Manny Machado, 3B, SD
Machado combined for 3 HR's and 5 RBI in a doubleheader against the Mariners on Thursday and now has 11 HR's and 27 RBI through 33 games this season. He has been sizzling recently, hitting .531 (17-32) with 6 HR's and 14 RBI over his last 8 games. Despite hitting 32 HR's last season, Machado's first season with the Padres was somewhat of a disappointment as he hit just .256 and drove in 85 runs, his lowest total since 2014. But his Statcast metrics remained well above average, and that continues to be the case this year as his EV and HardHit% both rank around the 70th percentile while he has an xBA of .312 and xSLG of .571. He is also now showing that he can be a superstar offensively even in San Diego, as he is currently hitting .353 with 9 of his 11 HR's playing at home. Those who drafted Machado on a discount this season are reaping the rewards, but don't expect that discount to be available in 2021.
Nicholas Castellanos, OF, CIN
Castellanos had a nice day on Thursday, going a combined 4-7 with a HR, 2 doubles, and 3 RBI across two games of a double header against the Brewers. Castellanos had been slumping a bit hitting just .154 with a 31.7% K% over his last 14 games heading into the double header, and had watching his BA dip to .245 before Thursday's outburst. Castellanos had become a doubles machine in recent seasons, but this year, those have turned to HR's as he now has 10 dingers in 29 games, easily the highest pace of his career. Whether it's related or not, his K% has also soared higher than ever before, and currently sits at 27.4% which explains his low BA. So it's possible that Castellanos has turned himself into a high-power middling-average type of hitter, as opposed to the high average, 20-something HR type of hitter that we've seen the past couple of seasons.
Kevin Gausman, SP, SF
Gausman struck out 6 in 4.2 IP against the Dodgers on Thursday, while allowing 2 ER's on 3 hits and 2 BB's in the contest. It was another high strikeout performance for Gausman who now has an excellent 48:8 K:BB across 35.2 IP this season, but also another outing which didn't significantly help his ERA, which now sits at 4.54. His xFIP is light-years better at 2.95 but he has suffered from a .344 BABIP and 68.3% LOB%. He hasn't been hit particularly hard, so the best bet is that he will continue to pitch well and that his ERA will eventually come down. At least that's what the several teams interesting in trading for Gausman are probably assuming.
Clayton Kershaw, SP, LAD
With co-ace Walker Buehler now on the IL, the Dodgers will need Kershaw to pitch like an ace even more than usual, and he didn't disappoint on Thursday, going 6 shutout IP against the Giants. He only struck out 4 in the outing, but didn't walk a batter, and now has a 1.80 ERA for the season. Some regression will be in order for Kershaw as you can't keep a 100% LOB% forever and his .200 BABIP is even low for him. But he does have an exceptional 33:4 K:BB through 30.0 IP and his xFIP is a shiny 2.66. Entering Thursday, his 15.3% SwStr% was its highest since 2016, and he definitely seems to be pitching better than he has the last couple of seasons when he was still very good. Kershaw remains an ace until further notice.
Kwan-Hyun Kim, SP, STL
Kim allowed just 1 unearned in 6 IP against the Pirates on Thursday to lower his ERA to a miniscule 1.08 ERA for the season. After making one relief appearance earlier in the season, Kim has made 3 starts and allowed just 1 ER in 15.2 IP across that stretch. However, he has only struck out 7 batters through 16.2 IP total, leading to an ugly 5.03 xFIP for the season. He has benefitted from a .189 BABIP this season despite entering Thursday with an 89.9 EV (25th percentile) for the season. Expect significant regression for Kim sooner rather than later.
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