Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: AL 09/06

At this point, the fantasy baseball playoffs are in full swing and many people are preparing for their championships. With only a few weeks left and September call-ups upon us, there are plenty of changes to lineups. The five hottest hitters in the AL over the past two weeks have been Lawrence Butler, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Yordan Alvarez, Brent Rooker, and Taylor Ward. 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

• Anthony Rizzo is back from the IL
  • Rizzo returned to the Yankees’ lineup on Sunday and has taken over at first base playing on the strong side of a platoon
  • He has been batting seventh in the lineup most games right behind Jazz Chisholm Jr
  • With Rizzo returning to the lineup, Ben Rice was sent back to Triple-A
• Alex Verdugo has moved down to the bottom of the lineup
  • Many Yankees fans were hoping that the team would promote Jasson Dominguez when rosters expanded to take Verdugo’s place, but that is not the case
  • Verdugo continues to serve as the everyday left fielder and is batting ninth in the lineup
  • Verdugo has seen his wRC+ drop to 84 on the season and is batting .226 since August 16
• Austin Wells is dealing with a hand injury
  • Wells was hit on the hand Monday by a pitch and has been out of the lineup since
  • The team remains optimistic he will avoid an IL stint but this is a situation to monitor
  • If forced to miss extended time, Jose Trevino would take over catching duties

Boston Red Sox

• David Hamilton is on the IL
  • Hamilton is out with a fractured finger opening up playing time at second base
  • With Hamilton out, Nick Sogard is getting the majority of playing time at second base with Romy Gonzalez and Enmanuel Valdez also rotating in
  • With playing time being split three ways, nobody is worth rostering in fantasy
• Rafael Devers is struggling
  • Devers has seemingly disappeared in a time when the Red Sox and fantasy managers need him the most
  • Since August 15, Devers is batting just .164 with one homer since August 17
  • A .182 BABIP is clearly the primary issue but Devers is not seeing the ball well now and might be better on fantasy benches for a few games
• Ceddanne Rafaela is losing playing time
  • Rafaela has been playing every day all season but the team has been looking elsewhere at shortstop recently
  • Rafaela has been out of the lineup against two righties this week in favor of Enmanuel Valdez
  • Trevor Story is rehabbing in Triple-A and could factor into the playing time mix down the stretch

Tampa Bay Rays

• Jonny DeLuca is batting all over the back half of the lineup
  • Since the trade deadline, DeLuca has continued to play regularly and seems to be growing more comfortable
  • Since August 24, DeLuca is batting over .300 and slugging over .500
  • He has significantly lowered his strikeout rate over that time and could be a viable fantasy option moving forward
• The third outfield spot is a timeshare
  • Jose Siri has been the primary center fielder all season but his struggles at the plate have him losing playing time
  • Siri has been on the bench twice this week as the team works to get Dylan Carlson into the lineup more
  • Carlson has been batting sixth in the lineup when playing and is up to three homers in 24 games with the Rays

Toronto Blue Jays

• Will Wagner continues to play inconsistently
  • Wagner has been excellent since joining the Blue Jays but is not in the lineup on a regular basis
  • The team is prioritizing getting at-bats for Leo Jimenez and Ernie Clement over Wagner despite his strong offensive performances
  • Wagner is a solid keeper-league stash but not a reliable asset for 2024
• Addison Barger is moving up in the lineup
  • Barger continues to be on the bench against lefties but has been batting fifth against righties
  • After a slow start, Barger has really turned things on at the plate with four home runs since August 23
  • His strikeout rate over that period is below 12% and he could be finally putting everything together
  • Barger is worth adding if you need help at third base
• Alejandro Kirk has looked better recently
  • Kirk was viewed as one of the top catchers in fantasy a couple of seasons ago but has struggled to perform offensively as of late
  • He has been getting everyday playing time since the team traded Danny Jansen and is starting to look more like his old self
  • Kirk is batting .275 since August 18 and is batting sixth in Toronto’s lineup recently

Baltimore Orioles

• Ramon Urias is on the IL
  • Urias had been serving as the primary third baseman but is now sidelined with an ankle injury
  • Instead of allowing the recently promoted Coby Mayo to play regularly, the team is giving Emmanuel Rivera the majority of starts at third base
  • Mayo is getting into the lineup occasionally but is not worth rostering in redraft leagues at this point
• Eloy Jimenez is playing every day
  • Jimenez has been getting additional playing time with Ryan Mountcastle on the IL
  • Jimenez has been hitting for a better average since joining Baltimore but is still posting disappointing power metrics
  • He is not a must-roster player outside of deep leagues

