There’s been a ton of talk about the sorry state of the corner infield positions. However, there is some good news. When looking at the last seven days player rater, five hitters are either first or third eligible! That’s actually good news! Let’s go through these guys and their outlooks for the rest of the season.
All the rankings mentioned are specifically for the past seven days.
Willson Contreras: 4 overall, 1 at 1B
Contreras has taken well to first base, especially in the last week. The catcher-turned 1B hit two home runs, knocked in eight, and hit .458 in the past seven days. On the season, Contreras is hitting .281, and Razzball projections have him totaling 26 home runs and 82 RBI. He’s good, not great, but a solid play for the rest of the season, provided he doesn’t have an average-destroying slump. Keeping his walk rate at his projected 10% instead of his more recent seven-day stretch of 3% will be key to him keeping this up. Managers who drafted him later are surely happy for now, and should be!
Bo Bichette: 5 overall, 1 at 3B
Here he is, positive news for the beleaguered new Met! However, his hot streak seems a bit shakier. Bichette hit three dingers in the past seven days, carrying his value all the way to fifth in the game. He used an aggressive approach, forgoing walks and adding some strikeouts, but the results were more power. Our projections only call for 16 HR total, 71 RBI, and 77 runs, which are fine if accompanied by a batting average over .300. The hope here is that his low BABIP of .238 rises. Besides one season, he’s had at least a .339 BABIP.
We won’t mention the year the BABIP was .225. That was a no good very bad terrible awful season. And when you look at the stats from this year compared to two seasons ago, they’re identical. I wouldn’t be rushing to get Bichette any time soon.
Casey Schmitt: 6 overall, 2nd at both 1B and 3B
Here’s the clearest sell-high from the group. Schmitt, eligible at both corner spots as well as 2B, had a three home run week. He’s having a nice season so far, batting .296 with 11 home runs while getting consistent playing time for the first time at age 27. Likely, this is his peak. Guys with a 3% walk rate tend to not sustain high batting averages. So what to make of it? Think low end stats, like 20 HR and 60 runs and ribbies. I’m not as bullish on his rest-of-season outlook, but he could be that guy you keep around on your bench and fill in at multiple spots.
Nick Kurtz: 8 overall, 3rd at 1B
Just like predicted, Kurtz is on pace for around 24 home runs and hitting .290 with a .448 OBP. Dude’s making me look foolish, thinking he’d be a high power low batting average guy coming in. Color me skeptical that his 28% K rate keeps the batting average high, and his .422 BABIP will go down. Rudy has him projected for 30 HR with 95 RBI and 100 runs, but only a .259 batting average. Guess what, though? He walks a lot! OBP leagues should rank him as the first 1B for the foreseeable future.
Kelder projects him to hit on the season .275 with 40 HR, for what it’s worth.
Yandy Diaz: 10 overall, 4 at 1B
Dandy Yandy keeps carrying on. Last week he hit .533, and is on pace for a 21 HR, 82 R, 84 RBI season. He probably falls short on the home run numbers, but the rest seems about right. Managers should be thrilled again with his .315/.393/.503 slash on the season, and he continues to be a great fantasy asset. With the average batting average still .248, Diaz’s elite numbers can carry your category.
Not so Hot:
To be fair and balanced, here are some big names struggling the past week. No writeup, just the stats.
Matt Olson: .179, 0 HR, not worried, are you worried? I feel like I should maybe be worried?
Vinnie Pasquantino: 167, 1 HR (nooooooo, we need May Vinnie)
Andrew Vaughn: part-time player, part-time relevance.
Kazuma Okamoto: .083, 14 K in 24 at bats. Okamoto seems to be a streaky player for now
Alex Bregman: I’m a Cub fan. The Cubs stink. I blame Bregman. Read this for even more pessimism.
Anyone else you’ve noticed on a heater or a cold streak? Who do you want to hear about? Hit it in the comments, or on X @theeducator23!
Devers has been on a heater compared to his early season form…not sure it qualifies as a hot streak but he’s been better than dog poop recently.