Blake Snell
Snell was almost perfect on Friday night, tossing a 3 BB/11 K no-hitter. It took Snell 114 pitches and he allowed only one hard hit ball. Snell was truly dominant, as only two balls put into play by the opponent Reds had an xBA over .500. He posted an insane 40% CSW. Snell had a rough start to the season, a REALLY rough start, but he has been on another planet the last five starts. In his last five nods on the bump, Snell has gone 30 IP, 2 ER, 8 H, 10 BB, 39 K. What was once a must-bench, and even a drop in some tighter leagues without benches, Snell is now a confident, must-start moving forward.
Other Notes...
Xavier Edwards
It was only a couple days ago I wrote about Xavier Edwards' cycle, but since then he's continued to rake. He's slashing .409/.482/.545 since the All-Star break, while continuing to support that line with really strong underlying figures. His xwOBA on the season has risen to .337 and he's doubled his hard-hit rate and added 6 ticks to his EV compared to last year. The power wasn't there in the minor leagues and it isn't here now, but if you need someone to prop up the SB/AVG departments or play in points leagues, I don't know who else might be better on the waiver wire.
Royce Lewis
We all know that Royce is a star when he's healthy, and he reminded us of that today. The former number one overall pick went 2-4 with a R, 4 RBI, BB, K with help via the home run. Lewis boasts a super impressive ability to produce excellent launch angles (39.3% Sweet Spot) and plus bat speed (74.3 MPH). There is some slight swing and miss to his game (28.6%), but he actually walks at an above average rate and strikes out at an average rate, so we can assume he just has an aggressive approach. He's posting career highs in virtually every category, including Barrel%, LA Sweet Spot%, xwOBA and xwOBACON. He's a must start as long as he's healthy.
Miguel Vargas
Vargas went 1-4 with a two-run homer on Friday. Vargas was one of the main prospects going back to the White Sox in the three team trade that also included the Dodgers and Cardinals. Vargas couldn't find regular playing time with the Dodgers, so going to the White Sox is a positive thing for fantasy purposes. In 304 PAs in 2023, Vargas posted plus discipline, walking at 12.5% and punching out at only 20.1%. Unfortunately, he didn't impact the baseball, posting a .304 xwOBA and 85 wRC+. I really like Vargas because I really like the direction of his development. He is a former highly rated prospect with a strong MiLB track record, and has raked in AAA this year (148 wRC+). Prospects usually struggle with punching out when they first get called up, but Vargas hasn't, so I am FAR from giving up on him, and love him as a dynasty buy-low.
Tyler Phillips
Phillips was added to fantasy rosters en-masse after he threw a CGSO against a tough Cleveland lineup last week. Unfortunately, he betrayed you today and went full Hunter Brown-mode. Phillips lasted just 1.2 IP, but surrendered 8 ER while giving up 5 H and 3 BB. More concerningly, he only punched out one batter and gave up three homers. Phillips has a good sweeper, but his sinker, his second most used pitch, has gotten shelled to a tune of .400 xwOBA against. He's a premium strike thrower, to his credit, but there is a lot to prove in terms of arsenal depth before I trust him.
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