Matt Chapman (3B-TOR) continued his blistering start to the 2023 campaign with another big day at the plate on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run and two RBIs. Chapman extended his hitting streak to seven games with his first three-hit effort since April 9, lifting his average back up to an AL-leading .384 in the process. He now has 15 doubles as well, which leads MLB and puts him on track for a potentially record-setting season in that category. Six of those two-baggers have come during his seven-game hitting streak, so he's not slowing down in that department, either. While Chapman has benefitted from an unsustainable .469 BABIP entering play on Sunday, he's also been making an absurd amount of hard contact with a 66.2% hard-hit rate and a 96.3 mph average exit velocity coming into Sunday. Those numbers are unsustainable as well, but it's encouraging to see Chapman get off to a hot start coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons. He's also moved up to the cleanup spot after opening the season at seventh in the order, which is an ideal spot batting right behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer.
Cal Raleigh (C-SEA) powered the Mariners to a 10-8 win over the Blue Jays on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with two homers, three runs, four RBIs and a walk. Raleigh came up big for Seattle with a couple of late dingers, belting a two-run shot in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to one before belting a game-winning two-run bomb in the top of the 10th. Raleigh now has four hits -- including three big flies -- over his last three games following his first multi-homer game of the season, giving him five big flies and 18 RBIs through 24 games. After a slow start in the power department, the slugging backstop has started to heat up with five long balls and 13 ribbies over his last 16 games. He does have a whopping 25 strikeouts during that span, however, which will likely keep his average in the low .200s and prevent him from being a true fantasy star behind the plate.
Cody Bellinger (OF-CHC) went 1-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs against the Marlins on Sunday. Bellinger shined during Chicago's 4-3 loss, swatting a game-tying solo shot in the top of the sixth inning. The long ball was his seventh of the season and his second in as many days. The former MVP has caught fire after a slow start with the Cubs, bashing six dingers with 12 RBIs, 19 runs, five doubles and a .361 batting average over his last 16 games. The big key for his resurgence has been cutting down on his strikeouts, as his whiff rate is at a career-best 16.2% after rising above 26% in each of the past two seasons. He's forming a potent duo with Patrick Wisdom in the heart of Chicago's lineup and appears headed for a strong bounce-back campaign at age 27 if he can stay healthy and keep his K's down.
Chris Sale (SP-BOS) bounced back with a strong effort against the Guardians on Sunday, yielding just one run and three hits with no walks and five strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Sale finished his rocky April on a high note at home, stepping up on a wet, dreary spring day at Fenway Park to give Boston the series win over Cleveland. After missing most of the past three years with injuries, the 34-year-old lefty has shown signs of turning things around with two quality starts in his last three outings. He hasn't allowed any home runs during that time and now owns a 35:10 K/BB ratio in 29 1/3 innings this season. While his stuff isn't as electric as it once was, Sale still has the potential to be an above-average starter if he stays healthy and gets his groove back after so much time off. He draws a tough road start against the red-hot Phillies in his next outing, however, so fantasy GMs may want to think twice before deploying him as a high-risk, high-reward option there.
Jorge Mateo (SS-BAL) stayed hot with another long ball on Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a solo homer against the Tigers. Mateo helped Baltimore to 5-3 win over Detroit, tacking on a key insurance run with his solo shot in the top of the ninth. The long ball was his sixth of the season and his third in his last five games, extending his hitting streak to seven games in the process. Mateo has now hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, finishing April with an impressive .347 batting average. Mateo's BABIP was .359 entering play on Sunday, so fantasy GMs should expect some regression in that area. Still, it's notable that his plate discipline is much improved this year, as his 7.2 BB% is the highest of his career while his 14.5 K% is by far the lowest. He only has 83 PAs so far, but it's been an encouraging start nevertheless for the 27-year-old, who also has 10 steals to go along with his six dingers. Fantasy GMs may be tempted to sell high on him, but he's shown real progress and is probably worth holding onto.
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