Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: AL 07/12

We are just a couple of days away from the All-Star Break. As the break approaches, teams are evaluating what talent they have on their roster and what talent they may be willing to trade away or acquire to improve their chances this year and into the future.

This is a busy time for fantasy managers to keep track of changes and stay up to date on the latest news. This article helps break down all of the important notes that fantasy baseball managers need to know from lineups around the American League.

The five hottest hitters over the past two weeks in the AL have been: Corey Seager, Colt Keith, Ceddanne Rafaela, George Springer, and Aaron Judge. The five coldest hitters over the past two weeks have been: Brooks Lee, Miguel Vargas, Jac Caglianone, Anthony Volpe, and Logan O’Hoppe. Keep reading for the latest news and notes from all 15 lineups around the American League.

Please note that this article was written the day before publication. I will do my best to update the article with any relevant information from the previous night’s games.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways

AL East

New York Yankees

• DJ LeMahieu has been DFA’d
  • After a standout 2020 season, it has been all downhill for the now 36-year-old LeMahieu
  • He was batting just .266 with two homers prior to his release. The team called up Jorbit Vivas from Triple-A to replace him on the roster
  • Oswald Peraza has taken over as the primary third baseman and is batting ninth in the lineup. He is batting just .152 on the season and has failed to produce at the level many expected when he was a prospect
• Ben Rice has lost his starting job
  • After maintaining his spot in the lineup at a variety of positions, the team has moved Rice into more of a bench role
  • Giancarlo Stanton continues to draw the majority of starts at DH and bat fourth in the lineup
  • Stanton is batting .242 with two homers since returning from the IL. His strikeout rate sitting over 30% makes it likely Rice will get another opportunity at some point this season
• Jasson Dominguez has taken over the leadoff role
  • Dominguez has been inconsistent this season, but has been red hot offensively as of late. This hot streak has him moving up to the top spot in the lineup
  • Since June 20, Dominguez is slashing .383/.415/.583. Fantasy baseball managers should be aware that Dominguez is running a .488 BABIP over that period
  • With Dominguez getting more consistent playing time, Trent Grisham has moved into more of a fourth outfielder role, although he is playing multiple times a week

Boston Red Sox

• Roman Anthony is finding his groove
  • Although it took a few games, fantasy managers should never have lost confidence in Anthony’s elite talent
  • He continues to bat second in the lineup and is slashing .392/.446/.549 since June 27
  • Anthony has elite skills. The only issue up to this point is a high ground ball rate limiting his in-game power. This has not been an issue in his Minor League career and does not project to be a long-term issue
• Masataka Yoshida is back from a lengthy IL stint
  • Yoshida served as the DH and hit sixth in the lineup in his first game of the season on Wednesday
  • After playing 87 games in the outfield last season, it remains to be seen how the Red Sox will use him. He has also been practicing at first base during warm-ups and could be an option there
  • His return is most likely to take playing time away from Abraham Toro, who has cooled off a bit at the plate after a hot start
• Trevor Story is pushing back up in the lineup
  • There was a stretch where Trevor Story got ice cold at the plate and moved down in the lineup, but that has started to shift
  • He has been batting fifth a lot in the past week, and as high as third on Wednesday
  • Despite the inconsistency, Story is now up to 15 homers and 15 stolen bases. Since June 21, Story is slashing .353/.371/.647. When hot, Story is an elite fantasy asset
• Alex Bregman is back from the IL
  • With Bregman back from the IL, David Hamilton was optioned to Triple-A
  • Marcelo Mayer has moved over from third base to second base and should continue to play on the strong side of a platoon
  • In 37 games, Mayer is batting .234 with four homers

Tampa Bay Rays

• Ha-Seong Kim is back from the IL
  • The Rays signed Kim with the expectation that he would not be ready for the start of 2025. He returned to the lineup for the first time on July 4 and has played in four games since
  • Kim got a little banged up in the first game he played, but he returned to the lineup after two games off and has been batting fifth or sixth in the lineup
  • Kim has stolen at least 22 bases in two straight seasons and has double-digit homers in three straight. He should be added in all 14+ team leagues and some shallower formats
• Chandler Simpson is getting a chance to bat higher in the lineup
  • In his second stint with the Major League club, Simpson is moving up in the lineup, batting seventh in most games this week
  • In just 51 games, Simpson has already stolen 26 bases, showing off excellent contact skills
  • He is unlikely to keep his batting average above .300 with a ground ball rate as high as his, but he should continue to post elite stolen base numbers for fantasy managers
• Brandon Lowe is dealing with an injury
  • Lowe is dealing with a side injury that has kept him out of the lineup since Sunday
  • While it remains unclear when Lowe will return to the lineup, the team does not believe he will need an IL stint. He was batting .272 with 19 homers prior to the injury
  • If Lowe is forced to miss extended time, Taylor Walls and Jose Caballero figure to join forces in filling in at second base

