Top Fantasy Baseball Performers – Week 10
We are now more than a third of the way through the 2022 MLB season, meaning all of the stats we’ve seen players put up have been given a large enough sample size to even out, but many players’ performances have yet to regress. Some players seem unstoppable while others are recapturing highs they’ve shown in previous seasons. Both hitters and pitchers continue to dominate in their own ways as the “dead ball” conversation has completely faded into the rearview mirror. With double-digit weeks now under our belt, it’s time to take a look at the top 10 hitters and pitchers from the 10th week of the 2022 baseball season, with honorable mentions and position specific honors to boot.
Rankings are based on Fantasy Pros player rater rankings from the 10th week of the season (6/9 – 6/15). The player rater is 5×5 rotisserie-based because that is the most universal format, making it easy to compare players across different sites. Position eligibility is listed according to ESPN. All stats via Fangraphs and Pitcher List.
Hitters:
1. José Ramírez – 3B, Cleveland Guardians
Week 10 Stats: 27 PA, .480 AVG, 6 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB, 1.479 OPS
The switch-hitting third baseman continued to set the fantasy world on fire with another incredible week, tying Mookie Betts and Sandy Alcantara for the most weekly recognitions this season with four (week one, week seven, week eight). He’s up to 16 homers and 11 steals while continuing to lead the Majors in RBI (62) and would be a clear AL MVP frontrunner if not for Aaron Judge’s incredible power surge. He has twice as many walks as he has strikeouts, and pairing that plate discipline with a 1.053 OPS is an impressive feat. It gives him the best qualified BB/K ratio (2.00) by a wide margin, especially among players with an OPS above .900, as the runner-up with that qualification is Yordan Alvarez with a BB/K ratio of 0.82.
2. Rhys Hoskins – 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
Week 10 Stats: 31 PA, .500 AVG, 7 R, 4 HR 9 RBI, 0 SB, 1.670 OPS
A rough April and a mediocre June led many fantasy managers to doubt their Hoskins pick, but in the matter of a single week, he turned the perception of his season around. Two multi-homer games in week 10 accounted for the majority of his power output, but he also pieced together three other multi-hit performances to drive his .500 average. With 13 dingers and a 128 wRC+, the first baseman has been a productive power option, but he may be unable to sustain his .253 average as he’s striking out at a career-high pace (26.1%), walking at a career-low rate (10.4%), and hitting the ball on the ground at a career-high clip (33.9%).
3. Adolis García – OF, Texas Rangers
Week 10 Stats: 29 PA, .440 AVG, 6 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 1.197 OPS
The only player with at least three stolen bases to hit a long ball, García was the top power-speed threat in the Majors in week 10. While he will hurt points/OBP leagues often because of his impatient approach that has led to a 5.5% walk rate, 27.7% strikeout rate, and a .293 OBP, he is one of the most explosive players at the dish and on the bases and will be a coveted asset in roto leagues throughout the year. That strikeout rate is a 3.5% improvement over last year and he’s one of just four players with double-digit home runs (12) and stolen bases (10), putting him on pace to improve on last season’s breakout.
4. Bryan Reynolds – OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Week 10 Stats: 31 PA, .526 AVG, 8 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 1.513 OPS
It has not been a year to write home about for the switch-hitting outfielder as Reynolds entered the month of June slashing .212/.302/.388, good for a 97 wRC+ and a .307 wOBA. He has been turning things around of late with six multi-hit games across eight games this past week, helping him to post the highest batting average among hitters with at least 15 plate appearances and pushing his season rate to .257. Although his Statcast numbers suggest he hasn’t been unlucky, his rolling xSLG chart paints the picture that he’s reached a high water mark in terms of impacting the ball that he hasn’t reached since the early days of the season.
5. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
Week 10 Stats: 31 PA, .400 AVG, 8 R, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB, 1.460 OPS
The man’s bat must be made out of gold because Goldschmidt has been unstoppable this season, earning his third top performers nomination (week six, week eight). The majority of the damage he caused occurred during a doubleheader against the Pirates during which he went 6/9 with three homers and eight RBI, while his other dinger came the day prior. His 199 wRC+ leads qualified Major Leaguers while his .455 wOBA also paces MLB, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B, Toronto Blue Jays
Week 10 Stats: 29 PA, .482 AVG, 8 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB, 1.369 OPS
I don’t know how many people would have believed you if you had told them last year that Guerrero Jr. would have just one weekly top performer honor to his name (week one) entering the 10th week of the 2022 season, but I surely would not have. Calling Vladdy’s season underwhelming would be an understatement, especially for fantasy managers that spent valuable first-round picks on the young first baseman, but with a hot week, he’s getting his season back on track and meeting the expectations placed upon him in the offseason. A .249/.342/.438 slash line entering June was not ideal, but with back-to-back impressive weeks, Guerrero Jr. is now batting .271 with 16 long balls and a 141 wRC+ and it seems as though he’s actively trying to get the ball in the air more often to avoid the pitfalls of worm burners.
7. Michael Harris II – OF, Atlanta Braves
Week 10 Stats: 28 PA, .423 AVG, 6 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB, 1.195 OPS
Harris II had a week befitting of his name, crushing the first two dingers and swiping the first two bags of his young career, joining Adolis García and José Ramírez as the only players with multiple home runs and steals in week 10. An athletic talent with a spectacular glove in center field, the 21-year-old left-handed hitter batted .305/.372/.506 with five homers and 11 steals in 196 plate appearances at AA prior to his call-up, showcasing newfound power that he had not displayed in his first two tracked seasons in the organization. He’s now batting .328/.357/.537 at the Major League level, but it may be unsustainable because of his lack of patience and batted ball luck seen in his minuscule 4.3% walk rate, bloated 53.8% ground ball rate, and .400 BABIP that won’t he won’t be able to maintain for much longer.
8. Dansby Swanson – SS, Atlanta Braves
Week 10 Stats: 31 PA, .414 AVG, 6 R, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 1.210 OPS
Hitting free agency for the first time in his career following this season, Swanson is singing his swan song in Atlanta, producing his best season to date. Earning his second top performer honor (week seven), the shortstop tied for the Major League lead with his 11 RBI across the week as he raised his batting average to .295 and his home run total to nine. His 132 wRC+ would be a career-high by 17 points, with the culprits for his success being a career-high hard-hit rate (44.8%), an all-fields approach (career-low 37% pull rate), and a very lucky, career-high .385 BABIP that will drag down his batting average as he comes back to Earth.
9. Jon Berti – 3B/2B, Miami Marlins
Week 10 Stats: 25 PA, .304 AVG, 4 R, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 SB, .708 OPS
Wheels will get you places, and not just to the supermarket or the ballpark. Berti utilized his wheels to land on this list by pacing the Majors in stolen bags, making up for the lackluster production from his bat. He has produced almost no power, with both of his home runs for the season coming in a game in early May, but he’s made up for that lack of pop by swiping the fourth-most bases (14) in the Majors. He’s been able to secure so many opportunities to grab an extra-base thanks to a 13.9% walk rate and a career-high .279 average that finds him on first quite often, and he’s now garnered top performer honors twice this year (week four).
10. Rafael Devers – 3B, Boston Red Sox
Week 10 Stats: 27 PA, .227 AVG, 9 R, 4 HR 9 RBI, 0 SB, 1.143 OPS
Looking at the AL All-Star race for third base, Devers would be an easy pick if not for the MVP-caliber season from José Ramírez. The lefty is batting .332 with 16 long balls and a 17.9% strikeout rate while his 177 wRC+ would be a career-high. He tied for the Major League lead with nine runs in week 10, and he finished out the week with four straight games with a home run. Most likely because of his lack of speed or the way he’s spread out his great showings, this is Devers’ first weekly performer selection even though he was honored in the monthly version of this article in May.
Honorable Mention: Bobby Witt Jr.
I haven’t had the opportunity to write about Witt Jr. (13th-ranked hitter) since his debut, but thanks to a .458 average (27 PA), a homer, and two steals, I figured it was time for me to give him his first mention in one of these articles. The AL Rookie of the Year candidate got off to an awfully slow start to his career, batting .216 with no homers through April, but after a serviceable May, a hot start to June, and a consistent presence on the basepaths, Witt Jr. has placed himself on the shortlist of soon-to-be shortstop superstars with a .246 average, eight homers, and 10 steals on the season.
A special shoutout of Byron Buxton (12th-ranked hitter) is deserved after he led the Majors with five home runs this past week, knocking all of his balls out of the park in a three-game span.
