We’re officially into Week 4 of the fantasy baseball season. And as we enter the fourth week of the season, here’s how the top four highest run-scoring MLB teams shake out:
-
1) Chicago Cubs
-
2) New York Yankees
-
3) Arizona Diamondbacks
-
4) Cincinnati Reds
A couple of those teams aren’t real surprises this early in the season. The Yankees, even with losing Juan Soto to free agency, lead MLB in home runs (38), the overall offense fueled by an Aaron Judge, who’s been arguably the best hitter in baseball.
Advertisement
The D-backs shouldn’t open any eyes either; after all, they led MLB in scoring last season. They’re top-five in team OBP, SLG and OPS.
Cincinnati’s home park is arguably the best hitting environment not named Coors Field. And unlike Coors’ home residents, Great American Ballpark actually hosts a quality team.
No, the biggest surprise lies in the Cubs. Chicago has been an offensive juggernaut to start the proceedings, leading the league in runs, hits and RBI. Eight of its hitters have all scored double-digit runs. The team’s early offensive explosion has been led by 27-year-old Michael Busch and major offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker, both of whom have cleared a .900 OPS. I’d be trying to acquire one (or both?) of them in a trade.
All four of these squads have been delivering the fantasy juice this season, but is there any left to squeeze?
Carson Kelly, C, Chicago Cubs (45% rostered)
The catcher position hasn’t exactly been a boon in the early going. Of the 12 backstops with over 60 at-bats, only two are hitting over .250. But few of us are looking for our catcher to win our league for us — we just want them to produce when they take the field.
Advertisement
Such has been the case for Carson Kelly.
Kelly has been on a rampage this season, delivering a gaudy 1.502 OPS thus far. Sure, it’s a very small sample size, as Kelly doesn’t play every day (he’s sharing catching duties with Miguel Amaya), but you can’t deny production; his Statcast page, while not highlighted due to his lack of plate appearances, is a sea of red. And it’s not like he’s been overly lucky in the small sample size either, as he only has a .269 BABIP (career mark of .257).
While everyone is waiting for Kelly’s regression to hit, I’ll be plugging him into my lineup whenever he plays and riding the wave for as long as it lasts.
Trent Grisham, OF, New York Yankees (17%)
Speaking of small sample sizes, Grisham is on a ridiculous tear. He has SIX home runs in just 20 games played this season. He’s not even a starter! But Grisham has stepped up when called upon, first as a depth piece with Giancarlo Stanton sidelined and now as potentially something more as Ben Rice deals with an elbow issue.
Advertisement
Grisham strikes me as the perfect player to have on your fantasy bench; he doesn’t play every day so it’s not like you’ll need to break ties with other players to start him, but he’s shown to be a true difference-maker in the early going when he is in the lineup. He should be rostered in more leagues, especially if you need a spark in power and batting average.
Jordan Lawler, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (9%)
Sure, Lawlar hasn’t played a single game for the big-league club this season. But few fantasy managers ever won a league without taking a flier on a top prospect at some point; why not get ahead of the pack?
Advertisement
Lawler is making mincemeat of Triple-A pitching thus far, hitting .325 with a 1.050 OPS, 5 HRs and 8 SBs. The Reno Aces have been giving Lawler time at both second and third base this season, so the assumption is that they’ve been getting him ready to cover for the injured Ketel Marte whenever he gets called up. Beat the pack and add Lawler now if you have an NA spot or bench space; his eventual promotion will undoubtedly be an actionable event.
Gavin Lux, 2B/OF, Cincinnati Reds (10%)
Batting average hasn’t exactly been the most bountiful category so far this season. A lot of the players we drafted highly in March haven’t sniffed close to a .300 batting average, much less .280. So those of us who are hurting in the category have a need to dig deep.
Hitting .319 in 69 at-bats is impressive. It helps to be buoyed by a strong lineup and a fantasy wonderland for a home park. Lux has also actually been playing a lot this season at DH, but he’ll finally be starting at second base with the Reds lineup healthy.
