Masataka Yoshida (OF-BOS) shined during Boston's 5-4 loss to Cincinnati on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with a double, a solo homer and two runs scored. Yoshida broke the ice with his solo shot in the bottom of the second, giving the Red Sox an early 1-0 lead by leading off the bottom half of the frame with a big fly. He later doubled and scored as well, giving him multiple hits for the fourth straight game. Yoshida finished May on an absolute tear over the past two weeks, batting .365 with seven extra-base hits over his last 13 games. Wednesday's tater was his first since May 4, however, increasing his season total to seven. Yoshida's average is now up to .317 on the year while his OPS is just a tick below .900 (.899). He's come as advertised from Japan with his elite contact skills, solid power, and great plate discipline (20:21 BB/K ratio), making Boston's offseason investment in him look like a wise one. If he keeps it up, he could wind up winning AL Rookie of the Year honors as potentially the best-hitting rookie in baseball.
Jose Siri (OF-TB) went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk against the Cubs on Wednesday. Siri belted a game-winning homer in the top of the eighth, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. The long ball was Siri's 10th of the season, eight of which came during his white-hot May. He only had 13 RBIs during the month, however, as he spent most of those games batting ninth for Tampa Bay. A move up in the batting order would significantly boost his fantasy value, but it's unclear if that is coming. Siri's plate discipline remains shaky (9:36 BB/K ratio), but he has provided some speed with five steals in five attempts. It's also worth noting that he's been boom-or-bust as a hitter, as he has more extra-base hits (15) than singles (11) and is batting just .245. Still, his .884 OPS is impressive and speaks to his power ability, making the 27-year-old breakout a viable fantasy option.
Josh Naylor (1B-CLE) had a monster game on Wednesday, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, three runs and six RBIs against the Orioles. Naylor fell a triple shy of the cycle on Wednesday in his first four-hit game of the season, clubbing a pair of doubles and a single as well as his eighth long ball of the year en route to a season-high six RBIs. The big game was his second multi-hit effort in a row and third in his last four starts, raising his average to .251 and his OPS to .747. Wednesday's big game wraps up a rollercoaster month for Naylor, who had a torrid stretch in the middle surrounded by cold streaks at the beginning and end. It was a productive month overall, though, as he batted .293 with five homers and 25 RBIs in 23 games. Cleveland's cleanup man is looking more like himself after a horrendous April (.612 OPS) and is once again a quality fantasy option despite his streakiness.
Andrew McCutchen (DH-PIT) went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, an RBI, a walk and a steal against the Giants on Wednesday. McCutchen enjoyed a big game from the leadoff spot, pacing Pittsburgh's 9-4 win over San Francisco by doing a little bit of everything. The game was his first three-hit outing since May 19, raising his average to a solid .273. The big game snapped him out of a brief six-game funk where he went just 4-for-22. Recent slump aside, the 36-year-old has bounced back in a big way this season with an .822 OPS, which would be his highest full-season mark since 2017 if he sustains it. He's even turned back the clock on the bases as well with six steals already in eight attempts, putting him on pace to reach double digits for the first time since 2018. Throw in his solid counting stats and ratios, and McCutchen is turning out to be a pleasant surprise for fantasy GMs.
Mitch Keller (SP-PIT) picked up the win on Wednesday despite laboring through his start against the Giants, giving up four runs on 10 hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over six innings. Keller through 74 of his 101 pitches for strikes, resulting in a lot of contact and whiffs. The 10 hits allowed were a season-high and he notched at least eight strikeouts for the sixth start in a row. Pittsburgh's offense bailed him out in the 9-4 win, however, helping him win his fourth straight decision and improve to 7-1. His ERA jumped up to 3.25, however, as he's now given up 10 earned runs on 17 hits over his last two starts combined. Even with the brief rough patch, he still has excellent Triple Crown stats as well as 93 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings. Keller's also completed at least six innings in 10 of 12 starts this season, so the longevity has been there as well. Keller remains a strong fantasy option and is in an ideal spot for his next start at home against the lowly A's.
This is just a small sample of our daily analysis, join our member area for tools that will help you win your fantasy championship. Click here for details: http://www.insiderbaseball.com/baseballsample.htm Click here to register: http://www.fantistics.com/salesbaseball.php3
