Outlook Gunnar Henderson
Gunnar Henderson is turning a corner at the plate as he guides the Orioles through a tough West Coast road trip.
The Orioles' everyday shortstop has found his rhythm over the last seven days, batting .292 with a stellar .469 on-base percentage and his 100th career home run. Despite a couple of recent defensive miscues and a minor scare after being hit by a pitch, he remains completely healthy for the fourth-place Orioles (34-39). Henderson continues to anchor the left side of the infield, especially with key teammates like Jordan Westburg sidelined on the injured list.
While Henderson’s overall .227 season average and .298 OBP are a step down from his stellar 2024 and 2025 campaigns, his recent surge indicates a strong positive regression toward his true talent. Our models project him to finish with a much improved .272 batting average and 26 home runs, proving that his slow start is merely a temporary slump. Trust his elite underlying talent and expect his counting stats to rise as his walk rate and power metrics rebound.
Baltimore heads out for a challenging six-game road trip, starting with three games against Seattle's rotation before facing the powerhouse Dodgers. The matchups are quite demanding, particularly facing Logan Gilbert (3.62 ERA) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.52 ERA), though battles against higher-ERA arms like Emmet Sheehan (4.94 ERA) offer solid bounce-back opportunities. Given his hot recent form and secured role, he is a locked-in option for your lineup this week. Start.
Updated 2 days ago
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Outlook Alejandro Kirk
Alejandro Kirk returns with a bang, offering an immediate boost to fantasy lineups.
Reinstated from the 60-day injured list on June 12 after thumb surgery, Kirk immediately went 4-for-7 with a double over his first two games. His return boosts a third-place Blue Jays squad (34-38) currently on a two-game slide and managing injuries to key bats like Daulton Varsho and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Though listed as the secondary catcher behind Brandon Valenzuela, Kirk's hot bat has slotted him right into the middle of the order.
While his early .571 average is a tiny sample, Kirk's track record is legitimate after hitting .276 with 20 homers last season. Our projection expects a steady .264 average and 10 home runs over 425 at-bats. Expect some power regression as he recovers full grip strength, but his elite contact skills and projected .331 OBP make him a top-tier fantasy catcher.
Toronto has six road games scheduled this week. Kirk faces highly favorable matchups against Boston's Jake Bennett (5.28 ERA) and Chicago's Colin Rea (5.53 ERA), balanced by tougher tests against Sonny Gray and Ben Brown (1.74 ERA). With playing time secure due to team injuries, lock him in. Weekly Verdict: Start.
Updated 2 days ago
