Jeffrey Springs, SP, Rays
Jeffrey Springs was impressive in what was the best start of his recently begun season, striking out eight over five innings against the Orioles. He only allowed one run on six hits. He was truly dominant in this one, inducing 19 whiffs and putting up a 42% whiff rate and 39% CSW rate. His changeup was nearly unhittable, as 10 of the 15 swings at the pitch were swings and misses. To do that against the Orioles, one of the best offenses in baseball, is no small feat. He put up a 2.46 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 135.1 innings in 2022 and looked to be continuing that caliber of performance in 2023 before requiring Tommy John after just three starts. He is only 38% rostered in Yahoo leagues, and that rate should be much higher after this start. It's not out of the question that he can return to his 2022 form.
Jake Burger, 1B/3B, Marlins
Jake Burger went 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI on Sunday. He kept up his torrid pace at the plate, and he has now hit .313 with 15 home runs since the start of July. He was a popular breakout pick this season who completely disappointed fantasy owners, but it looks like he is finally performing at the level people were expecting. He was dropped in most leagues after his rough first half, but he should be owned in nearly every league at this point (still only 73% owned on Yahoo). Burger isn't a typical power hitter who completely sells out for the long ball, as he has shown the ability to hit for a high average over long periods of time before. After being traded to Miami last season, he hit .303 over his final 53 games. It looks like he has found that same form again, so get him in your lineups until he cools off if he ever does. He is unlikely to keep up this good of a pace but could very easily be a top-12 third baseman for the rest of the season.
Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Braves
Spencer Schwellenbach had another great game on Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings. He induced 17 whiffs and finished the night with a 37% whiff rate and a 32% CSW rate. Although this start wasn't as good as his previous two where he struck out ten and eleven batters, it's great to see him keep the ball rolling. His underlying metrics completely back up his performance, as coming into this start he had a solid 3.20 xERA to go along with a 36% chase rate (98th percentile) and a 3.8% walk rate (97th percentile). He might not have the same upside as previous Atlanta phenom Spencer Strider, but he's certainly showing that he can be a staple in that Braves rotation and figures to be a well-above-average fantasy pitcher for the rest of the season.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees
Giancarlo Stanton went 1 for 2 with a three-run home run, a walk, and a sacrifice fly on Sunday. It was his second game in a row with a homer, and it looks like he shook the rust off after missing over a month of the season with a hamstring injury. He still hits the ball harder than almost everyone in the league, with a crazy 120 mph max exit velocity and 18.9% barrel rate that rank in the top one percent of the league. Stanton is easy to understand for fantasy, you just plug him in your lineup and enjoy the elite power while he's healthy, while you wait for him to ultimately get injured again. Hopefully, he can ride out the rest of the season and comfortably put up another 30+ home run season.
Hayden Birdsong, SP, Giants
Hayden Birdsong got hit hard by the Tigers, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out five. After launching himself onto the fantasy radar with a 12-strikeout performance on July 21st, he has allowed seven and five runs in his two starts since. He wasn't fooling anyone this time out, with a whiff rate of only 24%. It's unusual to see someone go from striking out 12 to struggling to even get an average amount of whiffs, so it's fair to wonder if MLB teams have figured him out. It will take an adjustment from Birdsong to get back on track, and it's safe to bench or even drop him until we see some improvement.
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