Brenton Doyle
If there's one thing I have sweet spot for, it's Sweet Spot %. Over the years, I've obsessed over Barrel % and Hard Hit %. But this yielded mixed results, as a lot of the guys who destroy those categories often have trouble hitting the ball at decent launch angles. I don't want guys who hit 100 mph ground balls regularly. Last year, I found myself having much more success using Sweet Spot % to determine fantasy value, in conjunction with the previously mentioned categories. I even wrote up a little something about Matt Mclain and Sweet Spot % to drive this point, check that out if you want
In the case of Doyle, his 82nd percentile Sweet Spot% in relation to his 95th percentile Sprint Speed makes him extremely appealing, and I don't believe his xBA accurately measures this type of bat:speed skill. Doyle is just a baseball player and elite athlete, plain and simple, and it's resulted in an .881 OPS and.352 BA thus far on the campaign. And the kicker? He hasn't started stealing bases yet, after nabbing 22 in 2023. Pick up Doyle as a platoon bat, minimum. The potential is there.
Gavin Sheets
Damn, that's a beautiful statcast. Take away the name, keep the 1b up there, and you'd probably guess this was Freddie Freeman. Is it real though? Well, it's pretty hard to fake this type of quality contact, even with a hot streak. Right now, everything is clicking for Sheets. And while researching how this could be possible, I came across a funny little reddit thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/whitesox/comments/wcttrd/gavin_sheets_is_one_of_the_greatest_power_hitters/ It's possible Sheets has finally overcome this weird mental aspect of his game and is ready to breakout. Either way, add Sheets as a platoon bat because he will most likely destroy right-handed pitching all year. 1B seems to be pretty weak thus far, and Sheets could be just the thing your squad needs. Luis Garcia Jr.
I know. He has a low Sweet Spot%, and I know what I just said about that. But last time I checked, Luis Garcia Jr. was leading the entire MLB in Barrels/AB. And above all, the production has reflected this as Garcia has put up a .314 BA and .819 OPS. on the campaign. He has zero HRs, but is consistently finding holes and hitting the ball to opposite field at a rate of 35.7%. If you want a guy who will be on base, get RBIs, and help those ratios, then look no further than Luis Garcia Jr. At minimum, make him a platoon bat if you have a righty at 2b. If you just straight need a 2b, try him out for a bit.
Brice Turang
Turang is a waiver pickup that's really helped my team thus far. Coming out of the draft, my best speed guy was Stott. I was desperate to add some kind of SB threat, and Turang has just delivered across the board. With a 90th percentile sprint speed, 96th percentile whiff percentage, and 61st percentile sweet spot percentage, Turang has the bat/speed skill to consistently find himself on base, despite lacking any kind of real power. And hitting in the 9 hole in a cozy Brewer's lineup does him plenty of favors, as he has Chourio, Contreras, and Yelich hitting after him. If you need SBs, Runs, and a good BA, Turang is a guy to grab. He's also a lefty and makes an excellent platoon bat if you have a right-handed SS or 2B.
Ivan Herrera
I drafted three catchers this year: Adley, Yainer (1b eligibility is beautiful), and Will Smith. I reached for each one. Why? Having a black hole at the C position, which is by far the most scarce when it comes to hitting production, can quickly destroy a fantasy season. Salvador Perez destroyed me last year, and I wasn't going to let that happen again.
So imagine my face when I see this kid get called up and put-up statcast numbers like this. The ball screams off his kid's bat at a position where most players are fortunate to hit .220. If I didn't have three catchers of quality, I'd jump for joy grabbing this guy off waivers. He looks excellent and is only improving off an impressive, albeit limited, 2023 stint in the majors.
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh has been my ultimate platoon bat this season, hitting an astounding .379 with an OPS of 1.193 against RHP. He's absolutely miserable against LHP, but does that matter? Only 25% of pitchers in the MLB are lefties. This means Marsh, more often than not, is going to be an elite hitter. His 99th hard hit% has him amongst the league's best, obviously, and it pairs nicely with his 63rd percentile Sweet Spot %. Brandon Marsh is a must-start against RHP, period Michael Busch
Nothing like seeing a possible sophomore breakout campaign for a 26 year old hitter. Not much to say as the statcast speaks for itself. Busch is hitting the ball extremely well and it's resulted in a .293 BA and .960 OPS. He's hitting .333 against RHP and .000 against LHP. Basically, this is just Gavin Sheets lite at the moment, and that's perfectly okay. If Sheets isn't available or you trust the upside of Busch over Sheets due to age and track record, then grab him and start him against RHP.
Dominic Canzone
Canzone is a guy I followed through the minors all last season, waiting for his call-up to the Diamondbacks. He absolutely crushed AAA. When he was called up for injury depth, he barely managed to get playing time. He was then trade to Seattle, where he's looked solid thus far. His 93rd percentile sweet-spot % is beautiful, along with basically everything else involving power and exit velocity. He won't help your .BA or Ks, but Expect power surges and RBIs throughout the year. He swings a very powerful bat. He only plays against RHP, so expect to use him in a Platoon.
Brendan Donovan
I drafted Brendan Donovan last year hoping for the breakout campaign, and he wound up be an early drop. Granted, he displayed some positive tools, including a nice sweet-spot%. But this year, he's not only improved in that regard, he's also added power to his game. Is this sustainable? That's for you to decide. But it sure would be nice to have a strong super-utility player.
Alex Kiriloff
Alex Kirilloff has been an excellent platoon hitter. Add him if that interests you.
Jesse Winker
Jesse Winker is looking more and more like his 2021 self, which most of us have forgotten about. His sweet-spot percentage isn't ideal for me, but his ability to limit Ks and Whiffs has me intrigued. Definitely an elite platoon option.
Edward Olivares
Edward Olivares has had an absolutely torrid start to his 2024 campaign after showing all of the tools for a breakout in 2023. Seriously, look at that sweet-spot and Barrel percentage. He's played a huge part in the Pirates' recent success and also hits both RHP and LHP. He just needs more playing time, which I expect he'll get.
Nelson Velazquez
Much like Olivares, Velazquez flashed serious potential in limited at bats across the 2023 campaign. He's only gotten better. He also hits all pitching - .314 against RHP and .375 against LHP.
Colton Cowser
Cowser is just a deadly platoon bat.
Logan O'Hoppe
If you're struggling at C and you'd be happy platooning, then look no further than O'Hoppe, who is absolutely mashing RHP to the tune of a .400 BA. He could become more than a platoon player, the bat skill is clearly there.
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