Fantasy Baseball Today: Sandy Alcantara bounces back; rookie pitchers to monitor; double-dong day

USATSI

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Tuesday's baseball action was packed with interesting performances and we'll be diving into some exciting rookie pitcher outings, celebrating the power-hitting prowess of several players who dropped not one but two homers on Tuesday, analyzing Sandy Alcantara's impressive bounce-back performance, and taking a closer look at Ranger Suarez's continued success on the mound. Let's jump right into the action now:

Rookie pitcher check in

Andrew Abbott

The young pitcher has been impressive, boasting a quality start in four of his five outings. In his Tuesday start against the Orioles, Abbott showcased his skills, pitching six innings with just two hits allowed, one earned run, three walks, and eight strikeouts. Notably, he accumulated 13 swinging strikes and maintained a 31% called strikes plus whiffs (CSW) rate. Although Abbott has exhibited superb SP1-type numbers with a 1.21 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over 29 1/3 innings, he'll need to work on his command as he has issued 3+ walks in three of his five starts.

Gavin Williams

Williams had a stellar second start against the Royals, where he delivered seven shutout innings, allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out six. He relied heavily on his dominant four-seam fastball, generating eight whiffs and achieving a 33% CSW rate. With a 2.84 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts over 12 2/3 innings, Williams is proving himself to be an exciting prospect. He is currently rostered in 76% of leagues. We analyzed Abbott and Williams on the FBT in 5 podcast here.

Bryan Woo

Woo continues to impress with another solid start against the Nationals. Pitching five innings, he allowed six hits, two runs (one earned), and struck out seven. Woo showcased a fastball-heavy approach, utilizing his four-seam and sinker, while also incorporating a slider and changeup. With a 4.37 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and an impressive 32 strikeouts over 22 2/3 innings, Woo has earned a roster spot in 53% of leagues.

Taj Bradley

Bradley faced some struggles in his recent outing against the Cardinals, allowing seven hits, seven runs (six earned), and four home runs in just four innings. It was a tough start for the young pitcher, with only five swinging strikes and a 16% CSW rate. While Bradley has shown promise with a 4.58 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and an impressive 73 strikeouts over 53 innings, he will need to work on limiting hard contact and reducing his home-run rate.

Double dongs

In the realm of power hitting, several players had standout performances:

Shohei Ohtani: The two-way sensation continues to dominate, going 3 for 3 with a double dong in a game he pitched in. With a league-leading 28 home runs, Ohtani is displaying an incredible combination of pitching and hitting skills.
Ronald Acuña: Acuña had an impressive outing, going 2 for 4 with a double dong. He has hit four home runs in his past five games, contributing to his .330 batting average, 19 home runs, 35 stolen bases, 70 runs scored, and 51 RBI.
Brandon Nimmo: Nimmo had a fantastic performance, going 2 for 4 with a double dong and three RBI. He currently boasts a .282 batting average, 10 home runs, three stolen bases and an .820 OPS. Nimmo is also showing career-high average exit velocity (AVG EV) and a hard-hit rate.
JD Martinez: Martinez had a productive day, going 2 for 4 with a double dong and three RBI. With a .258 batting average, 18 home runs, and an .883 OPS, Martinez remains a solid asset in Fantasy lineups.
Brandon Marsh: Marsh had a memorable game, going 2 for 3 with a double dong. His first homer had an exit velocity of 107.8 MPH and traveled 418 feet, while the second had an exit velocity of 106.8 MPH and traveled 411 feet. Overall, Marsh has a .283 batting average, seven home runs, four stolen bases, and an .834 OPS. Notably, he has performed exceptionally well against left-handed pitchers.

Alcantara back?

Is Sandy Alcantara back? It certainly looked like it on Tuesday. The ace bounced back in an impressive start against the Red Sox. He pitched seven innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, two walks, and striking out five. Alcantara recorded 16 swinging strikes, relying heavily on his changeup and slider. While his ERA sits at 4.82, his 1.25 WHIP, 83 strikeouts over 102 23 innings, and a 49% ground ball rate demonstrate his overall effectiveness on the mound.

Is Ranger for real?

Ranger Suarez continues to impress, delivering a solid performance against the Cubs. Pitching 7 1/3 innings, he allowed four hits, one earned run, one walk, and struck out eight. Despite a decrease in velocity on his sinker, cutter, fastball, and curveball, Suarez managed to keep the Cubs' offense in check. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six consecutive starts, demonstrating his consistency and emerging as a reliable Fantasy option.

News and notes

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Shane McClanahan is expected to make his next start Friday in Seattle. He last started on June 22 and exited early due to mid-back tightness.
Salvador Perez underwent an eye procedure Monday to help with his lingering vision issues and apparently, it's not as bad as it sounds. He's undergone a similar procedure in the past and could be available off the bench.
Merrill Kelly was placed on the IL with a blood clot in his right calf and is without an official timetable.
Julio Urias is set to return Saturday against the Royals in Kansas City.
Brandon Woodruff threw another bullpen session Tuesday, this time 25 pitches. He's still scheduled to throw a few more bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment.
Jose Altuve remained out of the lineup Tuesday due to lingering discomfort in his heel.
Yu Darvish was scratched from his start due to illness.
Hunter Greene would be out until August due to a lingering right hip injury.
Masataka Yoshida was out of the lineup due to forearm soreness.
Marcus Stroman is expected to make his next start this weekend. He was pulled Sunday due to a blister on his right index finger.
James Paxton remains lined up to make his next start Friday in Toronto. He left his previous start early due to right knee soreness.
Liam Hendriks is scheduled to play catch Wednesday, his first time throwing since going on the IL earlier in June.
Alek Manoah was destroyed for 11 earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in a start at the Florida Complex League.
Brandon Lowe began a rehab assignment Monday at the Rays rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate.
Jack Flaherty has been cleared to start Saturday against the Yankees.
Tyler O'Neill said he's aiming to begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week. He's been out since early May with a back injury.
Jose Urquidy threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday. He's been out since early May with right shoulder inflammation.
Cal Quantrill will return to the Guardians' rotation Friday against the Cubs, which means the Guardians will go with a six-man rotation or one of Gavin Williams or Logan Allen could get sent down.
Matthew Boyd needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of this season.