Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 08/09

The trade deadline has come and gone. Now, teams are setting their lineups for the stretch run. Contenders are platooning at an all-time high level, while rebuilding teams are giving younger players and prospects a chance at the Major League level. This article helps to break down the latest lineup changes that fantasy baseball managers need to be aware of. This article specifically looks at the National League. This should give fantasy baseball players all of the information they need to stay up to date. The five hottest hitters in the National League since the start of July have been: Andrew Vaughn, Isaac Collins, Kyle Schwarber, Michael Harris II, and Manny Machado. The five coldest hitters in the National League over the past two weeks have been: James Wood, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Brendan Donovan, Victor Scott II, and Thairo Estrada.

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

Harrison Bader has been added to the outfield mix
- Right now, the Phillies are using consistent platoons with Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, and Bryson Stott
- Bader has been in the lineup against lefties to start, but the general feel is that he will start to take playing time away from Max Kepler against righties as well
- Bader has been batting sixth in the lineup and would prove useful to fantasy managers if his playing time increases
Edmundo Sosa is an everyday player
- With Alec Bohm on the IL, Sosa is getting to play every day over Otto Kemp
- He is playing third base against righties over Kemp and then second base against lefties in the platoon with Bryson Stott. He is primarily batting eighth in the lineup
- On the season, Sosa is batting .267 with five homers but is batting just .231 since the All-Star Break. He is no more than a fringe fantasy asset
JT Realmuto has moved up to fourth in the lineup
- The assumption is that Alec Bohm will reclaim this spot in the lineup once he returns, but for now Realmuto is tasked with protecting Bryce Harper
- Although far from spectacular, Realmuto has been better after his slow start at the plate. He is slashing .267/.290/.417 since the break
- With Realmuto moving up in the lineup, Nick Castellanos has slid down to fifth

Miami Marlins

Jakob Marsee is a player worth adding
- For those who follow my work, Jakob Marsee has been one of my favorite prospects for a couple of years now. He was recalled from Triple-A with the departure of Jesus Sanchez
- Since being promoted, Marsee has been playing every day and batting sixth in the lineup. He has even remained in the lineup against lefties
- Marsee has really good contact skills, elite speed, and great plate discipline. He is a strong add in all 12+ team leagues
Agustin Ramirez has been playing well
- The biggest surprise in the second half has been Ramirez’s production on the base paths. He has stolen six bases in his last 13 games. Although his sprint speed is not good, he did steal 22 bases in the Minor Leagues last season and could be a sneaky contributor in this category
- Outside of the steals, Ramirez’s fantasy value continues to stem from his power. He is up to 17 home runs on the season with excellent batted ball data
- The only issue for fantasy managers is a low batting average. Ramirez’s aggressive approach is unlikely to ever produce batting averages above .250

Atlanta Braves

Austin Riley is on the IL
- Riley is back on the IL with an abdominal strain and does not have a firm timetable to return
- With Riley out of the lineup, Nacho Alvarez was recalled from Triple-A. He has been playing third base and batting eighth. He is also dealing with a side injury of his own
- Jonathan Ornelas was also recalled from Triple-A and could factor into the playing time situation. Neither player is worth rostering
Marcell Ozuna continues to be puzzling and disappointing
- The most frustrating part of this is why Ozuna was not traded to a contending team?
- Ozuna has been stuck mostly on the short side of a platoon with Drake Baldwin since the ASB. He is playing occasionally against righties but not consistently
- When in the lineup, Ozuna continues to produce. He owns a 121 wRC+ on the season and a 152 wRC+ since the break. If you have the bench spots, he should be held onto based on his offensive upside
Eil White is playing with Ronald Acuna Jr on the IL
- Acuna is on the IL with Achilles tendonitis and does not have a firm timetable to return. With Atlanta falling further out of the playoff hunt, the team will likely be overly cautious with their star
- White has been getting a chance to play every day and is hitting seventh in the lineup
- White has three homers since the start of August and is up to eight stolen bases on the year. He is not a great fantasy asset, but is a sneaky add in deep leagues

