10 Hitters Now in Starting Lineups! Aug 4, 2025 Edition

The trade deadline is now officially in the rearview mirror, which means we’re now seeing lots of new faces in starting lineups. It could be very difficult to keep up with all the playing time changes. So let’s once again dive into 10 names who are now starting regularly, whether due to trading of the incumbent opening up a spot, injury atop the depth chart, or hot hitting.

Bryce Teodosio |LAA

Teodosio was just recalled from Triple-A on Saturday and has started two straight games in center field. Originally, it was Gustavo Campero who was recalled to replace an injured Jorge Soler, but he filled the DH slot while Mike Trout was out on Saturday and was on the bench on Sunday. So it seems as if the Angels now prefer Teodosio in the starting lineup.

Already 26 years old, Teodosio isn’t a prospect. He’s battled injuries in the minors this year and has only recorded 97 plate appearances. Back in 2024, he swiped 40 bases, which makes up his entire fantasy appeal. What’s interesting is he posted a 19.7% HR/FB rate back in 2022 in Double-A, but hasn’t gotten out of double digits since. So perhaps that home run power display was a fluke. Since he only posted a 25.3% HardHit% last year, you can’t expect much power at this point.

He also strikes out more often than you would expect given the limited power. However, he has made up for those strikeouts with some hefty BABIP marks, including a .372 last season. Surprisingly, he doesn’t even have the batted ball profile to suggest inflated BABIP marks, so it’s highly unlikely to be sustained in the Majors.

Soler might be back after a minimum stay on the IL, but even if not, Teodosio’s calling card is solely stolen bases. But he’ll have to get on base and with a low walk rate and the threat of a high strikeout rate, that might be a challenge.

Darell Hernaiz | ATH

Hernaiz was last ranked as the Athletics’ sixth best prospect last year. He enjoyed a cup of coffee with the team when he debuted last year, recording 135 PAs, but struggled to the tune of a .230 wOBA. He was recalled last Tuesday to replace an injured Jacob Wilson윌슨 and has started every day at shortstop since.

At Triple-A this year, he has shown fantastic plate discipline with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. His walk rate jumped into double digits for the first time since his small sample debut back in 2019 in the Rookie league, while his strikeout rate dipped to the second lowest of his professional career. His SwStk% also improved to the best mark of his career. He also posted a .340 BABIP, backed by a splendid LD%, driving an excellent .383 OBP.

Unfortunately, he has shown little power, with a 4.4% HR/FB rate, 30.6% HardHit%, and .119 ISO. He has shown some speed in the minors at times, stealing as many as 55 bases back in 2022, but swiped just 12 this year at Triple-A. So it’s fair to wonder if his days of stealing lots of bases is already over. That means that he’s really just an acceptable batting average play, with limited upside in counting stats.

Eli White | ATL

After Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the IL with a calf strain, the Braves have turned back to White, who had temporarily become a starter earlier in the season, before he called down and returned to a reserve role. Since Acuña hit the IL, White has started four straight games in right field. It’s pretty crazy to me that a team that is 46-63 is choosing to play the 31-year-old White over former top prospect Jarred Kelenic, which signals that they may just be giving up on him as a regular.

Back to White, he’s been a career bench bat who strikes out too frequently, doesn’t walk enough, has shown below average power and has some speed. That doesn’t sound so exciting. But, he’s essentially recorded a full season’s worth of plate appearances throughout his career and has hit 14 home runs with 27 steals. That usually could play in any fantasy league, though it does come with an ugly .210 batting average.

The good news is that elevated strikeout rate has dramatically improved and is sitting at a career best right now, though his SwStk% isn’t markedly better. He’s exactly the type of stopgap to fill in for an injured guy in an NL-Only league as a couple of steals could deliver some standings points and you might even get a homer or two before Acuña returns.

Added after checking scores — aaaaaaaand White hit two home runs at the racetrack. Like I said, perfect stopgap!

Blake Perkins | MIL

Jackson Chourio’s injury has opened up an opportunity for Perkins, who has started four straight in center field since the former got hurt. The 28-year-old wasn’t recently a prospect, and we called him a “glove-oriented fifth outfielder”, which doesn’t sound too promising for his fantasy prospects.

