Wyatt Langford (OF - Rangers)
Langford went 2-4 with a home runs and 3 RBIs Thursday. Langford has seen an improvement in his hard hit metrics with increase in exit velocity, max exit velocity and hard hit hard compared to last year but his k rate is up 5% to 25%. He is chasing pitches and missing pitches at a slightly higher rate then a year ago but still has put up a usable fantasy line with 12 home runs and 11 steals as we approach the seasons midway point.
Patrick Corbin (SP- Rangers)
Corbin allowed 3 runs over 5 Innings while striking out 6. While not his best outing the Rangers bats came alive to back him substantially in this one. Corbin, despite taking the ball every turn through the rotation the past few years with the Nationals, was among the league's worst starting pitchers. This year he has turned back the clock and has looked the best he has in seasons. He has been limiting hard hit balls compared to the last few years as his 35% hard hit rate allowed is a 10% increase from last year and the first time since 2019 that mark had been under 40%. His exit velos are also down quite a bit and as a result his 3.66 ERA is his best since 2019. Playing on a cheap 1 year deal, Corbin could be a trade target If the Rangers continue to play near or under .500 ball.
Kodai Senga (SP - Mets)
Senga allowed 1 hit over 5.1 scoreless innings, picking up 5 Ks Thursday afternoon. Senga unfortunetly had to exit the contest early after injuring his hamstring covering first base and subsequently being put on the IL later in the day. After missing most of last year, Senga has put up even better surface numbers then his 2023 season. While his K rate is down about 6% this year from 2023 he has been wildly effective as he has not allowed more then 3 ER in a game this season and should probably have more to show for it then a 6-3 record. This will be a tough injury for the Mets and fantasy owners to overcome as Senga has been among the games best so far this season.
Major League Debut:
Jacob Misiorwski (SP - Brewers)
Misiorowski spun 5 no hit inning in his Major League Debut, striking out 5 and walking 4. The Rookie hit 102 mph in the first inning and looked electric. Sadly in the top of the 6th he took an awkward step after a pitch and appeared to roll his ankle and left the game. This is a not so great ending to what was an amazing start to his career; owners will be hoping it was just precautionary. Standing at 6'7 Misiorowski has gotten the Randy Johnson comparisons and has backed it up wit big time K rates in the minor leagues. He pitched to a 2.13 ERA over 63 innings in AAA this year and allowed just 4 home runs. While the aforementioned K/9 looked good at 11.4 walks have always been an issue and his control will likely dictate if this is a permanent or short term stay in the rotation.
Josh Smith (1B/3B/SS - Rangers)
Smith popped a leadoff HR, his 6th of the season in Fridays game. Smith is following up a solid 2024 where he hit .258 with 13 home runs and 11 steals; he on pace to pass both those marks this year if he stays healthy. Smith doesn't hit the ball particularly hard but has a sub 20% K rate and a 8% walk rate and has been the most frequent leadoff hitter for the Rangers posting a .265 avg hitting in that spot. Smith also has a nice range of positional eligibility as he most likely can be deployed at 1B, SS or 3B depending on your league type; and with 5 games in the OF he could add that to his abilities soon. He should be a good sources of runs and steals going forward with the occasional pop.
