Mike Zunino (C) SEA - Zunino homered for the second straight game Wednesday, giving him a 286/390/800 line through 35 ABs. More importantly, he 286/376/521 at AAA this season, and Wednesday's HR was his 22nd between the two levels. Still just 25, Zunino has excellent power and draws a lot of walks, but the contact rate has been prohibitively bad. It was better at AAA this season, although he's still down below the 70% line, which I feel is the minimum standard for being a productive bat at the big league level. The potential is significant here though, and I would definitely be holding him in most formats right now and starting him in many....the hard contact rate of close to 45% is excellent in the small sample size, and the chase rate has been much improved as well.
Jorge Polanco (2/S/3) MIN - Polanco is on fire (like many of the Twins), walking and singling on Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 6 games. Polanco has reached safely in all 11 of the games he's started this season (and hit in 10 of them), he can play 2B, SS, and 3B, and if you squint a bit he could provide double-digit production in HR and SB with that flexibility. He also has fantastic contact ability, so the AVG is likely to be a helper....you could do much worse in deep leagues, and if he's playing every day in this hot offense, hes a reasonable speculative add in the majority of formats right now as well.
Eddie Rosario (OF) MIN - Rosario continues to rake, picking up 3 more hits Wednesday in a 13-5 drubbing of the Indians. He's 30-90 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and a steal since coming back from the minors a month ago, showing a much greater propensity to pull the ball (pull% up 6 since his return) along with a still-solid hard contact rate of 31%. Rosario should be owned in all formats right now despite the persistent contact issues...at his best, he is capable of helping in all categories.
Tyler Naquin (OF) CLE - Naquin walked and homered Wednesday, and he's now hitting 330/397/626 for the season. I'm enjoying the newfound plate discipline that he's showing, having walked 5 times in the past 6 games....he only walked twice before June 1 this year. The hard contact rate of 41% and avg HR distance of 408 feet are both excellent numbers, and at just 25 years old the future appears bright for a guy that was deemed to be just 4th-OF material.
Nick Franklin (1/2/O) TB - Franklin is back up with the Rays and has started 4 straight games, going 3-5 with a triple and a steal on Wednesday. We're still in small-sample size territory here, but there are a lot of positives in his stat line through 62 ABs, with the hard contact rate of 35% and much improved chase rates and swinging strike% standing out. Franklin already has 5 steals as well, and with eligibility at 1B, 2B, and OF he definitely has the look of a deep-league add while he's getting this type of playing time.
