What’s up with Zach Neto? – May 30, 2026
Konnor Griffin (SS-PIT) returned to the starting lineup after a one-game absence due to soreness in his right forearm. The 20 year-old rookie went 2-4 with an RBI and 2 SB as he batted 6th and served as the DH against the Twins. Griffin started his MLB career slowly but is coming around as he’s now batting .266 with 4 homers, 22 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 14 steals (in 15 attempts) through 203 PA. Entering Friday’s action, he was hitting .307 with 4 HR, 13 RBI, 22 R, and 8 SB in 126 PA since hitting his first MLB homer on April 24th. During that span, he’s trimmed his strikeout rate a little (24.5%) while making more loud contact (39.5% hard-hit rate, 8.5% barrel, and average exit velo of 88 mph per Statcast). In 73 PA before that first big-league dinger, he hit just .182 with 8 RBI, 7 R, and 4 SB while striking out at a 30% clip and making less loud contact (26.5% hard-hit, 9% barrel and average exit velocity of 86 mph).
Zach Neto (SS-LAA) went 2-4 with a 2B, walk, RBI, and 2 runs scored as the Angels fell to the Rays. The 25 year-old is now hitting .238 with 10 homers, 27 RBI, 41 runs scored, and 7 steals (in 13 attempts) through his first 266 PA of the season. The low average and poor SB success rate are both disappointing, but Neto remains on pace for a 20-20 campaign with a shot at 25-25, especially if he can get back to where he was in 2024-2025 on the basepaths. He’s fanning too often (30.5%) but has more than doubled his walk rate to 12.5% while elevating his in-zone contact rate to 84% from 82.5% a season ago. While not terrible, his Statcast profile is down across the board in 2026, with a 38.5% hard-hit rate (was 46.5% in 2025), 11.5% barrel rate (14%), and average exit velocity of 90 mph (91). His average launch angle is up from 17.5 last season to 22.7 so far in 2026, which has entailed an increase in his liner rate from 23.5% to 25% while his flyball rate is up from 41.5% to 44.5%. All things considered, he’s unlikely to finish the campaign with a sub-.240 average and could be a good buy-low target if his low average motivates his owners to move him.
Michael Harris II (OF-ATL) continued his stellar start to the 2026 campaign by going 3-5 with 3 RBI at Cincinnati on Friday evening. The 25 year-old is now hitting .308 with 13 homers, 36 RBI, 27 runs scored, and 3 steals (in 4 attempts) through 207 PA. He’s still not walking much (3.5%), but he’s fanning at just under a 19% rate despite a strikeout rate north of 13%, a career-high 44.5% chase rate, and a career-high 57% swing rate. While his overall contact rate of 77% is right about his career norm, his 91.5% in-zone contact rate is a career best. Ever the aggressive hitter, Harris is capitalizing on pitches inside the zone in 2026, registering a career-best Statcast profile that includes a 56% hard-hit rate, 16% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of 93.5 mph while a career-high average average launch angle of 10.6 has produced a career-high 39% flyball rate. Ultimately, one might hate the hyper-aggressive approach, but he’s absolutely punishing pitches inside the zone.
Nick Martinez (SP-TB) continued his strong 2026 campaign on Friday night as he earned the W against the visiting Angels with 7 IP in which he allowed 2 runs on 8 hits and no walks while fanning 5. The 35 year-old righty kept the ball in the yard as he tossed 62 of his 88 pitches for strikes. Martinez now boasts a sharp 1.62 ERA and 1.6 BB/9 through his first 11 starts (66.2) IP of the season, but a 5.5 K/9 isn’t great for fantasy while a 4.12 xFIP indicates that regression is coming as a 91% strand rate, .276 BABIP, and 5% HR/FB are all suppressing his ERA. To his credit, though, Martinez limits hard contact as Statcast shows a 32.5% hard-hit rate, 7% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of 87 mph. He should keep rolling next week as he lines up to face a Tigers lineup that ranks 29th in team OPS (.611) during the month of May.
Walbert Urena (SP-LAA) was wildly effective at the Rays on Friday as he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits and 3 walks while fanning 5 over 6 IP. The 22 year-old righty served up a longball as he fired 60 of his 92 offerings for strikes in the contest. Urena now owns a sparkling 2.44 ERA through 8 starts (44.1 IP), but his 8.3 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, and 4.37 xFIP aren’t exciting. He does possess nice raw stuff headlined by an electric heater that sits at about 97.5 mph to go with a 91-mph change and 86-mph slider. He’s missed some bats (11.5% swinging-strike rate) while opposing hitters tend to chase (32.5% o-swing%), and they don’t make a ton of contact inside the zone (83.5% z-contact%). The opposition also doesn’t make much loud contact, with Statcast showing a 33% hard-hit rate and average exit velocity of 87 mph. The poor control is terrifying, though, and raises concerns about future implosions. He does get the Rockies at home next week, and the Colorado lineup ranks 28th in MLB in team OPS (.629) in May.
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