Bryan Woo, SP (SEA)
Woo and the Mariners were absolutely dominant at Yankee Stadium. Until they weren't. Woo no-hit the Yankees through seven innings and entered the 8th inning with a 5-0 lead. He quickly gave up two singles to lead off the inning and then his first run on a sacrifice fly. He was charged another run when the bullpen gave up two more runs in the inning. The Mariners would eventually blow the lead in the 9th and lose the game in the 10th, erasing what was truly a magnificent performance by the 25-year-old breakout starter. Woo featured a little extra velocity on his 4-seam fastball, nearly touching 99 miles-per-hour, and he just kept hammering the strike zone with the heater. He threw 76 4-seamers, getting 10 swinging strikes. Woo is on quite a stretch. After allowing the two earned runs on Thursday, he has now allowed only four earned runs in 32.1 innings over his past five starts. He has 37 strikeouts during that run. He is headed to Atlanta next week for the All-Star game and would be a considered a fantasy All-Star for all who roster him.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF (CHC)
The first 20/20 player of the season is now the first 25/25 player. Crow-Armstrong hit two more home runs on Thursday in a 8-1 Cubs rout at Minnesota. The breakout sensation was 3-for-4 with a double, two homers and three RBI's. He also walked. PCA now has 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases while playing elite defense in center field. The 23 year old has completely leaned into the power aspect of his game with a 50% pull rate and 50% flyball rate. It explains why, even though he has a slightly above-average hard-hit rate, his barrel rate is a fantastic 13.5% and he keeps hitting home runs. He needs to improve his plate discipline and eventually ease the power-hungry approach at least just a bit, but there is no one that can complain about the fantasy prowess he is delivering, a surefire first-round pick in 2026.
Nick Lodolo, SP (CIN)
Lodolo bruised to his sixth victory with six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and no walks while striking out four. His pitch mix was about as balanced as ever as the lefthander threw 25 curveballs, 25 4-seam fastballs and 24 changeups. He also mixed in 17 sinkers, but his commitment to a balanced repertoire has been evident all season. His only reliable strikeout pitch is his curveball. He had a 40% CSW rate on Thursday but a 38% whiff rate all season on his curve. Having only one real swing-and-miss pitch has led to a decline in strikeouts overall. However, his walks are also down. With Thursday's walk-less outing, Lodolo has now started six games without allowing a free pass. It's a big reason for his consistency and low 3's ERA. It also makes him startable against any opponent.
Charlie Morton, SP (BAL)
Morton delivered another strong start, holding the high-powered Mets offense to one run on four hits and three walks in six innings. He struck out four. He wasn't able to pick up a win as the Orioles offense didn't wake up until late in the game. It has been a tale of two seasons for the 41 year old. In five starts before being demoted to the bullpen in late April, Morton was 0-5 with a 10.89 ERA. He spent about a month in the bullpen and then was permanently reinserted into the rotation on May 26. Since that roster decision, Morton has started eight games. He is 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA during that span. So what are the changes? During the rough stretch, Morton walked 15 batters in 20.2 innings. In the recent positive run, he has walked 14 batters in 42.1 innings. Before April 21, his LOB% was 55%. Since May 26, it's 81%. He gave up five home runs in the bad streak and two in the good streak. Diving in deeper into how Morton is generating this success, his velocity is up about a mile per hour, but he's actually throwing his fastball less and his curveball way more. He used his curveball 48% of the time on Thursday and his 4-seam fastball 36%. He only threw his cutter twice. His curveball generated a 42% CSW rate. Even at 41 and as his skillset changes, Morton is refining his repertoire and using his 18 years of MLB experience to dominate opposing batters.
Gunnar Henderson, SS (BAL)
The Orioles opted to give Henderson the morning off as he was on the bench to begin Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader, but they needed him late and he delivered. With the Orioles trailing the Mets 1-0 in the 8th, they turned to Henderson and he drove a Ryne Stanek offspeed pitch 400 feet for a three-run home run, his 11th of the year. He stayed hot in Game 2 with three hits, including his 18th double. Henderson is well off the home run pace of 2024, largely due to a 10% decline in HR/FB rate. He is still hitting the ball hard, but it's just not leaving the yard at the same rate. Expect the HR/FB rate to rise in the coming months, which ultimately means more home runs.
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