AL Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways: Power from the Middle Infield?

Time to catch up on all the latest news on American League lineups. Just as with the National League, there is plenty to dive into including some possible impacts of the looming trade deadline. The five hottest hitters in the American League over the past ten days have been: Ryan Mountcastle, Adolis Garcia, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Belt, and J.P. Crawford. Keep in mind the stats detailed below are through the 8^th. I will try to include any last-minute updates that come through from yesterday’s action. Keep reading for notes on all 15 American League lineups.

More great fantasy baseball advice and analysis: Waiver Wire & FAAB Recommendations | Daily MLB Injury Report | MLB DFS Picks | Line-up Analysis | Dynasty Rankings and Strategy | MLB Bullpen Updates | MLB Player Props | Prospect Rankings & Analysis | Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways

AL East

New York Yankees

• Ben Rortvedt is getting the majority of starts at catcher
  • Rortvedt is batting at the bottom of the lineup and has yet to provide any offensive production at the Major League level
  • He should see his low BABIP increase, but even with that he is not worth adding
  • The team could turn to top prospect Austin Wells if the offensive struggles of Rortvedt and Kyle Higashioka continue
• Anthony Rizzo is just now being diagnosed with a concussion and is on the IL
  • Considering how long this took to diagnose, it is possible that Rizzo misses an extended period of time
  • Right now, Jake Bauers is slotting in as the everyday first baseman and is batting leadoff against righties
  • He has four home runs since July 30 although they come with a strikeout rate above 40%
  • He is never going to provide much average, but if you are okay with selling out for power he is worth taking a shot on
• Isaiah Kiner-Falefa appears to have an edge on the everyday left field job
  • IKF continues to play regularly and bat sixth in the lineup despite an average below .230 since the All-Star Break
  • The only value he is adding is through walks as he has not stolen a base since July 2
  • He should not be added anywhere
• Some late news: D.J. LeMahieu was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday

Boston Red Sox

• Luis Urias is playing every day since being acquired at the trade deadline
  • Urias is the same player who hit 23 home runs two seasons ago and really was never given a chance to regain his timing after starting the season on the IL
  • He seems to be swinging the bat well since joining Boston and is worth a shot in deeper leagues where you are looking for middle infield help
  • He should maintain his lineup spot with Trevor Story back
• Speaking of Story, he returned for the first time all season and is hoping to spark a playoff run
  • After playing second base last year, Story is moving back to shortstop and will be taking playing time away from Pablo Reyes
  • Story is likely already rostered but it is worth checking the waiver wire to see if you can quickly pick him up
• Adam Duvall has been playing a lot in the past week
  • Duvall has gotten a chance to enter the lineup more thanks to Justin Turner being a bit banged up. Now that Turner is healthy again, Duvall will likely return to being on the short side of a platoon
  • He continues to struggle at the plate and is not worth holding onto in fantasy
  • If he were to break back into the lineup, it would likely be in place of Alex Verdugo who is batting under .200 since the break. That being said, Verdugo is turning things back around recently and has hit safely in seven of his last eight starts

Tampa Bay Rays

• Curtis Mead is up from Triple-A
  • The top prospect has started two of four games so far; both at third base while Isaac Paredes moves around to different positions in the infield
  • Mead was really starting to put things together at Triple-A after a slow start and profiles to be a solid fantasy contributor. He is not great at one specific thing but is solid at many. He is not a must-add, but somebody to consider adding in 14+ team leagues
  • His promotion is likely to impact the playing time of Luke Raley who has not hit a home run since July 5 and is batting just .203 over that time
• Brandon Lowe is hitting tons of home runs
  • Lowe has five home runs since July 25 while batting well over .300 during that span
  • He even remained in the lineup earlier this week with a lefty on the mound which is important for his fantasy value
  • Lowe has long been one of the streakiest yet most impactful power bats at the second base position when healthy. He is red-hot right now and needs to be rostered in 100% of leagues

Toronto Blue Jays

• Davis Schneider is quickly becoming a popular name around fantasy baseball circles
  • Schneider was promoted earlier this week by Toronto after batting .275 with 21 home runs in Triple-A
  • He is already off to a fast start at the Major League level with two home runs. The biggest thing to watch is his whiff rate. If he can keep these in check, he could have an excellent end to 2023
  • The Blue Jays are finding ways to get his bat into the lineup playing him at both second base and in the outfield so far
  • The most likely candidates to lose playing time are Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho
• Bo Bichette is on the IL after suffering a knee injury
  • Thankfully, the injury is not season-ending, but he is expected to be out for a couple more weeks
  • In his absence, recently acquired Paul DeJong is playing every day and batting eighth or ninth in the lineup
  • DeJong has been struggling at the plate for a while now with only one home run since June 28. He is not worth rostering even with consistent playing time

