Outlook Ty France
Ty France continues his late-season surge as San Diego's everyday first baseman
France has been locked in, slashing .341/.420/.545 over his last 14 days to help the second-place Padres extend a four-game winning streak. With Gavin Sheets sidelined by a foot sprain, France has full command of everyday duties at first base, recently earning the club's Heart and Hustle Award while eclipsing 20 home runs.
He has completely shattered our preseason projection of eight home runs, batting .294 with an .879 OPS through 120 games. While his .341 average over the last two weeks will see slight regression toward his career .270-range baseline, his refined plate approach and sustained power make this resurgence legitimate.
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, San Diego heads to San Francisco for three games. France will take on inexperienced arms Anthony Molina and Cesar Perdomo before a Sunday date with Logan Webb and his 4.16 ERA. Given his high on-base floor and steady run production, he is an easy lineup lock. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
Latest News Ty France
Outlook Will Smith
Will Smith shakes off post-injury rust as first-place Dodgers visit Miami
Smith has begun finding his rhythm after missing significant time with a neck injury, posting a .174 average but a healthy .321 on-base percentage with one home run and six runs over his last 14 days. The first-place Dodgers enter the weekend riding a seven-game win streak at 89-57, keeping Smith locked in as their everyday starter behind the dish with Dalton Rushing sidelined.
While his batting average over this nine-game stretch seems muted, our models view it as brief timing rust rather than a regression. Smith has paired four walks with only four strikeouts since returning, indicating his elite plate discipline remains intact and aligns with our projected .263 average and .377 on-base percentage. His quality of contact should swiftly rebound toward his customary 20-homer pace.
Looking at the rest of the week, Los Angeles heads to Miami for a three-game road series. Smith draws favorable weekend matchups against Ryan Gusto (4.37 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) and Tyler Phillips (1.35 WHIP) before wrapping up against Eury Perez (3.94 ERA). Given his middle-of-the-order run-producing opportunities, lock him into lineups as a premier catching asset. Start.
Updated 1 day ago