Catcher of the Week: Christian Bethancourt
Bethancourt (16th-ranked hitter) has an extremely interesting career path. He began his career as a top catching prospect for the Braves where he failed to catch on, moved to the Padres where they unsuccessfully tried him out as a two-way player, and then played a season in the KBO before landing with the A’s this offseason as a C/1B/DH type. He didn’t go off immediately, but over the past week, he’s made a name for himself among catcher-eligible players, batting an even .400 (25 PA) with three homers and a steal while solidifying himself in the middle of a light-hitting Oakland lineup.
Pitchers:
1. Miles Mikolas – SP, St. Louis Cardinals
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 16.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 15 K, 1.08 ERA, 0.30 WHIP
What a week it was for Mikolas as he earned his third weekly selection (week two, week five) by leading the Majors in innings pitched with two starts of at least eight innings, the latter of which came one out shy of a no-hitter. Covering eight frames in Tampa Bay, Mikolas struck out a season-high nine batters thanks to 12 whiffs, with half of them coming on his slider alone. More impressively, he nearly went the distance against the Pirates, needing a whopping 129 pitches to do so. Those back-to-back impressive performances not only earned him the top spot in this article with the lowest WHIP by a two-start pitcher, but they also lowered his season-long ERA to 2.62 and brought his innings pitched to the second-highest total (82.1) in the Majors.
2. Shane McClanahan – SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 14 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 16 K, 0.64 ERA, 0.57 WHIP
Possibly the most dominant starting pitcher in 2022, McClanahan has been mowing down batters all season and earned his second weekly performer selection (week five) by finishing with the second-lowest ERA and WHIP among two-start pitchers while adding to his MLB-leading 105 strikeouts. He began the week with his longest outing of the season, tossing eight innings with one run (no earned), nine punchouts, and just three baserunners against the Cardinals, inducing a staggering 20 whiffs with a 36.2% CSW across all of his pitches. He backed that up with a tough-luck loss in the Bronx, going six frames with four runs (one earned) and adding six more Ks to his ledger. His 1.84 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 35.2% strikeout rate are all top-five marks in the Majors, making him a clear candidate for the AL Cy Young Award.
3. Spencer Strider – SP, Atlanta Braves
Week 10 Stats: 2 W, 11.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 19 K, 1.59 ERA, 0.71 WHIP
Just recently joining the rotation, Strider made his third and fourth starts of the year, and boy did he fire up the hype train. He finished the week tied for the most wins and the second-most strikeouts, racking up eight in 5.2 scoreless frames against the Pirates, earning 18 whiffs, with 11 coming on his upper-90s four-seam fastball. He followed up that splendid outing with the best start of his career, striking out a career-high 11 batters across 5.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs on three baserunners in Washington. The most noteworthy stat from that start were the 24 whiffs he induced, half of which came on his fastball alone as it averaged 98.8 mph in the outing. His 2.45 ERA is nice, but his 38.6% strikeout rate is the best among pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched.
4. Tyler Mahle – SP, Cincinnati Reds
Week 10 Stats: 0 W, 15 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 22 K, 0.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP
The fact that Mahle landed on this list despite not winning either one of his matchups is a testament to how good he has been recently. I gave up on him too early, writing him off after another poor performance at home a few weeks ago, but since then he’s proven me wrong, and then some. He tallied the most strikeouts this past week while posting the lowest ERA among two-start pitchers, with his first outing of the week being a six-inning, 10-punchout display, and his second a scoreless nine-inning, 12-strikeout masterpiece that didn’t result in a complete game shutout because his offense couldn’t muster a single run. His biggest test of the season comes in his next outing against the Dodgers where his recent success will absolutely be challenged.
5. José Berríos – SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 15 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 13 K, 2.40 ERA, 0.60 WHIP
Berríos struggled immensely across the first two months of the season covering his first 10 starts as he pitched to a 5.62 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and a sub-optimal 16.2% strikeout rate. Luckily for fantasy mangers, he’s turned everything around in his last three starts, with consecutive outings of at least seven frames and no more than three earned runs. Two of them came this past week as he went eight innings in Detroit before earning 18 whiffs and eight punchouts against the Orioles. His ERA is beginning to look reasonable at 4.65, but he’s going to need to continue this run to recover the draft value fantasy managers spent on him.
