Agustin Ramirez (C- Marlins)
Ramirez went 3-4 with his 8th home run of the season; he was lifted late in the game for a pinch runner. Ramirez has tapered off a bit since his torrid start but it is still impressive as a Rookie he has drawn walks at a 8% clip with just a 15% K rate. Fantasy owners will probably ride the ups and downs in his Rookie season this year but a 114.7 max exit velo is one of the higher marks and Ramirez is a bonafide keeper in dynasty leagues as I would expect him to keep grinding this year to have a huge 2026.
Edward Cabrera (SP - Marlins)
Cabrera lasted just 4 innings Friday allowing 3 runs (1 ER) while striking out 5. A wild pitch a few walks and a fielding error made him work a bit harder then he had to to get through 4 innings. After posting a 7.23 ERA over 4 starts in April, Cabrera was much better in May posting a 2.00 ERA over 5 starts. This included 15 Ks over his last two starts covering 11.1 shutout Innings. Part of Cabrera's resurgence has been limiting walks. Cabrera is signed through 2025 and arbitration Eligible next year but it will be interesting to see if the Marlins trade him if his value rises.
Xavier Edwards (2B/SS - Marlins)
Edward's went 0-2 before being ejected from Fridays game after being called out for batters interference. Edwards missed two weeks due to injury but came back going a blistering 5-5 Sunday and has since picked up 2 more hits in 7 at bats. Edwards burst onto the scene last year hitting .328 while stealing 31 bags in 35 attempts. He has hit a solid .283 so far this year and while he has stolen 11 bases he has already been caught 4 times. Edwards won't hit for much power as his 30% hard hit rate is one of the lower ones in the league but solid plate discipline and good bat-to-ball skills make him a good choice if you need to balance out some lower batting averages on your team. The other important note here is the Marlins announced they are looking to move Edwards at 2B more than SS going forward which I love for his additional versatility.
Jonathan Aranda (1B - Rays)
Aranda went 2-4 with a pair of RBIs Friday. After 3 years of sporadic playing time and some back-and-forth between AAA and the big leagues, Aranda has taken a starting spot and ran with it. He has been mashing balls with a 54.5% hard hit rate and his xba of .294 and xslug of .400 are strong numbers as well. A 11% walk rate is strong as well as he is pairing well with Tampas other young slugger Junior Caminero. Aranda has seen his power progress as he advanced through the minors as well, with him hitting 25 homers in 2023 at AAA as his career high. He offers prototypical power with little speed from the first base position.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B/3B/OF - Yankees)
Chisholm Jr. went 3-5 with his 9th homer of he season Friday night. He drove in 4 runs. Slotting in at third base again he racked up his 3rd multi hit game in 4 games since being reinstated from the IL and has raised his average 42 points in that span. Fantasy owners are hoping the vets tough start is behind him as a 30% K rate and .23 babip are partially to blame here. He has always been a bit of a free swinger in his career so the 11% walk rate is actually great to see and should help him nab more steals. With eligibility at 2B, 3B and in some leagues OF as a carry over from last season Jazz is the perfect player to rotate around on your off days. Even with the injury he has 9 home runs and 7 stolen bases and should be able to crack the 20/20 club for the second year in a row.
