In this space, Scott White will highlight some of the more notable changes to his rest-of-season rankings. You'll find said rankings here and are urged to bookmark them if you haven't already. There's no better resource for gauging player value throughout the long season.
Vladimir Guerrero was the top player in Fantasy in 2021, and at the time, it seemed like he always would be. He was only 22 years old, the son of a Hall of Famer and a former No. 1 overall prospect clearly coming into his own. Why would revert to being a bundle of unrealized potential?
But that's what happened in the two years that followed, only at a much heftier price tag than before. As such, his name became synonymous with frustration. He was overrated, a perennial bust, unable to hold a candle to his old man.
Except he himself was still a young man, having just turned 25 before the start of this season. And wouldn't you know it, the flame on that candle has been rekindled.
First base
- Guerrero has, in fact, climbed to the No. 1 spot at first base in year-to-date production, having done a better job of putting the ball in the air since the start of June en route to 17 home runs during that time. And that's always been his problem -- not so much how hard he hits the ball but where he puts it. So is he my No. 1 first baseman rest of season? Not quite. Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman haven't had much to offer recently, for different reasons, and just like I wouldn't want to redefine a player by his hottest stretch, I wouldn't want to by his coldest stretch either. I've slotted Guerrero between the two (second overall) in Rotisserie leagues and behind both (third overall) in Head-to-head points.
- Michael Toglia has performed at about a 45-homer pace since rejoining the Rockies lineup in early June, and he's actually done most of that damage on the road, too, suggesting he's not simply a product of Coors Field. His strikeout rate limits his upside, but the Statcast readings back up everything he's done so far, which means it's time to take him seriously as a first base option. I've moved him inside the top 20, ahead of Jeimer Candelario and Paul Goldschmidt, and if you'd prefer him to the two ranked just ahead of him, Luis Arraez and Ryan Mountcastle, I wouldn't blame you.
Second base
- Ketel Marte has been the top-performing second baseman for a while now, but it's become such a runaway, opening up a bigger Head-to-Head points gap over No. 2 than at any other position, that I'm almost embarrassed my rankings are only now reflecting it. Marte has shown this kind of potential before, most notably in 2019, but has been such an up-and-down performer over the years that trust is harder to come by. The big question now is how long he can fend off Mookie Betts, who may be back from a fractured wrist as soon as next week.
- As unprecedented as it may be in the modern game, Xavier Edwards' slap-hitting speedster profile has been such a success so far that he's now moved inside my top 20, ahead of season-long underachievers Gleyber Torres and Nolan Gorman. His .387 batting average is of course too good to be true, but even so, he trails only Betts and Marte in Head-to-Head points per game (and Rotisserie is probably his better format).
- For what it's worth, I've also moved the red-hot Luis Garcia past Torres and Gorman, though his upside is limited by his platoon role.
Third base
- If you haven't noticed, Manny Machado looks like Manny Machado again, having entered Tuesday's game batting .322 (46 for 143) with 11 homers and a .976 OPS in his past 36. With that, my insistence on keeping him in the top 10 is not only justified but perhaps even tepid. Then again, third base is hardly lacking in studs. Moving him ahead of Alex Bregman was easy enough, but because I also had to add Jazz Chisholm at third base, Machado hasn't actually gain in numerical rank. Know, though, that his standing has gone up in my eyes, and it's a pretty close call whether I'd prefer him, Chisholm or Royce Lewis the rest of the way.
- With each passing month, Mark Vientos' breakthrough appears more durable, and it's reached the point where I'm now moving him ahead of stalled-out options like Ha-seong Kim, Maikel Garcia, Isaac Paredes and Ryan McMahon, making him the No. 14 player at this deep position. That's about where he ranks in terms of Head-to-Head points per game as well.
Shortstop
- Seeing Willy Adames go 4 for 5 with two home runs Tuesday was enough for me to hold my breath and move him ahead of Oneil Curz and Brice Turang finally. His fundamentals haven't actually changed from a year ago -- he's stolen a few more bases, I guess -- and nobody thought of him as a top-10 shortstop then. But the combination of a better lineup around him and some better batted-ball luck has raised his profile in Fantasy. I still say Cruz is theoretically the better player -- and rest-of-season rankings are supposed to deal in the theoretical -- but I'm not so convinced as to continue fighting the current. Meanwhile, Turang is hitting .183 (19 for 104) since the start of July.
- Jackson Holliday has returned from the minors looking like he intends to stay this time, homering three times in six games while keeping his strikeout rate manageable. It's such a complete reversal from his first stint in April, when major-league pitching absolutely shredded him, that it's hard not to be optimistic, and given that he's in the conversation for best prospect in baseball, I'm willing to roll with him over low-ceiling Nico Hoerner and Zachary Neto types.
- Then again, I've also moved Tyler Fitzgerald ahead of Hoerner and Neto just because, you know, he's hot. The combination of low exit velocities and high strikeouts generally isn't one to bet on, but 11 home runs in an 18-game span demands a certain amount of buy-in just for curiosity's sake.
Catcher
- David Fry and Ben Rice once seemed like cheat codes at catcher given that most of their appearances were coming elsewhere on the diamond, but it turns out they have to hit for it to matter. Both have done next to none of that for long enough that I'm inclined to move them behind anyone else remotely interesting at the position. This week, it's Connor Wong.
- Recent call-ups Adrian Del Castillo and Dillon Dingler debut at 30th and 31st, respectively. They were productive enough in the minors (Del Castillo especially) that I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they became integral to two-catcher leagues, but my default stance on any hitter breaking into the majors right now is pessimism.