Washington Nationals

Three outfielders are splitting two lineup spots
- At the trade deadline, Alex Call was sent packing to Los Angeles, leading to the promotion of Robert Hassell III
- Hassell, Daylen Lile, and Jacob Young are splitting time amongst the two outfield spots open next to James Wood
- Lile has the best offensive numbers of the three, but Young is just a season removed from stealing over 30 bases. None of the three hold much fantasy value
James Wood has cooled off at the plate
- Wood is still having a solid breakout season overall. He is batting .257 with 24 homers and 14 stolen bases while continuing to bat second in the lineup
- However, since the All-Star Break, Wood is slashing .131/.232/.164. The biggest issue is a strikeout rate of over 39%
- Wood’s whiff rate, especially against breaking balls, has been a concern all season. Still just 22 years old, these growing pains should be expected from a player with elite fantasy upside

New York Mets

Cedric Mullins has taken over the majority of starts in center field
- Mullins was the Mets’ big addition to the lineup at the Trade Deadline. He has been playing on the strong side of a platoon batting seventh
- For fantasy managers, Mullins has had a strong season with 15 homers and 16 steals. However, he is batting just .223 and sitting against lefties limits his ceiling
- With Mullins in, Tyrone Taylor has moved into a bench role on the weak side of the platoon
Two young players are difficult to roster right now
- Neither Ronny Mauricio nor Brett Baty are getting consistent playing time
- The two players are splitting playing time against righties, with Starling Marte entering the lineup against lefties
- Neither player has been swinging it particularly well at the plate, and are fine drops in redraft formats
Mark Vientos is still struggling to get things going
- Speaking of third base, Vientos is continuing to be in the lineup every day despite his lackluster performance offensively
- Since the All-Star Break, Vientos is slashing just .255/.263/.382. He has hit just one home run
- For fantasy managers, there is upside here. He has been incredibly unlucky in the power department this season. The batting average is unlikely to ever be very good, but Vientos should start to see his numbers improve down the stretch

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

Willi Castro is serving in a super utility role
- The same way that Castro was being used in Minnesota is how he is being used in Chicago
- Castro is playing all over the diamond since being acquired, including second base, third base, and right field. Regardless of position, he is in the lineup every day and batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup
- On Roster Resource, Matt Shaw is listed as a bench player, but he continues to play most games at third base and is batting ninth
Dansby Swanson has slid down in the lineup
- After batting sixth in the lineup, Swanson has been shifted down to the bottom third following the trade deadline
- His 18 homers and run/RBI totals are useful for fantasy managers, but his overall offensive performance has been mediocre at best
- Since the All-Star Break, Swanson is slashing .200/.250/.317. He is not at risk of losing playing time due to the lack of shortstop depth behind him, his contract, and solid defense
Pete Crow-Armstrong has come back down to earth
- PCA’s elite first half was always due to come back to earth with his underlying plate discipline and contact skills
- He has hit only two homers and stolen just two bases since the All-Star Break. Since July 28, he is slashing .194/.257/.290
- Fantasy managers should not hit the panic button, but need to roster PCA with the understanding that there are going to be cold stretches and hot streaks. He is a volatile profile who will still produce elite home run and stolen base numbers even if his batting average struggles at times

St. Louis Cardinals

Lars Nootbaar is back from the IL
- Nootbaar was activated prior to the game last Saturday. He has been batting fifth in the lineup since returning
- Nootbaar is batting .229 with 12 homers on the season. He continues to walk at a high rate, boosting his fantasy value in OBP leagues
- There is a high likelihood that Nootbaar will serve on the strong side of a platoon with Jordan Walker as the season moves along
Speaking of Jordan Walker, he is not playing every day
- With Nootbaar back in the lineup, Walker has found playing time a bit more difficult to come by
- That being said, he continues to play most days, rotating around in the lineup for various players, and is batting in the bottom third
- The 2025 season has been another disappointing one for Walker, although he is slashing .310/.365/.414 since July 19, with improved numbers across the board
JJ Wetherholt is playing some third base down in Triple-A
- The team’s first-round pick from last year has been sensational and is banging on the door of the Major Leagues
- Right now, Nolan Gorman is serving as the everyday third baseman and batting seventh in the lineup in most games
- In 71 games this season, Gorman is batting .224 with 10 homers. His 600 PA pace is 27 homers, although he continues to struggle with strikeouts. Do not be surprised if Wetherholt replaces him before the end of the season