Baltimore Orioles

• Lots of lefties on the mound has led to very little playing time for Colton Cowser recently
  • The Orioles are seemingly refusing to give him any at-bats against lefties this season
  • I am still a strong believer in Cowser’s tools and skills, but he is not worth holding onto in redraft formats
  • The team seems to prefer Ryan McKenna over Cowser although he has a wRC+ below 50 since his most recent promotion
• Jordan Westburg is heating up at the plate
  • Westburg is in the lineup against all lefties and fills a utility role against righties
  • Since July 24, Westburg has an average near .300 with two home runs and a 142 wRC+
  • He was one of baseball’s top prospects prior to his promotion and should continue earning more time in Baltimore’s lineup. He should be rostered in most formats
• Ryan Mountcastle is no longer platooning
  • Mountcastle has moved back into an everyday role and is batting second against lefties and fifth against righties
  • He is batting over .400 since the break with an average exit velocity over 94 mph
  • Even with the wall in right field, he should see his home run totals start increasing. If he was dropped earlier this year, he needs to be picked back up

AL West

Houston Astros

• Jose Abreu is struggling again
  • Abreu continues to bat sixth in the lineup despite just two hits in his last 29 plate appearances
  • Abreu is clearly past his prime at this point and although he is likely to show flashes of the player he once was he is not a reliable fantasy asset anymore
• Chas McCormick is batting as high as fifth in the lineup
  • McCormick continues to be one of the best stories in baseball this season and is being rewarded with a bump up in the lineup

Los Angeles Angels

• Brandon Drury is back from the IL and playing second base every day
  • Drury is rotating between third and fifth in the lineup
  • He was rotating between first and second prior to the injury, but the Angels seem content to go with CJ Cron and Mike Moustakas at first base
• Zach Neto is back on the IL
  • Originally, it appeared as if Luis Rengifo could lose his spot in the lineup with the return of Drury, but instead Rengifo has just shifted from second base to shortstop
  • He continues to bat leadoff and is quietly up to 11 home runs while batting over .300 since July 22
  • With a premium lineup spot and consistent at-bats, Rengifo is worth targeting on the waiver-wire
• All three of the Angels’ outfielders are struggling
  • Mickey Moniak has slid down in the lineup and is batting under .200 since July 28
  • Hunter Renfroe has just two home runs since the All-Star Break although his lineup spot is likely safe
  • Randal Grichuk is batting just .233 since coming over although he continues to play everyday
  • Grichuk and Moniak will likely move into a platoon once Mike Trout returns from the IL

Texas Rangers

• Josh Jung landed on the IL with a fractured thumb
  • With Jung expected to be sidelined for several weeks, Ezequiel Duran is most likely to step back into an everyday role
  • Duran had really been struggling at the plate and is batting well under .200 since the All-Star Break
  • He is still hitting the ball hard, but a high strikeout rate will likely continue to make him a streaky hitter
• Corey Seager is back in the lineup after his brief IL stint
  • Seager has returned to the second spot in the lineup and continues to be one of if not the best shortstop in baseball
  • If Seager could have stayed healthy, he would no doubt be in the MVP conversation as his 186 wRC+ is tied with Shohei Ohtani for the best in baseball
• Mitch Garver is playing well in an expanded role
  • With Jonah Heim on the IL, Garver is playing most games batting seventh in the lineup most games
  • He has hit safely in 13 of 14 games although he has a BABIP over .500 during that span. The average will come back down, but his power is legit
  • He should be rostered in all leagues where 14+ catchers are rostered

Oakland Athletics

• Esteury Ruiz is back from the IL
  • Ruiz was batting leadoff with Tony Kemp a little bit banged up, but has since returned to the bottom of the lineup
  • Ruiz’s only real fantasy contribution is with his legs on the base paths. If you do not need stolen bases, he is not somebody that needs to be rostered
• Nick Allen is getting yet another shot at the starting shortstop gig
  • He is batting eighth or ninth in the lineup
  • Allen hit two home runs last Sunday, but has just three on the season and does not provide much offense in any other category
  • He should not be rostered in fantasy
• Jordan Diaz is getting a chance as the team’s everyday third baseman
  • Diaz is batting toward the middle of the lineup
  • He is quickly becoming one of my favorite keeper/dynasty league buys
  • Diaz hits the ball extremely hard and has been showing better plate discipline
  • The only concerning part is that his average launch angle has started to come back down which has been an issue for him in the past
• Now might be a good time to sell high on Zack Gelof
  • Gelof is batting third for Oakland with five home runs and six steals already
  • The issue is a strikeout rate of over 30% and an unsustainably high line drive rate

Seattle Mariners

• Dylan Moore continues to earn more playing time
  • Moore is getting in the lineup for Dominic Canzone against lefties and splitting time at second base with recently acquired Josh Rojas against righties
  • Moore continues to swing a hot bat and hit home runs although he has not stolen bases at the rate he typically does
  • Without the stolen bases, his fantasy value is not high enough to warrant picking up
• Tom Murphy is getting more at-bats over Cade Marlowe
  • Murphy is playing more catcher batting in the back half of the lineup and moving Cal Raleigh over to DH
  • He very quietly has a 146 wRC+ this season with eight home runs in just 44 games
  • His BABIP is unsustainable, and a high strikeout rate will likely lead to a low batting average, but his barrel rate is phenomenal, and he is worth a look in deep leagues where you need two catchers