Toronto Blue Jays

• Nathan Lukes is getting a chance to lead off
  • The Blue Jays have shuffled around their lineup a bit as of late, which includes moving Lukes to the top of the lineup against righties
  • Although he continues to sit against lefties, Lukes has been red hot at the plate, slashing .400/.471/.600 since June 29
  • The move up in the lineup boosts his fantasy value, although fantasy baseball managers should temper expectations. He is a fine play in OBP leagues, but does not have the speed or power to create much upside
• Joey Loperfido is up from Triple-A
  • Loperfido was recalled prior to the Jays’ game last Sunday. He has been serving as the primary left fielder, batting in the bottom third of the lineup
  • Down in Triple-A, Loperfido was batting .278 with six homers and 10 stolen bases. Notably, his strikeout rate was down to 21.9% prior to his promotion
  • Strikeouts are the biggest thing to watch for in his profile. He has an intriguing blend of power and speed that could result in fantasy relevancy. Loperfido is worth taking a flier on in 14+ team leagues
• Andres Gimenez is back on the IL
  • Gimenez’s first season in Toronto has been disappointing. He has played in just 61 games this season, batting .218
  • With Gimenez back on the IL, Ernie Clement has slid over to second base, with both Will Wagner and Davis Schneider seeing additional playing time
  • Wagner has been primarily batting seventh, with Schneider batting ninth. Splitting playing time makes neither one worth rostering

Baltimore Orioles

• Tyler O’Neill is back from the IL
  • Injuries have continued to be a theme throughout O’Neill’s Major League career. He has played in just 27 games this season for the Orioles
  • Since returning from the IL, O’Neill has been batting seventh or eighth in the lineup. He is batting just .187 on the season, although a .237 BABIP is certainly playing a role in that
  • With O’Neill returning to the lineup, Dylan Carlson was optioned back to Triple-A
• Gary Sanchez is on the IL
  • The Orioles are now down both of their primary catchers with Sanchez joining Adley Rutschman on the IL
  • With Sanchez out, Jacob Stallings has taken over as the primary catcher, much to the dismay of fantasy baseball managers hoping to see Samuel Basallo
  • Stallings lacks fantasy upside while Basallo is batting .263 with 17 home runs in Triple-A. He should be stashed while Rutschman remains without a firm timetable for a return

AL West

Houston Astros

• Jeremy Pena is going to miss extended time with a fractured rib
  • A breakout season for Pena will take a pause as he spends time on the IL
  • With Pena out of the lineup, the team promoted their top hitting prospect, Brice Matthews, from Triple-A
  • Matthews has great tools. There is some swing and miss in his profile, but he has good pull-side power, which should play nicely in Houston’s home ballpark
• The move back to second base has ignited Altuve’s bat
  • As mentioned, Pena’s injury has pushed Altuve back to his natural position, and he has been on fire ever since
  • Since July 29, Altuve is slashing .359/.413/.821. His barrel rate is up, and he continues to pull a ton of fly balls
  • While everybody continues to wait for Altuve’s production to fall off a cliff, he continues to produce at an elite level for fantasy managers
• Isaac Paredes has moved into the leadoff role with Pena out
  • The other shift in the Astros’ lineup has been moving Paredes up to first and Jake Meyers up to second in their lineup
  • Paredes continues to be a streaky hitter for fantasy managers, but is hot now. He is slashing .289/.373/.533 since June 28
  • Meyers has maintained a batting average over .300 on the season but has been dealing with some calf tightness this week. This injury is worth paying attention to

Los Angeles Angels

• Yoan Moncada is back from the IL
  • Moncada returned to the Angels’ lineup on Tuesday and has been batting sixth since returning
  • Sure to be a subject of trade rumors, Moncada has played well in 33 games for the Angels. He is up to six homers with a 121 wRC+
  • Christian Moore was placed on the IL with a sprained thumb, so Luis Rengifo has shifted from third to second while maintaining his lineup spot
• Logan O’Hoppe is starting to see less playing time
  • O’Hoppe got off to a fast start to the season and was batting .280 with nine homers after the game on May 1
  • He has not hit a home run since June 22 and is batting just .204 since May 2. As a result, Travis d’Arnaud is starting to see an additional start or two per week
  • O’Hoppe is still the primary catcher in Los Angeles, but he is far from a lineup lock for the remainder of 2025
• Mike Trout somehow feels underrated in fantasy this season
  • Trout is on pace to play in his highest number of games since 2019 and is up to 16 homers in 66 games this season
  • Trout’s shine in the fantasy community has worn off a bit, and his .229 batting average has some fantasy managers disappointed
  • All of Trout’s underlying metrics are fantastic. He has elite batted ball data and is due for major positive regression in the batting average department. His xBA is .275, and his xSLG is .554. Now is a good time to buy Trout in fantasy

