Outlook Ben Rice
Rice maintains elite power profile for first-place Yankees despite recent contact struggles
The first-place Yankees continue to lean on Rice as a middle-of-the-order force, particularly with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list. While he has maintained his role as the primary designated hitter, his recent form has dipped slightly with a .222 average over the last 14 days. Despite the cooling average, he remains an essential part of a New York offense that currently leads the AL East.
Under the hood, Rice's 22 home runs through 75 games have already nearly eclipsed our pre-season projection of 26 for the entire year. While his .200 batting average over the last week signals a correction from his hot May, his season-long .281 mark and elite .959 OPS suggest he has evolved into a legitimate high-impact bat. Some regression in average is expected toward his career .254 baseline, but the power profile remains genuine.
The week concludes with a three-game road series against the Red Sox. The matchups are relatively tough; he faces Payton Tolle and his 3.36 ERA tonight before seeing the surging Sonny Gray and his 2.95 ERA on Sunday. Although the remaining pitchers boast solid ratios, Rice’s ability to punish high-velocity fastballs makes him a must-play in a rivalry series where the Yankees look to snap a short losing streak. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
Latest News Ben Rice
Outlook Jorge Soler
Soler provides immediate power surge for short-handed Angels
Jorge Soler has hit the ground running since being reinstated from the injured list on June 22nd, launching two home runs in his first three games back. His return is a vital boost for the fifth-place Angels (34-48), who are currently riding a two-game winning streak but must navigate a significant stretch without Mike Trout in the lineup. As the primary designated hitter, Soler has reclaimed his spot in the heart of the order and appears fully recovered from the hip and oblique issues that sidelined him earlier this month.
While his .220 batting average and high strikeout rate are typical of his career profile, his 1.306 OPS over the last week demonstrates the elite ceiling he offers when healthy. He has already reached 11 home runs this season, and our models expect his power production to remain steady as he serves as the team's primary run producer. Comparing his recent hot streak to his career 36-homer baseline suggests this is a sustainable return to form rather than an empty statistical outlier.
The Angels conclude the week with a three-game home stand against the Athletics. While tonight's matchup against J.T. Ginn and his 3.25 ERA is challenging, the weekend provides a significant opportunity for fantasy production against Jack Perkins and Aaron Civale. Perkins and Civale both struggle with ERAs near or above 5.00 and high WHIPs, making this an ideal environment for Soler to add to his home run and RBI totals. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
