What to know for Week 4 in Fantasy Baseball: Jordan Walker a buy high + key weekend takeaways

Is Jordan Walker figuring it out?

It's easy to forget, but Walker is still just 23. Once one of the top prospects in baseball, Walker put together a solid rookie season where he hit 16 homers and had a .276/.342/.445 line as a 20-year-old back in 2023, but he has floundered amid injuries and aimless tweaks to his swing, to the point where he entered this season with almost no fanfare – his ADP before the season was just 360.9. Walker spent the offseason working on his swing mechanics to try to get back to the swing that made him such an elite young talent as a prospect, but it's not like there was much reason to be optimistic – his swing was so messed up this spring that he actually took three days off from games about 10 days before the start of the season to try to get it right.

But that work sure is paying off right now. He's in the midst of the best stretch of his career after hitting his MLB-best sixth homer Saturday, and he followed it up with his seventh Sunday. And under the hood, it doesn't exactly look like a fluke – Walker's batted ball metrics are best-in-baseball level pretty much across the board, including a league-high average exit velocity and expected slugging percentage to go with a 97th percentile expected batting average. All that despite Walker still striking out 30% of the time. He's crushing the ball.

Now the first thing I tend to look for when a player has this kind of small-sample breakout – before I even look at those under-the-hood metrics – is whether this kind of production is totally out of the norm for a player. And in Walker's case … kind of?

Walker had a couple of stretches as a rookie where his overall production was similar. But there are caveats here. Those 2023 stretches were mostly fueled by an unsustainable BABIP, with four and five homers in each stretch. Walker is elevating the ball a bit more often, and most crucially, he's avoiding the most pointless elevated balls, the popups and infield flies that spell death for production (his 2.9% popup rate would be less than half his career rate). From that perspective, at least, Walker's success to date at least does look different than previous successful stretches have.

And it's come along with measurable swing changes. He's swinging a bit harder than in years past, and he's doing it with a slightly shorter swing (8.1 feet, on average, vs. 8.3 last season). Most notably, he has increased his attack angle on his swings from an average of five degrees over his first three seasons to nine degrees so far. That's not a huge different, but for a guy who has struggled to tap into his raw power the way Walker has, it's key – and his "Ideal Attack Angle" rate has jumped from a below average 47.7% mark in 2025 to 62% in 2026. Hard-hit groundballs don't really help anyone except the pitcher, and Walker has too often hit too many of those. He isn't now.

He's still not perfect. There's still an awful lot of swing-and-miss here, and Walker's swing is still far from optimized – just 5.9% of his batted balls have been hit in the air to the pull side, the lowest mark of his career. And he's flailing at a lot of non-fastballs, sporting a whiff rate over 40% on both breaking and offspeed pitches. If all of that continues, Walker is going to need to keep crushing the ball to remain productive.

So, sell high? That all depends, my friends! If someone calls you up and offers you, say, Nick Kurtz or Pete Alonso for him, you take that trade immediately. Walker went undrafted in many leagues, and two weeks isn't enough to make him more valuable than a second or third-round pick.

But if you're entertaining offers for someone like Teoscar Hernandez or Ceddane Rafaela, who were more like 10th-round picks … I think I'd turn them down. Oh, when I update my rankings later this week, I'm probably going to rank Walker behind those guys, so you might say I'm being inconsistent. But you're sitting on found money with Walker, and there's at least a chance he might end up a difference maker this season. There might even be a better chance he's a true difference maker than Hernandez or Rafaela or Taylor Ward or whichever middle-round outfielder you might want to name. Those guys have higher floors because we've seen them do it for longer than two weeks, of course. But when I'm staring at a guy with the kind of physical traits Walker has who looks like he might be putting it all together, I'm going to shoot for upside. It might not work out.

Hernandez will probably be better. But if Walker is better, I don't think it'll be by a small margin. And that's what helps you win Fantasy leagues.

Six big takeaways from this weekend

Oneil Cruz took all that criticism personally

Who would call Oneil Cruz a bust? Who would, say, make him the cover boy for their biggest busts of 2026 column? Whoever would do that must be feeling pretty foolish right about now, huh?

Yep, I am.

