Josh Satin (1B-NYM) - Satin continued his strong run at first base, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a stolen base, RBI, and run scored. He's now batting .382/.485/.600 in 55 at-bats. With Ike Davis back from Triple-A, it remains to be seen how Satin will be used, but look for the Mets to milk this while they can, giving him at-bats in the outfield on days that Davis is in the lineup. The 28 year-old was just 5-for-26 at the big league level prior to 2013, so the usual small sample size caveats have to apply here.
Bryce Harper (OF-WAS) - I hesitate to write much about superstars like Harper, as what value does it really add? We know he's good. Harper was 3-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases on Sunday, indicating that his knee is feeling pretty good right now. Harper is batting .274/.375/.549 with five steals and will start for the National League in the All-Star game later this month. Harper is clearly one of the league's top-10 players right now and looks primed for a huge second half.
A.J. Burnett (SP-PIT) - Burnett returned from the deal with five solid innings Sunday against the Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. It was his first start since June 8 due to a calf injury, and he was permitted to toss just 66 pitches in this one to build his endurance back up. Burnett has been a great find for the Pirates, and he's now sporting a 3.05 ERA to go with an impressive 102:37 K:BB in 94.1 innings of work. Burnett's 9.7 K/9 would be the best mark of his career if it holds, as would the .208 average against.
Starling Marte (OF-PIT) - Guys like Marte are going to be key to the Pirates goal of not falling off like they did after last year's hot start. Overshadowed by a strong rookie class, Marte has quietly turned in a strong sophomore campaign (he isn't ROY-eligible), batting .292/.343/.465. Marte's 27 steals are second in the league and he's scored 58 runs to rank fifth. The downside is that Marte has walked in just 3.5% of his PA's while fanning in north of 21% of them, and given his minor league EYE's the past two seasons (.31 and .22), this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Marte is already a fantasy stud given the 15-homer power and the 50 stolen bases ability, but to take that next step in his big league career, we'd like to see a better EYE ratio.
Jose Tabata (OF-PIT) - The resurrection of Tabata's career has been one story worth watching. Since batting .299 as a rookie in 2010, Tabata has been in a freefall, culminating in last year's .663 OPS with a meager 40% success rate stealing bases (20 chances). Tabata this year has been a different guy, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two walks Sunday, elevating his slash line to .296/.367/.459. Batting between the talented Starling Marte and perennial All-Star Andrew McCutchen doesn't hurt, but it's a nice turnaround nonetheless. With two homers in 98 at-bats, the power isn't there and may never be, but Tabata is back to being fantasy-relevant.
