Parker Messick, SP, Guardians
Parker Messick almost made history on Thursday, as he was no-hitting the Orioles through eight dominant innings. Unfortunately, he allowed two hits to start the ninth frame that ended up scoring, so he ended up allowing two runs on two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over eight innings. Still, this was now the fourth straight great start by the youngster, who has allowed only three runs over 25.2 innings to begin the year. On top of that, he's posted a respectable 26.8% strikeout rate, which is up two points from last year. He's avoided hard contact with a 28.9% hard-hit rate, and keeps hitters guessing with a 91st percentile chase rate of 37%. This looks like a legitimate breakout, and Messick may end up being the best starting pitcher value of the season, considering he wasn't even drafted in some leagues.
Mike Trout, OF, Angels
Mike Trout continued his return to excellence on Thursday, going 1-for-2 with a homer, three walks, three runs, and an RBI. It was his fourth straight game with at least one home run, and he's now slashing .246/.416/.594 with 21 runs, 7 home runs, 16 RBI, and 2 steals to go along with 18 walks and 18 strikeouts. That works out to a 20.2% walk and a strikeout rate, which are marks he hasn't posted since he was still the best hitter in baseball pre-2020. His .486 xwOBA, .746 xSLG, and 28.6% barrel rate all rank in the 100th percentile, and it really does look like he's back to being an elite fantasy option. The only remaining hurdle for the star is staying healthy, but the 130 games he played last year are a good sign.
Mason Miller, RP, Padres
Mason Miller could be on his way to one of the best seasons by a relief pitcher in major league history. He recorded his sixth save of the season on Thursday against the Mariners, once again striking out all three batters he faced. This was the fifth time out of nine appearances that he has struck out every batter he has faced, and he still has a 0.00 ERA on the season with a ridiculous 76.6% strikeout rate. If that isn't crazy enough, he has a FIP of -1.45 and an xFIP of -1.00. Yes, you read that right, those are negative numbers. Miller has been so dominant this season that he is literally breaking the stats used to measure him, making us sit here and try to wrap our heads around how a FIP can be below 0. He is by far the best reliever in fantasy, and probably should have been drafted even earlier than he was this offseason.
Jo Adell, OF, Angels
Jo Adell had a great day at the plate on Thursday, going 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk, 3 runs, and 4 RBI. This brought his slash line up to an impressive .309/.349/.432 with 11 runs, 3 home runs, 12 RBI, and one steal. Most impressive is the elite batting average, which is most likely due to his strikeout rate dropping from 26.4% last year to 17.4% this year. That is a massive difference, and some of it is likely due to small sample variance, but it's looking like we'll see some new and improved plate discipline from the slugger in 2026. The increased contact should allow for his power to shine through even more, as he features a 76.9 mph bat speed that ranks in the 98th percentile. His barrel rate is lagging behind at 4.8% this season due to some suboptimal launch angles, but I expect the homers to come around eventually, as it's the most proven skill Adell has shown throughout his career.
Oneil Cruz, OF, Pirates
Oneil Cruz had another good game on Thursday, going 2-for-5 with a double, a run, an RBI, and two stolen bases. On the season, he is slashing .316/.381/.566 15 runs, 5 home runs, 17 RBI, and 9 steals. He is once again looking like a fantasy superstar, posting a 94.4 mph average exit velocity (100th percentile), 63.0% hard-hit rate (99th percentile), and 19.6% barrel rate (94th percentile). He offers top-tier power and speed, although expect regression related to his batting average. He is still striking out at a 31% clip and whiffing at a 34% rate, which are similar to his stats last year when he ended up with a .200 batting average. This will lead to him being a pretty streaky player overall, but if he can run hot for longer than he did last year, he has the potential to be a first-round caliber fantasy talent.
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