Bo Bichette- SS- TOR- Cold- Bichette went 0-for-4 with a K yesterday and is slashing .208/.264/.307 with 1 homer for the season. His EV of 88.1is down from 90.2 and his HardHit% has also dropped from 44.9% to 37.8%. Bichette's Chase Rate and SwStr% have both improved, which has resulted in a better BB% (6.4% compared to 4.5% in 2023) and K% (down to 15.5% from 19.1%.) His BABIP of .238 is well below his career norm of .344 and that is dragging his average down. The power outage is a concern because Bichette normally starts hot. He finished 2023 with only 5 homers in 199 PAs in the second half, missing time with patellar tendinitis. Bichette had a bout of neck spasms that caused him to miss a game this month, but it hasn't been mentioned as a recurring issue.
Sonny Gray- P- STL- Hot- The Cardinals have gotten everything they wanted from signing Gray at this point. His record is 3-1 in his 4 starts after allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9 in 6 IP yesterday. Gray had only walked 1 batter in his previous 17.1 IP in 2024 so his BB/9 stands at 1.54. His K/9 is an outstanding 12.34. Gray's ERA is at 1.16 while his FIP is 1.45 and xFIP is 2.08. Gray's Chase Rate and SwStr% are at what would be career highs at 33.3% and 12.7%, respectively. We are still in small sample size territory but the early returns look good.
Hunter Greene- P- CIN- Hot- Greene held the Texas offense scoreless for 7 IPs yesterday, allowing 1 hit and a walk while striking out 6. It was his second quality start of the season and 4th of 6 IP or more, with a second consecutive 7 IP outing. With a fastball averaging in the 98-99 mph range his strikeout power has been evident since he came up in 2022. Greene has had some bad luck, with his 4.00 xERA in 2022 and 3.82 in 2023 being below his ERAs of 4.44 and 4.82. Yesterday's outing brought his 2024 ERA down to 3.62. This could be the year Greene's results and metrics come in sync.
Davis Wendzel- 3B- TEX- Rookie- Wendzel slugged his first MLB homer yesterday. He had hit 3 at AAA Round Rock in 43 PAs before being called up. In 2023 Wendzel had 30 homers for Round Rock. He is not a prototypical no glove slugger, as his defense is rated above average. He may get some playing time with Josh Jung still injured and Josh Smith having the versatility to spell some of the Texas hitters who are scuffling in the early part of the season. Or, he could be used as trade bait. Wendzel counts as a deep sleeper.
Jesse Winker- OF- WAS- Hot- Winker has been showing more like what he did when he was with the Reds. He went 2-for-5 with his 3rd homer yesterday and is now slashing .291/.404/.465 for the season. Winker's BABIP of .349 is helping inflate his average. His EV of 87.7 and HardHit% of 36.5% are not at the levels he had with Cincinnati. Winker still has solid plate discipline, with a 12.5% BB% which will help his OBP. Much of his Statcast regression is still reflecting his early season. Winker's HardHit% after April 10 was only 28.0%. The trends are good.
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