Outlook Brandon Valenzuela
Brandon Valenzuela is catching fire as Toronto's everyday starter, making him a highly coveted catcher option.
Valenzuela has been tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .400 with three home runs over his last seven days for the third-place Blue Jays, who are currently on a two-game winning streak. With Alejandro Kirk still sidelined on the injured list with a thumb fracture, Valenzuela has firmly secured his role as Toronto's everyday catcher.
While his 1.604 OPS over the last week is unsustainable, his overall season growth is highly encouraging. He is currently outperforming his career .256 batting average, but his excellent contact skills and strong underlying hard-hit data suggest he will remain a highly productive fantasy asset even when his hot streak cools down.
The Blue Jays have a six-game home stretch this week, though they face tough matchups against the Phillies and Yankees. While squaring off against elite arms like Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez caps his upside, Valenzuela's volume and red-hot bat make him a viable option. Verdict: Start.
Updated 2 days ago
Latest News Brandon Valenzuela
Outlook Samuel Basallo
Lingering abdominal injury and sudden slump cloud Basallo's weekly outlook
The 21-year-old primary designated hitter and backup catcher for the fourth-place Orioles recently exited a game on June 5 with right abdominal discomfort. This concerning physical setback follows a cold stretch where he batted just .118 over his last six games, raising major questions about his immediate availability in the Baltimore lineup as the team looks to snap a two-game losing streak.
Prior to this quiet week, the sophomore backstop was red-hot, slashing .275/.342/.507 with four home runs and 11 RBIs over his last 30 days. While our models project a conservative .237 average rest-of-season, his elite bat speed and 13-homer projection suggest his recent surge is a true reflection of his elite pedigree rather than a fluke.
Baltimore has a busy seven-game home stand on tap, starting with a challenging series against Seattle's stingy rotation featuring Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. Given his lingering abdominal strain, his status for the early part of the week is highly volatile, meaning fantasy managers should play it safe and pivot to healthy options. The verdict is to Sit him this week.
Updated 2 days ago
