Nelson Cruz ranks second in both barrels per plate appearance (12.3%) and average exit velocity (94.2 mph), respectively trailing Yankees sluggers Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge in each category.

This isn’t a case of someone turning a dull season around with one hot streak. The 36-year-old has certainly bolstered his .284/.375/.605 slash line by going deep nine times in his last 12 games. Even before his Herculean hot streak, he batted a strong .279/.367/.554 to little fanfare in the first half.

A laughably underrated fantasy fiend for years, Cruz is on his way to compiling more than 35 home runs for the sixth consecutive season. Nobody in baseball has hit more dingers during that timeframe. The designated hitter has already notched 26 long balls despite missing three weeks with a left wrist strain. Among qualified hitters, he’s also fifth in slugging percentage (.605) and sixth in wRC+ (152) this season. It’s safe to say he’s suffering no ill-effects from that injury.

As alluded to up top, the Statcast metrics like what it sees. His hard-hit exploits have led to a .626 expected slugging (xSLG) and .423 xwOBA. He’s obviously not going to enjoy any more seven-homer weeks, but Cruz certainly isn’t going to crash either.

In addition to his power surge, Cruz has reached base in each of his last 17 games. Unfortunately, he has nevertheless ridden the pine with Minnesota playing under NL rules in Miami. That small drawback is the only one to his eligibility limitations, but managers should have planned accordingly and sat him as well. Underdrafted every year because of his age and lack of position, he delivers the goods every time. Does it really matter that he’s locked into the utility spot? It’s only a problem for someone who also drafted Khris Davis — the worst part of which was helplessly watching Cruz fall rounds later than he should — and Shohei Ohtani.

Once he returns to action later this week, fantasy managers are once again looking at an unheralded top-50 star.

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Marcus Stroman: 56.3% GB Rate
New York Mets: -60 Defensive Runs Saved
Prior to getting traded from the Blue Jays, Stroman struck a 2.96 ERA with the AL’s best ground-ball rate. He joins the NL’s worst defense by a wide margin.

That’s not a great combination.

The 28-year-old was bound for a second-half dip on any team, even if he stayed in Toronto. While he should perform better than his 4.06 xFIP due to his enhanced ability to keep balls in the yard, a 3.53 FIP is a better indicator of his talent. That’s still lower than his career 3.76 ERA. For our purposes, a 19.3% strikeout rate (99 Ks in 124.2 IP) limits his fantasy appeal to that of a sturdy SP4.

It’s not all bad news. At least he gets to flea the AL East and pick up some extra punchouts against pitchers. Perhaps the Mets can even get a tad more respectable on the diamond. One of the biggest culprits for their woeful defense, Amed Rosario was formerly a prospect hyped for his glovework. The 23-year-old is responsible for an abhorrent -15 DRS at the pivotal shortstop spot, but he has settled down after a dreadful start.

The 6-11 Stroman can also seek solace from Jacob deGrom about dominating without the wins. He just can’t count on a change in fortune, as the Mets rank 28th in bullpen ERA (5.27). Unfortunately for them, Stroman won’t fix those glaring fielding and relief weaknesses that make reaching the playoffs a pipe dream despite retaining Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler.

Franmil Reyes: .374 xwOBA
Much was made of Reyes’ Statcast prowess when the actual results didn’t match early in the season. Those who heeded the calls of better days ahead scooped up 27 homers off the waiver wire. However, he’s still just the 50th-ranked outfielder on FantasyPros’ Player Rater because of his .255 average, 46 RBIs, 43 runs, and zero steals.

Could he still reach an extra gear? The Statcast data suggests it’s possible. His xwOBA tops the likes of Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman, and Xander Bogaerts. He resides in MLB’s 95th percentile in hard-hit rate (48.4%) and xSLG (.551).

Although his 92.4-mph average velocity mirrors last year’s mark, Reyes has nonetheless fallen well short of 2018’s .280 batting average. That’s not entirely surprising, as it’s awfully tough to hit so well with a 67% contact rate. Reyes has also happily traded singles for dingers, upping his ISO from .218 to .280 with more fly balls and a higher launch angle. Rather than wanting more, managers should probably accept a potential 40-homer slugger who at least won’t hurt your batting average.

Then again, he’s only 24. Young players develop, and Reyes registered a .360 OBP with more walks (10.7%) and fewer strikeouts (24.0%) in July. Tuesday’s trade also puts him where he belongs: an AL club that can lock him into full-time DH duties. Consider him a poor man’s Cruz.

Jesus Aguilar: 63 wRC+ vs. LHP
Aguilar crushed southpaws to a 144 wRC+ during a breakout 2018. He also mustered a strong 127 wRC+ the previous season as a platoon piece for Milwaukee. This year, however, he has struggled more against the pitchers he’s supposed to exploit. Despite the small sample size (95 PAs), this likely made the Brewers’ decision easier to dump him on the Rays.

It’s hard to envision Tampa Bay deploying him any differently. Nate Lowe is batting .306/.373/.531, so the organization would be fools for sending him back to Triple-A again. Ji-Man Choi has held his end of the bargain in a timeshare against righties, so Aguilar could struggle to receive regular reps for his new squad despite displaying a pulse against all challengers (131 wRC+) in July.

Corey Dickerson: 148 wRC+ vs. RHP
On the other end of an acquired platoon piece, Dickerson had turned an injury-plagued season around by doubling his 2019 tally with two homers Tuesday night. Although he wasn’t clearing many fences, the 30-year-old hit .315/.373/.551 with 18 doubles in 142 plate appearances before getting sent to Philadelphia.

His fortune could change in a hurry. Only three venues have a higher park factor for home runs for left-handed hitters than Citizens Bank Park. Dickerson should replace Adam Haseley in the starting lineup and enjoy a power uptick in an under-achieving, but still dangerous lineup. Rostered in 29% of Yahoo and ESPN leagues on Wednesday, he makes a sneakily solid add in five-outfielder formats.

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