Texas Rangers

• Kyle Higashioka is playing every day
  • Higashioka has appeared in 48 games with the Rangers this season, serving as the primary backup catcher, but has been playing more often as of late
  • Higashioka has been batting ninth in the lineup and is hot offensively. He has hit two home runs in the past week and should see his HR/FB% improve as the season moves along
  • Even with Higashioka in the lineup, Jonah Heim continues to play every day at DH or catcher and is batting fifth in the lineup
• Corey Seager is heating up
  • Seager got off to a fast start, landed on the IL, and did not seem quite right once he returned to the lineup on May 28
  • While fantasy managers started to panic, Seager has turned things around in a big way
  • Since June 20, Seager is slashing .328/.459/.701 with seven home runs and an average exit velocity of 96.2 mph. He should be viewed as an elite fantasy asset while healthy
• Wyatt Langford is healthy again
  • Langford was activated from the IL on July 5 and has been batting sixth in the lineup since returning
  • In six games since being activated, Langford is batting .286 with one homer and two stolen bases
  • Langford’s season has been a bit underwhelming overall but 14 homers and 13 stolen bases in 318 plate appearances is certainly nothing to scoff at

Athletics

• Zack Gelof is back from the IL
  • After suffering a rib injury, Gelof had not played in a single game all season before being activated prior to the game on July 4
  • Gelof has been serving as the everyday second baseman and batting eighth in the lineup
  • Gelof hit just .211 last season and is batting .045 in a small sample size this season. He has power and speed upside, but strikes out too much to be a consistent fantasy asset
• Miguel Andujar has also rejoined the team
  • Andujar was activated off the IL on Wednesday and has profiles to fill more of a bench role for the team
  • The bigger portion of Andujar’s return was the demotion of Colby Thomas back to Triple-A
  • Although Thomas was not playing every day, this cements the playing time of the players currently on the roster
• Denzel Clarke is producing in multiple ways
  • Clarke has taken some time to settle in offensively, but has maintained everyday playing time thanks to his elite defense
  • Clarke is batting ninth in the lineup and is already up to 12 OAA
  • Over the past week, Clarke is batting .350 with one homer. He has excellent speed but strikes out too much to ever be a reliable offensive player

Seattle Mariners

• Cole Young’s production continues to be underwhelming
  • Young got his first Major League home run on a Yankee Stadium Short Porch homer, but he has not produced a whole lot offensively
  • In 120 plate appearances since his promotion, Young is slashing just .243/.286/.306 with one homer and zero steals
  • A lot of Young’s profile looks solid from a plate discipline and contact skills standpoint. His batted ball data is underwhelming and makes it difficult to project much of a ceiling
• Dominic Canzone continues to produce on the strong side of a platoon
  • In 28 games since being promoted, Canzone has been excellent for Seattle. He has a 154 wRC+ with six homers and a .306 batting average
  • He is playing on the strong side of a platoon as the primary right fielder, batting seventh in the lineup
  • The only issues in Canzone’s profile are a high ground ball and a high chase rate. His batted ball data is excellent and should be added if he is still available

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Matt Vierling is getting a healthy amount of playing time
  • With Kerry Carpenter on the IL, Vierling’s playing time has been significant since rejoining the team
  • Vierling is primarily batting in the bottom third of the lineup and playing outfield. This is impacting Parker Meadow’s playing time
  • Meadows has slid down to eighth in the lineup while continuing to shake off the rust of his extended IL stint. He is batting just .200 with a 63 wRC+ in 29 games
• Colt Keith continues to swing a hot bat
  • Since moving up into the leadoff spot on June 19, Keith has been unstoppable offensively. He is slashing .339/.386/.629 over that time with four home runs
  • Keith is driving the ball in the air with increased exit velocities and more regularity. He is finally showing why he was so highly regarded as a prospect prior to his promotion
  • Even though he continues to sit against lefties, being able to bat leadoff in a very good lineup gives Keith plenty of value for fantasy baseball managers
• Zach McKinstry is getting harder to ignore
  • McKinstry is not a fun or flashy name for fantasy baseball managers to target, but he keeps on producing at a high level
  • McKinstry is batting sixth in Detroit’s lineup and is batting .286 with seven homers and 13 steals on the season
  • After starting the year in a part-time role, McKinstry has taken off with everyday playing time, showing off both power and speed. His BABIP is likely due for some regression, and his batted ball data is underwhelming, but his versatility is still something that fantasy managers should value moving forward

Kansas City Royals

• Jac Caglianone may be starting to settle in
  • The start to his Major League career was rough, but the Royals’ first-round pick from last season is showing why he moved through the Minor Leagues so quickly.
  • Caglianone hit home runs in back-to-back games this past week and has elite power. The biggest issue for him is patience. He continues to be far too aggressive at the dish, limiting what his raw power can do
  • The power is a nice reminder of the upside he has, but fantasy managers should not expect much in terms of batting average this season until his approach changes
• Vinnie Pasquantino has four homers since the start of July
  • For a while, it seemed as though Pasquantino would never really achieve the ceiling he flashed early on. Well, that is changing quickly
  • Pasquantino is now up to 15 homers on the season and has brought his batting average up to .270 on the year
  • His improving barrel rate, paired with a high fly ball pull percentage, makes it realistic to assume this power uptick will continue throughout the 2025 season
• Jonathan India continues to be incredibly unlucky offensively
  • India’s first season out of Cincinnati has been a real wake-up call for the effects of Great American Ballpark. The move to Kauffman Stadium certainly has not helped anything either
  • India continues to bat leadoff for the Royals despite his .243 average. However, for those in deep leagues holding India, there should be brighter days ahead
  • India has an xBA of .273 and an xSLG of .417. His batted ball data remains in line with his career norms, and he is even pulling the ball in the air more often. His 3.4% HR/FB should improve as the season moves along

Chicago White Sox

• Colson Montgomery is up from Triple-A
  • Montgomery’s value as a prospect has been a roller coaster as of late. He was a top prospect but struggles last year and early this year sent him back to the Complex League and dampened any hype
  • He is now getting a chance in the Major Leagues, serving as the team’s everyday shortstop and batting seventh in the lineup
  • Montgomery has big-time power. In a small sample, he is batting .333 but there are hit tool concerns here which could cap his fantasy value. In deep leagues, he is worth taking a shot on, but is far from a safe bet
• Luis Robert Jr. is back from the IL
  • Robert returned to the White Sox’s lineup on Tuesday just in time to build some value before the trade deadline
  • Robert has been a major disappointment for fantasy managers this season. He is batting just .185 on the year
  • There is a chance he could be traded to a team that does not use him as an everyday player, dissolving his fantasy value
• Chase Meidroth has been playing less against righties
  • In two games this week against righties, Meidroth has not been in the lineup
  • When playing, Meidroth continues to bat second against righties and first against lefties, but his decreased playing time against righties is concerning
  • He is batting just .247 with two homers and an 84 wRC+ on the season

Minnesota Twins

• Royce Lewis is healthy again
  • Lewis returned to the Twins’ lineup on July 1 after missing nearly a month of action
  • He has been batting in the bottom half of the lineup, as low as eighth, since coming back. His return has pushed Brooks Lee into a utility/bench role
  • Lewis has as much upside as anybody in baseball, but his production this season has been underwhelming. He is due for major positive regression in his BABIP and HR/FB%, and could be in for a big second half
• Matt Wallner has moved down in the lineup
  • After starting the year batting leadoff, Wallner has slowly been sliding down the lineup. First to second, then third, fourth, fifth, and more recently sixth and even seventh this week
  • Wallner has massive power upside as evidenced by his 91.9 average EV, 12.8% barrel rate, and 17.3% HR/FB. The issue continues to be making enough contact
  • This season, Wallner is striking out 29.4% of the time with a swinging strike rate of 18.3%. He profiles as a streaky and risky option for fantasy managers moving forward
• Harrison Bader has gotten hot at the bottom of the lineup
  • Every year, Bader seems to get hot for a period of time that forces fantasy managers to take notice. That is what is happening right now
  • Bader continues to play every day and bat at the bottom of Minnesota’s lineup. He has hit four home runs in the past week, bringing his season total up to 11
  • Three of Bader’s homers came in the first week, four in the past week, and only four sandwiched in the middle. He is a streaky hitter with plus speed and upside if you can figure out when to play him

Cleveland Guardians

• Back to the IL for Lane Thomas
  • 2025 is looking like more and more of a lost season for Thomas, who has played in just 39 games with a .160 average
  • Prior to landing on the IL, Thomas had hit three homers between June 24 and July 2, showing signs of life
  • With Thomas out of the lineup, Angel Martinez has stepped back in as the everyday center fielder
• Kyle Manzardo has returned to the team
  • Manzardo was dealing with a family emergency keeping him out of the lineup for most of the week until July 11
  • On the season, Manzardo is batting .217 with 13 homers. His extreme fly ball tendencies will likely continue to limit his batting average as the 2025 season moves along