We have made it through another week of the MLB season. We made it to the All-Star Break., Like every other week, there were some awe-inspiring performances. But, as usual, there were some great and rough performances to dig into.
This weekly column will help highlight some hot and cold players, risers, and fallers for fantasy purposes. Some players are already rostered in many places, so trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available, making a potential waiver wire claim in the cards. So this week, I will highlight some known and lesser-known players. Let’s see some of the risers and fallers for fantasy baseball Week 15 (7/3-7/9).
- Weekly Trade Advice
- Weekly Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers
Risers
Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM)
After a slow start to the season, Lindor has been coming to life at the plate. He hit safely in five of six games this past week for a .440 average. Lindor had five extra-base hits, two being home runs, with four stolen bases. He had an impressive 1.380 OPS with a 47.6% hard-hit rate.
Since June 21, Lindor has been hitting .349 with five home runs and six stolen bases while walking 12% of the time with a 14.7% strikeout rate. Lindor looks to be in store for a huge second half.
Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM)
We’ll stick with the Mets and look at their star rookie catcher, Francisco Alvarez. He hit safely in five of six games this past week for a .435 batting average. Alvarez hit four home runs with eight RBI, a .522 ISO, and 1.437 OPS. The catcher was mashing with a 26.7% barrel rate and 66.7% hard-hit rate. Alvarez has 17 home runs in his first 66 games, and a 30+ home run season looks to be in store for him.
Cody Bellinger (1B/CF – CHC)
Bellinger has returned after spending time on the IL and is now locked in at the plate. He hit safely in six of seven games for a .462 batting average with two home runs and a stolen base. Bellinger had a .269 ISO with a 1.248 OPS.
Bellinger also showcased great plate discipline as he walked 10.2% of the time while only striking out 6.9%. The center fielder’s barrel and hard-hit rates were subpar, but the overall production was great and hopefully continues into the second half.
Willy Adames (SS – MIL)
Adames has been underperforming in 2023 but heating up lately especially this week. Adames hit safely in six of seven games with a .310 batting average with seven extra-base hits, including four home runs. Adames had a .515 ISO supported with a 28% barrel rate and 44% hard-hit rate. The shortstop only struck out 15.6% of the time, which was also a nice improvement.
Anthony Santander (OF – BAL)
Santander had a massive 2022 season, but that production has been lacking this year. This past week was a nice improvement as Santander hit safely in six of seven games with a .360 batting average. He hit four doubles and two home runs while only striking out 9.4% of the time.
Santander barreled the ball 18.2% of the time with a 59.1% hard-hit rate as he was locked in at the plate. Santander is now hitting .272 with 16 home runs and is back on pace for a strong 2023 season.
Fallers
Daulton Varsho (C/OF – TOR)
Varsho has 12 home runs and 11 steals on the season, which is excellent for a catcher, but he’s also hitting .212, which is tough to stomach. This past week Varsho only had one single while striking out 26.3% of the time. He did barrel the ball 7.1% of the time with an enormous 71.4% hard-hit rate, but his biggest problem was a 47.5% O-Swing and 68.4% O-Contact. Hopefully, Varsho can work on the plate discipline, benefiting all the main ROTO categories.
Tim Anderson (SS – CWS)
The horrible 2023 season for Anderson hit another low this past week. He collected four hits while hitting .148 while striking out 22.2% of the time without a walk. Anderson did not collect a barrel, only having a 33.3% hard-hit rate.
He had an atrocious 42.9% O-Swing and 62.5% O-Contact, which will permanently ruin any chance of fantasy production. Anderson is only hitting .223 on the season and still has ZERO home runs.
Nick Pratto (1B/OF – KC)
Pratto was having a solid season, but that has slowed down significantly. He played the outfield regularly but is now back to first base full-time, with Vinnie Pasquantino hitting the IL for the season.
This past week Pratto hit .136 with a home run while striking out 54.2% of the time. When Pratto made contact, it was nice with a 20% barrel rate and 60% hard-hit rate, but a 58.2% contact rate and a 19.7% SwStr hindered any chance of great production.
Jarred Kelenic (OF – SEA)
Kelenic was one of the best fantasy producers to start the season, but his production has slowed tremendously. This past week, Kelenic hit .179 with three doubles while striking out 34.5% of the time. Kelenic did have a 50% hard-hit rate, but a 12% SwStr did not allow nearly enough consistent production. Since June 1, Kelenic has been hitting below .200 with one home run, and he will need to start producing quickly to keep his constant playing time.
Mike Tauchman (OF – CHC)
Tauchman has been a positive addition to the Cubs, but that may end soon as the production has slowed. This past week Tauchman hit .136 with a double and a home run while striking out 28% of the time. One of Tauchman’s best features is his OBP skills, but he only walked 8% of the time, which is not good enough when he isn’t collecting hits.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
