Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: AL 08/24

We are now almost at the end of August. What a crazy season it has been already and the playoffs are not the time to let off the gas. With the season winding down, fantasy managers need to stay up to date on the latest news and notes to make sure they are prepared. The five hottest hitters in the AL over the past two weeks have been Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Juan Soto, Gavin Sheets, and Yordan Alvarez. Keep reading for the latest news and notes from all 15 American League teams.

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

• Gleyber Torres is now batting leadoff
  • The Yankees’ lineup has largely been a disappointment outside of Aaron Judge, Austin Wells, and Juan Soto so this is an attempt to try and create a spark
  • Torres has been a letdown for fantasy managers this season but has been hitting for decent average in the month of August
  • Torres has as many walks as strikeouts this month although he does not have a home run since July 24 and has not barreled up a ball since August 2
  • The move up in the lineup should lead to more run-scoring chances, but he has not shown any signs of reclaiming his previous fantasy status
• Jazz Chisholm is back with the team
  • Originally feared to be a potentially season-ending injury, Chisholm rejoined the Yankees on Friday and appears to be healthy
  • With Chisholm rejoining the lineup, Oswaldo Cabrera will move back into a bench role and Oswald Peraza was optioned to Triple-A
  • Once intriguing prospects, neither Cabrera or Peraza hold much value even in dynasty circles at this point
• Alex Verdugo has moved down in the lineup
  • Verdugo has struggled with consistency this season and has been moved out of the leadoff spot as a result
  • He is still playing every day but has been batting sixth in the lineup most games
  • After falling to .264 last season, Verdugo’s batting average has plummeted down to .227 this season with his line drive rate dipping below 20% for the first time since 2018. Verdugo is not a player that needs to be rostered outside of deep leagues
• Some late Friday news, DJ LeMahieu was scratched from the lineup
  • LeMahieu has been playing on the short side of a platoon with Ben Rice and does not hold much fantasy value at this point

Boston Red Sox

• Tyler O’Neill is back from the IL
  • O’Neill returned to the Red Sox lineup last Saturday and has been batting fifth in most games
  • When healthy, O’Neill has put together a very strong season and is up to 22 home runs
  • He is batting over .300 since the All-Star Break and should be locked into fantasy lineups while he is healthy
  • O’Neill was scratched from Friday night’s game with finger inflammation. He should be considered day-to-day for now. If forced to miss extended time, Rob Refsnyder would see his playing time increase
• Triston Casas is also back from the IL
  • Fantasy managers have had to wait a long time to see Casas back in the Red Sox lineup after he missed nearly four months
  • Casas is back now and batting third in the lineup against righties and seventh against lefties
  • He hit his first home run since returning on Monday and is showing no signs of rust. For somebody who was viewed as one of the top first base options entering the season, he could be a huge addition to teams for the playoffs
• Masataka Yoshida has been a different hitter in the second half
  • Early on this season, it seemed like Yoshida could work his way out of a starting lineup spot, but that is no longer the case
  • Since the break, Yoshida is batting over .350 with five home runs and as many walks as strikeouts
  • The excellent contact skills are nothing new, but this power outburst is worth noting. His barrel rate and launch angle are both up significantly during the second half which could help elevate Yoshida’s fantasy value to new heights

Tampa Bay Rays

• Jose Siri is seeing his playing time decline
  • Siri has been serving as the team’s primary center fielder for the majority of 2024 but has been on the bench against three righties in the past week
  • The 16 homers with 12 stolen bases is nice for fantasy managers, but Siri is batting under .200 on the season
  • Dylan Carlson has been getting more playing time over Siri and is batting .267 with three home runs since being acquired by Tampa
• Christopher Morel got a two-game break early this week
  • Morel is a streaky hitter but his absence from the lineup appears to be nothing more than an attempt to reset his timing
  • He is still batting third in the lineup and has two multi-hit games since these consecutive days off
  • If the team did decide to move away from Morel, Jose Caballero is most likely to see his playing time increase

