This weekly column highlights some hot and cold players – “risers” and “fallers” – for fantasy purposes. Some are already rostered in many places, so trades may be in order. Other players may be widely available, placing a potential waiver claim in the cards. Let’s take a look.
2023 Fantasy Baseball Risers & Fallers
Risers
Gelof has been one of the top hitters since he was recalled at the All-Star break. Gelof is hitting .281 on the season with eight home runs and six RBI. Gelof hit .348 this past week with three doubles, three home runs, and a .522 ISO. He barreled the ball 29.4% of the time with a 58.8% hard-hit rate. Gelof was locked in last week and has been locked in all season. He has been the American League version of Matt McLain. Gelof should be in for a significant fantasy finish to the season.
It has been quite the injury-riddled season for Hayes, but he is currently healthy, and the production has been showing up quickly. This past week Hayes hit safely in all five games he started for a .409 batting average. Hayes had five extra-base hits, including three home runs, with a .545 ISO and 266 wRC+. Hayes barreled the ball 15% of the time with a 65% hard-hit rate. If Hayes can stay healthy, and that’s a big if due to the injury being a lingering back injury, then Hayes can provide some excellent fantasy production down the stretch.
Gimenez is having a solid season with a .248 batting average with 11 home runs and 20 stolen bases. This past week Gimenez hit .400 with a home run and two stolen bases. He also showcased solid plate discipline with a 10% walk and 10% strikeout rates. Gimenez hits second daily for the Guardians, and he should continue to put together a solid season with some intense weeks like the one he just had.
Carpenter is hitting .282 on the season with 15 home runs, and this past week was a big week for the Tigers outfielder. Carpenter hit safely in all seven games this past week with a .423 batting average. He had five extra-base hits, including three home runs with seven runs scored. Carpenter only struck out 10.3% of the time with a 13% barrel rate and 43.5% hard-hit rate. Carpenter has been a great streaming option this season but could become an every-week option in deeper formats.
Edman was having a rough season, full of injuries, but this past week he may be proving that he’s healthy and ready for a solid final few weeks. Edman hit .412 with two doubles and three home runs while only striking out 5.3% of the time. He barreled the ball 18.8% of the time with a 43.8% hard-hit rate. Edman has been hitting at the bottom of the order, but he led off on Monday night, which could improve his future production.
Fallers
A few weeks ago, Bauers was a trendy pick-up as Anthony Rizzo went to the IL. Bauers was showcasing some power with a decent batting average, but that halted last week. Bauers collected three singles the previous week for a .125 batting average; even worse, he struck out nearly 52% of the time. Bauers can be streaky, but bad steaks like this can be a death knell for a fantasy team.
With Brett Baty being sent back to AAA, Vientos finally got the everyday playing time that many wanted. Well, this past week, that did not go well for Vientos. He collected five hits, one being a double as Vientos hit .179. He struck out 34.6% of the time without a barrel. Vientos still had a 50% hard-hit rate, but the lack of balls in play has been a problem for Vientos. It may be time to move on from Vientos for now.
Moniak was one of the season’s best surprises, but that surprise is going up in smoke rather quickly. Moniak hit .130 without a walk this past week and struck out 34.8% of the time. Moniak did barrel the ball nearly 14% of the time with a 46.7% hard-hit rate, but the strikeouts are finally catching up with Moniak. His struggles even moved him down the order for a few games; if they continue, he may also see some playing time slip away.
Soderstrom was called up the same day as Gelof, and they both had lofty expectations. We know how well Gelof has played, but Soderstrom’s results have gone in the opposite direction. This past week the struggles continued for Soderstom as he collected two hits for a .111 batting average. He struck out 31.6% of the time with an 8.3% barrel rate. Soderstrom’s struggles seem profound, and it may take some time for him to break out of his funk.
Captain Jack has not hit for average all season, only .211, but the power and a bit of speed allowed us all to forget the average struggles. Suwinski hit a low this past week with a .143 batting average, no home runs, one steal, and a 48% strikeout rate. Suwinski can be streaky so that he will be streamed occasionally, but an every-week starter is outside the cards for Suwinski.
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