Carlos Correa, SS, MIN
Correa went 2 for 4 with a homer, a double, and four RBI on Monday night in Detroit. After starting August 0 for 15, Correa has collected at least one hit and one RBI in each of the last three games. The 28-year-old's anemic start to the season has been remedied a bit over the past few months but his stats still leave a lot to be desired. Correa has 13 home runs and a .224/.297/.393 triple-slash line in 441 plate appearances this season. Despite owning a career-low 90 wRC+, and .299 wOBA, his plate discipline percentages and HardHit% haven't suffered. Correa is striking out at a 2.3% higher clip than his career average of 20.8% but other than that, there isn't much in his underlying stats to explain his struggles. Last season, Correa caught fire in mid-August, slashing .340/.414/.543 with nine homers and a 174 wRC+ over his last 215 plate appearances. Hopefully, the polarizing shortstop is poised to put on a similar display down the stretch in 2023.
Ryan Jeffers, C, MIN
Jeffers hit a three-run homer on Monday to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Despite not being the Twins' regular backstop, the 26-year-old is amidst a breakout campaign in 2023. He is slashing .291/.386/.508 with nine homers and a .218 ISO in 211 plate appearances. Jeffers' 151 wRC+ and .387 wOBA (tied with Sean Murphy) rank first among catchers with at least 200 PAs this season. With a 12.1% SwStr% and 28.9% K%, he does have the propensity to strike out, but his 10.0% BB% is a career-high. Catchers who can hit for some power while maintaining a decent average are not easy to come by. If Jeffers finishes the 2023 campaign strong, he will likely find himself the Twins' main backstop next season.
Dylan Cease, SP, CHW
Despite a season-high seven walks, Cease was able to navigate the Yankees' lineup unscathed on Monday night. He surrendered just one hit and struck out six across 5.1 innings of work. The control issues aside, this was an encouraging rebound for Cease after he gave up seven runs in 1.2 innings last time out. The 27-year-old is now 5-5 with a 4.42/4.18 ERA/xFIP and 10.69 K/9 in 126.1 innings this season. The numbers aren't terrible, but they are a far cry from those he posted a season ago when he finished second in the AL Cy Young voting. With a career-high 4.20 BB/9, control has given Cease issues for much of the season. Hitters have adjusted and his stuff hasn't been as effective as a result. Cease's 32.2% O-Swing% (-3.3%) and 13.5 SwStr% (-1.5%) in 2023 are both down from 2022 while his Z-Contact% has increased by 3.9%. Additionally, Cease's Hard% is significantly up. Last season, his 25.7% Hard% ranked 6th best in the majors, this season that percentage is 34.3%, which ranks 23rd worst.
Alexis Diaz, RP, CIN
Diaz collected his 33rd save of the season on Monday night. He walked the first two batters he faced but struck out Jesus Sanchez and got Luis Arraez to ground into a game-ending double play to complete the save. The 26-year-old has followed up his stellar rookie campaign in 2022 (1.84 ERA, 11.73 K/9, 63.2 IP) with a similarly impressive 2023 campaign thus far. In 50.0 innings, he owns a 2.34 ERA and 12.96 K/9, while blowing just one save. Diaz's 3.96 BB/9 isn't ideal, but his ability to get strikeouts and limit home runs (.54 HR/9) has helped him avoid much damage. His 33 saves match San Fransisco's Camilo Doval for the most in the majors this season.
Freddy Peralta, SP, MIL
Peralta surrendered one run on one hit and struck out 13 across 7.0 innings of work on Monday night. He gave up a homer to the second batter of the game then sat down the next 20 batters to complete the masterful outing. Peralta has struck out 13 batters in two of his last three outings and has 33 total Ks with two walks in that span. With an 11.14 K/9 and 13.5% SwStr%, the 27-year-old has good stuff, however, his mistakes are being punished. Coming into play Monday, Peralta's 15.3% HR/FB ranked 13th among qualified major league starters, and his current 1.40 HR/9 ranks 19th. If he can somehow figure out how to contain the long ball, Peralta will be a top-end fantasy starter in short order.
This is just a small sample our daily analysis, join our member area for tools that will help you win your fantasy championship. Click here for details: http://www.insiderbaseball.
