Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners
Cal Raleigh went 2 for 5 with two solo home runs on Tuesday. This brought his season total to 19, which is the type of power that is unheard of for a catcher. His 22.5% barrel rate ranks in the 99th percentile, to go along with a .563 xSLG, and 92 mph average exit velocity. If that's not impressive enough, he has also walked at a 14.7% clip that ranks in the top six percent of the league. While his average isn't going to be great, he's going to provide tons of home runs, runs, and RBI at the weakest position in fantasy. If he keeps this up, he could dethrone William Contreras soon as the gold standard among catchers.
Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pirates
Bryan Reynolds went 4 for 4 with a home run, a double, a walk, two runs scored, and three RBI on Tuesday. He has been one of the unluckiest hitters so far this season based on expected stats, and this could be the start of a huge breakout. His .256 xBA and .483 xSLG were miles ahead of his actual .208 BA and .329 SLG entering the night. After the 4 for 4 day, his slash line has risen to .223/.292/.360 with 7 homers on the season. He started slow in April and May of 2024 too, but took off in the summer months. From June 1 on, he slashed .290/.358/.473 the rest of the way. We could be in for a similar trajectory this season, and the buy-low window on him is closing quickly.
Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros
Jose Altuve was perfect at the plate on Tuesday, going 4 for 4 with two home runs, three runs, and three RBI. This is the type of game he needed to break out of an early-season slump, as his slash line jumped from .257/.309/.376 to .272/.321/.417 just from this one game alone. He has eight homers on the year to go along with 27 runs, 21 RBI, and four stolen bases. Still, the underlying metrics aren't looking great for the veteran. His 85.1 mph average exit velocity ranks in the bottom 4 percent of the league, and his 22.2% sweet spot launch angle rate ranks in the bottom one percent. He still has time to turn things around, and we should give him the benefit of the doubt based on his track record. Still, it's safe to say that age is catching up to him, and he may not be the truly elite option we're used to seeing.
Logan Webb, SP, Giants
Logan Webb took home a no-decision on Tuesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out 10 over six innings. This was his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season, raising his strikeout rate to an excellent 27.9% to go along with a 2.82 ERA. He induced 20 whiffs in the night, including 9 on his changeup, which has returned to being a truly elite pitch after a rocky 2024. That level of strikeout upside combined with his 93rd percentile ground ball rate of 57.8% makes it extremely difficult for teams to get a rally going against him. He's once again a top 12 pitcher for fantasy.
Ranger Suarez, SP, Phillies
Ranger Suarez pitched great on Tuesday, tossing six shutout innings while striking out eight against the Braves. He allowed four hits and walked three. This continues his stretch of dominance since returning from the injured list, as this is now his fourth straight quality start. Not including his season debut, where he allowed seven runs to the Diamondbacks, he's allowed only three runs over 26.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. It's a great reminder of how good he can be when everything is working right, as he posted a 3.46 ERA in 2024 after being one of the best pitchers in the majors in the first half of the season.
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