Giancarlo Stanton (NYY): 2-4, 2B.
It felt a little unceremonious, but Monday night was the season debut for Giancarlo Stanton, who began the year on the 60-day IL with injuries to both elbows. Overall, it was a pretty solid debut for Stanton, who did not add any counting stats but finished with two hits, including a double. In characteristic Giancarlo fashion, Stanton had the hardest-hit ball of the night with a 111.1 mph single. Stanton’s double was another hard-hit ball, clocking in at 102.9 mph, and he also hit a 101.5 mph ball that resulted in a groundout. This is good news, as Stanton’s greatest strength has always been his overwhelming power, and as long as he has that tool, he will find some utility in fantasy leagues.
Of course, there will be negatives with Stanton’s profile that I shouldn’t need to dig into too deeply–the strikeout rate will certainly hurt in points leagues, and his DH-only eligibility will hamstring the versatility of your lineup. While finding space for him on your roster may be difficult, there is still some appeal here for those in categories or rotisserie leagues. Stanton should contribute plenty in home runs and RBIs while hitting in the heart of this Yankee lineup without hurting you too badly in ratio stats–just be prepared to endure the streakiness that comes with players of his profile.
Another item that needs to be discussed is how Stanton’s presence will impact the Yankee lineups moving forward. Stanton won’t play every day, but he should force the likes of Ben Rice and Jasson Domínguez to the bench more frequently. Even Paul Goldschmidt took a seat on Monday night (though Rice was in the lineup), so off days may become more commonplace for the veteran first baseman. Keep an eye on these playing time trends over the next few weeks and react accordingly–Rice and Dominguez should not be held too tightly if they lose significant playing time.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Hunter Goodman (COL): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Hunter Goodman is absolutely destroying baseballs in June. Monday’s two-homer performance gives the Colorado catcher a whopping six long balls this month and 13 on the season. There is a lot to like about Goodman’s production so far: his .846 OPS is third among catchers, and his bat gives him a near-every-day role in Colorado’s lineup, which is rare at the position. Let’s take a look under the hood and see how sustainable this production is:
So, the obvious improvement is the massive spike in power this month, though we’ve also seen some modest improvements in contact ability during this hot streak. The thing that’s always stayed below average is Goodman’s decision-making, meaning he’s swinging out of the zone more often than your typical hitter. If pitchers find a way to exploit this, Goodman could be headed for a cold streak like we saw in May. That’s not to say he can’t adjust, but I do think this is a great sell-high window if you can get a proven asset.
James Wood (WSN): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB.
James Wood possesses unreal power for a player of his age. Wood’s opposite-field blast was already his 18th of the season, doubling his 2024 total in seven fewer games. With excellent plate discipline and the ability to steal 20+ bases, I can count the number of hitters I would take over Wood in next year’s drafts on my hands.
Trea Turner (PHI): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Of all the players producing at the plate this year, Trea Turner is one I believe deserves more appreciation. Turner is a manager’s perfect leadoff hitter, boasting elite ratios (.306/.354) and speed (his 19 steals already match his 2024 number) while setting the table for powerhouses such as Kyle Schwarber and eventually Bryce Harper. Turner doesn’t have the pop to reach 25 home runs these days, but with his speed, ratios, and run-scoring ability, you’ll take 15-20 round trippers all day long. In his age-31 season, Turner’s sprint speed is still 99th percentile at 29.9 mph, which is unfathomable to this 30-year-old fantasy writer.
Jake Mangum (TBR): 3-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI.
It’s a small sample size, but Jake Mangum has impressed in many ways this season, posting a .315/.360/.386 slash line with 10 steals across 37 games played. He only has one home run, so there isn’t much in the world of power, and it’s also worth mentioning that his expected stats thus far are quite a bit lower than his actual results (.255 xBA vs. his .315 clip this season). He might be worth streaming for speed and average in deeper 15-team or AL-only leagues, but aside from that, there are probably more reliable and exciting options on your wire.
Adley Rutschman (BAL): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Adley Rutschman’s 2025 is a microcosm of how things just haven’t gone well for the Orioles this season. The star catcher has an OPS of just .709 this year, which seems low until you realize that it’s identical to his 2024 number. Rutschman is still looking to recapture the magic of his first two seasons in the MLB, and while Monday’s homer was encouraging, I wouldn’t blame you for moving him if you get an offer for a more reliable asset.
Nick Kurtz (ATH): 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
What a couple of days it’s been for the rookie! After hitting a go-ahead homer in the ninth to win the game on Sunday, Nick Kurtz launched his first career walk-off home run off a hanging Bryan Abreu slider. Kurtz is still batting just .238 since coming off the IL a week ago, and there will still be contact issues to work through as he adjusts to major league hitting, but he is absolutely worth a pickup if you have the roster space. Baseballs are sure to fly in Sacramento as the weather continues to warm up.
Jose Altuve (HOU): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Jose Altuve provided all of the offense for Houston on Monday, launching a huge home run to left field for his 11th round tripper of the season. Altuve has looked much more like his perennial All-Star self, posting an OPS of .845 in June thus far. He’s still a key fantasy asset, especially with how shallow second base is.
Shohei Ohtani (LAD): 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB.
Even though it was just for an inning, it was thrilling to see Shohei Ohtani return to the mound on Monday night. Even with all of the noise that’s likely to come with pitching for the first time in almost two years, Ohtani still delivered at the plate by driving in two runs and reaching base three times. You all know he’s a top-two hitter, but it will be exciting to see how his pitching develops leading up to the fantasy playoffs.
Roman Anthony (BOS): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Congratulations to Roman Anthony on his first career home run! It wasn’t a cheap one either, as he took ace Logan Gilbert deep in the first inning to put the Red Sox ahead for good. The early returns on Anthony aren’t great (just 2-for-21 so far in the bigs), but he deserves a little more runway before we discuss moving on. As I preached in last week’s column, have patience with this rookie with stratospheric upside. He should get plenty of playing time with Rafael Devers moving to the bay.
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