Braxton’s Breakout – June 1, 2026
Braxton Ashcraft, SP, Pirates
Braxton Ashcraft continued his breakout season on Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts over six innings against the Twins. This was his third straight quality start, and eight of his 12 starts of the season have been quality starts. He now holds a great 2.77 ERA on the season with 81 strikeouts and 17 walks in 74.2 innings. He excels at getting hitters to chase out of the zone, as his 36.6% chase rate ranks in the 94th percentile. His .214 xBA and 2.93 xERA also rank in the top 20 percent of the league or better, so this isn’t a matter of getting lucky. Ashcraft is one of the best breakout starters of the season and should be considered a top-30 starting pitcher moving forward.
Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr. is finally heating up, as he went 2-for-3 with a home run and two walks on Sunday against the Reds. This was his fourth consecutive game with at least one home run, and he now has five homers in that span. Suddenly, his slash line is up to .253/.380/.441 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases, erasing all worries that many fantasy managers had about the superstar as he struggled to begin the year. His .511 xSLG suggests that he was getting very unlucky in the early going, and that it was only a matter of time before a quick turnaround like this happened. Acuna should still be considered one of the premier fantasy talents that will once again be an early-first-round pick next season.
Kyle Bradish, SP, Orioles
Kyle Bradish had a great start on Sunday against the Blue Jays, allowing one unearned run and striking out four over seven innings. He allowed four hits and three walks. After having a pretty rough April, he’s started to settle down as of late, not giving up more than three earned runs in any of his past five outings. Over that span, he’s struck out 30 batters in 31.2 innings. Many were expecting Bradish to step forward as an ace this season after posting a 2.53 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through 11 starts last season. While that may not come to fruition, he is beginning to look like the top-20 starting pitcher that he was drafted as. The biggest issue has been his strikeout rate plummeting from 37.3% to 24.0%, but he’s still found success through a 50.6% ground ball rate. He’ll need to find a way to keep the strikeouts coming consistently to deliver on his full potential.
Rafael Devers, 1B, Giants
Rafael Devers showed some signs of life at the plate on Sunday, going 4-for-6 with three doubles, a walk, and four runs scored. The slugger has finally been heating up as of late, with hits in six out of his last eight games, with eight extra-base hits in that span. His slash line now sits at .253/.300/.432 with 26 runs, seven home runs, and 30 RBI. That’s not to say that he’s completely in the clear, as there are still some very concerning signs with his underlying data. For one, his 6.1% walk rate is not even in the same stratosphere as the 15.4% rate he posted in 2025, turning his biggest strength into one of his biggest weaknesses. Additionally, his 29.6% strikeout rate is worse than it’s ever been, and his .222 xBA actually suggests that he’s been getting more lucky than unlucky. There’s still time for Devers to turn it around and be a reliable contributor in fantasy, but his days as an elite first baseman may be over.
Brooks Lee, 2B/3B/SS, Twins
Brooks Lee had a great day at the plate on Sunday, delivering a two-homer game and driving in three runs. He’s now slashing .255/.310/.430 with 25 runs, eight home runs, 34 RBI, and three steals on the year. It’s been a great season so far for Lee, although his underlying metrics don’t back it up, unfortunately. His xSLG came into Sunday at .325, which ranked in the 13th percentile, along with a hard-hit rate that ranked in the ninth percentile. His standout trait is his ability to make contact at an above average rate, with a whiff rate and strikeout rate both ranking in the 70th percentile, but the rest of his profile doesn’t suggest that a permanent breakout is coming.
This is just a small sample our daily analysis, join our member area for tools that will help you win your fantasy championship. Click here for details: Click here to register: