if you Resist desperately As we carefully adjust our fantasy baseball right now, we have some recommended picks for you to consider. We’re excited to offer fantasy additions to suit every roster need and budget…
Vientos seems to have a firm grip on the Mets’ third base spot and has been on a roll at the plate over the past two weeks, slashing .333/.392/.621 in 20 major league games this season, including a .285/.376/.500 slash in Triple-A. Vientos has hit five home runs with New York, some of which are definitely hittable.
He’s unlikely to hit above .300 all season, but the power is real, and if there’s a need at either corner, he’d certainly be useful.
Hamilton has earned a near-everyday role in Boston, going 14-for-40 in his last 13 games. He typically slots in the bottom third of the batting order, but the Red Sox are allowing him to take advantage of the one positive attribute he has: game-changing speed. Hamilton has stolen nine bases in 10 attempts, and he has a proven track record of speed, having stolen 57 bases at Triple-A last season and 70 at Double-A the year before. When he gets in the game, he runs.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Geroff this season, with injuries, poor performances and just the occasional bad luck. Still, the potential for power and speed is enticing. Remember, he went 14-for-14 in over 300 at-bats with Oakland last season and 12-for-20 with Triple-A Las Vegas. After going 2-for-3 with a home run and a stolen base on Wednesday, he was on a six-game hitting streak with the Athletics (ending with an 0-for-3 streak on Thursday). There’s a good chance he could go 20-for-20 this season.
No one has been more productive lately than Ramos. He has three homers, six RBIs and four runs scored in his last four games. On Wednesday, he reached base in all six at-bats, homering one and walking four. Ramos is batting .304 with a .407 on-base percentage this season. He has hit 13 balls over the fence this year, splitting time between Triple-A (eight times) and the major leagues (five times). If you’re looking for some weekend cheer from a hot hitter, this is the guy for you.
Josh Jean’s wrist injury early in the season cost Smith any chance of being a star for the Rangers. After three hits, a home run and a stolen base in Wednesday’s game, Smith is currently batting .290/.377/.440 with 20 extra bases and four stolen bases in 60 games. His career minor league OPS is .921, so his production at the plate is no fluke. Smith’s position versatility greatly increases his fantasy (and real) value, especially in leagues with limited bench space.
Fantasy managers have treated Soriano as a pure streamer all season, but there aren’t many pitchers in the game with such quality delivery: He boasts top-tier velocity, one of the highest ground ball rates in the game (59.6 GB%), and a ferocious secondary delivery.
Soriano is fresh off a win on Wednesday, allowing one run and inducing 16 ground balls in 6.0 innings. Looking a little further down the road, he’ll likely close out June with two starts against the Athletics and Tigers. The young starter has a promising future and should have plenty of useful innings to go.
Andres Muñoz is suffering from back pain. That doesn’t sound too serious. As of this writing, Stanek is up next for Munoz, having earned a shutout save against the Athletics on Thursday. He’s been great in his recent starts and has been solid this year (1.17 WHIP, 9.8 K/9). Add him as insurance for Munoz, and he’ll likely be up for the save in the upcoming series against the Royals and White Sox.