Cruz had another absolutely bonkers weekend, extending his hitting streak to 11 games to open up April by going 6 for 11 with a double, a homer, and four stolen bases. He's now up to five homers and six steals in the season's first 15 games, while hitting .339/.400/.644. So am I ready to admit defeat?

Not quite.

I mean, look, he's been awesome. Especially against lefties, going 8 for 17 with just four strikeouts and three homers against them. That's a huge deal for Cruz, who was unplayably bad against southpaws last season. If that's a real improvement in his skill set, he could be one of this season's biggest breakouts.

But it's 15 games! 15 games where he has been hugely productive, sure, but also 15 games where a lot of the fundamental issues in his game remain. He's still swinging and missing a ton – his 28% strikeout rate isn't egregious, but he's actually going out of the zone to chase more than last season and making even less contact when he swings. 15 games where he's still whiffing on over 45% of his swings against non-fastballs.

Which is to say, the fundamentals here aren't any different. Maybe Cruz is figuring things out – the early returns against lefties are especially promising – but it's equally likely that he's just hot. Don't forget: Cruz had a .914 OPS in April last season before falling apart. I remain skeptical. Sue me.

Jose Soriano may be making The Leap

Last week over at FanGraphs.com, Michael Baumann went deep on what Soriano has changed about his approach in the early going, and I very much recommend going to check that out. He had more room to get into the nitty gritty details than I do here, but the biggest change is trading some sinkers for some four-seamers, ticking his breaking ball usage up a bit, and inducing a ton more swings on pitches out of the strike zone.

What I find most interesting about Soriano is that, while he's cut his walk rate to a career-low 8.5% so far, he has done that while actually throwing fewer pitches in the strike zone than before. Command and control are tricky things to quantify. You might think the key to throwing more strikes is to throw it in the zone more consistently, but called strikes aren't the only way to get strikes. In fact, if you can induce swings on pitches out of the zone more consistently, intentionally pitching out of the zone might even be a better way to get strikes, and that's the path Soriano is going down.

I'm a little skeptical about how sustainable this will all prove to be, naturally. Soriano has always had phenomenal stuff, but consistency has always been the primary hurdle. Four starts – even four starts with 31 strikeouts to nine walks in 27 innings of work – isn't enough to convince me he's overcome that problem. If I could trade Soriano for a struggling top-30 starting pitcher – Eury Perez or Framber Valdez, say? – I'd still do that. But it's an extremely promising start, enough to at least push Soriano into the top 50.

The White Sox are getting even younger

They're calling Noah Schultz up, and yep, you should go add him. And that's not just me saying it: That's Scott White's take on the promotion of one of the most interesting left-handed pitching prospects in baseball.

And then there's the expected (though not yet confirmed) promotion of infielder Sam Antonacci, who is expected to join Schultz on the roster Tuesday, which is a less obvious must-add situation. But that's not to say Antonacci is totally without appeal, either. The 23-year-old brings a really interesting skill set to the table, coming off a season where he hit .291/.433/.409 line across three levels of the minors. You might look at that and think he's another Chase Meidroth, a solid little table setter, but not someone with impact potential for Fantasy. But look beyond the slash line, friends. Antonacci stole 48 bases last season! That alone makes him more interesting than Meidroth, but that's not all he has going for him. Because while he hit just five homers in 2025, his raw power has always suggested the potential for a bit more. He started tapping into that a bit more by pulling the ball in the air a bit more during the Arizona Fall League, and he has kept it up through Spring Training (two homers in nine games), the World Baseball Classic (one in six games), and then at Triple-A (two in 12) – that's eight homers in his past 46 games, albeit against uneven competition.

If Antonacci can even be a 10-homer guy with his baserunning skills and excellent approach at the plate, there's an interesting player here. In Roto leagues, I'm looking to take a flier on Antonacci where I can, even without the promotion guaranteed as of yet.

Zack Wheeler is still having velo issues

Wheeler's return is looming. He'll make two more rehab starts before making his much anticipated return from Thoracic Outlet surgery likely during the Phillies' upcoming series against the Braves April 24-26. And we're excited. We're excited, right?

Well … I wish I was. I want to be. I'm rooting for him!

But Wheeler hasn't looked like himself on his rehab assignment so far. In his most recent start his average fastball velocity was at 92.9, and that's been consistent across his three starts so far. That's down 3.2 mph from last season before the injury. The Phillies are, of course, projecting confidence, with manager Rob Thomson saying he thinks that's around where Wheeler typically is during Spring Training, though the data doesn't necessarily bear that out – when he debuted last spring, he was at 95.9 mph, just 0.2 mph down from where he ended up for the season.

