The Major League Baseball season has rounded first base and is now one-quarter of the way home. As Memorial Day — the unofficial checkpoint — passes, the first of what will soon be dubbed, “the dog days of summer” mark the next phase of the baseball calendar.
In addition to a widespread improvement in weather throughout the country, the first few days of June also carry the potential for more Major League debuts, as teams will soon prevent future contract disputes by passing the amorphous Super-Two Deadline. Texas, out of necessity to fill the void left in the wake of Adrian Beltre’s injury, recently called up its top prospect, Joey Gallo. The third baseman’s incredible power potential instantly lands him well within the top-100 players, aided further by virtue of a power bat at the hot corner.
The “other” hot corner slugger who has previously commanded the attention of the fantasy baseball world looks to be as good as advertised. But even the mighty Kris Bryant is being quietly outplayed by his teammate across the diamond. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has has solidified himself as one of the best players — fantasy or not — in the game. At a position that has historically been dominated by power hitters, Rizzo has transformed himself into a hybrid capable of getting on base or driving in runs in a myriad of ways. His ascendance into the top-ten should come as no surprise, and he may soon be a mainstay in the first rounds of future drafts.
Other notable dramatic moves include the explosions of Bryce Harper and Joc Pederson — who both basically hit a home run daily — the consistent excellence of Dallas Keuchel, and Justin Upton — who staved off the assumed pitfall of a hitting in a “pitcher’s park,” only to sport excellent home numbers. Each player may regress, if only for the fact that their torrid paces cannot possibly continue, but their seat at the top-30 table should be safe going forward.
Here are the full, updated rankings as of early June for the 2015 fantasy baseball season:
