Yandy Diaz-Rays-1B
Yandy Diaz was 1-2 with a run scored against the Orioles before leaving early with a groin injury. Diaz has had a monster second half (.329 AVG with 11 HR, 35 R, 30 RBI, and 0 SB in 238 PA). This season, he is hitting .302 with 25 HR, 79 R, 83 RBI, and 3 SB. Diaz has set a career-high in home runs, but his outlook moving forward hasn't changed. There has been no change in his fly ball rate (28% FB), and he has always hit the ball hard (8% Barrels and 52% Hardhit). The only difference this season has been a career-high 18% HR/FB, which can mostly be attributed to his new "home" park, where he hit 18 of his 25 home runs. The concern for 2026 is that the Rays are expected to be back playing at Tropicana Field, which puts a damper on his power projection.
Nick Lodolo-Reds-SP
Nick Lodolo went 6.1 IP and gave up 0 ER on 2 H, 1 BB, and 12 K's against the Pirates. He finishes the regular season 9-8 with a 3.30 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 24% K, and 5% BB. In his previous three seasons, Lodolo underperformed his advanced metrics. This year, everything fell in place (3.65 SIERA). His BABIP (.276) normalized, and he improved his home/road splits. Pitching in Great American Ballpark is difficult, but Lodolo was able to bring his ERA at home down from 6.09 in 2024 to 4.36 while still dominating on the road (2.74 ERA). There is going to be more variance from season to season based on his home park, but the skills are good enough for him to be a quality starter. He misses enough bats (24% K and 12% SwStr) and has excellent control 5% BB).
Freddie Freeman-Dodgers-1B
Freddie Freeman was 2-3 with 2 HR (23), 2 R, and 3 RBI against the Diamondbacks. For someone who has had to do a ton of prehab for his ankle just to play on a nightly basis, he has had a strong season. Freeman is hitting .293 AVG with 23 HR, 80 R, 88 RBI, and 6 SB. His ankle/foot must be feeling better in the second half because he has had five stolen bases compared to just one in the first half. Freemnas has hit the ball hard (10% Barrels and 45% Hardhit) but has seen his strikeout rate go from 16% last year to 21% this year. Unfortunately, this has also followed an increase in his swinging strike rate (14% SwStr) and O-swing% (33%). This is not surprising for someone who is in their age-36 season. The days of being an elite hitter are gone, but that doesn't mean that he can't still have value.
Royce Lewis-Twins-3B
Royce Lewis was 2-4 with a strikeout against the Rangers. Lewis hasn't hit for average in the second half (.252 AVG), but he has been a power/speed threat with 11 HR/12 SB. This year, he is hitting .241 with 13 HR, 36 R, 52 RBI, and 12 SB in 392 PA. His underlying skills are better than his overall line suggests (20% K, 9% Barrels, and 41% Hardhit). He has been hurt by a .260 BABIP. The 12 SB in the second half have been a major surprise, given he had 6 in his previous three seasons. Heading into 2026, it is going to be hard to value Lewis because he hasn't proven to stay healthy, and we can't be sure that he continues stealing bases like he has in the second half. A .250 hitter with 25 HR/15 SB has a ton of value, but Lewis getting to that will take a career year.
Elly De La Cruz-Reds-SS
Elly De La Cruz was 0-4 with a strikeout against the Pirates. De La Cruz is hitting .266 with 21 HR, 101 R, 85 RBI, and 36 SB. He has provided a five-category production and has currently earned the 13th most value of any hitter. Despite all of this, many have viewed his season as somewhat of a disappointment. De La Cruz has not taken a step forward in the power department like many expected. He has hit fewer home runs and ISO (.176). He has also gone from 67 SB to 36 SB in the same number of plate appearances. With all that being said, he improved his strikeout rate (31% to 26%) while still making hard contact (10% Barrels and 44% Hardhit). A healthier 2026 should lead to more stolen bases, and there is always the chance that he starts to hit more fly balls (51% GB) and his power blossoms. He is still going to be one of the first players drafted in 2026, and for good reason.
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