Another week is nearly in the books, so let’s take another look at risers & fallers in fantasy baseball. It’s been a grand week for two 2024 first-round picks, plus one of the best young aces in baseball. However, another 2024 first-rounder has hit a real skid in his rookie campaign.

Risers

• OF Jac Caglianone (Royals)
• SP Dylan Cease (Blue Jays)
• 1B Nick Kurtz (Athletics)
• SS Otto Lopez (Marlins)
• SP Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers)
• OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres)

Assuming that we will have a 2027 MLB season — and that is not a given by any means — Jacob Misiorowski just might be making himself the top pitcher heading into drafts next spring.

Misiorowski struck out 15 batters in a complete-game Maddux on June 12, a start that saw him hit 105 MPH and blow away almost every and any hitter that he faced. That performance gave him 131 strikeouts on the season. Simply outstanding.

Dylan Cease, meanwhile, is back and healthy, and he pitched very well this past week against the Phillies. Eleven strikeouts and one earned run over six frames for Toronto against the Philadelphia Phillies. His 58% Whiff% this past week was tops among pitchers with 20+ induced swings.

As for the hitters, Jac Caglianone has been on a heater. Nine hits and two home runs in what’s been an injury-hampered week for the Royals outfielder. Now, despite that hot stretch, old habits don’t die that fast. He still expands out of the zone (38% Chase% over last week), and that’s just something to be lived with at the moment.

Nick Kurtz is still hot, Fernando Tatis Jr. is starting to come around, and Otto Lopez had 12 hits over a six-game period. Lopez, as of June 12, is batting .342.

Fallers

• 2B Travis Bazzana (Guardians)
• SP Kyle Bradish (Orioles)
• SP Taj Bradley (Twins)
• 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
• INF/OF Casey Schmitt (Giants)
• OF Mike Trout (Angels)

Travis Bazzana is starting to have some growing pains. Bazzana went 1-23 over the past week, and he’s been a little bit more aggressive at the dish with a 27% Chase%. A bit uncharacteristic for a hitter whose eye and plate discipline were among the best in the Minors before his promotion.

With rookies, just have patience, especially someone with Bazzana’s potential.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s power drought continues, as another week without a home run has left him with just three home runs on the season. That span left him in the bottom 25 of MLB players in home runs among qualified hitters.

Taj Bradley & Kyle Bradish, the former of whom had an opponents’ Barrel% of 23.5% this past week, had down weeks on the mound.

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