Hello friends! Even though we’re still two and a half weeks away from the All Star Game, let’s not forget that we’re actually at the halfway point of the season right about now. Obviously, that extended break is a great time to re-group and have a chance to really look over your rosters, but right now is also a smart time for a good look at your stats and standings. If you’re in a keeper league or any league that involves trading and/or free agent pick-ups, why wait to see where you have ground to realistically make up, and perhaps just as importantly, where you don’t? For those of you who are only in a league or two and already know with certainty that this isn’t going to be your year, this can be a frustrating time of year, but it can be a fruitful one as well. It’s always smart to keep an eye out for the future and to pay attention to which players emerge in the second half, whose success may carry over to 2026. For now, things may be a little dull until we hopefully get an influx of new faces closer to the MLB trade deadline… but as usual, that won’t keep us from checking in on some players who could be of interest for NL-only, AL-only, and other deeper leagues.
NL
Isaac Collins. I’ve had my eye on Collins for a while in a couple deep-ish leagues, and am now thinking maybe I should have pulled the trigger on him earlier in one of them, where he’s been snapped up and where I’m really hurting for another outfielder. He’s been playing regularly, if not daily, for the Brewers, and after a recent hot streak, he’s now up to a not-awful .262 average on the season, with 4 homers and 8 steals. He’s 27 years old, he’s a switch hitter, and he’s making a solid case to be owned in more than the 8% of CBS leagues in which he’s currently rostered.
Joey Ortiz. I truly thought Ortiz was droppable in just about any size league as of about a month ago, and honestly didn’t think he’d make it to July on the Brewers major league roster. He’s not only still in the big leagues, he’s been almost as hot as his teammate Collins. He’s still playing regularly, and hitting .341 with a couple homers and a steal over the last two weeks. He doesn’t have a single walk over that time, and both those homers came in one big game a few days ago… but I’m ready to admit that he should probably be owned in anything resembling a deep league for the time being (and the MI and CI dual eligibility certainly doesn’t hurt his value).
Nick Gonzales. I was wondering why Gonzales had shot up a bit in ownership of late (from 6 to 9% in CBS leagues), and I suppose it’s because, since returning from the IL mid-June, he’s played a lot and hit enough to raise his average from .222 to .301. That includes a 5-hit game and brings his HR/RBI totals to 3 and 10 in 83 at bats on the year. Like I said earlier in this post, things might be a little dull right now when it comes to the free agent pool, and Gonzales is about as dull as it gets in fantasy. If he’s available in a deeper league, though, it’s that kind of dull that could help you more than it hurts you at the end of a fantasy roster.
Jake McCarthy. As Corbin Carroll owners are likely painfully aware, McCarthy has been recalled by the Diamondbacks to help out in the outfield and is likely to see a decent amount of playing time. The beginning of his year did not exactly go well, with a .073 average in 14 games, leading to his early demotion. This is a guy, however, who hit over .280 two of the last three seasons and has a career average of .262 with a .331 OBP, so it would certainly seem like he has nowhere to go but up on that front. His real value at this point, though, would of course be from potentially regaining some of his former stolen base mojo, seeing as he’s swiped more than 20 bags in each of the last three seasons.
AL
Jack Perkins. Perkins is up to 7% owned in CBS leagues after being promoted by the A’s, and might be worth a look in a variety of fantasy formats despite the fact that it appears he’ll be used in a no-man’s-land-for-fantasy long relief role. His first appearance couldn’t have gone much better, at least (3 innings, 1 hit, no walks, 2 Ks). Maybe there are no plans to move him into the rotation as soon as this summer, even if the need arises, but his excellent numbers as a starter in the minors this year put him on the radar while we see how his major league path progresses. By excellent, I mean he was sporting a 2.86 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and had 68 Ks in 44 innings covering nine starts. He’s 25 years old, so not sure why the team wouldn’t want to see what they have here at the major league level sooner rather than later.
Gary Sanchez. Surprisingly hot catcher alert! This is one of those situations where the hot streak will probably be over before I can finish typing this, but it’s worth mentioning that Sanchez has been downright stellar over the last two weeks for the Orioles as Adley Rutschman bides his time on the IL. I mean, unless a .310 average/.394 OBP over that span, with 3 homers and 10 RBI doesn’t do it for you.
Donovan Solano. This week’s 1% owned player is now on the Mariners if you hadn’t kept track, and has been on a bit of a run lately, including hitting over .500 for a short stretch of games. We’ll see how playing time continues to shake out (he’s gotten a handful of starts at first against both righties and lefties), since he’s likely a short-side platoon player at best when the team is firing on all cylinders. He’s obviously an ultra-deep league name only, but in those formats, he could be useful for a handful of counting stats since the Mariners seem like a team that might keep him around longer and/or play him more often than they should.
Dominic Canzone. We’ll stay in Seattle to check in on Canzone, who seems like he’s been regularly up and down from the minors for about a decade (he’s actually 27 now). He’s been getting a pretty good look lately since his most recent call-up, mostly against right handers (though it may or may not be worth noting that he’s also 2 for 5 against lefties). Overall, he’s 12 for 44, with 3 walks versus 6 Ks, and he already has 4 homers and a steal. He’s at 3% owned in CBS leagues right now and should be rostered in AL-only and similarly deep leagues as we see if he can keep the good times rolling with his latest big league opportunity.
Thanks for reading, and hope both your real-life and fantasy baseball summers are treating you well!