Missing most of the season due to a fractured shin, he only recorded 56 minor league PAs this year. Throughout his long minor league career, he has shown excellent plate patience with double digit walks, along with consistent mid-20% strikeout rates. His power hasn’t excited, though, but he did post a string of low double digit HR/FB rates from 2021 to 2023, though he’s been stuck in single digits in the Majors.

Speaking of the Majors, like White, he’s recorded about a season’s worth of PAs throughout his career and has posted similar numbers, hitting 12 home runs and swiping 30 bases. He’s hit for a bit of a better average at .238, though that’s obviously not positive value. He does get a nice boost in OBP leagues, though, thanks to a .320 OBP, so he’s really someone worth rostering in such formats.

Anthony Seigler | MIL

Perkins isn’t the only new face in Milwaukee. It appears that Seigler has wrestled the third base job away from Caleb Durbin, who had been starting there on most days, but now looks to be on the short side of a platoon with Seigler on the strong side.

Seigler also isn’t a prospect, as the 26-year-old was last ranked 27th in the Yankees organization all the way back in 2022. He has shown incredible plate patience throughout his minor league career, posted a walk rate no lower than 13.1% and a mark as high as 21.8% over a reasonable sample size. That’s crazy!

He also rarely swings and misses, with single digits SwStk% marks everywhere he has played. Despite low SwStk% marks, his strikeout rates have hovered in the high teens to low 20% range. The patience combined with the low SwStk% suggests he has been too passive at the plate and strikes out looking at an above average clip. That seems more fixable than a whiff problem.

He has shown a tough of power, with his highest ISO coming this season at Triple-A and he stole 20 bases as well in just 267 PAs. This definitely isn’t the typical profile of a third baseman, but I’m always curious how these high walk rate guys will do in the Majors.

Like Perkins, Seigler gets a boost in OBP leagues, but his boost should be even larger. I would definitely speculate here in those formats.

Tyler Locklear | ARI

Locklear was the centerpiece of the Diamondbacks’ return for Eugenio Suárez and has immediately jumped into the starting lineup, having started three straight games at first base. It should be safe to assume he’ll be their center the rest of the season.

He wasn’t exactly a top prospect with the Mariners, ranking just 12th in the organization, with his best scouting grade coming from his fielding skills, rather than any particularly hitting skill. But, he was quite intriguing at Triple-A this year that should put him on most fantasy owners’ radars.

His HR/FB rate surged to a career best of 24.4%, backed by a 44.2% HardHit% and maxEV of 112.4 MPH. While I doubt he’ll maintain such a HR/FB rate in the Majors, he clearly owns power and that it surged this year is a good sign.

Unlike most first baseman, Locklear also steals bases! He swiped 18 in 24 attempts this season, after stealing 15 last year across the minors and Majors. It’s not often you find a first baseman with the willingness to steal bases. The funny thing is the current leader among first basemen in steals is Josh Naylor, the very hitter Locklear is replacing in Arizona.

Given his playing time should be secure and he’ll have a chance to chip in a bit in both home runs and steals, he’s worth a look in most formats.

Alex Freeland | LAD

A newly recalled Dodgers prospect getting a chance to play regularly?! That’s unheard of! That’s because the Dodgers lineup is typically always so good that it’s difficult for anyone else to get a chance unless injuries strike. Injuries have struck in Los Angeles, but it appears Freeland is getting the chance to start regularly at third base, at the expense of Miguel Rojas, who saw increased playing time as Max Munch has been on the IL.

Freeland is the team’s fourth best prospect, ranked 39th overall. His scouting grades are very similar to Locklear’s, which wouldn’t normally excited fantasy owners. The 23-year-old has shown fantastic plate discipline in the minors, walking at double digit clips everywhere he’s played, with single digit SwStk% marks. He has also posted pretty strong batted ball distribution profiles, though that hasn’t led to inflated BABIP marks, which is a surprise.

He has shown decent power, but nothing to write home about, with low-to-mid teen HR/FB rates, but with mid-to-high 40% HardHit% marks suggesting upside. Then again, his maxEV marks are a bit low for the HardHit%, so it seems like a higher rate of his hard hit balls come on the ground, instead of in the air, explaining his mediocre HR/FB rates.

