Corners Report: First Half Slumpers, Second Half Value Pumpers?

Yeah yeah yeah, of course we’re technically over half the season, I don’t care. After the All-Star break is the second half. The stretch run, if you will. Time to prepare to make that final push.

Season long stats can lag at this point, so with that in mind, let’s give everyone a fresh start. These guys may have been slumpers in the first half. Can they be value pumpers in the second?

Remember at this point we’re not trying to win the season stat war. We’re looking for who has the most value for two months and change. With that in mind, let’s dive in.

MANNY MACHADO

Current stats: .198 with 19 HR,

The power is already here, with seven home runs in the last month. As you can see, his batting average has been lagging. In his last 30, though, he’s achieved a .942 OPS, ranking 22 overall. Not just at the position, overall, like, the entire player pool.

VERDICT: Pumper, he’s been the guy you drafted for 30 days now. There’s no reason to move off the guy, and he’s a third round value going forward, just like you drafted him to be.

In a league, I was offered Gunnar Henderson for him, and I declined in like two seconds. Manny was just a blip, for now, and Gunnar looks shot (get it?) I wrote a whole paragraph just to type out that banger.

ALEX BREGMAN

Current stats: .239 AVG, .336 OBP, 10 HR

No, the Leggy Breggy hasn’t been hitting for power, except for over the weekend he got a couple. A notorious pull hitter moving to a non pull-friendly park, it was predictable to see the power numbers dip. Our projections have him finishing with a .245 16 HR, 74 R, and 69 RBI. See, the idea, Alex, is to do something else besides hitting dingers, right?

The at bats LOOK fine, and he’s got a good approach at the plate. His defense keeps him on the field, which helps. But really, only his contract keeps him hitting in the middle of the order. The quality of contact is weak for that spot, and that’s hard to get back in your 30s.

VERDICT: Slumper. Bregman has not had a huge second half since 2023, and he’s not showing signs of one at this point. This might be what he is, which is eerily similar to the next guy……

CALEB DURBIN

Current Stats: .233 with 9 HR

But his last 30 days show a .337 with 6 HR and a .995 OPS. What in the name of  Bill Mueller is going on at the hot corner in Boston? Durbin was bad, went to the minors, hurt his finger, and now is doing whatever it is he’s doing. By that I mean only swinging at good pitches and making solid contact, if not elite metrics on contact. He’s a professional bat, and with the Sox being red hot, he’s right in the middle of it,

VERDICT: Pumper. He seems settled in his new digs finally, and that plate approach gives him a unique profile in baseball. The power isn’t real, but he has real batting average juice and should be considered sadge going forward.

Durbin can also play second, and if you can plug him in the MI or CI slots you have a great connective player. 

AUSTIN RILEY

Current stats: Can’t get myself to post them. You don’t wanna know.

Riley has hit three dingers since the break. They were all against the Mets. I can’t assign value to success against Mets pitching.

VERDICT: Pumper? You do you here, but he has had great second halves seemingly out of nowhere just two years ago. If you’re needing to make up ground, that’s the time to get Riley. Not if you’re protecting a lead, if that makes sense. The guy is a dumperpumper!