What is up party people? We’re now one week into the season so let’s dive into what we’ve learned. Just remember that all we have to go on right now is one hot or cold week, or something in between I guess. Trust your preseason evaluations don’t panic just because a guy you loved during the draft is batting below .200, *cough Nico Hoerner *cough. He will be fine and much much better days are ahead.
Mookie Betts – No surprise that he leads all hitters because he’s really good. He has also played in two more games that most of the league.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr – Not exactly the guy you expect to see listed right after Mookie but he had a good week. He may not be the most exciting fantasy option but should be solid points contributor all season in that lineup.
Connor Joe – Strong first week has seen him doubling his three year average points per game. Could be some value here, but I want to see how the playing time shakes out before I get too excited.
Ke’Bryan Hayes – I had him in the back end of my top 100 and I’m liking what he’s done so far. Power hasn’t shown up in the form of home runs but I love the 3 doubles. Should his grip on the third spot carry on, we should be looking at big things.
Oswaldo Cabrera – Likely went for a significant amount of FAAB in weekly leagues. I want to like him, I really do, because I think there’s some solid potential. Unfortunately, I just don’t have a good sense of what his playing time will look like. DJ LaMahieu does have a feature in his foot so playing time should be there for the near future. He does strikeout a bit more than you might like but if he’s going to play regularly, I am very interested.
Nick Martini – That’s an A+ name right there and the best Opening Day you could hope for with a pair of bombs. I’m watching him to see if he can hold what looks to be a strong side platoon. If he can do that, he’s in play in deeper leagues.
Maikel Garcia – Did he become a power hitter overnight? With a trio of bombs in only 25 at bats says he just might be. Even if you’re not quite ready to buy into his newfound power stroke, there’s a lot to like about his place as the leadoff hitter. This is one early season performance that looks like it has some really staying power. He’s still available in some leagues, but that won’t last long.
JJ Bleday – Strong start to the season and there’s certainly some potential here. After all, he was considered a high end prospect not too long ago. However, I’ll need to see some real improvement in his batting average or his power. He hit below .200 and only popped 10 bombs. That won’t be enough to earn him regular at bats or a spot in your outfield.
Michael Conforto – Well this is quite the hot start with 3 long balls after only 15 in 2023. Playing time doesn’t look like it will be an issue and he appears to be healthy (knock on wood). Who knows, the Giants may finally have a 30 home run hitter again.
Jarren Duran – Speed may be his calling card but there’s more value here if he can keep his average up. Surprisingly, he has yet to record an extra base hit but he has shown off his legs with 6 steals.
Luis Arraez – So far it hasn’t been pretty, as will happen with a contact guy who is only hitting .185. Tough to see but he hit .350 last season so don’t even think about panicking.
Steven Kwan – Early returns are looking good. Batting average is high and he’s scoring runs. Throw a little bit of power and speed in there and he’s doing everything you want him to.
Jung Hoo Lee – As expected his first week in the MLB has been a bit of a mixed bag, mostly with his strikeouts (4 in 28 at bats). I have full confidence that he will cut those down as he settles in and that batting average will make it’s way north of .300.
As always find me here or on X for all your fantasy needs.
4 k’s in 28 at bats = 86% contact rate for JH Lee. You’re concerned about that?
Not at all, I just think he can be even better