A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Happy Mother's Day! I'm doing my first weekend article as Kyle and I switched this week due to my work trip. It was a busy trip with a return to a busy weekend. With that, I'll be skipping my recent transactions section (as I didn't have time for many) and may be a little shorter on some of the notes. Here's five players you should consider picking up.
Note: all stats current through Friday 5/9/25 and all minor league statcast figures are sourced from TJ Stats.
Height/Weight: 6’0”/210 lbs Bats: L Fantrax Rostership: 13%
2024 stats (AAA): 249 PA .260/.391/.466, 9 HR, 4 SB, 16.1% BB, 19.3% K 2024 stats (MLB): 225 PA .197/.250/.351, 7 HR, 2 SB, 6.2% BB, 26.7% K 2025 stats (AAA): 45 PA .211/.311/.421, 2 HR, 0 SB, 11.1% BB, 28.9% K 2025 stats (MLB): 49 PA .222/.286/.356, 0 HR, 0 SB, 6.1% BB, 16.3% K
Why To Pick Up
Addison Barger quietly appears to be on the verge of a breakout. He's been getting a lot of run lately and hitting the ball hard, but he has nothing to show for it. That was, until Friday, when he hit three doubles with 109.7+ mph EVs (including the hardest and third hardest hit balls of his career). His statcast page is bright red, with above-average to elite marks in everything but walk rate. His 95.5 average EV is tied for 3rd in the majors, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Oneil Cruz. The two names he's tied with? Aaron Judge and Rafael Devers. He set a new max EV of 116.5 (elite) with one of those Friday doubles. He's also improved his contact, swinging strike rate, and chase rate from last season. He's not striking out much and is pulling the ball in the air.
In short, he's doing nearly everything you want him to do with the bat and not getting the results. This is apparent in his actual vs. expected stats with a .222 BA vs. .296 xBA, .356 SLG vs. 466 xSLG, and .287 wOBA vs. .356 xwOBA. He's also been a good defender and has a cannon for an arm.
Final Thoughts
At some point, Barger will need to get results to justify his playing time, but he appears to have plenty of run right now. He has mostly been deployed in a strong-side platoon, but that could change with Andres Gimenez going to the IL and Ernie Clement taking over at second base. Barger hasn't had trouble with lefties historically, so he could easily earn an everyday role if he performs. Now is the time to pick him up before he does so. I grabbed him in some deeper dynasty leagues this last week (including the 20-team Highlander league), and he makes for a sneaky FAAB add in both redraft and dynasty.
Where to pick up: Deeper 12+ team leagues
FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
Nate George - 18/OF/BAL/CPX
Height/Weight: 6’0”/200 lbs Bats: R Fantrax Rostership: 1%
2025 stats (CPX): 17 PA .333/.375/.533, 1 HR, 1 SB, 5.9% BB, 17.6% K
Why To Pick Up
With one week of complex ball in the books, I wanted to highlight an early breakout from the level this week. Nate George appears to meet that definition. In addition to the stats above, he went 1-for-3 on Saturday with his 2nd HR in just five games this year. As a 16th-round pick in last year's draft, George doesn't appear to have much pedigree, but it's worth noting that he signed for $455K over slot (nearly 4x the slot amount). He was also profiled on our pre-draft top 300 at #246, where he was described as:
"Budding power/speed combination, pop-up Midwest name. Track and Field athlete, loud run times and can be a menace in game. Speed helps in the OF, where he can stick in CF. Solid bat speed at the dish, power uptick this spring.”
The Fangraphs scouting report also highlighted that power uptick, which mentioned he "showed up to 2025 camp having added a substantial amount of strength." They gave him 45 hit, 50 power, and 55 run tools. A multi-sport athlete who ran track and played football in high school, George posted an elite 6.39-second 60-yard dash, a time that set the Prep Baseball Illinois record.
Final Thoughts
George appears to have some nice power/speed upside with some hit tool concerns, but those haven't popped up in the early going with an 85.2% contact rate through his first four games. It's a small sample, and he has shown an overly aggressive approach, swinging at a 58.7% rate while only walking 5.9% of the time. He's an under-the-radar name to take a flier on in deeper leagues and watchlists everywhere else.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 350+ prospects rostered
FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
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A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
