Struggling Studs
Remember draft day? Safe bat at the hot corner? Easy pick: Austin Riley. At shortstop, nobrainer: Francisco Lindor. At 2B, no safer pick than Ozzie Albies! Topshelf power at 1B: Only Olson seemed a sure thing (maybe Alonso). All these studs were can't miss, low risk picks. What's gone wrong? What could go right for these studs? Read on and keep hope (mostly) alive...
Austin Riley 3B ATL
Riley fantasy managers are asking: "What is this shit?" As Griel Marcus asked famously of Bob Dylan's LP Self Portrait, fantasy managers who drafted Austin Riley have posed similar queries: 3 HR? .652 OPS? 18 RBI? At least RIley doesn't do an awful cover of "The Boxer" in which he sings dueling harmony with himself, but Austin is a far cry from the guy who slapped 37 HR and hit .281 in 2024. However, just as Self Portrait held hidden gems like "Days of 49" and "Wigwam", Riley's underlying numbers are encouraging: 49% Hard hit rate, 12% Barrel rate and 91 MPH average exit velocity all look to help cook up some hopeful numbers moving forward. So, as Dylan returned to play with The Band on his next LP, so should Riley return to his former glory. Hold tight and watch the injury reports; unless he's hiding lingering injury, Riley should find his direction home.
Francisco Lindor SS NYM
Unfortunately there's no fantasy category for team-only meetings called, but we can take heart that Lindor has heart and will continue to top the lineup and play hard. Ok, he's managed to nail 9 homers and swipe 7 bags: he's a stud despite the hold-your-nose .687 OPS and .225 BA for the sweet switch-hitting Lindor. While the big apple slowly roots out its worms, Lindor keeps playing everyday, despite take some lumps. He's StatCast numbers are ok across the board (10% Barrel, 44% Hard Hit rate) but the only notable standout is his keen eye with a nice 17% K rate. For those who slotted the star shortstop into their early round plans (cough, Theo), it's been a rough ride so far, but Lindor's ability to keep on a 25/25 HR/SB pace means the lumps should be worth it. As if hearing my screed he steals another base Friday night. Hold on and don't let go.
Ozzie Albies 2B ATL
Albies raked in 2023, smashing 33 HR from the 2B slot, making him a top pick for the keystone corner. In 2024, however, the pint-sized switch hitter has not only revealed little power, he's also not swiping bags or showing red on the StatCast page. His paltry 88 MPH average exit velocity coupled with 4.6% Barrel rate and icecold 31% Hard hit rate all combine to create the cooler than cool 2024 for Albies. He's a fine baseball player on a great team, so panic shouldn't take over yet, but the periphery numbers say the 2024 Albies might be for real, and not in a good way. To say you might fish on the waiver wire to supplement Albies sounds harsh, but it might be time to hedge your bets.
Matt Olson 1B ATL
Good News: Olson's hard hit rate is strong at 54%. The HRs should come in bunches so do not panic. His average exit velocity is a robust 93%, so expect balls to the wall for June for Olson. Sure, you're not happy about the paltry 8 dingers and 24 runs scored to along with his Olson-esque .234 BA. Acuna's injury devastates the already underperforming ATL offense, but Olson should be allowed a long leash as his HR total by year's end should near 35, which is nothing to sneeze at in this pitching-dominant climate.
Julio Rodríguez OF SEA
Sleepless in Seattle? Maybe that's why Rodrigues is giving fantasy owners nightmares. By StatCast measures, Julio should be performing much better down by the schoolyard: 93% average Exit Velocity and 49% Hard Hit numbers offers optimism for June. Julio does not have the seasons of success banked like the other four studs here, but hope abounds due to his high ceiling talent and tools. It may be you and Julio down by the schoolyard, but he's the one player on this list that makes me nervous. If he gets hot, trading to bolster your deficit, should you be a category away from contending, might make sense. I'd swing him for a steady SP or closer but I'm just crazy like that.
This is just a small sample our daily analysis, join our member area for tools that will help you win your fantasy championship. Click here for details: http://www.insiderbaseball.
