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AVG
Luis Arraez, 2B/3B, Twins
Arraez is known for his ability to make contact and put the ball in play, but this week could be a particularly good week for him and the Twins lineup. Minnesota will conclude its series against the Red Sox Monday before starting a three-game series against the Royals. They’ll finish the week with a three-game set against a White Sox rotation missing Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito. Arraez is off to an 8-for-27 start with one home run and has hit leadoff in the absence of Byron Buxton. The 25-year-old infielder could not only boost a batting average this week, but he could be in line to score plenty of runs with it. Arraez is rostered in 20 percent of Yahoo leagues.
HR
Jesús Sánchez, OF, Marlins
Incredibly, Sanchez is still available in 59 percent of Yahoo leagues. He’s off to an incredible start to the season, slashing .343/.361/.657 following a 3-for-6 day Sunday against the Phillies. It was already the fifth multi-hit game for the 24-year-old outfielder. He’s not only hitting the ball, but he’s hitting the ball with authority. Sanchez has a 50 percent hard-hit rate that has led to five extra-base hits, including two homers, two triples, and a double. What might be most encouraging for the young slugger could be that he has struck out only six times. Last season, Sanchez ended the year with eight home runs in September. The Marlins have trusted him as the everyday center fielder and have batted him in the top third of the order. There’s 30-homer upside here with the potential to produce a solid triple-slash by the season’s end. Sanchez is a must-add across all mixed leagues at this point.
RBI
Sean Murphy, C, A’s
It’s not easy to get an advantage at the catcher position if you didn’t spend high draft capital on one of the top options. Rostered in just 33 percent of Yahoo leagues, Murphy could be an addition you’ll want to start all year. The 27-year-old catcher is absolutely smoking the ball in the early going with an incredible 65.2 percent hard-hit rate and a 101.5 mile per hour average exit velocity on fly balls and line drives. Seven of his ten hits have gone for extra bases, including two homers, four doubles, and a tiple. When Murphy isn’t starting at catcher, he’s remained in the lineup as the designated hitter. And he’s hit third or cleanup in every start, leading to eight RBI through ten games.
SB
CJ Abrams, SS, Padres
Abrams made the Opening Day roster after a strong spring despite only 183 plate appearances at the Double-A level last season, completely bypassing Triple-A. The promising 21-year-old prospect was 13-for-15 in stolen base attempts in the minors last season. After three steals in Cactus League action, he’s 1-for-2 on the basepaths this season and has started in each of the last six games for the Padres. And I wouldn’t worry about the .115/.233/.231 slash line. Abrams has struck out only six times through 31 plate appearances. So the hits will start to fall. Rostered in just 28 percent of Yahoo leagues, he should be widely available in mixed leagues for teams needing help in the steals department.
R
Enrique Hernandez, 2B/OF, Red Sox
The leadoff hitter on a stacked Red Sox lineup is rostered in just 38 percent of Yahoo leagues. Despite hitting just .184 through 43 plate appearances, Hernandez has scored eight runs this year, tied for tenth in baseball. That’s a testament to how many runs the Boston lineup can produce. The 30-year-old outfielder has done a good job of getting on base despite the slow start with the bat. Hernandez has an 11.6 percent walk rate through Sunday’s action. He won’t hit under the Mendoza Line all season. Getting things going at the plate will only improve Hernandez’s run-scoring outlook that much more. As long as he continues to hit atop the order, there’s no reason Hernandez won’t score at least 90 runs by season’s end.
W
Andrew Heaney, SP, Dodgers
Could the Heaney breakout finally be upon us? The 30-year-old left-hander is up to 10 1/3 scoreless innings through two starts following a six-inning shutout performance with 11 strikeouts against the Reds on Sunday. He induced 16 whiffs on 39 swings for a 41 percent whiff rate. This comes after generating 15 whiffs on 34 swings in his first start against the Twins. Heaney has consistently produced above-average K/BB ratios throughout his career. The problem has been his issue with giving up too many home runs. But if the Dodgers have found a way to unlock his potential, Heaney could be in for a great season with the run support of one of baseball’s best lineups. He’s yet to post a double-digit win season in his career. He’ll be looking for his second win when he faces off against the Padres this week.
ERA
Miles Mikolas, SP, Cardinals
Rostered in just 13 percent of Yahoo leagues, Mikolas should be widely available to stream in a decent matchup against the Marlins in Miami. The 33-year-old right-hander is coming off a quality start against the Brewers, pitching 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball with one walk and seven strikeouts. The excellent defense behind Mikolas should have plenty of opportunities to shine against a Marlins team that ranks among the top-five in ground ball rate. Mikolas could be helpful beyond this week with upcoming matchups against the Mets, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Orioles.
WHIP
Nestor Cortes, SP, Yankees
Cortes performed brilliantly on Sunday against the Orioles as he struck out 12 batters over five shutout innings. This comes after he kept the Blue Jays lineup scoreless over 4 1/3 in his previous start. He’s up to 9 1/3 scoreless innings with an outstanding 17/1 KK/BB ratio. The 27-year-old left-hander has allowed just seven baserunners for an 0.75 WHIP through his two starts. This week, he’ll face a Guardians lineup in Cleveland that cooled off significantly over the weekend, scoring four total runs in their three-game series against the Giants. Rostered in 52 percent of Yahoo leagues, he could be available in some of your more shallow 10-12 team formats. And that rostered percentage could rise if Cortes turns in his third consecutive quality outing.
K
Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks
Kelly has looked impressive in the early going. With added fastball velocity and an improved changeup, the 33-year-old right-hander has pitched 9 1/3 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts through two starts. He struck out seven batters over four innings against the Padres and six over 5 1/3 against the Astros. The changeup has been effective for Kelly with a 25.7 percent swinging-strike rate. And he’s been able to use the pitch to induce more ground balls. Kelly has a chance to pile up the strikeouts this week. He is in line for two home starts, beginning with a matchup against the Nationals on Tuesday, then the Mets on Sunday.
SV
Hector Neris, RP, Astros
The Astros placed closer Ryan Pressly on the injured list with knee inflammation retroactive to April 14. With Pressly shelved for at least the next week, manager Dusty Baker mentioned Hector Neris, Rafael Montero, and Ryne Stanek as possibilities to close. Neris has operated as the primary setup man, pitching behind Pressly in the eighth inning. With a four-run lead in the ninth inning against the Mariners on Saturday, Neris closed the game out in the non-save situation. The 32-year-old right-hander makes the most sense as the reliever to step in for any save chances this week. He’s tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts to no walks. Teams in need of saves could stream Neris this week until Pressly returns.
