Fantasy baseball: How owners should view Brent Rooker

Brent Rooker was an All-Star in 2023 (even if it felt like an “everyone gets a trophy” moment just so the A’s had a representative), a season in which he hit .246 with 30 homers, 69 RBIs, 61 runs and a .817 OPS. (He also struck out 172 times, but more on that later.) 

Rooker started this year slowly, hitting .206 with five homers, 13 RBIs, 31 strikeouts and a .769 OPS in March-April. This month has been a totally different ballgame with the 29-year-old hitting .377 with five homers, 15 RBIs, 13 runs and 1.186 OPS in 14 games. (Those numbers looked even better before going 1-for-12 in three games before Friday.) 

This hot stretch made Rooker the most added player in ESPN leagues over the past week, which begs the question: Is he for real or is he just another hot power hitter who will disappear from fantasy relevancy before you have the chance to see if he is available in your league? 

Among players with a minimum of 130 plate appearances, Rooker entered Friday tied with six others for the fourth-most homers, and ranked fifth in slugging percentage, 24th in RBIs, 30th in on-base percentage, 33rd in average and was in the top 50 in walk percentage. 

His Statcast page shows a ton of red, as he ranks in the top 8 percent of the majors in exit velocity and maximum exit velocity, and the top 2 percent in xSLG. He is in the top 3 percent in WOBA and the top 4 percent in xWOBA. He also is in the 85th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 93rd percentile in barrel percentage. His contact numbers have improved, too. 

Despite all that, though, there are concerns this hot stretch is nothing more than another streak from a power hitter who has a Cal Raleigh with a better average vibe. (In 2023, Raleigh hit .218 with 30 homers, 75 RBIs, 78 runs, a 10.7 percent walk rate and 34.7 percent strikeout rate in 145 games. Rooker hit .246 with 30 homers, 69 RBIs, 61 runs, a 9.3 percent walk rate and 32.7 percent strikeout rate in 137 games. Raleigh and Rooker entered Friday with 10 homers, 21 runs and similar walk and strikeout rates.) 

Rooker’s 31.4 percent strikeout rate is the 14th-worst in the majors, and that is going to make him virtually unusable at times (hitting in a weak A’s lineup doesn’t help either). And, it’s happened before. 

Rooker started out hot in April 2023, hitting .353 with nine homers, 22 RBIs, 16 strikeouts and a 1.245 OPS in 22 games. Over his next 56 games, he hit .208 with seven homers, 22 RBIs, 76 strikeouts (35.3 percent of his plate appearances) and a .672 OPS. He hit .198 in May and .191 in June. Over his final 115 games, he hit .228 with 156 strikeouts (35.5 percent). 

During this hot stretch to kick off the month, he also had a .417 BABIP, which is not sustainable. But you didn’t need Roto Rage to tell you Rooker, a career .238 hitter, is not going to hit like this the rest of the way. 

Here is what you need to know: If you have Rooker on your roster, now is the best time to test the trade market. Or just ride out his hot streak. If he isn’t on your roster, and he is available in your league, and you need a power boost, Rooker will give you what you need (and he won’t completely Raleigh your average). 

He has legit power. But, you should make sure your squad has the proper depth for the inevitable cold stretch — because he will go cold. 

Big hits

Reese Olson SP, Tigers 

Though he has not picked up a win, he owns a 0.47 ERA and .097 opponents’ average over his past three starts, and 1.21 ERA and .159 opponents’ average over his past six. 

Max Kepler OF, Twins 

In his first 22 games since returning from the IL, he is hitting .375 with three homers, 17 RBIs, 13 runs, a stolen base and a 1.050 OPS. 

Garrett Crochet SP, White Sox 

Won his first three starts this month while maintaining a 0.53 ERA, 23-3 strikeout-walk rate and .177 opponents’ average. 

Abraham Toro 1B/2B/3B, Athletics 

At least one hit in 16 of his past 20 games — going 28-for-77 (.364) with two homers, nine RBIs, 14 runs and a .955 OPS in that span. 

Big whiffs 

Cedric Mullins OF, Orioles 

Entered Friday with two hits in his first 30 at-bats (.067) this month with no homers or runs, one RBI, 13 strikeouts and a .197 OPS. He was 7-for-64 (.109) with 19 strikeouts in 20 games since April 20. 

Sonny Gray SP, Cardinals 

Allowed 15 hits and 11 earned runs in his past two starts to go along with four homers, a .326 opponents’ average and 1.068 OPS. 

Jake Burger 3B, Marlins 

Struggled mightily in his first nine games off the IL, going 3-for-34 (.088) with no homers or RBIs, 10 strikeouts and a .176 OPS. 

Lance Lynn SP, Cardinals 

Allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in his first three starts (14 ²/₃ innings) this month, going 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA and .298 opponents’ average. 

Check swings

– After going 0-for-27 with 10 strikeouts in his first seven games this month, Paul Goldschmidt responded by hitting .304 with two homers, four RBIs and .925 OPS in his next five. 

– Reid Detmers has not won since April 12, and has allowed 27 runs (26 earned), 35 hits and 11 walks over his past five starts — in which he is 0-4 with a 8.46 ERA, .307 opponents’ average and .941 OPS. 

– Washington closer Kyle Finnegan has allowed two hits over his past 12 appearances while going 1-0 with nine saves in nine chances and limiting opponents to a .056 average. He entered Friday tied with Ryan Helsley for the league-lead in saves (13) and was still available in more than 45 percent of ESPN leagues. 

– Though Royals closer James McArthur has collected three saves in his past three appearances (and entered the weekend with 10 on the season), he was 0-2 with two blown saves, a 9.00 ERA, .370 opponents’ average and four homers allowed in his first six innings pitched this month. 

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– The Cubs’ Javier Assad is 2-0 with a 0.55 ERA, 15 strikeouts and a .194 opponents’ average in his first three starts this month. On top of that, he has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of nine starts, and has allowed one or less in each of his past six. He is rostered in fewer than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. 

– Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes showed on Friday why fantasy owners rushed to add him after being called up to the majors. Not only did he strike out the first seven batters he faced, he struck out 11 over six no-hit innings. He also threw 12 pitches that exceeded 100 mph. Maybe you’re in one of the 20 percent of ESPN leagues he remains available in. Go check! Quickly! 

– Tommy Pham is thriving as the leadoff hitter for the White Sox, one of the worst — if not the worst — offensive teams in the majors. In the eight games he’s hit atop the order before Friday, he was hitting .367 with five RBIs, a stolen base and a .858 OPS. He hit .306 with two homers, 10 RBIs, six runs and a .860 OPS in his first 13 games this month. 

Team name of the week 

Rhys Witherspoon