Fantasy Baseball September 29 Round Up: Aaron Judge Ties Roger Maris With Home Run No. 61
Yesterday’s baseball action was all about the number 61. It has been 61 years since 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61 home runs to set the American League record for most home runs in a single season. Last night, 61 years later, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit home run No. 61 to tie Maris’ record. There’s not enough games left for Judge to make a push for Barry Bonds' record of most home runs in a season in Major League Baseball history (73), but he’ll have plenty of chances to break the tie with Maris. Outside of Judge, Tyler Glasnow is back in fantasy baseball lineups as he made his return from the MLB injury report for the Tampa Bay Rays. Plus, the Los Angeles Angels’ fanbase got their first look at MLB top prospect Logan O’Hoppe as the catcher made his MLB debut last night. Meanwhile, Matt Olson is heating up for Atlanta as the Braves will square off with their division-rival New York Mets in a weekend series with massive MLB playoff implications. With Hurricane Ian ravaging the southeast – thoughts and prayers to those that have been impacted and may find themselves in Ian’s path. With that in mind, keep an eye on the latest MLB weather report updates with our weather center when setting your MLB DFS lineups today. Let's get to the top MLB news and notes as we look at the biggest fantasy baseball headlines.
Fantasy Baseball News & Notes
Aaron Judge Ties Roger Maris With 61st Home Run
The wait is finally over. The seven-game home run drought came to an end for Aaron Judge last night. His seventh-inning home run against the Blue Jays was his 61st of the year, tying Roger Maris for the most ever in a season by an American League hitter. The Yankees have seven games left in the regular season. So, now, the next question is when does Judge break the American League home run record? When does he hit No. 62? Congratulations, Aaron!
Tyler Glasnow Returns for Rays
Glasnow last toed the rubber on June 14th of 2021 for the Tampa Bay Rays, but he finally made his return yesterday – and he looked great. He allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk while striking out three Guardians over three strong innings. His velocity looked good, he looked healthy, and his curveball generated four whiffs on five swings!
Glasnow will likely make one more appearance prior to the playoffs. The Rays can either use an opener for him, or maybe they’ll use him out of the bullpen since he won’t quite yet be ready for a full workload. The opener route makes sense to me because after one more start, he should be able to handle 70-ish pitches.
Logan O’Hoppe Makes MLB Debut
O’Hoppe was the key piece for the Los Angeles Angels when they traded Brandon Marsh to Philadelphia and, due to a rather weak system, O’Hoppe was the prized gem in the Angels’ farm. While also being a solid defending catcher, O’Hoppe was excellent in the minors this season, as he hit a combined 26 home runs with 78 RBI, 72 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across 104 games. The strikeouts that plagued him early in his career are nearly nonexistent anymore, and his batting average floor has been elevated as he’s cut his strikeout rate into the mid-to-upper teens. O’Hoppe should get nearly everyday at-bats down the stretch, and compete for a starting gig behind the dish in 2023.
Matt Olson Heating Up for Atlanta
I think every time Fantasy Alarm has given me a pen and paper of late, I find a way to write about Matt Olson. Well, today is no different, folks! Olson went 2-for-3 with his 30th home run of the year yesterday. During his modest four-game hit streak, he’s slashing .357/.444/.857 with a .513 wOBA and 235 wRC+.
Olson is heating up for Atlanta just at the right time, as the Mets and Braves are set to embark on a massive series that has division title implications on the line.
Thursday’s MLB Best Bet
Phillies @ Cubs OVER 7.5 Total Runs
Winds are blowing out in Wrigley, or at least they should be, so we are going to hammer the over and not look back. Chicago’s Javier Assad has a 6.35 ERA and 1.82 WHIP in his home stadium this year. Furthermore, the Phillies have the seventh-best batting average and eighth-highest OPS against right-handed pitching over the last two weeks. Over his last four starts, two which were at home, Assad has a 6.23 ERA, 2.08 HR/9, and 43.1 percent fly ball rate. Ranger Suárez has been better on the road than at home, but he can be prone to a blowup outing here and there. However, we are chasing this over primarily on the back of the Philadelphia offense. You can also take the over of four runs in the first five innings, too. There will be plenty of offense in this one, especially if those winds continue blowing out.
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Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.