AL West

Houston Astros

• Jason Heyward has joined the team
  • As the Astros continue to search for outfield help, the team has picked up Heyward after he was released by the Dodgers
  • Heyward is playing against about half of the righties and batting toward the bottom of the lineup
  • With Kyle Tucker supposedly nearing a return, Heyward’s days of playing time could be limited
• Ben Gamel is playing every day
  • Gamel is another veteran outfielder who has joined the Astros for the playoff push
  • Gamel has been batting seventh in the lineup most games and is staying in against lefties as well
  • His high walk rate is leading to a solid wRC+ since joining the Astros but he is not worth rostering in fantasy
• Chas McCormick is back from Triple-A
  • The 2024 season has been a disaster for McCormick but he is back up with the Astros now
  • McCormick has been playing this past week with Jake Meyers on the Paternity List but the two could split time in center field down the stretch
  • Meyers is batting just .208 with zero home runs since August 17 and is not worth rostering in fantasy leagues

Los Angeles Angels

• Mickey Moniak is moving up in the lineup
  • Moniak’s name has been brought up a couple of other times in this article but this time it is serious
  • Moniak has been batting fifth in the Angels’ lineup and is playing every day
  • Since August 28, Moniak has crushed five home runs and quietly has a 184 wRC+ since the start of August. He should be rostered anywhere you need outfield help
• Taylor Ward has a 14-game hit streak
  • Ward was great to start the season, struggled in the middle, and is swinging the bat well again for fantasy managers
  • He has hit five homers since August 27 and is batting .320 during this 14-game hit streak
  • The Angels are not great, but batting at the top of the lineup continues to lead to solid counting stats for Ward
• Niko Kavadas has moved to ninth in the lineup
  • Kavadas continues to play every day for the Angels but his struggles have him moving down in the order
  • Since joining the team, Kavadas is striking out over 45% of the time and is batting below .100
  • The Angels are unlikely to continue giving him everyday playing time even with their season essentially over

Texas Rangers

• Corey Seager has landed on the IL with a hip injury
  • With the Rangers essentially out of playoff contention, Seager is likely done for the season
  • With Seager injured, Josh Smith has shifted over to shortstop with Ezequiel Duran has seen his playing time increase
  • Duran has not done much offensively this season and is not worth picking up
• Josh Jung is settling in
  • Jung has been batting fifth consistently since returning to the Rangers’ lineup
  • Since August 18, Jung is slashing .271/.295/.441 and is batting .295 since August 23
  • Jung’s plate discipline metrics remain concerning but he appears to be fully healthy for the first time this season

Oakland Athletics

• Jacob Wilson is back from the IL
  • Wilson is back in the Major Leagues after getting injured during his first game
  • Since returning, Wilson has been batting at the bottom of the lineup and is struggling offensively
  • His contact skills look strong, but poor exit velocity numbers create concern over how his power will translate at the Major League level
• Max Schuemann is playing third base
  • With Wilson back, the team optioned Darrel Hernaiz to Triple-A and shifted Schuemann over to third
  • Schuemann is batting seventh or eighth in the lineup most games but is not producing much offensively
  • He is batting just .159 since August 21 and is unlikely to continue starting as the season winds down
• Tristran Gray is up from Triple-A
  • After appearing in seven games for Miami earlier this season, Gray will now get another chance with the A’s
  • He has hit for solid power throughout his Minor League career but strikes out way too often to stick at the Major League level
  • He is currently playing over Tyler Nevin batting in the bottom third of the lineup but is not worth rostering in fantasy
• Lawrence Butler continues to dominate offensively
  • Butler is turning into a star in real life and fantasy and could be a cornerstone piece for Oakland
  • He is now up to 21 homers and 13 steals in just 367 plate appearances and is batting over .400 since August 21

Seattle Mariners

• Victor Robles has slid down in the lineup
  • With JP Crawford back in the lineup, Robles slides down to the bottom of the order
  • The good news for fantasy managers is that Robles is still playing every day in Seattle
  • He is batting over .400 since August 17 with five stolen bases
• Jorge Polanco is moving into a platoon
  • Crawford’s return has shifted Dylan Moore into a bench role
  • With Moore on the bench, the team is still trying to get him into the lineup against lefties in favor of Polanco who has been on the bench against both lefties this week
  • Polanco is batting just .206 on the season and just .059 since August 23. He is not worth rostering in fantasy

