Hot Hitter Rundown: July 22

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You should always have the big picture in mind when it comes to your season-long fantasy baseball leagues. Putting too much stock in a small sample size might cause you to make a decision that hurts you in the long run. That said, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be taking stock of what’s happened in the immediate past. It can be useful when it comes to weekly or especially daily lineup decisions, waiver wire considerations, tracking who might be coming into more playing time, etc.

The Rotoworld Player Rater is a handy tool that’s among the extensive offerings in Season Pass. Each week, I’ll be using the Player Rater to look at the hottest hitters, position by position, over the last week, and providing commentary.[[ad:athena]]

*The following data is based on 5x5 Roto scoring and covers games played from July 15-21.

Editor’s Note: Stay ahead of the competition from wire to wire with rankings, customizable projections, trade evaluator, exclusive columns and more in our Season Pass. And start using optimized lineups on Yahoo!, DraftKings and FanDuel with our DFS Toolkit!

Buy, sell, hold: Hitters

Rotoworld's weekly update on hitters to buy, sell, and hold, including Tampa Bay's Nate Lowe and Milwaukee's Jesus Aguilar.

Catcher

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Travis d’Arnaud	TB	C	3.30971	2.69517	-0.41306	-0.15791	0.62768	6.06
#2	Mitch Garver	MIN	C	2.28078	0.18479	-0.41306	0.69370	0.62768	3.37
#3	Ryan Lavarnway	CIN	C	1.25186	1.43998	-0.41306	0.46538	0.14278	2.89
#4	Omar Narvaez	SEA	C	1.25186	0.18479	-0.41306	1.04492	0.62768	2.70
#5	Dustin Garneau	LAA	C	1.25186	0.18479	-0.41306	0.57954	0.14278	1.75
#6	Buster Posey	SF	C	0.22294	-0.23360	-0.41306	0.55329	1.59750	1.73
#7	Stephen Vogt	SF	C	1.25186	0.18479	-0.41306	0.21082	0.14278	1.38
#8	Brian McCann	ATL	C	0.22294	0.18479	-0.41306	1.88778	-0.82704	1.06
#9	Francisco Mejia	SD	C	0.22294	0.18479	-0.41306	0.57954	0.14278	.72
#10	Carson Kelly	ARZ	C	0.22294	0.18479	-0.41306	-0.02625	0.62768	.60

Yep, a three-homer game and a grand slam is enough to put you at the top of this list. After struggling early on with the Mets in his first year back from Tommy John surgery and then making a brief pit stop with the Dodgers, d’Arnaud has found his footing with the Rays. All 10 of the catcher’s long balls have come since the beginning of June, and he’s sporting a .976 OPS with 28 RBI across 29 games during that span. D’Arnaud’s 32.3 percent HR/FB ratio since June is sure to drop, and he’s probably not a great bet for much production against righties (he’s hit four homers off them but has just a .678 OPS on the season). Still, with what most people are using at catcher, d’Arnaud is well worth a roster spot … Mitch Garver still isn’t playing as much as you’d like, as Jason Castro has also been very productive and earned playing time. That said, he’s still been a fantasy stud even though he sits multiple times per week. After a down June, Garver has bounced back in July with a 1.192 OPS and five home runs. He’s gone deep in each of his last three starts and has batted either first or second in those contests. Garver ranks in the top-25 in baseball both in hard-hit rate (50.8 percent) and barrel rate (15.1 percent) … Buster Posey has quietly put together a nice run of late with a .356/.415/.525 batting line over his last 15 games. The power is likely to continue to be underwhelming, and Posey’s plate discipline, while still above-average, has taken a notable step back this season. Still, the Giants’ offense has perked up of late and Posey hasn’t batted lower than fourth all season. Expectations obviously have to be adjusted, but he still needs to be owned in two-catcher formats …

