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:
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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