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Jace Jung has been sliding down the lineup
  • With the team fully healthy, Jung has been pushed down to seventh recently
  • Jung continues to be a regular in the Tigers’ lineup although he is sitting more against lefties
  • The start to his Major League career has not gone as many hoped as he is barely batting above .200 with zero home runs. His plate discipline is strong but his lack of pulled balls and high whiff rates are concerning
• Parker Meadows has been swinging it well since moving up in the lineup
  • Meadows moved to the leadoff spot on August 16 and is slashing .274/.318/.452
  • He has looked like a much more complete batter since returning to the Major Leagues on August 3 with the biggest difference being his lower strikeout rate
  • He is not hitting for much power but should see his HR/FB% increase before the end of the season
• Spencer Torkelson is hitting for power
  • Torkelson has hit four home runs since returning from Triple-A with a 151 wRC+ and great batted ball data
  • Looking under the hood, things are still concerning as Torkelson is striking out over 34% of the time
  • Torkelson is batting sixth in the lineup now and should be the Tigers’ starting first baseman on Opening Day next year

Kansas City Royals

• Tommy Pham has joined the roster
  • Tommy Pham has latched onto his third team of the season and appears to be locked into everyday playing time
  • Pham joins the Royals and figures to split playing time with the recently activated Hunter Renfroe
  • Since joining the team, Pham has been batting leadoff but does not hold a ton of fantasy value
• Vinnie Pasquantino is on the IL
  • The loss of Pasquantino is a crushing blow as his fractured thumb will likely keep him sidelined several weeks
  • With Pasquantino out of the lineup, the team has added Yuli Gurriel who has been filling at first base
  • Gurriel has come over from the Braves and has been hitting seventh in the lineup
• Paul DeJong has slid up in the lineup
  • The other shift with Pasquantino out of the lineup is DeJong moving up
  • DeJong has been serving as the primary third baseman for a few weeks now and is now batting fifth in the lineup
  • Since joining the Royals at the trade deadline, DeJong is slashing .259/.319/.519 and producing strong fantasy results. He might be an old name, but he is worth a look down the stretch

Chicago White Sox

• Bryan Ramos is back from Triple-A
  • Ramos is one of the White Sox’s top hitting prospects and is back for his second stint in the Major Leagues
  • His path to playing time remains unclear although he could replace Miguel Vargas in the lineup
  • Vargas has moved to the bottom of Chicago’s lineup and has just a 30 wRC+ since being acquired
• Yoan Moncada is nearing a return to the lineup
  • Moncada has played in just 11 games this season and has been on the IL with an adductor injury
  • He is currently rehabbing in Triple-A but should be back within the next week
  • When he returns, he could take playing time away from Miguel Vargas and Gavin Sheets

Minnesota Twins

• Brooks Lee is back from the IL
  • Lee returned to the Twins lineup last Sunday and has been batting eighth in the lineup most games
  • With Carlos Correa still on the IL, Lee has stepped back in as the everyday shortstop
  • In 30 games this season, Lee is batting just .252 with three homers and three stolen bases. There is plenty of potential here, but he is not a difference-maker in 2024
• Max Kepler is on the IL
  •  Kepler landed on the IL with tendinitis and does not have a firm timetable for a return
  • His trip to the IL has shuffled the outfield around and allowed Jose Miranda to enter the lineup on an everyday basis at DH
  • Miranda has been batting fourth in the lineup and is worth a look if you need corner infield help
• Willi Castro has moved down in the lineup
  • Castro has been serving as the team’s leadoff batter for much of the season but has been batting in the bottom third this past week
  • With Buxton and Manuel Margot on the IL, Castro is still getting everyday playing time in center field
  • He is batting just .206 with one steal since August 15 and is not worth rostering outside of 15+ team leagues

Cleveland Guardians

• Kyle Manzardo is back from the IL
  • Manzardo returned from Triple-A on Sunday and is looking for better results at the Major League level this time around
  • Since returning, Manzardo has been playing every day and batting sixth in the lineup
  • With Manzardo back in the lineup, Jhonkensy Noel has moved into more of a bench role
• Lane Thomas has his starting spot back
  • Thomas’ offensive struggles led to him losing his starting spot, but he is playing more often now
  • Thomas has been playing center field and batting seventh in the lineup
  • He has been swinging the bat better as of late hitting .360 since August 26 with two stolen bases