Outlook Nico Hoerner
Nico Hoerner looks to break out of a cold spell during a favorable road trip.
Nico Hoerner has hit a rough patch, batting just .200 with zero home runs over his last 30 games. Despite these struggles, he remains locked in as the everyday starting second baseman for the Cubs, who sit fourth in the NL Central with a 34-32 record. With his early-season neck tightness long behind him, his everyday role remains completely secure.
This prolonged slump is a clear outlier compared to his career .303 average last season and our season projection of a .281 average with 30 stolen bases. Given his elite contact skills and high-contact profile, Hoerner is a prime candidate for positive regression. Trust his track record and expect his batting average to normalize shortly.
This week offers a perfect get-well card with six road games, starting with three in hitter-friendly Colorado. Hoerner will face highly exploitable pitching, including Michael Lorenzen and his 8.33 ERA, before heading to San Francisco. Our weekly model projects a turnaround with a projected steal and improved run scoring, making him a clear fantasy option. Start him.
Updated 1 day ago
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Outlook Gavin Sheets
Gavin Sheets steps into everyday duty for the Padres but faces a cold spell ahead of a busy week.
The third-place Padres (33-31) are currently missing key bats like Ramón Laureano and Jake Cronenworth due to injuries, locking Sheets into a steady everyday role at first base and in the outfield. However, Sheets has cooled off significantly, batting just .121 with only one home run over his last 14 days.
Despite his recent slump, Sheets still possesses a solid .237 average and five homers over his last 30 days, mirroring our season projection of a .239 average and modest pop. Given his career-best 19-homer campaign last year, our models suggest his recent power drop is temporary and he should soon return to his established baseline.
San Diego plays six games this week, starting at home against Cincinnati before heading to Baltimore. While facing Cincinnati's Chase Burns (2.05 ERA) will be tough, Sheets gets highly favorable matchups against high-ERA arms like Brady Singer (5.89 ERA) and Trevor Rogers (6.58 ERA), making him a strong starting option in deeper formats.
Updated 1 day ago
