Vladimir Guererro Jr., 1B, TOR
Guerrero went 2 for 4 with a solo shot, his 6th of the season. Six dingers by early June isn't exactly what you want in an investment like Guerrero, but make no mistake, he has been great at the dish this season. He is slashing .295/.389/.419 with a 59.0% HardHit% that ranks 3rd in baseball and a 94.3 EV that ranks 5th. The advanced metrics suggest that Vladdy has been running into some tough luck thus far. His .309 xAVG (97th percentile) isn't too far off his current .295 mark, however, his .497 xSLG (86th percentile) and .391 xwOBA (95th percentile) are a far cry from his current numbers. Guerrero isn't getting the ball in the air (27.0% FB%), which helps explain the lack of power, but he does tote a career-high 20.8% LD% which has attributed to his hefty average. If Vlad stays patient (career-high 13.0% BB%) and continues to crush the ball, the stats will eventually follow suit.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, BAL
Rodriguez picked up his 6th win of the season on Monday night in Toronto. He allowed two runs (1 ER) on seven hits, no walks, and four Ks across 6.2 innings. He now owns a 3.28/3.88 ERA/xFIP with a 10.14 K/9 and 3.28 BB/9 in 57.2 innings this season. With a 30.9% Whiff% that ranks in the 86th percentile, Rodriguez has plenty of swing-and-miss stuff. However, his 42.5% HardHit% (23rd percentile) and 33.6% GB% (10th percentile) are worrisome. That being said, the 24-year-old has given up two or fewer runs in eight of his ten starts this season and has a 2.36 ERA if you take away his one poor outing against the Angels (7 ER, 41.1 IP) earlier this season.
Mark Vientos, 3B, NYM
Vientos went 2 for 3 with a solo homer and two walks on Monday night. The 24-year-old struggled in his first extended Big League stint in 2023 but has shown promise across 66 plate appearances this season. He slashed .211/.253/.367 with nine homers in 233 PAS last year but is slashing .339/.409/.661 with five long balls so far in 2024. With a 10.6% BB% and 19.7% K%, Vientos has vastly improved his plate approach. A season ago those percentages were 4.3%, and 30.5%, respectively. His 36.2% Chase% and 31.9% Whiff% are still far from ideal but his hefty 14.0% Barrel% and 46.5% HardHit% have driven him to success thus far. With the Mets recently optioning third baseman Brett Baty to Triple-A it looks like Vientos will have the job at the hot corner for the foreseeable future. The youngster is owned in just 4.3% of ESPN leagues at the moment.
Tarik Skubal, SP, DET
Skubal twirled 6.0 innings of one-run ball in Arlington on Monday evening. He scattered seven hits, walked two, and fanned six with 96 pitches. The 27-year-old has been nothing short of sensational so far this season. Skubal lowered his ERA to 1.97, which ranks 5th in the majors (qualified starters), and his 2.62 xFIP currently ranks 6th. Additionally, the southpaw's .219 wOBA is the best in the league and his .88 WHIP is 2nd. Skubal throws hard (96.9 vFA) and uses his five-pitch mix very effectively. All of his pitches have a positive pitch value this season with his four-seamer being the most effective with a 6.6 wFA. Skubal is one win away from matching his career-high and, as long as he stays healthy, he's in for a major breakout season here in 2024.
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, MIL
Hoskins went deep in his return to Citizens Bank Park on Monday evening. The long-time Philly first baseman also walked and stole a base in the contest, finishing 1 for 2 with an RBI. After missing all of the 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL, Hoskins has picked up right where he left off so far this season. He's slashing .243/.345/.486 with a .364 wOBA in 168 plate appearances. The 31-year-old's career slash line is .242/.353/.491 and his career wOBA is .360. With an 11.4% BB% and 21.4% Chase%, Hoskins has been his normal disciplined self at the plate. His 14.8% Barrel% ranks in the 90th percentile, however, his 38.8% HardHit% ranks in the 38th and is a career-low. Hoskins has been very consistent in his seven-year career, you can expect him to finish the season with an average in the .240s and his home run total somewhere around the 30 mark.
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.
