Austin RIley, 3B, ATL
Riley stayed hot on Monday night, going 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles against the Tigers. Over the past four games, he is 8 for 13 with three homers, three doubles, and eight RBI. In his 229 PAs prior, Riley hit .220 with just three home runs, ten doubles, and 20 RBI. The 27-year-old has still been hitting the ball hard this season (48.8% Hard-Hit% and 91.7 avg exit velo) but he has been struggling with his launch angle. Riley's 16.0% LD% is a career-low (22.1% career) while his 43.2% GB% is a career-high (38.5% career). So it should come as no surprise that his LA sweet-spot% of 29% ranks in the 15th percentile this season. His recent heater is a relief for fantasy owners, but he still has a lot of work to do. Riley had been the model of consistency the past three seasons, making fantasy owners feel he was a safe top-round pick in the 2024 draft. A .243/.311/.401 triple-slash with six homers in mid-June isn't what I expected from the big third baseman.
Paul Skenes, SP, PIT
Skenes improved to 4-0 with a 6.0 inning one-run effort against the Reds. He gave up six hits, walked one, and racked up seven Ks on the evening. Skenes created 18 Whiffs for a 33% Whiff%, but more importantly, he kept the Cincy hitters to an 84.9 avg exit velo. Most of the 22-year-old's metrics have been sensational this season but with a 90.1 avg exit velo and 41.6% Hard-Hit% coming into Monday's start, he has given up a lot of hard contact. Still, you can't expect much more from a rookie than Skenes has provided in his 39.1 innings this season. He owns a 2.29 ERA, 2.11 xFIP, and a 12.13 K/9 that ranks second among major league starters (min 30 IP).
David Bednar, RP, PIT
Bednar pitched a clean 9th and collected his 15th save of the season on Monday night. The 29-year-old gave up a run in each of his last two outings but has made improvements since a rough start to the 2024 campaign. His current 5.34 ERA looks bad, especially with his 12.6% Barrel% and 39.1% Hard-Hit%. Bednar has vastly improved his ERA over his last 13 outings, giving up just two runs in that span. However, he has still been hit hard (14.3% Barrel% and 40.0% Hard-Hit%), and his strikeout numbers continue to lack. Bendar's strikeout rate has declined in three consecutive seasons and his current 9.49 K/9 mark would be a career-low. He will still get the opportunities for saves as the Pirates closer, but make no mistake he has not been the weapon out of the pen that he was the past few seasons.
Alec Bohm, 3B, PHI
Bohm extended his mult-hit game streak to four with a three-hit effort against the Padres on Monday night. He hit a homer, two singles, and collected three RBI in the contest. The 27-year-old is 11 for his last 18 and has his average up to .307 on the season. Bohm has shown remarkable plate discipline this season. His 13.3% K% ranks in the 95th percentile and his 16.5% Whiff% ranks in the 91st. Additionally, both his 23.8% O-Swing% and 92.1% Z-Contact% are well above his average marks (28.4%, and 86.7%, respectively) and career-highs. Bohm might be amidst a career year in 2024. He owns a career-high 138 wRC+ and leads the league with 26 doubles.
Reese Olson, SP, DET
Olson blanked the Braves for 6.0 innings on Monday night. He gave up four hits, walked none, and fanned eight in the outing. To say the 24-year-old needed this clean outing would be an understatement. Over his past three starts, Olson had given up 17 earned runs on 18 hits. Still, despite the recent lumps and unsightly 1-8 record, Olson has pitched pretty well this season. He owns a 3.39 ERA and 3.64 xFIP across 77.0 innings. He isn't a big strikeout guy (8.06 K/9) but he keeps the ball on the ground (52.8% GB%) and doesn't give up a lot of home runs (.47 HR/9).
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