6. Jonathan Heasley – SP, Kansas City Royals
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 11 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 1.64 ERA, 0.73 WHIP
There seems to be a surprise in the pitcher section of this list every week, and this time around it was Heasley. A seven-inning one-hitter with seven Ks against the Orioles was the main reason he earned enough fantasy value to be selected, but he was also alright against the Giants in an inefficient outing that saw him go four innings and allow just two runs. He doesn’t exhibit overwhelming stuff or immense strikeout potential (16.4% K%), but he does have a spot in the Royals rotation and has shown glimpses of legitimate out-getting ability, so he’s definitely a play in AL-only leagues and could find his way onto some 15-team leagues as well.
7. Max Fried – SP, Atlanta Braves
Week 10 Stats: 2 W, 11.2 IP, 14 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 14 K, 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
The Braves can’t really ask for much more from their ace as he owns a 2.90 ERA with the fourth-most innings pitched (80.2) in the Majors, as durability and effectiveness are the essences of a dominant starter. The left-hander was one of just two starters to earn two wins in week 10, but he wasn’t without his luck, as his two starts weren’t the most Earth-shattering of the week. His six-inning, eight-strikeout outing against the Pirates was much better than his 5.2 frames with four earned runs in Washington. Nonetheless, he gave his team a chance to win a couple of ballgames, and he should continue to have success if he can maintain his impeccable command (4% BB%) and soft-contact-inducing approach (.269 xwOBA).
8. Kyle Gibson – SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 14 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
While there isn’t much to say about Gibson, a solid if not unspectacular starter, he was able to secure his second weekly performer selection (week one), which is more than others can lay claim to…cough, cough, Gerrit Cole, cough. This week he was serviceable against the Diamondbacks, pitching a borderline quality start against the Diamondbacks prior to going eight strong with just one earned and six punchouts against the Marlins. He will look to build upon a 4.04 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 21% strikeout rate in his next outing in Texas.
9. Nick Pivetta – SP, Boston Red Sox
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 13 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 14 K, 3.46 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
The cover boy of the sixth edition of this article, Pivetta continued his strong season with 11 strikeouts in Anaheim (despite four ER) and an eight-inning outing versus the A’s. The 3.50 ERA and 1.08 WHIP he owns are career-highs, but they are most definitely being supported by career-lows in HR/FB ratio (9%) and BABIP (.247). That is not to say he can’t still succeed, but he will have to make an adjustment when balls inevitably start to find grass and bleacher seats.
10. Logan Webb – SP, San Francisco Giants
Week 10 Stats: 1 W, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 12 K, 1.42 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Webb has proven to be a much-improved pitcher from his first two partial seasons but hasn’t reached the same bat-missing peaks as he did in the second half of 2021. In week 10, however, he provided a glimpse of that strikeout upside with a nine-strikeout showing across seven scoreless innings versus the Royals after a solid 5.2-frame outing against the Rockies. His ability to eat innings has made him an invaluable member of a Giants rotation that has dealt with a litany of injuries, and he earned his third weekly honor (week one, week six) this week by continuing the trend of being one of the most reliable starters in the league, improving his ERA to 3.43 thanks to the sixth-best ground ball rate (59.8%) in the Majors, according to Pitcher List.
Honorable Mention: Chris Bassitt
It had been a while since Bassitt (13th-ranked pitcher) had an ace-level start, as the Mets’ offseason acquisition struggled to the tune of a 7.62 ERA across his past five starts. He looked more like himself against the Brewers this week as the most valuable single-start fantasy pitcher, going eight shutout innings with just four baserunners and seven strikeouts, inducing 16 whiffs and a 32.1% CSW to earn his fifth win of the season.
Reliever of the Week: Davis Martin
Once again, a surprisingly good long reliever has stolen the Reliever of the Week award from the elite closers of the league. Martin (11th-ranked pitcher) did so by appearing in two games out of the pen and working a starter’s workload. He went five innings with two earned and six strikeouts against the Rangers before going to Detroit and snagging a win with 5.1 scoreless frames, dropping his ERA to 3.05 along the way.
In a more traditional light, Jorge López (17th-ranked pitcher) was the most valuable closer, locking down two saves across 4.2 scoreless and one-hit frames while punching out three batters.
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