Mike Trout, OF, LAA
Trout hit his second and third homers of the season on Monday evening in Miami. All of his homers have been solo shots, and he hasn't driven in anyone else besides himself, which seems par for the course for the Angels franchise. What's more surprising is that Trout walked for the first time this season in the contest. His current 6.7% BB% and 70.0% Z-Contact% are well below his career marks, while his 40.0% K% is incredibly high. Still, it's hard to complain about the .508 wOBA he totes after four games.
Ronel Blanco, SP, HOU
In his first start of the season, Blanco hurled a no-hitter against the Blue Jays. He fanned seven and walked a pair on the evening. The 30-year-old hasn't been particularly impressive during his Major League career but was mighty impressive in his eighth career start last night. Blanco mixed his pitches evenly, with 31 fastballs, 36 changeups, 34 sliders, and four curveballs. He kept the ball on the ground at a 60.0% clip and produced 20 whiffs for a 34.0% SwStr%. The only blemishes of the evening were two walks to George Springer, one in the first inning and one in the ninth. Blanco barely made the Astros starting rotation out of Spring Training and isn't a lock to stay there, but there's not a much more convincing performance than the one he delivered last night.
Spencer Steer, OF, CIN
Steer hit a Grand Slam in the top of the 10th inning to give the Reds the lead for good in Philly last night. He also doubled and scored earlier in the contest. The homer was his first of the season, but make no mistake, the 26-year-old is off to a torrid start to the 2024 campaign. He has three multi-hit games in four starts and has brought in seven runs. Steer has stayed away from pitches out of the zone this season but hadn't recorded a barrel before last night. In Monday's contest, he recorded three events that topped 95.0 mph and was finally able to get the ball in the air. Steer owned a problematic 22.2% FB% and 5.5-degree launch angle over the first three games.
Christopher Morel, 3B, CHC
Morel kept his hot start to the 2024 campaign going Monday, going 2 for 3 with a run scored. The highlight of his day was a sharp single to left with men on first and second that was misplayed by Nolan Jones and turned into a little league home run. Morel didn't get any statistical credit for the runs scored, but the play sparked the Cubs to a 5-0 victory. The 24-year-old has recorded two hits or a home run in each of the first four games this season. Morel is yet to draw a walk in his 17 plate appearances this season, but he has struck out just once with a tidy 23.3% O-Swing% and 6.0% SwStr%. Morel will be hard-pressed to keep this torrid pace up; however, fantasy owners will be pleased with the .412/.412/.706 triple-slash line he currently totes.
Austin Riley, 3B, ATL
Riley went 2 for 4 with a homer and four RBI in a cold and wet game in Chicago. He hit a three-run home run right after the game came out of a delay in the top of the eighth; the game was then called after the bottom of the inning due to the weather. Riley was slashing .231/.286/.385 with a hefty 42.9 K% and 17.9% SwStr% through the first three games of the season, making Monday's big day all the more welcomed. Along with the lack of contact, Riley had been aggressively pull-oriented over the first three contests, recording a 71.4% Pull% and 0.0 % Oppo%. So it's another encouraging sign that Riley's first home run of the season went out to right-center.
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