Jo Adell (OF-LAA) continued what appears to be a breakout campaign as he went 1-3 with a solo homer, a walk, and a stolen base against the Rangers on Saturday evening. The 25 year-old former first-round pick seemed to be a bust after showing little in the majors between 2020 and 2023, but he's now batting .250 with 8 homers, 21 RBI, 20 runs scored, and 8 stolen bases across 123 PA in 2024, with a wRC+ of 136. A meh average will likely be a part of his game, but Adell has slashed his strikeout rate to a palatable 24.5% so far this year (33.5% career) while asseminging a solid Statcast profile that includes a 45.5% hard-hit rate, 14% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of nearly 90 mph. With a career-high 74.5% contact rate, career-low 12.5% swinging-strike rate, and lots of loud contact, Adell is a fantasy contributor, with many advanced metrics indicating that his game has truly improved.
Jonny DeLuca (OF-TB) enjoyed another solid day at the plate as he went 1-4 with a 2-run shot and a walk against Toronto on Saturday. The 25 year-old has been productive since getting the call back to the majors earlier this month, as he's now batting .300 with 2 homers, 12 RBI, 6 runs scored, and 3 steals (in 4 tries) through 47 PA, with a robust wRC+ of 177. DeLuca has commanded the plate well with a 15% walk rate against a 10% strikeout rate while making lots of contact (84% contact rate). But it's worth noting that his Statcast profile is pretty underwhelming with a 29% hard-hit rate, 3% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of 86.5 mph.
Jorge Soler (OF-SF) went 3-5 with a pair of 2B, 2 RBI, and a run scored as he batted leadoff against the Rockies on Saturday afternoon. The 32 year-old slugger recently returned from the IL (shoulder) and is looking to pick things up as he's now batting just .219 with 5 homers, 10 RBI, and 16 runs scored through his first 146 PA of the season, with a near-average wRC+ of 103. Soler's strikeout rate is actually down a bit (22.5% in 2024, 26.5% career), but his contact rate (75%) is the same as it was last season, while his swinging-strike rate is up 1% to 12%. Quality of contact has been the biggest issue, as Soler's Statcast profile shows a 38.5% hard-hit rate, 5.5% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of 88.5 mph, all of which are down significantly from his career averages (44.5%, 12.5%, and 91 mph, respectively).
Luis Gil (SP-NYY) dazzled against the White Sox on Saturday afternoon, allowing 1 run on 5 hits and a walk while racking up 14 punchouts over 6 innings of work. The 25 year-old righty fired 65 of his 98 offerings for strikes while keeping the ball in the yard. On the heels of his stellar outing, Gil now owns a 2.39 ERA, 11.4 K/9, 5 BB/9, and 3.63 xFIP through his first nine starts (49 IP) of the season. The control is a concern, but he showed on Saturday that he can perhaps harness it. The swinging-strike rate was a pretty average 10.5% entering Saturday's outing, so it will be interesting to see if he can sustain the swing-and-miss stuff he showed against Chicago. Overall, the gap between the ERA and xFIP does suggest that the ERA should rise going forward, as an 80.5% strand rate, 6.5% HR/FB, and .217 BABIP are all lucky figures. Gil is slated to toe the rubber against the Mariners at home next week and should be started there.
Matt Manning (SP-DET) should be considered as a streamer in standard fantasy leagues and perhaps as a play in DFS on Sunday. The 26 year-old righty has been okay in his four starts so far in 2024, compiling a 4.37 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, and 4.48 xFIP in 22.2 IP. More punchouts could be coming as his swinging-strike rate is currently sitting at a career-best 11.5% while the opposition's contact rate is a career-low 78% and their Statcast profile against Manning isn't anything to write home about (38% hard-hit rate, average exit velocity of 88 mph, and a 6% barrel rate). As always, this call is at least as much about the scheduled opponent, as Manning (who is available in about 84% of CBS leagues and 98% of ESPN leagues) is slated to take on a Diamondbacks lineup that ranks #26 in baseball with a team OPS of just .654 against RHP.
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