Seiya Later, Gator
Seiya Suzuki (CHC): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Seiya Suzuki didn’t exactly have the most ideal start to 2026.
First, due to a right knee sprain suffered on March 14th in the World Baseball Classic, he started the season on the IL. As a result, he’s only had 96 plate appearances this season.
However, even though he dealt with an injury to begin the year, Suzuki has been on fire since returning to the field for the Cubs.
In 22 games, Suzuki is hitting .321 with a .985 OPS. He also has six home runs, 16 runs scored, and 13 RBI. On Monday, in a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds, Suzuki went two-for-three with a three-run home run off Cincinnati starting pitcher Chase Petty.
It’s been another banner year for Suzuki in terms of his Statcast profile. He ranks in the 100th percentile in LA Sweet-Spot percentage. His hard-hit rate ranks in the 75th percentile, and his average exit velocity ranks in the 69th percentile. Lastly, he has maintained his solid plate discipline, with a chase rate that ranks in the 88th percentile.
It will be tough, due to his injury, for Suzuki to match his 32-home run mark from a season ago. That said, the 31-year-old Japanese outfielder is doing all he can to make a push toward matching that 2025 total this season.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Monday
Aaron Judge (NYY): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
The Yankees blasted the Orioles 12-1 in honor of the late John Sterling, who was the Yankees’ long-time play-by-play man. Judge was the main catalyst for the Yankees’ offense, with two hits, a home run, and four RBI. The .272 average is a bit down, but the annual MVP candidate has 14 home runs and is posting a 1.057 OPS.
Jarren Duran (BOS): 3-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, SB.
It’s been a brutal start for the Red Sox outfielder, who was the center of trade talks this offseason. Even though he is hitting .203 with a .607 OPS, Duran had three hits on Monday from the leadoff spot, which included his fourth home run of the year. He also stole his 6th base of the year. After hitting .172 with a .464 OPS in April, Duran is hitting .389 with a 1.310 OPS in May.
Alex Freeland (LAD): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
It’s been a solid start for the Dodgers’ rookie infielder. On Monday, he had three hits and launched his second home run of the year. That matches his total from his 97-plate appearance sample in 2025. He is also hitting .256 with a .688 OPS, which is much better than the .190 average and .602 OPS a season ago. Expectations aren’t super high, especially since he’s been the nine-hole hitter when in the lineup. However, he’s showing some life with the bat, which is a nice benefit with his stellar defense.
Munetaka Murakami (CHW): 3-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Big offensive performances are becoming regular occurrences for Murakami. On Monday in Anaheim, the 26-year-old Japanese slugger had three hits, three runs scored, two RBI, and launched his 14th home run of the year. While the average is mediocre at .240, he has an OBP of .377 and an OPS of .961. The Statcast profile has been insane this year: 97th in average EV, 99th in barrel rate, and 100th in hard-hit rate. Thus, it’s unlikely that Murakami will slow down anytime soon.
Brice Turang (MIL): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The Brewers lost the series opener to the Cardinals in St. Louis. However, they showed some life at the end, with Brice Turang hitting his fifth home run of the year. Once again, Turang is putting up an All-Star campaign with a .304 average and .956 OPS in 144 plate appearances. He also ranks in the 91st percentile in hard-hit rate and 93rd percentile in LA Sweet-Spot percentage. Thus, Turang is not only a shoo-in for an All-Star spot, but he could make his case for a dark-horse NL MVP run.
Bryce Harper (PHI): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI.
The Phillies and Marlins scored only one run combined on Monday. That one run came courtesy of Harper and his solo bomb off Janson Junk, who was solid otherwise. The home run was his seventh of the year, and he’s hitting .271 with an .881 OPS. He’s at the very least on pace to match what he did a season ago, when he hit 27 home runs and posted an average of .261 and an OPS of .844.
Ke’Bryan Hayes (CIN): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
Hayes isn’t a fantasy-relevant player anymore. That said, he was one at an earlier point in his career, so it’s nice to see him show flashes. On Monday, he hit his second home run of the year against the Cubs in Chicago. With a .191 average and .421 OPS in 94 plate appearances, Hayes is a strictly defensive-focused player at this point in his career.
Ryan Vilade (TBR): 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The journeyman outfielder hasn’t done much offensively in his limited MLB career. In 47 career games, he has hit .198 with a .526 OPS. That lackluster performance is a reason why he’s been on five MLB teams since 2021. However, he’s hitting .286 with a .738 OPS in 46 plate appearances with the Rays this year, and on Monday, he hit his first home run of the year. Perhaps Tampa will be a place he sticks?
Bobby Witt Jr. (KCR): 1-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.
Witt had only one hit, but it was a big one: a solo home run off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee, launched 422 feet with an exit velocity of 107.1 MPH. The home run was not just Witt’s third of the year, but it helped spark the Royals’ offense, who were facing a 2-0 deficit at the time of the home run. It was a bit of a slow start for Witt, as he is hitting .278 with a .778 OPS. For anyone else, that’s solid. However, Witt’s an MVP candidate, so more is expected. Thankfully, the power is coming around, as he has three home runs since April 26th after having none from Opening Day until April 25th.
