Back in mid-June, I discussed a handful of hitters who had hit a shocking number of home runs at that point in the season. Since it was fun, and you no doubt enjoyed it, let’s do it again. Obviously, there are more surprises than just this short list, so feel free to use the comments to, ya know, comment on such lads.

Here are five of the biggest surprises, all of whom I chose for different reasons. I included some relevant metrics from 2016 and compared them to their 2015 rates so we have a better idea of what’s fueling the home run surge.

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Shockingly, it has been nearly 100 plate appearances since Gary Sanchez was recalled by the Yankees for a full-time role and this is his first dedicated RotoGraphs post. Of course, in itself, not talking about a recently recalled prospect 24 games into his career isn’t noteworthy. Except, when that career begins the way Sanchez’s has.

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The following is an experiment. I wanted to see if hitter exit velocity (EV) drops and by how much when a batter players through an injury. I am not sure before starting it where it would head and after a small stab at the data, I seemed to end up with more questions than answers.

The following may sound like a scientific study and in many ways, it is one. I am trying to take a theory and find a solution. Let me start with the theory.

First, injured players perform worse while playing through injury. I have tackled this idea as I looked back at the players’ stats the season before, of, and after the injury.

Talking to several hitters, they say they know when something is bugging them. They just can’t get hit the ball as hard as when they are healthy. Instead of trying to figure out if a player’s slump is from bad luck or injury, we have StatCast’s exit velocity to help us see if they are hitting the ball as hard.

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If you’re still fighting for a money finish (and you should be because we give you the best advice here, duh), then here are two thrilling recommendations for your deep leaguers.

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There, there, poor Giancarlo Stanton owner. Calmly walk to your bathroom, locate your tissue box and wipe those tears away. I did that before sitting down and typing this. Feel free to do the same and then return to continue reading this here article. So, naturally, Stanton has done his annual injury thing and this time it’s a severe groin strain that is expected to knock him out for the remainder of the season. Awesome.

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Hurting for a middle infielder? Of course you are! Look not further, I have come to your rescue.

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Yesterday, I discussed the hitters who have most underachieved their xBABIP marks. Today, I follow up on last month’s xBABIP overperformers with an update on the fantasy relevant hitters whose BABIP marks have most exceeded their xBABIP marks.

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I last discussed the xBABIP underperformers about a month ago, so with standings shaking out and only about two months left in the season, it’s time to share one final update. Below are the fantasy relevant hitters whose Alex Chamberlain xBABIP most exceeds their actual BABIP marks. If you’re looking for a trade target, this may be a good list with which to begin your research.

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Today’s edition of the deep league wire features an injury related opportunity and more fallout from the flurry of trade deadline activity.

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It’s no surprise that a team sporting a 45-60 record has been selling off pieces over the past month. That’s exactly what has happened for the Padres, who now trots out a starting offense that includes many names most baseball fans and fantasy owners would have to search for on these very pages to learn more about (including me). So let’s dive into this no-name offense and see if we could find any hidden treasures.

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