Cedric Mullins (OF-BAL) hit for the cycle on Friday, going 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, a homer, three RBIs and two runs against the Pirates. Mullins sparked Baltimore to a 6-3 win with his big day from the leadoff spot, notching the 12th cycle in team history and first since Austin Hays did so last year. Mullins entered Friday with seven doubles, two triples, four homers and 20 singles, so it was only a matter of time before he did all of them in the same game. Friday marked Mullins' first four-hit game of the season and his first time this year with multiple extra-base hits in the same game. His batting average jumped 20 points from .248 to .268 and his OPS shot up to .843 as well. Mullins' most impressive stat this year is his 31 RBIs despite batting mostly leadoff, which is already nearly halfway to his career-high of 64 and puts him on pace for over 100.
Julio Rodriguez (OF-SEA) paced the Mariners' 9-2 win over the Tigers on Friday, going 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs and four RBIs. Rodriguez waited until the ninth to tack on with a two-run homer, but it was still a much-needed big game for the slumping superstar nevertheless. Friday marked Rodriguez's first three-hit game of the season and snapped him out of a 3-for-33 cold spell to open May. His batting average is now only .219 and his OPS is just .691, so his production has been hugely underwhelming so far after his historic rookie campaign last year. Many players endure the sophomore slump, however, so that's likely what is happening here to the 22-year-old. At least he's still helping in the power and speed categories with seven homers and six steals, providing some fantasy value until he turns things around.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (OF-MIA) went 2-for-5 with a solo homer against the Reds on Friday. Chisholm socked a fifth-inning solo shot off Graham Ashcraft in Miami's 7-4 loss to Cincinnati and also singled from the leadoff spot. The game was Chisholm's first multi-hit effort since April 29, breaking him out of a 4-for-33 rut. The long ball was also his first since April 26, ending a 13-game homerless streak. Chisholm hasn't lived up to the hype this year after making his first All-Star team last season, batting just .227 with a .669 OPS. His 11:51 BB/K ratio is definitely cause for concern, especially since he hasn't been getting unlucky on balls in play (.305 BABIP). His six homers and 13 steals have been helpful for fantasy GMs, but he needs to start hitting more consistently to be worth his draft day price. Perhaps the recent move back up to the top of the order will help give him a boost, as he's hit safely in four of five games since the change.
Randy Arozarena (OF-TB) went yard during the Rays' 6-5 loss to the Yankees on Friday, going 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk. Arozarena immediately made his presence felt with a first-inning solo bomb off Gerrit Cole to give Tampa Bay a quick 1-0 lead. He also singled and walked, breaking out of a brief 1-for-10 cold spell. He's now up to 10 homers on the season, putting him halfway to the 20 he hit in both 2021 and 2022. His rate stats are all major improvements, however, especially his .317 batting average. His 16:39 BB/K ratio is a notable improvement and he appears to be coming into his own as a hitter in his third full season. He does need to be more careful on the bases, however, as he's already been caught stealing in four of his seven attempts (most in AL).
Anthony Rizzo (1B-NYY) powered the Yankees to a 6-5 win over the Rays on Friday, going 2-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs on his bobblehead night at Yankee Stadium. Rizzo bookended New York's scoring with a solo shot in the bottom of the first and a two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth, tying the game at first before ultimately giving them the lead. Friday was Rizzo's second multi-homer game of the season and first since April 13. It also ended a streak of just one homer over his last 17 games. Even with less power than usual, Rizzo has still been scalding hot in May, hitting safely in nine of his last 10 games with six multi-hit games during that stretch. Rizzo is now batting a robust .301 with an .887 OPS as he seems to be benefiting from the defensive shift ban. The 33-year-old is as reliable as ever and a strong fantasy option in the middle of New York's lineup.
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