Milwaukee Brewers

Isaac Collins is getting deserved attention
- Collins continues to serve as the team’s everyday left fielder and is now becoming one of the favorites for the NL Rookie of the Year
- 28-year-old rookies are hard to buy into, but Collins continues to do everything right. He is batting .292 on the season with seven homers and 13 stolen bases. He has hit safely in all but two games since the All-Star Break, slashing .391/.480/.578 during that time
- From a sustainability standpoint, it is a mixed bag. He is not going to continue running a BABIP this high, but he has good contact skills, a great eye, and hits a ton of line drives. He is a fine player to count on for the rest of the season
Jackson Chourio is on the IL
- Chourio injured his hamstring in a game on July 29 and is expected to miss another 2-3 weeks
- With Chourio out of the lineup, Blake Perkins has taken over in center field and is batting sixth in the lineup in most games
- In 17 games this season, Perkins is hitting .278 with three homers and three steals. He has plus speed, but this power surge to start 2025 is unlikely to continue
Andrew Vaughn is living up to his potential
- There might not be a more true depiction of “He just needed a change in scenery” than Vaugn
- He has been incredible since joining the Brewers and is showing no signs of slowing down. Vaughn is batting in the middle of the lineup, slashing .377/.444/.701 since the trade with seven homers
- Everything in Vaughn’s profile is trending straight up. This looks like a real breakout. With Rhys Hoskins still at least a month away, Vaughn looks like a potential league winner

Cincinnati Reds

Noelvi Marte continues to play every day in a new position
- The Reds made the decision to move Noelvi Marte off of third base and into the outfield, where he is serving as the everyday right fielder
- Injuries have limited Marte to just 46 games this season, but he is still up to seven homers and seven stolen bases
- Since moving to right field, Marte is slashing just .226/.226/.355. The obvious question is whether or not the focus required to learn a new position is impacting his ability at the plate
Tyler Stephenson’s playing time has taken a hit
- While Stephenson still profiles as the primary catcher in Cincy, Jose Trevino is getting more run behind the dish
- Stephenson has been out of the lineup for three of the last six games, including both Tuesday and Thursday
- Stephenson owns a 134 wRC+ since the ASB, making this move a bit confusing. He should be expected to see the bulk of the playing time at catcher moving forward
Ke’Bryan Hayes is batting at the bottom of the lineup
- The Reds made a big move going out and acquiring Ke’Bryan Hayes from Pittsburgh
- Since being acquired, Hayes has been playing every day and batting ninth in the lineup
- Hayes is an elite defender and has offensive potential, but has never been able to pull the ball enough to get to any consistent game power. He is batting just .227 since being acquired and is not worth adding, even with the ballpark upgrade

Pittsburgh Pirates

Tommy Pham has been batting second in the lineup
- Pham is playing most days, and all the time against lefties, while moving up in the lineup
- He has been swinging a hot bat since the ASB, slashing .339/.406/.500 providing value to fantasy managers in deep leagues
- Jack Suwinski is also mixing into the lineup against righties, ultimately capping Pham’s fantasy value
Jared Triolo is getting more consistent playing time
- Triolo has taken over as the team’s primary shortstop and has been batting seventh in the lineup
- Triolo has appeared in 61 games this season, batting .176 with three home runs in his limited playing time
- Things have been a bit better for Triolo since being repromoted from Triple-A at the start of August. He is batting .300 since then, but still holds very little fantasy value

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Hyeseong Kim is on the IL with a shoulder injury
- Kim was filling in at second base with Tommy Edman also on the IL, but that spot will now go to recently promoted Alex Freeland
- Freeland was promoted from Triple-A and has been playing every day and batting in the lower third of the lineup since being promoted
- Freeland was batting .253 with 12 homers and 17 steals in Triple-A. Freeland is a solid all-around player who (in my opinion has been overvalued in the dynasty community). He is a fine deep-league add, but is unlikely to be a difference maker this season
Max Muncy is back from the IL
- Muncy returned to the Dodgers’ lineup on Monday and is batting fifth in most games
- In his second game back in the lineup, Muncy went deep twice, reminding fantasy managers of his elite power and offensive success since adding glasses this season
- With Muncy returning to the lineup, Miguel Rojas lost what little playing time he had
Freddie Freeman has gotten hot again
- Freeman was slumping for a bit toward the end of the first half, but has been awesome in the second half, slashing .358/.416/.552
- Although Freeman’s fantasy numbers are down slightly, he is still as consistent as they come, slashing .307/.374/.490 on the season with 13 home runs
- Consistency is an underrated part of fantasy. Sure, Freeman is regressing in his age-35 season, but he is batting third in an elite lineup and is as solid as they come