Toronto Blue Jays

• Addison Barger has been playing more often
  • Barger’s spot in the lineup does not come in favor of any one player but in more of a utility-man fashion
  • He has been playing third base and right field batting toward the bottom of the lineup in most games
  • On the season, Barger is batting under .170 and is performing even worse since the start of August. He is not worth picking up
• Spencer Horwitz has four home runs since August 9
  • Horwitz does not come with the prospect pedigree that some of the other young Blue Jays’ players have, but he is turning into a solid fantasy asset
  • Horwitz continues to play everyday batting in the middle of the lineup and would be on pace for 19 homers over 600 PA
  • His batting average has taken a hit recently but his .241 BABIP during the second half is pretty unlucky and should change as the season moves along

Baltimore Orioles

• Baltimore has faced several lefties this week
  • With three lefties on the mound in a row, the team made some notable lineup decisions
  • Ryan O’Hearn was on the bench for each one of those three games in favor of Eloy Jimenez
  • Colton Cowser remained in the lineup for all three of the games sliding down from first to sixth or seventh
  • Cedric Mullins was absent from the lineup for all three games with Austin Slater stepping into the starting lineup batting leadoff
• Ramon Urias is one of the hottest Orioles hitters
  • In a lineup filled with big names, many people scoffed when the team decided to roll with Urias over Coby Mayo a couple of weeks ago
  • Urias is making the Orioles look great as he is batting over .300 with three home runs since August 10
  • Urias has been barreling balls at an incredible clip over the past two weeks and is locked into everyday playing time. He is worth a look in 14+ team leagues. This is a sneaky Austin Riley replacement for those who just suffered that loss
• Cedric Mullins left Friday’s game with quad tightness
  • If Mullins is forced to miss extended time, the team will likely rely on Austin Slater to eat up additional at-bats

AL West

Houston Astros

• Alex Bregman is dealing with an elbow injury
  • Bregman was forced to miss five straight games with the injury but returned to Houston’s lineup on Wednesday
  • Reports are that this elbow injury is likely to linger throughout the remainder of the season but he is not expected to land on the IL. This does not seem to be impacting his offensive performance but could lead to additional off days on occasion
  • If forced to miss time, Zach Dezenzo would be first in line for additional playing time
• Shay Whitcomb is up from Triple-A
  • Whitcomb was putting together an excellent season at Triple-A prior to his promotion and is now getting a shot at the Major League level
  • He has been serving as the primary third baseman with Alex Bregman occupying the DH role
  • Whitcomb has an intriguing blend of power and speed that makes him worth adding in fantasy leagues
• Yainer Diaz is playing first base
  • The solution to the Astros’ first base issue appears to be Diaz who has shifted off of catcher and over to first base
  • Diaz is still catching, but the team prefers the sound defense of Victor Caratini behind the plate over the subpar options at first base
  • Caratini has been batting fifth in the lineup most games and is quietly putting up solid offensive numbers. He is not a must-add but is worth a look in deep two-catcher formats
• Yordan Alvarez was scratched Friday with a neck injury
  • Potentially big news for fantasy managers approaching the playoffs with a star who has an extensive past with injuries
  • The severity of Alvarez’s neck stiffness remains unclear
  • If forced to miss extended time, Chas McCormick or Zach Dezenzo could see their playing time increase

Los Angeles Angels

• The team promoted Niko Kavadas
  • Kavadas was acquired from Boston at the trade deadline and has quickly found himself in the Major Leagues
  • Prior to his promotion, Kavadas was up to 19 home runs in Triple-A, but his strikeout rate was well above 30%
  • In a small sample, he has continued to strikeout a ton but is getting consistent playing time against righties batting in the back half of the lineup
  • Kevin Pillar is playing on the short side of the platoon with Kavadas
• Brandon Drury is losing playing time
  • Between injuries and poor performance, Drury has had a rough 2024 season
  • He has been playing various infield positions and batting in the back half of the lineup for most of the second half but is losing his playing time against right-handed pitchers
  • The team has been giving additional playing time to both Jack Lopez and Michael Stefanic although neither one are a threat to become everyday players