First Base

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Edwin Encarnacion	NYY	1B	3.30971	3.53196	-0.41306	0.06166	1.59750	8.09
#2	Anthony Rizzo	CHC	1B	0.22294	2.27677	1.16887	2.85354	0.62768	7.15
#3	Matt Beaty	LA	1B	2.28078	1.85838	-0.41306	1.54530	1.59750	6.87
#4	Max Muncy	LA	1B	2.28078	1.43998	-0.41306	0.79911	2.56731	6.67
#5	Albert Pujols	LAA	1B	0.22294	2.69517	-0.41306	2.25650	1.11259	5.87
#6	Freddie Freeman	ATL	1B	0.22294	1.85838	1.16887	0.54454	0.62768	4.42
#7	Yuli Gurriel	HOU	1B	1.25186	1.02159	-0.41306	1.26449	0.62768	3.75
#8	Dominic Smith	NYM	1B	1.25186	2.27677	-0.41306	0.07916	0.14278	3.34
#9	Christian Walker	ARZ	1B	0.22294	0.60319	1.16887	0.08791	1.11259	3.20
#10	Pete Alonso	NYM	1B	2.28078	1.43998	-0.41306	-1.50114	0.62768	2.43

Edwin Encarnacion’s tenure with the Yankees has not been productive on the whole, but he certainly put together a big showing last week with four dingers and 11 RBI. The 36-year-old heating back up has meant a move up to the Yankees’ cleanup spot, with the slumping Luke Voit moving down. Encarnacion’s hard-hit rate (39.4 percent) is down a tick this season, but he’s hitting more flyballs (50.8 percent) than ever and in this offensive environment he’s going to be rewarded … There’s no more bankable power asset in the game at this point than Max Muncy. The 28-year-old has slugged six home runs already in July and now has a whopping 61 long balls over 880 plate appearances since his promotion on April 17 last year. Only Christian Yelich (70 homers in 1,030 plate appearances) and Mike Trout (65 homers in 951 plate appearances) have homered more times over that stretch, and they’ve had way more opportunities. Muncy, by the way, has added second base eligibility this season and already banked triple eligibility for next year … It’s been a rough start to July overall for Dominic Smith, but he popped a couple home runs last week and also drove in eight runs. Smith doesn’t play against lefties, but the Mets have been committed to using him in left field versus righties and their willingness to put Michael Conforto in center is good news for Smith’s playing time outlook …

Second Base

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Keston Hiura	MLW	2B	0.22294	2.27677	2.75080	3.67890	2.08241	11.01
#2	Enrique Hernandez	LA	2B	1.25186	2.69517	-0.41306	2.12484	1.11259	6.77
#3	DJ LeMahieu	NYY	2B	1.25186	0.60319	-0.41306	1.63321	1.59750	4.67
#4	Jurickson Profar	OAK	2B	2.28078	1.43998	-0.41306	-0.27207	1.11259	4.15
#5	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B	1.25186	0.60319	1.16887	0.66745	0.14278	3.83
#6	Ryan McMahon	COL	2B	2.28078	0.60319	1.16887	-1.01826	0.62768	3.66
#7	Starlin Castro	MIA	2B	1.25186	1.43998	1.16887	-0.53538	-0.34213	2.98
#8	Eric Sogard	TOR	2B	-0.80599	0.18479	-0.41306	1.74737	1.59750	2.31
#9	Donovan Solano	SF	2B	0.22294	0.18479	-0.41306	1.51905	0.62768	2.14
#10	Brian Dozier	WAS	2B	-0.80599	-0.23360	1.16887	0.80786	1.11259	2.05

Keston Hiura has been a force in the 20 games he’s played since his recall late last month, putting up a .372/.430/.679 batting line with four homers, 14 RBI and five stolen bases. He’s a ridiculous 22-for-45 (.489) at the plate during his current 11-game hitting streak and was moved up to the No. 2 spot in the Brewers’ batting order on Sunday. In terms of exit velocity, Hiura’s 93.3 mph mark ranks fifth in baseball behind only Aaron Judge, Nelson Cruz, Christian Yelich and Joey Gallo. The rookie is still striking out a lot, so perhaps it would be aggressive to think he could continue hitting .300. However, he’s obviously crushing the ball when he makes contact and he’s also been running more than expected … Jurickson Profar has been ceding some playing time to Franklin Barreto lately, but he’s gone deep four times over his last 21 plate appearances to push his total for the season to 14. Profar’s Statcast data has always been underwhelming, but he doesn’t strike out and he’s due for some more luck from a BABIP (.213) perspective. Barreto (.495 OPS) hasn’t exactly been pushing for Profar’s job … Jose Altuve batted only .256/.283/.395 in his first 10 games back from the injured list, but he’s posted a robust .356/.373/.589 line with four bombs, 12 RBI and a couple stolen bases across his last 16 contests. I’ll admit to having concerns about Altuve’s health after he complained of soreness in his surgically-repaired knee, so the recent run he’s been on has been super encouraging. It’s not looking like he will offer a lot in the stolen base department moving forward, although two of his three steals on the season have come this month …

