Ottoneu Hot Right Now: June 26, 2025
The 2025 version of Hot Right Now will typically include three sections:
- Current Auctions: A closer look at players being auctioned at a high rate.
- Roster Adds: Analysis of players with high add% changes.
- Hot Performers: Players with a high P/G or P/IP in recent weeks.
The FanGraphs Ottoneu team plans to run this feature weekly, updating fantasy managers on the biggest movers in Ottoneu leagues with an analysis of how these players could or could not help your roster.
Current Auctions
Jacob Lopez – 63 current auctions
With no home runs given up in his last four outings, two of which came with nine strikeouts, Jacob Lopez has been an Ottoneu points league darling. His K% is surprisingly high at 28.9% (21.6% MLB SP average), and his walk rate is around average. How? Lopez doesn’t have a single pitch that grades even close to average by Stuff+. He is locating his slider exceptionally well to lefties. To righties, he utilizes a cutter and changeup more often, but still relies heavily on his four-seam/slider combination. That’s the strange part. Lopez’s ~91 MPH four-seamer has a swinging strike rate that is better than average, but unimpressive by the models. Yet, his K% is in the top 20 among starting pitchers (40 IP min.).
As Jeff Zimmerman pointed out in his recent Waiver Wire Report Lopez’s ground ball rate is incredibly low at 20.2%, not even half the major league average of 41.6%. His HR/FB rate is 10.0% compared to the major league average of 11.9%. Somehow, hitters are popping up against Lopez without getting much behind their swings. If you look at Lopez’s spray chart, there aren’t a ton of fly balls right on the warning track. It’s not as if he’s gotten lucky in certain ballparks. I’m rightly confused, but sometimes you need to simplify. Which Lopez do you want? If you compare three starts from late May/early June to his three most recent starts, you can see his volatility in his points per inning pitched marks:
Rough stretch: May 23rd, 29th and June 3rd:
13.0 IP, 6 HR, 3 BB, 17 K, 48.7% Zone%, 13.5% SwStr%, 0.4 P/IP
Hot streak: June 14th, 19th, and 25th:
19.0 IP, 0 HR, 5 BB, 24 K, 51.0% Zone%, 15.2% SwStr%, 7.13 P/IP
Every once in a while, a player falls into my HRN/CRN analysis that makes no sense to me. Even after my second cup of coffee, I can’t wrap my head around the player’s success or lack thereof. Ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Lopez. The 27-year-old lefty could be on his way to breaking out or he could be coming off three starts where the wind was blowing all fly balls back into the park. His K% makes him worth rostering, but his HR volatility should make you nervous when making a sit/start decision.
Didier Fuentes – 54 current auctions
Now that I’ve spent too much time trying to figure out Jacob Lopez, let’s simplify things with Didier Fuentes, who has started two games for the Braves in the wake of Chris Sale’s injury. The 20-year-old righty gave up three home runs, one walk, and struck out three across 8.1 IP in those two starts. It’s hard to imagine Fuentes sticking in the rotation, but if he does, Eric Longenhagen’s early March report gives us some things to look for:
The two key developmental variables for Fuentes will be, first, proving that he can sustain this kind of performance across nearly twice the workload he’s shown so far, and second, finding another good pitch. His slider is roughly average right now, while his changeup is well below. The slider sits about 83 mph and has below-average spin, but its two-plane shape pairs nicely with the exploding movement of Fuentes’ fastball. The upside here is that Fuentes could be a Joe Ryan type of starter. He’s still probably two or three years away from paydirt in Atlanta.
It seems as if he’s developed a curveball that is currently grading out to an above-average pitch by Stuff+. The pitch did give up a home run in his first two starts, but was also able to generate plenty of called strikes. If he can continue to keep hitters off balance with his secondaries while limiting mistakes, he’ll be able to utilize his ~96 MPH, above-average Stuff+ fastball with more effectiveness. So far, the four-seamer has not been a swing and miss pitch, and it’s given up two home runs so far in the big leagues. Fuentes will likely be a “hold and wait and see” pick-up instead of a “help me now!” type of fantasy player.
