Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 06/28

As we approach the midpoint of the season, hopefully, these lineup articles have been a useful way for you to stay up to date on the latest news and notes on National League lineups. With lineup constantly changing, players getting injured, and prospects being promoted, keeping up with all of the changes can be a lot fo ro fantasy baseball managers. This article aims to simplify that hitting the big points that fantasy managers need to be aware of.

In the article below, the latest news and trends are outlined for all 15 National League lineups. The five hottest hitters in the National League over the past two weeks have been: Eugenio Suarez, Ronald Acuna Jr, Elly De La Cruz, Juan Soto, and Christian Yelich. The five coldest hitters in the National League over the past two weeks have been: Oneil Cruz, Michael Harris, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Brenton Doyle, and Matt Shaw. Keep reading for the latest on all 15 National League lineups.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways: NL Edition

Please note that this article is finalized the day prior to publication. I will do my best to update the information as it comes in later that night.

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies

Otto Kemp is sticking in the lineup on an everyday basis
- With Bryce Harper still on the IL, Kemp has been playing first base against righties and is shifting to the outfield with a lefty on the mound. He is batting sixth in the lineup against lefties and eighth against righties
- Kemp is batting .255 through his first 16 games, but his poor approach at the plate makes it difficult to believe he is ever more than a utility bench player
- Harper, meanwhile, has been taking batting practice and could return to the lineup early next week. This would push Kemp into the short side of a platoon moving forward
The Phillies are insistent on platooning Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh
- For some reason, the team will not give Stott or Marsh the chance to play every day, sitting both against lefties this week in favor of Buddy Kennedy and Johan Rojas
- Facing three straight lefties, both did eventually enter the lineup in the third game and could start to see more playing time with the right-handed bench options struggling
- While Stott and Marsh are sitting against most lefties, Max Kepler is sitting against all lefties and struggling to produce offensively

Miami Marlins

Jesus Sanchez may be breaking out of his platoon
- Sanchez drew a rare start against a lefty late last week, which could be a sign of the team’s willingness to give him more playing time moving forward
- In 42 plate appearances against lefties this season, Sanchez is batting just .158 compared to his .266 batting average against righties
- Sanchez has seven homers and eight steals on the season, but is batting just .195 since June 14. He is still hitting the ball incredibly hard and should see his luck improve in the coming weeks
Eric Wagaman could start to lose playing time
- Wagaman currently leads all NL Rookies in RBIs, but could start to see his playing time decrease
- He is still serving as the primary first baseman for Miami, but has been out of the lineup twice in the past week
- After a fast start to the season, Wagaman has seen his wRC+ drop to 83 on the season and has only one home run since May 24
Liam Hicks is playing every day
- Part of Wagaman’s decrease in playing time is a result of Miami finding ways to keep Liam Hicks in the lineup
- Hicks is playing everyday rotating between catcher, DH, and first base. He is primarily batting seventh in the lineup
- The batted ball data from Hicks is underwhelming, but he is playing everyday, has good contact skills, and is walking a lot. This can be useful in deep two-catcher formats.

Atlanta Braves

Alex Verdugo is losing playing time
- Verdugo has been batting all over Atlanta’s lineup since signing with the team, but his starting days may be drawing to an end
- He has been out of the lineup twice in the past week against righties, with Eli White stepping into the lineup in his place
- Batting just .245 with zero home runs, Verdugo is not worth rostering in any format
Michael Harris II has moved back down to eighth in the lineup
- The Braves have been trying to jumpstart Harris’ bat, but a brief move up in the lineup did not work. He has since slid back down to eighth
- The 2025 season continues to be a disappointing one for Harris, who is slashing .215/.241/.323 on the season
- While poor luck is playing a role, Harris is also hitting far too many ground balls while chasing 42% of the time. Fantasy managers need to adjust their expectations for Harris moving forward this season
Drake Baldwin is serving as the primary catcher
- In a similar fashion to last year, the Braves are riding the hot hand at catcher. Right now, that is Baldwin
- Baldwin is batting fifth in the lineup while drawing the majority of starts over Sean Murphy
- In just 54 games, Baldwin is up to nine home runs. His 135 wRC+ ranks third amongst catchers trailing only Cal Raleigh and Will Smith