He steals bases too, swiping 31 last year and 17 so far this year, making for yet another potential power/speed combo meal on this list. Since he hasn’t converted the strong batted ball profile into a high BABIP, the projections forecast that he’ll struggle to hit for average. So once again, the high walk rate means he gets a massive boost in value in OBP leagues. In a strong lineup, he’s worth a gander for as long as he’s starting.

Grant McCray | SF

Mike Yastrzemski’s departure opened up a spot in right field. McCray has now started two straight against right-handed starters, suggesting he’ll get the first shot at a strong side platoon role there.

McCray was the team’s eighth ranked prospect last season, with 60/60 speed grades being his most fantasy enticing skill. He stole as many as 52 bases back in 2023, then swiped 33 last year, and was at 26 this season before his recall. Like many names on this list, he’s got the potential to contribute a handful of steals while he remains in the starting lineup.

Also like many of the names on this list, he’s got some power too. He has posted some strong HR/FB rates in the minors, but mostly settled into the mid-teen range, like his 16.7% mark at Triple-A this year. However, he’s not a big fly ball guy, which is going to limit his home run upside.

He strikes out a lot for a guy whose power isn’t enough to be acceptable, so he’s likely to hit for a lowe average, with every projection system at sub-.230. He has shown solid walk rates in the past, but not as high as others here, which means he’s unlikely to get much of a boost, if any, in OBP formats. He’s strictly an NL-Only option.

C.J. Kayfus | CLE

Are the Guardians ready to give up on Nolan Jones as a full-timer? He’s posted another disappointing season with just a .282 wOBA and has started to lose more and more playing time. Meanwhile, the team recalled Kayfus on Saturday, despite our prospect report ranking him just 10th in the organization with an ETA for next year.

He has started in right field and DH so far and given that the team appears to be throwing in the towel this year, he should be an everyday guy the rest of the way. We’ll have to see if he’ll start against lefties, though, or he serves on the strong side of a platoon.

In a recurring theme, Kayfus has walked at a double digit clip everywhere he has played, while typically striking out at a mid-20% rate. He’s consistently posted a superb batted ball profile heavy on line drives with a slightly higher GB% than FB%. His distribution has driven gaudy BBAIP marks, as he hasn’t posted anything below .348 in any reasonable sample. That bodes well for his potential to not kill you in batting average, though the projection systems aren’t very optimistic.

He has posted above average power numbers since his professional debut, recording no lower than a .207 ISO, with mid-teen to low-20% HR/FB rates. This year’s 22.4% HR/FB rate at Triple-A was backed by above average HardHit% and maxEV marks, but came with a low-30% FB% because he was too busy hitting line drives.

He doesn’t steal bases, so fantasy owners will have to hope the power translates and he outperforms all his BABIP forecasts so he’s at least neutral in batting average.

Jakob Marsee | MIA

Jesús Sánchez departure opened up an outfield spot and Marksee was the team’s first choice to fill it. The 24-year-old was ranked just 29th in the organization this year, but has started three straight games in center field since his recall, even against a lefty, suggesting he won’t be part of a platoon.

Marsee is another really interesting name based on his minor league history. He’s also been a walk machine, walking at a double digit clip everywhere he’s played, with a mark no lower than 15.2% over a reasonable sample size. He has also maintained a single digit SwStk% mark, but still strikes out around 20% of the time, probably due to some passiveness and strikeouts caught looking. Unfortunately, his BABIP marks have been poor, so he hasn’t even hit for average in the minors. That’s why the projection systems are all forecasting a batting average barely higher than the Mendoza Line (a .200 average). Once again, he’ll get a huge boost in value in OBP leagues.

The fantasy ticket here is his speed. He stole 51 bases last year and 47 so far this year. His high walk rate will drive his attempts and earn him the vast majority of his fantasy value. There’s a bit of power potential here, but only because he’s oddly been a fly ball hitter. That seems problematic, as he owns below average raw power and above average speed, so he should really be hitting more balls on the ground, rather than harmless fly balls.

For now, he’s worth speculating on solely if you need steals if you play in batting average leagues, but if you use OBP instead, your league doesn’t need to be as deep for him to earn positive value.