Toronto Blue Jays rookie catcher Brandon Valenzuela has impressed with his bat, glove, and arm in his first year in the big leagues in 2026. Offensively, Valenzuela has exceeded expectations with a .254/.338/.454 slash line, .792 OPS, seven home runs, 18 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a stolen base across his first 47 games and 149 plate appearances. The 25-year-old also has above-average arm strength behind the dish and has been solid defensively for the Jays while helping fill in after Alejandro Kirk fractured his thumb. The Mexican native has gone 9-for-28 (.321) at the plate with three home runs, two RBI, eight RBI, and four runs scored in nine games in June, but with Kirk now back from the injured list, Valenzuela's playing time is quickly drying up. Valenzuela definitely has earned more opportunities in his rookie season, but those chances might be fewer and further between with Kirk now healthy. He's currently rostered in 9% of leagues and is merely a catcher handcuff to keep stashed in deep two-catcher fantasy leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar didn't make his 2026 season debut until June 5 after having surgery on both of his heels in the offseason. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has appeared in 12 games and has gone 11-for-41 (.268) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in his 49 plate appearances. He has only had nine plate appearances against lefty pitchers, though, and he was out of the starting lineup again on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals for the third time that the Cardinals have faced a traditional southpaw starter. Nootbaar has teased multi-category upside in his first five seasons in the big leagues, but injuries have held him back, and he's never exceeded 14 home runs, 48 RBI, or 11 stolen bases for the Red Birds. The Cardinals are most likely easing Nootbaar in this year after his long absence, so he won't necessarily be in a strict platoon going into the second half of the season. With better health in both of his feet, Nootbaar could finally be ready to break out the rest of the way, making him worth a waiver flier in deeper mixed fantasy leagues. He's rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues right now.

The Atlanta Braves acquired catcher Joey Bart (foot) from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in exchange for right-hander Hunter Stratton, according to the team. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated catcher Sandy Leon for assignment. Bart has been on the injured list for over a month with a foot infection, but he is currently on a minor-league rehab assignment and looks ready to make his debut with Atlanta sooner rather than later. Drake Baldwin is the unquestioned starter for the Braves behind the dish, but Bart figures to serve as the team's backup with Sean Murphy (finger) still recovering from a broken finger that is expected to keep him out into the second half of the 2026 season. The move doesn't really make the 29-year-old Bart anymore attractive in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Bart hit a career-high 13 home runs and drove in 45 runs in 80 games in his first year with the Pirates in 2024 after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants, but he had just four homers and 30 RBI in 93 games last year. Before going on the IL with his foot injury this year, he was hitting .259/.290/.379 with two homers, six RBI, two walks, and 21 K's in 21 games played.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has been red-hot at the plate recently, and it continued in the team's 6-4 win on the road in Philadelphia on Thursday night against the division-rival Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Soto went 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and a walk to boost his season average to .300 and his OPS to .980. The 27-year-old Dominican hit both of his home runs in his first two at-bats of the game to set the tone for the Metropolitans. It was his second multi-homer game of the season. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner missed time this year with a calf injury, but other than that, he's been excellent despite the Mets' terrible season. Soto is now hitting .300/.398/.582 with 17 home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 249 plate appearances. And in his last eight games, he's been even better, going 14-for-29 (.483) with three long balls. As always, Soto is a must-start in all fantasy lineups as long as he's healthy.