Washington Nationals

Brady House is in the Major Leagues
- House ranks as the Nationals’ top hitting prospect and made his Major League debut on June 16
- Since his promotion, House has been serving as the everyday third baseman for Washington, batting sixth in the lineup
- House has big-time power, but the key to his success will be staying patient at the plate and making enough contact. In a small sample, House is chasing 43% of the time with a whiff rate of 34.1%. That is not a great sign for his 2025 outlook
Kiebert Ruiz was placed on the IL
- Ruiz was struggling offensively, and hopefully, this IL stint will give him a chance to reset
- With Ruiz out of the lineup, Riley Adams has taken over as the primary catcher and has been batting eighth in the lineup
- Adams has more game power than Ruiz, but is batting just .106 on the season and is not worth adding in any formats
Is CJ Abrams’ success more sustainable than last season
- Abrams was great in the first half last year, but was one of the worst hitters in baseball during the second half
- This season, Abrams has been phenomenal with 11 homers, 16 steals, and a .287 batting average while batting leadoff for Washington
- There are a few key differences from last year to this year. Abrams is whiffing less, chasing less, and hitting more line drives. Even with some regression to his batting average, the rest of his stats appear sustainable for the remainder of 2025

New York Mets

Francisco Alvarez was optioned to Triple-A
- The Mets are hoping this demotion will give Alvarez a chance to regain his timing and confidence with less pressure than doing so at the Major League level
- Alvarez was batting just .236 in 138 plate appearances prior to his demotion
- With Alvarez in Triple-A, Luis Torrens is drawing the majority of starts at catcher and is batting eighth in the lineup. He is not worth rostering
Mark Vientos is back from the IL
- The team reinstated Vientos from the IL prior to Friday’s game
- Vientos profiles to serve as the team’s primary DH moving forward, which would take away playing time from Starling Marte
- Prior to his injury, Vientos was batting .230 with six home runs. Batting average will never be his strong sui,t but he has significant power and should see his home run rate improve upon his return
Ronny Mauricio is getting more playing time
- Mauricio is operating as an everyday player for the Mets and is batting ninth in the lineup
- Against lefties, Mauricio shifts to third base for Brett Baty, and against righties, he is playing second base, which shifts Jeff McNeil to the outfield and Tyrone Taylor to the bench
- Mauricio has three homers and two steals, but is striking out a ton, making it difficult to believe he will sustain success in 2025

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

Reese McGuire is getting run as the everyday catcher
- Carson Kelly got off to such a fast start that he quickly took over as the team’s primary catcher
- He has cooled off lately, and with Miguel Amaya on the IL, McGuire is getting more at-bats and is batting ninth in the lineup
- Kelly is a fine drop in all formats, while McGuire does not offer much fantasy upside despite his five home runs on the season
Nico Hoerner hit a home run
- Power is certainly not Hoerner’s calling card, but his home run this past week was a nice boost for fantasy managers
- The home run was Hoerner’s first of the season, and he is batting .353 since June 10
- Hoerner should continue providing a strong batting average and stolen base totals as the season moves along

St. Louis Cardinals

Alec Burleson is batting third in the lineup
- Burleson has spent most of the season battling with guys like Jordan Walker for playing time, but has cemented himself in the lineup
- He is now batting .298 on the season and is up to nine homers. His success in June seems to be going relatively unnoticed, but he is slashing .333/.352/.560
- While Burleson is not elite at any one thing, he does a lot of things well for the Cardinals. The move to third in the lineup is a more favorable spot for his counting stats as well
Lars Nootbaar has slid down to fifth in the lineup
- Nootbaar spent most of the season in the leadoff role but has recently surrendered that role to Brendan Donovan
- Nootbaar has moved down to fifth in the lineup and is sitting against most lefties. He has also been dealing with an intercostal injury that has kept him sidelined for a few games this week
- After going ice cold at the plate for a few weeks, Nootbaar has hit three homers this past week and seems to be finding his swing again
Nolan Gorman is getting a chance to play every day
- With both Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera on the IL, Nolan Gorman is getting another opportunity to play every day
- He has been serving as the team’s DH and batting seventh in the lineup
- Gorman has hit three home runs since June 14 but is still striking out a lot. There is significant power in his bat, but he is unlikely to ever hit for a high batting average

