Tyler O'Neill, BOS
O'Neill went deep yet again against the Angels on Sunday, tying him with Mookie Betts for the MLB lead with 5 HR's. He has had a sensational start to the season, posting a .357 BA and 1.407 OPS through 9 games. Oddly enough, those 5 dingers are the only 5 RBI O'Neill has this season despite the fact that he's mostly hit in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. Sunday was the first time that O'Neill hit in the #3 hole in the lineup, and if that sticks, he should have all the more chances to rack up counting stats. Obviously, O'Neill will cool off at some point, but he hits the ball hard and should have a chance to reach 30 HR's again if he can stay healthy. The more surprising thing about his hot start is that he has cut his K% to 16.2%; he has never finished a season with a K% below 25%. He has been way more patient than usual here in the early going with a 36.6% Swing% (47.9% career) and he entered Sunday with a microscopic 4.9% SwStr% (15.2% career). We'll see if he keeps that up, but if he does, that would go a long way in helping him improve on the .229 BA that he recorded from 2022-2023.
Ronel Blanco, SP, HOU
After throwing a no-hitter his last time out, Blanco was nearly as good against the Rangers on Sunday, as he allowed just 1 hit in 6 shutout IP, while striking out 4 and walking 4. It has been an unreal start to the season for Blanco, and if he wasn't scooped up in fantasy leagues after last week's historic performance, one would expect that he will be a popular add after this follow up. That said, the advanced metrics don't all love Blanco as he has a mediocre 11:6 K:BB across 15 IP, and an xFIP of 4.48. To his credit though, he seems to be able to avoid hard contact although we'll see if he can do that on a regular basis. It's hard to advise against using Blanco at this point since he clearly has upside, but he may very well turn back into a pumpkin at some point.
Michael Busch, 1B, CHC
Busch went 1-4 with a double and 3 RBI against the Dodgers on Sunday as he continues his solid start to the season. He is currently slashing .296/.375/.481 with a HR and 5 RBI through 9 games. Busch had a rough stint when he played for the Dodgers in 2023, hitting .167 with a 33.3% K% across 27 games, but he has improved his K% to 21.9% so far this season, and that is backed up by an excellent 7.7% SwStr%. He has been hitting the ball hard (91.3 EV) and he has an extremely strong 27.8% LD%, which bodes well for him to continue hitting for a high average. Busch has certainly elevated himself into the mixed league conversation at this point.
James McArthur, RP, KC
McArthur recorded his 2nd save in 3 days against the White Sox on Sunday, pitching a scoreless 9th inning, while allowing one hit and one BB, and striking out 2. It hasn't been a great start to the season for McArthur who allowed at least 1 ER in each of his first 3 appearances, but Will Smith, who opened the season as the Royals closer, has been even worse, and Smith was called on to pitch the 8th inning on Sunday, so it appears that McArthur has taken over the primary closing duties. While his 7.71 ERA for the season is not pretty, McArthur does have a 5:1 K:BB through 4.2 IP and he has yet to allow a HR. He was also very good last season, posting a 2.80 xFIP and 23:2 K:BB across 23.1 IP, so he has the ability to be a successful closer. He probably doesn't have a lot of job security quite yet, but he should be considered the frontrunner for saves out of the Royals pen at the moment.
Lane Thomas, OF, WAS
Thomas went 2-3 with 2 runs and 3 SB's against the Phillies on Sunday, and now has 6 steals for the season. Thomas hasn't hit much this season, as he's batting just .176 without a single extra-base hit after hitting .268 with 67 XBH's in 2023. Thus far, he has actually struck out less than last year and he entered Sunday with a minuscule 5.8% SwStr%, but his BABIP has slipped to .222, despite a strong EV (91.9) and excellent LD% (33.3%). He has also been hitting more fly balls this season (50%), which could theoretically hurt his BA, but should also theoretically help him from a power standpoint. Overall, the batted ball profile suggests that things should turn around for Thomas and he should be a productive fantasy asset in multiple categories.
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