What is up party people? Teams hungry for points have to be pleased with the recent performance of Jake Burger. He’s flashed some upside before, especially in the power department. After all, he did smack 34 bombs last season. Batting average won’t ever be pretty, but hovering in the .250 range is perfectly acceptable if he’s hitting dingers like he has the past two seasons. With 22 so far, he should come real close to his 2023 total and if he gets hot he could supersize that number.
Jackson Merrill – Took him a bit to find himself and get used to major league pitching but he went bananas in June. July was a down month to be sure but you have to expect that in baseball, especially when it comes to rookies. We’re not that far into August yet but he’s already blowing by his July numbers. Judging by his roster percentage, not too many people panicked and dropped him. Trust the talent and enjoy the ride. The highs will be more than worth the low points.
Jorge Soler – Weeks like this are why the Giants gave him a contract. Why they traded him right before he started to heat up I can’t say, but that’s not really relevant to fantasy. The point is that he’s swinging the bat better lately and now has a better supporting cast. That should boost his numbers.
Zach Neto – There was some buzz when he made the jump to the majors last season but it didn’t quite translate, only batting .225 with 9 home runs. This year things have been much better and he’s closing in on a 20/20 season. I’m surprised by his numbers because in the minors he was a high average, low power guy. Instead, what he’s given us this year is 17 dingers and an average down in the .260ish range. I didn’t see either of those coming and if I’d had to take a bet on either of them before the season, I would have sadly gone with the average. Granted, it was a very small minor league sample size but he didn’t look like a power guy. Now I’m rooting for the 20/20.
Jake McCarthy – Remember when he was a thing? He’s a speed first guy, but you pair that with a .300+ average you have yourself a very nice points league player. Playing time may ultimately end up being his issue but as long as his bat is hot it will be awfully tough for the D-Backs to justify sitting him.
James Wood – Since his call up he has looked very nice. Power, average, and speed have all been on display. There’s a star here and even if he doesn’t get to that level this season I expect him to be very good.
Jackson Chourio – He was my bold prediction to go 40/40. That’s obviously not going to happen unless he goes on a truly historical run (hint, hint) but I did at least call that his power and speed would be even. That’s not a major victory but it’s something. Anyhoo, he, like many prospects, was probably hyped up a bit too much in the preseason. He hasn’t been amazing but he has been pretty darn good. He is a star in the making and I will not be talked out of it. Power, speed, and batting average are all tools in his bag. I like what he can do down the stretch and I will be irrationally obsessed with him next season.
Corbin Carroll – If you drafted him early it has been real rough. Something has been up with him and he clearly has not been the future star we thought he was about to be. If you stuck with him this long, you are very dedicated. The raw talent has started to show itself. He will get better, I refuse to believe otherwise.
Josh Bell – Never a sexy option, he just finds a way to get the job done. I’ll always have a soft spot for him because he is a points league stalwart. He has some pop and he gets on base. What more do you want? It’s a small sample size in the desert but he could be heating up.
Tyler Fitzgerald – The man just keeps hitting. He hits, and he hits and he hits some more. No one knew where this came from, but suddenly he is the best hitter on the team. That’s not really a high bar but he can help you. There’s no reason to think playing time will be an issue because the Giants don’t have anyone better right now.
Jake Cave – Again, not the sexiest option but he has looked good. There is nothing to make you love him but he hasn’t been terrible. I know that’s not a ringing endorsement but he can help your team. Seems to have himself a solid strong-side platoon role at least as long as other options are on the IL. Deep league players will appreciate his services, especially in daily formats.
As always find me here or on X for all your fantasy needs