San Diego Padres

Ryan O’Hearn is in, Gavin Sheets is out
- The Padres sured up their outfield by acquiring Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano from Baltimore at the trade deadline
- O’Hearn has been a reliable asset for fantasy managers against righties, but is now splitting time with Gavin Sheets
- O’Hearn is getting the majority of the playing time, dissolving Sheets’ deep league fantasy value
Ramon Laureano has been playing every day since being acquired
- Laureano, however, is playing every day as the team’s left fielder
- Since being acquired, Laureano has been batting seventh in the lineup in most games. One of the bigger surprises this season, Laureano is batting .295 with 16 homers and four stolen bases
- With Laureano entering the lineup, Jose Iglesias has lost his playing time
Freddy Fermin has taken over the catcher duties
- The Padres desperately needed to update their catching situation and did in a big way by acquiring Freddy Fermin
- Stuck behind Salvador Perez, Fermin never got much of an extended leash in Kansas City. He has jumped right in as the team’s primary catcher, batting at the bottom of the lineup
- There is not a ton of fantasy upside in Fermin’s profile, but he is a solid option in leagues with 16+ catchers rostered

Arizona Diamondbacks

Blaze Alexander is getting the chance to play every day
- With Eugenio Suarez gone to Seattle, Alexander is playing third base and batting sixth or seventh in the lineup on most nights
- Alexander has shown flashes at the Major League level before, but his suspect hit tool continues to be the primary concern for his future outlook
- Alexander profiles as more of a place-holder until Jordan Lawlar is back from the IL
Tyler Locklear is batting fifth in the lineup
- Locklear is getting a chance to play every day since being traded to Arizona and is hitting in the middle of the lineup
- In 98 games down in Triple-A, Locklear was batting .316 with 19 homers and 18 stolen bases
- At the Major League level, power profiles as his best attribute. There are concerns that his patience at the plate and suspect contact skills will result in high strikeout rates
Alek Thomas is no longer platooning
- Thomas’s playing time has been inconsistent throughout the season, but he continues to flash when playing every day
- In 99 games, Thomas is up to eight homers. He continues to hit the ball hard with the issue being a high ground ball rat,e preventing more game power
- Since the ASB, Thomas is slashing .333/.372/.590 and is staying in the lineup against lefties now as well. He is worth a look in deeper formats

San Francisco Giants

Jerar Encarnacion is back from the IL- update- was**
- Encarnacion was activated off the IL prior to Monday’s game and has been in the lineup for 2/3 games since
- Encarnacion landed back on the IL late on Friday, and the team promoted Drew Gilbert, who was acquired from the Mets at this year’s trade deadline
- Now that he is up from Triple-A, Gilbert should play every day and is worth adding in 14+ team formats and some deeper 12+ team leagues
Casey Schmitt is batting higher in the lineup
- Schmitt continues to play every day and has been batting sixth consistently over the past week
- In 55 games this season, Schmitt is batting .249 with six home runs
- Despite moving up in the lineup, Schmitt is slashing just .236/.276/.400 since the ASB. He is a high-floor, low-ceiling option in deep leagues

Colorado Rockies

Warming Bernabel is playing every day
- The start to Bernabel’s Major League career could not have been drawn up any better
- Through 11 games, Bernabel is batting .364 with three homers. He is batting fifth or sixth in the lineup in most games and playing first base
- Bernabel’s pull-side pop has never been in question. The issue is that his extremely aggressive approach leads to a lot of weak contact. Those adding Bernabel should proceed with caution
Thairo Estrada is back on the IL
- After being activated from the IL on July 25, Estrada lasted only 10 games before going back on the IL with a hamstring injury
- With Estrada out of the lineup, Adael Amador was once again recalled from Triple-A
- Amador should play every day and hit at the bottom of the lineup, but is not worth an add in fantasy leagues
Brenton Doyle is losing a bit of playing time
- With Yanquiel Fernandez on the Major League roster, Doyle has been on the bench against a righty two times in the past week
- Although Doyle’s overall performance this year has been disappointing, there is no reason this should continue. Since the ASB, Doyle is slashing .400/.415/.500. He was one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball during the first half
- Fernandez is batting just .213 through his first 22 games and could be optioned back to Triple-A sooner rather than later
Orlando Arcia landed on the IL
- Arcia’s landing on the IL has opened the door for top prospect Kyle Karros
- Karros is underrated in the fantasy community and was batting .301 in the Minor Leagues this season
- He is a strong add in deeper leagues

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