Ottoneu Hot Right Now: May 14, 2025

The 2025 version of Hot Right Now will typically include three sections:

1. Current Auctions: A closer look at players being auctioned at a high rate.
2. Roster Adds: Analysis of players with high add% changes.
3. 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

Addison Barger – 102 current auctions

With 225 plate appearances in 2024, Barger made it known he can play in the big leagues, but did not grab much attention. His .197/.250/.351 slash line was hurt by a 26.7% K% and a .239 BABIP. In 2025, he’s accumulated 63 plate appearances and has improved his K% significantly, lowering it to 19.0%. He’s also increased his barrel rate, maxEV, and HardHit%, the last of which sits at an unsustainably high 50.0%. In most leagues, the 25-year-old offers 3B/OF eligibility, but he is likely in a platoon as he struggles against left-handed (same-handed) pitchers. He’ll also need to improve his ability to hit four-seam fastballs, as right now, he’s only getting to them for a .171 wOBA while destroying changeups (.437) and cutters (.670). Barger has the underlying power metrics to support his 10+ home runs projections, but he’s only hit one in 2025. Buy low.

Moises Ballesteros – 98 current auctions

The 21-year-old has only played in one MLB game, so let’s begin with his most recent prospect report from Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice:

Ballesteros is a husky catcher who signed for $1.2 million back in 2021 as a bat-first prospect who needed substantial development as a defender. He’s raked as he’s climbed the minors (he’s posted a .279/.366/.452 career line and has reached Triple-A), and though he still isn’t an ironclad catching defender, Ballesteros has improved enough back there to maintain projection at the position.

With both Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya on the roster, the Cubs do not need a third catcher, and Ballesteros will likely be a righty-hitting DH with Justin Turner filling in as a lefty-hitting DH. Back to the prospect report:

This forecast for Ballesteros rounds down on his offense a bit more than last list cycle, and puts him in more of an average contact and power territory with potentially below-average on base skills looming as he faces more and more quality fastballs. Combine that with a potentially short timeline of athletic viability, and Ballesteros looks more like a solid part-time player who catches once a week and gets a couple starts against righties, which should still allow him to amass 300-400 annual plate appearances of roughly average offense.

Adding Ballesteros to your Ottoneu roster will have to come with patience. He’s not an add-now player, but a keeper for the future if he makes a splash in his first big league stint. He’s shown enough power in the minor leagues:

2023 MiLB – SLG: .449, OPS: .823, 14 HR

2024 MiLB – SLG: .471, OPS: .826, 19 HR

to peak fantasy interest, but he feels more like an Ottonue $1 keeper lottery ticket than anything else for right now.

Brett Baty – 40 current auctions

Baty is back up with the major league club, splitting time with Luisangel Acuña, and getting a few opportunities at third. The Mets have three young players, all with their strengths and weaknesses, all competing for playing time:

It’s hard to say who the better fantasy player is at the moment. Is Vientos simply having a slow start? Is his defense the reason Baty has been brought up? Whose power is more believable? Eventually, Baty’s 79.8% Z-Contact will catch up to him. There’s no way his K% will stop hovering around 30% if he can’t improve his in-zone contact. Adding Baty to a fantasy roster may be like trying to catch lightning in a bottle, as he’s hit five home runs in his last seven games, but don’t expect that to continue. His 31.3% HR/FB rate is soaring over the MLB average of 11.0%. But, it’s not all smoke and mirrors. Baty has hit five home runs on five different pitches, not all of which were mistakes:

That shows promise. Unfortunately for fantasy managers and Brett Baty, the Mets have two right-handed hitting third basemen, and while Baty’s 2025 defense is in the lead, Vientos still appears to be the better all-around hitter.

Roster Adds

Daniel Schneemann– Add% Change (7 Days) – 41.0%

It was recorded in a recent Jeff Zimmerman Mining the News that Schneemann’s altered approach and swing have led to his positive 2025 results. He’s slashing .262/.340/.500 with five home runs. He’s still striking out too much at 27.4%, but that rate has come down from last season’s 31.7%. What’s next? Zone contact. His swing and approach change must be more focused on crushing the ball (18.6% Barrel%, 45.8% HardHit%) because his zone contact has dropped from last season’s below-average 80.3% to an even further below-average 78.3%. With a .321 BABIP, we should expect to see his batting average come down, but with A-swings like this, Schneemann has already met his pre-season projected five home runs.

JP Sears – Add% Change (7 Days) – 22.3%

If you isolate JP Sears’ slider from his sweeper, you see a pitch with an above-average SwStr% and a manageable wOBA. But, his four-seamer’s 5.6% SwStr% and .355 wOBA paired with an unimpressive changeup are hurting his ability to strike batters out (19.9% K% vs. 21.5% MLB avg). Still, with a 1.00 WHIP, 2.80 ERA, and four wins in eight starts, he’s been a great fantasy player in the early season, though his 3.33 xERA suggests he’s been lucky. Sears has never had issues walking batters, and in 2025, his BB% is a very low 3.9%. If he can continue to keep batters off balance with his sweeper/slider combo, while working his four-seam/changeup in the right moments, he may be on his way to doing better than his ~4.50 pre-season projected ERA.

Hot Performers

Stats reflect the last 14 days for both hitters and pitchers. Players selected are usually rostered at lower levels.

Yoán Moncada – (8.6 P/G)

Moncada was activated from the IL on May 6th and has an .873 OPS through 16 games. He’s a sneaky pickup as he’s now healthy, likely the full-time third baseman with no defensive competition and no risk of being in a platoon as a switch hitter. He’s making good contact, taking his walks, and hitting the ball hard.

Jake Meyers – (8.3 P/G)

The Astros center fielder is walking more (9.1%), striking out less (18.2%), and has drastically improved his zone contact rate (92.8%). There’s a little indication that he’s been lucky due to a .370 BABIP, but his xSLG (.430) is higher than his actual SLG (.427). However, that’s not supported by a great barrel rate (5.2%). He’s worth keeping an eye on, but he’s likely the definition of “Hot Right Now” as his slash line is .409/.490/.636 with a 1.127 OPS in the last 14 games.

Matt Sauer – (7.6 P/IP)

Someone has to pitch for the Dodgers, right? Matt Sauer is a 26-year-old righty who has been in the minor leagues since 2017. He has two above-average fastballs by Stuff+ and an above-average curveball. He’s mostly worked as a long reliever in 11.2 IP through four games. He hasn’t given up a home run, and he’s only walked one batter in that time.

Stephen Kolek – (6.4 P/IP)

Koleck’s accomplishment at Coors Field should be celebrated much more than it is. He threw a full 9 innings, gave up only five hits, and struck out seven in a shutout. At Coors Field! He has an impressive sinker/slider combination, but his four-seamer leaves much to be desired. With Yu Darvish on a rehab assignment, Kolek’s days in the starting rotation may be numbered.