Casey Schmitt – 30 current auctions
In his last 26 plate appearances, the 26-year-old infielder has a .417/.462/.583 slash line. That’s only one home run and a double contributing to his high slugging percentage, but 10 hits in that time brought him above a .400 BA. On the season, Schmitt has accumulated 112 plate appearances, splitting defensive time mostly between 1B and 3B, and has a 50.0% HardHit%. It looks like he’s given up some contact (Z-Contact%: 2023: 87.5% -> 2024: 88.8% -> 2025: 83.9%) and that has forced his K% above 25%, but so far it hasn’t harmed his batting average. Still, be somewhat cautious as his .354 BABIP is very high. For now, Schmitt is the Giants’ best option at third base, that is, until Matt Chapman returns from a hand injury.
Roster Adds
Tyler Freeman – Add% Change (7 Days) – 24.2%
The idea of a player like Freeman playing in Coors Field is exciting. He spent three years with the Guardians, where he accumulated more and more playing time each season. In each of those three seasons in Cleveland, Freeman’s Z-Contact% was at 90.0% or better. Unfortunately, all that contact doesn’t mix with batted ball quality, as his career barrel rate is 3.1%. You would think he must be a high batting average type of player, but for his career, he’s only hit .241. However, now that he’s in Colorado, his BABIP is way up (.347), and his batting average has followed, currently sitting at .333. This is not the best profile for points leagues that rely so heavily on slugging percentage and power, but in roto formats, Freeman is a great add to help the batting average category. He stole 11 bags in 2024 with the Guardians, and so far, the Rockies are letting him run as he’s accumulated 9 stolen bags in 2025.
Jack Perkins – Add% Change (7 Days) – 19.0%
In 44 AAA innings pitched this season, Perkins struck out batters at a 38.4% clip. He also walked batters at an 11.3% clip, so take a sip of cold water. Perkins is listed as a long reliever after making his major league debut on June 22nd and going three innings in relief. He struck out only two batters, but gave up no walks and only one hit. Like most relievers, he has a very good slider, and he pairs it with a cutter and a four-seamer, both somewhat average pitches by Stuff+. If you see something in Perkins’ profile that you really like, take a $1 flyer and wait and see what happens. For now, in a long relief role with the Athletics, he doesn’t have much fantasy value.
Hot Performers
Stats reflect the last 14 days for both hitters and pitchers. Players selected are usually rostered at lower levels.
Curtis Mead – 9.9 P/G
The Rays’ infielder has increased his Barrel% HardHit%, and Z-Contact% in each of his three seasons in the big leagues. He is underperforming all of his Statcast expected slashline stats and still has a .301 BABIP. He’s increased his BB%, doing a much better job of hitting breaking balls and of hitting righties, but he’s still in a platoon according to RosterResource. Playing time remains an issue, but if he’s available in your league, now may be the time to sneak him onto your roster.
Donovan Solano – 9.7 P/G
In his last 36 plate appearances, Solano has hit three home runs. In 309 plate appearances in 2024, he hit eight. In 2025, his barrel rate is up slightly, as is his HardHit%, over 2024’s marks. His season-long Z-Contact% is at its worst mark since his career began with the Marlins in 2012, as is his K%. That could either be signs of Father Time catching up to the 37-year-old veteran or signs of a change in approach. My money is on the former.
Janson Junk – 7.4 P/IP
29 years old and pitching for the Miami Marlins, Junk does not have a single pitch above average according to Stuff+. But, his 2025 ERA sits at 2.60 (4.20 xERA) through 27.2 IP. He has a microscopic BB% at 1.8% and he is yet to give up a home run this season. A 45.7% ground ball rate has helped tremendously.
Brad Lord – 6.9 P/IP
Lord was tested out as a starter with the Nationals at the beginning of the season and recorded a 4.44 ERA with a 7.18 K/9 in six starts (26.1 IP). He was moved to the bullpen in mid-May and since, has a 2.28 ERA with a 9.11 K/9 in 27.2 IP. With an above-average slider by Stuff+, Lord has been able to pair it with a subpar fastball with some success. His fantasy value really only comes in leagues that record holds, as he has six on the year so far and is likely to continue earning them, with maybe a lucky win or two, as a setup man behind Kyle Finnegan.