Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong had one of the defining moments of his career so far on Monday, hitting for the cycle against the Rockies. He wasted no time, starting the game with a leadoff home run before producing a triple, a double, and a single in his next three at-bats. He tacked on a sac-fly later in the game and ended the night with one run scored and two RBI with his 4-for-4 performance. He's now slashing .277/.351/.493 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases on the season, as he continues to prove himself as an outstanding dual threat. The youngster has posted an 89th percentile hard-hit rate of 49.7% to go along with his 95th percentile sprint speed, and has even increased his xBA from .242 last season to .261 this year. While the poor plate discipline will make him a streaky hitter, you'll probably be very happy with his stats by the end of the season.
Dustin May, SP, Cardinals
Dustin May had the best start of his career against the Padres on Monday, throwing a complete-game shutout. Over the nine shutout innings, he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out nine. For a while, it looked like things might have gone even better for May, who had a no-hitter working until the seventh inning. After a rocky start to the season when he gave up 13 runs through his first two starts, the righty has locked in since, allowing more than three runs in a start only once. This was his second straight scoreless outing, and his ERA now sits at 3.75 with 75 strikeouts and 21 walks in 81.2 innings. While his 47.4% hard-hit rate ranks in just the 7th percentile, batters haven't been able to hit the ball at optimal launch angles, as May has posted a much better barrel rate of 6.7% (60th percentile). While the 28-year-old isn't turning into an ace, it's clear that he's turning himself into a very solid fantasy asset who's worth rostering in all leagues.
Colt Keith, 1B/2B/3B, Tigers
Colt Keith had a monster performance on Monday against the Astros, homering three times and driving in six runs. This was a very uncharacteristic game for the infielder, who had just one home run in 65 games before the night. On the season, he's now slashing .267/.311/.390 with 27 runs, four home runs, 16 RBI, and three steals. Despite an excellent squared-up rate of 33.3% (92nd percentile), his 72.1% bat speed just doesn't give him enough pop to consistently make an impact in the power department. Combine that with playing in a very pitcher-friendly home park, and it's no surprise that Keith isn't making an effort to gear his swing more towards power. With underwhelming power and activity on the base paths, it doesn't leave much room for fantasy relevancy. He also has a poor 5.4% walk rate, which hurts him in points leagues and OBP leagues. His triple-eligibility could be nice to provide some flexibility in very deep roto leagues, but don't expect this three-homer night to be a sign of things to come.
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Nick Kurtz delivered yet another amazing performance on Monday, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, two runs scored, and five RBI. He's now slashing .293/.443/.563 with 51 runs, 18 home runs, 57 RBI, and seven stolen bases. He had a 100th percentile walk rate of 20.6%, and nearly all of his quality of contact metrics are in the top five percent of the league. Despite a 28.4% strikeout rate and .257 xBA, Kurtz is once again defying the odds and hitting close to .300. The same exact thing happened last season, when he hit .290 with a .245 xBA. The longer he does it, the more it appears sustainable, as his freak exit velocities and extremely hitter-friendly home ballpark may just allow him to consistently outperform his expected stats. The good thing is that even if his average does decline, the power alone would make him an elite fantasy option.
MacKenzie Gore, SP, Rangers
MacKenzie Gore was saddled with the loss on Monday against the Twins, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in seven innings while striking out 10. This was his first double-digit strikeout performance of the season, but home runs by Josh Bell and Byron Buxton ultimately did him in. This increased his ERA to 4.27 for the year, and he has 86 strikeouts and 35 walks in 78 innings. There were hopes that Gore could take a step forward with his new team this season, but so far, that hasn't been the case. The one thing you always could rely on from him was strikeouts, but even his strikeout rate has dropped from 27.2% last year to 25.5% this season. His 37.4% ground ball rate and 44.4% hard-hit rate are not a recipe for success, which leads to the home run problem he found himself in today. Gore's upside will always be tantalizing, but it doesn't look like a breakout is coming in 2026.
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