2 hours ago
We've hit June and the small-sample alarm is no longer sounding — we've played about 38% of the season. Fast starts have more meaning now; they could mean strong seasons. Many players we drafted late or added off the fantasy baseball waiver wire have earned solidified roles on our rosters.
Today's ***** ignment was to locate some surprising hitters and try to determine just how real their fast starts are. Settle in and let's see what we can figure out.
It's important to remember that Vargas was once a rated prospect. He was on everyone's clipboard in 2022 and made the Futures Game. His highest prospect rank came in 2023, when Baseball America listed him at No. 30. Player development is not always linear.
The White Sox are getting a lovely breakout from Vargas this year. His bat speed has improved, his hard-hit metrics are good, his plate-discipline stats are very good. Swinging at strikes and spitting on ***** is the quickest path to success in this game. He's also learned the craft of stealing bases, now 15-for-15 over the past two seasons. And heck, he hasn't even been lucky — his .242 average and .502 slugging lag behind his .262 expected average and .535 expected slugging. Vargas is set up to be one of the strongest right answers of 2026 fantasy baseball.
Marsh has been a plus-offensive player for most of his career, in his fifth straight season with a favorable OPS+. But the timing has been right for a career year at age 28, as he's hit new highs for all the slash categories (.335/.365/.482). We like seeing his strikeout rate moving down, but it's also telling that his walk rate has fallen significantly, too. A dip in walks isn't always a bad thing — sometimes it's a matter of not letting so many hittable strikes pass the zone.
Today's ***** ignment was to locate some surprising hitters and try to determine just how real their fast starts are. Settle in and let's see what we can figure out.
It's important to remember that Vargas was once a rated prospect. He was on everyone's clipboard in 2022 and made the Futures Game. His highest prospect rank came in 2023, when Baseball America listed him at No. 30. Player development is not always linear.
The White Sox are getting a lovely breakout from Vargas this year. His bat speed has improved, his hard-hit metrics are good, his plate-discipline stats are very good. Swinging at strikes and spitting on ***** is the quickest path to success in this game. He's also learned the craft of stealing bases, now 15-for-15 over the past two seasons. And heck, he hasn't even been lucky — his .242 average and .502 slugging lag behind his .262 expected average and .535 expected slugging. Vargas is set up to be one of the strongest right answers of 2026 fantasy baseball.
Marsh has been a plus-offensive player for most of his career, in his fifth straight season with a favorable OPS+. But the timing has been right for a career year at age 28, as he's hit new highs for all the slash categories (.335/.365/.482). We like seeing his strikeout rate moving down, but it's also telling that his walk rate has fallen significantly, too. A dip in walks isn't always a bad thing — sometimes it's a matter of not letting so many hittable strikes pass the zone.
4 hours ago
There have been suggestions that Atalanta’s Marco Palestra can depart Serie A and head to the Premier League. Even if Manchester City and Newcastle United are interested, it seems like the player’s decision is made.
Corriere dello Sport report that while Atalanta have rejected Inter’s initial offer for the wing-back, the move is very much alive.
The player is keen on staying in Italy, even if Manchester City and Newcastle United can meet La Dea’s demands. He wants to don the Inter shirt, which will have the Scudetto badge for next season. This is now driving the deal forward, with the Nerazzurri speaking to his entourage about an agreement over personal terms and how to convince Atalanta.
Denzel Dumfries’ move to Real Madrid can prove key. The money earned can allow them to make a bigger offer to finally land Palestra.
At Inter, Palestra will play in the Champions League, be a guaranteed starter and challenge for silverware on a regular basis. It will take him to the next level, make him an established star at the highest level.
Corriere dello Sport report that while Atalanta have rejected Inter’s initial offer for the wing-back, the move is very much alive.
The player is keen on staying in Italy, even if Manchester City and Newcastle United can meet La Dea’s demands. He wants to don the Inter shirt, which will have the Scudetto badge for next season. This is now driving the deal forward, with the Nerazzurri speaking to his entourage about an agreement over personal terms and how to convince Atalanta.
Denzel Dumfries’ move to Real Madrid can prove key. The money earned can allow them to make a bigger offer to finally land Palestra.
At Inter, Palestra will play in the Champions League, be a guaranteed starter and challenge for silverware on a regular basis. It will take him to the next level, make him an established star at the highest level.
8 hours ago
The Oklahoma Sooners have built quite the 2027 recruiting class over the last few months, and it continues to grow even stronger. OU currently has 23 commitments for this cycle, with 12 coming on the offensive side of the ball, and 11 coming on the defensive side of the ball.
Furthermore, those that follow high school football recruiting closely were excited about the state of Oklahoma's crop of high school players in the 2027 class. Many have called it a historically good cycle for the state, perhaps even the best ever. Both Rivals and 247Sports back those claims up. Both sites have three players from the state in the top 50 of their national player rankings, something that has never happened before for the state of Oklahoma.
Each of those three players, Fort Gibson's Cooper Hackett, Bixby's Kaeden Penny, and Mustang's Gabriel Osborne Jr., are committed to the Sooners, meaning that OU head coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy not only swept the consensus top three players in the state, they swept the consensus top three players in the state in possibly the state's best class ever.
Hackett stands at 6-foot-7, and weighs 260 pounds. He is ranked as the nation's No. 17 player by Rivals and the No. 14 player nationally by 247Sports Composite. The offensive lineman has an extremely high athletic ceiling and he moves well for his size. He is a player that the Sooners are pinning their future hopes at offensive tackle on.
Penny checks in at 6-foot-4 and weighs 265 pounds. Rivals ranks him as No. 32 player in the country, with 247Sports Composite ranking him at No. 37. The offensive lineman displays strong footwork and body control, especially when it comes to pass protection. He's capable of playing both offensive tackle or lining up in the interior of the offensive line.
Furthermore, those that follow high school football recruiting closely were excited about the state of Oklahoma's crop of high school players in the 2027 class. Many have called it a historically good cycle for the state, perhaps even the best ever. Both Rivals and 247Sports back those claims up. Both sites have three players from the state in the top 50 of their national player rankings, something that has never happened before for the state of Oklahoma.
Each of those three players, Fort Gibson's Cooper Hackett, Bixby's Kaeden Penny, and Mustang's Gabriel Osborne Jr., are committed to the Sooners, meaning that OU head coach Brent Venables and general manager Jim Nagy not only swept the consensus top three players in the state, they swept the consensus top three players in the state in possibly the state's best class ever.
Hackett stands at 6-foot-7, and weighs 260 pounds. He is ranked as the nation's No. 17 player by Rivals and the No. 14 player nationally by 247Sports Composite. The offensive lineman has an extremely high athletic ceiling and he moves well for his size. He is a player that the Sooners are pinning their future hopes at offensive tackle on.
Penny checks in at 6-foot-4 and weighs 265 pounds. Rivals ranks him as No. 32 player in the country, with 247Sports Composite ranking him at No. 37. The offensive lineman displays strong footwork and body control, especially when it comes to pass protection. He's capable of playing both offensive tackle or lining up in the interior of the offensive line.
