Schoop There It Is

Jonathan Schoop (DET): 4-4, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.

Jonathan Schoop, who has moved back and forth between second base and first base for the Tigers, has now put forth seven multi-hit performances in his past 12 games, with five of them coming within the last six games. Schoop added three hard-hit balls in his total on the year, bringing his hard-hit rate to 56.1% in that span (23 hard hits out of 41 batted ball events), including the hardest-hit ball of the ballgame coming off the bat at 111.2 mph in the form of his fifth home run of the season in the sixth inning. Schoop tacked on his sixth home run for good measure, as part of a six-run seventh inning for Detroit. In those past 12 games, he has amassed an impressive .435/.500/.891 slash line six home runs, 12 RBI, and 8 runs scored through 51 plate appearances while walking at the same rate as striking out (9.6%).

Let’s see how the other hitters did Friday

Jonathan India (CIN): 2-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.

Jonathan India put up back-to-back two-hit performances between Thursday and Friday and has now spun together a .364/.488/.485 slash over his last 41 plate appearances, while keeping his strikeout rate the same as his walk rate in that time (17.1%). Unfortunately, that span has only seen India collect four RBI and four runs, half of each coming on Friday. If India can continue this stretch and force his way out of the bottom third of the order he may be able to push his way back into fantasy lineups as well.

Nick Madrigal (CWS): 2-4, HR, R, RBI.

Nick Madrigal now has more home runs on the season than he does stolen bases. Not sure many expected to see that coming at any point this year.

Tyler Stephenson (CIN): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.

Don’t look now, but Tyler Stephenson has now played in each of the past 23 straight games for the Reds, starting at either catcher or first base in each of the past 15 games. When volume at the catcher position will do for fantasy teams, especially those with two starting catcher spots in their lineups, finding one that sits in the heart of the order and playing every day is worth looking into, even if they come with a .209/.329/.358 slash in that span of 23 games.

Yasmani Grandal (CWS): 2-2, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.

Yasmani Grandal tacked on two more walks on Friday, bringing his total on the year to 44, leading the American League and doing so with just 151 plate appearances, 83 less than Carlos Santana who is second on the list with 43 walks. Oh, ya, Grandal also threw in two bombs in the game, his eighth and ninth of the season, giving him three in the past two days. Grandall has just 16 hits on the season, but over half of them have left the park, including eight of his last ten. The .154/.400/.433 slash is hard to swallow in most standard leagues, but those that count OBP will take it to the bank all day.

Whit Merrifield (KC): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB.

A combo meal was on the menu for Whit Merrifield as he tacked on his league-leading 17th stolen base of the season Friday while recording just his fifth home run of the year and first homer in over a month’s time. Leading off for the Royals will continue to give Merrifield plenty of opportunities to tack onto his stolen base total as Kansas City has shown their lack of fear to send runners on the base paths, sending runners 7.71% of the time when they have an open base in front of them, rankings them the most aggressive team in the American League.

Mark Canha (OAK): 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.

Mark Canha enjoyed the thin air of Colorado as much as anyone Friday, blasting his 11th home run of the season while scoring his 46th run of the season, which now leads all of baseball. Oakland’s regular leadoff hitter has now gone five for his last 14 at-bats with a pair of walks and six RBI through his past three games.

Sean Murphy (OAK): 3-5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Sean Murphy knew it would be a while before the Athletics got the chance to hit inside Coors Field again, so he took full advantage on Friday, wasting no time in blasting his sixth home run of the season a cool 418 feet in his first at-bat of the game. Though the home run was Murphy’s first since May 14th, the Oakland backstop has been able to move runners along in other ways as of late, recording 10 of his 30 RBI on the season within just the past seven games played.

Martín Maldonado (HOU): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI.

With just his fourth multi-hit performance of the season, Martín Maldonado joined in the hit parade as the Astros enjoyed their first game in Buffalo on Friday. Maldonado just barely cleared the left field wall in the top of the sixth inning, clearing the bases for his first grand slam of the season, for his fourth home run of the year. The hit ball traveled just 349 feet and had an xBA of just .050. Each of Maldonado’s four home runs has come in his four multi-hit performances this year.

Carlos Correa (HOU): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.

Carlos Correa wasn’t left out of the scoring frenzy, blasting two home runs in Buffalo Friday, each traveling barely further than Maldonado’s 349-foot grand slam at 364 and 365 feet respectively. Correa has not reached base in 17 of his last 18 games, assisted by a walk rate of 22% that almost doubles his 12% strikeouts rate in that time. Correa continues to fluctuate between the top and middle of the Astros’ lineup, giving him an opportunity to even out his run and RBI production for his fantasy teams.

Ke’Bryan Hayes (PIT): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

Welcome back Ke’Bryan Hayes. The Pirates’ third baseman made his return to the lineup Thursday and continued to make up for lost time Friday with his second straight two-hit night. Hayes recorded his second home run of the season Friday, taking Cody Poteet 413 feet in the first inning. Hayes is a welcome return to many fantasy lineups and could be a difference-maker through the summer, especially if he can continue with this hot start.