Batter’s Box: The Brauny Man

There weren’t a whole lot of games on Monday, and of the games that we had, there were a lot of low-scoring affairs, but that doesn’t mean we were short on impressive hitting performances. One of those came from Ryan Braun, who went 3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB. He did just about everything, and he’s off to a solid start last year. Just keep on starting your studs, this is what they give you.

Let’s take a look at some of the other performances from Monday:

Steven Souza Jr. – 2-4, 2 RBI. I’m really really interested in what Souza is doing. The walk rate is elevated, the strikeout rate is way down, I’m not saying I’m buying immediately, but I think he’s absolutely worth a speculative pickup based on his 20/20 potential.

Andrew Benintendi – 3-4, 2 RBI. Benintendi is off to an awesome start, and sitting near the top of that lineup, the sky is the limit.

Kolton Wong – 1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. Hey, good for Kolton Wong, but the occasional solo shot isn’t going to make up for the fact that he’s batting ninth most of the time, on a platoon, and can’t seem to hit the ball.

Randal Grichuk – 2-3, 1 R, 1 SB. Grichuk showed last year that he’s prone to streaks. Monday’s game was good, but overall, he’s been pretty cold on the year. I’d bench him til he starts to heat up (and he will).

Aaron Judge – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI. Judge just does not stop hitting home runs. He’s a power monster, and luckily the average has held. Hopefully it’ll continue to.

Matt Holliday – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI. I still think Matt Holliday is being a bit underrated in most leagues, he’s barely owned and has the ability to hit 20 home runs while batting in the .260s with a decent amount of runs and RBIs, especially with the way the Yankees are playing. You could do worse in deeper leagues.

Yolmer Sanchez – 3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI. A Sanchez homered in the Yankees/White Sox game and guess what? It wasn’t Gary. But I don’t see anything in Yolmer Sanchez.

Freddie Freeman – 4-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI. This just in, Freddie Freeman is a good hitter.

Eric Thames – 3-4, 1 HR, 3 R, 1 RBI. The man just does. not. stop. Thames is showing that that KBO power translates a little bit. Here’s hoping it keeps up (and maybe we see some of those steals too? Maybe? Please?)

Jett Bandy – 3-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. No, he’s not a porn star, Jett Bandy is the occasional catcher for the Brewers, and he had a nice night last night. Unfortunately, he plays too little to warrant a look in even the deepest of leagues.

Michael Brantley – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI. At this point, I think we’re all just glad Brantley is upright at this point, but his two-run home run on Monday was certainly nice too.

Mike Trout – 2-3, 1 SB. Trout didn’t do everything for you last night, but a 2-for-3 night with a walk and a stolen base, I’ll take it.

Nomar Mazara – 2-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB. Mazara is on a tear so far, and while that’s exciting, it will slow down, as there’s no way he’s maintaining a .366 BABIP. But hey, enjoy the streak.

Carlos Gomez – 2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI. The lesser CarGo certainly had a nice night on Monday. While he didn’t give you the big-time things (home runs, steals), he gave you a couple hits and a good handful of RBIs and runs.

Christian Yelich – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. Yes, it’s just a solo home run, but Christian Yelich is my man crush and I love him so he’s here.

Robinson Cano – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI. Hey, Robinson Cano is awesome, no shocker there. The average will pick up, I promise, just stay strong.

Taylor Motter – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. This is the second time I’ve included Motter in the Batter’s Box. If you’re in an AL-only league and need a fill-in for Jean Segura, grab him, he’s been doing well. But he’ll be right back on the bench once Segura is back.

Nelson Cruz – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. Nelson Cruz hit a home run. Also fire is hot, water is wet, and Under Siege is the only good movie Steven Segal was ever in.

David Peralta – 4-5, 2 RBI. A nice night for Peralta, but he’s just not been good enough this season to warrant paying attention yet.