One of the most exciting ways to enjoy the MLB fantasy experience, Sorare gamifies card collecting in a fantasy baseball setting. How does it work? Collect cards (buy, sell, and trade), compete with them (fantasy baseball and collection game), and win rewards (cards, cash, VIP experiences, and more). Sorare has undergone a facelift for the 2024 season, so be sure to give yourself some time before the new Game Week starts to familiarize yourself with the new interface. For more information, check out our overview here.
Sorare x MLB – The Next Era is Yours 
Sorare: MLB – Upgrade, Hold, Downgrade (Game Week 31)
Sorare has some exciting competitions for the month of July. Yes, we have the July Chase at the end of the month, but the Community Vote competition (Aces High) is currently ongoing, and Sorare has a unique competition in store for the Mid-Summer Classic. During Game Week 32, Managers can submit a lineup of 2024 MLB All-Stars for a chance to win a share of prizes that include $10,000 in total cash rewards, Pro Cards, and MLB All-Star jerseys. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top finishers for each rarity (excluding common). We will touch more on the July Chase event and the exciting changes that Sorare has in store for us in our next article.
Upgrade
Ben Rice (C/1B – NYY)
The rookie is off to a fantastic start for the Yankees, going deep three times on Saturday, pushing him to four dingers for the season. He is hitting .273 through 55 plate appearances, and with limited at-bats thus far, he could continue to hover in the .270 to .300 range. He has been moved up to the top of the Yankees lineup and may very well stick, given that all four of his long balls have come since the switch last Friday (and due to Anthony Volpe struggling). Rice should be added to Sorare this week, so be on the lookout and snap him up if the value is there.
George Springer (OF – TOR)
In the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career, Springer is well of the radar for most. However, he has started to turn things around and can still offer value in Sorare’s Marketplace. Springer has hit .221 with 10 homers, 31 RBI, 41 runs, and nine stolen bases on the season but has got hot over the last two weeks, where he has hit .386 with five home runs, 16 RBI, 10 runs, and one stolen base. Yes, half of his home run and RBI totals have come in the last two weeks. There is no denying Springer’s talent, so be sure to keep an eye on Sorare’s Marketplace for opportunities to add him to your team. Average asking has climbed recently, so avoid the instant and compete with others instead.
Hold
Castillo has been having some massive struggles over the last month, picking up just two wins in 33 innings pitched. His K/9 has dipped under 9.0 (8.97 after 8.18 last month), and he’s having the type of command issues that can ruin a season. Castillo was good in his last start but that couldn’t prevent his ERA from staying in minor league demotion territory. Over the last month, he has 30 strikeouts in 33 innings while sporting a 5.45 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. His market value has been dropping precipitously because of this, so hold if you have him rostered. For those who don’t, he is worth a look as a stash target, even if his pitching arsenal is nowhere near as dominant as it once was.
One of the hottest hitters in baseball over the last week, Garcia smacked three homers, drove in eight runs, scored five times, and stole one base while going 10 for 20 at the plate for a ridiculous .500 batting average. It is painfully obvious that he won’t be able to keep up the torrid pace, but that is not to say he shouldn’t be on radars. However, there is too much of an increase in his market value for managers to consider adding him to their team yet. On the other hand, those who already have him rostered may want to hold onto a player who may be considered a premium player by the time mid-August rolls around. Still, there is a lot of risk here; Garcia has just 10 dingers, 44 RBI, 30 runs, and 12 stolen bases on the season, good numbers when combined with his current .274 batting average, to be sure, but considering 30 percent of his home runs, 18 percent of his RBI, and 16 percent of his runs came in a seven day period, there is reason for trepidation. Case in point, Garcia went 23 for 97 in June, finishing the month with two home runs, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases on a .237 batting average. He was caught stealing on three of his five attempts. Hold on Garcia.
Downgrade
Fantasy managers had high hopes for the former Blue Jay, as Semien had back-to-back strong seasons after a monster one in Toronto. However, Semien has struggled for much of the season and is showing no signs of turning it around. He has actually been good against lefties this year but has been putrid in his 260 at-bats against righties. For context, he had far greater success against right-handed pitching in the three previous seasons. It could just be as simple as the former all-star entering the decline phase of his career. The good news for those who have him rostered already is he is good enough defensively and has been potent enough offensively (in the past) that the Rangers have likely given little to no thought to a platoon-type situation, which means he could get hot in a hurry if he can identify correlative reasons for his struggles.
Cole looked like he was turning the corner after a strong start in Toronto, but once again struggled with command issues on Saturday against Boston. It’s okay to be optimistic that the all-star break will do him some good, but for others, he is too volatile to consider adding to your roster. Avoid/bench Cole until he proves he is all the way back to something at least resembling his all-star form.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
