Josh Donaldson (TOR - 3B) - Josh Donaldson connected with his 16th HR of the year last night, continuing the pace that he set last year. Donaldson's overall numbers are slightly below last year, but his peripherals are actually supporting even superior production - his LD% is at a ridiculous 23.2% vs. 17.3% last year, meaning there's potential for BA upside here. To boot, his walk rate is up and SwStr% is down. There's a lot to like with Donaldson; start him and keep him confidently.
Hanley Ramirez (BOS - 1B) - The ghost of Hanley Ramirez had a great day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk, HR, 3 RBI, and 2 runs. After a great start, Hanley has become a non-factor in just about every fantasy league. Even his "hot" start was mostly supported by runs and RBI produced from the crazy output of the Sox offense early on. Hanley's peripherals are quite poor - his LD% is the lowest since 2011 and his K rate is the highest since the same year. He's in the middle of a great offense, which will give him some value, but he's best left to the waiver wire until he can hit for more power (like he did last night). Everything is there for him to succeed, but we haven't seen it yet.
Adam Jones (BAL - OF) - Adam Jones connected with his 12th HR of the season last night, continuing his assault at the plate spanning the last few weeks. Prior to last night, Jones' wRC+ sat at just 87, well below his career average. He's clearly a player in decline and someone that I'm having a difficult time getting behind. He benefits from an incredible offense, but I just don't see a ton of upside here. I think the power s real, but it will come at the cost of a sub-.250 average. If you can sell high on the recent 2-3 week improvement, I would do it. His 12.9% LD% and increased SwStr% scare me too much to hold onto rest of season.
Collin McHugh (HOU - SP) - Collin McHugh was effective against the Cardinals yesterday, pitching 6.2 innings with 7 hits, 1 ER, and 6 strikeouts. McHugh has regressed the last few years - as evidenced by his 5.22 ERA coming into last night. His FIP and SIERA were quite more respectable at 3.84 and 3.90, which are nice, but mediocre at best. However, he's worth using in the right matchups because I see some K-upside and a respectable enough ERA to win. He's a streamer at this point that can provide value in the right matchups.
Jose Altuve (HOU - 2B) - For the fifth straight game, Jose Altuve - all five foot six of him - batted third in the Astros lineup. It's not absurd given his 10 HR on the year or his excellent contact rates. He was 2-for-3 with a walk, run, and CS yesterday. All things considered, Altuve seems poised for (another) career season. He's walking at 10.3%, over double what he accomplished last year, and he's hitting for substantially more power. I'm somewhat hesitate to commit to the realness of his power, but you'll get excellent average, SB, and runs/RBIs production no matter what. He remains a top tier player.