Milwaukee Brewers

Isaac Collins is playing left field every day
- Collins has taken a stronghold on the left field job for now and is batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup
- The switch-hitting outfielder is up to four homers and eight stolen bases this season. He is slashing .327/.443/.592 since the start of June
- Collins is a fun success story to root for, but it is not one that is super believable. A .337 BABIP is inflating his batting average (especially as of late), and his batted ball data is underwhelming. His contact skills are below average, and his speed is more average than a plus tool. With regular playing time, he is a fine add in deep leagues, but is not going to be a league-winning player
Joey Ortiz has caught fire at the plate
- Despite being one of the worst hitters in baseball the first two months of the season, the Brewers stuck by Ortiz and continued to give him everyday playing time. He is still batting ninth in the lineup
- This past week, Ortiz has been on fire with hits in eight straight games. He is hitting the ball noticeably harder, but is still struggling to barrel the ball up consistently
- Ortiz’s early-season struggles were partially due to poor luck, but there is little reason to believe he will ever become a reliable fantasy asset. If you have been holding Ortiz in dynasty leagues, this hot streak could be a good opportunity to sell high
Sal Frelick’s run totals are soaring at the top of the lineup
- The Brewers made the switch to move Brice Turang down to fifth a couple of weeks ago and move Frelick up to the leadoff spot. Both hitters have been red hot, but Frelick’s run totals are up significantly
- In his last 53 plate appearances, Frelick has scored 10 runs, which is a 113 season-long pace. His previous pace was 48 runs
- Usually, everything in Frelick’s profile would signal to sell-high. He has just four extra base hits in the month of June, and his average is inflated by a high BABIP. However, for those needing runs, Frelick’s new lineup spot is advantageous and is a wave to ride while it lasts

Cincinnati Reds

Jeimer Candelario was DFA’d
- Candelario signed with the Reds prior to 2024, but a disappointing start to 2025 led to the team cutting ties with the veteran infielder
- Candelario’s exit eases the playing time concern for Christian Encarnacion-Strand for now. However, fantasy managers should keep in mind that Noelvi Marte is on a rehab assignment and nearing a return
- CES is batting toward the bottom of the lineup and is slashing .154/.171/.179 since June 9
Matt McLain has shifted back up in the lineup
- A slow start to the season sent McLain down to ninth in the Reds’ lineup, but his recent success has earned him a jump back up to second
- Since June 11, McLain is slashing .289/.373/.463. Although he is up to nine homers and 11 stolen bases, it is notable that McLain has not stolen a base since May 25 and has just one steal since May 11
- McLain needs to steal bases to produce for fantasy managers. Although hot right now, he should not be relied on to produce strong batting averages, making the lack of stolen bases a huge red flag
Will Benson’s starting days are numbered
- Benson continues to serve on the strong side of a platoon with Rece Hinds, but is unlikely to maintain this role for much longer
- Despite significant potential, Benson continues to strike out too often to produce on a consistent basis. He is batting .213 on the season and just .160 since the start of June
- Austin Hays is out on a rehab assignment and is expected to return to the Reds’ lineup early next week. This will likely push Benson into a bench role

Pittsburgh Pirates

Henry Davis is drawing more starts than Joey Bart
- The battle of former first overall picks appears to be leaning in favor of Davis, who has started three of the past five games and has been batting eighth in the lineup
- Davis is batting just .183 on the season and just .163 since the start of June. He is striking out too much and really does not have much fantasy upside
- Meanwhile, when Bart is in the lineup, he is batting fifth. Bart has been equally disappointing this season, although he should start to see more luck in the home run department. With the current timeshare, neither player is worth rostering in fantasy
Oneil Cruz hit fifth on Wednesday after being pulled from the game on Tuesday
- High-energy players like Cruz can run into trouble when their teams are stuck toward the bottom of the standings, which is again where the Pirates find themselves
- Cruz is producing for fantasy managers with 13 homers and 26 steals, but his .208 batting average and 99 wRC+ are incredibly disappointing for the Pirates. He is slashing .156/.258/.221 since the start of June
- Strikeouts seem like they will always be an issue for Cruz. Fantasy managers should expect stolen bases and home runs, but a move down in the lineup could impact his other counting stats
Tommy Pham has been getting more playing time over the past week
- Pham has drawn three starts this past week in left field, batting eighth in the lineup
- His overall production in limited playing time has been underwhelming, and there is no reason to add him in fantasy
- With Pham playing more, Adam Frazier has been on the bench more often this past week

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Max Muncy just keeps on hitting
- Seems like every edition of this article, we are talking about how the glasses have completely changed Muncy’s career
- The Dodgers are sitting him against lefties, but he has moved up to fifth in the lineup against righties
- He is slashing .342/.459/.652 since the start of June and should continue to be a top-tier fantasy asset for the remainder of 2025
Michael Conforto has been seeing his luck improve
- Conforto’s poor luck seemed endless, and there was even a time when it seemed the Dodgers were starting to give up on him
- He has stayed in the lineup despite sitting against most lefties, while starting to see his luck improve
- Conforto has hit two homers this past week and three since June 11. He is still not hitting for much batting average and remains a fringe fantasy option

