Swanson Awakens After Three Sleepy Months – June 25, 2026
Dansby Swanson, SS (CHC)
Swanson had one multi-hit game in his last 43 appearances entering Saturday’s game. He had two hits on Saturday. Then, after a pair of rainouts, he had two hits, including a home run, on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he went nuts. In the first game of a doubleheader, Swanson hit two home runs while driving in seven runs. Then in the second game, he was 3-for-5 with a triple and a stolen base. The five-hit day raised his batting average above the Mendoza Line. If you look past the .202/.303/.385 slash, Swanson hasn’t been a complete loss. He is still capable of his second-straight 20/20 season with 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases, and 12.5% walk rate implies that his EYE isn’t in the gutter as one would expect from his ugly surface stats. Swanson hasn’t hit under .240 since 2018. In all likelihood, his second half will look a lot better than his first half and that means now is the time to snatch him up before league opponents get wind of this red-hot streak.
Eury Perez, SP (MIA)
Perez threw 68 pitches and allowed one run in 4.2 innings in his return from a thigh injury that kept him out for nearly a month. He finished with a season-low one strikeout, although he didn’t walk anyone. Perez hasn’t quite lived up to his preseason hype. His 4.41 ERA is nothing to write home about, and his advanced metrics (including a 4.25 xFIP and 5.02 xERA) don’t necessarily point to drastic improvement. Things just haven’t completely clicked for the uber-talented hurler, who gives up hard contact and a lot of fly balls. On the other hand, it’s hard to overlook the sheer filthiness of his pitch mix. Perez is in the top-3 among starting pitchers in Stuff+, behind the two NL Cy Young leaders, Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sanchez. He has the potential to elevate into their echelon, but it won’t happen this year.
Mike Burrows, SP (HOU)
Burrows was excellent in his return to the Astros rotation. The 26-year-old gave up a home run to the second batter he faced but then settled down to complete six innings, allowing only the one run while striking out three. He only gave up two hits and one walk but had to settle for a no-decision as the Astros offense quietly muddled through the game before striking late. Burrows has given up at least one home run in each of his past seven starts. His 19 homers allowed ranks fourth in major league baseball after allowing only 13 long balls in 96 innings with the Pirates last year. Burrows’ spot in the rotation is on shaky ground after the team skipped his previous start, but Wednesday’s performance likely earned him another go-round.
Samad Taylor, OF (SD)
Taylor continued his hot streak with two more hits on Wednesday. He also stole his sixth base and is now hitting .379 with one home run and six stolen bases in 58 at-bats. Sandwiched between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the Padres lineup, Taylor has emerged as an intriguing fantasy asset. Speed has always been Taylor’s calling card. He has 289 career stolen bases in the minor leagues. What he’s demonstrated recently is decent pop and the ability to get on base more often. While he obviously isn’t going to continue at this torrid pace, there’s real staying power here. His position in the lineup and stolen base upside makes him a very worthwhile pickup that could become a fantasy difference maker.
Kahlil Watson, OF (CLE)
After going hitless in his first four major league games, Kahlil Watson has five hits, including a home run, in nine at-bats over his past three games. Watson is getting an opportunity with Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez on the injured list, but he could prove himself as a major league player if he plays well. Watson is somewhat in that “post-hype sleeper” status, but he’s still only 23 years old and offers a blend of power and speed. Strikeouts have been his Achilles heel throughout his minor league career, and that has translated to struggles in his brief major league stint where he has struck out nine times in 22 plate appearances. He isn’t overly aggressive and takes his walks, but Watson’s zone contact rate is pretty abysmal. Those are skills that can be improved, and if you squint hard enough, you can see 20/20 in the future, but he’s a long way off that and a long way off from being fantasy relevant.
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