thanks to a two-run home run by Contreras in the top of the eighth off of Atlanta’s Bryce Elder, who was cruising to that point. The 34-year-old slugger has been as good as advertised since coming over from St. Louis this offseason. He has nine home runs, is hitting .252, and has an .827 OPS in 182 plate appearances.
Nick Castellanos (SDP): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Castellanos seems to do just enough to prove that he is still worthy of a roster spot in San Diego. He only had one hit on Saturday, but it was a big three-run home run in the top of the fourth that helped the Padres get off to a 5-0 lead against the Mariners in Seattle. That was his third home run of the year, but he’s hitting just .205 with a .601 OPS in 93 plate appearances. It seems likely that Castellanos won’t be around for much longer, but at least he’s having some nice moments with the Padres.
Jac Caglianone (KCR): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.
The Royals extended their losing streak to six, but they got a nice glimmer of hope from Caglianone, who had two hits and launched his fifth home run of the season against the rival Cardinals. In 148 plate appearances, the former Florida Gator is hitting .246 with a .743 OPS. He’s making incremental progress, and the batted-ball metrics are among the best in baseball. If he can cut down the whiffs a bit (32% whiff rate), he could finally have the breakout fantasy managers have been waiting for.