It sounds a bit weird to think of this former Dodgers’ top prospect as a category specialist, but so far this season, that’s been Lux: a low-strikeout, high OBP (.427) guy. We’ll see if this bubble bursts, but for now, he looks like a plus in the batting average category.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: ‘I know I’m ready to start’
<!--> After letting Sam Darnold walk — despite leading them to a 14-3 season and throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns — the Minnesota Vikings are all in on quarterback J.J. McCarthy.McCarthy didn't play in his rookie season due to a meniscus tear that he suffered in the preseason. But the young quarterback is up for the challenge of starting for a team with championship aspirations."I know I'm ready to start," McCarthy said on Tuesday, according to the Vikings' team website. "Because all of the work that I put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and being able to do my job and simplify things to the best of my ability every day. Just take it one day at a time, one play at a time and, you know, I have a tremendous coaching staff, […]
PSG coach Luis Enrique wary of Arsenal’s comeback ability: ‘This is a team who can completely rewrite history’
Getty Images LONDON -- Luis Enrique warned his Paris Saint-Germain side not to let their guard down "for a second" at the Parc des Princes or they risk finding themselves back at square one in their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.Ousmane Dembele's fourth-minute strike was enough to hand PSG control of the tie at the Emirates Stadium, but they may yet come to rue the pair of late misses from Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos that cost them the chance to get out of sight in this tie. Certainly, after an impressive opening 20 minutes, it seemed that that was exactly what the French champions would do, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia devastating down the left flank and Vitinha bossing the midfield.Arsenal regrouped, however, and came close to equalizing on several occasions: Mikel Merino just offside when heading in, Gabriel Martinelli twice going […]
Yankees achieve rare historical feat with back-to-back-to-back homer barrage
BALTIMORE — On the one-month anniversary of the club creating a firestorm around the league with their use of torpedo bats in a game in which they scored 20 runs against the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees celebrated by creating MLB history.The Yankees became the first team to hit three straight home runs to begin a game twice in the same season. On Tuesday, against Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Gibson, Trent Grisham began the home run bonanza with a leadoff shot that landed on Eutaw Street beyond the right field wall. On the next pitch, Aaron Judge hit his ninth home run of the season, raising his batting average to .407. Designated hitter Ben Rice then followed Judge with a 378-foot home run over the right field wall; Rice later added another home run in the second inning, pushing […]
Yankees achieve rare historical feat with back-to-back-to-back homer barrage
BALTIMORE — On the one-month anniversary of the club creating a firestorm around the league with their use of torpedo bats in a game in which they scored 20 runs against the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees celebrated by creating MLB history.The Yankees became the first team to hit three straight home runs to begin a game twice in the same season. On Tuesday, against Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Gibson, Trent Grisham began the home run bonanza with a leadoff shot that landed on Eutaw Street beyond the right field wall. On the next pitch, Aaron Judge hit his ninth home run of the season, raising his batting average to .407. Designated hitter Ben Rice then followed Judge with a 378-foot home run over the right field wall; Rice later added another home run in the second inning, pushing […]
Related
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak
Why Luka is right fit for the Lakers but the roster is not right for him | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce explains why Luka Doncic is the right fit for the Los Angeles Lakers but the roster and team is not the right fit for him. JUST IN・speak・0:51
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: ‘I know I’m ready to start’
<!--> After letting Sam Darnold walk — despite leading them to a 14-3 season and throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns — the Minnesota Vikings are all in on quarterback J.J. McCarthy.McCarthy didn't play in his rookie season due to a meniscus tear that he suffered in the preseason. But the young quarterback is up for the challenge of starting for a team with championship aspirations."I know I'm ready to start," McCarthy said on Tuesday, according to the Vikings' team website. "Because all of the work that I put in and just the confidence in my skills and abilities and being able to do my job and simplify things to the best of my ability every day. Just take it one day at a time, one play at a time and, you know, I have a tremendous coaching staff, […]
PSG coach Luis Enrique wary of Arsenal’s comeback ability: ‘This is a team who can completely rewrite history’
Getty Images LONDON -- Luis Enrique warned his Paris Saint-Germain side not to let their guard down "for a second" at the Parc des Princes or they risk finding themselves back at square one in their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal.Ousmane Dembele's fourth-minute strike was enough to hand PSG control of the tie at the Emirates Stadium, but they may yet come to rue the pair of late misses from Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos that cost them the chance to get out of sight in this tie. Certainly, after an impressive opening 20 minutes, it seemed that that was exactly what the French champions would do, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia devastating down the left flank and Vitinha bossing the midfield.Arsenal regrouped, however, and came close to equalizing on several occasions: Mikel Merino just offside when heading in, Gabriel Martinelli twice going […]
Yankees achieve rare historical feat with back-to-back-to-back homer barrage
BALTIMORE — On the one-month anniversary of the club creating a firestorm around the league with their use of torpedo bats in a game in which they scored 20 runs against the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees celebrated by creating MLB history.The Yankees became the first team to hit three straight home runs to begin a game twice in the same season. On Tuesday, against Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Gibson, Trent Grisham began the home run bonanza with a leadoff shot that landed on Eutaw Street beyond the right field wall. On the next pitch, Aaron Judge hit his ninth home run of the season, raising his batting average to .407. Designated hitter Ben Rice then followed Judge with a 378-foot home run over the right field wall; Rice later added another home run in the second inning, pushing […]
Yankees achieve rare historical feat with back-to-back-to-back homer barrage
BALTIMORE — On the one-month anniversary of the club creating a firestorm around the league with their use of torpedo bats in a game in which they scored 20 runs against the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees celebrated by creating MLB history.The Yankees became the first team to hit three straight home runs to begin a game twice in the same season. On Tuesday, against Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Gibson, Trent Grisham began the home run bonanza with a leadoff shot that landed on Eutaw Street beyond the right field wall. On the next pitch, Aaron Judge hit his ninth home run of the season, raising his batting average to .407. Designated hitter Ben Rice then followed Judge with a 378-foot home run over the right field wall; Rice later added another home run in the second inning, pushing […]
Be the first to leave a comment