Monday’s slate of games was smaller than normal, and there were some pretty dominant pitching performances on top of that, but there were still some batters who had some nice games. The most notable game from a hitting perspective came from Wil Myers, who went 4-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI. But what that line doesn’t tell you is that Myers hit a single, then a double, then a home run, and finally a triple, to give us the first cycle of the 2017 season, and the first cycle of Myers’s career. Myers is proving last year was no fluke as he’s been killing the ball lately. It’d be nice to see him steal a base, but hey, you take what you get.
Let’s take a look at some of the other noteworthy performances from Monday:
Brett Gardner – 1-5, 2 R, 2 SB. While the 40+ stolen base years of yesterday are long gone for Brett Gardner, the man is still fast and can still steal bases. He’ll get you days like this, a day he gets on base, steals a base (in this case two) and scores some runs. I wouldn’t expect much more than 20 stolen bases total on the year though.
Chase Headley – 2-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI. Hey, good for Chase Headley. Headley was able to hit a home run today, which gave him a nice line, but overall, I’m not all that interested in him as a fantasy option. I do miss those San Diego days though.
Ian Kinsler – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. Yes, all Kinsler did was hit one solo shot home run, but he deserves a shout out for doing so in the middle of a major Chris Sale gem, one that Sale ended up not winning, thanks in part to Kinsler’s home run.
Khris Davis – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI. Khris Davis has really been killing the ball lately, and tonight was just another example. We’ve always known he had a ton of power, but he’s been really exhibiting himself as a top-quality hitter early on this year.
Yasmany Tomas – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. And so it goes with Yasmany Tomas. Two strikeouts, only one hit on the day, but it was a solo home run. Tomas hits the ball exceptionally hard, he crushed 31 home runs last year, but he also strikes out a bunch. You take the good with the bad.
Nelson Cruz – 3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI. With the night he had, it’s almost a surprise that Cruz didn’t actually homer tonight, but he still ends up with a nice line. A .750 average on the night with a couple RBIs? I’ll take that from anyone any day.
Billy Hamilton – 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB. Billy Hamilton doing what Billy Hamilton does best: running. The dude’s got other-worldy speed and it was on display tonight, as he was able to swipe a bag each time he was on base, and was able to get in for a run. If there’s two categories you can count on from Billy Hamilton, it’s stolen bases and runs.
Jose Peraza – 1-4, 1 R, 1 SB. The other speedy dude for the Reds, Peraza was able to join in on the stolen base party against the Pirates, snagging a base the one time he got on. If only someone on this site had recommended starting Peraza and Hamilton because of the stolen base potential. If only….
Adam Duvall – 1-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB. Now that’s not a line you expect to see from Adam Duvall. Usually you’re expecting something closer to Yasmany Tomas’ line, but Duvall not only did not his a home run tonight, but was able to get on base with a walk and even stole a base. Don’t expect a game like this from Duvall again any time soon.
Eugenio Suarez – 1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB. Suarez had a nice little combo day on Monday, getting a home run and a steal. Unfortunately for Tyler Glasnow, his first start to the season didn’t exactly go like he (or any of us) wanted it to, but it certainly provided some nice offense from the Reds, something Suarez was able to help out with.
Bryce Harper – 4-4, 2 R, 3 RBI. I think this Bryce Harper kid is really gonna impress us all this year
Adam Eaton – 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI. Eaton has had quite an impressive start to his career with the Nats and Monday’s game just continued that. He’ll be a good average player and a run machine at the top of that lineup.
Ryan Zimmerman – 3-4, 2 R, 1 SB. Alright Ryan Zimmerman, I’m paying attention. He’s had quite the hot start, and while I’m not necessarily buying just yet, I’m certainly interested. There’s been talk that Daniel Murphy has been working with him to adjust his swing, maybe it’s working.
Stephen Drew – 3-4, 3 R, 4 RBI. The entire Nationals team had a great day against the Cardinals on Monday, and that even included Stephen Drew, who’s going to be getting some starts now that Trea Turner is on the DL. But don’t expect much from him, this is the ghost of Stephen Drew, nothing useful.
Jay Bruce – 2-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI. Shout out to Jay Bruce, who’s been on a tear to start the season. The power has never been in question, it’s the average that’s going to come down. But hey, enjoy it while it lasts.
Scooter Gennett – 1-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI. Gennett’s home run on Monday was his second hit of the season, and he only got the start because Zack Cozart was hurt. A nice night for Gennett, but nothing more.
Aaron Judge – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. It’s hard not to look at the 6-foot-7, 275 pound monster of a human being and not just see the plus-plus raw power that he was scouted at. He’s going to give you home runs, that’s not in doubt, but he’s also going to give you a ton of strikeouts. He’s not going to give you average, but man does he have some power.
Hunter Renfroe – 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI. The Padres prospect is handling himself quite nicely in his first year in the big leagues. Renfroe should be able to hit around 20 home runs this year with a decent average and a handful of steals.