Since coming off the IL last month Tommy Edman has been on fire. (MLB.com)
This week, three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander said he plans to retire at the end of the season; Dylan Cease came within three outs of his second career no-hitter; and the Willson Contreras drama continued as he had to leave early after fouling a ball off his foot and will sit Thursday as a result. Other Fantasy baseball stories we’re tracking include…
Tommy Edman Raking Since Return
In mid-March last year, we discussed how the Los Angeles Dodgers’ win total kept dipping, but given that they had won the World Series in 2024, no one was shedding any tears.
Well, the Dodgers dropped by another five victories last season, yet won the NL West for the fourth straight time and took home another championship in the process.
This season, L.A. is playing much better. After beating Colorado on Wednesday thanks to a stronger outing than expected by starter Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers are now 7-3 over the last 10 to open a 14-game lead in what’s been a weak division this year.
While the team has dealt with its fair share of injuries (and continues to do so), they got an important piece back a few weeks ago in the versatile Tommy Edman, who started the game-winning rally Wednesday by singling and ultimately coming around to score the winning run.
The injury prone utility man had ankle surgery in late-March and missed almost the entire first half, but has been making up for lost time since his return. With two hits and two runs on Wednesday, Edman has three hits, three runs and a steal over the last two games, and while he’s cooled off a bit in July, he’s hit better than ever since coming off the IL. And — in the virtual world, at least — he has some serious pop…
He might not be an everyday starter, but holds value given his multi-position eligibility (2B and OF currently, with a chance to qualify at 3B again soon). Edman may only be a top 30 2B at best, but the flexibility and the fact he hits in a stacked lineup gives him a nice boost for Fantasy purposes. Oh, and a .351 BA doesn’t hurt, either.
Is Edman playing over his head right now? Yes, but the advanced metrics suggest that his current numbers are not as outlandish as you think (xBA of .323). And as Edman gets further away from the ankle woe, it’s reasonable to expect his speed to return.
Of course his real world value will always be greater than his Fantasy value because of his versatility, switch-hitting ability, defensive work and high baseball IQ.
Nats Generating Excitement
Still in the NL, but switching coasts, the Washington Nationals have had a very different story to tell in recent seasons. Since winning the World Series in 2019, they have done nothing but lose, and while they showed modest progress in 2023 and 2024 (71 wins in both years), they sunk to 66 last season.
Washington is playing better this year, and with a big win on Wednesday to clinch its series against Houston, it’s now two games over .500 and just 3.5 games behind the Phillies, who are tied for second in the NL East. The Nationals remain a bit of a longshot to make the playoffs (+790 as per FanDuel), but there’s legitimate reason for excitement in the U.S. capital for the first time in quite a while.
And one of the key sources of this buzz is yet another season of improvement from 2022 Top 100 Prospects graduate CJ Abrams, this time involving a much bigger leap into stardom.
On Wednesday, the shortstop spanked his 20th homer of the season (to tie a career best) and added a sac fly and a walk to extend his hitting streak to four games over which he’s driven in seven runs. After struggling to get on base last month, it’s great to see Abrams tearing it up to begin July. Also good: after dealing with some injury issues the last couple of years, he’s been mostly healthy this season, and the results have been fantastic.
Power, speed (15 steals) and patience (career-best .355 OBP) are the highlights of what’s shaping up as a career year for Abrams. And there’s nothing wrong with his .276 BA, as that is easily the best mark he’s ever posted. At this point, we can consider Abrams a top three shortstop for Fantasy purposes.
Having said that, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that he struggled to be productive in the second half in each of the last two seasons, so if you think that might happen again, he’s a superb sell high candidate.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Luis Campusano, C, San Diego Padres (ESPN: 0.5 per cent; CBS: 6 per cent): A former Top 100 Prospect who fell off our list in 2022, Campusano hasn’t had a ton of success in his career so far, but he’s getting to play more now with Freddy Fermin (head) hurting. Campusano went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk on Wednesday for his second straight multi-hit effort. He’s hitting like a man possessed so far in July, and while this very well may just be a short-term pickup, we love that he’s cut his K rate and is killing it with a career-best wOBA of .435. Is this the long-awaited breakout?
RotoRob Tune of the Day
American soul guitarist Don Julian hailed from Los Angeles. Here’s “Schoolin’ and Foolin’,” another track from his 1973 soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Shorty the Pimp.