Third Base

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Hunter Dozier	KC	3B	1.25186	1.85838	-0.41306	1.99319	3.05222	7.74
#2	Rafael Devers	BOS	3B	2.28078	3.53196	-0.41306	0.65870	1.59750	7.66
#3	Jose Ramirez	CLE	3B	1.25186	2.69517	1.16887	1.26449	1.11259	7.49
#4	Eduardo Escobar	ARZ	3B	2.28078	3.11357	-0.41306	0.29873	0.62768	5.91
#5	Eugenio Suarez	CIN	3B	2.28078	0.60319	1.16887	0.67620	0.62768	5.36
#6	Alex Bregman	HOU	3B	1.25186	0.60319	-0.41306	0.43038	3.05222	4.92
#7	Justin Turner	LA	3B	1.25186	0.60319	-0.41306	-0.17541	2.56731	3.83
#8	Tommy Edman	STL	3B	0.22294	0.60319	1.16887	0.18457	1.11259	3.29
#9	Mike Moustakas	MLW	3B	0.22294	1.43998	-0.41306	0.79036	1.11259	3.15
#10	Josh Donaldson	ATL	3B	1.25186	1.85838	-0.41306	0.19332	0.14278	3.03

Hunter Dozier really struggled initially upon his return from the injured list, putting up an ugly .183/.256/.352 batting line and 32.1 percent strikeout rate over 18 games. However, he’s righted the ship since then with a 1.204 OPS, two dingers and eight RBI in his last eight games. The strikeout rate is something to keep an eye on, as Dozier did a lot of swinging and missing prior to this season and he’s been whiffing more lately … Unsurprisingly, the Indians’ turnaround occurred just as Jose Ramirez started to perk up at the plate. The 26-year-old has looked like his old self over his last 22 tilts, posting a .329/.370/.624 batting line with five dingers, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored and three stolen bases. While he’s still sporting a sub-.700 OPS for the season, Ramirez has joined Christian Yelich and Ronald Acuna as the only three players with 10+ homers and 20+ steals … With Matt Carpenter (foot) injured again, Tommy Edman has taken over as the Cardinals’ leadoff hitter of late. His production has been a bit up and down, but over the last five games he’s gone 7-for-21 with a grand slam and a stolen base. Edman ranks in the 97^th percentile in sprint speed and he’s always been an efficient base stealer in the minors, so he could continue to be an asset in the running game. The playing time figures to be in question shortly, though, as Carpenter could be back as soon as this weekend …

Shortstop

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Brandon Crawford	SF	SS	2.28078	3.95036	-0.41306	0.89577	1.59750	8.31
#2	Amed Rosario	NYM	SS	1.25186	0.60319	1.16887	1.75612	2.56731	7.35
#3	Francisco Lindor	CLE	SS	1.25186	1.02159	1.16887	1.26449	1.59750	6.30
#4	Javier Baez	CHC	SS	1.25186	0.60319	-0.41306	0.79036	2.08241	4.31
#5	Trevor Story	COL	SS	1.25186	1.85838	-0.41306	0.90451	0.62768	4.23
#6	Trea Turner	WAS	SS	-0.80599	-0.65200	4.33273	-0.17541	0.62768	3.33
#7	Xander Bogaerts	BOS	SS	0.22294	0.60319	-0.41306	2.23025	0.62768	3.27
#8	Paul DeJong	STL	SS	1.25186	1.85838	-0.41306	-0.78120	1.11259	3.03
#9	Marcus Semien	OAK	SS	0.22294	-0.65200	1.16887	0.07041	2.08241	2.89
#10	Didi Gregorius	NYY	SS	0.22294	1.85838	-0.41306	-0.04375	1.11259	2.74

