Playing fantasy baseball is like going into an ice cream shop that comes out with new flavors every week.
Sometimes the best-selling flavors, like Rocky Road (Corbin Carroll), underperform in sales, which leads to a hot new flavor, like Rainbow Cookie (David Fry), flying off the shelf, leaving only a few scoops left.
Sometimes flavors are out of stock for the season (Ronald Acuna).
Sometimes the flavors of the week (hot players you pick up) melt before you have a chance to try it. Here is a look at some of this week’s most added flavors in ESPN leagues this week and whether they will last:
After an awful April in which he hit .196 with four homers, 12 RBIs, 38 strikeouts and a .624 OPS, Nolan Gorman has been scorching hot in his past 22 games before Friday.
The Cardinals’ second baseman homered 10 times while going 24-for-75 (.320) with 19 RBIs, 21 runs, two stolen bases and a 1.167 OPS in that stretch.
Since May 10, Gorman (27.5 percent rostered) had the second-most homers in the majors and ranks seventh in runs, eighth in RBIs, 12th in average, 11th in on-base percentage and third in OPS.
He also ranked second in slugging percentage (.760) and was 23rd in walk rate (12.8 percent).
Though this is one prolonged stretch, which raised his average from an ugly .172 to a still pretty ugly .230, it is hard to believe this is the new normal for Gorman.
This is a career .232 hitter we’re talking about, and his .243 xBA backs that up.
He has had an unsustainable .412 BABIP during this stretch and struck out 31 times (36 percent strikeout rate, which was the second-worst mark in the majors).
He isn’t going to stay this hot.
That being said, though he strikes out a ton and will never hit for an elite average, he is one of the best power sources at his position.
He also entered Friday with the most homers among second basemen, and ranked in the top 5 in OPS, slugging, walks and RBIs. He was also in the top 10 in OBP and runs.
Verdict: Solid flavor.
TJ Friedl (34 percent rostered) was on the IL with a fractured thumb for a good portion of the season, and entered Friday hitting .220 with a .741 OPS.
In his first six games this month, however, he hit .300 with two homers, seven RBIs, two stolen bases and a 1.132 OPS.
He scored at least one run and had at least one hit in five of those games and has primarily been hitting leadoff.
Verdict: New go-to flavor.
Matt Vierling (24.3 percent) raised his average from .261 on May 19 to .281 after hitting .327 with four homers, 13 RBIs, 11 runs and a 1.021 OPS over his past 14 games.
He has a good speed, despite having not stolen a base (he had six last year), good plate discipline (backed up by solid whiff and chase metrics) and solid power, and is primarily hitting toward the top of the Tigers’ lineup.
He also has multi-position eligibility.
Verdict: Keep a pint in the freezer.
Former Yankees prospect Miguel Andujar (14.9 percent) hit .311 with two homers, 12 RBIs, 8.7 percent strikeout rate and a .793 OPS in his first 46 plate appearances with the A’s.
The fact he hadn’t drawn a walk and hasn’t played more than 36 games in a season since 2021 doesn’t get Roto Rage all that excited about his long-term prospects, but he should get plenty of playing time, has multi-position eligibility and solid contact numbers, and has been hitting at the top of Oakland’s lineup.
Verdict: Try a free sample, but might melt fast.
Some other flavors to consider adding include the Rangers’ versatile Josh Smith (24.2 percent), Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle (46 percent), Pittburgh’s Nick Gonzales (14.1 percent), the Tigers’ Riley Greene (61.9 percent) and Francisco Alvarez (33.1 percent), who is set to return from the injured list when the Mets return from London.
Big hits
Cristopher Sanchez SP, Phillies
Hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start since May 7, going 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA and 30 strikeouts in his past six starts.
Nick Gonzales 2B/SS, Pirates
Entered Friday with 13 RBIs in his past 11 games (and six in his past two), hitting .357 with two homers, seven runs and a 1.000 OPS in that stretch.
Bryan Woo SP, Mariners
Allowed three earned runs over his past four starts (all coming in one start) while going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and .145 opponents’ average.
Mark Vientos 3B, Mets
In his first 17 games since being recalled, he is 19-for-59 (.322) with four homers, 10 RBIs, 11 runs and a .981 OPS.
He has hit .353 with two homers and a 1.135 OPS in five games since Brett Baty’s demotion.
Big whiffs
Jordan Montgomery SP, D’backs
Allowed 17 hits and 14 earned runs over his past two starts while walking six. Opponents hit .486 against him in those outings.
Luis Campusano C, Padres
Entered Friday with two hits in his past 36 at-bats (.056) with no homers or RBIs and a .206 OPS. Has just six hits in 21 games since May 11.
Triston McKenzie SP, Guardians
Allowed nine homers and issued 12 free passes in his past four starts in which he owns a 5.32 ERA and .262 opponents’ average. He has allowed 11 homers in seven starts since May 1.
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Luis Matos OF, Giants
After striking out twice in his first 12 games, he was 5-for-35 (.143) with eight strikeouts and a .327 OPS in his next nine games.
Check swings
– After going 0-4 with a 9.78 ERA and .336 opponents’ average over his first six starts, the Astros’ Hunter Brown was 1-1 with a 3.25 ERA and .210 opponents’ average over his past six appearances before taking the mound Saturday.
– Through 60 games last year, Corbin Carroll was hitting .301 with 13 homers, 32 RBIs, 45 runs, 18 stolen bases and a .949 OPS. In his first 61 games this year, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year hit .201 with two homers, 20 RBIs, 30 runs, 10 stolen bases and a .575 OPS. Saying this is a sophomore slump would be putting it mildly.
– The Guardians’ Tanner Bibee lowered his ERA from 4.91 on May 8 to 3.73 on Thursday after going 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA, 32-6 strikeout-walk rate and .196 opponents’ average in his past five starts.
– Luis Gil heads into his start Sunday against the Dodgers having won seven straight decisions. He has allowed three earned runs over his past 44 ²/₃ innings (0.60 ERA), a .102 opponents’ average and 12 percent swinging-strike rate.
– Over his past 19 appearances, Griffin Jax has gone 2-0 with four saves, 24 strikeouts (in 18 ¹/₃ innings) and a 19 percent swinging-strike rate. If your league counts holds, he has nine of them in that span (and 11 on the year), and opponents have hit .156 against him. Though he isn’t the Twins’ primary closer, it is not impossible that he reaches double digits this season. He throws hard and has five different pitches (all but one of which have an xBA of .198 or lower).
Team name of the week
Call J.G. Wentworth, 877-Glasnow