Maybe it won't matter. It hasn't mattered for Brandon Woodruff, whose stuff looks significantly diminished from his pre-shoulder injury levels but who has remained a pretty effective pitcher nonetheless. Wheeler has a similar approach to pitching, and he might similarly be able to survive and even thrive with diminished stuff.

But Wheeler is a 35-year-old coming off major surgery, and you can't just expect a pitcher in their mid-30s to bounce back even under the best circumstances. And the track record for Thoracic Outlet surgeries reminds us that this is certainly not the best of circumstances. Wheeler is apparently down about 10 pounds from where he was last season, and it might just be asking too much to expect him to come all the way back.

He doesn't have to be the Zack Wheeler of old to be worth rostering, of course. But I suspect if we had seen him pitching this spring while down 3 mph across the board, folks probably wouldn't have been taking him as a top-120 pick. And I definitely have a lot of concerns about how this is going to go. I hope they prove unfounded.

Brandon Woodruff is … confusing

Last season, Woodruff came back from a serious shoulder surgery throwing nearly 3 mph lower than he did prior to the injury, and it was like it didn't matter. So when he came out this season having lost another tick of velocity, well, who could complain?

Three starts in, and I'm not really sure what to make of Woodruff. To be clear, he was excellent Sunday, tossing six innings of two-run ball (one earned) while striking out six. On the whole, he's putting up a 4.32 ERA, but it's really only been one bad start out of three … but the strikeout rate is down to 23.1%, a more than 9% drop from 2025. And the stuff models suggest that ERA may not be a fluke, as he has posted both below average Stuff+ and Location+ numbers for the first time in his career. PitcherList's PLV model gave him a below-average grade for both stuff and location Sunday, and only his four-seamer was able to generate any swinging strikes in that one.

I'm not sure where I land on Woodruff. On the one hand, being skeptical of him last season despite the seemingly diminished stuff didn't work out. On the other hand, the stuff seems to have backed up again this season, and there's always the threat of injury hanging over him, given his history. I lean toward trying to sell Woodruff before things take a real turn for the worse. But then, I said the same thing last season, too.

Kris Bubic is picking up where he left off

Bubic is one of those players who is always tough to rank. Before the season, he's tough to rank because we know the injury risk is high and the potential for innings is low, and that stuff matters when you're trying to figure out where to draft him relative to other pitchers. I was higher on Bubic than the consensus, but I could certainly see why others were scared off – his 116.1 innings in 2024 were his most since 2022, and his season ended with a shoulder injury. There were a lot of ways for this to go wrong, and there wasn't an especially long track record of success to point to.

But once the season started and Bubic continued to pitch like an ace again, you get questions from the other direction. Because once he actually starts doing it, how can you justify stubbornly keeping him down the rankings? He doesn't have a blazing fastball, but his 91 works about as well as most pitchers' 95, his changeup is generally incredible – though he somehow didn't record a whiff with it Friday – and his pair of breaking balls work against both lefties and righties.

He's just a really good pitcher, and I can't honestly tell you there are more than about 25 or so starters I feel better about right now than Bubic, who has a 2.69 ERA and 9.7 K/9 since the start of the 2023 season. He's just an excellent pitcher … but those injury concerns don't just go away because he's pitching right now. Bubic's chances of throwing 150 innings are lower than most pitchers; his chances of throwing 180-plus are probably nonexistent.

But it's hard to think too much about that when he's actually out there right now and other pitchers are struggling to get outs or stay on the mound. He's healthy right now. Maybe you could justify selling high on him, but given how cheap he was coming into the season relative to how well he pitched last season, you were already the highest person on him in your league. Is someone going to give you the kind of return you need to make trading Bubic? For me, that's at least a top-30 SP price. If I can get that, I'm fine moving him.

If nobody meets that price? I'm riding Bubic until it goes wrong. If it does, I don't think it'll be because of performance.

