Taylor Ward, OF, LAA
Ward extended his hitting streak to eight games in a big way, going 3 for 5 with a homer and five RBI. The 31-year-old's newly implemented aggressive, pull-centric power approach has started to pay dividends in the past few weeks. Ward saw his average drop to an abysmal .174 on May tenth; since then, he has gone 18 for 49 with six homers and 18 RBI, bringing his average up to .225. In 2025, the 6'0 foot, 200 LB Ward, has posted a career-high 40.7% Pull%, 51.1% FB%, and 16.1% Barrel% while posting a career-low 14.1% LD%. The intention is clear: Ward wants to go deep. Two weeks ago, you would have said that the swing overhaul has been a disaster. Now, however? He boasts a .283 ISO and his 14 homers are just two fewer than Aaron Judge.
Gavin Sheets, 1B, SD
Sheets exploded at the dish on Thursday, going 3 for 5 with a pair of homers and five RBI. After languishing in the south side of Chicago for his first four big league seasons (.230/.295/.385 triple-slash), the 29-year-old is off to a great start with his new team in San Diego. With a 32% Chase%, 27.3% Whiff%, and 27.3% K%, he has been as aggressive as ever, but with a 44.6% LA Sweet-Spot% (98th percentile) and 54.5% HardHit% (94th percentile) he has been more productive than ever. Sheets' plate-discipline percentages aren't dissimilar from his career averages, except for his O-Contact%, which is 12.7% lower than his career 67.1% mark. So, though Sheets is still chasing a lot, he has been chasing because he is fooled rather than because he is swinging at a tough pitch to hit. The result of which is a swing-and-miss rather than a soft contact out. Sheets is slashing .286/.333/.497 with eight homers and a career-high .360 wOBA.
Carlos Rodon, SP, NYY
Rodon tossed 6.0 shutout innings and fanned eight en route to his sixth win of the 2025 campaign. He gave up a pair of hits and walked two in the contest. The 32-year-old saw his ERA drop below 3.00 (2.88), and his 10.98 K/9 ranks 5th amongst qualified major league starters. Rodon has seen marked improvements through his 11 starts this season. He is relying on his off-speed pitches more; his four-seam usage is at 42.1%, which is the lowest it has been since 2016. The change in pitch mix has made Rodon more unpredictable (and effective), which is highlighted by his career-best 57.2% Z-Swing% (65.7% career average). Additionally, Rodon's 13.9% LD% is a career-low, and his 7.1% Barrel% is a massive improvement over his 2023/2024 marks (12.1%/11.0%). The new strategy has also made him more walk-prone (3.56 BB/9), but with the improvements it has created elsewhere, that's a small price to pay.
Nathan Eovaldi, SP, TEX
Eovaldi was fantastic again on Thursday afternoon, holding the Yankees to one run across 6.0 innings in New York. Unfortunately, the Rangers failed to plate a run, and Eovaldi took the L, falling to 4-3 on the season. Still, the 35-year-old has been pitching as well (or better) than he ever has across his 13-year career. He has done so with incredible control, limiting homers (.53 HR/9), and getting ground balls (51.0% GB%). Eovaldi's 1.20 BB/9 ranks 2nd amongst qualified starters, and his 19-pitching run value ranks 1st. However, he gives up his fair share of hard contact (90.2 AVG Exit Velo, 32nd percentile), and his 3.19 xERA and 2.58 xFIP aren't quite as stellar as his 1.60 ERA.
James Wood, OF, WSH
On Thursday, Wood went 2 for 3 with a double, two walks, and three RBI. He is now on a five-game hitting streak in which he is 9 for 17 with five walks and eight RBI. In his second season in the Bigs, the 22-year-old is having a true breakout campaign. He is slashing .291/.389/.545 with 12 homers and a 159 wRC+. With a 13.6% BB%, Wood is already displaying patience at the dish, and with a 57.7% HardHit% and 93.4 AVG Exit Velocity, his ability to crush the ball is undeniable. The sky truly is the limit for this youngster.
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