San Diego Padres

Jackson Merrill spent some time on the IL with a concussion
- Merrill did not miss an extended period of time and returned to the lineup on Sunday
- Since returning, Merrill has been batting second in the lineup
- Merrill is still hitting for a good average, but he has not hit a home run since May 27. He is still hitting the ball hard and should start to see some more luck in the home run department
The team released Jason Heyward
- Heyward started the season as the starting left fielder but was not performing well enough offensively to maintain a roster spot
- With Heyward gone, it appears that Gavin Sheets will see more time in left field, with Jose Iglesias getting additional playing time in the infield
- After playing well for the Mets last season, Iglesias is batting just .228 with San Diego this season and is not worth rostering in fantasy
Luis Arraez is batting cleanup
- As mentioned, Merrill has moved up to second, with the corresponding move being Arraez batting fourth in the lineup
- Arraez is not the prototypical cleanup hitter, but he is batting .327 since June 14
- Fantasy managers know what they are getting with Arraez at this point. The batting average and strikeout rate are going to be fantastic. There is almost no power in his profile (his last home run was April 18), and he has just three stolen bases on the season

Arizona Diamondbacks

Corbin Carroll suffered a fractured wrist
- Carroll’s dominant 2025 season will take a pause as he is expected to miss a couple of months due to this injury
- In his place, Jake McCarthy was recalled from Triple-A and should draw the majority of the starts in right field. He has been batting in the back half of the lineup since being recalled
- McCarthy is batting just .067 in 15 games at the Major League level this year, but was batting .314 with 12 steals in Triple-A. He has excellent speed and good contact skills. He could prove to be a useful fantasy asset while Carroll is out
Gabriel Moreno is also on the IL with a fracture to his finger
- Moreno does not have a firm timetable for a return, but it is possible that he could be out until after the All-Star Break
- With Moreno on the IL, Jose Herrera is drawing the majority of starts while batting ninth in the lineup
- Herrera offers very little in terms of fantasy upside and is not worth rostering. James McCann was also brought up to the Major Leagues and is serving as the backup catcher
Pavin Smith has moved back up in the lineup
- With Carroll on the IL, Smith slides up from seventh to third and is a candidate to receive more at-bats against left-handed pitching
- Smith owns a respectable .268/.386/.469 slash and a 139 wRC+ this season, but underwhelming counting stats have kept him off of fantasy radars for most of the season
- While Smith is not an elite fantasy asset, he does have plus po,p and he gets a boost in OBP leagues thanks to his high walk rate. Smith has four home runs since June 11 and should be rostered in more leagues than he currently is

San Francisco Giants

Willy Adames is moving down in the lineup
- Adames has slid all the way down to sixth or seventh in the lineup over the past week
- His debut season with the Giants has been disappointing as his batting average has fallen down to .215
- In good news, Adames still has nine home runs and is slashing .315/.375/.556 since June 10. His batted ball data remains strong, and it looks like he is starting to settle in
Rafael Devers is batting second in the lineup
- The big acquisition on Father’s Day, Devers is serving as the team’s primary DH, batting second in the lineup
- There is talk that Devers could start to get some starts at first base, especially with the injury news to Bryce Eldridge
- The park factor adjustment is notable as Devers is shifting from a park with a 108 score for lefties to a park with a score of 95. For a hitter of Devers’ quality, this is likely irrelevant, but it is something to monitor
Tyler Fitzgerald was optioned to Triple-A
- 2024’s breakout Fitzgerald was one of the easiest bust calls entering 2025. He is now in Triple-A
- The main reason for his demotion was the success of Casey Schmitt, who is seeing things click in his most recent Major League stint
- Schmitt has been batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup recently and is batting .276 with four homers on the season. Schmitt was notably hit by a pitch in Wednesday’s gam,e which kept him out of the lineup on Thursday

Colorado Rockies

Tyler Freeman is batting leadoff
- Freeman has spent most of the season in a bench role but is getting a chance to play every day now and is in a favorable lineup spot
- The leadoff role is thanks to his strong play offensively. He has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and is batting .333 on the season
- Freeman has great speed, but his BABIP currently sits 80 points above his career average. There is little reason to believe this elite batting average is sustainable
Micky Moniak is getting consistent playing time
- Moniak has shown flashes of potential in the past, but has struggled with consistency in his Major League career
- He has been serving as the team’s primary right fielder on the strong side of a platoon and batting seventh in the lineup
- He has been red hot at the plate with a .300 batting average and eight home runs since May 25. Strikeouts continue to be an issue, but there is reason to believe this power is legit, especially in Coors Field
Brenton Doyle is sliding down in the lineup
- Doyle continues to be one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball this season and has been on the bench against two righties this week
- While it is unlikely the team benches him, thanks to his elite defense, he is now batting sixth in the lineup
- Doyle is never going to post elite batting averages but his .246 BABIP and 6.8 HR/FB% are due for serious positive regression

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