Oneil Cruz
Cruz went 3-5 with two doubles on Tuesday, but more notably hit two baseballs over 120 EV, the first time that has ever been recorded in a single game by a single player in tracking history. In fact, he hit three balls over 115, which also had never been done by the same player in the same game. Unfortunately, while impressive, Cruz has not been able to do any of this on a consistent basis. His bat speed is second in the bigs behind Giancarlo Stanton. Combine that with his frame, and the power is limitless. Cruz is an absolute free swinger with little to no approach (33.9% K, 32.7% Whiff) and it certainly holds him back. Even his 23rd Percentile Sweet-Spot% leaves a ton to be desired. He hits the ball hard, but rarely does he find flush contact.
Other Notes...
Garrett Crochet
Crochet tossed a gem on Tuesday, going six shutout while punching out four and walking only one. He only allowed four hard hit balls and collected a respectable 29% CSW. This is his third shutout start in a row, and he's only allowed one run in all of May. More impressively, he's walked only four while striking out 21 in those last three starts. The end of April was rough, but I told you to stick with him. Congratulations if you did, Crochet is a stud who throws hard, throws strikes, and can start.
Emmanuel Clase
Clase has been nothing short of stellar this season, and he showed his prowess as a closer by shutting the door on the Mets in a one-run game on Tuesday. His 1.55 FIP is sixth amongst relievers and he's right in the mix for leading the bigs in saves. Under the hood, his .36 ERA is optimistic, as xFIP (2.30) and xERA (2.36) suggest he is still really great, but not quite Mason Miller. I expect some slight regression, but overall Clase is still one of the most valuable closers in fantasy.
Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa
Buxton and Correa combined to go 3-8 with three runs, a triple, two homers (by Buxton) and 3 RBI. Correa officially crossed the .800 OPS bar after a slump in late April, and has gotten on base via hit or walk in twelve games in a row. His contact has been some of the most flush in baseball (46.3% Sweet Spot, 98th Percentile), and we know he's performed in the past. He's on a close watch list for me. Buxton on the other hand is firmly not on the fantasy map. His slash line of .260/.304/.442 may seem respectable, but his .258 xwOBA and .309 xSLG are strong indicators to sell high or jump ship.
Dylan Moore
Moore might not come with name-brand recognition, but he's been a surprisingly good hitter this year. On Tuesday, Moore went 3-4 with two homers and 4 RBI. He does just about everything well enough in the box. He refuses to chase (only 18.7%) and whiffs at a near league-average rate (22.7%), so the slightly higher strikeout rate (24.8%) probably comes from some suboptimal swing decisions (and non-decisions, I guess). This could indicate there is an inherent contact tool. Spectacularly, Moore finds the barrel often (42.5% Sweet Spot, 94th Percentile) and hits the ball hard (46.3%)! Oh, and he's got six stolen bases (21 in 2022). If you're down an infielder, I love Moore as a replacement.
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