Ryan Mountcastle, 1B (BAL)
Mountcastle continued his strong start to the season, hitting his fifth home run and driving in a pair as the Orioles jumped all over Carlos Rodon en route to a 7-2 win at Camden Yards. Mountcastle was hitless in his previous three games, but the strong performance on Thursday lifted his slash line to .290/.345/.495. Mountcastle has shown steady improvement in a number of categories throughout his career, but his plate discipline has improved each of the past four years. His BB/K rate was 0.25 in 2021. So far in 2024 that rate is up to 0.37. Meanwhile, his quality of contact has always been very good. It all amounts to a batting average that just keeps getting better. Has Mountcastle suffered from the revised dimensions at Camden Yards? Yes, but he is still an excellent hitter that is just touching on his prime.
Nico Hoerner, 2B (CHC)
After stealing 43 bases last year, Hoerner didn't have a stolen base in his first 21 games. However, he has four thefts in his last 10 games, including three in the last two. He doubled his SB total on Thursday with a pair of steals against the Mets. The Cubs ran all over New York, finishing the game with six stolen bases. Hoerner had two walks and a base hit, and since taking over as the leadoff hitter for the Cubs on Apr. 19, Hoerner is hitting .295 with six doubles and four stolen bases. He has only four strikeouts in 64 plate appearances during that stretch. He has shaken off a rough start to the season and solidified his value at the top of the lineup. The home runs aren't there, but the stolen base upside, runs scored and solid batting average should offer plenty of help to fantasy owners.
Gleyber Torres, 2B (NYY)
In his 33rd appearance of the season, Torres finally hit his first home run. The 27-year-old second baseman hit 49 dingers over the past two seasons, but was homerless throughout the month of April. It wasn't a fluke either. Torres' hard-thit rate, barrel rate and average exit velocity are all way down so his expected statistics aren't too different from his actual numbers. In fact, Torres' quality of contact is actually significantly worse over the past couple weeks. For instance, since Apr. 21 he has a 85.1-mph average exit velocity. Although he has always put up worse numbers in April, the long-term concern is that he is pressing (Torres is a free agent after this season and possibly playing for a big contract in the offseason). He should be doing a lot of damage because pitchers are challenging him in the strike zone, but instead, he has a career-high called strike rate at 17 percent. It's easy to attribute a lack of aggressiveness to patience, but it also could be that he's too selective, waiting for the perfect pitch. Meanwhile, he has been pretty horrible against offspeed pitches this season and pitchers are developing plenty of ways to get strikes right now. It's a frustrating time to be a Torres owner, but Thursday's home run could be a sign of busting out.
Kyle Bradish, SP (BAL)
Bradish made his season debut on Thursday, after missing more than a month of the season with a UCL sprain. What initially looked like it could lead to major reconstructive surgery turned out to be a relatively quick recovery, and Bradish looked pretty good in his return. The 27-year-old threw 84 pitches, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out five batters.It wasn't an easy task debuting against the Yankees' stout lineup, but Bradish relied on his high-velocity sinker/slider combo to generate a total of nine swinging strikes. Bradish was one of 2023's breakout stars, finishing with a 12-7 record and 2.83 ERA. He showcased above-average strikeout potential and a knack for generating ground balls. That should continue this season, as long as he can avoid giving up too many walks. Those who stashed Bradish should feel pretty good about reinserting him into their active lineups, and if he's available on the waiver wire, he deserves an aggressive claim.
Mike Yastrzemski, OF (SF)
After an ugly start to the season, Yastrzemski is playing better lately. He hit his third home run on Thursday and since Apr. 18 he is hitting .379 with three homers. His average exit velocity during that stretch is over 93 miles per hour. The Giants have never really given him the opportunity to get meaningful at-bats against lefties, even though his career numbers aren't that bad. That continues to be the case this year, evidenced by San Francisco's decision to pinch hit for him in 7th against a lefty reliever. Instead of the hot-hitting Yaz, the Giants went with Austin Slater, who struck out and is now hitting .100 on the season. Does it make sense to you? It does not to me.
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