Amed Rosario has been great so far this month, putting up a healthy 1.074 OPS with a pair of home runs and a stolen base. It’s fair to suggest that Rosario has been a bit of a disappointment in the running game, especially when considering that’s the main area in which his fantasy owners were counting on him. However, he’s taken some strides offensively, having already topped last year’s home run total and also greatly improving his exit velocity (89.9 mph) and hard-hit rate (40.6 percent) … Francisco Lindor went on a 25-game stretch where he homered just one time, but he’s bounced back with four dingers across his last 12 tilts to push his season total to 16. That puts him on pace for nearly 30 bombs again even after he got a late start to the season because of ankle and calf injuries … Any possibility of Trea Turner cashing in on manager Dave Martinez’s preseason prognostication of 75-80 stolen base attempts for his shortstop went out the window when Turner broke his finger just after Opening Day. The speedster has been awfully good on the basepaths this season when healthy, though, swiping 20 bags while being caught just three times (he was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts last week). Turner has mostly tread water at the plate this season, although it’s noteworthy that while his strikeouts are up (23.6 percent), so is his exit velocity (90.1 mph) and hard-hit rate (40.5 percent) …

Outfield

Rank	Player	Tm	Pos	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	R	VAL
#1	Ronald Acuna	ATL	OF	0.22294	0.18479	10.66044	1.26449	2.08241	14.42
#2	Oscar Mercado	CLE	OF	2.28078	2.69517	4.33273	1.99319	1.59750	12.90
#3	Christian Yelich	MLW	OF	2.28078	2.27677	2.75080	2.00194	2.56731	11.88
#4	Mike Yastrzemski	SF	OF	3.30971	2.69517	-0.41306	2.09859	2.56731	10.26
#5	Ramon Laureano	OAK	OF	1.25186	-0.23360	1.16887	3.32767	3.53713	9.05
#6	Mookie Betts	BOS	OF	1.25186	1.43998	1.16887	2.23025	2.56731	8.66
#7	Teoscar Hernandez	TOR	OF	3.30971	1.85838	-0.41306	1.28199	2.56731	8.60
#8	Trey Mancini	BAL	OF	3.30971	1.85838	-0.41306	1.65071	2.08241	8.49
#9	Tyler O’Neill	STL	OF	2.28078	1.85838	1.16887	1.74737	1.11259	8.17
#10	George Springer	HOU	OF	3.30971	2.27677	-0.41306	0.79036	2.08241	8.05

Ronald Acuna has been running wild lately with eight steals (while being caught just once) across his previous eight contests. He’s already recorded his first 20-20 season and is on pace to cruise to a 30-30 campaign. As if that wasn’t enough, Acuna has also cut down on his strikeouts and upped his walk rate this season. The 21-year-old is going to be a five-category fantasy monster for years to come … Oscar Mercado entered last week in the midst of a 1-for-25 slump at the plate. It’s safe to say he has come out of that rut after he went 11-for-27 (.407) with three dingers, nine RBI and three stolen bases in his last seven games. Mercado’s exit velocity (87 mph) and hard-hit rate (32.7 percent) are both below the league average, but he ranks in the 96^th percentile in sprint speed, has been an efficient 9-for-11 on stolen base attempts and has also avoided strikeouts (16.9 percent). I still wouldn’t count on him hitting for average, but Mercado has already proven to be a more well-rounded fantasy asset than I anticipated, and he’s nailed down the No. 2 spot in the Indians’ batting order … Mike Yastrzemski slugged a walk-off home run on Sunday in the Giants’ win over the Mets to cap off a huge week that saw him sport a 1.282 OPS with four long balls, nine RBI and eight runs scored over eight games. It’s a nice story to see Carl’s grandson contributing for a Giants club that’s turned their season around, but Mike had a .677 OPS in 40 games prior to last week and he’s also a non-prospect that will turn 29 next month … Teoscar Hernandez put four over the boards last week and now has nine dingers over 33 games since returning from a stint in the minors. However, Hernandez’s already-high strikeout rate has actually been up during that span (31.5 percent), and an xBA of .201 suggests that the 26-year-old has actually been lucky to post just a .215 average …