Outlook Nick Gonzales
Nick Gonzales is sizzling at the plate, making him a must-start despite a tough upcoming slate of pitchers.
Nick Gonzales has been absolutely sizzling over the last week, batting .455 with two home runs and eight runs scored to boost the second-place Pirates (33-29). Despite a brief scare with knee discomfort in late May, he has avoided the injured list and remains locked in as Pittsburgh's everyday third baseman.
Currently sporting a stellar .314 average on the year, Gonzales is vastly outperforming our model's projection of .259. While his recent power surge is likely to undergo some regression, his dramatically improved plate discipline this season suggests that his emergence as a high-average asset is entirely sustainable.
For the remainder of the week, the Pirates face a challenging road stretch against Houston and Atlanta. He will match up against Kai-Wei Teng (2.72 ERA) on Thursday before facing tough Braves starters like Martin Perez and Spencer Strider. Despite these difficult matchups, his elite current form makes him a mandatory option. Verdict: Start.
Updated 1 day ago
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Outlook Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. remains a must-start power-speed threat despite a brief batting average dip.
Chisholm has cooled off slightly with a .167 average over his last seven days, but his 30-day form remains strong, featuring a .286 batting average and four home runs. The second-place Yankees, currently 36-25, rely on him heavily as their everyday second baseman, especially with Aaron Judge currently questionable with shoulder soreness and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined on the injured list.
While his brief slump is a minor speed bump, our season models project Chisholm to finish with 20 home runs and 27 stolen bases, backing up his elite 30-homer, 30-steal pedigree from last season. His underlying metrics suggest his power-speed blend remains intact and any minor batting average fluctuation is just a typical mid-season fluke.
For the remaining matchups this week, Chisholm faces Cleveland's Slade Cecconi today, a highly favorable matchup against a pitcher with a 5.25 ERA. The Yankees then host Boston for three games against tough starters like Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, but Chisholm's elite category-stuffing upside keeps him firmly in lineups. Verdict: Start.
Updated 1 day ago