Texas Rangers

• Jonah Heim is retaking playing time
  • Last week, it was mentioned that Carson Kelly was receiving most of the playing time at catcher but that has started to shift
  • Heim has been in the lineup in four of the past five games
  • Both catchers are likely to split their playing time moving forward and neither one is worth rostering in fantasy leagues
• Josh Smith is cooling off
  • Smith’s production lasted far longer than many (including myself) predicted but that seems to be coming to an end
  • Since the start of August, Smith is batting under .200 with just one home run and could lose playing time
  • He is still batting third in most games but has been out of the lineup twice in the past week. Ezequiel Duran or Robbie Grossman could see their playing time increase if the team moves away from Smith
• Corey Seager is having another excellent season
  • The Rangers have been a disappointment this year but Seager continues to be an offensive force at the plate
  • He is up to 28 home runs on the year and is posting his highest barrel rate since 2020
  • Seager is locked into the second spot in the lineup and should continue to provide elite fantasy production for the next few seasons

Oakland Athletics

• Darell Hernaiz is losing some playing time
  • When healthy, the Athletics have tried to give Hernaiz extended looks as the everyday third baseman but his poor offensive performances have him running out of time
  • Hernaiz is still playing against all lefties but is splitting time with Abraham Toro against righties
  • With only one home run and one stolen base on the season, Hernaiz is not worth rostering even in deep leagues
• Fantasy managers should expect Max Muncy to get a look in September
  • The “other” Max Muncy is currently in Triple-A and is putting together a quality season
  • He is up to 10 homers on the season and is slashing .367/.466/.717 since the start of August
  • Max Schuemann continues to serve as the everyday shortstop batting at the bottom of the lineup but is not showing any promise offensively. Muncy will be up before the end of the season and is worth stashing

Seattle Mariners

• Leo Rivas is drawing most of the starts at shortstop
  • Dylan Moore was getting everyday playing time for most of the time JP Crawford has been out, but that appears to have ended
  • Rivas has been playing everyday batting ninth in the lineup
  • Rivas is hitting for a decent average, but with zero home runs and just two stolen bases, he is not worth rostering in fantasy leagues
• Victor Robles is dealing with a hip injury
  • Robles was absent from the lineup starting on Wednesday but should be considered day-to-day moving forward
  • Robles has turned his career around with the Mariners this year finally showing signs of living up to his prospect pedigree
  • He is batting under .200 since the start of August but is up to 18 stolen bases providing steady fantasy value
• Luke Raley is playing every day
  • Raley is rotating between the outfield and first base but is in the lineup on a consistent basis
  • Even more notable for fantasy managers is that he is batting in the upper half of the lineup with regularity now giving him more opportunities to accumulate counting stats
  • Raley is up to 15 home runs on the season with four of them coming since the start of August. A lot of his value comes in OBP leagues but he is a reliable source of power if you need that on your fantasy teams

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Riley Greene is back from the IL
  • Greene returned to the Tigers’ lineup on Sunday and has been batting second since returning
  • Greene is having an excellent third season with 18 homers with the best strikeout rate of his career
  • He might never be a 20/20 player but at just 23 years old projects to be an excellent fantasy manager for years to come
  • With Greene back from the IL, Justyn-Henry Malloy was optioned to Triple-A
• Spencer Torkelson is back from Triple-A
  • As part of their recent youth movement, the Tigers have brought Torkelson back up after a disappointing start to the season
  • In Triple-A, Torkelson was still striking out a ton but was up to 11 home runs and collected six hits in his first three games back
  • Torkelson may never live up to the expectations of being the 1.01 pick, but he could be a solid option at first base for fantasy managers down the stretch
• Trey Sweeney is splitting time at shortstop
  • Fellow top prospect Jace Jung is getting everyday playing time a third base but Sweeney is splitting time with Javier Baez
  • Baez is now on the IL, but it would not surprise me if Ryan Kreidler continued to play on the short side of the platoon with Sweeney
  • When in the lineup, Sweeney is batting eighth and is not worth rostering without consistent playing time