News and notes

The White Sox are calling up at least one top prospect! They're expected to promote Noah Schultz Tuesday, and reports indicate Sam Antonacci might be on the way as well, though that's seemingly less assured. Both are worth adding in 15-team Roto leagues, and Antonacci's excellent plate discipline and plus speed have me adding him in some shallower Roto leagues. He could have some Nico Hoerner-type upside.

Nick Pivetta left Sunday's start with right elbow stiffness. Remember, he had some arm fatigue this spring, so this is a little concerning, at least. The Padres are going to see how he feels on Monday, not sure if he'll get imaging or make his next start, so I'd sit him this week for sure.

Edwin Diaz is being treated as day-to-day as the Dodgers try to determine why his velocity has been down to begin the season. He allowed 3 runs on Friday in a blown save and has been down more than a tick from last year on his fastball. It might be worth adding Tanner Scott as Diaz insurance just in case he has to miss some time.

George Springer was placed on the IL with a left big toe fracture. John Schneider indicated that Springer could be back close to the minimum amount of time, but you'll definitely need to sit him this week. Eloy Jimenez was recalled from Triple-A and was in the lineup as the team's DH Sunday, but I'm not expecting much, personally.

Brent Rooker was officially placed on the IL Friday with a right oblique strain. Zack Gelof was recalled from Triple-A.

Adley Rutschman was placed on the IL Saturday with left ankle inflammation.

Gabriel Moreno went on the IL with a back injury.

Christian Yelich left Sunday with hamstring tightness and it sounds like the team is expecting an IL stint.

Royce Lewis went on the IL Saturday with a left knee sprain. He just can't manage to stay on the field.

Wyatt Langford missed Saturday and Sunday with a right quad injury and I'd be wary of starting him this week unless we get some good news before lineups lock.

Corbin Carroll missed Thursday and Friday with a tight hip flexor but returned to the lineup Saturday and Sunday.

Juan Soto could return for the start of the Mets' next homestand on April 21. He's on the IL with a calf strain.

Jackson Chourio's fractured hand is showing signs of healing, but he still isn't cleared to resume hitting.

Tatsuya Imai travelled to Houston Saturday to be examined for his "tired arm". I'd try to hold onto him despite the slow start, especially if an IL stint is forthcoming and you can stash him.

Fernando Tatis Jr. made two starts at second base this weekend! That's a nice surprise, and one that could give him even more appeal for Fantasy by allowing you to use him at the weakest position. The Padres used Tatis to give Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth days off this weekend, so let's see if they do that a few more times in the coming weeks.

Sal Stewart made a start at second as well. That'd be a nice bonus as well.

Spencer Strider will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday. He's working his way back from an oblique injury and will probably need at least a few starts before he's ready.

Trey Yesavage is scheduled to make another rehab start Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm hoping we'll see him by late April.

Nick Lodolo threw a 10-pitch bullpen on Thursday at less than full intensity, so you have to imagine he's still a couple of turns through the rotation away as he manages a blister.

Jeremy Peña left Saturday with right knee tightness and was not in the lineup Sunday. I'd lean toward sitting him, given the depth of the shortstop position.

Dave Roberts said Friday that Mookie Betts is symptom-free in regards to his strained right oblique, so hopefully he'll start to ramp up soon.

Cole Ragans has been confirmed for his next start Tuesday in Detroit. He left his previous one after taking a comebacker off his pitching hand, but it doesn't seem like there's much concern here. I'm keeping him in my lineup.

Luis Arraez left Saturday due to a right wrist contusion and did not play on Sunday. It seems fairly easy to sit him if you have an alternate option at second base.

Blake Snell threw 15 pitches in a live BP on Saturday. He's still working his way back from a shoulder injury and likely needs another six weeks to ramp up, I'd guess.

Carlos Rodon is scheduled to throw a live BP early this week. He had a setback when he tweaked his hamstring a few weeks back but seems to be progressing well for a return in the first quarter of the season.

Merrill Kelly is set for his season debut Tuesday in Baltimore, but I'm inclined to keep him on the bench for the first turn.

Matthew Boyd will make a rehab start this week and could return shortly after.

Kirby Yates is expected to go on a rehab assignment at High-A soon.

Others to the IL this weekend

Joe Boyle with a right elbow strain

Tyler O'Neill to the 7-day concussion IL

Cristian Javier with a Grade 2 strain in his right shoulder

Parker Meadows with a fractured arm and a concussion from a scary collision in the outfield on Thursday.