Three Up:
1. Toronto Blue Jays Shortstop Bo Bichette — The Blue Jays have hit their stride in recent weeks and a lot of that has to do with the play of Bichette. This past week, the shortstop hit five home runs with 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored. In his last 26 games, Bichette is batting .362 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, 19 runs scored and two stolen bases. He struggled in the first half, but his strong second half has made him a reliable fantasy option once again.
2. Los Angeles Angels Outfielder Mike Trout — It’s a shame that Trout has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and the Angels have not been good. Trout continues to be one of the best players in baseball. He hit a home run in six straight games this past week and is now batting .280 with 34 home runs, 67 RBIs and 71 runs scored. We may never see Trout play 145 games again, which will hurt his overall fantasy value, but we shouldn’t forget how good of a player he is.
3. Chicago White Sox Starting Pitcher Lance Lynn — The veteran has quietly put a strong few weeks together, as Lynn has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last six starts. Lynn entered August with a 6.42 ERA and due to his recent performance, he’s now pitching to a 4.07 ERA. This past week, Lynn didn’t allow an earned run in two starts while striking out 16. It may be a little too late in the eyes of fantasy owners, but he’s at least pitching well down the stretch.
Three Down:
1. Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder Bryce Harper — It’s been a struggle for Harper since returning to the lineup. The veteran fractured his finger after being hit by a pitch in June and was activated off the injured list on Aug. 26. Since then, Harper has only hit one home run since his return while striking out 15 times. Harper will figure it out, but it may not be until the postseason. That doesn’t help fantasy owners.
2. Boston Red Sox Infielder Trevor Story — Story’s first season in Boston hasn’t gone well. The former Rockies slugger is batting .238 with 16 home runs, 66 RBIs and 53 runs scored. This is clearly the worst season of Story’s career, so it will be interesting to see if he bounces back in 2023.
3. Texas Rangers Shortstop Corey Seager — It was a rough week for Seager, who only collected four hits while striking out six times. Overall, it’s been a productive first season with the Rangers for the infielder. Seager is batting .248 with 29 home runs, 74 RBIs, 79 runs scored and three stolen bases this season and even though the average is lower than what he has had throughout his career, it’s nice to see the power.
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