Kansas City Royals

• Maikel Garcia is losing playing time
  • Garcia is still getting into the lineup regularly against lefties but has been on the bench more consistently against righties
  • After receiving some early season breakout hype early this season, Garcia has largely been a disappointment besides solid stolen base totals
  • Paul DeJong has been getting more playing time at third base and is quietly up to 21 home runs on the season with solid numbers since joining the Royals
• Adam Frazier is getting more playing time in the outfield
  • Hunter Renfroe has been the everyday right fielder for the majority of the season but is seeing his playing time decrease
  • With Renfroe taking a seat more often against righties, Adam Frazier has been seeing his playing time increase batting seventh in the lineup
  • The two players are likely to continue splitting time and neither is worth rostering in fantasy
• Vinnie Pasquantino is red hot
  • Pasquantino has slugged six home runs since the start of August and is batting .280 over that period
  • If you take out a poor first month, Pasquantino has been a reliable fantasy asset all season. Since the start of May, he is slashing .281/.324/.471
  • He is locked into a lineup spot behind Bobby Witt Jr and is a great fantasy option at first base

Chicago White Sox

• Lenyn Sosa is playing more regularly
  • Sosa has been getting into the lineup primarily against lefties in place of Nicky Lopez and over Miguel Vargas against righties
  • Vargas has struggled since being acquired by the White Sox batting under .100 with just one home run. Despite the hype, he is not worth rostering outside of dynasty formats
  • Sosa has continued to struggle offensively at the Major League level and is not worth rostering even with additional playing time
• Luis Robert Jr. is hot at the plate
  • Robert is batting well over .300 since August 13 with two homers and three stolen bases
  • Despite speculation that Robert was going to be moved at the deadline, he has stayed in Chicago and is turning things on at the plate
  • His average has been disappointing but he is still up to 14 homers and 20 stolen bases on the season

Minnesota Twins

• Edouard Julian is playing regularly against righties
  • Julian is back for another shot at the Major League level and is getting most of the starts against righties
  • He has been batting seventh in the lineup while Kyle Farmer gets in against lefties
  • Julien’s numbers look a bit better in a small sample since rejoining the Twins but he is still striking out far too often to ever be a reliable fantasy option
• Trevor Larnach is securing his spot on the strong side of the platoon
  • In a crowded Twins’ lineup, Larnach has performed well offensively and continues to bat second in the lineup
  • Since the start of August, he has been batting .300 although he has just one home run over that time
  • Larnach is still hitting the ball over 95 mph during that time frame and should start seeing his home run luck improve
• Byron Buxton is nearing a return
  • There was originally a thought Buxton could be activated as early as Friday but he is likely to remain on the IL a few more days
  • Austin Martin continues to fill in for Buxton and is batting at the bottom of the lineup
  • Buxton will reclaim an everyday role once he returns but Martin is batting over .300 since the start of August and could continue to find his way into the lineup at a variety of positions

Cleveland Guardians

• Three players are getting time in center field
  • Lane Thomas is the most relevant of the three although he continues to struggle since being acquired by Cleveland. He is getting half of the playing time in center but is not worth holding in shallow leagues
  • Tyler Freeman continues to work his way into the lineup on occasion but is not a fantasy-relevant player
  • Daniel Schneemann has continued serving in a utility role and is drawing an occasional start in center
  • Sharing time, all three players should be on the waiver wire
• Will Brennan is batting toward the top of the lineup
  • Brennan was just in Triple-A a couple of weeks ago but has a prime lineup spot since returning
  • Since rejoining the Guardians on August 9, Brennan is batting over .300 but has just two extra-base hits
  • Brennan fits the Guardians’ philosophy but does not provide much in terms of fantasy value