Outlook Yordan Alvarez
Yordan Alvarez is on a historic MVP-caliber tear and remains a must-start elite asset.
Alvarez is on an otherworldly tear for the fourth-place Astros (30-37), batting .383 with seven homers and 17 RBI over his last 14 days. He has put a brief late-May back spasm scare behind him, firmly entrenched as Houston's primary designated hitter. Despite injuries to key teammates Carlos Correa and Yainer Diaz, Alvarez is single-handedly carrying the offense and leading the AL MVP race.
Alvarez is obliterating our rest-of-season projection of 30 home runs, already sitting at 22 long balls with a superb 1.084 OPS through 66 games. His historic hard-hit metrics and stellar career baselines confirm this massive power surge is no fluke. While his current 1.372 OPS over the last two weeks will eventually normalize, his elite contact-and-power profile remains a premier fantasy anchor.
The Astros embark on a six-game road trip against the Angels and Royals, where Alvarez faces several highly vulnerable arms. He should feast against Los Angeles' Grayson Rodriguez (10.00 ERA) and Reid Detmers (4.52 ERA) en route to our projected .351 average and 2.4 home runs this week. Alvarez is an elite weekly Start.
Updated 1 day ago
Latest News Yordan Alvarez
Outlook Jake Mangum
Jake Mangum’s blazing hot streak and elite speed make him an enticing weekly target.
Mangum has been on fire recently, batting .500 with three stolen bases over his last five games for the 34-32 Pirates, who currently sit third in the NL Central. Since returning from a hamstring injury, he has locked down a regular role in the outfield, primarily starting in right field. His blazing speed and elite defensive play have quickly made him a key contributor in Pittsburgh.
While his current .500 average over the last week is unsustainable, Mangum's strong contact skills are backed by a track record that includes a .296 average and 27 steals last season. Our models project a highly useful .272 average with 12 stolen bases over 338 projected at-bats, showing that his speed is a legitimate fantasy weapon. Expect some batting average regression, but the base-stealing upside is real.
The Pirates have a six-game home slate this week, starting with three games against the Dodgers before hosting the Marlins. Mangum faces some challenging arms like Justin Wrobleski, but gets favorable matchups against Eric Lauer and Sandy Alcantara. With his current hot hand and elite speed-producing upside, he is an excellent option for fantasy managers needing a category spark. Verdict: Start.
Updated 1 day ago
