Incredibly, we're under a month away from 2025 All-Star festivities in Atlanta. It's Jun. 20 (21 or later for those of you reading this) and the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge is still batting a ludicrous .373 with a 1.212 OPS. To that end, it still doesn't feel like we're talking enough about it. When all is said and done, we could be looking back on this as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, hitting seasons of all time. For reference, Judge is on pace to break Babe Ruth's all-time total base record (457) set in 1921.
He isn't the only player turning heads, though. As of this writing, Seattle Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh passed Johnny Bench for the most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break. Raleigh went yard twice more on Friday to bring his long ball total to a league-leading 29. When we thought 2025 wasn't exciting enough, the Boston Red Sox stunned the baseball world by shipping off long-time 3B Rafael Devers.
Oh, and, in case anyone forgot -- Ronald Acuna Jr. is still really good at baseball. The superstar outfielder has crushed big-league pitching in his 25 games since returning from injury, boasting a sublime .382/.491/.685 triple slash with eight home runs and 24 runs scored. Yeah, he's back.
As always, it wasn't all good news. You'll notice an immediate theme with the two most significant names listed, as both Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres outfielders Corbin Carroll (hand) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (hand, wrist) were plunked by pitches this week. Fortunately, Tatis Jr. returned to the lineup Friday, but Carroll has not. He seems to be on the day-to-day side of things and should rejoin the roster in short order.
In other news, Baltimore Orioles' backstop Adley Rutschman (core) was scratched from Friday's lineup with abdominal tightness. That's never a good sign, though there's been no note on the severity of the injury, so consider him day-to-day until we learn otherwise.
Finally, in awful news, Texas Rangers ace Cole Ragans (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing until early July. He'll be reevaluated, but it doesn't sound good as he battles through a rotator cuff strain.
For the uninitiated: this column typically assumes point formats and will only feature athletes at or around 50% ownership on Yahoo!. A player will only appear on this list twice if they continue to perform well from weeks prior. Happy hunting!
Waiver Adds
Nick Kurtz, 1B - Athletics (39% Owned)
Nick Kurtz is a primary add this week if anyone dropped him while he was on the injured list. This is pertinent to a need at first base, but the Athletics' No. 1 prospect is worth picking up if you have a lackluster utility or corner infielder lineup spot. He was recently reinstated from a hip flexor strain that sidelined him since late May, but has picked up where he left off before the ailment.
Kurtz was heating up in mid-May, blasting four home runs in five games with three two-hit performances before landing on the IL. His first hit back last Tuesday was a double, and he's since collected two more to go along with four homers, six runs scored, and eight RBI in seven games. I'm shocked to see his roster percentage so low, though it's worth noting it's gone up a tick since I began this writing.
The former fourth-overall pick has crushed eight of his nine home runs over his last 14 outings and will be a massive power boost for managers over the remainder of the season.
Alec Burleson, 1B/OF - St. Louis Cardinals (34% Owned)
Alec Burleson had worked on the strong side of the platoon for St. Louis in the early going, but has been an everyday player as of late and is rewarding the team for their faith. Though he's only faced southpaws 32 times in 2025, his .313 average against them matches what he hits against righties. Furthermore, he's striking out at a 13.0% clip -- placing him in the 90th percentile amongst all batters.
Burleson has been scorching in June (.400/.431/.600), but his hot-hitting goes back even further as he closed out May with four multi-hit efforts. The 26-year-old has brought his overall triple slash to a strong .313/.354/.460, and the Cardinals have begun to move him up in the lineup. After hitting from the middle of the order for most of the year, he's recently garnered some time in the three-hole, adding value to an already viable bat.
Like Kurtz above, I don't expect the North Carolina native to remain available on the wire much longer.
Cam Smith, 3B/OF - Houston Astros (34% Owned)
Cam Smith was featured in this column a few weeks ago, and aside from a brief 0-for-9 stretch that started the day this article landed on the page, he's continued to produce. Furthermore, Houston has moved the fourteenth pick of last year's draft up to the fifth spot in the order. Following the mini-slump, he's hit .354 (17-for-48) with five doubles, two home runs, ten RBI, and ten runs scored.
Over the last few contests, the Florida State product has made a ton of loud contact. He's impacting the ball so well that he's raised his expected stats and underlying metrics to acceptable levels. The two long balls he's collected in his torrid stretch came just this past Tuesday as a part of a massive 4-for-5 three-RBI performance. He also doubled and was caught stealing in the team's 13-3 win.
Smith is easily the athlete on this list I'm most excited about, and he garners a higher ceiling than Kurtz, considering his 92nd percentile sprint speed. I'd be happy to snag either, but side slightly with the lower strikeout rate. The power is coming.
J.P. Crawford, SS - Seattle Mariners (27% Owned)
J.P. Crawford was also highlighted in this column a few weeks back, and it still makes no sense to me that he's rostered in less than a third of Yahoo! leagues. Crawford is a top-70 player in standard points formats on the platform and has been an excellent table-setter for the M's. He's currently enjoying his best season as a pro, slashing .288/.409.400.
Somehow, he's been even better in June, sporting a .356 average and .954 OPS with as many doubles as he had in May but in over 40 fewer at-bats. Additionally, the veteran has walked 14 times to just seven punchouts and has notched three steals -- one more than he had through the first two months of the season combined. The former Philadelphia Phillie isn't the most spry asset on the base paths, so don't expect that to continue.
Shortstop is a deep position, but there's no reason for Crawford to still be available in more than 80% of leagues.
Deep League Adds
Wenceel Perez, OF - Detroit Tigers (4% Owned)
Wenceel Perez is technically in his second season and has vastly improved since 2024. Through 20 games, the 25-year-old is slashing a robust .283/.343/.635 with five homers, five doubles, a triple, a steal, ten RBI, and ten runs scored. It isn't just for show, either, as he's sporting batted ball metrics and expected statistics with some of the best sluggers in the MLB. Detroit has a deep outfield, but they're an exciting team and are finding ways to slot Perez into the lineup. He's trending toward being an everyday player and is hitting both righties (.277) and lefties (.313) well. If you're looking for a little extra juice in your outfield, the switch-hitting Dominican Republic native should provide you with a nice blend of pop and speed. It seems like he's tightening up his plate discipline, too.
Two-Start Streamers
Ben Brown, RHP - Chicago Cubs (20%/47% Yahoo!/CBS)
Ben Brown looked the part in 2024 in his first taste of big-league action, but a woeful May followed by an extended absence due to a neck injury would end his season early. I fully expected at least a small breakout from him this season, but he hasn't been able to string together consistently good outings. Eight of the New York native's 15 outings have ended in him yielding two earned runs or fewer. However, he's also got five with five earned or more.
Brown is admittedly a risk, but I like how he's pitched recently -- tossing a strong seven innings a few weeks back in a no-decision against a good Tigers lineup. Unfortunately, he allowed six earned runs to the Philadelphia Phillies two starts back, but I'm willing to give him a pass on that one due to the caliber of the lineup.
If you're averse to risk, leave him on the wire for his first matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Red Birds score the seventh-most runs per game of any team (4.71) and strike out the ninth-fewest times per game (7.85) as a lineup on the whole. He'll get a less intimidating matchup against the Houston Astros on the road for his second outing.
The 25-year-old is of the high-risk, high-reward variety heading into this week, but he could be a game-changer if he recaptures the form he displayed early on last season.
Thanks for reading, and good luck in your weekly matchups!