Outfield
- Anthony Santander and Brent Rooker both seem fairly one-dimensional as hitters, but they've both delivered on that one dimension regularly enough for me to regard them as out-and-out studs at a weakened position. Santander has climbed into the top 12, past Teoscar Hernandez, and Rooker into the top 20, past Jurickson Profar and Bryan Reynolds in categories leagues (he trails both in points leagues due to his elevated strikeout rate).
- Some have asked me if they can drop Luis Robert, whose surrounding parts are as wretched as ever coming out of the trade deadline, but when I stack him up alongside every other outfielder, it's a difficult case to make. For as much as his batting average has fallen and his run and RBI totals are lacking, his 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases are still awfully impressive for having played only 60 games. I've moved him from 15th to 25th, which puts him behind Tyler O'Neill, Alec Burleson and Seiya Suzuki. As always, you shouldn't redefine a player by his coldest stretch.
- I've mentioned how Michael Toglia and Tyler Fitzgerald have climbed inside my top 20 at first base and shortstop, respectively. They're just outside my top 40 in the outfield, alongside Colton Cowser, who has also been hot. I wouldn't say I'm buying into any of those three fully, but I'm willing to sacrifice a Lourdes Gurriel or Nick Castellanos to see where they go from here.
- As much as it pains me to say it, Jesse Winker's move to the Mets may be the final blow for his Fantasy utility. Not only is he sitting against left-handers, which began during his time with the Nationals, but he's sat against two of the six right-handers the Mets have faced since coming over at the trade deadline. And that's with Starling Marte (bruised knee) not yet back from the IL. Winker is down to 54th for me, which might as well be 74th given the breakdown of the position.
- Some outfielders who've climbed into the visible range of my rankings with this latest update include Jeff McNeil (64th), Austin Hays (65th), Miguel Vargas (75th), Victor Robles (80th), Matt Wallner (81st) and Alex Call (87th).
Starting pitcher
- My concerns over Cole Ragans' recent velocity dip are fairly mild but enough for me to drop him from seventh to 10th in the rankings, behind Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Dylan Cease, who some may have been inclined to rank ahead of him anyway.
- Right behind Ragans is Blake Snell, who I'm not sure was even inside my top 40 prior to the All-Star break. But he's coming off one of the best two-start stretches for any pitcher in history (a 15-strikeout effort followed by a no-hitter) and, more pertinently, has a well-document history of turning a corner midseason and dominating the rest of the way. It's become predictable enough for me to value him like an ace now that I see it happening again.
- Hunter Green has entered the ace conversation as well, moving ahead of stalwarts Luis Castillo, Aaron Nola and Logan Webb to rank 13th at the position. The numbers speak for themselves there.
- I can't put my finger on what's wrong with Zac Gallen, but he just seems off in every way. Presumably, he'll get back on track before the season is done, which is why I'm not so inclined to bury him in the rankings, but 19th is about as low as he's ever been for me.
- Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley and Michael King are three pitchers who've risen from the middling mass to at least masquerade as aces in recent weeks. They rank 22nd, 24th and 26th, respectively.
- Some of the biggest risers from the past week include Hunter Brown (42nd to 33rd), Spencer Schwellenbach (54th to 44th) and Yusei Kikuchi (75th to 51st). Brown has been a reliable starter since about mid-May. Schwellenbach is coming off consecutive double digit-strikeout efforts and has also been one of the best strike-throwers in all the majors. Kikuchi emphasized his changeup in his Astros debut, which served as a reminder of his former potential.
- Other notable risers include Hayden Birdsong (64th), River Ryan (82nd), Sean Manaea (83rd), Alex Cobb (86th), Tyler Mahle (90th), JP Sears (103rd) and David Festa (107th).
- Garrett Crochet continues to plummet with the White Sox limiting him to about 75 pitches per start. As efficient as he's been at times this year, I'd venture to say we haven't seen his last start of five or even six innings, but the reduced margin for error has been justification enough for me to drop him about 30 spots in just a couple weeks' time.
- Kutter Crawford is another early-season standout who's been sinking like a rock, now checking in at 70th. His fly-ball tendencies were an asset early in the season, when the ball wasn't carrying as well, but he's getting killed by home runs now.
Relief pitcher
- Carlos Estevez seemed like an also-ran closer with the Angels, a team that didn't really have any great alternatives for the role, but now that he sits atop the Phillies' bullpen chart, with their stable of able closers, I'm looking at him with fresh eyes. His strike-throwing has gone from poor to near-superhuman this year, giving him a 0.72 WHIP that would be difficult to surpass. And obviously, he projects for more save opportunities moving forward, which is enough for me to move him up to 16th in Rotisserie leagues, past unsteady Clay Holmes, Camilo Doval and David Bednar types.
- The Diamondbacks' bullpen quagmire (which you can read more about here) is still playing out, which requires me to straddle the fence with all the principle characters. The ousted-but-likely-to-return Paul Sewald has dropped from 18th to 30th, which keeps him ahead of dominant quasi-closers Daniel Hudson and Jeff Hoffman and well ahead of possible replacements Ryan Thompson and Justin Martinez. Thompson and Martinez are for now only barely inside the top 40 since it's not clear which one will inherit Sewald's role (presuming either one does).
- It doesn't feel like a giant leap to call Calvin Faucher, Hunter Harvey and Ben Joyce the new closers for the Marlins, Royals and Angels, respectively, but seeing as we're basing it on what's been only one save for each, restraint is warranted. I've moved them ahead of Jason Foley, who clearly isn't the Tigers closer anymore but somehow remains the best bet from that bullpen, but that's as far as I can go with it yet.
