Julio Rodriguez, OF, Mariners
Julio Rodriguez is finally getting in a groove, going 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBI in Friday's game against the Royals. This makes three homers in the past week, and he is now slashing .262/.333/.400 with four home runs, 16 runs, 16 RBI, and three steals. It's not uncommon to see Rodriguez have a dreadful April, as he has been one of the most consistent slow starters in the league. Every year, it takes until at least May, and sometimes June or July, for the superstar to heat up. It's fitting that this multi-homer day came on May 1st, as this may be the start of his yearly breakout. Nothing about the underlying metrics is too enticing, but after four years of being a fantasy star, it's best to just trust that he will come around at this point.
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Blue Jays
Kazuma Okamoto had one of the best games of his major league career so far on Friday, going 2-for-4 with two homers, a walk, three runs, and three RBI. It brings his total bombs on the year to 7, to go along with a .228/.313/.430 slash line. The average and on-base percentage are much lower than many anticipated, and it's mainly due to his 29.7% strikeout rate. The good news is that he still has an above-average 10.9% walk rate and also has a solid chase rate of 25.4% (70th percentile). Some growing pains can be expected for someone adjusting to the American-style pitching for the first time, and he's still making great quality contact when he does put the ball in play. He possesses a 51.4% hard-hit rate (88th percentile) and 12.5% barrel rate (78th percentile), which suggests even better things are to come once he starts making more contact in general. I'd expect Okamoto to get better as the season progresses, and he could be a must-start third baseman sometime soon.
Ildemaro Vargas, 1B/2B, Diamondbacks
Ildemaro Vargas continued his insane start to the season on Friday, going 4-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. This increased his hitting streak to a whopping 24 games, and he's now slashing .404/.429/.702 on the season with 19 runs, six home runs, and 21 RBI. While he rarely walks, at a rate of just 3.2% (4th percentile), he's posted an 11.6% strikeout rate (93rd percentile) and 16.9% whiff rate (87th percentile), which has allowed him to put the ball in play. However, he's chasing at a suboptimal 38.9% rate, and his hard-hit rate is a mediocre 35%. Is this really a huge breakout for a 34-year-old MLB veteran? My guess is no, and that he's eventually going to come crashing back down to earth. That doesn't mean you can't pick him up and ride the hot streak, but don't expect him to carry your team to a championship.
Yandy Diaz, 1B, Rays
Yandy Diaz went 1-for-2 with a solo homer on Friday before leaving the game with left side tightness. The Rays are considering him day-to-day and are going to see how he feels tomorrow. Hopefully it's nothing serious for the first baseman, who is enjoying another great year so far. He's slashing .333/.422/.504 with 19 runs, 5 home runs, and 21 RBI with 13 walks and 16 strikeouts. His .313 xBA ranks in the 97th percentile, to go along with a 96th percentile 14% whiff rate. His quality of contact metrics is slightly down compared to last year, but his 44.9% hard-hit rate is still solidly above-average. While the lack of huge power is a detriment at the first base position, Diaz is a fantasy standout in points leagues and OBP leagues thanks to his great plate discipline. Many were worried about a drastic decrease in home runs now that the Rays are back at Tropicana Field, but five homers by May 1st suggest otherwise.
Munetaka Murakami, 1B/3B, White Sox
Munetaka Murakami just can't stop hitting homers. He launched another three-run shot on Friday to go along with two walks, bringing his slash line to .239/.383/.584 with 13 home runs, 23 runs, and 26 RBI. He still is striking out at a high clip of 32.6%, but that simply doesn't matter when you hit the ball as hard as Murakami does. His 63.1% hard-hit rate and 21.5% barrel rate all rank close to the top of the league, as does his 96th percentile walk rate of 18.4%. Think of him like prime Joey Gallo with even more walks, and it's clear that he is a must-start fantasy asset. There may be some highs and lows due to the streakiness of strikeout-prone hitters, but with 13 homers already, he's well on his way to a 40-homer year. Especially in points leagues or OBP leagues, which eliminate his biggest weakness of batting average, he has the potential to be a fantasy superstar.
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