AL Central

Detroit Tigers

• Matt Vierling is moving back up the lineup
  • Vierling has been batting second or third throughout much of the past week
  • His 2023 season has been inconsistent and filled with injuries but he has hit safely in nine of his last ten games
  • He has not barreled a ball since June 16 and does not have much upside. However, he is likely to gain 3B eligibility soon and could be a useful asset in deep leagues where you are searching for consistent at-bats
• Akil Baddoo is being given a chance to leadoff against righties
  • Zack McKinstry’s recent struggles have moved him back down the lineup and Baddoo is being given the first chance to step up
  • The decision to move Baddoo up is confusing being that he is only batting .200 since July 20. He has not performed well offensively for much of this season and is not somebody I am targeting
  • The Tigers could look to give Parker Meadows a chance later this season in place of Baddoo
• Kerry Carpenter continues to be an underrated fantasy asset for points league formats
  • He has 12 home runs already despite missing large portions of the season with injury
  • He hits for both power and average with strong supporting metrics
  • If you need a boost in either home runs or batting average, take a look at Carpenter

Kansas City Royals

• Freddy Fermin is demanding attention
  • The Royals are giving him a chance to play every day and he is batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup
  • He is now up to eight home runs with an average over .300
  • His barrel rate is strong, his swing is smooth and consistent, and even with regression to his average, he profiles as an above-average offensive catcher
  • Pick him up now if you need a catcher
• Michael Massey is finally flashing a breakout
  • A popular sleeper pick entering 2023, Massey is finally paying off for those who have stuck with him
  • He is moving up to third in the lineup although he still is sitting against most lefties
  • He has six home runs since July 21 and the most impressive part is a much lower strikeout rate than we are used to seeing from him
  • Massey is worth taking a flier on if you need help at second base. Keep a close eye on his strikeout rate to see if his recent performance sticks
• Matt Beaty is being given a chance to earn consistent at-bats at first base
  • Beaty is batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup most games
  • He has shown flashes in the past, but has never been able to consistently look like a Major League regular

Chicago White Sox

• Tim Anderson is facing a suspension
  • If you missed the action from last Saturday, Anderson and Jose Ramirez got into a massive brawl leading to Anderson’s suspension
  • There is also the possibility that Anderson is concussed
  • While he is out, Zach Remillard is likely to step back into a regular role although he is not worth adding in fantasy
• Elvis Andrus has been swinging it well lately
  • Since the All-Star Break, Andrus has quietly been posting a solid slash line
  • The issue is that he does not have any of the counting stats to provide consistent fantasy production
  • I am not adding Andrus even with his recent hot streak
• Luis Robert suffered a sprained pinky in last night’s game
  • He is only considered day-to-day and is not expected to miss extended time

Minnesota Twins

• Byron Buxton is back on the IL with a hamstring strain
  • Buxton had managed to avoid a serious IL trip for much of this season, but is now on the IL and could be out for an extended period of time
  • The biggest beneficiary of this injury has been Willi Castro who has seen his playing time increase again. Jorge Polacno has been able to go back to second base, Eduoard Julien should get more time at DH and Castro can fill in at third
  • Castro is a fine utility player, but is not somebody worth adding in fantasy
  • Royce Lewis is rehabbing in Triple-A and playing third base. He will likely take this role over upon his return
• With Alex Kirilloff on the IL, Mat Wallner has maintained an everyday role
  • He might have held onto his spot in the lineup over Joey Gallo even if the Twins were completely healthy, but this has allowed Wallner to continue receiving consistent playing time
  • Wallner has six home runs since July 25, but they come with a concerning strikeout rate above 35%
  • I would be selling high on Wallner as his current home run rate is unsustainable
• Jorge Polanco has been struggling since returning from the IL
  • Polanco continues to bat second in the lineup despite batting under .200 since his return
  • Part of the issue is a poor BABIP despite a line drive rate well over .200
  • Polanco is likely just regaining his feel after an extended absence. I am not worried about him moving forward

Cleveland Guardians

• Kole Calhoun is back?
  • Calhoun was acquired by the Guardians and is getting some opportunity to play rotating between first base, the outfield, and designated hitter
  • Calhoun was playing well in Triple-A this season, but has not had much success so far in a small sample at the Major League level
  • He is not worth adding and is unlikely to continue receiving regular playing time
• Gabriel Arias continues to get consistent playing time between first base and shortstop
  • He is primarily batting sixth in the lineup
  • Arias continues to strikeout far too often to ever be a consistent fantasy asset and will likely lose playing time if his struggles continue
  • In games where both Calhoun and Arias are in the lineup, Will Brennan is the odd man out
• Oscar Gonzalez is batting fourth for Cleveland
  • After selling at the deadline, the Guardians seem content seeing if Gonzalez can prove he factors into their future plans
  • His batting average appears much improved since his latest promotion, although under the surface not much has changed
  • He is still hitting the ball on the ground far too often to ever have much success and looks like the same player he was earlier this season. He is not worth adding at this point